Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Zoomprov. Improvisation Exercises For Language Learning In Online Classes With Zoom Or Similar Tech For Beginning And Intermediate Learners And Beyond, Mona Eikel-Pohen

Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - All Scholarship

The improv language exercises in this compilation are chosen from the experience I gathered 20 years ago, but also from the amazing work of Lauren Esposito and Scranton Improv & Comedy that have been more real than anything else to me this past summer, and from Jim Ansaldo, who taught me how to structure improv exercises online. They are organized by level, referring to the Common European Framework of References for Languages. That means, A1 exercises can be conducted at the beginners level but also at all other higher levels, but B2 exercises should not be imposed upon beginners or …

Does Age Of Second-Language Acquisition Improve Intellectual Processing Abilities?, Sanum Shafi

Theses - ALL

Past research on bilingual education indicates that the onset-age of second language learning is negatively associated with both second language proficiency and the cognitive benefits of being bilingual. However, there is inconsistency in the bilingual education field as to whether bilingual speakers benefit from enhanced intellectual processing abilities compared to monolingual speakers. The critical period hypothesis states that during childhood development a certain window of time exists in which second language acquisition skills are strongest. This hypothesis provides the theoretical foundation for my research study. In the current study, I synthesize evidence on the associations between onset-age of second language …

Towards A Nuanced Understanding Of Emotional Infidelity: An Investigation Of Behavioral Exemplars And The Impact Of Ambiguity, Morgan Proulx

Theses - ALL

Infidelity is an especially severe relational transgression that can act as a predictor of negative outcomes. Though the word “severe” may seem to imply that we can expect a degree of clarity when considering whether a particular behavior qualifies as “infidelity”, thinking of infidelity behaviors in that way might be an oversimplification. Whereas researchers have had some success in predicting the outcomes of and responses to infidelity, our understanding of infidelity may be complicated by a lack of clear behavioral indices for some forms of infidelity, namely emotional infidelity. The present study explored the specific types of behaviors that participants …

Nonparametric Identification And Estimation Of Stochastic Frontier Models, Jun Cai

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation studies nonparametric identication and estimation of stochastic frontiermodels. It is composed of three chapters. The rst chapter investigates the identication and estimation of a cross sectional stochastic frontier model with Laplacian errors and unknown variance, which is built on a nonparametric density deconvolution strategy. Chapter two studies a zero-ineciency stochastic frontier model utilizing a penalized sieve estimator, which allows flexible function forms and arbitrary distributions of ineciency. The third chapter explores identication and estimation of a nonparametric panel stochastic frontier model based on Kotlarski's Lemma and moments derived from conditional characteristic functions.

Gendered Civil Society Context, Local Party Strength, And Candidate Emergence: Explaining Female Representation Across The Us State Legislatures, Colleen Dougherty Burton

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examines the substantial and persistent variation in female representation observed across states and party caucuses in the US state legislatures. I develop and test the theory of gendered civil society context and party strength to explain why female candidates are more likely to run for office in some places rather than others. Gendered civil society context refers to the gender balance of civil society groups (e.g. unions, service organizations, advocacy groups, professional associations) in a party’s local strategic environment; party strength is defined as the capacity of political parties to influence candidate nomination.

Two main hypotheses guide the …

Three Essays On Demand-Side Health Policies In India, Raghav Puri

Dissertations - ALL

Demand-side health policies, such as conditional cash transfers and public health insurance, aim to increase the utilization of healthcare services by providing financial incentives and higher purchasing power to under-served populations. With their increasing popularity in developing countries, there is a need for more research on their implementation and impact. In this dissertation, I examine demand-side health policies in India by evaluating the impact of these policies, identifying challenges in their implementation and proposing ways to improve their effectiveness in increasing utilization of healthcare services.

In the first chapter, I measure the impact of conditional cash transfers on health-seeking behaviors. …

A Model Of Scaffolded Encoding, Yanxiu Chen

Dissertations - ALL

Repetitions are ubiquitous and are the foundation of episodic memory. As we investigate episodic memory in a laboratory setting and with, usually, a study-test design, we have inaccurately assumed encoding happens only at study and retrieval happens only at test. However, it’s entirely possible that encoding and retrieval happen simultaneously at both study, with explicit repetition, and test, with implicit repetition. The fallacy that encoding and retrieval are separate processes coincides with the unsatisfactory status of memory process model: there is no unified memory model. Most models of memory are models of retrieval tasks. Facing these two challenges, we proposed …

Examining The Mediational Role Of Writing Motivation In The Writing Development Of Elementary-Aged Students, Brittany Eggleston

Dissertations - ALL

Motivational variables, such as writing self-efficacy and writing attitudes, are not emphasized in writing frameworks for developing writers. The purpose of this research study was to extend the research literature on elementary-aged students’ writing development by examining the potential mediational role of writing self-efficacy and writing attitudes between foundational academic skills (e.g., handwriting, spelling, and executive functioning/working memory skills) and written performance. Measures of spelling, handwriting, executive function/working memory skills, writing self-efficacy, writing attitudes, and written expression were administered to 140 third-grade and fifth-grade students. In this correlational research study, a parallel mediational analysis was conducted to examine whether writing …

Maternal Communication At Menarche: Evaluating Direct And Indirect Effects On Age At First Sexual Intercourse In Young Adult Women, Jennifer Horne King

Dissertations - ALL

This study examines maternal communication at menarche and its effects on early sexual decision-making in young adult women. Drawing on principles from Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory and communication privacy management theory, I predicted that certain types of maternal communication at menarche would either promote or inhibit early sexual self-efficacy, with indirect effects on age at first sexual intercourse. I also predicted that maternal communication at menarche would vary in tone or content, depending on age at menarche, with mothers communicating less to daughters who reached the milestone early. A total of 175 sexually active females aged 18 to 26 …

Parenting Typologies And Adolescents' Academic And Behavioral Outcomes In Ghana, Odetta Odartey Addo

Dissertations - ALL

AbstractGrounded in Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection and Social Learning theories, and guided by Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions framework, this study sought to test the applicability of parenting typologies within the Ghanaian context. In addition to ascertaining maternal and paternal culturally-specific parenting typologies, the associations among parenting typologies, and sociodemographic correlates, adolescents’ academic and behavioral outcomes were determined. Variations in the prevalence of parenting styles, academic and behavioral outcomes across different Ghana’s cultural regions were also examined. A sample of 800 adolescents, including 489 (61.1%) females and 311 (38.9%) males drawn from high schools located in two southern sector regions (Greater Accra and Eastern) …

The Affective Politics Of Democratic Erosion: Explaining Mass Support For Executive Aggrandizement, Aykut Ozturk

Dissertations - ALL

During the last two decades, executive aggrandizement has emerged as one of the chief threats to democratic regimes. In various countries, ranging from Turkey and Hungary to Venezuela, elected incumbents used their democratic mandates to gradually dismantle democratic institutions. Similar patterns of executive aggrandizement have been visible even in an advanced democracy, the United States of America. Executive aggrandizement is facilitated by the consistent electoral support that incumbents with authoritarian agendas enjoy. In order to understand this threat to the future of liberal democracies, we first need to explain why voters support leaders eroding democratic rights and freedoms in their …

¿Campo Para La/Os Jóvenes? Exploring Campesina/O Youth Subjectivities In Contemporary Colombia., Manuela Ruiz Reyes

Dissertations - ALL

The fate of small-scale agrarian production, livelihoods, economies and cultures and their transformations under capitalism is an ongoing and global question. Instead of focusing on agriculture, this dissertation focuses on the young adult agriculturalists (18-35 years old) as the subject under transformation. Based in the frameworks of agrarian studies, political ecology and feminist theory, and situated in the Andean region and river basin of Sumapaz, Colombia, this dissertation is a feminist political ecology analysis of agrarian livelihoods, exploring how campesina/o identity is constructed and how the decisions of continuing or not with small-scale agrarian or campesina/o livelihoods are taken and …

#Metoo: Networked Celebrity Advocacy As Capital Performance, Li Chen

Dissertations - ALL

Celebrity advocacy scholars have studied how social movements utilize celebrity appeal to attract media and public attention for decades. Some researchers have found that celebrity advocacy failed to achieve exceptional performance in the legacy media age. Moreover, only a very few top-class celebrities have successfully attracted legacy media attention regarding advocating social causes. This dissertation introduces the concept of networked celebrity advocacy to illustrate a new route on networked social media. Employing theories of capital and the framework of social network analysis, I test networked celebrity advocacy in the case of the #MeToo movement on Twitter. This dissertation analyzes the …

How Can I Help You? Social Support In The Context Of Attachment Insecurity., Julian Domingo Fuentes

Theses - ALL

People in close relationships support each other through various means yet support attempts may be unsuccessful. I propose that people prefer support behaviors matched to their dispositional needs (the personal context) and their relationship with the support provider (the interpersonal context). I also propose that this kind of support is most effective at enhancing relationship quality and reducing personal distress. Attachment theory provides a framework for characterizing differences in dispositional needs and in the specific relationship context between a support recipient and support provider. In three studies, I tested whether one’s trait and relationship-specific attachment orientations are associated with preferences …

The Role Of Exposure To Communication Channels, Institutional Trust And Moral Norm In Predicting Pm2.5 Risk-Reduction Intention In China: A Study Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior., Tong Lin

Theses - ALL

Understanding and encouraging people to perform PM2.5 risk-reduction behaviors is essential to reduce the health risks caused by PM2.5 and to promote a healthy lifestyle. This study aims to predict the effects of psychological factors (attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm and moral norm) on individual’s PM2.5 risk-reduction intention. It also looks into how contextual factors (exposure to communication channels and institutional trust) can influence behavioral intention and make contributions to the predicting powers of the theory of planned behavior. To achieve this goal, I analyze the secondary survey data that randomly selected residents living in three regions known for …

Exploring Media Preference And Trust By Millennial Investors., Chedza Mmolawa

Theses - ALL

The purpose of this study is to establish which media millennial investors and potential investors prefer and trust to make investment decisions. The Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) will be used to understand why millennials prefer the media they chose to receive investment and financial information, and how it gives them the satisfaction they seek. The study also evaluates how Investor Relations (IR) practitioners can hone the relationship they have with millennial investors and potential investors by using their preferred media to impact their decision-making process. This study will use both qualitative and quantitative research. An online survey will be …

Evaluating Level Of Specificity And Discrepancy Of Normative Referents In Relation To Personal Condom Use Among College Students, Madison Firkey

Theses - ALL

Few evidence-based interventions have effectively increased college students’ condom use. There is a large literature supporting the efficacy of alcohol normative feedback interventions, components of which may be useful for the development of condom promotion interventions. While normative feedback interventions traditionally provide feedback associated with a typical student referent, more socially proximal referents may exert a greater influence over behavior compared to distal referents. However, developing discrepancy between perceived and actual norms is also essential for such interventions, and the greatest discrepancy is generated when a distal referent is utilized. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine which …

Progress In Closing The Age-At-Death Disparity For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Scott D. Landes

Population Health Research Brief Series

Intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) directly impact the course of an individual’s life, including the age at which they die.

Less Worthy Lives? We Must Prioritize People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In Covid-19 Vaccine Allocation, Scott D. Landes, Margaret A. Turk, Katherine E. Mcdonald, Maya Sabatello

Population Health Research Brief Series

Individuals with developmental and intellectual disability should prioritized during COVID-19 vaccination allocation.

Impact Of The Covid-19 On Religious Practices Of Muslim Students In Higher Education, Amir Duric

Muslim Student Life

Implications of religious practices in Islam go far beyond religiosity, and this paper analyzed the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and religious practices of Muslim students in higher education. The analyzed data is from the survey of the Muslim Student Life at Syracuse University and the Center for Islam in Contemporary World at Shenandoah University. The survey was conducted through a non-random convenience sampling from March 30th through April 10th of 2020 and had 498 responders. For this study, I analyzed 272 who provided their demographic information. The paper hypothesized and confirmed an overall increase in the engagement with the …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: November 2020, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during November 2020.

Health Is Political: Public Health Practitioners And Researchers Should Be Trained Accordingly, Claire Pendergrast

Population Health Research Brief Series

Policy has long been considered a core element of public health practice. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that public health practice and research exist within a political context that cannot be ignored.

2020 National Survey Of Military Affiliated Entrepreneurs: Research Report, Rosalinda V. Maury, Mirza Tihic, Kicia Sears, Alexander Mckelvie, Najla Almissalati

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This report belongs to the National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs (NSMAE) series, an annual and longitudinal study of veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs. The research seeks to gain better insights into and understanding of military-affiliated entrepreneurs, and identify economic, political, and socio-cultural factors that serve as barriers to entrepreneurship for military-affiliated individuals. Helpful for a better awareness of military entrepreneurs.

Technical Efficiency Of Public Middle Schools In New York City, William C. Horrace, Michah W. Rothbart, Yi Yang

Center for Policy Research

Using panel data and a “true” fixed effect stochastic frontier model, we estimate persistent and transient technical inefficiency in mathematics (Math) and English Language Arts (ELA) test score gains in NYC public middle schools from 2014 to 2016. We compare several measures of transient technical inefficiency and show that around 58% of NYC middle schools are efficient in Math gains, while 16% are efficient in ELA gains. Multivariate inference techniques are used to determine subsets of efficient schools, providing actionable decision rules to help policymakers target resources and incentives.

Covid-19 Reduced Outpatient Visits By Up To 70% In The Us, Pinka Chatterji, Yue Li

Population Health Research Brief Series

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for healthcare providers. Outpatient visits dropped by up to 70% relative to the same weeks in prior years.

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: October 2020, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during October 2020

2020 National Survey Of Military Affiliated Entrepreneurs: Key Highlights, Rosalinda V. Maury, Mirza Tihic, Kicia Sears, Najla Almissalati

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Short infographic about the status of military-affiliated entrepreneurs in 2020, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Helpful for a general awareness of the military entrepreneur industry.

The Effects Of Vietnam-Era Military Service On The Long-Term Health Of Veterans: A Bounds Analysis, Xintong Wang, Carloa A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes

Center for Policy Research

We analyze the short- and long-term effects of the U.S. Vietnam-era military service on veterans’ health outcomes using a restricted version of the National Health Interview Survey 1974-2013 and employing the draft lotteries as an instrumental variable (IV). We start by assessing whether the draft lotteries, which have been used as an IV in prior literature, satisfy the exclusion restriction by placing bounds on its net or direct effect on the health outcomes of draft avoiders. Since we do not find evidence against the validity of the IV, we assume its validity in conducting inference on the health effects of …

Health Have, Health Have Nots In A Time Of Covid-19, Sandro Galea

Center for Policy Research

In this brief, my goal is to talk about something which has animated a lot of my thinking and writing in the past decade. It is how our health is fundamentally socially patterned and reflects the world around us. This has been true for decades in this country, and one could also argue, globally, however this brief will focus on this topic at the national level. As you will see, I will talk mostly of health haves and health have nots in general, but as we progress, show how COVID-19 has made this evermore apparent.

There Are Large Disparities Between U.S. States In Cardiovascular Mortality Among Adults Aged 55 And Older, Nader Mehri

Population Health Research Brief Series

Over the past 20 years, declines in cardiovascular disease mortality rates have been much smaller in some U.S. states than others. Rates have also started to increase in some states in recent years.