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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Desire To Train: A Motivational Profile Of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Players, Terrance Tarver Dec 2021

The Desire To Train: A Motivational Profile Of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Players, Terrance Tarver

Masters Theses

Combat sports, such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, require intense physical, mental, and emotional tasking within its training. With the degree of difficulty ingrained within the sport, as well as the performance-focused climate that this sport may be practiced within, many participants that once were intrigued by the sport may lose this interest and enjoyment if their goals are not met. This leads to much interest into what factors drive the motivation of those that continue to participate within Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The purpose of this study is to develop a motivational profile of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu players. 216 participants from …


“The Only Way I Feel Connected Is Through Other Latinx Friends”: Latinx Ethnic Identity, Social Connection, And Sense Of Belonging At A Southeastern Predominantly White Institution, Jasmine M. Koech Dec 2021

“The Only Way I Feel Connected Is Through Other Latinx Friends”: Latinx Ethnic Identity, Social Connection, And Sense Of Belonging At A Southeastern Predominantly White Institution, Jasmine M. Koech

Masters Theses

Research demonstrates that Latinx students enrolled in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) face challenges in locating a sense of belonging and creating social connections on campus (e.g., Dueñas & Gloria, 2020). A lack of sense of belonging and limited access to affirming social connections can have negative consequences on ethnic identity development (e.g., Jones & Galliher, 2014). Our study sought to further investigate the experiences of Latinx students at a southeastern PWI, their experiences with locating a sense of belonging and social connections on campus, as well as their experiences navigating their ethnic identity development. Focus group data was collected from …


Police Perceptions And Parenting Styles Among Black Parents Of Miami-Dade County, Amber E. Roach Dec 2021

Police Perceptions And Parenting Styles Among Black Parents Of Miami-Dade County, Amber E. Roach

Masters Theses

A person’s perception of something or someone does not develop without external factors affecting the individual. Experiences and lessons people have learned from a young age have molded their perception of the world. One of those lessons is what is considered correct and what is not. In the Black American community, this is accompanied by the “talk”. This “talk” is shaped by past experiences with the police towards minority groups, specifically, Black Americans. This paper discusses how parenting styles, race, and authority intersect. The purpose of this paper is to examine the beginnings of one’s life, the lessons they are …


The Dual Process Model Of National Identification: Harmonious And Dangerous Worldviews As Antecedents Of National Attachment And Glorification, Stylianos Syropoulos Oct 2021

The Dual Process Model Of National Identification: Harmonious And Dangerous Worldviews As Antecedents Of National Attachment And Glorification, Stylianos Syropoulos

Masters Theses

Worldviews can shape the way in which we perceive the world. They can also shape the way in which we identify with our ingroup. Conceptualizing national identification as national attachment and glorification, four studies (total N = 1795) tested the association between endorsement of a harmonious or a dangerous worldview and national identification. Study 1 established the harmonious worldview and refined the dangerous worldview scale. Study 2 examined these relationships correlationally, and highlighted the prejudicial ideologies of right wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) as mediators to this association. Study 3 examined this relationship longitudinally, across the span …


Mobile Technology Use And School Readiness In Low-Income Preschoolers, Trina M. Harmon Oct 2021

Mobile Technology Use And School Readiness In Low-Income Preschoolers, Trina M. Harmon

Masters Theses

Once a luxury, mobile devices are now utilized by most members of society, including those in even the poorest communities. Unfortunately, little research has examined the effects of mobile media use in young children, and even less on young children from low-SES communities. Past research on television, and preliminary research on mobile technology, suggests that mobile media may affect school readiness, and that the direction and strength of this relation could depend on the content and context of the use. The current study examined the relation between mobile media use and a composite school readiness measure that included preliteracy, emergent …


Narrative Communication: How Sending And Receiving Impact Statements On Past Ingroup Suffering Influences Conflict Attitudes, Brooke Burrows Oct 2021

Narrative Communication: How Sending And Receiving Impact Statements On Past Ingroup Suffering Influences Conflict Attitudes, Brooke Burrows

Masters Theses

In the aftermath of mass violence or harm perpetrated against one group by another, commemoration or memorialization processes held by the victim group are often a space in which narratives of impact and suffering are expressed and shared. While there may be no formal or direct calls for justice or policy during these commemoration processes, prior research indicates that such public forums, ranging from truth commissions to museum exhibits, may have diverse impacts on individual emotions as well as attitudes towards the broader conflict implicated (Humphrey, 2000; Reeves & Heath-Kelly, 2020). The current work proposes a closer examination of such …


The Impact Of Social Distancing And Loneliness On Adolescents' Mental Health During Covid-19, Marielena Barbieri Oct 2021

The Impact Of Social Distancing And Loneliness On Adolescents' Mental Health During Covid-19, Marielena Barbieri

Masters Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely limited physical interaction (e.g., school closures, 6ft- distances, quarantine) and disrupted the daily lives of adolescents which likely heightened levels of perceived loneliness and internalizing symptomology. Due to the novelty of social distancing regulations caused by COVID-19, little is known about the role that loneliness plays in the association between stress from social distancing regulations and adherence to these regulations, and later difficulties with internalizing symptoms. The current study examined the impact of social distancing regulations on adolescents’ wellbeing through perceived loneliness by using data from a 5-week longitudinal survey-based study conducted on parents and …


Adverse Childhood Experiences And Interactions With The Criminal Justice System, Sarah Elizabeth Rapp Oct 2021

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Interactions With The Criminal Justice System, Sarah Elizabeth Rapp

Masters Theses

The connection between childhood traumas and subsequent detrimental adult behavioral issues has been well documented. In recent times, both the medical and psychological fields have turned their attention toward specific criteria of childhood traumas labeled Adverse Childhood Events, or ACEs. A threshold of ACE factors shows a significant connection to the later physical and mental health of individuals who have participated in such studies. Due to the connection between childhood traumas, mental health, and interactions with law enforcement, this study attempts to define the relationship, if such a relationship exists, between ACE factors and interactions with the criminal justice system. …


Effects Of Interracial Contact On University Students' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Cierra Abellera Sep 2021

Effects Of Interracial Contact On University Students' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Cierra Abellera

Masters Theses

Research from higher education and social psychology has recognized feelings of belonging and perceptions of inclusion as important factors within the university student experience. Yet little research has examined the extent to which interracial contact may correspond with belonging and inclusion in the university setting. In the present study, I conduct secondary analyses of a 2016 campus climate survey of undergraduate students to examine the associations between interracial contact and three indicators of belonging and inclusion (e.g., feeling a sense of belonging, perceiving the campus to be welcoming, perceived university commitment to inclusion) among undergraduate students from different racial and …


Enhancing Teacher Delivery Of Behavior Specific Praise With Performance Feedback And Self-Monitoring, Ky’Aria Moses Aug 2021

Enhancing Teacher Delivery Of Behavior Specific Praise With Performance Feedback And Self-Monitoring, Ky’Aria Moses

Masters Theses

Teachers receive a number of professional development trainings and consultations to develop or enhance their repertoire in various evidenced based practices (EBP) and classroom management strategies. Nevertheless, teachers’ adherence to strategies learned during trainings often decline when external supports are removed (Codding et al., 2015; Oliver et al., 2015) which may lead to challenges in the consistent and accurate implementation of EBP in classroom settings (Shernoff et al., 2020). Performance feedback and self-monitoring have been used to address these challenges and promote teachers’ use and fidelity of EBP in the classroom (Scheeler et al., 2004; Oliver et al., 2015). The …


A Proper Transition: Success After The Military, Jonathan Dain Martensen Aug 2021

A Proper Transition: Success After The Military, Jonathan Dain Martensen

Masters Theses

Military lifestyle, standards, and culture are developed and fortified throughout soldiers’ service, the decision to exit the military is often difficult, and challenges related to post-transition adjustment and employment are substantial. The U.S. Army’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) attempts to alleviate these challenges by teaching soldiers about the obstacles they will face as well as the corresponding strategies that can enhance the likelihood of a successful career transition. The purpose of this qualitative research study is to understand the key factors both internal and external that allow service members to successfully transition from the military to the civilian employment sector. …


Parental Conflict In The Context Of Multiethnoracial Relationships, Christina A. Rowley Jul 2021

Parental Conflict In The Context Of Multiethnoracial Relationships, Christina A. Rowley

Masters Theses

The percent of families with parents from different racial or ethnic backgrounds has risen exponentially in the last decades. Approximately 14% of children were born into multiethnoracial (MER) families in the United States in 2015, more than double the rate from 1980 (Bialik, 2017). Studies show that MER couples are more likely to separate or divorce than their monoethnoracial (MoER) counterparts, perhaps due to greater conflict stemming from differing values, coping strategies, and conflict management styles and decreased access to family and community support (Fu, Tora, & Kendall, 2001; Zhang & Van Hook, 2009). With the growing rates of MER …


The Influence Of Victim Gender And Emotional Expression In Victim Impact Statements On Legal Judgments And Punishment Decisions, Hannah Chimowitz Jul 2021

The Influence Of Victim Gender And Emotional Expression In Victim Impact Statements On Legal Judgments And Punishment Decisions, Hannah Chimowitz

Masters Theses

Victim impact statements (VISs) are written or oral statements detailing the effects a crime has had on a victim. While the practice of having victims present VISs at sentencing hearings has generated much debate for over 25 years, the effects of this practice on victims, defendants, and legal decision-makers remain poorly understood. Prior research suggests that a victim’s emotional expression can affect how victims are perceived, and the legal judgments made in response to their statements. The current research considers how the effects of victims’ emotional displays on sentencing decisions might be conditioned by victim gender. Using audio-recorded VIS stimuli, …


Material Encounters: Making Memory Beyond The Mind, Ariel Wills Jun 2021

Material Encounters: Making Memory Beyond The Mind, Ariel Wills

Masters Theses

Can acts of making carry the memories of our embeddedness within the world? This thesis explores how making things can nurture a sense of kinship that cuts across the organic and inorganic, erasing the distinction between living and dead, material and spiritual. Through handwork such as art-making, sewing, knitting, cooking, woodworking, and beyond, the burden of remembering and of archiving is shared across human and non-human bodies, cultivated through practices of making, and through the materials themselves. By recounting the stories of my family’s experience as Jewish immigrants in the United States, I aim to reveal how their domestic practices …


Visual, Lexical, And Syntactic Effects On Failure To Notice Word Transpositions: Evidence From Behavioral And Eye Movement Data, Kuan-Jung Huang May 2021

Visual, Lexical, And Syntactic Effects On Failure To Notice Word Transpositions: Evidence From Behavioral And Eye Movement Data, Kuan-Jung Huang

Masters Theses

Evidence of systematic misreading has been taken to argue that language processing is noisy, and that readers take noise into consideration and therefore sometimes interpret sentences non-literally (rational inference over a noisy channel). The present study investigates one specific misreading phenomenon: failure to notice word transpositions in a sentence. While this phenomenon can be explained by rational inference, it also has been argued to arise due to parallel lexical processing. The study explored these two accounts. Visual, lexical, and syntactic properties of the two transposed words were manipulated in three experiments. Failure to notice the transposition was more likely when …


A Systematic Review Of The Literature On The Assessments Used For Social Communication In The Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel E. Kim May 2021

A Systematic Review Of The Literature On The Assessments Used For Social Communication In The Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel E. Kim

Masters Theses

This review of the literature aims to analyze the current assessments available for clinicians, parents, and other professionals to use during the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that specifically addresses social communication. Although ASD can be diagnosed as early as the age of 2, children are often not diagnosed until the age of 4-5 years old. Especially for children who would be diagnosed with ASD and require Level 2 and/or Level 3 supports, early diagnosis can lead to early intervention which can help to provide the necessary support for both the child and family. Early intervention can help to …


Evaluation Of Α-Pyrrolidindovalerophenone (Α-Pvp) And Its Isomers In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Trained To Discriminate Mdpv, Kaley Cargile May 2021

Evaluation Of Α-Pyrrolidindovalerophenone (Α-Pvp) And Its Isomers In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Trained To Discriminate Mdpv, Kaley Cargile

Masters Theses

Recreational use of synthetic cathinones, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and α‐pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α‐PVP), has become increasingly popular, thus prompting characterization of their behavioral and neurochemical effects. MDPV has been studied for several years now, though there is still much unknown about α‐PVP, and its isomers. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the discriminative effects of α‐PVP and its isomers in comparison to MDPV. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 0.5mg/kg MDPV from saline injections under a fixed ratio 20 (FR 20) schedule of food reinforcement. Substitution tests were conducted with MDPV (0.05-0.5mg/kg), α‐PVP (0.05-0.5mg/kg), (S)-α‐PVP (0.05-1mg/kg) and …


The Cadillac, The Camry And Everything In Between: A Qualitative Investigation Of Marital Attitudes Among First-Generation South Asian Immigrants, Zahra Amer May 2021

The Cadillac, The Camry And Everything In Between: A Qualitative Investigation Of Marital Attitudes Among First-Generation South Asian Immigrants, Zahra Amer

Masters Theses

Previous research suggests that there is a significant generational divide between first- and second-generation South Asian immigrants (henceforth “SAIs”) around the issue of marriage and indicates this divide is causing psychological distress among the SAI population in the domain of marriage (Samuel, 2010; Zaidi & Shuraydi, 2002). The present study explores the current nature of this potential divide and both expands upon and updates the extant literature surrounding first-generation SAIs’ attitudes towards marriage. Analyses were conducted with a sample of ten first-generation SAIs residing in the US. Participants were recruited using the snowball sampling technique and were interviewed individually by …


Examining The Bidirectional Relationships Between Maternal Intrusiveness And Child Anxiety: A Longitudinal Study From Infancy To Middle Childhood, Hannah Hunter May 2021

Examining The Bidirectional Relationships Between Maternal Intrusiveness And Child Anxiety: A Longitudinal Study From Infancy To Middle Childhood, Hannah Hunter

Masters Theses

Myriad parenting behaviors have been linked to the development of internalizing disorders in children. Intrusive parenting, which is characterized by autonomy-limiting behaviors that hold the parent’s agenda above that of the child, seems to uniquely contribute to the onset of child anxiety. In laboratory tasks, anxious mothers demonstrate greater levels of intrusiveness when compared to nonanxious mothers, suggesting that intrusive behaviors may be one mechanism through which anxiety is transmitted from parent and child. Other studies suggest that parental intrusiveness is evoked in the presence of an anxious child, providing evidence for bidirectionality. The current study investigated the bidirectional effects …


“There Are Not A Lot Of Providers Who Look Like Me”: Identity And Therapy For Sexual Minority Black, Indigenous, And Other People Of Color, Saumya Arora May 2021

“There Are Not A Lot Of Providers Who Look Like Me”: Identity And Therapy For Sexual Minority Black, Indigenous, And Other People Of Color, Saumya Arora

Masters Theses

Research suggests that sexual minority Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color (BIPOC) generally experience higher levels of psychological distress and depression, leading to poorer mental health outcomes (e.g., Sutter et al., 2017; Lim & Hewitt, 2018). However, little is known about how sexual minority BIPOC individuals cope and support their mental health. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand the various and nuanced narratives of sexual minority BIPOC in seeking mental health support, including any barriers to accessing therapy as well as other identified sources of support. Fifteen sexual minority BIPOC individuals were interviewed about …


Slow Wave Sleep In Naps Supports Episodic Memories In Early Childhood, Sanna Lokhandwala Apr 2021

Slow Wave Sleep In Naps Supports Episodic Memories In Early Childhood, Sanna Lokhandwala

Masters Theses

Naps have been shown to benefit declarative memories in early childhood. This benefit has been associated with sleep spindles during the nap. However, whether young children’s naps and their accompanying physiology benefit other forms of declarative learning is unknown. Using a novel storybook task, we found performance was better following a nap compared to performance following an equivalent interval spent awake. Moreover, performance was better the following day if a nap followed learning. Further, change in post-nap performance was positively associated to the amount of time spent in slow wave sleep. This suggests that slow wave sleep in naps may …


Children's Understanding Of Compositionality Of Complex Numerals, Jihyun Hwang Apr 2021

Children's Understanding Of Compositionality Of Complex Numerals, Jihyun Hwang

Masters Theses

Counting is the first formal exposure for children to learn numerals, which are constructed with a set of syntactic rules. Young children undergo many stages of rote-memorization of the sequence and eventually count through 100. What core knowledge is necessary to expand their number knowledge to higher numbers? The compositionality of numerals is a key to understanding the natural number system as in learning languages. Higher numbers (e.g., two hundred five) are constructed with the lexical items such as earlier numbers (e.g., one to nine) and multipliers. If children develop their understanding of the compositionality of numerals, they might comprehend …


Differential Harsh Parenting And Sibling Differences In Conduct Problems: The Role Of Effortful Control, Yelim Hong Apr 2021

Differential Harsh Parenting And Sibling Differences In Conduct Problems: The Role Of Effortful Control, Yelim Hong

Masters Theses

Differential parenting has been shown to be an important correlate and possible cause of positive and negative adjustment of sibling children. However, it is not known whether sibling differences in temperament affect this link between differential harsh parenting and sibling differences in adjustment outcomes. The current study addressed this gap in knowledge. The sample included 92 monozygotic (MZ, 63% female) twin pairs and 137 dizygotic same-sex (DZ, 52% female) twin pairs who had complete temperament survey data collected near the third annual wave in the longitudinal study. Children were 6.09 years old (SD = .69) years old at wave 1. …


The Effects Of Predictability And Stimulus Quality On Lexical Processing: Evidence From The Coregistration Of Eye Movements And Eeg, Jon Burnsky Apr 2021

The Effects Of Predictability And Stimulus Quality On Lexical Processing: Evidence From The Coregistration Of Eye Movements And Eeg, Jon Burnsky

Masters Theses

A word’s predictability has been shown to influence its processing. Two methodologies have demonstrated this time and again: eye tracking while reading and Event Related Potentials (ERPs). In eye tracking while reading, words that are made predictable by their contexts (as operationalized by the cloze task; Taylor, 1953) receive shorter first fixation times (Staub, 2015, for a review) as well as shorter gaze duration and increased skipping rate. In ERPs, the N400 component’s amplitude has also been shown to inversely correlate with a word’s predictability (Kutas and Federmeier, 2011, for a review). Despite the similarities, there is much reason to …


A Pilot Study For The Effectiveness Of A Forgiveness Discussion Program Among College-Age Couples, Mary Jo Oliver Apr 2021

A Pilot Study For The Effectiveness Of A Forgiveness Discussion Program Among College-Age Couples, Mary Jo Oliver

Masters Theses

A forgiveness discussion guide- a self-guided intervention for affective, behavioral, and cognitive forgiveness- is a tool with preliminary evidence showing its robust effects on prosocial orientation. Here, using an 8-week forgiveness discussion intervention for college-age couples at a Christian university, this study demonstrates statistically insignificant yet meaningful attenuations in levels of forgiveness and compassionate love. Eight heterosexual couples from the Liberty University undergraduate population consented to be randomly placed in a no-contact control group or experimental group. Before random assignment, the couples completed a pretest measurement consisting of demographic questions, The Enright Forgiveness Inventory, Compassionate Love for Humanity Scale, The …


Studies On High-Throughput Single-Neuron Rna Sequencing And Circadian Rhythms In The Nudibranch, Berghia Stephanieae, Thi Bui Feb 2021

Studies On High-Throughput Single-Neuron Rna Sequencing And Circadian Rhythms In The Nudibranch, Berghia Stephanieae, Thi Bui

Masters Theses

One of the goals of neuroscience is to classify all of the neurons in the brain. Neuronal types can be defined using a combination of morphology, electrophysiology, and gene expression profiles. Gene expression profiles allow differentiation between cells that share similar characteristics. Leveraging the advantage of Berghia stephanieae (Gastropoda; Nudibranchia), which has around 28,000 neurons, I constructed high-throughput single-neuron transcriptomes for its whole brain. I produced a single-cell dissociation protocol and a custom data analysis pipeline for data of this nature. Around 129,000 cells were collected from 18 rhinophore ganglia and 20 circumesophageal ring ganglia (brain), consisting of the cerebropleural, …


Getting The Message Across: Flexitarians As Messengers For Meat's Climate Change Impacts, Joel Ginn Feb 2021

Getting The Message Across: Flexitarians As Messengers For Meat's Climate Change Impacts, Joel Ginn

Masters Theses

Meat consumption has been a prominent part of humanity’s dietary culture, particularly in modern, Western developed nations. However, recent research has shown that collectively reducing our consumption of animal products can have major benefits for mitigating our environmental footprint. Despite a consensus among climate scientists on its potential impact, the public does not recognize the effectiveness of this behavioral shift. Recent efforts to address this have created movements and organizations that focus on reduction of meat consumption (e.g. flexitarianism, reducetarianism, Meatless Mondays), rather than elimination of meat consumption (e.g. vegetarianism, veganism) with the intent of creating a more acceptable message, …


Relationships Between Parent-Child Interactions And Sexual Attitudes, Behaviors And Online Activity In Young Adulthood, Emily Donar Jan 2021

Relationships Between Parent-Child Interactions And Sexual Attitudes, Behaviors And Online Activity In Young Adulthood, Emily Donar

Masters Theses

The current study examined correlations between parent-child relationships and its relationship with the sexual attitudes and behaviors of young adults. Participants were asked to report on their perception of communication and quality relations with their parents. The findings indicate there was a relationship between the perception of high-quality parent-child relationships, likelihood of having extensive sexual experience, tendency to hold specific sexual attitudes and the frequency of online sexual behaviors. Explanations regarding the discrepancy between previous findings and the current study were discussed, including the sexual fluency of those with conservative attitudes. The consideration of gaps in literature incorporating online sexual …


Communicating Uncertain Information From Deep Learning Models To Users, Harishankar Vasudevanallur Subramanian Jan 2021

Communicating Uncertain Information From Deep Learning Models To Users, Harishankar Vasudevanallur Subramanian

Masters Theses

“The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) decision support systems is increasing in high-stakes contexts, such as healthcare, defense, and finance. Uncertainty information may help users better leverage AI predictions, especially when combined with domain knowledge. I conducted two human-subject experiments to examine the effects of uncertainty information with AI recommendations. The experimental stimuli are from an existing image recognition deep learning model, one popular approach to AI. In Paper I, I evaluated the effect of the number of AI recommendations and provision of uncertainty information. For a series of images, participants identified the subject and rated their confidence level. Results …


Animal Assisted Intervention And How It Can Improve Attention And Positive Emotion, Alexis D. Mcintosh Jan 2021

Animal Assisted Intervention And How It Can Improve Attention And Positive Emotion, Alexis D. Mcintosh

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if animal-assisted intervention, known as ATT, can improve a person's attention span and assist with a better emotional state. In this study, attention is being measured by a facial recognition attention task, and emotional state is being measured by a portion of the Watson and Clark (1994) Emotional State-Adult Protocol. Animals may not have words with which to communicate; however, they can, and do, respond to emotional distress when they have been correctly trained. There have been numerous studies in which this kind of therapy has successfully helped a client to improve …