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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 21 of 21
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Exploring The Role Of Communication In Relational Outcomes In A High School Setting, Paul S. Butler
Exploring The Role Of Communication In Relational Outcomes In A High School Setting, Paul S. Butler
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
An action research study in a high school setting applies the Organization-Public Relationships (O-PR) theoretical frame to a short-term communications initiative designed to elicit measurable engagement in the initiative and increased parent feelings of commitment and trust in their relationship with the school. A survey administered before the initiative yields actionable data on communication needs and preferences, levels of satisfaction, and parent feelings of commitment and trust. Survey data gathered after the communication initiative is used to determine changes in levels of satisfaction, commitment and trust. Among the findings are verified and consistent indications of secondary engagement in the communication …
Forest Management In A Changing Climate: Integrating Social And Biopysical Sciences To Inform Adaptive Responses To Future Uncertainty, Peter Breigenzer
Forest Management In A Changing Climate: Integrating Social And Biopysical Sciences To Inform Adaptive Responses To Future Uncertainty, Peter Breigenzer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Forests provide numerous ecological and socio-economic benefits, yet climate change is creating novel and extreme conditions that threaten forests and disrupt traditional management practices. To address future uncertainty about how to manage forests amid a rapidly changing climate, researchers have developed adaptive management strategies that move away from using historical ecological baselines as management goals. However, despite increases in adaptive forest management frameworks, there are still concerns that private woodland owners (PWOs; also known as family forest owners or non-industrial private landowners) are not adopting beneficial practices. Additionally, since tree canopies often buffer understory microclimates (i.e., fine scale variation in …
The Impact Of Conservation Land On Property Taxes And Municipal Budgets In Maine: A Mixed-Methods Study, Abigail Bennett
The Impact Of Conservation Land On Property Taxes And Municipal Budgets In Maine: A Mixed-Methods Study, Abigail Bennett
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study is an interdisciplinary project done in collaboration with the Municipal Budget and Conservation Working group, a group of stakeholders that formed in 2018 to study conservation and town budgets. We use mixed methods to explore the impacts of conservation and municipal budgets in Maine. We use regression analysis on 21 years of panel data to identify causal relationships between conservation and mill rates, controlling for economic and town budget factors. We found statistically significant but small effects on average, with a 1% increase in conserved acres in a town associated with average tax bill increases of $1 or …
A Restorative Justice Analysis Of College Republican Misconduct At One Historically White Institution, Sarah Vigneault Dyer
A Restorative Justice Analysis Of College Republican Misconduct At One Historically White Institution, Sarah Vigneault Dyer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study examined one instance of College Republicans sharing harmful rhetoric that aligns with the white power movement (WPM). Through a restorative justice (RJ) framework, the College Republican’s rhetoric was found to be harmful to the University of Maine community. In this study, the University of Maine relied exclusively on legal approaches that disenfranchised those involved in the harm as well as the larger community. Ultimately, reliance on a legal approach ignored the needs of those harmed. The legal approach to harm often fixates on policies and laws that wait for harm to happen rather than the restorative justice approach, …
The Influence Of Framing And Recent Experience On Farmer Choices In Experimental Games Depicting Risk-Reducing Agricultural Technologies, Ana Maria Ospina Tobar
The Influence Of Framing And Recent Experience On Farmer Choices In Experimental Games Depicting Risk-Reducing Agricultural Technologies, Ana Maria Ospina Tobar
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Climate change is a major threat to food security, particularly in low and middle-income countries that are highly dependent on staple crops for subsistence. The vulnerability of staple crops, like maize, in the face of climate change, is increasing due to the increasing frequency of droughts. This thesis aims to evaluate two mechanisms through which farmers may be more willing to adopt new technologies that increase their resilience to climate change: First, I evaluate the effectiveness of a new virtual maize farming game as a learning tool to teach farmers about the outcomes they could obtain under different weather events …
Nutrition As A Modifiable Risk Factor For Cognitive Decline: Associated Cognitive And Physical Health Changes, Taylor Mcmillan
Nutrition As A Modifiable Risk Factor For Cognitive Decline: Associated Cognitive And Physical Health Changes, Taylor Mcmillan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Dementia is defined as gradual, progressive loss of cognitive functioning, greater than what is expected of normal aging, resulting in functional impairment. There are several types of dementia clinical syndromes that are accompanied by unique patterns of cognitive dysfunction and neuropathological changes. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of clinical dementia syndrome, accounting for approximately 60-70% of cases. Neuropathological mechanisms associated with AD include the disruption of the cholinergic system, accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau, as well as vascular pathology. Vascular pathology complicates the characterization of clinical and neuropathic changes in AD, as there becomes significant …
Collaborative And Engaged Research To Strengthen Equity And Adaptive Governance In Co-Managed Fisheries, Gabrielle V. Hillyer
Collaborative And Engaged Research To Strengthen Equity And Adaptive Governance In Co-Managed Fisheries, Gabrielle V. Hillyer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Small-scale, co-managed fisheries are found throughout the world and often represent intertwining cultures, societies, communities, economies, institutions, and governments. They face complex issues, derived from ecological and social sources. Solving these issues requires diverse expertise, often developed through engaged methodologies which can facilitate collaborative solution creation between researchers, community members, and others. In this dissertation, I demonstrate the benefits of these engaged methodologies and review how they, when coupled with anticolonial approaches to research, can create more equitable solutions to complex issues. This dissertation focuses on multiple projects within the wild clam fishery in Maine including: (1) the creation of …
Navigating The Kaleidoscope Of Object(Ive)S: A User-Experience Approach To Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Madeline Bruegger
Navigating The Kaleidoscope Of Object(Ive)S: A User-Experience Approach To Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Madeline Bruegger
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Activity Theory, specifically third-generation activity theory also known as Cultural-Historical Activity Theory or CHAT (Engeström, 2001, 2015; Leontiev, 1978, 1981; Vygotsky, 1978) has largely been used as a framework for studying different networks of activity, encountered by subjects who utilize tools or mediating artifacts in order to divide their labor within particular communities. This theoretical and empirical project analyzes a transnational user’s experiences performing their identity on Instagram by answering the research question: How does a user with transnational literacy experiences perform their identity and manage communities through the mediation of particular technologies on Instagram? Using mixed-methods from four data …
The Social, Cultural, And Political Influences On American Classical Composers Post-9/11: A Comparison To The New Deal And Early Cold War Eras, Christine E. Letcher
The Social, Cultural, And Political Influences On American Classical Composers Post-9/11: A Comparison To The New Deal And Early Cold War Eras, Christine E. Letcher
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to explore how the social, cultural, and political environments of the post-9/11 period influenced the music composition of American classical composers, from the perspective of the composers. These composers are then compared to those of the New Deal and early Cold War eras. During both the New Deal and the subsequent anti-communist movement of the early Cold War era, composers and musicians made aesthetic choices because of the political climate. While much study has been done of the political engagement and activism of contemporary popular musicians, there is a dearth of research regarding classical …
Do Good Things Come To Those Who Wait?: Investigating Temporal Discounting Rates Among Older Adults, Amy Halpin
Do Good Things Come To Those Who Wait?: Investigating Temporal Discounting Rates Among Older Adults, Amy Halpin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Decision-making is widely viewed as a higher-order cognitive construct, drawing on fluid intelligence as well as intact functioning across a wide variety of cognitive domains including executive function, working memory, declarative memory, and attention. The conditions of the decision-making outcome (e.g., immediate or delayed), the framing of the outcome (e.g., loss vs. gain), and the type of outcome (e.g., money, food, social or health consequences), are consistently highlighted throughout the literature as being important influences on decision-making behavior. However, decision-making behavior among and within these contexts remains inconsistent and inconclusive in older adult populations. Considering that recent evidence suggests the …
The Role Food Security, Financial Literacy, And Nutrition Literacy Play On The Diet Quality Of College Students, Amelia Sullivan
The Role Food Security, Financial Literacy, And Nutrition Literacy Play On The Diet Quality Of College Students, Amelia Sullivan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This research aimed to explore the roles of food security status (FSS), financial literacy (FL), and nutrition literacy (NL) on the diet quality (DQ) of college students at the University of Maine. This research additionally sought to understand mediational relationships among these factors that could impact DQ.
A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic factors, short healthy eating index (sHEI)-score, FSS, FL, and NL. Participants' continuous data were analyzed using a Pearson correlation. Differences between interactive NL and sHEI-score while controlling for gender and meal plan differences were analyzed using a MANCOVA. Additionally, differences …
Factors Contributing To Recurrent Homelessness Among Single Mothers Using Shelters, Favour O. Akhidenor
Factors Contributing To Recurrent Homelessness Among Single Mothers Using Shelters, Favour O. Akhidenor
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Building on the long-term benefits of early homelessness prevention and intervention. And scaling up support for single parents with children is essential to improving economic status, good health, human capital, and well-being across all areas of life expectancy. Chronically homeless people, homeless veterans, and homeless families have all been the subject of specific studies. Yet only a few studies have investigated single mothers' return to homelessness (Anderson, 2021). Studies suggest that between 4 and 25 percent of women, who were previously homeless, end up using shelter services again, despite being provided with "permanent" housing (Johnson, 2016). This indicates that, as …
The Relationship Between Intuitive Eating And Body Mass Index And Diet Quality In College Students, Ashley A. Reynolds
The Relationship Between Intuitive Eating And Body Mass Index And Diet Quality In College Students, Ashley A. Reynolds
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Objective
The objective of this research was to explore the influence of intuitive eating (IE) on body mass index (BMI) and diet quality (DQ) among college students.
Methods
A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online survey consisting of the short-Healthy Eating Index (SHEI) and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (23 items). Body mass index was calculated using self-reported height and weight. Descriptive statistics were used to assess group characteristics. A linear regression was used to test if IE scores significantly predicted BMI. An independent t-test was used to compare BMIs of students with IE scores above and below …
Oral Contraception And Cognition, Kathleen Gerencer
Oral Contraception And Cognition, Kathleen Gerencer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Oral contraception is currently used by over 100 million women worldwide. Women utilize contraception not only to prevent pregnancy but also to manage a wide range of health concerns, such as acne and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Although this medication has granted women bodily autonomy, helped them attain higher levels of education, and helped them enter the workforce in greater numbers, little is known about the consequences outside of the intended contraceptive effects, specifically the cognitive and behavioral consequences. Moreover, because doctors can prescribe contraception after the first menstrual cycle and during puberty, it’s possible that this critical window of development …
Exploring The Importance Of Values, Place, And Perceptions In Conservation Decision-Making In Maine: A Mixed Methods Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy
Exploring The Importance Of Values, Place, And Perceptions In Conservation Decision-Making In Maine: A Mixed Methods Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Conservation inherently involves intertwined ecological systems and human societies. In Maine, USA conservation decision-making brings together many viewpoints, values, motivations, and experiences to balance diverse goals. Socio-cultural, experiential, financial, and ecological factors can all influence an individual’s ability to make or support a decision. This dissertation aimed to broadly explore how people perceive their role in conservation decision-making in Maine. In doing so, we articulate a diverse set of perspectives, experiences, and values. We used a mixed methods approach which enabled an in-depth understanding of the complexity of conservation decision-making while providing the opportunity for different voices to be heard. …
"Smells Fishy": Exploring Sense Of Place Salience In Community Rejection Of Closed Net-Pen Aquaculture In Frenchman Bay, Maine, Gabriella Gurney
"Smells Fishy": Exploring Sense Of Place Salience In Community Rejection Of Closed Net-Pen Aquaculture In Frenchman Bay, Maine, Gabriella Gurney
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The global population is rising, and with it, demand for protein, particularly seafood. Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic species such as finfish, shellfish, and kelp, has been proposed as an alternative to wild-catch fisheries, of which 75% are overfished or at capacity. In Maine, aquaculture is growing, but often faces mixed community response when new or expanded projects are proposed. In the summer of 2020, a large-scale closed net-pen farm for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was proposed for Frenchman Bay, Maine. Community reaction was instantaneous and overwhelmingly negative. The strong, unified response from residents in the towns of …
Effects Of The Minimum Wage On U.S. Labor Markets, Dawn M. Otterby
Effects Of The Minimum Wage On U.S. Labor Markets, Dawn M. Otterby
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The first section of this research investigates the impacts of the minimum wage on regional labor markets in the United States. Using ten years of county-level data, we examine the relationship between the minimum wage and several key components of the labor market. Following past research, employment variables are used to measure labor supply, but—as an extension to the literature—job postings data are included to measure labor demand. Consistent with previous studies, we find a positive relationship between labor force participation and a county’s minimum wage. We do not find a statistically significant relationship between job postings and the minimum …
Scaling Up The Relevance Of Land-Sea Connections In Coastal Bacteria Pollution Vulnerability, Bea E. Van Dam
Scaling Up The Relevance Of Land-Sea Connections In Coastal Bacteria Pollution Vulnerability, Bea E. Van Dam
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Bacteria pollution closures of Maine’s coastal shellfish harvest areas have substantial negative consequences for coastal businesses and communities. Sustainability solutions for Maine’s shellfish harvesting areas and businesses require new types of knowledge and information to protect water quality and public health while avoiding unnecessary fishery closures. Coastal management agencies have interests in tools to support science-based management decision-making related to pollution and sustainability solutions for businesses and communities.
Prior research into land-sea connections has demonstrated uses of geographic information and statistical methods to facilitate management and science communication. Research in Maine has focused on identification and comparison of attributes influencing …
Spontaneous Behavioral Coordination: The Impact Of Achieved And Desired Interpersonal Closeness On Synchrony And Mimicry, Morgan Stosic
Spontaneous Behavioral Coordination: The Impact Of Achieved And Desired Interpersonal Closeness On Synchrony And Mimicry, Morgan Stosic
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of the present dissertation was to examine the impact of interpersonal closeness and the desire for interpersonal closeness on displays of behavioral synchrony and mimicry, simultaneously. Groups of two strangers (N = 182 participants, N = 91 dyads) were randomly assigned to complete a “closeness-inducing” task where partners took turns asking and answering intimate questions or a comparison “small-talk” task where partners asked and answered less-intimate questions. Additionally, dyads were randomly assigned to complete these tasks in real time over Zoom, or by reading and responding to the task’s questions over text. These tasks were intended to generate …
A Social And Ecological Approach To Mosquito Species Distribution Across Land Use In Bangor, Maine, Megan L. Schierer
A Social And Ecological Approach To Mosquito Species Distribution Across Land Use In Bangor, Maine, Megan L. Schierer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Mosquitoes are ubiquitous pests and infectious disease vectors. However, not all mosquito species bite humans, or are competent pathogen vectors between bloodmeal hosts. Along with climatic variables like temperature and rainfall, mosquito species distribution is determined by aquatic habitat availability for juvenile mosquito development, and terrestrial habitat and host availability for adult mosquitoes. There is variation in the preferred aquatic habitat for gravid female oviposition and subsequent larval development. Some mosquito species’ oviposition and development are associated with ephemeral water sources (e.g., floodplains), others prefer more permanent water sources (e.g., bogs or vernal pools). Other mosquitoes have evolved to occupy …
The Effects Of Peers For Young Adults On Anxiety And Quality Of Life For Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alysha Cecile Dagg
The Effects Of Peers For Young Adults On Anxiety And Quality Of Life For Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alysha Cecile Dagg
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Social skills deficits as well as comorbid anxiety are two characteristics commonly experienced by people with Autism Spectrum Disorder - Level 1 (ASD-1; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These characteristics are also both contributors to a lower quality of life for young adults (Smith et al., 2019). The current study aimed to identify how the quality of life and anxiety are affected by social skills intervention, specifically the PEERS® for Young Adults program (Laugeson, 2017). PEERS® for Young Adults is an evidence-based social skills intervention intended to support individuals with ASD-1 (Laugeson, 2017). Prior research has demonstrated its success in both …