Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ban The Bag: Narragansett, Emma E. Meyer

Senior Honors Projects

Rhode Island, the smallest state in the country at 37 miles wide and 48 miles long, rightfully earns its nickname “The Ocean State” when considering the 400 miles of shoreline constituting Narragansett Bay. Despite the obvious necessities of sustaining a healthy bay within a state known for its beaches, at present day one would be challenged to walk along the Narragansett Sea Wall without spotting a plastic bag floating in or around the neighboring coastline. Not only are these bags an eye soar and a nuisance to Narragansett – a community whose financial prosperity is highly reliant upon its summer …

A Case Study Of An All Female Workplace: The Coffee Crew, Ashley C. Henry

Senior Honors Projects

Dealing with different personalities and gender roles is nothing new in the workplace. Today, the workplace is filled with an abundance of elements that affect the overall climate of the work environment. The elements have a direct influence on the ways in which co-workers interact with one another on a daily basis. In order to see how an organization works, it is important to observe the employees of the organization. The employees each play vital roles in the company and add to the organization’s overall climate and dynamics.

Typically at organizations, there are both male and female employees. However, I …

Bullying: Prevention/ Intervention Strategies With High School Students, Chloe Blau

Senior Honors Projects

Bullying has been a prevalent issue within the public and private school systems for as long as they have existed. There have always been students who were victimized for various reasons, or for no reason at all, but this generation has become much more vicious when it comes to the lengths to which they will go to hurt someone. Many methods have been used in an attempt to create both prevention and intervention plans for these horrible acts, but it is quite difficult to change a person’s behavior. So what if instead of trying to alter the mind of the …

Recording The Learning Curve During The Mastery Of Glassblowing, Katie L. Corticelli

Senior Honors Projects

Fire and inspiration melted glass art’s enchanting ways into the center of my passions. Lampworking is a small-scale method of glass blowing, which is the term to refer to an art form where one shapes molten glass into a variety of items. To create glass art, propane and oxygen supply a flame torch which melts the glass. Gravity and rhythmic hands work symbiotically to shape glass rods and tubes. The result is unique three-dimensional visual art.

After years of aspiring to work with borosilicate glass, the opportunity to incorporate the endeavor with academia presented itself. Through months of time and …

The Demands-Resources Model : Theory Expansion And Introduction To The Influence On College Students, Taylor D. Barr

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study was designed to extend the Job Demands-Resources model of stress and motivation (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001b) on a number of student outcomes including strain, burnout, well-being, engagement, satisfaction, commitment, and academic success. In line with the model, it was predicted that student demands and student resources would have main effects on outcomes and that student resources would moderate the relationship between demands and outcomes. A sample of 365 undergraduate students at a mid-sized university participated by filling out an on-line survey. Hypotheses were tested using regression analyses. Results demonstrated general support for the idea that student …

Enterprise Social Networks : Effective Internal Organizational Communication Strategies, Makeda A. Boucaud

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) such as Facebook and Twitter have reinvented how publics communicate with one another. Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs) are a form of Social Network Sites (SNS) which many organizations are adopting within their communication practices. The primary goal of ESNs is to engage employees through social interaction which is intended to create company communities which users can use to access business information, team updates and team performance statistics. The current study examines assumptions present in purveyor literature about how ESNs are intended to provide benefit in six aspects of organizational development: organizational communication, information communication technology, technology …

The Relationship Of Religiosity, Religious Coping And Adjustment For Latino Immigrants In The United States, Diana Lizeth Cabezas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examines factors that contribute to the adjustment of the Latino population, the second largest ethnic group in the United State. It viewed traditional cultural factor of religiosity and spirituality which have been identified as central to the Latino culture. Specifically, the study examined the role of religiosity and spirituality as coping mechanisms for adjustment (viewed through life satisfaction, depressive symptoms) to the North American culture by Central and South American immigrants who follow the Christian, Pentecostal religion. One-on-one interviews were conducted with men and women participants. Participants responded to questions concerning religion/spirituality, life satisfaction, psychological well-being and acculturation …

Mock Jurors' Sensitivity To Investigator Bias, Edwin F. Carbery

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study investigated jurors’ ability to identify investigator bias and determine if the camera angle at which lineup identifications were recorded impacted their ability to do so. Participants saw one of twelve videos in which a witness made an identification decision from a lineup after seeing a simulated crime video depicting a mugging. Half of participants were given a biased lineup administration; the other half were given a neutral (non-biased) lineup administration. Additionally, participants saw a biased or non-biased lineup filmed from either witness focused, investigator focused, or equal focus camera angle. Subsequently, participants rendered judgments that reflected their perceptions …

The Effect Of Self-Licensing On Food Choice, James Force

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Research has shown that individuals will license indulgent or immoral behavior after engaging in or recalling moral behavior. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not individuals would do this when selecting food items. Participants completed one of two writing tasks, one of which was designed to elicit a licensing effect, before choosing a food item. Afterward, participants completed a scale to determine their restraint type. It was hypothesized that individuals who recalled moral behavior would allow themselves to indulge and choose an unhealthy, high calorie food item over a healthy, low calorie food item. It was …

North Versus South : Perception Of New Jersey Dialects, Hannah Faye Sanes Gash

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Previous studies have found marked differences among regional dialects amidst both large and small geographic locations. This study expands upon previous work on the perception of dialectical differences between Northern and Southern New Jersey. According to previous research, a major dialect boundary splits New Jersey into the two regions of Northern and Southern New Jersey. These two dialects have been found to be influenced by the New York City and Philadelphia dialects, respectively. In this study, a set of 28 talkers (14 male, 14 female) with an even amount from Northern and Southern New Jersey provided sentence-length speech samples which …

Antecedents Of Leadership Agency : Understanding Leadership Development, Aishwarya Shashidhar

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aims to look into leadership development and the antecedents that are important for its development using Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Specifically, the purpose of this study is threefold: 1) To develop and present a new construct called leadership agency, 2) to conduct a study to develop a self-reported measure of leadership agency, and finally 3) to create a framework that outlines the relationship between antecedents and leadership agency. Using an online survey tool, 36 freshmen students in the Emerging Leader Learning Community at Montclair State University, participated and completed surveys on the four components of leadership agency; leader …

Does Task Shifting Ability Mediate Gender Based Stereotype Threat Induction?, Nancy Luddey Torres CalderóN

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examined whether set shifting mediates the relationship between induction of stereotype threat and performance on organizational selection processes in men and women. Undergraduate students (N=90) were assessed in time in seconds to complete the Trial Making Test (TMT) part B, number of error in TMT-B and performance in a cognitive ability test after being exposed to one of three condition: non-stereotype threat, stereotype threat, and stereotyped threat alleviation. We predicted that females who had Stereotype Threat induced would do worse on the Cognitive Ability math Test (CAT) taken as part of the selection process, that they would take …

Evaluating Police Interviews, Salvatrice G. Vivo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Police interrogations are one-sided conversations between suspects and the police in which the police accuse a suspect of committing a crime and employ a series of sophisticated psychological tactics to obtain a confession. This study cataloged participants’ perceptions of different police interrogation tactics. One hundred fifty six participants read one of three interrogation transcripts that contained 10 distinct interrogation tactics. The three different interrogation scenarios were murder, hit-andrun, and sexual assault. The results of this study demonstrated that participants believed the police interrogation tactics were more coercive when the suspect confessed. The implications of the results are discussed.

The Effect Of Camera Angle And Investigator Bias On Observer Perceptions Of Eyewitness Identification, Brenee Alyce Mitchell

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Investigator bias is an ongoing problem in police interrogations and eyewitness identification. Recently, videotaping these processes has been suggested to combat this problem. Participants watched an eyewitness identification video depicting an interaction between an investigator and witness. Following the video the participants answered questions designed to tap observers’ perception of the lineup, the witness, and the investigator. Three variables were manipulated. Participants either saw a female or a male witness. Participants either saw a video with a biased or non-biased investigator. Participants viewed this interaction from one of three camera angles: witness focused, investigator focused, and equal focused. Results of …

The Influence Of Counseling And Social Support On Depression In Mothers Of Fragile Families, Megan E. Delaney

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study of mothers of fragile families was to examine the relationship between counseling and social support on levels of depression. Demographic variables as well as depression, counseling and social support (specifically, instrumental support) was examined over two waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study. A logistic regression was used to create predictor models for future depression including counseling, social support, current depression and relevant covariates. The findings are discussed and implication for practice and future research are included.

Spatial Decision Support Systems For Sustainable Urban Redevelopment, Amy V. Johnson-Ferdinand

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

A recent United Nations study concludes that worldwide population will grow from approximately 7 billion today to 9.3 billion in 2050 and 10.1 billion in 2100. Nowhere is this population growth more evident than in the major cities of the world. For the first time in history, a majority of the world’s people lived in cities. In 1950, by comparison, less than 30% of the world’s population dwelled in cities. This rapid growth of population, coupled with an aging infrastructure, and the abandoning of urban manufacturing sites, creates an urgent need for inner city revitalization. There are several urban areas …

The Relationship Between Perceived Career Barriers And Career Decision Self-Efficacy On The Certainty Of Initial Career Choice Among Educational Opportunity Fund Program Students, Nicole Pacheco Pulliam

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study was an investigation of the predictive value of perceived career barriers and career decision self-efficacy on the certainty of initial career choice among Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF) pre-freshman college students, an under-studied college population with respect to career development (Winograd & Shick Tryon, 2009). The moderating effects of certain cultural characteristics (race, gender and college generational status) on the certainty of initial career choice were also examined. A nonexperimental correlational research design was utilized, along with a multiple linear regression analysis, to investigate the predictability of perceived career barriers and career decision self-efficacy, directly and as moderated …

College Students' Perceived And Personal Mental Health Stigma : The Influence On Help-Seeking Attitudes And Intentions, Alyson M. Pompeo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Despite being vulnerable to mental health problems, college students are a population that is especially influenced by perceptions of peer mental health stigmatization (Quinn, Wilson, MacIntyre, & Tinklin, 2009), a known barrier to seeking mental health services (Corrigan, 2004a; Komiya, Good, & Sherrod, 2000; Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006), and the greatest barrier to college students (Evans, et al., 2007; Hepworth & Paxton, 2007; Martin, 2010). This paper begins with a thorough discussion of the participant population—undergraduate college students, including well established theories of college student development, and developmental challenges and issues that are faced. Mental health stigma is also …

The Impact Of Academic Advising Using A Learning Centered Model On The College Experience And Advisor/Advisee Relationships Among Traditional-Aged College Freshmen, Sarah Vandermark

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Academic advising is becoming an increasingly important resource on college campuses for purposes of retention, persistence, and student satisfaction. Researchers have found that an academic advisor can play a key role in the academic and personal lives of undergraduate students. If engagement with students matters for learning and persisting towards graduation, then there is a need to identify and evaluate quality academic services, including academic advising, and what are effective methods to enhance student learning and acclimating to a university. In this study, I focused on academic advising using the learning centered approach to advising, which was implemented through a …

Building Future Researchers: Training High School Research Academy Students In The Use Of Academic Medical Library Electronic Resources, Mary Congleton

Library Presentations

To determine how best to educate high school students attending a campus-based health research academy in the use of academic medical library electronic resources.

Ce 622 Syllabus: Family Systems Counseling, Jo Hittner

Counselor Education Syllabi

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the theory, assessment techniques and intervention strategies used in the practice of family systems counseling. The focus of the course will be on building a theoretical base for understanding and applying family systems counseling strategies and techniques. Didactic and experiential learning will provide students with the opportunity to apply and integrate knowledge and skills gained through reading, lectures and videos.

Ce 680 Syllabus: Counseling Practicum, Jo Hittner

Counselor Education Syllabi

To enhance the counseling skills and conceptualization processes acquired through direct counseling experience, supervision and classroom interaction. The course is designed to prepare counselors for development as independent professional counselors. The evidence provided through the quality of the course requirements, demonstration of maturity, personal insight and professional presentation as appropriate to the counseling profession, will determine the course grade.

Ce 690 Syllabus: Internship, Mary Fawcett

Counselor Education Syllabi

To enhance the counseling skills and conceptualization processes acquired through direct counseling experience, supervision and classroom interaction. The course is designed to prepare counselors for development as independent professional counselors. The evidence provided through the quality of the course requirements, demonstration of maturity, personal insight and professional presentation as appropriate to the counseling profession, will determine the course grade.

Ce Syllabus: Guatemala: Contemporary Mental Health, Social And Cultural Issue, Jo Hittner, Niloufer Merchant

Counselor Education Syllabi

The purpose of this course is to expose students interested in counseling, psychology, or social work to mental health and social justice concerns that currently pervade Guatemalan culture. These include, but are not limited to: the effects of 30 years of civil war; concerns of indigenous peoples; oppression within Central America, especially with regard to Guatemalans and native Mayans; the effects of poverty on mental health and wellness; women’s issues, particularly around civil and reproductive rights; and the impact of the current political and cultural climate on the children of Guatemala.

An Examination Of Electrodermal Activity During Tic Suppression In Adults, Bryan Brandt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although tic disorders are diagnosed as neurological disorders, neurobehavioral models suggest that tics are controlled by premonitory urges that may be conditioned to become aversive through childhood, and that tics are exhibited to alleviate such phenomena. However, only indirect measures have been used to assess the presence of the premonitory urge. This study utilized self-report and GSR measurements to examine whether a punishing contingency conditioned stimuli to be aversive during conditions of tic suppression and whether punishing contingencies exacerbate aversive private phenomena in two adults. Results indicated that conditions of response cost (RC) and differential reinforcement (DRO) were effective at …

Urban Agriculture: An Environmental And Moral Imperative, Bridgit Hohlfeld

Geography and Planning

As we live in a society completely dependent on oil and its products, the contradictions within this self destructive system begin to unfold. Petroleum, its acquisition, and the products created with it, have been proven to cause unmanageable effects on a worldwide scale. As our natural resources become more finite, contributing to global and local inequities through widespread competition, the need for change is apparent. By introducing local farming initiatives, the creation, distribution, and usage of these products becomes obsolete through the elimination of demand and necessity. Sustainable urban agriculture is therefore presented as a tangible solution to the problem …

The Role Of Social Expressiveness Expectancies And Body Image In College Students’ Alcohol Use: A Moderation Model, Ashley Zenner

Psychology

This study examined the role of social expressiveness expectancies in the relationship between body image and alcohol use and explored possible gender differences. Body image, social expressiveness expectancies, alcohol use and consequences from alcohol use were examined using a moderation model. Based on the responses of 265 college students (160 women and 88 men) to self-report questionnaires the findings showed that women with poor body image and high social expressiveness expectancies used alcohol significantly more than women who did not have a poor body image. For men, no such relationship was observed. Contrary to hypotheses, negative consequences from alcohol use …

Variations In The Facial Prominence Of A Hollywood Action Heroine: The Case Of Katniss In The Hunger Games, Alexandra M. Mastorides

Communication

Numerous studies have found that in a variety of media, men are depicted with a greater degree of facial prominence than women. This tendency has earned the name, “the face-­‐ism phenomenon.” It is argued to promote sexist notions that enable the objectification of women while simultaneously reinforcing stereotypical gender roles. Greater focus on the face is said to give off stronger impressions of intelligence, dominance, and the personality of an individual. This study measures the face-­‐ism of the character Katniss Everdeen over the course of film, The Hunger Games. The results found that compared to other women in previous studies, …

Investigating The World Of Disney’S Heroines: A Close Analysis Of Cinderella And Beauty And The Beast, Victoria Margaret Gurrieri

Communication

This thesis will provide an in- depth analysis of the films Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, drawing principally (though not exclusively) on techniques of film analysis propounded by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson’s Film Art. Bordwell and Thompson provide explanations of the devices that should be used to critique a film. These include repetitions and patterns, visual and aural techniques, and narrative structures, which all serve to enhance the overall film. After examining each film individually, the two films are compared and contrasted. This highlights the progress made by Walt Disney Studios and their filmmakers in the years between …

Journalism Portfolio, William R. Brunelle

Journalism Program

No abstract provided.