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2026-03-01 Caudill Connection, Morehead State University. Caudill College Of Arts, Humanities And Social Sciences.

Caudill Connection

Caudill Connection newsletter for March of 2026.

Impulsivity In Nrcam Ko Mice Is Reduced By Nmdar Antagonist Mk-801 But Not By Ampar Antagonist Cnqx, Mona Buhusi, Catalin V. Buhusi

Psychology Faculty Publications

The neuronal cell adhesion molecule NrCAM is widely expressed in the nervous system across the lifespan and has important physiological functions in the development of neuronal circuits through axonal growth and guidance and formation and maintenance of synapses in the cortex. NrCAM gene polymorphisms are associated with vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, as well as vulnerability to substance use disorders. We investigated the effects of acute and chronic stress and the effects of systemic administration of AMPAR antagonist CNQX and NMDAR antagonist MK-801 on delay discounting in male NrCAM knockout (KO) mice and their wild-type littermate controls (WT). …

Rooted And Rising: A Case Study Of Chinese American Undergraduates' Career Pathways At A Pwi Post-Covid, Rebecca Yin-Chow Martinez

Theses & Dissertations

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese American undergraduate students have navigated complex intersections of intergenerational expectations, racialized experiences, and evolving career aspirations within higher education. This qualitative case study explores how Chinese American undergraduate students at a predominantly white institution (PWI) choose their educational and career goals in a post-COVID climate. Guided by the Asian American Intergenerational Model of the Psychology of Working (AAIM), this study examines the influence of familial expectations, personal interests, institutional supports and barriers, and experiences of racism on students’ career decision-making processes. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, observations, Career …

Not Just Discipline: An Action Research Approach To In School Suspension Reform, Samantha Marie Di Stefano

Theses & Dissertations

School discipline remains a controversial issue, particularly regarding the fairness and effectiveness of In School Suspension (ISS). While ISS is intended to serve as a constructive alternative to out-of-school suspension, research shows that it is often implemented as an isolating and punitive practice that disproportionately impacts marginalized student populations and fails to address the root causes of misconduct. This qualitative action research study sought to reimagine ISS as a supportive, student-centered space informed by Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and restorative justice principles. The purpose of the study was to explore how students experienced voice, belonging, and care within an ISS …

Nature Versus Non-Natural Environments: Effects On Stress And Creativity, Amy J. Lim, Stephen M. Colarelli, Norman P. Li, Liqun Wei, Ming-Hong Tsai, Xiao-Xiao Liu, Mark Van Vugt

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We examined the effects of nature-based environmental stimuli versus evolutionarily novel built or abstract art environments on creative production in three experiments. In Study 1 (N = 85), we compared people's creative performance in rooms set up to display either a natural or built landscape. In Study 2 (N = 62), participants completed creativity tasks after taking a walk in an urbanized city district or after a walk in a forested park. In Study 3 (N = 108), using a longitudinal field experiment taking place over three months, we examined the creative performance of factory employees by comparing their normal …

Honing The Haptics Of The Heart: A New Defence Of The Perceptual Theory Of Emotion, Brandon Yip

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

According to the perceptual theory of emotion, emotions are evaluative perceptions. However, emotions involve us in a way that regular perception does not and this has led to two influential objections to the perceptual theory have emerged. According to the first objection, the perceptual theory is false because the phenomenology of emotion is the phenomenology of response. According to the second objection, the perceptual theory is false because emotions are susceptible to evaluations of rationality and reason-responsiveness. In this essay, I defend the perceptual theory by disarming these two objections. In response to the first objection, I suggest that emotional …

When Uniform Standards Are Missing: Judicial Inconsistency In Wages During Termination Proceedings In Indonesia, Fitriana Fitriana, Tri Hayati, Aloysius Uwiyono

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

This article examines how courts lack uniform judicial standards for determining Upah Proses, which refers to wages payable during termination proceedings in Indonesia. Constitutional Court Decision No. 37/PUU-IX/2011 requires employers to pay Upah Proses until courts issue a final and binding judgment. However, subsequent instruments introduce conflicting limitations and ambiguous provisions, including Supreme Court Circular Letter No. 3 of 2015 and Law No. 6 of 2023. Such inconsistencies create normative disharmony across constitutional, statutory, and administrative frameworks. The absence of coherent interpretive guidance divides the judiciary, leading courts to issue divergent rulings, even in cases with similar factual circumstances. The …

Dietary Flavonoid Intake And Psychological Well-Being – A Bidirectional Relationship, Alysha S. Thompson, Nicola P. Bondonno, Yan Lydia Liu, Farah Qureshi, Laura D. Kubzansky, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Julia K. Boehm, Eric B. Rimm, Aedín Cassidy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and aim: Higher dietary flavonoid intake has been associated with lower risks of mortality and major chronic disease, yet its relationship with psychological well-being (PWB), a key contributor to health and quality of life, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate bidirectional associations between dietary flavonoid intake and two PWB facets: happiness (positive emotional state) and optimism (generalized expectation of positive outcomes). Specifically, we examined whether (1) overall flavonoid-rich dietary patterns (flavodiet score), (2) intake of specific flavonoid-rich foods, and (3) total flavonoid and subclass intakes were each associated with happiness and optimism over time. Methods: Data were drawn …

Systemic Functioning Of Puerto Rican Families With A Cancer Patient: A Qualitative-Oriented Mixed-Methods Study, Nicole M. Velez-Agosto

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Systemic family interventions of Latino families with a cancer patient have been suggested as effective and necessary, but few studies have focused on evaluating systemic functioning to design culturally relevant interventions. The purpose of study was to assess systemic functioning in Puerto Rican families with a cancer patient using the Spanish translated version of the Family Genogram Interview (FGI) that measures Bowen’s four emotional processes in nuclear family and family of origin. Fifty-one Puerto Rican participants related to a cancer patient were interviewed. Results suggested an acceptable reliability for the FGI-Spanish and higher presence of symptoms in a spouse or …

Predictive Validity Of The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-4 And Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Ii Severity Scale, Eric A. Storch, Ryan J. Mccarty, Maya Zehavi, Mahnoor Ahmad, Joseph D. Hovey, Isabella A. Cruz, Monica E. Ochoa, Nadeen Salhadar, Laura D. Seligman

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Efficient and accurate screening tools are crucial for improving early identification and treatment outcomes among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of two OCD screening measures: the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-4 (OCI-4) and the Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-II (FOCI-II) severity scale. The measures were administered in a large transnational sample of Spanish speaking Latin American adults (N = 1696) with elevated obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Participants completed diagnostic interviews (MINI and Y-BOCS) and self-report assessments across 23 sites in 11 countries. Both measures significantly distinguished OCD from non-OCD cases, with the FOCI-II demonstrating somewhat better predictive performance (AUC = …

A Multi-Dimensional Analysis Of Household Food Waste In The Republic Of Ireland: Drivers, Patterns, And Impacts, Courage Yaw Krah

Doctoral

Despite growing research on consumer food waste, existing efforts have fallen short of achieving meaningful reductions. This challenge has primarily been attributed to the complex behavioural and demographic diversity within populations, reflected in varying practices of food acquisition, storage, preparation, and disposal. In addition, there is a limited understanding of the broader impacts of discarded food, particularly the environmental, economic, and nutritional losses. This results in an oversimplified view of HFW and leads to less effective intervention strategies. An integrated assessment that incorporates environmental, nutritional, and economic consequences can provide a more holistic representation of the problem and support the …

Your Face As Property: Ip Strategies Beyond Right Of Publicity, Nick Cipriani

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal (AELJ) Blog

During the Second Industrial Revolution, the source of goods became more important than ever as railroads expediated travel and access to goods across the United States. Today, the United States is in the midst of its third industrial revolution, a digital revolution fueled by silicon and microchips. This digital revolution is unlike the previous two industrial revolutions because biometrics have become commodities. The technologies and goods coming out of the digital revolution are multifaceted. First, they provide a physical good through appliances that allow for communication and shopping, among other things, across geographic borders. Second, they function as a service …

Unveiling The Experiences And Unmet Needs: A Qualitative Exploration Of Undocumented Immigrants Residing In Kansas, Carol Meza, Pedro Hernandez, Alicia Hawley-Bernardez, Christopher Bakke, Staci P. Wolfe

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Undocumented immigrants in the United States (US) face numerous barriers to accessing services such as healthcare, employment, and social services due to their status. While media and immigration policy focus on the U.S. border states, significant populations of undocumented immigrants exist throughout the U.S. Using qualitative analysis of 20 personal accounts, this study examines their experiences in a Midwestern state through utilizing a strengths-perspective, which emphasizes individual and community assets. Recurrent experiential themes included problems with persistent racism, discrimination, housing, employment, health care, and mental health challenges, while undocumented immigrants demonstrate remarkable resilience. These findings suggest that they can benefit …

Weaponizing Nature, Naturalizing Violence: Anthropologies Of Ecofascism, Chloe Ahmann, Mona Bhan, Alexandra Coțofană, Radhika Govindrajan, Julia Leser, Zeynep Oguz, Yuka Suzuki, Noah Theriault

All Works

After decades of denial and obstruction, the global Right is increasingly willing to acknowledge that climate change is a threat to lives and lifeways everywhere. Moreover, some seize on the specter of ecological collapse to advance fascistic politics. Mass shootings by White men who propose that eliminating racialized people will ease environmental pressures—including in Christchurch and El Paso—have been the most spectacular manifestations of this shift. But close observers note kindred shifts at borders and in boardrooms all across this planet, as far-right groups work not merely to “save the earth” but to save it for specific people, and from …

Organizational Characteristics And Business Transformation: An Investigation On Corporate Transformation In The Construction Industry, Wei Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Draw on a structural decline in demand triggered by selective real estate industrial policies, this study explores how construction companies drive business transformation through organizational characteristics in environmental uncertainties. Extant research has largely focused on the independent impact of single organizational factors or capabilities on transformation, lacking a systematic exploration of the interactions between organizational characteristics and the external environment. Take a typical construction group as an example, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach, through interviews and questionnaires, to systematically examine the impact of organizational characteristics on business transformation. The key findings are: in environmental uncertainties, an organic organizational structure …

Governance-By-Support: Non-Financial Incentive, Agency Costs, And Performance In Overseas Projects, Jixiang Lyu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As the Belt and Road Initiative continues to advance, multinational corporations from emerging economies have become increasingly reliant on expatriates to oversee overseas project execution, facilitate technology transfer, and manage on-site coordination. However, in contexts characterized by financial constraints, information opacity, and significant geographic and cultural distance, traditional Western models of expatriate management, which emphasize high compensation and tight monitoring, often prove difficult to sustain in practice. In reality, some firms are able to maintain high levels of expatriate commitment and stable overseas project performance even when expatriate compensation is below market levels. This seemingly anomalous phenomenon poses an interesting …

Does Ethnicity Similarity Affect Analyst Forecasts?, Zichen Tian

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

I examine whether ethnicity similarity between sell-side analysts and corporate senior officers shapes analysts’ forecasting behavior. The baseline results show that ethnicity similarity is associated with higher forecast frequency and larger initial forecast errors. Importantly, I find that the larger initial forecast error associated with ethnicity similarity comes from overestimation and disappears for analysts’ last forecasts, consistent with bias coming from innate favoritism and dissipating as public information accumulates within the fiscal year. However, the market does not discount coethnic analysts’ first forecast revisions and reacts more strongly to their last forecast revisions within the fiscal year, suggesting that investors …

The Impact Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Employees' Work Attitudes And Behaviors, Qian Yuan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Why do some new employees voluntarily leave within a short period after joining a corporation, while others do not? Drawing on information asymmetry theory and adverse selection theory, this dissertation argues that information asymmetry and adverse selection between job seekers and firms before organizational entry, or during the job search process, are important reasons for new employees’ short-term voluntary turnover. Because corporate social responsibility (CSR) can provide people with information about a firm’s capabilities, willingness, and intentions, this dissertation proposes that firms’ CSR activities can provide job seekers with information about various aspects of the firm. In doing so, CSR …

The Impact Of Job Demands On Work And Family Outcomes Among Healthcare Workers In China: The Moderating Effect Of Gender And Professional Identity Integration (G-Pii) And Communal Orientation, Wei Zhou

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Long work hours, emotional strain, and stress are just a few of the high demands placed on healthcare workers in China, which have led to occupational burnout, tension between job and family, and worse health. This research investigates the relationship between job demands and burnout via the lens of the Job Demands-Resources model and social identity theory, work-family balance, subjective well-being, and career commitment among Chinese healthcare workers. We focus on the moderating roles of gender and professional identity integration (G-PII) and communal orientation. In a two-wave investigation, 317 medical professionals from different Chinese hospitals took part. Hierarchical regression studies …

A Study On The Relationship Between Traffic Spillover And Rental Rates Of Shopping Centre Stores Based On Consumer Movement Data, Hongjun Zhang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study is based on consumer movement trajectory data and examines the relationship between traffic spillover among stores within shopping centres and their rent ratios, responding to the practical limitation that traditional rental pricing mechanisms often overlook the dynamic structure of customer flows. Using micro-level consumer movement data and store rental data from three shopping centres in Shenzhen, Nanjing, and Chongqing, this paper constructs a store transition network reflecting customer movements between stores. Social network analysis is employed to measure stores’ network influence indicators (such as degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and structural holes) as well as traffic spillover indicators derived …

How Do Monetary Incentives Affect Prosocial Behavior Among Gig Workers?—Behavioral Experiments Based On Flashex, Peng Xue

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The gig economy has reshaped labor markets. Motivating mobile, loosely contracted gig workers to engage in prosocial behavior is critical for platform governance. This paper uses a randomized field experiment on FlashEx in comparable Chinese cities to examine how monetary incentives affect delivery workers’ prosocial behavior and related economic outcomes.

The main findings of this study are as follows. First, monetary incentives significantly promote gig workers’ prosocial behavior, effectively increasing both the likelihood and frequency of their participation in altruistic acts. This effect is primarily driven by the “instrumental value” mechanism in the gig economy: the platform’s gold coin rewards, …

Art Pricing And Anti-Corruption Campaigns: Evidence From Repeat Sales Of Chinese Paintings, Yihan Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

My dissertation investigates the impact of China’s anti-corruption campaign on the pricing of traditional Chinese paintings, leveraging a unique dataset of repeat sales transactions. Since the 1990s, China’s art market has experienced explosive growth, becoming the world’s largest by 2011. However, this market is characterized by extreme opacity, facilitating elegant bribery (“ya hui” in Chinese), where artworks serve as vehicles for implicit corruption through inflated auctions or disguised gifts to officials. The launch of the "Eight-point Regulation" in December 2012 marked a significant intensification of anti-corruption efforts, raising the critical question of how such political shocks affect asset pricing in …

An Adaptive Immersive Training Framework For Miner Self-Escape Readiness In Underground Mining Emergencies, Muhammad Azeem Raza, Samuel Frimpong, Saima Ghazal

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Underground mining environments are complex and hazardous operations where emergencies continue to happen. Underground mine emergencies require rapid, high-stakes decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, stress, and limited visibility. Conventional mine emergency training largely relies on instruction-based approaches which provide insufficient exposure to the cognitive and behavioral demands of real underground emergency situations. There has been an identified need to train miners for knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). This study proposes an Adaptive Immersive Training Framework (AITF), a cognitively grounded architecture that integrates cognitive task analysis (CTA), KSAOs, and situational awareness assessment for miner self-escape training and readiness. The …

Warrior Bot, Relational Bot, Blameworthy Bot: How A Student Design Team Anthropomorphize Their Combat Robot Creations, Daniel Burton Shank, Frederick F. Sunkpal, Nova Lee Young, Karli Hoerstkamp, David Wright, Merilee A. Krueger, Carleigh J. Davis

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

How do robot designers anthropomorphize their own creations? Because robot designers have the ability to alter the robot, identify as its creator, and understand their robot's internal makeup, their process of anthropomorphism and its outcomes may be different from that of the typical robot user. We investigate this research question in the domain of combat robots, where anthropomorphism is critical to decision-making, communication, and trust in high-stakes, high-emotion combat situations faced by robot-soldier teams. We conducted an in-depth case study of a university's student-led Combat Robotics Design Team over the design, construction, testing, and competition phases for their competitive combat …

Understanding Human Arm Stiffness Modulation In Overground Phri: The Roles Of Kinematics, Perturbation, And Trunk Sway, Mohsen Mohammadi Beirami, Sambad Regmi, Devin Michael Burns, Yun Seong Song

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study examines human arm kinematics during overground physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). Previous work showed humans adjust arm stiffness with changing trajectory uncertainty, but the roles of arm kinematics and muscle activation remained unclear. Building on a preliminary study, we analyzed arm movements with more participants (10 individuals) to achieve more reliable findings and examined two potential influences that arose in the preliminary study: the robot's perturbation effect (a brief hand push) and left-to-right trunk sway. Using a linear mixed-effects model, we evaluated the effects of participant, block, and trajectory condition on arm angles. Results showed minimal kinematic contribution to …

Effect Of A 6-Week Structured Exercise Intervention On Tnf-Α During The Chronic Recovery Phase Of A Burn Injury Compared To Regular Daily Activities: A Pilot Randomised Cross-Over Trial, Tyler Jerome Osborne, Grant Rowe, Dale W. Edgar, Mark Fear, Fiona M. Wood, Timothy Fairchild, Brook Galna, Pippa Kenworthy, Brad Wall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Burn injury induces a prolonged inflammatory response that may contribute to long-term metabolic dysfunction. Exercise is known to reduce inflammation in various clinical populations; however, its effect on chronic post-burn inflammation remains unclear. This crossover trial investigated the impact of a 6-week exercise intervention on tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in adults with non-severe burns sustained more than one year prior. Methods: Twenty-one participants were randomised to complete either a 6-week exercise program or a control period first, separated by a 4-week washout. The exercise program comprised three supervised sessions per week of combined resistance and cardiovascular training. Primary (TNF-α) …

Physical Activity And Exercise Patterns Of Submariners In Land And Sea Environments, Benjamin Kirk, Georgios Mavropalias, Anthony Blazevich, Jodie Cochrane Wilkie, Aus Molan, Kazunori Nosaka

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Submarine environments pose unique challenges to maintaining physical activity and exercise routines due to confined spaces, demanding schedules, and limited resources. This study investigated submariners’ physical activity patterns, sleep quality, and perceived exercise barriers in both land- and sea-based settings, with the goal of informing targeted health interventions. Materials and Methods: Ethics approval was granted by the Defence Science and Technology Group and Edith Cowan University review panels. This cross-sectional study surveyed 21 Royal Australian Navy submariners (25-48 years; 18 male) using a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Participants reported weekly engagement in general physical activity …

Expanding Public Health Insurance To Parents: Effect On Parents' And Children’S Well-Being, Michelle Marcus, Xuan Zhang

Research Collection School Of Economics

Expanding public health insurance to parents may not only improve parental outcomes but also have spillover effects on their children. This paper leverages the natural experiment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to estimate the causal effects of expanding public health insurance to low-income parents on their well-being and that of their children. Using a difference-in-differences model and data from the 2010–2017 National Health Interview Surveys, we observe significant improvements in health care access, increased health care utilization, reduced financial burdens, and slight improvements in health status among low-income parents. For children in Medicaid expansion states, we find reductions in …

Braving Ai In Tertiary Education: Generative Artificial Intelligence And Chatbots In Civics, Magdalena Brzezinska

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article explores tested strategies for the responsible and inclusive use of text- and video-generating artificial intelligence (GenAI) and educational chatbots in university classrooms, with a focus on foreign language learners, including students from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Drawing on case studies from WSB Merito University in Poznan, Poland, the author presents methods for integrating AI in civics education in a culturally relevant and equitable manner, emphasizing the importance of responsible technology use. The strategies discussed are adaptable to various tertiary education settings and aim to enhance global skills, foreign language proficiency, AI literacy, and visual literacy among college students. …

Language Analysis Of "Gaslight" And "Narcissist" As Seen On Tiktok, Aaren Fernandez

Journal of Research Initiatives

TikTok is a popular social media platform from which users frequently obtain information. Specifically, psychological concepts such as anxiety, depression, and related conditions are becoming popular vernacular on TikTok through trends such as "story times." However, the accuracy of these terms' usage requires examination. In this qualitative analysis of TikTok posts and comments under the hashtags #gaslight and #narcissist, it was found that videos under these hashtags often originated from users attempting to warn viewers about psychological traits that align with common diagnostic language. However, comments under these videos tended to use these terms in a more casual sense than …