Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of Utilitarian Product Reviews On Brand Perception, Benjamin Libon

Masters Theses

The impact of online reviews on consumer behavior has been increasingly studied as online retail platforms have grown exponentially, and internet research used prior to purchasing products has become more common. However, limited research has examined the impact of those product reviews on the overall perception of the brands selling these products. This study exclusively looked at product reviews for high and low-involvement utilitarian products and analyzed how those reviews affect consumers' perception of a brand. Taking a sample of 301 participants, findings showed that star ratings had a drastic effect on consumers' perception of a brand, associating a low …

If Not Us, Then Who?: Qtbipoc Graduate Researchers’ Experiences Researching Qtbipoc Communities, Vardaan Dua

Masters Theses

Experiences of minority graduate student researchers, specifically graduate student researchers that identify as queer and/or trans and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (QTBIPOC) have been largely underrepresented in current scholarship. Utilizing reflexive thematic analysis and semi-structured interviews, in the current study we explored the experiences of 20 QTBIPOC graduate student researchers who conduct QTBIPOC research. Results revealed five thematic patterns, including: (a) recognizing, resisting, and reforming systemic oppression within academia; (b) encountering interpersonal oppression within academic contexts; (c) personal well-being and the role of QTBIPOC research; (d) relations among one’s personal identities and engagement in QTBIPOC research; and …

Burned But Not Forgotten: Foodways Analysis Of Cooking Spaces From The First Kitchen On Thomas Jefferson’S Monticello Plantation, Peggy Marie Humes

Masters Theses

This thesis research evaluates the macrobotanical assemblage identified in soil samples from contexts collected throughout the South Pavilion kitchen space (44AB089) at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation in Charlottesville, Virginia. My primary research objectives strive to establish what types of plant remains are represented in soil samples recovered from three stratigraphically assigned temporal periods in this late eighteenth-century kitchen space. As the first kitchen at Monticello, where enslaved cooks prepared meals influenced by African American and French dishes for the Jefferson family until 1809, this site can help better establish an understanding of the cultural foodways and dishes within this time …

Disney Princess Films: Feminist Movements And The Changing Of Gender Roles, Mckinley M. Frees

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

La Exploración Del Acceso Equitativo A La Atención Médica Para Los Hispanohablantes, Lauren Elizabeth Mcreynolds

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Examining How Parents Respond To Their Infant: The Difference Between Full-Term And Preterm Infants, Rebecca R. Crum

Masters Theses

Preterm infants born with a low birthweight are at risk for developmental delays both physically and cognitively. Research suggests that preterm infants struggle to meet developmental milestones in the same way that their full-term counterparts do, especially when it comes to their language development. This study examined the quantitative (i.e., number of words infants heard, amount of child vocalizations) and qualitative (i.e., contingent responding between infants and caregivers, proportion of infant-directed speech) in three cohorts of infants 1) infants born preterm (8-9-months chronological age; 6-months corrected age; n=6), 2) gestational age-matched full-term infants (~ 6 months chronological age), and 3) …

Using Fiber-Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy (Fors) To Identify Human Decomposition Fluid Characteristics In Plant Leaves And Soil, Anielle Duncan

Masters Theses

Anthropologists may be asked by law enforcement or family members to assist in the search for missing deceased individuals. The search areas are often in harsh, rugged terrain for which some technologies, such as ground penetrating radar, cannot be used. Fiber-optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) is a portable instrument that can collect information on plants and soil in the surrounding environment, even in austere environments. This study aimed to test whether FORS could be used to identify decomposition fluid in nearby plants and soil in the visible near-infrared (VNIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral regions. Using FORS to analyze the spectral …

Assessing The Impact Of The Tennessee Equine Industry, Olivia Watson

Masters Theses

The Tennessee equine industry is alive and prevalent across the entire state. However, due to the expansiveness of the industry, lack of consistent record keeping, and large discrepancies among reporting agencies, it has proven to be difficult to accurately account for the total impact of the industry in terms of population, demographics, and overall economic impact. The objective of this study was to 1) determine population demographics and economic impact of the equine industry in Tennessee and 2) determine the public perception on the addition of live equine racing within the state. An anonymous, online assessment was developed (March-August 2022; …

Interrogating Households In Anticipation Of Disasters: The Feminization Of Preparedness, Chika Watanabe, Celie Hanson

Critical Disaster Studies

It is now a maxim among scholars and policy-makers alike that disaster preparedness needs to involve community-based approaches in order to be effective. These include preparedness strategies in the household. But how do disaster preparedness policies and public discourses define “the household” in the first place? In this article, we explore how particular gendered notions of the household are reproduced in disaster preparedness policies and activities in Japan and the UK. Drawing on historical and cross-cultural analyses, we suggest that household preparedness efforts place the burden of labor on people coded as women—a phenomenon we call “the feminization of preparedness.” …

Students’ Perceptions Of Grades And Grade Inflation In Counselor Training, Daniel A. Decino, Phillip L. Waalkes, Steven Chesnut

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Previous scholars have suggested grade inflation has been in higher education for decades, may devalue high grade point averages, and blur important differences between qualified and unqualified job candidates. In counselor training programs, grade inflation may cause students to overestimate their abilities to handle challenging real-world situations, impede faculty evaluation practices, and promote unfavorable student learning environments. In this exploratory study, we surveyed 240 counseling students on their perceptions of their grades and their peers’ grades before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results suggest that students perceived their peers succeeded academically despite inappropriate and unethical behaviors, especially during the …

Mentorship In Counselor Education: A Scoping Review, Gideon Litherland, Gretchen Schulthes, Edward Ewe, Kaj Kayij-Wint, Kok-Mun Ng

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Mentorship has been widely lauded as meaningful for trainees in their professional development. To better understand the gaps in the scholarship of mentorship in counselor education, a scoping review was conducted to examine peer-reviewed research from 2005-2020. Results found eligible articles (n = 18) met the eligibility criteria. Implications from this study include improving conceptual rigor of mentorship outcomes in counselor education research, further investigating how underrepresented identities may benefit from mentorship, and tailoring mentorship interventions for the learning context and graduate level for counselor education students.

Teaching Trauma Theory And Practice In Counselor Education: A Multiple Case Study, Charmayne R. Adams, Casey A. Barrio Minton, Jennifer Hightower

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Teaching about trauma theory and practice is an integral part of counselor preparation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand how counselor educators (CEs) designed and facilitated significant learning experiences regarding trauma theory and practice. The researchers aimed to answer two research questions (1.) how do CEs choose which content to address in trauma courses and (2.) which teaching methods do CEs use to facilitate significant learning experiences in trauma courses? The study participants were three CEs teaching trauma courses in multiple formats (face-to-face, online, and hybrid) in CACREP programs. The results indicated that instructors faced unique …

Infusing Anarchist Pedagogy Into Counselor Education, Andrew Wood

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Anarchist pedagogy has existed for well over 100 years, but little has been written on the subject within the counseling profession and the counselor education literature specifically. Anarchist pedagogy offers a direct relationship between education and social justice praxis that many counseling programs espouse, and thus the consideration of an explicitly political pedagogy may benefit the counselor education profession. This manuscript aims to provide a brief overview of anarchist pedagogy, how it fits into the work of counselor education, and how counselor educators can utilize anarchist pedagogy. Limitations for the infusion of anarchist pedagogy into counselor education and future areas …

Exploring The Relationship Between The Supervisory Alliance And The Development Of Reflexive Self-Awareness: A Mixed Methods Approach, Alexandre Brien, Réginald Savard, Cynthia Bilodeau, Patricia Dionne

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

The study used embedded design to explore the relationship between alliance and perceived change in reflexive self-awareness in graduate trainees following counseling and psychotherapy programs (n = 48). Linear regression analyses were used to measure the predictive value of alliance on the development of supervisees' reflexive awareness. Qualitative reflexive thematic analysis was also conducted on critical incident reports of supervisees who perceived low vs strong alliances to gain greater in-depth understanding of the quantitative data. Results showed that the alliance does not directly predict observed changes in reflexive awareness. While alliance was found to create favorable conditions to support the …

Experiences Of School Counseling Trainees In A Primary Care Integrated Behavioral Health Care Practicum, Kaprea Johnson, Krystal Clemons, Lauren Robins, Alexandra Gantt-Howrey, Afroze Shaikh, Heather A. Jones

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Youth integrated behavioral healthcare (IBH) is a preferred method of service delivery, and school system expertise on these teams is imperative. In this descriptive phenomenological study, we sought to understand the experiences of five school counseling practicum students (SCITs) engaged in IBH in an urban children's hospital. Phenomenological analysis resulted in five themes: (a) contributing school system knowledge, (b) expansion of professional identity through practical application, (c) collaborative interventions and techniques, (d) interprofessional supervision, and (e) program and setting challenges. Implications for counselor education and supervision, including IBH-specific training for SCITs, conclude.

Using The Five Ps: Conceptualizing Covid-19-Related Mental Health Concerns, Christine D. Gonzales-Wong, Scott Peters

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in rising mental health concerns. As individuals experience loneliness, anxiety, and depression related to the pandemic, counselors-in-training navigate their treatment of clients while also living through the pandemic and its polarization. The authors present the Five Ps, a case conceptualization model that supervisors can use to help beginning counselors consider the history and context of the presenting concerns of clients, in addition to utilizing clients’ strengths in treatment. The authors provide a case illustration using the Five Ps in a supervision setting and discuss implications for supervision and future research.

Development And Validation Of A Survey To Identify Predictors Of Choice And Early Departure Among Tennessee Promise Scholarship Recipients, Patrick Biddix, Gresham D. Collom

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Publications and Other Works

In this study, we developed and validated an instrument to reveal factors affecting college choice and early community or technical college departure among Tennessee Promise-eligible participants. This scale may be used by colleges and states to predict who may be at risk of either not enrolling or dropping out in free college contexts. Our findings suggest that state policymakers and institutions need to address factors beyond finances that may serve as barriers to student enrollment and success in statewide promise programs.

Risky Business: Reopening Recreational Sport Facilities During Covid-19, Leeann M. Lower-Hoppe, Annemarie Farrell, Alina Cioletti, Ali Talcott, Mackenzie Rector, Shea M. Brgoch, Robert J. Barcelona

Journal of Applied Sport Management

At the onset of COVID-19, sport and fitness administrators shut down facilities to mitigate viral spread. To reopen facilities, safety protocols and policies reflecting risk mitigation strategies were established. This case study adopted the International Standards Organization’s risk management framework to explore strategies for reopening collegiate recreational sport facilities during the pandemic. Document analysis was employed to analyze the reopening plans of four collegiate recreation departments across North America. The reopening plans focused on the risk assessment and treatment process and used a phased approach, with strategies moving from risk avoidance to risk reduction and transfer. Common risk management strategies …

Pledging Engagement: Motivations And Intentions For College Sport Attendance Among Greek-Letter Organizations, Stacey A. Forsythe, Alison Fridley, Chris Corr, Sarah Stokowski, Nnamdi Ezike

Journal of Applied Sport Management

While ticket sales and revenue have remained relatively constant in collegiate athletics over the past decade, attendance has steadily declined. Given the range of entertainment options available, student attendance at collegiate athletic events has, specifically, declined. While athletic administrators are often revenue oriented, decreasing attendance has effects that span campus communities and cultures. As Greek-letter organizations are nearly ubiquitous within the higher education setting, fraternity and sorority members serve a unique opportunity area for engagement with fan attendance initiatives and future alumni giving. Accordingly, this study examined the motivations for attending collegiate athletic events as a member of a Greek-letter …

Women As A Force Multiplier For Bringing Nuclear Forensic Capabilities To The International Stage, Heather M. Dion, Caterina Fox, Kim Knight, Anne Phillip

International Journal of Nuclear Security

In 2009, the US Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Program initiated a new nuclear forensics outreach effort under its Confidence Building Measures Program. Little did they know that the timing could not have been better. This article focuses on the early years (2009–2015) of the NNSA’s international nuclear forensics outreach, specifically the efforts and experiences of the women who helped establish this program, building it from a fledgling, bilateral effort into an enduring technical capacity provider engaging with dozens of countries and multilateral organizations. At the onset of the program, nuclear forensics was an …

The Language Of Nuclear Security: New Case Studies Exploring Online Open-Source Information From Turkey, India, And Jordan, Zenobia S. Homan, Shraddha Rane, Yara Shaban, Fadime Ö. Özkan, Eunha Yun

International Journal of Nuclear Security

This paper presents a novel internet search methodology and new data on the language of nuclear security. Through three case studies (Turkey, India, and Jordan), it describes what openly accessible information exists about nuclear security in a given national context, where more information is needed, and why. In doing so, the paper highlights the importance of documenting the social and geopolitical context of key nuclear concepts. It also examines the role of language and publicly available information on nuclear security and safety to facilitate the articulation and adoption of international best practices.

The case studies demonstrate how someone may acquire …

Nuclear Security In Conflict Zones: The Dangerous Case Of Zaporizhzhia, Maria Kurando

International Journal of Nuclear Security

As critical components of a state’s energy supply, nuclear power plants (NPPs) can become strategic and tactical targets in military conflicts—or can suffer collateral damage as a result of shelling in the vicinity. Military action jeopardizes the peaceful use of nuclear facilities and hinders their safe and secure operation, increasing the risks of dangerous forces releases. Nuclear security constitutes defense against a vast range of threats, such as theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials, their use by non-state actors, nuclear and radiological terrorism, and attacks on nuclear facilities. However, the case of hostilities around Zaporizhzhia NPP …

Concluding Athletic Careers: Post-Athletic Transitions In The Atlantic Coast Conference, Eric Sabin, Sarah Stokowski, Chris Corr, Brennan K. Berg, Michael Hutchinson

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Due to the pervasiveness of athletic role engulfment and a salient athletic identity, collegiate athletes often experience difficulties upon conclusion of their competitive athletic career. Such engulfment and fixed athletic identity are detrimental to an athlete’s post-athletic transition. Given the role of athletic department institutional members (e.g., administrators, coaches, staff) in the formative development of collegiate athletes’ lives, athletic departments occupy an integral position to assist athletes in their post-athletic transition. To examine the practices currently implemented among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic departments relative to holistic athlete development, semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional members at nine ( …

Exploring The Managerial Perspective On Developing A New Sport Team Brand, Melissa Davies, Matt Blaszka, Cole Armstrong

Journal of Applied Sport Management

In recent years, research examining new sport teams has emerged. A total of ten senior sales and market executives were interviewed from recent expansion teams from Major League Soccer (MLS) to analyze team brand development for this study due to its continued expansion efforts across North America and the fact that the MLS continues to compete for market share against other “Big Four” sport teams in their respective cities. Utilizing content analysis, findings from this study identified four themes when developing a new team brand. These themes were Market Research, Soccer Culture, Brand Associations, and Supporter-Led Initiatives. Practical implications are …

Nuclear Security: Making Gender Equality A Working Reality, Muhammed Ali Alkış, Polina Sinovets

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Gender equality is an indispensable part of both democracy and justice, and it is fundamental to peace and security worldwide. As various research on gender equality has shown, teams with diversity, equity, and inclusion achieve the best outcomes. Having gender equality and women’s presence in the workforce in nuclear fields is a requirement to contribute to peace and security discussions, adding value and sustaining policies and long-lasting positive outcomes. In this regard, the paper will discuss the importance of gender equality and why the Odesa Center for Nonproliferation has committed itself to this issue. The article also details the Odesa …

Opportunities For Linking Women, Peace And Security To The Us Department Of Energy, Maryann E. Gallagher, Elizabeth Howell

International Journal of Nuclear Security

In October 2000, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). To date, more than half (107) of all United Nations member states have adopted National Action Plans to address the experiences of women and girls in conflict and their security needs as required by the resolution. The United States is among them, with the US Department of Defense, US Department of State, US Agency for International Development, and US Department of Homeland Security each issuing their own implementation plans for WPS. Importantly, the US Department of Energy (DOE), and most especially, the …

Gender Undone: Confronting Bias In The Nuclear Field, Sneha Nair, Christina Mcallister, Annina Pluff, Katherine C. Mack

International Journal of Nuclear Security

In the face of evolving security needs, diversity is critical in nonproliferation, nuclear security, and other related fields. Despite multiple studies highlighting the need for gender balance and diversity in the nuclear nonproliferation and security space and targeted recruitment and capacity-building efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency and states, gains in the representation of women (as well as historically underrepresented groups) have been set back by the gendered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and slow cultural change at nuclear facilities and organizations. This issue is in large part due to the inability of initiatives aimed at diversity, equity, inclusion, …

The Role Of Trait Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, And Impulsivity In Understanding The Relationship Between Stress Mindset And Psychological Intimate Partner Aggression, Sarah Joyanna Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

Perpetration of psychological intimate partner aggression is a pervasive health issue and has been estimated to occur in 60 to 90 percent of relationships. Effects of intimate partner violence on its victims has been demonstrated to have lasting physical and mental health issues. Psychological intimate partner aggression has been demonstrated to have particularly harmful effects, above and beyond those identified in physical intimate partner aggression. Psychological intimate partner aggression has been demonstrated to be impacted by impulsivity, stress-mindset, perceived stress, and mindfulness. The present study proposed to examine a path analysis model of the relation between stress-mindset and psychological intimate …

Sexual Violence And Psychological Distress: The Roles Of Coping Self-Efficacy, Self-Blame, Shame, Activism, And Feminism, Charlotte Strauss Swanson

Doctoral Dissertations

In the current study, we investigated potential direct, indirect, and moderated relations in the links between exposure to sexual violence and PTSD symptom severity and depression among a sample of 440 United States women who had experienced sexual assault in adulthood. We found that sexual violence exposure was both directly and indirectly related to PTSD symptom severity via less trauma coping self-efficacy, greater behavioral and characterological self-blame, and more shame. Sexual violence exposure was also indirectly related to depression via the same explanatory variables, except for behavioral self-blame. Contrary to our hypotheses, results indicated that involvement in anti-sexual activism and …

The Impact Of Guaranteed Income On Political Participation, Daniel Horn

Doctoral Dissertations

This three-paper dissertation examines the impact of guaranteed income (GI) and cash transfer (CT) programs on political participation, aiming to contribute to understanding how social policies can shape civic engagement. The first paper provides a comprehensive literature review on GI and CT programs, focusing on their potential effects on political participation. By analyzing existing studies, this paper identifies key findings and gaps in the literature, setting the stage for further empirical investigation. The second paper develops and tests a new instrument called the Brief Political Participation Scale (BPPS), designed to measure political participation concisely and reliably. The third paper presents …