Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The United States Of The World: Human Rights, Political Entrepreneurship, And U.S. Foreign Policy Via Affective And Rational Politics, Marriah Star

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examines how Political Entrepreneurs in the United States Congress responded to human rights abuses in six countries during the 1970s and 1980s: Cambodia, El Salvador, South Africa, the Soviet Union, Taiwan, and Uganda. It presents a four-point model for approaching the study of United States human rights policy. The key element in all the cases is bonding social capital, also called affective politics. American policy towards the Soviet Union and Uganda both demonstrate the integration of international, transnational, and domestic politics. Taiwan receives special attention because U.S. Taiwan policy continues to exemplify the integration of international relations, transnational …

Innovative Education In Agroecology: Experiential Learning For A Sustainable Agriculture, C.A. Francis, N. Jordan, P. Porter, T.A. Breland, G. Lieblein, L. Salomonsson, N. Sriskandarajah, M. Wiedenhoeft, Robert Dehaan, I. Braden, V. Langer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

The transdisciplinary field of agroecology provides a platform for experiential learning based on an expanded vision of research on sustainable farming and food systems and the application of results in creating effective learning landscapes for students. With increased recognition of limitations of fossil fuels, fresh water, and available farmland, educators are changing focus from strategies to reach maximum yields to those that feature resource use efficiency and resilience of production systems in a less benign climate. To help students deal with complexity and uncertainty and a wide range of biological and social dimensions of the food challenge, a whole-systems approach …

Intergroup Dialogue: An Evaluation Of A Pedagogical Model For Teaching Cultural Competence Within A Framework Of Social Justice In Social Work Programs, Mayra Lopez-Humphreys

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent comparison group design with pre, post and follow-up survey data was used to evaluate the effectiveness of an intergroup dialogue intervention on bachelor of social work (BSW) students' levels of cultural competence and social justice behaviors. The sample of convenience consisted of 115 who identified as social-work majors and participated in diversity courses, 76 were intergroup dialogue participants (Site IGD) and 39 were not (Site non-IGD). Five specific questions were explored in the study.

All 115 participants completed Lum's (2007) Social Work Cultural Competencies Self-Assessment and the Confidence in Confronting Injustice Sub-Scale (Multi-University Intergroup Dialogue Research project …

A Systematic Review Of The Literature On The Effects Of School Bullying From The Framework Of Jurgen Habermas’S Theory Of Communicative Action, Gabriel Cohen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project is a systematic review of the US quantitative, empirical studies on the effects of school bullying for the purpose of determining the degree to which Jurgen Habermas’s social theory, the theory of communicative action, can be used to understand the constellation of measured effects. School bullying is defined as a systematic abuse of power: the empirical literature on school bullying, therefore, provides a large data set on the abuse of power. The review finds strong consistency between the theory and the results of selected studies suggesting that Habermas’s theory of communicative action can explain and predict the mechanisms …

Lockouts, Protests, And Scabs: A Critical Assessment Of The Los Angeles Herald Examiner Strike [Book Chapter], Bonnie Brennen

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Judgmental Heuristics And News Reporting, Sharon Dunwoody, Robert J. Griffin

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Facing Up To The Media: Walter Ong And The Embrace Of Technology, John J. Pauly

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence In Men's And Women's Magazines: Women Are Guilty Of Choosing The Wrong Men, Men Are Not Guilty Of Hitting Women, Pamela Hill Nettleton

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Men's and women's magazine discourse on domestic violence characterizes women as guilty of choosing the wrong men but does not hold men responsible for hitting women. Using qualitative narrative analysis on 10 leading titles over 10 years, I find an ongoing tolerance for and celebration of domestic violence in men's magazines and an enduring expectation in women's that women bear responsibility for both genders. No magazines discuss patriarchal cultural structures that enable violence against women.

Advertising Media Selection, Lawrence Soley

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Advertising media planning is part of the media planning process. It consists of selecting the appropriate media and vehicles that will carry the campaign advertisements. The decision making involved in media planning is quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative decisions include analyzing the vehicles' delivery to the target market and determining the cost efficiency of particular media and vehicles. Qualitative decisions include looking at the appropriateness of a vehicle's editorial environment for the product being advertised, and the attentiveness of prospects to that vehicle.

The Global War On Terror: Who Wins, Who Loses?, G. Simon Harak S.J.

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Employment Restrictions For Individuals With Felon Status And Racial Inequality In The Labor Market, Darren Wheelock, Christopher Uggen, Heather R. Hlavka

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Meanings Of Old Age: A Story In Three Voices, Rivka Tenenbaum-Precel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As the population of the Western world grows older, the need to understand the meaning of this stage in life grows in importance. Psychological research into the meaning of old age is posing questions on diverse levels, from that of individual ontogenesis to those of the family, community and society at large. Traditionally, developmental psychology has investigated different aspects of aging using measures of cognition, emotion, self-concept and well- being. Other approaches have examined the meaning of old age as embedded in cultural and social relations.

The present study uses a narrative approach to elicit the particular voices and interpretations …

A Jury Of One’S "Peers": Felon Jury Exclusion And Racial Inequality In Georgia Courts, Darren Wheelock

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

African-Americans are overrepresented in felony convictions and, thus, more likely to be excluded from jury service. This study examines the potential impact of felon jury exclusion on the proportion of African-Americans that remain eligible for jury service. Results indicate that felon jury exclusion dramatically reduces the pool of eligible African-Americans statewide by nearly one-third. Furthermore, the level of exclusion for all groups is concentrated in areas with higher African-American populations. When limiting the analysis to African-Americans, however, counties with low African-American populations tend to have the highest levels of African-American exclusion. OLS regression models support the notion that the concentration …

The Relationship Of Race And Social Integration On The Health Status Of Older Adults In An Urban City, Thomas T. Jordan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Durkheim argues that an individual is more vulnerable to self-destruction the more s/he is detached from the collective. This dissertation will explore the relative impact of social integration on older adults who have transitioned into their new roles in the social structure in relationship to their physical (obesity) and psychological (stress) health status. Additionally, the dissertation examines how social integration varies in its impact from one racial group to another, and how such variations influence the health status of the older adults who are members of these groups.

This dissertation employs data from the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and …

Parental Functioning In Families For Behavioral Parent Training And Importance Of Clinically Meaningful Change, Alyson C. Gerdes, Lauren M. Haack, Brian W. Schneider

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective/Method: Statistically significant and clinically meaningful effects of behavioral parent training on parental functioning were examined for 20 children with ADHD and their parents who had successfully completed a psychosocial treatment for ADHD.

Results/Conclusion: Findings suggest that behavioral parent training resulted in statistically significant improvements in some domains of parenting behavior for both mothers and fathers and in reductions in most domains of parenting stress for mothers. Importantly, clinically meaningful change also was noted for these parental functioning areas, as well as for other domains of parental functioning that did not result in statistically significant findings. Clinical implications …

Advancing Our Knowledge Of Adhd In Latino Children: Psychometric And Cultural Properties Of Spanish-Versions Of Parental/Family Functioning Measures, Lauren M. Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes, Brian W. Schneider, Gabriela Dieguez Hurtado

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The lack of available Spanish versions of assessment measures contributes to insufficient research and underutilization of mental health services for Latino children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine the psychometric and cultural properties of several Spanish versions of parental/family functioning measures commonly used in comprehensive ADHD assessments (i.e., the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale). Participants included 68 Spanish-speaking, Latino parents in Southeast Wisconsin. In general, the Spanish translations of the measures demonstrated good reliability and validity. Furthermore, the psychometrically-sound measures were significantly related …

Neuropsychological Evaluation Of Blast-Related Concussion: Illustrating The Challenges And Complexities Through Oef/Oif Case Studies, Nathaniel W. Nelson, James B. Hoelzle, Kathryn A. Mcguire, Amanda G. Ferrier-Auerbach, Molly J. Charlesworth, Scott R. Sponheim

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background/objective: Soldiers of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) sustain blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) with alarming regularity. This study discusses factors in addition to concussion, such as co-morbid psychological difficulty (e.g. post-traumatic stress) and symptom validity concerns that may complicate neuropsychological evaluation in the late stage of concussive injury.

Case report: The study presents the complexities that accompany neuropsychological evaluation of blast concussion through discussion of three case reports of OEF/OIF personnel.

Discussion: The authors emphasize uniform assessment of blast concussion, the importance of determining concussion severity according to acute-injury characteristics and elaborate …

Comparison Of Wechsler Memory Scale–Fourth Edition (Wms–Iv) And Third Edition (Wms–Iii) Dimensional Structures: Improved Ability To Evaluate Auditory And Visual Constructs, James B. Hoelzle, Nathaniel W. Nelson, Clifford A. Smith

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Dimensional structures underlying the Wechsler Memory Scale–Fourth Edition (WMS–IV) and Wechsler Memory Scale–Third Edition (WMS–III) were compared to determine whether the revised measure has a more coherent and clinically relevant factor structure. Principal component analyses were conducted in normative samples reported in the respective technical manuals. Empirically supported procedures guided retention of dimensions. An invariant two-dimensional WMS–IV structure reflecting constructs of auditory learning/memory and visual attention/memory (C1 = .97; C2 = .96) is more theoretically coherent than the replicable, heterogeneous WMS–III dimension (C1 = .97). This research suggests that the WMS–IV may have greater utility in identifying lateralized memory dysfunction.

Culturally-Modified Recruitment Strategies For Latino Families In Clinical Child Research: A Critical First Step, Lauren M. Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes, Bethdalie Cruz, Brian W. Schneider

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The goals of the current study were to develop and employ culturally-modified recruitment strategies utilizing flexibility and creativity to combat practical and cultural barriers to Latino participation in clinical child research, as well as to quantitatively examine individual and cultural factors related to the different recruitment strategies. In total, 45 Latino parents were successfully recruited and primarily included married mothers of Mexican origin with varied socioeconomic backgrounds. To address the first study goal, an initial culturally-modified recruitment strategy (i.e., postcard strategy, n = 23) was developed to combat both practical and cultural barriers; an augmented strategy (i.e., face-to-face strategy, n …

A Survival Guide For The Creativity Economy, Review Of "The Dark Side Of Creativity," Edited By David H. Cropley, Arthur J. Cropley, James C. Kaufman, And Mark A. Runco, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Reviews the book, The dark side of creativity by David H. Cropley, Arthur J. Cropley, James C. Kaufman, and Mark A. Runco (see record 2010-16278-000). Theory and research on creativity clearly address how breakthrough ideas are formed and what happens to them next, but the present state of creativity research needs a few breakthrough ideas of its own. The Dark Side of Creativity , edited by David Cropley, Arthur Cropley, James Kaufman, and mark Runco, has hit that target. It also resonates with contemporary concerns about creativity and technology. There is a long-standing ethic in engineering that a technology itself …

Comprehensive Creativity When We Need It, Review Of "The Cambridge Handbook Of Creativity," Edited By James C. Kaufman And Robert J. Sternberg, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Reviews the book, The Cambridge handbook of creativity edited by James C. Kaufman and Robert J. Sternberg (see record 2010-21837-000). The title suggests that The Cambridge handbook of creativity is an encyclopedic collection of all the major chunks of knowledge connected to creative behavior. Although it does not disappoint in that regard, the contributing authors do a superb job of capturing the coherence and the theoretical and thematic developments of their respective areas. Overall the reviewer would recommend The Cambridge handbook of creativity to serious researchers in creativity and anyone who wants to be seriously creative. Psychologists and educators are …

Evaluating The Impact Of Service Learning On Student Outcomes In A Health Psychology Course, Astrida S. Kaugars

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Although positive effects of service learning have been demonstrated for personal, citizenship, and social outcomes there is a need to target specific outcomes in psychology course design and to incorporate appropriate service learning experiences (Conway, Amel, & Gerwien, 2009). The purpose of the present study was to examine how aspects of an undergraduate Health Psychology course, which included a project-based model of service learning, may contribute to changing students’ perspectives on public service, community engagement, and social justice.

Identity And Behavior: Exploring An Understanding Of “Being” And “Doing” For Catholic Priests Accused Of The Sexual Abuse Of Minors In The United States, Brenda K. Vollman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The problem of the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the United States has been problematized as a phenomenon that is, in part, a distinction of the priesthood. Although it is known that there are sex offenders in the world who are not, nor were they ever, priests, this study sets forth to uncover whether or not the priests in the sample are, in fact, different on typical psychological risk factors than the at-large sex offender. More importantly, in the absence of notable differences on risk factor characteristics, this study explores the ways in which narrative structures are …

Mother Country: Reproductive Tourism In The Age Of Globalization, Lauren Jade Martin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mother Country is a multi-sited, qualitative study of the United States fertility industry. I analyze the industry in two dimensions: as a particularly American institution and nascent profession, and as a destination for "reproductive tourism." The United States fertility industry, buttressed by lax federal regulation, free market principles, and high technology resources, is organized to benefit certain classes of American citizens and foreign nationals in their quest to have children. As such, the United States has become a prime destination for people seeking assisted fertility services such as commercial surrogacy, egg donation, and sex selection, which are unavailable, inaccessible, or …

Judicial Instructions And The Juror’S Ability To Disregard Inadmissible Evidence: Can Varying The Timing And Content Of Judicial Instructions Influence Juror Decision-Making?, Courtney Hougham

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

During the course of a trial, a judge will instruct the jury on how they are to act and reach decisions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different judicial instructions on a juror's ability to evaluate testimony. The research looked at how instructions can interact with a juror's ability to disregard a piece of evidence ruled inadmissible for different reasons. The design was a 3x5 complete factorial design. The stimulus material was a murder trial summary with weak evidence against the defendant, with the key piece of testimony being a hair found on the victim …

Call Of Duty: A Question Of Police Integrity, Albert O. Gamarra

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Policing is a profession linked to ideals of integrity and honor. In spite of this, the profession has not been immune to corruption within its ranks. Most research in policing has concentrated on police corruption rather than police integrity. Research studies have examined the issue of corruption but they have encountered a multitude of measurement issues, making the direct study of corruption difficult.

The goal of this research study was to replicate the seminal Klockars, Ivkovich, Harver & Haberfeld (2000) study examining police integrity within the United States. There has been a lack of research dedicated to the study of …

Becoming Normal: The Social Construction Of Buprenorphine And New Attempts To Medicalize Addiction, Julie C. Netherland

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Drawing on theories about the social construction of knowledge and the sociology of the body, this dissertation analyzes the social construction of buprenorphine, a medication being used to treat addiction to opioids, to better understand the processes of medicalization. Buprenorphine was central the passage of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000, a law which overturned an almost one hundred year prohibition preventing physicians from prescribing narcotics for the treatment of addiction in an office-based setting. Buprenorphine is seen by many as central to moving addiction treatment into the medical mainstream. Using documents from government regulators, industry, and addiction researchers, …

Faunal Analysis Of The Early Modern Bishop's Farm At Skalholt, Arnessysla Iceland, George Hambrecht

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation presents the analysis of faunal material recovered from middens outside the main complex of the Bishop of Southern Iceland's Cathedral farm at Skáholt, Arnessysla, Iceland. Issues of diet, deposition patterns, as well as participation in larger trade and intellectual networks addressed. All of these issues are examined in order to investigate larger issues centered around the early modern Atlantic world. The Skáholt material is also compared with the larger body of existing early modern Icelandic archaeofaunal data in order to investigate issues of adaptation and resilience in the face of harsh climatic as well as social and economic …

Tiebout Sorting And Jurisdictional Homogeneity: Empirical Validity And Ethical Implications, Lee Hachadoorian

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In a seminal paper, Tiebout (1956) argues that a large number of small local governments will function as a market in local services, leading to efficient allocation of local public goods. This result only obtains if households actually move in response to local fiscal differences. Spatial dependence of socioeconomic variables confounds attempts to infer Tiebout-motivated residential choice from observed socioeconomic homogeneity. I correct for this by focusing on socioeconomic difference across local government borders. In an investigation of socioeconomic sorting in Queens and Nassau Counties, NY, I find strong evidence of income sorting at the level of small suburban municipalities …

The Impact Of Trial Consultants On Perceptions Of Procedural Justice And Juror Verdicts: An Empirical Investigation, Jennifer Burke Katz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite the proliferation of the trial consulting industry in recent years, we know virtually nothing about the impact that the use of a trial consultant may have on a jury. This laboratory study seeks to fill some of the gaps in the trial consulting literature by using the principles of procedural justice to explore what, if any, impact the use of a trial consultant can have on the outcome of a criminal jury trial, as well as the possibility that perceptions of fairness mediate the relationship between the balance of trial consultants and juror verdicts in cases where the evidence …