Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hispanic Use Of Alternative Medicine As Demonstrated In Internet Searches, Elad Yom-Tov, William F. Strong, Lupita Rodriguez Strong

Communication Faculty Publications

Objective: We investigated how cultural shifts occur with respect to the use of traditional medicine for influenza-like illness (ILI) within the Latino population near the US-Mexico border.

Methods: We extracted searches of ILI treatments (modern, traditional western, and traditional Hispanic) to the Bing search engine from 5 US states near the US-Mexico border. The incidence of these searches was correlated with county-level demographic data and ILI incidence.

Results: The fraction of queries related to Hispanic medicines is correlated with the distance from the US-Mexico border (Spearman rho = -0.24), which is a slower decay than that observed in the use …

The Relationships Of Role Conflict With Role Ambiguity, Role Efficacy, And Task Cohesion: A Study Of Interdependent University Sport Teams, Brennan Petersen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Roles, important structural components in groups, delineate group members’ jobs and responsibilities. Through this division of labour, group members must function interdependently to achieve shared group outcomes. A critical perception that individuals hold regarding their role is the degree to which incongruent expectations are present (i.e., role conflict). This perception is divided into several dimensions: intra-sender conflict, inter-sender conflict, person-role conflict, and inter-role conflict. Previous research has demonstrated that role conflict can negatively affect individual- and group-level variables (e.g., other role perceptions, task cohesion). However, two limitations pervade this research. First, role conflict is generally assessed unidimensionally. Second, the dimensions …

Ecological Homogenization Of Residential Macrosystems, Peter M. Groffman, Meghan Avolio, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Neil D. Bettez, J. Morgan Grove, Sharon J. Hall, Sarah E. Hobbie, Kelli L. Larson, Susannah B. Lerman, Dexter H. Locke, James B. Heffernan, Jennifer L. Morse, Christopher Neill, Kristen C. Nelson, Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, Diane E. Pataki, Colin Polsky, Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Tara L.E. Trammell

Geography

Similarities in planning, development and culture within urban areas may lead to the convergence of ecological processes on continental scales. Transdisciplinary, multi-scale research is now needed to understand and predict the impact of human-dominated landscapes on ecosystem structure and function.

The available download on this page is the author manuscript accepted for publication. This version has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process.

The 2016 "White Paper On German Security Policy And The Future Of The Bundeswehr": An Analysis Of Its Positioning, Reception, And Conditions Of Implementation, Hunter Lee Ashburn

CMC Senior Theses

This study examines the new German 2016 White Paper on German Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr. Updated for the first time in over a decade, the document reflects Germany’s reorientation of its security policy in order to become a global player. This study analyzes the White Paper to determine its contextual meaning, domestic as well as international support, and obstacles in the way of its implementation. Although the German Government is concerned about waning US influence and increased Russian activity, the German people are reluctant to let go of their nation’s foreign political restraint in light of …

The Giving Tree Academy, David A. Hurdle

CMC Senior Theses

A proposal for a new preschool based in Pomona, California, targeted towards children from low-income backgrounds. Includes extensive research on preschool nationwide, the state of California, and in Pomona. Within the paper a new preschool curriculum and specific teacher practices are discussed. Intended as a model for a new school. or to be adapted for use in educational policy.

The Differentiating Personal And Tactical Dimensions Of Head Coaches In The Nfl: Why Is Bill Belichick Successful When Others Are Not?, Patrick Dixon

CMC Senior Theses

Throughout the history of the NFL, several head coaches have found significantly more success than their peers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of what personal and tactical dimensions have set these coaches apart. This paper will study the most successful coaches of the past, as well as today’s most successful coach, Bill Belichick. Through case studies, this paper identifies possible explanation for Belichick’s current run of success in an NFL that grows more competitive each season. Specifically, this paper looks at the relationship between players and coaches, and how Leader- Member exchange plays a …

Negotiating Human Rights Abuses Through The Moral Foundations Theory: An Attempt To Understand The Moral Motivations Behind The Male Guardianship System In Saudi Arabia, Female Genital Modification, And Child Marriage., Anoush Baghdassarian

CMC Senior Theses

The idea that there are universal human rights that can, and should, be enforced has been an increasingly wide-spread and popular belief, as well as a controversial one. Concerns of cultural relativism contrasted with stances of universalism spark an impassioned debate that permeates the dialogue of human rights today in all spheres: social, academic, and even those professional spheres that are tasked with creating and enforcing the laws regarding these issues. What does psychology have to say about this? After all, if it is a universal phenomenon, it must span across time, culture, and difference, and there must be trends …

Virtual Reality: The Game Changer For Residential Real Estate Staging Through Increased Presence, Alexander Julian Brenner

CMC Senior Theses

This study proposes a series of 3 experiments to explore how different types of staging, pictures versus virtual reality, impacts potential buyers’ likelihood of wanting to visit a home. Moreover, this study seeks to address how the type of market, hot versus cold, and type of home, luxury versus non-luxury, connects with staging and its impact on wanting to visit a home. In Experiment 1, participants will view 10 total homes, 5 randomly selected with staged pictures first followed by the remaining 5 with virtual reality, either within the hot or cold market. If VR increases presence, then people should …

Don’T Worry, College Doesn’T Make You Successful In The Nba, Cameron E. Van

CMC Senior Theses

This paper explores the value of attending college to Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball players in terms of future success in the NBA. Future success is measured by both salary and minutes played per game. A dataset of 660 athletes from the 2006 through 2016 drafts was collected from Basketball-Reference. An empirical model is estimated using this data in order to identify the determinant factors in a player’s success in the NBA. It is found that college is not a determinant of success in the NBA.

Does Fundamental Analysis Lead To A Rudimentary Momentum Strategy For The Inexperienced Investor? Evidence From A Student Investment Fund, Nicholas J. Lillie

CMC Senior Theses

Using the Student Investment Fund at Claremont McKenna College as a proxy for inexperienced investors, I demonstrate that inexperienced investors using fundamental analysis produce momentum-like buying patterns. The results show that the Student Investment Fund is on average buying stocks that outperform Carhart’s four-factor asset pricing model in the year before purchase. As a result, the Student Investment Fund has, on average, underperformed the S&P500 by .48% per year since 1996. My thesis explores why the Student Investment Fund may have adopted momentum-like purchasing patterns and what steps can be taken to remedy it.

The Demandingness Of Morality: The Person Confined, Jose Salazar

CMC Senior Theses

Losing ownership and control over the development of and connection to our own person detaches us from the most innate embodiment of ourselves, our person. Without being able to develop and connect to our person, we become detached from expressing our identity, exercising our autonomy, and formulating our own values, the most intrinsic features our person encapsulates. While we yearn to act on our own projects to express our identity, exercise our autonomy, and formulate our own values the way we want, morality imposes huge demands on our person that restrain us from doing so. Morality’s major requirement to always …

Examining Racism And White Allyship Among Counseling Psychologists, Kathryn H. Owen

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Historically, research has focused on White individuals’ initial responses to learning about White privilege and other indicators of early stages of racial awareness and identity development. However, the literature is relatively sparse regarding understanding the experiences of racial identity development in White individuals who are beyond initial introductions to racial awareness, such as Counseling Psychologists (CPs). The assumption is that Counseling Psychology professionals are adequately trained to provide efficacious mental health services and engage in culturally sensitive work activities; however, research indicates that Black clients, colleagues, and graduate students experience racism, such as microaggressions, when interacting with White CPs.

The …

Teaching Social Skills To Individuals With Comorbid Down Syndrome And Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Single-Subject Design Study, Matthew A. Cody Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Social skills are important for building and maintaining relationships, effective communication, and providing appropriate responses within social contexts. Deficits in social skills are often exhibited in individuals with comorbid Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Peer-delivered interventions and other behavioral techniques for teaching specific social skills show effectiveness; however, the paucity of intervention research including individuals with DS-ASD has resulted in little guidance for how best to teach social skills and ensure generalization and maintenance. In the present study, a multiple probe study across behaviors, replicated across participants, assessed the effectiveness of peer-delivered simultaneous prompting in teaching socials …

“I Wonder What You Think Of Me”: A Qualitative Approach To Examining Stereotype Awareness In Appalachian Students, Chelsea G. Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Historically, Appalachia has been stereotyped as being a culture bred in poverty and ignorance. Much research has shown that stereotyping reveals a pattern of behavioral change and an impact on psychological well-being for the stereotyped (e.g., Pinel, 1999; Woodcock, Jernandez, Estrada, & Schultz, 2012), and has largely been centered on race and gender (e.g., Byrnes, 2008; Tuckman & Monetti, 2011). Less is known about the development of culture-specific stereotypes such as those related to Appalachians – a highly stigmatized group (Daniels, 2014; Otto, 2002). The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adolescents in rural Appalachia …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Counselor Competencies In Working With Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Families, Katherine A. Feather

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a profound diagnosis that affects 1% of the world’s population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]; 2015a). Counselors can play a dynamic role in treating ASD and promoting greater life satisfaction; however, the counseling field has not identified how counselors develop their competencies working with children with ASD and their families. Therefore, the phenomenological investigation examined the experiences of 15 counselors in the field and their self-perceived competencies of treating ASD. A model of ASD counseling competencies development emerged from the data. Participants described the developmental components of Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies …

Gëm Sa Bopp: A Case Study Of Peace Corps Senegal Girls’ Camps, Tesia A. Eisenberg

Capstone Collection

This research explores the design, curriculum, and monitoring & evaluation efforts of Peace Corps Senegal Girls’ Camps through the lens of Youth Program Leadership and Design theory. The literature review reveals a research gap in youth camp programming and hopes to draw attention to this fact to promote more literature on this subject in the future. Interviews were conducted to gain information on the design and monitoring & evaluation experiences of camp facilitators from the 2015 and 2016 PCS Girls’ Camps. This research draws upon data collected from literature, interviews, personal experience, and relevant documents from Peace Corps Senegal to …

How Whiteness Is Preserved: The Racialization Of Immigrants & Assimilation In Education, Hadiel Mohamed

Capstone Collection

This research aims to answer how educators can incorporate ethnic/racial identity development in the classroom for youth of color who are driven to pursue Whiteness. This quest begins by understanding Whiteness and its role within ethnic/racial identity and educational systems. The societal avoidance of discussing race furthers the perpetuation of Whiteness as the norm and removes the value of marginalized histories and voices. We can witness the preservation of Whiteness through immigration laws, the void of ethnic/racial identity exploration in schools, and the mono-cultured representation in classrooms. Therefore, this research explores assimilation and the racialization of immigrants through a macro-, …

Reiki And Healing Touch: Implications For Trauma Healing, Cynthia Ford

Capstone Collection

This research explores implications for trauma healing through the energy therapies Reiki and Healing Touch. This is explored through the perspectives of women living in Tacoma, Washington who receive Reiki and/or Healing Touch and are also practitioners of Reiki and/or Healing Touch. In recent decades trauma healing has proved to be a holistic endeavor, and as the practice of energy therapies such as Reiki and Healing Touch are becoming more mainstream and even accepted in the medical community, these therapies boast a myriad of physical and psychological benefits that include trauma healing. A phenomenological approach is taken to explore this …

How To Handle Face-Saving In The Chinese Church Through Servant-Leadership, Jiying Song

Faculty Publications - George Fox Digital

Excerpt: "Leaders unknowingly functioning out of face-saving, the tendency to try to protect ones standing or reputation or to avoid losing some aspect of these, have a negative impact on organizational leadership. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how leaders can mitigate the negative influence of face-saving through servant-leadership in the Chinese church setting."

The Effects Of Ostracism On Seeking Social Situations As Moderated By Narcissism, Julie Odom-Dixon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this study, we tested assumptions about the role of personality in situation selection after experiencing ostracism. We did this by examining social situation selection in the context of narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability. In this study, students (valid N =97) completed trait measures of narcissism and general personality before being randomly assigned to either experience ostracism or not. Afterwards, they completed measures designed to assess their desire to engage in certain social situations. We predicted that after experiencing ostracism, individuals scoring higher in grandiose narcissism would be more likely to seek out social situations, while those scoring higher in vulnerable …

Accounting For Taste In Irish Traditional Music, Eryn T. Wagnon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Although it is self-evident that people care about music, we don’t know how they make sense of their taste in it. In this study, I will explore how individuals explain their taste in music. I will specifically be focusing on the genre of Irish traditional music (ITM). One way to explore how people account for their taste in this genre is through a qualitative content analysis of online comments. I hope to demonstrate the vocabulary of motives for music preference, by focusing on how individuals account for their taste in Irish traditional music online. Also, this study will help show …

Savannah's Ethnic Irish Neighborhoods In The Nineteenth Century: A Historical Multimethod Examination, Sarah A. Ryniker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to identify residency patterns and neighborhoods for Savannah-Irish immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century. Using a multimethod approach, this thesis explores historical, social, and economic factors that influenced settlement patterns and cultivated the conditions for an Irish-American identity, particularly in two neighborhoods, Old Fort and Yamacraw. Guided by Yancey et al.’s (1976) emergent ethnicity theory, this study uses archival materials, as well as chi-square tests for association, and the 1860 Federal Census of Chatham County, Georgia, to geolocate Irish immigrants. With an emphasis on County Wexford, Ireland, the results suggest residency was associated with Irish …

How Does Parental Attachment Affect Black Male Delinquency In Rural And Urban Contexts?, Chelsea J. King

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For more than a century, there has been concern about the nature and extent of crime in the African American community. African American adolescents are more likely viewed to be involved in delinquency than adolescents from other racial/ethnic groups. Guided by social bonding theory, this study examined how African American males’ relationship with their parents and living in rural and non-rural context, affects delinquent behavior. This study analyzes data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents to Adult Health (Add Health). Three main hypotheses are tested in regards to parental attachment, family structure, and living in rural and non-rural contexts. …

Differentiating The Effects Of Animal-Assisted Versus Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy On Positive Psychological Outcomes Through A Stress Induction Context, Catherine J.V. Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The unique benefits of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) such as the human-horse bond, a non-traditional therapy setting, and performing altruistic acts are thought to facilitate positive change in humans. One mechanism by which positive changes occur is through improved coping and resilience in the face of stress. To date, only a handful of correlational studies speak to the potential effects of EFP on resilience-based outcomes. Thus, this study sought to address this gap in the literature by exploring the benefits of EFP compared to traditional Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) in an experimental context. Specifically, we examined the effects of different …

Measuring Gender Equality In Education: Lessons From 43 Countries, Stephanie Psaki, Katharine Mccarthy, Barbara Mensch

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Through the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), governments committed to achieving universal secondary school completion, including eliminating gender disparities, by 2030. The period from 1997 to 2014 saw considerable progress in closing gender gaps in school enrollment and attainment in many, but not all, low- and middle-income countries. However, as this research brief explains, claims that gender parity in primary education now exists are premature, especially in the poorest countries and new gender gaps, or gender-related challenges, may emerge as attainment increases. Moreover, the extremely low levels of secondary school enrollment—and even moreso completion—demonstrate that the SDG target of universal …

Reframing Homelessness In Vermont: A Systemic Approach To Homelessness Policy Advocacy In Windham County Vermont, Scott Sharland

Capstone Collection

The Changeworks Committee of the Groundworks Collaborative was created in 2014 to implement advocacy that would build public support for long-term policy changes addressing the root causes of homelessness in Windham County Vermont. This research focused on the work of this committee, and posed the question: How does reframing homelessness as a systemic issue instead of an individual issue impact the public perception of the problem in Windham County, Vermont? I argue that reframing perceptions of homelessness as the result of systemic failure and not as a problem of individual choice is key to building public support for solutions. Additionally, …

Stigmatizing Beliefs And Attitudes Held By Students Toward Borderline Personality Disorder: Recovery Knowledge As A Moderator, Danyelle Salpietro

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether recovery knowledge in psychology doctoral students reduced stigma toward individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Participants of this study consisted of 287 psychology doctoral students who differed in theoretical orientation, program type, clinical experience, and program year. More specifically, this study examined differences between different levels of recovery knowledge (low, medium, high) and different diagnoses (major depressive disorder [MDD], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], BPD) on expressed stigma. Each student completed the Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI), read a vignette describing either BPD, depression, or anxiety, completed the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27) based on …

The Role Of Cognitive Distortions In Predicting Mental Toughness In Athletes, Courtney Dougherty

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Mental toughness is one of the most commonly applied concepts in sports but also one of the least understood terms used by individuals in the athletic community (Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2002). Mental toughness in sports is also characterized as the ability to be more consistent and better than opponents in remaining determined, focused, and confident under pressure (Jones et al., 2007). Despite the advancements in the cognitive understanding of mental toughness, little research has focused on evaluating the basis or rationality as to why or how mentally tough athletes possess the tendency to have an unshakeable confidence and belief …

Stress, Coping, And Academic Self-Efficacy In First-Generation College Students, Samantha Fitz-Gerald

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative research was conducted with first-generation college students who were enrolled in one of two university settings in northeastern Pennsylvania. The purpose of the study was to explore the unique stressors and coping mechanisms first-generation college students experience and how these impact their academic self-efficacy beliefs. A total of 10 participants were interviewed for the study using a demographic questionnaire, self-report stress scale, and semi-structured interview. Grounded theory of analysis provided the theoretical framework for the study, allowing the researcher to code the data to discover four emerging themes. The themes found included (a) the first-generation college students’ motivation …

Mental Health Attitudes And Stigma Among Medical Students: An Evaluation Of The Student Mental Health Initiative, Jennifer Hess Kengeter

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

There is a plethora of literature on the formation and prevalence on mental health stigma; however, literature on anti-stigma programs is scarce. The current mixed method study evaluated an anti-stigma program for medical students that contained a peer testimony component. A total of 25 participants were included in the quantitative component of the study. Data were collected over 3 consecutive years. All participants attended the Student Mental Health Initiative (SMHI) and completed a pre- and post-survey examining stigmatizing beliefs and negative attitudes toward mental illness. The qualitative portion of the study was a focus group with two participants who examined …