Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Rwandan Diaspora In Canada And The United States: Reconciliation And Justice, Jennifer J. Marson

Dissertations

This dissertation analyzed the attempts at achieving justice and reconciliation among the Rwandan diaspora located in Canada and the United States. Following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, many Rwandans fled and a modest diaspora found a home in various locations throughout Canada and the United States. The diaspora, located thousands of miles from the institutional mechanism of justice and reconciliation in Rwanda, are subject to many of the same concerns regarding justice and reconciliation as those who remain in Rwanda. This research focused primarily on how this specific diaspora attempted to achieve justice and reconciliation, if institutional mechanisms (gacaca) in Rwanda …

The Influence Of Racial Socialization On The Academic Achievement Of Black College Students, Vanessa R. Laurent

Dissertations

Black college students continue to have difficulties reaching academic success in various domains; however, understanding the nature of how academic success is cultivated by Black college students is vital for counselors, educators, and university administrators. The objective of the study was to understand how racial socialization influenced academic success. Research suggests that racial socialization contributes to positive long-term outcomes among African Americans and may be connected to academic achievement (Bowman & Howard, 1985; Boykin & Tom, 1985; Davis & Stevenson, 2006; Neblett, Terzian, & Harriott, 2010; Stevenson, 1994, 1995). Participants were 349 Black college students from a predominately White institution …

Essays On Portfolio Choice And Risk Management, Yi-Chin Hsin

Dissertations

Globalization increases the access to financial markets and provides expanding opportunities for investors to diversify internationally. As suggested by the Modern Portfolio Theory (Markowiz, 1952), rational investors should use one of the following two strategies to achieve portfolio diversification: (1) Investing in asset classes thought to have low correlations or (2) increasing the sizes of their portfolios in multiple markets. In the early 1970s, diversification was referred to as the “free lunch” in investment. However, French and Poterba (1991) show that investors still tend to hold a disproportionate part of domestic equities in their portfolios. This phenomenon is called “the …

Using Postfeedback Delays To Reduce Racing In Online Learning, Anna L. Conard

Dissertations

Computer-based instruction (CBI) has become an increasingly popular tool in both business and education throughout the last decade. Despite the various benefits of using CBI, there are several challenges that accompany this mode of instruction, such as computer-based racing. Computer-based racing occurs when learners respond so quickly that frequent mistakes are made. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of postfeedback delays on racing through online lessons conducted in uncontrolled settings. Six different computer-based instructional formats were assessed in terms of learner performance and satisfaction using a between-group pretest-posttest design. Statistically significant differences were observed in …

A Transdiagnostic Approach To Emotion Regulation: The Development And Validation Of Two Scales Of Emotion Regulation, Lauren M. Borges

Dissertations

To address limitations of existing emotion regulation measures, the goal of the present study was to develop new measures of emotion undercontrol and emotion overcontrol. These measures were created from 305 undergraduate participants who completed preexisting scales of emotion regulation. Analyses were applied to determine which regulatory strategies were most predictive of personality disorders associated with emotion overcontrol (i.e., AVPD and OCPD) and emotion undercontrol (i.e., BPD and ASPD). The variables most predictive of these disorders and related traits were included in the item pools for factor analysis. Exploratory factor analyses were implemented to determine which factors were associated with …

A Metaevaluation Of The Commission On Fire Accreditation International Accreditation Process, Stacy A. French

Dissertations

Fire and emergency services throughout the country are being required by local governmental authorities to provide efficient and effective services. In 1996, the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) and the International Association of Fire Chief (IAFC) executed a master trust agreement that established the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) to award accreditation to those fire and emergency services that demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness in the services provided. As of this study, no documented research had been published that challenged the current CFAI Accreditation process to ensure the highest level of accountability and usefulness for both the public and fire …

A Family Right To Care: Charting The Legal Obstacles, Gerard W. Wallace Esq.

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Numerous state and federal laws govern kinship (non-parental/relative) care of children. Federal laws are mainly concerned with assistance to families and with child welfare. State laws implement federal law and provide more governance in these areas and also almost exclusively govern family custodial issues. Yet, together both federal or state bodies of law do not comprehensively address the range of legal issues that burden kinship families. States and federal laws still need to enact laws and regulations that provide more legal rights and assistance that will empower kinship families to successfully care for children.

In this legal brief, we attempt …

Recognizing Microaggressions: A Framework For Helping Grandfamilies, Loriena Yancura, Christine A. Fruhauf, Heather Greenwood-Junkermeier

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Microaggressions are manifestations of prejudice targeted toward socially marginalized groups. They may take several forms: subtle discriminatory remarks, behavior, or environmental characteristics. In contrast to overt aggressions, microagressions are not easy to detect and often invisible to both perpetrator and recipient. Existing research demonstrates that experiencing microaggressions is harmful to members of stigmatized groups and provides a framework to combat these negative effects. Although most of the literature on microaggressions is focused on groups characterized by minority race and female gender, microagressions might also be experienced by members of grandfamilies, who often have socially marginalized status. Microagressions toward grandfamilies may …

Demographic Profile, Geographic Distribution, Disability Prevalence, And Likelihood Of Being In-Poverty Amongst Grandparents Responsible For Grandchildren, Carlos Siordia, Mary E. Rauktis

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Evidence-based research on Grandparents Responsible for Grandchildren (GRfG) continues to grow in recent decades. This brief report expands global knowledge on custodial grandparents by making use of a large data resource in the United States (US). The specific aim was to delineate the demographic profile, geographic distribution, and prevalence of specific-disabilities for the GRFG population in the US mainland. We also explore how demographic factors are associated with likelihood of being in-poverty. The analysis used data from the 2009-2013 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) file. The ACS is a nationally representative, yearly, statistical survey administered …

Wellbeing Among Rural Grandfamilies In Two Multigenerational Household Structures, Melissa A. Barnett, Loriena Yancura, Joe Wilmoth, Yoshie Sano

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Multigenerational households are an understudied type of grandfamily. In rural communities, these households are likely to be economically disadvantaged and underserved. Drawing from a subset (N = 63) of low-income multigenerational households in a multistate research study, Rural Families Speak About Health, the present study compares demographic characteristics, parent and child wellbeing, and family processes in two types of multigenerational household structures: one-parent/grandparent families and two-parent/grandparent families. Research on these multigenerational household configurations is rare despite the potential for different needs, strengths, and services. Results indicate no differences in economic hardship or disadvantage by household type. Children in …

Intersections Of Poverty, Geography, And Custodial Grandparent Caregiving In Appalachia, Deborah L. Phillips, Ben Alexander-Eitzman

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

The purpose of this study is to compare the incidence of custodial grandparenting in Central Appalachia to other areas in Appalachia and the rest of the U.S., to explore how recent economic changes have affected poverty rates of custodial grandparents in all of these areas, and to explore what influences the probability of custodial grandparenting. We hypothesize that the recent economic upheaval of the Great Recession has pressured many families to rely on grandparents to provide care for their grandchildren and that these trends are particularly evident in the Appalachian region due to longstanding historical trends and unique cultural factors. …

Concerns And Supports Of Grandfamilies Using Formal Services: Do They Have The Help They Need?, Susan M. Collins, Christine A. Fruhauf, Kimberly Bundy-Fazioli

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

The objective of this exploratory study was to discover the functional and psychosocial concerns of grandfamilies already receiving support services in their community, and to ask if they had the help they needed. Data were gathered from a convenience sample of 16 grandparents who were raising their grandchildren and were involved with a support group or a grandfamily workshop. Results indicated that grandparents affiliated with formal supports still experience psychosocial concerns (i.e., child’s emotional problems) and functional concerns (i.e., financial strain). Suggestions are included for further development on this measure as derived from the literature, service provider observations, and grandfamily …

National Trends In Adoption Of Information Literacy Standards Versus Framework And Impact On Instructional Best Practices: 2005-2015, Lumarie Guth, Dianna Sachs

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

This session will present results of a national study investigating the ways in which liaison librarians are incorporating the new Framework into their information literacy curriculum, compared with early adoption of the Standards fourteen years ago. The presentation explores connections between adoption of the Framework, assessment, and collaboration with teaching faculty. Despite the controversy surrounding the Framework, data show that librarians are adopting the Framework at a significantly faster pace than they did the Standards.

Ethics In The Nonprofit Sector: A Study On The American Red Cross, Emily Smith

Honors Theses

When disaster strikes in the United States, there is one organization that is on everyone’s mind, the American Red Cross. It has operated for over a hundred years on the simple premise of delivering aid to those in need. The organization does this by reacting effectively and efficiently to natural and man-made disasters and delivering humanitarian aid to those affected. In recent years, though, the American Red Cross has come under scrutiny for mismanagement and ineffective disaster relief. The purpose of this paper is to use ethical standards of the nonprofit sector to evaluate and explain the performance of the …

College Student Development And Emerging Adulthood, Gina Cavanaugh

Honors Theses

College student development theories focus on the experiences and growth that individuals and groups encounter throughout their time attending colleges and universities. During this time, many traditionally aged college students are in the period of emerging adulthood. In industrialized societies, this age range is characterized by a prolonged period of adolescence and a lack of taking on adult responsibilities. This exploration highlights the emerging adult college student population in the United States and the development these individuals may undergo.

The Effects Of Picture Prompts On The Acquisition Of Receptive Language In Children With Autism, Hanna Simons

Honors Theses

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of picture prompts in the acquisition of receptive language. Receptive language training is the ability to listen to and understand what is being communicated (Miller, Carp, Petursdottir, 2009). Receptive language training requires the acquisition of auditory-visual conditional discriminations. In receptive language training the child must attend to the auditory and comparison stimuli. This is sometimes an issue for children with autism. Previous research has shown that receptive language training can be facilitated through the use of picture prompts (Fisher, Kodak, & Moore, 2007). The participant for the study was 3 years old. He was …

Sensor-Enabled Reduction Of Stereotypy, Aaron Brzezinski

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to create and implement an intervention to reduce stereotypic behavior in a child with Autism. The participant was chosen based on a high occurrence of target behavior and was recruited through his treatment center. The target behaviors were selected based on the subjective evaluation of his treatment provider and parents. The dependent variable in this study was hand-flapping. The independent variable was DRO training that included a buzzer and a chime noise contingent on the presence or absence of stereotypy respectively. A Microsoft Kinect© 2.0 was used to track occurrence of target behavior and …

Increasing Vocalizations In Children With Autism, Nicholette Christodoulou

Honors Theses

This study focuses on increasing vocalizations for students with Autism spectrum disorder. A three-part intervention was used to attempt to establish an echoic repertoire in students who had little to no vocalizations. Both students attended an early intervention classroom with a special education school. Students were selected from their classroom if they showed little to no vocalization or echoic skills. The goal during the first phase was to collect all sounds being made by the student to increase the overall number of vocalizations being made. This was done by continuous reinforcement using edible reinforcers. In phase two, the student’s dominant …

Transitioning Children With Autism From A Discrete Trial Classroom To A Group Classroom, Alexandra Ennis

Honors Theses

The goal of this project was to prepare children diagnosed with autism for the transition to group learning environments by teaching them to sit in their chair and attend while the teacher is at least five feet away. This is a skill that will help kids succeed when they make the transition from an early intervention program to a group learner environment because it allows the teacher to focus more on learning important skills. A proximity procedure was put in place for two children that focused on gradually increasing the distance between the tutor and the student with use of …

Effects Of Multiple Exemplar Instruction On Reading Comprehension For Secondary Students With Reading Delays, Reilly Chabie

Honors Theses

This study tested the effects of multiple exemplar instruction on reading comprehension for a middle school student with a reading delay. A multiple probe design was used to evaluate and observe the changes in the number of questions the student answered correctly. Probes consisted of: (1) pre-experimental, (2) single exemplar instruction (SEI), (3) post-SEI, (4) MEI, and (5) post-MEI. The independent variable was a multiple exemplar intervention that required the student to read a passage across three topographies (silently, listening, and aloud).

Multiple exemplar instruction was shown to be effective in increasing the number of questions answered correctly during single …

Behavioral Sensitization Following Concurrent Exposure To 4-Methylmethcathinone (4-Mmc) And 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Mdma) In Male Sprague-Dawley Rats, Trent Bullock

Honors Theses

Recreational use of a new class of stimulant drugs known as synthetic cathinones is a recent public health concern. Although the Drug Enforcement Administration placed several of the most common of these substances permanently on schedule 1, their use is still prevalent as they remain low cost, accessible, and potent. Concomitant use of cathinone derivatives with other psychostimulant drugs is commonly reported by recreational users. Despite the prevalence of synthetic cathinone abuse, there is currently a paucity of scientific research regarding the behavioral and neurochemical effects of these drugs in mixtures with other drugs of abuse. The behavioral sensitization paradigm …

News In Virtual Reality, Samantha Macy

Honors Theses

Virtual reality (VR) is the next frontier of news media, but we know little about the impact is has on viewers. The goal of this experiment is to gain a better understanding of the social presence and information retained by watching news in VR. Participants will either consumer news in a VR setting, a highly interactive online format, or print. Then, using a survey, social presence and information retention were assessed. Research participants were undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university. It is expected that VR news will result in higher social presence and information retention than news in highly …

The Clean Power Plan: A Legal Analysis Of The E.P.A.'S Final Rule, Robert Paul

Honors Theses

The consensus among scientists is that climate change and its consequences are upon us as the result of human activity. The necessary reductions of emissions of greenhouse gases to mitigate these consequences have long been identified. The continued failure of the United States Congress to pass any national legislation directly addressing climate change has led President Obama to pursue executive action, through the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency, to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act section 111(d). Collectively known as the Clean Power Plan, the heart of this action is the carbon dioxide emissions Final Rule …

Allied Paper Landfill, A Case Study Of Superfund, Kaitlin Braunschweig

Honors Theses

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980), more commonly known as Superfund, delegates the responsibility for cleanup of more than 1,300 hazardous waste sites to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This thesis is designed as a case study to investigate the Superfund program through the lens of the Allied Paper Landfill portion of the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site. Through interviews with key stakeholders an evaluation was completed based on the following research questions: 1) are the current goals of Superfund appropriate, 2) is the funding mechanism sufficient to fulfill the goals of Superfund, and 3) is the …

Global Paths To Enlightenment: A Foundation Scholar Study Abroad To The Dominican Republic, Tacy Allan

Honors Theses

There are many different ways for students to gain a multicultural awareness and a global focus, which are important tools for their lives. Study abroad opportunities are seen as one of the widest-reaching and best hands-on learning paths that can be taken to broaden the horizons of students. This proposal combines service learning, a social justice issue (clean water), and global impact; giving students the chance to learn what is here in Kalamazoo and what is in Dominican Republic, how those issues compare and contrast as well as how each location is dealing with these issues. This proposed class will …

The Comparison Of Effectiveness Between Print Media & Electronic Media In Terms Of Promotion And Recruitment, Katherine Dayton

Honors Theses

This research project’s objective was to determine whether print media such as brochures and booklets are more or less effective than electronic media such as e-mails and webpage advertisements in attracting consumers. A special interest was taken in higher education recruitment and the research was completed by advertising to high school students who are in the process of choosing a school for their higher education experience. The research featured an advertising campaign launched through both print and electronic platforms, directing the consumers to an online survey they were able to take to provide feedback about the experience. This project led …

The Birth Of Development: The Social, Economic And Environmental Advantages To Contraceptive Use On A Global Scale, Linda Hanes

Honors Theses

For many women around the world, pregnancy is a miraculous, exciting stage in life. But for others pregnancy means financial burden, having to stay in an abusive relationship, or giving up a career. What many people forget is that motherhood is not the default position for women. As a result of the traditional views of acceptable roles regarding women, in most, if not all cultures, there is a stigma placed on family planning and abortion. To talk about contraceptive use is to admit that sex is a natural part of life for all genders. Many cultures are not prepared to …

Ez Timeout: The Business Plan, Simbarashe Chirara

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Campus, Community, Connection: A Public Relations Campaign, Elizabeth Blasko

Honors Theses

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes (KLF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to “Feed hungry people and engage our community in the fight to end hunger.” KLF started in 1982 and has since grown to include 23 pantry sites across Kalamazoo County. KLF offers many assistance programs including Grocery Pantry Program, Mobile Food Initiative, Weekend Food Pack Program, Commodity Supplemental Food, and Meal Support Program (Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes).

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes faces public relations challenges in regards to connecting with college students in the Kalamazoo community. There is limited mission awareness among students at Western Michigan University. …

An Assessment Of Home Energy Efficiency In Kalamazoo, Alexis Coutts

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess the status of home energy efficiency in Kalamazoo as well as the reasons why (or why not) a homeowner adopts energy efficiency and what their incentives and barriers are. In order to address these questions this study first relies on a literature review to offer insight on this complex topic and reveal the main incentives and barriers to energy efficiency already found by homeowners. Next a survey is completed by a total of thirty participants, fifteen homeowners from two separate neighborhoods of Kalamazoo, using socioeconomics as a variable. Where Milwood neighborhood acts …