Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

From County To Commonwealth: A Study Of Kentucky County Election Office Websites And Collaborative Solutions For Strengthened Voter Information Accessibility, Marissa A. Robinson, Marina E. Smart

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In 2022, the League of Women Voters discovered inconsistencies across Kentucky county clerk websites in how they offer voter information and in website accessibility and clarity. County clerk websites serve as an important source of accessible voting procedural information, trusted by constituents. Through an audit of county clerk websites and interviews with county clerks, this project identifies how county election office websites can better provide equitable, accurate, comprehensive, and consistent voting information. Recommendations based on the findings include linking the Kentucky State Board of Elections Voter Information Portal universally, adding website training, and state-established website guidelines.

The Political Economy Of Pfas Treatment And Water Regionalization In Harrison County, Kentucky, Jackson S. Patru, Rajan Sampat

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The discovery of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the water supply of Harrison County, Kentucky has prompted an urgent reevaluation of local treatment infrastructure. This situation has exposed a complex political economy between the City of Cynthiana, which owns and operates the municipal water plant, and the Harrison County Water Association (HCWA), which represents the majority of the ratepayers supplied by the plant. Using a qualitative research design grounded in inductive thematic analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with leadership from both Cynthiana and HCWA, as well as operators at the treatment plant, to evaluate two proposed solutions: a $14 …

Kentucky Space Futures: Defining The Driving And Limiting Factors Of Growth In The State Aerospace Industry, Ashley M. Grospitch, Isabella A. Sibold

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky’s aerospace industry has quietly become one of the state’s most significant economic drivers, generating almost $19 billion in exports in 2024 and ranking third nationally in aerospace exports in 2023 (Mattingly, 2025; Babbage & Hartsough, 2024). Despite this, Kentucky remains largely invisible as an aerospace state, both to Kentuckians and national audiences. This work was conducted on behalf of our client, Kentucky Space Futures, to identify the factors shaping the growth of Kentucky’s aerospace industry, including its driving and limiting factors, and provide actionable guidance for policymakers and industry leaders.

Using a qualitative research design, this study triangulated findings …

Narrowing The K-12 Excellence Gap In Kentucky Schools: Lessons On High Achievement From High Achievers, Jimmy M. W. Bartlett, Johnathan K. Hurley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Disparities in high-level academic achievement – known as excellence gaps – remain a persistent equity challenge in K–12 education, particularly in access to advanced mathematics learning. This study examines school-level practices associated with narrower excellence gaps in Kentucky public schools. Principals of schools demonstrating higher-than-expected advanced achievement and relatively small gaps by gender and economic status were invited to semi-structured interviews. The interviews cover seven schools, spanning grade levels and other characteristics. Guided by the Excellence Gap Intervention Model, a hybrid inductive–deductive thematic analysis reveals that narrower excellence gaps are not driven by isolated programs or policy mandates, but by …

Comparing Economic Development And Blight Remediation Tax Increment Financing: Design, Governance, And Measurable Outcomes, Leigh Compton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a widely used local government tool for redevelopment and economic growth, yet its expanding application has raised questions regarding its design, governance, and measurable outcomes. This study compares two primary uses of TIF: blight remediation and economic development. While remediation-focused TIF is intended to address identifiable market failures in distressed areas, economic development TIF is typically used to attract or accelerate private investment in more competitive environments.

Using a structured comparative analysis of selected Kentucky TIF districts, this research evaluates how differences in statutory justification, financing mechanisms, governance structures, and performance measures align with each …

Kentucky Is Working: An Examination Of Higher-Than-Expected Labor Force Participation Rates In Kentucky, Grace E. Coleman, Gabriel M. Kalla, Joseph S. Matthews

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This client-based capstone examines the drivers of higher-than-expected labor force participation rates across five counties in Kentucky, i.e., Kenton, Pendleton, Owen, Taylor, and Monroe counties. Our client, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, requested a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders to identify and contextualize factors contributing to the five counties’ overperformance. Our findings suggest that factors such as collaboration and partnership; education and career pathway initiatives; and community champions all play important roles in supporting strong labor force participation. These insights can be used by other counties seeking to strengthen their local workforce.

Protecting The Vulnerable: Elderly Population Change In Kentucky & Nursing Home Floodplain Proximity, David M. Stevens, Austin Matthew Mullen, Nicklaus P. Hammond

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study explores Kentucky’s changing vulnerability to flooding. Relying on America Community Survey (ACS) survey data estimates for 2019 and 2024, we illustrate how Kentucky’s elderly population has changed over this five-year period. Using nursing home data and floodplain spatial data, provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and FEMA respectively, we identify all 269 facilities and their proximity to floodplains across Kentucky. To narrow the scope of our study, we highlight counties that (a) have seen the largest percentage increase in elderly residents and (b) have a large total elderly population. Using a quartile ranking system, we …

Federal Housing Policy Influences And Impacts On Urban Municipalities As Seen In The City Of Paterson, New Jersey, Jennifer L. Beggs

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This paper examines federal affordable housing policy from the early twentieth century to the present, focusing on the City of Paterson, New Jersey. In presenting an overview of policy and decision-making in Paterson, this paper explores how federal policy has aided urban communities that lacked the opportunities afforded to suburban municipalities through FHA mortgage underwriting and single-family homeownership programs, also considering how New Jersey State housing policy has affected the city. Utilizing a case-study methodology and employing extensive archival research, this project examines how federal housing policy structured differential access to homeownership and rental housing in Paterson, and how these …

Essays In Housing And Consumer Finance, Spencer Stone

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

In my first chapter, I show how consumer left-digit bias affects borrowing costs in the US residential mortgage market. I find that the distribution of mortgage rates bunch at .99-ending rates just below left-digit changing thresholds, and that this bunching is greater in the distribution of rates selected by borrowers than those simply offered by lenders. Comparing observably similar borrowers within the same 1-bp interest rate band, selecting similar mortgage products, in the same census tract and origination month, I show that borrowers receiving .99-ending rates pay significantly more fees than borrowers receiving the nearest whole-number rate just above them, …

Making Sense Of Membership: Organizational Socialization Of African Immigrant Employees In U.S. Workplaces, Ikeola J. Bodunde

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation examines how African immigrant employees make sense of organizational socialization in U.S. workplaces. As global mobility reshapes the labor force, nearly one in five U.S. workers is foreign-born, making organizational socialization an increasingly complex communicative process. Classic socialization models assume linear, uniform adjustment, yet international employees often face ambiguity, cultural mismatch, and racialized expectations that complicate early workplace experiences. Guided by sensemaking theory, this study conceptualizes socialization as an ongoing, nonlinear process through which newcomers notice cues, construct interpretations, act on provisional understandings, and revise meanings as contexts shift. Using a qualitative, interpretive design, I conducted semi-structured interviews …

Teachers, Dispositions, And Classroom Management: Social Origins, Professional Development, And The Datafication Of School Discipline, Paul L. Poggemeyer

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

How do teachers’ social backgrounds and professional orientations shape the disciplinary and relational dimensions of their work? This dissertation takes up that question across three related but self-contained studies in the sociology of education, set in Central School District, a public school district in the southeastern United States. Each study examines a different facet of how teachers establish authority, manage behavior, and exercise care: the social origins of their orientations toward classroom management, the experience of becoming professionally competent in the early career, and the use of digital tools that increasingly govern how school discipline is recorded. Drawing broadly on …

From Financial Education To Financial Decisions: Evidence On College Financing, Personal Finance Behavior, And Student Attitudes, Dongwei Shi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

I examine how financial education shapes students’ financial knowledge, college financing decisions, and longer-term financial behavior.

The first chapter studies whether taking high school financial education in Kentucky affects students’ college financing decisions using linked administrative records on high school course-taking and postsecondary financial aid. Using school-level financial education course availability as an instrument, the chapter evaluates whether exposure to financial education is associated with differences in student loan borrowing and receipt of need-based aid.

The second chapter examines whether exposure to state high school financial education mandates improves financial literacy and longer-term personal finance behavior among U.S. adults. Using …

Scrolling, Searching, And Self-Diagnosing: Examining How Social Media Influences Self- Diagnosis And Shapes Mental Health Literacy, Conceptualization, And Identity Development, Sara Elaine Hamilton

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone examines the influence of social media on the growing issue of self-diagnosis of mental health disorders through three scholarly works: a systematic literature review (SLR), a conceptual paper, and practice application paper. Accessibility, anonymity, and social isolation are identified as contributing factors of self-diagnosis, as individuals increasingly prioritize convenience over traditional help-seeking methods. Research suggests that self-diagnosis is influenced by misinformation and reinforced by validation and a sense of belonging, leading individuals to internalize mental health disorders as part of their identity. Findings further indicate that social media plays a significant role in the dissemination of misinformation about …

The Impact Of Medicaid Policy Limitations On Access To Eating Disorder Treatment: Uncovering The Consequences Of A System Built To Fail, Meghan Frost

DSW Capstone Projects

Individuals who rely on Medicaid face major barriers when trying to access eating disorder (ED) treatment, reflecting broader patterns of structural disadvantage in publicly funded health care. Research shows delayed diagnosis, limited access to ED specialists, and frequent denials for recommended services. These gaps occur because Medicaid policies do not match the needs of evidence based ED care, resulting in delayed or incomplete care for many individuals with eating disorders.

This issue is highly relevant to social work practice because the policies shaping these barriers are complex and difficult for clients and ED providers to navigate. Social workers across clinics, …

The Power Of A Picture: Building Visual Depictions Of The Eppm Bolstering Sunscreen Application Motivation, Ansley M. George

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates visual depictions of efficacy skin cancer health risk messages. Using Witte's Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) and existing literature on fear appeals and visual persuasion as a theoretical framework, the study aims to explore how self and response efficacy imagery impacts individuals' perceptions of health risk messages in the context of skin cancer prevention when emphasizing specific principles of design. Formative research was employed via qualitative photo sorts and participants were exposed to an assortment of images depicting efficacy in the context of skin cancer prevention where they discussed why they felt they were or were not …

Stressful Life Events And Ocd Treatment: A Thematic Analysis Of Patient Perspectives, Emily E. Fenlon

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Trauma exposure, including interpersonal violence (IPV), is associated with increased risk and severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the treatment of choice for OCD, yet research suggests a history of trauma and comorbid PTSD may adversely impact treatment outcomes. No studies have yet evaluated patient perspectives on the relationship between trauma, IPV and related sequelae and OCD treatment. The present study applies reflexive thematic analysis to interviews from individuals with a history of IPV who received exposure-based therapy for OCD. Interviews explored the influence of posttraumatic distress, impairment, and psychopathology on the treatment of OCD, …

Daily Rhythms In Psychosocial Stress, Sleep, And Mood: A Multimethod Approach To Transdiagnostic Psychopathology Risk And Intervention, Gabriel Gilmore

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Rhythms are central to nearly every core physiological and psychological process and have profound influences on overall health and well-being, particularly in the context of mood disorders. This dissertation emphasizes a rhythm-centered framework for understanding transdiagnostic psychopathology, proposing that the temporal organization of psychosocial stress, sleep, and mood provides crucial information for the development and treatment of mood disorder symptomology. Current literature relies primarily on mean symptom levels, overlooking day-to-day patterns in psychosocial experiences. To address this key methodological gap, three studies are examined. Study 1 develops and validates the Psychosocial Stress Regularity Measure (PSRM), a brief single-item measure of …

Relative Utility Governs Working Memory For Drug-Associated Stimuli In A Novel Translational Paradigm, Maxwell E. Boileau

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorder (SUD) remains a prevalent health concern, partially characterized by continued drug use despite aversive consequences. Contrary to accounts emphasizing cognitive deficits, drug versus non-drug choice data reflect sensitivity to reinforcement dimensions, with preference shifting systematically as a function of magnitude and probability. The present study tested whether another cognitive system, working memory, is similarly affected by relative utility. Preclinical studies have demonstrated sensitivity of working memory to reinforcement dimensions, but these are often attributed to the differential outcomes effect. Generalized matching models were fit to allomorphic choice data, allowing estimation of exchange rate parameters. A concurrent solid- …

Working Memory In The Pigeon: An Alternative Paradigm, Daniel Peng

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

One of the most widely used measures of working memory in non-human animals is the delayed matching to sample (DMTS) design. While this design can assess for duration of working memory, alternative accounts can be made to explain decrements in retention. In addition, DMTS does not assess capacity of working memory in terms of number of items able to be held. The works in this dissertation aims to design a paradigm to measure capacity of number of items held in memory for non-human animals by asking animals to make a specific response after presentation of a random spatial sequence. While …

The Relationship Between Estradiol And Progesterone Concentration Levels, Alcohol Consumption, And Inhibitory Control, Layne Elizabeth Robinson B.S.

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Alcohol use is increasing among women, with estimates for binge drinking having risen to levels similar to those seen in men. Despite this trend, sex differences regarding mechanisms of alcohol consumption have seldom been investigated. Our group and others have found evidence to suggest that ovarian sex hormones are associated with alcohol consumption and mechanisms that might be related to alcohol consumption, such as executive function deficits. The current study sought to extend this prior research in a larger sample with higher drinking rates and more rigorous methods, and to explore inhibitory control associations with drinking. Across the two samples …

Does Confronting Depend On The Target?: The Influence Of Target Gender On Intentions To Confront Sexism, Paige A. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The Intergroup Sensitivity Effect (ISE) suggests criticism from outgroup members is evaluated more negatively than the same criticism coming from ingroup members. The current study used the ISE to evaluate sexism. Women (N = 400) read one of 8 blogposts where a man or woman author made hostile or benevolent comments about men or women. After reading the blogpost, participants evaluated the speaker and the post then reported intentions to confront and reporting the speaker for their prejudiced remarks. Results did not find support for the ISE. Instead, speaker evaluations were more positive when speakers were hostile targeting men. Hostile …

Next-Day Effects Of Binge Drinking On Inhibitory Control In Laboratory And Naturalistic Settings, Justin Verlinden

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Binge drinking occurs at an alarmingly high rate, despite its negative consequences on behavior, health, and cognition. One acute cognitive consequence of binge drinking is the impairment of inhibitory control, or the ability to stop oneself from engaging in maladaptive or inappropriate behaviors. Specifically, during a binge episode, individuals display impaired inhibitory control while completing Go/NoGo or Stop Signal Tasks (SST). This impairment has been shown to be maintained for up to five hours post-drinking, even as breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) approaches zero. Evidence also suggests that binge drinking results in next-day deficits in attention, memory, and psychomotor speed. However, …

Patient Perspectives Of Psychotherapy Duration And Treatment Outcomes, Doug Terrill

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The duration of psychotherapeutic treatment is a longstanding and clinically consequential question in psychotherapy research. Premature dropout from therapy is common, indicating some patients do not receive adequate benefit. On the other hand, some patients remain in treatment beyond the point at which they receive significant benefit, which may delay care for those on patient waitlists. Researchers have proposed two contemporary models of the relation between treatment duration and symptom improvement; 1) the dose-effect (DE) model, which posits that patients improve at similar rates following a negatively accelerated symptom curve, suggesting treatment should end when sessions no longer provide significant …

Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On Urge During Cue-Exposure To Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, Hannah Rebecca Wild

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) are unnecessary, repetitive grooming behaviors linked to abnormalities in sensory and reward processing, as well as top-down inhibition. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is implicated in these processes and plays a key role in cravings among individuals facing addiction. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the left dlPFC shows promise in reducing craving for addictive substances. Despite phenomenological similarities between BFRBs and addictive disorders, no controlled studies have examined tDCS’s effect on BFRBs. This study used a randomized, double-blind design to examine whether a single session of anodal multifocal tDCS targeting the left dlPFC reduced …

Comparing Domain- And Facet-Based Models Of Personality Disorder: Incremental Predictive Validity And Model Fit, Alexandra Hines

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Personality disorders (PDs) have historically been conferred using a categorical diagnostic framework (i.e., present versus absent). However, recent research supports a transition toward dimensional models of PDs wherein personality traits are measured along a continuum. Some dimensional models contain personality domains only, whereas other models contain both personality domains and facets of each of those domains. The leading models of each type are the PD model in the eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), respectively. …

A Mixed Method Investigation On The Effects Of Information And Motivation On Self-Regulation Skills And Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Kristen Buford

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Introduction: The purpose of this research study is to understand the interplay between health information and health motivation on eating behaviors in African American emerging adults. Greater knowledge of nutrition is linked to healthier eating outcomes, but the motivations that individuals possess about their ability to improve their health also play a pivotal role. However, the joint effect of such constructs (i.e., information and motivation) on eating behaviors is unknown. Emerging adults are still developing their capacities to exercise their health autonomy, and this developmental period represents an opportunity to intervene before the onset of age-related chronic diseases in middle …

Examining Marginalized Sexual Identity Development Through Perry’S Scheme Of Cognitive Development, Miranda Bejda

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Existing models of LGBTQ+ sexual identity development are critiqued for their linearity and lack of inclusion for diverse experiences and sexual identities. There is a call for a more robust understanding of the cognitive aspect of sexual identity development. The purpose of this dissertation is to further the understanding of how people think about their sexual identity through the developmental process using Perry’s scheme of cognitive development as a framework. Through semi-structured interviews, I analyze the LGBTQ+ sexual identity development process (Stage 1), how Perry’s scheme applies to LGBTQ+ sexual identity development (Stage 2), and propose a Perry-informed model of …

Leading On An Uneven Playing Field: How Systems Of Race And Gender Shape African American Women’S Leadership Advancement, Nikki Goins-Hughes

DSW Capstone Projects

Systemic barriers to leadership for African American women are deeply rooted in historical and structural inequities within the United States. Intersecting identities of race and gender have historically shaped access to leadership advancement opportunities for African American women. Despite efforts to prioritize gender and racial equity in leadership, African American women continue to experience exclusion or are highly scrutinized in decision-making spaces, contributing to their continued marginalization in leadership. Therefore, this capstone draws on a systematic literature review, conceptual framework, and practice application to examine the systemic barriers that limit access to leadership advancement opportunities for African American women and …

Navigating Mental Wellness: A Peer-Led Journey Into Adult Services, Kristin G. Haberek

DSW Capstone Projects

Students with severe emotional disturbances (SED) occupy one of the most underserved intersections in American education and mental health care. As they age out of children’s services, they face abrupt service discontinuation, disrupted therapeutic relationships, and adult systems ill-equipped to meet their needs. These vulnerabilities, including heightened risks of crisis, hospitalization, homelessness, and justice involvement, constitute a central practice problem. This capstone addresses these transitions across three scholarly products: a systematic literature review, a theoretical concept paper, and a practical application paper, tracing a unified arc from diagnosing structural failures to proposing an evidence-informed, equity-oriented clinical response. Synthesizing key findings …

Hurricane Helene, One Year Later: Lived Experience, Geraldine A. Miller

Journal of Appalachian Health

Ashe County is located in the northwestern corner of North Carolina (NC), bordered by Virginia and Tennessee. The county is isolated, mountainous, and historically has lacked good highway access. Hurricane Helene, a category 4 hurricane at landfall, struck Western NC on September 27, 2024, resulting in flooding and wind damage that destroyed local communities in terms of land, homes, bridges, water, electricity, etc. with a damage of $59.6 billion.⁶ One year later, the recovery from the hurricane continues draining individuals and communities of their time, energy, and money. Geri Miller reflects on her hurricane impact experiences a year later. …