Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Does Media Influence Public Perception Of Crime, Dylan Leach

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Media encompasses anything that can spread mass communication, such as news outlets, social media, music, etc. This study includes a review of various scholarly sources to determine the impact that various forms of media have for influencing public perceptions of crime in our nation as well as nations across the world. Initial findings implicate exposure to local news media and rap music influence public perceptions of crime, to include but not limited to increases in violence, concern about local crime rates, and negative perceptions of law enforcement. This study reports some of those results.

Does Crisis Intervention Training Reduce Negative Encounters With The Mental Health Population, Jayden Smith

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Law enforcement officers frequently interact with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. These encounters can lead to negative outcomes including escalation, use of force, or unnecessary incarceration. Crisis intervention training (CIT) aims to equip officers with the necessary skills to recognize and respond to people with mental health conditions. This research examines the effectiveness of CIT in reducing negative encounters between law enforcement and the mental health population in communities. Analyzing data on arrest rates, use of force incidents, and officer and community perception will show whether CIT leads to safer interactions. However, critics say that CIT is ineffective due …

Is There A Relationship Between Drug Addiction And Incarceration?, Lindsey M. Lopez

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The connection between drug addiction and incarceration has been widely debated. Many individuals who struggle with substance abuse will end up in the criminal justice system, mainly due to drug-related crimes or offenses committed under the influence like DUI’s. This study examines whether incarceration is effective in solving substance abuse issues or if alternative approaches such as rehabilitation, offer better results. The analysis explores the balance between punishment and treatment programs to determine what the most effective strategy is in reducing recidivism and addressing why drug addiction is high in the justice system.

Up From The Ashes: The Role Of Posttraumatic Growth In The Decision To Become A Clinical Psychologist, Richard Warmke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinical psychologists report experiencing higher levels of trauma than other professionals, potentially impacting their ability to provide effective mental healthcare services. Although trauma can result in psychological problems, it can also result in posttraumatic growth (PTG). The purpose of this research was to explore the role of PTG in the decision to become a clinical psychologist to help inform the recruitment and training of clinical psychologists. The theoretical foundations of this study were PTG, vocational choice theory (VCT), and career construction theory (CCT). The key research question of this study was, “What is the role of PTG in the decision …

March 27, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the March 27, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

Sentencing Disparities Towards Racial And Ethnic Minorities, Hannah Loomis

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Society and those working in the criminal justice system have been at odds for decades regarding the question of whether racial and/or ethnic minorities experience disparities in sentencing decisions by the courts. When looking at data, evidence clearly indicates a history of disparities towards African American and Hispanic populations. Despite the evidence, controversy still exists. Some researchers argue that over the years the level of bias has declined, and any level of disparities is an insignificant amount. While evidence may show a decrease, there is still a presence of disparities, and any bias is too much.

The Asset Management Optimization Engine: An Ai And Machine Learning Model Approach To Pavement Asset Management, Matt Versdahl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While state Departments of Transportation (DOT) face major funding challenges, the need to find optimal ways to preserve and maintain pavement assets remains. Asset management employs a lowest cost lifecycle method to analyze asset costs and determine the best investment strategies to preserve it throughout its lifecycle. As new technology emerges, so do opportunities to leverage it. DOTs collect a significant amount of performance data on pavement and use it to decide how to keep it in a state of good repair. The literature in this area focuses on engineering techniques applied to treatment strategies. This dissertation research focuses on …

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Alcohol Use Severity, Nyanhial W. Pal

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Ethnic Identity (EI) refers to an individual’s beliefs and attitudes towards their ethnic-racial group, and researchers have been interested in its association with health behaviors such as alcohol use. The current literature presents mixed findings regarding whether a strong EI understanding (commitment) or seeking out EI information (exploration) is a protective or risk factor for severe alcohol use. These inconsistencies may be explained by limited sample sizes and composition (e.g., primarily adolescents). As such, we sought to replicate and clarify past findings on the relationship between the EI and alcohol use severity using a diverse national …

The Effects Of Disclosure Of Genai Use In The Production Of Advertising In High And Low Involvement Settings, Shawn Griffin

LSU Master's Theses

This study explores the effects of GenAI disclosure on advertising effectiveness and how these influences interact with consumers’ involvement in advertised products using a 2×2 experimental design with 83 participants, manipulating AI disclosure (disclosed vs. not disclosed) and involvement level (high vs. low). Findings indicate that disclosure negatively impacts brand attitude but has no significant effect on ad attitude, purchase intention, or sharing intention. An interaction effect was also found that in high-involvement conditions, disclosure increased the intention to share the ad. These results, framed through the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), offer insights into the …

Lung Segmentation With Lightweight Convolutional Attention Residual U-Net, Meftahul Jannat, Shaikh Afnan Birahim, Mohammad Asif Hasan, Tonmoy Roy, Lubna Sultana, Hasan Sarker, Samia Fairuz, Hanaa A. Abdallah

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Examining chest radiograph images (CXR) is an intricate and time-consuming process, sometimes requiring the identification of many anomalies at the same time. Lung segmentation is key to overcoming this challenge through different deep learning (DL) techniques. Many researchers are working to improve the performance and efficiency of lung segmentation models. This article presents a DL-based approach to accurately identify the lung mask region in CXR images to assist radiologists in recognizing early signs of high-risk lung diseases. Methods: This paper proposes a novel technique, Lightweight Residual U-Net, combining the strengths of the convolutional block attention module (CBAM), the Atrous …

College Of Natural Sciences 2024 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 2 Dean's Message
Page 3 Department Highlights
Page 4 One Day for State
Page 5 New Students in Wecota
Page 6-8 Faculty Excellence
Page 9 SDSU Physics Students Recognized
Page 9 Prairie Doc Watch Party
Page 10-11 Student Excellence
Page 11 Connections Abroad
Page 12-13 CNS’s Research Centers
Page 14 Connections Abroad
Page 14 Dean Wolf-Hall Retired
Page 15 Outreach Program
Page 15 Events and Traditions
Page 16 Student Spotlight
Page 17 Alumni Spotlight
Page 18-19 SDSU Alum at Paris Paralympics
Page 20 Work Anniversaries & Programs

Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In The Construction Industry Among Undergraduate Construction Management Students: Case Study--A Study Of Future Leaders, Jonghoon Kim, Soomin Park, Sarah H. Moukhliss, Kwonsik Song, Dan Koo

Library Faculty Presentations & Publications

This study investigates the perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) among undergraduate construction management students who are poised to become future leaders in the construction industry. As the industry increasingly adopts AI technologies to enhance project planning, design, site management, and safety, understanding students’ attitudes toward these innovations becomes crucial. This research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative survey data with qualitative data to capture the students’ insights on AI’s potential applications, benefits, and challenges within the construction sector. Findings indicate that while students recognize AI’s transformative potential to improve efficiency and safety in construction processes, they also express concerns regarding …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 11, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Revving Up Or Stalling Out? Examining The Effectiveness Of Electric Vehicles In Combating Climate Change, Meghan E. Miller Termat

Villanova Environmental Law Journal (1991 - )

No abstract provided.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 17 - March 27, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 17 - March 27, 2025. 16 pages.

Quality Of Life In Caregivers Of Toddlers With Autism Features, Sarah Edmunds, Daina M. Tagavi, Collen M. Harker, Trent Deschamps, Wendy L. Stone

Faculty Publications

Understanding factors that contribute to the quality of life (QoL) of primary caregivers of young autistic children can help researchers and clinicians provide high-quality support to caregivers and families. This study examined whether family demographic factors, parenting stress, and caregivers’ perceptions of family-centered healthcare experiences uniquely predict caregivers’ QoL. Participants were caregivers of toddlers with: features of autism (n = 119), other developmental delays (n = 101), and no developmental concerns (n = 264). We hypothesized that higher levels of perceived family-centered care would moderate (ameliorate) the relation between parenting stress and QoL. Higher levels of perceived family-centered …

Finding Solutions To Missed Appointments And Leveraging Virtual Technology In The Healthcare Setting, Adam R. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The healthcare community faces numerous challenges concerning patients and their ability to attend appointments as scheduled. Reports indicate that annually, between 23% and 34% of appointments are missed. This challenge creates a cascading effect of wasted time, resources, and valuable appointment slots in an already strained environment. The investigation of this phenomenon is not new and has been extensively researched in the operations management literature. While numerous solutions have been proposed over the past decade, there remains a need to continually advance this research. Beyond merely recognizing missed appointments and potential modalities to alleviate this issue within the care framework, …

Essays In Development Economics, Karina Gabitova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how environmental shocks and early-life health conditions influence child and adolescent development in low- and middle-income countries, using longitudinal data from the Young Lives survey in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. The two chapters address distinct but interrelated dimensions of human capital formation: the effect of environmental shocks on adolescent self-esteem and the causal impact of birth weight on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes.

Chapter 1 analyzes how shocks such as droughts, floods, and crop failures affect adolescent selfesteem, a key non-cognitive skill linked to long-term well-being. Using a fixed-effects model, the study finds heterogeneous effects: environmental shocks …

Generative Ai In A Statistical Methods In Psychology Classroom, Karyna Pryiomka

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Comparing The Effects Of Square, 4-7-8, And 6 Breaths-Per-Minute Breathing Conditions On Heart Rate Variability, Co2 Levels, And Mood, Joshua Marchant

Theses and Dissertations

Background and Hypotheses: Square and 4-7-8 breathing are popularly promoted by psychotherapists but have little empirical support. We hypothesized that breathing at 6 breaths per minute (bpm) would improve HRV, reduce blood pressure, and improve mood more than either square or 4-7-8 breathing. We also hypothesized square and 4-7-8 breathing would increase end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2). Methods: Eighty-four college students (60% female) had HRV measured at baseline and during 1) square breathing, 2) 4-7-8 breathing, 3) 6 bpm with a 4:6 inhale-to-exhale ratio, and 4) 6 bpm with a 5:5 ratio. We used a 3-lead electrocardiogram to measure HRV and a …

Creaciones En La Cocina Para Comer Juntos En Familia, Celina Wille, Lacee Jimenez, Casey Coombs, Heidi Leblanc, Lea Palmer, Jocelin Gibson

All Current Publications

Esta publicación, basada en la guía nutricional del programa SNAP-Ed, ofrece consejos prácticos y recetas culturalmente relevantes para promover una alimentación saludable y fortalecer los lazos familiares durante las comidas. Incluye conceptos básicos de planificación, un menú de muestra, guías de MiPlato e información para fomentar la participación de los niños en la cocina.

Aceptación De La Variedad Hispanounidense: Un Paso Hacia La Descolonización De La Lingüística Española En Los Estados Unidos, Wendell J. Shank

International Journal on Responsibility

Resumen

La emergente variedad de español que se habla en los Estados Unidos (EE. UU.). carece de prestigio entre la lingüística española a pesar de que cualquier crítica dirigida a ella pueda ser dirigida a otras variedades aceptadas. Esto lleva a la conclusión de que los lingüistas no reconocen la variedad hispanounidense a causa de la historia de colonización y la mente colonizada de ambos: los hablantes de esta variedad y los lingüistas que la estudian. Hay que tomar un paso hacia la descolonización de la lingüística española para producir grandes cambios positivos tanto personales como sociales en los EE. …

Politics, Traditional Librarianship, Progressive Librarianship, And Conflicting Visions Of Services For Children, Bill Crowley

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper addresses the ongoing challenges within public library youth services between programs of Traditional Librarianship, heavily influenced by local religious and political realities, and Progressive Librarianship, a secular approach aiming to remedy perceived past library failures. At the risk of oversimplification, Traditional Librarianship, the original American public library philosophy, long prioritized helping youth develop into educated citizens with a strong moral foundation. Within the limits of generalizing, Progressive Librarianship can be considered a change-oriented philosophy seeking to provide youth services committed to social justice and a reversal of power relationships to the benefit of those previously underserved. The effects …

Collaboration Expo (Spring 2025), Anna Nelson

Stand-Alone Events/Exhibits

No abstract provided.

Tom Kunesh Full Interview Transcript, Urban Green Lab, Tennessee State University

Hear from Tom Kunesh -Middle Tennessean Sharing Indigenous Wisdom

No abstract provided.

Murine Studies On Ketogenic Modulation Of Metabolism And Epigenetics In Olfaction- Based Learning, Lps Inflammatory Response, And Sex Dimorphisms In Dietary Response, Sara E. H. Moss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ketogenic diets are well-established therapeutic interventions for epilepsy, with documented neuroprotective effects arising from their metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Beyond epilepsy, ketogenic therapies are under investigation for various conditions including Alzheimer disease, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These diets suppress insulin levels and shift metabolic physiology toward fat and ketone body metabolism. This elevates circulating levels of ketone bodies, namely beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone, which serve as both energy substrates and signaling molecules. The state of elevated ketone bodies (ketosis) can be achieved with various formulations of a ketogenic diet as well as exogenous ketone supplementation, though the signaling …

Branded Books: The Sizzling Story Of Marcas De Fuego In The Donohue Rare Book Room, Gina Solares

Gleeson Library Faculty and Staff Research and Scholarship

This talk focuses on marcas de fuego found on the edges of rare books held by Gleeson Library's Special Collections & University Archives. Using the Catálogo Colectivo de Marcas de Fuego to identify and interpret the marks, this project connects the books from the Donohue Rare Book Room to Carmelite, Franciscan, Dominican, Mercedarian, and Jesuit communities in and around Mexico City. The brand marks provide material evidence of transatlantic circulation, inquisitorial oversight, and the formation of some of the earliest academic and missionary libraries in the Americas.

This presentation was delivered at the CRASE Pecha Kucha Happy Hour on Wednesday, …

The Impact Of Educators’ Perceptions Of Neurodivegence On Their Self-Efficacy In Teaching Middle And High School Students With Adhd And Autism In Rural Minnesota, Nicolle D. Bettcher Erickson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore how we can best support our teachers in matching our ever-changing educational landscape, specifically our neurodivergent learners. When educating neurodivergent students (students with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), we must understand how to teach these creative, sometimes misunderstood individuals and unleash their full potential. To do so, we need educational practitioners who have healthy perceptions of what it means to be neurodivergent and educators who understand both the talents and hurdles that being neurodivergent may entail. This study examined how non-special education teachers' perceptions of neurodivergence correlated with …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Quality Of Higher Education, Pragati K. Rouniyar

Honors Thesis

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining higher education, captivating scholars with its promise to personalize learning and streamline institutions. However, underneath this assurance exists a network of ethical challenges, disparities in equity, and inquiries regarding academic integrity that require our focus. In pursuit of this goal, this research employs a mixed-methods strategy—through the implementation of surveys and semi-structured interviews—to investigate the transformative effects of AI on higher education, concentrating on its repercussions for teaching techniques, learning results, and institutional processes. This study’s findings indicate that AI can personalize educational experiences to meet individual needs, ease course administrative workload, and assist with …

Lindenwood Digest, March 26, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.