Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Typology Of Morphological Argument Focus Marking, Aidan Alexander Aannestad

Theses and Dissertations

One of the methods that languages use to indicate which argument (if any) is in focus is morphological; however, there seems to be a major gap in the literature when it comes to understanding the variety and classification of morphological argument focus marking constructions. This thesis is an attempt to fill that gap. I present here both an overview of the types of morphological focus marking constructions found in the world's languages, and a taxonomic classification of said constructions based on the grammaticalisation pathways that result in their genesis. Such constructions include not only the traditional `particle focus' constructions, but …

Language Archive Records: Interoperability Of Referencing Practices And Metadata Models, Hugh J. Paterson Iii

Theses and Dissertations

With the rise of the digital language archive and the plethora of referenceable content, a critical question arises: “How easy is it for authors to use existing tools to cite the content they are referencing?” This is especially important as people use archived materials as evidence within published language descriptions.

Archived resource metadata is well discussed in language documentation circles; however, bibliographic metadata and its accessibility are less discussed. Discoverability metadata, a subset of archived resource metadata, serves aggregators like OLAC by declaring a resource exists. In contrast, bibliographic metadata functions within documents by declaring where to find a resource …

Increasing Transgender-Inclusive Behaviors Via Self-Monitoring, Abigail Kaylyn Petronelli

Theses and Dissertations

Within behavior analysis there is an increasing demand for research to create inclusive organizational cultures. To create a culture of inclusion, it is necessary to engage in inclusive behaviors towards individuals of varying race, gender, and sexual orientation. Despite the rising social demand and call for diversity in research, there are still few studies which apply an intervention to improve inclusive behaviors. One target of inclusive behaviors is proper pronoun use towards individuals who are transgender or gender non-conforming (TGNC). To date, there is only one published article regarding TGNC topics, which explored a TGNC-inclusive tool (Leland & Stockwell, 2019). …

The Backlash Of The Online-Right During And After The 2020 United States Presidential Election, Luis Roberto Lopez Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

What type of Internet memes were utilized by the Online-Right to show support to former-President Donald Trump and to delegitimize the 2020 Presidential Election? In this thesis, I argue that the Online-Right used Internet memes for two purposes. The first was to discredit and attack the election and former President Trump’s opponents. The second purpose is that the Online-Right created a cult of personality around Donald Trump with the usage of Internet memes. Most of the literature focuses on the type of groups that use Internet memes on the Internet. I focus on what type of Internet memes were used …

Theory Of Mind Performance Among College Students At Hispanic Serving Institutions, Mauricio Alejandro Yanez

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has yielded mixed findings about relations among sociodemographic variables and Theory of Mind (ToM) performance. The current literature lacks robust studies that utilize multiple types of ToM assessments. Additionally, most ToM research has assessed samples of young, white children and adolescents. The present study addresses these limitations by examining the association between sociodemographic variables and ToM performance among Hispanic emerging adults, utilizing three ToM measures across two sites. Participants included 867 college students from two Hispanic serving institutions who completed questionnaires including an embedded false belief task, Strange Stories, and the Constructivist Theory of Mind (cToM) task. All …

Examining The Mental Health Of Older Hispanic/Latino Adults: Relationship Between Psycho-Social-Cultural Factors And Depressive Symptomatology, Anna Prado

Theses and Dissertations

The most prevalent disorders affecting the older adult population worldwide are dementia and depression. Ethnic minorities are disproportionately more likely to be affected by these two distressing and debilitating conditions. Hispanic/Latino older adults encounter numerous psycho-social-cultural factors that influence health behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs in positive and negative ways. Presently, research on the influence of these factors on Hispanic/Latino mental health is highly inconsistent. The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between selected psycho-social-cultural factors and the mental health of older Hispanic/Latino adults. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the association between the Hispanic/Latino …

16pf Couples Counseling Report: Gender Differences In Marital Satisfaction, Personality Similarity, And Relationship Adjustment Of Dual-Veteran Couples Following Deployment, Bliss Quintana

Theses and Dissertations

The present study utilized the 16 Personality Factor Couple’s Counseling Report (16PF CCR) to contribute to the limited amount of research evaluating gender differences on personality factors which may influence relationship adjustment and marital satisfaction between males and females in dual-veteran couples following deployment. Results were obtained from a total of 23 heterosexual dual-veteran couples (23 males and 23 females) who volunteered to participate in the present study. Statistically significant gender differences were found for one of the Global Personality Factors, Independence; however, there were no significant findings in the Individual Satisfaction Items, Primary Personality Factors, Relationship Adjustment scores, or …

Information Structure In Mangghuer: A Narrative Text Analysis Of Topic And Focus In A Mongolic Language Of Northwestern China, Cory Christopher Coogan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes information structure in Mangghuer, a Mongolic language spoken in northwestern China. My analysis relies on a set of twenty-three narrative texts published in the 2005 volume, Folktales of China's Minhe Mangghuer (Chen et al. 2005), and I also draw from the text "Lu Buping," published in the 2001 Mangghuer Folktale Reader (Stuart & Zhu 2001). I rely on Lambrecht's (1994) approach to information structure as a theoretical framework to analyze these texts. I also apply methods from Levinsohn's (2015) "Self Instruction-Materials on Narrative Discourse Analysis." Default information structure in Mangghuer is the topic-comment sentence. The default form …

The Role Of Religious Coping, Age And Meaning In Life In The Development Of Post-Traumatic Growth In Egyptian Breast Cancer Survivors, Nashwa Rashad

Theses and Dissertations

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common types of cancer. Research reported survivors experienced positive changes in their relationship, strength level, and how they admired life after cancer. They said that they recognized elements that promoted post-traumatic growth, such as altering their way of life and accomplishing individually meaningful actions. This literature review reported that religious coping and meaning in life could predict post-traumatic growth. Some sources had conflicted analyses on the effect of age and education on cancer survivors and the development of PTG. This study investigates if religious …

Want More Positive Outcomes? Leader Cultural Intelligence And The Facilitation Of A Quality Feedback Environment, Mara Lou Hesley

Theses and Dissertations

The world continues to change, forcing organizational leaders to adapt (House et al., 2014). Leaders with the ability to adapt to a cultural situation that involves people from diverse cultures, otherwise known as culturally intelligent leaders, are predicted to be the most successful in this ever-changing environment (Earley & Ang, 2003; Ang, et. al., 2007). With diversity increasing, (Olson, Green, & Hill, 2008), feedback can no longer be delivered in a “one size fits all” manner (Earley, 1986; Earley & Stubbledine, 1989). Leaders who prioritize being culturally intelligent should contribute to the creation of feedback environments that are personalized and …

Effects Of Victim Gendering And Humanness On People’S Responses To The Physical Abuse Of Humanlike Agents, Hideki Garcia Goo

Theses and Dissertations

With the deployment of robots in public realms, researchers are seeing more cases of abusive disinhibition towards robots. Because robots embody gendered identities, poor navigation of antisocial dynamics may reinforce or exacerbate gender-based marginalization. Consequently, it is essential for robots to recognize and effectively head off abuse.

Given extensions of gendered biases to robotic agents, as well as associations between an agent's human likeness and the experiential capacity attributed to it, we quasi-manipulated the victim's humanness (human vs. robot) and gendering (via the inclusion of stereotypically masculine vs. feminine cues in their presentation) across four video-recorded reproductions of the interaction. …

Brown Moral Panic: Racism In The Trump Era, Carlos Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to examine the language used by news media to report Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric against Mexican immigrants, from the beginning of his presidential campaign to the El Paso Massacre on August 3rd, 2019. The study focuses on the latest moral panic in the United States against Mexican immigrants (2015 to 2019) using qualitative methods. The research examines how Trump’s racist anti-immigration rhetoric is depicted in news media categorized as neutral. The study focuses on the Associated Press (Neutral Center), New York Times (Neutral Left) and Reuters (Neutral Right).

The Effects Of A Process Analysis Diagnostic Tool On The Accuracy Of Identifying Process Level Disconnects, Vincent Alexander Bello

Theses and Dissertations

Research in the area of Organizational Behavior management (OBM) has demonstrated the effectiveness of behavior analytic interventions on performance in workplace settings. Despite the utility of these procedures, functional assessments used to identify variables maintaining performance deficits have been underutilized and underreported in the OBM literature. Research on functional assessment has been particularly scarce in the area of behavioral systems analysis (BSA), a subfield of OBM that focuses on changing organizational performance through the individual, process, and organizational levels. Without empirical validation of preintervention assessment in BSA, it is unclear to what extent these assessments contribute to the effectiveness of …

Building Resilient Teams: Compositional And Compilational Approaches, Regina Agassian

Theses and Dissertations

Recent events surrounding the pandemic that started in 2020 have placed a premium on team resilience in the workplace. This thesis integrates team resilience and team composition research. Collective self-concept, need for closure, propensity to trust, and decision-making style are hypothesized to predict different facets of team resilience: minimizing, managing, and mending strategies (Alliger et al., 2015). These relationships are approached through the lens of team composition and appropriate operationalizations of team-level aggregation are explored to determine which team composition models are appropriate for predicting relationships between specific individual attributes and team resilience. Archival data from an experimental study was …

The Moderating Effect Of Proactivity In Role Accumulation And Work-Family Enrichment, Sarah Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Research exploring the dynamics between work and family has primarily focused on the conflict that can arise between them, and there continues to be a gap in the more positive aspects of this dynamic. Work-family enrichment helps to view these roles as allies, and focus’ on how people can use resources found in one role to benefit another; with a greater number of roles leading to a greater opportunity for resources. The implication of these and similar findings give employees and organizations a necessary perspective towards improving well-being and performance. Trait affectivity, and more specifically, proactive behavior, has been cited …

Thinking And Talking About Kinds, Ye Ji Seoung

Theses and Dissertations

Three experiments investigated whether definite singular generics (e.g., the dog barks) require that the kind does not contain multiple subkinds. No effect of generic form was found in experiment 1 and 3. However, experiment 2 found people thought there were fewer subkinds when definite singulars referred to the kind.

The Impact Of Location And Time Of Day On The Expression Of Social And Physical Maintenance Behaviors In Wild Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) In Thailand, Summer Fiori

Theses and Dissertations

Much of what we know about Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) behavioral ecology is the result of long-term ethological studies on wild elephants in India and Sri Lanka or experimental research on captive elephant behavior and cognition. While it is important to study the behavior and ecology of elephants to understand the evolution of adaptations that have made them well-suited for their natural environments, there is also a growing need to study populations of wild Asian elephants for applied conservation purposes. More specifically, elephants are endangered and are facing increasing threats such as human-elephant conflict. In this study, behavioral data …

Pre- And Post-Partum Observations Of Signature Whistle Characteristics Of The Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus), Robert Dutchen

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes whistle usage in an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin during birth. Findings show the mother produces two predominant whistle contours. Congruities between the whistles were compared and showed that the type 1 contour bears structural similarity to the first component of the type 2 contour, indicating combinatorial whistle construction.

Hungry Hungry Humpbacks: A Preliminary Study Of Lunge Feeding In The New York Bight, Samantha E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have been observed feeding in the New York Bight (NYB). Humpbacks in this region have an increased potential for collisions with vessels. In this study, data of lunge feeding was analyzed to determine locations of lunge feeding, clusters of lunge feeding, and depths of lunge feeding.

Representation Of Sex-Linked Properties: Implications For Conceptual Representation And Generics, Olga A. Leus

Theses and Dissertations

Four experiments provide evidence that we represent principled connections between kinds and sex-linked properties such that one type of instance of the kind has a principled connection for the presence of the property and the other type has a principled connection for the absence of that property.

Investigating Social Preferences In A High Fission-Fusion Society Of Black And White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Variegata), Patricia A. Adamo

Theses and Dissertations

Wild lemur primates were tested for social preferences across behaviors. Study found highly conservative social preferences that were very consistent across all behavioral states, despite high fission fusion traits common of lemur groups. This finding lays the foundation for using nearest-neighbor as a proxy of social preference for future endeavors.

Eagle Eye Vs. Gear Jammer, Jessica Danielle Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Where similarities in class struggle have historically operated as a unifying force globally, the American crafted mythos isolates the individual and dehumanizes those that do not fall within the parameters of the cowboy archetype. The national protagonist is turned into a class traitor and an extension of government power.

A Nonhuman Primate Model Of The Out Of Africa Theory Utilizing Chinese- And Indian-Derived Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Jacob N. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests that certain genotypic variants associated with novelty-seeking and aggressiveness, such as the 7-repeat dopamine D4 receptor variant (DRD4-7R), short (s) allele of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT), and the low-activity variant of the MAOa promoter (MAOa-L), are more prevalent in human groups that radiated out of Africa than human groups that remained in Africa. Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), like humans, are a widespread species of primates that needed to adapt to different regional environments with one group, Indian-derived rhesus macaques, largely occupying predictable and resource-rich environments, while the other group, the Chinese-derived rhesus macaques, has come to occupy less …

Body States Of Asian Elephants Within And Around Protected Areas In The Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanchanaburi, Thailand, Caitlyn Thai

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers are becoming increasingly aware that studying a species’ landscape of fear or, more broadly, their emotional states, can better inform cognitive questions about how animals navigate their environments. Vigilance behaviors are one way to determine how certain species perceive and respond to risky situations. Due to rapid environmental change, large animals such as elephants are experiencing risky encounters with humans more often than ever before. This study aims to investigate Asian elephants’ expressions of body states and how they might regulate their behavior based on perceived environmental risk or change. Specifically, we investigated the behavioral responses of Asian elephants …

What Do They Know? Police Experiences With Hate Crime In Arkansas, Randi Marie Latiolais

Theses and Dissertations

Hate crimes are likely underreported due to victim’s understanding and reluctance to reporting hate crimes. Few studies have looked at how police attitudes and experiences can affect the way officers report incidents, especially for hate crimes. This Thesis explored police definitions and perceptions of hate crime to ascertain the degree to which these experiences might affect police responses to hate crime (e.g., reporting, investigation, protective actions for victims) and their interactions with victims. A thematic content analysis identified patterns in the definitions and experiences police officers from Pulaski County (AR) have regarding hate crimes. A snowball sampling technique resulted in …

The Joint Influence Of Social Support And Coping On Anxiety In Aya Cancer Survivors, Genevieve Durso

Theses and Dissertations

Background Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors experience unique psychosocial needs during remission. Cancer-related anxiety is endemic amongst AYA survivors and can impede upon the survivor’s life post-cancer treatment. Independent of one another, confiding in a social support system and frequent engagement in coping mechanisms benefit those throughout the cancer experience, leading to more positive psychosocial outcomes. Hypothesis The dual utilization of one’s social support network and coping mechanisms would reduce cancer-related anxiety in AYA cancer survivors. Methods This study’s data was derived from a prior study conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, consisting of 128 adolescent and …

Effectiveness Of A Novel Paradigm Examining The Impact Of Phubbing On Attention And Mood, Kimberly Marynowski

Theses and Dissertations

Human beings are social in nature, but what happens when a tool used to facilitate social interaction instead acts as a disruptor? “Phubbing” describes everyday interruptions in social interactions that occur due to mobile device use (e.g., texting, receiving calls; Chotpitayasunondh & Douglas, 2018). Little is known about how phubbing influences our cognitive and emotional functioning. The aim of the present study is to explore the initial effectiveness of a novel experimental manipulation of phubbing during a joint problem-solving task, evaluate its impact on mood and anxiety-related attention bias, and explore the moderating role of trait anxiety and phubbing induced …

A Qualitative Examination Of Homeless Lgbtq+ Adults In Arkansas, Trye Price

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, LGBTQ+ individuals are disproportionately represented among the homeless population. While homeless, members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to face discrimination, stigmatization, and victimization than their heterosexual counterparts. Although previous research on homelessness among the LGBTQ+ community has been insightful, we know little about the lived experiences of homeless LGBTQ+ adults in Arkansas. Therefore, the current study sought to understand the life experiences of LGBTQ+ adults in Arkansas who are or were homeless at one time in their adult lives. More specifically, this study focused on how individuals enter and exit homelessness, incidents of physical …

Tessellated Pictures And Traditional Piety, Matthew K. Higham

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly 300 years before the rise of a ‘Christianized,’ Eastern Roman Empire, generations of inhabitants in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East had witnessed a considerable variety and evolution of religious thought. As a result of the expansion of Christian sects throughout the Near East and Mediterranean, in 325 CE, Emperor Constantine I convened a theological council to unite his vast kingdom in the East under a single religious creed. While revisions to the text of the first ‘Nicene Creed’ and subsequent councils would be organized, many dissenting factions refused to relinquish their long-held beliefs and traditions. Some of these …

Does Subjective Time Cost Explain Cognitive Task Choices?, Raina Ashley Isaacs

Theses and Dissertations

The current literature suggests that subjective time duration could be the common currency used for task choice. However, few studies have been conducted that use non-physical tasks for their task choice options. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine if subjective time duration is the common currency for task choice regardless of task type. Participants first provided their subjective time estimates for each of the perceptual-motor and cognitive tasks that have been a priori determined to be at the medium difficulty level. Two cognitive tasks (item generation and math problem task) and one perceptual-motor task with a …