Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Does Age Of Second-Language Acquisition Improve Intellectual Processing Abilities?, Sanum Shafi

Theses - ALL

Past research on bilingual education indicates that the onset-age of second language learning is negatively associated with both second language proficiency and the cognitive benefits of being bilingual. However, there is inconsistency in the bilingual education field as to whether bilingual speakers benefit from enhanced intellectual processing abilities compared to monolingual speakers. The critical period hypothesis states that during childhood development a certain window of time exists in which second language acquisition skills are strongest. This hypothesis provides the theoretical foundation for my research study. In the current study, I synthesize evidence on the associations between onset-age of second language …

Towards A Nuanced Understanding Of Emotional Infidelity: An Investigation Of Behavioral Exemplars And The Impact Of Ambiguity, Morgan Proulx

Theses - ALL

Infidelity is an especially severe relational transgression that can act as a predictor of negative outcomes. Though the word “severe” may seem to imply that we can expect a degree of clarity when considering whether a particular behavior qualifies as “infidelity”, thinking of infidelity behaviors in that way might be an oversimplification. Whereas researchers have had some success in predicting the outcomes of and responses to infidelity, our understanding of infidelity may be complicated by a lack of clear behavioral indices for some forms of infidelity, namely emotional infidelity. The present study explored the specific types of behaviors that participants …

How Can I Help You? Social Support In The Context Of Attachment Insecurity., Julian Domingo Fuentes

Theses - ALL

People in close relationships support each other through various means yet support attempts may be unsuccessful. I propose that people prefer support behaviors matched to their dispositional needs (the personal context) and their relationship with the support provider (the interpersonal context). I also propose that this kind of support is most effective at enhancing relationship quality and reducing personal distress. Attachment theory provides a framework for characterizing differences in dispositional needs and in the specific relationship context between a support recipient and support provider. In three studies, I tested whether one’s trait and relationship-specific attachment orientations are associated with preferences …

The Role Of Exposure To Communication Channels, Institutional Trust And Moral Norm In Predicting Pm2.5 Risk-Reduction Intention In China: A Study Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior., Tong Lin

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Understanding and encouraging people to perform PM2.5 risk-reduction behaviors is essential to reduce the health risks caused by PM2.5 and to promote a healthy lifestyle. This study aims to predict the effects of psychological factors (attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm and moral norm) on individual’s PM2.5 risk-reduction intention. It also looks into how contextual factors (exposure to communication channels and institutional trust) can influence behavioral intention and make contributions to the predicting powers of the theory of planned behavior. To achieve this goal, I analyze the secondary survey data that randomly selected residents living in three regions known for …

Exploring Media Preference And Trust By Millennial Investors., Chedza Mmolawa

Theses - ALL

The purpose of this study is to establish which media millennial investors and potential investors prefer and trust to make investment decisions. The Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) will be used to understand why millennials prefer the media they chose to receive investment and financial information, and how it gives them the satisfaction they seek. The study also evaluates how Investor Relations (IR) practitioners can hone the relationship they have with millennial investors and potential investors by using their preferred media to impact their decision-making process. This study will use both qualitative and quantitative research. An online survey will be …

Evaluating Level Of Specificity And Discrepancy Of Normative Referents In Relation To Personal Condom Use Among College Students, Madison Firkey

Theses - ALL

Few evidence-based interventions have effectively increased college students’ condom use. There is a large literature supporting the efficacy of alcohol normative feedback interventions, components of which may be useful for the development of condom promotion interventions. While normative feedback interventions traditionally provide feedback associated with a typical student referent, more socially proximal referents may exert a greater influence over behavior compared to distal referents. However, developing discrepancy between perceived and actual norms is also essential for such interventions, and the greatest discrepancy is generated when a distal referent is utilized. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine which …

Accountable Witchcraft: A Story-Theory Account Of The Witch As A Site Of Disruption For Whiteness And Colonialism, Alex Rae Hillen

Theses - ALL

In this thesis, I seek to wed my experiences of activism, scholarship, and Pagan witchcraft community together through storied theory, in order to give an honest account of my own transformation through both scholarship and community action. I do this for many reasons. Because I want to honor the Queer interracial organizing community who saw me, built me up, opened my eyes and inspired in me an ethic of accountability and critical analysis of the world around me. Because I want to heed the call of scholars like Lisa Flores, Langford and Speight, Nakayama and Krizek to engage in reflexive …

Female Dating Simulator Gamers’Motivations And Developing Parasocial Relationships With Game Characters, Ruifeng Qie

Theses - ALL

This study tests Chinese female gamers develop parasocial relationships with game characters and explore their motivations for playing a popular Chinese dating game – Mr Love: Queen’s Choice. This thesis contains the parasocial relationships theory, uses and gratifications theory, and reviewing the development of female-oriented dating simulators, which is a type of video game with dating and romantic development relationships as the primary purpose. A survey in China with a sample size of 290 participants were recruited to test the research questions and hypotheses, and 10 people were recruited to pre-test the survey questions. This study found that game exposures …

Social Media Usage In Crisis Communication: A Case Study Of Samsung, Yihan Yu

Theses - ALL

Studies in public relations have revealed the importance of crisis communication in corporate image/reputation management. Public relations researchers and practitioners have also suggested the best practice of using both traditional channels such as press conferences, and social media platforms to respond to different crises. This thesis first reviews theories of crisis stage, crisis situation, crisis response as well as image repair and then integrates these theories in analyzing Samsung’s reaction to Galaxy Note 7 crisis. To conduct a throughout evaluation of the company’s performance, this study analyzes Samsung’s press resources, the company’s social media posts, and online customer reviews posted …

How Do People Process And Share Fake News On Social Media?: In The Context Of Dual-Process Of Credibility With Partisanship, Cognitive Appraisal To Threat, And Corrective Action, Se Jung Kim

Theses - ALL

The objective of this study is to examine how the information processing of news users happens on social media in the context of spreading fake news. This study is intended to shed light on how fake news spreads on social media with the effects of two moderators (i.e., partisanship and source credibility) from political attitude consistency to message credibility and the effect of mediation (i.e., cognitive appraisal to threat) from message credibility to intent to share fake news on social media and corrective action. As a theoretical lens, dual-process theories were adopted in this paper. For this, a 2 (news …

How Student-Athletes’ Self-Esteem And Performance Are Influenced By Social Media Sports Fandom, Brooke Alexander

Theses - ALL

This study evaluates the role of positive and negative messages on social media from sports fans and its effect on student-athletes’ self-esteem and performance. Through a qualitative research process, this study examined what drives student-athletes to seek validation of their identities through messages in social media and how the messages they read online affect their self-esteem and performance in their sport. Public relations has become an integral part in college athletics in reputation management, brand attributes and social issues. It is essential that public relations specialists involved in athletics are aware of how their student-athletes are feeling regarding social media …

The Road That Made Mountains: Highway Design And The Production Of Landscape In Vail, Colorado, James T. Lindberg

Theses - ALL

Constructed between 1972 and 1978, Vail Pass is a 16-mile section of Interstate-70 that crosses the continental divide in the Central Mountains of Colorado. It connects the ski resort communities of Copper Mountain and Vail and has played a significant role in the development of tourism in the Colorado High Country. The design and planning of Vail Pass occurred at a time of increased public concern over environmental issues, and was built following a series of significant pieces of federal environmental legislation. Within this context, highway designers and engineers sought to harmoniously integrate the highway into its natural setting.

This …

Bidla: The Transnational Influence Of American Hip-Hop On Għana, Amanda Ndidika Eke

Theses - ALL

Għana (pronounced A-na) is a rhyming conversational music form created on the island country of Malta, a country situated between southern Italy and Northern Africa. Hip-Hop was birthed in black and Latino urban communities in New York, where street cultures were isolated from white neighborhoods. Hip-Hop has had an overwhelming influence on the Black American community, as well as the entire U.S. society. Over the past three decades, Hip-Hop has influenced and uplifted the world by speaking up for generations and providing the voice for a group of people trying to deliver a message. This thesis explores how artists on …

"To Buy A Smile": Entrepreneurial Individualism And The Tipped Wage, Hanna Grace Goldberg

Theses - ALL

As of 2020, millions of restaurant workers across the U.S. labor for an hourly wage below— even substantially below—the ordinary federal minimum wage. These workers earn a significant portion of their incomes in gratuities, directly from the customers they serve. The special legal status of tipped workers is a consequence of a 1966 amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which instituted a federal subminimum wage for tipped workers. While some states and jurisdictions have implemented their own higher tipped wages or eliminated the tipped wage entirely, the federal tipped wage has remained frozen for 31 years at $2.13 per …

“Saved To Citizenship”: The Rhetoric Of Delinquency And Industriousness In The New York Catholic Protectory, 1902-1911, Lucas Joshua Hann

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In recent years, rhetorical scholars have been increasingly interested in questions of borders and citizenship. Scholars such as J. David Cisneros, Karma Chávez, Lisa Flores, and D. Robert DeChaine have tended to contemporary struggles at the southern U.S. border, while others, such as Jeffrey Bennett and Robert Asen, have articulated theories of citizenship that are tied to notions of belonging. To complement this ongoing work in the field, there is a need for additional historic work that seeks to understand the underpinnings of contemporary debates. In this thesis, I argue that the New York Catholic Protectory, in its mission to …

Parasocial Relationships Among Film Consumers: Can Film Celebrities Influence Purchase Intentions?, Melissa Ann Tucker

Theses - ALL

This thesis explored how film celebrities and the parasocial relationships they form with their fan bases influences the purchase intentions of consumers. Specifically, this research looked at parasocial relationships’ influence on box office revenue and streaming service subscriptions. This thesis also explored social media and how film celebrities’ usage influences parasocial relationships with audiences. The results of this study found that parasocial relationships had a significant influence on the survey participants’ purchase intentions. The goal was to help marketing and public relations professionals understand how parasocial relationships can benefit celebrity clients they may acquire or film studios they may represent.

Roles Of Race And Adverse Neighborhood Conditions In Urban Youth Alcohol Behavior, Jin Zhao

Theses - ALL

Substantial racial disparities exist in adolescent alcohol behaviors. Although racial minority adolescents are less likely to drink, when they drink, they experience similar or greater levels of negative drinking consequences compared to Whites. However, such racial disparities have rarely been examined within the neighborhood environmental context. This study examined whether racial differences exist in the prospective association between adverse neighborhood conditions (i.e., disadvantage and disorder) at Year 1 (Y1) and adolescents’ current drinker status and risk for hazardous drinking at Year 2 (Y2) in racially diverse urban high school students. Data were drawn from a two-wave, one-year prospective health study …

Some Reservations: Food Tourism, The Food-Selfie, And Everyday Life Performances On Instagram, Alexander Charles Breth

Theses - ALL

Food is the very lifeblood of who we are; it brings us together, defines our cultures, and provides us the vital nourishment we need to survive. However, with the rise of social media platforms that encourage image-sharing, images of food have become increasingly significant in regard to how we understand our communicative choices and habits online. In this project, I trace a lineage of popular food media aesthetics from cable and streaming television shows through the online social media platform Instagram, to argue that an expanded understanding of the “food-selfie” helps one articulate how and why they share images of …

Voices Of The (In)Visible: A Gendered Study On Higglers In Downtown Kingston, Jamaica, Reneé Brown

Theses - ALL

This project examines the lived experiences of higglers in Downtown, Kingston, and how they survive Jamaica’s misogynistic capitalist patriarchal society as marginalized Black working-class women. Data were gathered through a series of semi-structured and unstructured interviews, and participant observation and journal entries. My theoretical frame employed historical materialism and Black Feminist epistemological standpoints which include Caribbean, African, and ‘Third World’ feminism, through a gendered lens to deconstruct neoliberal global capitalism in neocolonial Jamaica. My project also assumes that the impact of neoliberal global capitalism that thrives on patriarchy has forced Black working-class women in Jamaican to reproduce a political consciousness …

Examining Diversity In Youtube Music Videos With Queer Women Couples From 2006-2019, Sierra A. Holland

Theses - ALL

This quantitative study examines the diversity of women included in music videos with relationships between two women through a comparative content analysis. Informed by intersectionality and queer theory, this study investigated the racial diversity, body diversity, gender performance, and tropes present in music videos with queer women couples (n=473) through a quantitative content analysis. This study also compared the diversity and tropes present in music videos made by musicians who identify as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, and queer women and music videos made by non-queer musicians. Quantitative data was collected and reported for musicians who identify outside of the gender binary …

Coping Motives As A Moderator Of The Association Between Minority Stress And Alcohol Use Among Emerging Adults Of Marginalized Sexualities And Genders, Jeremy Ramos

Theses - ALL

Alcohol use and negative consequences are higher among individuals of marginalized sexualities and genders (MS/G), and emerging adults within this category face particular risks. According to Meyer’s (2003) minority stress model, the higher prevalence of alcohol use and negative consequences among MS/G is an attempt to cope with proximal/internal and distal/external minority stressors. The purpose of this study was to examine whether coping motives moderated the relationship between internal minority stress and alcohol use outcomes. We hypothesized that higher internal minority and emerging adult stressors would be positively associated with higher levels of drinking-related outcomes, and that coping would moderate …

Defending Boyle Heights: Visions Of An Emancipated Barrio, Mikayla Torres

Theses - ALL

This thesis explores the nuanced relationships between culture, embodied resistance and gentrification in the East Los Angeles neighborhood Boyle Heights. The barrio this project centers upon, is predominantly Latinx identified, low income, and is currently embroiled in a war against gentrification, not unlike the onslaught of displacement dozens of neighborhoods across the United States are currently facing. Specifically, I explore the agitative strategies and actions of the contemporary, grassroots, direct-action group resisting the displacement imposed by gentrification, Defend Boyle Heights. The project centers on two artifacts— a constitution video titled La Noticia: Boyle Heights se Defiende! and a video that …

The Impact Of Ben & Jerry’S Corporate Social Advocacy On Corporate Reputation And Brand Loyalty, Cayley Young

Theses - ALL

Companies are constantly sharing and posting content related to social issues. It is increasingly becoming an expectation for brands to take a stance on such controversies even where they may not be inherently related or relevant to the company’s daily activity. However, the extent to which this form of advocacy has residual effects on the advocating company is still unclear. This thesis aims to provide clarity on this matter by examining its impact on consumers’ relationship with the company and related perceptions.

An online survey was conducted in March 2020. Findings were compared with social analytic research. A correlation analysis …

Senegalese Youth's Migrations To Europe: "The Barca Or Barsaakh Phenomenon, Mohamed Thiam

Theses - ALL

Human Migrations can be defined as the movement or displacement of peoples from one place to another, in particular from one country (emigration) to another (immigration) for political, social, economic, or personal reasons. They have been the fact of life for populations integrating into a wider world. Historically, Senegalese migrations to Europe started under colonialism with the massive recruitments by the French colonial administration within the Senegalese territory. This practice of European colonial administration caused the first wave of Senegalese migrations towards Europe to conform to French colonial needs and expectations. Senegalese migrations to Europe continued in the post-colonial period …

A Textual Analysis Of Online Asexual Representation And Visibility On Reddit, Kyle Kreye Webster

Theses - ALL

Asexuality remains an under-researched topic in media, gender & sexualities studies. Previous research has explored definitional questions of asexuality, interviews and surveys of asexual people, and consideration of asexuality’s place within queer and feminist communities. However, research has not yet fully explored the issue of asexuality invisibility in the media, which currently amounts to symbolic annihilation. While representation of asexuality is nearly non-existent in mainstream and traditional media, digital spaces have been the location of visibility and self-expression for asexuals. In examining how queer representation of asexuality is seen and made visible online, this textual analysis study examined the content …

Tv Series Exposure And Its Influence On American People’S Social Judgments Toward Asian Americans, Zheng Li

Theses - ALL

As television plays a crucial part in people’s social life and ethnicity on the screen both reflects and influences the minds of the audience, this research focuses on the TV representation of Asian Americans and tries to explore how TV series exposure influences American people’s social judgments toward Asian Americans. The status quo of Asian Americans on TV is discussed and cultivation theory is utilized to explain how television influences the audience’s perceptions and judgments. The Asian group is faced with a low representation and a highly stereotypical image on the TV screen thus this study hypothesizes that more television …

Agroecology Feminisms: Gender, Social Movements And Alternatives To Industrial Agriculture In Paraguay, Jamie C. Gagliano

Theses - ALL

As plantations of mono-cropped cash crops continue to expand globally, small farmers and peasants continue to make out a living at the edges of plantations. Though it draws on long histories of traditional farming, agroecology emerged as alternative set of agricultural practices to counter industrial agriculture in the 1990s. It encapsulates both the diversity of traditional agricultural systems and the systematization of these practices, making it a response of campesinos (peasants) to plantation expansion. In Paraguay, agroecology has been taken up by several campesino social movements, including the women’s and indigenous movement known as Conamuri. For twenty years, Conamuri has …

Lost In Translation: Unpacking Monolithic Narratives Of Girls Affected By Female Genital Cutting, Courtney Carr

Theses - ALL

Narratives about female genital cutting (FGC) have socio-historically been told in the realm of nongovernmental organization (NGO) discourse. NGO discourse reproduces monolithic understandings about girls impacted by FGC. Previous research reveals how NGOs replicate the tune of neoliberal agendas due to the contributions of donors in the Global North prompted by narrative formulations concocted in the Global South. Interviews were conducted with girls aged 15-21 seeking safe shelter from child marriage and female genital cutting and a translator, at the Network Against Female Genital Mutilation (NAFGEM), an NGO in Moshi, Tanzania. Case study excerpts from NAFGEM’s website, field notes, and …

Speaking Under Stress: Effects On Language Production, Perceived Anxiety, Physiological Arousal, And Cognitive Attention, Monica Mascellino

Theses - ALL

Communicating under stress can have many effects on our bodies and minds, as well as the way that we produce language. The current study employed a pseudorandomized group design to compare individuals’ perceived anxiety, physiological arousal, physiological cognitive attention, and language production during stressful communication and non-stressful communication. Results indicated that the stressful communication protocol did not seem to affect individuals’ self-reported anxiety, as there were no differences between the high stress and low stress groups. No between-group differences were found in physiological arousal; however, results demonstrated that the high stress group experienced an increase in physiological arousal while speaking. …

Wrapped In Labels: An Examination Of Black Women And The Politics Of The Body In Kingston, Jamaica, Chivonne Munroe

Theses - ALL

Through a framework combining historical materialism and transnational Black feminist epistemologies, this study examines how working-class and poor Black women in Kingston, Jamaica negotiate, make meaning, and respond to the label of the Skettel and the tensions that arise in this process. The Skettel is defined as a woman who is perceived as having questionable morals, a characteristic measured against middle-class respectability. Respectability, as it relates to women, privilege a conceptualization that maintains that body language, sexuality, dress codes, and verbal communication should follow European conventions. As such, the Skettel stands as the antithesis of European notions of respectability in …