Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Where The Framework Ends: Equity Considerations And Limitations During Agency River Permit Allocation Decision Making Processes, Kelsey Ellen Phillips

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

River recreation in the U.S. increased dramatically in the 1970s as boating technology and recreational skill level shifted, thus a number of federally- and state-managed river areas instituted use limits over the years to prevent the environmental and social impacts perceived to have stemmed from increased use. These river managers were then faced with the task of allocating this use between private and commercial users (allotment) and within these groups (rationing), complicated by the fact that members of the public perceive equity differently. Early recreation use allocation research explored how different rationing techniques favor different groups, for example those with …

Minimizing Toxicity And Maximizing Social Connection In Collegiate Esports Teams, Julia Kay Tonne

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ABSTRACT

Tonne, Julia, M.A., Spring 2024 Communication Studies

Minimizing Toxicity and Maximizing Social Connection in Collegiate Esports Teams

Chairperson: Dr. Joel Iverson

Given possible benefits of social connection, the researcher analyzes how participation in the University of Montana’s Esports team influences students’ feelings of connection and their well-being. Participating in online gaming is associated with the risk of interacting with toxic behavior, especially for women and other minorities. The researcher further explores how toxic situations relate to feelings of social connection and well-being. Positive themes discovered include increased feelings of social connection for students in the program, experiences of social …

Uncontrolled Burn: The Worker Well-Being Of Wildland Firefighters, Luke Santore

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The available evidence indicates that wildland firefighters (WLFFs) are experiencing a well-being crisis. This study aims to assess predictors of both worker well-being and social and emotional loneliness among WLFFs.

Methods: An adapted version of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Worker Well-Being Questionnaire, along with the De Jong Gierveld Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (De Jong Gierveld & Van Tilburg, 2010) was distributed between May and October of 2023. Nine ordinary least square linear regression models were estimated to test the impact of demographic and employment variables on well-being in the sample of 95 …

Reimagining The Accuracy Of The Lovejoy Et Al. (1985) Age Estimation Method Of The Auricular Surface Of The Ilium Through Modern Color Photographs, Alyssa L. Edwards

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The ability to accurately estimate the age at time-of-death of an individual is crucial in numerous fields, particularly in a biological or forensic context. There are various methods, features, and bones that are utilized for determining the estimated age of an individual. This study dives into the Lovejoy et al. (1985) age estimation method of the auricular surface of the ilium by using the current age phase descriptions against different reference photos. The study tests whether updated color photos, when working collaboratively with the current age phase descriptions, increases the age estimation accuracy when estimating age based on the auricular …

Foodway Comparions And Patterns Of Consumer Behavior: The Use Of Orphan And Salvage Archaeological Collections From Historic Missoula, Montana, Emily Thea Meick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The goal of this project is to better understand and test theories about consumer behavior and meat consumption through faunal remains using orphaned and salvaged historic archaeological collections from three sites across Missoula, Montana, from the 1860s through the 1920s. Previous research underscored the need for properly defined units of analysis that represent what was being purchased and consumed. Using a consumer behavior framework and meat quality index, as indicated by price and meat yield, foodways comparisons between a Euromerican household that maintained renters, occupants of a Chinese store, Joss House, and residential dwellings within Missoula’s Red-Light District, and enlisted …

An Endemic Issue: Malawi's Struggle To Prevent Childhood Malaria, Hailey A. Smalley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Malaria is one of the most prolific diseases in the world, generating hundreds of millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths a year. In 2021, the World Health Organization initiated preliminary trials for the first malaria vaccine in three countries, including Malawi. This project explores the impact of the malaria vaccine on community perspectives and health outcomes related to malaria , describes ongoing challenges that health workers face when disseminating the vaccine, and explains how Malawi’s experience implementing the malaria vaccine reflects larger trends in international aid.

Bearing Witness: Ancient Dna Analysis And The Dynamics Of Food Procurement In A Historic Missoula Chinese Community, Sarah Elizabeth Grenfell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 2019, construction of a brewery called Cranky Sam Public House in downtown Missoula, Montana provided an unexpected opportunity to recover and preserve late nineteenth and early twentieth century archaeological evidence of a Missoula neighborhood that included a Chinese temple, a Chinese store, and dwellings with Chinese residents. The area, like many urban landscapes in the American West, also included a restricted, or red-light district. Teams of volunteer University of Montana graduate and undergraduate students conducted on-the-spot salvage archaeology monitoring and were able to recover a sample of artifacts and ecofacts from this once-bustling part of Missoula. The objectives of …

Dynamics Of Rural Water Quality And Wastewater Infrastructure: A Case Study Of Seeley Lake, Montana, Marie Watson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wastewater infrastructure is a necessary component for societies to manage human waste and to maintain public health. At the same time, wastewater infrastructure is intricately tied to land use and development. Two primary types of wastewater infrastructure – septic systems and sewer systems – reflect and influence land use and development through density, mirroring the spectrum of rural and urban land use. In Seeley Lake, Montana, groundwater pollution in the form of nitrates is stemming from aging septic systems in the heart of the town. Stakeholders involved in water management aimed to address the issue by constructing a centralized wastewater …

Repatriation And A Biological Profile Of Indigenous Remains Of West Texas, Haley P. Rebardi

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was created in response to the injustice, mishandling, looting, and trafficking of Native American remains and cultural artifacts. However, even with the latest amendment in December of 2023, there are still gray areas in the context and language. Notably, an issue with NAGPRA is the act only includes institutions and organizations that receive and are supported by Federal funding. Consequently, the act does not cover private collections. The main concern in these contexts is the lack of communication, awareness, and/or permission with and from descendant tribes or potential descendants when it …

Complexities Of Companionship: Exploring The Human-Dog Relationship Through Mtdna Analysis Of Bridge River Canine Remains, Seth Warnick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) hold an unquantifiable level of cultural influence and companionship across swathes of societies all over the globe. While dogs are genetically very distinct from Homo sapiens, throughout human history the two organisms have spread across the world together and have biologically gone through similar selective, social, and environmental constraints. Today the biological makeup of dog breeds is incredibly diverse, however, the archaeological record and genetic research has provided insight into the humble beginnings of a relationship between humans and dogs that has transcended the fabric of emerging civilization itself. Located on the Northwest interior plateau, Bridge …

Integrating Western Science And Indigenous Knowledge For Just Practices In Conservation, Cierra Lea Keith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Local Visions For Patagonia: Drivers And Dynamics Of Collaborative Environmental Governance In Aysén, Chile, Zachary J. Hummel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Collaborative governance (CG) has emerged as a tool for addressing increasingly complex societal problems by engaging a diverse of set of cross-sector actors in a deliberative process with the aim of realizing consensus-driven outcomes. Emerson et al.’s (2011) Integrated Framework for Collaborative Governance (IFCG) attempts to improve understanding of these arrangements by articulating causal connections between collaborative drivers and dynamics across different contexts. Answering researchers’ call for more empirical support for the IFCG in non-US/European contexts, I used the framework to guide 10 interviews with collaborative governance practitioners in the comanaged marine protected area, AMCP-MU Pitipalena Añihue, located in Aysén, …

An Institutional And Policy Analysis Of Adaptive Capacity To Climate Change Of The Agricultural Sector Of Bangladesh, Calvin Wood Martin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis evaluates the adaptive capacity of Bangladesh’s agricultural sector in the context of climate change, focusing on policy and institutional capacities. An analytic framework is applied to assess policy coherence, resources, and implementation effectiveness of key national and international policies. The study also examines aspects of institutional capacity, such as administration, technological innovation, protective infrastructure, and access to benefits and resources. Through expert interviews and a comprehensive literature review, the research identifies both strengths and challenges in current efforts to enhance climate resilience. The findings highlight areas for improvement, particularly in strengthening policy coherence, resource needs, and institutional support …

Culture & Contamination On The Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Sidney Upsis Fellows

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The land-based culture of our Shoshone-Bannock Tribes reflects our ability to live a healthy and good life by connecting to the land physically and spiritually in ways of respect, accountability, and other traditions that uphold land-human relations. In consideration of the settler colonialism that has spread across Turtle Island (a.k.a., North America) over the past 500 years, appropriation and contamination of land puts land-based cultures at stake. For the Shoshone-Bannock, two Superfund sites, a result and ongoing issue of settler colonialism, present an issue of environmental justice for the Tribes. This thesis seeks to provide a holistic understanding of our …

Sustainability Starts Small: Initiatives From Cuba To The Bitterroot Valley, Kathryn Marie Simecek

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sustainability and sustainable business practices look different across every resource and industry.

From recreational scuba diving to grassroots recycling efforts, sustainability is driven by local communities with a vested interest in protecting their environments long-term. Access to these sustainability efforts and awareness about their existence are barriers that require intentional participation in sustainable resource use from relevant parties. In this professional paper, sustainability efforts will be examined across three domains. Food-grade glass is one of the easiest and most efficient items to recycle, but relatively little of it is recycled. Discarded glass can take various paths, from community-led recycling events …

An Examination Of The Relation Between Memory Self-Efficacy And Working Memory Within The Cognitive Reserve Framework, Genna Marie Mashinchi Ma

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dementia has been found to negatively affect multiple aspects of cognitive functioning. Despite an increasing prevalence of cognitive decline, many aging adults do not experience reduced cognitive functioning. The reason as to why some experience cognitive decline and others do not is still unclear. One leading theory thought to explain this phenomenon is the cognitive reserve theory (CR), which proposes that certain lifestyle factors (e.g., educational attainment, occupational attainment, and leisure activity participation) prolong one’s cognitive functioning and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Memory self-efficacy (MSE), defined as one’s beliefs in their memory ability, was found to be positively …

The Geometry Of Dynamic Time-Dependent Best-Worst Choice Pairs, Sasanka Adikari, Norou Diawara, Haim Bar

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

There has been increasing interest in best–worst discrete choice experiments (BWDCEs) in health economics, transportation research, and other fields over the last few years. BWDCEs have distinct advantages compared to other measurement approaches in discrete choice experiments (DCEs). A systematic study of best–worst (BW) choice pairs can be traced back to the 1990s. Recently, new ideas have been introduced to the subject. Calculating utility helps measure the attractiveness of BW choices. The goal of this paper is twofold. First, we extend the idea of the BW choice pair to include dynamic, time-dependent transition probability and capture utility at each time …

Exploring The Realities Of Queer/Trans, Black, Indigenous, And/Or People Of Color Students At Humboldt State University, Kat Hồng Nguyễn

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In this thesis, I use participant interviews with 12 queer student activists at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) and participant observation from 2019-2021 to provide a qualitative analysis of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) student knowledge. While student activism is not a primary site of analysis in this paper, all of the participants of this study identify as student activists which has implications on their overall experience. Participants in this study note the institutional efforts to disrupt institutional memory between student leaders and activists. This study was specifically designed to combat this issue by …

Performance Activism Versus Collective Action, Grace Belt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Collective action is how groups can change society. According to the social identity model of collective action (SIMCA), facets of group identification can motivate or discourage collective action. However, no current research has focused on motivations for engagement in performance activism (i.e., displaying support for a mobilized group without engaging in mobilization) from an ingroup perspective. The current study investigates this literature gap, focusing on the dynamics of group membership, specifically feelings of self-prototypicality, as motivation to engage in performance activism or collective action. Participants (N = 189) were made to feel they were core members (prototypical) or fringe …

Assessing Sustainability: Knowledge, Behaviors, And Attitudes Before And After College, Seth Blair Comella Bradley

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Cal Poly Humboldt has been assessing the sustainability literacy and culture among its new and graduating students for over five years using a custom survey with a longitudinal design. Using data from Fall 2018 to Spring 2023, this project is both an exploration into changes in student sustainability attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge from when they start as new students to when they graduate as well as an in-progress assessment of the survey. Results indicate the majority of undergraduates value sustainability, although behaviors and knowledge did not always align with those beliefs. While no statistically significant changes were detected in longitudinal …

Emotional Eating, Nutritional Knowledge, And Socioeconomic Status As Predictors Of Body Mass Index, Tifani Buss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is an ill-health condition that can lead to other ill-health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Obesity is also a condition that does not discriminate regarding age, gender, or race/ethnicity. In light of obesity’s status as a global epidemic, efforts for prevention and intervention treatments are needed to improve individuals’ health and quality of life. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine emotional eating, nutritional knowledge, and socioeconomic status, as predictors of body mass index (BMI). These factors were examined through the lens of general strain …

What Can We Learn From A Co-Creation Journey For A Quick Scan Digital Transformation Maturity Assessment Tool For Development Ngos?, Anand Sheombar

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper describes the approach and lessons learned from a co-creation process with Dutch development NGOs to create a practical and easy-to-use assessment tool for practitioners to assess the organisation's maturity level of digital transformation. For this study, we applied a design science research methodology, specifically a six-step co-creation approach suitable for developing maturity models. The digital maturity assessment tool (quick scan) created is a domain- specific digital transformation maturity tool for development NGOs rather than a generally applicable tool. This artefact was evaluated using an eight-point Requirements framework for the development of digital maturity assessment tools. By developing a …

Examining Differences In Self-Concept And Language Between Monolingual And Bilingual Undergraduate Students, Marilyn Vega-Wagner

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The literature is lacking in studies that examine self-concept and language status among individuals older than adolescence. The purpose of this study is to conduct a quantitative nonexperimental comparative design to examine differences in self-concept and language status (monolingual or bilingual) between male and female undergraduate students in California. A total of 97 participants were examined in the study. The researcher conducted descriptive statistics on the demographics as well as a MANOVA and an ANOVA to answer the proposed research question. Based on the findings presented, the researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis of research question 1: There is …

Transforming Land And Home Ownership: Emergent Strategy And Community Cultural Wealth In Developing Community Land Trusts, Ahmed Naguib

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the transformative potential of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in reimagining land and homeownership within the context of capitalist real estate markets. Utilizing a qualitative research framework that combines narrative inquiry with Emergent Strategy and Community Cultural Wealth theories, this study explores the intricacies of developing CLTs as a counter-narrative to traditional models of property ownership. Through extensive narrative analysis of four distinct CLTs in California, this research highlights the complex challenges and innovative strategies employed to scale CLTs in competitive urban markets. The findings reveal how CLTs leverage emergent strategy and community cultural wealth to navigate and …

Role Play Or Real Play: A Quasi-Experiment In The Counseling Classroom, Elke Schmeling

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between pedagogy and self-efficacy beliefs is at the core of this dissertation. A continued demand for mental health service providers who can handle challenging caseloads requires novice professionals who are both well prepared and confident in their own skills and abilities, as self-efficacy is a positive predictor of performance. Since experiential learning opportunities are considered particularly beneficial to fostering self-efficacy beliefs, two cohorts of graduate students in a beginning psychotherapy course who engaged in different experiential learning activities were compared in terms of their counseling self-efficacy growth over the course of one semester. One cohort of students engaged …

Evaluating The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On Physical Activity Within A Health Coaching Package, Morgan E. Valois

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every week. Engaging in physical activity improves long-term health, unfortunately, half of the adults in the United States do not meet the recommended levels. Health coaching is a patient-oriented approach to deliver behavior change interventions that has been shown to increase physical activity and improve health outcomes. Self-monitoring is a component of health coaching, and is a behavior change technique that has been identified as an integral component of health interventions that resulted in improved health outcomes. However, the specific effects …

Swipe Up And Break Up: A Grounded Theory Study Exploring The Impact Of Tiktok On Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Love And Romantic Relationships, Amitoj Sandhu Kaur

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a time period when major developments occur with respect to adolescents’ physical, emotional and cognitive capabilities, and such developments ultimately make it a pivotal time for a person’s identity formation and understanding of interpersonal relationships. In today’s world, social media is extremely popular, especially among adolescents, and it has influenced their behaviors, perceptions and interactions with others. With TikTok, a social media platform, gaining popularity in recent years and overwhelmingly so among adolescents, researchers began researching the general impact of TikTok on adolescents’ mental health. Some researchers have begun exploring niche research topics related to the impact of …

On The Influence Of Private Stimulus Magnitude When Reporting Private Events, Christian T. Hickman

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The nature of private events provides challenges to developing a scientific understanding of the conditions under which humans learn to describe private events. Replicating and extending procedures from Stocco et al. (2014), we further evaluated the conditions under which verbal responses come under the control of private stimuli. Given that some participants vocal responses came under the control of public stimuli in Stocco et al. (2014), we implemented more subtle public accompaniments with all participants to reduce the likelihood of public stimuli acquiring control of participant’s verbal responses. Further, we systematically manipulated the visual clarity of the presented stimuli using …

Filipina American Mothers’ Experiences Obtaining Services For Their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nina Chelle Boling

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental condition that manifests in early childhood, affecting various aspects of neurologic, biological, adaptive, social, linguistic, and cognitive functions. A timely and accurate diagnosis of ASD is crucial for effective intervention, promoting personal and social growth, and fostering independent adulthood. However, obtaining this diagnosis can pose challenges, particularly for people of color, who often encounter disparities in healthcare access compared to their White counterparts. This study aims to investigate the experiences of Filipina mothers raising children with ASD, specifically focusing on their journey to access appropriate autism services.

As of 2019, there were …

On The Social Validity Of Teaching Children To Give A Polite Response, Nancy V. Ramirez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Some children, including individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may respond rudely when expressing their opinions about nonpreferred gifts or aspects of someone else’s appearance (Bergstrom et al., 2016; Saarni, 1984; Talwar et al., 2007; Xu et al., 2010). One proposed solution discussed in the literature to decrease rude responses in children involves teaching children to tell a socially appropriate lie, often referred to as prosocial lies, as an alternative response. These types of lies are defined as “lies that have some benefit for the lie recipient and are not intended to cause harm to another individual” (Popliger et …