Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How Self-Perceptions Relate To Recorded Proficiency: An Action Research Project Aimed At Implementing A Supplemental Reading Program For Balinese Students, Katherine L. Johnson

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education has had a complex history globally. This is especially true for Bali, Indonesia, where tourism is the main driver of the local economy. Learning English is highly valued, yet many students are left struggling to build the skills needed to rise above the local poverty line. In this action research study, the primary goal was to analyze students’ reading proficiencies to recommend the implementation of a reading program that could be appropriately tailored to individual students. This was done through administering a reading test, tracking both comprehension and reading speed, and a survey …

The Effect Of Zebra Mussels On Minnesota Fish Communities, Benjamin D. Strei

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha are an aquatic invasive species that has been spreading quickly throughout Minnesota water bodies since 1989. Zebra mussels are known to change certain morphological conditions in lakes such as turbidity, phytoplankton abundance, and aquatic invertebrate populations. However, studies showing impacts of the infestation of zebra mussels on the health of a fish community have been hard to prove due to a lack of repeated surveys and a suite of other confounding variables such as natural and seasonal variability, plant community, and lake morphometry. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine whether zebra mussels have …

Understanding The Intersection Between Alaska Native And Military Cultural Identities: Using Arts-Based Narrative Inquiry With Mixed Methods, Leslie M. Robertson

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) peoples have contributed significant efforts towards involvement in the military and have served in the Armed Forces at five times the national average. AI/AN peoples have served with distinction in every major conflict for over 200 years. There has been a pervasive and historical lack of recognition for their service and a lack of awareness of the intersection between Indigenous and military cultures (Ault, 2020; Bennett, 2009; Department of Veterans Affairs, 2020; Harris & Hirsch, 2020; Holm, 2010; Krouse, 2007; Marston, 1972; Nalewicki, 2021; NICOA, 2019; Viola, 2008; Wooda et al., 2021).

This study …

Out Of Institutions, Into Society: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis Exploring The Shared Experiences Of Veterans And Formerly Incarcerated Persons Reintegrating Into Civilian Life, Hannah C. Pederson

Social Work Theses - Archive

The reintegration experiences of veterans and formerly incarcerated persons (FIPs) share significant parallels, yet there is a notable lack of literature exploring these similarities. This study employs qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) methodology, a cross-study qualitative analysis approach developed specifically for the social work field, to identify commonalities in the reintegration narratives of U.S. veterans transitioning from military service and FIPs returning to civilian life post-incarceration. The author conducted a QIMS on ten studies published between 2006 and 2024 (N=172). The QIMS yielded seven overarching themes: supports, mental health and wellness, institutional residue, culture shock, socioeconomic hardships (“it’s hard out here”), …

Growing Up In A Blended Family: A Narrative Review Of Mental And Emotional Health Impact, Gerald K. Evans, Gerald Kevin Evans-Mayner

Social Work Theses - Archive

Adolescents growing up in blended families are at a higher risk of experiencing emotional and mental health challenges compared to adolescents growing up in nuclear families. This thesis examines this impact as adolescents transition into adulthood. This narrative review gathered data from articles published from 2019 to 2024 in the United States that were archived in the Family Studies Abstracts database. The findings primarily concerned romantic and parent-teen relationships, effects that began and lingered after adolescence, exposure to violence, and lack of intimacy and security. The implications of this research are that future investigations are needed to better understand the …

Experiences Of Community Leaders And Organizers Within The Stop Six Community, Caitlin Herron

Social Work Theses - Archive

Although community-based and grassroots leadership research exists, little exists in the way of exploring the personal and relational experiences of community organizers to their work and to their community. Using data collected from semi-structured interviews with self-identified community leaders, this research addresses insights into their lived experiences. In particular, a thematic exploration looks at what appeared across each interview. This research is intended to serve as a basis for future research into the lived experiences of community organizers outside of one specific experience or cause, but rather to take an in-depth look into them, their perceptions, and their relationship to …

From Insight To Experience Mapping Experiential Approaches To Cultivating Self-Awareness In Undergraduate Social Work Curricula, Georgianna E. Goff

Social Work Theses - Archive

This scoping review examines the current state of experiential learning methodologies used to increase self-awareness among undergraduate social work students. While the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) emphasizes self-awareness as a core professional competency, the literature reveals a notable lack of a standardized, field-wide definition and a reliance on fragmented pedagogical approaches. This Review systematically analyzed nine empirical studies, mapping the key characteristics, theoretical frameworks, and teaching methods. The findings indicate that most studies used qualitative or mixed-methods designs, with a majority relying on Kolb’s and Dewey’s experiential learning theories to bridge the gap between classroom theory and professional …

Quantity Over Quality? What Pupil Dilations Tell Us About Cognitive Effort At Learning., Durna Alakbarova

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The current study examined whether pupil dilations at encoding reflect cognitive effort participants engage in a task. According to the cognitive effort hypothesis of pupil dilations, increases in cognitive effort cause activation of the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which is reflected in larger pupil dilations. While task-evoked pupillary responses (TEPRs) have been used as a marker of cognitive effort, it remains unclear whether changes in pupil size reflect encoding success. We proposed that the reason for conflicting findings on the topic is a lack of nuance in examining cognitive effort. Specifically, we suggested that cognitive effort consists of two separate …

Church Attendance, Gender Roles, And Human Sexuality, Derek D. Goodrich

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This research examines how the frequency of religious attendance impacts views on gender roles and sexuality in Christian subgroups in the United States. Prior research on the varying worldviews of American Christians has revealed a diverse group of opinions that cannot be explained solely by denominational affiliation. Based on social identity theory, this study explores whether the frequency of attendance at religious services influences congregants’ beliefs on six issues: legalization of gay marriage, the acceptance of homosexuality in society, the acceptance of transgender people, whether a parent should stay home with the children, which parent should stay home, and women …

Flexing The Frame: Training Abstract, Concrete, And Ambidextrous Thinking To Improve Creativity Across Leadership Styles, Sampoorna Nandi

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

This study examined whether training individuals in abstract, concrete, or ambidextrous construal-level thinking strategies enhances creative performance and whether the effectiveness of such training is moderated by leadership style within an aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) framework. Drawing on Construal Level Theory (CLT), participants (N = 235 undergraduate students) were randomly assigned to one of four training conditions and completed a low-fidelity planning task designed to assess creativity across three dimensions: originality, quality, and elegance. Results indicated that ambidexterity training—designed to promote flexible shifting between abstract and concrete thinking—significantly improved performance across all creativity dimensions, outperforming concrete and control (but not …

Balancing Profit And Principle: How Firms Navigate The Rise Of Authoritarianism, Spencer Fraseur

Business Administration Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of my dissertation is to contribute to the growing discussion on the intersection of totalitarianism and business practices, highlighting the need for leaders to navigate the seismic shifts in global commerce and make ethical decisions in an increasingly complex landscape. Specifically, it examines the decline of the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) and Liberal International Order (LIO) as well as the rise of totalitarianism across the globe, and the challenges these trends pose for businesses and managers. The first study constructs a comprehensive framework delineating the diverse responses of businesses to authoritarian regimes, ranging from resistance to accommodation. This …

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Extreme Precipitation Events In Texas, Anusha Kandi Ravi

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Extreme precipitation events (EPEs) are among the most critical weather hazards in Texas, frequently leading to floods, infrastructure damage, and costly economic losses. Therefore, analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns of EPEs is vital, particularly for improving regional climate predictions and hazard preparedness. Although the propagation of EPEs has been previously investigated using complex network theory, the evolution of their climate network has not yet studied. For this purpose, we first collected precipitation data from the NOAA AORC dataset for the 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2019, and 2020-2024 periods. The EPEs were identified based on the 95th percentile of wet-day precipitation (≥ 1 …

Complexity Machines: New Histories Of North American Automobile Production, 1900-1950s, Kevin A. Moskowitz

History Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation examines the design and manufacture of the mass-produced automobile in North America from its inception at the start of the twentieth century through the height of production in the late 1950s. This network of producers constituted the single largest industry in North America. The success of this market required producing a product that was desirable to consumers in design, affordable to purchase, and could be built in high enough quantities to justify the realignment of the rest of North American society to serve this new method of transportation. This dissertation is a shift away from demand studies concerned …

Coping Strategies As Predictors Of Acculturative Stress Among International College Students, Naba Khan

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This study examined how coping strategies influence acculturative stress among international and multicultural college students. A quantitative correlational design was used with 36 participants recruited through convenience sampling at the University of Texas at Arlington. Participants completed four standardized Likert-type scales measuring acculturative stress, general coping, and academic coping. Correlational analyses showed that age was negatively related to acculturative stress and positively related to coping. A mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 indicated that coping partially mediated the relationship between age and acculturative stress, accounting for 39% of the variance, R²=.39, F(2, 33) = 10.60, p < .001. Age significantly predicted coping (β=.06, p=.015), while coping marginally predicted acculturative stress (β= -.26, p = .068). Findings suggest that coping strategies play a modest but protective role in reducing acculturative stress, with older participants reporting slightly greater coping and lower stress.

Parsimony, Parallelism, And Presentation: The Impact Of Presentation On Evaluation, Peter Mclemore

Psychology Theses - Archive

In professional and academic settings, support for creative ideas often hinges on how effectively those ideas are communicated in writing. This study examined how two sentence-level rhetorical features—parsimony and parallelism—influence the evaluation, support, and recall of written proposals featuring creative restaurant concepts. Using a 2×2 within-subjects design, 211 undergraduates reviewed proposals manipulated to vary in parsimony (high vs. low) and parallelism (high vs. low). Participants rated each proposal on quality, originality, elegance, support, and completed a recall task. Contrary to expectations, proposals with low parsimony and low parallelism received the highest evaluations across all three creative indicators (i.e., quality, originality, …

Developing The Rural Older Adult Dementia Prevention-Health Behaviors (Road-Hb) Questionnaire: A Mixed Methods Approach To Instrument Development, Jessica Cassidy

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Older adults living in rural communities are at heightened risk of dementia; however, preventative strategies can reduce these risks. To facilitate dementia prevention efforts in rural communities, this methodological study developed the Rural Older Adults Dementia prevention–Health Behaviors questionnaire (ROAD-HB) by applying a lifespan approach to the Health Belief Model (HBM). The questionnaire contained three embedded instruments and was constructed following a stage development design involving item pool processes with community and expert review panels. Convergent mixed methods were used to assess the ROAD-HB’s validity, including a pretest in 36 older adults from two rural Northeast Texas counties and cognitive …

Understanding The Sociodemographic Correlates Of Early Social Security Retirement, Erica D. Robinson

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of Americans aged 50 and older, this study employed logistic regression analysis guided by intersectionality theory and the Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis (IBPA) framework to examine the influence of marital status, ever having children, educational attainment, self-reported health, and race/ethnicity on receiving Social Security retirement benefits early (before reaching the Social Security Administration’s full retirement age (FRA)) among women. Individuals’ monthly and total lifetime Social Security retirement amounts, as well as longevity, are influenced by when they begin receiving Social Security retirement payments. Findings revealed that reporting excellent/ …

Burnout Among Nurses In The United States, Faheem Ohri

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Burnout is an exhausted state of the body, mind, and emotions, characterized by feelings of “depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment” resulting from prolonged and continuous occupational stress. Burnout among nurses in the United States (U.S.) is a growing concern with significant implications for healthcare professionals and patient outcomes. Nurse burnout compromises patient safety and workforce stability, but pre-pandemic national correlates remain understudied. This dissertation examined employment settings and demographic correlates of burnout among U.S. nurses using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) secondary datasets. Compared inpatient burnout odds pre-/post-pandemic using national twin surveys. Jackknife complex survey logistic regression …

Excitation And Polarization Of Isolated Neurons By High-Frequency Sine Waves For Temporal Interference Stimulation, Iurii Semenov, Vitalii Kim, Giedre Silkuniene, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

The capacity of temporal interference (TI) stimulation to target deep brain regions without affecting nearby surface electrodes remains uncertain. Using artifact-free optical recording, we compare excitation patterns and thresholds in hippocampal neurons stimulated by “pure” and amplitude-modulated sine waves, representing TI waveforms near electrodes and at the target, respectively. We show that pure 2- and 20-kHz sine waves induce repetitive firing at rates that increase up to 60–90 Hz with stronger electric fields. Beyond this limit, action potentials merge into sustained depolarization, resulting in an excitation block. Modulating the sine waves at 20 Hz aligns firing with amplitude “beats” and …

Personality And Victimization: The Relationship Between The Big Five Personality Traits And Victimization In Adulthood, Cameron Kan

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Myriad risk factors have been found to predict victimization. Research, however, has yet to examine the impact of personality—if any—in the likelihood of victimization in adulthood. The current study attempts to fill this gap in the literature by being the first to examine the effects of the Big Five personality traits, also known as the Five Factor Model, on adult victimization in a nationally representative sample (Add Health). Results reveal that scoring high in extraversion is related to a 12 percent increase the in rate of victimization controlling for a host of temperamental and criminological covariates. Depressive symptoms, criminal behavior, …

The Effects Of Parenting Styles On Childhood Memories And Resilience Building, Nathaniel Paredes

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant agents of shaping children early in life is their parental figures. There has been extant research into parenting styles and outcomes later in life. The current study sought to understand how parenting styles can influence the formation of positive and adverse childhood experiences (PCEs and ACEs), which in turn lead to the development of resilience later in life. It was expected that participants who reported higher levels of authoritative parenting would be significantly correlated with higher levels of positive childhood experiences, and lower levels of adverse childhood experiences. Secondly, authoritarian and permissive parenting would be …

Personality Assessment Inventory: The Treatment Rejection Scale & Treatment Variables, Ashlee Bradley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to identify the role and validity of the Treatment Rejection Scale (RXR), one of the treatment consideration scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991), and its relationship with treatment variables in an outpatient clinical setting. The study used archival data involving 200 client files. The current study evaluated RXR scores in relation to premature, situational, and mutual terminators. Therapist-rated process variables, such as client cancellations, the number of sessions attended, client “no-shows,” and any barriers to completing treatment from the clinician’s point of view, were also considered. Additionally, the treatment outcome variable, in the …

Exploring A Collective Grief Experience In The U.S.: Qualitative Findings From Older Parents Whose Only Child Has Died, Yongqiang Zheng, Leslie Wuest, Jeongah Kim, Rebecca Rodriguez

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

Despite its profound physical and mental health impacts, research on the loss of an only child in later life among older U.S. adults remains scarce. This phenomenological qualitative study explores the lived experiences and meanings older bereaved parents attribute to their loss. Data from 24 participants were collected through written narratives guided by structured questions, and online focus groups. Inductive thematic analysis revealed 6 themes: the enduring intensity of grief, significant secondary losses, feelings of isolation and alienation, the role of social support in coping, and spirituality and religion’s influence on their journey. By amplifying these parents’ voices, the study …

Making Finance Relevant By Applying Corporate Finance To Personal Finance: The Case Of Leverage

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

This paper is based on the idea that Finance can be made more relevant to students by applying lessons learned in Corporate Finance to the Personal Finance of students. To demonstrate this, the paper introduces a unique example of Operating Leverage and Financial Leverage; and provides examples in which these Corporate Finance concepts are applied to the Personal Finance of students. The basic premise of this paper is that students learn better if the abstract concepts are made relevant to them, i.e., if the instructor relates the abstract concepts to the personal experience of students. This paper implies that there …

No Longer Invisible: 2025 Massachusetts Asian And Pacific Islander American (Apia) Community Survey Report, Watanabe P. Dhaurali S.

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The first Massachusetts Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Community Survey gathered opinions from 1,414 APIAs across the state in March 2025 on issues such as economic stability, political engagement, safety and sense of belonging, healthcare access, as well as recent executive actions by the federal administration. The survey was offered in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Khmer languages in addition to English.The resulting data was disaggregated by the three largest APIA subgroups in MA: Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese Americans.
Key findings include that housing affordability and cost of living are the top economic concerns for APIAs across Massachusetts; both citizens and non-citizens …

Critical Approaches To Climate-Induced Migration Research And Solutions, Rosalyn Negrón, David Hernández, Hossein Ayazi, Pablo Shiladitaya Bose, Nyingilanyeofori Brown, Elora Chowdhury, Janelle Knox-Hayes, Rajini Srikanth, Banu Subramaniam, Farhana Sultana, Patrick Sylvain, Carlos Vargas-Ramos, Charles Venator-Santiago

Sustainable Solutions Lab

In this commentary we explore the confluence of factors shaping climate-induced migration and the need for comprehensive solutions grounded in historical and systemic understandings. We argue that climate change, colonial legacies, and geopolitical policies significantly influence migration patterns, particularly for historically marginalised communities. We call for scholars to develop holistic frameworks that consider environmental, political, historical, and economic factors while advocating for the legal recognition and protection of migrants and people displaced by climate impacts. Drawing on examples of internal migration and displacement in the United States and refugee camps globally, we highlight the complexities of resettlement. We propose integrated …

Projectile Points Of New Mexico: 13,000 Years Of Technological Innovation, Bradley J. Vierra

Anthropology: Faculty Book Gallery

For the first time, New Mexico has a volume dedicated to all projectile point types dating from the Paleoindian through Historic period. Filled with historical details, measurements, defining attributes, age estimates, interpretations, references, and images, Projectile Points of New Mexico: 13,000 Years of Technological Innovation edited by Dr. Bradley J. Vierra and with many contributing authors and supporters, is graciously offered here courtesy of the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management, who provided the grant for production costs, New Mexico State University, who was responsible for the contract, and Statistical Research, Inc., who produced the volume. There …

How Auditor Competence Shapes Independence Of Thought, Tom J. Frye, Eddie Thomas

Academic Affairs

Our study aims to identify how the impact that the voluntary transmission of information between independent parties has on each person's ability to perform a task. We construct a simple laboratory experiment that tasks human subjects to estimate answers to a series of puzzles, earning compensation based on their accuracy. Before the final fourth repetition, there is a brief period where subjects are randomly matched with an anonymous discussion partner and may discuss their estimation procedures. We also vary the ability of subjects to see immediate feedback on their results between sessions. We find that subjects who rated the quality …

Sights And Sounds Of Veteran Identity: The Use Of Photovoice Technique And Lyric Analysis In A Community-Based Participatory Action Research Framework, Stephanie Jett Ph.D., Laurie Peebles

Academic Affairs

Researchers often attempt to define what it means to be a Veteran; however, there is a dearth of research where that question is directly asked of Veterans. Instead, a traditional approach to research is taken where the experimenter defines the variables and asks the participants to provide responses without being included in the research process or reaping any direct benefit from participation. We assert that in order to better understand this unique population, it is vital that we elevate their voices by employing more qualitative, community-based participatory action research (CbPAR) models where Veterans are empowered to use their voices to …

Rethinking Retained Earnings In The Additional Funds Needed Formula, James E. Larsen

Finance and Financial Services Faculty Publication

This paper critically re-evaluates the traditional application of the Additional Funds Needed formula by analyzing alternate interpretations of retained earnings. It illustrates how definitional shifts influence capital forecasts with a more nuanced approach to financial modeling in growth scenarios. The approach emphasizes numerical clarity, policy realism, and adaptability for financial planning. The paper challenges conventional AFN usage by embedding definitional flexibility and temporal awareness, offering decision-makers clearer visibility into funding sensitivity. It reframes AFN as a dynamic planning tool rather than a static formula, with implications for forecasting, policy-setting, and strategic finance.