Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Bilingual Novel Word Learning In Sentence Contexts, Justin G. Lauro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

According to the Instance-based framework of adult vocabulary learning, each time a learner encounters a new word in context, an episodic memory trace, containing the word itself and the surrounding context, is formed. Previous research has demonstrated an advantage in memory for words encountered in a variety of semantic contexts. This advantage occurs because distinctive contexts generate more distinctive memory traces. While research has demonstrated that a variety of contextual characteristics are encoded (e.g. semantic context, modality, and language), it is unknown whether varying the language context in which a word is encountered has a similar benefit on memory for …

Agents Of Global Armament: Analyzing Masculinity And Militarism In "Captain America" And The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jodie Nikole Lout

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the current zeitgeist, there has been a surge in the popularity of superhero movies. For many decades, Hollywood has been producing films that propagate ideologies of hyper-masculinity and militarism. This study suggests that it is possible to analyze the recent character "Captain America" as propaganda for militarism and hyper-masculinity. This study proposes to analyze the character in the films Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Captain America: Civil War (2016).

Black Police Uniforms Implicitly Increase Hostile Perceptions And Behavior, Amber Kristin Lupo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Use of excessive, and sometimes deadly, force by U.S. law enforcement officers is a critical and costly problem. An enclothed cognition framework suggests that clothing, such as a uniform, can implicitly affect cognitive processing and behavior of the wearer (Adam & Galinsky, 2012). Previous research demonstrated that darker clothing implicitly affects judgments and behavior in two ways. First, persons who wear darker clothing are perceived more negatively (Vrig, 1997; Vrig & Akehurst, 1997). Second, actors wearing darker colored clothing demonstrate greater aggressive behavior than actors wearing lighter colored clothing (Frank & Gilovich, 1988; Peña, Hancock, & Merola, 2009). The present …

The Ball's In Her Court: Communicating Gender And Sexual Identity In Today's Wnba, Jose Maldonado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prior research has demonstrated certain societal issues that impact not only female basketball players, but all female athletes on more of a larger scale than just participating in sport. With social media rapidly becoming a popular form of communication today, and the dilemma of these women being analyzed for something other than their basketball prowess, it is important that certain communication strategies in a mediated environment be further researched. Using textual analysis, three of the WNBA's most popular players will be examined to determine if there are significant themes and differences that confirm the previously established gender norms, along with …

Mexican Migration Flows To The United States: A State-To-State Panel Data Analysis Of The Consular Identification Card From 2011 To 2014, Jesus Elias Mendoza Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This analysis explores migration flows from Mexico to the United States at the state level. This study finds empirical evidence to support the idea that social and economic factors can help predict state-to-state migration flows. Using an alternative measure of migration flows, the Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad (Consular Identification Card) data from 2011 to 2014, a panel data model is constructed from yearly data to analyze the effects of different determinants of migration flows. The migration flows' determinants analyzed are distance, established immigrant networks in the United States, the US and Mexican states' business cycles, populations, and crime rates, …

Machiavellianism And Endorsement Of Appeal Type: An Examination Of Organization Recruitment, Steven M. Mueller

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Machiavellianism is characterized by a cynical worldview, a relativistic ethical orientation, and a willingness to manipulate others. Because those higher in Machiavellianism are successful at obtaining positions of power, research is needed to better understand the ways these individuals influence others' attention and behavior. This study examined the effect of Machiavellianism and related personalities narcissism and psychopathy on appeal type preference (guilt-based, ego-promoted, or neutral). In this study, Machiavellianism was not associated with appeal type preference. Those higher in psychopathy, however, were more likely to endorse guilt-based persuasiveness. Further, those higher in narcissism reported positive attitudes toward the recruitment statement. …

Are Narcissists More Likely To Support Terrorism? Exploring The Relationships Between Claiming Fake Religious Knowledge And Support For Violence, Peace, & Apathy., Adon Lee Neria

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Religious overclaiming is a persons' tendency to claim to be familiar with fake religious concepts. In both Christian and Muslim samples, previous research has found a relationship between religious overclaiming and communal narcissism, as well as a relationship between religious overclaiming and support for religious violence. The present research extends previous work by including several different measures of narcissism including grandiose (agentic), vulnerable, communal, and collective narcissism to predict religious overclaiming for the Bible and the Qur'an. Moreover, the present research investigates the relationship between support for violence, peace, and apathy using an Internet Commenter task. The results found that …

The Development Of A Drinking-Specific Compensatory Health Beliefs Scale, Sandra L. Oviedo Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The present study sought to investigate the applicability of the Compensatory Health Belief (CHB) model in relation to drinking by developing and validating the Drinking-Specific Compensatory Health Beliefs (CHBs) Scale in adults between the ages of 18 and 29 living in the United States. In phase 1, a pool of 41 items was administered to 293 undergraduate students. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to construct the Drinking-Specific CHBs Scale, which consists of 13 items that encompass four different factors - physical activity, no consumption of other drugs, amount of alcohol consumed in future, and rest. In phase 2, …

New Black Boxes: Technologically Mediated Intercultural Rhetorical Encounters On The U.S.-Mexico Border, Beau Scott Pihlaja

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Activity theory (AT) and actor-network theory (ANT) as theoretical frameworks begin their analysis of the world with the concept of "actors" engaged in activity towards some objective and with other actors in the human and non-human world. In this project, I use AT and ANT to analyze the mediating effect of communication technologies in intercultural rhetorical contexts, in this case a binational small business, and address two questions: 1.) How do common communication technologies (email, phone, IM chat, texting applications) define and transform intercultural rhetorical encounters? And 2.) How do individuals rhetorically engage perceived cultural others using common communication technologies …

Predatory Behavior And Neuroanatomy Of The Sessile Rotifer, Cupelopagis Vorax , Elizabeth Preza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Predator-prey interactions contribute to the evolution of behavioral and morphological characteristics of species. However, research on zooplankton has mainly focused on planktonic species such Mesocyclops edax (Arthropoda, Cyclopoida) and Asplanchna spp. (Rotifera, Ploima). Cupelopagis vorax (Rotifera, Collothecaceae) provides a unique model for studying the predatory behavior of a sessile species. Cupelopagis was chosen because it is the only rotifer known to exhibit rheotaxic behaviors in the presence of prey and because it undergoes indirect development where non-feeding, free-swimming larvae mature into feeding adults. The integration of behavioral techniques, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy were used to provide insight as to how …

An Investigation Of In-Session Client Change Language And Stage Of Change, Reyna Patricia Puentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the practice of Motivational Interviewing, recognizing language is important for understanding where a persona stands in terms of readiness to change when considering a behavior change, such as risky alcohol use. Few studies have examined relationships between language expressed in a BMI and survey measures of stage of readiness to change. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the types of client language in a single BMI session and associations with stage of change among a sample of emergency room/trauma department patients screened for positive BAC and/or risky alcohol use (n = 196). Using structural equation modeling, …

Household Water Consumption In El Paso, Texas: Perceptions And Behaviors Towards Water In Urban Households, Diego Armando Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The main objective of this research is to determine perceptions and behaviors of household water consumption and to examine how those may affect the patterns of water use and consumption levels in households of El Paso, Texas.

I conducted a qualitative exploratory research to collect important data that is often left unexplored in quantitative research. The collected data is a mixture of qualitative and quantitative. I do report the quantitative data using descriptive statistics, which help the reader see basic patterns in the study.

Qualitative data can help to understand the reasons that impact water consumption perceptions and behaviors in …

Investigating A University Classroom Where The Participants Are Purposely Invited, Included, And Engaged Through Liberating Structures, Vanessa Sandoval

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate how a classroom that employs Liberating Structures (LS) is perceived and experienced by class participants. Liberating Structures (LS) are simple protocols of how people interact while they work and learn together, allowing for inclusion and engagement of all participants at the same time. The research examined how the use of LS practices and processes in a classroom influences participants’ sense of inclusion and engagement, their sense of being part of a learning community, and their perceptions of the learning and relational outcomes that accrue. Various methods of data collection and analysis—participant observation …

Examining Perceptions On Women's Issues Including Intersectionality Of Class, Misogyny, And Stereotypes Of Mexican And Latin American Women Within The Telenovela La Reina Del Sur, Donna Garcia Sianez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In many cultures dominated by a patriarchal society, the media have had their influence on how women's issues such as intersectionality of class, misogyny and stereotypes are perceived. One particular medium is telenovelas which are a popular form of entertainment among Latino/a viewers. Therefore, this analysis is based on perceptions in the roles of women through La Reina Del Sur, a popular telenovela, and how it relates to Mexican and Latin American cultural norms.

Using Dynamic Risk To Predict Violent Recidivism In "Real Time": Applying A Framework For Proximal Assessment Of Risk Of General Recidivism To Predict Violent Outcomes, Ariel G. Stone

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In correctional psychology, risk factors are offender characteristics and contexts that increase the likelihood of reoffending. Risk is generally conceptualized as being either static or dynamic (Andrews & Bonta, 2010). Static risk factors are variables that cannot change, such as one's criminal history or gender. Dynamic risk factors must, by definition, be able to change across time. Perhaps more importantly, changes in dynamic risk factors must correspond to changes in the likelihood of an offender committing a new offense. Although static risk is a more robust predictor of recidivism, dynamic risk is important, in that it (a) has clearer theoretical …

Corporate Sponsorship And The Consumer Socialization Of African American Women Athletes: A Qualitative Study, Tahla Monique Wade

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

African-American consumption is a unique feature of the American consumer market. A characteristic of African American consumers is their participation in conspicuous consumption. A look into the sociological concept of consumer socialization can drive insight to what initiates purchases of this group. However, this is not studied as an evolving process. Over time, individuals may encounter several new influences that affect their consumer socialization and purchase behavior, including the possibility of corporate sponsorship. To explore this evolution, I examine if corporate sponsorships affect the consumer socialization of African-American women collegiate athletes. Fifteen NCAA Division I African-American women athletes from a …

The New Wine: Spirit, Transformation, And Gender In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, 1960-1990, Jacob Aaron Waggoner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Charismatic Catholic Renewal (CCR)—known in Mexico as the Renovación Cristiana en el Espíritu Santo—saw Roman Catholic believers experience ecstatic spiritual practices native to neo-Pentecostalism. At first highly ecumenical, CCR emerged from loosely organized prayer meetings in the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a coherent movement by around 1975. Like many developments after the Second Vatican Council, CCR represented an effort to revitalize the Church by re-centering and empowering the laity. Reflecting a broader reactionary shift in the 1980s, the Renewal gradually shed its potentially liberating elements. This transition was especially notable in the context of the U.S.-Mexico …

A Tale Of Two Cities: A Business Cycle Index For Midland-Odessa, Elisabeth Downs

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to estimate a coincident index for the Midland-Odessa region using the Stock and Watson (1988) methodology. The model assumes that the co-movements of indicators have a common element that can be summarized as a single underlying and unobservable variable, the “state of the economy” (Stock and Watson, 1988). The model utilizes the Kalman filter smoothing approach which smooths the index across time and across indicators and results in index movements that are less pronounced during expansions and recessions. Indicator series used to estimate the Midland-Odessa BCI are: employment, unemployment rate, real retail sales, and …

Do Coaches Practice What They Preach? An Evaluation Of The Usage Of Evidence-Based Practices Among Probation Officer Coaches, Tamara Kang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Probation supervision has the potential to serve a rehabilitative function through the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs; practices supported by empirical research). Often, when administrators adopt EBPs in their agency, these programs may not be implemented with fidelity by probation officers who interact with offenders. Thus, there is a critical need to examine methods of increasing the effectiveness of implementing EBPs among officers. One method, peer mentoring (i.e., coaches), is gaining popularity; however, little is known about the highly-motivated officers who volunteer to be coaches. Consequently, this Dissertation investigates compliance with EBPs among officers who have volunteered to become coaches …

The Rhetoric Of Mental Health: An Examination Of The Recategorization Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Dsm-5 And Its Absorption Into Public Discourse, Elsa Martin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation explores the discourse of mental health across genres and public spaces. The research of this project is situated within the overlap of the fields of Disability Studies (Brewer, Selfe, Yergeau, 2014; Brueggeman and Kleege, 2003; Kerschbaum, 2012; Lewiecki-Wilson, 2003) and Rhetorics of Health and Medicine (Keränen, 2013; Kopelson, 2009; Segal, 1994; Scott, Segal, & Keränen, 2013), a space that focuses on the rhetoric of mental health (Chrisman, 2008; Emmons, 2008; Hacking, 2009). Following the principles of these fields, this project deconstructs the recategorization of autism in the DSM-5, the media coverage it received, and the public reception of …

The Texas Sales Tax Rebate Program, Jose Angel Moreno

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The sale tax rebate program has existed in states along the U.S. â?? Mexico border for over 60 years and, in Texas, it has been the subject of much debate regarding both its legitimacy and its efficacy in stimulating real retail sales particularly in border cities. No empirical research exists, though, that provides insight into the statistical relationships between the Texas retail sector and total certificates issued by Private Customs Brokers (PCBs) in border cities. This study fills this research gap by creating a model that tests the statistical significance of real retail sales on total certificates issued in Texas. …

The Selfie Generation: Examining The Relationship Between Social Media Use And Early Adolescent Body Image, Ilyssa P. Salomon

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Social media use among adolescents continues to increase each year. This study explored how the amount of time spent using social media and the specific behaviors used on social media, namely behaviors that involve self-objectification, were related to early adolescents’ body image (i.e., body shame and body surveillance). Three types of social media popular among adolescents were examined: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The current study also examined whether certain youth are more at risk for negative body image outcomes than others, by assessing whether adolescents who are particularly focused on others for approval (i.e. high self-monitors) show greater decrements in …

The Effects Of Depletion And Brain Stimulation On Motivation, Sarah Beth Bell

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Mental fatigue decreases motivation. I tested whether applying electricity to a self-control region of the brain would replenish some of the motivation normally lost during mental fatigue. 224 people participated in this study. Each person received real or placebo brain stimulation while undergoing activities that increased mental fatigue. The dependent variable was a task where participants had to perform work by clicking a computer mouse repeatedly. Before performing this task, participants indicated how hard they were planning to work on this motivation task. Participants who received real brain stimulation were able to perform more work, but only if they also …

Cross-Validation Of The Validity-10 Subscale Of The Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory, Jordan P. Harp

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The present study is a cross-validation of the Validity-10 embedded symptom validity indicator from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) for the detection of questionable response validity during evaluation for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The sample and data derived from a three-site Veterans Affairs (VA) parent study to validate the TBI Clinical Reminder, a routine set of questions asked of all recently returned veterans at VA facilities to screen for history of TBI. In the parent study, veterans recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan underwent an evaluation for TBI with a physician and completed an assessment battery including neuropsychological tests …

Analyzing Songs Used For Lyric Analysis With Mental Health Consumers Using Linguistic Inquiry And Word Count (Liwc) Software, Ashley M. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Lyric analysis is one of the most commonly used music therapy interventions with the mental health population, yet there is a gap in the research literature regarding song selection. The primary purpose of this study was to determine distinguishing linguistic characteristics of song lyrics most commonly used for lyric analysis with mental health consumers, as measured by LIWC2015 software. A secondary purpose was to provide an updated song list resource for music therapists and music therapy students working with the mental health population. The researcher emailed a survey to 6,757 board-certified music therapists, 316 of whom completed the survey. Respondents …

Motor Functioning In Childhood Survivors Of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Kaitlin Oswald

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can cause a multitude of neuropsychological sequelae, or late effects, in children following intensive medical treatment. Late effect research has focused primarily on non-motor related sequelae; however, recent studies have begun to highlight evident impairments in motor functioning during and following medical treatment. The following study aimed to further characterize multiple domains of motor functioning in children treated for ALL compared to healthy controls, as well as investigate the relationship between motor impairments and other areas of functioning, including academic and psychosocial. The study included a cross-sectional design with a sample of 13 children treated for …

Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Cybersexual Addiction, Monica M. Lackups-Fuentes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Sexual addiction has long been a controversial topic, and it has become no less tendentious with its latest incarnation as Internet cybersexual addiction, i.e., the addiction to sexual materials on the Internet. As cybersexual addiction is a relatively recent phenomenon, it is important to have adequate measures to assess the behavior and provide empirical support for diagnostic criteria. While a number of measures are used in the research, none of the measures are based on the currently proposed diagnostic criteria. This study aimed to develop a new measure of cybersexual addiction based on the proposed hypersexual disorder diagnostic criteria and …

An Examination Of Attribute Trade And Weight Stigma In Online Dating, Rachel Sienko

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Weight stigma refers to biased treatment or attitudes based on weight. This has been documented to occur in a variety of settings (including relationships) and can result in many negative consequences, but its impact in the contemporary online dating arena is largely unexplored. Therefore, Study 1 of this project examined who experiences weight stigma in online dating and what factors predicted weight stigma. It was hypothesized that a) women would be more likely than men to experience weight stigma; b) compassion, beliefs about obese persons, attitudes toward obese persons, social dominance orientation, narcissism, objectification, self-classification of overweight status, and internalized …

Chiapa De Corzo Mound 3 Revisited: Burials, Caches, And Architecture, Michaela Ann Ostler

Theses and Dissertations

Chiapa de Corzo Mound 3 was excavated by Tim Tucker under the direction of the New World Archaeological Foundation in July 1965. Mound 3 is located in the ritual center of Chiapa de Corzo, the southwest quadrant. Significant Preclassic and Protoclassic architecture, burials, and caches were discovered there but were never fully analyzed or published. A complete analysis of this mound is necessary to better understand the role of Chiapa de Corzo as a whole and as a regional power. This thesis completes the analysis and accomplishes the following goals: (1) completes the ceramic analysis and classification started by Tucker, …

Developing And Maintaining Online Romantic Relationships, Corrina Lowe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Internet has become the one of the most used ways for individuals of both sexes to meet potential mates. The purpose of the grounded theory study was to gain an understanding of the stages of development of an online romantic relationship and the motivations that impact the progression and the maintenance of relationships through asking individuals who have experienced the phenomenon about their experiences. Social penetration model, social learning theory, and the stimulus- role-value theory guided the study. Four samples of convenience were used to obtain the 20 participants, including the Walden University participant pool, 2 local universities, Match.com …