Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Intelligent Agent Technology And Traditional Preference Assessment Implementation Methods For Preservice Speech-Language Pathologists, Brenna R. Griffen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Identifying preferred stimuli is an initial step in many evidence-based educational programs for young children. Preference assessments, such as the Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (MSWO), provide an empirically validated way of identifying and ranking these stimuli. Traditional methods of training professionals to implement MSWO often require the presence of an expert trainer, involve lengthy instructional time, require additional training to transfer skills into the clinical or classroom setting, and necessitate follow-up training to maintain skills over time. Intelligent agent technology may overcome these challenges by providing professionals with easily accessible, consistent instruction. The purpose of the current study was to …

Sharing Economy Last Mile Delivery: Three Essays Addressing Operational Challenges, Customer Expectations, And Supply Uncertainty, Nicolò Masorgo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Last mile delivery has become a critical competitive dimension facing retail supply chains. At the same time, the emergence of sharing economy platforms has introduced unique operational challenges and benefits that enable and inhibit retailers’ last mile delivery goals. This dissertation investigates key challenges faced by crowdshipping platforms used in last mile delivery related to crowdsourced delivery drivers, driver-customer interaction, and customer expectations. We investigate the research questions of this dissertation through a multi-method design approach, complementing a rich archival dataset comprised of several million orders retrieved from a Fortune 100 retail crowdshipping platform, with scenario-based experiments. Specifically, the first …

The Effect Of Sleep Deprivation On The Ability To Reappraise Negative Situations, Rebecca Campbell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sleep and emotion regulation are important components of mental health and may function interdependently in the development and maintenance of mental health disorders. Unfortunately, there is limited experimental work on the impacts of sleep deprivation on reappraisal, a common emotion regulation strategy, in adults. Furthermore, increases in negative and decreases in positive affect are often associated with sleep loss. This study aimed to examine the relation between sleep deprivation and emotion regulation by asking adults to reappraise a series of vignettes before and after a randomly assigned night of sleep deprivation or normal sleep. Additionally, measures of self-reported emotion regulation …

Racial Disparities In Women’S Imprisonment, Gift Onyinyechi Onwuadiamu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The total imprisonment rate in the United States, and racial disparity in imprisonment, have decreased substantially since 2008 (Carson, 2020), but research has not examined if disparity in women’s imprisonment rates has also declined, or what accounts for these changes. Guided by prior research and theory, this study examines racial differences in women’s prison admission rates from 2000 to 2019 in 25 states. Analyses examine changes over time, by state, and the effects of social structural characteristics that prior research has shown to be associated with women’s imprisonment disparities. Initial findings indicate that disparity has decreased, substantially, due to both …

The Mental Health Of Lgbtq+ Graduate Students: Examining The Role Of Lifestyle Factors, Lindsey Ostermiller

Master's Theses

The are many well-documented disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals and a rising concern about mental health in higher education, as LGBTQ+ graduate students may face unique and specific vulnerabilities in relation to their overall health compared to their peers. Part of what might be driving the mental health crisis among LGBTQ+ graduate students are poorer lifestyle factors. There is limited research that examines the impact of health-related lifestyle factors on mental health among LGBTQ+ graduate students, exacerbating our lack of insight into specific problems that may affect LGBTQ+ individuals’ mental health. As such, the present study examined mental health in LGBTQ+ …

The Power Of A Story: How Emotions And Numeracy Affect Parental Decisions About The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Candice Fawn Coffman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (CDC, 2021). There are two strains of HPV known for causing cervical, penile, anal, vaginal, and oropharynx (throat) cancers (CDC, 2020). A vaccine is available to prevent these cancer-causing strains of HPV for individuals between the ages of 9-45. Unfortunately, vaccination uptake and completion rates are below the recommended rates to achieve herd immunity. A primary barrier to vaccination is concern about potential adverse events following vaccination. The purpose of the present study is to examine the influence of anecdotal versus statistical information on parents' intentions to vaccinate their …

How Active Rainwater Harvesting May Help Reduce Nuisance Flooding: Flood Analysis And Social Barriers To Adoption, Isabel Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As urbanization continues to expand, fewer pervious surfaces are available to help reduce stormwater runoff from rainfall. The impacts of urbanization are becoming evident through sunny day flooding - flooding that occurs in areas not designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as flood zones. Nevertheless, water accumulates in low-lying areas and compromises street intersections and other parts of neighborhoods. Some methods can help alleviate the impacts of unexpected heavy rains, such as passive and active rainwater harvesting. As a pilot study, in a selected area in the northeast of El Paso, the level of adoption (e.g., what percentage …

Intraoperative Predictors Of In-Hospital Mortality After Open Repair Of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Nicola Troisi, Giulia Bertagna, Athanasios Saratzis, Simone Guadagni, Fabrizio Minichilli, Daniele Adami, Mauro Ferrari, Raffaella Berchiolli

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Several models and scores have been released to predict early mortality in patients undergoing surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). These scores included above all preoperative factors and they could be useful to deny surgical repair. The aim of the study was to evaluate intraoperative predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing open surgical repair (OSR) for a rAAA.

Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2020, 265 patients were admitted at our tertiary referral hospital for a rAAA. Two-hundred-twenty-two patients underwent OSR. Intra-operative factors were analyzed by means of univariate analysis (step 1). Associations of procedure variables …

Navigating Cultural Identity In The Classroom, Caroline V. Phillips

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As of 2016, ~25% of children in the United States are the children of immigrants (Nibbs & Brettell). Many of these youths struggle with the feeling that they belong neither to their parents’ cultural community nor to the locality in which they have been raised (Brockett, 2018). Furthermore, little academic research exists wherein these students share their experiences and engage in the processes of meaning making. This knowledge is essential for multicultural scholars and also for the (overwhelmingly white) population of K-6 teachers who help these youth construct personal identities. This project accomplishes the following:

1. I interview second-generation immigrants …

Are There Differences In Household Borrowing Across Religions?, Seth Dunn

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study explores the relationship between religion and economic behavior, specifically asking whether variations in household borrowing can be attributable to identification with different Christian religious traditions across the United States. The hypothesis of different borrowing behaviors across religions is motivated historically and theoretically. Historical data from l967 and 1971 are used in ordinary least squared and logistic regression analyses. Density of religious affiliations and relevant controls are used to predict households’ debt and attitudes towards different reasons for borrowing. Some differences across religions are found. This research contributes to a broader literature exploring the impact of religion on economic …

Community Space Planning And Design Guide For Enhanced Wildfire Resilience In Heber, Utah, Devin Macfarlane

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The wildland urban interface (WUI) is the fastest growing land type in the conterminous United States. These areas are prone to catastrophic wildfire events. In response to rapid population growth, Heber City, Utah is planning a significant amount of development within the WUI. This thesis project is aimed at proactively addressing wildfire risk in the WUI of Heber through two main strategies: regional geospatial planning and public space design to create wildfire resilient communities. Researching principles of wildfire adaptive practice and planning for defensible space led to the development of a list of criteria. This list was developed in the …

Understanding Factors Influencing Electric Vehicle Adoption: Evidence From Panel Data Analysis, Ryker Brian

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper investigates the factors influencing the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) using panel data from California. The analysis employs a panel data model with within effects to examine the relationship between EV adoption rates and various socio-economic factors. The continued analysis gives out-of-sample forecasted results for the 4 counties with the highest share of electric vehicles registered in 2021. Additionally, the paper explores the influence of supply-side issues and complementary infrastructure on EV adoption. An introduction to Hidden Markov Methods is then given as the next step in the research.

Health Information Seeking In The Digital Age: A National Survey Of Women With Disabilities, Susan Robinson-Whelen, Rosemary B Hughes, Jeanne L Alhusen, Leanne Beers, Charles G Minard, David Davidson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: Access to high quality and accessible online health information (OHI) is critical for reducing disparities, overcoming barriers, and improving the health of women with disabilities. This study aimed to understand women with physical disabilities' use of the Internet to access OHI, most often searched health topics, perceived usefulness of OHI, and self-reported eHealth literacy and challenges in OHI seeking.

METHODS: We conducted a national online survey with 508 women with physical disabilities who used the Internet.

RESULTS: Respondents utilized a wide variety of OHI resources. They searched a broad array of health and disability-related topics, with bowel/bladder and finding …

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 …

Differences In Due Process During Post-Conviction: Examining Jurisdictional Influence On Exoneration, Kimberly Hawkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on wrongful conviction has found several factors associated with an erroneous conviction. As of yet, research has not delved into the jurisdictional effects on exoneration. Using the American State’s use of the death penalty for a proxy of punitiveness, this study will examine if there is a relationship between use of capital punishment and exoneration rates. The National Registry of Exonerations is the most comprehensive collection of exonerations to date and this secondary data source will be analyzed using logistic regression models to examine differences across policy environments. Result show that non-death penalty states have a much higher exoneration …

Examining The Association Between Emotional Intelligence, Meaning In Life, Stress, And Burnout Among Preâ??Medical Students In The United States, Nayla Paulina Paulina Bejarano Chacon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and significance: The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has estimated that by 2034 there will be a physician shortage of around 124,000 physicians. With burnout being one of the main drivers, it is crucial to assess it. Burnout is characterized by high levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism and low levels of academic efficacy.There has been substantial research on burnout among healthcare providers across different levels of training; however, few studies have examined burnout among undergraduate students who wish to pursue a graduate degree in healthcare. Given the shortage of healthcare providers in the United States, it is …

Comparative Study Of Supervised Classification Techniques With A Modified Knn Algorithm, Noah Owusu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal of classification is to develop a model that can be used to accurately assign new observations to labeled classes based on the patterns learned from the training data. K-nearest Neighbors algorithm (KNN) is a popular and widely used algorithm for classification, however, its performance can be adversely affected by the presence of outliers in a dataset. In this study we have modified this existing KNN algorithm that can alleviate the effect of outliers in a dataset, thereby improving the performance of the KNN algorithm. We compared the performances of the Modified KNN method and the Existing KNN algorithm …

The Relative Impact Of Anecdotal And Statistical Evidence On Covid-19 Vaccine Intentions., Kiran Misra

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relative impact of anecdotal and statistical safety evidence on the perceived likelihood of unvaccinated friends or relatives experiencing severe adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccination. This study also investigated the relative impact of anecdotal and statistical evidence on an individualâ??s intention to encourage unvaccinated friends and relatives to talk with healthcare providers about COVID-19 vaccination. Three hundred and fifty-nine participants were randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions. In each condition, I manipulated the presence of base rate evidence (present, absent) that supported the safety of COVID-19 vaccination; I also manipulated the presence of anecdotal evidence …

Follow The Court: Examining Judicial Homestyle Through Extrajudicial Communications On State Court Twitter, Cayleb Bryant Stives

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

While institutional legitimacy can arise from multiple sources, much of the theorizing about courts has been developed for the federal judiciary, often specifically the US Supreme Court. My research recognizes that the connection between the public and judges on state courts is significantly more nuanced, and in many instances, direct. Notably, social networking sites like Twitter have quickly become a favored communication platform for fostering personal connections between political elites and their intended audiences. It is within these parasocial relationships I argue that favorable perceptions can be reinforced, bolstering the legitimacy of political actors and the institutions they represent. This …

Double Tense Marking In L1 Spanish Speakers/L2 English Learners, Vianney Zuniga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The present study examines the effects of Form Focused Instruction plus corrective feedback on "double-tense marking" (Al-Makatrah et al. ,2017; Cancino et al. 1967) in past tense negative statements and wh-questions among advanced L2 English speakers (Candry, 2013). These are learners who have reached the fourth stage of sentential negation, having acquired the auxiliary "do" and inflecting it in the past tense producing "did". Some advanced L1 Spanish speaking English learners inflect the verbs in structures in which the auxiliary "do" is already inflected for the past tense as in:

1. "I didn't knew about chemistry"

2. "When did he …

Exploring Gastrointestinal Health In Mecp2 Duplication Syndrome, Davut Pehlivan, Muharrem Ak, Daniel G Glaze, Bernhard Suter, Kathleen J Motil

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) is a rare neurogenetic syndrome caused by duplications of MECP2 at the Xq28 region. Although constipation and gastrointestinal reflux are reported in MDS, a comprehensive characterization of gastrointestinal health has not been fully explored.

METHODS: We conducted a parent survey to explore the characteristics of gastrointestinal health in individuals with MDS using a secure online registry and compared differences in gastrointestinal symptoms between individuals with MDS and those with Rett syndrome (RTT).

KEY RESULTS: One hundred six surveys were analyzed. Symptoms commonly associated with constipation occurred in 72% to 89% of MDS individuals. Eleven percent …

Polymorphisms In The Nonhomologous End-Joining Dna Repair Pathway Are Associated With Hpv Integration In Cervical Dysplasia, Jennifer M Geris, E Susan Amirian, Deborah A Marquez-Do, Martial Guillaud, Laura M Dillon, Michele Follen, Michael E Scheurer

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Previous evidence indicates that HPV integration status may be associated with cervical cancer development and progression. However, host genetic variation within genes that may play important roles in the viral integration process is understudied. The aim of this study was to examine the association between HPV16 and HPV18 viral integration status and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway genes on cervical dysplasia. Women enrolled in two large trials of optical technologies for cervical cancer detection and positive for HPV16 or HPV18 were selected for HPV integration analysis and genotyping. Associations between SNPs and cytology (normal, …

Reduction In Racial And Ethnic Disparity In Survival Following Liver Transplant For Hepatocellular Carcinoma In The Direct-Acting Antiviral Era, Anjiya Shaikh, Karthik Goli, Tzu-Hao Lee, Nicole E Rich, Jihane N Benhammou, Stephanie Keeling, Donghee Kim, Aijaz Ahmed, John Goss, Abbas Rana, Amit G Singal, Fasiha Kanwal, George Cholankeril

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Black patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC), often attributed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, have suboptimal survival following liver transplant (LT). We evaluated the impact of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) availability on racial and ethnic disparities in wait list burden post-LT survival for candidates with HCC.

METHODS: Using the United Network for Organ Sharing registry, we identified patients with HCC who were listed and/or underwent LT from 2009 to 2020. Based on date of LT, patients were categorized into 2 era-based cohorts: the pre-DAA era (LT between 2009 and 2011) and DAA era (LT between 2015 and 2017, …

Contextualization Of El Salvador’S Need For A Powerful Executive: A Lockean Analysis Of Nayib Bukele's Approach To Public Security In A Historical, Political, And Social Synthesis, Manuel Agresio Girón Alemán

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For most of the three decades that have presided over the Salvadoran Civil War, El Salvador has been a state tormented by high levels of crime, especially the country's homicide rate, a product of the strong presence of criminal organizations such as MS-13 and 18th Street Gang. The current president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, who took office in 2019, has declared war on gangs under a state of emergency where the human rights of suspected criminals are violated, particularly their due process guarantees. This has caused Bukele’s government to draw strong condemnation and criticism from foreign governments and human …

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 …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Teacher-Implemented Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Teacher Stress And Student Prosocial Behavior, Mary L. Phan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

High levels of teacher stress have a negative impact on teacher performance, maintenance, and student outcomes. Given the escalation in teacher stress levels, it is important to decrease teacher stress to improve their wellbeing. One intervention that has received growing attention in reducing teacher stress is mindfulness training. However, few studies have focused on teachers implementing mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) both with themselves and with school-age children within their classrooms. Additionally, few studies have examined the fidelity, feasibility, and social validity of teacher-implemented MBIs in a classroom setting. Through a single-case multiple baseline design across four teachers, the current study evaluated …

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 …

Exploring Body Image Related Cognitive Fusion As A Maintenance Mechanism Of Eating Disorder Pathology, Jennifer L. Barney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can have serious negative effects on a person’s physical and mental well-being. These disorders are typically complex, and individuals are often struggling with one or more comorbid mental health problems, making them difficult to treat. To address this complexity and hopefully improve treatment outcomes for those with eating disorders, psychology research examining individual differences that appear to be related to differential treatment responses is needed. Better understanding how these factors relate to each other can help treatment providers identify the treatment methods most likely to work best for a specific individual based …

Telehealth Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Adolescents With Transdiagnostic Health-Related Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Julie M. Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Health-related anxiety is a growing issue to understand how to treat, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some studies show that a specific type of therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), may be beneficial for health anxiety in adults, but this has not yet been tested with adolescents. The present study is a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial of ACT delivered via Zoom for adolescents struggling with health-related anxiety. A total of 30 adolescents (ages 12-17), plus one caretaker each (N = 60), living in Utah and currently struggling with health-related anxiety were enrolled. The majority of caretakers and adolescents were White, non- …