Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

2025 September, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for September of 2025.

Strategies And Considerations For Forming And Managing Community Advisory Boards From Health Research With Transgender And Nonbinary Communities, Mannat Malik, Anushka Aqil, Jennifer L. Glick, Jean Michel Brevelle, Anthony Black, Kellan Baker, Arjee Restar, Molly Gribbin, Colin Flynn, Danielle German

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Purpose: There is limited research on the use of community advisory boards (CABs) in health research with transgender and nonbinary communities. Transgender communities are navigating challenging histories of health researcher exploitation and research distrust alongside exponential research growth. We explored strategies for forming and managing CABs when conducting transgender community-informed health research. Methods: We used purposive and snowball sampling to identify key informants (KIs): research leaders, implementing staff, and community partners engaging in transgender health research. Between October 2018 and December 2020, we conducted 30 semi-structured in-depth interviews. We used coding followed byiterative thematic analysis and memoing to identify themes. …

The Cool, Quiet City Machine Learning Competition: Overview And Results, Clayton Miller, M. Ibrahim, I.S. Akbar, B. Picchetti, Y.X. Chua, M. Frei, F. Biljecki, A. Chong, M. Quintana, C. Fu

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The prediction of thermal and noise-based preferences in the urban context is valuable in characterizing interventions to mitigate the challenges of health, productivity, and satisfaction of urban dwellers. The growth of crowd-sourced data and data-driven techniques provides an opportunity to increase the understanding of which machine learning models are most accurate and applicable for this context. This paper outlines the results of a machine learning competition aiming to enhance the accuracy of predicting human comfort in the city context. The competition asks contestants to use contextual data to predict noise distraction and thermal preference in various indoor and outdoor spaces. …

Public Support For And Reactive Behavior Toward Technological Risk Interventions: An Extension Of Secondary Risk Theory, Hye Kyung Kim, Rui Gu, Fiona Goh, Sonny Rosenthal, Shirley S. Ho

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Project Wolbachia is a dengue control initiative in Singapore. Guided by Secondary Risk Theory, this study examined how primary (dengue) and secondary (Wolbachia) threat and coping appraisals shape public support and reactive behavior toward the project. A nationally representative survey of 1,000 Singaporeans showed that support was positively linked to the perceived primary risk, the efficacy of the project and the government, while negatively related to the perceived secondary risk. Reactive behavior was positively associated with perceptions of both primary and secondary risk. Media attention and trust in the government indirectly influenced support and behavior moderated by knowledge.

Max-Share Misidentification, Liyu Dou, Paul Ho, Thomas Lubik

Research Collection School Of Economics

While max-share identiffcation has become increasingly popular in a wide range of applications, we show that its validity requires necessary and suffffcient conditions that are rarely satisffed in practice—the target variable’s response to the target shock must be (i) orthogonal to its responses to untargeted shocks and (ii) larger than combinations of those responses. Imposing additional restrictions on the target shock weakens but does not fully eliminate these conditions. We show that in practice, the weight max-share places on an identiffed untargeted shock can be obtained by projecting the response to that shock on the max-share response. We also theoretically …

Learning Camp, Language Of Instruction, And Education Outcomes: Evidence From A Field Experiment In Malawi, Hyuncheol Bryant. Kim, Kim

Research Collection School Of Economics

We conducted a randomized experiment to study the impacts of a summer learning camp and the language of instruction on education outcomes. The program, covering social studies and mathematics, provided additional high-quality learning time for 4th and 5th graders in Malawi. The program significantly increased test scores in social studies and mathematics (0.24–0.36 standard deviations). We find suggestive evidence that the impact on test scores in social studies was greater for students instructed in Chichewa, the local language, than for those instructed in English. However, we find no such evidence of differential impacts on test scores in mathematics by the …

Policy Evaluation With Nonlinear Trended Outcomes: Covid-19 Vaccination Rates In The United States, Lynn Bergeland Morgan, Peter C. B. Phillips, Donggyu Sul

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper discusses pitfalls in two way fixed effects (TWFE) regressions when the outcome variables contain nonlinear and possibly stochastic trend components. If a policy change shifts trend paths of outcome variables, TWFE estimation can distort results and invalidate inference, especially in a context of evolving policy decisions. A robust solution is proposed by allowing for dynamic club membership empirically using a relative convergence test procedure. The determinants of respective club memberships are assessed by panel ordered logit regressions. The approach allows for policy evolution and shifts in outcomes according to a convergence cluster framework with transitions over time and …

Promising Strategies For Impacting Youth Development Systems From Christian Summer Camps, Rachael Botting, Jacob Sorenson, Karen K. Melton, Rob Ribbe Dr.

Journal of Youth Development

As research on summer camp continues to expand and both scholars and practitioners gain a better understanding of the impact of the experience, it has become important to explore how the experience of summer camp is connected to the larger ecology of youth development. This study explores strategies of Christian summer camps for impacting faith in the home through interviews with 20 Christian summer camp leaders across three faith-based camping organizations: Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA), Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM), and United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries (UMCRM). Using semi-structured interviews and an appreciative inquiry approach, this study identified …

Horses And The Transition From Feudalism To Capitalism., Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Many scholarly articles and books have been written about the transition from feudalism to capitalism over the decades. The various points of views on what is the “main driver” or “prime mover” of the transition have been debated in various forums by historians and economic historians with a different major factor being advocated by different proponents or schools of thought. This paper tries to offer another analysis of how the horse could have been an important “means to an end” in the development of capitalism, and this analysis possibly can lead to support for more than one view of what …

Scientific Multimodal Summarization : Integrating Knowledge Across Textual, Visual And Auditory Content, Zusheng Tan

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

As scientific publications increasingly incorporate multimodal content, ranging from textual descriptions to figures, tables, presentation videos, and audio, there is a growing need for summarization systems that can effectively process and integrate information across these diverse modalities.

This work presents a comprehensive exploration of Scientific Multimodal Summarization, introducing a series of novel architectures and datasets aimed at advancing this emerging field. 1): We begin by introducing CMT-Sum, which integrates multimodal scientific source content (i.e., primarily paper text and figures) to generate high-quality textual summaries and identify representative graphical abstracts. We refer to this task as Scientific Multimodal Summarization with …

The Effects Of Early Life Rearing Experiences And Age On Sociality In Captive Olive Baboons (Papio Anubis), Angela M. Achorn, Michele M. Mulholland, Chet C. Sherwood, Soojin V. Yi, William D. Hopkins

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Social connections within primate groups are continuously changing, and an individual's connectedness within their social network can have important consequences on morbidity and mortality. Here, we examined the effects of early life social experiences and age on social connectedness of captive female olive baboons (Papio anubis). Subjects included 54 mother-reared (MR) and 35 nursery-reared (NR) baboons (4.03 to 19.8 years of age). We conducted four 15-min focal observations and recorded all social interactions. For every possible dyad, we calculated total amount of time in proximity to one another and total amount of time spent grooming (in each direction), then used …

(Wp 2025-05) Expanding Black Reparations With Human And Social Capital Investments, John B. Davis

Economics Working Papers

Disadvantaged social groups in the US suffered disproportionately in the covid pandemic and Great Recession, worsening high levels of inequality associated with their post-1980 declining intergenerational income mobility. For black Americans this reflects the long history of racial discrimination beginning with slavery. Reparations paid to descendants of enslaved individuals to eliminate the black-white wealth gap is a step toward addressing this history. A further needed step is to build predominantly black communities human and social capital through public investments in community health care centers (CHCs) and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). There is considerable evidence that investments in early …

Some Puzzles Concerning Gujarati Nominalized Verbs In Before And After Sentences, Priya P. Patel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Aspect, which relates events to time periods, interacts in complex ways with temporal operators. This complexity is exemplified in the Gujarati language, where certain imperfective nominalized verbal forms are considered unacceptable with the temporal operator pachi (after) but not with pehlaa (before). This paper aims to shed light on this semantic unacceptability by combining insights from prior studies relating to aspect in other Indo-Aryan langauages with previous work done on English before and after.

Uncovering The Works By Early Modern Women Printers: An Experiment With Generative Ai, Tang (Cindy) Tian, Daniela Rovida

Journal Articles

The contributions of women to the printing trade during the hand press era have long been under- documented, leaving significant historical gaps in our understanding of early print culture. This article presents a project that uses ChatGPT-4o, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, to help bridge those gaps by identifying, analyzing, and contextualizing the work of women printers represented in the University of Notre Dame’s rare book collections.

Leviathans And Liberation: Did Whaling Contribute To The Decline Of Slavery?, Topher L. Mcdougal, Austin Choi‐Fitzpatrick

School of Peace Studies: Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Law Library Blog (September 2025): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Clark Fork River Pedal & Farm Tour 2025, Trout Creek, Montana, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for Kaniksu Land Trust to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2025 Clark Fork River Pedal & Farm Tour hosted in Trout Creek, Montana. Forty-two attendees of the event completed the survey. Results show that the majority of respondents resided outside of Sanders County, with 71% from Montana (but only 7% from Sanders County itself) and 29% visiting from other US states, primarily Idaho. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 2.3 nights in Sanders County, reporting a total spending of $8,732.00, mostly in hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts and restaurants/bars. Results provide event organizers with …

2025 Montana Tourism Outlook: Balancing Innovation And Tradition - Montana Economic Seminar Presentation, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Montana International Choral Festival 2025, Missoula County, Montana, Matthew Matz, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for the Montana International Choral Festival to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2025 Montana International Choral Festival hosted in Missoula, Montana. Three hundred ninety-four attendees of the event completed the survey. Results show that the majority of respondents were relatively local, with 79% of respondents being residents of Montana and 83% of Montana respondents residing in Missoula County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 4.1 nights in Missoula, reporting a total spending of $100,274.00, mostly in rental home/cabin/condo, hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts, and restaurants/bars. Results provide event organizers with useful data for future …

Forgoing Nuclear: Nuclear Power Plant Closures And Carbon Emissions In The United States, Luke Petach

Faculty Scholarship

This paper examines the effect of nuclear power plant decommissioning on electricity generation and carbon emissions in the United States. Using data on nuclear reactor closures in the United States between 1993 and 2022 and data on state-level carbon emissions and electricity generation from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), this paper adopts a difference-in- differences (DiD) approach to estimate the effect of nuclear decommissioning. Two-way fixed-effects (TWFE) DiD estimates suggest a nuclear plant closure increases annual state-level per capita carbon emissions between 6% and 8%. The increase in state-level carbon emissions is driven by a substitution toward fossil fuel electricity—particularly …

The Intersection Of Race And Nativity: Exploring Criminal Justice Contact Among Black Adults In The United States., Uchenna Makuochukwu Onuoha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black immigrants in the United States navigate a dual identity as both Black and immigrant, yet their unique experiences remain underexplored in research on immigration and crime. While prior studies have documented generational differences and negative associations between immigration and crime, the intersection of race and nativity in shaping criminal justice contact for Black immigrants is unknown. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study examines the role of race and nativity on various forms of criminal justice contact. Specifically, we investigate (1) the extent to which nativity plays a role in criminal legal …

Helping Someone Off The Hook: Post-Moral Disengagement As An Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Strategy In A Hypothetical Alcohol-Involved Sexual Assault Vignette, Kayla Ford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Post-moral disengagement (PMD) is posited as a form of interpersonal emotion regulation that involves altering the severity of harmful conduct and/or the transgressor’s personal responsibility to facilitate avoidance of negative emotions like guilt, which could maintain problematic behaviors. A pervasive harmful behavior on college campuses is alcohol-involved sexual violence, wherein intoxication is often used as an excuse or justification for assault. Though some aggressors of sexual violence experience guilt afterwards, it is unclear how bystanders might respond to this display of emotion and the potential applicability of PMD. As an initial step to assessing PMD as interpersonal emotion regulation, the …

The Blacker The Berry: Food Environments And Intake Associated With Perinatal Depression And Secondary Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Black Americans In The St. Louis Metropolitan Area, Najjuwah S. Walden

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between the food environment, intake, and health is complex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if food environments in proximity to Black pregnant women in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area were associated with prenatal eating habits and if these eating habits were associated with the risk of developing depressive symptoms in pregnancy and postpartum. The study also aimed to understand if there was a relationship between prenatal eating habits and the decision to breastfeed and if the onset of postpartum depressive symptoms has any effect on this relationship. Due to the importance of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods …

Generative Ai (Genai) For Co-Creating User Personas, Douglas Strahler

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

Integrating Generative AI into communication courses can really enhance the development of user personas, making the process smoother and encouraging critical insights into audience analysis. This G.I.F.T.S. presentation shows how tools like ChatGPT can support students in developing user personas while encouraging creativity and efficiency for the students. Students will be creating two personas, one human-created and one that is AI-generated, followed by conducting a comparative analysis of similarities, differences, and any potential biases. The activity underlines basic competencies in the development of user personas and ethical considerations that prepare students for the responsible use of AI with a full …

The Evolution Of Women Behind The Wheel, Gabrielle Iorio

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

This paper places the current state of women in motorsports in conversation with scholarship focused on media and cultural identity by providing historical context for women in motorsports while analyzing media representations of Danica Patrick and current racers Hailie Deegan, Toni Breidinger, and Tatiana Calderon. While great progress has been made in acceptance of women as professional race car drivers and in media representations of them, stereotypes still face these drivers when it comes to obtaining sponsorships and the types of sponsorships they receive.

Examining The Influence Of Encoding And Retrieval Contexts On 2- To 4-Year-Olds' Acquisition Of Nouns And Verbs, Piper Swearengin, Patrick Mihalicz, Leah Marsh, Zoe Baker, Faith Perry, Susan A. Graham, Jane B. Childers

Psychology Faculty Research

This study investigates whether the context in which a word is learnt affects noun and verb learning. There is mixed evidence in studies of noun learning, and no studies of background perceptual context in verb learning. Two-, three-, and four-year-olds (n = 162) saw a novel object moved in a novel way while hearing four novel words, either nouns or verbs. They were asked to generalize the word to a similar action or object shown in the same or different context. Results demonstrate that 2- and 3-year-olds were more accurate at test when learning nouns than verbs, demonstrating that verb …

Stand For Support, Shatter The Silence: Administrative Approaches To Eradicate Bullying In Higher Education, Elaine M. Mora, Shawn P. Saladin

Journal of Research Initiatives

Bullying in higher education has become a widespread and complex issue that affects staff, faculty, and students worldwide, causing a detrimental impact on both psychological health and academic achievement. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the phenomenon, encompassing all its manifestations, underlying causes, and significant consequences. The study, which draws on academic literature, outlines the various forms of bullying, including cyberbullying, mobbing, microaggressions, and social exclusion, and highlights the adverse effects these behaviors have on both individuals and academic communities. The research emphasizes how critical it is to comprehend the power relationships that exist in higher education settings and …

Like Playing Plinko: A Conceptual Framework For Student Financial Aid Communication, Alyssa Takatori, Karla A. Weber-Wandel, Z.W. Taylor

Journal of Research Initiatives

The process of applying for and receiving student financial aid is an incredibly complex process involving multiple stakeholders (students, institutions, parents, counselors), levels of information (federal, state, institutional, personal), and modes of communication (print, email, text message, social media, phone calls). Moreover, first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color are most likely to struggle with the financial aid application and awarding process, further marginalizing these students. To date, research has examined how complicated the financial aid process is, how to identify financial aid communication issues, and how to remediate financial aid communication to render it simpler and more intuitive …

Engaging Students And Stakeholders In Times Of Crisis: Hbcus Bridging Social Capital On Facebook While Navigating Physical Distancing, Pamela Peters

Journal of Research Initiatives

COVID-19 placed a strain on colleges that tend to rely on tuition, especially small HBCUs, which traditionally serve a high percentage of underrepresented students. Being away from campus, many stakeholders were experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety. Social media offers an outlet for schools and stakeholders to stay connected during a crisis. Using social capital, this study examined how small HBCUs bridged social capital on Facebook during the year before and the first two years of the pandemic. A comparative analysis of Facebook posts of 30 HBCUs with a student population of under 2000 was conducted to determine post …

Ai, Celebrities, And Their Fans: The Cyber-Pseudo-Event*, Gabbie Iorio

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

Tech companies often use celebrities to facilitate adoption of new technologies, and they’re doing the same with AI. For example, Meta is employing celebrities to attract users to their AI products, not only to adopt the technology, but to provide the company data for testing and optimizing the products. Fan communities, such as Nicki Minaj’s Barbz, have also taken up AI technology as a new medium for fandom expression. This paper will explore the varying degrees of success of these applications of AI technology, while putting them in conversation with scholarship on images, celebrity, and fandom.

*Top Graduate Paper