Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Accuracy Differences Between Interview Formats : Examining Factors That May Influence Metamemory Utilization., Robin F. Hopkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Eyewitnesses are important for criminal investigations. When interviewing witnesses, police first ask witnesses to describe what they observed. This initial statement is a free narrative (FN) and is usually highly accurate. Next, police ask follow-up questions (FQs), which generate additional information but often at the cost of accuracy. This dissertation aims to examine factors that may contribute to the effect of interview format on accuracy and whether FQ instructions change detail quality provided in follow-up question responses (FQRs). Additionally, individual differences in responding to FQ instructions were explored. Subjects watched a movie clip depicting a crime. Next, subjects filled out …

Art Theft, Art Vandalism, And Guardianship In U.S. Art Institutions., Katharine L. Salomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Art crime scholars and art world professionals constantly grapple with determining the most effective methods by which to reduce and prevent victimization by art thieves and art vandals. Despite the numerous accounts of this form of criminality, there is a dearth of empirical studies focused on the security and care of art collections. Using Routine Activities Theory to guide the research, the present study explores the relationship between social and physical guardianship practices and the prevalence of art theft and art vandalism using questionnaire data collected from 111 American art museums and art galleries. The results indicate an overwhelming lack …

Weight Stigma And Motivation To Exercise : Exploring Associations And Constructs From The Basic Needs Theory., Stephanie R. Mcdonough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social influences, such as weight stigma, perpetuate rates of overweight and obesity, as well as contribute to poor physical and psychological health. It has been postulated that weight stigma negatively affects motivation to exercise, though the literature is mixed and underlying mechanisms of action are not well conceived. The present study aimed to: (1) explore the relationship between frequency of experienced weight stigma and exercise motivation and behavior (2) assess how frequency of experienced weight stigma might differ based on participant characteristics such as body weight and (3) consider unique associations between frequency of personal experiences with weight-based stigma, exercise …

Effects Of Context And Individual Differences On Memory For Prior Remembering., Marcus L. Leppanen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though people often remember experiences from their lives, they are also able to remember whether a memory has previously been retrieved, which is known as memory for prior remembering. Frequent failures of memory for prior remembering can have negative consequences on how people perceive their own cognitive health. The recurrence of traumatic memory retrieval can be interpreted as a consequence of intrusive memory for prior remembering. This dissertation was conducted to improve our understanding of the factors that influence the efficacy of memory for prior remembering. The two factors that were investigated were context change and individual differences. Participants ( …

Race In Predominately White Schools : Implications For School Counselors., Katelyn Marie Gosnell Richey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the phenomenon of white school counselors and the discussions about race that occur at predominately white schools. Research in the area of predominately white schools and discussions about race is severely lacking (Chandler, 2009; Chandler & McKnight, 2009). Additionally, many researchers and authors reported that conversations about race are either avoided or poorly managed in K-12 schools (Brown & Brown, 2010; Chandler & McKnight, 2009; Lintner, 2004; Burrell & Walsh, 2001; ; Loewen, 2007; Zimmerman, 2004). This points to an even greater importance on school counselors cultivating these conversations with the students at the schools in which …

Understanding The Relationship Between Positive Affect And Cortisol In Lung Cancer Patients., Lauren Ann Zimmaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive psychobiological processes within lung cancer patients are drastically understudied. This dissertation explores the nature of positive affect (PA) and potential associations with diurnal cortisol among lung cancer patients, given the prognostic significance of diurnal cortisol rhythms. Theoretical underpinnings and current literature involving PA, cancer, and diurnal cortisol are first reviewed. An original integrated model of PA and cortisol among cancer patients is then presented, from which the proposed dissertation study and analyses are derived. Sixty-one non-small cell lung cancer patients provided self-report assessment of mood (PANAS PA and NA subscales, CES-D PA subscale), medical and demographic characteristics, and 10-day …

The Role Of Hardiness In The Relation Between Perceived Daily Discrimination And Depressive Symptoms In Community College Students., Rosamond J. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the current study, perceived daily discrimination (PDD) is conceptualized as a chronic stressor which repeatedly activates a stress response and results in depressive symptoms, per the theory of allostatic load. Psychological hardiness is explored as a potential moderator of the relation between PDD and depressive symptoms, because individuals who repeatedly demonstrate hardiness may be primed for making cognitive reappraisals of potential stressors and/or for mobilizing appropriate coping strategies, thus limiting the body’s repeated stress responses and subsequent depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional survey of a diverse sample of 305 community college students included measures of hardiness (Dispositional Resilience Scale, …

The Effects Of Monaural And Binaural Cues On Perceived Reverberation By Normal Hearing And Hearing-Impaired Listeners., Gregory Matthew Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a quantitative and qualitative examination of how young normal hearing and young hearing-impaired listeners perceive reverberation. A primary complaint among hearing-impaired listeners is difficulty understanding speech in noisy or reverberant environments. This work was motivated by a desire to better understand reverberation perception and processing so that this knowledge might be used to improve outcomes for hearing-impaired listeners in these environments. This dissertation is written in six chapters. Chapter One is an introduction to the field and a review of the relevant literature. Chapter Two describes a motivating experiment from laboratory work completed before the dissertation. This …

First Semester Academic Functioning Of College Students : The Role Of Stressful And Traumatic Life Events., Ashlee J. Warnecke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large number of the nearly 20 million students who were attending American colleges in 2015 will not graduate. One factor that may affect the success of students is the influence of past experiences, including past adversity, or exposure to traumatic or non-traumatic stressors. The present study sought to better describe and understand the role of stress/trauma history in college students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The potential relationship this history has with academic outcomes was explored. Additionally, as not all students with a history of stressful and traumatic life events struggle academically, self-reported resilience, as well as resiliency factors, were …

Does Rumination Mediate The Relationship Between Everyday Discrimination And Blood Pressure?, Sarah J. Roane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social stressors, such as perceived discrimination, account for some health disparities by triggering a series of physiological responses (Selye, 1955) which may be prolonged by perseverative cognition such as rumination (Brosschot et al., 2005). In the current study, I investigated whether everyday discrimination is positively associated with both brooding or reflection rumination in Black/African American (AA) individuals, as well as whether brooding or reflection rumination mediate the potential associations between everyday discrimination and blood pressure. Data were collected from a community college sample and analyses were conducted using the whole sample (N = 286; 57.3% female; 51.6% White and 29.8% …

The ‘Just City’ Or Just A City? : Evaluating Social Justice And Equity In Planning Education., Wes Grooms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary evaluations of accredited planning education performance have eschewed the principles and methodologies of formal program evaluation and performance management. This dissertation tests hypotheses that this contributes to the lack of social equity and justice commitment, content, and inquiry on the part of accredited graduate planning degree programs, their clients, and administrators. The organizations, resources, and processes involved in the purveyance of accredited graduate planning education were conceptualized as a singular, evaluable program and illustrated in a series of program logic models. These models revealed sources of the inattentiveness to normative issues that past evaluations have evidenced, and informed assertions …

Cross-Validation Of The Body Compassion Scale In A Sample Of Women In Perimenopause., Jennifer K. Altman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a cross-validation of the Body Compassion Scale (BCS) to confirm its factor structure and to assess concurrent validity in women in perimenopause. Body compassion is a construct developed by the author referring to the level of compassion with which an individual relates to her body. It is based in contemporary mindfulnessand acceptance-based conceptual models. The body is central to the experience of women in perimenopause. Moreover, this important transition has been largely medicalized— with little attention given to experiential aspects of this natural phase of life. A total of 281 women in perimenopause completed online questionnaires assessing …

Examining The Temporal Directionality Between Teaching Behavior And Affect In High School Students., Bridget Cauley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous empirical studies demonstrate a cross-sectional association between teaching behaviors and students’ positive and negative affect and depressive symptoms. However, only one study comprised only of middle school students has examined the temporal direction of these associations, meaning the temporal direction of associations for high school students remains unclear. Therefore, this two-wave study with high school students investigated the temporal direction of the associations between teaching behaviors and students’ positive and negative affect. Participating students from one public high school (N = 188; 88.8% White; 69.7% female) completed the Teaching Behavior Questionnaire and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect …

Screening Older Adults For Depression : The Relationship Among Clinical Discipline Training, Barriers, Attitudes, Norms, And Perceived Behavioral Control., Ronald W. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is examine the influence of barriers on clinicians’ decisions to screen for depression in older adults or to refer to other health professionals. A second purpose is to explore how well the Theory of Planned Behavior is supported as a framework for understanding the likelihood of screening for depression and how the variables within the theory interact with barriers to affect clinician behavior. A final purpose is to explore characteristics of depression screening or referral of older adults by several clinical disciplines. Design and Methods: This study featured a …

Exploring An Outdoor Experiential And Pyd Program's Influence On Youth In A Residential And Day Treatment Program, Rebecca Durbahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the process and examines the outcomes of youth participating in a positive youth development adventure-based intervention Challenge By Choice (CBC) with outcomes of youth receiving treatment as usual in a residential and day treatment program. This dissertation aims to build on the growing body of literature on outcomes associated with PYD theoretical models and AET approaches. Specifically, the proposed dissertation asks: Is there a difference in externalizing behavioral outcomes for youth who participate in CBC as compared to peers of similar age/behavioral baseline who receive only treatment as usual?

To answer this research question, a mixed methods …

Trace Element Analysis Of Human Dentition From The Elite Meroitic Cemetery At Sedeinga, Sudan To Determine Dietary Consumption And Cultural Behaviors, Tiffany Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Minimal research has been conducted on the human skeletal remains from this site, and this research is aimed toward adding knowledge of the Nubian culture for the period between the 1st c. AD to the 4th c. AD, particularly focusing on answering the following questions: 1) Was intra- individual variation present in dietary consumption or cultural behaviors based on elements found within an individual's multiple molars after analysis; 2) Was an inter-individual variation apparent, based on developmental age through permanent molars, that indicated a distinction between dietary consumption against all individuals; and 3) Based on known medicinal and cosmetic use …

The Doyen Of Dixie: A Survey Of The Banjo Stylings Of Uncle Dave Macon, Corbin F. Hayslett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

David Harrison Macon (1870-1952) is often memorialized for his showmanship rather than his banjo playing. To compartmentalize such a significant American musician yields a wide gap within scholarship about Macon, country music history and the banjo. Macon’s banjo playing, documented through over two-hundred and fifty recordings made between the 1920s and 1950s, represents an array of cultures, eras, ethnicities, and styles all preserved in the repertoire of one of the most prolific country musicians of the 20^th century. This study reveals Macon’s playing by considering such factors as influences that preceded his professional tenure, identifying elements within his playing …

Proximal Minority Stress, Drinking Motives, And Alcohol Use In Appalachian Sexual Minority Women, Sarah Job

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minorities face identity-specific stressors (minority stress). Minority stress often predicts worse health outcomes and behaviors, like increased substance use. The current study examined the relationship between proximal minority stress and hazardous alcohol use. Possible mediators were considered. The current study involved a secondary data analysis of data from 48 sexual minority women who completed an online survey. Measures included the Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale, the Connectedness to the LGBT Community Scale, the AUDIT-5, the Drinking Motives scale, and an item that measured frequency of drinking. Data, analyzed via R, included t-tests, correlations, regression, and mediational analyses. Results showed that …

Interprofessional Relationships In Rural Offender Re-Entry And Management: Mental Health Treatment Providers And Community Supervision Professionals, Michael Lasher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current prevailing approach to managing offenders in the community involves community supervision professionals such as probation and parole officers partnering with other community professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, and other mental health providers to address offenders’ needs. Each type of professional draws from a unique field with goals, values, and theoretical orientations, which do not necessarily overlap. These relationships are rarely studied, and previous examinations are limited. The current study aims to address this deficit in the empirical literature. Drawing on data obtained from qualitative interviews, four aims were examined. First, using thematic analysis, interview data are analyzed …

Do Healthcare Students Endorsing Stigma Of Mental Illness Screen For Suicidal Ideation? An Evaluation Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors, Dannel K. Petgrave

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stigma of mental illness endorsed by healthcare professionals has been linked to adverse outcomes. This issue underscores the need for early anti-stigma interventions in the context of professional training. The present study measured stigma change and suicide screening behaviors among medical, nursing, and pharmacy students enrolled in an interprofessional Communication Skills for Healthcare Professionals course. The Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS; Evans-Lacko et al., 2010), Opening Minds Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC; Modgill, Patten, Knaak, Kassam, & Szeto, 2014), and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale Form C (M-C SDS Form C; Reynolds, 1982) was administered at baseline (T …

Warning Confidence And Perceptions Of Lava Flow Hazard Diversion Strategies At Kīlauea And Mauna Loa Volcanoes, Hawai‘I, Ashleigh Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2014-15 lava flow crisis at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai‘i and post-September 2015 elevated unrest at adjacent Mauna Loa volcano provided opportunities to assess households’ psychological and behavioral responses to different levels of volcanic activity. Weused the Protective Action Decision Model to examine stakeholder perceptions and confidence in warnings, in addition toattitudes toward lava flow mitigation strategies, such as diversion by berms and bombing, and people’s acceptance of additional risk to personal property in exchange for protecting important elements of their community, such as schools, major roads, electrical substation, and shopping centers. Respondents’ confidence in events important in decision-making during emergencies …

Examining The Associative Learning And Accumbal Dopaminergic Mechanisms Of Caffeine Reinforcement, Curtis Bradley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive substance in the world, and most caffeine consumption in coffee and energy drinks is intended to produce a psychoactive effect. However, caffeine is not a primary reinforcer in preclinical paradigms – non-human species do not reliably take the drug to produce a psychoactive effect. However, caffeine is a ‘reinforcement enhancer’ in preclinical models; the effects of caffeine increase the motivation to obtain other non-drug reinforcers. The overall goal of this project was to determine if these reinforcement enhancing effects of caffeine could promote caffeine self-administration and to subsequently investigate the behavioral and neurochemical underpinnings …

Determinants Of Well-Being Among Military Caregivers, Ludwig Marcello Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the current body of research in the field of informal caregivers is extensive, this research focuses on the experiences of civilian caregivers. This focus contributes to limited knowledge regarding factors that influence the experiences of individuals who provide care to ill and/or wounded service members. Although limited, this research suggests that military caregivers often experience higher levels of distress when compared to the national average. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the veteran’s level of disability and dyadic stress on the military caregiver’s overall sense of well-being. Additionally, this study examined the moderating effects of attachment …

Relationship Variables In Group Psychotherapy Treatment For Sexual Trauma Survivors, Sarah Gooch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the aftermath of sexual trauma, many survivors face painful emotions and experiences that impact their mental health and relationships. This study examined relational group psychotherapy processes including group cohesion and bond with the group leaders as vital components in treatment for sexual trauma survivors. The construct of shame was highlighted and the relationship between shame and group cohesion was explored. Outcome measures were used to assess PTSD symptomatology. A repeated-measures design was used to assess groups that were currently occurring in the community for adult, female survivors of sexual trauma. Five treatment groups were evaluated, with 27 members consenting …

Examining The Clinical Prediction Of Cohesion In Group Psychotherapy And Potential Moderators, Ron Dolgin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Group cohesion, or the way in which group members relate and work toward the primary task of a therapy group, is a predictor for positive outcome in group psychotherapy and the building block for most group development models. Research has shown that interventions are most effective when tailored for the developmental stage of the group (Burlingame, Fuhriman, & Johnson, 2001). Logic follows that if best practice dictates that interventions be implemented based on developmental stage which, in turn, is largely informed by group cohesion, then group leaders should be competent in accurately assessing the cohesion of the group. To date, …

Native American Occupation Of The Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History By Integrating Remote Sensing And Archaeological Excavation, Claiborne Sea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Located on a ridgetop in central Kentucky, the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex consists of at least four Native American villages. The Native Americans who lived there are called the “Fort Ancient” by archaeologists. This study examined relationships between these villages, both spatially and temporally, to build a more complete history of site occupation. To do this, aerial imagery analysis, geophysical survey, and archaeological investigations were conducted. This research determined there were differences among villages in terms of their size, however other characteristics—internal village organization, village shape, radiometric dates, and material culture—overlapped significantly. Additionally, landscape-scale geophysical survey identified at least three potentially …

Texas Foster Care Service Providers’ Awareness And Perceptions Of Human Trafficking And Related Risk Factors Among Child Welfare Involved Youth, Kennedy Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to explore foster care service providers’ levels of awareness of human trafficking, exploitation, and related risk factors as experienced by foster youth, and to explore what factors influence those levels of awareness. The study entailed distributing a digital survey to foster care service providers in a snowballing method and encouraging them to send the survey to others. The survey found a statistically significant relationship between awareness/identification of risk factors and identification of exploitation, and the respondent’s previous human trafficking training. This supports the literature which indicates trafficking specific training is necessary to identify trafficking …

A Study Of The Effect On Organizational Factors On Job Satisfaction Of Geriatric Practitioners Between Millennials And Older Generations, Peter (Minsuk) Jang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to recognize and improve the understanding of social workers’ job satisfaction in the geriatric area. Low job satisfaction makes social workers want to move their field and change their career. The research is the conceptual model of the moderating effect of patient engagement. The hypothesis is that the organizational factors of this model (climate, workplace, pay, supervision) lead to low job satisfaction for social workers and the generation gap between Millennials and older generations will result in different job satisfaction. The assumption was that among the factors (climate, workplace, pay, supervision), salary has the …

Acculturation And Cross-Cultural Adaptation Among Refugees: The Moderating Role Of Emotions, Ezdehar Z. Alsahow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a result of venturing across language and culture boundaries, individuals may

be exposed to different ways of living and thinking in which may trigger changes in the

way they conceptualize themselves and others. However, such experiences are not

identical for everyone, and the circumstances facing the crisis of refugees would appear

to be exceptionally difficult.

This paper aimed to address refugees’ attempt to acculturate and integrate into a

new society by examining potential moderating factors of emotional processes. The study

focuses on anger, anxiety, pride, and guilt; emotions that refugees carried with them

when they arrived to the new …

An Examination Of The Impact That Communities In Schools' Interventions Make On High School Academic Performance, Coleton Cooper Dean Spruill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following study seeks to answer the question: What impact does a local Communities In Schools (CIS), a nationwide dropout prevention program, affiliate's interventions have on a high school student's academic performance, absenteeism, and completion rates? To do this, the study examines the grade point average, absenteeism rate, and completion rate of 1298 students across four years of existing data from a local school district. For comparison purposes, the study uses a quasi-experimental approach and breaks the data into four groups: two experimental groups (At-Risk CIS students and Not-At-Risk CIS students) and two control groups (At-Risk students and Not-At-Risk students). …