Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Counselors’ Role In Supporting Lgbtgeqiap+ Teens Living In The Foster Care System, Elizabeth K. Kurt

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Queer youth in the United States are overrepresented and simultaneously unseen in the foster care system. They experience more negative mental health outcomes than their non-queer peers, and the child welfare system does not always provide safe or affirming care for these marginalized youth. LGBTGEQIAP+ teens are placed in congregate care at high rates and face a myriad of challenges in these settings that exasperate existing mental health concerns. This poster examines the injustices of out-of-home care and the maltreatment that gender and sexual minority youth experience in the foster care system, as well as exploring factors that improve …

A Cadaver Story: Relationality In The Anatomy Laboratory, Stephanie Teasley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Cadavers in the human anatomy laboratory occupy a liminal social space, a circumstance that presents a variety of challenges for anatomy students. Cadavers are intended to be scientific objects for study, but their human status makes dissection uniquely challenging. Many of the obstacles to working in the laboratory result from discomfort experienced at the thought of cutting a person (i.e. a social being). In this project, I use ‘cadaver’ to indicate a category of being created in and for the anatomy laboratory. This is distinct from the more general ‘dead body’ in that the category cadaver enables emotional distance and …

Vaccines And Publics: A Variety Of Engagement Experiences, David H. Lee

Publications and Research

This chapter is about some of the sites and scenes where members of the public are exposed to (and engage in) vaccination discourse. To preview, after a brief introduction, we begin with messaging models of communication, followed by the move from messaging to engagement. Next, case examples of public engagement with vaccines are introduced, from pandemic influenza preparedness in the U.S., to polio eradication initiatives in India, and then to COVID-19 public engagement events in England. Settings of public engagement are noted, including online, in churches and museums. Then, there’s a section about communication and public participation, seen as either …

Behavioral Finance: The Influence Cognitive Dissonance Has On Investors, Noah A. Adams

A with Honors Projects

The aim of this literature review is to understand the relation between the Cognitive Dissonance Theory and investor decision-making. Under the Investor Rationality Theory, investors are perceived to act in their best interest financially after gathering all available information on their investment. Behavioral Finance on the other hand is the study of psychological biases and emotions and how they influence investors, causing them to act rather irrationally and consequentially creating an irrational market.

Policing, Prejudice And Change: Confronting Racial Bias In Policing, Aliya Ross

A with Honors Projects

Exploring racism, and discrimination within the Justice System and recommendation for reform.

Beyond The Surface: Lgbt+ Minority Stress & Social Safety, Violet Lewis

A with Honors Projects

Presentation about minority stress in the LGBT+ community surrounding the recent political climate and how we can use social safety to deter the impacts.

Social Anxiety And Cannabis Use Context, Brooke Beckius

Dissertations and Theses

Cannabis use is highly prevalent among young adults in the United States, with many experiencing associated problems. Social anxiety has been identified as a significant risk factor for cannabis use and related consequences; however, it remains unclear whether cannabis facilitates or inhibits social engagement among socially anxious individuals. Solitary cannabis use is consistently linked to use-related problems, but the term “solitary use” may encompass distinct contexts—such as social preparatory use, use to aid sleep, or use while spending time alone. The present study aimed to examine how cannabis use influences social engagement among socially anxious individuals and test how specific …

Invisible Infrastructure: Beyond The Burden Of The Dual Roles And Systematic Realities Of Black Women Professionals As Caregivers, Lolita J. Griffin

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Black women in the professional sector frequently serve as caregivers to close relatives or family members while balancing the demands of their careers. Research shows the hurdles and the stress Black women in the workforce encounter. (Office of Behavioral Health Equity, 2020). Similarly, the expectation to take on the caregiver role adds another layer of complication to their existence (Williams et al., 2021). This combination of conflicting caregiver and professional responsibilities can cause harm to overall well-being and mental health. The enactment of reforms in public policy that address the specific mental health and job satisfaction needs of Black professional …

What We Owe Each Other: An Examination Of Social Exchange Theory And Public Perception Of Healthy Relationships, Sarah R. Korbich

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study uses prior literature on social exchange theory and uses various frameworks to examine the public’s perception and comprehension of SET through examining user-generated content on TikTok. Social exchange theory is based upon the idea that when interacting with other persons, you are exchanging rewards and costs. This study was guided by two questions that explore how social exchange is generalized and understood by the public, and how well the public’s ideas of positively contributing to a healthy relationship aligns with operational measures of SET. This study’s intention is to encourage SET’s usage in application to relational contexts as …

Relational Database Schema To Support Research Profiling Studies, Natural Language Processing, And Bibliometric Analysis, Darnelle Melvin

Library Faculty Research

In this paper, a relational database schema is introduced that supports rapid prototyping, data preprocessing, and warehousing tasks associated with research profiling studies, natural language processing, and bibliometric analysis. Python scripts are leveraged for the seamless retrieval and processing of data from Semantic Scholar. This schema is tailored to efficiently analyze entities such as authors, their scientific papers, referenced papers, and cited papers. Adhering to the relational model, this schema offers a standardized approach to data storage and detailed information retrieval for scientific papers. Enhancing knowledge discovery in scientific databases, this schema provides researchers with a powerful platform for robust …

Introduction, Amanda Koziura, Amy Tureen

Library Faculty Research

Introduction to the book Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library.

The Luxury Belief: How Casual Political Labeling Harms The Lower Classes, Yan Lei

A with Honors Projects

This essay argues that casual political and moral labeling, when used as a luxury belief, misleads followers, fosters intellectual complacency, and amplifies misunderstandings about complex issues such as race.

Voices From Within: Understanding Native American Student Journeys In Predominantly White Institutions: A Phenomenological & Autoethnographic Study, Collette Bowman

Dissertations and Theses

This study explored the lived experiences of Native American undergraduate students at a small Midwestern university, with particular attention to how identity development, systemic challenges, and culturally grounded support systems shape their academic and personal paths. Using a phenomenological approach paired with an autoethnographic lens, this research amplifies Native student voices while drawing on the reflections of the Indigenous researcher who shares similar lived experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: Identity Development, which captured how students negotiated cultural identity, intergenerational impact, and a sense of belonging; Barriers and Challenges, …

Racism And The Treatment Of Muslim Americans After 9/11, Khatera Akmal

A with Honors Projects

Racism is more than prejudice—it is fear transformed into power. Racism is commonly defined as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism … against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.” But definitions alone do not capture how racism forms. At its roots, racism grows out of ordinary human instincts: fear of difference, the tendency to categorize, and the desire to belong to a group. These instincts aren’t inherently harmful, but when combined with national anxiety or crisis, they can turn into widespread prejudice and …

The Effects Of A Game-Based Social Skills Intervention On Social Skills Acquistion For Autistic Youth In Training And Generalized Settings, Sales Libby Ann

Dissertations and Theses

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly have difficulties with social communication which is often targeted using social skills teaching (SST) (Mikami et al., 2014). These programs are effective, however, many lack evidence of social validity measures or procedures as well as generalization of the skills targeted in intervention. The current study investigated the skill acquisition of three participants through the use of social skills teaching embedded within a role-playing game. The primary dependent variable was the skill acquisition of each participant within the RPG setting. Immediate increases in level and trend were noted across participants for most skills following …

An Introduction To Cultural Anthropology: What Does Anthropology Offer The Current World?, Kristina Baines, Victoria Costa, Baird Campbell

Open Educational Resources

This Open Educational Resource (OER) is designed to be used as a textbook to accompany an introductory course in Cultural Anthropology. The chapters can, however, stand alone or be expanded and be used in courses with units on Medical Anthropology, Ethnographic Methods, Race and Gender Studies, Climate and Environmental Anthropology and others. Please feel free to use all or part of the textbook and supplemental materials provided. This resource is published under a creative commons license. Use and modify as you wish for non-commercial use only with attribution to Cool Anthropology.

Cold War Karl Mundt: The Utility Of Anticommunism During The Eightieth Congress, Wattier Zachary

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines South Dakota House Representative Karl Mundt during the Eightieth Congress and his role in helping to build a movement and consensus over domestic and international communism. I argue that not only did Mundt help facilitate the Second Red Scare that allowed for the “McCarthyism” of the 1950s to thrive, but Mundt also aided in selling a combative diplomacy towards the USSR which intensified relations into a Cold War. As a ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mundt advocated for the use of soft power, education, information, and propaganda to sell his idealized Americanism to …

Personality Functioning And Sexual Aggression: How Criterion A Of The Alternative Model Of Personality Disorders (Ampd) Relates To Sexually Aggressive Cognitions In Men, Ryan Van Fossen

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated how personality functioning and maladaptive traits contribute to sexually aggressive cognitions (SAC) in men, extending existing research on personality pathology. Three primary aims were examined. Aim 1 explored the relationships between SAC and the four components of personality functioning (identity, self-direction, empathy, intimacy). Aim 2 evaluated the structure of personality functioning as measured by the Levels of Personality Functioning Scale-Self Report (LPFS-SR). Confirmatory factor analyses tested four competing models: unidimensional, two-factor, four-factor, and bifactor. Aim 3 assessed the combined influence of maladaptive traits and personality functioning on SAC. Participants included 469 heterosexual cisgender men, ages 18–24, drawn …

Mobility-Stress Dynamics: What Audit Scores Can Tell Us About Mobility Patterns And Stress, Mason Hatwan

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation, leveraging secondary data from the Colorado EMA Project, investigates the dynamic relationships between mobility patterns, stress, and alcohol-related negative consequences among undergraduate college students (N=182, Mage 18.47). Grounded in Dynamic Systems Theory (DST), the study explores daily variations in mobility and stress using a Dynamic Structural Equation Model (DSEM). The analysis aims to understand how these variables interact within and between individuals, focusing on the role of baseline alcohol-related negative consequences as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Findings reveal a significant autoregressive effect for stress, indicating that higher stress on one day predicts higher …

A Phenomenological Study Of Hispanic And Latinx Community Mental Health Care Providers, Sara Zare

Dissertations and Theses

Despite experiencing similar rates of mental health disorders, Hispanic/Latinx individuals are less likely than other ethnic/racial groups to access mental health services. There is a growing need for culturally responsive mental health services that address the unique barriers to access and unmet needs faced by Hispanic/Latinx communities. Community mental health organizations are critical to providing care to underserved populations who experience a wide range of resource-related barriers. The representation of bilingual and bicultural Hispanic/Latinx providers within these settings has become invaluable to addressing unique barriers not historically addressed by community mental health organizations. The present study utilized a phenomenological approach …

The Scale And Sustainability Of An Early Childhood Dual Language Program, Michelle Belfiore Loconte

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The history of multilingual education in the United States over the last fifty years has gradually transitioned from a subtractive bilingual approach to additive approaches, where students increase their cognition of both their native language and the target language. The dissertation study explored the scale and sustainability of one dual language early childhood program that has been implemented over the past 19 years, expanding across grade levels. The research question of this dissertation study was, “What can we learn from a long-lasting and steadily expanding public early childhood dual language program?” The data for this dissertation was collected through a …

Projectile Points Of New Mexico: 13,000 Years Of Technological Innovation, Bradley J. Vierra

Anthropology: Faculty Book Gallery

For the first time, New Mexico has a volume dedicated to all projectile point types dating from the Paleoindian through Historic period. Filled with historical details, measurements, defining attributes, age estimates, interpretations, references, and images, Projectile Points of New Mexico: 13,000 Years of Technological Innovation edited by Dr. Bradley J. Vierra and with many contributing authors and supporters, is graciously offered here courtesy of the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management, who provided the grant for production costs, New Mexico State University, who was responsible for the contract, and Statistical Research, Inc., who produced the volume. There …

How Auditor Competence Shapes Independence Of Thought, Tom J. Frye, Eddie Thomas

Academic Affairs

Our study aims to identify how the impact that the voluntary transmission of information between independent parties has on each person's ability to perform a task. We construct a simple laboratory experiment that tasks human subjects to estimate answers to a series of puzzles, earning compensation based on their accuracy. Before the final fourth repetition, there is a brief period where subjects are randomly matched with an anonymous discussion partner and may discuss their estimation procedures. We also vary the ability of subjects to see immediate feedback on their results between sessions. We find that subjects who rated the quality …

Sights And Sounds Of Veteran Identity: The Use Of Photovoice Technique And Lyric Analysis In A Community-Based Participatory Action Research Framework, Stephanie Jett Ph.D., Laurie Peebles

Academic Affairs

Researchers often attempt to define what it means to be a Veteran; however, there is a dearth of research where that question is directly asked of Veterans. Instead, a traditional approach to research is taken where the experimenter defines the variables and asks the participants to provide responses without being included in the research process or reaping any direct benefit from participation. We assert that in order to better understand this unique population, it is vital that we elevate their voices by employing more qualitative, community-based participatory action research (CbPAR) models where Veterans are empowered to use their voices to …

Rethinking Retained Earnings In The Additional Funds Needed Formula, James E. Larsen

Finance and Financial Services Faculty Publication

This paper critically re-evaluates the traditional application of the Additional Funds Needed formula by analyzing alternate interpretations of retained earnings. It illustrates how definitional shifts influence capital forecasts with a more nuanced approach to financial modeling in growth scenarios. The approach emphasizes numerical clarity, policy realism, and adaptability for financial planning. The paper challenges conventional AFN usage by embedding definitional flexibility and temporal awareness, offering decision-makers clearer visibility into funding sensitivity. It reframes AFN as a dynamic planning tool rather than a static formula, with implications for forecasting, policy-setting, and strategic finance.

“A Safe Place”: Exploring Black Couples’ Perceptions Of Black Love And Relationship Coping In The Context Of Their Lived Experiences With Racism, Melinda Murdock

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Historically, Black couples have not been studied within the context of their lived experiences as it relates to the effects of racism on relationship health. Only in the last decade have relationship scholars begun to consistently link racism-related stressors to relationship processes and outcomes. Despite the growing literature, recent studies are primarily quantitative in method and rely on samples, theoretical models, and measures that predominantly represent White couples’ experiences. It remains unclear how Black couples’ perceptions of love and relationship coping lead to resilient outcomes despite the negative effects of racism.

Therefore, the goal of the present study is to …

Rural Hospital Closure And Medicaid Expansion, Jason White

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: In the United States, hospitals in rural areas have been under financial pressure and have been closing at an increasing rate.  This reduces access to care for rural citizens.  The Affordable Care Act of 2010 was passed in order to increase access to medical care, partially through an optional expansion of Medicaid coverage to a larger percentage of the population.  As some states adopted the expansion and some states did not, an opportunity was created to examine the policy’s effect on rural hospital stability.

Purpose of the Study:  This study was designed to examine the effect of …

Precipitation, Perceptions, And Participation: An Analysis Of Individual Perceptions Of Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority's Cloud Seeding Pilot Program And Suggestions For Public Outreach And Communications, Rachel A. Rowlee

Pitzer Senior Theses

Cloud seeding is a form of weather modification intended to increase the amount of precipitation by introducing a seeding agent. The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) has implemented a four-year cloud seeding pilot program utilizing silver iodide as a seeding agent during rain storm events. Over the last year, SAWPA received various feedback, much of which exists in the social media realm. This research consists of open-ended interviews with water resource managers, SAWPA employees, and individuals expressing disapproval of the program on social media and Instagram comment analyses. Interview and comment analyses are put into conversation with the theory …

Liking Gap(S) In Getting-Acquainted Interactions, Susan Sprecher

Faculty Publications – Sociology and Anthropology

In first interactions, people often think about how much they like the other and how much the other likes them in return. Recently, a liking gap has been identified, which is the tendency for people to underestimate how much a new acquaintance likes them. With data from a compiled sample of pairs of strangers interacting for the first time, this investigation contributes to knowledge on how common it is to experience this perceived liking gap (versus no gap or an overestimation of how much one is liked). Also examined is an actual liking gap, the difference between how much people …

Podcasting As An Innovative Pedagogical Tool In Social Work Education, Mim Fox, Jonathan B. Singer

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Podcasting as a means of educational delivery has been slowly increasing since the introduction of podcasting to the consciousness of the general public in 2004. In parallel, social work education has experienced a global increase in online and remote delivery. Social workers globally have embraced social work content podcasts as a means of providing, and supplementing, their traditional pedagogy. In this article, the authors, both international podcasting social work academics, present an innovative framework for podcasting pedagogy and discuss co-production of podcasts as a form of teaching and learning co-design that is grounded in social work approaches to knowledge creation, …