Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Developing An Animal Model Of Polysubstance Abuse In Adolescence: The Role Of Nmda Receptors In Alcohol/Cocaine Reward, Adriana Rebecca Uruena-Agnes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Repeated exposure to drugs of abuse conditions individuals to anticipate the behavioral consequences of drug use specifically in the presence of a drug-associated context. In rodents, preferences and aversions for alcohol and cocaine have been conditioned; however, the mechanisms underlying the expression of these conditioned effects remain unknown. Given that alcohol and cocaine polysubstance abuse is prevalent in young individuals, with more than 50% of these polysubstance abusers reporting to be under the age of 21, it is important to understand the mechanisms contributing to the behavioral effects of alcohol and cocaine co-dependency. Aim 1 determined if age differentially impacted …

Climate Change, Situational Theory Of Problem Solving, And Issue Framing Effects, Michael Eddie Burch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is an exploratory study of the Situational Theory of Problem Solving applied to the context of climate change communication. Selective exposure to politically slanted media is explored as a referent criterion and framing effects are also tested. Relationships between consumption of media characterized as conservative or liberal with referent criterion, Situational Motivation in Problem Solving, problem recognition, involvement recognition, and constraint recognition are tested.

Using An Acceptance And Commitment Training Protocol To Decrease Drug Use, Alexander Brown Mclean

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Behavior analysts have had much success in affecting behavior change with individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities as well as those who would be considered typically developing with a variety of intervention strategies; most of which involve affecting direct acting contingencies. However, the realm of language-based psychopathology has just begun to be addressed within the field through language based, or indirect acting strategies. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is based on the concept of derived stimulus relations and allows for a behavior analytic treatment of language-based psychopathology. The current study was intended to test the efficacy of a brief protocol-delivered ACT …

A Forgotten Community: Archaeological Documentation Of Old St. Joseph, Gulf County, Florida, Christopher N. Hunt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The town of St. Joseph, established in 1835, served as an important deep-water port for receiving and shipping dry goods up the Apalachicola River north along the vast network of navigable inland waterways in southeastern U.S. during the early nineteenth century. Unfortunately, this town was hit with a yellow fever epidemic and a series of hurricanes that, combined with the infancy of its cotton trade activities, eventually devastated its economy and population. The town disappeared by 1842, only much later to be replaced by modern Port St. Joe (est. 1909), located north of the original settlement. However, St. Joseph's influence …

Experimentally Evaluating Statistical Patterns Of Offending Typology For Burglary: A Replication Study, Lance Edwin Gilmore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study used a quasi-experiment in order to evaluate the effect the SPOT-burglary profile on burglary arrest rates. A single police agency split into three different districts was used for the quasi-experiment. The SPOT-burglary profile was implemented in one district, while leaving the other two as control groups. The differences between the districts were controlled for using a statistical analysis. Burglary arrest rates were collected each month for all three districts for a period of one year before the implementation, and for six months after the implementation. Results show that the district who received the SPOT-burglary profile raised their burglary …

Relating Relations: The Impact Of Equivalence-Equivalence Training On Analogical Reasoning, Anna Rosio Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A well-researched line showing equivalence performances in a wide variety of areas has been conducted in the field of Behavior Analysis (BA). One area demonstrates that relating relations is a behavioral account of analogical thinking. Relating relations may have implications for the development of analogical training given that analogical reasoning is seen as the foundation of intelligence yet research in this area is limited. A protocol by Stewart, Barnes-Holmes, and Weil (2009) was developed to train children in analogical reasoning using equivalence-equivalence relations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an equivalence-equivalence training protocol based on Stewart et al. …

The Influence Of The Projected Coordinate System On Animal Home Range Estimation Area, Michael Barr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Animal home range estimations are important for conservation planning and protecting the habitat of threatened species. The accuracy of home range calculations is influenced by the map projection chosen in a geographic information system (GIS) for data analysis. Different methods of projection will distort spatial data in different ways, so it is important to choose a projection that meets the needs of the research. The large number of projections in use today and the lack of distortion comparison between the various types make selecting the most appropriate projection a difficult decision. The purpose of this study is to quantify and …

Love And (M)Other (Im)Possibilities, Summer Renee Cunningham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a performative interrogation of the disagreement and (dis)interest, communication issues, surrounding motherhood in contemporary U.S. culture. Textual analysis of Mary Kelly's Post-Partum Document (PPD) plays a key role in my inquiry. I juxtapose documentation from my lived experiences and academic projects with Kelly's work to build upon the themes and ideas introduced throughout PPD. This project is guided by the concepts love and (im)possibility, and I will argue that, together, they are central to understanding mothering/caregiving as a site of communication inquiry. Love and (im)possibility are inherent to both mothering and communication, but they also are essential …

Does Revolution Breed Radicalism? An Analysis Of The Stalled Revolution In Syria And The Radical Forces Since Unleashed, Ryan King Little

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the turn to conflict in Syria during 2011 to see if it is revolutionary in nature and if so, why has it not succeeded? This thesis aims to analyze the anatomy of Syria's "revolution" in order to determine the causes behind the initial popular mobilization and transition to conflict. Then, further analysis of the essential elements of successful revolutionary movements will be undertaken to reveal what conditions remain unmet for Syria to culminate in a full revolutionary transformation. Special attention will be paid to the revolutionary Opposition itself, since, to date, it has proved unable to generate …

Spatial Analysis Of Foreclosures In Hillsborough County, Brian Arthur Sandrock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the spatial impact various socio-demographic and housing factors might have in the foreclosure lis pendens rate within various Hillsborough County, Florida tracts as well as comparing those results with past research. Hopefully the techniques used in this study can be implemented elsewhere in order to better study the foreclosure crisis. The methods used within this research were chosen carefully in order to best understand what is being observed. One method is OLS regression which helps see the impact of each variable and if that impact has a negative or positive effect on the rate of foreclosure. Bivariate …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Wearable Technology For Increasing Physical Activity, Christopher Michael Nieves

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity in America has grown widespread over the past decade and is a significant social issue that affects many families. Identifying interventions that are not only effective in the natural environment but are easy to implement are ideal for helping individuals engage in more fitness related activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Nike^TM FuelBand for increasing physical activity in 3 adults. Additionally, a goal setting procedure was used to test if it enhanced the effects of the Nike^TM FuelBand. Three measures were collected as part of the study, Nike^TM Fuel, …

Blue Is In The Eye Of The Beholder: A Cross Cultural Study On Color Perception And Memory, Mark Douglas Lowry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According the linguistic relativity hypothesis, the language one speaks affects how one thinks. Because languages differ in how they categorize color, linguistic relativity has often been tested by conducting experiments on color perception and memory. This study examines the linguistic relativity hypothesis using ecologically valid stimuli: pictures of eyes. Because Russian-speakers are more likely to describe blue/grey eyes as grey, whereas English speakers are more likely to describe them as blue, English and Russian participants were asked to match the overall color of blue eyes to a color scale. There were three conditions. In the first condition (perception), participants saw …

Medicaid Pays For That? An Exploratory, Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Florida Home Birth, Nicole K. Demetriou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overwhelming social norm for pregnant women in the U.S. is to receive prenatal care from an obstetrician and to give birth in a hospital setting. However, the incidence of midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth is increasing, particularly among White, non-Hispanic women. Florida has been considered a "model" state for home birth midwifery given legislative support that mandates coverage of all types of midwifery (e.g., Certified Professional Midwives and Certified Nurse-Midwives) care in all birth settings (e.g., hospital, home, birth center) and by all forms of insurance (e.g., commercial and Medicaid). Medicaid is the payer source for nearly half of …

Assessing The Effects Of Derived Relational Responding On Intraverbal Use Of Same-Opposite And More Than-Less Than Relations In Children With Autism, Jane P. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Relational Frame Theory provides an analysis of verbal behavior involving a focus on the development of relational operants which are seen as a basis for language. From this basis, a framework is provided for establishing relational networks in individuals who lack derived relational ability. Establishment of relational frames may increase the probability of responding relationally to novel instances and use of the specific relational frames during social interactions; therefore, training verbal relations in accordance with an RFT approach may enhance intraverbal responding and facilitate the emergence of untrained responses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the emergence of …

Not Enough Cooks In The Kitchen: An Empirical Test Of A Two-Factor Model Of Work Unit Understaffing, Cristina Keiko Hudson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although most working adults possess a lay understanding of understaffing in the workplace and may, in fact, feel they are experiencing such a stressor, a review of the research literature reveals a general lack of empirical work on understaffing and its consequences. Hudson and Shen (2013, Development and testing of a new measure of understaffing. Paper presented at the Southern Management Association 2013 Meeting, New Orleans, LA) recently proposed a new model of understaffing that distinguished between two types of personnel deficiencies, manpower and expertise shortages, and linked these dimensions to worker well-being and attitudinal outcomes and identified likely mediating …

Etruscan Trade Networks: Understanding The Significance Of Imported Materials At Remote Etruscan Settlements Through Trace Element Analysis Using Non-Destructive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Patrick T. Woodruff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Etruscan civilization was rich in local and interregional trade. Its exchange networks were vital in establishing relationships with other societies, importing exotic materials and goods, as well as disseminating and assimilating information. However, there is little understanding of the participation of smaller inland settlements in the act of exchange. This research answers questions pertaining to the purpose of trade within these self-sustaining communities, the reliability of identifying geographic locations of the clay used in ancient ceramics through the use of non-destructive X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry without sampling current regional clay sources, and the materiality of the ceramics being exchanged …

An Investigation Of Methodologies For Determining Walkability And Its Association With Socio-Demographics: An Application To The Tampa - St. Petersburg Urbanized Area, Oana A. Mckinney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Walkability research has broadened in the past few years, being performed by researchers in different fields such as urban planning, public health, and transportation planning. Definitions of walkability and methods of operationalizing the concept vary widely. Since the results of studies that incorporate walkability may well have policy implications, it is important to consider the potential impacts of different definitions and methods of measurement.

This thesis investigates to what extent walkability indices may differ when either the composition of the indices is changed or when different quantitative methods of standardization are used to summarize their component measures. The association of …

Accessibility's Influence On Population Location Near Light Rail In The Denver Region, Christophe Michael Zuppa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accessibility is the most important concept in transportation planning because it describes the ease of travel to opportunities vital for everyday needs. Theoretically, people locate closer to transit corridors if accessibility improves. One desired benefit from light rail is denser land use patterns in the form of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) that captures population growth. In October 1994, the City of Denver, CO, joined the list of American cities that have implemented light rail within the last 33 years. Since then, five corridors have opened there, and planners are retooling their zoning codes to allow TOD near light rail. The …

Is More Always Better: Comparing The Effects Of Single And Multiple Learning Channels On Academic Performance, Samantha Ann Spillman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Precision teaching (PT) is a measurement system used in multiple settings for all types of behavior, from driving to mathematics. The ultimate goal of PT is to develop fluent, free operant behaviors through analyzing response frequencies on a standard celeration chart. Research has found PT to be effective at improving both the speed and accuracy of academic skills. There is little research, however, in the effects of learning channels, a component of PT, as they relate to the acquisition of academic skills. The present study examined the relationship between single and multiple learning channels on the acquisition of mathematics skills …

Continuation In Us Foreign Policy: An Offensive Realist Perspective, Bledar Prifti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of US foreign policy that aims at maintaining its regional hegemonic status and preventing the emergence of another regional hegemon by implementing the offshore balancing strategy. US intervention during the 2003 Iraq War, strained US-Iran relationship, and the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in early 2014 compel a reevaluation of US foreign policy. Two major claims of this dissertation include: (1) US foreign policy is consistent with offensive realist theoretical claims; and (2) US foreign policy is characterized by continuity when it comes to issues related to America's strategic …

Family Accommodation In Adults With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Psychometric Properties Of The Family Accommodation Scale - Patient Version, Monica S. Wu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Family accommodation is a salient construct within the context of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and occurs in a large majority of affected individuals and their families. Accommodating behaviors can manifest in various ways, including participation in the patient's rituals, modifying everyday routines, facilitating compulsive behaviors, or providing reassurance. It has been repeatedly linked to negative outcomes, such as attenuated treatment response, increased obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, higher levels of family distress, and lower levels of functioning. As such, it is of significant clinical importance to have a standardized measure that is able to be used in research and clinical practice.

The Family …

Self-Control And Alcohol Expectancies, John M. Ray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on self-control suggests that people do not do as well at self-control after they have already exerted self-control on something else. Despite the obvious importance of self-control in drinking behavior, few studies have examined alcohol consumption as an outcome measure in the context of self-control depletion and the potential role of cognitive processes in the self-control to drinking relationship remains largely unexplored. Although it is widely agreed that alcohol expectancies play an important role in one's decision to drink, no study has examined the role of expectancies in self-control's influence on drinking. This study addresses this important gap in …

Improving Middle School Students' Subjective Well-Being: Efficacy Of A Multi-Component Positive Psychology Intervention Targeting Small Groups Of Youth And Parents, Rachel Anne Roth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A dual-factor model of mental health conceptualizes mental health status as a combination of both psychopathology and subjective well-being. Current literature indicates that complete mental health (i.e., low psychopathology, high subjective well-being) is associated with the best academic and social functioning among youth. Thus, the absence of psychopathology alone is not sufficient for student success. While research on interventions for improving subjective well-being, termed positive psychology interventions (PPIs), is increasing, PPIs for youth in particular lag behind similar interventions for adults. Additionally, a majority of youth-focused PPIs have targeted singular constructs (e.g., gratitude, character strengths), have neglected to include relevant …

Using Mimic Methods To Detect And Identify Sources Of Dif Among Multiple Groups, Seokjoon Chun

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) methods in detecting uniform and nonuniform differential item functioning (DIF) among multiple groups, where the underlying causes of DIF was different. Three different implementations of MIMIC DIF detection were studied: sequential free baseline, free baseline, and constrained baseline. In addition, the robustness of the MIMIC methods against the violation of its assumption, equal factor variance across comparison groups, was investigated. We found that the sequential-free baseline methods provided similar Type I error and power rates to the free baseline method with a designated anchor, and much better Type I …

A Contingency Model Of Team Leadership For Emergency Medical Teams, Andeneshea Shacardia Kemp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emergency medical teams operate under unusual circumstances. They assemble for a singular, temporary purpose, potentially change in size and composition, and their performance can influence whether a patient lives or dies. Although leadership is a critical component to team success, it is rarely investigated in the context of emergency medical teams. This study sought to examine the relationship between directive leadership behaviors and team performance outcomes. It was hypothesized that directive leadership would be particularly effective for emergency medical teams. In addition, a contingency model was proposed. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the effectiveness of directive leadership is contingent upon …

Developmental Trajectories Of Physical Aggression And Nonaggressive Rule-Breaking Among At-Risk Males And Females During Late Childhood And Early Adolescence, Eugena Givens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Criminological, psychological, and developmental researchers have relentlessly explored behavioral characteristics and juvenile justice outcomes in an effort to establish the most appropriate means of analyzing childhood and adolescent problem behaviors. Cross-discipline, empirical evidence and factor analytic research has consistently identified the presence of two predictive concepts, physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking. Research pertaining to the risk factors and correlates of these two distinct substructures of offending align with theoretically postulated typologies of delinquency and offending as well as the frequently cited patterns of delinquency and offending within reviews of longitudinal research. Using longitudinal data from a sample of 756 at-risk, …

Risk Perception And Beliefs About Volcanic Hazards: A Comparative Study Of Puna District Residents, Melanie Marie Leathers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to better understand how residents of communities located on the flanks of Kilauea, Hawai'i view the hazards associated with volcanic events taking into account hazard proximity, cultural beliefs, municipal trust, and evacuation planning. The study was conducted in the lower Puna district, an area with a rapidly growing population but limited infrastructure.

Data were collected though a questionnaire survey undertaken at venues throughout the district, including grocery markets, bakeries, farmers markets, the public pool, and other gathering places. Overall, the results indicated that people understand the natural hazards of the place but are generally …

Fear Of Cancer Recurrence In Breast Cancer Survivors Before And After Follow-Up Mammograms, Heather L. Mcginty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in breast cancer survivors returning for regularly scheduled follow-up mammograms. FCR was hypothesized to increase prior to the mammogram, decrease from immediately pre- to immediately post-mammogram, and then increase following the mammogram. Based on the cognitive-behavioral model (CBM) of health anxiety, greater perceived risk of recurrence, worse perceived consequences of a recurrence, lower coping self-efficacy, and more engagement in reassurance-seeking behaviors were hypothesized to be associated with greater FCR in each time segment. Finally, exploratory analyses evaluated the various trajectories in FCR over time using growth mixture …

Changing Landscapes: End-Of-Life Care & Communication At A Zen Hospice, Ellen W. Klein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines end-of-life experiences at a small Zen hospice in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Through an exploration of how end-of-life communication, sense-making, decision-making, and care in this setting differ from that of typical clinical settings, this project highlights and interrogates the experiences of dying as spiritually, rhetorically, narratively, relationally, and communally bound events.

Keywords: Zen hospice, end of life, narrative sensemaking, medical-ethical decision making, spirituality, healing rhetoric, communities of practice

The Importance Of Family-Systems Theory In Masters-Level School School Counseling Curriculum: A Study Of Faculty Perceptions, Gwen Gold

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) master's-level school counseling program coordinators and faculty members about the importance and relevance of family systems theory and techniques coursework in their program curriculum. Family-systems theory coursework is lacking in two-thirds of those accredited programs, although mandated by their major accrediting body, CACREP. CACREP issued curriculum standards and guidelines to ensure proper training of school-counseling students and the American School Counselor Association--the foundation that expands the image and influence of professional school counselors through advocacy, leadership, collaboration, and systemic change--has issued guidelines for the …