Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Developing A Behavior-Based Measure Of Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, Amanda Lynn Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Students benefit from close, supportive relationships with their teachers. When students feel supported by their teachers, they tend to perform more strongly on social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes compared to peers whose relationships with their teachers are conflictual or strained. Emerging evidence suggests that the quality of these relationships may be improved through interventions that increase teachers’ relationship-building behaviors. Yet, the field lacks a measure that explores teacher-student relationship quality by examining the frequency of the specific relationship-building behaviors that may be subject to intervention. The current study aims to address this problem by developing and pilot testing a …

Social Media Use And Interactivity: An Application Of Uses And Gratifications, Patrick Bush

Theses and Dissertations

Accessing news media and the coverage of current events has become streamlined and exponentially easier to access due to the explosive growth of internet usage and by extent the increase of social media usage. As this form of media continues to evolve and becomes not only more accessible, but accepted by a variety of audiences, some parties may seek to find or create their own public spheres of influence online to share information and develop conversations relevant to the participants therein. It is here where the concept of digital storytelling becomes a heavy influence on how the individual not only …

Viewing Ir Through A Unicolonial Lens: A Case Study On The Effects Of Cultural Recognition On State Behavior, Andrew Viera

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis utilizes the concept of unicoloniality, a process found within several ant species, to analyze the aggressive behavior and alliance-forming behavior of states. Through the unique lens of ant colony behavior, this study creates a new variable for quantifying culture that measures whether two states can recognize each other based on their cultural identity. Utilizing this noble variable, a logistic regression model was run to test the impact of cultural recognition on state behavior. The results indicated that cultural recognition had no effect on the decision of a state to join an alliance or engage in a militarized …

The Influence Of Unhelpful Supervisor Support On Employee Burnout Across Cultures, Charles Blomstrom-Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations continue to become increasingly interconnected globally, yet often fail to consider the cultural context of policies. Such failures to account for cultural differences may add to workplace stressors for employees, leading to an increased risk of burnout. Supervisors may attempt to buffer against burnout by providing social support to their employees. However, if the support given by supervisors is considered by the recipient to be unhelpful, these buffering effects may be reversed. Examining samples from the United States and Japan, this study hypothesized that unhelpful supervisor support and burnout would relate significantly to one another, and that culturally based …

Cultural Selection Of Ethical Self-Control Toward Sustainability, Michael Jonathan Passage

Theses and Dissertations

This study consisted of three experiments to improve our understanding of the conditions that foster cooperation related to sustainability. In Experiment 1, participants completed a demographic questionnaire and an environmental and social discounting task. Results (a) support the utility of the environmental discounting task; (b) suggest responding to the discounting task is dissimilar; and (c) show that responding to hypothetical consequences on the social discounting task correlates to actual responding. Experiment 2 evaluated whether interlocking behavioral contingencies (by microculture members) associated with sustainable and non-sustainable aggregate products (Condition A & B) could be selected by cultural consequences (i.e., 20¢ toward …

Bracketed Assessments In Behavioral Gerontology: Evaluating Preference With Present And Absent Stimuli, Flavia Eduarda Del Castillo Troche

Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated the use of bracketed assessments to assess the activity preference of three individuals with dementia. The study proposed an alternative method to traditional stimulus preference assessments, to bridge the gap in behavior analytical literature within behavioral gerontology. Thus, bracketed assessments were conducted using two presentation methods, verbal plus visual presentation and verbal-only presentation. Results suggested that while participants showed consistency within low preferred activity selection in the bracketed assessment, variability was observed among participants’ preferences for high and moderate preferred activities. Both presentation methods yield similar selection results for one participant, however, the other two participants …

Actions Taken At Firm-Level To Mitigate The Adverse Impacts Of Climate Risk, Deepak G. More

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises of two essays on actions taken at firm-level to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate risk. Our first essay documents a positive relation between firm-level climate change exposure (CCE) and long-term tax avoidance. Our results suggest that firms use tax avoidance to mitigate the adverse impacts of CCE. The positive effect of CCE on tax avoidance is stronger post the release of Stern Review and weaker after the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017. Our study is the first to show that firms with high CCE use tax avoidance to increase cash holdings as …

Two Essays On Corporate Finance. The Impact Of Ceo Cultural Heritage And Corporate Decision Making, Md Showaib Rahman Sarker

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays that investigate the effect of CEOs’ cultural heritage on corporate decision-making. In the first essay, I examine the impact of CEOs’ cultural heritage on corporate social responsibility (CSR). I present empirical evidence that CEOs originating from countries with high power distance, more uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation have high CSR scores, while those from individualistic and indulgent cultures have low CSR scores. This effect lasts up to three generations before it disappears due to acculturation. These results are robust to using propensity score matching, entropy balancing, and Oster’s test to address endogeneity and selection …

Psychosocial Impact Of Assistive Technology On Veterans With Disabilities In Higher Education, Maricela Rosales

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine the psychosocial impact of assistive technology (AT) on veterans with disabilities in higher education. A current problem is that there is a research and knowledge gap in the AT needs of student veterans with disabilities living in South Texas, as well as in the psychosocial impact that AT for everyday life activities has on the quality of life of student veterans with disabilities who live with functional limitations. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine the psychosocial impact variables with participants from higher education institutions via online and in-person surveys. …

Licensed Professional Counselors In Texas: The Role Of Stigma In Seeking Counseling Services, Raquel C. Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The literature on stigma has revealed this attribute as a deterrent to seeking mental health services. This study encompassed an investigation of the impact of self-stigma and public stigma on the intentions to seek mental health services of Texas Licensed Professional Counselors. A survey was sent via email, social media platforms associated with Licensed Professional Counselors, and snowball sampling to recruit participants. The participants (N = 99) completed self-report measures about self-stigma, public stigma, social desirability characteristics, and attitudes towards seeking mental health help. The results indicated that neither self-stigma nor public stigma was a deterrent to seeking mental health …

Centralized Finance And Decentralized Finance, Leili Pour Rostami

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores different facets of financial markets, focusing on the interplay between decentralized finance, traditional banking systems, and private market relationship lending. By examining these diverse areas, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how emerging financial instruments and market behaviors interact with traditional financial systems. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) offers an escape from the challenges of centralized finance (CeFi). The first essay explores whether and how returns on DeFi instruments, particularly cryptocurrencies, manage to evade the traditional “rules” in response to exogenous central bank monetary policy shocks. The findings reveal that crypto abnormal returns decline significantly with shocks, …

Assessing Role Of Social Media Labels In Countering Misinformation Using Information Processing Perspective: Findings From University Of South Carolina, Ali Zain

Theses and Dissertations

In the context of online misinformation, this study integrates Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM), Elaboration-Likelihood Model (ELM), and Motivation, Opportunity, and Ability (MOA) to investigate the impact of three social media labels on information processing and verification. It adopts experimental design with single manipulation involving undergraduate students. Psychophysiological measures (i.e., dwell time, peaks per minute, and frontal alpha asymmetry) are used along with self-report methods. Findings reveal significant effects of social media label 1 which explicitly flagged misinformation on perceived message credibility, intentions to adopt counter behaviors and information verification, and actual behaviors. The findings were also endorsed by regression analyses using …

Study On Pilot Response Time To Reject Takeoff With One Engine Inoperative (Oei), Lydia Savitri Scrivens

Theses and Dissertations

The FAA regulation 14 CFR § 25.109 defines accelerate-stop testing for transport-category multiengine aircraft. It specifies that testing must include 2-second distance equivalent at engine failure speed VEF to simulate time taken for pilot to reject takeoff. However, pilot response time is widely debated. The purpose of this study is to determine pilot response time in rejecting a takeoff due to the failure of one engine during the takeoff roll.

Seven multiengine rated pilots participated in this study, which was conducted in a Baron 58 in the X-Plane 12 flight simulator. During the recruiting process, test subject candidates provided their …

A Strategic Communication Plan For The Clemente Center At Florida Tech, Cristiano Bozzolan

Theses and Dissertations

This design project develops a strategic communication plan for the Clemente Center at the Florida Institute of Technology, aimed at enhancing campus engagement. The methodology includes interviews, focus groups, a SWOT analysis, and secondary data analysis, providing insights into the communication dynamics at the center.

Key findings reveal a reliance on outdated communication methods and insufficient use of digital platforms. The proposed communication plan introduces optimized digital signage, targeted email campaigns, community engagement initiatives, and enhanced staff training. These strategies are designed to be cost-effective and actionable, addressing the center's current limitations and leveraging opportunities for improved community interaction.

This …

Experiences Of Ambivalent Sexism And Applicant Behaviors: The Interplay Of Affective Reactions, Lauren Marie Soda

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on ambivalent sexism, which can have detrimental effects for organizations, consisting of two factors: benevolent and hostile sexism. Benevolent sexism is the subtler of the two, oftentimes creating a sense of inferiority and increased anxiety for those experiencing it. Hostile sexism, on the other hand, is often more overt and instills a sense of anger from the target. There appears to be little research looking at experiences of ambivalent sexism in work settings and the affective reactions to those events (i.e., anger and anxiety). I believed that when people experience hostile sexism will feel angry and associate …

Temporal Dynamics Of Shared Leadership Emergence: An Adaptive Leadership Perspective, Erica Medrano

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have identified shared leadership as a valuable team phenomenon due to its link to increased team performance and suitability for the increasingly interdependent and complex work context. Yet, little effort has been invested into discovering how the process unfolds over time. Thus, the proposed study aims to clarify the temporal process of shared leadership by a) confirming that leadership decentralization precedes leadership density, b) identifying the conditions which promote the development of shared leadership, and c) exploring the conditions under which leadership decentralization leads to leadership density. Specifically, I utilize data from an online survey and a 3-hour ecologically …

Neurodivergent Employees: The Impact Of The Disclosure Decision And Subsequent Workplace Accommodations, Tamara Farquhar

Theses and Dissertations

A great deal of organizational investments have gone towards diversifying the labor force as of late. However, the same cannot be said for efforts made towards making newly acquired talent feel included. Neurodivergent individuals in particular have not been sufficiently welcomed in organizations, partially explaining their reluctance to disclose their identity along with feeling excluded. Despite researchers framing the characteristics displayed by neurodiverse talent as natural variations found at the tail ends of the bell curve, many people are incapable of viewing them as such. Discrimination and stereotyping have thus resulted, further dampening neurodivergent employees’ work experiences. These two factors …

Investigating The Mediating Effect Of Social Support In Team Sport Participation On Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes, Olivia Schmitke

Theses and Dissertations

Peer and non-familial adult supportive relationships are a critical part of healthy adolescent development, positively influencing psychological, behavioral, and social domains (e.g., Panza et. al., 2020). Extracurricular sports activities are a source of peer (e.g., teammates) and adult (e.g., coaches) relationships and are associated with favorable impacts on mental health which may be an impactful protective factor given the rise of mental health crisis in youth today. The present study aimed to clarify the relationship mechanisms underlying the benefits of sports participation by examining and effecting social support has on mental health outcomes in adolescents engaged in sports. In doing …

Fostering Hope In Schools: Behavioral Engagement Mediates The Relationship Between Perceived Social Support For School And Hope In Adolescents, Jackson Whitmire

Theses and Dissertations

Better understanding and fostering positive development within youth has become increasingly popular among psychologists, educators, and parents (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). One aspect of positive adjustment is the development of hopeful thinking, which has been demonstrated to be associated with more positive outcomes in terms of positive development, academic achievement (e.g., Marques et al., 2017), and greater career success later in life (e.g., Hirschi, 2014). However, relatively little is known regarding the development and maintenance of hope in children and adolescents, particularly regarding the effects of their school experiences on hope. Both theory (Snyder et al., 1991; Marques & Lopez, …

The Social Influence Network Model Of Performance Expectations, Jingwen Zhong

Theses and Dissertations

Disagreement among group members on each other’s status and competence has been found to negatively impact group performance. However, in theories, it is oftentimes assumed that group members have common perceptions of each other’s competence, or in other words, have a consensus on performance expectations. Recognizing the importance of disagreement on performance expectations, in this dissertation I argue that individuals are subject to the self-serving bias and can develop different performance expectations based on the same status information. The results of an online experiment show that individuals tend to think highly of themselves in both status-homogeneous and status-heterogenous situations, and …

"Ain’T No Slump...I Just Ain’T Hittin’": Investigating Psychological Momentum And Loss Aversion In Major League Baseball, Josephine Matalone

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the history of America’s pastime, it has long been concluded among fans, athletes, and coaches alike that momentum is a key element necessary should one want to win when it counts. However, this issue of “hot hand” existence in the context of baseball has been largely glazed over since the canon of literature on the topic was initiated, and even more so has the concept of a “cold hand.” This study seeks to make a novel contribution by exploring streaks in professional baseball. Using 10-years’ worth of regular season MLB data between 2012 and 2021, a comparative analysis of …

Associations Between Neurological Correlates Of Reading And Learning Disability Profiles Among Children, Jessica Luedke

Theses and Dissertations

Early reading skills are vital for child development. Children with specific reading learning disabilities (SLD-R) display persistent difficulties acquiring reading skills. They are at an increased risk for adverse life outcomes, including mental health concerns, low educational attainment, and low academic motivation. Progress in neurobiological research provides opportunities to enhance the assessment and identification of learning disabilities by revealing distinct neurological patterns of learning. However, the integration of this progress with school psychology research is rare. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate brain network connectivity as a biomarker of reading using resting-state quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) coherence. Fronto-central …

Altered Sensory Processing And Pain In Youth With Sickle Cell Disease: Risk Factors And Moderators, Julia Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience recurrent pain and increased risk for chronic pain. Neuropathic pain, characterized by alterations to the central and/or peripheral nervous systems, is not well understood among youth with SCD. Based on our current understanding of pain systems and existing literature on pain in SCD, this study aimed to elucidate psychosocial correlates of altered sensory processing (ASP) and neuropathic pain, determine biomedical risk factors contributing to the development of ASP among youth with SCD, and identify how sensory processing and biopsychosocial factors collectively influence pain experiences by assessing two plausible models. Methods: Thirty-five youth …

Initial Evaluation Of A Peer Supervision Program For Health Service Psychology Doctoral Students, William Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical supervision has long been utilized as the primary method of clinical training and evaluation for health service psychology doctoral students. Despite the central role that supervision has played and continues to play in the training of psychologists, little scholarly attention has been given to identifying effective methods for fostering competency in providing supervision. The lack of research in this area is concerning, given the accumulating evidence that negative supervision experiences, such as ineffective or inadequate supervision, are reported by a substantial proportion of trainees (21-92% across studies). Moreover, these experiences are associated with important proximal and distal training outcomes, …

Using Youth Participatory Action Research To Scale Up Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) In The Southern United States, Mariajose Jhamira Paton

Theses and Dissertations

The recently launched initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE), provides a targeted plan to end HIV in the United States (US) by 2030, and prioritizes key demographic groups and geographic areas that are disproportionately burdened by HIV. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, especially Black and Latiné youth (SGMBLY), are a key population for EHE as they have experienced the largest increase in new HIV rates in recent decades. States identified by EHE are disproportionately located in the Southern US, where increasing the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV has been a challenge. Though proven effective, youth participatory action …

Measuring Evidence Application In Routine Mental Health Settings: Testing A Coding System And Providing A Proof Of Concept, Eleanor Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 25 years, there have been increasing calls to advance the application of evidence in routine mental health settings for youth and families. Methods in the field for characterizing evidence application have played a critical role in shaping these efforts, which, to-date, have largely focused on measuring providers’ adherence to practices from evidence-based programs in treatment sessions. While this program-centric paradigm for characterizing evidence application has supported the widespread implementation of evidence-based programs in public mental health settings, it is limited in scope and applicability for characterizing all the ways that evidence may be applied across a service …

Saved By Naloxone: The Path To Sobriety?, Marli Rose-Firillo Fichtner

Theses and Dissertations

Beginning in the early 2000s, lawmakers sought to mitigate harm and reduce mortality rates by enacting various policies and increasing community outreach, such as educating society about the dangers of opioids. These efforts can be divided into two broad categories: Drug use prevention and harm reduction. Research has been conducted on both of these strategies, utilizing retrospective analysis on outcomes including crime and mortality, among others. It is of great interest to understand which policies are most effective. NALs are an example of harm reduction because they reverse overdoses should they occur. Preemptive naloxone distribution reduces the likelihood of fatal …

Understanding Stressors, Coping Strategies, And Physical Activity Among African American Women Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Asia Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological stress is a normal part of the human experience and can be adaptive in certain contexts. However, chronic, cumulative, or uncontrollable stressors, such as those associated with living in poverty or being a member of a marginalized group, contribute to pervasive inequities among African American women including lower rates of physical activity. Given the social and political forces that continue to shape inequities, and which have exacerbated Covid-19’s impact on African Americans, it is important to gain a better understanding of how this population is experiencing and coping with current stressors, many of which are embedded within the social …

Humanizing Healthcare: Supporting Lgbtq+ Healthcare Professionals And Trainees, Atticus Wolfe

Theses and Dissertations

The public perception of the healthcare profession has been shifting in recent years largely attributed to the rise of scientific and medical skepticism impacting perceptions of the value of healthcare professionals and care itself (Goddard & Patel 2021). While healthcare professions remain associated with higher public value, healthcare professionals and trainees are expected to adhere to rigid expectations of medical professionalism that may contradict other aspects of their identities. LGBTQ+ identity in particular may pose conflicts to the expectations of healthcare professionalism, contributing to lower self-perceived value for LGBTQ+ healthcare professionals and trainees compared to non-LGBTQ+ healthcare professionals and trainees …

Essays In Labor Economics, Inclusion, And Diversity, Saharnaz Babaei Balderlou

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a comprehensive analysis of various teacher staffing policies and their impact on teacher retention and turnover. It comprises three studies, each addressing a unique aspect of teacher staffing challenges in the United States and in South Carolina. Chapter 2 investigates how different salary structures (frontloading vs. backloading) affect teacher turnover in South Carolina. Using a Difference-in-Differences (DID) approach and data from FY2014 to FY2023, the study finds that frontloading salary schedules do not significantly impact overall teacher turnover, with negligible effects on novice teachers. However, the impact varies with district characteristics: specifically, frontloading may reduce turnover in …