Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Subsistence And Biodiversity Conservation In The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, West Bengal, India, Priyanka Ghosh

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

My dissertation research investigates the impacts of biodiversity conservation on the local population living in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR). More specifically, the research examines the impacts of conservation on local fishing communities living on the edge of the Sundarban Reserve Forest. In addition, it examines the causes and characteristics of conflicts between the biosphere reserve managers and the local fishing communities over the resource use of the biosphere reserve. The research project also explores the impacts of ecotourism on the local population that lives on the edge of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR). STR is one of the important …

Biomechanical Effects Of Trees And Soil Thickness In The Cumberland Plateau, Michael Shouse

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Previous research in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas suggests that, on relatively thin soils overlying bedrock, individual trees locally thicken the regolith by root penetration into bedrock. However, that work was conducted mainly in areas of strongly dipping and contorted rock, where joints and bedding planes susceptible to root penetration are more common and accessible. This project extended this concept to the Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky, with flat, level-bedded sedimentary rocks. Spatial variability of soil thickness was quantified at three nested spatial scales, and statistical relationships with other potential influences of thickness were examined. In addition, soil depth beneath trees was compared …

Planning And Protest In Memphis: The Limits And Possibilities Of Participatory Discourse, Andrea Craft

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Recent discussions of participatory urban planning have focused largely on municipal-led initiatives for collaborative resident engagement as an increasingly visible trend of neoliberal urban governance. Critical observers have noted the alliance between local government and business interests, and their capacities to manage, co-opt, and depoliticize diverse community-based efforts, and to marginalize dissent, through public-private partnerships, often facilitated by private consultants. Actual practices of participation demonstrate a variety of alternative meanings. This case study of a community-based planning initiative for public housing redevelopment in Memphis, TN challenges and complicates these narratives. The Memphis Housing Authority invited a local community organization to …

Conceptualizing Citizen Journalism: Definitions And Roles, Kelli A. Long

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Through in-depth interviews with 12 regular contributors to the Lexington-Herald Leader’s website, www.Kentucky.com, this study attempts to examine how online citizen journalists view the definitions of citizen and professional journalism, as compared to Singer’s three dimensions of professionalism (i.e., cognitive, normative, and evaluative dimensions) as well as their perceived role conceptions of professional and citizen journalists, using Weaver and Wilhoit’s four roles of journalists. Analyses reveal that the main difference in the definitions of the two types of journalists revolved around the cognitive dimension, specifically the education and training that professionals receive. The role conceptions of professional and citizen journalists …

Drumming Away Drugs: An Innovative Alternative Towards Drug Rehabilitation, John C. Hill

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Drug use poses a serious threat to the quality of life for many Kentuckians and their families. Recent statistics indicate drug offenders account for a significant portion (in one year, 52,597 arrests were made for drug violations statewide) of individuals within thecriminal justice system, directly affecting the economic vitality within our state (Bunn & Slavova, 2012; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2012). These statistics signify an overwhelming need for effective prevention efforts and innovative treatment alternatives. This study provides an innovative alternative treatment for drug offenders that infuses social and emotional coping strategies using percussion as a context. During the innovative …

Developing A Method For Measuring "Working Out Loud", Dennis E. Pearce

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

Enterprise social network software platforms (ESNs) are increasingly being deployed in firms across almost every industry as a means of fostering employee collaboration. Although benefits in increased productivity, innovation, and employee engagement are highly touted, there is a high failure rate of these deployments. This often occurs because (1) there is a misapplied focus on technology adoption rather than adoption of the employee behaviors that are ultimately required to obtain those benefits, and (2) it is unclear what those behaviors are and how to measure them.

“Working Out Loud” is one possible framework for understanding and measuring the behaviors necessary …

Macroeconomic Effects And Microeconomic Determinants Of Fertility, Maria R. Apostolova-Mihaylova

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

This dissertation focuses on the relationship between the education-based fertility gap and economic growth and on policy as a determinant of fertility.

In the first essay I evaluate the impact of differential fertility (the difference between fertility rates of women with high educational attainment and women with low educational attainment) on economic growth by accounting for critical marginal effects and the general level of educational attainment in a given country. I also examine the possibility that this effect varies based on level of inequality and income levels. I find that for a less developed country with high income inequality, higher …

Natural Phenomena As Potential Influence On Social And Political Behavior: The Earth’S Magnetic Field, Jackie R. East

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

Researchers use natural phenomena in a number of disciplines to help explain human behavioral outcomes. Research regarding the potential effects of magnetic fields on animal and human behavior indicates that fields could influence outcomes of interest to social scientists. Tests so far have been limited in scope. This work is a preliminary evaluation of whether the earth’s magnetic field influences human behavior it examines the baseline relationship exhibited between geomagnetic readings and a host of social and political outcomes. The emphasis on breadth of topical coverage in these statistical trials, rather than on depth of development for any one model, …

Obtaining Genuine Family Involvement: Unpacking The System Of Care Values And Principles, Deborah A. Cohen

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Despite the federal government’s $1.5 billion investment between 1993 and 2010 to fund 164 separate community-based systems of care, there has been an extremely limited attempt to measure the impact of system of care. The impetus for this research is the struggle for how the value based concept of system of care is communicated within a community. While child mental health services researchers have published a number of randomized control trials to explore individual level supports for youth served in a system of care community, researchers have struggled to devise a way to measure system of care philosophy diffusion.

While …

Attitudes Toward Assisted Reproductive Technology: The Effects Of Gender, Relationship Status, Age, And Sexual Orientation, Brigitte A. Dooley

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Reproductive technology has extended procreative options to infertile, subfertile, unpartnered, and same-sex-partnered individuals, but this technology is sometimes used in circumstances that may be deemed unreasonable or inappropriate by some people. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of five contextual variables—gender, relationship status, age, and sexual orientation of the individual or couple seeking reproductive assistance, as well as the source of gametes—on attitudes toward the procurement of reproductive services. A multiple-segment factorial vignette was administered to a sample of 257 reproductive-aged respondents. Results indicate that ART is generally viewed as an acceptable procedure by reproductive aged …

The Mindfully Attached Therapist: Factors That Predict And Prevent The Development Of Compassion Fatigue, Stephanie E. Armes

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Characterized as a loss of empathy, compassion fatigue is experienced by many in the helping professions. Also known as secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue occurs when those in the helping professions experience trauma through interacting with the traumatic experiences of the people they are helping. Previous literature has found the development of compassion fatigue to be inevitable due to the amount of empathy those professionals must utilize on a daily basis. Mindfulness practices, such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) have been found to be a helpful learning tool for those in the helping …

Farmers’ Market Shopping Behaviors And The Association Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Sarah G. Perkins

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Fruit and vegetable (FV) intake continues to decline among sub-population in the United States. Current policies and interventions have aimed to improve intake by improving access to fruits and vegetables. One Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested strategy is to improve access to farmers’ markets in rural areas. The aims of this study were to determine if the frequency of shopping at Farmers’ Markets is associated with fruit and vegetable intake, adjusted for age, income and education and to compare rural and non-rural areas frequency of Farmers’ Market attendance based on Kentucky farmers’ market interview participants (n = 102). …

Social And Psychological Factors Related To The Career Exploration Process Of Young Adults, Joanne N. Hellmann

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This study examined social and psychological factors influencing the career exploration process of young adults. The predictor variables of this study were parental attachment, peer attachment, and self-efficacy; the outcome variables were environmental/occupational exploration, self-exploration, and career indecision. Data for this study were collected using various measures that were compiled into one survey hosted on Qualtrics. Results indicated that secure maternal attachment predicted secure peer attachment and high self-efficacy in young adults. Greater peer attachment was negatively correlated with environmental exploration. A higher level of self-efficacy was positively correlated with environmental exploration and negatively correlated with career indecision. These results …

A Guy Walks Into A Bar...: Exploring Clients' Preferences For Humor And Ratings Of Therapy Sessions, Courtney E. Sonntag

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Humor has been identified as an important factor in the establishment of relationships. This study explores the use of humor in mental health therapy and how clients’ preferences for humor impact an evaluation of the therapy session. Forty-eight individuals currently receiving mental health therapy were examined along with the use of three forms of humor: positive, negative, and instrumental. There was a significant relationship between a preference for negative humor and session evaluation scores in which the more negative humor preferred, the lower the session ratings. Although not significant, other trends were noted between self-enhancing humor and session depth, aggressive …

The Therapeutic Relationship And Alliance-Building Behaviors: Treatment Implications For Childhood Social Phobia, William La Valle

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The importance of alliance in therapy has been well documented. This study explored specific therapist behaviors and their relationship to child perceived alliance and outcome in a randomized controlled trial of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for youth anxiety disorders. Participants included 42 youth (male = 24; female = 18; Caucasian = 37; African American = 4; Hispanic = 1) between the ages of 7 and 13 years who met criteria for a principal anxiety diagnosis. The study examined the sample as a whole, as well as focused specifically on youth diagnosed with social phobia. Videos of the first session of treatment …

Testing A Brief Treatment To Reduce The Frequency Of Panic Attacks In A Clinical Outpatient Population, Benjamin N. Daniels

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Panic attacks, the key symptom of panic disorder and an associated feature of various anxiety disorders, are extremely distressing events that can negatively impact an individual’s mental health, physical health, and quality of life. This study validated a brief treatment for panic attacks, designed to reduce the frequency of panic attacks after the first session, in an outpatient clinical population. One participant was recruited to participate in this single case experimental ABA design with follow-up, where a reversal was not expected, due to the maintenance of positive effects. The treatment included both cognitive and behavioral techniques. The results were analyzed …

Environmental Regulation, Michelle C. Pautz

Political Science Faculty Publications

The terms environment and regulation are commonplace in political and policy debates about the natural environment, the role of science, and the behavior of government. Indeed, these terms reference a very contentious area of public policy and are emblematic of the growing tensions between science and politics. This chapter overviews the definition, types, and history of environmental regulation before turning to the intersection of science and politics in environmental policy and considering current and future challenges for this aspect of governmental activity.

Books And Our Human Stories, Paul H. Benson

Philosophy Faculty Publications

An essay on the impact of the works in the Imprints and Impressions: Milestones in Human Progress, an exhibition of rare books from the collection of Stuart Rose. Exhibition was held Sept. 29-Nov. 9, 2014, at the University of Dayton.

Bay Area Student Involvement In The Environmental And Food Justice Movements: A Narrative Of Motivations, Experiences, And Community Impact, Laura E. Solof

Doctoral Dissertations

Many California public school students lack exposure to any formal, academic curriculum that emphasizes environmental awareness and activism. This may result in a population of adults who believe they know more about the environment than they actually do, lack the skills to compete in an expanding green job market, lack creativity and the ability to problem-solve, suffer from obesity, depression, anxiety, and attention disorders, and unknowingly contribute to the ever-increasing problems of air and water pollution, land and habitat destruction, and other environmental injustices. Community organizations and university programs are filling this much-needed gap in student environmental education, as they …

Outcomes Of Perceived Workplace Discrimination: A Meta-Analysis Of 35 Years Of Research, Lindsay Dhanani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the substantial monetary and nonmonetary costs that both employees and organizations can incur as a result of perceived workplace discrimination, it is important to understand the outcomes of perceived workplace discrimination as well as what moderates the discrimination-outcome relationship. While other meta-analyses of perceived discrimination have been published, the current meta-analysis expands prior meta-analytic databases by 81%, increasing the stability of the estimated effects. In addition, several prior meta-analyses have not focused exclusively on workplace discrimination. Consequently, the purpose of this meta-analysis is to provide a comprehensive quantitative review of perceived workplace discrimination, its consequences, and potential moderators of …

Exploring Stereotype Threat In The Workplace With Sexual Minorities, Elizabeth Sanz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minorities are the target of numerous negative stereotypes in the United States, and are sometimes perceived as deviant and devalued as compared to heterosexuals. Stereotype threat, the anxiety of confirming a negative stereotype about oneself or one's group, has been linked to perceived stress; and stress has been linked to low job satisfaction. Sexual minorities provide a unique test of stereotype threat theory because they may choose to conceal their minority status at work. Thus, this study also examines whether the visibility of the stigma is a necessary precursor to the experience of stereotype threat. Given the uniqueness of …

Group Differences In Perceived Workplace Mistreatment: A Meta-Analysis, Mallory Mccord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Workplace mistreatment, such as discrimination, bullying, and incivility, affect thousands of individuals annually and cost U.S. organizations up into the billions of dollars each year in settlement costs, lost employee productivity, and poor employee health. Given the pervasive cost and prevalence of workplace mistreatment, research on this subject remains important. The purpose of the current research is to provide academics, practitioners, and policy makers with a comprehensive understanding of the nature of perceived workplace mistreatment by determining if subgroups (e.g. men versus women) within individual difference groups (sex, race, age, and organizational tenure) differ in magnitude of perceived workplace mistreatment. …

Examining The Impact Of Error Encouragement On Training Outcomes, Rebecca Lyons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Error management training has been praised as an effective strategy for facilitating adaptive transfer. However, potential variations have not yet been examined to determine if an alternative format may be equally or more effective. As standard practice, error-related instructions in error management training encourage learners to make errors and to view these errors as learning opportunities. Also, an overwhelming majority of research on this topic has focused learner development of procedural computer software skills. The empirical literature provides little guidance in terms of the boundaries within which error management training is an effective training approach. The purpose of this research …

Exploring The Hows And The Whos: The Effects Of Self-Regulation Prompting And Goal Orientation On The E-Learning Process, Lauren Benishek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects that self-regulation prompts and goal orientation may exhibit on self-regulatory processes and subsequent learning. Specifically, a moderated mediation model was developed to explain how self-regulation prompts interact with prove performance goal orientation to affect two mediational processes, time on task and self-regulatory activity, and ultimately impact learning within a learner-controlled e-learning environment. To assess these hypotheses, an online Microsoft Excel instructional program was developed wherein 197 participants had control over when and where they completed training, the content they reviewed, the delivery medium (text-based or video-based), and the sequencing and pace at which they progressed …

How Do Teams Become Cohesive? A Meta-Analysis Of Cohesion's Antecedents, Rebecca Grossman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While a wealth of research has deemed cohesion critical for team effectiveness (e.g., Mullen and Copper, 1994; Beal, et al., 2003), less emphasis has been placed on understanding how to get it. Multiple studies do examine cohesion antecedents, but these studies have not yet been integrated in either theoretical or empirical manners. The purpose of this study was thus to begin addressing this gap in the literature. I conducted a series of meta-analyses to identify and explore various antecedents of cohesion, as well as moderators of antecedent-cohesion relationships. Findings revealed a variety of cohesion antecedents. Specifically, team behaviors, emergent states, …

Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Justice, And Affect: A Meta-Analysis, Megan Cochran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) are an expensive phenomenon for organizations, costing billions of dollars collectively each year. Recent research has focused on justice perceptions as predictors of CWBs, but little research has been conducted on the specific types of counterproductive work behaviors (i.e., sabotage, withdrawal, production deviance, abuse, and theft) that result from specific organizational justice perceptions (i.e., distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational) and the mediating effect of state affect. The current paper meta-analyzed the relationships between justice, CWB, and state affect and found that justice was negatively related to dimensions of CWB and state positive/negative affect were negatively/positively related …

Evaluation Of A Cognitive Training Program, Jenae Ulrich

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Cognitive Training (CT) is beginning to receive a great amount of attention as a treatment option for children and adults who have sustained brain insults, have chronic conditions such as a learning disability, or have other types of cognitively-related difficulties. There are numerous peer-reviewed articles examining CT, and yet there is confusion about what CT is and whether it is effective. The model common to most forms of CT posits that by doing "mind exercises" one produces dendrite growth that eventually leads to improved collaborative functioning of neural pathways in the brain. This study evaluated the efficacy of a CT …

The Rehabilitative Benefits Of A Golf Clinic For Active Duty Military Personnel And Veterans With Disabilities: The Enhancement Of Self-Efficacy And Health-Related Variables, Marcel H. Flores

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Self-efficacy is associated with a person’s level of confidence in adequately performing tasks, and has implications for health behaviors among persons with disabilities who are at higher risk for poor physical and mental health than the general population. Prospective research studies investigating the therapeutic benefits of sports for enhancing self-efficacy, particularly among persons with disabilities, are few. The following prospective study investigated the benefits of adaptive golf for increasing self-efficacy among active duty military personnel and veterans with disabilities, as well as its impact on their physical and mental health.

The study enrolled 41 participants of whom 13 completed an …

Relationships Between Tests Of Visual Memory In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer’S Disease, Guy Bernard Debros

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disorder characterized by cognitive and functional impairment (Budson & Solomon, 2011). Its prevalence is expected to rise in the upcoming decades as the world’s population ages (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical diagnostic entity that may represent very early AD (Morris et al., 2001). Both disorders involve significant impairment in episodic memory, necessitating reliable memory measures when making diagnoses. Although verbal memory is most often impaired in the earliest stages of disease (Budson & Price, 2005), visual memory is also predictor of AD (Kawas et al., 2003). Partly …

Decision To Use An Airframe Parachute In A Flight Training Environment, Scott R. Winter, Richard O. Fanjoy, Chien-Tsung Lu, Thomas Q. Carney, James P. Greenan

Publications

The purpose of this study was to complete a qualitative analysis of the decision-making process used by pilots to determine whether or not to deploy an airframe parachute system. A sample of participants from the subject university’s flight training program was selected to complete a scripted simulator flight in instrument flight conditions. During the flight, participants experienced an engine failure while enroute during IFR conditions. The script was examined and validated by an expert panel who determined use of the airframe parachute was the most appropriate outcome for the scenario. Interestingly, only 9 of the 21 participants responded as expected …