Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Monte Carlo Analysis Of Ordinary Least Squares Versus Equal Weights, James Brewer Ayres

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Equal weights are an alternative weighting procedure to the optimal weights offered by ordinary least squares regression analysis. Also called units weights, equal weights are formed by standardizing scores on the predictor variables and averaging these standardized scores to create a composite score. Research is limited regarding the conditions under which equal weights result in cross-validated 𝑅𝑅2 values that meet or exceed optimal weights. In this study, I explored the effect of various predictor-criterion correlations, predictor intercorrelations, and sample sizes to determine the relative performance of equal and optimal weighting schemes upon cross-validation. Results indicated that optimally weighted predictors explained …

The Effects Of Aging On Attention In Associative Learning, Katie Wheeler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this study we investigated how aging affects attention to predictive and uncertain cues during associative learning. According to Mackintosh’s theory of predictiveness (1975), attention will be allocated to cues that most reliably predict an outcome. An opposing theory of uncertainty from Pearce and Hall (1980) suggest attention will be allocated to cues whose outcomes are uncertain. Although these theories are contradictory, both are well supported in the associative learning literature. There is evidence that young and older adults give more attention to cues that are predictive compared to nonpredictive cues (Mutter et al., 2019), and that young adults respond …

Primary Reasons For Not Attending Farmers' Market. Do Market Features And Consumer Characteristics Matter?, Autumn Milliner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The number of farmers’ markets has been growing, but consumer attendance does not appear to rise at the same rate. The overall purpose of this study was to investigate primary reasons for not attending. Specific objectives were: (1) describe the consumer characteristics of individuals who do not attend farmers’ markets (2) investigate the consumer characteristics and market amenities that influence a consumer’s choice to not attend a farmers market (3) estimate the variables that impact a consumer’s level of interest in subscribing to a CSA and (4) assess and estimate the relationship between consumer characteristics and their willingness to pay …

The Language Of Breathing, Brian Wallace Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Language of Breathing is an eclectic collection of 18 creative nonfiction essays that capture moments from the author’s life and attempt to give them meaning through narrative and metaphor. They deal with relationships, nature, faith, and often rely on background research to pair art, mythology, current events, and science with personal experience.

Organizational Dissent: The Implications Of Race And Dissent Outcomes, Siera N. Bramschreiber

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Dissent, the public expression of a minority perspective, is valuable to organizations due to its connections with improving decision-making processes within teams. The current study sought to integrate what is known about diversity in thought and diversity in people and how this influences the dissent process. Specifically, I examined if positive perceptions of dissenters (i.e., worthy of respect or courageous) differ based on the race of the dissenter. Second, I examined if stories of successful articulated dissent influence subsequent willingness to dissent. In developing a scenario to manipulate dissent outcomes ranging from negative outcomes (i.e., hostility) to positive outcomes (i.e., …

The Association Between Body Image, Sexual Satisfaction, And Relationship Satisfaction In Adults, Hannah Krisher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this thesis was to determine whether body image and sexual satisfaction predict romantic relationship satisfaction. The 198 participants completed measures assessing for the predictor and outcome variables. They completed the Body Assessment Scale (BAS; Lorenzen et al., 2004), Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS; Hudson, 1998; Hudson et al., 1981), and the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS; Hendrick, 1988) via a Qualtrics questionnaire. Participants accessed the study online through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) database and completion took approximately 10 to 20 minutes. Results suggested that body image and sexual satisfaction significantly and positively predicted relationship satisfaction. The findings from …

Hydrogeochemical Characterization And Speleogenesis Of Sistema Huautla In Oaxaca, Mexico, Fernando Hernandez

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sierra Mazateca, Mexico is home to Sistema Huautla, the deepest cave in the Western hemisphere with 1,560 meters of depth and 90 kilometers of passage, including 26 entrances distributed in a high-relief, karstified terrain, within the Sistema Huautla Karst Groundwater Basin. Exploration of the cave has generated research questions about its evolution and geomorphology given the different vadose and phreatic zones impacted by tectonic and incision processes. Dye traces during this study of Cueva de La Peña Colorada confirmed it is a fossil resurgence of the cave system. An additional cave, Cueva Elysium, was connected hydrologically in 2019, expanding the …

An Application Of The Interpersonal Psychological Theory Of Suicide In College-Age Survivors Of Sexual Assault, Ava Katherine Fergerson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sexual victimization is a pervasive public health concern that disproportionately affects college students and results in severe mental and physical health risks for survivors. Despite low prevalence rates in the general population, a national study found that 33% of survivors of rape reported suicidal ideation, and 13% actually made a suicide attempt (Kilpatrick et al., 1992). Although it is clear that survivors of sexual violence are at increased risk for suicide, knowledge is largely limited to epidemiological studies. Few studies have integrated theories of suicide to understand how and why this population is at such elevated risk for suicidal thoughts …

The Enhancement Of Climate Change Science Communication And Understanding Through Glacier Tourism, Natalie Jean Kincheloe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The natural environment provides the opportunity for educators to teach the general public about scientific topics that are misunderstood. Arctic tourism has increased as accessibility to these regions has improved. Informal learning is a valuable yet extremely understudied phenomenon within the tourism industry. Iceland is a country that lies in the North Atlantic and has experienced a significant increase in foreign visitors over the past decade. Of the natural features in Iceland, glaciers have become a top attraction for visitors. Since thousands of visitors participate in guided glacier tours annually in Iceland, an opportunity to couple glacier tourism with informal …

Curriculum Based Measures For Screening English Language Learners: What We Know And Future Directions, Colleen H. Robinson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Curriculum based measures (CBMs) are used to assess students’ academic achievement by screening for risk and monitoring progress toward a goal. English Language Learners (ELLs) may acquire academic skills in a different way and it is important to investigate whether CBMs function in the same way for this diverse subset of our student population. The purpose of this paper was to review current literature about using CBM to screen ELL students. Ten articles were found which discussed the use of CBMs with ELL students. More specifically, these articles discuss the use of reading and written expression CBMs as valid measures …

Online Shoppers Spending On Fresh Produce; Do Those On Government Assistance Spend Less?, Wyatt Tucker Lucas

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study applies an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model to explain differences in the amount that online shoppers might spend per month on fresh produce, given specific consumer characteristics. It also uses a multinomial logit model to determine the relative probability of online shoppers spending more or less, given specific consumer characteristics. The independent variable of interest in both models is whether or not the respondent is a recipient of a government assistance food program. These analyses used data from a stratified random sample of 1,205 online shoppers residing in the southern region of the United States. “Online shoppers” in …

Evidence-Based Bullying Prevention Programs In Elementary Schools, Kaitlyn Ferries

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Youth bullying has gained national attention in recent years and is continuing throughout our educational systems. With technology advancing, students are now faced with an increased chance of being bullied inside and/or outside of school. As members of the school system, children need preventive supports to address this growing issue. Although a large amount of research has focused on bullying prevention programs in middle and high school, this review specifically looks at the prevention of school bullying during a child’s elementary years (e.g., Kindergarten through fifth grade). Failure to address school bullying as young as elementary school-age can have harmful …

Unpacking The Burnout Phenomenon: Understanding Daily Influences On Burnout, Emily Houk

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Burnout is a work-related phenomenon that is not bound to the work domain. As such, experiencing burnout can be particularly detrimental for employees because effects of burnout can spill over into other life domains. The present study serves to examine the burnout phenomenon; specifically, I examined the direct effect of daily job stress on perceptions of burnout, as well as explored daily work-related affective rumination as a mediating effect in the relationship between daily job stress and burnout. Work-related affective rumination is a mechanism that potentially helps to explain how buildup of daily job stress influences the development of burnout. …

Further Understanding Of The Spillover Process: Work Influences On Family Disengagement And The Mediating Effects Of Flexible Work Arrangements, Alexandra Myers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizations have long sought to determine methods in reducing the work family conflict employees experience in order to improve overall morale as well as producing more efficient and effective employees. My study examined the spillover process from the work to family domain. Specifically, I examined the influence of work related affective rumination on family disengagement, mediated by strain-based work-to family conflict. I also examined the buffering effects of flexible work arrangements on the relationship between strain-based work-to-family conflict and family disengagement. Utilizing a sample of employees recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and working full-time outside the home, I analyzed the …

The Predictive Validity Of Star Early Literacy, Karlissa Pollack

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent years, paper-and-pencil screenings have, to a degree, given way to computer adaptive tests as a more effective way to screen students, though some measures lack research in regards to their utility. The utility of Star Early Literacy (SEL) for predicting future state test performance was examined by analyzing student performance on SEL and student performance on state testing two years later. The following research questions were examined: What is the relationship among first grade SEL scores and performance on the third grade reading state test? What is the diagnostic accuracy of SEL for predicting reading state test performance …

Interdependence Across Foreign Exchange Rate Markets- A Mixed Copula Approach, Richard Adjei-Boateng

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to study the dependence structure of exchange rate pairs using a mixture of copula as opposed to a single copula approach. Mixed copula models have the ability to generate dependence structures that do not belong to existing copula families. The flexibility in choosing component copulas in this mixture model aids the construction of a system that is simultaneously parsimonious and flexible enough to generate most dependence patterns in exchange rate data. Furthermore, the method of mixture copulas facilitates the separation of both the structure and degree of dependence, concepts that are respectively embodied in …

Tell Me What You Need: An Examination Of Dialectical Tensions Within Romantic Relationships With Depressed Partners, Leah Christine Goodwin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

While depression communication in romantic relationships has been heavily studied in psychological-based research, there is a lack of research grounded in communication theory. By using Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT) as a framework, communicative tensions and coping strategies were explored within relationships where one partner suffered from depression. Through eleven semi-structured interviews with both depressed and non-depressed individuals in a relationship, three major dialectical tensions and two major maintenance strategies emerged. Findings suggest that couples with a depressed partner faced unique and challenging tensions including involvement/distance, openness/closedness, and revelation/concealment. A number of positive and negative coping strategies for managing the tensions …

Does Infant Temperament And Parental Involvement Influence Infant Cardiac Physiological Regulation?, Mary Richter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The ability to self-regulate allows infants to stay at a baseline level during periods of stress (Porges, 1995). Baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may be used as an indicator of self-regulation and how well an individual can respond to changes in the environment (Stifter & Corey, 2001). Differences in infant temperament can influence a child’s ability to self-regulate (Dale et al., 2011), but moderators of this relationship have not been thoroughly examined in the literature. Parents who are more involved might have more opportunities to teach children important regulatory strategies (Blandon et al., 2010). The current study examined the association …

Reliability Of Index And Subtest Discrepancy Scores From The Kabc-Ii Nu, Grant Hacherl

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

School psychologists often consider index- and subtest-level discrepancy scores from intelligence tests when making decisions regarding students’ special education eligibility. Best practices for clinical decision-making indicate that scores may only be considered if they meet an established standard of reliability. Therefore, it is essential to assess whether an interpretation of discrepancy scores can be considered reliable. This research used data provided in the supplemental manual of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition Normative Update (KABC-II NU) to calculate internal reliability coefficients (ICR) for discrepancy scores for each of the sample age group batteries, ages 3-6 and ages 7-18. …

Working Memory And Study Strategies: Effects On Performance Gaps, Chloe Stearns

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Working Memory (WM) is a critical contributor to learning. Those with low WM (LWM) are frequently at a disadvantage compared to those with high WM (HWM). Effective study strategies like practice retrieval, and self-explanation have been found to increase retrieval performance. This study compared the use of effective strategies between those with HWM and LWM, to determine whether the effect of study strategies on verbatim, inference, and total retrieval test scores differed due to WM when effective strategies were provided. Results indicated no significant difference in strategy quality between those with HWM and LWM. When looking at retrieval performance, WM …

Improving Sustainability Using Cover Crop Grazing To Improve Soil Health And Fertility While Increasing Grain And Livestock Production, Kylie Paige Ewing

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cover crops have become an increasingly popular option for alleviating agronomic and environmental concerns, such as erosion. Dual utilization can increase forage use efficiency and increase immediate economic return but understanding the impact on soil health and grain production may affect viability of this strategy. In a two year study conducted in Bowling Green, Kentucky, soil health was analyzed comparing three treatments: grazed wheat (Triticum aestivum; WGR) to un-grazed wheat (W) and grazed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea; TF). Sixteen cow calf pairs were randomly allocated to grazed wheat or tall fescue for two weeks. Soil samples were analyzed following grazing …

Western Kentucky University Psychological Sciences Faculty Bars Revision, Brian Coyne

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In any organization, universities included, the development of quality personnel to perform work is of paramount importance. Thus, the ability to identify individual employee strengths and weaknesses and provide constructive feedback is vital. In this thesis I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of various performance appraisal formats, before suggesting behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) as an optimal tool in evaluating the performance of university faculty. I discuss BARS development in depth, as well as highlight BARS strengths as a performance appraisal tool. I further outline the process used and results obtained in updating the BARS used in the performance evaluation …

A Monte Carlo Analysis Of Thorndike's Indirect Range Restriction Correction Equations, Michael Thomas Pelayo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Employee selection is an important process for organizations. Organizations seek to select the best employees for their available positions. Testing is key to many selection efforts. The results of studies assessing the criterion-related validity of a selection test are affected by a number of statistical artifacts, one of which is range restriction. Range restriction has the effect of attenuating the correlation coefficient. Statistical equations exist to correct for the effects of range restriction, and they enable researchers to obtain a more accurate estimate of the validity coefficient. Thorndike (1949) developed the best known and most frequently used of these correction …

From Coalescence To Bureaucratization: Veganuary’S Use Of Rhetorical Strategies On Social Media, Sabrina A. Carr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Social movement plays an integral part in how our society makes progress and changes overtime. With the birth and adoption of digital technologies comes new and unique opportunities for social movements and social movement organizations to make further progress and accomplish its goals. This study uses the foundations of organizational identification and values advocacy to evaluate the rhetoric of a specific organization within the vegan movement, Veganuary, and shows how this organization utilizes various strategies on its social media platforms to grow as an organization over a six-year time period. Specifically, I argue that Veganuary was able to move from …

Families First: Impact On Parent Knowledge, And Association Between Program Quality And Child Symptom Severity, Cibrian Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Families First parenting workshops were developed for caregivers of children recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary site hosts inperson workshops, but webcasts the workshops to remote sites in different areas of the United States. The purpose of this study was to assess whether parents have an increase in knowledge after participating in Families First workshops at a remote site, and to assess whether program quality ratings and child symptom severity are associated with parent knowledge. The current study addressed the following research questions:

1. Do parents participating in the Families First workshops at a remote site …

Students With Autism And Aggressive Behavior: A Review Of Evidence-Based Interventions, Alisha Kelsay

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Aggression can be present in students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and may need to be considered within academic environments. Interventions that are evidence-based have been identified to assist educators with issues with aggression in students with ASD. This review of evidence-based interventions highlights the effectiveness and social validity within educational settings that may be useful to instructors and other educational staff. Teachers need to be equipped with interventions that are considered to be effective and easy to implement within the school system. The literature available about the evidence based interventions for students with ASD are limited when the …

Positive Behavior Intervention And Support: Barriers And Facilitators To Implementation, Kendall Blanche Jarboe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

PBIS is a comprehensive prevention framework utilized in schools to teach positive, prosocial behaviors and to prevent problem behaviors from developing. Although PBIS has been introduced in many schools in the U.S., almost 75% of public schools have not yet implemented PBIS. Despite evidence suggesting PBIS improves behavior and academic achievement in students of all ages and is associated with positive long-term outcomes, many public schools still refrain from exploring implementation of school-wide or district-wide positive behavior supports (Reinke, Herman, & Stormont, 2013). In order to improve the efficiency and fidelity of implementation, it is imperative to understand the variables …

Reliability Of Index And Subtest Discrepancy Scores On The Wj-Iv Cognitive, Kacy Stinson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many guidebooks and publication manuals for intelligence tests recommend that practitioners calculate subtest and index level discrepancy scores along with many other types of scores. The reliability of the discrepancy scores, however, are not provided in the test manuals. The purpose of the study was to determine the reliability of the discrepancy scores in the Woodcock Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities (WJ IV COG, 2014). Using data from the WJ IV technical manual, the reliability of the discrepancy scores were examined at both the subtest and index level. The results were compared to the reliability criteria recommended by the assessment …

"Woman Problems": Superior-Subordinate Communication Of Endometriosis, Mary Madison Lyons

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to understand how working women with endometriosis communicate with their superiors about their chronic health condition. An interpretative approach was taken through the use of semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by using a constant-comparison method of thematic coding, resulting in three themes that answered the research questions. The findings revealed that working women communicate about endometriosis with their superiors via a dialectical tension of openness and closedness. Women perceived the outcomes of disclosure positively and negatively, but the anticipated outcomes were highly prevalent. Relational closeness between superior and subordinate was a key factor in …

A Monte Carlo Analysis Of Standard Error-Based Methods For Computing Confidence Intervals, Elayna Wichert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of this study is to empirically test existing techniques to calculate the likely range of values for a Classical Test Theory true score given an observed score. The traditional method for forming these confidence intervals has used the standard error of measurement (SEM) as the basis for this confidence interval. An alternate equation, the standard error of estimate (SEE), has been recommended in place of the SEM for this purpose, yet it remains overlooked in the field of psychometrics. It is important that the correct equation be used in various applications in personnel psychology. Monte Carlo analyses were …