Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Symptom Clusters In Individuals Seeking Treatment For Gambling Disorder, Blaine Stiglets

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) presents the criteria for Gambling Disorder (GD) as a unidimensional construct where each additional symptom corresponds to increased severity. Many individuals experience addiction symptoms in specific symptom clusters, with membership to one profile of symptoms or other better-representing disorder severity than raw symptom counts. This study explored whether similarly informative symptom clusters exist among adults seeking treatment for gambling harms. The sample included 444 adults (Mage= 44.95) who completed an assessment of DSM criteria for GD at intake. Through a latent class analysis of GD criteria, three …

Do Emotion Dysregulation And Internalized Shame Mediate The Relationship Between Borderline Personality Disorder Symptomology And Criminal Involvement?, Madison Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and debilitating mental disorder that is over-represented within the criminal legal system (CLS), with 15-29.5% of individuals in the CLS meeting criteria. However, little research has examined mechanisms leading to criminal involvement within this population. Potential mechanisms include positive/negative emotion dysregulation and internalized shame, which (aside from positive emotion dysregulation) have been linked to criminal involvement in other populations. Research has yet to examine these constructs as mechanisms explaining criminal involvement among individuals with BPD. This study examined positive/negative emotion dysregulation and internalized shame as mechanisms of the relationship between BPD and criminal …

Preliminary Evidence For The Validity And Reliability Of A Modified Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) Scale: The Variability In Aces Scale, Mary Jo Hedrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research has proliferated in the last twenty years with significant research demonstrating the detrimental effects of early childhood adversity. While many measures purport to measure ACEs, very few capture the intensity of ACEs while still calculating the traditional “ACEs tally.” Thus, it is the goal of this dissertation to collect evidence for an expanded ACES measure. The Variability in Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (VACE) measure builds upon the original ACEs and captures interval level data. Two survey-based studies were conducted in which convergent and criterion related validity and test-retest reliability evidence were collected. In …

An Examination Of Early Childhood Leadership In Public Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Wesam Alshahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as early childhood education (ECE) leaders. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the ECE leadership of Tennessee public elementary school principals in two phases.

In the quantitative phase, statewide surveys were used to collect data from 67 principals. The survey comprised 51 items assessing nine ECE leadership competencies, synthesized from statements of leading ECE and elementary education …

An Examination Of Police Response To Individuals Suffering With Mental Illness, Aliss Copsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine police officer response to individuals suffering with mental illness. There had been little prior research that used qualitative methods and explored police officers in rural areas. Several research questions were explored, including stigmatizing beliefs held by police officers toward individuals with mental illness, perceived levels of preparedness, challenges experienced by police officers, improvements officers wish to see implemented, and the impact of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) training. This study gathered data through semi-structured interviews with 19 police officers who worked in East Tennessee in order to address the research questions. The results …

The Greater Implications Of Self-Perceptions Of Aging Among Younger Adults: Results From The Socially Nutritious Volunteer Training Program, Ashlyn Cobble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapidly growing rate of the older adult population has created a need to better understand younger adults’ self-perceptions of aging and current trends of ageism. The purpose of this secondary data analysis research project was to determine changes, if any, in participants’ self-perception of aging after the Socially Nutritious facilitator or nutrition ambassador volunteer training, which aims to develop knowledge and skills related to aging trends, older adult nutrition, preventing ageism, and communication and educational considerations when working with older adults. Findings indicate that participants with more frequent interactions with older adults had a more positive perception of their …

Exploring The Correlates And Predictors Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Uptake Among People Living With Hiv/Aids In Tennessee, Charles Olomofe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background

The administration of the COVID-19 vaccines has met with resistance and hesitance from different population groups including people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It is concerning to know that PLWHAs are showing a higher rate of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy than the general population. The objective of this study is to synthesize the literature and determine the correlates and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWHA using primary and secondary data.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted to identify and summarize studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWHA using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) Extension for …

An Exploratory Study Of The Southern Subculture Of Honor In East Tennessee, Rachel Cohen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The culture of honor theory proposed by Nisbett and Cohen (1996) addresses the historically higher rates of violent crime in the Southern United States, as well as the disparities that can be observed in the laws, beliefs, and social expectations between the South and other regions. Previous research has reported significant differences between the beliefs of acceptable violence among Southerners compared to non-Southerners; however, no research has been conducted comparing different demographic groups of Southerners. The current study sought to evaluate whether there were observable differences between various demographic attributes such as gender, race, age, educational attainment, political affiliation, prior …

Changes In Young Adults’ Perspective On Ageism After Participating In A Virtual Nutrition Education Program With Older Adults, Julianne Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing older adult population has led to increased ageist tendencies among younger generations. Previous research suggests that ageism is associated with cognitive and physical decline among older adults. This mixed-methods research project examined changes in ageist perceptions among graduate student facilitators and undergraduate nutrition ambassadors after participating in a training that included information about healthy aging, addressing ageism, and communicating with older adults. Results from a secondary data analysis of pre-test/post-test data and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with facilitators of Socially Nutritious, a virtual nutrition education program for older adults, indicate that ageist perceptions decreased after the …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 8, Number 5, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Is This Behavior Impressive Or Repulsive? The Influence Of Our Ecology On Our Social Evaluations, Kai Lin Lynn Tan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Sexual unrestrictedness, impulsivity, and seeking immediate gratification—these traits generally carry negative connotations and tend to be frowned upon. However, are they necessarily maladaptive? Evolutionary psychologists map these traits onto a behavioural cluster known as a fast life strategy. While a wide body of work has examined many types of prejudices (e.g., sexism, ageism, racism, classism, attractiveness bias etc.) the literature has yet to examine prejudices against people who display behaviours that lie on the life history strategy continuum. I propose that in our modern world where life is relatively predictable and mortality rates are lower than in ancestral times, there …

Essays On Weak Identification, Dennis Guo Wei Lim

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation presents a comprehensive examination of inference techniques for weak instrumental variable (IV) models, crucial in addressing endogeneity and bias in econometric analyses. Comprising two interconnected chapters, the research explores innovative methodologies to enhance the reliability and robustness of IV regression estimations. Chapter 1 is concerned with maximizing the power of tests in the many weak IVs setting. This is done by introducing a novel approach that considers a linear combination of jackknife Anderson-Rubin (AR), jackknife Lagrangian multiplier (LM), and orthogonalized jackknife
LM tests for inference in IV regressions with many weak instruments and heteroskedasticity. Following I. Andrews (2016), …

Essays On Spatial Economics And International Trade, Naiyuan Hu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation consists of three papers on spatial economics and international trade. The first paper focuses on spatial inequalities. Educational resources are distributed unevenly and contribute to spatial inequality. A dynamic spatial model with life-cycle elements studies the impacts of location-specific educational resources. Individuals determine where to attend college, weighing distance, expected value of education, and available resources. Locations with more colleges attract more students. As mobility costs increase with age, many graduates stay in the city where they studied, affecting skill composition. Applied to China, it finds that the 2005- 2015 college expansion had minimal welfare impacts and suggests …

The Truth Of The American Immigration System: Family Separation, Tegwyn Hollenbach '24

Honor Scholar Theses

This paper will begin with the first chapter by detailing the foundation of policies the American government built up in order to create the immigration system. The policies centralized around being acts of exclusion in an attempt to keep those the government deemed good enough out. There will be details on the last major immigration reform law and explanations as to what factors and events have played into creating the American Immigration system today. The second chapter will delve deeper into more modern immigration policies by focusing on recent presidential administrations that have attempted and failed to make a productive …

The Emerging Impacts Of Tourism On The Economy Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Study Of Oil And Tourism, Dania Abu Jabal

Master's Theses

Saudi Arabia was heavily dependent on oil, which caused an economic crisis due to the collapse of global oil prices. In 2016, the Saudi government launched Vision 2030 to diversify the Saudi economy and avoid dependence on oil revenues. One aim of Vision 2030 is to initiate numerous tourism initiatives to boost the tourism industry's economic impact, elevating its contribution from 3% of GDP to 10% by 2030.

This paper provides the necessary assessment to understand tourism's role and contribution to the Saudi economy and to determine whether the industry's growth is on the right track. Also, this paper also …

Building Author Services: Advancing Publication Support For Health Sciences Researchers, Sara Hoover, Ruth Bueter, Laura Abate

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Expanding Content In A Health Sciences Library Discovery Service: Changing The Default Search Scope In A Shared Consortium Environment, Sara Hoover, Brian Mcdonald, Jolinda Thompson, Deborah Wassertzug

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Chemical And Historical Analysis Of Beer: Discovering Brewing Styles And Beer Stages, Alexander Taylor '24

Honor Scholar Theses

This interdisciplinary project is designed to explore both the compositional qualities of beer during the brewing process and its impact on society from a cultural, economic, and social viewpoint. Comparing various styles of beer against each other in a historical, societal, and chemical lens allows for a deeper understanding of what creates a beer’s identity, and what makes it different from other styles. Here we analyzed two different styles of beer, a bock lager and a saison ale, in order to determine their chemical composition through their developmental stages to their final product. Based on previously published research and extended …

Outside Influence And Troop Deployment, Cara Wilson

Master's Theses

This paper examines the role that the President, the public, and the media played in troop deployment during the Afghanistan War. I hypothesized that each variable would influence troop deployment. Using a linear regression, I found that there is a positive relationship between the media and troop deployment. I concluded that media coverage did not influence troop deployment, but highlighted what was happening in Afghanistan. With the public, there is a negative relationship between the public and troop deployment. While troops increased, the public decreased in their support for the war. I conclude that the public did not have a …

May 2024 Alumni Presentation, Sara Decaro

Faculty Submissions

No abstract provided.

Heritage Language Maintenance, Language Socialization, And Family Language Policy: An Ethnographic Case Study Of A Trilingual Family, Rosiane Barcelos De Oliveira

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Today, about 350 languages are spoken and signed in the United States, many of which are heritage languages (HL). A HL is a language to which a speaker has an ethnic, historical, or sentimental connection. This dissertation reports on an ethnographic case study on the language and literacy socialization practices of one trilingual family (English, Spanish, Portuguese) in their efforts to maintain Portuguese as their HL. The analysis of data focuses on three themes: (1) HLM activities during their religious practices; (2) the emotions connected to HLM; and (3) the family’s HLM practices when they travel to Brazil. Through a …

The Role Of Maternal Emotion Regulation In The Relationship Between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Negative Parenting, And Child Externalizing Behaviors, Maddison Knott

Master's Theses

Exploration of the effects of maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on child externalizing behaviors were conducted in the proposed study. Subtypes of ACEs, such as household dysfunction and maltreatment, and their effects on child externalizing behaviors were also examined. Maternal ACEs have shown to have negative effects on their children through use of more negative parenting practices (NPP). However, the role of maternal difficulty in emotion regulation in the link between maternal ACEs, NPP, and child externalizing behaviors has not been previously shown in the literature. Thus, the present study aimed to examine these relations, specifically with NPP as a …

Gestalt Language Processing In Accredited Communication Sciences And Disorders Programs, William Harris

Master's Theses

The language development and usage of autistic individuals has become a controversial topic in many of the disciplines and professions providing support to these individuals. As a result, two theories of language processing have been proposed. Analytical language processing suggests that children process and develop language from its most simple form, a phoneme, to its most complex form, a word or phrase. However, the theory of gestalt language processing proposes that some children may instead extract larger, more complex language such as whole words and phrases first and break it down to the simpler language. Gestalt language processing is often …

Assessing The Independent Role Of Moral Foundations In Attitudes Toward Various Justifications For Abortion, Saba Shahid

Master's Theses

Although many states have legal frameworks that restrict abortion to certain situations, largely associated with health risks to the mother, child or both, other factors, such as financial stability, emotional readiness, and partner's presence, are not covered by existing laws, though they may be critical factors contributing to abortion decisions. To assess the role of these factors, participants (N= 302) were recruited online via Prolific Academic and randomly assigned on a between participants basis to view a single vignette that manipulated abortion justification category (financial, emotional, partner) and the presence/absence of justification. They reported the extent to which …

Effects Of Identity And Competency-Based Rejection And Acceptance On Online Versus Face To Face Reaffiliation Preferences In Adults, August Namuth

Master's Theses

Humans are social animals, resulting in notable sensitivity to experiences of acceptance and rejection. This study extends existing research by considering whether rejection or acceptance based on identity uniquely influences reaffiliation interests. Participants recalled either an inclusionary or exclusionary experience (or a control state), which would have been based on their competency or identity. Following this experience, they indicated their interest in participating in virtual and in-person social activities. I hypothesized that identity-based rejection would foster an interest in reaffiliation through online activities due to the greater availability to join likeminded groups online compared to in person. Conversely, I hypothesized …

History Of Physical Neglect And Current Food Insecurity: Moderation By Mental Health Symptoms, Brooke Welsh

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food insecurity has been a topic of concern for many years. While many actions have been taken to try to reduce rates of food insecurity, further research should investigate whether certain events may increase likelihood of this experience. Thus far, a large amount of research has been completed on how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can impact chances of experiencing food insecurity as well as how mental health symptoms can impact these chances. However, there is little research showing that mental health symptoms may moderate the relationship between having ACEs and food insecurity as an adult. A sample of 124 university …

Examining Attitudes Towards Scientific Research, Charles Ian Johnston

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Undergraduate students are often anxious about participating in a research experience. In this study, students conducted research as part of their introductory biology course and were then surveyed using the Attitudes toward Research Scale, to understand their views on research. Students were surveyed at the beginning and end of the semester, and their scores in five attitudinal categories were compared. The attitudes examined were usefulness of research, positive attitudes towards research, relevance of research, difficulty of research and anxiety towards research. We hypothesized that participation in research as part of a course would improve students’ attitude toward research. Initial analysis …

Bipedalism Is A Balancing Act: Talus Landmarking In Facultative Bipedal Primates, Anita Patane

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Obligate bipedal locomotion, mandatorily walking on two legs, is vastly important as it is the fundamental precursor to the human lineage; it precedes tool usage and language. Chimpanzees, our closest living ancestors for the human ancestral condition, are often the proxy and are the dominant subject of human bipedalism studies. There are additional species, such as arboreal Black Spider Monkeys (Ateles paniscus) who habitually travel through the trees bipedally. These facultative bipedal primates (FBP) introduce a new lens to how modern human talus and calcaneus’ mobility has adapted to environmental shifts such as the transition from arboreal to …

Unveiling Existentialism And Self-Expression: Utilizing The Arts, Raquel Eduardo Nunez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This analysis is an exploration of identity through the examination of art as a means of self-expression and societal critique. It delves into existentialism to explain the impacts of art on both positive societal experiences and negative interactions unique to the immigrant and Mexican American community. The artist, Raquel Eduardo Nuñez, examines their own art to dissect their position in life as a Mexican-born individual living in a foreign country. This method was chosen to allow a space of self-reflection and awareness to explore the components that shape identity and reveal art as a medium for interpretation of links between …

End-Of-Life Patient Communication: Exploring Comfort, Communication And Education Of Healthcare Professionals For End-Of-Life Care, Madison Gremillion

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Historically, the medical field has viewed death and dying as incurable ‘medical failures,’ and as a result, many healthcare professionals have difficulties when facing a patient who is dying or at the end of their life. These individuals will use avoidant behavior to avoid end-of-life (EOL) patients or can have difficulty providing essential aspects of care including communication, that contribute to building a strong relationship between the healthcare provider and patient. For the healthcare professional (HCP), this can stem from anxiety related to thoughts of death and a lack of educational support or experience. The study of death is where …