Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A User Needs Assessment For Snowvision/World Engraved, Sam Toren Mcdorman

Theses and Dissertations

Paddle stamped pottery has a long history in what we now call the southeastern United States. From 100-800 CE, intricate curvilinear designs were carved into paddles and impressed in ceramic vessels in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Called Swift Creek Complicated Stamped, this type has been long recognized by archaeologists for its uniqueness. Artists Bettye J. Broyles and Frankie Snow reconstructed hundreds of paddle designs from sherds and modern archaeologists use these designs to study the movements and connections of the people who made the pottery. The Snowvision team has developed a machine learning computer vision algorithm to …

From The City To The Countryside – Gentrification Across The Us: Conceptualizing Displacement Pressure, Constructing Novel Measurement Methodology, And Exploring Connections To Health, Parthenia Louise Luke

Theses and Dissertations

In an era marked by profound neighborhood transformation, the phenomenon of gentrification emerges as a dominant force. This dissertation undertakes a holistic exploration of gentrification, unraveling its diverse typologies and consequential impacts on health outcomes. Manuscript 1 details the concept of displacement pressure, exploring the multi-faceted experiences of residents in transforming neighborhoods while highlighting psychological and physiological repercussions beyond mere physical relocation. Manuscript 2 leverages the innovative methodology of repeated measures latent profile analysis (RMLPA) to investigate the multiple manifestations of gentrification. Revealing five metropolitan and four nonmetropolitan profiles among gentrified neighborhoods, this analysis interrogates the complexity inherent in both …

Understanding The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Borderline Features And Deliberate Self-Harm Behaviors Among College Students: The Mediating Roles Of Emotion Regulation And Interpersonal Functioning, Sydney Mari Levine

Theses and Dissertations

Research has established ACEs as significant predictors of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in both clinical and community populations. Further, adults meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) are nearly 14 times more likely to report childhood adversity. No previous studies have examined the critical roles of emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning as mediating mechanisms in these relations. Thus, the current study explored the mechanism by which ACEs affect borderline personality features (BPF) or deliberate self-harm through emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning in a sample of emerging adult college students. Participants (N = 2,255, M age = 19.25) included college students from …

The Impact Of Withdrawing From War: Veteran Attitudes Toward The Afghanistan Withdrawal And Implications On Healthcare Utilization, Mental Health Distress, And Motivation To Serve Again, Delaney J. Bennett Granko M.S.

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined veteran service members from all eras, ranks, branches, and time of service to evaluate the mental and physical health impact of the Afghanistan Withdrawal on their functioning and utilization of healthcare services. To our knowledge, this is the first scientific study examining the Afghanistan Withdrawal's impact on veterans. The researchers aimed to better understand service member attitudes about the withdrawal and their motivation to serve again based on their experience. Qualitative responses were requested to further understand veteran opinions on the withdrawal.

The study sample consisted of 112 veterans from one or more of the United States …

Development And Validation Of The Contemporary Sexual Violence Scale, Corey Frederick Doremus

Theses and Dissertations

College students face an increased risk of sexual violence victimization and perpetration compared to the general population. Although sexual violence experiences within this population have received substantial attention by researchers, studies typically focus on male perpetrators and female victims. Although a number of measures have been developed to assess male sexual violence perpetration, comparatively few have been developed to measure other types of SV such as female perpetration. The current project aimed to develop an empirically supported measure of sexual violence perpetration which assesses the frequency and severity of engagement in discrete sexual violence behaviors and tactics among individuals of …

Evaluating The Chief Of Staff Of The Air Force 2016 Initiative To Revitalize The Squadron: A Thematic Content Analysis Of Appreciative Inquiry Mechanisms, John M. Huntz

Theses and Dissertations

A thorough thematic analysis and literature review were undertaken to understand better the integration of AI mechanisms within the Revitalize the Squadron initiative. To facilitate the initiative's implementation, the aim is to provide commanders with practical instances, dimensions, findings, and results. Throughout the coding process, instances of AI’s mechanisms were discovered in the literature. The link between PE and HQR boosted the overall vitality within the squadron, where vitality was determined to be the goal. AI, as a whole, was not found in the literature, but the analysis determined that the Revitalize the Squadron initiative was “Appreciative” in nature.

Equity Among Equity Workers: Public Service Motivation In An Educational Nonprofit Organization, Russell C. West Jr

Theses and Dissertations

What opportunities and challenges arise when an equity-focused educational organization aims to support employee’s individual equity practices while simultaneously developing the organization’s equity practice? In this study, employees of a non-profit educational organization were asked what rationales and expectations played a role in their decision to volunteer in an equity working group. Their responses were used to understand whether Perry’s (2000) process theory of Public Service Motivation helped describe their decision. In a second round of interviews, employees were asked what outcomes they perceived came from their participation. These responses were used to understand whether the outcomes aligned with those …

The Effect Of Non-Offending Caregiver Substance Use On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms In Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Katelynn Robison Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Prevalence rates for child sexual abuse and substance use have often been difficult to determine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022) estimated that one in four girls and one in thirteen boys experience childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States. Similarly, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2021) estimated that 58.7% of individuals over the age of 12 have used a substance in the last month. Despite the identification of both of these experiences as relatively common societal concerns, the impact of parental substance use on children and families has primarily been evaluated in a …

User Engagement With Apps For Depression, Danielle Rae Schweitzer

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a debilitating and prevalent psychiatric condition, however, few individuals with depression seek mental health treatment. Mental health apps (MHapps) represent one treatment delivery option that may reduce gaps in mental health care. Current evidence suggests that MHapps are efficacious for reducing depressive symptoms, yet little is known about how MHapps are effective. Thus, the aims of the present study were 1) to examine whether two MHapps were effective for reducing depressive symptoms and 2) to determine whether variables such as user engagement, guidance, outcome expectancies, preferences, and coping skill development were associated with effectiveness. A community sample (N=20) …

Real Time Tracking Of Sleep Behaviors As A Predictor Of Suicidal Ideation For Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Social Anxiety, Yong Seuk Steven Lograsso

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide continues to be a critical concern for society as one of the leading causes of death in the United States, increasing from 10.4 to 13.5 per 100,000 from 2000 to 2016. This risk is further increased up to 8 times for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been difficult to predict on a moment-by-moment basis, in part due to technological challenges. Suicidal ideation has been identified as an important indicator of suicidal behavior and an important measurement for predicting suicide in both neurotypical individuals and individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In particular, sleep disturbances are …

Estimating Hemispheric Specialization In Autistic And Neurotypical Individuals, Madeline Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

While the brain appears to be symmetrical, macroscopic differences or asymmetries between the two hemispheres emerge through careful quantitative study. Functional asymmetries can accompany these structural asymmetries, and these can be a reflection of hemispheric specialization, or the predominant hosting of macroscale functional network and its accompanying functional properties by a given hemisphere. Prior work has identified the specialization of language to the left hemisphere, visuospatial attention to the right hemisphere, and a dual specialization of executive control to both hemispheres. However, it is largely unknown how specialization is characterized at an individual level, particularly in terms of identifying the …

Pop Gugak And E-Sang: Negotiating Traditional And Pop Genre Categories In Expressions Of Identity, Jessica Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Korean traditional music has a popularity problem among Korea's contemporary audiences; given the choice of what to listen to, few South Koreans choose to listen to gugak. To address and overcome this popularity problem, traditional Korean musicians are negotiating and reconstructing traditional Korean music by adopting, appropriating, and altering elements of Korean and international pop music. To this end, Gugak groups recently have been incorporating western musical practices and aesthetics in their performances in digital platforms (YouTube and reality television programs) and in concerts to contemporize the genre and develop a more positive relationship between Koreans and their national music. …

Examining Drinking To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic As Reinforcement Pathology, Matthew Dwyer

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest global public health challenge of this century. Concerns were raised that the rapid changes associated with daily life during the initial months of the pandemic would increase depression and alcohol use. However, changes in population-level alcohol use have been mixed. Behavioral economic theories of addiction, such as the Reinforcer Pathology (RP) model, have been proposed as well suited to identify individuals, and inform interventions, to address these concerns. However, no quantitative research has validated this claim in a sample recruited during the pandemic. The current study extended upon existing research by examining patterns of …

Predictors Of Adherence To A Brief Sleep Extension Intervention In Emerging Adults, Isabella D. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: It is uncertain what characteristics predict adherence to a brief sleep extension intervention, like that offered in primary care settings. This study examined how mental health concerns (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress), self-control, baseline sleep characteristics, and physical activity predicted adherence to a brief sleep extension intervention. Methods: 184 young adults (ages 18-25; m = 20.96) were asked to extend their nightly sleep to eight hours for one week. Sleep was tracked using actigraphy. Baseline sleep quality, baseline daytime sleepiness, depression, anxiety, stress, self-control, and physical activity were assessed. Results: Poorer baseline sleep quality predicted better adherence (p = 0.002). …

Does Media Facilitate Parent-Child Race Discussions? A Mixed-Method Study Of White Families, Children's Media, And Implicit Bias During Early Childhood, J. Andan Sheppard

Theses and Dissertations

The study aimed to investigate through mixed methods how White parents approach race discussions with their children, the factors influencing the discussions, and the implications for promoting constructive conversations. The qualitative analysis of the race discussions revealed that White parents preferred ambiguous or scientific language and diverted the discussion to topics other than race, such as gender or general body characteristics. Discussions often involved referencing personal examples of individuals from racial minority backgrounds, even if they were not personally acquainted. The quantitative analysis expanded and clarified these findings, with parent characteristics, such as education level and the frequency of color-evasive …

Predicting The Best Birds And Bees: Parental-Efficacy As A Mediator Between Parental Factors And Parent-Child Sex Communication, Meg O. Jankovich

Theses and Dissertations

Recent literature on parent-child sex communication (PCSC) has identified optimal sex communication as being not only frequent, but also open in quality, and proactive in timing. However, no studies have sought to understand what motivates parents to participate in this type of optimal parent-child sex communication, nor assessed these relationships longitudinally. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to inform the analysis, this study investigated parent characteristics (parent's sexual self-concept and parenting dimensions) that may longitudinally predict optimal PCSC. This study further examined whether parental sex communication efficacy mediated these relationships. The sample included 607 mother-child dyads, and the father-figure when available (mother-father-child …

A Refuge And A Bridge: Native American Women's Tribal College Experiences, Morgan Duffy

Theses and Dissertations

This study, which focuses on the experiences of Native women attending a tribal college of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, responds to the call by Baird-Olson and Ward (2000) and Almeida (1997) for research that allows Native women, or the "hidden half," to tell their stories. Scant research has examined the value of tribal schools for Native American women and the experiences they have had in relation to their reservation and college lives. Providing narratives of women's experiences can illuminate how higher education in tribal college settings holds multiple values for Native women students as it acts as a refuge and …

The Generalizability Of Proposed Theoretical Factor Models For Common Assessments For Specific Learning Disability In Reading Using A Community Sample, Sean B. Vanhille

Theses and Dissertations

Specific learning disabilities (SLD) are among the most diagnosed developmental disorders in children, with specific learning disability in reading (SLDR) as the most common. SLDR typically occurs due to deficits in phonological processing that can negatively impact decoding and/or reading comprehension skills. Reading deficits are often diagnosed using formal assessments such as the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2), the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-5), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V), and the Woodcock Johnson Achievement Battery (WJ-IV-A). I did not find any research in which the theoretical factor models proposed in the technical manuals of these assessments were …

Tailoring Digital Physical Activity Support Messages For Women In Midlife With Elevated Risk For Cardiovascular Disease: A Multicomponent Study, Kiri Baga

Theses and Dissertations

Women in midlife (ages 40-60) are at heightened risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although physical activity (PA) engagement can reduce CVD risk, few women engage in sufficient PA to receive this benefit. They cite lack of social support as a key barrier, but existing interventions that employ social support show limited effectiveness. Digital PA support messages (i.e., brief, text-based messages delivered via smartphone or other device) may be a powerful method to meet social support needs in daily life. However, women’s preferences for and responses to distinct types of messages are not well understood. The aim of this study was …

"We Say No More:" The Role Of Bodily Trauma And Hybrid Spaces In The March For Our Lives Movement, Haeley Van Der Werf

Theses and Dissertations

The youth-led March For Our Lives is founded on the idea of young people forced into advocacy by unthinkable tragedy. The movement exists in a digital age where the lines between the physical and digital have become increasingly blurred. By using the work of scholars such as Manuel Castells and Henry Jenkins as a foundation to analyze this movement, we can gain a deeper understanding of why MFOL has succeeded and failed in the ways that it has. These noted digital activism academics will be used to explore how collective anger is expressed and created through the use of personal …

Shy But Not All The Same: Adolescent Profiles Of Shyness, Self-Regulation, And Benevolent Values, Christina M. Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations

While existing research has posited shyness as a risk-factor for floundering in adolescence and emerging adulthood, not all shy young people may struggle to the same extent. Characteristics such as self-regulation and benevolent values may influence the extent to which individuals with high levels of shyness will have socio-emotional challenges. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to use a person-centered analysis to explore subgroups of adolescents with distinct levels of shyness, self-regulation, and benevolent values and to examine how these groups differ on outcomes in adolescence and in emerging adulthood. The sample for this paper consisted of 682 …

Helpful Or Harmful? The Effect Of Heritage Language Use On Perceived Maternal Closeness In United States Immigrant Families, Catalina Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

Language use patterns and parent-child relationship quality in immigrant families are both subject to change over time, and past research on the impact of immigrant children's heritage language use on various measures of well-being yields mixed results. Extending scholarship on heritage language use and immigrant family dynamics, I examine the association between different language patterns in U.S. immigrant families and mother's reports of parent-child closeness. I analyze data from 1,142 mothers when their children are in kindergarten, third grade, and fifth grade using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study "“ Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011. I find little variation in perceived maternal …

Awareness, Acceptance, And Equanimity: Relationships Between Trait Mindfulness, Stress, And Blood Pressure, Gabrielle Renee Chin

Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension (HTN) is associated with stress and unhealthy emotion regulation. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are said to help address stress-related diseases like cardiovascular disease by impacting stress and emotion regulation, yet studies of MBIs on cardiovascular health show inconsistent findings. Limited research has examined the basic links between trait mindfulness and cardiovascular health, leaving the active components of MBIs in this context unclear. Therefore, the current study examined the relationship between trait mindfulness and blood pressure (BP) in individuals with pre-hypertension (pre-HTN). Latent variables representing two conceptualizations of trait mindfulness -Monitor and Accept Theory (MAT) and Equanimity- were calculated using facets …

Regional Economic Impacts Of Enterococcus-Related Beach Closures In Mississippi, Jessica Lynn Browne

Theses and Dissertations

High levels of Enterococcus are the most frequent reason for beach closures on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and can be made worse by human activities. When beaches close, tourism can decrease, affecting sales. This study aims to 1) analyze the regional economic impact of beach closures at the county level, 2) show empirically how serious the impact of high levels of Enterococcus are compared to other causes of beach closures, and 3) discuss the policy implications for regional economies linked to beach closures. I use a response function approach with beach closure and county-level monthly gross taxable sales data. Results …

An Analysis Of Coastal Restoration Projects In Alabama And Mississippi, Barbara Nyarkoa Okai

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to review thirteen coastal restoration projects considering the various ecosystem services provided by restoration and estimates the economic value of one of the ecosystem services of restoration. These ecosystem services include water quality improvement, fish and benthic species productivity, shoreline stabilization, oyster abundance, and marsh growth. The projects represent a set of large-scale projects within Alabama and Mississippi, with construction and monitoring costs ranging from $2.3 million to $50 million per project. To determine the economic value of one of the ecosystem services of coastal restoration projects, I used the meta-analysis method to estimate the willingness to …

Signings Of Graphs And Sign-Symmetric Signed Graphs, Ahmad Asiri

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we investigate various aspects of signed graphs, with a particular focus on signings and sign-symmetric signed graphs. We begin by examining the complete graph on six vertices with one edge deleted ($K_6$\textbackslash e) and explore the different ways of signing this graph up to switching isomorphism. We determine the frustration index (number) of these signings and investigate the existence of sign-symmetric signed graphs. We then extend our study to the $K_6$\textbackslash 2e graph and the McGee graph with exactly two negative edges. We investigate the distinct ways of signing these graphs up to switching isomorphism and demonstrate …

Evaluation Of Heat Abatement Use, Vaginal Temperature, And Activity Of Pregnant, Lactating Holstein Cows Housed On Pasture With Or Without The Choice Between Shade And Sprinklers For Heat Abatement., Kevin M. Braman

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to determine how pregnant, lactating Holstein cows on pasture interact with shade and sprinklers when offered a choice or no-choice between methods. Authors hypothesized that cows would use shade more then sprinklers, but sprinklers would be more effective at cooling cows. Additionally, authors predicted cows using shade more would have decreased lying bouts and steps and an increase in time lying, compared to cows choosing sprinkler. Results indicate cows will use both methods when offered alone or together. However, cows will choose to be exposed or in shade at lower temperature humidity index values, …

Is A Test The Best?, Giulia Ronnette Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The test effect (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006) demonstrates that performance on a final test is better when an immediate test is taken after reading a passage rather than rereading. Although transfer appropriate processing has been suggested as a theoretical explanation, the results could be due to elaborative retrieval processes during the immediate test that are not available during restudy. We compared testing to three other strategies using elaborative retrieval—Generating Questions, Read-Recite-Review, Teaching—to determine whether they would be as beneficial as testing. Results showed that each of the alternative strategies produced final test performance equal to that of testing, suggesting not …

Mortality, Survivorship, And Institutionalization: Demographic Analysis Of The Mississippi State Asylum In Context, Taylor A. Emery

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed demographic differences and differential mortality between the Mississippi State Asylum (MSA) and the state of Mississippi. Using census records, Biennial Reports, death certificates, and vital statistics from the Mississippi State Board of Health, statistical methods including Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard analysis were employed to explore significant differences in population demographics, hazard of death, and survivorship in general and with tuberculosis. Key results include proportionally more females in the MSA, increased hazard of death/decreased survivorship within the MSA compared to the State, and increased hazard of death/decreased survivorship for Black/AA individuals compared to their White/EA …

Self-Referential Processing And Depression: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Amanda Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive theories of depression, including Beck’s Cognitive Theory, suggest that depressed individuals hold negative schemas about themselves and their environment. These negative schemas may influence the extent to which depressed individuals process positivity. Reward Devaluation Theory posits that depressed individuals avoid and devalue positivity. This suggests that depressed individuals may be less likely to hold positive schemas, or may be more likely to associate positivity with negativity. Previous meta-analytic reviews suggest that this is potentially the case, but have not assessed for self-referential stimuli. Self-referential encoding and recall tasks assess for self-schemas and may give further insight into how depressed …