Digital Commons Network^™

Gangism: An 'Elementary Form Of Religious Life', Robert Northman

Student Research Symposium

This study is intended to examine the question: could gangs be a form of religion? The study will examine Steven Cureton's ethnographic case study of a street gang as found in his work titled Hoover Crips (2008), where I will then analyze the findings within the sociological framework of Emile Durkheim’s theory of religion as set forth in his classic book titled Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912).

This exploration faces challenges as the terms “gang” and “religion” are both hotly contested, and discussions on each have largely occurred independently, leaving a significant gap for this research to address. This …

Expressive And Instrumental Social Capital Facilitates Network Connections For Community College Transfer Students In Stem, Makenna R. Stone

Student Research Symposium

Students that transfer from a community college (CC) to a university often experience social and academic barriers that can lead to feelings of isolation and challenge their persistence. One way to alleviate these barriers is to develop capital. We aimed to understand how a cohort of CC STEM transfer students may have developed and exhibited social capital, or “assets accessed through social connections”. We leveraged the Network Theory of Social Capital to examine the instrumental (i.e., concrete advice and support) and expressive (i.e., emotional support and encouragement) actions that led to feelings of connection and persistence. We conducted semi-structured interviews …

Evaluating Equitable Success In Literary Spaces: A Portland Book Festival Case Study, Tia-Theo I. Thompson

Student Research Symposium

In 2015, data expressing the lack of diversity in literary institutions was made publicly available, yet equitable change remains slow. How do literary institutions achieve and evaluate successes in equity? Do certain factors expedite this transition?

In a three year Diversity and Inclusion plan (2019-2022), the Portland nonprofit, Literary Arts, drastically altered their internal and external practices to accommodate/introduce BIPoC writers, presenters, and employees. The equitability of this plan is assessed at the Portland Book Festival (PBF), 2023. Data concerning the identities, placement, and publications of Writers and Presenters at PBF is analyzed within the context of the goals set …

Online Or In-Person: What Mode Of Conversation Makes People Feel The Most Socially Connected?, Nathan P. Gheorghita, Cynthia D. Mohr, Maryann Samson, Sheila Mccabe, Julia Lynch

Student Research Symposium

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been spending significantly more time online. Today, people spend an average of 6 hours and 58 minutes online every day, and much of this time is spent socializing via various platforms. Many studies have examined the benefits and risks of socializing online, but few studies have examined online conversations specifically. In this study I aim to uncover the differences in perceived social connection based on the medium of conversation. To do this, I will administer the Connectedness During Conversations Scale (CDCS) to a sample of Portland State University students (N=80). The …

Exploring Attrition And Linguistic Shifts: The Impact Of Covid-19 And Anti-Asian Discrimination On The East And Southeast Asian Diaspora, Sam Mutschler-Aldine, Amy Wan-Ling Lin, Natalie Robison, Milntra Raksachat, Carolyn Quam

Student Research Symposium

This study investigates language and identity among speakers of East Asian and Southeast Asian languages in the United States, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent rise in anti-Asian hate. We adopt a mixed-methods approach guided by three research questions exploring: (1) changes in language use since pandemic onset, (2) changes in perspectives on language identity since pandemic onset, and (3) effects of geopolitical climate, specifically the rise in anti-Asian hate, on language use and perspectives on language identity. Qualitative methodologies allowed us to capture a diverse range of language experiences. Many (but not all) participants indicated …

Why People Pee In Public: Is A Lack Of Public Restrooms Keeping Portland Too Weird?, Cece Austin

Student Research Symposium

Various factors, including gender, housing status, socioeconomic status, and disability, impact access to public restrooms in Portland, Oregon. A pilot program involving the implementation of public restrooms has caused a significant reduction in public defecation in San Francisco. This research demonstrates the efficacy of this existing working model, which could be similarly implemented in Portland with some adjustments. Portland has the Portland Loos, which are single-stall, outdoor public restrooms. Still, many are not open 24 hours. An analysis of publicly available Google reviews indicates consistent poor cleanliness and Portland Loos being locked at times when they are advertised to be …

Talking About Weight: Weight Stigma And Information Seeking, Alexandra N. Henrici, Lillian H. Mantel

Student Research Symposium

Guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, this study explores the relationship between fear of discussing weight-related topics, or weight-related communication apprehension and weight bias internalization and tests the inconsistent RISP relationship between risk perception and information insufficiency. It investigates differences in weight-related communication apprehension in those who previously sought weight-related information from interpersonal or mediated sources. Using a survey of 64 undergraduate communication students, the study found that high levels of weight bias internalization correlated with high levels of weight-related communication apprehension. The study did not find a significant difference in weight-related communication apprehension based on …

Work And Psychological Recovery Experiences Of Asian American And Pacific Island Workers In Higher Education, Christine M. Beceril

Student Research Symposium

Individuals from Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) backgrounds constitute the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. job market - comprising 6.7% of the U.S. population and expected to reach 15% by 2065 (United States Census Bureau, 2022). Despite their rapid growth, there has been a scarcity of literature in industrial-organizational psychology, with limited research on how AAPI workers engage in psychological recovery after work. This is a critical, yet unexplored area as previous research on psychological recovery from work has been investigated with homogenous White samples. Additionally, AAPI workers play integral roles in the U.S. higher …

Neuroscience Educational Interventions For Mental Health Management Within The Neurodiverse Population: A Working Model, Kadi Rae Smith, C.K. Miller, Bill Griesar, Jeff Leake

Student Research Symposium

Sociological and environmental factors such as economic disparity and cultural marginalization hinder access to educational and medical resources and must be taken into account to ensure accurate diagnoses, effective self-regulation and mental health management for neurodiverse individuals, and offset disparities in access to healthcare and education. Arbitrary attachment of stigma to traits commonly associated with neurodivergence perpetuate neuro-myths1 that have dire consequences when internalized, informing individuals’ development and sense of self. Neuroscience outreach done by NW Noggin is an active model for engaging communities with limited resources and a greater need for services to offset economic disparity. Integrated arts programming …

Differences In Ninth Graders’ Attitudes Towards Math Depending On Immigrant-Generation Status, Karla V. Santana Martinez, Dara Shifrer

Student Research Symposium

Introduction

Math is a subject that is often perceived as challenging and sometimes referred to as a universal language because the symbols and organization are the same from country to country. However, immigrant students can face obstacles such as language barriers that can make math even more challenging regardless of the universal language belief.

Methods

This research integrates the data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 on 20,000 ninth graders. The ninth graders were asked questions about math and their feelings on the subject.

Results

Among students with the highest scores on the standardized math test, the math …

My Father's Story: An Ethnography About Language Loss, Ariel Wilsey-Gopp

Student Research Symposium

War disrupts everything, including a child’s developing language and cultural identity. My father grew up in both Serbia and Germany during the post-WWII political upheaval. By the time he was an adult, he knew five languages, yet lacked his own language and languaculture (Agar, 1994).

It benefits us to understand more completely the effects of language loss as political borders continue to shift and human migration increases. Research in social sciences, psychology, and biology all examine the effects of trauma, the brain, and child development. Applied linguistics examines language loss in relation to Second Language Acquisition (Altarriba & Heredia, …

Community Resilience In Portland Parkland Soils, Jason W. Triefenbach

Student Research Symposium

Proposing soil nutrient testing as a model for community research and ecology education, this presentation considers pathways to raising public engagement with sustainability issues while enhancing community resilience and social capital. "Community Resilience in Portland Parkland Soils" represents my research thus far on the conjoined topics of urban soils and community efficacy, in which I have attempted to synthesize biogeophysical processes in city parklands with strategies for raising public awareness about urban ecosystems.

I measured and compared soil nitrogen levels at 8 iconic Portland area parks using commercially- available garden test kits, while concurrently researching the historical and contemporary land …

Power & Planning: A Critical Comparison Of Tribal And Non-Tribal Wildfire Protection Plans, Christian J. Heisler

Student Research Symposium

In 2003, the US government passed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which urged wildfire-prone communities to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). These plans allow local groups to contextualize risk, practice social learning, and develop social capital while addressing wildfire risk. Within planning realms, however, decision-making power is usually concentrated unequally between social groups which can limit the influence of marginalized communities. Tribal nations, specifically, have been excluded from wildfire planning since European contact, signaling that CWPPs may not reflect Indigenous worldviews and priorities. Given the recent push from the federal government to increase land management collaboration with tribes, it …

Community Responses To Us Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, Bethani Turley

Student Research Symposium

In 2023, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law designated 7 billion dollars to fund regional hydrogen hubs across the US with the goal of kickstarting a utility scale hydrogen economy for the US electric grid. A promising technology in the renewable energy transition, hydrogen can be made from a multitude of energy sources, often designated by colors: green hydrogen is made from solar and wind, pink hydrogen from nuclear, and blue hydrogen from natural gas. This presentation examines this new hydrogen economy through the case study of the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2). ARCH2 is a blue hydrogen hub proposal by …

Queer Rural Youth Online: A Digital Ethnography, Joseph R. Burns

Student Research Symposium

This presentation is based on digital ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 within Queer subcommunities on the social media sites Reddit and Twitter (now known as X) and data collected from interviews with Queer rural youth members of these communities. The data reveal that social media use directly influences the lives and actions of Queer rural youth, who use the space to build social connections, shape their personal identities, and seek advice pertaining to their in-person lives and decisions. By using these spaces, Queer rural youth build both bonding and bridging social capital, learn to subvert restrictions to their Internet access, …

“Fruit From A Poisonous Tree”? Constituting Logics Of Law Enforcement Phlebotomy, Anne Johnson

Student Research Symposium

In at least 17 states in the United States, police are drawing blood from drivers they suspect of impairment. Despite concerns about civil rights, ethics of consent in custody, and use of force, law enforcement phlebotomy (LEP) remains critically understudied. Through 27 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with police phlebotomists and LEP program officials from 10 states, this study begins to fill that gap, asking: What are the logics of law enforcement phlebotomy? Constituting these logics–as articulated by police–are beliefs about both policing and phlebotomy, and officers’ motivations in the fight against impaired driving. This article assesses how the logics of law …

Say It With Flowers: The Semiotics Of A Not-So Secret Language, Cecilia Januszewski

Student Research Symposium

The Victorian flower language Is mythologized as a widely known communicatory practice Involving flowers with symbolic meanings and creative bouquet-making In order to convey personal and emotional messages. This Is not entirely accurate: floriography was a theoretical floral code based on the Turkish practice of selam, which the British and French upper class reinterpreted and edited to create their own version. This thesis examines how floriography functions semiotically, both as a mythologized language and as It was actually used, and traces the lineage of floral semiotics and greeting cards from Victorian Britain to contemporary America. I analyze floral semiotics, both …

Revitalizing Turtle Creek Park, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, Abbey Jacoby, Casey Stephenson

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

We current ENST 411 students, Abbey Jacoby, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, and Casey Stephenson have chosen to work with Jim Knight, East Buffalo Township, the Merrill Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy, and many others in an attempt to revitalize Turtle Creek Park for a plethora of reasons. Three of us are majoring in biology, and two are majoring in environmental science, which makes much of the information and techniques relevant in Turtle Creek applicable to our courses of study. This project included heavy hands on work which allowed us students to leave a memorable and impactful influence on the Lewisburg …

Connection To Places: Exploring Impacts Of Development And Individual Characteristics, Seamus Mcgrath

Psychology Honors Papers

Research revolving around Sense of Place or connections to Place is a uniquely chaotic area of study. It is understood that these connections to places have many concrete outcomes like environmental stewardship or relative comfort in a location. However, little is known about what individual characteristics predict strong connections to places. In this study, Object Attachment (via the OASM), sentimentality (Kama Muta Frequency Scale), Belongingness (via SOBI), Animistic Thinking and Development (IDEA) are posited to have connections to sense of place, measured using the Five Dimensions of Place Attachment. The analysis primarily consisted of regression models, which supported previous research …

An Anthropogenic Mass Extinction: Speculation About The Future Of Humanity And Other Species, Grace M. Nelson

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis will address the possibility of a sixth mass extinction at the hands of humanity and the adaptations ecosystems may undertake in recovery. Today, the world is witnessing incredibly fast changes in climate conditions that are causing severe biodiversity loss. Haiti is a region that encompasses the impacts of both environmental degradation and humanity’s social influences on the environment. Haiti will be examined throughout this thesis to provide an understanding of how climate change impacts people and the natural world today. Non-anthropogenic rapid climate change is the root of most past mass extinctions. However, after these events, ecosystems have …

Sleep, Eat, Repeat: An Examination Of The Influence Of Sleep And Biological Sex On Eating-Related Inhibitory Control In Overweight Emerging Adults, Shelby Mika Seipert-Raine

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Lower inhibitory control has been shown to associate with greater risk for obesity in adolescence. On average, females have moderately higher rates of behavioral inhibitory control than males. These difference in inhibitory control across sex may influence overeating and development of obesity. This study examined whether sleep duration and sleep quality are associated with food-related inhibitory control and whether this association is moderated by biological sex. Methods: A total of 59 emerging adults ages 18 to 25 (37 males, 22 females) who had a BMI within the overweight or obese categories (BMI ≥25) completed self-report measures of eating and …

Unnatural Climate Solutions: The Naturalizing Practice Of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ryan Chen Mx.

Student Theses 2015-Present

Can we really save the world with trees, solar panels, and ‘net zero’ sustainable business? These are the mainstream solutions proposed by powerful actors–however these are largely false ‘Natural’ solutions that embrace greenwashing and ignore environmental justice. The rhetoric of ‘Nature’ has led to the violation of indigenous sovereignty and urban green gentrification in the name of ‘Conservation’ and carbon offsets. But what does ‘Natural’ truly mean, what is at stake when we use the word, and what does it mean for humanity? Through interviews and public observations in Flushing, Queens I learned how the Chinese diaspora naturalizes the city …

An Environmental Justice Framework For Transportation Equity, Alex Kay Depinho

Student Theses 2015-Present

In 2021, transportation accounted for 29% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, making it the largest contributor by sector, and 58% of these emissions came from the use of passenger cars and light-duty trucks. Electrification of personal vehicles and promotion of sustainable transit options is often centered in environmental discourse and policymaking, but many discussions neglect pertinent issues of social inequity at play. The transit-reliant urban poor, isolated in city centers by suburban sprawl, live in communities with not only a reduced access to jobs, healthcare, education and public resources, but an increased exposure to pollution, especially …

Socioeconomic Constraints On Low-Income Individuals' Perceptions Toward Food Safety, Uyen Thuy Xuan Phan, Cuc Thuy Thi Tran, Nguyet Minh Thi Nguyen

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Food safety has emerged as a critical concern in Vietnam, posing a significant threat to public health due to the prevalence of unsafe foods in the market. Among those most vulnerable to contaminated foods, low-income individuals are significantly affected. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of food safety among this demographic, utilizing qualitative and quantitative approaches, including focus groups, survey questionnaires, and behavioral experiments using steamed bun as a stimulus. Participants were generally from low-income classes with certain variations in household monthly income. Results from focus groups and the survey highlighted that the factors influencing food purchases included perception …

Emotion Regulation Strategies And Perceived Emotional Intelligence: The Effect Of Age., Iwanna Sepiadou

Adultspan Journal

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. We also investigated the possible effects of age on the aforementioned variables. The total sample consisted of 379 people (158 men, 220 women, 1 unreported). Across participants, 273 were young (20-39 years old) and 106 were middle-aged (40-65 years old). We found statistically significant positive correlations between the dimensions of perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of cognitive reappraisal and negative primarily correlations between the dimensions of perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of …

Finding Liminality In Literature: The Decentered Voice And Its Power To Rewrite Cultural Narratives, Melissa M. Damico

Masters Theses

This thesis will dissect the flaws within the current Western culture narrative and how specific works of literature have the ability to challenge and subvert this outdated narrative, teaching society to embrace and empathize with both marginalized and oppressed human and non-human communities. It will address how the decentered voices within the literature I have selected create liminal experiences for readers, blurring subjectivity and eradicating the cultural boundaries and binary oppositions that have kept us trapped and blinded for decades. My first chapter will explore the psychological functions of the current cultural narrative, specifically Baudrillard’s concept of the hyperreal as …

Finding And Developing The 21st Century Scientific Pioneer, Brent Roberts, Gregory Feist, Rodica Ioana Damian, Rodrigues Fabretti, Nathan Kuncel, Gregory Crawford, Cosima Crawford, Ernst Fehr

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Research on the personality of creative scientists is revisited using the Neo-Socioanalytic model of personality psychology as an organizing framework. Past research shows that creative scientists, largely from the 20th century, were distinguished by high levels of openness to experience, dominance, ambition, intelligence, and low levels of agreeableness. Contradictory findings for environmental influences highlighted the potential importance of both supportive and adverse diversifying experiences. Developmental trends also run contrary to the likelihood of scientific creativity occurring later in life, which is consistent with the life span models of creativity. Based on this review, we highlight much needed updating to the …

“I Don’T Think The System Will Ever Be The Same”: Distance Education Leaders’ Predictions And Recommendations For The Use Of Online Learning In Community Colleges Post-Covid, Cassandra M.D. Hart, Michael Hill, Emily Alonso, Di Xu

Benerd College Faculty Articles

While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the short-term useof online courses, colleges’ experiences with COVID-era onlinecourse delivery may also affect the way that they offer andapproach online courses going forward. We draw on interviewswith 35 distance education leaders from the CaliforniaCommunity Colleges system to provide insights into how theuse of online education may change in the system going for-ward. Leaders predicted that post-pandemic, colleges wouldincrease their online course offerings, and that many instruc-tional innovations to online courses from the pandemic—suchas the use of synchronous courses—would persist. We discussimplications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.

Predictors Of Work Styles And Transition Success From Military Service To The Civilian Workforce, Ryan Nicholas Schuler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Upon leaving the armed forces, service members face challenges transitioning to the civilian workforce. The relationship between service members’ work styles and successfully transitioning to the civilian workforce is unknown. It is also unknown if military occupation (MO) affects the relationship between work styles and transition success. Although researchers have investigated the transition from active military service to the civilian workforce, they have not focused on identifying predictors of transition success. Three theories, positive psychology, transformational learning theory, and career decision-making theory, were used as the foundation of the study and to develop the research questions to determine the success …

Advertising To Generation Z, Taryn Romaine

Honors College Theses

The goal of this project is to analyze the history and background of those born between 1997 and 2012, also known as Generation Z, and determine its effect on how this Generation receives and reacts to advertising. In addition, through the use of a personally created and conducted poll, I gathered data on a portion of Generation Z individuals and their preferences to certain elements of advertisement design. These elements are text content, layout, color, and relatability/authenticity. My project discusses how advertisers and advertisement designers, such as myself, can implement these preferences in order to effectively advertise to Generation Z. …