Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Fiscal Policy, Laffer Curves And Economic Growth, Si Gao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The doctoral dissertation consists of three essays on the topics of economic growth and fiscal policy.

Key Generalization Of Recognition Memory For Melodies, Abigail Lincoln Kleinsmith

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

People easily recognize a melody in a previously unheard key, but they also retain some key-specific information. I tested the hypothesis that individuals compare novel melodies to a memory “prototype” representing the central tendency of experienced exemplars. Participants were familiarized with a monotonic eight-note melody in two closely separated keys and tested for discrimination of that melody from others. Test and foil melodies included ones that were the “average” of pitch heights and ones that were more distant in pitch height. Hit rates and discriminability (d') were better for physically closer keys than for harmonically related keys. In follow-up experiments, …

Using Storm-Watersheds And A Multi-Criteria Decision Model For Biodiversity Conservation In An Urban Environment, Christina M. Chiappetta

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Many planning and land use decisions in New York State are controlled at the local (town or municipal) level, not an optimal scale for planning and implementing resource conservation management. Watershed boundaries provide a more ecologically meaningful scale for conservation, because they capture a full range of natural ecosystem processes that span political boundaries. However, defining an urban watershed is complicated by stormwater infrastructure, so standard topographic watershed boundaries may be inadequate for urban resource conservation even when applied at the watershed scale. Storm-watersheds distort both municipal and watershed boundaries, because the flows are redirected in ways that are often …

How Three Different Generations View Modern Day Technologies, Dylan Mcgraw

Senior Seminars

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Of Disability Status On Attendance, Behavior, And Achievement Indicators For Students Receiving Intensive School-Based Mental Health Counseling, Meghan Morris Deyoe

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This causal comparative study investigated the relationship of an identified disability (IDEA declared vs. non-declared) on success outcomes for sixth through twelfth grade at-risk students enrolled in a school-based mental health program. Outcome variables included: selected attendance, behavior, and achievement indicators for students who were enrolled in and received intensive school-based counseling.

From Actor To Object : Political Influence, Political Entertainers, And The Symoblic Construction Of Rush Limbaugh During The 2008 Us Presidential Election, Andrew D. Horvitz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation highlights dynamics of American political culture contributing to the development of political talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh’s political influence. Current research suggests Limbaugh’s political capital is produced from an ability to generate valuable advertising space for media organizations, his role as an opinion leader of a politically active audience, or his position within mediated political networks. Regardless of explanation all assert that Limbaugh’s inclusion into national news and commentary legitimates and reflects Limbaugh’s pre-existing political capital. The research presented here contends that the role of the press must be reevaluated as a possible causal factor in establishing …

Expecting The Unexpected : A Precautionary Principle Addressing Unconsidered Dangers, John Raymond Milanese

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Most precautionary principles discussed in the regulatory literature argue that one ought to be more risk averse when one is uncertain about the probability of some sig- nificant danger. I explore a new kind of precautionary principle, one that addresses avoiding dangers we did not explicitly consider at all. Since it is unclear how uncon- sidered dangers could be avoided, I sketch a methodology for identifying situations where unconsidered dangers seem especially likely, by drawing from the literature in psychology on heuristics and biases and evaluating our cognitive “blind spots.”

Comparing Organizational Configurations Of Principal Autonomy In Finland And New York, Harry Leonardatos

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This exploratory study compares organizational configurations of principal autonomy in Finland and New York State. Evidence from Finnish school site visits and surveys distributed to principals in New York State and Finland is utilized to compare principal autonomy in two distinct educational settings.

The Relationship Between Hospital Safety Culture And Variation In Adverse Events : What Is The Evidence From Nys Hospitals?, Kathleen Ciccone

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: There is widespread acknowledgement that patients often suffer from adverse events that occur in the provision of medical care (Leape et al., 1991; Kohn et al., 2000). A notable percentage of these events stem from poor practices and unreliable hospital safety systems (Leape et al., 1991; Kohn et al., 2000; Chassin, 2013). Although the literature has been mixed regarding the association between perception of safety culture in hospitals and rates of adverse events, policy makers and healthcare thought-leaders have called on hospital leadership to improve safety culture as one strategy for decreasing harm to patients.

The Economics Of Financing Education And Gender Composition Of Schools : Retention And Learning Outcomes In Public Primary Schools Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Kp) Province, Pakistan, Bushra Rahim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of school-level factors (physical resources, teachers’ and schools’ characteristics) and system-level factors (delegation of financial authority to public primary schools through Parent Teacher Councils (PTCs)) on two educational outcomes - retention rates to the last grade of primary school and learning outcomes - in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, one of the least‐developed and conflict-affected provinces in Pakistan.

What We Can Learn From Small Units Of Analysis, Andrew Palmer Wheeler

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The dissertation is aimed at advancing knowledge of the correlates of crime at small geographic units of analysis. I begin by detailing what motivates examining crime at small places, and show how aggregation creates confounds that limit causal inference. Local and spatial effects are confounded when using aggregate units, so when the researcher wishes to distinguish between these two types of effects it should guide what unit of analysis is chosen. To illustrate these differences, I generate simulations of what happens to effect estimates when you aggregate a micro level spatial effects model or presume a neighborhood effects model.

Landowner Knowledge And Opinions Of Invasive Species And Their Management Surrounding A Suburban Nature Preserve, Christina Mclaughlin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Invasive species are a growing human-caused threat to biodiversity around the globe as they are moved both accidentally and intentionally through trade routes. The human component of conservation management is especially critical in invasive species, as human awareness is key to preventing and rapidly responding to new introductions. Yet the social component of management is poorly studied, even as outreach efforts continue to grow in an effort to gain public support. This study attempts to understand public knowledge and opinions toward invasive species and their management through an online survey of neighboring landowners to a suburban nature preserve, the Albany …

911 : Help Or Hindrance In Reducing Repeat Victimization, Kay Elizabeth Lang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In my dissertation I examine two pieces of criminological knowledge in order to explore the point at which they converge. First, crime victims call the police for a variety of reasons, one of which is to stop future attacks; and second, research suggests that previous victimization is a significant predictor of future victimization. In my research I seek to expand current knowledge about repeat victimization using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). I examine repeat victimization at the individual level, with crimes of violence, and at the household level, by examining residential burglary. But my project expands on existing knowledge …

Linking Goal Perceptions To Employee Performance In The Public Sector : Assessing The Mediating Role Of Psychological Empowerment And The Moderating Role Of Work Context, Jaehee Jong

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A substantial number of management and psychology studies have examined the positive effect of goal setting on organizational outcomes (Locke & Latham, 1990, 2002). Conceptually, goal setting theory is as applicable for motivating an employee in the public sector as it is for motivating an employee in the private sector (Latham, Borgogni, & Petitta, 2008). There have, however, been relatively few studies that have examined employee motivation as a linking mechanism between goal setting and employee performance in the context of public sector organizations (Perry, Mesch, & Paarlberg, 2006; Wright, 2001, 2004). In addition to suggesting the motivational mechanism underlying …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Education Policy On Their Teaching, Professional Development, And Sense Of Efficacy For Literacy Instruction, David Clickner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study examined teachers’ (a) perceptions of the impact of policy on their teaching and professional development, (b) knowledge of policy initiatives and the protocols their schools have in place to support them, (c) perceptions of policy, and (d) self-efficacy for literacy instruction and professional development’s impact on it. The investigation focused on three policy initiatives: Response to Intervention, the Common Core State Standards, and the Annual Professional Performance Review program, New York State’s teacher evaluation system. The sample included K-4 classroom and special education teachers and literacy/reading specialists working in New York State. Results revealed that respondents’ perceptions of …

The Effects Of Individual Cultural Differences On Reactions To 360-Degree Feedback, Kimberly Lepore

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study examined the effects of individual-level cultural values (i.e. self-construal and power distance orientation) on reactions to 360-degree feedback. This study also explored the extent to which the sign of the feedback, either negative or positive, influenced ratings of feedback acceptance. It was proposed that the 360-degree feedback design would elicit more positive reactions to the feedback in individuals with a higher independent self-construal and lower power distance orientation. Similar findings have been supported by Shipper, Hoffman, and Rotondo (2007) using comparable cultural dimensions, but at the national level. It was also proposed that positive, rather than negative, feedback …

Estudio SociolingüÍStico De Las LíQuidas En El EspañOl Hablado En La Ciudad De GuantáNamo, Yaima Aimee Centeno

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Este estudio examina la variación de /l/ y /r/ mediante 32 entrevistas sociolingüísticas llevadas a cabo en la ciudad de Guantánamo, Cuba. Además, investiga la influencia del contexto fonológico, el nivel académico, la edad y el sexo en el uso de ciertas variantes de /r/ y /l/. Los factores lingüísticos internos considerados fueron: el contexto lingüístico (posición final de sílaba o final de palabra) y el segmento lingüístico. También se consideraron factores sociales tales como: el nivel académico, la edad y el sexo.

When Is Hacking Ethical?, Sharif Rezazadehsaber

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This thesis examines situations in which computer hacking might be considered ethical. It addresses fundamental questions regarding the motivation and consequences of ethical hacking. The paper is organized into three sections. The first section discusses the history of hackers, classifies them according to their motivational background. The second part of the paper comprehensively describes the features of the ethical or “white hat” hacker group, and explores the positive and negative behaviors of ethical hackers in relation to their ethical principles. In the final section of the paper, I discuss hacktivist groups, their unique ideologies, and the risks they face, including …

Young Adult Friendship : The Portrayal Of Cross-Gender And Cross-Race Friendship On Television, Nichole Suzanne Daegele

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Friendships across race, class and gender have been studied in the past using a variety of theoretical perspectives; however, less often using an intersectional approach. While the study of cross-category friendship has gained more attention in Sociology, gender and race continue to be studied independently of each other. The current study will utilize an intersectional approach to examine how friendships across race and gender are portrayed on television.

Discourses Of Disaster, Recovery, And Recovery Actors In Post-Earthquake Haiti : A Critical Discourse Analysis, Juliana Svistova

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Capstone Interdisciplinary Team Project: A Requirement For The Ms In Sustainability Degree, Latif M. Jiji, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, George A. Smith

Publications and Research

Purpose – This paper aims to describe experience gained with a required six-credit year-long course, the Capstone Interdisciplinary Team Project, a key component of the Master of Science (MS) in Sustainability degree at the City College of New York. A common feature of sustainability problems is their interdisciplinary nature. Solutions to sustainability problems often require professionals with different training and backgrounds to work as a team. A sustainability curriculum should provide students with the skills needed to competently participate in an interdisciplinary team.

Design/methodology/approach – Instructors drawn from different departments and divisions of the college developed a pool of sustainability-focused …

Burnout-Depression Overlap: A Review, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Whether burnout is a form of depression or a distinct phenomenon is an object of controversy. The aim of the present article was to provide an up-to-date review of the literature dedicated to the question of burnout–depression overlap. A systematic literature search was carried out in PubMed, PsycINFO, and IngentaConnect. A total of 92 studies were identified as informing the issue of burnout–depression overlap. The current state of the art suggests that the distinction between burnout and depression is conceptually fragile. It is notably unclear how the state of burnout (i.e., the end stage …

Predicting Antidepressant Treatment Without Controlling For Depression Is Ill-Advised, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

All in all, the link observed by Madsen et al. (2015) between burnout and antidepressant intake may well conceal an expected relationship between depression and antidepressant intake. The impossibility of ruling out this reasonable alternative hypothesis renders the study inconclusive. We recommend that future research on (psychotherapeutic or pharmacologic) treatments for burnout incorporate measures of depression in order to facilitate research advance on burnout's characterization and burnout-depression overlap.

Sit, Stand, Speak: Examining The Perceptions Of The Basic Public Speaking Student On Normative Forensic Practices And Their Effect On Competitor Credibility In Oratory, Katie Marie Brunner

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This paper examines basic public speaking students' perceptions forensic competitor credibility based on normative factors present within the forensic community. Anecdotal and experiential evidence provided this researcher with reason to believe that the unwritten rules and normative expectations of forensics were so far-removed from what students were used to seeing in their classrooms and in the media, that they could have a negative impact on a competitor's ethos, from the basic public speaking students' perspective. This research was performed in an attempt to determine whether these anecdotal and experiential assumptions were accurate and also to gain insight into the how …

Liberal Arts Colleges And The Production Of Phd Economists, Philip N. Jefferson, Ellen B. Magenheim

Economics Faculty Works

Data from the National Science Foundation (2014) indicate that at least one PhD in economics was awarded to a Swarthmore College graduate in every year since 1966. The authors’ purpose in this article is to consider factors that may have contributed to the high number of PhDs in economics awarded to Swarthmore College graduates. While there is little doubt that self-selection plays a significant role, they describe curricular and environmental aspects of the economics department at Swarthmore that may have contributed to this outcome.

Is Poverty A Binding Constraint On Growth In Sub-Saharan Africa?, J.-Y. Duclos, Stephen A. O'Connell

Economics Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Musical Stairs: Encouraging Physical Activity Through Persuasive Technology, Meagan Combs 15

Honor Scholar Theses

This study examined persuasive technology and its effect on participants’ motivation to engage in physical activity. A set of musical stairs was built using infrared proximity sensors, designed to make the experience of climbing the stairs more “fun”. The software was written in such a way that each step a participant took on the stairs provided a musical response. The experiment tested three conditions: the control condition (without sounds), a condition with piano note sounds, and a condition with guitar chord sounds. The results suggest that more participants interacted with the stairs during the conditions with sound compared to the …

Something Old And Something New, Ryan Pranger 15

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Transferability Of Human Capital: An Analysis Of Immigrants From China, India, Korea, Philippines, And Vietnam In The United States, Lu Liao

Mark A. Israel '91 Endowed Summer Research Fund in Economics

This paper uses the data from American Community Survey (ACS) to study the transferability of human capital for immigrants from China, India, Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam. The results of this study suggest that, first, human capital acquired in the U.S. is valued generally higher than that acquired in the home country, with a few exceptions. Moreover, there exists significant difference in the transferability of human capital among different places of origin in Asia. In addition, this paper further concludes that education obtained from the source country is more transferable for immigrants from the countries that have colonial history either under …

The Rise Of Boko Haram: An Analysis Of Failed Governance, Andrew Pichette '18

Outstanding Gateway Papers

The Boko Haram threat in Nigeria has been the subject of constant review as of the last few years. Underlying causes as well as the organizational ideology have consistently been the subject of investigation. While popularly considered to be an Islamic extremist group, academic thought has proposed that Islam is used as a means of legitimization rather than motivation, and that socio-economic and political realities are far more relevant to explaining the activities of Boko Haram. The purpose of this essay is to examine the origins of Boko Haram, how the government has reacted, and propose solutions to the deeply …