Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Foucault's Legacy In Environmental Anthropology, Colin Hoag

Anthropology: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Caregiver Knowledge And Perceptions Of Dementia-Specific Nutritional Approaches, Danielle Freitag

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Dementia is a syndrome that affects millions worldwide. The syndrome can cause great distress not only for the diagnosed individual but also for the family and friends who provide care. It is known that many caregivers for people with dementia face difficulties in planning and preparing meals, feeding, and making nutritional decisions for their loved ones. Several diets have been shown to assist with dementia-related symptoms pre and post diagnosis. However, what is unknown is whether caregivers are aware of the benefits of these diets and what the barriers are to implementing them into their nutrition regime. This study surveyed …

Conflict Communication In Law Enforcement, Don Zheng

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This paper will focus on addressing conflict communication in law enforcement and what literature are available and the gaps within them. Conflict communication can range from the way's words are used, what words are used, and when those words are used when police officers interact with the public. Due to the lack of extensive research done within communication studies and law enforcement, this paper aims to aid in getting future research studies done within the professions. Conflict communication within law enforcement is a topic that should be talked about more to possibly lower the number of instances where physical and/or …

Supporting Resilience In Reserve Component Spouses During Deployment: The Impact Of Family Life Cycle Phase And Deployment History On Social Support Needs, Jennifer L. Ceminsky

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This exploratory study used a researcher developed survey to examine the relative value of instrumental, emotional, and informational support for Reserve Component spouses during deployment. Although all types of support were valued by nearly all study participants, significant differences were found between ratings of helpfulness for each type of support. Emotional support was the support type most valued by 73.1% of spouses in this study. Instrumental support was most valued by21.1%, and only 2.8% of spouses valued informational support most. Regression analyses were used to identify factors that were predictive of value placed on each type of social support. The …

Standing Between The Past And The Future, How Defense Attorneys Use Stigma Management Techniques In Presenting Their Closing Arguments In Capital Sentencing Procedures: A Content Analysis, Abdulrahmane Abdul-Aziz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In the penalty-phase of a capital case, defense attorneys face a difficult task in managing the identity of their now convicted client. They must present a coherent narrative that combats the prosecution’s case and engenders leniency from the jury. The closing argument given by the defense attorney(s) provides a unique opportunity to analyze and understand the general use of stigma management techniques and their applicability to capital cases. Using content analysis, 18 Transcripts from Texas capital cases from 2005 to 2015 were analyzed against the relevant techniques of neutralization (Sykes & Matza, 1957): appeal to a higher loyalty, appeal to …

Developmental Influences On The Initial Subjective Rewarding Effects Of Etoh, Madison Waldron

Master’s Theses

The present studies were aimed to better understand developmental contributions to the risk for disordered drinking, and facilitate the long-term goal of developing effective interventions for individuals at high risk for alcohol use disorders. Experiment 1 assessed the effect of adolescent pre-exposure to ethanol on adult place preference, as well as, sex- and beta-endorphin(bE)-related contributions. Adolescent C57BL/6J and bE deficient mice were injected with 1.5g/kg of ethanol or saline and put back into their home cages. At the time of adulthood, we employed a single-exposure conditioned place preference paradigm (SE-CPP) to investigate the impact of preexposure on the initial subjective …

Higher Edquity: Developing The Dei Community Of Practice And One Wku Inclusive Teaching Academy, Fabian Alvarez, Marko Dumančić, Kimberly Green, Michelle Green, Gayle Mallinger

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Community of Practice Goals:

• Connect faculty members from multiple disciplines;
• Stimulate learning via communication, mentoring, and self-reflection;
• Compile and disseminate existing knowledge to promote best practices;
• Organize purposeful actions with measurable results.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 15. Wallace's Many "Hats": What Should We Call Him?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) has been referred to by name through the aid of a variety of labels – some thirty or more, in fact – that link him to his emphases of attention. How many of these labels are/were justifiable? The assessment here is that he is probably best remembered as a ‘naturalist,’ ‘geographer,’ ‘evolutionist,’ and ‘social critic.’

Levels-Of-Analysis In International Relations, Anat Niv-Solomon

Open Educational Resources

The objective of this assignment is for students to be able to apply the concept of Levels-of-Analysis to real-world events. The students are required to explain an international event with accounts and narratives that fit in the three different levels of analysis - individual, state, and system.

This assignment can be used in introductory classes to international relations and international politics, as well as in classes about foreign policy analysis or national and international security.

Military Influence On Middle Eastern Democratization Following The Arab Spring, Andrew Fleming

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Despite experiencing countless wars, sectarian extremism, imperialism, and authoritarian rule, very few events have impacted the Middle East more significantly than the Arab Spring. Starting in 2010, the Arab Spring marked a turning point in which the people of numerous Arabic states collectively gathered to protest and combat the oppressive regimes that had controlled the region for decades. The Spring was indicative of the strong, recurring ambitions for revolution and regime change across the Middle East, presenting the Arab nations with an opportunity to reform their states from within. For some Middle Eastern states, the Arab Spring served as a …

What Accounts For The Variations In Educational Outcomes?: A Quantitative Analysis, Rachel A. Madigan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

High quality educational outcomes are a coveted item throughout the advanced industrialized world. This paper is a quantitative analysis of the educational outcomes of thirty-seven Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD) member countries. The overarching goal is to determine what variables account for this variation. Causes investigated include the type of party system, wealth, inequality, health of democracy, government spending on education, access to affordable healthcare, and student-teacher ratios. Socioeconomic variables, including wealth and income inequality, and the level of political freedom have the greatest impact on quality of education. Other more bureaucratic factors, including access to healthcare, student-teacher …

The Link Between Humor And Personality, Alexander R. Hawley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study sought to expand upon the research on humor and personality by attempting to find connections between the two through a digital survey. The participants of this study were 51 individuals obtained through social media that were 74.5% women, 23.5% men, and 2% non-binary. The Humor Styles Questionnaire and Midlife Development Inventory were used to assess humor styles and personality factors. Then, a correlation matrix was computed to examine associations between the two sets of variables. Four significant relationships were found: self-enhancing and openness to experience, self-enhancing and extraversion, aggressive and agreeableness, and self-defeating and neuroticism. These results can …

A Conceptual Proposal For The Epigenetically Causal Relationship Between Parental Ptsd And Inflammatory Disease In Post Hoc Offspring., Emma Griffith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Could a combat veteran's horrific experiences in early-2000s Afghanistan have a direct, biological impact his now-adult daughter's risk of a heart attack later in her life? This concept would have been unapologetically mocked a mere twenty years ago, and it has only been in the past decade that the new field of epigenetics has revealed a distinct possibility for this event to actually take place—for parents' experiences to profoundly influence the biology of their children. The major objective of this research project is to argue for the legitimacy of this theoretical phenomenon by discussing the latest data regarding PTSD's interaction …

Academics’ Motivations To Engage In Espionage For The People’S Republic Of China, Kevin Feezel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This work will explore and detail the methods of Chinese espionage used to steal information and technology from other countries using researchers, scientists, and academics. It will describe how this type of espionage is conducted, who is targeted, what types of information and technology are stolen, why this is the chosen method and the components of the successes and failures of this method of espionage. It will specifically focus on the Chinese Thousand Talents Program, recently officially identified by the United States as a form of Chinese espionage.

Perspectivas Sociolingüísticas Y Culturales En La Conservación Lingüística Del Wayuunaiki, Andrés Gabriel Espejel Fuentes

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Indigenous languages all over the world are endangered. The wayuunaiki language, spoken by wayuu Colombian ancestral communities, is not the exception. Even though the wayuunaiki is not endangered per se, does not mean that it is not at risk. Along this paper you will understand what the former statement means, and how this reality derives from a predetermined system yielded by a colonial epistemology. There is a succinct overview of the wayuu communities’ history so that we can truly understand how deep and well-hidden are the power discourses that might become a threat to the preservation of ancestral languages. …

Resident Centered Behavioral Health: A Program Evaluation, Anna Olinger

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Behavioral health concerns, such as depression and behavioral symptoms, impact older adults at significant rates. These concerns impact an individual’s quality of life, health status, and mortality. When behavioral health concerns cannot be effectively managed in the community by the individual or their caregivers, a skilled-nursing facility is often the next step. Unfortunately, those caring for older adults in these settings have not always had access to the training they need to care for individuals with depression or behavioral symptoms. The Resident Centered Behavioral Health program set out to change this. The program implemented an interactive, behavioral health training program …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Use Of Academic Library Resources, Ruth Sara Connell, Lisa C. Wallis, David Comeaux

Library Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted higher education, including academic libraries. This paper compares the use of library resources (including interlibrary loan, website and discovery tool pageviews, database use, patron interactions, etc.) at three university libraries before and after the pandemic. The latter part of the 2019 and 2020 spring semesters are the timeframes of focus, although two control timeframes from earlier in those semesters are used to determine how the semesters differed when the coronavirus was not a factor. The institutions experienced similar patterns of use across many metrics.

Antecedents To Self-Perceived White Privilege And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Anthony Micale

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

White privilege in organizational settings often gives White employees an undeserved edge over employees of color. The current study functioned to determine the precursors to self-awareness of one’s White privilege, specifically focusing on participants’ multicultural experiences as well as personal and parental education levels. Increased self-awareness of White privilege was also suspected to increase the frequency of engagement in organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). Finally, White privilege attitudes were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between multicultural experience and OCBs. White participants (N = 98) were asked to complete an online questionnaire designed to assess multicultural experience, self-perceptions of White privilege, and …

Analysis Of Circadian Rhythm Irregularities On The Health Of Shift Workers, Sahil Rajan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Circadian rhythms involve the natural 24 wake-sleep cycle that governs proper maintenance of biological sleep schedules. Circadian rhythm disruption has been associated with health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and mental health disorders such as bipolar and sleep disorders. In this study, a survey method was utilized in order to analyze specific population demographics to determine whether working day or night shifts predisposed individuals to health issues due to disruptions in their circadian rhythms. This study was also carried out to observe popular coping strategies among night shift workers. Of all the variables tested comparing the difference between day and …

Democracy In The Mena, Alexandria Petrof

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

There is not sufficient evidence that the Middle East will be able to democratize effectively. First and foremost, most attempts of implementing democracy have failed. The landscape and lack of industrialization also plays a role in the inability to apply democratic systems into this area. Lastly, the educational system, or lack thereof, struggles to educate their children and citizens as a whole and education is one of the biggest factors in the success of democracy.

Ecological Repentance, Emmanuel Salem

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In an age ripe with discovery and analysis regarding anthropogenic pollution and the resultant climate change, a causal ideological explanation is naturally sought. This paper seeks to delve deep into the Christian religion and its relationship to the current climate crisis, as well as discuss whether or not predictions and speculative assertions professed in the famous essay by Lynn White, Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis, hold up when surveyed with a more critical and thorough evaluative lens. This conversation is undertaken under three core considerations: biblical cosmology, what has happened in the world of Christian bioethics since White’s time, …

Toward An Understanding Of Treatment Moderators Based On Etiological Models Of Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Tess E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Extant research suggests negative outcomes associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) can be avoided with early intervention, with the most efficacious being behavioral parent training. However, parent training suffers from limitations including high drop-out rates, adherence, and long-term maintenance. Yet, consistent predictors of differential outcomes among individuals have not been identified. Etiological work suggests traits may be an early marker of disruptive behaviors. The goal of the current study is to examine child traits as a moderator of treatment outcomes for ADHD and ODD, using an efficacious short parent training treatment, Brief Behavioral Intervention (BBI). Twenty-six …

The Interactive Effects Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf) Polymorphisms And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder On Neurocognitive Functioning In U.S. Military Veterans, Colton Shafer Rippey

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is associated with mild-to-moderate deficits in neurocognitive functioning. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, namely, the Met allele, may also be associated with mild deficits in neurocognitive functioning. However, findings are inconsistent and may be sensitive to environmental epigenetic moderators such as psychopathology.

The current study analyzed data from European-American U.S. military veterans (n = 1,244) who participated in the 2011 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS). Multivariate analyses of covariances were conducted to evaluate the unique and interactive effects of the Met allele and probable PTSD on …

The Utility Of The Unified Protocol In Treating Borderline Personality Disorder, Martina Fruhbauerova

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by maladaptive levels across three personality domains: Neuroticism, (low) Agreeableness, and (low) Conscientiousness. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic treatment that targets neuroticism and has demonstrated promising effects with BPD. However, not all individuals with BPD respond to UP treatment. The aim of the current study was to explore the extent to which the UP is an efficacious treatment for BPD symptoms. This study represents a secondary analysis of a clinical trial in which the UP was the study treatment; data from the full sample and a subset of nine participants who likely …

Competency-Based Education: A Framework For A More Efficient And Safer Aviation Industry, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Julius Keller, Brian G. Dillman

Publications

Aircraft design and reliability as well as pilots’ education and training have steadily and significantly improved in the last 20 years. Nevertheless, high-profile accidents still occur, even when the aircraft and related systems are operating adequately. Controlled flight into terrain, runway incursion accidents, and loss of control in flight are examples of mishaps in which inadequate decision-making, poor leadership, and ineffective communication are frequently cited as contributing factors. Conversely, the investigation of accidents (e.g., US Airways Flight 1549, in the U.S. on Jan. 15, 2009) and serious incidents (e.g., TAM Linhas Aereas Flight 3756 in Brazil on June 17, 2011) …

Psychosocial Preoperative Preparation In A Non-Children's Hospital Without Child Life Supports, Haley M. Fricke

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

On average, 6 million children undergo general anesthesia for surgery annually in the United States (Shah et al., 2021).Anesthesia can be one of the most stress provoking experiences, with 40% to 60% of children displaying emotional and behavior stress before surgery (Boles, 2016). Psychosocial preoperative preparation in pediatrics has been seen to lower children’s stress levels, enhance understanding, increase compliance, decrease length of time in recovery, and decrease analgesic use (Aranha et al., 2017; Al-Yateem et al., 2016; Dolidze et al., 2013; Tunney & Boore 2013; Wenstrom et al., 2011). The purpose of this exploratory case study was to better …

Mindfulness Of What? Impact Of Awareness- And Acceptance-Focused Mindful Eating Techniques On Eating Outcomes, Jennifer Battles

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: Significant debate exists over the conceptualization of mindfulness even though mindfulness-based interventions are widely utilized to treat obesity and problematic eating behaviors. Little research has directly compared these theorized components of mindfulness in the context of eating. The purpose of the current study was to understand the relative importance of two components of mindfulness (i.e., awareness and acceptance) on laboratory eating outcomes. Methods: An experiment was conducted with 103 obese participants (M_age = 22.38, SD = 6.82; 64.1% female, 44.6% White, M_BMI = 35.42, SD = 7.68) comparing two mindful eating inductions (i.e., awareness only and …

The White Gap In Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Towards Integrity: An Autoethnography Of White Racial Identity, Kelly Weingust

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

It has been over two decades since the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) was posed by Ladson-Billings (1995), yet little has changed in the lives of Black students and students of color. Across the literature, researchers revealed many White teachers lack awareness of self and others. This qualitative analysis utilized the narrative form and process of autoethnography to examine how my White racial identity evolved across context and time and how this racial identity impacted my teaching practice. This study began with journal entries of significant cultural experiences and events I recalled from early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. I …

Legal Pluralism And Analytical Jurisprudence: An Inapposite Contrast, Jorge Luis Fabra-Zamora

Journal Articles

The intellectual tradition of legal pluralism characterizes itself by way of a contrast to legal centralism or monism. Self-styled pluralists typically attribute centralist and monist views to mainstream theories of law, which I call here analytical jurisprudence. This article argues that the pluralist foundational contrast with analytical jurisprudence suffers from three recurrent defects. First, the pluralist opposition to analytical jurisprudence conflates conceptual questions with empirical, doctrinal, and politico-moral inquiries. Second, pluralists misattribute to analytical jurisprudents an equation between law and state that they do not hold and have the resources to reject. Third, pluralists address the conceptual problems of legal …

Playing To Heal: The Impact Of Bereavement Camp For Children With Grief., Clarissa L. Salinas

Counseling Faculty Publications

Child bereavement is a difficult topic to explore and study because of stigmas in discussing death, and because of restrictions in doing research with young children. Thus, research in childhood bereavement is limited. This study focused on children who attended a bereavement camp after the traumatic loss of a loved one. The purpose was to understand the participants’ grief experiences. This research study used phenomenological inquiry and analysis methodology. Five female participants were interviewed for this study. In addition, participants created a sandtray world to convey their experiences at bereavement camp. The essence of participants’ experiences as revealed through verbal …