Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Challenging Conventional Wisdom : Section 8 Housing And The Real Impact On Neighborhood Values In Louisville, Kentucky., Paul Francis Dries

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Section 8 Housing was designed to de-concentrate poverty and spread affordable housing across communities. There are many studies that have evaluated the successes associated with the policy of dispersing the urban poor to the surrounding suburban areas in various cities. The positive impacts of dispersing the urban poor, in terms of education, self-esteem, and jobs, is well documented. There are fewer studies related to the potential externalities associated with these programs. This study uses advanced multiple regression techniques to study 170 Louisville neighborhoods to look at whether large concentrations of Section 8 housing have a negative impact on neighborhood housing …

Determining Public Perceptions Toward Wildland Fire In The Veluwe Region Of The Netherlands, Amy Brennan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Netherlands has been facing a growing threat of wildfires due to warmer

and drier weather patterns. The purpose of this study was to identify public

perceptions toward wildland fire in the forested Veluwe region of the country. The

Dutch have little experience with wildland fires or fire as a management tool. In a

collaborative effort between Stephen F. Austin State University and the Instituut

Fysieke Veiligheid, the Dutch public safety agency, a survey was distributed to

residents and visitors to the Veluwe to reveal and quantify public opinions and

perceptions regarding wildland fire and public expectations of government

agencies …

Residual Feed Intake And The Relationship With Performance, Temperament And Carcass Traits In Growing And Finishing Steers, Courtney R. Branton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two trials were conducted with Santa Gertrudis steers, trial 1 (n = 115) and trial 2 (n = 118), were fed a roughage-based diet during the growing phase and high-grain diet during the finishing phase. Steers were weighed at 14-d intervals and dry matter intake (DMI) measured for 70 d during both phases. Residual feed intake (RFI) is the difference between actual DMI and DMI predicted from linear regression of DMI on mid-test metabolic body weight. Ultrasound carcass measurements were measured on day 0 and 70 of the growing phase. Steers were harvested after finishing phase and carcass cooler traits …

"We Weren't Created To Do It By Ourselves" : Good Mothering And Maternal Support Across Race, Class, And Family Structure., Cheryl Lynn Crane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maternal support contributes to maternal and child well-being, yet not all mothers incorporate support into their maternal practices. Most research on mothering standards and practices in the U.S. focuses on white, middle-class, married mothers. This study expands upon this research by incorporating an intersectional lens to explore how mothers interpret standards of “good mothering” across race, class, and family structure. I conducted a mixed-method evaluation of a nonprofit program offering peer-based maternal support to mothers of color, lower-income mothers, and single mothers; 41 in-depth interviews with mothers to learn why maternal support resonated with some, but not all, mothers; and …

Investigating Barriers To Mental Health Care In Law Enforcement Officers, Samantha F. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The profession of law enforcement is an inherently stressful job. Although the physical stress of the job is often discussed, the mental health impact on officers is often ignored, resulting in poor mental health and increased risk for suicide. The purpose of the current study was to investigate factors related to the reluctance of law enforcement officers (LEOs) to seeking treatment, as well as to gain an understanding of the prevalence rates of disorders in a law enforcement population. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants (N = 306) across a variety of agencies. Correlation, moderated regression analysis, and structural …

Policing Postsecondary Education: University Police Legitimacy And Fear Of Crime On Campus, Christina N. Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing the perceptions that students have of the university police officers charged with ensuring student safety is important to maintaining the overall safety of the campus. The current study sought to assess the relationship between student perceptions of university police and the fear of crime felt by students while on campus. Data collection was conducted through a survey methodology using a convenient sample of students in which a self-report survey was sent to the university email addresses of all students enrolled in a southeastern university (n=260). Through the employment of a scale developed to assess the perceptions of university police …

Distress, Circadian Rhythms, Immunity, And Survival In Presurgical Breast Cancer Patients., Whitney Nicole Rebholz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women with breast cancer experience significant stress related to diagnosis and treatment, which may negatively affect physiology (e.g., circadian, endocrine, and immune) and contribute to cancer progression. Demographic (e.g., ethnic minority) and neighborhood factors can contribute to cancer-related stress. African American women with breast cancer experience more adverse disease pathology and earlier mortality; however, factors that explain these disparities rarely have been explored. It is hypothesized that psychosocial stressors (i.e., ethnicity, neighborhood stress, and cancerrelated stress) will be related to one another. Associations of psychosocial stress with physiological disruption are posited with regard to circadian, endocrine, and immune function. It …

Testing Specific Deterrence In The National Basketball Association: An Application Of Beccaria's Theory Of Deterrence, Michael Mccutcheon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the concept of deterrence has been applied to punishment in America’s criminal justice system, the empirical data is mixed on whether is effectively deters crime. This lack of consensus may be a result of missing elements from deterrence theory; namely, that punishment is often neither swift nor certain. Similar to the criminal justice system, professional sports leagues aim to control behavior of athletes by having guidelines that, when violated, result in punishment. However, these punishments are delivered much quicker and there is a higher level of certainty. The current study examines specific deterrence in the National Basketball Association by …

Portrayal Of African Women In Nollywood Films Over A Five-Year Period: A Content Analysis Of Traits Applying The Stereotype Content Model, Olushola Aromona

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research shows that perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs are cultivated via media exposure. A content analysis of stereotypical traits in five Nollywood movies in a five-year span examines the prevalent portrayals of women in the Nigerian movie industry – Nollywood, and the effect of these portrayals on reinforcement of stereotypical norms and perpetuation of gender disparity. Cultivation and Objectification theories were the theoretical frameworks for this study. Findings revealed no significant change in the stereotypical portrayals of women in the past five years. From the movies analyzed, Nollywood movies appear to remain persistent in typically depicting women as unambitious domestic …

Heritage Tourism In Washington County, Tennessee: Linking Place, Placelessness, And Preservation, Chad F. Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the formation of spatial theory and the linkage between space and place and their relationship with historic preservation and heritage tourism. First, this thesis analyzes the terms space and place, and how scholars define each term. Second, this thesis focuses on the concept of placelessness. Third, this thesis examines historic preservation as a strategy to help alleviate placelessness and as a crucial link to heritage tourism. This thesis also will use regional examples of preservation and tourism as exemplified by the preservation efforts of private organizations, citizens, and government officials in Jonesborough,Johnson City, and Washington County,Tennessee. This …

Forgiveness And Suicidal Behavior In College Students: Cynicism And Psychache As Serial Mediators, Trever Dangel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has long documented beneficial associations between forgiveness and numerous health outcomes; however, its relationship to suicidal behavior has been relatively neglected. Both cynicism, and psychache, or agonizing psychological pain, have displayed deleterious associations with suicidal behavior, but have rarely been incorporated into more comprehensive models of suicidal behavior. Recent work has resulted in the development of a theoretical model of the forgiveness-suicidal behavior association, which can incorporate several mediator variables including cynicism and psychache. The present study used an undergraduate sample of college students (N = 312) to test a serial mediation model of the cross-sectional associations between forgiveness, …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Racial Equity In One Early Childhood Education Program, Dawn M. Meskil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although public education in the United States has had remarkable growth and improvement since its beginning, significant inadequacies concerning racial equity continue to cast a shadow on the system. Despite desegregation efforts and specific attention to providing integrated school settings there has been little progress in establishing educational justice. The purpose of this case study was to uncover perceptions about racial inequity within Asheville City Schools as well as potential facilitators of equity. A qualitative case study using 10 guiding research questions was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of parents as well as educators at Asheville City Schools Preschool regarding …

Restoring Relationship: How The Methodologies Of Wangari Maathai And The Green Belt Movement In Post-Colonial Kenya Achieve Environmental Healing And Women's Empowerment, Casey L. Wagner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effects of the colonial project in Kenya created multi-faceted damages to the land and indigenous people-groups. Using the lens of ecofeminism, this study examines the undergirding structures that produce systems such as colonization that oppress and destroy land, people, and other beings. By highlighting the experience of the Kikuyu people within the Kenyan colonial program, the innovative and ingenious response of Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement proves to be a relevant and effective counter to women's disempowerment and environmental devastation in a post-colonial nation. The approach of the Green Belt Movement offers a unique and accessible method for empowering …

Social Identities And Meanings In Correctional Work, Caitlin C. Botelho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on correctional officers’ values and perceptions of their workplace, the people they work with and for, and members of the general public. Although prior research has investigated correctional staff members’ feelings about their occupation, far fewer studies have implemented a comprehensive qualitative, microsociological approach. The author conducted 20 in-depth interviews with current and former correctional officers (COs) in public-supported facilities. Additional data were collected through two public Facebook pages designated for COs and citizens interested in the criminal justice system. The study offers insights about the significance of COs’ feelings about their work and how the correctional …

Measuring Organizational Climate At The Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District, Sarah Floyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to answer the question, according to the Competing Values Framework, what is the organizational climate of the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District (ATCPHD)? Organizational climate for this study refers to the collective perceptions of employees on their interactions with their peers, management, and the organization. This study surveyed the 64 employees at the ATCPHD with the Organizational Climate Measure (OCM). Forty employees participated in the study. The study determined that the climate of the ATCPHD, according to Competing Values Framework (CVF), was the Human Relations organizational climate with a secondary climate of Relational Goals. …

Experiences Of Credibility: Female Instructors Of Color At Faith Based Universities, Jamilah L. Spears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that the credibility of instructors of color is often questioned by White students, while other studies prove that male instructors are also perceived as more credible than female instructors (Hendrix, 1997; Perry, Moore, Edwards, Acosta, & Frey, 2009). When these two findings are coupled, it seems that there might be a significant barrier to overcome for female instructors of color in their everyday instruction. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore perceived credibility for female instructors of color at faith-based universities, namely, Evangelical Christian universities. Based on my analysis of the interview data, these six female …

Factors Contributing To The Economic Self-Sufficiency Of At-Risk Foster Youth Who Have Aged Out Of Care, Alexzandra M. Hust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foster youth aging out of care encounter many struggles upon transitioning into adulthood, resulting in an increased risk of homelessness and adverse social, health, and financial outcomes. This study aimed to determine if various factors (environmental factors: education, mental health service, social support and personal factors: incarceration, substance abuse referral, and unplanned parenthood) were associated with indicators of economic self-sufficiency (full-time and part-time employment, housing stability, and use of financial, food, and housing assistance). Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to explore risk and predictive factors of each indicator of economic self-sufficiency with a sample of 265 19 year old foster …

A Moderated Mediation Model Of Minority Stress And Resilience Factors In Sexual Minority Christian College Students : Comparison Between Process And Sem., Elisabeth R. Latino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study has built upon previous sexual orientation minority stress research to explore sexual minority Christian college students’ experiences with subtle on-campus discrimination at Christian and secular colleges. Specifically, the roles of various protective and distress factors in relationship to overall psychological distress were examined. Data were gathered by inviting participants to take a one-time online survey through Qualtrics. Links to the survey were distributed through social media, listserves, and contacts with LGBT campus organization leaders. Samples sizes varied based on the method utilized to address missing data (listwise deletion n=134, multiple imputation n=207) and conduct the analyses. Two …

Effects Of Attachment Style, Coping Strategy, Social Support And Spirituality On Parental Grief Among Older Chinese Parents : Structural Equation Modeling., Yongqiang Zheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most modern grief theories and clinical working models are constructed in the context of Western culture, and the effectiveness or explanatory power of those theories and models have not been fully tested in other cultures, especially through a more complex interactive model. The current study focuses on the role of attachment style, coping strategy, social support and spirituality on older bereaved parents’ grief. It also explores if differences in age, gender, causes of the child’s death, time since the death have a differential effect on parental grief. The purpose of this study was to test the main factors effectively mediating …

Global And Specific Attachment Patterns In Romantic Relationships : Distinct And Interactional Functions., Megan Manthos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attachment theory conceptualizes emotional regulation and relational behavior as developmental processes grounded in early relationships with caregivers. Attachment has been researched extensively, however, there is not consensus about the mechanism of attachment across different relationship types (e.g., friends, family, romantic partners). Research suggests that attachment can be organized as an overarching global pattern of relating under which relationship-specific patterns emerge and vary distinctly. This study seeks to better understand the nature of global attachment patterns vs. romantic attachment patterns using self-report responses from a sample of 302 adults in serious romantic relationships. We hypothesized that psychological outcomes more referential to …

Sex, Sexuality And Sexual Practice For Trans Individuals And Their Romantic Partners., Kinton Rossman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transgender populations demonstrate significant sexual diversity, with over three-fourths (77%) of transgender individuals identifying as sexual minorities (Grant et al., 2011); however, a majority of research on sex, sexuality, and sexual practice has focused exclusively on cisgender and heterosexual individuals and, perhaps more importantly, addressed these issues a heteronormative and cisnormative perspective (Nichols, 2014). Such frameworks have created significant gaps in research about sex, sexuality, and sexual practice for trans individuals including understanding how gender transition influences sex and sexuality and how trans individuals and their partners engage in sexual practice. The current study addressed these omissions in the literature …

How The City Of Indianapolis Came To Have African American Policemen And Firemen 80 Years Before The Modern Civil Rights Movement., Leon E. Bates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores a series of events that occurred in the spring of 1876. The relationship between the Indianapolis city government, the Marion County Courts, the Indianapolis Police Department, and the African American community came together to usher in changes never before envisioned. The Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) was formed in 1855, then disbanded 12 months later in a political dispute. From 1857-to-1876, the IPD was all white. These changes took place as the Reconstruction era was coming to a close. The first Ku Klux Klan was at its apex, terrorizing black communities, and Jim Crow was coming into its …

Influences Of Self-Construals And Personality Styles On International Students' Depressive Symptoms., Yu-Yun Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature suggested that personality styles (i.e., sociotropy and autonomy; Beck, 1983) are vulnerability factors that could – in interaction with stress - trigger mental health concerns. Culturally influenced self-construals (Kashima, Yamaguchi, Kim, Choi, Gelfand, & Yuki, 1995; Markus & Kitayama, 1991) also detect how individuals function in a sociocultural context. While the number of international students in the U.S. increased over the past decades, their reported mental health concerns warrant more attention. This study explored relationships among self-construals, personality styles, domain-specific stressful life events, and depressive symptoms among international students in the U.S. Participants were 579 international students (identified …

Mechanisms Responsible For The Development Of Causal Perception In Infancy., Nicholas A. Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the current dissertation was to investigate the mechanisms that contribute to the emergence of causal perception in infancy. Previous research suggests that the experience of self-produced causal action may be necessary to promote the development of causal perception (Rakison & Krogh, 2012). The goal of the current study was two-fold: (1) to further explore the roles of self-produced action, haptic, proprioceptive and visual information, and parental interaction on young infants’ understanding of causality. To assess the impact of these factors on infants’ causal learning, 4½-month-olds were randomly assigned to one four conditions. Three of the conditions (Active …

Learning From Science Lectures : Students Remember More And Make Better Inferences When They Complete Skeletal Outlines Compared To Other Guided Notes., David Bradley Bellinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is common for students to take notes during lectures, but the accuracy and completeness of these notes is highly questionable. Therefore, instructors must make an important decision – should they provide their students with lecture notes? If so, how complete should the notes be and in what format? The present experiments examined how note format and degree of support impacted the encoding benefit of note-taking. In Experiment 1, undergraduate students listened to brief audio-recorded science lectures (Human blood, N = 42; Human ear, N = 36) and completed skeletal outlines (requiring students to conceptually organize the information using the …

A Culturally-Sensitive Cognitive Model Of Worry In African American Youth., Allyn Elizabeth Richards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our understanding of worry in children and adolescents has been increasingly enhanced over the past decade through the downward extension of adult cognitive models. Although our knowledge about the cognitive factors that place children at risk for worry has grown, little is known about these processes within African American youth. This is particularly notable given extant work suggesting that risk and protective processes are influenced by contextual factors. The current study reviews literatures regarding cognitive factors associated with worry and sociocultural factors salient to the African American context in order to inform a culturally-sensitive cognitive model of worry in African …

Life Balance In Adult Healthy Siblings Of Individuals With Childhood Cancer., Yolanda Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Siblings of children who were diagnosed with cancer in childhood experience significant stress and psychological difficulties as a result of the cancer. Furthermore, the needs of siblings have often been overlooked in the cancer literature, prompting the need for more studies. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the life balance and social support outcomes of adults who grew up in the household with a sibling that was diagnosed with cancer. The study sample consisted of 120 adult healthy siblings who grew up in a household with a sibling that was diagnosed with cancer prior to age 19. Participants …

Nurses' Intentions To Initiate An Antipsychotic Or Behavioral Intervention With Nursing Home Residents : The Role Of Norms, Being Evaluated, Self-Efficacy, Time Pressures, And Staffing., Brian M. Ludwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the Study: This experimental study examined whether exposure to an injunctive norm against antipsychotic use and a sense of being evaluated influenced nurses’ intentions to initiate an antipsychotic or behavioral intervention with nursing home residents who have dementia-related behavioral difficulties, and examined the interrelationships of perceived time pressures, staffing, self-efficacy, and the nurses’ treatment intentions. Design and Methods: A total of 158 nurses from 28 long-term care facilities were randomized to one of four conditions within a two (injunctive norm: salient vs. not salient) x two (sense of evaluation: salient vs. not salient) between-participants design in …

Therapeutic Treatments For Ptsd : Does Type Of Treatment Impact Help Seeking Behaviors In A Military Sample?, Tyler Conley Halford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are several known barriers that people face that decrease the likelihood of seeking professional psychological help. The present study sought to identify whether certain treatment types for PTSD serve as barriers to seeking psychological help. It specifically sought to identify trauma-focused treatments as potential barriers due to their perception of being emotionally challenging. A survey was administered to 84 respondents. Of the respondents, 41 were randomly assigned to read a treatment protocol for an exposure-based, trauma-focused psychotherapy for PTSD, which 43 were randomly assigned to read a protocol for a trauma-avoidant psychotherapy for PTSD. Measures of attitudes toward seeking …

Rumination, Worry, And Drinking Behaviors In College Students : A Mediation Analysis., Stephanie Winkeljohn Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health and alcohol-related behaviors are constructs of concern on university campuses, as a significant portion of college students experience alcohol-related consequences. There is an established link between mental health variables, including repetitive thoughts associated with depression and anxiety, and drinking behaviors among college students. However, how preventative behaviors – protective behavioral strategies – impact the associations between repetitive thoughts and drinking behaviors and outcomes is less understood. The current longitudinal study analyzed mediational relationships among these variables in college students at a mid-sized 4-year university (N = 107; 78.5% female; average age = 21.06 years, SD = 4.41). Analyses …