Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Comforting Potential Of A Social Robot, Regardless Of Looks And Designed Affordances, Peggy Van Minkelen, Elly A. Konijn

Human-Machine Communication

Two field studies examined the comforting potential of an autonomously functioning humanoid robot and whether participants formed an affective bond with it, guided by a new Human-Robot Bonding framework. We designed a 2 (Designed Humanness: high versus low) × 2 (Designed Affordances: high versus low) mixed-factorial repeatedmeasures field experiment. Participants completed a stress-inducing task, followed by an interaction with the robot, which provided comfort. We measured participants’ stress levels (objectively via heart rate and subjectively via perceived stress) and their level of Bonding with the robot. Results showed that perceived stress, but not heart rate, decreased after human-robot interaction across …

Gender And Task Alignment Influences The Credibility Of Feminine But Not Masculine Ai Conversational Assistants, Joana Videira, David Deandrea

Human-Machine Communication

The present study investigated how the perceived gender of AI conversational assistants and the tasks they perform combine to influence perceptions of AI competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill (i.e., credibility). Participants evaluated AI assistants that appeared female or male and varied in the task they performed (stereotypically feminine or masculine task). Findings did not support an overall preference for female AI assistants over male AI assistants. Rather, perceived AI gender interacted with gender stereotypes associated with the task performed to affect perceptions of AI credibility. Notably, AI perceived to be very feminine had the highest credibility when performing stereotypically feminine tasks …

10 Questions To Fall In Love With A Chatbot: An Experimental Study On Interpersonal Closeness With Large Language Models (Llms), Jessica M. Szczuka, Lisa Mühl, Paula Ebner, Simon Dubé

Human-Machine Communication

Large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, are able to compute affectionately nuanced text, which can be deployed in online dating or power artificial companions. This study explores whether people can experience intimate interest and interpersonal closeness toward a potential human or AI partner, based on such text. In a mock matchmaking scenario, 307 participants rated 10 text responses to the Interpersonal Closeness Generation Task from the dating profile of their potential partner, unaware that all were LLM-generated. Surprisingly, the source label (human or AI) had no significant impact on intimate interest and interpersonal closeness. Instead, the perceived quality and human-likeness …

The Right Kind Of Human-Like: Measuring And Testing Human-Likeness Perceptions Of Text-Based Conversational Agents, Carolin Ischen, Elizabeth Wang, Edith G. Smit

Human-Machine Communication

While conversational agents are designed with human-like features to facilitate interaction, the scholarly understanding of users’ perception of human-likeness as a key concept in human-machine communication remains underexplored. This paper provides a threelegged typology of human-likeness perceptions of text-based conversational agents, including the dimensions of appearance, capacity, and personality. Based on responses of 373 participants, the paper identifies measurement instruments for the different dimensions. Furthermore, it tests to what extent social cues commonly applied in customer service chatbots influence the different dimensions of human-likeness perception. Next to a set of direct measurements, factor analysis confirmed two indirect measurements for appearance-based …

Unexpected Encounters With Spot In The Wild: Sensemaking As Communicative Boundary Work With Robots, Annette Markham, Constanze M. Leeb, Brooke Ann Coco, Daniel Kirby, Lu Liu, Edoardo Lomi, Lucy Thornton, Kelly Ka-Lai Chan, Bradley R. Crammond

Human-Machine Communication

As near-autonomous and AI-embedded robots continue to appear in public settings, their sociality and interactivity is a critical part of the social fabric. This article presents emerging themes from a large-scale ethnographic study of granular-level public interactions between more than 400 people who have an unexpected encounter with Boston Dynamics’ robot “Spot” in a public square in Melbourne. Conceptualizing Spot as a boundary object enables us to highlight patterns of sensemaking as people grapple with ontological disruptions through micro-level interactions; within the self, with other people, or between the self and the robot. Based on thematic analysis of multimedia data …

Chronological Intersectionality: Navigating Off-Time Career Reinvention For Women At Midlife And Beyond, Sara W. Bailey

Adultspan Journal

Counselors are trained to anticipate on-time retirement-linked risks but increasingly are serving women pursuing off-time midlife career reinvention within ageist, sexist, racist, and ableist systems of power. Grounded in the author’s personal narrative, this perspective article highlights the compounded burdens of gendered ageism, biopsychosocial aging, and non-prototypical professional acceleration for midlife women. Built upon Crenshaw’s (1989) framework, chronological intersectionality is introduced as a way for counselors to conceptualize the concurrent biopsychosocial and systemic pressures and marginalization that can occur when age-expected norms collide with career changes for midlife women. Implications for clinical practice are described.

Looking Beneath The Surface: Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Through The Caregiver’S Lens—Support, Advocacy, And Self-Care, Melissa Fredin

Master of Arts in Human Services

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure that can affect cognitive functioning, adaptive skills, communication, emotional regulation, and daily living abilities. Individuals with FASD and their caregivers often face complex challenges while navigating behavioral, educational, healthcare, human service, and criminal justice systems. Although awareness of FASD continues to increase, gaps remain in caregiver education, professional understanding, and access to coordinated, trauma-informed supports. The literature indicates that caregiver education is central to improving outcomes for individuals with FASD and is associated with stronger advocacy, more effective support strategies, greater caregiver resilience, and improved …

Emotional Intelligence Deficits And Behavioral Escalation Among Justice-Involved Populations, Aleasa M. Word

Master of Arts in Human Services

This capstone examined the relationship between deficits in emotional intelligence and behavioral escalation among justice-involved populations, who frequently demonstrated challenges with emotional regulation, impulse control, aggression, and behavioral escalation. However, many correctional interventions, including traditional anger management programming, emphasized behavioral compliance rather than the underlying emotional processing deficiencies that contributed to these behaviors. This project synthesized existing peer-reviewed literature from psychology, criminology, forensic behavioral health, and correctional rehabilitation research to examine how low levels of emotional awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and interpersonal functioning are associated with aggression, recidivism, and escalating behaviors. Findings suggested deficits in emotional intelligence were consistently associated …

Reflections In Practice, Joshua William Erickson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio narrative documents my professional development through the Master of Social Work program at the University of Montana. It discusses how I've developed my skills through practicum sites at Youth Villages and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) as well as coursework spanning from clinical practice, policy analysis, program evaluation, and community organizing. Using the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice and all ten CSWE competencies as an organizing structure, clinical skills with adolescents, families, and older adults are reflected on. Growth in macro-level practice, program evaluation, and interdisciplinary leadership is …

Msw Portfolio: Tributaries Of Growth, Madison Hergenrader

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Tributaries of Growth reflects mastery in the field of Social Work; reflections on the five elements and ten competencies as seen through the academic and practicum experiences at the University of Montana.

Spiral & Wheel, Red Audiss

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Becoming A Social Worker, Sheyanne Marie Herron

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio is a reflective overview of my journey toward becoming a social worker. It highlights how my education, professional experiences, practicum placements, and coursework have shaped my development as a clinician, advocate, and leader. The portfolio demonstrates growth across the core MSW competencies, including ethical practice, assessment, intervention, research, policy, advocacy, cultural humility, and leadership. It also emphasizes my person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed approach to practice and my commitment to social justice and lifelong learning.

Determinants Of Antenatal Care Utilization: A Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Study In Morang And Sunsari Districts, Eastern Nepal, Sunil Shah, Chandra Jha

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study examined the factors influencing antenatal care (ANC) utilization in the eastern region of Nepal, focusing on the Morang and Sunsari districts, with the aim of identifying key determinants affecting ANC uptake and assessing the extent of ANC service utilization among mothers. Using lot quality assurance sampling, a community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed, surveying 164 mothers who had given birth within the previous 12 months; data were collected from June through November 2023. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS, with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Findings revealed that 80.5% of respondents …

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Implementing Carbon Capture And Storage (Ccs) At The Punagaya 2×100 Mw Coal Power Plant, Ricky Andreas Kristianto Siringoringo, Rahma Muthia, Widodo Wahyu Purwanto

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

The increase in greenhouse gases due to the combustion of fossil fuels is one of the major drivers of global warming and consequently drives the development of low-carbon technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the technical and economical feasibility of the implementation of CCS technology in the Punagaya Subcritical Coal-Fired Power Plant (CFPP) 2×100 MW as a part of the energy transition strategy towards Net Zero Emissions (NZE) 2060. The simulation was carried out using Aspen HYSYS software, including coal combustion, CO₂ capture through MDEA-PZ solvent, dehydration, transportation, and storage …

Exploring The Perspectives Of Individuals Who Were Formerly Incarcerated To Determine The Barriers And Facilitators To Successful Reentry Programs In Maryland, Ansu Sawi Momoh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to persistently high rates of incarceration and recidivism, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services developed policies and programs geared towards reducing recidivism. Existing literature indicated that successful reentry depends on access to coordinated support services, there was a lack of qualitative studies that explored the perspectives of individuals who were formerly incarcerated, specifically in the state of Maryland. The purpose of this generic qualitative research was to understand the reentry process from the perspective of 12 individuals who were formerly incarcerated. Semi structured interviews were used to explore the barriers and facilitators within the re-entry programs …

Intelligence Mindset, Grit, Ethnic-Racial Identity, And Academic Motivation Among Native Hawaiian Male College Students, Ian James KealiʻIolani Custino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Hawaiian males experience the lowest college graduation rates among all ethnic groups in Hawaiʻi, with only 15% attaining a bachelor’s degree or higher. This disparity significantly impacts income, employment opportunities, and the overall quality of life for Native Hawaiian men. This contributes to increased houselessness and poverty, as well as reduced access to healthcare. Research shows that intelligence mindset, grit, and ethnic-racial identity can positively influence academic outcomes, but little is known about how these factors relate specifically to academic motivation among 94 Native Hawaiian men. This study used a non-experimental, cross-sectional, quantitative survey design to examine the relative …

The International Adoption Movement From South Korea: A Sociological Analysis Of Its Rise, Fall And Relevance Today For Children’S Rights Issues, Madeline H. Engel

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Replication Stata File For The Article "Charlie Kirk's Assassination And Cross-Partisan Dialogue", Andrew Scott Bledsoe, Susan Turner Haynes

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

From “Fixer” To “Facilitator”: A Clinical Review Of Shared Medical Appointments As A Strategy For Workforce Sustainability, Barbara A. Slusher

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

Clinician burnout remains a significant threat to workforce sustainability, particularly in resource-constrained settings managing complex chronic diseases. While shared medical appointments (SMAs) have demonstrated clear benefits in patient satisfaction and access, their impact on clinician well-being and professional fulfillment is less clearly defined. This review evaluates whether participation in SMAs improves clinician satisfaction and mitigates burnout by facilitating a conceptual transition from isolated “Fixer” to collaborative “Facilitator.”

A targeted literature search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar identified peer-reviewed publications examining shared medical appointments and clinician-centered outcomes, including burnout, clinician satisfaction, and workforce sustainability. …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of State-Level Legislation In Mitigating Cyberattack Impacts And Victim Reduction, John Mark Norris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative longitudinal study examined the effectiveness of state cybersecurity legislation by analyzing the relationship between five state-level legislative features: mandatory frameworks, enforcement actions, information sharing, mandatory cybersecurity training, and government incentives, and two cybersecurity outcomes: the number of cyberattack victims and resulting economic losses. Using data from all 50 U.S. states from 2017 through 2024, the study evaluated whether these legislative features were associated with measurable reductions in cyberattack impacts. The findings indicate that none of the five legislative features significantly reduced the ratio of cyberattack victims to establishments. For economic losses, enforcement actions were modestly and negatively associated …

A Study Of Combat Veterans Residing In Rural Communities Who Have Experienced Suicidality After Discharge, Kelly Muratorri

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of combat veterans residing in rural communities who experienced suicidal ideation following discharge from military service. The central research question guiding this study was, What are the lived experiences of combat veterans who reside in rural areas and have contemplated suicide since discharge? The theories guiding this study were Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide, which emphasizes perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability for suicide, and Shneidman’s theory of psychache, which highlights the intolerable psychological pain that often is an underlying factor of suicidal behavior. Although there …

Passing The Mantle: An Explanatory Sequential Study Of Mentoring And Succession In Ministry, Carol Anne Hankinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project developed an eight-week mentorship framework to address leadership succession in collaborative organizations. According to the Barna Group (2023), the aging of the American clergy has reached crisis levels for the Church. Christian institutions of worship must adopt a plan of action to address this concern. Scripturally and historically, mentorship has been God's plan for passing the mantle from senior to junior leaders (Akoto, 2024). Burns's (1978) theory of transformational leadership advocates relational mentorship to advance an organization's mission and purpose. To this end, the researcher explored an intentional mentorship program with 28 participants. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design …

A Qualitative Study Of Social Presence Theory In Organizational Communication With Online Adjunct Sense Of Belonging, Sheri Lemon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study addressed the challenges of geographically dispersed online adjunct faculty feelings of isolation and sense of belonging. The purpose of this qualitative was to explore how online adjunct faculty experience a sense of belonging within their institutions and how organizational leadership communication practices, interpreted through social presence theory, shape those experiences. Guided by Short, Williams, and Christie's (1976) social presence theory and Craig’s (1999) sociopsychological tradition, this research explored the lived experiences of online instructors and the specific communicative behaviors that influence their connection to their institutions. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with twenty online adjunct faculty …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Exploring The Psychological Distress Of Christian Black Women Who Experienced Parental Alienation As The Targeted Parent, Marcia Toller Leftwich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of Christian Black women who experienced parental alienation as the targeted parent. Data collection was conducted via semi-structured interviews with Christian Black women who experienced a high conflict separation or divorce and experienced parental alienation. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize the data, identify patterns, and make meaning as it emerged from the participants’ narratives. The findings revealed that parental alienation is a complex phenomenon characterized by psychological distress, emotional devastation, identity disruption, relational harm, and spiritual transformation. Spiritual connection and reliance on faith were at the center …

Quiet Ego And Psychological Empowerment In Virtual Knowledge Work, Jazzlin Mouton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is an explanatory sequential mixed methods study designed to examine whether a high quiet ego orientation predicts high psychological empowerment in knowledge workers functioning as part of a team in a virtual workspace. The quantitative phase used simple linear regressions to test the hypotheses, followed by a qualitative phase consisting of unstructured interviews and a phenomenological approach to data analysis. Quantitative findings were not significant. Although quiet ego orientation did not predict psychological empowerment or any of its subscales (meaning, competence, self-determination, impact), qualitative findings indicate that individuals with high quiet ego scores consistently demonstrated intentional, prosocial workplace …

Cultural Fidelity: An Exploration Of Oral Tradition And Its Role In Preserving Cultural Identity In Nigerians Of The Diaspora, Veronica L. Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Oral tradition is a dynamic communicative practice through which diasporic individuals construct meaning, transmit memory, and sustain intergenerational belonging. Against the backdrop of cultural displacement, linguistic adaptation, and identity negotiation, this study examined the role of oral tradition in preserving cultural identity amongst Nigerians of the diaspora. It also interrogated how oral practices—often considered antiquated or informal within Western paradigms—function as enduring technologies of cultural continuity. Guided by multi-generational voices that reflect the evolving nature of oral expression across diasporic contexts, the findings of this study indicate that oral tradition remains a powerful mechanism through which diasporic Nigerians preserve cultural …

Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study On Perceptions Of Hip Hop Pedagogy In A Professional Learning Course, Kelly J. Thelen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This qualitative case study examines how teachers’ decision-making and professional autonomy shift while participating in a Hip Hop Pedagogy Professional Learning course supported by structured FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024) game-facilitated dialogue in a rural, culturally and linguistically diverse Midwest community. Grounded in Freire’s (1970) Critical Pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris and Alim, 2017), and Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2005), the study explores the reclamation of agency by teachers in a time of constrained creativity and educator autonomy shaped by strict policy environments, an emphasis on …

Post-Pandemic Telebehavioral Health: Sustaining And Regulating Remote Mental Health Care As A Core Modality, Weiqiao Dong

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The United States continues to face a persistent mental health crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic, raising a policy question about the long-term role and regulation of telebehavioral health as a core modality of care. This thesis examines that question through a case study of New York State, an early center of the pandemic and a leader in telehealth policy reform.

Guided by the Health Policy Triangle framework, this thesis integrates longitudinal data from all 62 New York counties for 2010-2025 with a 2025 cross-sectional dataset covering 61 counties. Seventeen standardized indicators are organized into four dimensions: geographic, economic, demographic, and …

Field Research And Policy Recommendations On Coordinated Digital-Intelligent And Green Transformation Of China’S Traditional Manufacturing Industry—Evidence From Key Traditional Manufacturing Industries In Shandong Province, Dingding Xiao, Peng Hui, Shaoni Liu, Xinxin Du, Laijun Wang, Guilong Zhu, Wenbo Guo

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The coordinated digital-intelligent and green transformation of traditional manufacturing is an important pathway for upgrading traditional industries and accelerating the development of a modern industrial system. Based on field research involving more than 20 representative enterprises in Shandong Province across automobile manufacturing, coal processing, textiles, and petrochemicals, this study systematically examines the practical progress, typical models, major constraints, and policy needs associated with this transformation. The findings show that China’s traditional manufacturing sector is shifting from isolated upgrading to system integration, from production-focused transformation to full life-cycle coordination, and from individual-enterprise initiatives to industrial-chain collaboration. Nevertheless, it still faces insufficient …

Progress, Experience, And Recommendations From Pilot Programs For Coordinated Digital-Intelligent And Green Transformation In Ten Regions Of China, Yingtong Chen, Yupeng Shi, Bin Li, Xue Niu, Qiang Ji, Lin Xiang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Coordinated digital-intelligent and green transformation is an important pathway for advancing high-quality manufacturing development. Focusing on the first batch of comprehensive pilot programs for coordinated digital and green transformation launched in 2023, this study combines literature review, text analysis, and comparative case analysis to examine the practices and phased outcomes of ten pilot regions. It identifies three pathways—digital-enabled green transformation, green-driven digital transformation, and integrated digital-green development—and summarizes key experiences in institutional design, infrastructure restructuring, platform innovation, and tool empowerment. The findings show that the pilot regions have adopted differentiated approaches based on their industrial foundations, resource endowments, and development …