Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Into The Gap: A Mixed Methods Study Of Acculturation, Stress, And Refugee Family Functioning, Kieu Anh T. Do

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Every day, new waves of refugees result from increasing social, political and environmental instabilities around the world. Numerous studies have detailed the various stressors and adjustment issues that refugees face when resettled in a new host society. The majority of these studies focus on individual-level variables and not on the family as a whole. Thus, more studies are needed to understand how refugee families adjust in the resettlement context in order to promote positive outcomes. Studies that have examined family-level functioning often focus on how acculturative differences increase stress in refugee families, contributing to higher levels of familial tension and …

Sources Of Self-Efficacy Information For Writing: A Qualitative Inquiry, Mary E. Holmes

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explored the sources of information that inform students’ self-efficacy beliefs in the area of writing. A qualitative phenomenological case study approach was use to capture the experiences of gifted middle school students.

Writing is a critical skill for success in school and beyond, and many students in the United States are not able to adequately write extended texts (Bruning & Horn, 2000; National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). Understanding students’ motivation for engaging with writing might provide insight into how to better support students’ experience with writing in school. Self-efficacy is a key construct within motivation, and it …

Changing Public Opinion Towards Lgb Rights: An Analysis Of Data From The American National Election Studies, 1992–2012, Jacob Paul Absalon

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study uses data from several waves of the American National Election Studies (ANES, 1992-2012) to examine changing attitudes regarding civil rights for Lesbian Gay Bisexual (LGB) individuals. Analyses focus on differences in attitudes toward gays and lesbians generally, attitudes regarding non-discrimination protections, and views about integration into military service during this time frame. Generally, this thesis builds on previous research in Sociology and Political Science regarding the role of status attainment characteristics, demographic markers, and ideological preferences to explain long-term trends in public opinion. Specifically, this study extends prior research by analyzing how membership in particular occupational groups has …

Decision Making Theories Of Retaliation, Katlyn S. Farnum

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2013, the Supreme Court decided, in University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v Nassar, that Title VII retaliation claims should be interpreted under the stricter but-for causality instructions. This requires claims of retaliation to show that the plaintiff’s discrimination complaint (or involvement in a discrimination claim) is the direct cause of the adverse action, as compared to a motivating factor that is required under the less strict motivating factor causal instructions. The current research examines the role of regulatory focus (promotion v. prevention), causal instructions, employment action (promotion v. dismissal), and number of claims considered on both juror …

If We're Mocking Anything, It's Organized Religion: The Queer Holy Fool Style Of The Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence, Christina L. Ivey

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Asking questions in and about the often rough terrain at the intersection of sexuality/gender and religion/spirituality, this dissertation seeks to excavate the concept of queer holy fool style as a fitting response to dominant Judeo-Christian narratives that marginalize LGBTQ individuals. To do so, I utilize the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI), a drag performing community of “21^st Century Nuns,” as a synechdoche; pulling examples of their communication and performances as evidence of queer holy fool style. In exploring three facets of stylistic study (embodied, textual/hypertextual, and sociological), I blend queer theoretical concepts (like camp, performativity, and disciplining) with rhetorical …

Community Viability And Marine Conservation: Hybrid Resource Management And The Role Of The Coral Triangle Center On Pulau Ay, Indonesia, Jerica Rossi

Capstone Collection

This qualitative research explores the traditional marine resource management system of sasi on Pulau Ay, Maluku, Indonesia and how it has been adapted under modern circumstances to promote conservation. The study was based on interviews with staff of the marine conservation NGO Coral Triangle Center (CTC) and the local Conservation Team, narratives of traditional leader elders, and focus groups with local fisherman. The first section of the findings articulates their perspectives on the historic and current situation regarding sasi and conservation on Pulau Ay. The study then utilizes The Interdependence of Ecosystem and Community Viability: A Theoretical Framework to Guide …

Implementation Of The Public Distribution System: An Empirical Analysis Of The Right To Food In An Urban Slum, Dipika Jain, Brian Tronic

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Malnutrition is one of the biggest problems facing India today. Thus, the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) - which provides subsidized food to hundreds of millions of people is critically important. However, while numerous studies have evaluated the performance of the PDS in rural areas, there is a notable lack of research in urban slums, a rapidly growing population. Through interviews with PDS beneficiaries and other stakeholders, the present study examines the PDS in one slum in Delhi and finds numerous problems, including low quality grain, corruption, and the lack of an effective complaint mechanism. Although several states …

When Open Isn't Accessible, Anne Larrivee, Nazely Kurkjian, Andrea Macargel, Amanda Baker

Library Scholarship

A poster describing how to evaluate, create, and locate open educational resources that are accessible.

A Virtual Foot In The Door: How Avatar Similarity Impacts Group Identity In Computer-Mediated Communication, Shannon Zenner

Communication Theses - Archive

Communication researchers continue to explore the promise and the impact of the Internet and computer-mediated communication. While much research has shown that the effects have been distancing, polarizing and negative others point to a more connected global world. In this study we attempt to look for the initial promise of the Internet. By manipulating anonymity, avatars and types of similarity in a virtual computer-mediated scenario we uncover a pathway to improve group identity, trust and social attraction. These concepts are supported by social identity theories and by the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE). A 2x3 factorial experimental design …

Renewable Energy Matters: Small Hydel Power And Sustainability In India, Madhu N. Rao

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Biblioworks: Advocating For The Creation Of Libraries For Children In Chuquisaca, Bolivia, Jhasmany Saavedra

Capstone Collection

During 2015-16, I completed my SIT professional practicum as an intern with BiblioWorks based in the Asheville, North Carolina office. Founded in 2005, the focus of this very small organization has been to provide funding and support for libraries and other educational programs in one part of Bolivia. I am from Bolivia and, prior to my scholarship to study at SIT, had worked with local NGOs. During my on-campus phase, I took a sequence of courses in policy advocacy and thus, along with other assignments, I became BiblioWorks’ US-based resource person working with the Bolivia-based director as the organization began …

The Interdependence Of Scientists In The Era Of Team Science: An Exploratory Study Using Temporal Network Analysis, Mark R. Costa

Dissertations - ALL

How is the rise in team science and the emergence of the research group as the fundamental unit of organization of science affecting scientists’ opportunities to collaborate? Are the majority of scientists becoming dependent on a select subset of their peers to organize the intergroup collaborations that are becoming the norm in science? This dissertation set out to explore the evolving nature of scientists’ interdependence in team-based research environments. The research was motivated by the desire to reconcile emerging views on the organization of scientific collaboration with the theoretical and methodological tendencies to think about and study scientists as autonomous …

Fine-Grained Emotion Detection In Microblog Text, Jasy Suet Yan Liew

Dissertations - ALL

Automatic emotion detection in text is concerned with using natural language processing techniques to recognize emotions expressed in written discourse. Endowing computers with the ability to recognize emotions in a particular kind of text, microblogs, has important applications in sentiment analysis and affective computing. In order to build computational models that can recognize the emotions represented in tweets we need to identify a set of suitable emotion categories. Prior work has mainly focused on building computational models for only a small set of six basic emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise). This thesis describes a taxonomy of 28 …

Netflix And The Development Of The Internet Television Network, Laura Osur

Dissertations - ALL

When Netflix launched in April 1998, Internet video was in its infancy. Eighteen years later, Netflix has developed into the first truly global Internet TV network. Many books have been written about the five broadcast networks – NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, and the CW – and many about the major cable networks – HBO, CNN, MTV, Nickelodeon, just to name a few – and this is the fitting time to undertake a detailed analysis of how Netflix, as the preeminent Internet TV networks, has come to be.

This book, then, combines historical, industrial, and textual analysis to investigate, contextualize, and …

Essays On Structural Changes In High Dimensional Econometric Models, Fa Wang

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation consists of three essays on estimating and testing structural changes in high dimensional econometrics models. These essays are based on three working papers joint with Prof. Badi Baltagi and Prof. Chihwa Kao. The first essay considers estimating the date of a single common change in the regression coefficients of a heterogeneous large N and large T panel data model with or without strong cross- sectional dependence. The second essay considers estimating a high dimensional factor model with an unknown number of latent factors and a single common change in the number of factors and/or factor loadings. The third …

Essays On Characterizing Inefficiency For Stochastic Frontier Models, Ian Anthony Wright

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation consists of three essays on stochastic frontier models in characterizing inefficiency for a cross section of firms in essays one and three and a set of firms overtime in essay two. The first essay looks at stationary points for several models used in stochastic frontier analysis. The second essay extends the multivariate probability statements of Horrace (2005) to calculate the probability that a firm is any particular efficiency rank. These rank probabilities are used to calculate expected efficiency ranks for each firm. The third and final essay adds spatial correlation to the production function of each firm and …

“Texts From Hillary:” Political Meta-Meming, Likeability, And Social Presence, Hanna Katharina Birkhead

Dissertations - ALL

In the age of viral social sharing, memes have become an increasingly important way for the public to engage in political debate and discussion. Through social media, politicians have an opportunity to participate in meme sharing with their followers, and to gain valuable likeability points with them by doing so. Hillary Clinton is one such politician, who created a meta-meme by participating in a viral meme about her, and was able to have some control over the narrative about her image as a result. The present research examined the uses of and responses to political meta-meming through analysis of both …

What Does Corporate Social Responsibility Mean To Fortune 500 Companies And Why? A 2015 Csr Audit Of The Top 25 Fortune 500 Companies., Delisa N. Morris

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract

What Does Corporate Social Responsibility Mean to Fortune 500 Companies and Why?

A 2015 CSR audit of the top 25 Fortune 500 Companies.

Delisa Morris

Corporate social responsibility has become an essential function in modern business. The purpose of this study was to show the societal benefits and the vast possibility of CSR programs. The top 25 Fortune 500 companies were chosen for this study because they were leaders within each industry with business functions worldwide. Lastly, the purpose of this research is to find out how companies translate CSR into business benefits.

This study used a qualitative content …

Output Interference And Testing Effects In Recognition Memory, Sean Allison Spangler

Dissertations - ALL

Output interference and testing effects are two common occurrences in episodic memory data. Output interference is the finding that as a recognition memory test increases in length, performance tends to decrease. This suggests that continued testing is detrimental to recognition memory. Testing effects are the general finding that repeatedly taking a test contributes to better long-term retention than repeated studying (re-reading) of the same material. This implies that practicing taking a test is beneficial to the retention and future retrieval of that information. However, there are no studies that examine both output interference and testing effects. The current study sought …

The Relationship Of Cognitive And Affective Factors With Daily Somatic Complaints: An Investigation Into Response Expectancy Theory And The Symptom Perception Hypothesis, Garry L. Spink

Dissertations - ALL

Theories explaining how psychological factors influence somatic complaints have existed for decades; however, few attempts have been made to integrate their predictions. Two such theories are the symptom perception hypothesis and the response expectancy theory. The symptom perception hypothesis suggests that negative affect influences daily somatic complaints, whereas the response expectancy theory surmises relationships with response expectancies. Neurological evidence suggest psychological factors such as these should be integrated to better understand daily somatic complaints. In line with this suggestion, this study aims to examine the combined effects of three psychological factors: namely state negative affect, response expectancies, and recollection of …

New Journal Citation Reports Interface, Joanne Romano

TMC Library Newsletter (2015-)

Do you know which journals in your field are top-ranked? You can use Journal Citation Reports to find out. JCR offers a way to evaluate the world's leading journals based on citation data. With a newly improved interface, it is now easier than ever to look up journal impact factors.

Need Help? Contact Your Liaison Librarians!, Beatriz Varman

TMC Library Newsletter (2015-)

No abstract provided.

The Western Diet's Negative Impact On The Health Of The Pacific Islands., Jessica Ruikka

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

In an already challenging environment, the Western diet has introduced noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease to the Pacific Islands (PIC). Without modern medicine, many of these regions, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia are ill equipped to handle the long-term effects of these noncommunicable diseases. A high percentage of the Pacific Island population is obese and overweight; and the Islands are struggling to combat the epidemic. Many programs and proposals have been implemented, such as changes in trade policy, local activism, and government modifications, but there has been no evidence of a decline in noncommunicable diseases. There …

The Effect Of Medicaid Expansion On Emergency Department Utilization In Kentucky., Anmol Kanotra

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This paper analyzes the impact of a major healthcare reform in Kentucky on outpatient emergency department (ED) visits. I exploit the variation in treatment intensity across counties to determine the effect of expanded Medicaid coverage on Medicaid ED usage rate. I find that there was an insignificant 1 percent increase in ED usage following expansion when utilizing fixed effects. Counties with a high percentage of females experience significantly higher ED rates. Additionally, counties with a lower percentage of children under 21 have higher ED rates.

The State Of Tobacco : A Remote Sensing Approach To Understanding Tobacco Crop Production In Kentucky., Laura Krauser

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Agricultural policy allows for governing bodies to better control the landscape, economy, and security of resources. Because of this power, it is essential for policy and its effects to be thoroughly understood. This study examines the Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP, “tobacco buyout”), in effect from 2005 to 2014, using a mixed methods approach. The TTPP lifted the existing geographic restrictions of tobacco production and deregulated market prices formerly controlled by the government. Kentucky’s economic, social, and agricultural landscapes changed significantly in the wake of this legislation. To explore these changes, this study employs semi-structured interviews and remote sensing analyses …

High School Music Program Participation And Subsequent Strength Of The Local Music Economy., Andrew Segal

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploring Sex Differences In Morphine Withdrawal-Induced Alterations Of The Ventral Tegmental Area, Samara Morris Bobzean

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Opioid withdrawal syndrome is a feature common to chronic opioid use that often serves as a powerful motivator of continued drug use. GABA-ergic neurons in the tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) are implicated in mediating responses to opioids and opioid withdrawal. The tVTA regulates the effects of opioids on VTA dopamine neurons and a number of earlier studies have shown that alterations in levels of CREB within the tVTA profoundly affect drug-motivated behaviors. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying morphine withdrawal have been studied almost exclusively using men and male animals. The objectives of the current study are to investigate …

Effects Of Numeracy And Financial Literacy On Undesirable Financial And Related Academic Outcomes In College Students, Sriram Govindarajan

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Numeracy was a better predictor of financial delinquency than financial literacy. The relationship between numeracy and undesirable academic effects was fully mediated by financial delinquency. It was also found that in a credit card related decision making task, the relationship between numeracy and performance was partially mediated by the deliberation time. This is similar to the finding in Ghazal et al. (2014) and supporting their conclusion that numeracy is just not facility with numbers, but also related directly to heuristic deliberation and metacognition. The findings also support the notion that people low in numeracy might be prone to various biases …

The Journey From The Pew To The Cushion Women From Conservative Religions Practicing Mindfulness Meditation, Amy Avila Cherry

Mindfulness Studies Theses

No abstract provided.

Transitional Urban Voids In Austin, Texas, Courtney A. Tarver

Landscape Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

A city’s urban fabric is constantly evolving through development and decay under the fluctuating rates of habitation. Cities are growing rapidly as populations climb higher, with new demands for the incoming waves of people seeking employment and a place to call home. Austin, Texas is the fastest growing American city today, with a population growth rate of three percent per year. With this growth and its demands for open space, open spaces in the form of urban voids and temporary use spaces become an interest to designers as spaces with flexibility. The approach of this thesis is to understand these …