Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

D&D&U&G: Uses And Gratifications Theory And Dungeons & Dragons, Ariana Ferrante

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Given the growing popularity of the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, or D&D, this thesis study applied the Uses and Gratifications theory to determine what players of the game get from engagement with this particular, previously overlooked form of entertainment media. Additionally, this research sought to determine whether these discovered gratifications overlapped at all with perceived similar media, specifically massive multiplayer online roleplaying games, MMORPGs, and social media. A series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews designed to elicit relevant responses were conducted with 14 respondents, followed by a thematic analysis to determine gratifications. The qualitative analysis determined a set of …

Postpartum Depression Symptoms In New Mothers And The Disclosure Process, Kelsey Lunsford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Using a qualitative approach, this study examined disclosure patterns of women who have experienced symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum depression is a mental illness that new parents are at risk of developing. If left unresolved, PPD can have severe, negative impacts on the development of the baby and the well-being of the parent. Unfortunately, due to the stigmatized nature of the illness, parents are sometimes reluctant to bring up their struggles with this illness and seek help. Eighteen women who had experienced PPD within the past five years were recruited and participated in an interview where they were asked …

Impacts Of Covid-19 On Health Promotion Within Higher Education: Exploring Organizational Resilience, Maureen Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The close proximity of students learning, living, socializing and working on university and college campuses presents a unique setting to understand organization responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This concurrent, mixed methods qualitative study explored how one institution of higher education demonstrated resilience and how its health promotion activities pivoted and adjusted to reduce virus transmission and maintain safety while continuing to promote learning and education. Based on the organizational resilience conceptualization developed by Duchek (2020), data collection methods combined individual interviews with university leaders, self-interview and reflection, and a review of organization documents a connection between health promotion, organization resilience, …

Predictors Of Technology Use Among Older Adults: Evidence Ranging From Non-Users To Elite Users, Xiaoqing Wan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Older adults tend to under-utilize digital technology and online services that can yield substantial benefits to their health and wellbeing. Addressing this problem requires determining robust and consistent predictors of older adults' technology use. Also, few studies have examined older adults who are elite users of digital technology, who may provide insights into how individuals can prepare to become competent users of future technologies as they age. To address these gaps in the technology and aging literature, this dissertation offers (1) large-scale machine learning analyses, (2) longitudinal perspectives, (3) age group comparisons across the adult life span, (4) the novel …

Associations Between Patient-Provider Trust And Hiv Care Continuum Outcomes, James Caldwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The current research examines trust as a component of the Healthcare Relationship Scale (HCR) using data from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP), a program designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This dataset focuses on the experiences and needs of people living with HIV (PLWH). We examined how relationships between people living with HIV and their HIV providers may be associated with two distinct variable groups: (1) socio-demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, race, education and poverty status; and (2) patient health as it relates to the continuum of care, such as patient-rated general health, adherence to …

Gamification Of Sleep Hygiene Education For Insomnia: An Examination Of Its Efficacy And The Role Of Individual Differences, Christine Seaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Insomnia is a sleep disorder which is classified by one's persistent inability to fall asleep or maintain sleep. One common yet controversial approach to treating insomnia is sleep hygiene education (SHE). Sleep hygiene is defined as behaviors that promote quality sleep. SHE is typically provided through as a paper sheet containing a list of recommendations, and the findings regarding its efficacy are mixed. Providing insomnia sufferers with a SHE treatment modality that offers practice, feedback, and motivation may be effective at treating insomnia. Therefore, the first goal of the present study is to examine the efficacy of a game-based SHE …

Struggling For Security: The Complexity Of Nato Burden-Sharing, Tad Schnaufer Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Since the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), US administrations have criticized their European allies for not meeting security burden-sharing goals. This study aims to gain insight into what factors motivate alliance members to contribute to the burden-sharing objectives they have agreed to achieve. From a US perspective, the need for its European allies to reach these goals will allow the United States to shift resources to more pressing strategic challenges like the rise of China. Informed by Mancur Olson's theory of collective action and Glenn Snyder's concept of the security dilemma in alliances, this project tests the …

Complex Dna Mixture Deconvolution By Single Cell Genomics: Direct Physical Cell Subsampling And High Sensitivity Dna Typing, Kaitlin Huffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Biological evidence is often found at crime scenes and can comprise of DNA from the victim(s) and perpetrator(s) to a crime as well as from individuals with no direct relationship to the incident. This can complicate analysis as DNA mixtures are one of the more difficult sources of biological evidence to interpret. Probabilistic genotyping (PG) has greatly aided in mixture analysis. However, even with PG, standard bulk mixture approaches do not always result in probative results as allele overlap, artifacts, or low-level minor contributors inevitably cause genotype information loss. Therefore, deconvolution of forensic DNA mixtures into their individual component DNA …

Ground Penetrating Radar And Public Archaeology At Eastonville Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Richard Ott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis explores the intersection of geophysical prospection methods such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and public archaeology through a case study with the descendant community of Eatonville Memorial Gardens, an African American cemetery located in Central Florida. This moves beyond traditional uses of GPR, such as focusing on locating unmarked burials by engaging the descendant community in each stage of the research project. This expanded focus is advocated for because cemeteries serve as ancestral landscapes providing such communities with a sense of place and history. The maintenance and care of such places often reflect the same social conditions affecting …

A Qualitative Inquiry Into Scholarly Publishing Between Librarians And Subject Faculty, Michael Furlong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This is a phenomenological exploration of academic librarians collaboratively publishing with subject faculty. The explorative study investigates academic librarians and subject faculty who conduct research outside of librarianship. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry is an exploration of barriers subject faculty members and academic librarians encounter when conducting collaborative research. The study was performed because of an identifiable research gap and a paucity of qualitative studies related to librarian and faculty research partnerships. Much of the existing scholarship focuses on quantitative data exploring librarians' publishing outcomes. Data collection was performed by interviewing five academic librarians and five subject faculty pairs. …

Defunding Law Enforcement: Fire Departments' Perspective On Implementing The National Fire Protection Association 3000 Standard When Preparing For An Active Shooter Mass Casualty Incident, Anthony Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study applied the policy window theory through punctuated equilibrium and resource dependency theories to analyze the perception of nationwide fire service leaders and the impact that defunding law enforcement can have on the fire service in managing an active shooter mass casualty incident (ASMCI). As police reform remains the center of discussion throughout the nation, many community leaders have explored ways to re-appropriate police funding. This comes at a time when the paradigm of law enforcement and Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) interdependency has become the standard response to ASMCIs as defined by the National Fire Protection Association 3000 Standard …

Assessing The Relative Influence Of Interpersonal Relationship Factors On Probationer Rule Compliance, Lucas Alward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The quality of probation officer-client therapeutic alliance (TA) can result in improvements in supervision success including reduced rearrest and non-compliance. However, less is known about how clients' perceptions of procedural justice during interactions with their probation officer (PO) influence the quality of the PO-client TA and impact supervision outcomes. While extant research supports the importance of procedural justice for shaping citizen's legitimacy beliefs and compliance to the law within policing, we know little about how and whether these concepts influence the PO-client TA in community supervision and whether they impact compliance. Using self-reported survey data collected from a sample of …

"Taken In By The 'Man In A White Van' Story": The Digital Activism Efforts Of One Women's Civic Leadership Organization In Human Trafficking Awareness, Alex Rister

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Feminist activism in the digital age leverages technology to raise awareness of, and to mobilize support for, important issues and causes. Human trafficking is one such cause, and preventing it is included as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. This study sought to understand the digital activism strategies of one women's civic leadership organization, the Junior League, for human trafficking awareness. In addition, this project analyzed how those digital activism strategies did or did not align with social justice approaches to human trafficking and how those digital activism strategies did or …

Underlying Dimensions Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Pre And Post-Treatment In Women With Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorder, Emy Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

A considerable proportion of women worldwide have experienced various manner of abuse in their lifetime (Devries et al., 2011). Women are more at risk of exposure to physical and sexual violence (Hedtke et al., 2008), and women who have experienced interpersonal violence are at heightened risk of developing several mental health conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders (SUDs; Acierno et al., 1999; McGruder-Johnson et al., 2000; Messman-Moore & Bhuptani, 2017). Treatment outcomes for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and SUDs tend to be worse than for those diagnosed with PTSD alone (Schäfer & Najavits, 2007), and outcome …

Automation, Take The Wheel: An Examination Of Factors Influencing Trust In Automated Driver Assist Technologies, James Ferraro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Driving technology has progressed significantly since the introduction of anti-lock braking and cruise control decades ago. Current driver assist features can alert drivers of oncoming vehicles and even take control to keep the vehicle centered within its lane. The level of trust that people place in automation can impact how they monitor and accept these automated systems. Previous research has shown several performance outcomes associated with improper calibrations of trust in automation. However, there is still a need to examine trust in the context of advanced driving technologies. Research has yet to sufficiently investigate factors influencing trust in assistive driving …

The Cultural Significance Of Racial Socialization And "The Talk" Within The Black Family, Deborah Griffith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In the wake of the renewed sense of powerlessness felt in the Black community, "The Talk" (Snell,2016) is primarily considered an essential rite of passage in Black families in preparing Black children how to engage with police when faced with microaggressions of racism. The awareness that the rules are different based on the color of your skin reinforces the narrative that for Blacks, most will face law enforcement that functions to protect and serve Whiteness (Burton, 2015). The purpose of this research was to examine the cultural significance of Racial Socialization and the use of "The Talk" within the Black …

A Human-Centered Approach To Improving Adolescent Online Sexual Risk Detection Algorithms, Afsaneh Razi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Computational risk detection has the potential to protect especially vulnerable populations from online victimization. Conducting a comprehensive literature review on computational approaches for online sexual risk detection led to the identification that the majority of this work has focused on identifying sexual predators after-the-fact. Also, many studies rely on public datasets and third-party annotators to establish ground truth and train their algorithms, which do not accurately represent young social media users and their perspectives to prevent victimization. To address these gaps, this dissertation integrated human-centered approaches to both creating representative datasets and developing sexual risk detection machine learning models to …

Learning And Decision Making In Social Media Networks, Zhecheng Qiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Social media is a virtual community where users share news, ideas, interests, and information. Learning the information diffusion dynamics and making decisions correspondingly, e.g., selecting the seed nodes to maximize the influence, have been widely applied to the areas of viral marketing and cyber security. In this dissertation, we study the problem of learning diffusion process, i.e., infection prediction, in social media networks utilizing both feature-based machine learning methods and mathematical model-based methods. For feature-based machine learning methods, the neighborhood information is treated as an important feature together with user profile and content similarity features. For model-based methods, two distinctive …

How Adolescents In The Child Welfare System Seek Support For Their Sexual Risk Experiences Online, Taylor L. Moraguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Youth in the foster care system experience unique and challenging situations online, such as higher risks of inappropriate messaging (e.g., sexting) and unwanted solicitations from strangers. As a vulnerable group of adolescents, foster youth often use online platforms as a resource to express themselves and seek support over their sexual experiences online. This thesis analyzes how foster youth seek support online for their sexual risk experiences, including sexual abuse, sexting, and sexuality. To understand how adolescents (ages 13-17) in the child welfare system seek support for these experiences, we conducted a thematic analysis of 541 individual posts made by 121 …

Transformations Of Hanbok In The Age Of Hallyu: Fashion, Cultural Hybridization, And The Construction Of Vernacular Korean Nationalism, Katharine V. Smith

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hanbok is the traditional fashion of South Korea, and literally translates to “Korean clothing.” Once worn every day, today hanbok is reserved for special occasions and holidays; however new “modern” versions of the attire are becoming more and more popular for everyday wear. This new iteration of the traditional clothing created a new vernacular of Korean nationalism and “Koreanness” through the incorporation of modern fashion trends and traditional Korean aesthetics. Modern hanbok represents the unique relationship between nationalism, globalization, and fashion, and can be seen as an example of cultural hybridization. Looking at modern hanbok through the lens of Hallyu, …

Sense Of Support: The Impact Of Healthcare Encounters On The Breastfeeding Experiences Of African American Mothers, Olivia M. Rauls

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although many studies have found a substantial racial disparity in infant feeding habits, the factors contributing to this unique disparity and potential solutions remain unknown. The general importance of social interactions and medical interventions in successful breastfeeding has been studied, but little research addresses the specific experiences of breastfeeding Black mothers interacting with their medical providers. This paper examines the perspectives of Black women with breastfed infants on their encounters with healthcare providers during prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods. Using qualitative data from 22 in-depth interviews addressing infant feeding decisions and experiences, this paper analyzes the link between healthcare interactions …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Hospital Nurses' Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic Through The Lens Of The Demand-Control-Support Model, Alisha Garner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Positive social support, realistic job demand, and appropriate levels of control over their responsibilities can mitigate empathy fatigue and burnout among nurses, increase quality care for patients, and lay the foundation for teams to embrace challenges during crises. The COVID-19 pandemic stretched nurses in all these areas, leading many nurses to contemplate changing fields. Failure to address and embrace the difficulties that nurses face during such crises can result in loss of nurses and impact the entire healthcare industry.

The present study used one-to-one interviews to glean insider perspectives of changes in job demand, control, and support nurses experienced as …

Attachment, Identity Processing Style, And Emotion Regulation Among Emerging Adults, Kaitlyn M. Daleandro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the relationships among parent, peer, and romantic attachment, identity processing style, and emotion regulation. Previous studies have revealed potential associations among each of the aforementioned factors (e.g., between identity and attachment as well as between attachment and emotion regulation), but this is the first study to examine the three factors together, putting emphasis on romantic attachment. It was predicted that attachment will vary depending on the interaction between identity processing style and emotion regulation. College students (N= 390) in psychology courses participated in an anonymous online survey for course credit. Parent attachment was significantly predicted …

A Fall From Grace: The Rising Rate Of Attorneys With Substance Abuse Disorders, Chemical Dependencies And Addictions, Amy M. Yost

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis is a continuation of research and scholarly writing that the author completed for a published article that appeared in Volume 5 of the University of Central Florida Undergraduate Law Journal, Spring 2022. The rising rate of attorneys with a self-reported substance abuse disorder, chemical or alcohol dependency, as the data reveals, is the highest in our country’s history. Although the notion of attorney addictions and dependency issues may come as a surprise to those outside of the legal community, these issues are not breaking news. Rather, the data has been slowly emerging due to the increasing number of …

Spies, Sanctions, And Single-Party States: How American Sanctions Influence Intelligence Operations, Anthony J. Anta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

States have a diverse and unique set of available mechanisms to deploy when seeking to interact in the international community. Economic sanctions have long been one such tool available for states looking to coerce or incentivize a change in the behavior of another state. Likewise, states have historically sought to influence and gain unknown knowledge on another state or actor. Covert intelligence operations have changed forms, mechanisms, and techniques, especially since the expansive advancements in technology in the 21^st century. This paper seeks to understand the influence that economic sanctions have on the ability for single-party states to conduct …

Terror Management Theory During Covid-19: Individual Differences In Death Anxiety Defenses, Nicole L. Harkrider

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study seeks to determine the relationship between Terror Management Theory (TMT) and various measures of existential anxiety, future consciousness, and future-oriented thinking. By using TMT as a theoretical construct, a scale was devised to measure participants’ protective behaviors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three other scales were utilized, including Lalot’s Future Consciousness Scale (FCS), Strathman’s Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS), and Weems’ Existential Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ). The scales were combined into one composite survey along with demographic questions. 315 participants were then administered the collection of scales via an only survey platform. Results indicated strong significant correlations …

Relationship Between Video Games And Recovery From Work: A Comparison Of Different Genres And Leisure Activities, Jessica A. Gass

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Work stress can have a negative impact for both individuals and organizations, warranting research on how to recover from it. This research analyzes how the relationship between video games and work recovery differs depending on the genre of the video game played. In addition, these relationships are compared against the relationships between the recovery experiences and other leisure activities. Participants were asked to provide information on how often they play video games and engage in other leisure activities. In addition, two different measures of the four components of work recovery (psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery experiences, and control) were …

Voting Trends In Immigrant Women To The United States, Enia Levis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aim of this paper is to explore and explain the relationship between various cultural and societal factors on how immigrant women to the U.S. vote. There is a growing amount of research on the voting habits of both women, and immigrants. This paper seeks to understand the voting habits of individuals who identify with both categories. This thesis utilizes public opinion data from the 2018 General Social Survey to discover if there is a relationship between country of origin in addition to gender, and if the respondent voted for Trump or Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. My theory …

The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Strategic Displacement On Territorial Control In Conventional Civil War, Jennifer Hudson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Which strategies contribute towards a belligerent's ability to shift territorial control in its favor more quickly than others? This dissertation advances a theory of territorial control dynamics in conventional civil war that places the civilian population at the center of the analysis. Existing scholarship explaining territorial control in conventional civil war has emphasized the role of relative military capabilities, direct military confrontations aimed at territorial conquest, and the existence of established zones of control, with civilians generally residing in areas clearly dominated by one party or another, not in contested areas. As such, theory holds that this makes the civilian …

Note To Survivors: An Analysis Of Suicide Discourse On Suicide Noted And The Figured World Of Suicide, Breahannah Hilaire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this discourse analytic study was to explore and examine suicide attempt survivors' suicidal discourse. Although there is robust knowledge and quantitative research regarding suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, qualitative research on this population could help to expand what is known about and what can help to prevent future suicide attempts. Often, the research on suicidal ideation and attempts have focused on prevention, intervention, and behavioral risk factors. Prior research concentrates on suicide risk and protective factors, yet little is written about the basis and origin of suicidal ideation and behavior among adolescents. Further, few of these studies …