Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Essays In Housing And Consumer Finance, Spencer Stone

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

In my first chapter, I show how consumer left-digit bias affects borrowing costs in the US residential mortgage market. I find that the distribution of mortgage rates bunch at .99-ending rates just below left-digit changing thresholds, and that this bunching is greater in the distribution of rates selected by borrowers than those simply offered by lenders. Comparing observably similar borrowers within the same 1-bp interest rate band, selecting similar mortgage products, in the same census tract and origination month, I show that borrowers receiving .99-ending rates pay significantly more fees than borrowers receiving the nearest whole-number rate just above them, …

Perceptions And Metaperceptions Of Bison In The West, Riley Rush Comstock

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Effective coexistence between wildlife populations and the people that live with them requires an understanding of how people feel toward the species and their management. Bison occupy a unique place in conservation history and management. Once extirpated across nearly all of their range and only recently introduced to areas outside of large tracts of federal land, they are now a jurisdictionally challenged species, with varying management paradigms across a patchwork of landowners and managers. Recent research has shown how activating different social identities can distort people’s attitudes toward species. Here, I explore whether activating urban and rural identities distorts people’s …

Examining The Perceptions Of Alcohol Use And Well-Being By Collegiate Baseball Players, Madison M. Stevens

Justice Studies Theses

Examining the Perceptions of Alcohol Use and Well-Being by Collegiate Baseball Players was a qualitative study conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews. The purpose of the research was to better understand how team culture, relationships, stress, coping mechanisms, and future aspirations influence alcohol use and mental health within collegiate baseball. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in several major themes and subthemes related to athlete experiences. Findings revealed that brotherly team culture, including family-like relationships and consistency among teammates, played a major role in shaping emotional well-being and social behaviors. Participants also identified coaches, teammates, and the broader …

Navigating Retail Automation: The Impact Of Perceived Autonomy Support On Frontline Employee Digital Adaptive Performance, Xun (Catherine) Sun, Ishtehar Sharif Swazan, Song-Yi Youn

Faculty Publications - Family and Consumer Sciences

As automated technologies become increasingly embedded in retail operations, understanding the antecedents of enhancing frontline employees’ digital adaptive performance has become critical. The study examines (a) how frontline employees’ perceptions of autonomy support from supervisors enhance their motivations in enhancing digital adaptive performance in retail automation contexts, and (b) how technology anxiety moderates the influence of perceived autonomy support from supervisors on psychological motivation. Survey data from U.S. frontline retail employees (n = 305) were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings highlight the significant role of perceived autonomy support from supervisors in positively associating with all employees’ three basic psychological …

The Online Atlas Of Illinois: Teaching The Geography Of The Land Of Lincoln, John C. Kostelnick, Jill Freund Thomas, Amy M. Bloom

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

From the introduction:

The state atlas, with a variety of thematic and reference maps, has an established history within cartography in part due to the convenience of using political boundaries to organize map content for presentation to wide audiences. Several US states have produced state atlases to highlight their unique history, physical geography, and human geography (e.g., Meacham and Allan 2003). Such atlases may be designed for general map enthusiasts, and they may play an important role in the teaching of regional geography and key concepts that students may find more relatable when presented in a familiar geographic context.

Atomic Sameness: Static Placemaking And Nuclear Dynamism, Rex J. Rowley

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Dozens of locations across the United States were impacted by the development and deployment of American atomic weapons. Some of these places continue to change along with the world around them. Other sites remain in intentionally static space. Using a cultural landscape approach, this paper analyzes two such places that represent two broad groups of static atomic landscapes: 1) atomic testing sites; and 2) remnant sites for containment of stored materials and byproducts from the processing and extraction for and scientific testing of atomic technology. Influencing the static nature of such landscapes is a combination of intentional government-led efforts to …

Guide To The School Of Peace Studies Dean Papers (University Of San Diego), University Of San Diego School Of Peace Studies

University Records

The Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego was founded in 2007 under President Mary E. Lyons in order to expand the active peacebuilding mission of the Institute for Peace and Justice. With the creation of this school, the study of peace and justice at USD grew from a minor and small masters program run by another academic unit into an undergrad major and later graduate program centering on peace and justice, social innovation, humanitarian action, conflict management and resolution, and restorative justice. Father William R. Headley was selected as the inaugural dean of …

From Screens To Stress: Public Health Implications Of Cancer Worry In A Digitally Connected World, Shreya Mathur, Ethan Burns, Michael Pokojovy, Tzu-Liang Bill Tseng, Sunil Mathur

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Aims:

This study examines how digital information environments, genetic testing experiences, health behaviors, and psychological distress influence cancer-related worry among adults in the United States. It further considers the public health implications of elevated or reduced cancer worry for prevention and risk communication.

Methods:

Data were drawn from a nationally representative survey of 6,252 U.S. adults. Measures included reliance on social media for health decision-making, smoking status, history of genetic testing, and psychological distress. Multivariable analyses assessed associations between these factors and levels of cancer worry.

Results/Findings:

Reliance on social media for health decisions was associated with greater cancer worry, …

Preserving Progress: Why The Dd Network Matters Now More Than Ever, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Association Between Caregiver Status And Physical And Mental Health Among National Senior Games Athletes, Chibuzo Uchechukwu Victor Obasi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As the population ages, more people rely on informal caregivers, which puts many older adults at risk for health problems. Caregiving can be meaningful and strengthen family bonds, but it often leads to more psychological stress, especially for older adults who also have their own health concerns. Research shows that regular physical activity can help older adults build resilience and improve their mental well-being. Still, we know little about the health of older caregivers who stay very active. This study examines the health effects of caregiving among members of the National Senior Games Association (NSGA), a group of highly active …

Exploring African Students’ Experiences With Culturally Responsive Mental Health Apps In The U.S., Emelia Essumanba-Josiah

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Digital mental health applications have proven to be effective, yet adoption remains very low among African international students in the United States. This study investigated how 17 university students perceive the usefulness of mental health apps, evaluate existing tools through their cultural lens, and recommend what a culturally responsive app would look like – all through a semi-structured interview with an app exploration exercise at a Midwestern public university. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the African-Centered Wellness Model, there were six (6) key themes that emerged revealing participants carried skewed pre-migration mental health frameworks, dealt with their stressors …

The Hope Industrial Complex: Resisting Manufactured And False Hope With Critical Hope In Peace Education, Thailand's Refugee Context, Staci B. Martin, Hayso Thako, Rey Ty, Sudarat Tuntivivat, Rattanak Ly

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Our Point of Departure (POD) argues that the type of hope fostered within the Karen refugee community in Thailand – manufactured, false, or critical – shapes the impact of peace-building and higher education efforts. Through a dialogue among a Karen scholar, his supervisor, and a migration researcher, we demonstrate that manufactured hope, often driven by external aid, sustains dependency and overlooks core conflicts. In contrast, false hope arises from the gap between student desires and institutional barriers, leading to unmet expectations. We aim to show that by applying critical hope, the pedagogical approach enables the Karen community to enhance its …

The Kindness Of Strangers: Theory And Evidence On Spatial Distance And Giving, James Konow, Leonie Kuhl, Nora Szech

Economics Faculty Works

Arguments for directing charitable giving to distant beneficiaries for their greater benefits contradict actual charitable donations that go mostly to more proximate beneficiaries. Controlled studies reveal mixed results finding the giving-distance relationship to be direct, inverse, flat, or various combinations of the three. This paper reports a new theory of the distinctive relationship between giving and spatial distance and relevant results from four experimental studies. Two studies vary distances between donors and beneficiaries locally: a field experiment involves local refugees and a laboratory experiment local people in need. Both find significant inverse relationships between giving and spatial distance. Two other …

Engaging The Audience Through Gps: Using Ai To Design Experiential Learning Activities In The Social Sciences, Zaki Eusufzai

Economics Faculty Works

Shows how instructors can use AI tools to design experiential learning activities that promote deeper engagement and critical thinking. Introduces the GPS framework— Games, Puzzles, and Storytelling—as an alternative to traditional assessments. A game on social mobility shows how AI-assisted design can produce meaningful classroom simulations that reveal structural inequality and foster reflection. Rather than being a threat, AI can be re-purposed as a creative partner in re-imagining pedagogy.

Beyond Judicial Intent: The Agency Of The Defense Counsel In Ozawa’S And Thind’S Supreme Court Cases, Bret K. Luchs

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This thesis seeks to examine how specific legal strategies by the defense counsel in Ozawa v. United States, 260 U.S. 178 (1922), and United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, 261 U.S. 204 (1923), compelled the Supreme Court of the United States into a reactive and contradictory position. A re-examination of Ozawa and Thind delves deeper into the legal briefs and arguments made by Takao Ozawa and Bhagat Singh Thind, alongside their legal teams. These briefs, opinions of the court, past lower court cases, and personal statements by Ozawa and Thind demonstrate how they did not surrender to the confines of …

How Vermont’S Composting Laws Can Be Used To Inform Similar Policies In New Hampshire, Felix Prigge

UNH URC Open (2026 and after)

This presentation seeks to analyze how policy makers can use the success' and failures of another state's policies to inform their own measures in order to not repeat the same mistakes. It also discusses the importance of using public feedback as a baseline for improvement.

“Who Am I Now As A Mother?” Maternal Identity Negotiation During Children’S College Transition, Si Wang

School of Professional Studies

This study employs narrative positioning analysis to examine how two Chinese mothers in transnational contexts discursively negotiate their maternal identities during their children’s transition to college. Drawing on longitudinal narrative interviews, the analysis advances three interrelated theoretical propositions. First, maternal identity work is revealed as a process of selective cultural bricolage, wherein mothers strategically blend elements from competing scripts of child-centered sacrifice, filial reciprocity, and autonomous individualism to construct a hybrid, workable parental logic. Second, the liminality of this transition precipitates a crucial recentering of the self, a core psychological process as intensive child-focused demands recede. Third, the transnational context …

Exploring How Yoga Affects Embodiment In Female Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence: A Scoping Review, Kenzie R. Albers

Social Work Theses

Introduction: With violence against women continuing to rear its ugly head across the world, it remains imperative for helping professionals and researchers to continue advocating for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Yoga shows promising results for people who have experienced trauma and have depressive or anxious symptoms. One area of research not explored is the effect of yoga on female IPV survivors’ feelings of self-embodiment and bodily autonomy.

Methodology: This scoping review was conducted based on the five-step framework created by Arksey and O’Malley. The guiding research question was: What does the current literature suggest about the effects of …

My Gig As A Tattoo Expert, And What It’S Taught Me About The Sociology Of Expertise, David C. Lane

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

This case study contributes toward the literature on the sociology of expertise by documenting the diffusion of sociological knowledge to audiences outside of the profession. Data were collected from the author’s own career as a tattoo expert, including mass media experiences and representation, work with legal teams and development of legal opinions, and testimony. This study examines the process of this career, and the lessons learned that can help professional sociologists develop their reputation as experts in the public and for other audiences. The findings from this research question the value of sociological knowledge for other audiences. This research concludes …

Creativity Through Thought Exercises: Developing A Personal Heuristic For Choreographic Decision-Making, Jalisa R. Johnson

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis explores the development of a personal set of heuristics, or accessible thought tools, that can be used in choreographic or creative decision-making. Through an in-depth study of the visual art of Romare Bearden paired with an evaluation of patterns of the author’s personal history, three tools or “dials” emerge: derealization, contextuality and inversion. A close study of Bearden’s work demonstrates a pattern of repurposing and distorting ideas in ways consistent with the three dials. The author found similar patterns emerge in an excavation of her personal narrative, indicative of a cyclical and prophetic re-imagining of previous life experiences. …

Technological Interventions For Reducing Climate Change Impacts On Health: An Overview Of Future Possibilities, Sujatha Alla, Vijay Kumar Chattu, Bawa Singh

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Globally, over five million deaths annually are attributed to extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, such as heatwaves, hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and floods, which create health crises and economic losses. The 2015 Paris Declaration emphasized climate technology mechanisms, including research and development, to enhance resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biotechnological advancements have mitigated about 20% of economic losses since the 1960s, highlighting technology’s potential to address climate-induced health risks.

The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Skills Training In Improving Digital Fraud Identification Among Older Adults In Low-Income Housing, Catharine Mohar

Masters Essays

Older adults, particularly those residing in low income housing facilities, are increasingly targeted by digital scams via text and email. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) in improving fraud identification skills among this vulnerable population. BST is a structured method involving instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. A checklist was utilized in individual BST sessions with five participants aged 60 or over living in a low-income senior residential facility in the Midwest of The United States. The intervention aimed to increase participants’ ability to accurately discriminate between legitimate and fraudulent digital communications. A single case design was …

An Evaluation Of Teaching Emotion Identification And Regulation Skills Through Behavioral Skills Training On Tantrum/Challenging Behaviors In A Preschool-Aged Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Julia Petty

Masters Essays

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges in regulating their emotions, which can present as challenging behavior, aggression, tantrum, and more. This research aimed to teach individuals coping skills/mindfulness techniques, using aspects of behavioral skills training (BST) to help regulate their emotions and reduce challenging behaviors. The use of behavioral skills training includes instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to teach the skills. The intervention included the Incredible Five Point Scale for indicating emotions with mindfulness techniques to promote emotion regulation. The outcome was an increase in engagement with mindfulness techniques/coping skills, mastery of emotion identification, and a decrease …

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center (Cmc) Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2025 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The CMC Grant Program remains a vital statewide investment in equitable access to justice and community well-being in Massachusetts. In FY2025, the Commonwealth allocated $3,100,202 to the Program, with $2,376,002 awarded directly to 12 community mediation Centers for operational support, technical assistance, and participation in statewide initiatives. These funds continued to serve as the financial foundation of the community mediation system, accounting for half of Centers’ collective revenue and enabling them to leverage an additional $2,435,797 from private, municipal, state, and federal partners—demonstrating strong public return on state appropriations. Despite a funding reduction in FY2025, the Program generated …

Biases In Prescribing Practices: Examining Physician Stereotyping In Women's Health Counseling Based On Patient Race And Perceptions Of Promiscuity, Jessica Lobb

2026 Research Poster Competition

As modern healthcare moves towards a focus on personalized medicine, an evaluation of current provider practices is essential to evaluating quality of care. Numerous studies have shown that physicians exhibit stereotyping and implicit bias with patients, but much remains unknown about the extent this impacts women’s health counseling. The presence of stereotyping could affect women’s health outcomes, as decisions such as choosing to prescribe hormonal contraceptives have numerous physical and emotional side effects. This study aimed to assess how stereotyping contributes to physicians’ perceptions and medical decisions for women seeking gynecological care. Clinical vignettes were given to physicians showing women …

The Physiological And Psychological Effects Of Social Media Addiction: A Mixed Methods Study, Ella Roper

2026 Research Poster Competition

Social media is a worldwide phenomenon that has taken the world by storm; individuals, multimillion dollar companies, hospitals and universities alike are all similar in that there is a good chance they have a social media presence. Needless to say, there are many benefits of social media including connection and networking, however there are also consequences. My study focuses on one of the consequences, social media addiction, in hopes of enlightening individuals to the risks of social media and hopefully inspiring systematic change to make the future of social media a little less risky. I am using a scale from …

Resilience In The Wake Of Faith-Based Trauma: Investigating The Role Of Social Support In Complex Posttraumatic Stress And Well-Being After Religious/Spiritual Abuse, Ellen Murphy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Religious/spiritual (r/s) abuse involves the mistreatment of individuals within religious or spiritual contexts, often resulting in psychological and spiritual harm (Ellis et al., 2022; Johnson & VanVonderen, 1991). Although research examining the potential benefits of religion and spirituality has proliferated, harm stemming from religious/spiritual experiences remains relatively understudied (Ward, 2011). This study investigated associations between r/s abuse severity, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms, and psychological well-being. To identify potential protective factors, the moderating role of perceived social support in the relationships between r/s abuse and CPTSD and well-being outcomes was examined. Additional exploratory variables included current spirituality and religiosity, …

Bridging The Gap In Dentistry: Harnessing Behavioral Health To Improve Oral Health Outcomes For Autistic Youth, Serenity Richardson

2026 Research Poster Competition

Background: Autistic children have unique dental healthcare needs. Oral complications stemming from poor tongue and motor coordination, high sensitivity to toothpaste and flossing, and sensory reactions to fluoride, amalgam, and other dental products are common. Autistic youth are also prone to dental-related emotional (e.g., dental fear and anxiety) and behavioral (e.g., noncompliance, disruptive behavior, avoidance) symptoms. There is also a substantial gap in pediatric and autism-focused training for dental providers, and caregivers report significant challenges in finding dental practitioners who treat autistic children. Taken together, autistic youth and their families face barriers to accessing timely, equitable oral healthcare. Unfortunately, delayed …

The Role Of Ombudsman And Social Work Protecting Rights, Roni Alicia Werner

Selected Full-Text Master Theses Collection 2018-

This thesis examines the role of the Ombudsman as an independent and impartial mechanism for addressing complaints, resolving conflicts, and promoting accountability within organizations. It explores how ombudsmen function across institutional contexts—such as higher education, government, and corporate settings—to provide confidential, informal, and accessible pathways for dispute resolution.

The study analyzes key principles guiding Ombudsman practice, including neutrality, independence, confidentiality, and informality, and evaluates their effectiveness in fostering trust and organizational transparency. Through a review of relevant literature and case examples, the thesis highlights how Ombudsman offices contribute to early conflict resolution, reduce formal grievances, and support ethical decision-making.

Additionally, …

Examining Institutional And Personal Barriers To Women's Participation In The U.S. Foreign Service, Isabella Thompson

2026 Research Poster Competition

Gender equality and equal representation for women have become heavily debated topics in the global community over the last few decades. Some countries have constitutional policies in place that promote gender equality, while others have extreme gaps between the rights of men and women. One area commonly used to assess how far a country has progressed toward gender equality is women’s representation in government and politics. A growing body of scholarly research in International Relations and Foreign Policy Analysis examines the representation of women in foreign policy and diplomacy. Descriptive statistics show wide gaps between countries in women’s representation in …