Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Key Predictors Of Well-Being For Individuals With Dementia, Lindsey M. Bisgrove

ETD Archive

Until recently, few studies have investigated the psychosocial outcomes of individuals living with dementia. More specifically, the relationship among depression, anxiety, and quality of life as well-being outcomes. The current study examined the role of well-being outcomes and how key predictors (level of cognitive impairment, level of distress experienced, relationship role strain) influenced these outcomes. It addressed how these specific predictors had an impact, on depression and anxiety symptoms and overall quality of life. This study utilized the stress process model for individuals with dementia as a framework to demonstrate the intricacies of the illness experience for the individuals. Self-report …

Multifamily Units In Dispersed City: Measuring Infill And Development By Neighborhood Type In The Kansas City Region, Andrew J. Mcmillan

ETD Archive

Multifamily development patterns remain an overlooked aspect of the research examining urban growth and morphology. This study examines multifamily development patterns in the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area from 1990 to 2010. Additionally, this study examines patterns of multifamily infill in order to determine (1) the growth rate of multifamily development within four infill scenarios, (2) whether high density neighborhoods receive disproportionate amounts of multifamily development, and (3) the rates of development in inner city, inner-ring, and outer-ring neighborhoods. This study found that rates of multifamily development were grew at up to twice the rate of single-family development in certain …

The Effects Upward And Downward Comparison On A Subsequent Emotion Recognition Task, Kim D. Thomas

ETD Archive

Social Comparison Theory explains how viewing images can affect body satisfaction with two processes: upward and downward comparison. Upward comparison, which is defined as comparing oneself to a more attractive person, can result in depression and body dissatisfaction. Downward comparison, which is defined as comparing oneself to a less attractive person, can increase mood and body satisfaction. Previous research has shown that individuals with eating disorders, such as anorexia, have a deficit in emotion recognition due to their high levels of body dissatisfaction. Building upon this finding, the current study was designed to examine the effect that priming normal individuals …

The Effects Of Talker Variability And Talkers' Gender On The Perception Of Spoken Taboo Words, Samantha E. Tuft

ETD Archive

In the current experiment, I examined the effects of inter-talker variability and talkers' gender on listeners' perception of spoken taboo words. Previous spoken word recognition research using the long-term repetition-priming paradigm, in which listeners respond to two separate blocks of spoken words, found performance costs for stimuli mismatching in talker identity. That is, when words were repeated across the two blocks and the identity of the talker remained the same (e.g., male to male) reaction times (RTs) were faster relative to when the repeated words were spoken by two different talkers (e.g., male to female). Such performance costs, or talker …

Assessment Of Verbal And Nonverbal Memory And Learning In Abstinent Alcoholics, Alyson L. Phelan

ETD Archive

Neuropsychological performance was measured in chronic alcoholics who maintained abstinence for at least six months and with matched controls. Specifically, measures of verbal memory were assessed utilizing the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and measures of nonverbal memory with the Rey Osterreith Complex Figure Test (ROCF) and a new measure, the Poreh Nonverbal Memory Test (PNMT). In addition, both the RAVLT and the PNMT provide a measure of operationalized learning, as they are multi-trial tasks utilizing five trials to assess recall in each trial. Verbal memory includes the ability to encode, store and retrieve information for words, language and …

The Role Of Learning Modality Upon Long-Term Spatial Memory, Dale A. Hirsch

ETD Archive

Spatial cognition often requires the contemplation of multiple discrete layouts. Determining the relative direction of objects between distinct layouts comes with a cost to accuracy when compared to determining the relative direction among objects from within the same layout. The decrease in accuracy that results from comparing discrete layouts is called integration cost (Yamamoto & Shelton, 2008). Yamamoto (2007) found that the cost of integration between two layouts learned through the same modality is equivalent to the cost of integrating between two layouts learned through different modalities (i.e., vision and proprioception). Yamamoto's findings suggest that modulating the learning modalities of …

The Impact Of Plans, Policies And Practices Of Metropolitan Planning Organizations On The Design And Implementation Of Streets For All Users, Deborah Riemann

ETD Archive

Since the rise of the automobile, urban planners, and traffic engineers were confronted with the question of balancing the different needs of all users of the street. Over the last decades that balance tended to favor car-oriented street designs. Health and air quality concerns, as well as an aging population have started to challenge the old ways of transportation planning. The heavy reliance on the private vehicle in the U.S. is facilitated by local land use decisions and investments in the public street and highway network were made. As most road projects are funded by federal dollars, metropolitan planning organizations …

Biofeedback Assisted Stress Management Training In Patients With Coronary Artery Disease, Gregory James Bolwell

ETD Archive

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, and coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease, often leading to heart attacks. Over a long period of time, CAD can weaken the heart muscle, causing heart failure and arrhythmias. Three well established events which occur in CAD are an over activation of the sympathetic nervous system, increased inflammation and psychological distress. Biofeedback assisted stress management (BFSM) is a form of stress management that allows one to see how their physiology changes, in real time, as they either …

Barriers To Seeking Campus Therapeutic Services For Sexual Assault, Caitlin A. Martin

ETD Archive

Previous research has found that the majority of sexual assault survivors do not receive therapeutic treatment for their traumatic experience(s), despite the detrimental psychological effects sexual assault can produce (e.g. Kimerling & Calhoun, 1994 Koss & Harvey, 1991 New & Berliner, 2000). The present study examines potential barriers to seeking campus therapeutic services in college women who have experienced sexual assault (or hypothetical sexual assault among those with no history of sexual assault). Overall, knowledge about sexual assault services on campus was quite limited. Knowledge of the location of the campus counseling center was related to an increased likelihood of …

The Relationship Between Innovativeness And Shopping Website Feature Preferences Across Product Classes, Eric Brandt

ETD Archive

This study was developed to investigate the effects of innovativeness and Internet experience on preferences for shopping website features across different product classes. Consumer innovativeness is often studied as being a driver of the adoption of new products and services, including online shopping. Innovativeness and Internet experience are two widely studied characteristics of consumers that have been shown to predict various facets of online shopping behavior. However, there are many issues surrounding the utility and validity of various measures of innovativeness, not the least of which is that innovativeness has been conceptualized at multiple levels of abstraction. Beyond this, there …

Online Exploration: Browsing Behavior And Website Feature Preferences, Mackenzie Siren

ETD Archive

This exploratory study examines the novel variable of cross-category online browse range (the variety of product categories browsed online by a consumer) and its relationship to general website feature preferences. Utilizing data collected through an online survey, the results are based on a final sample of 313 respondents from the United States, 287 of whom were University students, and 26 of whom were contacts of the research team. The general nature of cross-category online browse range was examined using simple correlation, MANOVA, and ANOVA. Results indicate that the variable is normally distributed throughout the sample population and positively associated with …

Understanding The Relationship Between Sexual Trauma And Screenings, Emily N. Karakis

ETD Archive

The most common cause of cervical cancer in women is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (Cokkinides, Bandi, Siegel, Warn, & Thun, 2007). Survivors of sexual assault are at a high risk for contracting HPV and other sexually transmitted infections (Lee, Westrup, Ruzek, Keller, & Weitlauf, 2007), therefore placing them at higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Unfortunately, these women are less likely than non-survivors to have cervical cancer screenings (Bazargan, Bazargan, Farooq, & Baker, 2004). Previous research has suggested that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and locus of control (LOC) may have some influence on screening participation in sexual assault survivors. This …

Comparing Self-Efficacy, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Coping In Women With And Without A Sexual Assault History Enrolled In Self-Defense Classes, Caitlin M. Pinciotti

ETD Archive

Women attend self-defense courses for a variety of different reasons. These courses have many benefits for women, specifically survivors of sexual assault. Regardless of when the course is taken, pre- or post-assault, female sexual assault survivors experience increases in self-efficacy and decreases in posttraumatic stress symptoms. The current study evaluated the difference in self-efficacy, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and coping responses in women who attend self-defense courses. While no significant difference existed between survivors of sexual assault and unwanted sexual contact and women without sexual victimization history in self-efficacy and PTSD, a few significant differences emerged in coping responses. Results …

Finding Still Waters And Green Pastures: Understanding And Reducing Stress In Urban Church Planting, David R. Dunaetz

Selected Faculty Publications

The work of urban church planters is often hindered by high levels of stress. Stress may be viewed as a process that involves stressors and an individual’s perceptions of both the level of threat and his or her ability to deal with the threat. The long term and the short term consequences of stress can be attenuated through appropriate coping strategies such as problem solving, prayer, and seeking social support. Recent empirical evidence indicates that exposure to nature is also very effective, a strategy that might be especially beneficial to urban church planters and their ministries. Several practical applications are …

Goals And Accountability For Ministry Effectiveness: Insights From Psychological Science, David R. Dunaetz

Selected Faculty Publications

In this overview of what psychological science has discovered about goal setting, we will see that goal setting tends to make people more productive. This essay examines the conditions under which goal setting is most effective, as well as the situations where goal setting can be dangerous. Studies of goal-setting theory have found that job performance increases when people have challenging but specific performance goals. The mechanisms that cause goal setting to lead to greater effectiveness are just as present in Christian ministry as in any other kind of work. Also the dangers associated with goal setting are especially relevant …

Merging Two Academic Libraries: Finding Unity From Diversity While Maintaining Institutional Identities, Betty Rozum, Lori Brassaw

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Merging two distinct academic libraries into one presents unique problems and challenges. In 2010 the Utah System of Higher Education officially mandated that the College of Eastern Utah merge with Utah State University in order to reduce costs and promote efficiencies within the College of Eastern Utah, an institution hit particularly hard during the recent economic decline. Although the College of Eastern Utah was clearly becoming part of Utah State University, one of the charges was to maintain its core mission and unique identity. It was important that the College of Eastern Utah Library be seen as a separate entity, …

Undergraduates And Topic Selection: A Librarian’S Role, Flora Shrode

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Research shows that undergraduate students struggle with the initial stage of the research process, mainly identifying and defining a topic. Little current research addresses how undergraduates engage in this process, including how and where they seek help. The results of focus groups indicate that students have individual and varied methods for topic selection, but that many of them choose topics based on their perception of a few major characteristics, mainly perceived ease, pleasing the instructor/following the assignment, personal relatability and/or interest, and the ability to locate sufficient resources to research a topic. Many students identified their instructor as a person …

Hospitality Management: A Guide To Key Reference Works, Tim Bottorff

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose
– This paper aims to provide an overview of the field of hospitality management and a guide to the major books, databases, web sites, and other resources that comprise a quality hospitality management reference collection.

Design/methodology/approach
– Following a short introduction and overview, key sources and annotations are presented in categories that will help reference and collection librarians to better understand and serve hospitality management students. The sources were identified through the author's experience, library research guides and web sites, bibliographies, and other standard sources.

Findings
– Hospitality management is growing and maturing as an academic discipline, aided by …

Differences In Intergenerational Fertility Associations By Sex And Race In Saba, Dutch Caribbean, 1876–2004, Julia Jennings, Paul W. Leslie

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

This study examines the intergenerational transmission of fertility behavior in Saba, Dutch Caribbean from 1876 to 2004 using reconstituted genealogies. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients of several fertility measures and event-history models of age at first birth are used to explore relationships between the fertility of mothers and their children. The strength of intergenerational fertility ties varies by race and gender. Individuals that are better positioned to realize their fertility preferences have the strongest intergenerational associations, while individuals with the most limited reproductive options have the weakest intergenerational associations. This evidence supports hypotheses that posit the intergenerational transmission of attitudes, goals, …

An Agent-Based Model Of Centralized Institutions, Social Network Technology, And Revolution, Michael D. Makowsky, Jared Rubin

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

This paper sheds light on the general mechanisms underlying large-scale social and institutional change. We employ an agent-based model to test the impact of authority centralization and social network technology on preference falsification and institutional change. We find that preference falsification is increasing with centralization and decreasing with social network range. This leads to greater cascades of preference revelation and thus more institutional change in highly centralized societies and this effect is exacerbated at greater social network ranges. An empirical analysis confirms the connections that we find between institutional centralization, social radius, preference falsification, and institutional change.

Assessing Stages Of Team Development In A Summer Enrichment Program, Marcella Charlotte Wright

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Collaborative problem solving teams are an important component of successful schools. Groups move through a predictable pattern of development and it has been proposed that teams move through a similar development. The main objective of this study was to determine whether the teams that were formed during the Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program in 2012 displayed a pattern of development similar to group development. The study found that high performing teams develop similarly to groups.

Everyday Confrontation Of Discrimination: The Well-Being Costs And Benefits To Women Over Time., Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Taking action against discrimination has positive consequences for well-being (e.g., Cocking & Drury, 2004) but most of this research has focused on collective actions and has used methodologies assessing one point in time. This study therefore used a diary methodology to examine how women’s everyday confrontations of discrimination would affect measures of subjective and psychological well-being, and how these relationships would change over time. In a 28-day online diary study, women indicated their daily experience of discrimination, described their response, and completed measures of well-being. Results showed that at the beginning of the study, using indirect confrontation predicted greater well-being …

How Do Interviewers And Children Discuss Individual Occurrences Of Alleged Repeated Abuse In Forensic Interviews?, Sonja P. Brubacher, Lindsay C. Malloy, Michael E. Lamb, Kim Roberts

Psychology Faculty Publications

Police interviews (n = 97) with 5- to 13-year-olds alleging multiple incidents of sexual abuse were examined to determine how interviewers elicited and children recounted specific instances of abuse. Coders assessed the labels for individual occurrences that arose in interviews, recording who generated them, how they were used, and other devices to aid particularisation such as the use of episodic and generic language. Interviewers used significantly more temporal labels than did children. With age, children were more likely to generate labels themselves, but most children generated at least one label. In 66% of the cases, interviewers ignored or replaced …

Transmitting Occupational Niches From First To Second-Generation Immigrants: Are There Earnings Consequences From Being The "Copycat" Generation?, Melissa Seeborg

Honors Projects

In recent years, the number of second-generation immigrants entering the labor market has been increasing at a rapid pace. Their parents had immigrated in large waves, with many joining niche occupations dominated by their ethnic groups. This study looks to determine the economic impact of first-generation niche occupations, the extent that the second-generation enters the same occupations, and the resulting consequences on the second-generation’s income levels. In particular, the study investigates whether the second-generation will sustain the first-generation earnings advantage (or disadvantage) relative to natives. This research examines immigrants from China, India, the Philippines, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Data from …

Divided Diasporas: Southern Africans In Canada, Jonathan Crush, Abel Chikanda, Wade Pendleton, Mary Caesar, Sujata Ramachandran, Cassandra Eberhardt, Ashley Hill

Southern African Migration Programme

The protracted economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe led directly to a major increase in mixed migration flows to South Africa. Migrants were drawn from every sector of society, all education and skill levels, equal numbers of both sexes, and all ages (including unaccompanied child migration). Many migrants claimed asylum in South Africa which gave them the right to work while they waited for a refugee hearing. Many others were arrested and deported back to Zimbabwe. Migrants who were unable to find employment in the formal economy turned to employment and self-employment in the informal economy. These migrant entrepreneurs used …

No. 64: Soft Targets: Xenophobia, Public Violence And Changing Attitudes To Migrants In South Africa After May 2008, Jonathan Crush, Sujata Ramachandran, Wade Pendleton

Southern African Migration Programme

No abstract provided.

No. 17: The State Of Food Insecurity In Gaborone, Botswana, Ben Acquah, Stephen Kapunda, Alexander Legwegoh, Thando Gwebu, Tirelo Modie-Moroka, Kesitegile Gobotswang, Aloysius Mosha

African Food Security Urban Network

The results of AFSUN’s study of the food security situation of the poor in Gaborone show that not everyone is benefitting from Botswana’s strong and growing economy and that many of the urban poor experience extremely high levels of food insecurity. The study, which formed part of AFSUN’s baseline survey of 11 Southern African cities, collected data on a broad range of issues that affect household food insecurity and found that four out of five households in the surveyed areas in Gaborone reported severe or moderate food insecurity. Only 18% were either food secure or mildly food insecure. Income level …

Fear Of Crime, Incivilities, And Collective Efficacy In Four Miami Neighborhoods, Marc L. Swatt, Sean P. Varano, Craig D. Uchida, Shellie E. Solomon

Justice Studies Faculty Publications

Purpose: Extant literature indicates that individual perceptions of collective efficacy and incivilities are important in explaining fear of crime. These studies, however, often implicitly assume that the relationships between key variables do not differ between neighborhoods. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between perceptions of collective efficacy, perceptions of incivilities, and fear of crime and determine whether these relationships are constant between neighborhoods.

Methods: Surveys were conducted using a sample of residents from four neighborhoods within Miami-Dade County. Structural equation models were used to examine the relationships between perceptions of collective efficacy, perceptions of incivilities, and …

Catalogers Unite! Creating Documentation Through Collaboration, Patricia K. Falk, Elizabeth Hertenstein, Stefanie Hunker

University Libraries Faculty Publications

Recent changes have forced Bowling Green State University (BGSU) to reevaluate our documentation, workflows, and communication. There have been staff retirements, changes in staff responsibilities, and a new faculty cataloger. Additionally, BGSU is implementing a discovery layer, purchasing shelf-ready books, and adding more electronic resources. It has become apparent that documentation needs to be updated and, in many cases, created from scratch. Collaboration is critical as catalogers are currently few in number and are seeing the need to work with other departments in ways unheard of previously. The creation of a new cataloging manual is vital to the success of …

A Comparative Analysis Of Ghana's First-Past-The-Post (Fptp) Electoral System And The Proportional Representation (Pr) System, Joseph Kingsley Adjei

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Electoral systems translate the votes cast in a general election into seats won by parties and candidates. The choice of an electoral system is one of the most important institutional decisions for any democracy. In fact, the choice of a particular electoral system has a profound effect on the country concerned. Yet, once an electoral system has been used for some time, its impact on the political life of the country may be less recognized. Against this background, this paper provides an analysis of Ghana’s First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) electoral system and juxtaposes it against the Proportional Representation (PR) system to see …