Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Fundamentals Of Public Speaking, Alexis Johnson

ATU Faculty OER Book Reviews

Review of OER Communications textbook by Mary Lee Cunill, available at https://fscj.pressbooks.pub/publicspeaking/

Psychology 2e, Tiffany Nance

ATU Faculty OER Book Reviews

Review of OER Psychology textbook by Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, and Marilyn D. Lovett, available at https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e

Drone Delivery Of Cbnrecy – Dew Weapons: Emerging Threats Of Mini-Weapons Of Mass Destruction And Disruption (Wmdd), Bethany Swindell

ATU Faculty OER Book Reviews

Review of OER Emergency Management textbook by Candice Carter, et al., available at https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/drone-delivery/

Exploring Public Speaking: 4th Edition, Alexis Johnson

ATU Faculty OER Book Reviews

Review of OER Communications textbook Barbara Tucker et al., available at https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/communication-textbooks/1/

Investigating The Relationship Between Malingering And Institutional Misconduct: Is Psychopathy The Link?, Lily A. Reed

Student Theses

Despite the established relationships between psychopathy and malingering, and psychopathy and risk for institutional misconduct, little empirical literature has been devoted to examining the interaction of these three constructs. The current study aimed to clarify this relationship by examining data from a sample of male criminal defendants within a federal prison located in a metropolitan area of the Southern United States. Data including the MMPI-2, PCL-R, diagnostic, institutional records, and demographic information was collected. Statistical analyses reinforced previous literature and theoretical conceptualizations that posit a relationship between psychopathy and malingering behaviors, as well as institutional misconduct. Preliminary findings suggest links …

Community Pantry As A Form Of Bayanihan In The Light Of Albert Camus’ Concept Of Rebellion, Carl Jayson D. Hernandez, Ivan Efreaim A. Gozum, Charles Aldrin A. Delgado

Philosophy Department Faculty Publications

Filipinos are known for their traditional value called bayanihan. Bayanihan is a deeply embedded Filipino cultural idea symbolizing social solidarity and collaboration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipinos created community pantries as a support system. This paper aims to analyze the idea of community pantry as a form of bayanihan through the Camusian perspective. The paper has three main parts. First, we will discuss the community pantry as a new form of bayanihan. This traditional value has been culturally passed to Filipinos and continues to live on as an identifier of the nation’s resiliency. Second, we will discuss Albert Camus’ concept …

Comprehensive Examination Of The Effect Of A Randomized Controlled Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Autonomic Nervous System Functioning, Li Shen Chong

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Brief mindfulness-based interventions are comparable to traditional mindfulness-based interventions in alleviating stress and improving well-being. To explore the underlying biological mechanisms of these practices, researchers have been exploring the effects of mindfulness-based interventions through the autonomic nervous system (ANS), a major bodily stress response system. Nevertheless, most of these studies relied on one stress response system or a specific biomarker. This study aims to comprehensively examine the effectiveness of two sessions of brief mindfulness-based interventions on ANS functioning. Participants were assigned to the brief mindfulness intervention condition (n = 44) or control condition (n = 47). Participants’ physiological data, including …

Elevating The Rre Framework For Geospatial Analysis With Visual Programming Platforms: An Exploration With Geospatial Analytics Extension For Knime, Lingbo Liu, Fahui Wang, Xiaokang Fu, Tobias Kötter, Kevin Sturm, Weihe Wendy Guan, Shuming Bao

Faculty Publications

Reproducibility, replicability, and expandability (RRE) have emerged as fundamental concerns in the realm of scientific research and development. Wherein, devising effective solutions for RRE within geospatial analysis stands out as a particularly critical challenge that demands immediate attention. Although there has been an evolution from basic reproducibility of code and data to a more comprehensive cyberinfrastructure, this integrated solution is still grappling with issues of limited user accessibility, steep learning curves particularly in coding skills, and difficulties in achieving collaboration with other data science platforms This study proposes a framework that combines open-source GIS with visual programming platforms, grounded in …

Stacked Noise Reduction Auto Encoder–Ocean: A Novel Personalized Recommendation Model Enhanced, Bixi Wang, Wenfeng Zheng, Ruiyang Wang, Siyu Lu, Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Zhengtong Yin, Xinbing Chen

Faculty Publications

With the continuous development of information technology and the rapid increase in new users of social networking sites, recommendation technology is becoming more and more important. After research, it was found that the behavior of users on social networking sites has a great correlation with their personalities. The five characteristics of the OCEAN personality model can cover all aspects of a user’s personality. In this research, a micro-directional propagation model based on the OCEAN personality model and a Stacked Denoising Auto Encoder (SDAE) was built through the application of deep learning to a collaborative filtering technique. Firstly, the dimension of …

Fy24 Usability Program Test #7: Retesting And Observing Search Behaviors, Lindsey Skaggs

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

The FY24 Usability Testing Program was designed to iteratively assess user experience at Milner Library. The program gathers data through usability testing of the library's website and discovery layer, as well as survey questions about users' experiences with library services. Test #7 gathers information from library users about their experiences locating and accessing materials and information. Takeaways and recommendations are included in the report.

Moral Responsibility And Other Visceral Attitudes Of Western Michigan University Students Toward Food Waste, Quinn Heiser

Masters Theses

Despite the large number of people that go hungry on a regular basis in America, food waste remains a looming issue, globally and nationally. Both American college students and the universities themselves contribute a large portion to the national food waste totals. A dichotomy that is especially curious is the difference between students who live on-campus and whose main source of meals is the dining centers, versus students who live off campus and rely mainly on groceries to make meals independently. However, food waste has seldom been studied in the context of the fact that college is a major transition …

Echo Chambers And The Rise Of The Alt-Right, Ian Robert Mcdonald

Masters Theses

The uses of social media have expanded with the growing number of platforms and niches that these platforms seek to fulfill. One of the more common uses of many current social media platforms is to engage with politics. Social media platforms have become a political tool to some, with an enormous amount of news and information being shared throughout social media platforms. The increasing use of social media has coincided with an increase in political polarization, with some raising concerns over the ability for certain groups to operate in ideological isolation, referred to as echo chambers, and the role they …

Voices Of Experience: Lay Perspectives On Severe Maternal Morbidity In Appalachia, Anna Hansen, Cassidy Carter, Nancy Schoenberg, Carrie B. Oser

UK CARES Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bridge The Gap: Using Advocacy To Bridge The Gender Wage Gap In Sports - A Comparative Analysis Of Venus Williams And The Us Women’S National Team, William E. Mitchell

Student Theses and Dissertations

For decades sports and activism have been synonymous. Many remember Jesse Owens and Tommie Smith’s Olympic protests, Mohammed Ali’s anti-war protest and Collin Kaepernick kneeling to bring attention to racial injustices. More recently many joined in celebration and applauded when the US Women’s National Team secured equal pay. However, many women in sports remain invisible. Activism is a viable form of seeking change, but can the route taken by Venus Williams work in team sports? This project will seek to examine if activism is a viable change agent in sports especially in closing the gender pay gap. While several female …

From “Life As Lived” To “Life As Text”: Gendered Geographies Of Diaspora And Exile In Clément Baloup’S Vietnamese Memories, Jennifer Howell

Faculty Publications – Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Baloup’s approach to using personal narratives in graphic novels transcends the specific realm of refugee comics or human rights campaigns, yet it faces challenges when attempting to bridge the gap between the intimate narratives of refugees and a broader commercial audience. Blurring the lines between autobiography, historiography, reportage, testimony, and docufiction, Vietnamese Memories retraces the global dimensions of the Vietnamese diaspora while engaging with the representation of transgenerational trauma in ways that reflect the diversity of the Viet Kieu experience. Transitioning from family history in the first volume to inferred advocacy in the third, Baloup’s exploration and graphic representation of …

There Are Thousands Of Stories In The Texas Medical Center (Tmc): Is Yours One Of Them?, Alice Sherwood

TMC Library Newsletter (2015-)

From its founding in 1945, the TMC has impacted millions of lives, including those of patients, staff and visitors. “Moments in History”, part of the oral history project of the Friends of the Texas Medical Center Library, strives to capture and preserve those memories and facts for future generations lest they be lost forever.

Please consider sharing some of your time to carry the knowledge of the past into the future.

Notes For The Stalled, V16n10, June/July 2024, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Rod Library newsletter: Notes for the Stalled

Contents:

--- Did You Know . . .?
--- You Belong @ Rod
--- Pardon our Progress
--- Information Overload

Inside The Adventure: A Case Study On The Immersive Engagement Practices At Universal Studios Hollywood, Jordan A. D'Acquisto

Experience Industry Management

The success of theme parks relies heavily on immersion and identification of the elements that create such immersion to further enhance it. Universal Studios Hollywood utilizes many engagement tactics to immerse their guests in the worlds of their park. The purpose of this study was to analyze guest engagement through themed, immersive experiences and touchpoints at Universal Studios Hollywood. A case study was conducted on Universal Studios Hollywood to analyze what immersive engagement tactics were utilized as well as their effectiveness. The results of this study determined that the park very effectively engages guests through themed experiences with its newer …

Building A Foundation For Racial And Ethnic Equity: Estimated Impacts Of Massachusetts Legislation To Expand Affordable Quality Child Care And Early Education, Randy Albelda, Alan Clayton-Matthews, Anne Douglass, Christa Kelleher, Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, Songtian Zeng

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

A multi-disciplinary UMass Boston team of researchers through the Early Education Cost and Usage Simulator Project (CUSP) seeks to better understand some of the impacts of expanding financial assistance to families for child care and early education. The team has developed and uses a statistical model that simulates parents’ decisions about care usage to estimate how much more licensed care might be needed in Massachusetts and what employment and income changes may take place with increased utilization of affordable licensed quality child care and early education. The team’s October 2023 brief provided findings for all families and children in the …

Building A Foundation For Racial And Ethnic Equity: Estimated Impacts Of Massachusetts Legislation To Expand Affordable Quality Child Care And Early Education Executive Summary, Randy Albelda, Alan Clayton-Matthews, Anne Douglass, Christa Kelleher, Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, Songtian Zeng

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

A multi-disciplinary UMass Boston team of researchers through the Early Education Cost and Usage Simulator Project (CUSP) seeks to better understand some of the impacts of expanding financial assistance to families for child care and early education. The team has developed and uses a statistical model that simulates parents’ decisions about care usage to estimate how much more licensed care might be needed in Massachusetts and what employment and income changes may take place with increased utilization of affordable licensed quality child care and early education. The team’s October 2023 brief provided findings for all families and children in the …

Community Awareness Of Domestic Violence In Arumeru District, Arusha, Tanzania, Rehema John Magesa

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Domestic violence continues to be prominent among many communities worldwide despite different efforts and strategies geared towards eradicating it. Women and girls are among the main victims of this violence. Lack of or limited awareness of the problem perpetuates the problem. However, much of the levels of awareness of the problem are lacking. This study aimed to establish community awareness of domestic violence and the levels of awareness and determine the association between respondents' characteristics and the level of awareness of gender-based violence. The study employed both probability and non-probability sampling techniques to acquire the respondents. One hundred women and …

The Effects Of Technology Based Self-Monitoring On Behaviors Related To Academic Engagement Of A University Student With A Disability, Rachel Mickelson

Masters Theses

College students with disabilities often experience difficulties with meeting the demands of university level courses due to challenges with time management and impulse control (Shmulsky & Gobbo, 2013). Self-monitoring has been proven effective for various populations and behaviors, although limited research has been conducted with college students with disabilities. I-Connect, a technology-based self-monitoring tool, is a digital application that utilizes momentary time sampling where users can select a behavior and interval of time to be prompted to self-monitor that behavior (University of Kansas, 2022). The app also collects real time data and automatically creates graphs to depict the responses collected …

Cocoa Production In The Era Of Crude Oil Economy: The Case Study Of Ondo State, Nigeria., Hakeem Shina Lamidi

Masters Theses

Nigeria's cocoa industry has been faced with obstacles that include a lack of adequate infrastructure, little or no research and development efforts for weather-related challenges and pest control, limited financial support for cocoa farming startups, absence of modern farming techniques, an aging agricultural workforce, and decrepit cocoa trees all of which have contributed to the decline in the production of cocoa by Nigeria. The Nigerian government's failure to prioritize agricultural policies and support farmers instead of relying on oil exports exacerbates these issues. While it is assumed that countries endowed with abundant natural resources, including oil, like Nigeria, would naturally …

Relational Changes In A Study Of Youth Diagnosed With Cancer, Emily C. Larsen Avnet

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This dissertation explores the relational experiences of youth with cancer within a metropolitan hospital. Through archival interviews with 10 participants, the study identifies seven themes that encompass the youths’ experiences of how a life-limiting illness impacts their relationships and the role it plays. The findings reflect the complexity of a life-limiting illness, particularly during the adolescence and/or pediatric phases of life. The study highlights the importance of relationships, perceived support, and the impact of a cancer diagnosis in youth’s lives and the lives of their loved ones. The results can inform caregivers, loved ones, medical teams, and mental health care …

Parent Strategies For Antiracist Parenting In Families Of Multiracial And Asian Descent, Matlida Tavares

Doctoral Dissertations

The Pew Research Center’s analysis of United States census data depicts and increasing number of individuals identifying as more than one race. From 2010 to 2020, the population had nearly doubled to 13.5 million. This is particularly evident in states with large populations of Asian American communities such as California, where nearly two million people identify as multiracial and people identifying as both White and Asian making up the largest portion of the 61% increase the state saw since 2010 (Henderson, 2022). Despite claims that an increase in multiracial individuals signifies an end of racism, multiracial children, navigating complex ethnic …

“I’M Not Your Friend”: Content Type Influence On Parasocial Relationship Formation On Youtube, Sage E. Driscoll

Honors Projects

Media consumers are increasingly using online video platforms, such as YouTube which has record high numbers of viewers and subscribers compared to other media sites. This viewership increases the popularity of content creators who can be divided into two main categories; relationship-based or idea-based content. YouTube viewers bond with their favorite celebrities which has translated into parasocial relationships. In this study, explanatory qualitative research examines whether the two types of content found on YouTube, relationship-based or idea-based, influences the parasocial relationships formed. As the results show, relationship-based YouTubers consistently form more intense parasocial relationships than idea-based YouTubers.

Strengthening U.S. Jail Systems’ Response To Infectious Diseases: An Evaluation Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Erinn Bacchus

Dissertations and Theses

Jails across the United States were struck with increased infections and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies have shown the structural make up of jails, lack of preparedness plans, and overcrowding contributed to health risks and poor health outcomes both inside jails and local communities. Yet little research has been dedicated to strengthening jail responses to infectious disease outbreaks spanning prevention measures, data collection, and reentry planning. Gaps include information on the (1) myriad infectious disease mitigation strategies used in jails and adherence to CDC prevention guidelines, (2) development of a standardized epidemiologic surveillance system, and (3) experiences working at …

Accessible Real-Time Eye-Gaze Tracking For Neurocognitive Health Assessments, A Multimodal Web-Based Approach, Daniel C. Tisdale

Master's Theses

We introduce a novel integration of real-time, predictive eye-gaze tracking models into a multimodal dialogue system tailored for remote health assessments. This system is designed to be highly accessible requiring only a conventional webcam for video input along with minimal cursor interaction and utilizes engaging gaze-based tasks that can be performed directly in a web browser. We have crafted dynamic subsystems that capture high-quality data efficiently and maintain quality through instances of user attrition and incomplete calls. Additionally, these subsystems are designed with the foresight to allow for future re-analysis using improved predictive models, as well as enable the creation …

Robust Contracts In Common Agency, Keler Marku, Sergio Ocampo, Jean-Baptiste Tondji

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Business activities often involve a common agent managing a variety of projects on behalf of investors with potentially conflicting interests. The extent of the agent's actions is also often unknown to investors, who have to design contracts that provide incentives to the manager despite this lack of crucial knowledge. We consider a game between several principals and a common agent, where principals know only a subset of the actions available to the agent. Principals demand robustness and evaluate contracts on a worst-case basis. This robust approach allows for a crisp characterization of the equilibrium contracts and payoffs and provides a …

The Reciprocity Set, Roland Pongou, Jean-Baptiste Tondji

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

We consider the problem of designing procedures that guarantee policy stability, efficiency, and inclusiveness. For this purpose, we introduce a sequential protocol that embeds clauses granting agents the right to oppose actions not in their interest, retract actions that face opposition, and punish harmful actions. Our analysis shows that coalitional farsighted behaviors under this procedure lead to reciprocal actions. We then introduce a solution concept–the reciprocity set–to predict stable outcomes for effectivity function games. We find that under some conditions, the reciprocity set (1) is always non-empty; (2) only selects efficient outcomes; (3) strategically protects minority outcomes; and …