Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Presence And Therapeutic Demands: The Role Of Technology In The Therapeutic Alliance, Amy Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explores whether access to technology mediated resources that expand social presence opportunities during mental health treatment play a role in what therapists report as difficult therapeutic alliance demands. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious mental health problem, characterized by unstable relationships, anger outbursts and impulsive behaviors. People with BPD tend to be high service users and have difficulty remaining in the treatment setting long enough to benefit from treatment services. Treatment studies have found that the therapeutic alliance is a significant contributing factor to successful outcomes; however, the relational and behavioral difficulties inherent among those diagnosed with …

Empathy And Threatened Egotism In Men’S Use Of Violence In Intimate Relationships, Jessica H. Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study was undertaken to explore the relationship between self-esteem, narcissism, and empathy with intimate partner violence perpetration among men in 2 samples: college students and inmates. The sample was analyzed both as an aggregate and separately. A negative relationship was hypothesized between intimate violence perpetration and both self-esteem and empathy. A positive relationship was expected between intimate violence perpetration and narcissism. A 2-way interaction was examined between self-esteem and narcissism as a test of threatened egotism, defined as high self-esteem coupled with high narcissism, which was not expected in the current study. Empathy was hypothesized to moderate the …

Exploring The Potential Relationship Between Mindfulness And Ratings Of Perceived Exertion., Scott Michael Hanneman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on an evolving, interdisciplinary area of research involving Exercise Science and Clinical Psychology. It investigated the relationship between the perception of present-moment exertion or effort during exercise and a concept called mindfulness. Exertion is commonly measured more objectively using physiological measures (e.g., heart rate) or more subjectively using self-rated Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Mindfulness is characterized as “present-moment, non-judgmental awareness,” or “living in the present.” Despite the acknowledged benefits of physical activity, many people find it burdensome, stressful, and emotionally taxing, especially when first starting an exercise program. Based upon previous research, it was hypothesized that …

The Predictors Of Success Of Palestinian Tawjihi Students In East Jerusalem : A Multilevel Analysis., Rhonda G. Amer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method research study was to identify the predictors of success of Palestinian Arab Tawjihi students in East Jerusalem schools. Three theories guided this research study and assisted in developing the conceptual framework; social disorganization theory, ecological theory, and achievement motivation theory. Methods: The sample consisted of 20 schools and 522 students from 19 different neighborhoods. This study was based on existing data and observational data as well as some qualitative data to provide context for the model results. The existing data were gathered from the different schools, the Ministry of Education, local organizations, neighborhood representatives, and …

Unpacking The Temperament Weight Relationship: The Mediating Role Of Food Preferences, Sarah A. Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the mediating role of possible food preferences on the temperamentweight relationship among 18-month-old toddlers. Parents of 37 typically developing toddlers completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ). During a lab visit toddlers’ weight and recumbent length were measured and recorded. Toddlers also completed a sequential touching task to examine their ability to categorize a healthy group of foods and an unhealthy group of foods. The only temperament measure found to associate with both child weight status and food categorization was inhibitory control. Toddlers’ food categorization was not found to mediate the relationship between inhibitory control and …

An Economic Evaluation Of Primary Care Behavioral Health In Pediatrics: A Case Study, Natasha B. Gouge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A barrier cited by primary care administrators in integrating behavioral health is financial risk. Fee-for-service billing mechanisms remain complex and there is little empirical guidance on cost-effective models. This study was an economic evaluation of an integrated care model in a pediatric private practice clinic. The study evaluated cost benefits by examining specific delivery indices such as concerns presented, time spent, billing codes used, and reimbursement received in regards to pediatric primary care visits by comparing days when an on-site Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) was available versus Non-BHC Days. All 3 hypotheses were supported: 1) more patients were seen in …

The Eiios Task: Executive Function And Word Learning At 18-Months, Leslie A. Patton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an investigation of the association between executive functioning (EF) ability and language development in the latter half of the second year. Fifty-five typically developing 18- month-olds were brought into the lab. The elicited imitation with inappropriate object substitution (EIIOS) task was used as a developmentally sensitive measure of EF. Language acquisition was assessed using a real-time word learning task as well as a parent report measure of vocabulary size (MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Sentences Version). Contrary to expectations, very few statistically significant associations were found between the EF measure and either language measure. Despite these …

Can Self-Compassion Be Induced To Reduce Sexual Minority Stigma And Protect Psychological Functioning?, Sheri Chandler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minorities must deal daily with their stigmatized identities. Specifically, depression and anxiety as well as psychological distress and self-stigma are common among people with stigmatized identities. Self-compassion has been linked to enhanced psychological well-being and less negative feelings toward the self. The aim of this study was to investigate selfcompassion as a potential buffer of the effects of sexual minority related rejection experiences on self-perceptions of stigma and psychological symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to a self-compassion induction group versus 1 of 3 control groups (self-esteem only induction; expressive writing condition; true control) to examine whether self-compassion can be …

A Content Analysis Of A&E'S Hoarders, Samantha J. Redwine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The interest in hoarding has peaked since its first clinical definition in 1996 and is evident by six television shows centered on the topic. This thesis reports the results a content analysis of two seasons (21 episodes) of the popular T.V. series A&E’s Hoarders. People rationalize hoarding in ways that both differ and overlap. Doctors, professional organizers, hoarders and their loved ones collectively frame hoarding as a medical and mental health problem. The results suggest that Americans’ perceptions of hoarding behavior has shifted from one that is deviant behavior to one that is medicalized.

Recognizing 'Game Changers' In Extrapolation Models: An Application To Counterinsurgency, Micah Dolcort-Silver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent empirical studies suggest insurgencies may be accurately described by aggregated extrapolation models, such that past behavior becomes the best predictor for future action. I argue that aggregated extrapolation models possess two flaws that make it a poor choice for examining insurgencies. First, aggregated extrapolation models ask the wrong question. The more interesting question is to ask when present action is no longer explainable by past behavior. Secondly, aggregate models mask changes that a phenomenon undergoes over time which are only revealed upon disaggregating the data. Starting with a model and findings provided by Neil Johnson, I use casualty data …

Encounter At Comic Con, Carly Jerome

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comic books and comic book culture have always been a man's world - until recently. With the growing popularity of graphic novels, movies based off of comic books, and publishers creating more feminist-friendly work, the gender lines are blurring. The short documentary Encounter at Comic Con examines gender stereotypes, and attempts to challenge them. Traveling to Denver's first ever Comic Convention, filmmaker Carly Jerome interviews attendees, professional costume players, and then turns the camera on herself. Her findings are fascinating, but it is her personal journey during the three-day event that is most compelling.

The Organic Beauty Industry: A Gendered Economic Review, Brianna D. Connelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic beauty has grown to a $6 billion dollar industry supplying consumers with products that align with unique social consumption preferences. This thesis explores the historical economic perspective of the traditional beauty industry and the development of the organic beauty industry. Capitalism influenced the traditional beauty industry during the pursuit for profits that lead to jeopardizing customer and environmental safety. Consumers responded to this behavior by founding an organic beauty industry that not only considered social issues, but negated gendered beauty standards in the process. Organic product efficacy has emerged as an issue that must be dealt with by regulation …

Aging And Technology Perspectives Of Web-Based Chronic Disease Self-Management, Jennifer Marie Dickman Portz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many people suffer from chronic disease; however, older adults are at greatest risk of chronic conditions. Although social workers regularly engage with chronically ill older adults, they are not noticeably involved with the research and development of chronic disease management. As such, with recent movements toward health information technology, the efficacy of technology-based chronic disease management is not well established for older adults. Informed by theories of self-management, human development, and technology design, this research investigated lifespan differences of web-based chronic disease self-management. Using a sequential mixed methods design, a secondary data analysis of a diabetes specific web-based self-management intervention …

Remembering Dearfield: A Study Of An Early 20th Century Black Community, Mary Connell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the different meanings of Dearfield, an early 20th Century black farming colony in northeastern Colorado, from the way the settlers’ conceived of their community, to the way that it was portrayed by the founder, to the way that it is remembered today. Through analysis of archival data and government records I show that there were two sides of Dearfield, that remembered by most of the settlers, and that portrayed by the founder O.T. Jackson. A magnetometer survey shows that the townsite was not as densely occupied as the common narrative of Dearfield would suggest, indeed many homesteaders …

Constructing Heroic Ideologies: Mao And Reagan, Alexander A. Bowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The political hero cult of Mao Zedong is archetypal in terms of the development of a modern cult of personality. It was centrally planned and used by the Chinese Communist Party as a political weapon. Its development is well-documented, but this paper describes an element of it that has not been discussed, which is the fact that the true object of veneration in the Mao cult was actually his ideology as a distinct entity from the man himself. This ideology's creation was the original purpose of the CCP's participation in his cult because it was a source of political legitimacy. …

Regime Evolution And The Non-Proliferation Regime: The Proliferation Security Initiative As A Case Study Of Transgovernmental Networking, Pallavi Gulati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The practice of non-proliferation has evolved significantly since its origins during the Cold War. The most recent and notable contribution to the non-proliferation regime has come in the form of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a loose consortium of 102 nation-states through which countries can coordinate, share intelligence, and build capacity to interdict weapons of mass destruction (WMD) related transfers. My objective in this paper is to move beyond the “activity not an organisation” rhetoric espoused by proponents of the PSI and to ask a set of deeper and broader questions regarding why transgovernmental networks (TGNs) like the PSI arise …

¿Del Mar Quién Es Dueño? Artisanal Fisheries, Tourism Development, And The Struggles Over Access To Marine Resources In Playa Gigante, Nicaragua, Nikolai Alexander Alvarado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In post-revolutionary Nicaragua tourism development has been embraced as a way to inject foreign exchange into an ailing economy. Despite rapid growth of the sector, particularly along Nicaragua's southwestern Pacific coast, little attention has been given to the impacts of this development on local producers. This research focuses on the tourism development taking place in the fishing community of Playa Gigante and its impacts on artisanal fisheries. Additionally, I focus on the struggles over access to marine resources, especially with creation of La Anciana Marine Protected Area (MPA), a marine conservation corridor being pushed forth by the largest resort development …

Invisible Victims: An Analysis Of Human Trafficking Vulnerability And Prevention In Bulgarian Romani Communities, Eric Helms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is an international problem that plagues every country in the world. Although no reliable concrete data exist on the extent of human trafficking internationally, it is estimated that thousands of women are trafficked into the European Union every year. According to research conducted by the European Roma Rights Centre in 2010, a disproportionately high percentage of these victims are of Roma ethnicity. Research from service providers, law enforcement and international organizations estimates that Roma comprise between 50 to 80 percent of human trafficking victims in Bulgaria with similar levels across Central and Eastern Europe. High levels of ethnic …

Disrupting Privilege: A High School Curriculum, Cassidy M. Higgins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current privilege pedagogy scholarship demonstrates the importance of understanding privilege as an entryway into critical studies and everyday community engagement. Thus, this dissertation argues that privilege must be introduced into education earlier, such as high school. In order to demonstrate ethical possibilities of meeting the need for care, this project integrates social work and critical pedagogy scholarship that explores teaching privilege in the classroom, with culture and communication scholarship. This dissertation connects culture and communication, critical pedagogy, and performance to demonstrate an applied use of communication scholarship in two classroom settings to explore dialogues of privilege through a curriculum titled …

"As Our Elders Taught Us To Speak It": Chinuk Wawa And The Process Of Creating Authenticity, Kylie N. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chinuk Wawa (also called Chinook Jargon) began as a trading language of the Pacific Northwest in the late eighteenth century. As it developed, it became the major heritage language of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, an intertribal nation located in Oregon. Now, as older speakers of the language pass on, there is an effort by the Grand Ronde to revitalize this language not only on the Grand Ronde Reservation, but also in nearby Portland, Oregon. However, revitalization can be a complicated process, as tribal leaders attempt to define Chinuk to maintain its traditions while adapting its vocabulary for …

Penning The Shipper-Worthy Screenplay: Exploration Of Network Television Situational Comedy And The Crime Procedural, Kacie Henderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Network television writers often utilize ongoing romantic turmoil as a plot device to form loyal fan bases called "shippers," viewers who become deeply invested in the romantic relationships between their favorite television couples. For my thesis, I explored the shipper paradigm and the differences between network sitcoms and crime procedurals by creating one spec script The Big Bang Theory and another for Bones. I used research and my own personal experiences to analyze both series and write episodes that could fit within the established canons of both programs. Through the writing process I came to understand something very important …

Impact Of Rail Transit On The Denver Metro Region: Transportation And Land Use, Sutapa Bhattacharjee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among the reasons behind construction of the light rail system in the 1990s and 2000s and currently the FasTracks lines, in Denver metro region, has been reduction of traffic congestion and consolidation of land use. This research analyzes the success of the rail transit system in achieving the above-mentioned goals.

A temporal and spatial analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) data from 1992 to 2008 on the highways in Denver has been conducted to determine if traffic congestion has reduced after the initial light rail service began in 1994. Temporal analysis provides an insight into the changes in the level …

Academic Success Of African American Males In The Blount County, Tennessee: Perceptions Of The Community, Keri Charnelle Prigmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate factors that contribute to the academic success of African American males in the Blount County Area. More specifically, the study was focused on the perception of the participants concerning noncognitive, demographic, and institutional variables associated with the academic success of African-American males. The participants for this study were attendees of four local churches: Mount Pleasant A.M.E. Zion, Rest Haven Missionary Baptist Church, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, and St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church. Each of the four churches is located in Blount County, Tennessee. Participants were male and female adults of …

News Media Framing Of Gay Teen Suicide And Bullying, Averie Alese Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined patterns of framing in newspaper articles that mention gay teen suicide, gay bullying, and the "It Gets Better" campaign. A content analysis of randomly selected newspaper articles from 2009-2011 was performed. After presenting the frequency of content themes, emergent patterns are discussed. The most consistent theme--an evasive frame-- occurred with regard to homophobia, heterosexism, and meaningful solutions to anti-gay bullying. The day-to-day discrimination that LGBTQ people face was rarely addressed; instead, hot-button political topics such as same-sex marriage and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" were presented as signs of social progress. This research shows the importance of media …

Mentor Principals’ Perceptions About A Mentoring Program For Aspiring Principals, Steven Nicholas Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of principals who serve as mentors for an internship program for aspiring principals at East Tennessee State University. Each mentor was interviewed to gather information about the internship program, the benefits of mentoring in the program, and what the mentors may have learned about their tacit knowledge as a result of the experience. Mentors and the professors in the Educational Leadership Policy Analysis department at ETSU may benefit from the findings as the design of the school leadership program continues to advance.

Mentoring is an important component of training for …

Framing The 2012 Olympics: A Content Analysis Of International Newspaper Coverage Of Female Athletes, Jessica Giuggioli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present content analysis was designed to identify the representation of female athletes in the media during the 2012 London Olympics. Coders analyzed 617 mentions of male and female athletes in order to determine the quantity and quality of coverage during the 2012 Olympics. The research mostly supported previous literature concerning the depiction of female athletes in the media, as the study revealed an imbalance in the quantity and quality of coverage of male and female athletes in newspapers. The frequency of mentions of female athletes was lower than the frequency of mentions of male athletes. Furthermore, female athletes were …

The Effect Of Political Advertising On Perceived Bias And Credibility Of Online News Stories, Salma M. Ayad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an investigation of the effect of political advertising on readers’ perceived bias and credibility of an online news article based on participants’ political leanings. Media priming and the hostile media effect were the theoretical underpinnings. Participants were asked to read an unbiased news article placed alongside 3 advertisements. Participants were put into 1 of 3 conditions — right-leaning advertisements, left-leaning advertisements, or neutral advertisements. They then answered questions about the perceived bias and credibility of the article and their own political affiliation. The researchers hypothesized that left-leaning individuals would perceive the article with right-leaning advertisements as biased …

Julian Assange: A Content Analysis Of Media Framing In Newspapers Around The World, Meylin K. Menjivar Andrade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researcher conducted a content analysis in order to examine how the media framed Julian Assange after the Ecuadorian government granted him political asylum at their embassy in London on August 16, 2012. Researchers compared 380 English and Spanish language newspaper articles from North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, and Latin America to examine regional differences in the way Assange was framed.

This study revealed that generally the tone toward Assange was mostly neutral or positive in all continents. Furthermore, European media gave more attention to Julian Assange than did media from North America or other continents.

Exploratory research revealed that …

Preventing Skin Cancer In Adolescent Girls Through Intervention With Their Mothers, Mary K. Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Indoor tanning (IT) before the age of 35 increases one’s risk for melanoma by 75%, and epidemiological data show a 6.1% annual increase in the incidence of melanomas in white women younger than age 44 in the US. Population-based studies reveal that 15% of adolescents and 8% to 14% of their primary caregivers have engaged in IT in the past year.

The compelling case for IT being a significant risk factor for melanoma, together with the high rates of IT in teen girls and their mothers, provided a strong rationale for conducting an antitanning intervention directed at mother-daughter dyads. This …

Police Militarization: Attitudes Towards The Militarization Of The American Police, Phillip T. Wyrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Police militarization is a critical contemporary issue in the criminal justice field; however, only a minor amount of research exists on this issue. Almost no research exists on public attitudes toward police militarization, which is very important given the social context. A contextual literature review covers a brief history of American police with emphasis on key events leading to modern police militarization, such as the Munich Incident and Columbine. Also covered are research topics that help outline the need for research on public attitudes in this field, such as the amount and use of PPUs by Peter Kraska and the …