Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The 1-Back Matching/Mismatching Paradigm With Pigeons (Columba Livia): Evidence For Explicit Learning?, Daniel Peng

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

With humans, a distinction can be made between explicit and implicit learning. language can be used to describe rule-based learning commonly seen in explicit, but not implicit learning. Unfortunately, we cannot do so with animals. Therefore, a non-verbal paradigm is needed to differentiate the types of learning. One method to make such a distinction is by training animals under a conditional discrimination task such as matching-to-sample with reinforcement delayed until a choice is made on the next trial: otherwise known as a 1-back procedure. In this experiment an alternating matching/mismatching to sample task under a 1-back schedule of reinforcement was …

Influence Of Oral Contraceptives On Alcohol Use In Young Adult Women, Ashley Strzelecki

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Rates of heavy drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder are rising dramatically in young adult women, making it important to better understand female-specific risks for problematic drinking. Circulating levels of ovarian hormones are one potential mechanism influencing alcohol use in women. Many young adult women use oral contraceptives (OCs) that alter endogenous hormone levels, and little is known about how OCs and the synthetic hormones they contain may influence alcohol use. This dissertation consists of three studies that investigated alcohol consumption in women using OCs and explored potential mechanisms through which OCs may influence alcohol use. Study 1 compared self-reported alcohol …

The Psychosocial Aspects Of Rest, Morgan Findley

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Past research in sport sciences has focused primarily on “rest” from a physical perspective, while giving limited focus to the psychosocial perspective (Eccles & Riley, 2014; Eccles et al., 2022). One major development on psychosocial rest emerged with the pioneering model introduced by Eccles and Kazmier (2019); however, further research is needed to test this proposed model with other sport/performance populations. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the model's generalizability and investigate the perceived frequency of psychosocial rest by athletes throughout their season. To accomplish this, 67 female university athletes completed an online survey comprised of questions representative of the …

Malleability Of Abortion Attitudes, Allison Leip

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Although abortion attitudes have been thoroughly investigated and population-level attitudes have not changed much over the past half-century, polls and research inquiring about abortion attitudes tend to ask isolated questions about if, and in what circumstances, abortion should be legal. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which abortion attitudes both varied and changed according to several contextual factors. A multiple-segment factorial vignette was conducted with 530 respondents in the state of Kentucky. Overall, most respondents held strong attitudes on access to abortion, both before the rationale was provided and regardless of the rationale provided. However, …

Cbt And Me: A Beginning Therapist's Journey Utilizing Client Feedback, Haley Scruggs

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Cognitive behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) is a model of therapy targeting cognitions, emotional responses, and behavioral interactions between couples experiencing relationship distress. Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is a tool that clinicians can use to track the progress of their clients in therapy from the perspective of the client. This study aimed to use MFT-PRN, a type of ROM, to gather client progress throughout CBCT treatment. Prototypical change trajectories were created in Microsoft Excel for examination of presenting problem progress, couple satisfaction, and overall relationship functioning. It was found that small data sensitivity affected the trajectories immensely, though ROM outcomes revealed …

Examining Anxious Attachment And Its Effects On Sexual Behaviors In Adulthood, Justin Graham

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxious attachment and adult sexual behaviors. The study utilized pairfam, a nationally representative German sample, as a secondary data set for its quantitative analysis. Participants responded to two anxious attachment scales and questions regarding sexual desire, sexual confidence, and age at first sexual experiences. Analyzing data from 5561 individuals, averaging 29.27 years old, a path analysis was conducted to assess variable effects. Findings indicate that higher anxious attachment correlates with reduced sexual confidence and earlier onset of sexual intercourse. Future studies should investigate additional attachment scales and include a more diverse …

Routine Outcome Monitoring In Emotionally Focused Therapy: A Clinical Perspective, Lillian Dunn

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The field of couple and family therapy has a foundation in systems theory and recognizes the intricate dynamics of relationships. Therapists often navigate complex webs of connection, aiming to enhance communication, foster healthy interaction patterns, and cultivate emotional well-being to strengthen relational bonds. This thesis focuses on the integration of routine outcome monitoring (ROM) within Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and aims to shed light on its role in achieving therapeutic goals. ROM tools offer insights into the therapeutic process, facilitating tailored interventions to meet clients' needs. The findings suggest that integrating ROM into EFT benefits therapists and clients, enhancing our …

Ruling In The Shadows: Analysis Of The Supreme Court’S Use Of The ‘Shadow Docket’ And Its Effects, Emilee Smart

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

The recent increased use of the shadow docket has left the public and scholars with unanswered questions about how procedures influence outcomes and behavior. Many of these shadow docket cases have been petitioned to the justices as emergencies in very important policy areas such as immigration, abortion, elections, and transgender rights. I collect a large dataset of all outcomes of the Supreme Court's shadow docket from 2010-2022. I examine the language the justices use to justify their decisions made using alternate procedures. I find unique differences in the justifying behavior of the justices as well as significant differences in the …

Essays On The Market For Higher Education, Samuel Lawrence Rhoads Glick

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

This dissertation studies the market for higher education and impacts of higher education policy on the market. In the first chapter, I estimate the short-run elasticity of supply of higher education using the rollout of state merit grant programs as plausibly exogenous variation in student demand for in-state higher education. I find that public and private not-for-profit four-year institutions have elastic supply responses to these programs. Public institutions have an estimated elasticity of 2.1 and private institutions have an estimated elasticity of 1.34. I estimate the causal effects of marginally qualifying for and receiving the federal Pell Grant and the …

Improving Nutrition Screening Practice In The Hospitalized Heart Failure Patient Population, Amanda J. Bourgeois

DNP Projects

Background: Heart Failure is a disease known to affect nearly 6.5 million adults in the United States. Characterized by recurrent hospitalizations, heart failure significantly contributes to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in the United States and worldwide. Because malnutrition is prevalent in the heart failure population, healthcare providers must perform nutritional assessments on admission to intervene in the case of malnutrition, prevent deterioration, and improve patient prognosis. Without intervention and early identification of malnutrition, heart failure hospitalizations will remain a significant problem.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based educational program for cardiac …

Identifying Public Perceptions Towards Precision Dairy Technology Use, Brad Kelly

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

To remain sustainable, the dairy industry must demonstrate commitment to addressing concerns from the public, such as sustainability and animal welfare. Precision dairy technologies (PDT) are a potential solution to ameliorate this issue, but public perceptions towards PDT are currently underinvestigated. This thesis aims to describe public perceptions towards PDT. Specifically, the objectives are to 1) describe baseline perceptions of the U.S. public towards PDT, 2) determine the effects of framing information about human-animal bond, data transparency, and animal welfare on PDT perceptions, and 3) evaluate how demographic characteristics mediate these perceptions. An online survey was used to measure baseline …

Characterizing Resting Cerebral Blood Flow In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Arterial Spin Labeling, Hannah R. Wild

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) profoundly impacting daily functioning and quality of life. Neuroimaging studies using various techniques have revealed inconsistent resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) patterns in OCD patients, particularly within the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit and sensorimotor network. Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) MRI offers a promising, noninvasive method for directly measuring rCBF. This study, using data from the Yale HCP Trio study, analyzed unmedicated OCD patients and healthy controls, who underwent two consecutive resting pulsed-ASL scans. OCD patients with lower obsessional severity exhibited higher perfusion in the pre- and …

Policy Brief, Zachary Owen

Dean's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Scholarship

The US grapples with a housing crisis, exacerbated in part by a shortage of conventional mortgage loans. Data from 2020 reveals a severe racial disparity, with 27.1% of Black mortgage applicants denied compared to only 13.6% of White mortgage applicants. These denial trends are highly correlated with homeownership rates. Current trends in homeownership by race mirror or exceed those present during the discriminatory practices of the 1960s. Lenders often cite low credit scores and high debt-to-income ratios as grounds for denial. Therefore, proposed solutions include mandating the inclusion of rental payment history in credit scores, offering free homebuying education, and …

The Effect Of A Community Resiliency Model Education On Resilience, Psychological Empowerment, And Well-Being In Behavioral Health Nurses, Lorrie Smith-Esterle

DNP Projects

Background: Resilience, well-being, and psychological empowerment are associated with improvement in job satisfaction and nurse retention rates. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM) can promote emotional regulation, well-being, and create an internal state of balance in response to work-related stressors. Educating nurses on how to use CRM enables the recognition of changes in thoughts, emotions, sensations, and internal or external stimuli, which can promote resilience, well-being, and psychological empowerment.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate evaluate the effect of a resiliency education using the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) on resilience, psychological empowerment, and well-being of behavioral health nurses. …

The Aesthetics Of Environmental Risk In Paolo Bacigalupi’S The Windup Girl And The Water Knife, David Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations--English

Any work of environmentally oriented fiction that seeks to represent the wide-reaching effects of climate change is faced with the problem of scale. These texts must render visible change which is at once ubiquitous and microscopic, along with the cascade of side-effects generated in the wake of rising temperature, rising sea levels, and winnowing biodiversity. In short order, these texts must fully imagine what it means to live within the modern global risk society. Borrowing this sociological model from the late Ulrich Beck, I analyze the literary work of Paolo Bacigalupi, one of the foremost authors in the growing genre …

It Takes A Village: Impact Of Lgbtq+ Community On The Relationship Between Parenting Stress, Parent Mental Health, And Child Adjustment, Kevin Mcaweeney

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

While LGBTQ+ parented families are largely the same as their cis-het parent counterparts, they still experience unique factors exclusive to them. One such factor is access to the LGBTQ+ community. While research has emphasized the importance of community within the family system, the role the LGBTQ+ community can play for LGBTQ+ parented families is largely unexplored. Additionally, LGBTQ+ research examining parents of adolescents is similarly lacking. Utilizing a sample of LGBTQ+ parents with adolescent children, and informed by ecological systems theory, self-determination theory, and the parenting stress model, I examine the influence parent’s sense of LGBTQ+ community has on the …

“Integrated Library Planning: A New Model For Strategic And Dynamic Planning, Management, And Assessment” [Book Review], Julene L. Jones

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Review of "Integrated Library Planning: A New Model for Strategic and Dynamic Planning, Management, and Assessment” by Myka Kennedy Stephens.

"And I / Am The Arrow": The Narrative, Personae Construction, And Language Ideology Of Confessional Poets' Identity Performance, Madison Fuchs

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

This thesis argues for consideration of linguistic features in service of raising the postmodern confessionalist poet identity as an utterance and an act of loyalty to performance. The embodiment of the confessionalist identity, attributed to the features used to adhere to the confessional mode, is realized through the invention of confessional personae. These confessional personae merge the responsibilities of the speaker and the narrator to convey a pseudo-autobiographical utterance to a designated audience. In this thesis, I analyze a sequence of poems that either possess taboo subjects or utilize linguistic functions, like indexicality and audience design, that mark its mode. …

A Computer-Assisted Approach To Lexical Borrowing In Northeast Caucasian Languages, Bonnie Eleanor Wren-Hardin

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

The disambiguation of loanwords and cognates can be a challenge, especially in areas where there has been intense language contact over an extended period of time, when the contact is between genetically related languages, and when the number of languages involved is large Over the past several decades, more and more computational approaches to automatic cognate and borrowing detection have been created in an attempt to ease the load of examining hundreds to thousands of individual lexemes, as well as determine language family relationships with allegedly greater accuracy. While these methods are not perfect and cannot replace the knowledge or …

Looking Back: Put A Reading Bathtub In The Library, Reinette F. Jones

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Book lovers may remember when old school librarians warned children not to read library books while in the bathtub. Today those memories are in juxtaposition with the new National Read in the Bathtub Day on February 9th. The unanswered question is when exactly this special day became a thing. While the reference librarians search for a definitive answer, there is a companion question. Who came up with the fun idea to place a reading bathtub in the children’s library? A reading bathtub is just that, a bathtub in the public area of the library, an upholstered piece of library furniture …

Addressing Inconsistencies In Grading Practices., Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Coming to agreement about the purpose of grading and establishing clearer and more accurate reporting structures can pave the way for more learning-focused grading systems.

Look Beyond The Satisfaction Survey: A Framework To Evaluate Results Of Professional Learning., Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Professional Learning evaluations consider five crucial levels of data to determine effects on teachers' instructional practices and student learning outcomes.

The Value Of Descriptive, Multi-Level Rubrics, Thomas R. Guskey, Mctighe Jay, Susan M. Brookhart

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Single-point rubrics have become popular in schools, but they may be leading teachers astray.

Child Language And Happiness Behaviors: Evaluating The Effects Of Caregiver Coaching, Ashlen Grubbs

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Caregivers of young children who have or are at risk for disabilities may struggle supporting their child’s language development. This study used a tailored rapid coaching intervention to teach a caregiver different naturalistic language interventions that can be used with their child during play. Evidence-based naturalistic skills for increasing child communication were chosen to teach the caregiver based on baseline levels of skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored RCI (training and coaching) with caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Like other studies, this study involved evaluating child-level communication but extended child measures …

The Movie Is On!: Pragmatics Of The Video Joker In Who Killed Captain Alex?, Hunter Hulett

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

The film Who Killed Captain Alex? (WKCA) is a Ugandan film that provides an opportunity to examine the use of pragmatic and specifically deictic features to study the manipulation of borders between the film and reality. A commentator called the Video Joker (VJ) is the film’s deictic center, constantly destabilizing deictic relations and orienting the internal and external pragmatics of the film around themself. As the film’s ultimate pragmatic force, they occupy a position blurring diegesis and non-diegesis due to originating as real-time film commentators before being edited into the text. In this unique position, they shift the deixis’s organization …

Beyond The Hands: Exploring Intersectional Identities Of Black American Sign Language Users, Tatum Turner

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

There is a significant gap in research related to the impact of intersectionality on linguistic identity performance among individuals negotiating multiple marginalized identities. This gap is especially significant among deaf Black and African American individuals who use the American Sign Language (ASL) variety deemed Black American Sign Language (BASL) (Hairston & Smith, 1983). This research aims to identify and discuss the use of the eight distinguishing features of BASL (McCaskill et al. 2011) as indexes of intersectional identities.

My data consists of videos sourced from YouTube, each chosen according to the following criteria: must have at least one self-identifying Black …

The Impact Of Measure 110 On Fatal Overdoses, Property And Violent Crime In Oregon, Hannah Mercado

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In November 2020, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act (also known as Measure 110) was passed in Oregon with the purpose to provide access to treatment and recovery services available to anyone who may need to utilize them, while focusing on a health-oriented approach towards substance use disorder (SUD) across the state through the removal of low-level drug possession criminal penalties (Oregon Health Authority, n.d.). Historically, Oregon has consistently had some of the highest rates of substance use in the U.S., making this a pertinent issue which was addressed through the implementation of Measure 110. Citing a critical need …

Developing Best Practices For Successful University Fundraising Events, Ravyn Ladenburger

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This research study addresses the crucial role of fundraising in sustaining universities in the United States, particularly public institutions facing funding challenges. For this paper, fundraising refers to the seeking of financial support from individuals to support initiatives at a nonprofit entity, such as a public university. It identifies a gap in research and professionalization within higher education philanthropy, emphasizing the need for standardized training and empirical research. The focus is on studying the effectiveness of fundraising events, especially in public universities like the University of Kentucky, amidst declining government support and rising operational costs. The research problem to be …

Analysis Of Implementation Of Student Homeless Programs Per County School District In The State Of Georgia, Hannah Watson

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This report investigates the implementation of federal and state policies concerning homeless students within school districts across Georgia. This analysis focuses on understanding how these policies are translated into practical strategies to meet the unique needs of homeless students, encompassing identification, enrollment, and provision of essential support services that result in proof of academic success. Through a combination of policy assessment techniques of current county school district procedures and services offered to students experiencing homelessness and a descriptive assessment of the contents of the current policies through the lens of public administration theories; we will develop a series of key …

A Review Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act In Kentucky Schools System, Spencer Collins

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The federal government's role in education has been center stage for the past decade. Policy actors on the right call for a complete deconstruction of the federal Department of Education (ED). In today's partisan fighting over government funding, the topic of education services is critical. With further investigations into education services provided by federal funding, one vulnerable population that needs to be safeguarded is those students with disabilities. Protecting those students with disabilities and ensuring equal access to education and resources provided for non-disabled students should be one of the highest priorities of policy actors within the education sphere today. …