Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Unveiling The Power Of Tourism Research: Navigating Insights From Montana For 2024 And Beyond, Melissa Weddell, Kara Grau, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

ITRR presentation from the 2024 Governor's Conference on Tourism

Wealth-Building For All Children: Convergence And Evidence To Support A Nationwide Policy, Jin Huang, Trina R. Shanks, Margaret M. Clancy, William Elliott Iii, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Amid growing concern about wealth inequality in the United States, many policymakers and researchers have come to see early-life wealth-building policies as potential remedies. This brief discusses convergence in the policy community around a shared vision and principles for such policy, and it connects that vision to research. Child Development Account research, much of it conducted through CSD’s SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, suggests the parameters for an inclusive, efficient, and effective policy that would express the community’s shared vision.

Trust Across Scales: Investigating The Relationship Among Trust And Confidence In Social Institutions, Childhood Aces, And Political Identity, Riley W. Briekos, Gwendolyn O. Hillger, Paige M. Thissen, Benjamin P. Brecht, Avery M. Chapp, James D. Harms, James Cottrill, Amanda Hemmesch, Ann Finan, Sandrine Zerbib

Scholarship in SCSU Survey

Using data from our 2023 Fall Survey of Minnesota Residents, we examine the relationship between trust and confidence in social institutions and how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact perceptions and behavior.

The Montana Travel Industry - 2023 Summary, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

2023 summary infographic of the Montana travel and recreation industry.

Montana Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism - 2023, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

A summary of Montana residents' attitudes towards tourism from the 2023 season. Overall, results from this study show that Montana residents hold a generally positive attitude towards tourism in the state. Residents are aware of the economic benefit that tourism provides to their communities, and agree that the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts. Perceptions of crowding at the statewide and community level appear to be easing from previous years.

2023 Estimates - Nonresident Visitation, Expenditures, And Economic Contribution, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a collection of estimates of 2023 nonresident visitation to Montana, expenditures by nonresident travelers in the state, and the contribution to Montana's economy of that traveler spending. Included are estimates by full year, quarter, trip purposed, and other visitor segments.

Experts-Driven Design: A Framework For Measuring Social Influence In Online Social Networks, Shyamala N. Chalakudi, Dildar Hussain Dr., Gnana Bharathy Dr, Dakshinamurthy Kolluru Dr

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2024

In our interconnected and ever-changing social landscape, influence is pivotal in molding individuals’ decisions, perspectives, and behaviors. Measuring Social Influence (SI) in Online Social Networks (OSNs) faces significant gaps, notably needing more integration with human behaviors. Our literature review has unveiled twelve psychological theories rooted in human behavior that are fundamental for assessing SI in OSNs. We have further elucidated how human behaviors interact in shaping the influence potential of social media users through exploratory interviews with experts from consulting, industry, and academia. Our study culminated in developing a novel framework designed to encompass the intricacies that not only nurture …

Report On A Seminar On Financial Capability And Asset Building Organised For Social Work Practitioners, Augustina Naami, Mavis Dako-Gyeke, Abigail A. Mills, Abena Ampomah

Center for Social Development Research

A key step in the work to improve the financial stability and security of marginalized populations begins with training social work practitioners and other human service professionals for competencies in supporting families to build financial security and freedom. In September 2023, the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana collaborated with the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to organize a seminar on financial capability and asset building (FCAB) for practitioners in Accra, Ghana. As part of the seminar, Faculty Director David Ansong discussed CSD’s FCAB Africa initiative. This report provides …

The Effect Of Caffeine On Bee Behavior: A Progressive Ratio Study, Kayle Cohen, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Dr

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This presentation focuses on the effect of caffeine on bee behavior using behavioral pharmacology methodologies. Researchers trained bumblebees to drink out of artificial flowers, then administered sucrose nectar or caffeinated sucrose nectar during a schedule of progressive and fixed ratios. The finding suggests that caffeine did increase the number of rewards during the fixed ratio, but not in the progressive ratio. However, research is still ongoing as bees continue to be tested..

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) Fy2023 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) is a comprehensive statewide program that provides free housing mediation services as a tool to increase housing stability with the intention of preventing homelessness created by landlord-tenant disputes. It is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and deploys the community mediation system infrastructure with 11 Community Mediation Centers (Centers) participating and serving all 14 counties of the Commonwealth to provide free conflict resolution services for tenants and landlords/property managers with housing disputes at any stage, from the earliest point a problem occurs, up to, and …

Reflections, Accomplishments, And Opportunities: The Csd Annual Letter, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

In this annual letter to mark the start of the Center's for Social Development's 30th year, Founding Director Michael Sherraden shares reflections on some recent accomplishments and discusses the opportunities ahead.

Nicotine Addiction: A Hidden Health Crisis, Macy J. Mcgrath, Andrea Walker, Anahita Mohammadkhah

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In the United States, nicotine addiction is an ongoing health crisis (U.S Food and Drug Administration, 2023). Pivotal to this crisis is the prevalence and ease of access to devices that deliver nicotine. Covering a broad spectrum, devices range from traditional forms of tobacco such as cigarettes, pipes, etc. to new nicotine devices such as e-cigarettes and vapes. Yet, even with the health crisis looming, more and more individuals are becoming addicted to nicotine (Ayers et al., 2011; Lyu et al., 2022; Pokhrel et al., 2021). In particular, research indicates that the 18-24 age demographic is significantly more likely to …

The Assessment Of The Program Theory And Processes Of Books For Keeps’ Literacy Mentoring Program, Allison Shaw

Graduate Research Showcase

The significance of reading proficiency is frequently emphasized by the time a student reaches the third grade. Third-grade reading proficiency serves as a crucial indicator of a student's potential success in high school and beyond, including college. Research indicates that a failure to attain grade-level reading proficiency by the third grade correlates with increased challenges in comprehending educational requirements and meeting the demands necessary for graduation.

This study focuses on the Books for Keeps Literacy Mentoring Program in Athens, Georgia, which is designed to cultivate supportive relationships between mentors and students, fostering enthusiasm for reading. The examination of the program …

Methodologizing Transnationality: Relational Writing As Collective Inquiry, Sun Young Lee, Minhye Son, Taeyeon Kim, Jin Kyeong Jung, Soo Bin Jang

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

How can we take transnationality as a space of in-betweenness to generate new possibilities, moving beyond geographically bounded spans between countries? This article presents five authors’ collective inquiry on transnational positionalities, which we practiced through the relational, transformative, and reflective writing of the self in a community space. We staged the collaborative writing into two processes: the emergent process of thematic writing and the relay writing. Interweaving “I” and “we” voices that cannot be captured through categorical thinking, our collaborative quest resists normative identity politics, proposing writing as a method of collective inquiry for the nuanced understanding of the transnationality …

Importance Of Employee Motivation Across Different Organizational Landscapes, Lorena Monserrat Tenorio

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

No abstract provided.

Information Inflation: How Social Media News Consumption Contributes To Societal And Political Fears, Owen Cotton

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

By permitting each American to be exposed to countless amounts of information through social media, platforms have become even more influential for public perception. Since the establishment of social media platforms the United States has certainly seen an increase in political and social disputes, particularly during the last couple presidencies. In this paper I will examine what is the link between growing concerns of public unrest and social media, and to what extent the next generations of Americans are affected. With a partial focus on feelings resulting from the January 6th riots in 2021, I will examine to what extent …

The Event At Rebecca Farm 2023, Kalispell, Montana, Ava Worbets, Hunter Tillman, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for Rebecca Farm to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees to the twentysecond annual The Event at Rebecca Farm. Paper surveys were completed by 158 attendees of the event. Results show that 41% of attendees were residents of Flathead Country and 59% came from outside of Flathead County. Visitors spent an average of 6.55 nights in the Flathead Valley area. People spent the most money ($96,336) on accommodations (hotel/motel/B&B/rental cabin/home), followed by restaurants/bars ($21,265), then the Rebecca Farm Trade Fair ($17,126). Respondents to the survey reported total spending of $199,471 in the Flathead Valley. Results …

Yellowstone Harvest Festival, Livingston, Montana, Ava Worbets, Hunter Tillman, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

attendees of the Yellowstone Harvest Festival. Surveys were implemented on site during the event. A total of 78 event attendees participated in the survey. Results show that 81% of respondents were residents of Montana and of those Montana residents, 33% were from Park County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 3.55 nights away from home. Of those nights, an average of 2.46 of those nights were in Livingston and 3.50 nights in other nearby locations. Respondents to the survey reported a total spending of $18,134 in the Livingston/Park County area. Results provide event organizers and Explore Livingston with useful data …

Google Search Trends To Assess Public Interest In And Concern About Vuity For Treating Presbyopia, Taku Wakabayashi, Hana A. Mansour, Robert Abishek, Jayanth Sridhar, Michael N. Cohen, David Xu, Jordan Deaner, Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Jason Hsu, Ajay E. Kuriyan

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To assess public awareness, interest, and concerns regarding Vuity (1.25% pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), an eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia, based on Google Trends.

METHODS: We used Google Trends that provides a relative search volume for queried terms, to evaluate searches for Vuity from June 30, 2021, to June 30, 2022, in the United States. The data for this study were downloaded on June 30, 2022. Main outcome measures were changes in relative search volumes for the terms "Vuity," "Eye drops for reading," "Eye drops for near vision," "Presbyopia," "Pilocarpine," and related popular search terms, such as …

Itrr Presentation To Tourism Advisory Council, October 2023, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Presentation deck to the Tourism Advisory Council, October 4, 2023 highlighting Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research project overview, research methods, collaborations, recent accomplishments, etc.

Making Decisions "In The Dark": Learning Through Uncertainty In Clinical Practice During Covid-19, Urvashi Vaid, Henriette Lundgren, Karen E. Watkins, Deborah Ziring, Grace A. Alcid, Victoria J. Marsick, Dimitrios Papanagnou

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore how decision making and informal and incidental learning (IIL) emerged in the clinical learning environment (CLE) during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors' specific interest was to better understand the IIL that took place among frontline physicians who had to navigate a CLE replete with uncertainty and complexity with the future goal of creating experiences for medical students that would simulate IIL and use uncertainty as a catalyst for learning.

METHOD: Using a modified constructivist, grounded theory approach, we describe physicians' IIL while working during times of heightened uncertainty. …

How Teachers Use Data: Description And Differences Across Prek Through Third Grade, Amanda Witte, Lisa Knoche, Susan Sheridan, Natalie A. Koziol

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The use of data to inform instruction has been linked to improved student outcomes, early identification of intervention needs, and teacher decision-making and efficacy. Additionally, data are used as a means of accountability within educational settings. However, little is known about data use practices among early grades teachers. The purpose of the current study is to describe the data use of PreK to third grade teachers and to investigate differences in data use and support across grade levels. Participants were 307 early childhood teachers in PreK and early elementary school. Analysis of survey data revealed, overall, most teachers across grade …

Itrr Annual Report - 35 Years - 1987-2022, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Within the pages of this report, you will discover a comprehensive overview of our past and future research projects, travel, and outdoor recreation information and data, as well as who we are and how we collect data. By transparently sharing our experiences and growth, we aim to foster an environment of continuous improvement and shared understanding. Reflecting on the milestones achieved, ITRR has continued to evolve and flourish over the past 35 years, with our journey marked by innovation, collaboration, and unwavering pursuit of our mission to serve Montanans.

Montana Folk Festival 2023, Butte, Montana, Ava Worbets, Hunter Tillman, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for the non-profit Mainstreet Uptown Butte to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2023 Montana Folk Festival. Paper surveys were completed by 860 attendees of the event. Results show that 82% of respondents were residents of Montana, and of those Montana residents, 45% were from Butte-Silver Bow County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 3.43 nights in Butte-Silver Bow County and more people spent money on restaurants/bars and hotel/motel while visiting the area than any other spending categories. Respondents to the survey reported a total spending of $199,074.00 in the Butte-Silver Bow County …

Resident Participation In Outdoor Recreation: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted to better understand resident participation in outdoor recreation, specifically on public lands managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Respondents were asked about their participation in outdoor recreation, the importance of outdoor recreation to their quality of life, and their satisfaction with the investment of outdoor recreation facilities in their local area, among other topics. The report also includes demographic information as well as analysis conducted at the regional level.

A Case Study: Relationship Between Students' Reading Habits And Their Academic Performance In Government Post Graduate College Nowshera At Bachelor Of Sciences (Bs) Level, Muhammad Yaqoob

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Those who read more books, have more chances of mental development and better opportunities of success. Hence, this paper is an attempt to find out relationship between students’ reading habits and their academic performance in Government Post Graduate College Nowshera, Pakistan at Bachelor of Sciences (BS) level. To collect the relevant data, a questionnaire was designed and distributed among 420 (270 males and 150 females) students studying at BS level. The questionnaire investigated students’ reading habit and their attitudes towards reading. Students’ academic performances were recorded through the transcripts of their examination in the previous semester. The collected data were …

Gardiner Rodeo 2023, Gardiner, Montana, Ava Worbets, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2023 Gardiner Annual National Rodeo Association (NRA) Rodeo. Paper surveys were completed by 50 attendees of the event. Results show that 66% of respondents were residents of Montana, and of those Montana residents, 42% were from Park County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 6.14 nights in Gardiner and more people spent money on gasoline and restaurants/bars while visiting the area than any other spending categories. Respondents to the survey reported a total spending of $14,045 in the Gardiner area. …

Ai-Supported Academic Advising: Exploring Chatgpt’S Current State And Future Potential Toward Student Empowerment, Daisuke Akiba, Michelle C. Fraboni

Publications and Research

Artificial intelligence (AI), once a phenomenon primarily in the world of science fiction, has evolved rapidly in recent years, steadily infiltrating into our daily lives. ChatGPT, a freely accessible AI-powered large language model designed to generate human-like text responses to users, has been utilized in several areas, such as the healthcare industry, to facilitate interactive dissemination of information and decision-making. Academic advising has been essential in promoting success among university students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Unfortunately, however, student advising has been marred with problems, with the availability and accessibility of adequate advising being among the hurdles. The current study …

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Jarling Ho, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …

Technical Report: A Framework For Confusion Mitigation In Task-Oriented Interactions, Na Li, Robert J. Ross

Articles

Confusion is a mental state that can be triggered in task-oriented interactions and which can if left unattended lead to boredom, frustration, or disengagement from the task at hand. Since previous work has demonstrated that confusion can be detected in embodied situated interactions from visual and auditory cues, in this technique report, we propose appropriate interaction structures which should be used to mitigate confusion. We motivate and describe this dialogue mechanism through an information state-style policy with examples, and also outline the approach we are taking to integrate such a meta-conversational goal alongside core task-oriented considerations in modern data driven …