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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 17 of 17
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Establishing Validity And Preliminary Clinical Utility Of A Behavioral Economic Measure Of Social Risk Discounting For Health Behaviors, Connor A. Burrows
Establishing Validity And Preliminary Clinical Utility Of A Behavioral Economic Measure Of Social Risk Discounting For Health Behaviors, Connor A. Burrows
Theses and Dissertations
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most profound public health emergency of the past several decades and the United States has faced numerous challenges with the timely adoption of mitigating health behaviors. Sustained ambivalence surrounding perceptions of public health recommendations of social distancing, mask wearing, and timely vaccination remain a barrier to slowing the spread of the virus years after its initial onset. Behavior analysis and behavioral economics offer compelling theoretical and quantitative models for framing the relationship between behaviors that are aversive in the short term but beneficial for individual and public good in the long term. The present …
Covid-19: Social Support Among The Bereaved, Fernande Nanda Mamane
Covid-19: Social Support Among The Bereaved, Fernande Nanda Mamane
Theses and Dissertations
Bereavement is a universal experience. Presently, there have been over 1,024,611 deaths in the United States alone related to the COVID-19 virus and this number is growing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). With the significant rise in deaths, as well as subsequent societal health and safety measures due to the pandemic, social support for the bereaved is expected to be severely impacted. Limited access to social spheres, as well as adjustments to typical funeral practices, may impact the perception of support by those grieving. The purpose the study was to gain a better understanding of bereaved individual’s experiences …
The Impact Of Covid-19 On Community Based-Organizations: A Case Study Of Jewish Organizations, Orit Zigmanlador
The Impact Of Covid-19 On Community Based-Organizations: A Case Study Of Jewish Organizations, Orit Zigmanlador
Theses and Dissertations
When COVID-19 started to spread in March 2020, no one could anticipate the impact it would have on the world. Social behavior is one key aspect that has changed dramatically as a result of the pandemic. Through restrictions that imposed social distancing, masks, and quarantines, feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation increased. At the same time, there was also evidence of prosocial behavior, with the emergence of people helping those in need. As the pandemic turns endemic with restrictions lifting, the longstanding impact of the pandemic on people’s behavior is still unclear. One way to explore this phenomenon is through …
Home Disruption And Substance Use: The Moderated-Mediating Role Of Family Conflict And Stress Among Racial-Ethnic Minoritized College Students, Geovani Muñoz
Theses and Dissertations
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted first-generation college students who identify as racial-ethnic minorities (REM). Aside from the academic and health repercussions caused by COVID-19, little is known if home disruptions have increased substance use for REM college students. Specifically, increased home disruptions may directly relate to substance use and indirect relationships through increased family conflict and stress. Therefore, this master's thesis examined the direct relationships between home disruption and substance use. I also examined the relationships between home disruption and family conflict, as well as home disruption and stress. Further, I also investigated the relationships between family conflict and …
Examining The Home Interventionist Model Of Care In Pediatric Asthma, Katherine D. Lohr
Examining The Home Interventionist Model Of Care In Pediatric Asthma, Katherine D. Lohr
Theses and Dissertations
Pediatric asthma disproportionately affects children living in urban areas and within families reporting an income below the poverty threshold. Home interventionist models of care, utilizing interventionists from the communities they serve, have been found to improve pediatric asthma symptoms and reduce Medicaid costs. Home interventionists, such as community health workers (CHWs) and Healthy Homes assessors (HHAs), focus on connecting care among schools, providers, and homes, and empowering families in accessing resources to overcome barriers to care. However, research is just beginning to understand how home interventionists create positive change among families within low-income, urban communities. This dissertation study used a …
An Intersectional Lens To Covid-19: Promoting Youth Well-Being In The Midst Of Social-Political Stressors, Magdalena S. Moskal
An Intersectional Lens To Covid-19: Promoting Youth Well-Being In The Midst Of Social-Political Stressors, Magdalena S. Moskal
Theses and Dissertations
Guided by interpretative phenomenological methodology and intersectionality theory, this thesis aims to uncover the mental health experiences of youth surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also seeks to situate these experiences with the subsequent stressors that young people face in the current social-political context (e.g., witnessing trauma in the media, uprisings to address racism and the resulting backlash, rhetoric of the 2020 presidential election). Furthermore, this thesis aims to give insight and voice how intersectionality shapes the COVID-19-related experiences of youth in South Carolina. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 participants aged 16-21 years old in South Carolina. …
Belonging In Context: An Exploration Of Sense Of Belonging Among College Students, Ladonna L. Gleason
Belonging In Context: An Exploration Of Sense Of Belonging Among College Students, Ladonna L. Gleason
Theses and Dissertations
Feeling a sense of belonging is essential to human health and functioning and has been well documented in the literature. However, questions of context remain. Research in belonging has focused on social aspects of belonging, leaving broader contextual frames unexplored. There has been little work in identifying and differentiating the contexts in which belonging is experienced or in developing an understanding of how the experience of belonging differs across contexts. Current belonging theory lacks this important contextual perspective that could inform the ways in which belonging is constructed and reconstructed through disruption. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, new …
Cognitive Consequences Of Covid-19 Infection And Quarantine-Induced Social Isolation: Hope For The Young And Mildly Infected, Kristin Nickole Kirchner
Cognitive Consequences Of Covid-19 Infection And Quarantine-Induced Social Isolation: Hope For The Young And Mildly Infected, Kristin Nickole Kirchner
Theses and Dissertations
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 539 million individuals worldwide, and initial research supports the possibility that COVID-19 may damage the central nervous system either directly or indirectly. Neurological signs and noted cognitive deficits observed in even mildly infected patients are a cause for concern for those infected by COVID-19; the effect of social isolation on the central nervous system is also of interest. The present study sought to determine the extent of these potential cognitive deficits in a young and mildly infected sample of college students. Participants completed an extensive survey assessing their experience with COVID-19 and any …
Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Psychological Stress And Academic Motivation On Psychology Graduate Students, Symone Kierra Calhoun
Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Psychological Stress And Academic Motivation On Psychology Graduate Students, Symone Kierra Calhoun
Theses and Dissertations
Graduate students experience significant amounts of psychological stress in terms of academic and professional settings. In addition, academic performance can fluctuate depending on the circumstance. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant challenges for mental health, academic motivation, substance use, and other related domains. However, the research specific to psychology graduate students and the impact of COVID-19 is limited, specifically related to performance. Therefore, the current study examined the relationship between the pandemic and its impact on psychology graduate students' psychological health related to depression, anxiety, stress, and experiential avoidance. In addition, the study examined academic motivation related to degree specific requirements …
Mental Health Providers’ Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aubrey Faber
Mental Health Providers’ Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aubrey Faber
Theses and Dissertations
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in closures, increased stressors, and a high need for mental health services. To provide continuity of care and meet the rising need for therapy, mental health providers rapidly transitioned to telehealth. This transition occurred with the support of policy changes and leniency in telehealth guidelines. A survey including participant and client demographic variables, readiness for telehealth, transition time, methods for telehealth practice, and therapist efficacy in-person and via telehealth was created in Qualtrics. It was completed by 79 mental health providers to provide insight into this transition and inform future practice. This study hypothesized that (1) …
An Examination Of Capacity Building For Sanitary And Phytosanitary Measures For Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: Empowerment Theory At The Individual, Organizational, And Community Levels, Lisa De Leon
Theses and Dissertations
Knowledge and application gaps exist for women farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa who are key agricultural players for economic growth and food security. This study examined capacity development for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and empowerment of women farmers considering Rappaport (1984) and Zimmerman’s (1995, 2000) lenses of empowerment theory. The central research question was, how does capacity development for sanitary and phytosanitary measures empower women at the individual, organizational, and community levels in Sub-Saharan Africa? The study employed an embedded mixed methods design collecting data via an electronic survey from 23 Sub-Saharan women farmers; 22 from Ghana and one from …
Intergenerational Transmission Of Alexithymia As A Predictor Of Child Posttraumatic Stress Outcomes During Covid-19, Casey Burton
Intergenerational Transmission Of Alexithymia As A Predictor Of Child Posttraumatic Stress Outcomes During Covid-19, Casey Burton
Theses and Dissertations
The objective of this study was to test the role of parent alexithymia in explaining why some children are functioning relatively well during the COVID-19 pandemic while others are experiencing poor mental health. Participants were 88 U.S. children (Mage = 9.94 years; 54.5% female; 59.1% White) and their parents/caregivers (68.2% female; 59.1% White). Two models were tested: a path model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) was mediated by child alexithymia symptoms, and a moderator model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child PTSS was moderated …
Student Well-Being In The Time Of Covid: Survey Of Online Students’ Coping, Ellen Catherine Coble
Student Well-Being In The Time Of Covid: Survey Of Online Students’ Coping, Ellen Catherine Coble
Theses and Dissertations
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the global population with a considerable stressor resulting in significant loss of life, impaired health, disrupted social practices, and economic atrophy. While many have been impacted and are currently being studied, a population less frequently considered in the literature is that of online college students. Previous research has indicated the influence of several factors on college students’ well-being when coping with stress under typical circumstances such as coping strategies (e.g., problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant/dysfunctional), experiential avoidance, and social support. Studies performed in the wake of large-scale crises highlight proximity to the crisis …
Understanding College Student Emotional Functioning During Covid-19, Dominique Marie Giroux
Understanding College Student Emotional Functioning During Covid-19, Dominique Marie Giroux
Theses and Dissertations
The novel coronavirus has resulted in mass infection and death. To prevent spread of the virus, colleges and universities shut down and transitioned to remote learning, which mandated all college students to leave residential housing and relocate to a permanent address. Previous literature suggests college students who experienced housing displacement due to a natural disaster reported heightened distress and poorer overall functioning (Davis, Grills-Taquechel, & Ollendick, 2010). Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, college student mental health was deemed a public health concern, however, it is expected to worsen following the outbreak (Galea, Merchant, & Lurie, 2020). Researchers suggest peer support …
Understanding Predictors Of Telemedicine Adoption Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bradford S. Pierce
Understanding Predictors Of Telemedicine Adoption Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bradford S. Pierce
Theses and Dissertations
This study examined change in physicians’ use of telemedicine before, during, and expectations after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined the ability of personal and environmental variables to predict telemedicine adoption, and applied the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model to physicians’ adoption of telemedicine during the pandemic. A total of 230 licensed physicians currently practicing in the United States were recruited. Telemedicine accounted for 3.72% of physicians’ clinical work prior to the pandemic, 46.03% during the pandemic, and predicted 25.44% after the pandemic ends. Physicians within hospitals reported less telemedicine use during the pandemic (M = …
Evaluating A Graduated Exposure Treatment To Teach Mask Tolerance Among Children With Autism, Hallie Marie Ertel
Evaluating A Graduated Exposure Treatment To Teach Mask Tolerance Among Children With Autism, Hallie Marie Ertel
Theses and Dissertations
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone 2 years and older wear a mask while out in a community setting (CDC, 2020a). It is important for children to learn how to tolerate wearing a mask for long durations of time while out in the community. In the current study, which was comprised of 2 experiments, we implemented a graduated exposure procedure to teach mask wearing to 6 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The purpose of experiment 1 was to evaluate the efficacy of a graduated exposure procedure to teach mask tolerance …
Swipe Right For Condoms And Testing: Differences In High-Risk Sexual Behavior And Sexual Health Beliefs Among Dating App Users Compared To Non-App Users, Shelby A. Smout
Swipe Right For Condoms And Testing: Differences In High-Risk Sexual Behavior And Sexual Health Beliefs Among Dating App Users Compared To Non-App Users, Shelby A. Smout
Theses and Dissertations
Millions of Americans are currently using smartphone dating applications (apps) to socialize and meet with others. In some cases, app-based conversations lead to sexual interactions. Previous research examining the relationship between the use of dating apps and sexual behaviors has found that individuals who use dating apps and meet with partners from the app are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors such as having multiple partners and inconsistent condom use. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are the group most likely to be using dating apps compared to other age groups and are a high-risk group …