Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Health Belief Model Constructs In Condom Use Among Early Young Adults, Christina Rose Vieux

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are ailments that have a social and political impact in the U.S. Since their discovery more than three decades ago, there has been an intense focus on eradicating these deadly diseases. Although there has been a lot of progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, there are communities still disproportionately affected by it. Based on data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one such community is young adults age 20 to 24 (CDC, 2016a). These young adults are at the focal center of the HIV/AIDS epidemic for …

Effects Of Nicotine Exposure On Methamphetamine Oral Self-Administration, Extinction, And Reinstatement In Adolescent Rats, Zachary Robert Harmony

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental period in regards to drug initiation and use. The gateway hypothesis suggests that adolescent cigarette smoking may result in a heightened risk for methamphetamine use. However, little is understood about the role of nicotine on adolescent methamphetamine addiction. The aim of the present study was to determine whether early, late, or continuous adolescent nicotine exposure would alter oral methamphetamine self-administration, extinction, or reinstatement. A total of 164 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with saline or nicotine (0.16, or 0.64 mg/kg, sc) beginning on postnatal day (PD) 25 for 10 consecutive days. On PD …

Predicting Law Enforcement Officer Turnover And Use Of Force From Variables Measured By The 2013 Law Enforcement Management And Administrative Statistics (Lemas) Survey, Ryan Lee Radmall

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Law enforcement requires comprehensive hiring and training practices in order to curb misconduct and turnover. Some of the available data suggests a shift in the dynamics of law enforcement toward a more objective approach that favors education, cognitive ability testing, a community policing orientation, and technological advances, such as body cameras, that hold enforcers of the law and the American public, accountable for misconduct and violations of the law. The utilization of various technological advances requires assessment and dynamic, comprehensive analysis. The present study examined the influence of education and the professionalization of policing hiring requirements, cognitive ability tests and …

Parental Influence On Risk Factors For Obesity In African American School Aged Children, Brittney Joy Parish

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The growing childhood obesity epidemic and its association with adverse health outcomes have prompted increasing research in the recent past. Researchers have examined numerous aspects of the obesity epidemic. For example, the impact of parent behavior on child behavior has been considered. Likewise, researchers have examined the connection between parent perceptions of obesity and concern regarding a child’s weight status. Still other research has focused on the influence of a child’s behavior on weight status.

Existing research has reported that within the African American community there is an apparent inaccuracy in perceptions regarding weight. Children who would be classified as …

Mastering The Task And Tending To The Self: A Guide For The Graduate Teaching Associate, Angelina Nicole Burkhart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Graduate teaching associates (GTAs) maintain a prominent presence in higher education institutions nationwide, warranting our attention to both their instructional effectiveness and well-being. Though they remain an integral part of higher education, the training practices implemented for GTAs often fall short in addressing all of the needs posed by the role GTAs fulfill. The shortcomings in training often stem from an overemphasis of basic teacher preparation skills (such as syllabus creation, lesson planning, and grading) and university/departmental policies, as well as a lack of attention to teaching effectiveness and skills on managing uncertainties and identity concerns in their unique role. …

Fire-Affected Rock In Inland Southern Californian Archaeology: An Investigation Into Diagnostic Utility, Shannon Renee Clarendon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The post-firing variability of fire-affected rock (FAR) recovered from a stone-cooking platform within a prehistoric stone grill was examined. This examination tested the physical properties of FAR recovered from site CA-SBR-3773, located the Crowder Canyon Archaeological District in San Bernardino County, California. There is a lack of archaeological research in this area of Southern California; however, this project established a fundamental perspective of thermal feature reuse and episodes of firing activity for prehistoric cooking features by examining the physical changes FAR experienced due to various heat exposures. Regional archaeologists often encounter these features as they speckle the landscape of upland …

Groundstone Analysis At The Rock Camp Site, Lacy Ann Padilla

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The use of mortar and pestles has long been associated with acorn processing in California. Based on ethnographic and archaeological evidence, groundstone was used to process a multitude of resources, including small mammals. Twenty groundstone artifacts recovered from the Rock Camp Site in the San Bernardino Mountains were analyzed for protein residues using the crossover immunological electrophoresis (CIEP) method. Using previously obtained data from the Summit Valley, a comparative analysis was done to determine if processing small mammals on groundstone was a common occurrence throughout the San Bernardino Mountain region.

Losing Control: The Consequences Of Individual- And Group-Based Social Exclusion On Latina Women’S Self-Regulation Of Unhealthy Eating, Dorris Kamiya Stewart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social exclusion is a psychologically stressful experience that impairs people’s ability to control specific behaviors or events. In the current study, I attempted to reconcile competing predictions regarding whether exclusion is especially harmful to control, or self-regulate, when it is attributed to individual- or group-based characteristics of a person. Per the self-evaluation maintenance (SEM) model, social exclusion should be most detrimental to self-regulation when it is directed at a person’s unique traits, or individual self. In contrast, social identity theory (SIT) predicts that exclusion is especially damaging when it is directed at a person’s group membership. I examined whether …

A Parent Education Curriculum For Decreasing Stress In Families Raising A Child With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hannah L. Wohlk

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research has consistently shown that parents raising a child with autism spectrum disorders, or ASDs, have higher levels of stress than parents of typically-developing children or children with other disabilities. These parents’ higher levels of stress are attributed to a number of different factors, including early atypical development, getting the diagnosis, lack of awareness of resources, lack of support from their communities, unmet resource and schooling needs for their ASD child, financial strain, strain on the couple relationship, managing maladaptive behaviors, regulatory problems of the ASD child may experience, communication problems between ASD child and parent, parents’ perception of their …

Reactions To The Privilege Walk: An Exploratory Study, Gloria Jean Magana

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Those who hold multiple disadvantaged identities (i.e., women of color) are subject to inequalities that are not experienced by those who harbor privileged identities. Those with multi-disadvantaged identities have additive disadvantages due to holding multiple subordinate identities and as a result face many barriers. It is critical to recognize these differences in society by raising awareness of privilege. Previous studies have targeted privilege awareness, but have inconsistent findings. However, methods that incorporated experiential learning have shown promising results; an intervention that integrates experiential learning to target privilege may be effective in raising privilege awareness. The Privilege Walk exercise is an …

Women Who Perpetrate Partner Violence: The Role Of Attachment Insecurity And Emotion Regulation, Diana Adele Robinson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent and destructive social problem affecting millions of people around the world. Although partner violence has been widely examined among women, few studies have focused on women in the role of perpetrator. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the underlying mechanisms of IPV perpetration among college women. Specifically, we investigated the relationship among attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious and avoidant), emotion regulation (ER) strategies (i.e., expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal), and IPV among a sample of college women. Participants (N = 177) were recruited from a Southern California university and completed measures …

Language Culture Wars: Effects Of Language Policy On Language Minorities And English Learners, Ambar A. Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the intertextuality of language policy, K-12 TESL pedagogies, and EL identity construction in the perpetuation of unjust TESL practices in these contexts. By examining the power structures of English language ideology through critical discourse analysis of recent California language policy, this thesis demonstrates English language teaching’s intrinsically political nature in K-12 education through negotiations and exchanges of power. Currently, sociolinguistic approaches to TESL and second language acquisition acknowledge the value of language socialization teaching methods. This requires the acceptance of cognition, not as an individual pursuit of knowledge containment and memorization, but cognition as a collaborative and …

E-Government And Civic Engagement In San Diego County, Marcos A. Ybarra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Due to technological advances, local city governments are relying heavily on websites and the Internet to connect with citizens. This project will discuss the relationship between e-government and civic engagement in San Diego county and its effectiveness. E-government is defined as the delivery of a city government’s information and services to its citizens through its website. Civic engagement involves active participation from the citizens and is defined as the interaction between the city government and its citizens. This project will analyze the 18 city websites of San Diego county to determine the effectiveness of each city’s website in providing e-government …

The Link Between Foster Youth And Teachers Using Empowerment: Do Trusting Relationships Improve Outcomes?, Rosio Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study presents findings on elementary teacher’s relationship with foster youth, whether teachers are able to use an empowerment approach to build trust and improve outcomes. This study was quantitative and measured the key variables through a descriptive design. Specifically using Qualtrics which tested the key variables of empowerment, trust, and improved outcomes. Also, Qualtrics described the findings through bar graphs and the researcher interpreted this through univariate statistics specifically. Significant findings were found towards teachers making a positive impact on foster youth.

Tracing Trajectories In A Community Of Practice Through Podcasts, Richard W. Mansikka

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to understand how humor works in expert-novice identity construction in podcasts. I employ a Community of Practice (Lave and Wenger, 1989) framework to examine the social hierarchy among the participants of a regular podcast. I am particularly concerned with uncovering how novice members construct themselves and are constructed by expert members through humor, as well as how expert members socialize novice members to participate in the kinds of humor practices that index membership in the Community of Practice (CoP).

Rooster Teeth is an internet-based entertainment production company. They produce a weekly podcast which they …

Latino Mental Health: Exploring Barriers Towards Mental Health Services Among The Latino Community Within San Bernardino, Josue D. Enriquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The research presented on this paper examined the impact that the number of barriers have towards the delay in getting treatment among the Latino population. Participants (N=31) at Family Solution Collaborative, answered questions presented to them via a self-administered questionnaire that contained questions that examined types of barriers and how they impact mental health services. An independent sample t-test was conducted assessing generation status and the sum of perceived barriers. A Pearson correlation, design was used, for the purpose of searching for a relationship between the number of years in the U.S. and age with the sum of perceived barriers. …

Therapy & Dragons: A Look Into The Possible Applications Of Table Top Role Playing Games In Therapy With Adolescents, Raul Gutierrez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Finding the correct therapeutic intervention for a client can be difficult to determine, especially for certain populations like adolescents. The implementation of Table Top Role Playing Games (TRPGs) in therapy is slowly becoming a more widely utilized therapy intervention because of its ability to engage clients who may be apprehensive to engaging in therapy. Having a wide array of interventions in our therapeutic toolbelt is crucial for mental health social workers to flexibly implement interventions, like TRPGs, with clients. Unfortunately, there is little research determining whether this approach is beneficial to therapy or not. This exploratory research study sought to …

Perceived Preparedness Of California Social Workers To Discuss Physician Assisted Death, Shanda Marie Brennan, Meliza Quinonez Kinney

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Effective June 9, 2016, many terminally ill patients residing in the State of California will now have the legal option of terminating their life because of protections offered under The California End of Life Options Act. Social workers whose population of care includes terminally ill patients will likely be engaging in conversations about end of life options, including physician assisted death, with their patients. Little research exists addressing what factors may influence social workers perceived preparedness to discuss physician assisted death with patients, yet the expectation that social workers be prepared to discuss all available end of life options with …

Information And Communication Technologies In Public Child Welfare: A Systematic Literature Review, Stephanie K. Schneider

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This systematic literature review synthesizes findings from empirical studies published between 1989 and 2016 to examine types, use, purpose and implementation of information and communication technology in public child welfare to determine if there are thematic reoccurrences in these arenas. Study results yielded information to the field of social work and public child welfare by determining themes in successful usage, purpose and implementation of information and communication technology in public child welfare to better serve those vulnerable populations. This systematic literature review contextualizes and identifies these themes across the literature. Studies included in this review were analyzed and categorized to …

Non-Pharmacological Treatments For Children And Adolescents Diagnosed With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Clara Delgado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project aims to identify and acknowledge the various non-pharmacological interventions and treatments for both children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. This review will highlight the non-pharmacological interventions that are discussed in current research, the significance and potential impact it has on the field of social work, and the way in which this research proposal will be conducted.

ADHD is a commonly known neurodevelopmental disorder that is often seen within children and adolescents. ADHD can be treated through prescription medication, non-pharmacological interventions, or a combination of both. Research indicates that non-pharmacological treatments/interventions have shown positive side effects or outcomes …

The Impact Of Supportive Adults While Transitioning From Foster Care To Independence Among San Bernardino County Foster Youth, Alicia R. Washington, Beth Blankenship Barker

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study investigated whether the presence of a supportive adult in the life of a youth transitioning out of foster care impacts the likelihood that the youth experiences homelessness, teenage pregnancy, drug or alcohol addiction, or incarceration in San Bernardino County. Understanding the impact of a supportive adult, or mentor, on youth transitioning from foster care to independence would allow the social workers to more strategically plan for a successful exit from state care. This study will use public data collected from the federally mandated survey for the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD). Data was analyzed to determine if …

The Effect Of Mode Of Education And Degree Level On Employer Perceptions Of Applicants' Hireability, Benjamin Safara

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Online education is becoming more prominent, but it has been found that employers are biased against hiring job applicants with online education. The influence of mode of education and degree level on employer perceptions of applicants’ hireability was investigated. It was hypothesized that employer perceptions would decrease as the education of an applicant moved to a category consisting of more online education. It was hypothesized that employers would be less likely to move forward with applicants in the hiring process (viability) as applicants’ education moved to a category consisting of more online education. It was hypothesized that degree level would …

Factors To Consider In Working With Depressed Pregnant Latina Women: As Perceived By Social Workers, Brenda Velasquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

A study in a multiethnic, urban population found that being of Hispanic ethnicity more than doubled the odds of depression during pregnancy. Given that Latinas make up such a significant and sizable population, mental health professionals must work towards learning to serve them more appropriately and effectively. The following research is of significance to intervention and treatment of depressed Latina women. The study was conducted utilizing a qualitative phenomenology method. Five social workers with past or current experience in working with the topic population were recruited and in-depth interviews were audio-recorded. Information gathered was broken into major themes and subthemes …

Social Workers' Perception Of The Negative Effects Of Labeled Patients, Jessie Groth

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research explored social worker’s perception of the services received among patients labeled with a diagnosis or labeled negatively, such as non-compliant, in comparison to non-labeled patients in a medical setting. Data for this project were gathered through seven in person interviews with social workers. The participants were all social workers in a medical setting at different DaVita Dialysis centers throughout San Bernardino County. The participants experience and education level ranged from master level social work interns to licensed clinical social workers. The findings indicated that the social workers do believe patients with diagnoses do not receive the same level …

Substance Use Counselors' Perceptions Of Effective Treatment Modalities For Women With Children, Sally I. Gonzales, Jessica Monique Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted a study and determined that approximately one-third to two-thirds of child neglect cases had some form of substance abuse related to the case. Further, it is reported that women who use alcohol or drugs are two times more likely to lose custody of their children than non- using mothers. The purpose of this study is to examine which treatment modalities substance use counselors find most effective when treating women with children. This study utilized a qualitative design asking eight open ended questions to fourteen substance use counselors employed at Prototypes …

Student Censorship In The Social Work Classrooms, Lisa Kozlowski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Through the evolution of the field of social work, a divide in its ideologies has emerged and certain political and ideological groups such as the religious and conservatives have become underrepresented. As a result, over the years the liberal philosophies have emerged as the dominant group. This has led to a decrease in diversity within the field. Recognition of biases in the field of social work is difficult. Through a qualitative analysis method, this study was meant to explore if social work students feel they are free to share openly in the classroom, and if they are accepting of all …

Male Perpetrators Perspectives On Reasons For Domestic Violence In Heterosexual Relationships, Lisa Soriano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Domestic violence continues to destroy individuals and families, leaving generations to follow repeating the same patterns. There are several services offered to help aid in the healing and recovery process. This was a qualitative, explorative study which examined the reasons that male perpetrators commit domestic violence in heterosexual relationships. Additionally, this study evaluated the support services and coping mechanisms that the men found to be helpful and not so helpful. Five men participated in face-to-face interviews to share their personal experience with domestic violence. Most of the men believed that their domestic violence was linked to learned behavior they witnessed …

Vietnam Veterans And Illicit Drug Use, Joyce Roberts

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the correlation between Vietnam veterans and dependency to illicit drugs, due to their exposure and accessibility during their deployment in Vietnam. This study consisted of a sample size of 58 respondents to a survey that was disbursed throughout 2 agencies that comprise of Vietnam veterans.The survey design was implemented to ensure the consistency and accuracy of the quantitative data. Furthermore, this study included a Chi-square test to determine relevance and implications to micro social work practices. As expected, there was a positively significant statistical relationship between the exposure and accessibility that some Vietnam veterans experienced during their …

Assessing Master Of Social Work Students' Interest In Gerontology, Shelly-Ann Rosemarie Whyte

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study was conducted to assess Masters of social Work students’ interest in gerontology. Students’ gerontological knowledge, attitude and experience with the aging population was examined to see if they have any influence on interest in working with older adults. The positivist worldview was used to identify students’ behavior toward older adults while checking to see if correlates to interest in working with that population. Survey questionnaire was used to collect information on student’s interest in working with older adults, their knowledge, attitude and experience. Modified versions of Palmore Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) and Kogan’s Attitude Toward Old People …

Master Of Social Work Students' Attitudes Towards Transracial Adoptions, Luis Flores, Matthew Ford

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored Master of Social Work students’ attitudes towards transracial adoptions (TRA). The literature suggests that when children of color are transracially adopted, they are often deprived of the opportunity to learn and express their birth culture, and to develop a strong sense of self. The researchers decided to survey this population because MSW students are future foster and adoptive professionals. As such, they will have the opportunity to directly influence macro policies around TRA and adoptive families in micro practice. The researchers utilized a quantitative self-administered survey, with thirty-three questions to ascertain the attitudes of a diverse pool …