Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Needs And Pathways For Strengthening The Contribution Of Qualitative Methods Toward More Effective Impact Assessment Practice, Heidi Walker, A. John Sinclair, Alan P. Diduck, Alan Bond, Jenny Pope, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Francois Retief

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Many jurisdictions are looking to next-generation impact assessment (IA) that includes sustainability considerations that extend beyond biophysical. Subjectivity is inherent in many of these additional impact considerations, and they are often not easily nor effectively quantified. Delivering effective IA within this broadening scope requires new, innovative, and rigorous applications of qualitative methods that enable meaningful inclusion of diverse knowledges, values, and information. While many qualitative methods are available for IA, there remains a significant opportunity to strengthen their contribution toward more effective IA practice. As such, we establish in this paper needs that must be addressed if qualitative methods are …

Submission To The 'Inquiry Into The Harm Young New Zealanders Encounter Online, And The Roles That Government, Business, And Society Should Play In Addressing Those Harms', Siobhan Healy-Cullen, Giselle Woodley, Lelia Green, Leon Huxtable

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We are a group of researchers and educators from Aotearoa New Zealand (Massey University), and Australia (Edith Cowan University), who collaborate on research, grant applications, scholarly articles, policy debates and youth-led interventions to define and co-create strategies that support young people in navigating and processing their experiences with online sexual content.

We welcome the chance to submit to this parliamentary inquiry, and thank the Aotearoa New Zealand parliament for the opportunity to contribute our expertise and offer input into your deliberations. We are encouraged that the terms of reference stipulate that "not all young people experience the world in the …

Reducing Methamphetamine Use In Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Communities With The “We Can Do This” Web App: Qualitative Evaluation Of Acceptability And Feasibility, Leda Sivak, Rachel Reilly, Shani Crumpen, Carla Treloar, Rebecca Mcketin, Julia Butt, Yvette Roe, Nadine Ezard, Brendan Quinn, Jack Nagle, Wade Longbottom, Clifford Warrior, James Ward

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Preventing and treating methamphetamine-related harm in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations is a significant challenge for health care services. Digital health care may offer opportunities to support individuals and families in ways that complement existing methamphetamine treatment options. This study responds to a community-identified priority as Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services identified methamphetamine use as a key concern and sought support to respond to the needs of people who use methamphetamine and their families. Objective: This paper reports on a process evaluation of the web application’s acceptability and feasibility when used by clients and clinicians in residential rehabilitation …

Conservative Opposition To Climate Policy May Be Partially Threat-Based: A Test And Critique Of The Integrated Threat Model Of Climate Attitudes, Samantha K. Stanley, Zoe Leviston, Kirsti M. Jylhä, Iain Walker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

One explanation for the link between political conservatism and rejection of the science and solutions of climate change is based on perceived threats. Yet, until recently, this claim has not been studied by simultaneously considering the different levels at which individuals may experience a sense of threat (i.e., threat of climate change or climate policy, at personal or collective level, on economic or cultural domains). A recent theoretical advance integrated the existing threat-based explanations for conservatives' lower acceptance of climate change and support for pro-climate policy. We aimed to subject aspects of this integrated threat model of climate change attitudes …

Signs Of Democratic Resilience Following Aotearoa New Zealand’S March 15th Mosque Attacks, Claire Fitzpatrick, Emily Beausoleil

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Political responses to extremist attacks and other forms of social trauma might be deemed ‘resilient’ insofar as they restore order and security but can undermine democratic ideals and practices. This article offers an evaluative framework for democratic resilience to make sense of public discourse in the aftermath of extremist attacks. We argue that a democratically resilient response entails five necessary dimensions, each of which is required for dialogue across difference capable of ‘working through’ social trauma within the democratic polity. We then apply this framework to analyse the March 15 2019 mosque attacks in Aotearoa New Zealand, using mixed methods …

Sustainability Assessment: The State Of The Art In 2026, Alan Bond, Angus Morrison-Saunders, A. John Sinclair

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sustainability assessment (SA) has developed over the past three decades as a decision-support process explicitly directing choices towards sustainability. This paper provides an updated state-of-the-art review of SA in 2025, building on the 2012 assessment by Bond, Morrison-Saunders and Pope. We examine progress in theory, practice and process across selected jurisdictions, considering how SA has evolved conceptually and in application. While the volume of academic research on SA continues to grow, practical uptake remains uneven and context-dependent. Key innovations shaping the field include the embedding of sustainability provisions within Canada’s next-generation impact assessment framework, the incorporation of holistic assessment principles …

A Climate Justice Analysis Of Western Australian Government Funding For Collie’S Transition From Coal, 2019-2024, Emma O’Donovan, Naomi Joy Godden

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The WA Government will close its State owned coal-fired power stations in Collie by 2030, and has committed AU$692 million for Collie’s energy transition. At the request of Wilman and Kaneang Elders and community members, Edith Cowan University’s Centre for People, Place and Planet conducted desktop research about how Collie’s transition funding was allocated between January 2019 and July 2024. This report is a climate justice analysis of publicly-available funding announcements for Collie’s transition during this period to assess whether the distribution of transition resources is equitable and just.

The Dark Side Of International Cooperation: Indifference And The Psychosocial Dynamics Of Cooperative Deterrence, Jamal Barnes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

States are increasingly resorting to international cooperative agreements to deter migrants and refugees from irregularly arriving at their borders. Although scholars have shown how these cooperative deterrence policies are undermining important refugee and human rights protections, making migration journeys more dangerous, and securitizing and criminalizing people on the move, what has not been adequately examined is how these cooperative arrangements can bring about normative changes that produce indifference to the suffering of refugees and migrants. This article examines the psychosocial dynamics of cooperative deterrence policies to show how the social processes of authorization, routinization, evasion of responsibility, and dehumanization weaken …

The Combined Role Of Sexual Selection And Socioeconomic Environment In Explaining Everyday Risk-Taking Behavior In Human Males, Hannah Goodman, Cyril C. Grueter, David A. Coall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sexual selection theory predicts that males, especially in their prime reproductive years, are more risk-prone than females. Risk-taking is a means to convey mate quality or “good genes” to members of the opposite sex or competitive ability to members of the same sex. Therefore, risk-taking should be more common in the presence of potential mates (intersexual selection or female choice) or in the presence of male competitors (intrasexual selection or male–male competition). Risk-taking can also be situated within a life history/ecological perspective, according to which environmental unpredictability promotes more present-oriented and risky behavioral strategies. Therefore, people living in areas of …

Principals And The Careless Erosion Of Employment Standards In The Context Of School Autonomy And Marketisation: A Case Study Of School Support Staff, Brad Gobby, Jill Blackmore, Scott Eacott, Amanda Keddie, Katrina Macdonald, Richard Niesche, Jane Wilkinson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Devolved governance, school autonomy and marketisation impact the employment practices of schools and the working conditions of teachers. However, the employment-related effects on school services staff are under-researched. This study draws on data from interviews with staff at one public high school to analyse school services staff experience of school autonomy and the employment practices of principals in the context of competitive education markets. This case study illustrates how a principal's management of employment and labour relations in a school experiencing declining enrolments and reduced resources impacted the labour and working conditions of school services staff. We argue that the …

An Anti-Junk Food Ad From A Sports Commercial Break Reduced Junk Food Consumption Inclinations, Yet Junk Food Ads Had Minimal To No Impact, Ross C. Hollett, Julia Butt, Brennen Mills, Stephanie L. Godrich, Gina S.A. Trapp, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: In Australia, there are concerns that unrestricted junk food advertising during sports broadcasts increases short-term junk food consumption among viewers. Therefore, the present study aimed to estimate the impact of junk food and anti-junk food advertising on consumption inclinations. Methods: We conducted a content analysis across a sample (N = 16) of Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) matches to determine the prevalence of junk food and anti-junk food advertising video clips. We also exposed participants (N = 428) to a single randomly selected junk food advertisement or a single anti-junk food advertisement and measured the …

Transnational Grandparent Migration And Care-Giving: A Systematic Scoping Review, Hien Thi Nguyen, Catriona Stevens, Loretta Baldassar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Grandparents are increasingly participating in international migration to resettle with or visit adult children and grandchildren living overseas. In doing so, they make important social, cultural, emotional and financial contributions to transnational families, in particular through providing unpaid childcare and domestic work. This scoping review aims to examine the extent, range and nature of studies on transnational grandparent migration and care-giving to provide an overview of existing research. The review was conducted in August 2022, following Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology. Of 2,099 sources identified using nine databases, supplemented with manual searching (including grey literature), 65 (qualitative, quantitative and …

Framing Theory Insights: The Co-Existence Of Frame Coupling And Frame Mirroring In Social Media And Online News About A Disaster-Affected Destination, Violetta Wilk, Ashlee Morgan, Greg Willson, Ruth Sibson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Through the lens of framing theory, this paper explores social media and news media online narratives about a destination affected by a natural disaster. It presents original insights into the co-existence of frame coupling and frame mirroring in online content. Online news media, and local and overseas social media user-generated content (UGC) was examined. The aim of such triangulation of data, was to understand how different online sources framed the destination in the context of the disaster. 24,985 Twitter (now X) posts were sourced using Salesforce Social Studio and 1,248 online news media articles from Factiva. Leximancer-driven thematic analysis via …

The Moderating Effects Of Self-Compassion On The Relationship Between Shame And Depression In Military Populations, Sarah Foran

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The U.S. Military has faced a continuous rise in mental health concerns reported by service members and veterans (Currier et al., 2017; Rosenheck & Fontana, 2007). Studies of military personnel have found that up to 15% of service members meet the criteria for experiencing depression (Shen et al., 2012). Often, individuals with military experience face numerous stressors that positively contribute to this experience of depression and feelings of shame (Bradbard et al., 2014; Litz et al., 2009). Military culture (often emphasizing shame related to mental health) has also been found to put military personnel at higher risk of experiencing depression …

Correlates Of Body Image And Physical Self-Concept, Rashuna Middleton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The growing overlap between social media and celebrity culture has played a significant role in shaping individuals' perceptions of body image and self-worth. This study explored the relationship between celebrity worship, problematic social media use, narcissism, physical self-concept, and body image among undergraduate psychology students. This study utilized the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS), the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), the Maladaptive Covert Narcissism Scale (MCNS), the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), the Body Influence Assessment Inventory (BIAI), the Self-Objectification Questionnaire (SOQ), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Findings indicated that vulnerable narcissism positively correlated with body image, whereas grandiose narcissism …

Success Is A Journey, Not A Destination: The Student Library Assistants Of Georgia (Slags) At G. W. Carver School In Richmond Hill, Georgia, 1960-1968, Christopher C. Elkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines two chapters of Black education in Georgia that have been largely ignored in the study of curriculum and educational history, namely the George Washington Carver School located in Richmond Hill, Georgia and the Student Library Assistants of Georgia (SLAGS) that existed statewide in many Black schools. G.W. Carver School, built in 1939 and funded by automaker Henry Ford, is mentioned briefly in multiple works that either relate to Ford or cover the general history of Richmond Hill. Utilizing oral history and archival documents, this study emphasizes the significant contribution the SLAGS program made to students at G. …

Barriers To Seeking Medical Care And Their Effects Among Fat Patients With A Fat Liberation Praxis In The United States, Christina Seiko Cook

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Weight stigma and weight bias have significant effects on the health of individuals (Alberga et al., 2019; Pearl, 2018; Puhl & Heuer, 2010; Schwartz et al., 2003; Udo et al., 2016). These biases can show up in the form of fatphobia or anti-fat bias. Physicians who hold anti-fat bias can affect their relationship with their patients, leading to poorer health outcomes and worse patient experiences for larger-bodied and fat people (Phelan et al., 2015). The purpose of this study is to contribute to the current literature regarding the positive and negative experiences of fat patients with a fat liberation praxis …

Enhancing Adhd Diagnosis In College Students Using Multimodal Integration Of Nicats And Iva-2 Tools, Rushmila Shabneen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explores enhanced methods for accurately identifying Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) indicators in college students. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, impacts attention, impulse control, and emotional regulation, often leading to academic and social difficulties. Many students remain undiagnosed due to symptom overlap with stress and other factors. Traditional tools like the IVA-2 assess behavioral responses but may not fully capture ADHD complexity. This research integrates IVA-2 data with multimodal metrics from the Non-Intrusive Classroom Attention Tracking System (NiCATS), which monitors facial expressions, eye movements, and computer interactions. Preliminary results show that combining these tools improves ADHD detection, reduces false …

What Is Reasonable? Effects Of Different Jury Instructions In A Fatal Police Use Of Force Case, Katherine M. Kaylor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Since the Supreme Court case Graham v. Connor, police officers charged with misusing force on duty are judged against a hypothetical reasonable officer. Graham focuses on split-second decisions police officers must make and states police should not be judged with the benefit of hindsight. California goes beyond the subjective language of Graham and instructs jurors to look at the totality of circumstances, meaning they must consider all events and actions of an officer and citizen when assessing cases. The current study investigated whether type of instruction (Graham vs. California) affected mock jurors’ verdicts. Participants in the California condition …

Visual Attention And Memory Performance On Advertisements Featuring Celebrities, Kyrho Callis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

VISUAL ATTENTION AND MEMORY PERFORMANCE ON ADVERTISEMENTS FEATURING CELEBRITIES

How Does Psychopathology Impact The Trajectory From State To Trait Mindfulness?, Veronica O'Brien

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has found that higher levels of trait mindfulness protect against psychopathology (e.g., Chiesa & Serretti, 2013; Desrosiers et al., 2013; Sevilla-Llewellyn-Jones et al., 2018); however, the research on state mindfulness and psychopathology is more mixed. These mixed findings suggest that some clients with higher levels of psychopathology may have greater difficulty engaging with mindfulness practice thereby hampering their progression towards trait mindfulness and its associated benefits. The present study sought to explore how psychopathology (i.e., anxiety, trauma, alcohol use, and depression) relates to the growth of state and trait mindfulness. The present study recruited 274 participants from a …

Impact Of Costume And Rape Myths On Perceptions Of The Need For Consent In Interactions With Cosplayers, Kiana Monique Perez-Jimenez

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Research on fandom communities is relatively understudied. Specifically, perceptions surrounding consent, rape myth acceptance, and other factors such as gatekeeping attitudes and experiences with discrimination are understudied and undertheorized (Hale, 2014). Historically, sexual harassment has been a pervasive issue in spaces like video gaming communities, especially toward women (Barak, 2005). It is important to further investigate these behaviors in different areas, such as conventions (i.e., cons), because, like in video gaming communities, sexual harassment has been an ongoing issue in con spaces (Zarin, 2017). The current study addressed how cosplayers' dress impacts key aspects of sexual harassment, including perceptions of …

South Asian American Experiences Of Microaggressions And Wellbeing: The Moderating Role Of Social Support, Archita Birla

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Although the South Asian American community is rapidly expanding in the United States (South Asian Americans Leading Together [SAALT], 2015), there remains a dearth of psychological research regarding the impacts on mental health and wellbeing affecting this diverse community. Racial microaggressions, or verbal or behavioral actions indicating hostile or negative attitudes toward marginalized individuals (Sue et al., 2007), negatively impact People of Color (POC) mental health and wellbeing (Forrest-Bank & Jenson, 2015a; Nadal, Wong, et al., 2015). Some research exists on South Asian American communities and microaggressions (Houshmand et al., 2014; Poolokasingham et al., 2014) but there is limited research …

Cultural Learning Of Metacognition: Evidence From Blind Individuals, Marissa Renee Bamberger, Lindsay N. Harris

CISLL Publications

The cultural origins hypothesis posits conscious metacognitive abilities in humans are acquired through cultural selection facilitated by cultural learning. Interpersonal broadcasting, much of which is nonverbal, is hypothesized to be one conduit of cultural learning. Thus, individuals with no or limited access to nonverbal information, such as blind persons, should have metacognitive abilities different from those of the larger culture. To test this prediction, we asked blind (n = 23) and sighted (n = 20) adults to recall the modality (Spoken or Written) of words whose definitions they had learned, and to indicate their degree of confidence in …

From War To Walls: U.S. Intervention And The Rise Of Carceral Society In El Salvador, Xochitl Granados

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the historical and contemporary impact of US foreign policy on El Salvador’s security landscape. El Salvador’s gang crisis, largely driven by the deportation of gang members from the US in the 1990s, is rooted in a complex history shaped by US intervention during the Salvadoran civil war, which intensified political, social, and economic inequalities. These inequalities, along with the rise of international gangs such as La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 18th Street, have contributed to El Salvador’s ongoing security challenges. This thesis demonstrates how US involvement in the Salvadoran civil war indirectly fueled the growth of gang …

Predictors Of Facultative Siblicide In Black-Legged Kittiwake (Rissa Tridactyla) Chicks, Maria Pisciotta

Honors Theses

In Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), a seabird species, competition between siblings can arise when more than one chick is present in a nest. The first-hatched chick, known as the “A” chick, frequently establishes dominance over the second-hatched chick, known as the “B” chick. Many different factors can drive the presence and intensity of this competition, including the size discrepancies between chicks, and their physiological state. A likely factor is resource limitation, seen in many instances of sibling competition to be a prominent component because limited food must be allocated between both chicks by parents. In some cases, competition can escalate …

A Broad Range Of Sexual Misconduct And Associated Mental Health Outcomes, Cory Sanderson

Honors Theses

College women are at a high risk of experiencing sexual misconduct (SM) (Graham et al., 2022). Research shows a connection between sexual victimization and psychological distress (Graham et al., 2022). The lack of research on a broader range of SM and associated mental health outcomes is a lacuna that must be addressed. SM is a widely understudied issue, and approximately 1 in 5 college women will experience it at least once during their time on campus (Muehlenhard et al., 2017). Women are not only at a high risk of experiencing SM during their time in college, but research shows a …

Coercion In Campus Sexual Misconduct, Ailsa V. Boger

Honors Theses

Women are at a high risk of experiencing sexual misconduct or assault during their time in college (Graham et al., 2022). Studies suggest that many college students, specifically women, are likely to experience sexual coercion, which is defined as: unwanted sexual activity that occurs when you are pressured, threatened, tricked, or forced in a nonphysical way (Pugh & Becker, 2018; Office on Women’s Health, 2021). Coerced sex is not illegal in most states in the US, so sexual coercion is not seen as important as more aggressive forms of sexual assault that are illegal (Peterson, 2023). Furthermore, the research on …

The Boston Metco Program: Recent Alumni Experiences And Educational Equity, Maya Hernandez

Honors Theses

This project focuses on contemporary school integration practices by examining, in particular, the Boston METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity Inc) program and the experiences of its recent alumni. The METCO program, the United States’ longest-running voluntary school desegregation program, was created in 1966 to give students of color from the city of Boston better educational opportunities by busing them to the surrounding suburbs for school. To this day, it is a program meant to expand educational opportunities, increase diversity, and reduce racial isolation, by permitting students from Boston to attend public schools beyond district lines, in the suburbs. My …

Burnout In Female Collegiate Athletes: Relations With Stress, Body Concerns, Coping, And Sport Type, Sarah V. Policano

Honors Theses

Burnout occurs when an athlete experiences stress and fails to cope with this stress, resulting in loss of interest in sport, emotional and physical exhaustion, and negative attitudes towards an athlete’s abilities. Female collegiate student-athletes suffer disproportionately from exhaustion, stress, and body image concerns compared to their male counterparts. The present study explored the relationship between stress and burnout among female collegiate athletes while also investigating how body image dissatisfaction (BID), weight pressure, and coping moderated this relationship and individually correlated to burnout and stress. Comparisons were made between sport type, lean versus non-lean, on stress, burnout, body concerns, weight …