Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Survival Analysis Of Colorectal Cancer Patients With Liver Metastasis, Brandon O’Grady

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background- Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world. I investigated the survival rates among colorectal cancer patients diagnosed with hepatic metastasis to see if any variables are associated colorectal risk and survival. Methods- Patients were diagnosed from 2000-2019 and collected through MD Anderson’s database. A descriptive analysis, univariate analysis, Kaplan-Meier with Mantel log-rank test, Cox proportion hazard regression and a Stratified Cox Model was performed to investigate death. A competing risk regression was implemented to investigate liver recurrence. Results- There was a clear difference in the survival outcome between liver surgery patients and non-liver surgery patients …

Breastfeeding Duration And Reasons Given For Early Cessation Of Breastfeeding Among Wic Mothers, Amy Willa

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The Breastfeeding Duration and Reasons for Early Cessation of Breastfeeding Among WIC Mothers study was conducted to describe the duration of and factors associated with early breastfeeding cessation among the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) population. We collected data from a random sample of WIC medical records, sampling medical records belonging to mothers who initiated breastfeeding an infant but did not breastfeed to 52 weeks. Data were analyzed to answer the questions: How long do WIC mothers breastfeed? What reasons are given during counseling sessions at WIC for early cessation of breastfeeding? Do socio-economic, demographic, or medical factors influence the …

The Comparative Effect Of Automated Reminders/Recalls Interventions On The Appointments Rate Of Adolescent Wellness Care Visit, Biai Dominique Elmir Digbeu

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

An Adolescent Wellness Care (AWC) visit is an annual preventive doctor visit predestined to assess the overall health of adolescents aged between 12 and 21 years old. Compared to their younger counterparts, adolescents who are using public insurance are at risk of not completing AWC visits due to several factors related to age or providers disparities in their living environment. This research was a quasiexperimental study aiming to compare two methods of automated Reminders/Recalls (RR) interventions, ‘phone-only’ versus ‘phone-and-text’, in order to evaluate which method is more effective in helping parents/guardians or young adults to schedule an AWC visit. A …

Coachmotivation: Developing Transformational Leadership By Increasing Effective Communication Skills In The Workplace, Megan L. Schuller

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

Communication is an intrinsic part of the human experience and has been widely studied empirically and practically within organizations. It is the bedrock for many workplace behaviors and outcomes such as employee trust, engagement, job satisfaction, and transformational leadership. Nonetheless, effective communication continues to be a challenge for organizations across a variety of sectors. The current study examined whether a communications training, CoachMotivation (CM), increased perceived effective communication. CM is derived from clinical psychology skills for behavior change, namely, the Motivational Interviewing concepts of open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summary statements. This study also considered the Big Five personality traits …

Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Negative Sleep Health Among Young Adults, Yanzhou Lu

Theses and Dissertations

Poor sleep health has been marked as a major factor impacting young adults’ social, academic, and physical performance in a negative direction. Existing research has shown that stress related mental illness or disorder are significant risk factors that contribute to negative sleep health in a bidirectional relationship. Such stress can be contributed by stressors of daily life, as well as adverse experiences and other experiences from earlier in the development. Purpose of the current study aimed to contribute to the existing understanding of the mechanisms that connect early trauma and disadvantage to sleep difficulties in emerging adulthood. Results indicated that …

Restorative Potential And Working Memory Capacity Of Exposure To Vegetation In Indoor Built Environments, Jee Heon Rhee

Theses and Dissertations

This research seeks to understand how natural elements – specifically, vegetation in the indoor environment - influence people’s ability to restore attention and working memory capacity. Previous research demonstrates the benefits of nature on human beings in various ways. For instance, numerous studies show the positive effects of nature on stress reduction (Hartig, Mang, & Evans, 1991; Ulrich et al., 1991) and attention restoration (Staats, Kieviet, & Hartig, 2003). However, most of these studies focus on the effect of nature in outdoor settings. Relatively few studies focus on the presence of natural elements indoors. This is an important gap in …

Neural Correlates Of Individuation And Subordinate-Level Categorization Of Other-Race Faces In Infancy, Kelly Roth

Doctoral Dissertations

Perceptual narrowing is a domain-general process in which infants move from a broad sensitivity to a wide range of stimuli to developing expertise within often experienced native stimuli (Maurer & Werker, 2014). One outcome of this is the own-race bias, characterized by an increasing difficulty in discriminating other-race faces with age and experience for those raised in a racially homogenous environment (Anzures, Quinn, Pascalis, Slater, Tanaka, & Lee, 2013). Recent theorists have proposed that this is due to a categorization-individuation process, wherein infants begin to categorize non-native stimuli, such as other-species’ faces, but individuate native stimuli, such as often-experienced human …

Stress Levels In Cal Poly Student-Athletes Versus Non-Student-Athletes, Anthony Dean Mattle

Social Sciences

Comparative study between Cal Poly student-athletes and non-student athletes examining perceived stress levels and the prominence of six specific stressors (Schoolwork, money, future success, family, extracurricular, and time management). The data found no statistical significance between perceived stress levels and status as either an athlete or non-athlete. However, the data did show that status as an athlete or non-athlete had a statistical significance on where students ranked extracurricular activities among the six stressors.

Retirement Planning Motivation From A Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (Rst) Perspective, Luke Poulter

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Retirement planning is a complex issue. There are plenty of challenges that individuals and governments confront regarding retirement planning. Understanding what motivates retirement planning is a critical element for individuals and governments to understand. Therefore, the primary goal of the current study was to extend the literature on retirement planning by expanding knowledge of what influences retirement planning by incorporating Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST). RST is a neuroscientific theory of emotion, motivation, and learning, extended to personality psychology. It suggests three systems, the Behavioral Approach System (BAS), Fight–Flight–Freeze system (FFFS), and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS). The BAS mediates responses …

The Importance Of Recess In The Lives Of Children, Kayla L. Villanueva

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Current research suggests that when children get the chance to play outdoors, they reap the benefits. However, in today’s society children aren’t outdoors very often. Children also don’t have very much time to play outdoors during recess time while in a school setting. The purpose of this project was to educate and inform elementary school principals about the importance and benefits that recess has on children, as well as help them become an advocate for recess. A video was created that focused on the benefits of outdoor play for children, the importance of recess for children, as well as ways …

The Union Of Opposites: Carl Jung, Folklore, And The Caduceus And Ouroboros In Alchemy, Jack Daly

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This thesis advocates for the use of Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic theory in folkloristics by examining the role of the caduceus and the ouroboros in alchemy as a case study. Although a Jungian lens has not been widely accepted by folklorists, it can and should be applied to folklore, particularly in the context of binary oppositions. Folklorists such as Alan Dundes have been harshly critical of this perspective. However, Dundes also stressed the importance of binaries in folklore. Furthermore, Dundes championed the theory of symbolic equivalences, and in my paper I argue that the caduceus and the ouroboros are examples of …

The Youthful Pandemic, Brook Sahlemariam

Nursing | Senior Theses

This paper attempts to examine the neurological, physical, and societal effects of e-cigarette use among youth and young-adults in North America. Furthermore, the paper investigates the parallels between e-cigarette users, tobacco users, and dual users in regard to behavioral patterns, reasons for use, and age of initiation.

Are They Really Just Cosmetic? The Impact Of Cosmetic Items On Fortnite's Gameplay And Game Design, John Joseph Fennimore

Theses and Dissertations

Cosmetic microtransactions, the act of paying for virtual items that customize certain parts of video games and virtual worlds such as skins that change the appearance of the avatar, are looked upon more favorably in the gaming community than performance-enhancing microtransactions, where one pays for virtual items that enhance the abilities of avatars or speed up the progression of the game. Video game industry spokespeople have adapted this rhetoric and emphasized that the microtransactions in their games are for cosmetic items only with no bearing on gameplay. However, the way players use cosmetic items in games and the way cosmetic …

Effects Of Values-Based Affirmation About Pets On Physiological And Emotional Arousal, Karen Floan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to explore whether valuing a pet dog after writing about a negative personal experience could facilitate cardiovascular recovery, reduce anxiety, and boost positive affect even in the absence of the pet. Data was analyzed using one-within and one-between repeated-measures ANOVAs. It was found that there were no significant between-group differences in cardiovascular responses to the affirmation manipulation such that HR decreased at roughly the same rate as the control condition. Self-reported ratings of anxiety significantly decreased for both groups across time, and there was no overall effect on positive mood. Therefore, it was …

Inactivation Of Nucleus Reuniens Impairs Spatial Memory In Mice, Miranda Schwabe

Theses and Dissertations

Episodic memory is a complex process requiring input from several regions of the brain. Coordinated activity in the Dorsal Hippocampus (DH) and medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) is required for episodic memory consolidation. Our laboratory demonstrated that simultaneous subthreshold chemogenetic inactivation of the dorsal hippocampus (DH) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) impairs the consolidation of object placement (OP) and object recognition (OR) memory in female mice (Tuscher et al., 2018), suggesting that these two brain regions work in concert to promote memory consolidation. However, the mechanisms through which the DH and mPFC interact to promote memory consolidation remain poorly understood. A …

What's In A Name? An Assessment Of Degradation Of Women In The Name Of Climbing Routes, Raiza Barahona

Honors Theses

Gendered behavior is reinforced at an early age. In media, women are usually portrayed following gender stereotypical behaviors and are often sexualized, meaning that their worth is often determined by their body shape and clothing type and as such women are often wearing revealing clothing, following gender stereotypical behaviors, and portraying unrealistic body proportions (e.g., Gentlemen’s Quarterly Magazine; Collins, 2011). The representation of women in climbing media is similar to that of the general media. The present study focused on route names within the climbing community and presents a qualitative analysis on the sexism and other derogatory (i.e., overtly sexual) …

Envisioning Success: A Naturalistic Investigation Into Prospective Memory Performance, Reminder Use, And Memory Strategies In An Academic Context, John Whittemore

Honors Theses

Prospective memory encompasses the ability to remember to carry out future intentions. Prospective memory performance is essential for students. College students are expected to remember and complete a variety of assignments on a daily basis. In these naturalistic experiments taking place before and after COVID-19, college students were required to set academic goals for themselves for three consecutive days following specific guidelines. Each day, the participant identified a time specific academic goal and a non-time specific academic goal. Participants were randomizing assigned experimental or control condition. The experimental group performed an episodic future thinking exercise during encoding. Additionally, each time …

Characterization Of Age-Associated Copd Progression In The Copd Gene Cohort, Lauryn A. Winter

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and debilitating lung disease affecting primarily older adults. Incidence, morbidity and mortality from COPD are increasing worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between age at baseline and markers of disease progression in COPD patients using data generated by the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD (COPD Gene) study. Participants with COPD were stratified by age (younger: age <65 years, elderly: age ≥ 65 years) and disease characteristics (lung function, exercise tolerance, exacerbation history, and comorbidity burden) at baseline and five-year follow up were compared between groups. Associations between age group and changes in these measures were also assessed. Disease characteristics differed significantly between elderly and younger COPD patients at both study visits. Elderly COPD patients had worse lung function and more comorbidities than younger COPD patients, while younger COPD patients reported more dyspnea and more frequent and severe exacerbations than elderly COPD patients. Following covariate adjustment, elderly participants were less likely than younger participants to develop new frequent exacerbations over the study period (relative risk ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.42 (0.20, 0.87)). There were no other significant associations between age group and markers of disease progression. These results suggest that although elderly COPD patients exhibit evidence of more severe lung function impairment than younger COPD patients, the rate of disease progression is similar between elderly and younger patients. However, further exploration is needed to understand the possible contribution of survivorship bias to this finding. Nevertheless, this study supports the importance of early detection and early intervention to slow disease progression and maximize both life expectancy and quality of life for COPD patients.

Analysis Of Mothers’ Parenting Consistency: Associations With Children’S Adjustment, David R L Brabham

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

While robust literature exists on the association between positive and negative parenting with child outcomes, less is known about the nature of parenting’s consistency in this relationship. This study sought to examine the relationship between valence and consistency of parenting, and to determine whether consistency is associated with child adjustment independent of valence. Data were collected from 167 mothers and their toddler-aged child. Participation involved two time points, 1 year apart. At each time point, mothers’ observational data were obtained via videotape of designed interactions between mother and toddler, as well as survey data from mothers. Bivariate correlations and multiple …

International Travel: A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis About How Study Abroad Opportunities Enhance One’S Global Perspective And Self-Awareness, Kristen Zink

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

As the world is becoming more interconnected, the importance of having a well-rounded, global education is necessary. To meet those needs, many students are electing to study abroad during their time in college. Although research has been done to examine the direct benefits of studying abroad, there has been little research done to differentiate the impacts of short-term and long-term study abroad. This research looked at how students reflected on both their short-term and long-term study abroad experiences and it examined the benefits of both lengths of travel. A quantitative analysis was done to analyze the benefits of short-term study …

The Relationship Between Group Identification And Perceived Control Under Stressful Conditions, Fanshu Jin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Group identification provides important psychological resources. One potential benefit is that it may relieve individuals’ strain in stressful situation by increasing their perceived personal control. The current research explores the different roles that group identification plays in reaction to stressful performance situations. In particular, it investigates the extent to which group identification impacts perceived control in performance contexts. It was hypothesized that activating group identification prior to performing a challenging task will bolster perceptions of personal control, thereby sustaining or improving performance. An experimental study was conducted that manipulated salience of group identification, either before or after exposure to a …

Organizational Stressors As Predictors Of Burnout, Kristen Albritton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if organizational stress, measured by role conflict and role ambiguity, predicts burnout among employees. A review of the related literature identified variables that demonstrate a relationship with burnout, supported by the Maslach (1998) theory of burnout and Katz and Kahn’s (1966) organizational role theory. The researcher also examined whether organizational level and demographic variables (gender, education level, and job tenure) moderate the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout.

The study follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using data collected from a survey. Results of linear regression analyses reveal role conflict and …

Reducing Suicide By Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Suicide Prevention, Wendy Larkin

Student Scholarly Projects

Veteran suicide is a serious and persistent national problem, which demands an effective treatment intervention. This Evidence-Based Practice project (EBP) addressed the question: Do patients with a psychiatric in-patient diagnosis of suicide ideation, who after discharge self-elect outpatient Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP) treatment over a 6-week time frame, reduce the likelihood of hospital readmission for suicidal ideation vs. patients who decline CBT-SP treatment and elect Treatment as Usual (TAU)? The literature is prolific in validating that CBT-SP is successful in determining the effectiveness of CBT-SP vs. TAU in reducing suicidal behaviors in adults.

Hospital readmission data were collected on …

The Mediating Role Of Emotion Dysregulation In The Association Between Intimate Partner Victimization Types And Symptoms Of Depression In Young Hispanic Women, Maria Gabriela Copeiro De Lestarpe

Theses and Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is defined as the abuse or aggression that occurs in a close relationship. Statistics show that the most prevalent types of IPV are psychological, physical, and sexual. In the U.S. 1 in 4 women (24.4%, or 29.2 million) are victims of IPV before the age of 25. Minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged women are most likely to experience it. Depression, among others, is one of the harmful consequences resulting from IPV victimization. The present study focuses on the role of emotion dysregulation in the association between IPV and depression. It was hypothesized that emotion dysregulation mediates the …

Asch And Ai: Conformity To Non-Human Intelligence, Andrew Stephen Heim

Masters Theses

Conformity is the process that occurs when we submit to group pressures. These pressures can come from normative social influence, a desire to be liked, and informational social influence, the belief that the group has information that we do not. In the current study, the classic Asch line judgment paradigm is combined with virtual reality technology to study social influence in groups of both humans and artificial intelligences. Additionally, the line judgment task is varied as either unambiguous or ambiguous. The results indicated that participants were more likely to not conform to unambiguous stimuli and artificial intelligence confederates. Response times …

Redefining Creativity To Advance Our Understanding Of Behavior Change And Agency, Philip F. Brunner

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Change is hard, and shifting one’s behavior, even with the support of a counselor, can be challenging. While it has not been common for the field of counseling and therapeutic behavior change to draw on it, creativity studies have much to offer counselors and practitioners as well as individuals who just want to realize change in their lives. The potential contributions of creativity studies to lasting and meaningful behavior change are enhanced especially if we take up a definition of creativity that draws on traditional definitions and theories but that also integrates insights from fields like neuroscience and complex dynamical …

Emotion Regulation And N2 Amplitude During A Go/Nogo Task: An Erp Study, Emily Tolar

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Emotion regulation is how people respond to and manage their reactions to life experiences, including resolving conflict between variable responses. Past research has associated the N2, an event-related potential associated with resolving response conflict, with both emotion regulation and negative emotion. However, to the best of our knowledge, no one has assessed if different emotion-regulation strategies are differentially associated with N2 activation. To assess this question, we conducted an EEG study with 147 participants. Participants completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and then played the go/no-go game as their EEG data was collected. The relationship between N2 amplitude and …

Establishing The Public Library As An Out-Of-School Partner In Stem/Steam Education, Gwyneth Fernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The American public library is a unique community presence that positively influences the lives of families as an out-of-school partner in education. By examining the public library through a systems lens using Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory the impact of these institutions may be seen. A key characteristic of public library service is timely, relevant adaptations that meet the needs of the community served. In this project, a recent public library pilot program is evaluated. This program was created in response to the emerging trend in Science Technology Engineering Art and Math (STEAM) within schools and informal education opportunities. It was found …

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training On A Mindfulness-Based Protocol, Chealsy Darby

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This evaluation examined the effects of behavioral skills training on the correct implementation of a mindfulness-based protocol by direct support staff who provide services to adults with intellectual disabilities in a community, residential setting. Participants included two direct support staff who provide services to two different adults with intellectual disabilities who have a mindfulness-based protocol as an intervention for problem behavior described in their behavior support plan. The participants were exposed to a behavioral skills training package and were required to demonstrate mastery criteria of the mindfulness-based protocol as part of their regular job duties. The results of this evaluation …

The Importance Of Nutrition For Development In Early Childhood, Kaitlyn Sue Suha

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Understanding which foods contain the necessary vitamins and nutrients for a child’s health, and which ones are lacking, can decrease the likelihood of children developing nutritional deficiencies and promote their overall developmental health. It is important for parents of young children to have an understanding of nutrition and the effect that poor nutrition can have. this project presented information sessions to parents to educate them further about these important topics through four weekly online workshops. Participants were asked to complete a pre- and post-session survey. Survey results scores indicated that participants reported an increase in knowledge and understanding in regards …