Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Convention To Save America, Andrew Todd Looker, Jr.

Masters Theses

Article V of the United States Constitution articulates the methods for amending the Constitution. Amendments are formally recommended by either a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress or by a vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures. This latter method is known as a Convention of States. Despite its inclusion in Article V, no amendment has yet been proposed for ratification by such a convention. This research aims to explain the history of Article V, the process for an Article V Convention, the current efforts to call such a convention, and amendments that should be considered at this convention. …

Exploring Strategy Planning And Execution Methods In Church Missions Programs, Jonathan Daniel Deming

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which church missions programs employ strategic planning and execution methods. In order to validate available literature on the topic of strategic planning (both biblical and secular), the author contributes a current survey dataset which validates the problem and highlights specific areas of potential improvement. This research successfully articulates the need for North American Southern Baptist Convention churches to focus on strategic planning. In analyzing the survey data, one is able to understand the cause-and-effect relationships between successful strategic planning and a church’s ability to optimize their ability to advance …

Vaccine Hesitancy And Biden's Rhetoric, Samuel J.M. Bell

Masters Theses

Within the setting and context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study uses Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) framework to analyze fantasy themes which emerged from the rhetoric of the American President, Joe Biden, regarding vaccinations. The main question of this study is why President Biden’s rhetorical vision either chained out and was accepted among the American public resulting in increased vaccination or failed to chain out resulting in Americans refusing to become vaccinated. To answer this question, a selection of artifacts consisting of examples of President Biden’s rhetoric are gathered, and using those artifacts, SCT fantasy themes are developed. …

Revisiting The Future: The Future Indicative And Perfective Aspect In Johannine Literature, Casey Lou Price

Masters Theses

As Greek aspectual studies continue to develop, there remains a significant gap in research on the future as it pertains to aspect. The nature of the future indicative is debated, especially as to whether or not it conveys aspectual value. Using Buist Fanning’s premise that aspect and Aktionsart interact to produce predicable outcomes, Mark O’Brien has shown that future STATIVE verbs consistently create an ingressive meaning that mirrors that of STATIVE verbs in the aorist tense. He has used this to demonstrate that the aorist and future share the same aspect-Aktionsart interactions and that they therefore both communicate perfective aspect. …

Bias As A Worldview Engine, The Terminus A Quo Of The Problem Of Evil, Eric Spencer Mccrickard

Masters Theses

Evidential evil is an encompassing title for moral evil, natural disasters, disease, famine, divorce, suffering, or other calamities in life that yield dissatisfaction or discernable discomfort. This area of evidential evil is the focus of this paper generally, including the argument posed by William Rowe from evidential evil and contemporary treatments offered by Bruce Russell. The argumentation is God’s nonexistence from the platform, or derivative of no greater good observed or known, of the justification or allowance of evil. It is not a refutation of the premises, per se, but instead, the biases associated with them are de facto statements …

Screen Time, Sleep, And Anxiety, Michael Edward Turner

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Prior literature has found evidence for a connection between screen time and a variety of negative health outcomes. These negative health outcomes include symptoms of both generalized and social anxiety, as well as sleep issues involving poorer sleep quality and less sleep overall. There is also evidence that screen time has dramatically increased as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The present research project investigated the relationship between smartphone screen time and anxiety, both generalized and social, as well as sleep duration and sleep quality. This research project breaks down screen time into four separate domains, social media, video …

Greater Portland Health Medication Assisted Treatment: Prescription Drug And Opioid Addiction Expansion Project: Biannual Summary, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Katharine Knight, Mark Richards Bs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Evelyn Ali Bs

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

Greater Portland Health (GPH) in collaboration with Preble Street Resource Center was awarded a Medication Assisted Treatment: Prescription Drug & Opioid Addiction (MOUD-PDOA) grant from SAMHSA. The GPH MOUD-PDOA project included a mixed-methods evaluation led by Catherine E. Cutler Institute’s Substance Use Research and Evaluation Team (SURE). The aims of the evaluation are to build knowledge, document lessons learned, and provide feedback to inform the implementation and refinement of the GPH MOUD-PDOA Program. This summary presentation is a biannual summary of the GPH MOUD-PDOA Project. For more information, please contact Lindsey Smith at [email protected]

Hear Me Now: When Storytelling Meets A Health System Library, Heather J. Martin, Amanda Schwartz

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: A chance encounter at work led to an innovative and rewarding partnership between a large health system library and a storytelling program whose mission is to give patients, loved ones, and caregivers a sacred space to share their stories and make healthcare more humane.

Description: Providence System Library Services leadership collaborated with palliative care communication managers to support the mission and growth of a health system storytelling program. The program includes professionally produced podcasts, multimedia video and audio stories from patients/families/employees, and other online content. Library involvement was multifaceted including fact checking and literature searching to support the podcast; …

Design Is A Social Process: A Survey On Inclusive Practice, Gabriel De Souza Silva

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This inquiry pivots the discussion on design practice toward process, and seeks to elucidate how inclusivity is achieved in it, and by what means it is maintained. The design process is interrogated through a series of case studies on contemporary practitioners that either describe themselves or are recognized by the wider design community as inclusive of gender, race, sexual orientation, ability level, and are sensitive to history of place. The case studies are selected to demonstrate a diversity of project types, management structures, and design tools, and they comprise the practices of LA Más, Assemble, and Bryony Roberts. The product …

Architecture As Stress Relief: What Makes A Meditative Space?, Angela Brown

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Stress is a prevalent issue today. People can become stressed or overstimulated for various reasons, whether it be due to their physical environment, their physiological nature, psychological factors, or a combination. Although the causes of stress for our prehistoric ancestors were mostly periodic events such as predators or weather, modern-day stressors are often persistent and environmental, leading to chronic stress. Also, in today’s world of constant new information and stimulation, especially in urban locations, sensory overload is common. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic and its mental effects have brought new attention to the interaction between physical environment and well-being. The prevalence …

Spaces Of The Tragic: Modern Dramatic Tragedy And Contemporary Memorial Design, Shiloh Bemis

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Humans use narrative to understand the world around us. At early ages we are exposed to storytelling with variable intent, from cautionary tales to the inspirational and everything in between. The dialectic strength of narrative mediums is well-known and well-studied. Theatre is one of the world’s oldest enduring forms of storytelling and has a strong ability to reflect and adapt with cultures as they develop, as a means of commentary and cultural reflection.

Architecture shares theatre’s ancient roots and has always been an important method of communication and expression. However, its tactics have historically been less narrative-centric than theatre and …

A Story Of The Social Life Of Yulupa Cohousing, Kayla Ho

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This capstone is a study of the lived social experience of one cohousing community. Cohousing communities are designed with the intention of fostering a community with a mixture of privately-owned units and publicly shared spaces and responsibilities. The study is conducted at a significant point in American history: these communities are a fast-growing phenomenon in the United States yet they remain unknown and/or unattainable to many Americans.

Qualitative information from the community’s current residents is gathered by using research tools of interviewing and photography. Interviews were completed virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photographs were created during a three-day visit …

Ce 620 Syllabus: Tests And Measurements, Dawnette Cigrand

Counselor Education Syllabi

This course provides an overview of the fundamentals of measurement as applied to psychological testing. Knowledge of and practical experience in the use of standardized psychological tests in counseling for personality assessment, evaluation, and career and life decisions will be provided.

Learning From Each Other: Peer-Reviewed Literature Searching, Heather Martin, Danielle Linden, Carrie Grinstead

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Amidst shrinking staff and increased demand for services, a peer-learning program was developed to build literature search capacity and self-efficacy amongst staff at a large health system. A secondary objective of this program was to provide team-building opportunities for colleagues who may not work together directly. Participants included ten professional librarians and two library specialists working as part of a centralized department spread across seven western states with most staff working remotely or alone on site with few opportunities to meet in person. This project was first presented as a lightning talk at MLA ’22 and due to positive …

Addressing Maternal Health Disparities With Hospital Library Services: Information-Seeking Behavior Of Maternal Health Care Providers In Resolving Clinical Questions Related To Diverse Populations, Seema Bhakta

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Book Deserts Of Litlandia: A Case Study Of Book Deserts In The Literary City Of Portland, Oregon In Relation To Book Waste From It’S Largest Independent Bookstore, Megan Jessop

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

The goal of this project was to look at book waste from a local independent bookstore, Powell’s Books, in Portland, Oregon and compare local donation and literacy programs—such as Little Free Libraries (LFL), Children’s Book Bank, and programs with the Multnomah County Library (MCL) to see if there were books or print materials that were being thrown away, recycled, and/or turned into pulp that could have been utilized in other ways towards literacy efforts. Through a process of interviews with staff at Portland’s largest local independent bookstore, MCL, a LFL steward, and Children’s Book Bank, as well as analysis of …

The Health In Mental Health: Exploring Individualized Holistic Health Practices As A Process To Transform Mental Health, Craig Craig Keaton

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Mental health problems are on the rise, especially among college students. Problematically, the two most common approaches - pharmacotherapy and talk therapy - are either grounded in a limited and suspect evidence base or is not an approach that reaches most people in need of and wanting mental health support. There is, however, a growing body of evidence supporting a health-based approach to mental health, including the application of nature, exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. As well, with an expansive definition of health, there are even more practices, such as art, writing, and social connection to support better health and mental …

Spaced Retrieval Improves Retention And Transfer Of Foreign Vocabulary, Durna Alakbarova

Psychology Theses - Archive

One strategy that has been shown to promote long-term retention is spaced retrieval practice. In this study, we used standard and dropout procedures of spaced retrieval training to examine whether they produce superior retention and transfer relative to repeated restudy in novel vocabulary learning. Across three sessions spaced two days apart, participants learned 30 Swahili words with their English definitions via spaced testing or by restudying. Definitions were the same (fixed) across days in Experiment 1 and different each day (variable) in Experiment 2. A week later, all participants were tested using either the same (repetition) or new (transfer) definitions …

The Impact Of Teacher Perception Of Gifted Individuals On The Instruction Of Gifted Students, Justin Moreschi

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explores the impact of teacher perception on the instruction and identification of gifted students. All certified teachers in a local elementary school were invited to complete a survey addressing the state of gifted training opportunities and personal perceptions of giftedness in multiple capacities. Results from the survey led to the discussion of four themes: the support for gifted students in the traditional classroom, the amount of professional training for teachers, the identification of gifted students, and the fact that all teachers impact gifted students and their instruction.

Designing A Program To Train Elders To Respond To #Metoo Experiences Of Adult Females In A Church Context, Jana H. Unruh

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This project intervention explores resolution of systemic issues of church-based sexual harassment, abuse, and violence, referred to as #MeToo, through design of a training program for elders. As theological foundation for the project, the Gospel of Luke frames positive approaches modern church leaders can align with in the quest for solutions to #MeToo. The Good Samaritan parable and the story of Mary and Martha extract valuable lessons for church elders addressing sexual harassment, abuse, and violence experiences of adult women. In Luke, we find fresh understanding for questions of #MeToo through the highly relevant concept of “neighbor.” Luke will …

Developing Practices Within The Lord’S Supper That Develop Central Identity At Queen City Church Of Christ, Ryan Russell

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to meet a need at the Queen City Church of Christ (QCC) for developing intentional practices around the Lord’s Supper for forming a central identity in a diverse community. The scope of this project focuses on the project group’s ability to develop practices based on the theology of the Lord’s Supper, biblical teaching, engaging in practices of spiritual formation as a group, and their observations of Lord’s Supper practices in other Christian traditions. Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth provides the textual context for the discussion of the role the Lord’s Supper plays within …

You Are What You Turk: Empirically Testing An Elance Work Design Model, Traci Megan Bricka

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

As the completion of short-term tasks on online work platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk; i.e., eLancing) continues to increase in popularity, it is important to establish an understanding of how traditional work design principles manifest in a digital, transient workforce (Colbert et al., 2016). Therefore, the present effort aimed to do so by empirically testing aspects of Schroeder et al.’s (2021) eLance work design theoretical model through the lens of the Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA) model (Schneider, 1987). Data were collected from 325 MTurk workers to examine the mechanisms by which eLancers are attracted to tasks with specific work characteristics, …

The Influence Of Dark And Positive Personality Traits On Dyadic And Individual Creativity, Shaikha Salman Aldousari

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The present study not only replicates Jonason et al.'s (2017) examination of the influence of negative personality traits—the Dark Triad of Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy—upon Creativity Valence; but expands this investigation to examine the influence of positive personality traits—the Light Triad of Kantianism, Humanism and Faith in Humanity, plus General Trust and Prosocial Motivation —between dyads. Specifically, I examine the influence of an individual’s negative and positive personality traits on the novelty, fluency, and valence (positive and negative) of ideas, based on a sample of 208 individuals (104 dyads) recruited through Prolific. Analyses reveal Machiavellianism as the only personality trait …

Does Experiencing And Witnessing Violence Negatively Impact Delinquency Throughout The Life Course?, Treshure Dene Jones

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

At some point in an individual’s life, there will be some type of exposure to violence whether direct or indirect. Also described as victimization, this takes place when there is a change in three main assumptions: belief in personal invulnerability, the perception of the world as meaningful, and self-positivity (Janoff-Bulman and Frieze, 1983). There is no specific answer for the cause of delinquency, but many factors that work together (Shader, 2001). The risk factors for delinquency and victimization have been shown to be the same creating an overlap. This study focuses on whether witnessing or experiencing violence can result in …

Educational Attainment Of Mexican American Immigrants: A Longitudinal Analysis In Six Texas Gateways, Ana G. Mariscal

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

This paper analyzes data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series to examine trends in educational attainment from 2000 to 2018 in six Texas gateway cities: El Paso, San Antonio, McAllen, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. Multilevel analyses explore three variables: generational cohort, citizenship status, and English proficiency and how they relate to years of education. Results demonstrate an overall increase in education, placing the 1.75 generation at the top of attainment along with the 2nd generation, and sometimes surpassing the latter in almost every gateway, while the 1.25 generation is achieving the lowest levels. Results also show that …

The Frames And Tactics Of The Women's Representation Movement, Desiree Alvarez

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

Studies of social movements have yet to examine the modern women’s political representation movement, a social movement industry made up of nonprofit organizations, foundations, activist groups, and political action committees aiming to create gender parity within U.S. political systems. Using in-depth interviews with fifteen leaders of organizations within the women’s representation movement, this study reveals multi-faceted dynamics at play when tactics and frames are developed within organizations of this social movement industry. Findings reveal that frame and tactical development are influenced by several key factors, such as: cohort collaboration, funders, an established hierarchy of old versus new social movement organizations …

Sexual Consent: Conceptualizations, Practices, And Education Among Texas High School Students, Erica Joy Favor

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

This study investigates high school students’ understanding of sexual consent and healthy relationships. While many studies have investigated practices, concepts, and definitions of consent among college-aged students, this research focuses on adolescents. How do teenagers define consent? With the rise of the #metoo movement, has awareness of consent and its practice changed? This qualitative study interviewed fifteen high school students in Texas, ranging in age from 15 to 18 years old. The results of this study are clear: high school students participate in hookup culture despite a lack of education and curriculum of consent practices. This research also sheds light …

Uni Scholarworks Readership Snapshot, April 2022, Bepress

Library Documents & Reports (entire collection)

No abstract provided.

Political Effects On The Discontinuation Of Participatory Budgeting In Municipalities, Ricardo Rocha De Azevedo, Ricardo Lopes Cardoso, Armando Santos Moreira Da Cunha, Brian Wampler

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The article analyzes the factors associated with the discontinuation of participatory budgeting (PB) in Brazilian municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants between 2000 and 2016. We used econometric models to estimate PB’s discontinuation based on political explanatory variables and people’s local participation. The results indicate that discontinuation is associated: (i) positively with the election of a different local government, regardless of the winning party’s ideology; (ii) positively with the election of a local government with a left-wing ideology’; (iii) negatively with the election of a non-left-wing local government; (iv) positively with the election of a left-wing local government replacing another …

A Moody Memory: The Impact Of Affective State On Source Memory And Reality Monitoring, Rebecca Lynn Greenberg

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Many researchers have studied the impact of mood on various cognitive processes, but few have analyzed how it affects source memory and internal-external reality monitoring processes. Numerous findings indicate that sad moods are likely to yield more accurate memory than happy moods due to different information processing techniques, suggesting that sad mood could improve source memory and reality monitoring as well. After being induced into either a happy or sad mood, participants were presented with a list of 30 noun-verb-noun phrases in which the second noun was either generated for them by the computer or they were asked to fill …