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2015

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

An Experimental Test Of The Reformulated Contact Model, Lauren Elizabeth Coursey Jan 2015

An Experimental Test Of The Reformulated Contact Model, Lauren Elizabeth Coursey

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Intergroup contact is generally accepted as an effective means of reducing negative outgroup attitudes. However, the nature of the psychological processes underlying the effects of contact is a point of much debate. In an effort to solve this debate, much research has been devoted to investigating (re)categorization strategies involved in intergroup contact. Three popular strategies are decategorization, salient categorization, and superordinate categorization. In the current study I provide an experimental test of Pettigrew’s (1998) reformulated contact model. The reformulated contact model poses a specific time-ordered sequence for the presentation of each of these three categorization strategies. Through computer-mediated contact, the …

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How Well, And How Quick, Do They Click? Initial Dyadic Interactions Between Straight Women And Gay (Vs. Straight) Men, Eric M. Russell Jan 2015

How Well, And How Quick, Do They Click? Initial Dyadic Interactions Between Straight Women And Gay (Vs. Straight) Men, Eric M. Russell

Psychology Theses - Archive

Past literature and popular culture have suggested that a strong, interpersonal connection quickly develops between straight women and gay men; however, research has not yet explored whether this phenomenon can be observed in their initial interactions. I tested three hypotheses that were derived from the general prediction that straight women-gay men (SW-GM) dyads would exhibit a distinctive pattern of interaction that contrasts with that observed in opposite-sex dyads composed of straight women and straight men (SW-SM). Sixty-five heterosexual women and 65 men (33 heterosexual, 32 homosexual) were recruited to create 32 SW-GM dyads and 33 SW-SM dyads. Each dyad engaged …

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Cultivating An Attitude Of Gratitude: Testing Moderators Of The Effects Of A Gratitude Diary Intervention On Well-Being And Interpersonal Outcomes, Anna E. Park Jan 2015

Cultivating An Attitude Of Gratitude: Testing Moderators Of The Effects Of A Gratitude Diary Intervention On Well-Being And Interpersonal Outcomes, Anna E. Park

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

In the past few years, evidence has amassed suggesting that gratitude interventions can have a number of personal and interpersonal benefits (for a review, see Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010). For instance, gratitude interventions may lead to increases in body satisfaction (Geraghty, Wood, Hyland, 2010a), positive affect, prosocial behavior, as well as decreased physical health problems (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). The purpose of this study was to replicate previous findings by showing that a gratitude diary intervention could improve participants’ psychological and physical well-being as well as decrease their indirect aggression. A second aim of this study was to test …

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Predicting Pattern Characteristics That Lead To Work Return Following Functional Restoration Treatment In A Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorder Population, Rachel Purdum Jan 2015

Predicting Pattern Characteristics That Lead To Work Return Following Functional Restoration Treatment In A Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorder Population, Rachel Purdum

Psychology Theses - Archive

Chronic pain is a major problem worldwide. Millions of dollars are spent on treatment of chronic pain each year. Some people require a tertiary approach to pain recovery and seek treatment at an interdisciplinary functional restoration rehabilitation program (FRP). The aim of the present study is to identify specific characteristics of a group that would complete an FRP and not return to work. Patients who participated in the FRP can be classified into three groups: return to work (n = 2, 470), quality of life (n = 346) and non-completers (n = 782). Return to work individuals are defined as …

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What Role Do Teachers Play In Bullying Behavior?, Erika Venzor Jan 2015

What Role Do Teachers Play In Bullying Behavior?, Erika Venzor

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Despite the fact that bullying is still viewed as a common behavior among adolescents, extensive research has established that bullying behavior can occur throughout life. After decades of investigation, it is clear that bullying leads to adverse outcomes. However, limited information is available on teacher-to-student bullying, principal-to-teacher bullying, and student-to teacher-bullying behavior, as well as the consequences of such. This dissertation examined whether teacher bullying was due to personality and/or environmental factors. Teachers around the DFW area (N = 451) participated in this study. As expected, teachers who were less conscientious were more likely to bully students. Furthermore, teachers who …

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Assessment Of Performance And Individual Experience During Group Exercise, Colin Jenney Jan 2015

Assessment Of Performance And Individual Experience During Group Exercise, Colin Jenney

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Every year, approximately 47 million Americans belong to a gym as a means of obtaining physical activity. Although little is known about crowding in a gym environment, research in other environments, including retail settings, has demonstrated that perceived crowding has resulted in negative effects such as decreased satisfaction and inhibited goal-attainment. Therefore, if perceived crowding in a gym is aversive, it may be a significant barrier to regular exercise. However, other studies in the retail crowding literature have found increased satisfaction during crowded shopping experiences in goods-based stores. These divergent outcomes of crowding may be explained by whether or not …

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Pain Modulation By The Amygdala: Hemispheric Lateralization Of Pro- And Anti-Nociceptive Properties During The Progression Of Inflammatory Pain, Mayanja M. Kajumba Jan 2015

Pain Modulation By The Amygdala: Hemispheric Lateralization Of Pro- And Anti-Nociceptive Properties During The Progression Of Inflammatory Pain, Mayanja M. Kajumba

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Inflammatory pain is a feature of various diseases, and a leading cause of disabling discomfort among patients. Despite the extensive and costly neurophysiological and pharmacological research, even the most potent of the currently available treatments do not work for all patients, and cause adverse side effects that hinder effective pain management. In an attempt to identify potential target sites for alternative pain alleviation procedures, the current study investigated the role of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in the onset and progression of inflammatory pain. Both the left and right CeA receive, and are activated by nociceptive input, but …

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Development, Reliability, Validity, And Utility Of The Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (Facs) In A Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (Cmpd) Population, Meredith M. Hartzell Jan 2015

Development, Reliability, Validity, And Utility Of The Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (Facs) In A Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (Cmpd) Population, Meredith M. Hartzell

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Fear-avoidance (FA) is a negative coping style where patients avoid physical and social activities out of fear that their pain may increase or that they may re-injure themselves. Although fear-avoidance often increases in chronic pain patients, and is an important predictive factor of rehabilitation outcomes, few questionnaires are designed to systematically evaluate all components of fear-avoidance, especially in a Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (CMPD) population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and validate a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurement of fear-avoidance, entitled the Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS) in three separate populations: CMPD, psychiatric chronic pain, and a …

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Assessment Of Pre-, Post-, And Change In Opioid Use: Evaluation Of Hydrocodone As Part Of Functional Restoration Treatment In A Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Pain (Cdomp) Population, Whitney E. Worzer Jan 2015

Assessment Of Pre-, Post-, And Change In Opioid Use: Evaluation Of Hydrocodone As Part Of Functional Restoration Treatment In A Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Pain (Cdomp) Population, Whitney E. Worzer

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The current study examines the relationship between pre-treatment, post-treatment, and change in opioid use among 1,601 chronic pain patients who participated in a functional restoration program, along with an additional investigation of pre-treatment hydrocodone use. Patients received an initial evaluation prior to treatment, including a physical examination, medical history, disability assessment, and psychological intake. In the initial phase of treatment, patients consented to be weaned from opiate medications. Assessments were repeated at program completion and structured telephone interviews were conducted at one-year post-treatment to evaluate socioeconomic outcomes. A substantial portion of patients entering the program reported opioid use upon admission …

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An Eeg Investigation In Depression: The Effect Of Cognitive Processing, Kellen C. Gandy Jan 2015

An Eeg Investigation In Depression: The Effect Of Cognitive Processing, Kellen C. Gandy

Psychology Theses - Archive

Among clinical populations, depression patients tend to show impaired memory performance both in working memory and associative memory accompanied with disorders in neural activity in the DLPFC. However, it is unclear whether these deficits are related to selective deficits in different levels of processing, possibly due to a dysfunction of cognitive processing mediated by the prefrontal cortex. In order to investigate this possibility, the present study recruited individuals with high, moderate and low depression to examine the electrophysiological effects of cognitive processing in working memory and long-term memory with electroencephalography (EEG). As hypothesized, individuals with low depression showed a memorial …

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The Role Of The Lateral Habenula In The Affective Dimension Of Pain, Michelle Marie White Jan 2015

The Role Of The Lateral Habenula In The Affective Dimension Of Pain, Michelle Marie White

Psychology Theses - Archive

The lateral habenula (LHb) functions as a hub that integrates information from cortical regions to aid in emotional decision-making, as well as helping to create response strategies under stress (Hikosaka, 2010; Proulx, Hikosaka, & Malinow, 2014; Thorton, Bradbury, & Davies, 1990; Evans & Thorton, 1984; Thorton & Evans, 1984; Thorton & Evans, 1982; Thorton, Evans, & Harris, 1985). In addition, the LHb functions in a descending pain modulatory circuit involving both the nucleus accumbens and periacqueductal gray (Shelton, Becerra, & Borsook, 2012). These two functions of the LHb indicate its importance in decision-making during heightened states of arousal, such as …

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Quick Decisions Involving Threatening And Non-Threatening Images, Audrey Kaye Snowden Jan 2015

Quick Decisions Involving Threatening And Non-Threatening Images, Audrey Kaye Snowden

Psychology Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of facial expressions with respect to quick decisions involving threatening and non-threatening images, to understand better the theoretical perspectives involving the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. Participants completed several surveys and played a categorization game where they viewed pictures for 1.25 seconds and then made a categorizing decision of "dangerous" or "safe" based on the presence of weapons in the photo. Participants had 1 second to decide. Pictures included men, women, and children, with either angry or neutral facial expressions, holding either weapons or innocuous items. Participant's reaction …

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The Investigation Of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (Dlpfc) Activity In Item And Associative Memory Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs), Cheryl Kay Abellanoza Jan 2015

The Investigation Of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (Dlpfc) Activity In Item And Associative Memory Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs), Cheryl Kay Abellanoza

Psychology Theses - Archive

Though the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to be important for working and item memory, recent neuroimaging research has suggested that the DLPFC is more important in relational processing for associative memory than initially thought. It has been found that individuals with depressive symptoms often have less activity in the DLPFC; it has also been found that these individuals experience associative memory deficits. However, it remains unclear if associative memory deficits in depression are related to DLPFC activity. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modify cortical excitability and has thus been used in the examination of brain regions …

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Maternal Negative Affectivity And Child Internalizing Problems: Child Behavioral Inhibition As A Mediator, Haolei Fang Jan 2015

Maternal Negative Affectivity And Child Internalizing Problems: Child Behavioral Inhibition As A Mediator, Haolei Fang

Psychology Theses - Archive

Early emerging internalizing problems such as depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal put children at great risk for developing mood disorders and substance abuse problems. The current study investigated both child behavioral inhibition (BI) and maternal negative affectivity (NA) as predictors of internalizing problems in a preschool sample, and a mediational process between maternal NA and internalizing problem was hypothesized and tested. One hundred families with two children aged between 2.5 and 5.5 participated the study. The study included an online survey section and a laboratory visit. A multi-method approach with both questionnaire and behavioral assessments was used to measure child …

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Fear In The World Of Social Media, Jamie E. Hildreth Jan 2015

Fear In The World Of Social Media, Jamie E. Hildreth

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Many researchers believe that perception of crime is formed by how crime is presented or framed by news media. News media has previously been society's only gateway to the rest of the world. "Violent crimes are prominent and presented as the norm in news media and commercial television programs, thus providing millions of people with a daily diet of rape, murder and drug abuse" (Greer, 2005). Emergence of social media may be removing many of the controls news media had in place with instantaneous, supposedly unbiased, unfiltered information. Social media may also be exacerbating the effects of news media by …

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School Interventions And Criminality: An Analysis Into The Types Of School Interventions And Criminality, Holton Silas Hemby Jan 2015

School Interventions And Criminality: An Analysis Into The Types Of School Interventions And Criminality, Holton Silas Hemby

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The study focuses on the types of school interventions used in the educational system in order to understand a correlation with criminality. The participants consist of 105 individuals that were sentenced to probation in Parker County, Texas, from January 1, 2015 to February 28, 2015. The research displays gender, race, education, school interventions, juvenile criminality, and adult criminality from the participants of Parker County Community Supervision and Corrections Department. The variables of the participants were then analyzed through a cross tabulation and logistical regression. According to the results, there is no significant association with school interventions and adult criminality. In …

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Gang Activity: A Deeper Analysis Into The Types Of Crime Committed By Gang Members, Zane Lehman Nash Jan 2015

Gang Activity: A Deeper Analysis Into The Types Of Crime Committed By Gang Members, Zane Lehman Nash

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The aim of this study is to get a better understanding of the different types of gang-related crime. The arrests of 410 gang members in Arlington, Texas from 2010-2014 are the subjects of analysis. These records display the date of arrest, age, committed offense, and gang affiliation of each gang member arrested by the Arlilngton Police Department's gang unit during this time span. Characteristics of gang members, such as age and gang type, were compared to attributes of gang-related offenses. Gang members were broken down into different age groups and gang classifications, while criminal offenses were categorized as being violent, …

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The Idols Of Modernity: The Humanity Of Science And The Science Of Humanity, Lukas Szrot Jan 2015

The Idols Of Modernity: The Humanity Of Science And The Science Of Humanity, Lukas Szrot

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

The Idols of Modernity draws upon the work of early thinkers in the sociology of knowledge such as Karl Mannheim in an effort to delineate the history of--and unmask the ideology behind--many of the formative aspects of scientific knowledge that enjoy both a central and potentially controversial role in the twenty-first century. In touching upon the role of imagination and speculation in the `hardest' sciences, normative disputes between biological and social sciences, and the intellectual history of modern science, I attempt to reveal the humanity of science. In examining the democratization of the written word, the profound consequences of language …

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Addressing The Grocery Gap: An Ethnographic Study Of Food Access In Three Tarrant County Neighborhoods, Sharnese Thompson Jan 2015

Addressing The Grocery Gap: An Ethnographic Study Of Food Access In Three Tarrant County Neighborhoods, Sharnese Thompson

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

This study examines the impact of food insecurity in three neighborhoods in Fort Worth, Texas. The neighborhoods in this study include, Southside, Stop Six, and Como. Food Deserts can be defined as poor urban areas that have little to no access to affordable and healthy food. My methodology in conducting this research was participant observation. Through notes, field observation, and informal interviews I was able to conclude the affects lack of affordable and healthy food had on these three areas. Additionally, I was able to determine if current methods to mitigate food deserts were effective.

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A Corpus Study Of Requests In Naturally Occurring Spoken American English: A Context Analysis Approach, Lynnelle Rhinier Brown Jan 2015

A Corpus Study Of Requests In Naturally Occurring Spoken American English: A Context Analysis Approach, Lynnelle Rhinier Brown

Linguistics & TESOL Dissertations - Archive

Given the variety of ways that speakers of American English can make requests, relatively little has been discovered on why speakers choose the forms they do. Using data from the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English, this study investigates what requestive forms American speakers use as well as the contextual conditions that occur with these forms. The study identifies categories of requestive forms, including let statements, if statements, modal statements, need/want statements, imperatives and modal interrogatives and the contextual parameters that occur with them, including social distance, social power, contingency, entitlement, sequential positioning, among others. These forms demonstrate patterns …

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Freedom Of Association And Ngo Law: The Constitutionality Of The 2009 Zambian Ngo Law, Muna Ndulo Jan 2015

Freedom Of Association And Ngo Law: The Constitutionality Of The 2009 Zambian Ngo Law, Muna Ndulo

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

Freedom of Association is entrenched in the Zambian Constitution and in several International Law instruments to which Zambia is a party. By hindering the independent and effective operations of NGOs, the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Act of 2009 unjustifiably curtails this freedom. This paper examines the NGO Act and documents the various instances in which it imposes an unconstitutional, unjustifiable and disproportionate hindrance on the ability of NGOs to operate effectively. It argues that the Act threatens to roll back the enormous gains that NGOs have made and continue to make in fermenting accountable, democratic and effective governance in Zambia.

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Vol. 1, No. 2 Table Of Contents Jan 2015

Vol. 1, No. 2 Table Of Contents

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

No abstract provided.

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Experiences With Pregnancy Among Female Sex Workers In Ethiopia: A Link Up Exploratory Study, Population Council, Miz-Hasab Research Center, Organization For Social Services For Aids Jan 2015

Experiences With Pregnancy Among Female Sex Workers In Ethiopia: A Link Up Exploratory Study, Population Council, Miz-Hasab Research Center, Organization For Social Services For Aids

HIV and AIDS

In Ethiopia, it is illegal to operate a brothel or procure sex workers as a commercial activity, but the sale of sex by women is not prohibited by law. Research suggests that the number of Ethiopian female sex workers is growing, with younger women and girls increasingly entering the sex trade. Public health programs and policies typically have emphasized HIV prevention in this vulnerable population. A 2014 study of 3,882 Ethiopian female sex workers found that HIV prevalence in the 10 study sites ranged from 15–33 percent, compared to national prevalence of 1.9 percent among women. Furthermore, since most female …

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Applying Intercultural/International Education Towards Creating Sustainable Peace In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bella Cheptoo Kimutai Jan 2015

Applying Intercultural/International Education Towards Creating Sustainable Peace In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bella Cheptoo Kimutai

MA IDS Thesis Projects

The aim of this thesis is to assess the benefits and progress that intercultural education would create towards peace building and reconciliation if applied in school curriculums in sub-Saharan Africa. With the support of published literature and in-depth research in three countries, this research will argue for interculturalism, through international and intercultural education, as a strategy for peaceful coexistence both in stable and unstable situations. The country case studies in this partic-ular culminating project will be Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria. Particular emphasis and stress will be placed on the importance of intercultural education in schools and how it will help …

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Children And Disaster Education: An Analysis Of Disaster Risk Reduction Within The School Curricula Of Oregon, Texas, And The Philippines, Ashley Merchant Jan 2015

Children And Disaster Education: An Analysis Of Disaster Risk Reduction Within The School Curricula Of Oregon, Texas, And The Philippines, Ashley Merchant

MA IDS Thesis Projects

For the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the intensity and frequency of disasters. This has created a growing interest in the issue of disaster risk reduction among the global population. Past research has shown that proper planning and the use of protective measures can reduce the effects of a disastrous event. Preparedness is not only the responsibility of a nation’s government or relief agencies, but also of every member of the community, including the vulnerable population of children. The United Nations has called for disaster risk reduction education to be implemented in schools around the …

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Culturally Relevant Career Development Programs For Native American Youth, Annie N. Crippen Jan 2015

Culturally Relevant Career Development Programs For Native American Youth, Annie N. Crippen

MA IDS Thesis Projects

Native American society today is plagued by a host of social and economic disparities, largely the result of historical trauma experienced by generations of the Native American population stemming from the European colonization of the Americas. This paper seeks to identify some of the key elements needed to create culturally relevant solutions to career development challenges facing Native youth by understanding the historical legacy of Native American people in the U.S. and how this history has shaped contemporary Native American society. After identifying historical lessons and contemporary challenges, potential culturally relevant solutions to the systemic cycle of poverty, unemployment, and …

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Encouraging Latino Students Through Relational Teaching: A Case Study In Lawrence, Massachusetts, Ohilda Difo Jan 2015

Encouraging Latino Students Through Relational Teaching: A Case Study In Lawrence, Massachusetts, Ohilda Difo

MA IDS Thesis Projects

Within the next 10 years, the majority-minority ratio in the United States will shift, and people of color will outnumber white Americans. In 2014, for the first time in history, a majority of students in K-12 were children of color. Although the student demographic of public schools has changed, the demographic of teachers and the style of teaching remain archaic and catered to white students. This qualitative study focuses on the lowest educated population in the U.S. – Latino youth. The project is a case study on a highly concentrated Latino community in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, where 71% …

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Disaster Preparedness Plan For The Study Abroad Student: How To Engage Students In Hazard Preparedness, Kimberly Ligon Jan 2015

Disaster Preparedness Plan For The Study Abroad Student: How To Engage Students In Hazard Preparedness, Kimberly Ligon

MA IDS Thesis Projects

In today’s world, hazard preparedness is vital for creating disaster resilient communities across the globe. This is needed now more than ever, due to the increasing number of disasters occurring worldwide (Chafe, 2007; Nakagawa & Shaw, 2004). This culminating project researches individual and community disaster preparedness, especially preparedness in the higher education community, and specifically study abroad individuals. There is a void in the current literature on disaster preparedness for study abroad students; a community of students that is growing and could encounter more hazards than on-campus students. Through case studies of disaster resistant universities and a proposed intervention, this …

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Individual Strength-Based Assessment For Adult Empowerment Ngos, Ashley T. Turner Jan 2015

Individual Strength-Based Assessment For Adult Empowerment Ngos, Ashley T. Turner

MA IDS Thesis Projects

The purpose of this culminating comprehensive project is to advise adult empowerment focused NGOs on the importance of identifying and leveraging the strengths of the individuals they serve. Given the evidence that all individuals innately have strengths, it is important to be aware of them in order to properly engage such assets. Character strengths are studied in this paper as one of the main pillars in the field of positive psychology. This culminating comprehensive project reviews the literature on positive psychology to best understand how empowerment can be achieved. Accompanying this research is a sample resource guide that was designed …

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Models Of Faith: The Role Of Faith-Based Organizations In International Development, Mara Hochberg-Miller Jan 2015

Models Of Faith: The Role Of Faith-Based Organizations In International Development, Mara Hochberg-Miller

MA IDS Thesis Projects

Faith-based organizations make up a large percentage of organizations doing development work both domestically and internationally. Faith-based development organizations (FBDOs) can be successful because they have spiritual drive to work for the social good, and large religious organizations to support them. However, not all FBDOs practice good development, and in the past many of them have undertaken development projects that proved to be damaging and detrimental to the host communities. The purpose of this research is to explore how different FBDOs conceptualize and operationalize their faith while doing development work abroad. Through exploring different models of faith-based development and analyzing …

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