Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

United We Stand? Investigating The Impact Of Unified Dues Agreements Between State And National Career & Technical Education (Cte) Professional Organizations On Cte Funding In The Southern States, Justin Ryan Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers have long been active in lobbying the federal and state governments in support of CTE through their professional organizations, but these are not traditionally considered interest groups. This study sought to determine if the formal relationships—dues agreements—between the two largest national professional organizations, and their state affiliates had an impact on state funding for CTE. The impacts of professional organization unity, membership rates, and lobbying expenses on state-level CTE funding were analyzed through the lens of interest group theory, a subfield of political science. Within this population (N = 13), 1) a link …

Critical (Re)Approach To Higher Education Admission Policy: The Impact Of Open Enrollment Policy Implementation, Shirdonna Yvonne Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Federal and state policies affecting higher education, like the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1832, Brown vs. Board of Education, and Higher Education Act of 1965 have posited change regarding the proliferation of diversity and expansion of access (Thelin, 2011).

I analyzed BOT policies for enrollment and conducted a socio-diagnostic CDA on the implementation of admission policy to understand the impact of the policies’ implementation. I focused on 1) exploring how open enrollment (OE) policies were constructed, 2) how institutions adopt and interpret these policies, and 3) how individuals at the institution enact these policies, by conducting a discourse-historical analysis …

Geologic Mapping Of The Sparta 7.5-Minute Quadrangle In Northern Mississippi Via Remote Sensing, Traditional Geologic Survey, And Applied Geospatial Information Systems Methods, Rayford Dean Parnell

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional geologic mapping involves substantial time and labor in the field as geologic contacts are manually examined and interpreted. The processes of mapping geologic contacts can be condensed into a quicker and less laborious process using advances in remote sensing and GIS (geospatial information systems), including increased resolution and computerized data management and interpretation. Application of these advances reduces the costs and time of geologic mapping. The Sparta 7.5-minute quadrangle provides a mostly unaltered view of regional Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous geology due to its rural locale, lack of development, and stream topography. Recently LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) survey …

White Savior Projects: An Examination Of The Antitrafficking Social Movement, Jennifer A. Cheek

Theses and Dissertations

For this dissertation, I conduct an ethnography of three antitrafficking programs; interview 38 activists and survivors of trafficking; and analyze organizational texts, websites, and social media. I examine the history of the antitrafficking movement. Among the three organizations, activists provide housing; food, clothing, and hygiene items; medical services; mental health services and counseling; mentorship; education for survivors; a 24-hour hotline; outreach; case management and referrals; training for law enforcement; a drop-in center; and education and awareness events. I examine activists’ diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing of sex trafficking, and other framing tactics, such as frame alignment, frame diffusion, frame resonance, …

The Effect Of Childhood Maltreatment On Psychotherapy Effectiveness In Adulthood: Implications For Counselors, Michael Hillerman

Theses and Dissertations

Recent gains in understanding the effects of childhood maltreatment on the development of the brain and nervous system, combined with the revelation that nearly all psychiatric neuroimaging studies have had an unrecognized confound in childhood maltreatment, imply the possibility that psychotherapy treatment effectiveness studies have been similarly confounded by childhood maltreatment. This study examines whether treatment-seeking adults exposed to childhood maltreatment respond differently to psychotherapy than do individuals who report no history of childhood maltreatment. Response to therapy is conceptualized in this study as reduction in symptom measures pre- and post- treatment, as well as client dropout. It is hypothesized …

Examining The Malleability And Influence Of Attributions On Discipline Responses To Child Misbehavior, Jenna E. Russo

Theses and Dissertations

Attributions of child behavior have been shown to influence discipline responses and ultimately, child developmental trajectories. Research highlights various social-psychological factors in the formation of attributions, largely characterized as stable. However, research also demonstrates the efficacy of attribution retraining (AR) programs in restructuring individuals’ explanations for various outcomes. This study examined a trauma-informed training intervention with an AR component designed to evoke balanced and contextual attributions of child behavior among child-serving professionals. Of particular interest was the malleability and stability of attributions, and their influence on discipline responses. From pre- to post-training, there was a significant decrease in hostile attributions …

The Effect Administrators Have On Employee Morale Within The University Of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Sherry L. Beaty-Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between Arkansas County Extension County staff morale and their perceived relationship county staff had with their County Staff Chair. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (UAEX) can utilize the results from this research to identify individuals who have the capacity to build high-quality relationships with staff members, thereby promoting higher levels of morale within the organization. Administrators can use this study to identify current or future leaders within the organization by identifying those who can promote high-quality relationships with county-level staff. Results from this study may also be used …

An Inventory And Analysis Of Human Remains From The Aklis Site (12vam1-42) Curated At Mississippi State University, Kaelyn Olson

Theses and Dissertations

This project was an inventory and analysis of human remains from the Aklis archaeological site (12VAm1-42), located in the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The human remains inventoried during this project were collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and MSU during surface collection and emergency salvage excavations at Aklis. The statistical analysis of the data focused on the minimum number of individuals (MNI) per square meter, the degree of long bone completion, skeletal element counts across excavated features, and the degree of weathering. Results indicate that the assemblage curated at MSU includes a …

Evolutionary Cartographies Of Language Diversification: Quantitative Approaches To The Geolinguistic Mapping Of The Kayanic Languages (Central Borneo), Deandré A. Espree-Conaway

Theses and Dissertations

Why are there so many languages in the world and how did this diversity come about? Every day, humans around the world speak over 7,000 languages. One of the most impactful theories describing the processes and mechanisms of language diversification is that of the Linguistic Niche Hypothesis (Lupyan & Dale 2010). The Linguistic Niche Hypothesis suggests that languages adapt to their environments (Lupyan & Dale 2010: 1). Lupyan and Dale describe it, stating that "just as biological organisms are shaped by ecological niches, languages structures...adapt to the environment (niche) in which they are being learned and used" (2010: 1). Taking …

The Language Of Recruitment: How Minority Status, Racial Minority Centrality, & Linguistic Cues Impact Applicant Perceptions, Clark Waters

Theses and Dissertations

As color-blindness, the intentional denial of racial differences, continues to occupy corporate policy, expressions and consequences of modern racism in the workplace remain pervasive. Color-blind attitudes can be harmful due to their focus on perceived equality, at the expense of actionable, functional equity. Establishing a culture of racial equity in the workplace requires an understanding of how the language used to discuss race can impact potential applicants’ opinions of the company. To attract a diverse pool of job applicants, the language of recruitment is of particular importance in the current study. Using a vignette-style survey design, a diverse sample of …

Examining The Integrative Impacts Of Trust And Distrust Sub-Dimensions On Employee Discretionary Behavior, Alexandra Silverman

Theses and Dissertations

While trust and distrust in subordinate-supervisor relationships have been studied and linked to numerous positive and negative discretionary workplace outcomes, research has largely overlooked the impact of their sub-dimensions, competence and intent, in these relationships. Furthermore, although there has been research noting the impact of emotional exhaustion on discretionary behaviors such as OCB and CWB, limited research has examined its impact on the relationship between trust/distrust in supervisors and the discretionary behaviors, as well as those pertaining to the sub-dimensions of trust and distrust and the behavioral outcomes. The current study analyzed a sample of 301 employees in the United …

Liminal Beings Are We, John Kenneth Froozan Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis establishes a foundation for liminality in political theory. Liminality, a concept mostly developed in anthropology, is used by them to describe middle periods in rites of passage. Unlike the anthropologists, I argue that liminality should be theorized phenomenologically. Utilizing the history of political philosophy, liminality is defined as a dialectical phenomenon that acts between and beyond the limits of things, Self, and Other. I describe liminality as an ontological-epistemological or existential condition that acts as a connecting tissue to both define what is and the space between things. This requires that notions of power, politics, and their ends …

Emotion Identification Ability And Perspective-Taking In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ana Lucia Garrido Huerta

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social interaction. Perspective-taking and emotion identification are important skills to develop appropriate social interactions. Previous research has shown that children with ASD may lack the ability to relate emotionally to others. Research has also shown a deficit in perspective-taking skills in children with ASD. The selected studies reviewed in this thesis analyze seven articles that show research on children with ASD regarding their emotional identification and perspective-taking skills. Articles searched under the words “emotion identification,” “perspective-taking,” and “autism” obtained from the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection using the EBSCO database …

The Mediating Role Of Gun Attitudes In The Association Between Dsm-5 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Clusters, And Gun Ownership In Young Hispanic Adults With Exposure To Interpersonal Trauma, Vanessa Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Despite growing interest in gun attitudes and gun ownership among United States citizens, the current body of literature is limited and tends to focus on white non-Hispanic individuals. The present study examined the effect of interpersonal trauma-related PTSD symptoms on gun attitudes and protective gun ownership. The associations between experiencing PTSD symptoms, gun attitudes, and protective gun ownership were examined in a sample of 176 young Hispanic adults (n = 127 women, n = 49 men) with exposure to interpersonal trauma. Specifically, the mediating role of positive attitudes towards guns in the associations between the four clusters of DSM-5 …

The Role Of Facial Emotion Recognition Abilities In Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration, Margot Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Interpreting facial affects is a key aspect in everyday human interaction and intimate partner relationships. Being unable to accurately recognize facial expressions may prompt an inappropriate reaction from the viewer. Limited literature suggests perpetrators of intimate partner violence are less able to accurately recognize facial expressions. The previous body of literature regarding facial affect recognition (FAR) abilities in intimate partner violence failed to take into account the role empathy and emotion regulation play in the relationship between intimate partner violence and FAR abilities. In addition, prior studies investigated these differences in primarily White Non-Hispanic individuals limiting the generalizability of their …

'Good Food’ And Food Sovereignty In The South Texas Borderlands: A Qualitative Investigation Of Alternative Retail Food Outlet Managers And Owners, Kanyanat Lertkhonsan

Theses and Dissertations

This case study describes how Alternative Retail Food Outlets (ARFOs) managers and owners in a county in South Texas near the U.S. – Mexico border I am calling Esperanza County, decide what food to eat and to sell. Data from qualitative interviews reveals that the South Texas socioeconomic – cultural context and informants’ economic constraints shaped two different conceptions of good food. At the same time, informants’ socioeconomic backgrounds and sources of good food reveals that the power to define good food – as organic, local, and seasonal – and those that can access it tend to be the educated …

Healthcare In A Time Of Crisis: An Investigation Of The Association Between Socioeconomic Status, Counties, And Covid-19, Jorge F. Contreras

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed social structural institutions such as hospitals, schools, the economy, and governmental bodies (local, state, and federal), exacerbating existing health inequality. Fundamental Cause Theory (FCT) provides a framework for understanding which factors drive such inequality, but its primary focus is on within-group variation. By highlighting the role of fundamental causes as systems of exposure, the Systems-of-Exposure (SOE) approach expands on FCT to account for variation more directly between populations. I performed a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of county-level data from Texas and California to test the utility of SOE in assessing the impact of a pandemic …

Call The Doctor! A Study Of Parental Medical Nonadherence Within Child Custody Proceedings, Karissa Lynn Cummons

Theses and Dissertations

Medical nonadherence is a common and formidable problem that many pediatric healthcare providers face when treating children with acute and chronic medical conditions because adhering to a physicians’ treatment recommendations is beneficial for successful treatment, disease prevention, and healthy promotion (Dawood et al., 2010). It was estimated that at least one third of patients are unable to complete or adhere to relatively short treatment regimens (Dawood et al., 2010). Reasons for nonadherence to a physicians’ recommendations range from extended duration of treatment, multiple prescribed medications, and periods of symptom remission (Dawood et al., 2010). Despite a parent’s or family’s reason …

How Well Do Your Family Members Know You? The Relationship Between Informant Report And Cognitive Performance Of Older Adults, Mairy Yousif

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Given the clear impact and prevalence of dementia on the aging population, there is a need for greater research and understanding in this area. As the dementia progresses, medical providers rely heavily on caregiver and family member reports of the patient’s functioning and other aspects of their care. Therefore, it is important to know how accurate caregivers and family members are in judging their loved ones’ cognitive and physical strengths and weaknesses. This study aims to expand upon these previous studies by comparing caregiver/collateral reports of cognitive and functional status on the DSRS to neuropsychological tests and an objective …

Intersections Of Gender And Age: Identification And Attributional Processes On Leadership Effectiveness, Kayla Lynne Bigerton

Theses and Dissertations

As more women enter leadership roles and the ages of leaders becomes more diverse, there is a need for more intersectional research. An intersectional approach was used to assess the impact of leader gender and age on leadership effectiveness through identification and attributional processes. In doing so, different age conceptualizations were also examined. Gender did not have an impact on identification and attributional processes and age had mixed results. Age similarity was not significantly related to leader identification, but perceived leader age had a negative relationship with idiosyncratic fit. Further, social age was examined with different age ranges representing "young”, …

The Effect Of Video Model Dosage And Self-Monitoring On Parent's Use Of Language-Promoting Behavior, Kacie Marie Mcgarry

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found a disparity between the language trajectories of children within a high, medium, or low-economic-status family. A relationship is reliably found between the language trajectory of toddlers and success throughout school. This study will evaluate a training package to teach parents to engage in behaviors that promote language and assess the training's short-term effect on the trajectories of children (i.e., growing language) within low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Specifically, experimenters will evaluate the impact of the dosage of video modeling, self-evaluation, and self-monitoring on the acquisition of the targeted skills. Data may suggest that the more accurate the individual is …

The Interactive Effects Of Cross-Cultural Competence, Political Skill, And Cultural Distance On Trust And Cohesion, Allyson Clubb

Theses and Dissertations

Culturally diverse teams are increasingly common in the modern workforce, yet an inadequate understanding of the unique needs for culturally diverse teams has continued to lead to either sub-optimal or even failed team performance. The current study sought to examine the relationships between cultural distance, team emergent states (trust and cohesion), team composition (cross-cultural competence, 3C; and political skill, PS), and team performance. The research design utilized archival, longitudinal data which included a final sample of 49 teams. It was hypothesized that team-level 3C and PS benefit performance indirectly through their impact on trust and cohesion. Further, it was thought …

Hiring Now Versus Later: The Impact Of Psychological Distance On Personnel Selection Decisions, Emily Ann Frye

Theses and Dissertations

Personnel selection is an important part of successful organizations, yet little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying selection decisions as well as the influence of external factors, such as time, on those mechanisms. Therefore, the present study aims to address these issues by integrating construal level theory of psychological distance and decision-making theories contextualized to personnel selection decisions. More specifically, the present study examined how hiring lag (i.e., hiring for an immediate start vs. for several months later) impacts the selection decision-making process by looking through the lens of two competing time-based theories: construal level theory of psychological distance …

The Relationship Between Hallucinations And Visuospatial Impairment Among Individuals With Dementia, Ruta Sohoni

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: This study examines the neuropsychological functioning, specifically using the Hooper Visual Organization Test (VOT), to understand the impact of hallucinations on the level of impairment in the visuospatial domain.

Method: Archival data obtained over three years from a total of 73 patients from the Health First Memory Disorder Clinic was used in this study. Participants were included in the study if they endorsed experiencing hallucinations, were given the VOT during their brief neuropsychological evaluation, and were diagnosed with dementia or unspecified neurocognitive disorder. The patient’s electronic medical record was used to retrospectively gather additional details regarding their hallucinations and …

The Effects Of Neuroticism And Treatment Delivery Modality On Therapeutic Outcomes In A Community Mental Health Training Clinic, Michelle Elizabeth Sibol

Theses and Dissertations

The onset of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) two and a half years prior to this writing resulted in shifts in everyday life, as individuals worldwide were required to shelter-in-place and abide by social distancing guidelines to slow the spread of the disease. This resulted in a marked increase in the utilization of virtual platforms (“teletherapy”) by mental health care providers, including training clinics, to continue providing therapy services to the community at large. Although the pandemic restrictions have lifted, adaptations made during shelter-in-place mandates remain, including provision of services via teletherapy platforms. The pandemic shed light on the …

Is It Undervalued? A Qualitative And Quantitative Review Of The Work Values-Job Performance Relationship, Sherif Al-Qallawi

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have been calling for greater exploration of the relationship between work values and job performance for about five decades (Goodale, 1973; J.-I. C. Hansen & Wiernik, 2017). The current study integrates research on the relationship between work values and job performance over the course of those five decades to better understand this connection. First, a thorough review of work values is presented, including a discussion of their nature, antecedences, construct clarification (how they differ from other individual differences), construct specification (how they differ from other value-based constructs), operationalization, taxonomy, measurement, group differences, stability, and outcomes. This review also includes …

Brief And Extended Effects Of Modified Competing Stimulus Assessments, Soray Nicole Castro

Theses and Dissertations

Competing stimulus assessments (CSA) are pre-assessment tools that systematically identify stimuli associated with reduced problem behavior. The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an augmented CSA containing components of prompted engagement and response blocking. Results indicated the augmented CSA effectively identified two additional competing items for two of the three participants following prompted engagement. We also evaluated the extended effects of the competing stimuli on item engagement and stereotypy for two participants. Stereotypy reductive effects are maintained for one of the four competing stimuli for Participant 2 and two of the six items for Participant 3.

Headache Disorders And Neurocognitive Performance Pre- And Post-Concussive Injury, Kaci Gorres

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between pre-existing headache disorders, such as headache or migraine, and neurocognitive testing obtained before and after college-athletes sustain a concussion. Method: A total of 1129 NCAA Division II college athletes from Florida Tech were included in the present study. Participants were included in this study if they completed baseline and/or post-trauma neuropsychological evaluations that included the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool – Fifth Edition (SCAT-5) and Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Tool (ImPACT). Athletes’ headache and/or migraine history was self-reported at baseline and indicated their position in headache history or …

Women In Politics: An Examination Of Hispanic Undergraduate Students' Perspectives And Attitudes, Saliha Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The lack of female representation in politics has long been established, as over the years there has been a rise in political participation that still fails to be representative of the general population. Women that seek positions in office often fail to garner the support that many male candidates quickly get, as women face gender stereotypes and sexism at almost every turn. Many studies have failed to look at how the Hispanic population evaluate women seeking political leadership and how engrained gender roles and stereotypes are when it comes to the evaluation of female and male candidates. This thesis examines …

The Second Watcher At The Gate: Local Newspaper Framing Of Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Immigrants, And Migrants At The Border In The Age Of Covid-19, Gabriel Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a repeat of a historical association between migrants and disease with the re-activation of Title 42, which gave the federal government the power to bar and expel migrants and asylum seekers without the opportunity to contest their expulsion, under the basis of public health. Based on a content analysis of the frames employed in the coverage of the pandemic by five newspapers located on the southern U.S. border for the period of 2020 to 2021, this study explored how these English-language newspapers gave priority to as sources, how they framed immigrants and immigration issues during the …