Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Impulsivity, Rejection Sensitivity, And Reactions To Stressors In Borderline Personality Disorder, Kathy R. Berenson, Wesley Ellen Gregory, Erin Glaser, Aliza Romirowsky, Eshkol Rafaeli, Xiao Yang, Geraldine Downey

Psychology Faculty Publications

This research investigated baseline impulsivity, rejection sensitivity, and reactions to stressors in individuals with borderline personality disorder compared to healthy individuals and those with avoidant personality disorder . The borderline group showed greater impulsivity than the avoidant and healthy groups both in a delay-discounting task with real monetary rewards and in self-reported reactions to stressors; moreover, these findings could not be explained by co-occurring substance use disorders. Distress reactions to stressors were equally elevated in both personality disorder groups (relative to the healthy group). The borderline and avoidant groups also reported more maladaptive reactions to a stressor of an interpersonal …

Filling The Holes: Work Schedulers As Job Crafters Of Employment Practice In Long-Term Health Care, Ellen Ernst Kossek, Matthew M. Piszczek, Kristie L. Mcalpine, Leslie B. Hammer, Lisa Burke

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although work schedulers serve an organizational role influencing decisions about balancing conflicting stakeholder interests over schedules and staffing, scheduling has primarily been described as an objective activity or individual job characteristic. The authors use the lens of job crafting to examine how schedulers in 26 health care facilities enact their roles as they “fill holes” to schedule workers. Qualitative analysis of interview data suggests that schedulers expand their formal scope and influence to meet their interpretations of how to manage stakeholders (employers, workers, and patients). The authors analyze variations in the extent of job crafting (cognitive, physical, relational) to broaden …

(Still) Building A More Diverse Workforce In The Highway Trades: 2016 Evaluation Of The Odot/Boli Highway Construction Workforce Development Program, Lindsey Wilkinson, Maura Kelly

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) have partnered in a statewide effort—the Highway Construction Workforce Development Program—to recruit, train, and employ a diverse workforce for highway construction jobs throughout the state. This program, begun in 2010, supports pre-apprenticeship programs and provides financial assistance (i.e. fuel assistance, support for overnight travel, childcare, and work clothes, tools, and protective equipment) and non-financial support (i.e. counseling, formal mentoring, social support) in an effort to increase the recruitment and retention of women and people of color in Oregon’s highway construction trades.

In 2014, Measure of America, …

Effects Of Ultra-Violet B On The Behavior Of Red-Eared Sliders (Trachemys Scripta Elegans), Edgar Alarcon

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to test the predictions that (1) turtles raised under mercury vapor artificial lamps will display the greatest amount of time spent in ultra-violet zones, and (2) turtles are able to differentiate between UVB and non-UVB light sources. Prediction 1 was partially supported, while prediction 2 was met.

Influence Of Social Status On Spatial Attention In African Cichlids (Astatotilapia Burtoni), Rebecca Bang

Theses and Dissertations

The present study used subordinate and dominant African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni to test the hypothesis that social status will influence the perception of spatial cues during startle escape behavior. Our results show escape behavior that imply a focused spatial attention to potential threats in dominant fish.

The Effect Of Perceived Parental Autonomy Granting On Vocational Identity And Communication In Emerging Adults, Emily Salmany

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines the relationship between autonomy granting parenting, vocational identity and communication between emerging adults and parents. It is hypothesized that emerging adults with autonomy granting parents have achieved more stable vocational identities and are better able to communicate with their parents than emerging adults without such parents.

The Effect Of Play Group On The Behavior Of Shelter Dogs, Stephanie Flower

Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at two groups of dogs, one which attended play group prior to receiving their behavior evaluation and one that did not. The group that attended play group showed significantly lower scores when looking at the dog to dog portion of the behavior evaluation.

From Cow Pasture To Cul-De-Sac: The Intersection Of Rural Values, Memory, And Nostalgia Amidst Suburban Development In The American South, Emily F. Ramsey

Theses and Dissertations

How do residents of a once small farming community react to rapid suburbanization? By examining rhetoric on growth, progress, and rurality, this thesis argues a complex landscape forms where longtime residents weave among pragmatism, disaffection, and nostalgia, with efforts to preserve memories of the past for themselves and future generations.

In The Eyes Of The Beholder: Pet Owners’ Attitude Toward Animals And Perception Of Their Pet’S Behavior, Suzanne K. Remito

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between pet owners’ attitude toward animals and perception of their pet’s behavior. Pet owners completed an online questionnaire regarding their pro-animal welfare attitude and pet’s behavior. The results indicate that gender and previous pet ownership are related to a person’s attitude toward animals.

Voices Of Kaka‘Ako: A Narrative Atlas Of Participatory Placemaking In Urban Honolulu, Adele Balderston

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an exploration of power structures governing the redevelopment of Honolulu’s Kaka‘ako neighborhood. Through participant observation of three initiatives that utilize creative placemaking as a tool for asserting the right to the city, this thesis offers active strategies of opposition to the commodification of culture by developers.

The Geography Of Financial Technology (Fintech) Companies In The New York Metropolitan Area, Frank C. Riggio

Theses and Dissertations

The Financial Technology (FinTech) industry uses technology to provide financial services more innovatively and competitively than traditional banks. A survey was conducted collecting original data of NY metropolitan area FinTech firms. Findings include a start-up heavy industry stemming from the 2008 financial crisis, prioritizing locational access to clients and funding.

Statewide Survey Of Louisiana Likely Voters On David Duke, Edward Chervenak, Tony Licciardi

Survey Research Center Publications

Our goal was learn about the public’s perception of David Duke-R since he recently announced his candidacy for the open US Senate seat in Louisiana. The poll gauged Duke’s favorability ratings among likely Louisiana voters. We then asked respondents whether they would vote for him in the primary. We also asked Louisiana voters if they would support him if he faced a Democrat in the runoff. Finally, the survey asked respondents whether they approve or disapprove of Governor John Bel Edwards’ job performance. Demographic variables include race, gender, age, and education. Respondents were also asked to self-report their party identification.

Reply To Marom Et Al.: Mitochondrial Panmixia In Dromedaries Predates Ancient Caravan Trading, Pamela A. Burger, Joris Peters, Peter Magee, Olivier Hanotte

Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Beware Profit-Driven Lobbyists When It Comes To Housing Policy, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Lobbying involves trying to influence political decisions using various forms of advocacy that is targeted at policymakers, usually on behalf of amembers’ interest group, organisation or professional body. At its most benign, lobbying merely provides policymakers with information and legislative support; at its worst, it is selfserving and is self-promotion of often lucrative vested interests

Project 400: The Plymouth Colony Archaeological Survey Report On The 2015 Field Season Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Christa M. Beranek, David B. Landon, John M. Steinberg, Brian N. Damiata

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

In May and June of 2015, a field school from the University of Massachusetts Boston, in partnership with Plimoth Plantation, undertook a third season of work in Plymouth, Massachusetts, as part of Project 400: The Plymouth Colony Archaeological Survey, a site survey and excavation program leading up to the 400th anniversary of New England’s first permanent English settlement in 1620, the founding of Plymouth Colony. This work was conducted under permit #3384 from the State Archaeologist’s office at the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The 2015 work focused on the eastern edge of Burial Hill along School Street in downtown Plymouth where …

Tool Comparison Of Semantic Parsers, Robert Hinh

Open Access Theses

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a vital aspect for artificial intelligence systems to achieve integration into human lives, which has been a goal for researchers in this industry. While NLP focuses on an array of problems, semantic parsing will be specifically focused on throughout this paper. These parsers have been considerably targeted for improvement through the scientific community and demand for semantic parsers that achieve high accuracy has increased. There have been many approaches developed for this specific purpose and in this paper, a deep analysis was performed to compare the performance of semantic parsing systems. The implications of this …

Impact Of Peer Relationship And Exposure To Violence On Posttraumatic Stress For Children At Risk For Maltreatment, Aura Ankita Mishra

Open Access Theses

Post-traumatic Stress (PTS) symptomology includes ruminating thoughts and feelings around trauma, inability to feel and express emotions, and avoidance of things related to the traumatic event (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Children and youth exposed to child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) are at higher risk of experiencing PTS. Extra-familial support, including peer support can reduce post-traumatic stress among youth (Pina et al., 2008). In the present study, Witnessing, Victimization, and Both Witnessing and Victimization due to Exposure to In-Home Violence and Peer Relationship Quality are evaluated as to their relative impact on PTS for children at risk for child maltreatment. Peer …

Superheroes And Social Action: Reproduction, Recurrence, And Recognition In The Superhero Genre, Max M. Renner

Open Access Theses

Rhetorical genre analysis examines genre as social action and is primarily concerned with the experiences of individual users (Miller, 1984). The genres that rhetorical genre scholarship takes up are typically functional genres or genres in which individuals have direct means of utilizing and modifying a genre. This focus on functional genres makes sense in terms of the tradition’s interest in user experience and reciprocity. This project seeks to examine the potential implications rhetorical genre analysis has for vernacular genres which, for the most part, have remained the domain of literary scholarship due to their focus on structural, formal elements.

This …

Firm Demography And Location Decisions In The United States After 1990, Francisco Albert Scott

Open Access Theses

This thesis deals with firm formation and location choice of firms in the manufacturing (and commercial service) sector in the United States after 1990. The topics of firm formation and location choice are part of a wider field that is usually referred to as "firm demography.'' We start off with a description of the size structure of firms by looking at the evolution of the average size of manufacturing firms in counties in the USA between 1990 and 2011. We hypothesize that the size of manufacturing firms depends on the firm sizes in proximate regions as well as on the …

Experimental Evaluation Of An Ipad-Based Augmentative And Alternative Communication Program For Early Elementary Children With Severe, Non-Verbal Autism, Ariana Azzato

Open Access Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a treatment package including a modified protocol of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) implemented via an autism-specific iPad application. A multiple probe design (Horner & Baer, 1978) was replicated across four individuals with severe, non-verbal autism to investigate effects on requesting skills, natural speech production, and social-communicative behaviors. Results suggest beneficial effects, if implemented with high fidelity. The largest effects were on the participants’ requesting skills. All four participants were able to consistently request for desired items by activating the tablet device, and this skill was maintained after …

The Meaningfulness Of Internships: A Sensemaking Approach, Kaley Campbell

Open Access Theses

Internships are an important part of undergraduate education, with more than 61% of students completing an internship, yet there is not much academic literature surrounding this topic (NACE, 2015). Using Weick’s (1995) sensemaking theory, report data was analyzed thematically looking at how interns made sense of their experiences and what they found to be meaningful. This study found four distinct themes that interns used to navigate unique tensions and power dynamics within their organizational setting: “Just an intern,” “It’s up to me,” “For my future,” and “I was allowed.” Future research could explore framing internships more as a career choice …

Using Construal Level Theory To Promote Hpv Vaccine Uptake Among College Males, Julie Cannon

Open Access Theses

College males’ uptake of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination is low. Prior research indicates perceived susceptibility to HPV among college males is also low. Construal level theory may offer a framework to alter perceived susceptibility and intention to vaccinate, but little research has examined this potential. Construal level theory provides foundational elements including that low construal level of perceptions is associated with more proximal psychological distance (hypothetical, social, temporal and spatial). Research indicates a disparity in college males’ susceptibility estimates which suggests high hypothetical distance. A reduction in hypothetical distance should be indicated by a measured increase in perceived susceptibility. …

Beyond The Gender Gap: Understanding Women's Participation In Wikipedia, Danielle J. Corple

Open Access Theses

In 2010, UNU-MERIT researchers surveyed editors of Wikipedia, “the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit” (Glott, Ghosh, & Schmidt, 2010). When the report revealed that almost 90% of the editors were male, however, it suggested that perhaps not everyone “can edit” Wikipedia—especially women. As the resulting media and academic explanations of the Wikipedia “gender gap” have largely attributed the gap to ‘female lack’—lack of initiative, confidence, or technical skills—very little research has explored the treatment of women within Wikipedia culture. Thus, this paper first draws upon feminist technology scholars to problematize current explanations of the gender gap that frame …

Seeking Certainty: Are People Who Are Experiencing Relational Doubt More Sensitive To Relationship Cues?, Christine Ann Daly

Open Access Theses

Experiencing uncertainty in one’s relationship is likely an aversive experience and a motivating factor in restoring confidence about where things stand. Thus, uncertain partners may place more weight on positive and negative interactions with their partner as they seek greater confidence in their evaluation of their relationship. The present research examined how partners responded to two different types of relationship information: a past relationship experience (Study 1, N= 154) and false feedback about its quality (Study 2, N = 154). Results suggest that while partners appear to place significance on positive information, regardless of their uncertainty, whether or not …

Set And Element-Level Compatibility Of Spatial And Location-Word Stimuli Paired To Eye-Movement, Vocal, And Keypress Response Modalities, Courtney Janai Griffin-Oliver

Open Access Theses

Set-level and element-level compatibility are two ways to differentiate between different components of stimulus-response compatibility. Element-level compatibility (the difference between incongruent and congruent mappings) has been shown in prior studies to be an increasing function of set-level compatibility (differences between pairings of stimulus and response ensembles). When manual and vocal response sets are paired with spatial (physical location) stimuli and verbal (location-word stimuli), the difference between the incongruent and congruent mappings is larger for the spatial-manual and verbal-vocal conditions than for the alternative pairings of lower set-level compatibility.

The common use of eye tracking technology in psychological experiments necessitates investigating …

Economic Viability Of Flexible Biogas Pumps In Bangladesh, Saima A. Matin

Open Access Theses

This study examines the economic viability of flexible irrigation pumps that can run on biogas as well as diesel fuel in Bangladesh. Such examination faces two main hurdles. First, the ease with which farmers running flexible pumps can switch from one energy source to another is unknown and perhaps highly heterogeneous. Second, diesel prices in Bangladesh are volatile and limited information precludes direct estimation of their probability distribution. We address the first issue by evaluating the economics of flexible pumps for varying degrees of inter-fuel substitutability. To deal with the second issue, we model the probability distribution of Bangladeshi diesel …

The Labor Market Consequences Of Endogenous Low-Skill Migration With A Market-Based Immigration Policy, German A. Marquez Alcala

Open Access Theses

The undocumented migration of Mexican nationals to the U.S. is largely influenced by labor demand in low-skill sectors. The legal migration channels available to Mexican nationals with little education are based on family petitions and subject to visa quotas which are dwarfed by the demand for entry to the United States; visa approval can take upwards of 20 years for a Mexican national with little education and few resources. Thus, undocumented immigration is a more responsive unskilled labor distribution mechanism than the existing quota-based immigration policy. However, the restrictive legal migration channels and increased costs of undocumented migration are stifling …

Authentic Enterprise, Communal Employee Relationship, And Employee-Generated Managerial Assets, Yeunjae Lee

Open Access Theses

This study aims to explore managerial intangible assets of organizations generated by their internal publics, employees. Considering employees’ perception and communicative behaviors as an organization’s managerial assets, this study examines an organization’s authentic behaviors and organization-employee relationships. To be more specific, this study firstly investigates how an organization’s authentic behavior—truthfulness, transparency, and consistency—affects communal relationship between employees and an organization. Using megaphoning, scouting, and microboundary spanning as theoretical frameworks for employees’ communicative behaviors (ECB), this study also examines the association among perceived authenticity of organizational behavior, organization-employee relationships, and employees’ communicative actions. Furthermore, this study investigates how employees …

Essays In Experimental Economics On Contract Design, Jacob A. Brindley

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation contains three related essays which examine contracting environments with moral hazard. I use laboratory experiments to study how across treatment variations affect contractual outcomes including the types of contracts that principals design, the overall efficiency of the contractual relationship, and the surplus distribution between the principal and agent(s).

In the first chapter, which is joint work with Steve Wu, I investigate relational contracting within a bilateral relationship. Specifically, I explore how contracting is impacted by a reduction in the agent's market power as proxied by an exogenous decrease in the agent's expected outside option. Surprisingly, principals did not …

Post-Transition Human Rights Performance In Peru, Uruguay, And South Korea, Nusta Pitushca Carranza Ko

Open Access Dissertations

The literature on transitional justice and international human rights norms has been useful for explaining norm internalization for transitioning states. And yet, the literature could not account for the variations to state behavior after norms were implemented via domestic transitional justice policies of truth-seeking, prosecutions, and reparations. Why have states where great efforts were put into confronting an ugly past relapsed in their behavior? This research fills this lacuna be examining the period after states institute transitional justice policies to determine how states have varied in respecting norms. Taking the case of Peru, Uruguay, and South Korea that have advanced …