Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Investigating The Behavioral Effects Of Juvenile Stress In The Prairie Vole Model, Marigny C. Normann

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Early life stress during the juvenile period, such as emotional neglect, interpersonal difficulties, or other forms of non-violent maltreatment can have consequences into adulthood. Specifically, the negative effects include increased risk of psychiatric or physical illnesses, social deficits, and maladaptive behavioral responses to stress. Since these effects have far-reaching implications that can negatively alter later behavior and physiology, the present study assessed the effects of early life social stress on later social and affective behaviors in a social rodent species – the prairie vole. The prairie vole displays behavioral, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrine responses to social stress similar to those of …

Why Some Authoritarian Regimes Do Not Just Win Elections But Win Big: Lessons From Cambodia And Malaysia, Limeng Ong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Electoral authoritarian regimes have risen in the post-Cold War era. Elections and other nominally democratic institutions such political parties and legislatures not only do not make authoritarian regimes democratize but also help them to resist democratization. However, even if authoritarian regimes adopt electoral institutions, such adoption does not mean that all authoritarian regimes can easily manipulate elections. Indeed, some regimes hang on to power barely with simple majority votes, while others easily receive supermajority electoral support. What account for variation in electoral strength of ruling parties in authoritarian regimes? I attempt to answer this question. There are four main factors …

The Role Of Medial Septum Cholinergic Function In Processing Self-Movement Cues To Maintain Spatial Orientation, Jenna Rae Osterlund

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Wandering is the most life-threatening and commonly reported symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by an inability to maintain spatial orientation. The often deadly consequences of wandering are projected to rise in the coming decades due to the advancing aged population. These upcoming challenges necessitate a more comprehensive understanding of the neurobiology of spatial orientation in order to evaluate novel therapeutic techniques for symptoms such as wandering. The inability to maintain spatial orientation in AD may be due to the pathological degeneration of the hippocampal cholinergic system. This neurological system is conserved across species for its function …

Links Between Parenting Behaviors And Anxiety Among Early Adolescents, Jacqueline Marie Pabis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study aimed to specify factors, particularly parenting behaviors and gender, that influence the development of anxiety symptoms during early adolescence. Past research tends to incorporate a large age range; thus, this study focused on early adolescence which involves a change in the dynamics of the parent-child relationship such that children become less dependent on their parents. The study collected data from 153 middle school students (Mage = 12.71 years; 54.2% female; 48% White) using an online data collection instrument during study hall periods in the school day. Partial correlations revealed that rejection among both parent figures is the greatest …

An Online Randomized Controlled Trial Of Mindful Parenting Among Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emily Elizabeth Padgett

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience stress and other psychological symptoms associated with their role as a parent. Mindfulness, defined as purposefully paying attention and nonjudgmentally remaining in the present moment, and mindful parenting, the application of mindfulness to the parent-child relationship, have been found to improve psychological functioning for individuals more broadly and parents specifically. Additionally, experimental mindful parenting interventions have been found to improve multiple outcomes in parents, including mindfulness, mindful parenting, parenting stress, anxiety and depression, and self-compassion. However, experimental research to date has not yet examined an online, self-guided mindful parenting intervention, …

Often Overlooked, But Not Forgotten: The Influence Of Demographic Measure Constraints On Participant Affect, Attitudes, Behavior, And Response Codability, Joy S. Pawirosetiko

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Despite a growing number of recommendations varying in wording and response options, researchers have yet to agree on how to best request participant gender identity. Evidence suggests that gender binary and gender minority participants perceive gender identity measures differently, with gender binary participants potentially perceiving more gender inclusive measures as laborious and gender minority participants perceiving less gender inclusive measures as misgendering or invalidating. We sought to test whether seven versions of an online questionnaire (six experimental conditions with gender identity questions listed at the beginning of the questionnaire varying in gender inclusivity, and one control condition) significantly impacted participant …

Wellness And Self-Care Of Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Students, Andrew Michael Plath

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the wellness and self-care experiences of current counselor education and supervision doctoral students in CACREP accredited doctoral programs. Data were collected using the FFWEL-A2 inventory, two additional Likert agreement scales, two drop-down menus, and two open-ended questions. A total of 118 participants completed the survey. Total wellness scores on the FFWEL-A2 were higher than the norming group. Self-care data were grouped by strengths and challenges. Themes within strengths included individual activities, social activities, awareness, and overcoming guilt. Themes within challenges were time, lack of motivation or energy, expectations, perceptions of …

Southern Electoral Strategy: The Strategic Integration Of Religious Values Into The Republican Party Platform, Levi Walker Rattliff

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There has been substantial literature concerning the effect the Republican southern strategy had on the Southern voting realignment following the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This literature has singularly focused on the role of race issues as a wedge disrupting the Southern Democratic majority. During the early stages of this process race did play an integral role, but closer to modernity, the emergence of religious issues serves as a better causal mechanism that has been largely overlooked. Meaning that as racial issues became less salient and palatable in nationwide presidential elections, the Republican Party strategically incorporated social issues …

Apanola Atolan Pah Mollo At The Margin: Power, Development, And Ngo-State Relationship In West Timor, Indonesia, Yuda Rasyadian

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines how power operates within the NGOs and how NGOs’ agenda interacts with local forces that transform local civic life and their relationship with the state. Using critical ethnography as an approach and methodology, this study investigates the relationship between the agenda that was developed by an NGO-like institution named the UGM and the Mollonese’s local politics that in turn affected the NGO-state relationship in West Timor. This study uses ethnographic data from two separate fieldworks in the district of North Mollo, Timor Island. The first was conducted from January 2016 to January 2017, the second was from …

Bully Participant Role Behavior And Social Support From Teachers And Classmates: A Longitudinal Conditional Process Analysis, Logan Riffle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Youth are involved in a range of bullying-related behaviors. Unfortunately, engagement in such behavior is associated with a variety of poor outcomes and thus it is important to understand the mechanisms behind this phenomenon as well as associated variables such as perceived teacher support and classmate support, as both types of support have been associated with engagement in bullying situations. Using Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological Model (Bronfenbrenner, 1977) as a backdrop, the aim of the current study was to investigate the longitudinal associations between bullying participant role behavior and perceived support from teachers and classmates. Specifically, this study examined the mediating …

Maternal Parenting Behavior, Socioeconomic Risk, And Toddler Effortful Control: The Mediating Role Of Infant Attention, Leanna D. Rosinski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Effortful control (EC), the regulatory component of temperament, has important implications for children’s emotional, behavioral, and physical health. Greater infant attention regulation, a skill which develops prior to the emergence of EC, predicts better EC later in childhood. In addition, higher socioeconomic status (e.g., greater education, higher income) predicts better infant attention regulation and child EC. Negative parenting, characterized by intrusive, insensitive interactions with expressions of negative affect, has been found to predict poorer infant attention and child EC. Given these findings, the current study examined infant attention as a mediator between socioeconomic status, negative parenting, and toddler EC. A …

How Christian College Student Leaders Discover Purpose, Emmanuel Ayiku

Masters Theses

Among college students, research has revealed that 76% of them reported that they search for meaning in life (Dunn & Hammer, 2015). Spirituality is one specific way in which students begin their search for meaning. A qualitative approach was used to examine the perspectives of how six Christian college student leaders from three different campus ministries found their purpose. By examining and understanding purpose from one subset of religious students who serve in a leadership position, we may gain insight into the interplay of meaning-making, purpose, and leadership. This study concluded that faith or spirituality played an important role in …

Narrativizing The Holidays: Event Branding Through Commodity Narrative Campaigns, Peighton Hinote

Masters Theses

Event planning and coordination often view events to be standalone, existing only until the event has passed. However, this thesis looks to serialize events to exist long after a single event takes place. Through the application of narrative, myth, and floating signification through the lens of semiotics theory, this thesis aims to create evergreen content for public relations practitioners in their efforts to promote events. The contents of this thesis focus on theory and application, allowing the two to enrich one another. Furthermore, this thesis practically applies foundational concepts from scholars like Fiske (1987, 1990) and Barthes (1957, 1970, 1978) …

Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scales (Basc-3 Trs): Comparisons With The Adjustment Scales For Children And Adolescents (Asca), Shannon Burback

Masters Theses

The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scale Child Form (BASC-3 TRS-C) and the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA) are both teacher rating scales which may be used by school psychologist to assess youth behavior problems. The BASC, BASC-2, and BASC-3 have limited replicated research of the studies reported in their respective manuals. Therefore, it was important to empirically compare the BASC-3 TRS-C with the ASCA to examine construct validity (convergent, discriminant, and divergent) as there were, at present, no published studies replicating BASC-3 Manual research. The present study analyzed BASC-3 TRS-C and ACSA ratings which …

Middle School And High School Educators’ Knowledge And Acceptability Of Praise, Zachary Yehling

Masters Theses

Praise is a simple strategy, that when used correctly reduces student inappropriate behavior. Furthermore, praise is a key strategy used within the School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (SWPBIS) framework. All staff are expected to participate in SWPBIS and therefore, it is important for staff to know how use praise effectively. However, few studies have examined educators’ knowledge of effective praise use. In the current study, 201 educators completed the Praise Knowledge Assessment of Teachers and Educators (PKATE) and the Behavior Intervention Rating System for Praise (BIRS-P). The PKATE was created by the author to assess educators’ knowledge of effective praise …

How All In Are We Really?: An Examination Of Eastern Illinois University’S “All In” Branding Campaign’S Impact On Tenured Faculty Members’ Organizational Identification And Commitment, Melissa A. Stone

Masters Theses

Organizations are constantly putting out messages to the world, and many of these external messages speak on behalf of the organization’s internal members. While organizations often thoroughly examine whether these messages have the intended effect on target audiences, current research lacks answers to how internal members perceive and are impacted by these messages. To gain greater insight into the relationship between an organization’s external messages and the impact those messages have on internal members, this thesis examines Eastern Illinois University’s “All In” branding campaign and its perceived effect on tenured faculty members’ organizational identification and commitment. Ten tenured-faculty members were …

Terministic Screening And Conspiracy Theory In Political Communication: A Critical Analysis Of Trump’S Rhetorical Ties To Fair And Alex Jones Through “Invasion” Immigration Discourse, Emily A. Wiedeman

Masters Theses

This study focuses on the political and social communicative implications that result from mirrored anti-LatinX immigration discourses from three different political entities: President Donald Trump, special-interest hate group the Federation for Immigration Reform (FAIR), and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Through a critical communication lens, the author presents and discusses the influence of presidential communication, and its ability to contribute to and bolster xenophobic political undertones, creating a communicative environment that functions to empower and embolden proponents of racially based discrimination. Further, this study discusses the power presidential communication has to legitimize, normalize, and amplify the racist and xenophobic anti-LatinX discourses …

Single Sport Specialization: Ncaa Di Collegiate Student Athlete Perceptions, Jordyn Blood

Masters Theses

This study seeks to understand the experience and perception of current, NCAA DI athletes with regard to sport specialization. By learning more about their level of specialization prior to their life as an NCAA DI athlete, as well as their perception on the importance of specialization, this study seeks to contribute to the growing body of literature in sport specialization. Specifically, this study will help inform aspiring athletes, coaches and parents about the role and perceptions of sport specialization in today's elite level athlete. Using paper surveys, the perceptions of 138 current 2019-2020 season NCAA DI athletes at a mid-major …

Shaking The Ceiling: First Leadership Role Attainment For Collegiate Women, Elizabeth J. Siecinski

Masters Theses

Using qualitative research methodology, factors and barriers influence leadership role attainment for collegiate women were explored and examined. The study used semi-structured interviews with four participants to look at factors influencing leadership attainment and why women decide to lead. The researcher identified factor before and after college that impacted a women’s decisions to lead, and her ability to attain a role. Challenges and barriers that women face in their leadership role attainment were also found. Overall, the research found that due to barriers and challenges women struggle to lead authentically, and that they see leadership as way to contribute to …

Creative Thesis Project: Handbook For Developing Trust With Gender And Sexual Minority Students In A Campus Health Care Clinic, Anne E. Pettit

Masters Theses

Trust is an important element in patient-provider relationships in the health care field. Patient trust in the provider is linked to higher satisfaction of care, better adherence to treatment plans, overall higher success in health care visits, and better likelihood of seeking out medical care in the future. Trust can be difficult for health care providers to establish with gender and sexual minority (GSM) patients due to health care’s well known history of harassment and discrimination against the GSM community. The Handbook for Developing Trust with Gender and Sexual Minority Students in a Campus Health Care Clinic addresses health care …

Do Shifts In Labor Shares In Productivity Growth Affect Poverty And Inequality? A Comparative Study Of Sub-Saharan Africa And Asia, Precious W. Allor

Masters Theses

This paper examines whether productivity growth induced by intersectoral labor movement affects inequality and poverty. To address this question a nonparametric shift-share decomposition technique is employed to decompose productivity growth into the structural change component; the component of productivity growth that is induced by the intersectoral labor movement, and the technological change component; the component of productivity growth that is induced by capital or improvements in productive efficiency. The paper then examines the long-run impact of structural change-induced productivity growth on poverty and inequality for a sample of 28 countries, and with a focus on Sub-saharan Africa and Asia. The …

Effect Of Religious Support And Perception Of Available Social Support On Seeking Formal Psychotherapy, Adaeze W. Akubueze

Masters Theses

This study sought to investigate the relationship between perceived availability of social support and religious support on willingness to seek professional mental health counseling. Sixty-five (41 females and 18 males, 6 gender unspecified) students at Eastern Illinois University completed measures of religiosity (the Duke University Religion Index; DUREL), perceived availability of social support (the Late Adolescent Social Support Inventory; LASSI), religious support (from God, from religious leaders, from fellow religious participants; the Multi-Faith Religious Support Scale; MFRSS) and willingness to seek counseling (Willingness to See a Counselor scale; WSC). Religiosity did not play a significant role in influencing the willingness …

Using Sport Identification & Rhetorical Strategy: Evaluating An Ncaa D1 Collegiate Football Team’S Social Media Presence, Maria Baldwin

Masters Theses

Using social media platforms to build identification amongst stakeholders is of increasing importance for a growing range of organizations. Social media represents a powerful tool for marketing and developing business. In sports organizations, the use of social media can build identification amongst a fanbase by using George Cheney’s (1983) rhetorical strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore the content of a regional D1 university football team’s twitter and Instagram platforms, using a content analysis to clarify the organization’s use of rhetorical strategies and design elements to foster sport identification amongst their social media fanbase. Many sports organizations use …

A Pilot Study On The Effects Of Comparative Feedback And Performance On Students’ Self-Efficacy And Self-Esteem, Claire Schneider

Masters Theses

This study compared the effects that academic performance and comparative feedback have on student self-efficacy and self-esteem. Through mobile device polling, participants were able to complete in-class multiple-choice conceptual questions. Participants included 35 college students in two psychology classes assigned to a control and experimental group. For the control group, the class was shown a graph of student responses following each question and the experimental group was not shown how their peers performed. This allowed individuals in the control group to compare their own scores to peer scores while the experimental condition was not provided the comparative feedback. Data were …

Investigating The Economic Impacts Of Globalization On Employment Generation In Africa: Case Study Of The Ecowas, William Dickson Amenyo

Masters Theses

A review of the ongoing debate on the economic impacts of globalization on employment in developing economies shows that the predictions of most trade theories that, an increase in globalization would result in more employment in labor abundant countries has not always proven to be true. This study actually examines the employment impact of economic globalization to recipient economies – ECOWAS member states. The analysis has employed a balanced panel dataset of 13 ECOWAS member nations over the period 1990 – 2017. Based on the Fixed Effects estimation approach, the empirical analysis reveals that over the full sample, economic globalization …

Growth Convergence Across Countries And Regions In The Long Run: An Empirical Study Using Panel Analysis (1980-2018), Portia Mensah

Masters Theses

With the emergence of new superpowers, the changing landscape of the global economy, and the heterogeneity of growth experiences being discovered in recent times, the concept of growth convergence must be revisited. This study examines whether developing countries are catching up with the advanced countries in terms of their per capita income. The study uses a panel analysis of 69 countries over a period of 39 years spanning from 1980 to 2018 to test for growth convergence (both absolute and conditional) among countries based on the Augmented Solow model. The countries were further divided into three regions namely, Europe, Asia, …

How Thick Is The Stained-Glass Ceiling?: An Exploration Of Heteronormativity In Religious Circles, Hannah Rae Smothers

Masters Theses

The 2012 National Congregations Study found that only 11.4% of the total clergy in the United States were women (ARDA 2012). As the congregation size grows, that number declines further, with data indicating only 3.4% of congregations with 1,000 or more members have a female leader. The number of women religious leaders increased by less than one percent between 1998 and 2012. These statistics work well to outline a phenomenon for female religious leaders, their inability to break the stained-glass ceiling. Many religious groups in the United States allow women to become ordained leaders. However, some of the largest religious …

Relationship Between One’S Motive For Curiosity And Meaning In Life, Charles Reither

Masters Theses

Meaning in life as a psychological construct has many demonstrated benefits for psychological well-being and optimal functioning (Steger, 2013), and the treatment of clinical populations (Thir & Batthyány, 2016). This study investigated in greater detail than is currently available in the psychological literature how meaning in life is related to curiosity. Meaning in life was explored using top-down (the presence of and the search for meaning) and bottom-up (the specific sources of meaning) approaches. Curiosity was examined in its two motivation-based forms: curiosity motivated by the anticipation and enjoyment of discovery (an appetitive interest-type of curiosity) and curiosity motivated by …

Construct Validity Of The Teate Depression Inventory: Convergent And Discriminant Validity And Equivalence For Black/African American And White/Caucasian Samples, Dylin Coons

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to replicate the construct validity of a new measure of depression, the Teate Depression Inventory (TDI; Balsamo & Saggino, 2013), with the primary focus on Black/African American participants. Research has purported that Black/African Americans experience inequality in obtaining mental health care for internalizing disorders. This may partially be caused by errors in diagnosing these individuals with symptoms. Correctly diagnosing internalizing disorders is a critical step in obtaining appropriate treatment. More research on depression and anxiety is needed to enhance mental health practices by addressing the need for professionals to be culturally competent and conscious …

The Process Of Therapeutic Change In The Attention Training Technique, Benjamin J. Laman-Maharg

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: An unacceptably large proportion of individuals remain symptomatic after receiving first-line interventions. The attention training technique (ATT) is a potentially effective treatment augmentation and standalone treatment that may help improve the treatment of psychological disorders. The machanisms of therapuetic change of ATT remain understudied. This study is a randomized controlled trial of ATT compared to progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) that examined mindfulness and attentional control as potential mechisms of therapeutic change.

Method: A convenience sample of 64 participants (Mage = 20.13, SD = 3.65; 42.2% Male; 64.1% non-Hispanic White; 23.4% Black; 9.4% Hispanic/Latino; 3.1% Other) were randomly assigned to …