Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining Changes Of Interview Length Over The Course Of The Field Period, Antje Kirchner, Kristen Olson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

It is well established that interviewers learn behaviors both during training and on the job. How this learning occurs has received surprisingly little empirical attention: Is it driven by the interviewer herself or by the respondents she interviews? There are two competing hypotheses about what happens during field data collection: (1) interviewers learn behaviors from their previous interviews, and thus change their behavior in reaction to the behaviors previously encountered; and (2) interviewers encounter different types of and, especially, less cooperative respondents (i.e., nonresponse propensity affecting the measurement error situation), leading to changes in interview behaviors over the course of …

Social Isolation, Survey Nonresponse, And Nonresponse Bias: An Empirical Evaluation Using Social Network Data Within An Organization, Megumi Watanabe, Kristen Olson, Christina Falci

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Survey researchers have long hypothesized that social isolation negatively affects the probability of survey participation and biases survey estimates. Previous research, however, has relied on proxy measures of isolation, such as being a marginalized group member within a population. We re-examine the relationship between social isolation and survey participation using direct measures of social isolation derived from social network data; specifically, instrumental research and expressive friendship connections among faculty within academic departments. Using a reconceptualization of social isolation, we find that social network isolation is negatively associated with unit response. Among women (a numerical minority group within the organization), we …

The Role Of The Broker In Mixed-Methods Collaboration: A Case Study Of Social Networks And Risk Practices Among People Who Inject Drugs In The Rural United States, Roberto Abadie

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

One of the most recent innovations in social epidemiology is the combination of epidemiological data collection with ethnographic fieldwork in order to produce algorithmic models that estimate rates of disease prevalence over time. This paper uses a case study about a multi-year study of social networks and risk among people who inject drugs (PWID) in a rural community in the US to document the challenges raised by this form of knowledge production. As the anthropologist in charge of overseeing data collection, I had a privileged position to reflect on the tensions inherent in mixed-methods collaboration in health research. The research …

Checking Privilege At The Door: Men’S Reflections On Masculinity In Women’S And Gender Studies Course, Rachel Schmitz, Emily Kazyak

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Certain types of masculinity undergird gender inequality, but different contexts may encourage individuals to conceptualize gender in new and unique ways. Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) university courses support this for women, but less is known about men’s experiences. Through an analysis of interview data from 15 men who have taken WGS courses, we ask: What do men experience in the WGS classroom and how do men perceive that their experiences in WGS courses shape their conceptualizations of gender and gender relations? Men described developing their understandings of gender inequality after taking a WGS course and they applied this knowledge …

Within-Household Selection In Mail Surveys: Explicit Questions Are Better Than Cover Letter Instructions, Kristen Olson, Jolene Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Randomly selecting a single adult within a household is one of the biggest challenges facing mail surveys. Yet obtaining a probability sample of adults within households is critical to having a probability sample of the US adult population. In this paper, we experimentally test three alternative placements of the within-household selection instructions in the National Health, Wellbeing, and Perspectives study (sample n = 6,000; respondent n = 998): (1) a standard cover letter informing the household to ask the person with the next birthday to complete the survey (control); (2) the control cover letter plus an instruction on the front …

Lgbtq+ Young Adults On The Street And On Campus: Identity As A Product Of Social Context, Rachel M. Schmitz, Kimberly A. Tyler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) young adults face unique identity-related experiences based on their immersion in distinctive social contexts. The predominant framework of performing separate analyses on samples of LGBTQ+ young people by their primary social status obfuscates more holistic understandings of the role of social context. Using 46 in-depth interviews with LGBTQ+ college students and LGBTQ+ homeless young adults, we ask: How are LGBTQ+ young adults’ capacities for “doing” their gender and sexual identities shaped by their distinctive social contexts? In developing their identities, both groups of LGBTQ+ young adults navigated their social …

Trauma In Veterans With Substance Use Disorder: Similar Treatment Need Among Urban And Rural Residents, Lance Brendan Young, Christine Timko, Kimberly A. Tyler, Kathleen M. Grant

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine whether rural residence is associated with trauma exposure or posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among military veterans seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Delivering mental health services to veterans in rural areas is a challenge, so identifying differences in the causes and outcomes of trauma exposure would assist in effectively targeting service delivery.

Methods: Veterans (N = 196) entering SUD treatment at 3 Midwestern VA treatment centers were designated as either urban or rural, based on rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes. The …

Public Health Framing And Attribution: Analysis Of The First Lady’S Remarks And News Coverage On Childhood Obesity, Jennifer A. Andersen, Lindsey E. Wylie, Eve M. Brank

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

First Lady Michelle Obama’s public health promotion “Let’s Move” seeks to place children on a path to better health by giving families access to health education and fostering healthier environments. We examined the use of public health framing and attribution of responsibility in the First Lady’s remarks and newspaper articles reporting on childhood obesity. We coded the Whitehouse.gov website for remarks made by the First Lady regarding the childhood obesity prevention program “Let’s Move.” Of the 103 remarks coded, 35% of the remarks used public health framing. The First Lady’s remarks attributed responsibility and solutions for the childhood obesity crisis …

“I Wanted To Raise My Hand And Say I’M Not A Feminist”: College Men’S Use Of Hybrid Masculinities To Negotiate Attachments To Feminism And Gender Studies, Rachel Schmitz, Trenton M. Haltom

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Using a hybrid masculinities framework, we qualitatively analyzed 15 college men’s experiences with feminism and gender scholarship in Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) courses. Men described adopting particular strategies of discourse in their social interactions to manage varied reactions to feminism and gender studies. As a way of justifying their choice of academic study, these men also learned to navigate social relationships by highlighting or downplaying their own masculinity (i.e., creating or deconstructing a hybrid masculinity). Finally, men reconciled the multiple meanings of feminism and WGS studies by drawing from dominant cultural norms and expectations in attempts to make sense …

Head Injury And Substance Use In Young Adults, Lisa Kort-Butler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: Prior studies suggest a link between head injuries and substance use but do not routinely capture mechanisms connecting the two.

Objectives: The goal of the study was to explore whether past head injuries predicted current substance use among young adults, taking factors such as stress, self-esteem, temper, and risk-taking into consideration.

Methods: Data were drawn from a web-based survey conducted in 2014 and 2015 at a public university in the United States (n = 897). Questions were asked about history of head injuries as well as past 12-month binge drinking, marijuana use, and prescription drug …

Rural And Urban Comparisons Of Polysubstance Use Profiles And Associated Injection Behaviors Among People Who Inject Drugs In Puerto Rico, Dane Hautala, Roberto Abadie, Bilal Khan, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Introduction—In contrast to urban populations, little is known about polysubstance use among rural people who inject drugs (PWID), particularly in Puerto Rico where injection drug use and related health consequences are prevalent. The aim of the study is to compare injection and non-injection substance use profiles among separate urban and rural samples of Puerto Rican PWID.

Material and Methods—Data for the urban sample come from 455 PWID who participated in the CDC's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance survey of injection drug use in San Juan. The data for the rural sample come from 315 PWID residing in four rural cities approximately …

Contextualizing The Relationship Between Culture And Puerto Rican Health: Towards A Place-Based Framework Of Minority Health Disparities, Giovani Burgos, Fernando I. Rivera, Marc A. Garcia

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In both the culture of poverty literature and the acculturation literature, Puerto Ricans are portrayed in negative terms. The culture of poverty framework attributes Puerto Rican poverty to the mental, behavioral, and moral pathology of Puerto Rican individuals and to Puerto Rican culture. Similarly, outdated acculturation frameworks also trace the poor health of immigrants and racialized minorities, such as Puerto Ricans, to equivalent perceived deficiencies. In this paper, we argue that both the culture of poverty and acculturation frameworks are two pillars of the White Racial Frame (Feagin 2009) that sustains racial inequality in the United States. To build our …

Stress Exposure And Physical, Mental, And Behavioral Health Among American Indian Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Melissa L. Walls, Kelley J. Sittner Hartshorn, Benjamin D. Aronson, Angie K. Forsberg, Les B. Whitbeck, Mustafa Al'absi

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

American Indian (AI) communities experience disproportionate exposure to stressors and health inequities including type 2 diabetes. Yet, we know little about the role of psychosocial stressors for AI diabetes-related health outcomes. We investigated associations between a range of stressors and psychological, behavioral, and physical health for AIs with diabetes. This community-based participatory research with 5 AI tribes includes 192 AI adult type 2 diabetes patients recruited from clinical records at tribal clinics. Data are from computer-assisted interviews and medical charts. We found consistent bivariate relationships between chronic to discrete stressors and mental and behavioral health outcomes; several remained even after …

The Republicanization Of Evangelical Protestants In The United States: An Examination Of The Sources Of Political Realignment, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although the association between evangelical Protestant and Republican affiliations is now a fundamental aspect of American politics, this was not the case as recently as the early 1980s. Following work on secular political realignment and the issue evolution model of partisan change, I use four decades of repeated cross-sectional survey data to examine the dynamic correlates of evangelical Protestant and Republican affiliations, and how these factors promote changes in partisanship. Results show that evangelical Protestants have become relatively more likely to attend religious services and to oppose homosexuality, abortion, and welfare spending. Period-specific mediation models show that opposition to abortion, …

Period And Cohort Changes In Americans’ Support For Marijuana Legalization: Convergence And Divergence Across Social Groups, Philip Schwadel, Christopher G. Ellison

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We cast fresh light on how and why Americans’ views on marijuana legalization shifted between 1973 and 2014. Results from age-period-cohort models show a strong negative effect of age and relatively high levels of support for legalization among baby boom cohorts. Despite the baby boom effect, the large increase in support for marijuana legalization is predominantly a broad, period-based change in the population. Additional analyses demonstrate that differences in support for legalization by education, region, and religion decline, that differences by political party increase, and that differences between whites and African Americans reverse direction. We conclude by discussing the implications …

The Positives And Negatives Of Higher Education: How The Religious Context In Adolescence Moderates The Effects Of Education On Changes In Religiosity, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although longitudinal research suggests that declines in religiosity associated with higher education vary across religious traditions, it tells us little about variation in the effects of higher education on changes in religiosity more broadly. Higher education may promote increases in religiosity for some, particularly with many Americans now being raised in relatively secular homes. This research note uses multilevel growth curve models and four waves of longitudinal data to examine how the religious context in adolescence moderates the effects of higher education on changes in emerging adult religiosity, regardless of the direction of change. Religious tradition and parent religious service …

Assessing Potential Errors In Level-Of-Effort Paradata Using Gps Data, James Wagner, Kristen M. Olson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Surveys are a critical resource for social, economic, and health research. The ability to efficiently collect these data and develop accurate post-survey adjustments depends upon reliable data about effort required to recruit sampled units. Level-of-effort paradata are data generated by interviewers during the process of collecting data in surveys. These data are often used as predictors in nonresponse adjustment models or to guide data collection efforts. However, recent research has found that these data may include measurement errors, which would lead to inaccurate decisions in the field or reduced effectiveness for adjustment purposes (Biemer, Chen, & Wang, 2013; West, 2013). …

Contextualization Of Survey Data: What Do We Gain And Does It Matter?, Lindsay R. Wilkinson,, Kenneth F. Ferraro, Blakelee R. Kemp

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Survey research designs that integrate contextual data have become more prevalent in recent decades, presumably to enable a more refined focus on the person as the unit of analysis and a greater emphasis on interindividual differences due to social forces and contextual conditions. This article reviews varied approaches to contextualizing survey data and examines the value of linking two data sources to respondent information: interviewer ratings and neighborhood information (measured via census tracts). The utility of an integrative approach is illustrated with data from the Health and Retirement Study. The results reveal modest gains by using a contextualized approach but …

Nonprofit Pay In A Competitive Market: Wage Penalty Or Premium?, Christian King, Gregory B. Lewis

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Two competing theories argue that the nonprofit sector pays differently: Nonprofit employees may accept lower pay to be able to do meaningful work for a good cause, or they may earn higher pay due to nonprofit organizations’ tax exemptions and weaker incentives to hold down wages. To test these opposing expectations, we use the 2005-2013 American Community Surveys to examine pay differences among registered nurses working for nonprofit, for-profit, and public hospitals. We also test hypotheses that public and nonprofit hospitals have smaller pay disparities by gender, race, and relationship status. We find that pay is highest in nonprofit hospitals, …

Socio-Emotional Cues Can Help 10-Month-Olds Understand The Relationship Between Others' Words And Goals, Youn Mi Cathy Lee, Minju Kim, Hyun-Joo Song

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Methods

Understanding And Addressing The Gaps: Generational Perspectives On Public Relations Leadership Development In The United States, Michele E. Ewing, David L. Remund

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

This qualitative study is the first known effort to define the differing perceptions of public relations leadership at three distinct career points and explore the leadership development gaps and needs from these varied perspectives. Semistructured interviews with senior public relations practitioners, young professionals, and current students in the United States bring needed depth and clarity to prior scholarship on leadership development, a growing concern within the public relations industry around the world. Additionally, the findings pinpoint leadership development best practices for better infusing leadership development into undergraduate public relations education and into training and development programs for young professionals.

"The Least Of These": Towards An Integrated Queer Of Color Critique Of The Prison Industrial Complex, Jahqwahn J. Watson

Senior Independent Study Theses

The prison is a site of social death and death-making. the technology of social death originates in the American institution of chattel slavery and has reemerged in the prison industrial complex. The text Prison and Social Death approaches social death in prisons through the lens of reproductive justice, but the author does so in a way that neglects the influence of race in one’s prison experience. Using the lens of necropolitics, I seek to understand how the markers of race, gender, and sexuality compound to produce experiences unique to the black woman/queer/and trans folk in the prison. Necropolitics contend that …

Predictors Of Obesity, Acculturation, And Perceived Stress In Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) Immigrants In The United States, Zekeriya Temircan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases among the ethnic minorities for adult immigrants in the United States. There have been many research studies conducted to examine the relationship between the predictors and obesity in minority groups in the United States, that relationship was unknown in Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) immigrant populations. Guided by social ecological model and acculturation theory, this study examined the predictors of obesity in the Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) immigrant population in the western United States. Data were collected from 109 participants using CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. …

Strategies To Manage Enterprise Information Technology Projects, Mario West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2005, most midsize company information technology (IT) projects had a 62.4% failure rate because of wrong project team communication skills or cost overruns. IT leaders expect negative IT project outcomes will cost over $2 billion by 2020. Using the actor-network theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies used by IT leaders from a midsize IT company in Washington, D.C. to plan and execute projects under budget and on time. Using purposeful sampling, 5 IT leaders were selected for this study because of their experience in implementing successful strategies for projects. Data were collected using …

Seniority And Transparency In The Perceived Fairness Of Seniority-Based Police Promotion, Michael Edward Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perception of fairness is a key construct affecting job performance, and perceptions of promotional processes are related to employees' sense of justice in private organizations. In police departments, negative perceptions of procedures can be detrimental to departmental effectiveness. The purpose of this quantitative quasiexperimental study was to compare Louisiana officers' perceptions of fairness of a seniority-based promotion system in relation to Louisiana deputies' perceptions of fairness of a merit-based promotion system. Organizational justice theory, including procedural justice, was the theoretical foundation. The research questions were designed to examine whether seniority, transparency, knowledge of the promotion systems, gender, and race predicted …

Visually Impaired Individuals' Perspectives On Obtaining And Maintaining Employment, Nadine Donaldson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The employment rate among people with visual impairment is very low compared to sighted individuals. Negative attitudes, stereotypes, and misconceptions are held against people with visual impairment by employers, family members, and the general public. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 10 people with visual impairment regarding challenges in obtaining and maintaining employment. A transcendental phenomenological conceptual framework was used to guide the study. Data from semistructured interviews were coded and categorized to identify themes. Results revealed 5 essential themes, which showed to be barriers to employment. The themes are: travel difficulties, …

A Comparison Of Neuropathic Pain In Hiv Disease And Diabetes Mellitus, Mary Catherine George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neuropathy is a nerve disorder found in HIV disease and diabetes mellitus that indicates damage in the peripheral nervous system. Burning, tingling, stabbing, shooting, and painful sensations in the hands and feet are common symptoms of this chronic disorder, and no treatments are available that repair the nerves. The approved pain treatments are few and only available for the diabetic neuropathy population. A mixed-methods study of archival data was performed to compare patients with painful neuropathy (PN) associated with 2 diseases: HIV (HIV-PN) and diabetes mellitus (DPN). This study examined the similarities and differences of the pain narratives and common …

The Effect Of Risk Factors On Recidivism Among Juveniles From The Perspectives Of Juvenile Justice Professionals, Diana R. Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice system, juvenile delinquency referrals have decreased, yet at the same time, juvenile recidivism rates continue to challenge policy makers. Using Hirschi's social learning theory as the foundation, the purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of juvenile justice professionals about their experiences with youthful offenders in order to determine the causes of juvenile recidivism. Data came from in-depth interviews with 9 participants including state attorneys, judges, and mental health counselors from within the central region of the state of Florida. Data were analyzed and coded using Colaizzi's method. Two …

Law Enforcement Fitness Policies In Relation To Job Injuries And Absenteeism, Marlana Lynn Hancock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After employment, job-related fitness requirements vary for law enforcement agencies within North Carolina. Police academies mandate specific job-related fitness requirements for recruits as a condition of graduation. Once employed, little is known about why some law enforcement agencies in North Carolina have physical fitness policies and others do not, particularly when injury rates and healthcare costs continue to rise. To better understand this inconsistency, the current study used a mixed methods approach to examine 6 midsized law enforcement agencies in North Carolina with varying fitness policies. The policy of each agency, along with OSHA work-related injuries and absenteeism reports, were …

Astroturf Activism, Melissa (M.J.) Durkee

Scholarship@WashULaw

Corporate influence in government is more than a national issue; it is an international phenomenon. For years, businesses have been infiltrating international legal processes. They secretly lobby lawmakers through front groups: “astroturf” imitations of grassroots organizations. But because this business lobbying is covert, it has been underappreciated in both the literature and the law. This Article unearths the “astroturf activism” phenomenon. It offers an original descriptive account that classifies modes of business access to international officials and identifies harms, then develops a critical analysis of the laws that regulate this access. I show that the perplexing set of access rules …