Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Capturing Value In Emerging Markets: A Real Options Perspective On Resilience And Risk, Alexander Castillo

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the evaluation of investment opportunities in emerging markets (EMs) through real options analysis, against the backdrop of their unique risk profiles and the recent trend of EMs exhibiting resilience in economic performance. While EMs are associated with high growth rates and infrastructure gaps, they have shown adaptability, particularly in monetary policy responses to inflation. This paper explores the sensitivity of net present value (NPV) and real options (RO) to changes in the capital asset pricing model, adapting the yield spread to capture default risk and local risk-free rates. Utilizing oil benchmark price data, the paper constructs a …

The Korean Hanok As A Model For Sustainable Architecture In South Korea, Jordan Oh

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis analyzes the traditional Korean hanok within the Western framework for sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. It then cross-references the findings of this analysis with existing theory on the cultural role of architecture to elucidate how the traditional Korean hanok can serve as a model for sustainable architecture in South Korea. Through a comprehensive analysis this thesis highlights the importance of architectural vernacular to define a sustainable building, and critiques contemporary Western ideas of sustainable architecture. Furthermore, this thesis synthesizes two current approaches to sustainable development in South Korea, the u-eco-city and the Green Standard for Energy …

Effect Of Dopamine-2-Receptor Manipulation On Social Interaction And Social Decision-Making In Juvenile Fish, Kiren Kanazawa

CMC Senior Theses

Animals interact in intricate social networks. Social behavior is imperative in shaping relationships, in communication, and adapting to changing environments. Despite its profound effects on individual fitness and health, neural-molecular mechanisms behind social behavior and social decision-making continue to be identified. In the present study, we focused on the regulation of social behavior by the Dopamine-2-Receptor (D2R), based on its role in context-dependent social behavior. We used juvenile African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, to investigate the effect of dopamine signaling manipulation on their aggressive, territorial, and affiliative behaviors. We hypothesize that D2R manipulation affects social decision-making in juvenile A. burtoni. …

Does The Constitution Follow The Flag? The Paradox Of Puerto Rican Identity And Citizenship, Laura Somoza Velez

CMC Senior Theses

How do identity and citizenship interact? Puerto Rico’s current political status is that of an unincorporated, organized territory of the United States, under the shiny title of ‘Commonwealth.’ Although they have US Citizenship, Puerto Rican residents aren’t protected by the US Constitution. This source of dual identification, American and Puerto Rican, creates a unique circumstance where questions of identity, and belonging naturally arise. In this thesis, I aim to answer how the citizenship condition created in Puerto Rico and how it is experienced measure up to current debates and scholarship surrounding citizenship. Achieved through a historical analysis of the formation …

Savage Tales: The Colonialist Narratives Underpinning Indigenous Genocide, Riley Green

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the settler-colonialist supremacist narratives - religious, racial, and civilizational - wielded in the territories that would become Australia, Canada, and the United States to justify displacing and killing Indigenous Peoples. The narratives and their effects persist: contemporary disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples reveal the narratives' institutionalization, as do modern incarnations of the same legitimizing tropes in Australian, Canadian, and US domestic and foreign policies.

How Does Foreign Born Population Affect Tax Morale And Perceived Immigrant Strain On The Welfare System?, Chase Keir

CMC Senior Theses

The goal of this paper is to assess the effect of foreign born population concentration on tax morale and perceived immigrant strain on the welfare state in Sweden. This paper uses data from the European Values Survey as well as merging data regarding the population makeups of the regions in Sweden the respondent is from. Using multiple OLS regressions over 2 time periods, the significant explanatory variables will be uncovered. I find that foreign born population percentages are not very statistically significant if at all, and the actual explanatory variables with high significance are gender, education level, political skew, and …

China’S Strategic Calculus: A Comparative Analysis Of China’S Approaches Towards The Philippines And Vietnam In The South China Sea Dispute, Letian Wang

CMC Senior Theses

The South China Sea (SCS) dispute is a longstanding territorial conflict involving several surrounding states. In this paper, I analyze the differences in China’s policies towards the Philippines and Vietnam as China exerts its expansion into the SCS using relevant International Relations theories. The Philippines’ democratic values, alliance with the U.S., small-scale volume of trade with China, and active strategies against China all contradict China’s interests to be the regional hegemonic power. In contrast, Vietnam’s socialist regime, alliance with China, substantial trade with China, and passive strategies do not contradict China’s interests as much and even comply with them. Hence, …

Speaking To Maryland’S Eastern Shore: Lessons For Candidates Looking To Earn The Watermen Vote, Maryum Khwaja

CMC Senior Theses

One of the thirteen original states, Maryland is located on the East Coast. It consists of two main sections that are separated by the Chesapeake Bay: the Eastern Shore, which is east of the Chesapeake, and mainland Maryland, west of the Chesapeake. As a whole, Maryland is a blue state. The East Shore is different: it has Republican House member, Andy Harris, and holds different values from the rest of the state, and it votes differently, too. In the 2020 election, Biden won the statewide vote 65-32 percent – but Trump carried Harris’s district 56-42 percent.

The people of the …

The Effect Of Tommy John Surgery On Mlb Starting Pitcher Performance, 2017-2023, Jake Tracey

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the effect of Tommy John surgery on MLB starting pitcher performance for the 2017-2023 MLB seasons. The paper uses data from the sources Statcast (BaseballSavant.mlb.com) and BaseballReference.com, focusing on various conventional and advanced performance statistics for MLB starting pitchers as well as their salary. Using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model, the thesis measures the significance of the dummy variable Tommy John surgery on various pitching statistics to see how the surgery affects performance for MLB starting pitchers. The regressions measure the effect of Tommy John surgery on a pitchers era, wins, weighted on base average …

Essays On Public Finance And International Finance, Deepti Sikri

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The first chapter examines New York State's Fiscal Score Monitoring program to find the effect of two quality labels on school district outcomes: fiscal stress scores, reflecting the budget solvency, and environmental stress labels reflecting economic and demographic conditions. Using the NYS school district data from 2013-22, I employ the regression discontinuity design to find the effect of stress labels, in response to the political pressure on district finances, housing, and school outcomes. I find the effect of fiscal stress label is limited, leading to a decrease in the fund balance ratio and an increase in the tax rate. However, …

Regulator Preferences And Underinvestment In Drinking Water Infrastructure, Chunyu Guo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The infrastructure of U.S. drinking water systems faces chronic issues of low quality and underinvestment. As the water utilities in the U.S. are typically managed and regulated at the local municipal level, investment levels depend on the municipal regulator's preferences. Drawing from a dynamic framework, I specify and estimate the local regulators' objective function over drinking water infrastructure investment. This framework highlights the tradeoff between profit and consumer surplus and reveals how regulator preferences can deviate from net surplus optimization, resulting in underinvestment. My findings provide significant evidence that the drinking water infrastructure is underinvested. I reveal that the regulator's …

Let Your Head Hang Down: A Narrative Examination Of Cultic & Conspiratorial Romance, Kyle Macy

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

A response to recent cultural trends of radicalization, extremism, and violence in American society, this dissertation, a novel rendered in ephemeral fragments of oral histories, interrogates the romanticist postures that compel a community of musical artists, the so-called “Folk Revival Revival,” toward infamy and tragedy. Where more traditional sociological approaches to cultic formations stress the importance of centralized charismatic authority, and more traditional psychological approaches rely upon a conspiratorial Cold War ethos of cognitive bias and coercive control (i.e. “brainwashing”), this project meets such assumptions with incredulity, asserting instead that cultic and conspiratorial entrancement awakens first from within, and may …

Understanding Teacher Behavior And Its Influence On Student On-Task Behavior, Jennifer Birchler

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Student behavior in the classroom is a significant predictor of student outcomes and teacher satisfaction. But, teachers report classroom management to be challenging. Finding simple, cost-effective methods of improving student behavior in the classroom can vastly improve long-term success for students. This study seeks to better understand how class size relates to teacher praise and movement, and how these teacher behaviors relate to student on-task behavior. Previous research suggests on-task behavior improves with more teacher praise and movement in the classroom. The current study used data collected using the Bx Management Tool as part of the Osage County Fall 2019 …

The Study Of Different It Audit Methodologies, Alexa Cassidy

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This thesis delves into the obstacles organizations and tiny businesses encounter when conducting security audits of their networks. It addresses critical challenges relating to these audits' cost, time, and resources. The study thoroughly examines the audit process, elucidating its strengths and weaknesses, the available tools, and the pertinent laws and frameworks necessary for ensuring compliance. It specifically focuses on small businesses' approach to conducting these audits and the specific hurdles they face. The findings spotlight two primary audit methodologies, technical and regulatory, which scrutinize data security, network security, and physical security within a business. The thesis elaborates on tools such …

Testing An Integrated Dual Diathesis-Threat Model Of Authoritarianism, Brendan Gallagher

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The Dual Diathesis-Threat Model of Authoritarianism proposes parallel motivational pathways by which similar personality features could predispose liberals and conservatives to different forms of authoritarianism. Specifically, the model posits that cognitive rigidity serves as a shared dispositional ‘diathesis’ of right- and left-wing authoritarianism ‘activated’ by distinct threats. For cognitively rigid conservatives, threats of change (i.e., threats to cohesion/conventions, cultural shifts) were expected to enhance the embrace of RWA; while for cognitively rigid liberals, threats to change (i.e., oppression, inequities, barriers to social progress) were predicted to promote LWA. Two studies examined this premise. In Study One, American citizens (N …

The Transdiagnostic Role And Measurement Of Cognitive Inflexibility Across Understudied Eating Disorder Groups: A Multi-Method Investigation, Mckenzie Miller

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Cognitive inflexibility is an established transdiagnostic executive function deficit that maintains a wide array of psychiatric conditions. Eating disorders (ED) are serious, life-threatening conditions that remain underdiagnosed and understudied across diverse demographic groups. There is growing evidence for a role of cognitive inflexibility in driving hallmark ED symptoms, particularly in anorexia nervosa. Treatments targeting cognitive inflexibility may improve the currently poor outcomes of these conditions. To date, the role of cognitive inflexibility remains to be examined across demographically and diagnostically diverse ED groups. The first two studies presented here examine associations between cognitive inflexibility and symptom presentation in two relatively …

Understanding How Laypeople Perceive Sexual Harassment Claims From "Non-Typical" Claimants, Jennifer Mezzapelle

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Over the past four decades, scholars have generated a wealth of knowledge on the topic of sexual harassment. However, in much of this research, findings may have resulted from participants assuming that the target in question was a “typical” sexual harassment victim (i.e., a White, straight, cisgender woman who is traditionally feminine and conventionally attractive; Kaiser et al., 2022). As a result, the generalizability of this research is inherently limited, as it may not accurately reflect how sexual harassment is perceived when it is aimed at a person who does not possess the attributes typically associated with sexual harassment targets. …

Effects Of Grant Termination For Orphans, Vulnerable Children And Their Caregivers In Windhoek, Namibia, Miriam Winnie Hasheela

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Namibia faces complex child welfare policy dilemmas in providing sustainable support for the increasing number of AIDS-orphaned youth transitioning into adulthood. While Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) social grants have played a vital role in poverty alleviation and childhood development (Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, 2021), the abrupt termination of these grants for youth when they reach 18 years of age without any transitional support has posed significant risks to their well-being. While much research in Namibia (Mnubi-Mchombu and Ocholla, 2014; Van Der Brug, 2012.) has examined the impact of OVC grants on children under the …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Supervisor Responsiveness Scale, Ramon Garcia

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Theoretically, responsiveness to the emergent needs of supervisees and clients is the primary means by which clinical supervisors help trainees become effective psychotherapists (Friedlander, 2012). To advance understanding and research on this aspect of supervision, the Supervisory Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was developed and assessed psychometrically.

First, 35 items reflecting trainees’ perceptions of their supervisor’s responsiveness, as defined by Friedlander (2012), were developed and rated for clarity, face and content validity by a panel of 12 experienced supervisors. After the item pool was refined based on these ratings, 216 supervisees representing all training levels rated each item on a 1 ( …

School-Based Grief Interventions For Childhood Bereavement: A Systematic Review, Louise M. Olson

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Childhood bereavement is a critical national issue in the United States. Children and adolescents who experience the death of a significant person, such as a parent or sibling, are predisposed to a variety of negative risk factors and long-term implications across several domains, including academic and social-emotional functioning. Schools are in the unique position to offer free, accessible mental health services to grieving students. As such, it is vital that school mental health professionals have access to information about evidence- and school-based grief interventions. The current study is a systematic review of school-based grief interventions for students who have experienced …

Compassion Cartography: Mapping The Psychological Landscape Of Altruistic Equity And Effectiveness, Kyle Fiore Law

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Psychologists and philosophers have often championed deliberative reasoning over empathy as a better approach to overcoming parochial biases and guiding altruistic equity and effectiveness. Advocates of the effective altruism (EA) philosophy even advise philanthropists to downregulate empathic responses to maximize the impact of their donations. However, recent research reveals that extraordinary altruists (XAs), such as those who donate organs to strangers, are driven primarily by empathy. This dissertation explores whether empathy necessarily impedes altruistic equity (impartial regard for others’ welfare) and effectiveness (prioritizing impact), revealing a more nuanced reality that challenges this perspective. Across two phases of research involving three …

Building Engaged Audiences: The Influence Of Multimedia-Inclusive Posts On Online Engagement Breadth And Depth For Arts And Culture Nonprofit Organizations, Sabrina Jeffcoat

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In recent years, broad access to digital communication tools provided by the “tech boom” has forced arts and culture nonprofit organizations (ACNPO) to transition to social media and mobile applications to engage audiences. While various approaches focus on building breadth (i.e. recirculation of content) and depth (i.e. replies) of engagement, ACNPO use multimedia to spur discussion and dissemination of their mission. Dependent on individual donors who generally give in small amounts, ACNPO are reliant on effective and visual social media campaigns to drive virality and broaden marketing appeal. Yet questions remain whether the presence of multimedia-inclusive posts (MIP) generates broader …

The Shifting Suns: A New Understanding Of The Five Suns Story Of The Mexica Empire And 16th Century Colonial Mexico, Heungtae Yang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In this dissertation, I study the Mexica creation story commonly known as the Five Suns Story (Abbreviation: FSS) to explain the coexistence of multiple texts of FSS, the evolution of FSS from 1400 to 1600, and its multiple functions in multiple cultural spheres of the Mexica society. In contrast to previous studies up to the 1990s, whose main goals were to cite the Five Suns Story as part of a larger research topics, reconstruct a pure pre-Columbian version of the story, and analyze specific aspects of its symbolism, I conduct an intensive study of the FSS that brings together multiple …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Depressive Symptoms And Body Image By Race/Ethnicity And Nativity Status Among Adolescents, Radhika Prasad

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Previous research on the immigrant health paradox among children and adolescents show a mental health advantage yet it is unclear if this applies in a similar magnitude to females (Fillion et al., 2018; Zarei et al., 2023). Immigrants may be exposed to stressors related to immigration and acculturation. Some research suggests that females respond more to stress through internalizing symptoms relative to males (Hall-Lande et al., 2007; Adkins et al., 2009). Given these gender differences in stress response, female immigrants may be particularly vulnerable to the psychological consequences of immigration related stressors. The immigrant health paradox has also overlooked subjective …

"Not Trans Enough": A Qualitative Inquiry Of Non-Binary Individuals' Experiences Of Transphobia Within The Lgbtq+ Community, Alyssa Lombardi

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Transphobia has been well-documented to have detrimental impacts on the lives of transgender individuals. However, research typically has not focused on the experience of non-binary individuals, and particularly even less so on their experiences of within-group discrimination. This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to understand both the experience and expression of transphobia toward non-binary people from within the LGBTQ+ community. Twelve interviews were conducted with six non-binary individuals ranging in age from 23 to 33. Each interview was analyzed and coded, resulting in four superordinate themes: The Experience of Enbyphobia, The Impact of Enbyphobia, The Expression of Enbyphobia, and The …

Assessment Of Spatial Distribution Patterns And Infestation Risk Over Time Of Spotted Lanterfly (Lycorma Delicatula) In New York State, Alanna Richman

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive treehopper native to Asia. It was first introduced to Pennsylvania in 2014, and as of 2020 it has expanded to New York state. Their preferred host tree is the invasive tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), but they will feed on over 173 different plants worldwide. Preferred host species in New York state include agricultural vegetation such as grape vines and fruit trees. Positive Spotted Lanternfly site data collected by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets and iMapInvasives were analyzed using ArcGIS Pro to assess spatial distribution patterns. …

The Role Of Familial Support And Gender In Asian American Students’ Stem Career Development: A Test Of Social Cognitive Career Theory, Xiao Ting Wang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study, based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994, 2000), investigated the role of familial support in the STEM career development of Asian American college students. Participants included 446 first-year undergraduate students who identified as Asian or Asian American and had not declared an academic major. Due to multicollinearity, four initial familial support variables—instrumental assistance, career-related modeling, verbal encouragement, and emotional support—were regrouped into two: performance motivation (instrumental assistance and verbal encouragement) and career mentoring (career-related modeling and emotional support). Structural equation modeling showed acceptable fit for a modified model, and the results partially supported the …

The Exceptionalist-Normalist Continuum: Contents, Correlates, And Consequences Of Beliefs About The Psychological (A)Typicality Of Perpetrators Of Mass Atrocities, Dylan Campbell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

A consensus view within the literature on perpetrator behavior in mass atrocities holds that perpetrators tend to be psychologically typical rather than atypical and thus, that even “ordinary” people are capable of extreme acts of violence against civilians when the right combination of social-psychological forces is at work. Whereas much prior research speaks in some way to this claim’s validity, no prior study of which I am aware has directly investigated laypeople’s beliefs regarding the truth of this proposition. Here, I report findings from four preregistered studies (total N = 1,256) investigating the contents, correlates, and consequences of lay theories …

Factors That Influence Clinicians' Intention To Use A Trauma-Informed Approach To Care In Women's Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Lauren Cestone

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Aims: Regardless of literature citing the effectiveness of trauma-informed care (TIC) (e.g., Capezza & Najavits, 2012; Covington, 2008; Morgan et al., 2020), implementation is lacking in settings that serve women with substance use disorders (SUD) (Bartholow & Huffman, 2023; Capezza & Najavits, 2012; Terplan et al., 2015). Not implementing TIC often results in methods that are trauma-inducing, may prevent the achievement desired outcomes, and lead to negative outcomes such as drop-out and relapse (Brown et al., 2013; Capezza & Najavits, 2012; Claus & Kindleberger, 2002; Hales et al., 2019; SAMHSA, 2014). This study aims to provide a theoretically driven empirical …

Dishes Of Yesteryear: Memories, Stories, And Representations Of The Past Within Food Media, Diana Willis Bottomley

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In 1963, Julia Child revolutionized cooking television. Child’s The French Chef, which ran for ten years on the Boston public television station, WGBH, changed how American’s viewed, produced, and consumed food. And in the sixty years since Child’s debut, food media has grown in scope and popularity, increasingly altering how we communicate identity in and through food and foodways. In this dissertation, I examine the relation between food, media, and memory, with particular attention to: how the past moderates the connection between food and identity; how food media produce a sense of place integral to identity; and how food …