Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Measurement Invariance Of Impact In Bilingual And Monolingual High School Athletes, Hana Cecilia Kuwabara

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Given the reported negative consequences of sport related concussion (SRC), establishing the validity of concussion management tools is essential if they are used to determine the severity of concussion, track recovery or decline, implement effective interventions, and assist in return-to-play decision making. Previous research has found cognitive and symptoms differences on ImPACT, the most widely used SRC assessment measure, between monolingual and bilingual student athletes. Before further investigation of these differences can occur, measurement invariance of ImPACT must be established to ensure that differences are not attributable to measurement error. The current study has two aims: 1) to replicate a …

On The Topology Of The Noosphere, Julie A. Yusupova

Journal of Conscious Evolution

As a young child I had a certain set of dreams, the enigma of which remained mysteriously hovering in my memories to this day. In one of these earliest dreams of my life, I am playing hide-and-seek with my friends, but am observing myself from an external third-person perspective, just as all my dreams had regularly been until then. I remember that the next morning, my waking conscious mind had noticed this split between self and observer and judged it unusual, and so in the following night’s dream, I somehow willed my observer self to merge into the body of …

Identifying Clinical Profiles In A Community Sample Of Youth With Selective Mutism, Melanie Rede

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Selective mutism (SM) refers to a consistent failure to speak in social situations that have an expectation for speaking, despite fluent speech in other situations (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Recent researchers describe SM as a heterogeneous disorder not always characterized by anxiety (Driessen et al., 2020). Specifically, some have argued that SM may be better explained as a neurodevelopmental rather than an anxiety disorder (Kearney & Rede, 2021). The aim of the present study was to find unique classes for anxiety, oppositional, and communication difficulties among youth with SM. Participants included 129 caregivers of youth with SM aged 6–14 years …

Trends Of Azole Antifungal Prescription In The United States: Medicare Part D Provider Utilization And Payment Data Analysis, Mohanad M Al-Obaidi, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, David E Nix

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal infections carry a substantial risk of mortality and morbidity. Azole antifungals are used in the treatment of such infections; however, their extensive use can lead to the emergence of antifungal resistance and increased costs to patients and healthcare systems. The aim of this study is to evaluate trends in these antifungals use and costs.

METHODS: The secular and regional trends of outpatient azole antifungals were analyzed using Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use Files for the years 2013-2020. The total days supply (TDS), total drug cost (TDC) per 100 000 enrollees, and cost per day (CPD) were …

Psoriasiform Mycosis Fungoides–Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma In An African American, Austinn C Miller, Alexzandra Mattia, Anthony Thompson, Laurie A Temiz, Susuana Adjei, Stephen K Tyring

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Barriers And Facilitators To Home Dialysis Among Latinx Patients With Kidney Disease, Katherine Rizzolo, Rebeca Gonzalez Jauregui, Ileana Barrientos, Jade Teakell, Claudia Camacho, Michel Chonchol, Sushrut S Waikar, Lilia Cervantes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Latinx people have a high burden of kidney disease but are less likely to receive home dialysis compared to non-Latinx White people. The disparity in home dialysis therapy has not been completely explained by demographic, medical, or social factors.

Objective: To understand the barriers and facilitators to home dialysis therapy experienced by Latinx individuals with kidney failure receiving home dialysis.

Design, setting, and participants: This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with Latinx adults with kidney failure receiving home dialysis therapy in Denver, Colorado, and Houston, Texas, between November 2021 and March 2023. Patients were recruited from home dialysis clinics …

Using Linked Digital Activity Schedules To Promote Cooperative Thematic Play, Vincent E. Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may struggle to engage in social play, which may impact their willingness to engage in contextually appropriate cooperative play (Koegel et al., 2014). Researchers suggest that activity schedules targeting cooperative play may increase appropriate play for children with ASD (Brodhead et al.,2014; Pellegrino, 2018). However, previous studies did not include opportunities for interactive choice responding or the implementation of generic picture cues during script training. We investigated the impact of a linked digital activity schedule on promoting cooperative thematic play in children with ASD. Six children with ASD engaged …

Connectedness And Wellbeing: Investigating Community And Nature-Based Connection In The Context Of Utah's Rapid Growth, Sarah E. Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research suggests that feeling connected to the natural world and feeling socially connected to your community positively influence wellbeing. However, significant demographic shifts within communities may reduce the amount of social and nature-based connectedness enjoyed by residents. As one of the fastest growing states, data from within Utah likely provides important insights related to how population growth impacts connectedness and wellbeing. Considering this, the present research investigated the relationships between personal wellbeing, community connection, and connection with nature in the context of Utah's rapid population growth by utilizing quantitative survey data from the Utah Wellbeing Project and demographic information from …

Psychometric Properties Of The Revised Children’S Anxiety And Depression Scale (Rcads) For Autistic Youth Without Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability, Nasim Khalfe, Amy R. Goetz, Erika S. Trent, Andrew G. Guzick, Orri Smarason, Minjee Kook, Sean Olsen, Ana C. Ramirez, Saira A. Weinzimmer, Leandra Berry

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Autistic youth often present with comorbid anxiety and depression yet there is a dearth of validated assessment tools. The Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) assesses internalizing symptoms but there is little psychometric data in autistic youth. Treatment-seeking autistic youth with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive symptoms (N = 74; age 6–14 years), and caregivers, were administered the RCADS-Parent, RCADS-Child, and assessments of internalizing, externalizing symptoms and social impairment indicative of autism. RCADS-Parent and RCADS-Child total anxiety scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency, and the six subscales demonstrated acceptable-to-good internal consistency. The RCADS-Child and Parent total anxiety scores were weakly …

Effects Of A Mindfulness-Based Leadership Training On Leadership Behaviors And Effectiveness, Nina Tan, Eva Katharina Peters, Jochen Reb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Objectives: Organizations increasingly integrate mindfulness elements into their leadership development. However, there is limited evidence supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based leadership training (MBLT) due to a scarcity of intervention studies. Theoretically, little is known about mediating mechanisms through which MBLT might affect leadership effectiveness. Thus, this research examined whether MBLT can improve leadership effectiveness and whether leadership behaviors mediated this effect.MethodsWe conducted a quasi-experimental study conducted in a real-world setting with an active control condition. Sixty leaders from various industries participated in either a 2-day intensive MBLT workshop followed by three individual coaching sessions over 3 months, or a presentation …

3 Groundless Myths That Get In The Way Of Workforce Inclusivity, Kenneth T. Goh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Kenneth Goh discussed and debunked three groundless myths that get in the way of workforce inclusivity. He also called for companies to seek expert advice from relevant agencies and explore partnerships with institutions of higher learning, such as SMU, to pursue inclusivity in a sustainable manner. He added that SMU provides its students opportunities to work with companies and examine the feasibility of their inclusivity initiatives as part of their coursework.

Overcoming Procrastination: Time Pressure And Positive Affect As Compensatory Routes To Action, Jana Kuhnel, Ronald Bledow, Angela Kuonath

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The current work seeks to identify factors that support action initiation from the theoretical lens of self-regulation. Specifically, we focus on factors that reduce procrastination, the delay of the initiation or completion of activities. We draw from action control theory and propose that positive affect operates as a personal and time pressure as a situational factor that unblock routes to action. High positive affect makes people less prone to procrastination because positive affect reduces behavioral inhibition and facilitates the enactment of intentions. By contrast, when positive affect is low, people depend on time pressure as an action facilitating stimulus. We …

Assessing Cocaine Motivational Value: Comparison Of Brain Reactivity Bias Toward Cocaine Cues And Cocaine Demand, Heather E Webber, Jin H Yoon, Constanza De Dios, Robert Suchting, Vincent Dang, Francesco Versace, Charles E Green, Margaret C Wardle, Scott D Lane, Joy M Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The behavioral economic measure drug demand and the neural measure late positive potential (LPP) are two measures of motivational value that have been associated with drug relapse risk and treatment outcomes. Despite having overlapping themes, no studies have directly compared drug demand and LPP. Participants (N = 59) included treatment-seeking individuals with cocaine use disorder that had completed both a baseline cocaine demand task and an electroencephalogram (EEG) picture-viewing task of drug-related and pleasant picture cues. Associations between the LPP difference score amplitude (drug-pleasant) and five demand indices (Q₀, essential value [EV], Omax, Pmax, and …

“If I Was That Cop…”: Improving Attitudes Toward Police Through An Educational Intervention For Use-Of-Force Knowledge And Empathy, Randle Aaron Molina Villanueva

All Dissertations

While public outrage in response to excessive force is appropriate and understandable (e.g., Rodney King), there are also use-of-force instances which may be misconstrued as excessive by civilians due to a lack of understanding of the law, policies, and procedures for police use of force (UOF). This can lead to negative perceptions of police officers. This poses a threat to healthy police-community relations, as positive perceptions of the police are reliable predictors of compliance and voluntary cooperation with them (Choi, 2021). To balance overly negative perceptions of police who are following protocol and potentially increase the positivity of perceptions, this …

Conceptual And Technological Advancements In Visitor Use Management Of Coastal And Estuarine Environments, Tyler Cribbs

All Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrates the exploration and use of conceptual and technological advancements in the science of visitor use management (VUM). The goal of this effort is to help better understand visitors to park and protected areas (PPAs) and more specifically, better manage our coastal and estuarine environments (i.e., coastal protected areas (CPAs). These concepts and techniques are 1) further implementing the use of cellphone data in recreation ecology and VUM, 2) assessing the use of advanced imagery, virtual reality (VR), in visual-based methods to determine visitor indicators and thresholds, and 3) assessing visitor’s awareness of PPAs and how it influences …

An Examination Of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes, Healthcare Utilization, And Stigmatizing Language In Populations With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas), Farah Tahsin

All Dissertations

Substance use disorder (SUD) during pregnancy, which includes opioid use disorder (OUD), has developed into a significant medical and social concern, as it can cause a range of complications for pregnant women, fetuses, and infants. One common condition resulting from OUD is neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a withdrawal syndrome experienced by infants after being exposed to opioids in the womb. NAS can cause visual physiological or neurodevelopmental complications or outcomes in newborns. Unfortunately, large-scale studies focusing on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants with NAS are minimal. NAS consists of indications and symptoms that can also affect the autonomic nervous, gastrointestinal, …

Parental And Individual Correlates Of Work Ethic In Young People In Albania, Eljona Elmazi

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the work ethic strength, dimensions, and correlates in young people in Albania. The review of the available research concluded that, regardless of the attention that youth-related topics have received in the last decade, there was a considerable gap in the understanding of the state and correlates of the work ethic in this group. Using the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile – Short Form, the work ethic strength and dimensions were explored in an Albanian sample of (N = 501) 18 to 24 years old, otherwise known as Generation Z. Data were collected via …

Global Energy Consumption: An Analysis Of Variables That Shape Per Capita Usage, Or How Pump Price, Urbanization, And Fossil Fuels Imports Impact Fossil Fuels Consumption Per Capita Across Oecd Countries, Mila Demchyk Savage

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Among reasons explaining the importance of studying fossil fuel consumption are: crude oil is a subject of the international commodities market, thus, any fluctuation related to its' availability or price would impact the rest of the World; natural resources like oil, gas, and coal are limited; the extensive use of fossil fuels harms our surroundings, creating many environmental concerns; every human (on average) has been using more energy since 1971 and the trend is expected to continue. The upward trend is not consistent among individual countries. Therefore, the core question of my research is, `Why do some countries consume less …

African-American Parents’ Cultural Understandings Of The Concept Of Autism And Implications For Parental Communication And Health Management, Kellie J. Fennell

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

In 2023 the Centers of Disease Control reported that around 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with Autism in America and that the prevalence has increased by 178% since 2000 (CDC, 2023). Despite increases in awareness and diagnosis past research finds that the discussions of ASD in African American communities is minimal (Fombonne, 2003; Yeargin Allsopp et al., 2003). This disparity is important considering that African American children receive an ASD diagnosis years later than their white counterparts and are much more likely to be misdiagnosed (Mandell et al., 2009, 2002).

Given the history of a lack of representation of …

A Word From The Writing Team (August 2023), Pam Walter, Mfa, Liz Declan, Ma, Mfa

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Latest Issue of Evanescent is Out
• First Friday Writing Retreats Return in October
• Academic Commons Website Update
• Publication Spotlight
• Reminders
• Scott Memorial Library Renovations
• MS4 Residency Personal Statement Workshops
• Jefferson Faculty APA Style Guide for Faculty
• Wiley Open Access Fees Waived for Jefferson Authors

Understanding Connections Between Mobility, Transportation, And Quality Of Life In Refugee Communities In Tucson, Arizona, Orhon Myadar, Arlie Adkins, Maia Ingram, Nicole Iroz-Elardo

TREC Final Reports

In this multidisciplinary research project we aimed to study mobility challenges that refugees in Tucson, AZ, experience after their resettlement. Using qualitative and quantitative data collected from interviews and survey data, we argue that mobility shapes the ways refugees foster social connections, attain employment and access educational opportunities. Accordingly, barriers to mobility negatively impact refugees’ perception of well-being in post resettlement. However, these challenges are not experienced evenly. Nor are refugees passive subjects who lack agency in overcoming various barriers they experience. The study reveals the resilience of the refugee community in navigating the intersectional challenges they confront related to …

Inclusionary Zoning In Illinois: A Case Study Analysis, Maxwell Seeley

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

The United States is currently facing an extreme shortage of affordable housing. To address this lack of affordable housing some municipalities have chosen to implement inclusionary zoning policies, also known as inclusionary housing ordinances. These policies require certain market-rate housing developments to set aside a percentage of units within the development to be priced at a level affordable to a low to moderate income household. Within Illinois seven municipalities have implemented inclusionary zoning policies to address local affordable housing shortages. This report analyzed the inclusionary housing ordinances of three Illinois municipalities, Evanston, Highland Park, and Oak Park. Despite taking the …

Greening The Desert: Emirati Youth’S Perceptions Of Green Branding, Gergana Alzeer, Tilde Rosmer

All Works

This chapter focuses on Emirati youth’s understanding of and practices related to a green shift in the UAE and how this correlates with the state’s efforts to brand the UAE as green and sustainable. This is part of a larger research project that investigates Emirati youth’s understanding of climate change. The UAE experience of environmental sustainability is unique as its green shift was initiated by the government in a top-down approach compared to the bottom-up green movements in most western states that has been the focus of most environmental studies so far. Environmental sustainability is part of UAE’s national Agenda …

Cultural Mechanism Of Mothers' Perceptions Of Youth Psychopathology, Yen-Ling Chen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cross-cultural research systematically identifies variations in cultural practices, meanings, and responses across different cultural groups. For example, psychiatric symptoms vary in their salience and degree to which they are reported across cultures. Cultural differences in causal attributions likely lead to differences in an individual’s help-seeking intention. However, there are limitations in previous cross-cultural studies about perceptions of psychopathology, including not measuring impairment level and parental distress, as well as the problematic use of categorical variables as predictors. To overcome limitations in previous work, the current project examined the cultural mechanism of mothers’ perceptions of externalizing and internalizing psychopathology in youth. …

The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Sexism Across Self-Report, Vignette, And Novel Dialogue Tree Tasks, Arianne Fisher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychopathy is a personality construct consisting of a number of traits often associated with what many consider to be the “dark side” of personality. Multiple models and associated measurement tools have been created in an attempt to conceptualize psychopathy, but the field has not reached a consensus in its definition of this construct at this time. Across models, psychopathy is associated with a number of negative attitudes and behaviors, including various forms of prejudice. The relationship between psychopathy and one form of prejudice has not been examined, constituting a serious gap in the literature. This form of prejudice is ambivalent …

Examination Of Performance Validity And The Relationship To Cognition And Symptoms In Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Erick A. Rogers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Approximately one-in-five individuals with psychotic disorders (i.e., schizophrenia spectrum disorders [SSD]) fail performance validity indicators (PVIs) during neurocognitive testing. Ensuring the validity of neurocognitive test results is necessary if the test scores are to be of use for diagnostic consideration, intervention selection and planning, predicting outcomes, and following changes in cognition over time in response to intervention, spontaneous recovery, or disease progression. PVIs are designed to require only a minimum level of engagement with the evaluation, which means nearly everyone is expected to “pass,” even those with moderate to severe brain damage. Traditional interpretations of PVI failure suggest a noncredible …

Temporally Weighted Averaging: The Effects Of Test Delay On Spontaneous Recovery Of Choice, Jack Van Allsburg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Foraging animals in natural environments must track the value of different behavioral options in order to make decisions that maximize their food intake. The process by which they track this value is poorly understood, but holds relevance for our understanding of how animals make choices in general. In a series of experiments conducted in operant chambers, we put rat subjects in a choice scenario where they could press two levers, one of which would intermittently produce the delivery of food pellets on a rich (more frequent) schedule, while the other would do the same on a lean (less frequent) schedule. …

#Bodypositivity Or #Bodypolitics?: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Body Positivity Myth Formed By Narratives Of Political Myth, Sydney Berenyi Lasike

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Body Positivity movement is well-known for advocating for the acceptance of all body types—including size, shape, color, and ability. Images online in support of the movement often showcase stretch marks, cellulite, and other “unattractive” bodily features to protest against the thin-ideal and strict standards of beauty placed upon women. Despite the goal to inspire self-love and celebration of all bodies, the hashtag #BodyPositivity has been taken-over by white, female influencers who have the idolized, female body. They contradict the original message of the movement through their posts on Instagram that centralize white feminine features and thin, Eurocentric bodies. This …

Drug Cartels And Government In Mexico: A Replication And Extension, Lindsey A. Beckstead

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper analyzes the relationship between drug cartels and the government in Mexico. It also seeks to determine the reasons for an upsurge of violence and cartel related murders in Mexico.

Fremont Legacy In Capitol Reef And The Waterpocket Fold: A Radiocarbon Analysis Of The Pectol Collection Coiled Basketry Using Bayesian Modeling, Chelsea Cheney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Perishable artifacts provide ample opportunity to better understand past human lives. Artifacts constructed from shorter-lived plant materials can make a significant contribution to archaeological research through radiocarbon dating. Analyzing and radiocarbon dating the basketry construction types from the Pectol Collection aids in the development of a more precise prehistoric timeline for the Capitol Reef and Waterpocket Fold (CRWF) area of southeastern Utah. Basketry technology construction is treated as a signal for growing Fremont occupancy throughout the Colorado Plateau and eastern Great Basin, and can the provide prior information used to better organize Bayesianbased age models. From AD 750–1050, a narrow …