Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Apple’S Screen Time: The Utility Of Digital Wellness Software In Curbing Smartphone Dependency, Ebubechukwu Onyekachi Aham Ubochi

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of digital wellness software by attempting to measure the utility of Apple’s Screen Time as a means of curbing smartphone dependency. It involved following the activities of eight iPhone users who were encouraged to use and pay attention to Screen Time over the course of a week. They were interviewed at the start of the process to get a feel of how they use their phones as well as what knowledge they had about Screen Time, and then at the end of the process to measure any changes that might have emerged. Each participant’s Screen …

The Impact Of Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences International Programs On Student Motivation For Continuing College And Student Engagement In The Classroom, Olivia Caroline Caillouet

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Colleges aim to increase student achievement, which has been linked to motivation and engagement, as well as increase global partnerships. There is also an increasing demand from students for international programs (IPs) that prepare them to be global citizens. This study aimed to compare student motivation for continuing college and student engagement in the classroom before and after an IP. Students who participated in a Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences IP between January 2018 and August 2018 were surveyed prior to, and two weeks and three months post-program participation (n = 24). The instrument had 51 Likert-scale …

Co-Enforcement Of Common Pool Resources: Experimental Evidence From Turfs In Chile, Carlos A. Chávez, James J. Murphy, John K. Stranlund

ESI Working Papers

This work presents the results of framed field experiments designed to study the co-enforcement of access to common pool resources. The experiments were conducted in the field with participants in the territorial use rights in fisheries (TURFs) management scheme that regulates access to nearshore fisheries along the coast of Chile. In the experiments, TURF members not only decided on harvest but also invested in monitoring to deter poaching by outsiders. Treatments varied whether the monitoring investment was an individual decision or determined by a group vote. Per-unit sanctions for poaching were exogenous as if provided by a government authority, and …

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, Sarah Adcock

Graduate School of Art Theses

I view my creative process as alchemy, the transformation of materials through experimentation. I use wax as a material that transcends its historical use as a sculptural process for casting and instead, use it for its transmutable qualities to inform content. Because of its plasticity and duality as fragile and resilient, wax is symbolically submissive and assertive. By applying heat, wax can be molded and formed into new shapes. Once it cools, wax reverts back to its natural state; solid and impermeable. I use objects to explore desires of origin and life. Transitional objects, the first “me not me” possession …

Promoting Productive Aging Among Low-Income Older Adults, Sarah Matsuoka

Student Capstone Papers

Productive aging is a topic of great significance due to the increasing older adult population. Interfaith provides services to older adults in low-income housing to help support their abilities to remain more independent as they age. The purpose of the capstone was to gain understanding of marginalized older adults instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performance issues. The preliminary objectives were to (1) establish an understanding of the needs of the older adults; (2) perform in-depth interviews for the needs assessment; (3) assess current resources available in North County San Diego; and (4) develop a program incorporating recommendations to increase …

911 Dispatchers: Investigating Their Knowledge Of Eyewitness Evidence Collection, Samantha A. Kosziollek

Student Theses

911 dispatchers are often the first contact in an emergency, playing a critical role in the investigative process. Presently, a new bill is seeking to nationally reclassify these communications officers, recognizing them as vital first responders, as their initial collection of eyewitness evidence aid in the attainment of crucial information and detailed descriptions of an accident or crime. However, only one study (Kassis, 2017), to date, has examined the training of 911 dispatchers, as well as their self-reported knowledge of the potential influences their language could have on an eyewitness’ memory. While this research highlighted disparities between the perceived role …

Do Psychopathic Traits Influence Distractibility By Empathy-Eliciting Pictures?, Priya M. Reji

Student Theses

Empathy is a crucial component in forming interpersonal connections, and reflects the ability to share and understand the feelings of others. Psychopathy is often associated with a reduced ability to feel and display empathetic concern towards other people. The Response Modulation Hypothesis argues that such individuals have an attentional deficit, which makes it difficult for them to shift focus between stimuli, thus individuals who have high scores on the interpersonal-affective factor of psychopathy have an increased ability to ignore emotional stimuli that are goal-irrelevant. The current study investigated whether psychopathic traits would influence distractibility on an emotional Stroop (eStroop) task. …

Factors Influencing The Use Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy With Autistic Adults: A Survey Of Community Mental Health Clinicians, Brenna B. Maddox, Samantha Crabbe, Jessica Fishman, Rinad S. Beidas, Lauren Brookman-Frazee, Judith Miller, Christina Nicolaidis, David Mandell

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) can improve anxiety and depression in autistic adults, but few autistic adults receive this treatment. We examined factors that may influence clinicians’ use of CBT with autistic adults. One hundred clinicians completed an online survey. Clinicians reported stronger intentions (p = .001), more favorable attitudes (p < .001), greater normative pressure (p < .001), and higher self-efficacy (p < .001) to start CBT with non-autistic adults than with autistic adults. The only significant predictor of intentions to begin CBT with clients with anxiety or depression was clinicians’ attitudes (p < .001), with more favorable attitudes predicting stronger intentions. These findings are valuable for designing effective, tailored implementation strategies to increase clinicians’ adoption of CBT for autistic adults.

Autistic adults have high rates of anxiety and depression (Buck et al. 2014; Croen et al. 2015), and often do not receive quality mental healthcare for these or other co-occurring conditions (Maddox et al. 2019; Roux et al. 2015; Shattuck et al. …

Amp’S Top Ten Tips For Engaging With Young People, Research And Training Center For Pathways To Positive Futures, Portland State University

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This tip sheet advises service providers and others how to engage successfully with youth, using specific examples to illustrate effective (and ineffective) communication.

Peer-Mediated Tootling With A Standardized Form And A Mystery Motivator In High School Classrooms, Sarah J. Wright

Dissertations

Peer-mediated tootling with a standardized procedure was implemented along with a mystery motivator component to determine the effects on academically engaged and disruptive behavior in three general education high school classrooms. The intervention used an A/B/A/B design across all classrooms. The goal of the study was to determine if these components would increase academically engaged behavior and decrease disruptive behavior. Students were trained on tootling procedures with a standardized format, which included reporting on peers’ positive, prosocial behavior on a premade tootling slip with various behaviors that they could select as being observed, reading five random slips aloud, totaling the …

Profiles Of Interest In Holland's Theory In Relation To Personality And Sex, Erica L. Mathis

Dissertations

The current study sought to expand the knowledge of latent profiles of vocational interest that are interpreted from a theory-driven perspective. The current study utilized a measure of Holland’s RIASEC interest types as a source of data to explore possible profiles through latent profile analysis. Using an MTurk sample of 303 adults, seven profiles were interpreted in the context of Holland’s theory, specifically using diagnostic signs of the theory to explain possible profile membership. The seven profiles were coined Low Profile Elevation, High Consistency SIA, Moderate Consistency Conventional Investigative, Undifferentiated, High Differentiation Conventional Dominant, High Consistency Investigative Artistic, and High …

Evaluation Of A Role-Playing Game To Improve Social Skills For Individuals With Asd, Kate A. Helbig

Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects one in 59 children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Impairments in social communication and restricted and repetitive behaviorsare often associated with debilitating outcomes for individuals with ASD. Therefore, it is critical to identify successful treatments to address the social deficits characteristic of ASD. This study investigated the effects of a role-playing game (RPG) on social skill acquisition for individuals with ASD. The primary dependent variable was skill acquisition within the context of the RPG setting. Generalization of skill acquisition outside of the game-context and social functioning was also evaluated. Results indicated that the …

Weeding Through College Drinking: The Moderating Role Of Marijuana Use On Alcohol Use, Protective Behavioral Strategies, And Negative Consequences, Mallorie Carroll

Dissertations

Rates of alcohol (60% monthly) and marijuana (20% monthly) use among college students remain a concern given students experience a wide range of negative consequences related to their use, especially hazardous use. Research supports the theory that protective behavioral strategies are effective strategies that one can use while engaging in alcohol and marijuana use to minimize the experience of negative consequences. However, research regarding protective behavioral strategies for marijuana is fairly new and the findings are inconsistent. Given the limited research regarding alcohol-use behaviors among college students who report alcohol and marijuana use, the purpose of this study was to …

"We've Been Here All Along" : The Standpoint And Collective Resilience Of Transgender U.S. Service Members., Jacob R. Eleazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2010 repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy ended the ban on open lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) military service (Alford & Lee, 2016). However, prior to 2015 transgender military personnel were still considered medically and psychologically unfit for service (Kerrigan, 2012; Yerke & Mitchell, 2013). From 2015 through 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) researched the implications of policy change, developed new policies and trainings, and implemented open service for transgender persons (Belkin, 2016; Carter, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of transgender military service members prior to this transition in …

Comparative Spending Of Medicaid Dollars On Child Participants Of Kentucky’S Sobriety Treatment And Recovery Teams Program Versus A Matched Comparison Group., Matthew Thomas Walton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child protective services agencies have long observed the complicating role that parental substance use and addiction plays in cases of child maltreatment. Families who struggle with these problems present unique challenges for child welfare professionals. These families are typically more difficult to engage, more likely to have children removed from the home, and have poorer outcomes when compared to other families. These poorer outcomes often include health problems. Addiction has well-known effects on health, and the specific manifestations of these problems for parents have been documented for years in child protection casework. However, what has been less investigated are the …

Behavioral And Cognitive Correlates Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty In Children With And Without Anxiety Disorders., Colette Marie Gramszlo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) has long been identified as a proximal risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders, and more recently has been implicated in the development of emotional disorders broadly. However, little is known about how IU and psychopathology symptoms relate, limiting the degree to which IU can be identified prior to the development of emotional disorders and targeted during the intervention of disorder symptoms. The current study reviews several areas of literature to inform a model by which IU impacts anxiety symptoms. First, uncertainty processing and the development of uncertainty processing in childhood are reviewed. Next, IU …

On The Existence Of Equilibrium In Bayesian Games Without Complementarities, Idione Meneghel, Rabee Tourky

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

In a recent paper, Reny (2011) generalized the results of Athey (2001) and McAdams (2003) on the existence of monotone strategy equilibrium in Bayesian games. Though the generalization is subtle, Reny introduces far-reaching new techniques applying the fixed point theorem of Eilenberg and Montgomery (1946, Theorem 5). This is done by showing that with atomless type spaces the set of monotone functions is an absolute retract and when the values of the best response correspondence are non-empty sub-semilattices of monotone functions, they too are absolute retracts. In this paper, we provide an extensive generalization of Reny (2011), McAdams (2003), and …

On The Existence Of Equilibrium In Bayesian Games Without Complementarities, Idione Meneghel, Rabee Tourky

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper presents new results on the existence of pure-strategy Bayesian equilibria in specified functional forms. These results broaden the scope of methods developed by Reny (2011) well beyond monotone pure strategies. Applications include natural models of first-price and all-pay auctions not covered by previous existence results. To illustrate the scope of our results, we provide an analysis of three auctions: (i) a first-price auction of objects that are heterogeneous and imperfect substitutes; (ii) a first-price auction in which bidders’ payoffs have a very general interdependence structure; and (iii) an all-pay auction with non-monotone equilibrium.

Estimated Costs Of Injuries In College And High School Female Sports, Ray C. Fair, Christopher Champa

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Injury rates in thirteen U.S. women’s college sports and four U.S. girls’ high school sports are examined in this paper. The sports are categorized as high injury (H) or low injury (L) and differences in injury rates between the two are examined. Estimates are presented of the injury savings that would result if the H sports were changed to have injury rates similar to those in the L sports. The estimated college savings are 13,610 fewer injuries per year and 2,020 fewer healthy years lost-to-injury per year. The estimated high school savings are 143,900 fewer injuries per year and 24,300 …

U.S. Infrastructure: 1929-2017, Ray C. Fair

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper examines the history of U.S. infrastructure since 1929 and in the process reports an interesting fact about the U.S. economy. Infrastructure as a percent of GDP began a steady decline around 1970, and the government budget deficit became positive and large at roughly the same time. The infrastructure pattern in other countries does not mirror that in the United States, so the United States appears to be a special case. The overall results suggest that the United States became less future oriented beginning around 1970. This change has persisted. This is the interesting fact. Whether it can be …

Progressive Participation, Dirk Bergemann, Philipp Strack

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

A single seller faces a sequence of buyers with unit demand. The buyers are forward-looking and long-lived but vanish (and are replaced) at a constant rate. The arrival time and the valuation is private information of each buyer and unobservable to the seller. Any incentive-compatible mechanism has to induce truth-telling about the arrival time and the evolution of the valuation. We derive the optimal stationary mechanism, characterize its qualitative structure and derive a closed-form solution. As the arrival time is private information, the agent can choose the time at which he reports his arrival. The truth-telling constraint regarding the arrival …

On The Existence Of Equilibrium In Bayesian Games Without Complementarities, Idione Meneghel, Rabee Tourky

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper presents new results on the existence of pure-strategy Bayesian equilibria in specified functional forms. These results broaden the scope of methods developed by Reny (2011) well beyond monotone pure strategies. Applications include natural models of first-price and all-pay auctions not covered by previous existence results. To illustrate the scope of our results, we provide an analysis of three auctions: (i) a first-price auction of objects that are heterogeneous and imperfect substitutes; (ii) a first-price auction in which bidders’ payoffs have a very general interdependence structure; and (iii) an all-pay auction with non-monotone equilibrium.

An Integrated Model Of Eating Disorder Risk And Protective Factors: Implications For Research And Treatment, Leslie Alison Davis-Waddle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors are significant public health concerns, especially among college-age women. Despite extensive research, the complex nature of disordered eating and its etiology has prevented a satisfactory predictive model from being developed and validated and has therefore hindered the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. This study aimed to integrate four of the most common etiological theories into a model to predict disordered eating behaviors. Bivariate correlations and moderation analyses were conducted to determine the strength of relationships between variables and to determine whether a protective factor (i.e., self-compassion) moderates the effects of risk factors …

A Tactful Conceptualization Of Joint Attention: Joint Haptic Attention And Language Development, Lauren P. Driggers-Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research investigating associations between joint attention and language development have thus far only investigated joint attention by way of visual perceptions while neglecting the potential effects of joint attention engaged through other sensory modalities. In the present study, I aimed to investigate the joint attention-language development relationship by investigating the possible links between joint haptic attention and language development, while also exploring the likely contributions of joint visual attention through a mediation analysis. Using video recordings from an archival dataset, measures of joint haptic attention and joint visual attention were derived from behavioral tasks, and measures of vocabulary development were …

Automation Of State Climate Office Processes & Products: Developing Efficient Approaches For Data Dissemination, Michael Shoop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State Climate Offices (SCO’s) in the United States are critical conduits for improving weather and climate data in local communities. Two states do not have a state-recognized SCO: Tennessee and Massachusetts. Efforts are underway at East Tennessee State University to develop the Tennessee Climate Office (TCO). Currently, climate services and products are severely lacking across Tennessee. This thesis provides an improved methodology for an existing TCO product and outlines the development of a new product using Python scripting. Daily storm reports within the monthly climate report are automated and a Weather Forecasts Hazard Index (WFHI) web application is developed. Both …

Resilience Among Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Appalachia, Bridget Jeter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical investigation of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and their relationship with health and well-being outcomes in later life is increasing. Less is known about factors that may promote resilience for those who have survived such challenges, such as how resilience may be facilitated for those with ACEs residing in a marginalized region such as South Central Appalachia. Multidimensional spirituality, social support, stigma related to ACEs, and Appalachian acculturation may serve as both valid cultural factors and potential indicators of resilience. Cross-sectional, simultaneous multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 272 adult patients of a South Central Appalachian …

Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Mental Health Outcomes And Related Prescription Practices In A Psychiatric Inpatient Sample, Carrie Lemay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A definitive association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative physical and mental health outcomes has been established. There is evidence that individuals in forensic psychiatric facilities are disproportionately exposed to ACEs, which may impact severity, prognosis, and age of onset of psychiatric symptoms, including behavioral concerns of institutional aggression, self-harm behaviors, and suicide attempts. Such psychiatric and behavioral concerns are often managed through multiple psychotropic prescriptions, leading to psychotropic polypharmacy. This study evaluated the relationship between ACEs, mental health and behavioral concerns, and psychotropic polypharmacy through analysis of archival data from a forensic inpatient psychiatric facility. A total of …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 3, Number 8, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton, Ana Gutierrez Zubiate, Ignacio Santana

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Hotel Sector Forecast Accuracy In El Paso: 2006-2016, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Adam G. Walke

Border Region Modeling Project

This study evaluates the accuracy of previously published econometric forecasts for seven lodging sector variables that measure hotel activity in El Paso, Texas. The hotel forecasts have been generated annually using an econometric model of the El Paso metropolitan economy from 2006 forward. Predictive accuracy is evaluated relative to random walk benchmarks. Assessment is completed using both descriptive forecast error summary statistics as well as formal statistical tests. The econometric model outperforms the random walk benchmarks for a majority of the variables analyzed. However, statistical tests of forecast error differentials do not yield conclusive evidence in favor of the econometric …

Werewolves: A Three-Dimensional Content Analysis Of Films From 1980-2014, Jennifer Lewis

Master's Theses

WEREWOLVES: A THREE-DIMENSIONAL CONTENT ANALYSIS OF FILMS FROM 1980 – 2014 revolves around how monsters function in stories. Monsters represent fears and teach social norms. They are often portrayed as “other”, but more recently the werewolf has appeared in media as more sympathetic (Brannon 2016, 21; Gilmore 2008, 362; Hughes 2009, 97). Limited research has systematically studied how werewolves are represented in the media. This content analysis focuses on how major werewolf characters are represented in 20 films.

The analysis showcases werewolf characters in today’s culture and what it means to be a monster by analyzing hybridity. This study presents …