Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Serum And Cervical Cytokine Levels Throughout Pregnancy Between Preterm And Term Births, Kristin Ashford, Niraj R. Chavan, Amanda T. Wiggins, Molly Malany Sayre, Andrea Mccubbin, Agatha S. Critchfield, John O'Brien

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess differences in cytokine levels in cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) and serum across trimesters between women with preterm births (PTBs) and full-term births.

Study Design: This multicenter study enrolled 302 women with a singleton gestation. CVF and serum cytokines, interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, were measured. Women with at least one cytokine assessment and noted PTB status in their medical record were retained in the study (N ¼ 272). Data were analyzed using mixed modeling (main effects of PTBs and time/trimester).

Results: For the CVF values …

Why Teams Rebrand: Uncovering The Motives And Process Of Team Rebranding Initiatives, Patrick Walsh, Galen Clavio, Stephen D, Ross, Matthew Blaszka

Journal of Applied Sport Management

While rebranding is very common in professional sport, little research has been devoted to this topic. In particular, no studies have examined the reasons why teams decide to make changes to their names, logos, and/or colors, and the process they go through while doing so. Through content analysis of public statements from teams and interviews with team executives, this study found five common reasons for rebranding, as well as recommendations from team executives for how to handle this process. Based on the results, practical implications are provided for teams who may be deciding to engage in some aspect of rebranding. …

Students Transitioning To College And Out Of Competitive Sport: Athletic Identity, Coping, And Stress, Alex Michael Russell, Michael Cottingham, Adam Barry, Don Lee, David Walsh

Journal of Applied Sport Management

High-school athletes who transition into higher education as non-athlete students encounter several social and emotional difficulties. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of aforementioned participants’ athletic identities on their utilization of coping strategies and resulting perceptions of stress. A structural model was developed and empirically tested using a 48-item questionnaire. The sample population consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in freshman-level courses at three public southwestern universities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated a strong model fit, including a significant correlation between various factors of athletic identity and coping, as well as a significant correlation between coping and …

Effects Of The Nicotinic Agonist Varenicline, Nicotinic Antagonist R-Bpidi, And Dat Inhibitor (R)-Modafinil On Co-Use Of Ethanol And Nicotine In Female P Rats, Sarah E. Maggio, Meredith A. Saunders, Thomas A. Baxter, Kimberly Nixon, Mark A. Prendergast, Guangrong Zheng, Peter A. Crooks, Linda P. Dwoskin, Rachel D. Slack, Amy H. Newman, Richard L. Bell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Rationale: Co-users of alcohol and nicotine are the largest group of polysubstance users worldwide. Commonalities in mechanisms of action for ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine proposes the possibility of developing a single pharmacotherapeutic to treat co-use.

Objectives: Toward developing a preclinical model of co-use, female alcohol-preferring (P) rats were trained for voluntary EtOH drinking and i.v. nicotine self-administration in three phases: (1) EtOH alone (0 vs. 15%, two-bottle choice), (2) nicotine alone (0.03 mg/kg/infusion, active vs. inactive lever), and (3) concurrent access to both EtOH and nicotine. Using this model, we examined the effects of (1) varenicline, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor …

Beyond Big Bird, Binders, And Bayonets: Humor And Visibility Among Connected Viewers Of The 2012 Us Presidential Debates, Kevin Driscoll, Alex Leavitt, Kristen L. Guth, François Bar, Aalok Mehta

Communication Faculty Publications

During the 2012 US presidential debates, more than five million connected viewers turned to social media to respond to the broadcast and talk politics with one another. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the prevalence of humor and its relationship to visibility among connected viewers live-tweeting the debates. Based on a content analysis of tweets and accounts, we estimate that approximately one-fifth of the messages sent during the debates consisted of strictly humorous content. Using retweet frequency as a proxy for visibility, we found a positive relationship between the use of humor and the visibility of individual tweets. Not …

Designing Effective Tsunami Messages: Examining The Role Of Short Messages And Fear In Warning Response, Jeannette Sutton, Sarah C. Vos, Michele M. Wood, Monique Turner

Communication Faculty Publications

Although tsunamis have the potential to be extremely destructive, relatively little research on tsunami messaging has taken place. Discovering whether tsunami warning messages can be written in a way that leads to increased protective response is crucial, particularly given the increased use of mobile message services and the role they play in notifying the public of imminent threats such as tsunami and other hazards. The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of designing warning messages for tsunamis that improve upon message style and content used by public alerting agencies to date and to gain insight that can …

"Participant" Perceptions Of Twitter Research Ethics, Casey Fiesler, Nicholas Proferes

Information Science Faculty Publications

Social computing systems such as Twitter present new research sites that have provided billions of data points to researchers. However, the availability of public social media data has also presented ethical challenges. As the research community works to create ethical norms, we should be considering users’ concerns as well. With this in mind, we report on an exploratory survey of Twitter users’ perceptions of the use of tweets in research. Within our survey sample, few users were previously aware that their public tweets could be used by researchers, and the majority felt that researchers should not be able to use …

Struggles In State Building In Multi-Ethnic And Multi-Religious Lebanon And Bosnia, Zachary Ruch

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Lebanon and Bosnia are quite possibly the most divided nations on earth with each having multiple ethnic and religious populations. Both nations have had disastrous civil wars that included some of the most brutal killing in the 20th century. With the intervention of foreign powers both nations were able to set aside their differences and come to a peace settlement. In both cases the peace settlements accomplished its ultimate goal of ending the violence. The subsequent scholarship however created unrealistically high expectations for these settlements to foster a democratic culture and build a national consensus. This paper seeks to understand …

Voice Pitch Influences On Teaching Evaluations And Student Learning, Thomas Augustin

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Prior research in the realm of marketing and voting behaviors have indicated how voice pitch can have an impact on consumers’ and voters’ perception of personality characteristics. With the rise of online lectures, this study examined the impact of voice pitch, gender of a professor, and the subject taught on professor evaluation and student learning. The study simulated an online lecture where participants listened to a prerecorded lesson of Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Standard Deviation. This study looked to see if different voice pitch (high pitch, low pitch) of opposing genders (male, female) would have an effect on a student’s …

The Psychopath's Worldview: How Psychopathy Affects Attitudes Towards Others, Arianne Fisher

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Psychopathy has been related to overall negative perceptions of others in past research, but the reason for these negative attitudes is unclear. The current study investigated the relationship between psychopathy and attitudes toward others and attempted to explain these negative attitudes by testing empathy and early maladaptive schemas as mediators and social dominance orientation as a moderator for this relationship. There were 191 participants in the current study; participants first read a short story and took a scale assessing attitudes toward the characters; then, they completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the SDO7, the Young Schema Questionnaire-SF, and the Levenson Self-Report …

Mobile Mindfulness: There's An App For That!, Katelyn Haschke

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Previous research indicates that practicing mindfulness-based strategies over an extended period of time may positively impact individuals’ well-being, such as improved mood and cognitive performance (Chambers, Lo, & Allen, 2008; Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Kabat-Zinn, 2003; Mrazek, Franklin, Phillips, Baird, & Schooler, 2013). This research also indicates there may be immediate benefits to practicing mindfulness strategies; however, a majority of the existing literature on this topic has focused primarily on extended mindfulness-practices over several weeks with an in-person guide or trained researcher. The purpose of the current study was two-fold. First, how practicing one of two mindfulness-based strategies for a short period …

The Biobehavioral Model Of Persuasion: The Role Of Cognitive Processing In Challenge And Threat Message Framing, August Capiola

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Persuasive messages are meant to influence people towards endorsing attitudes, intentions, and behaviors suggested in the message. However, describing the kinds of messages that are persuasive is not as helpful as understanding why certain messages are persuasive, yet others are not. The biobehavioral model of persuasion suggests that challenge-framed messages (messages that evoke low/moderate concern and high efficacy) are persuasive because they facilitate greater message elaboration leading to outcomes aligned with message suggestions. The following paragraphs outline the BMP and describe two experiments that tested the postulate that challenge-framed messages evoke greater message elaboration. In the first experiment (N = …

Recurrence Quantification Models Of Human Conversational Grounding Processes: Informing Natural Language Human-Computer Interaction, Clayton D. Rothwell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Human-human communication is a coordinated dance (Clark, 1996) that requires each participant to consider the other participants. The majority of this coordination centers on the conversational grounding process that develops and maintains the common ground, or shared understanding between the individuals (Clark and Schaefer, 1989). Conversational grounding is also a crucial process for human-computer interaction using language-based methods, such as spoken dialogue systems. Previous work has tied grounding processes to the performance outcomes in collaborative tasks (Reitter and Moore, 2014; Gergle et al., 2013, 2004; Clark and Krych, 2004), making it a high priority for increasing capabilities of spoken dialogue …

Europe's Parallel Media Universe: Cross-National Analysis Of Populist Media Oppression In The Eu, Csongor Bajnoczki

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This research is to show that populist parties in the European Union attempt to oppress the traditional established media as soon as they come in to power. The multiple regressions test the hypothesis of a negative relationship between the political power of populist parties and degree of media freedom. For the assessment and clarification of the relationship between the level of media freedom and the political power of populist parties, political rights and civil liberties country scores from Freedom House's Freedom in the World reports, GDP per capita from World Bank, corruption perception indexes from Transparency International, and Grigorii V. …

Excess Zeros, Endogenous Binary Indicators, And Self-Selection Bias With Application To First Marriage, Smoking And Drinking Outcomes, Lateef Subair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How Newspapers In China, India And Bangladesh Framed The Rohingya Crisis Of 2017, Md Khadimul Islam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Rohingya persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in 2017 attracted intense international media attention. In light of normative theory, media of different countries are assumed to cover an issue differently because of differences in the socio-political systems involved. This study examines how media from three different countries framed the Rohingya Muslim issue. These systematic and qualitative content analyses of six newspapers from three neighboring countries — China, India and Bangladesh — examines media framing of Myanmar in light of Robinson’s (2001) Policy-Media Interaction model. The timeframe of the study was one month, starting on the first day of Myanmar’s Rohingya …

Home Is Where The Hot Tamale Is: Rediscovering The Delta, Georgia Corinne Clarke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project is an in-depth personal exploration of the hot tamale in the Mississippi Delta, presented in a long-form magazine piece. It analyzes the cultural exchange that brought the hot tamale to the region in the early 20th century, its racial representation in the Delta, and its future as chefs across the nation seek to interpret the regional cuisine. Further, this thesis analyzes the hot tamale’s components that tell why and how the hot tamale became a staple, and the story of hardship and discrimination that it symbolizes. Traveling through my own past, this piece reflects the interactions that …

Marketing The Myth: The Racial Commodification And Reclaiming Of Aunt Jemima, Holly Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through an analysis of print advertisements and of research gathered at the Jim Crow Museum of Racial Memorabilia, this thesis intends to explore how the Aunt Jemima brand from the early 1890’s to the present day has utilized multiple marketing strategies in order to garner consumer attention. Focusing specifically on Karen Cox’s notion of the “southern tableau,” M. M. Manring’s investment in Aunt Jemima as a Slave in A Box, and Patricia Yaeger’s theory of the “throwaway body,” this thesis will look at how elements of print advertising, the Aunt Jemima pancake-box, and racist memorabilia intersect. In order to experiment …

Abstinence Based Sex Education: A Mixed-Method Evaluation Of Experiences With And The Effectiveness Of Sex Education In The Deep South, Heather Costa-Greger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the effectiveness of federally funded, abstinence-based sex education programs. It evaluates students' experiences with sex education programs that have been, in some cases, proven to provide medically inaccurate information. Using a mixed-method online survey, this study focuses on undergraduate college students in Sociology 101 courses at the University of Mississippi. The online survey, which has both quantitative and qualitative elements that assess students' sex education experience, what they remember being taught and what they wish they would have been taught. The results of the study highlight important shortcomings in current sex education programs in the deep south, …

Comparing Rates Of Women Leaders In Western Europe, Elizabeth Stark

Honors Projects

This article analyzes the rates of women leaders in conservative, green and right-wing parties in Western Europe. The genders of parliamentary leaders, founders and party leaders of these parties are examined to determine if women are over represented or under represented as political leaders in Western Europe.

An Analysis Of Teachers’ Judgements Of The Executive Capacities Of Students Classified As Emotionally Disturbed/Behaviorally Disordered And A Matched, Non-Clinical Student Group, Catherine Forster

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Research has shown that EF difficulties are evident in the symptomatology of numerous psychopathologies and mental health disorders, especially in children. Due to the pervasiveness of EF difficulties related to a majority of the emotional and mental disorders experienced by children, there is a clear need to identify, carefully, the specific nature of the EF difficulties demonstrated by a child so that appropriate interventions can be identified and implemented. Despite this need, currently available individuallyadministered tests and rating scales are not constructed on the basis of a comprehensive theory of executive capacities, and therefore focus only on one or a …

Effects Of Fixed And Malleable Views Of Intelligence And Attribution Of Controllability On Teacher Affects, Gary Beard

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The classroom is a dynamic social setting where teachers respond affectively to student failure. Divergent affective reactions toward learning and achievement occur in teachers with fixed and malleable views of intelligence, which impact students’ self-esteem and expectations for future success. The present study explored teacher and student variables related to emotive classroom expression toward test failures of boys. View of intelligence as fixed or malleable, attribution of controllability (effort & ability) and student condition were measured and examined in relation to the affects frustration, sympathy, positive or negative feedback and expectations for future failure. Attributions of controllability (effort & ability) …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy As A Supplemental Treatment For Adolescents With Learning Disabilities, Peter John Arsenault

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study explores cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a supplemental treatment with a sample of adolescents with learning disabilities (LD). Research overwhelming reflects the theory that children and adolescents with LD are more likely to manifest anxious and depressive symptomology. CBT is an evidence based intervention for anxiety and depression. However, there is a gap in the knowledge of treating LD with CBT. The study hypothesizes the theory that maladaptive metacognitive interpretation of the LD diminishes the effects of the evidence based academic intervention. The study sought to explore whether or not adolescents with LD would experience enhanced academic and …

Attitudes And Knowledge Of Healthcare Providers Regarding Patients With Intellectual Disability And The Impact On Analogue Clinical Decision-Making, Alexandra Freed Santoro

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Throughout their careers, physicians, particularly those in primary care settings, can expect to treat patients with intellectual disability (ID) across the lifespan. Nevertheless, little attention is given to preparing medical students to effectively treat patients with ID through education and clinical training opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine how knowledge and attitudes toward patients with ID may impact analogue clinical decision-making at different stages of physician education and career. Included in the review of the current literature is research relating to physician attitudes, education, and clinical decision-making; the biological, psychological, and social considerations in treating patients with …

School Personnel’S Knowledge And Perception Of School Refusal Behavior, Joshua M. Foy

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the knowledge of school personnel regarding risk and protective factors, the four-function model, assessment, and treatment of school refusal behavior. This study also explored the perceptions of school personnel regarding the understanding of school refusal behavior as an emotional condition versus its being delinquent behavior and the climate of understanding at their work setting. Two hundred, ninety-six mental health and non-mental professionals who currently work in school settings across the United States participated in this study by completing an online survey pertaining to this topic. Results indicate that mental health professionals demonstrated a higher level of knowledge …

A United Nations Renaissance: What The Un Is, And What It Could Be, John Trent, Laura Schnurr

Textbooks

PS 435 - International Organization

Licensed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Reflectance Transformation Imaging: Documenting Graffiti In The Maya Lowlands, Rachel Gill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the late 19th century, explorers identified graffiti etched in stucco walls of residences, palaces, and temples in the Maya Lowlands. By the mid-20th century, scholars acknowledged that the ancient Maya produced these incised images. Today, archaeologists struggle with documenting these instances of graffiti with precision and accuracy, often relying solely on to-scale line drawings to best represent the graffitied image they see before them. These images can be complex, multilayered, and difficult to see so identifying the sequence of creation of the incisions can be challenging. Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) is a method that uses a moving light source …

A Complex Calculus: How Message Format And Processing Route Coordinate To Influence Hpv Vaccination Message Persuasiveness Among Young Adults, Laura Boutemen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may lead to cancer and genital warts yet can be prevented by a safe and effective vaccine recommended for individuals up to 26 years old. HPV vaccination rates remain low among college aged adults that represent a catch-up population still eligible to receive the HPV vaccine. This present study is a theory-based investigation employing the Heuristic Systematic Model to explore the effect of message format and processing route on attitude and behavioral intention in the context of HPV vaccination. Undergraduate students aged 17-26 years old (N = 261) from various majors (e.g., STEM, social sciences, humanities) …

Holding Off On The Fun Stuff: Academic Media Multitasking And Binge Watching Among College Students, Kelly Merrill Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students are often faced with the temptation of engaging in academic media multitasking and binge watching or completing their academic coursework in a timely and effective manner. A quantitative survey (N = 651) explored trait individual differences in self-control and academic delay of gratification and situational individual differences in enjoyment, reward, procrastination, regret, and guilt as predictors of academic media multitasking frequency, binge watching frequency, and binge watching duration. Stepwise regressions reveal that self-control is not a predictor of these media behaviors, while age and greater enjoyment were the only predictors of academic media multitasking and gender and greater …

Desistance From Crime Of Serious Juvenile Offenders: Examining The Social And Individual Differences, Lisa Dunkley

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

There is an overrepresentation of youths with disabilities in the juvenile justice system. As a result, each year thousands of juvenile offenders despite of the seriousness of the crimes committed, are released from incarceration with the hopes of living a successful life in society. Despite progressive research on identifying factors associated with desistance, it is still unclear what factors contribute to desistance for serious juvenile offenders and especially those with disabilities. The current study investigated the individual differences (e.g., moral disengagement, motivation to succeed and impulse control) and social factors (e.g., employment, education and maternal warmth) that are important in …