Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding The Home Spatial Environment, Nelcida L. Garcia

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spatial thinking encompasses several related skills including understanding size, shape, translation and rotation of objects, and distance between objects. Individual differences in spatial thinking are important predictors of children’s math and science achievement, as well as later entry into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This dissertation proposes Relational Developmental Systems Theory as a lens to study spatial development. Informed by Relational Developmental Systems Theory, two empirical studies examined whether mothers’ characteristics affected their parenting practices, and in turn, their children’s spatial abilities (i.e., mental rotation, spatial scaling). First, in a sample of 165 mother-child dyads, mothers’ spatial ability …

Stoicism And Just War Theory, Leonidas D. Konstantakos

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ancient philosophy of Stoicism, itself one of the foundations for international law, can improve contemporary just war thinking by forming a coherent set of philosophical principles to serve as a foundation for a just war theory. A Stoic approach considers justifications for moral actions to come not from an appeal to human rights, conformity to deontological rules, or from the utility of the actions themselves, but from virtuous character traits and corresponding virtuous actions. As such, a Stoic approach to just war theory is a virtue ethics perspective in which metaethical incentive for moral action is the agent’s own …

Becoming Feral: A Politics Of Animal Sheltering And The Operationalization Of Ferality To Manage Free-Roaming Cats, Jacquelyn Jackson Johnston

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Being labeled feral is a death sentence. Making animals killable is a process rooted in histories of control and situated within contemporary iterations of social, political, and legal frameworks. The bureaucratic designation “feral” is used to justify the financed destruction of millions of animals per year. Yet, the designation of ferality is less an objective, biological, or ethological determination than a political determination made within a contested field of power relations in particular spaces and at particular historical moments. In Miami, the county-run animal shelter deploys ferality as a classification to structure their TNR program. This program, launched in the …

Social Media And Public Discourse Participation In Restrictive Environments, Jobany J. Rico

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates citizens' use of social media to participate in public discourse (i.e., access, share, and comment on socio-political content) in restrictive environments: societies ruled by a hegemonic government where users face economic and infrastructure barriers to using digital technologies. Theoretical propositions are built inductively from an interpretive case study of how Cuban citizens use Twitter to participate in socio-political conversations. The case study resulted in the identification of nine affordances (i.e., action potentials) for participating in public discourse that Cubans perceive on Twitter. The findings also showed that the identified affordances enabled Cubans to achieve citizen goals: positive …

The Impact Of Governance Structure On Performance Of U.S. Performing Arts Centers, Karen S. Fuller

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an analysis of the governance structures and functioning of performing arts centers (PACs) in the United States. PACs provide important public services to local communities by exposing the public to arts and culture. There are two research objectives in the analysis. The first objective is to delineate the forms of PAC governance structures. The second objective is to assess how these governance structures affect PACs’ functioning. The dissertation contributes to understanding of management of PACs. Overall, the study identified 187 PACs in the country, with at least one PAC in every state.

With respect to the first …

Actually-Existing Resilience: The Adaptive Actions Of Miami’S Redland Farmers And Potential Pathways For Transformation, Melissa Bernardo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of resilience has been applied to questions surrounding agricultural production and food security in the face of global climate change, gripping the attention of policymakers and scholars alike. In South Florida, the Redland represents a unique, biodiverse farming community of national importance as Florida is second only to California in terms of vegetable production and Miami-Dade is the second highest producing county in the state. With Greater Miami recognized as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to sea level rise, this vital U.S. agricultural community is placed in doubt. Yet, little research engages directly with …

Urban Rivers As Social-Ecological Systems: An Examination Of History & Ecology In The Miami River, Daniela B. Daniele

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rivers have played significant roles in development of cities worldwide. Increasing urbanization has diminished the quality of lotic resources and altered the way in which humans interact with rivers by converting free flowing rivers into heavily altered systems. The Miami River in South Florida, USA, provides a model case for examining urban rivers as social-ecological systems. Research on urban rivers in general and the Miami River is limited. To date, how the urbanization of Miami and surrounding areas may have disrupted social-ecological riverine connectivity has not been studied. To fill this gap, I compiled an environmental history of the river …

The Impact Of Hiv-Related Stigma On The Racial/Ethnic Disparities Across The Hiv Care Continuum Among Adults Living With Hiv In Florida, Derrick James Forney

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Florida currently has one of the highest rates of new HIV infections in the U.S. As of 2019, Black and Hispanic HIV-positive individuals in Florida were significantly less likely to receive HIV care, remain in care, and achieve viral suppression than white HIV-positive individuals. Several studies have linked HIV-related stigma to poor outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the impact of distinct HIV-related stigma subtypes on linkage to care, retention in care, and viral suppression among PLWH in Florida and if these associations differed across race/ethnicity.

Methods: Data from the 2015-2017 Florida Medical Monitoring Project …

Cyber Dating Abuse Among Emerging Adult Latina Women, Yanet Ruvalcaba

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the experience of cyber dating abuse victimization among Latina women in emerging adulthood. There is particular emphasis on investigating the relationship between cyber dating abuse victimization and risk and protective factors. Study one implemented a strength-based approach to investigating culturally relevant factors against cyber dating abuse victimization. The relationship between acculturation and familial social support varied based on the subtypes of abuse. Specifically, the best fitting pathways in the structural equation model indicated that Latinx cultural orientation was protective against sexual cyber dating abuse victimization, and this relationship was mediated by family support.

Study two focused on …

Three Essays On Insurance Coverage In The U.S. Healthcare System, Rochelle Parrino

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of these three studies is to advance our understanding of the impact of the uninsured on the U.S. healthcare system and specifically the professional components, accounting for 20% of healthcare expenditures in the U.S., roughly $772 billion in 2019. Two of the three studies use linear mixed effects models investigating the consequences of uninsurance on physician providers at the county level. The first study examines the impact of community uninsurance rate on primary care and specialist providers to explain the effect that uninsurance has on the healthcare system and stress on available resources for both insured and uninsured. …

Income Attainment And Hispanic Female Householders: Examining Educational Attainment, Labor Attachment And Geographic Region, Lillian A. Abreu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation contributed to the literature by advancing scientific inquiry and addressing the gap in the literature related to social and economic mobility among Hispanic female householders living in the United States. The dissertation achieved its proposed aims by conducting secondary data analysis of the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series – Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement dataset (Flood, Kind, Rodgers, Ruggles, & Warren, 2020). The investigator applied repeated cross-sectional design to make inferences at the aggregate population level and conceptually frame analysis of a nationally representative sample of Hispanic female householders' a decade after the Great Recession …

Examining The Relationship Between Ideological Misfit And Employee Attitudes And Behaviors, Danilo R. Le Sante

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research in Organizational Psychology has just begun to unravel how political ideology manifests in the workplace (Bermiss & McDonald, 2018; Gupta & Wowak, 2017; Johnson & Roberto, 2018). Thanks to these recent contributions, new questions have emerged regarding the consequences associated with organizations taking polarizing political stances. For example, how do employees experience and express political ideology at work? Do employees attribute a political ideology to their industry and/or organization? What are the consequences of person-organization or person-industry ideological misfit? What can be done from an organization’s perspective to mitigate the negative outcomes associated with ideological misfit?

Using a mixed …

Emerging Adult College Students' Perceptions Of Immigrants: A Multisite Experimental Study, Alexa Dee Barton

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States (U.S.) has consistently had the largest populations of immigrants worldwide over the last two centuries, contributing to immigration’s ongoing importance as a political, social, economic, and health topic. A central point of focus has been attitudes toward immigration, which prior research has noted is influenced by both individual level and sociopolitical contextual factors. However, few studies have examined these attitudes comparatively across differing immigrant populations (e.g. nation of origin, type of immigration). Nor has the influence of perceivers’ stage of identity and social development been considered (e.g. emerging adult, generation of immigration, civic values). Utilizing quantitative methods, …

Political Economy Of Religion: Maintaining State Legitimacy Through Religious Discourse In The Arab Gulf, Lana Shehadeh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contrary to the popular belief in IR that religion has no place within the political sphere, religion has been an integral part of the political and social fabric of the Middle East since the advent of Islam. States in the Arab Gulf, more specifically, have used religion and the religious establishment (Ulama) to proactively encourage support from the public when trying to permit or prohibit policies that would benefit or undermine state interests and objectives. For these states, religious discourse has become an essential tool to legitimate their authority and policies. By exploring this trend more closely, my dissertation fills …

Exploring The Role Of Higher Education In Responsible Deployment Of Artificial Intelligence, Shahin Vassigh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education is the key driver for the teaching, research, and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as it bears responsibility for preparing engineers, scientists, technologists, and corporate leaders who shape and fuel its revolutionary advances. With AI and automation technologies relying on more advanced levels of training, and universities serving as the prime site for their development, faculty views on the implications of this technology are critically important.

The purpose of this case study was to gain insights into how academics and disciplinary experts perceive their roles and responsibilities in the teaching, development, and deployment of AI. Using FIU as …

The (Cuban-)American Dream Of Post-Soviet Era Cuban Émigrés: Perceptions Vs. Realities, Veronica Diaz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cuban émigrés are among the myriad of immigrants who arrive in the United States hoping to achieve the American Dream—defined as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement” (Adams 1931, 404). However, powerful tropes of the American Dream­ obscure the economic and social barriers that impede economic mobility and the sacrifices that individuals make in its pursuit. Unlike Cuban émigrés of the 1960s-70s, émigrés of the “Wet Foot/Dry Foot” wave (1995-2017) arrived in Miami during more precarious economic …

Infant And Child Multisensory Attention Skills: Methods, Measures, And Language Outcomes, Elizabeth V. Edgar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intersensory processing (e.g., matching sights and sounds based on audiovisual synchrony) is thought to be a foundation for more complex developmental outcomes including language. However, the body of research on intersensory processing is characterized by different measures, paradigms, and research questions, making comparisons across studies difficult. Therefore, Manuscript 1 provides a systematic review and synthesis of research on intersensory processing, integrating findings across multiple methods, along with recommendations for future research. This includes a call for a shift in the focus of intersensory processing research from that of assessing average performance of groups of infants, to one assessing individual differences …

Tolerance To Psychostimulant Medication Among Children With Adhd, Fiona Macphee

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medication is the most commonly received treatment for childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with 90% of children with ADHD having received it at some point in their lives (Danielson et al., 2018). Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant medication is a well-established short-term treatment for childhood ADHD (Pliszka, 2007). However, there is little support in the literature for long-term benefit of psychostimulants. One possible explanation for this lack of sustained effect is the development of tolerance to the drug. The current study aimed to examine possible evidence of short-term tolerance to stimulant medication, methylphenidate (MPH). Additionally, we investigated previous stimulant medication treatment …

Essays On Migration, Entrepreneurship, And Risk Hedging, Yiming Liu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Expectations of higher income and better living conditions are the major causes behind migration. Whether migration is temporary or permanent is a consequence of both these expectations as well as the policies and the economic development of the host area. Migration comes with risks and migrants are more willing to take risks than nonmigrants. Entrepreneurship, like migration, also requires risk-taking for potentially high returns. The theme that connects the three chapters in the dissertation is the risks people take as they decide to migrate, to start new businesses, and the hedging strategies they adopt to mitigate these risks. This paper …

Mobile Passages: Unpacking The Seasonal Lifestyle From Quebec To Topeekeegee Yugnee (Ty) Rv Park, Broward County, Southeast Florida, Tara Kai

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to investigate the lived experiences of multi-locational actors and the production of unique forms of socialization and community using the seasonal movements and settlements of the Québécois population (also referred to as “Floribécois”) in Broward County, Florida during the winter months. This study employs interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) which is theoretically rooted in hermeneutic phenomenology. IPA recognizes that there are shared perspectives and lived experiences of a group of people about a concept or a phenomenon. This analysis comprises of collectively shared meanings, while being mindful of the unique experience of a single individual and/or subgroup. The …

Credibility And Opportunity: The Limits On U.S. Coercive Strategies After The Cold War, Danijela Felendes

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In coercive diplomacy, states employ the threat of force to get an opponent to change its behavior. A common belief is that strong military powers, such as the United States, make persuasive threats due to their capability to inflict punishment in the case of noncompliance. However, the record shows that the failure of asymmetric coercion has been a persistent feature of international crises. This finding inspires the core question of this dissertation: Why do weak states resist coercive threats from a militarily superior state, and under what conditions do weak states concede?

This dissertation addresses the question by proposing the …

Impacts Of U.S. Immigration Detention And Transfers On The Well-Being Of Those Detained Within A Punitive For-Profit System, Karina J. Livingston

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States has the largest detention infrastructure in the world, with over 250 official detention centers and over 1,000 partner facilities. This research project aimed to analyze the U.S. immigration detention system to understand how the history of U.S. immigration and U.S. social structures like immigration law and detention practices, specifically transfers, affect immigrants. Woven into U.S. detention practices is a long history of exploitive and racist policies that have scapegoated new waves of immigrants since the late 1800s, which evolved toward the criminalization of immigrants in the mid-1990s.

One of the contributions of this dissertation is its focus …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences With Men's Lifetime Use Of Physical Intimate Partner Violence, Katherine Sias

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A national study on mental health asked men in a marriage-like relationship about their own use of physical aggression during their lifetime with the women in their life while dating and their current relationship). This study included questions on exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Access to those items provided a unique opportunity to examine the role of ACE and men’s self-reported lifetime use intimate partner violence (IPV). A hierarchical analysis using 15 variables in three categories of ACE (family-of-origin violence, impaired parenting, individual adversities) identified predictors within each category associated with IPV use. When the variables in the family-of-origin …

Three Essays On Development Economics, Ehsan Asghari-Ghara

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes three essays on development economics, addressing the socio-economic effects of natural shocks and interventions in these countries. In the first essay, I analyze how the Indian government's response to cyclone Fani affected the parliamentary election in 2019. It develops a theoretical model about how voters' type (being myopic or not) and the probability of a natural disaster affect politicians' response. Unlike other studies related to myopic theory, we use sentiment analysis rather than public spending to calculate voters' attitudes towards the government's response. The result shows that (1) the probability of winning the election increases for the …

Three Essays In Applied Economics, Mohammad Javad Mehregan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Governments worldwide support their national economies to obtain growth, adequate employment, and price durability. Regulation is a unique approach through which governments control the economy. Governments attempt to maintain and regulate the economy in various ways to guarantee that business fosters the common good. The range of government regulations is enormous and touches all areas of the economy and all features of daily life. Understanding the effect of regulations on the economy is essential since its outcomes can improve government interventions’ efficiency. Applied economics can help measure the effectiveness of government intervention on economic outcomes.

This dissertation includes three essays …

Adolescent Social Networks And Violence In Rural Colombia, Ana L. Rodriguez De La Rosa

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines violence in adolescent social networks in the context of a rural and resource-limited community in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Utilizing mixed methods data (focus groups and surveys) from 242 school-enrolled adolescents, three empirical studies explored adolescent violence experiences in their community, school, and intimate partner violence relationships. Study one utilizes a social complexity framework and mixed methods design to address victimization. Social network data showed that adolescents' psychological and physical violence victimizations occurred across their community, household, school, and emotionally adverse relationships; and were more likely in girl-nominated relationships, a relationship that shared more alters or …

Predictors Of Officer Self-Confidence In Police Interactions With Disabled Individuals In Florida, Olga Vega

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been limited research conducted on disability-related training for law enforcement officers. Past researchers have either prioritized training specific to mental illness or evaluated curriculum content rather than training effectiveness. The present research focuses on predictors of officers’ self-reported confidence in their ability to handle interactions with disabled individuals. The study took place in Florida and included 204 police officers. The study’s findings showed that, despite a common belief of minimum disability training provided to police officers (Reaves, 2016), more than 35% (n = 71) of the officers surveyed reported receiving some disability training during the police academy …

The Developmental Plasticity Of Fruit Fly Vision, John Paul Currea

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation we explore the morphological and neural plasticity underlying vision at different scales—within and between species of Drosophila—to elucidate the role of eye development in the evolution of vision. In chapter 2, we offer a tool to accelerate large-scale research into compound eye morphology, and validate it on the eyes of several insect orders and image media. Then, in chapter 3 we demonstrate the developmental plasticity of eye morphology and neural summation in fruit flies, finding an interesting interplay between the two systems. In chapter 4, we elucidate the role of visual plasticity and neural summation in the …

Detecting Risk For Treatment Nonresponse Among Families Of Young Children With Behavior Problems: Candidate Tailoring Variables And Early Decision Points For Adaptive Interventions, Natalie Hong

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heterogeneity in mental health treatment outcomes and high rates of treatment nonresponse highlight the need for adaptive interventions that align with precision mental health care approaches to tailor treatments according to individual differences in progress over time. Modern clinical trial methodologies and analytic strategies can inform dynamic mental health treatment decisions, but the potential to improve patient outcomes is only as strong as the extent to which selected tailoring variables (i.e., interim response factors that dictate whether treatment should shift course) accurately detect risk for treatment nonresponse. Identifying empirically informed tailoring variables and the most appropriate timepoint(s) to assess them …

Public-Private Partnerships In The United States: The Relevance Of Public Policy And Finance, Yanbing Han

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The infrastructure deficit is among the most significant challenges facing the United States. The Trump and Biden administrations called for using public-private partnerships (PPPs) to rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. As distinct arrangements that are part of both the public and private sectors, PPPs pose critical questions to public policy and administration. They have also gained popularity as a result of the New Public Management and Collaborative Governance movements.

By synthesizing the theories of the economics of hybrid organizations, public choice, and public value, my research suggests that PPP formation, management, and performance evaluation require the strategic interactions of both …