Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Unsettling The West: Migration Routes And Homesteading Through Oral Histories, Sidney Wickham

Nebraska Anthropologist

Westward expansion in the nineteenth-century United States has long been framed through settler-centered historical narratives that emphasize progress and national development. This article employs oral history as an ethnographic method to examine migration routes and homesteading experiences in Nebraska and the broader Midwest, foregrounding how memory, storytelling, and lived experience function as cultural practices. Drawing on interviews with descendants of homesteaders, community members, and museum professionals, alongside diaries, newspapers, and archival materials, this study analyzes how migration was remembered, narrated, and transmitted across generations. Rather than treating overland trails and homesteads as singular pathways of movement, this research situates them …

A Semiotic Analysis Of German-American Cultural Suppression In The Lincoln Freie Presse From 1914 To 1918, Elle Ward

Nebraska Anthropologist

This study performs a historical semiotic content analysis of the Lincoln Freie Presse to document the processes of cultural coercion and resultant identity erasure within the German- American press of Nebraska during the critical period of January 1914 to December 1918. The research establishes a semiotic baseline (1914–1916) characterized by high linguistic and content autonomy and then tracks the immediate, stark shifts following the U.S. entry into World War I (the coercion period) and the succeeding mass anti-German hysteria (1917–1918). Quantitative findings convey a rapid and overwhelming visual conquest of the newspaper’s spatio-textual landscape: patriotic symbolism surged from zero to …

Smudging And Polishing To Create A Non-Stick Surface For Ceramic Cookware: An Experimental Study, Galazie Pendleton

Nebraska Anthropologist

This paper examines whether smudging and polishing the interior of a ceramic cooking vessel will result in a non-stick cooking surface. The experimental study displayed in this paper is inspired by the prehistoric Southwestern practice of smudging and polishing ceramic bowls in the Mogollon region. Many scholars have assumed that smudged and polished cooking surfaces result in non-stick cooking surfaces, but no experimental studies have been conducted to test this. This paper aims to restart the conversation around the non-stick nature of smudged and polished bowls by recording the cleaning process after cooking. To create a holistic approach to this …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 10, Number 3, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Response Efficacy And Discrete Emotions In Message Design: Testing Emotional Pathways To Help-Seeking Intentions And Engagement, Marian Jaitto-Jeffrey

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Research on fear appeals shows that threat-framed messages promote adaptive outcomes when accompanied by efficacy information. According to the extended parallel process model (EPPM), danger-control responses, including message acceptance, positive attitudes toward recommended behaviors, and help-seeking intentions, are most likely to occur when efficacy appraisals, particularly perceptions of response efficacy, are sufficient to meet perceived threat. When efficacy appraisals fall short of perceived threat, fear-control responses, such as message derogation, denial, or resistance to seeking help, are most likely to emerge. Beyond reducing defensive processing, response efficacy cues may also evoke positive emotions such as hope. Whereas fear is often …

We-Making Through Technology: Social Cohesion And Virtual Adaptation In Community Arts Organizations For Artists With Idd During Covid-19 Pandemic, Yumi Shirai, Michelle Boulanger Thompson, Tamara Shetron

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

COVID-19 public health restrictions disrupted in-person arts participation, increasing risks of social isolation and reduced community access. Prior research shows that many people engaged in home-based arts and cultural activities during lockdown, supporting emotional regulation, a sense of belonging, and social connection; however, little is known about how these shifts affected community arts organizations that serve artists with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), a population disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and longstanding inequities. We examined how community-based arts organizations adapted programming for artists with IDD during the COVID-19 pandemic, including barriers and unanticipated outcomes relevant to equitable access and participation …

The Influence Of Black African American Fathers’ Parenting Styles On Young Adult Children’S Attachment Styles: The Roles Of Gender And Fathers’ Residence, Robert Baptiste Thompson

Dissertations

Parenting

Black African American (BAA) fathers in the United States are frequently mischaracterized as absent or uninvolved, reinforcing deficit-based narratives rooted in historical and systemic racism. Such portrayals obscure the meaningful and sustained roles many BAA fathers play in their families and fail to account for the cultural, structural, and contextual conditions that shape paternal involvement and parenting practices. Although a growing body of research has documented the importance of father involvement for child development, comparatively limited empirical attention has been given to how BAA fathers’ parenting styles influence their children’s attachment—particularly as a function of fathers’ co-residency histories. This …

Development And Validation Of The Liebelt Attitudes, Knowledge, And Engagement Scale (Lakes) Among Rural Adults, Anna Morrison

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Adults living in rural regions experience mental illness at rates comparable to those in urban areas yet utilize mental health services significantly less. Underutilization of psychotherapy in rural populations has been attributed to structural barriers (e.g., geographic inaccessibility, limited provider availability, reduced anonymity) and sociocultural factors such as stigma. However, rural adults may remain reluctant to initiate treatment due to attitudes toward psychotherapy, limited help-seeking engagement, or inaccurate knowledge about psychotherapy. The present study developed and examined the psychometric properties of the Liebelt Attitudes, Knowledge, and Engagement Scale (LAKES), a self-report measure designed to assess psychotherapy-related attitudes, knowledge, and engagement …

Expert Validation Of A Professional Development Model For K–2 Emotional Regulation, Mark Simpson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Emotional regulation (ER) is foundational to student learning, behavior, and long-term educational success and well-being; however, many elementary educators report limited formal preparation in explicitly teaching ER skills. The purpose of this study was to design a professional development (PD) program for K–2 teachers focused on ER and to evaluate its content validity through expert review. The framework was grounded in Gross’s process model of ER, Desimone’s core features of effective PD, and Sims’s dynamic IMTP framework. A researcher-developed rubric was used to evaluate alignment, clarity, theoretical grounding, and feasibility. Five experts in various roles within the field of education …

Applied Psychophysiology: Evaluating The Feasibility Of A Digital Breathing Tool, Jessica Pavelka

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Mental health in the United States is a growing public health concern, with one in five adults living with a diagnosed mental health disorder. The prevalence of mental health concerns among adults in the U.S. has not changed significantly from 2021 to 2024 (Reinert et al., 2025). This study examined how mental health providers can leverage technology to support symptom reduction for their patients during and beyond treatment. Biofeedback has demonstrated lasting health benefits, is cost-effective, and holds promise for novel interventions for conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, usability, engagement, …

Music To Move You: Comparing Effects Of Music Genre On Subjective Performance Of Football Players In A Practice Setting, Devin Deturk

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Optimizing athletic performance has increasingly extended beyond conditioning to include psychological, health-related, and environmental interventions aimed at enhancing peak mental and physical fitness. However, advanced training mechanisms targeting these factors may not be readily available to all programs, necessitating cost-effective, accessible, and ethically sound adjuncts. Thus, music emerges as a potential solution that remains underutilized in applied sport settings but may be leveraged to address pervasive challenges such as fear of failure, burnout, and over-professionalization. The present dissertation investigated the effects of music in a practice setting, with particular emphasis on its capacity to enhance subjective performance, motivation, and positive …

Camouflaging And Autism: An Examination Of Camouflaging’S Potential Association With The Clinical Assessment Of Autism And Subject Demographic Characteristics, James George Modico

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and restrictive/repetitive behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). The clinical assessment of ASD requires behavioral observation of the participant. Within the context of ASD, camouflaging refers to cognitive and behavioral strategies that a person with ASD can utilize to adapt to a non-autistic world (Cook et al., 2021). Camouflaging may influence an autistic person’s behavioral presentation to a more “neurotypical” state. Behaving in a less atypical manner may contribute to not being referred for testing, having a clinician assign lower ratings on diagnostic measures, and preventing issuance of …

Women’S Marital Surname Change: Adjustment & The Novel Concept Of Name Decision Match, Sarah E. Fox

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Marriage is a significant, complex life event that most international and U.S. adults experience. Marriage offers numerous opportunities for decision-making, including the marital surname change choice. A woman may choose to adopt her husband’s surname (i.e., Changers), keep her birth surname (i.e., Keepers), or an alternative (i.e., Creatives). Enduring societal norms and traditions are reflected in most women who are Changers. Conversations surrounding marital surname change choice may offer insight into the couple’s agreement on the ultimate decision, referred to in this study as name decision match (NDM), a novel concept. The purpose of the study was to analyze women’s …

Body Dissatisfaction Among Sexual Minority Men: Examining Associations With Health Behaviors, Gay Identity Centrality, Physical Appearance Comparison, And Conformity To Masculinity Norms, Ithan Sokol

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Introduction: Body image disturbance (BID), or poor body image encompasses dissatisfaction with one’s physical appearance, and is linked closely with disordered eating, depression, low self-esteem, and a compromised health-related quality of life. Although most research on BID has focused on women, this study examined its impact on men, specifically sexual minority men (SMM; cisgender men who identify as non-heterosexual). This subgroup notably exhibits heightened rates of BID compared to heterosexual men, shaped by sociocultural pressures and internalized appearance ideals.

Objectives: This study intends to examine potential determinants of BID in SMM as well as build upon existing insights that connect …

Navigating Motherhood: A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences And Challenges Of Non-Birthing Mothers In Queer Cisgender-Relationships, Anna Caravaggio

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The present study explored the psychological experiences of non-birthing mothers in queer cisgender female relationships, a population that remains underrepresented in the parenting literature. Existing research has focused primarily on birthing mothers or same-sex couples as a unit, leaving the unique perspectives of non-birthing mothers insufficiently examined. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, eight non-birthing mothers participated in semi-structured interviews examining their transition to parenthood, maternal identity development, and experiences within relational, social, and systemic contexts. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in five primary themes: pathways to parenthood and conception decision making; constructing maternal identity; bonding and attachment processes; …

The Covid-19 Pandemic: Predictors Of Inpatient Admission For People With Severe Mental Illnesses, Ashley Killoren

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify differences in patterns of demographic and psychiatric symptoms among individuals with severe mental illnesses admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital 1 year before the quarantine shelter-in-place restriction order issued by a governor in the Northeastern United States, during the restriction order, and 1 year starting when all COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. A second goal of the study was to determine whether psychiatric admission rates changed by comparing admission rates before and during the quarantine order, and 1 year after all COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. This quantitative, retrospective, observational study was achieved by …

The Hidden Cost: Vicarious Trauma And Burnout In Professional Sex Offender Treatment Providers, Diazia Hughes

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Professionals who provide treatment to individuals who have commuted sexual offenses are routine exposed to traumatic material, placing them at increased risk for both vicarious trauma (VT) and burnout. Despite growing recognition of these occupational hazards, limited research has examined the relationship between VT and burnout within this specialized population. The present study investigated the association between VT and the three dimensions of burnout (i.e. Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP), and personal Accomplishment (PA)) among licensed treatment providers working directly with individuals who have commuted sexual offenses. A cross-sectional correlational design was employed with a sample of 107 licensed providers …

Predicting Burnout Among Graduate Healthcare Students In Clinical Placements, Meghan E. Visek

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Healthcare systems increasingly recognized provider burnout as an essential target for improving population health. Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment, has been linked to impaired clinical practice and poorer patient outcomes. Although burnout among healthcare professionals is well-studied, far less attention has been given to understand how burnout develops earlier in training among graduate healthcare students in clinical placements. Research has identified year of graduate study, self-care practice, social problem-solving ability, team resilience, and attitudes toward interprofessional collaborative practice as potential burnout predictors. This study examined these factors among graduate healthcare students in clinical placements. Findings …

Understanding Depression And Adl Decline In Dementia: The Impact Of Subtype And Social Frailty, Melanie C. Ventura

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The interplay of depression and dementia alters the ability to complete activities of daily living (ADLs). When depression occurs concurrently with or because of dementia, it has a more significant link to disability than the impairment of depression or dementia. This occurrence often increases older adults’ risks and a faster progression of the disease. Patients with different types of dementia have varying experiences in the interplay among dementia, depression, and ADL impairment. Moreover, the dementia type can cause variations in awareness and symptoms, influencing different levels of ADL impairment, relative preservation of awareness, and depression levels.

The present study examined …

Neuropsychological Prediction Of Alzheimer’S Disease And Functional Abilities Using Brief Screeners, Ashley Bennett

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is primarily characterized by memory impairment and decline in function. Patients often undergo lengthy neuropsychological evaluations that create testing fatigue and, ultimately, affect their validity. There are brief assessment options to assess probable AD that are not commonly explored in research and clinical settings. This study investigated the predictive ability of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) with the addition of a semantic fluency measure compared to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-13-Item Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog-13) in diagnosing AD. Additionally, this study examined the potential use of the …

Aging With Mercy, Thriving In Place, Emma Layne Katzman, Karen Weis, Jennifer Rugletic Washko

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2026

Occupational engagement, spirituality, and quality of life are recognized as important dimensions of aging, however, these factors remain underexplored among older adults residing within faith-based communal living environments. This doctoral capstone experience, Aging with Mercy, Thriving in Place, consisted of two distinct but complementary components: an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved mixed methods research study and a quality improvement initiative. The purpose of the research study was to explore occupational engagement, occupational role transitions, spirituality, identity, and perceived quality of life among older adults residing within a faith-based communal living environment. Quantitative data were collected using the World Health Organization Quality …

Transformative Paths: Advancing Inclusive Healthcare Education, Morgan Young

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2026

Transgender individuals continue to experience significant healthcare disparities, provider bias, discrimination, and barriers to accessing affirming healthcare services (White Hughto et al., 2015; World Professional Association for Transgender Health [WPATH], 2022). Despite increasing awareness of these disparities, healthcare education often lacks comprehensive training related to gender-affirming care (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2021; Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], n.d.; White Hughto et al., 2015). A concurrent scoping review was conducted to answer the research question: Among healthcare providers, how do educational strategies grounded in transgender perspectives and lived experiences affect provider competence in transgender healthcare? The review …

A Narrative Review Of Bertolotti's Syndrome: Etiology, Classification, Diagnosis, And Treatment, Matyas Abel Tsegaye, Andrea Muffly

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Bertolotti's syndrome is a congenital condition characterized by chronic low back pain stemming from a lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV). Because the condition is frequently overlooked, patients often face years of delayed diagnosis before the true source of their pain is identified. Furthermore, current information regarding the biological origins and clinical management of the condition remain scattered. To address this knowledge gap, this narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Bertolotti’s syndrome by consolidating these disparate sources and suggesting new connections. We synthesize the latest understanding of this condition, ranging from its genetic origins to modern clinical management. We …

Supplemental Files For "From Knowledge To Practice: Deia Perspectives, Faith-Based Policies, And Job Postings", Sarah E. Keil, Meredith Ader, Gina K. Bolger, Ryan Yoakum

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Supplemental files for the book chapter, "From Knowledge to Practice: DEIA Perspectives, Faith-Based Policies, and Job Postings." Tge job posting spreadsheet and reference list are available below.

Job Posting Spreadsheet

The PDF of the Job Posting Spreadsheet includes the following items:

• A comprehensive spreadsheet of the job ads used in this project, with additional information about the institution included (DEIA statement, affiliations, accreditation, etc.)

• A spreadsheet with other information about the institutions, including links to statements of faith, missional documents, etc.

• A spreadsheet with information about how DEIA is defined by various organizations and accrediting bodies

• Color coding key

• An …

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The Roadhouse And Mindful Alienation: On Fearlessly Losing Hope In Twin Peaks’ House Away From Home, Matthew C. Halteman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The Roadhouse scenes in Twin Peaks: The Return resolutely defy the conventions of serial television drama. From showcasing interminable bouts of floor-sweeping, to featuring lengthy music videos by little-known acts, to lavishing attention on the trivial conversations of seemingly random people, these scenes give significant time and space to stuff you just don’t usually see in a tightly plotted series. I suggest that these unconventional scenes are a feature rather than a bug. I argue that the Roadhouse scenes in The Return offer a therapeutic opportunity for viewers to become well-practiced at coping mindfully with feelings of alienation that arise …

Technology-Facilitated Violence And Abuse: Portrayals And Perceptions, Christina S. Walker

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In the past, intimate partner violence (IPV) was primarily perpetrated in person. However, due to new mediated communication technologies and capabilities like social media and artificial intelligence (AI), perpetrators can use this technology for various purposes including subjecting others to violence, harassment, and abuse. Such violence can be a form of IPV and is referred to as technology-facilitated violence and abuse (TFVA). TFVA is becoming increasingly prevalent and is encountered by a staggering percent of women. Furthermore, unlike traditional forms of IPV, even men are subjected to TFVA at increasing and disproportionate rates, particularly male teens.

In the current state …

The Evolution Of The Whittier State School From Reform To Control, Manuella Zammit

Whittier City & College Historical Research

This paper examines the transformation of the Whittier State School from its founding in 1891 as a Quaker inspired reform institution into a punitive juvenile detention facility under the California Youth Authority. Through analysis of primary sources including The Sentinel student newspaper, The Journal of Delinquency, psychological studies, and modern reports, this study traces how the school's philosophy shifted across three distinct eras. The first era (1890s to 1912) emphasized moral rescue through vocational training, academic instruction, and structured communal life rooted in Quaker ideals of rehabilitation over punishment. The second era (1912 to 1927) witnessed the rise of …

Adaptive Boundary-Aware Fact-Checker Placement For Misinformation Suppression In Social Networks, Mostafa Taghizade Firouzjaee, Ghazal Naderi, Ross Gore, Neda Moghim

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

The spread of fake news on online social networks is driven by imitation-based user behavior and network topology, often leading to persistent misinformation clusters and echo chambers. In this study, we develop a spatial evolutionary game-theoretic framework in which agents update their latent opinions through payoff-biased imitation, while external fact-checkers act as non-imitative intervention nodes. Building on this formulation, we propose an adaptive, boundary-aware intervention mechanism that dynamically regulates both the density and spatial allocation of fact-checkers according to real-time system conditions. Competing information clusters are identified through local neighborhood composition, enabling boundary nodes, i.e., interfaces between fake-news and non-fake-news …

Exploring The Synergy Between Very Large Transformer And Lstm Models For Effective Medical Captioning From Videos To Text: The Impact Of Captioning In Healthcare, R. V. Aswiga, Moin Ahmed Zahir

Data Science Faculty Publications

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the demand for accurate and contextually relevant subtitles for image and video content, particularly in the medical domain, is increasingly critical. Despite the proliferation of visual data across various platforms, existing captioning systems often struggle due to variations in visual settings, complex temporal relationships, and nuanced semantics. Additionally, challenges such as limited datasets, privacy issues, and specialized annotation requirements make medical image captioning particularly difficult. To tackle these challenges, we investigate cutting-edge deep learning methodologies, specifically Transfer Learning and Transformer models, through a comparative analysis. Specifically, we focus on Transfer Learning through the MedVisionCapturer …

Owning The Green Grid: The Political Economy Of Renewable Energy Policy Design, Joshua A. Basseches

Faculty Scholarship

How corporate ownership of the electricity grid matters to state-level renewable energy policymaking.

Historically (and for the foreseeable future), most public policy action in the United States to combat the global climate crisis has taken place at the state level. Former President Joe Biden’s administration marked a significant departure from that trend, as his policies pursued a strategy of “electrify everything” (transportation, buildings, and industry). But who owns the electricity system that is the linchpin of such a strategy, and how does this ownership affect the policy preferences of interest groups at the state level? Owning the Green Grid addresses …