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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Marijuana Use Among Adults In The United States: Comparing Correlates Of Use, Assessing Impact Of Education, And Evaluating Use And Health Amid Justice-Involved Populations, Corey Pomykacz
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Over the past two decades, there have been significant changes in state-level policies (i.e., decriminalization, medicalization, legalization) in the U.S. regarding marijuana use. Prior research has found a relationship between marijuana policies and decreased perceived risk as well as increased prevalence of use. In light of these historical shifts, the public health implications of marijuana use deserve increased attention by researchers so that we can discern patterns of use, evaluate risk, and inform intervention. This dissertation has three aims: (1) investigate how correlates of use prevalence versus use frequency vary; (2) offer a theoretical explanation as to why more education …
Pixelated Scapegoat: False Connections Between Video Games And Violent Crime In America's Largest Cities, Matthew Segal
Pixelated Scapegoat: False Connections Between Video Games And Violent Crime In America's Largest Cities, Matthew Segal
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
For too many years, the public perception of violent crime has been viewed through the warped lens of media representations and reporting of mass killings, the likes of Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Parkland, while ignoring the body counts that rack up year after year in America's own cities. Many pundits and politicians declare cultural decay and glorification of violence in video games as the main reason for mass shootings. However, these same voices fail to take the explanation any further to explain the eruptions of violence that rack up thousands of lives a year in large metropolitan areas. The question …
Two Pink Lines: Exploring Florida's Pregnancy-Associated Intimate Partner Homicides, Sonya Spence
Two Pink Lines: Exploring Florida's Pregnancy-Associated Intimate Partner Homicides, Sonya Spence
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Pregnancy-associated Homicides (PAHs) are homicides committed while a woman is pregnant, and recent reports from Florida's Pregnancy-associated Mortality Review (PAMR) suggest that it is a leading cause of unnatural deaths for pregnant women. However, a study has not examined the motives, characteristics, and underlying factors behind these homicides. Therefore, this study explored Florida's Pregnancy-associated Intimate Partner Homicides (PAIPHs) using a sample of women that were reportedly pregnant at the time of their mortality (n=33), as well as a comparison group of not-pregnant women (n=33). To conduct the study, reported homicide data from news sources, police reports, and other public records …
The Precariat And The Pandemic: Assessing The Wellbeing Of Metro Orlando's Hospitality Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Caroline Austin
The Precariat And The Pandemic: Assessing The Wellbeing Of Metro Orlando's Hospitality Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Caroline Austin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
In 2018, the Orlando metro area was visited by 126.1 million tourists, a new record which the area has broken for its eighth year (Sanata 2019). As the number of visitors to the area continues to rise, so has the number of people employed by the hospitality industry which currently makes up the largest sector of the area's job market, employing 280,000 workers as of December 2019 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Consistent growth in various insecure and unstable jobs of this kind have prompted the development of theory regarding the emergence of a new class known as the precariat. The …
(Main)Streaming Hate: Analyzing White Supremacist Content And Framing Devices On Youtube, Christopher Charles
(Main)Streaming Hate: Analyzing White Supremacist Content And Framing Devices On Youtube, Christopher Charles
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The emboldening of white supremacist groups, as well as their increased mainstream presence in online circles, necessitates the creation of studies that dissect their tactics and rhetoric, while offering platform-specific insights. This study seeks to address these needs by analyzing white supremacist content and framing devices on the video hosting website, YouTube. Data were collected through a multi-stage sampling technique, designed to capture a 'snapshot' of white supremacist content on the platform during a 45-day period in 2019. After line-by-line coding and qualitative thematic analysis, results showed that sampled channels varied between different levels of color-blindness and overt racialization in …
Under Pressure: Analysis Of An Undergraduate Intervention For Stem Students In Academic Decline, Dena Ford
Under Pressure: Analysis Of An Undergraduate Intervention For Stem Students In Academic Decline, Dena Ford
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Students who successfully persist in STEM majors often gain positive attention highlighting their preparation and ability, though far too often, students who struggle while persisting in the major go unnoticed. This research analyzed demographics and characteristics of select undergraduate STEM majors with a focus on biology and forensic science who were not reaching the major GPA benchmark requirements. These students were persisting while in academic decline. Characteristics of interest in this study include self-reported level of familial pressure to be in the major, anxiety level of current declared major, and course workload anxiety level as well as admit type (either …
Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria: Responses To Trauma And Constructing A New Life In Central Florida, Angela Vergara
Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria: Responses To Trauma And Constructing A New Life In Central Florida, Angela Vergara
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
On September 20th, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on the island of Puerto Rico causing devastating results. An Island with a history of decades of economic recession, inadequate infrastructure, and a negative effect of a century of colonial rule by the United States, Hurricane Maria unquestionably intensified the catastrophic circumstances in Puerto Rico. (Cons 2017; Torres 2018; Gay et al 2019). The aftermath of Hurricane Maria left thousands homeless and without basic resources in the Island. The study examines the effects of disparate social factors on individual responses to trauma before, during, and after the disaster and illuminates the circumstances …
The Power Color: Does Shared Decision Making Between Physicians And Patients Differ By Race, Vernon Headley
The Power Color: Does Shared Decision Making Between Physicians And Patients Differ By Race, Vernon Headley
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Objective: Shared Decision-Making (SDM) as a clinical approach allows patients and physicians to discuss the best treatment options for the patients' improved health outcomes. Over the past two decades, SDM has improved the quality of health by reassuring patients that they have a voice when considering treatment options. The objective of this study is threefold: to examine parents' perceptions of engaging in SDM with their physicians about their treatment options; to engage in the SDM process when their children's mental health conditions were the subject of SDM; and to assess the comfort level of parents engaging in SDM, based upon …
Incels And The Manosphere: Tracking Men's Movements Online, Annie Jones
Incels And The Manosphere: Tracking Men's Movements Online, Annie Jones
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Throughout history, men have responded to feminist progress with political backlash. Pre-internet men's groups used biological constructions of gender as a method of reinforcing patriarchal power by restricting the rights of women. Today, the same methods are used in a loose collection of men's rights groups online called 'the manosphere'. Within the manosphere, men who identify as involuntarily celibate (incels) blame women for their perceived loss of masculine power. Some incels have taken their anti-feminist backlash offline through acts of mass violence, suggesting an emergent need for social science research into the incel identity. This paper outlines the theoretical orientation …
Family Mass Homicide: An Investigation, Alec Szalewski
Family Mass Homicide: An Investigation, Alec Szalewski
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Operationalizing mass murder consistently has yet to be achieved. Mass homicide definitions often use time and space, but other key factors (e.g., victim count) vary widely across literature and agencies. Because of this, the current study argues for a mass family homicide definition of two or more victims, not including the offender, with no method of killing requirement. The purpose of using this victim count derives from the average family size and how many victims can be killed before an entire family annihilation. Next, using the suggested definition, three exploratory logistic regression models were run to further the understanding and …
Understanding The Role Of Social Networks In Influencing Adult's Participations In Physical Activity In Unequal Physical And Social Environment, Ting Du
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Physical inactivity has become a public health crisis which can be the trigger to many other chronic diseases. Participation in physical activity is correlated with a variety of factors at multiple levels, including individual physical and psychological health, interpersonal social support, and community physical and social environments. Previous studies found that individuals' social networks influenced health behaviors, including physical activity. However, it remains unclear how social networks at different life stages affect adult engagement in physical activity among different socio-demographic groups. Built upon a theoretical framework which integrates the social-ecological model, social cognitive theory and social network theory, this study …
Drug Availability And Disparities In Arrests, Robert Hellmuth
Drug Availability And Disparities In Arrests, Robert Hellmuth
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Racial disparities in arrests in the United States are well-documented. Particularly, young black males are arrested at inordinately higher rates than other demographics. In this research, we investigated whether an unresearched variable—drug availability—could explain these discrepancies found in the US criminal justice system. Research suggests race is an extralegal (unrelated to the law) factor associated with arrest rates. Until this study, no research has investigated whether an individuals' access to illegal drugs might be related to likelihood of being arrested. If illicit substances might be more easily obtained by individuals of a specific race, could this explain inequalities in arrest …
Food For Thought: Food Insecurity And Academic Performance, Justen Rosenberg
Food For Thought: Food Insecurity And Academic Performance, Justen Rosenberg
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Objective: In 2018, 11.1% of American households were food insecure at least once. Annual reports on food insecurity conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture study the prevalence of household food insecurity; however, they fail to conceptualize the consequences that are associated with being food insecure. The objective of this study is to analyze the impacts of food insecurity on academic performance of children currently enrolled in an Orange County, Florida, K-12 public school. Methods: One focus group and 10 one-on-one interviews were conducted with parents who have at least one child currently enrolled in a K-12 public school …
The Arrest And Prosecution Of Cyber Stalkers: How "Rational" Are Criminal Justice Decision Makers?, Trisha Whitmire
The Arrest And Prosecution Of Cyber Stalkers: How "Rational" Are Criminal Justice Decision Makers?, Trisha Whitmire
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The emergence and continuous development of technology continues to create opportunities for people to communicate and keep track of one another. Numerous websites and cellular applications exist that allow individuals to anonymously send messages, track other's whereabouts, or expose private information. Many of these tools, while innocuously created to enhance friendships and make it easier to stay in touch, are being nefariously used to stalk and harass others through electronic means. The rise of stalking using electronic methods, also known as cyber stalking, gravely complicates the ability of law enforcement officers and prosecutors to adjudicate cases of stalking. This study …