Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

New Americans And The New Right: Hispanic Voting Trends In The Trump Era Of Politics, Emmanuel Keppel

Political Science Honors Projects

In 2020, Donald Trump lost re-election to Joe Biden by around 4.5% nationally. Despite losing in his re-election bid, Trump was able to make surprising inroads with Hispanic voters, reaching the highest Republican totals with Hispanic voters in decades. This trend held true across nearly every Hispanic neighborhood in the country. From large Hispanic-majority cities such as Miami to isolated pockets of Hispanic voters in New England, there was a consistent rightward trend. Moreover, this trend largely continued into 2022, with most Republican candidates in the midterm elections matching Trump’s numbers. This paper will take an in depth look at …

Toward An Effective Approach For On‑Farm Experimentation: Lessons Learned From A Case Study Of Fertilizer Application Optimization In Japan, Takashi S.T. Tanaka, Taro Mieno, Ryoya Tanabe, Tsutomu Matsui, David S. Bullock

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

On-farm experimentation (OFE) is increasing worldwide. Appropriate OFE procedures may differ depending on the characteristics and circumstances surrounding farms, such as climate, field conditions, farm size, degree of agricultural digitalization, and a farmer’s socioeconomic background. This study aims to guide the future development of OFE in Japanese grain farming by examining the experimental setup, data analysis, and farmers’ activities within their socioeconomic and institutional communication and learning networks. The results of this typical OFE case study, which estimates a field’s economicallyoptimal fertilizer variable-rate application map for winter wheat production, are reported. The outcomes of the case study, which are intended …

How Activated Self-Concepts Influence Selection And Processing Of Body-Positive Narratives, Melissa J. Robinson, Megan A. Vendemia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Guided by the self- and affect–management (SESAM) model, the current study employed a selective exposure quasi-experimental design in which women (N = 381; M_age = 31.50, SD = 4.89) chose a narrative genre (romance or career) they would like to read, featuring a thin or large character with low or high body esteem, to examine individual differences that influence story selections and subsequent impacts on their self-concepts. Results indicated participants’ salient self-concepts pertaining to romance and career predicted story genre selection. Participants with higher BMI were more inclined to read narratives featuring a large character. Those who read …

Using Video Storytelling To Transform The Consumer Narrative Of Fashion Into One Of Caretaking: A First Step Towards A Sustainable Fashion Industry, Piumi De Alwis

Masters Theses

This study speaks about today’s apparel industry run by the consumption based “consumer narrative” and will introduce a sustainable alternative of “caretaker narrative,” a consumer oriented way of being to combat toxic practices in the apparel industry. Meanwhile on the other hand in today’s day and age video storytelling is getting extremely popular in the media we daily consume. This study examines how to effectively use video storytelling to popularize the sustainable practice of the “caretaker narrative” in society.

Human Diversity In Molecular Sexual Dimorphism And Gender Disparities In Health, Adam Z. Reynolds

Anthropology ETDs

Although males and females exhibit an extraordinary range of diversity in sexual dimorphism across populations, prior work on the evolution of sexual dimorphism in human physiology and health has focused on ostensibly universal differences that owe to sex chromosomes and steroid hormones. This dissertation argues that sexual dimorphism in humans is not adequately captured by species-wide sex differences in mean trait values, but instead varies greatly as a result of: (i) our ability to adapt physiologically to a broad range of social and physical environments, and (ii) molecular diversity acquired by different populations over the course of their unique evolutionary …

Occupation-Based Social Skills Training Program With Animal-Assisted Therapy For Individuals With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/Dd), Jason Sebastian, Karen Park

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This presentation describes the development and implementation of an occupation-based social skills training program with Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and the implications for occupational therapy after program implementation.

Essays On Firms, Debt Contracts And Equity Market, Rusi Yan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Debt Contracts, Outside Equity and Financial Development: How important are different financial contracts for economic development? Using cross-country firm-level data, I document the extensive usage of alternative debt contracts and ownership structure patterns for public firms. At the aggregate level, development in each segment of the financial system is significantly linked to GDP per capita and wealth inequality. To quantify the aggregate consequences, I develop a heterogeneous agent model of entrepreneurs who face asset-based or cash flow-based debt and outside equity frictions. The model is calibrated to a large set of countries in vastly different stages of financial development. Quantitatively, …

Essays On Health Care Payment Incentives, David Adam Schwartzman

Olin Business School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies how payment incentives in health care change clinician and patient behavior and how different “value-based” payment models may impact outcomes. In Chapter 1, I explore optimal design of healthcare payment models in the presence of market frictions to targeting benefits. I leverage a natural experiment where an employer introduces Direct Primary Care, a form of care delivery where clinicians are paid a capitated monthly fee for high-touch access to a bundle of primary care services. This model modifies moral and behavioral hazard incentives for both patients and clinicians while changing the trade-off between preventive investments and downstream …

The Evolutionary And Comparative Elements Of Social Roles, Jake A. Funkhouser

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In human societies, individuals who hold social roles are recognized by others as possessing context- or task-specific proficiencies and skills. The social roles that are arguably unique to our societies confer many functional benefits, however multidisciplinary interests in the topic lack an evolutionary framework that allows for the comparative elements and emergence of social roles to be investigated. In this research, we put forth four elements of social roles in societies that can be compared across species: those that are context-specific, expressed over time, offer functional advantages, and individuals who hold social roles are recognized by conspecifics as possessing characteristics. …

Essays On Macroeconomics, Zheliang Zhu

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has three chapters. The first chapter examines the information transmissionfrom the central bank to the private sector regarding the public signal interest rate. The second chapter presents a proposed belief-driven Taylor rule and analyzes the rule’s impact on private expectation anchoring and social welfare loss. The third chapter studies the relationship between corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and their associated financing costs. Omitted proofs in each chapter are presented in the last section of each chapter.In the first chapter, we study the information transmission from the central bank to theprivate sector regarding the public signal interest …

Pastoralism As Institutions: Modeling The Pastoral Landscape In Tibet In The Second And First Millennium Bc, Xinzhou Chen

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Previous archaeological research has made significant advances in our understanding of the chrono-spatial patterns of ancient human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau based on archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, and material cultural analysis. The surge of archaeological data in prehistoric Tibet calls for further analysis of the potential social and environmental forces that shaped the prehistoric landscapes of Tibet. This dissertation presents a synthetic analysis of the role of pastoralism in shaping the economy, materiality, and mobility of Tibetan societies in the second and first millennium BC. Based on both previously published archaeological evidence and my own analysis of newly documented archaeological data, …

Inflammation And Reward-Related Neural And Behavioral Phenotypes, Erin Bondy

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Anhedonia transcends psychiatric diagnostic boundaries (e.g., depression, schizophrenia, PTSD) and is a marker of severe dysfunction and treatment resistance. Convergent evidence from non-human animal models and initial human studies suggests that elevated inflammatory signaling may induce anhedonia. However, the mechanisms underlying this association and the specific forms of reward processing that may be affected remain largely unknown. Here, two studies were conducted examining whether variability in reward-related brain measures and behavior may plausibly contribute to inflammation-related differences in reward processing. In the first study, data from children of European American ancestry of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study of …

Comparison Of Self- And Informant-Reported Change In Memory, Attention, And Spatial Navigation In Predicting Preclinical Alzheimer Disease, Taylor Fama Levine

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized as the point at which a person is clinically normal but exhibits AD-related neuropathological change and is associated with developing AD-related dementia in the future (Jack et al., 2018). As such, there has been a focus on identifying procedures sensitive to the preclinical stage. However, the current methods used to detect biomarker abnormalities associated with preclinical AD (e.g., lumbar puncture, PET scan, and MRI) are invasive and/or expensive, which limits feasibility for widescale screening. This leaves the need to develop a non-invasive, time-efficient, and cost-effective screening measure to identify those who are at greater …

Three Essays On Public Attitudes Toward Federal Agencies, Zoe Ang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three papers on public attitudes toward US federal agencies. In the first, entitled ``Political Influences of Public Attitudes toward Federal Agencies,'' I argue that individuals rely on agency-adjacent political information to form their attitudes because bureaucratic politics are relatively low-salience and individuals hold little specific knowledge with which to evaluate agencies. Using nationally representative surveys administered from 2007 to 2018, I find that individuals rely on political information to evaluate agencies. Copartisanship with the president and one's ideology, and to a lesser extent partisanship, influence attitudes toward agencies; this effect persists over time but varies …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Risky Health Behaviors: Avenues For Prevention In New Mexico, Arianna Trott

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

This study was designed to assess if adverse childhood experiences (ACES) predict risky health behaviors in New Mexico. The purpose was to determine if any factors support improved outcomes for people who have experienced ACES in New Mexico. Lastly, the study aimed to identify if urban-rural status impacted outcomes of risky health behaviors related to ACES. This study used data from the 2019 New Mexico Community Survey across twelve counties (N = 853). Multiple logistic regression and hierarchical linear modeling were used to analyze the data. The findings concluded ACES could predict risky health behaviors. Overall, there was a gradated …

Health Disparities: Ranking Horry County's Most Disadvantaged Communities, Stephen Borders, Jacob Bradley, Mackenzie Cannon, William Hall

Public Health

Horry County is a rapidly growing region in South Carolina, with a diverse population of over 300,000 residents. Despite this growth, the county faces significant health challenges, including high rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, and a shortage of healthcare providers in certain areas. These challenges are exacerbated by the county's socio-economic disparities, with many low-income residents lacking access to basic health services. Our approach is to address these challenges by identifying the areas within the county with the greatest unmet needs, also known as disadvantaged communities. By identifying the needs of Horry County’s most disadvantaged communities, …

Mental Health Among D1 Female College Athletes: Prevalance And Links To Athletic And Academic Performance, Mary Goebel

Honors Theses

Background. NCAA Division I female student-athletes are underrepresented in mental health research; existing research among female athletes tends to focus only on disordered eating and body appearance. This study aims to 1) describe the prevalence of mental health issues (i.e., anxiety, depression, and stress) among female Division I college athletes, and 2) assess the association between mental health issues and the student-athlete experience (i.e., athletic and academic performance).

Methods. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study that used a self-administered online survey. The participants were NCAA Division I female student-athletes, mainly from the University of Mississippi. Demographics and sample characteristics were …

Therapeutic Treatments For Adolescents With Social Anxiety Disorder: A Group Manual, Lauren Lauermann

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

Anxiety is something that affects millions of people worldwide. This literature review’s objective is to assess social anxiety disorder among sophomore students. Social anxiety disorder varies from individual to individual, therefore, it is important to place emphasis on a specific age group. Three evidence-based treatment options will be utilized throughout the literature review including school-based skills training programs, strategies to promote positive psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapies. Recognizing how social anxiety affects the body, utilizing positive self-talk strategies, and learning stress reduction skills are all essential to encouraging stronger communication skills and overall academic achievement. These are a few …

The Juris Master: A Proposal For Reducing Excessive Public Defender Caseloads, Blake Comeaux

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

The US public defense system is underfunded, understaffed, and underdelivering on the Constitutional promises of the 6^th Amendment, the right to a fair and speedy trial. This state of our public defense system results in monstrous impacts for indigent defendants nationwide. Through indefinite delays in litigation, being abandoned in jail while sitting on waiting lists for public defenders, and being outright denied representation, indigent defendants are deprived of their rights. Beyond just defendant neglect, our current system puts immense strain on public defenders, prosecutors, and state budgets. In an attempt to combat this current state of affairs, this paper …

"I'M Fat As Fuck:" Fat Black Women's Self-Perception And Modes Of Resistance, Savannah Henderson

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

While many past scholars have positioned Black women as not having significant body image anxieties, Black women’s experiences with racism, sexism, and fatphobia is deeply rooted in historical narratives of the “acceptable body.” As a result, body image anxieties are prominent among Black women of size. My project investigates the historical and contemporary positioning of self-defined fat Black women and thoroughly interrogates the assumption that they do not have significant body image anxieties. Through the employment of 14 interviews, my project explores how fat Black women perceive their bodies and navigate the world. Additionally, using Lizzo’s media presence as a …

Birthing Reimagined: Perceptions Of Safety And Autonomy In Birth Experiences Among Postpartum Individuals During Covid-19, Beldina Orinda

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Background: Safety during childbirth is a priority for care providers, but patients' perceptions of safety may differ from those of providers, especially in biomedical settings.1–4 This can influence health outcomes and satisfaction with the birth experience.5–7 We hypothesize that autonomy, defined as the ability to make decisions about care during childbirth, may enhance feelings of safety and positive mental health outcomes.9,15

Methods: Surveys via REDCap v11.1.29 captured the experiences and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores of pregnant and postpartum women. Participants (n=49) included 15 pregnant and 34 postpartum individuals, aged 18 and older, who had given …

The Criminalization Of Female Genital Mutilation In Ohio: A Social And Political Analysis, Madsyn Selph

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research examines the public attitudes towards the criminalization of female genital mutilation (“FGM”) in Ohio in 2018 with the passage of S.B. 214. Content from The Columbus Dispatch, testimony in favor of the bill, and an oral history with a current Ohio Senator who was a House Representative in 2018 were used as data in this research. Data are examined using group threat theory to better understand the attitudes of the Columbus public towards trends in immigration and FGM. Results find that anti-Islam and anti-African sentiments (and specifically anti-Somali sentiments) were widely found in these data, as well as …

Examining Indicators Of Psychosocial Risk And Resilience In Parents Of Autistic Children, Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally, Reina S. Factor, Alexandra Sturm, Latha Valluripalli Soorya, Allison Wainer, Sandra Taylor, Matthew Ponzini, Leonard Abbeduto, Amanda C. Gulsrud

Psychological Science Faculty Works

Background: Parents of autistic children experience increased levels of caregiver strain and adverse mental health outcomes, even in comparison to parents of children with other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Previous studies have largely attributed these increased levels of mental health concerns to their child behavioral concerns and autism symptomatology, but less attention has been given to other potential child factors, such as child adaptive functioning. Additionally, little is known about potential protective factors, such as parents’ emotion regulation (ER) abilities, that may ameliorate the experience of caregiver strain, anxiety, and depression.

Objective: The current study examined the impact of child characteristics (restricted …

Creating Accessible Instructional Materials, Rachel E. Trnka

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Presentation at the FLA 2023 pre-conference panel, titled FACRL presents Academic Libraries & Student Success for the Next Generation

Re-Membering The Living Earth: A Year In Rural Sri Lanka, Samuel C. King

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The following thesis tells the story of my year in rural Sri Lanka. After college, I traveled from suburban New York to the highlands of the island country with the hopes of writing an ethnography on agrarian Buddhism. I soon realized, however, that I was not just embarking on an academic project, but an inner journey to explore ways of being that had been lost in the modern culture I had known. My narrative recounts how immersion in a rice cultivating village deepened my sense for what it means to live in reciprocity with the more-than-human world—a world of plants, …

An Exploratory Study On Strategies Adopted By Parents Who Use E-Cigarettes To Negotiate Risk Perceptions Of Their Children's Secondhand Exposure And Parental Role Modeling, Joon Kyung Nam, Jesse P Zatloff, Su-Wei Wong, Hsien-Chang Lin, Wei-Chung Su, Anne Buu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Existing health messages mainly targeted youth susceptible to vaping or parents who do not have much knowledge about e-cigarettes. This study makes a unique contribution by conducting the first in-depth investigation of e-cigarette-using parents' risk perceptions and parental role modeling and how these two factors affect their vaping behaviors at home or implementation of any strategies to reduce their children's risk. Fifteen parents who used e-cigarettes participated in a semi-structured interview. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed through a deductive approach of thematic analysis. This study demonstrates the need to develop and disseminate future health messages for e-cigarette-using parents who …

Sharing My Story Through Public Speaking: Young People And Mental Health, Alexandra Isabella Bush

Honors Theses

Recent years have shown a worsening mental health crisis in America. Between the high prevalence of mental illness, lack of treatment, high rates of suicide and overdoses, and increasing rates of substance use, the United States has an abundance of problems, all of which relate to mental health. One contributing factor is the insufficient education about mental health topics, also known as mental health literacy. Therefore, American citizens lack necessary knowledge, such as the signs and risk factors of mental illness, treatment options, and ways to improve mental health, to name a few. One impact of low mental health literacy …

Women And Children’S Victims Of Violence Case Management During Covid-19 Pandemic, Eti Sumiati, Elvy M. Manurung Dr., Indraswari - Ph. D

The Qualitative Report

Many studies have been conducted to prove the threat of violence against children and women during COVID-19. Unlike other studies, this study focuses more on government services in receiving complaints from victims of violence experienced by women and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using case studies as a qualitative method, documentary studies and in-depth interviews have been conducted on 13 informants from various parties in Bandung Regency, West Java, Indonesia. The results showed that the use of digital technology during the pandemic sometimes hampered the follow-up process for complaints of violence by victims due to a lack of equipment and …

Unraveling The Situation Of Women In Stem Areas From The European Teacher Perspective: Insights From Females Project, Ayşin Kaplan Sayı, Nihal Yurtseven, Şirin Karadeniz, Sinem Vatanartıran

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study is to examine the views of teachers on the number and situation of women in STEM areas as well as ways to encourage female students to STEM areas. We carried out the study through basic qualitative research. The participants of the study included 39 teachers from Turkey, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Romania. For data collection, focus group interviews were carried out in each country. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis. The study yielded similar findings in almost all the countries showing that the number of women was not sufficient, and the participants mostly …

The Research Question In Hermeneutic Phenomenology And Grounded Theory Research, Pilar Folgueiras-Bertomeu, María Paz Sandín-Esteban

The Qualitative Report

Formulating the research question is a key but complex task in qualitative studies. The question should be framed consistently with the approach chosen; in other words, question and approach are interdependent. This article aims to contribute to the understanding of the nature of the research question; to this end, we address its meaning by presenting two qualitative approaches: applied hermeneutic phenomenology and grounded theory. Although both approaches draw from the experience of the participants in research, they are vastly different and comparing them provides an exemplar of the important decision-making required for crafting research questions epistemologically aligned with their designs. …