Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Theoretical Motivations For Posting In #Metoo, Shannon Pappas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2017, actress Alyssa Milano shared a tweet encouraging survivors of gendered violence to write “me too.” A media storm ensued as survivors answered her call in the millions. Anyone can look back at what survivors posted during the height of #MeToo, but we still don’t know why they felt the need to post in the first place. To answer this question, the social identity model of deindividuation effects and spiral of silence were utilized. The social identification, perceived anonymity affordances, and willingness to self-censor scales were used for this research, along with a perceived deindividuation scale that was created …

Impact Of Covid-19 Relief Packages On U.S. Household Food Security And Food Expenditure, Bridget Yeboah Bafowaa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in consumer shopping habits, including food expenditures. The pandemic induced changes in food expenditure patterns, food accessibility, and declining household income contributed to increased food insecurity during the pandemic. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of COVID-19- related relief packages on food security and food expenditures. The effect of Economic Impact Payments, P-EBT, SNAP, and free food will be considered. Using data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a total sample of 1,899,929 households were analyzed in this study. The HPS is a nationally representative survey structured to produce data …

The Impact Of Cluster Strength On Wages: An Empirical Analysis, Devan Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the relationship between clusters (i.e., the grouping of competitive, interconnected industries within a geographical area) and wages, building upon the work of Marshall (1890) and Porter (2003) on the importance of clusters for regional economic development. I seek to answer two research questions. First, after accounting for robustness tests, do clusters continue to affect wages positively? Second, is labor force productivity the only channel through which this relationship occurs? In my analysis, I employ ordinary least squares, two-stage least squares, and fixed effects regression analyses using panel data from 2009 to 2014 for every U.S. …

Would Ai Stocks Estimate Be As Surprised To Usda Stocks Reports As Private Market Analysts?, Asif Mahmud Chowdhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The USDA survey-based Quarterly Agriculture Stocks (QAS) reports are the primary source of information regarding the relative supply of U.S. corn, soybeans, and wheat for the last fifty years. Research has examined USDA stock reports and their relevancy to the market (e.g., Isengildina-Massa et al., 2021). In addition, private industry analysts estimate expected quarterly grain stock reports before USDA releases them. Market information firms such as Bloomberg and Reuters publish a subset of these estimates a few days before the USDA reports. Previous research has found that when industry analysts have significant differences in stock expectations compared to what the …

Feasibility Of Earthships As Sustainable Homes In Brookings County, South Dakota, Whitney Sunkwah Yeboah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Addressing the issue of housing deficit while providing affordable and sustainable homes is a significant problem in the United States today. This has prompted architects to design homes with less adverse environmental impacts despite their affordability, hence the birth of sustainable housing. Earthships are sustainable homes built from recycled materials, utilize solar or wind energy, and function as self-sufficient units. The study's main aim is to assess residents' perceptions of earthships and their willingness to adopt earthships in Brookings County, South Dakota. The research employs online surveys to garner data from residents, and data are analyzed using mixed methods. Results …

Firm-Level Political Risk And Corporate R&D Investment, Emmanuel Boah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I examine how firms make R&D investment decisions during periods of political uncertainty. To minimize stickiness and overly generalized assumptions, I employ quarterly data. I find that firms invest more in R&D when facing high levels of political risk. The results suggest that this positive relationship between political risk and R&D investment is more pronounced for competitive and politically sensitive firms. Additionally, the positive association is evident among firms with higher growth opportunities and more liquid assets. The results are robust to the test for correlation, addressing endogeneity, and alternative proxies adopted for the variables of interest. Overall, the findings …

Simulating The Impact Of Emissions Control On Economic Productivity Using Particle Systems And Puff Dispersion Model, Najam Khan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A simulation platform is developed for quantifying the change in productivity of an economy under passive and active emission control mechanisms. The program uses object-oriented programming to code a collection of objects resembling typical stakeholders in an economy. These objects include firms, markets, transportation hubs, and boids which are distributed over a 2D surface. Firms are connected using a modified Prim’s Minimum spanning tree algorithm, followed by implementation of an all-pair shortest path Floyd Warshall algorithm for navigation purposes. Firms use a non-linear production function for transformation of land, labor, and capital inputs to finished product. A GA-Vehicle Routing Problem …

Perceptions Of Organizational Politics And Interpersonal Relationships In Black Women's Organizations And Sororities, Mitzi S. Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although much research has addressed the relationships between leaders and followers, none has focused on these relationships between Black women—specifically, in the context of Black women’s social service organizations and sororities—and the impact the leader’s chosen style of leadership has on the followers’ use of voice. Self silencing is a prominent response to the power dynamic in many leader–follower relationships. The purpose of this study was to describe the interactions between leaders and followers in Black women’s social service organizations and sororities and identify the influence leadership style has on follower engagement. This study extends the application of silencing the …

The Relationship Between Urban Green Space Perception And Use Within The Adolescent Population: A Focused Ethnography, Rachel Lyons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Greenspace is beneficial for improving adolescent mental health, yet we still do not understand the connection between the built environment and subjective mental wellbeing. We also lack understanding of how this population uses greenspace and how they feel when in it. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was threefold: to understand why adolescents use greenspace, to identify how they use greenspace, and to explore how they feel when they are in greenspace. Methods: participated in a focused ethnography that utilized auto photography for photo elicitation. Braun and Clark's (2006), six phases of thematic analysis were used to guide …

A Qualitative Study Into Modern Psychoanalytic Joining And Mirroring Through Psychotherapeutic Exchanges, Tricia Shihui Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation intends to address current deficits in knowledge regarding the modern psychoanalytic interventions of joining and mirroring, including substantial definition issues in the literature and the absence of current writings on the psychotherapeutic interventions of joining and mirroring in practice. The focus of the study was on the ever-dynamic landscape between modern analytically-informed practitioners and their clients in psychotherapeutic exchange(s) that the practitioners believed encompassed joining and/or mirroring interventions. Participants were six experienced practitioners who described their clinical work as being informed by modern psychoanalysis and who have engaged or were currently engaging in individual psychotherapy with a client. …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Traditional Taped-Problems Intervention With A Remote Delivery Version For Increasing Math Fact Fluency, Cortney Chelecki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The knowledge of math fact fluency skills is crucial for children to develop both related and subsequent necessary math skills. Students require fluency in basic math facts in order to successfully understand and perform more complicated math problems. Research has shown that students demonstrating math skill deficits are likely to have limited cognitive capacity to devote to higher math tasks, and also suffer from math-related anxiety, a lack of engagement, and limited vocational and career opportunities (Delli Sante et al., 2001; Gersten & Chard, 1999; Parkhurst et al., 2010; Poncy et al., 2007; Riconscente, 2013). During the COVID-19 pandemic, all …

Facial Expression Recognition Deficits In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Zachary Friedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are an umbrella term for lifelong neurobehavioral disorders characterized by a set of social (verbal and nonverbal) communication challenges and behaviors and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Emotions serve many functions, but primarily they help with the appraisal of stimuli and driving of responses. Emotional processing and facial recognition are integral abilities that influence the acquisition of social skills. For individuals with ASD, it is hypothesized that facial recognition deficits contribute to social communication traits. The bulk of previously conducted research has utilized static images of facial expressions. This study utilized videos of spontaneous expressions. Participants were tasked …

Feel My Story: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Latinx Counselors-In-Training Experiences With Psychological Safety, Felishatee Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used in the current study to examine how Latinx counselors-in-training (CITs) define and experience psychological safety in their classroom environments while enrolled in CACREP-accredited master’s degree programs in the United States. In the present study, IPA was employed to make sense of the participants’ detailed narratives and discover how Latinx CITs interpreted and made meaning of their experiences with psychological safety in classroom environments. Serving as the theoretical framework, Latino Critical Theory was used to weave together and validate the cultural components of Latinx CITs’ accounts as they orchestrated themselves through their CACREP-accredited master’s …

Tabletop Role-Playing Games As Autism Psychotherapy: A Video-Cued Multivocal Clinical Ethnography, Adina Rubin-Budick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study is a video-cued multivocal ethnography that analyzed the clinical reasoning and perspectives of psychotherapists using Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPG) as a therapeutic treatment for children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum conditions. With a growing number of TRPG therapists nationwide using this modality in their clinical practices, this study aimed to develop a clearer understanding of the ways in which their therapeutic orientation, gaming practices, and knowledge of Autism Spectrum Conditions informs their use of TRPG psychotherapy with Autistic clients.

Research that focuses on clinical decision-making and the knowledge that informs clinical interventions and technique generally refers …

Examining The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Violent Crime In The City Of Pittsburgh, Brittany Urban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to examine patterns of Part I crimes [including Part I Person/Violent: Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault, and Robbery, and Part I Property: Burglary, Larceny-Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Arson, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Standards] in The City of Pittsburgh, framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a major stressor that Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory suggests may lead to increased opportunity for crime, due to the perceived unjustness of the associated lockdown orders and potential incentive for criminal coping (Agnew 1992). This descriptive analysis is based primarily upon …

The Impact Of Antecedent Physical Exercises On Increasing On-Task Behaviors And Decreasing Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors In Elementary Students With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder In Saudi Arabia, Shadi Albadawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical exercises (PEs) are one of the most used approaches by researchers to treat restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) and enhance on-task behaviors in students with high-functioning Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although PEs is recognized as Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) for students with ASD in the United States of America (USA) that are based on moderate evidence, it is important to conduct more empirical studies to explore its effects on individuals with ASD from different populations in the KSA. The current study used a single-subject, multiple baseline design across subjects to examine the effect of antecedent structured physical exercises (teaching soccer …

Religion And Spirituality As A Coping Mechanism For Racial Microaggressions: A Literature Review, Ashia Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racial discrimination is still very prevalent in the United States. People of color continue to face racism despite efforts to eradicate it. Sometimes it comes in a more subtle form known as a microaggression which can be an everyday occurrence for many people (Lewis & Neville, 2015). This is a unique stressor in that it targets an aspect of an individual that cannot be changed, and it requires the individual to decide to either confront their offender or handle it in a different manner. The goal of this paper is to perform a literature review to investigate if African Americans …

The Effects Of Esports On Sport-Confidence And Imagery In Athletes, Kelton Mahon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the growing popularity of esports, athletes may be able to experience potential cognitive and performance-related benefits as a result of watching others play esports. In the current study, student athletes were randomly assigned to watch a sport esport video or a control esport video and then completed measures of sport-confidence and imagery. It was predicted that participants in the sport esport video group would score higher than the control esport video group in the cognitive efficiency and resilience aspects of sport-confidence, as well as the cognitive general, motivational general-mastery, and motivational general-arousal domains of imagery. The overall results did …

La Casita Center: An Accompaniment Based Approach To Social Justice And Social Service., Ben Harlan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

La Casita Center is a Louisville based nonprofit organization that accompanies Latinx immigrants in the Louisville Metro area. and that is led and staffed by Latina immigrants. In this thesis, I investigate how employees of this Latinx-immigrant led nonprofit organization, navigate challenges to both administer service and build community using the model of accompaniment. Organizations like La Casita are critically important for Latinx newcomer communities in the United States and as neoliberal and nativist-inspired policiescontinue to oppress and marginalize, La Casita provides a model for what it means to center inclusion, belonging, community, and solidarity. In a global landscape of …

Foreign Policy In Media: An Examination Of The Captain America Films., Kat Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Popular culture and media are consumed daily by billions around the world, media which can contain meaningful and politically relevant material. The three Captain America films from the 2010s represent this phenomenon in the presentation of Captain America as a nationalist superhero with geopolitically relevant storylines. The direction and production of these films illustrate significant parallels to foreign policy choices of the United States. Through an interpretive analysis of the Captain America films: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: Civil War, this project seeks to analyze Captain America’s image and …

Validating An Internet Gaming Disorder Measure During Covid-19: Video Game Use, Distance Learning, And Impacts Of Covid-19 On Gaming Behavior, Christin Collie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For most students, playing video games is a popular, enjoyable activity to do in their leisure time. While many people play video games for fun, some do develop problems associated with their play. Excessive engagement in video game play can lead to significant impairment and clinically significant levels of harm. However, there are several important gaps in the research literature which limit understanding of potential harm. First, little is known about the gaming behavior of students, ranging from middle-school to graduate school, specifically as it relates to their reasons for playing video games and their time spent playing. Second, concerns …

An Evaluation Of Media Messaging By African Fashion Designers And Marketing Message Strategies, Esther Oyindamola Oyanibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent times, African brands have been featured heavily in global landscape fashion events, with brands from Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya leading the way. Although such recognition could be traced to their expertise, the unique approach of African brands involves putting out unique designs that easily stand out in the global fashion market. However, their uniqueness goes beyond the designs they put out, as it is also strongly expressed in their media messaging and, consequentially, their marketing strategy.

This study provides a content analysis of the most important characteristics of eight brands from different regions of the African continent. …

“It’S About The Two Selves”: Experiences In Code-Switching Between Home And Academic Environments, Travis Wolven

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study is an exploration of how college students navigate code-switching between their home and academic environments. Data were collected from five participants using interview and small group methods. Through the lenses of Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) and Memorable Messages (MM) frameworks, the researcher explores how key MMs affect how participants coordinate and manage meaning in communications with others in their home and college environments. Findings were fourfold: 1) participants chose between following established and creating new rules when code-switching; 2) participants shared experiences and strategies regarding knowing when and how to code-switch; 3) preparing audiences for …

A Frayed Edge: A Qualitative And Poetic Inquiry Analysis Of White Antiracist Protest In 2020, Emily Katt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This multiphasic study explored the narratives of five first-time Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrating during the historic confluence of conflicts in 2020 America. After positioning the liminal 2020 circumstances within an antiracist research lens, the author analyzed, first through grounded theory and then secondarily through poetic inquiry, how these five participants described their protest experiences. The grounded theory phase yielded an overarching theory that first-time protestors experienced a dual process of unsuturing and of calling-out, with three subthemes categorized within each of these two processes. The author moved into analysis with the poetic inquiry phase, crafting poems guided by six …

Coping Strategies And Self-Compassion As Protective Factors In The Infant And Early Childhood Mental Health Workforce, Megan Wolff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The mental health field experiences high levels of stress, resulting in a greater risk of poor professional quality of life, likely exacerbated by the additional stress associated with COVID-19. The present study examined the effect COVID-19 stress had on the professional quality of life of the infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) workforce and whether coping strategies and self-compassion acted as protective factors. Results indicated that higher COVID-19 stress was associated with higher burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) and lower compassion satisfaction (CS). The results also showed that the pathway from COVID-19 stress to burnout was moderated by …

Analyzing Emerging Adulthood Narratives And The Role Of Anxiety In Developmental Functioning, Daryl Parungao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period characterized by the themes of identity exploration, instability, feeling in-between, being self-focused, and exploring possibilities (Arnett, 2006). Emerging adults are at higher risk for anxiety as they navigate novel developmental experiences and responsibilities (Kranszler et al., 2019). This study explores whether these themes map on to the experiences of modern-day emerging adults, and whether developmental functioning corresponds to anxiety. College students completed standard questionnaires and provided free-text responses about adjusting to adulthood. Identity exploration and instability were perceived as the most positive and negative aspects of aging, respectively, though response-type varied by participant demographics. …

An Investigation Of Lab-Based Research Procedural Fidelity: The Relationship Between Experimenter Infant-Directed Speech, Temperament And Language Proficiency, Tess A. Simpson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether developmental researchers were influenced in the laboratory by the characteristics of children who participate in their research. I hypothesized that experimenters, as social partners, would adapt their speaking and other behaviors to the child’s perceived temperamental profile and language proficiency. I specifically focused on whether experimenters would adhere to the experimental laboratory procedure of two elicited imitation tasks, Feed Bear and Make a Rattle, in an archival dataset. Participants included 61 primarily white 15-month-olds. Coders transcribed infant directed speech (IDS) and analyzed transcriptions for total words, words per sentence, and …

Borderline Personality Disorder And Violent Crime: The Moderating Role Of Sex And Race, Genevieve Allison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) are at risk of justice involvement. Although it is well-established that borderline personality disorder (BPD) increases risk for criminal involvement, it is unclear whether this relationship exists among people with SUDs. Furthermore, prior research has found sex and race differences in the relationships between BPD and justice involvement as well as violence, but these moderators have not been explored within a substance using sample. The current study utilized a sample receiving SUD treatment to examine whether BPD is associated with prior violent charges and, if race and sex moderated this relationship. Results …

Neurocognitive And Momentary Assessment Of Fear-Based Mechanisms Underlying The Transition From Partial To Full Remission In Anorexia Nervosa., Caroline Christian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric illness, with high mortality, chronicity, and societal costs. Many individuals with AN that are weight restored do not to fully remit from cognitive-affective symptoms (e.g., fear of weight gain) maintaining the disorder, contributing to the poor outcomes. This critical stage of AN is called partial remission. AN is characterized by high levels of fear and avoidance, which may prevent full remission; however, the role of fear-based mechanisms (i.e., fear approach; avoidance) in partially-remitted AN remains untested. Methods. In the current study (N = 55 partially-remitted AN), participants completed two behavioral paradigms …

Examining Effective And Realized Healthcare Access In The West South Central Division., Katherine Cameron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores realized and effective access domains outlined by Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Exploring other domains of access is critical to understanding how the healthcare system functions (Kirby & Yabroff, 2020). This study evaluates rural-urban and racial/ethnic differences in access to care using two underresearched domains of healthcare access. It also allows for exploring access disparities within rural communities amongst minority populations. This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One provides an overview of health disparities and inequities and a brief overview of the study. Chapter Two details a high-level history of racism and its …