Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Multilingualism And Ego Depletion In Interference Task Performance – Are Multilingual Brains More Intelligent Than Monolingual Brains?, Dorota B. Botwina

Theses and Dissertations

Research linking multilingualism with better executive control has produced inconsistent findings. Since definitive empirical evidence is not available, this study seeks to explore whether these advantages really exist. The Flanker Task followed an ego depletion task that was introduced to participants who were monolingual, bilingual and trilingual.

What Does Silence = Now? An Analysis Of Past And Present Discourse Surrounding Hiv/Aids, Emily A. Moner

Theses and Dissertations

This essay examines how the HIV/AIDS epidemic was first addressed in the context of politics, media and the general public and subsequently how that compares to the ways in which it’s currently being discussed using popular forms of communication such as Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media.

Food And Negotiation Of Identity Among The Russian Immigrant Community Of Brighton Beach, Elena Starkova

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the construction of ethnic identity among Russian immigrants in New York, by examining how it has been negotiated and articulated through foods, including traditional and non-native foods as a vehicle for their shifting identities and for reaffirming their position and participation in mainstream American society.

Forget-Me-Not: American Consumerism And Its Impact On Philadelphia Gravestones, 1800-1930, Melissa A. Elgendy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the relationship between the growing consumer ideology brought about by the American Industrial Revolution and changing gravestone characteristics in Philadelphia, PA between 1800-1930. Examining their connection uncovers how consumerism impacted individual’s sense of self and viewed their place in society, which are then reflected in material culture.

The Sounds Of Silence; Or, Isabella’S Counter Discourse In Measure For Measure, Gina Vivona

Theses and Dissertations

This argument reshapes the thinking about masculine dominance in Measure for Measure, and considers the patriarchy as a series of socially constructed, hence artificial, rules and regulations. It also explores how Isabella’s discourse and celibacy empower her to defy the constraints of early modern paradigms and achieve individual freedom.

Reward Preferences In Domestic Horses (Equus Caballus), Elizabeth E. Jaeger

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined stress response in domestic horses (Equus caballus) to determine if horses show preference for either traditional or natural horsemanship training methods to test the hypothesis that natural horsemanship would induce less stress. Our results show that natural horsemanship rewards elicited lower stress response in horses.

Adult Human Perception Of Distress In The Cries Of Bonobo, Chimpanzee And Human Infants, Taylor Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Adult human listeners rated their perceived distress based on the recorded vocalizations of bonobo, chimpanzee and human infants. Results found that bonobos were rated highest, chimpanzee and human infants in the high arousal context were rated as lower distress, and human babies in low arousal rated lowest.

The Association Of Feline Behavior To Acoustical Features Of Kitten Directed Speech, Daniela Acevedo

Theses and Dissertations

This study observed responses of cats to kitten and adult human directed speech. Human vocalization analysis showed significant variation in harmonicity for kitten directed speech. Playback experiments analyzing feline responses to owners and strangers using kitten and human directed speech showed higher attentiveness to a stranger’s kitten directed speech.

What Is The Role Of The Community? Examining Minority Stress Processes Among Gay And Bisexual Men, Brian Salfas

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines factors affecting the mental health of gay and bisexual men drawing on minority stress theory. Results indicate that community involvement has a positive effect on the mental health of men impacted by minority stress and show a significant interaction between community involvement and internalized homonegativity.

Peer Rejection And Emotion Development: The Role Of Peer Rejection And Coming Out On Emotional Health Among Gay And Bisexual Men, Joseph A. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Gay and bisexual men experience a higher prevalence of negative mental health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts. This study examines sexual identity milestone achievement—the age of first coming out to friends—for mediation on the association between childhood experiences of peer rejection and levels of emotion dysregulation in adulthood.

Assessing Behavioral Syndromes In Captive Red Pandas (Ailurus Fulgens) Using An Ethological Approach, Tyler C. Bray

Theses and Dissertations

Animal personality has a significant impact on an animal’s physiology and welfare. Eight captive red pandas were observed to determine if personality can be assessed in this species using an ethological approach. Analysis revealed two behavioral dimensions: 1) Active/Exploratory and 2) Maintenance. Age differences were found in the Active/Exploratory dimension.

Assessing Preference For Contrafreeloading And Other Feeding Strategies In Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis), Jacinthe Sasson-Yenor

Theses and Dissertations

Giraffe were provided with a choice between easy and difficult food sources containing varying proportions of grain. Individual giraffe showed fixed preferences for contrafreeloading (working for food), eating at the easy source, or following the food distribution. Introduction of the contrafreeloading opportunity also led to a decrease in displacements.

Tertiary Degrees And The Market: Cross-Country Statistical Evidence, Boontharika Meesuwan

Theses and Dissertations

Substantial differences in stock market behavior exists across the world. Many determinants have been explored and empirically studied, yet the exact reasons for these differences remain unclear. The purpose of this paper is to contribute some insight into the question of why market behavior differs across countries and between social groups despite continuing globalization within financial markets. I hypothesize that there is a direct relationship between personality and trading behavior that directly affects market liquidity.

Does Genotype Correlate With Phenotype? Evaluating Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Spp.) Color Vision Using Subject Mediated Automatic Remote Testing Apparatus (Smarta), Raymond Vagell

Theses and Dissertations

Ruffed lemur (Varecia spp.) color vision research was conducted using a multidisciplinary approach: psychophysics, genetic analysis, technology, and animal training. The behavioral manifestation of Varecia spp. trichromacy was shown using a touchscreen apparatus (SMARTA). Trichromats performed better than dichromats when discriminating red from green (G₂ = 78.10, p < 0.001).

Language Acquisition With English Language Learners Who Have Developmental Delays, Eliza Racquel Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the effects of language instruction with two preschool age students who are English language learners who have developmental delays using the incidental teaching method. Language targets were randomly chosen according to the language level of each student and the targets were either in Spanish (L1) or English (L2). The students were in a special education classroom and researchers worked with them one-on-one, using the natural learning environment to teach and to better implement learning objectives. Targets were withheld during play and students had to mand, tact, or use intraverbal skills to receive the item. Their reward …

Parenting Skills As A Predictor Of Youth Externalizing Outcomes In Routine Community Mental Health Services, Corinne Elizabeth Ruth

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between perceived parenting skills and youth externalizing symptoms throughout the course of routine treatment of youth receiving services in a community mental health setting. Specifically, this study investigated whether changes in parenting skills were associated with changes in three dimensions of youth externalizing behaviors (behavioral dysfunction, interpersonal relations, social problems). Participants were 401 youth (aged 4-17, mean aged 10.7, 48% female) and their parents/guardians. At regular intervals throughout treatment, parents completed the Treatment Support Measure (TSM) to assess perceived parenting skills along with the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ) to assess youth externalizing symptoms. Hierarchical linear …

When Eyes And Ears Compete: Eye Tracking How Television News Viewers Read And Recall Pull Quote Graphics, Othello Lennox Richards

Theses and Dissertations

This study applied dual processing theory, the theory of working memory, and the theory of cue summation to examine how the video and audio in a television news story interact with or against each other when the story uses pull quote graphics to convey key information to viewers. Using eye-tracking, the study produced visual depictions of exactly what viewers look at on the screen when the words in the reporter's voice track match the text in the pull quote graphic verbatim, when the reporter summarizes the text in the graphic, and when the reporter's voice track ignores the text in …

Lexical Categories In Lengua De Señas Argentina, Roman Caceres

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to identify lexical categories of Lengua de Señas Argentina (LSA). Sign languages, in general, have not been extensively researched. For example, the LSA section of the World Atlas of Language Structures only mentions irregular negatives and question particles.

The research methodology included interviews with fluent deaf signers. Different descriptions in LSA were video recorded, annotated and analyzed. The researcher made initial hypotheses about the syntactic nature of signs based on the strategy used for their elicitation. Then, the researcher tested the hypotheses through syntactic analysis.

During the analysis, the researcher identified two varieties of …

Speaking Of Qualia: Examining A Craft Beer Microcommunity's Membership Identity Through Speech, Anna Hamer

Theses and Dissertations

This ethnography examines a locally owned craft beer store in South Carolina, where craft beer connoisseurs and enthusiasts come together to elevate their beer drinking experience. Many members of this microcommunity use ‘beer talk’, a technical register of speech (Agha 2007; Manning 2008; Silverstein 2006, 2016), to point to, or index, a part of their beer connoisseur identity. The ‘beer talk’ register used to describe craft beer is enacted at various scales of speech (Carr and Lempert 2016), ranging from Cicerone Certification and mobile applications, to online forums, beer festivals, beer magazines, brewery visits, and face-to-face interaction. The CofP model …

Empathy Induction To Reduce Victim Blaming In Revenge Porn Cases, Marissa Amber Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Research findings suggest that certain characteristics of victims and perpetrators may make them more likely to be blamed. To this end, the current study examined how victim gender, having a history of infidelity, empathy instructions, and observer gender work together to place blame on victims and perpetrators. Participants read one of eight scenarios that varied the victim’s gender, history of infidelity, and presence of empathy instructions. They then indicated the degree to which various actors were to blame for the occurrence of nonconsensual pornography, as well as their affective reactions toward both the victim and the perpetrator. Overall, affect decreased …

Activity Patterns And Division Of Labor At A Southeastern Tennessee Late Mississippian Site: Toqua, Dustin Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

Entheseal changes (EC), formally musculoskeletal stress markers, are the recordation of osteophytic change at an enthesis (any muscular origin or insertion). Study of EC is valuable in decoding past life activities, social dynamics, and health through the quantification of reactive osseous changes at entheses. The current study assesses EC to ascertain activity patterns at the Late Mississippian Dallas Phase (~1300-1550 AD) site of Toqua, aboriginally located in the lower Little Tennessee River Valley of East Tennessee. Toqua was a multiple mound, palisaded settlement of maize-intensive agriculturalists. The subsistence strategy may have required intense and possibly specialized labor of the upper …

The Hispanic Female Scholars: Experiences Of An Underrepresented Minority. A Study Of The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Cecile Caddel

Theses and Dissertations

The study intends to illustrate how certain challenges influence the disparity of Latinas/Hispanic women pursuing a career in academia, in the Rio Grande Valley. Aside from the aspects, which drive these women to success, I also hope to uncover those, which restrict Hispanic women from achieving tenure within the university system. Conclusively, I intend to understand how the issues and circumstances of Latinas in pursuit of the professoriate, compares/differs from other marginalized groups.

The qualitative research process allows for individual interviews, in order to construct authentic interpretations of the challenges and conditions, which often affect the Hispanic woman in the …

Evaluation Of A Social And Emotional Learning Curriculum Integrated Into A Middle School Health Classroom, Stephanie Susan Skiba

Theses and Dissertations

Although approximately one-fourth of adolescents have a mental health disorder only half of them receive treatment. The goal of this study was to determine if Strong Kids, a social and emotional learning curriculum, implemented over a 4-week period could help decrease internalizing symptoms and increase resilience in middle school students, something not previously investigated. This study also measured social and emotional knowledge as measured by the Strong Kids questionnaire. Additionally, treatment fidelity and social validity were measured. The study used a non-equivalent, control group design. The sample consisted of 148 students: 70 in the treatment group and 78 in …

Natural Disaster Films: A Social Learning And Perceived Realism Perspective, Melissa Seipel

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between social learning and perceived realism in the context of an entertainment media text, the 2015 movie San Andreas. As a fictional natural disaster movie, this film depicts several safety and survival techniques that could potentially be observed and adopted by audience members should they face a similar situation (i.e. major earthquake). While the majority of these techniques align with professionally recommended behaviors, a few are misleading. This study investigates the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral intentions different groups of audience members hold concerning the behaviors they observed in the film. Participants were grouped by …

Social Scrutiny: How Viewers' Comments Affect Female Tv Journalists' Appearance, Heather Reena Arevalo-Flores

Theses and Dissertations

Television news anchors are often rated based on their appearance. News directors and consultants believe viewers want to see young and attractive women. While the media managers focus on high ratings, there are few studies that specifies how female journalist feel about being judged based on their appearance. There is no research that focuses on the comments female journalist receive on social media. The present research will investigate if viewers’ comments affect a female journalists’ appearance and how it affects her credibility. This qualitative study asks female journalist about comments they have received from viewers on their appearance through social …

An Exploratory Study Of "The Right Days Game:" A Decision-Making Communication Game For Couples, David R. Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

An exploratory study was conducted using “The Right Days Game,” a decision making communication game in which couples take turns making decisions. for the couple on alternating days for four weeks. Several scales were used as well as an interview to obtain the data. Numerous obstacles were encountered that prevented addressing the original hypotheses.

Approximately 1,000 people clicked on the introduction survey; 81% of these were women. Approximately 50% dropped out when they were asked for their email. An email was sent to the participant’s partner inviting them to join the research. The response rate was 20% with a dropout …

Context Matters: Evaluating Social Judgments Of Acquaintance Rape Myths, Michelle E. Deming

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of my dissertation are to: 1) determine the social psychological factors affecting rape myth judgments and, 2) develop an instrument that utilizes realistic social contexts to measure acquaintance rape myth adherence among undergraduate students. The Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMA; McMahon and Farmer 2011; Payne et al. 1999) was used to create acquaintance rape vignettes using factorial surveys (Rossi and Anderson 1982). I manipulated factors known to be associated with victim-blame such as alcohol, a previous sexual relationship, if the woman is dressed provocatively, the type of relationship (e.g., acquaintance versus friend), if the woman verbally protested, …

A Strategic Communication Plan For Dominica-America Scholarship And Culture, Inc., Joan Juliana Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this design project was to develop a strategic communication plan for a nascent US-based nonprofit organization with a transnational focus. To accomplish this goal, the researcher drew on concepts and propositions of business and communication theories, best practices and recommendations of nonprofit practitioners and consultants, and studies from research centers. This research was necessary to discover the principles and elements critical to the design of a basic strategic communication plan. To develop a plan specific to the real world experiences and challenges of the nonprofit, the researcher utilized a qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interviews and action …

What Makes A Business Person A Criminal: An Examination Through Academic Dishonesty, Dakota Lee Fraley

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the interaction between environmental and individual difference characteristics in predicting perceptions of white-collar crime and likelihood to engage in academic dishonesty. It adopted a cross discipline approach that pulls literature from criminology, industrial organizational psychology and academic dishonesty to create the theoretical framework for what causes a person to deviate. General strain theory, rational choice theory and social exchange theory were employed to explain how integrity, perceived stress and perceived injustice could predict likelihood to commit academic dishonesty and perceptions of white-collar crime. Additional analyses looked at how self-control might moderate the relationships between perceived stress …

Reproductive Healthcare Information-Seeking Behavior In Undeserved Women: An Exploratory Study, Margaret S. Zimmerman

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the reproductive health-related information-seeking of low-income women which has been found to be affected by digital divide disparities. Included in this is an assessment of what reproductive health-related information needs they have, which sources they consult most frequently, if they trust the sources that they use, and how their information-seeking interacts with the variables of perceived risk and perceived barriers. While there have been many studies on the end effects of a lack of accurate and accessible reproductive health information little research has been conducted to examine the reproductive healthcare information-seeking patterns of women who live in …