Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Does Trust Influence Being Generous? An Empirical Study Across Five Countries, Andrew Hall

Master's Theses

This study examines whether social trust, a key aspect of social capital, influences individual generosity behaviors. Previous research has explored the relationship between social capital and philanthropic actions, but comprehensive analyses remain sparse. To address this gap, we employed a dictator game together with trust-related survey questions, collecting data from participants across five countries globally. We categorized trust into four distinct areas: social trust, ingroup trust, outgroup trust, and general trust. Similarly, we divided our dependent variable, generosity, into two types: costly generous and costless generous behaviors. Our findings were mixed and varied by location. Overall, general trust positively influenced …

Can Aspiration And Financial Literacy Interventions Relieve Internal Constraints? Evidence From Uganda And India, Veronika Divis

Master's Theses

Can aspiration and financial literacy interventions relieve internal constraints? We address this question through a novel experiment in Uganda and India, using 617 participants in 89 already existing borrowing groups of microfinance institutions. We carry out aspiration and financial literacy treatments as well as a combined treatment group which received both treatments to measure effects on aspirations, hope, agency, and pathway indices. Results show that receiving the aspirations treatment led to 0.34, 0.42, 0.18, and 0.40 standard deviation increases in aspirations, agency, pathways, and aspirational hope, respectively. The game and combined treatment groups also showed positive effects but lacked statistical …

Work To Live Or Live To Work? How Work Culture Has Influenced Workers Rights In France And The United States, Noa R. Kukurudz

Senior Theses

Work culture is something that employees live through but don’t often think about. The basis of a work culture is rooted in the societies it is part of, most often associated with the countries where the work is based. There exists a strong relationship between work culture and the rights of workers. Workers rights aid in further emphasizing sentiments regarding work culture through legislation. A culture that places a heavy emphasis on work rather than on personal enjoyment outside of a work environment will have different labor laws than a culture that appreciates the finer things in life by making …

Reflexivity Of Tourism On Cultural Performance As Seen By America’S New York City, Sydney E. Cheatham

Senior Theses

The effects of tourism go beyond that of economic and educational standards. It extends into the conception of identity. As the accessibility and interest in other cultures develops, so does the reputation and developments of said cultures. While there is a culture to be interested in, there is a culture for the interest. This paper focuses on the relationship between tourism and general perceptions of cultural identity, through the example of New York City.

Towards A New Role Of Mitochondrial Hydrogen Peroxide In Synaptic Function, Cliyahnelle Z. Alexander

Student Theses and Dissertations

Aerobic metabolism is known to generate damaging ROS, particularly hydrogen peroxide. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive molecules containing oxygen that have the potential to cause damage to cells and tissues in the body. ROS are highly reactive atoms or molecules that rapidly interact with other molecules within a cell. Intracellular accumulation can result in oxidative damage, dysfunction, and cell death. Due to the limitations of H₂O₂ (hydrogen peroxide) detectors, other impacts of ROS exposure may have been missed. HyPer7, a genetically encoded sensor, measures hydrogen peroxide emissions precisely and sensitively, even at sublethal levels, during …

Mandated Parent Education: Applications, Impacts, And Future Directions, Cheri Shapiro, Crystal Hill-Chapman, Stephanie Williams

Publications

Mandated participation in parent education programs is a common practice across the United States for families who are undergoing divorce or who are involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Mandates to participate in parenting programs create substantial challenges for families, service providers, and service systems. Furthermore, the type and quality of the parenting services accessed vary widely, and their impacts need to be better understood. To address this need, an overview of the current state of the empirical literature on the impacts and outcomes of mandated parenting interventions for divorce and in child welfare and juvenile justice …

Glue Gun Stories: Public Art Educators’ Perceptions Of Trauma And Its Impact On Their Pedagogy And Praxis, Alicia Gray

Educational Studies Dissertations

Public School visual arts educators play a vital role in implementing trauma-sensitive practices within schools. Through a collaborative arts-based research design the researcher worked alongside four public school visual art educators to portray their knowledge, beliefs, and values surrounding trauma while also gaining a nuanced and in depth understanding of how perceptions of trauma influence their pedagogy and praxis. Data collection methods included interviews, focus groups, participant and research observations, photo documentation, and art-based data. Participants viewed trauma as chronic adverse events that lead to maladaptive responses within students. They felt these responses had widespread impacts on the entire school …

Stories In The Sand: The Use Of Play And The Arts With Siblings Of Children With Cancer, Kristina Sawetz-Glasener

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The primary objective of this study was to explore how siblings of children with cancer utilize the expressive therapy technique of sandtray to express their lived experience. Using child-centered and creative research approaches, this study provided participants an opportunity to use art, play, and sandtray, in addition to verbal responses, to communicate what was important to them about their experience in ways that also respected participant’s emotional safety and developmental age.

Phenomenological and arts-informed methods were used throughout the research process, so that verbal accounts, sandtray creations, photographs, drawings, and poetic inquiry, were integrated to amplify the unique perspectives of …

Re-Member Selfhood A Drama Therapy Intervention, Option 1, Angelique Beauchêne

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Re-member Selfhood is a specific trauma-informed, drama therapy, intervention designed to meet the needs of adults with exposure to trauma and traumatic stress, who have pertinent adverse childhood experience scores and/or experience persistent trauma cycles over the lifespan concurrent with somatization. The aim of this thesis was to introduce an intervention which could function as indirect exposure and assist in the integration process taking the whole being of trauma sufferers into account, including body, mind, and soul. Additionally, the hope of this intervention is to decrease perceived physical pain, assist in the integration of the rejected aspect of self, and …

Playing With International Students From Asia: An Exploration Of Cultural Commonalities And Differences In Developmental Transformations (Dvt), Hazuki Okamoto

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Asian international students in the United States face a multitude of challenges such as language barriers, differences in cultural norms and behaviors, and identity confusion while navigating a foreign landscape. Developmental Transformations (DvT), a form of drama therapy, may apply to these challenges by enabling participants to explore different identities and express themselves creatively beyond the language barrier. This community engagement project was designed for Asian international students to be seen and heard by utilizing DvT. Within an in-person workshop, five participants played with their shared stories, and explored international and cultural roles in group DvT. Key takeaways from the …

The Benefits Of Art And Music On Therapeutic Awareness: An Autoethnographic Study, Eric Ouellette

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Awareness is an intrinsic element of an individual's existence that can be formed through acts of self-exploration. Through the application of therapeutic interventions and the utilization of the expressive arts, awareness can be further facilitated and grounded into one’s consciousness. The interdisciplinary fields of music, art, and creative expression possess the potential to augment an individual's level of awareness in profound and transformative ways. This proposition is grounded in my own lived experiences of identity exploration and mental health challenges, as well as seven years of dedicated study aimed at fostering a deeper understanding and support for my own subjective …

Resilience In Refugee Youth: A Review Of Contributing Factors And Potential Barriers, Anna J. Kreisman

Honors Projects

While past research has predominantly centered on the trauma and challenges faced by refugees, there is a current shift toward examining refugee lives through a lens of resilience. The purpose of the present investigation is to examine the contributing factors and potential barriers to resilience in young refugees. I conducted a literature review of research from the past 24 years, primarily searching PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, and SocINDEX. The review findings demonstrate that resilience can stem from individual, family, school, and community-level factors. The findings further indicate several potential barriers to resilience. In addition, I briefly discuss mental health interventions …

The Effect Of Defendant Gender In Violent Crime Sentencing: An Analysis Of Federal Crime Sentences, Emily Blue

Honors Projects

Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission (2014–2022), this study analyzes the effect of defendant gender on sentencing outcomes across various crime types, with a focus on violent crime. While prior research consistently finds that female defendants receive lenient sentences, few studies examine how this effect varies across crime types. Aggression and violence are often perceived as inherently male traits, and individuals who defy gender expectations may face social sanctions. Women who commit violent crimes defy gender expectations and may receive harsher punishment as a result.

This study hypothesizes that female defendants experience less leniency in sentencing for violent …

Criminal Justice: Corrections And Sentencing (Crj 7000), Vanda Seward

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Criminal Justice: Minorities In Criminal Justice Revised (Crj 7200), Vanda Seward, Peleya Patterson

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

It’S Giving Tory:” Youth Satirization Of Elizabeth Truss On Tiktok As Political Commentary, Alexandra Rapp

Senior Theses

This study extends political humor effects research as a means of engaging in political discourse. The current body of research into the influence of social media on political attitudes largely focuses on adults with extreme ideations and organized groups on the internet. This study seeks to better understand young people as newcomers to political discourse. It focuses on how the behavior of women in positions of power is critiqued and analyzed by the youngest voting and pre-voting cohort through analyzing the content produced by young Britons during the Elizabeth Truss administration. Data was gathered using hashtags on TikTok videos posted …

The Politics Of An Impossible Situation: Italian Parties Muddling Through The Migrant Crisis, Tyler Mooney

Senior Theses

Italy’s geographical location in the Southern Mediterranean has long made it a popular European entry point for migrants arriving from Africa. During the 2010s, the issue of migration was catapulted into the center of Italian politics as hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived each year. Successive Italian governments enacted countless measures to securitize and externalize Italy’s borders, from cooperating with non-state actors in Libya to criminalizing NGO ships providing aid to migrants at sea. However, while some policies have been successful in limiting the flow of migrants, Italy has proven incapable of cutting the flow off completely, and today, the …

The Long Fight: How Serbian And Albanian Media Narratives Sustain Conflict In The Balkans, Sarah Daknis

Senior Theses

Kosovo, recognized for its profound historical and cultural roots, remains a contentious region claimed by both Serbia and Albania. Despite Serbia’s territorial claims, the majority of Kosovo’s 2 million inhabitants identify as Kosovo-Albanian, comprising over 90% of the population. This paper delves into the pivotal roles played by Serbian and Albanian media narratives shaping the international community’s perception of Kosovo’s ongoing struggle for independence. In many instances, the U.S. media narrative casts Albania as the aggrieved party and Serbia as the aggressor, often omitting instances where Albania's actions were questionable. By examining both Serbian and Albanian media perspectives, this study …

When The Fear Sinks In: The Politics Of Paranoia In The Wake Of Covid-19, Samantha G. Minear

Senior Theses

This project begins in January 2021 – a period henceforth known as ‘post-pandemic’ – following the release of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Europe (AstraZeneca) and the United States (Pfizer). While the pandemic is still ongoing as of December 2023, the release of vaccines heralded a new era more reminiscent of a time before March 2020: less (or no) mask mandates, a reduced emphasis on social distancing, and a positive shift in social opinion towards prophylactic vaccination. During my time as an American studying international politics, I have observed a positive correlation between time passed since January 2021 and the …

Wildlife Conservation In East Africa: The Politics Of Wildlife Conservation In Kenya And Tanzania: A Legacy Of Western Influence, Aidan J. Donahue

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of wildlife conservation policies in Kenya and Tanzania, underlying the profound impact of neocolonial and colonial influences. It advocates for reformed, decentralized conservation strategies that incorporate indigenous knowledge and participation. Analyzing the key works of Akama and Gissibl, the study highlights the legacy of Western conservation practices in contemporary East African conservation strategies. Case studies such as Save the Elephants and Ill Ngwesi illustrate the effectiveness of community-based conservation models. The thesis ultimately argues for a shift to local, community-based, and driven conservation efforts to benefit indigenous communities and sustainable wildlife conservation.

Making The Most Of Artificial Intelligence And Large Language Models: A Novel Approach For Book Recommendation And Discovery In Medical Libraries, Ivan Portillo, David Carson

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

This poster presentation evaluates the use of Artificial Intelligence and large language models (LLMs) to assist health science libraries in recommending and discovering book titles as part of their collection development. Using pre-determined prompts, the researchers evaluated ChatGPT 4.0, Bing Chat, and Google Bard as recommender systems for book discovery and ranking existing titles.

What The Stork Brought: Endogenous Fertility Preferences, Lucas Fortier Borden

Master's Theses

Where most existing literature on fertility preferences has described how fertility preferences shape outcomes, this paper provides insight into how the sex of a recent birth affects a mother’s fertility preferences. Utilizing data from the Demographic Health Survey from 1985-2020 in 81 countries containing 309,238 mothers who gave birth in the past 12 months and who have equal to or fewer than three children, I employ OLS with two-way fixed effects as my primary specification, examining the effects of the plausibly exogenous sex of a recent birth on sibship sex composition preferences. Results show that a recent daughter birth increases …

Financial Literacy And Aspirations: Experimental Evidence From Eastern Uganda, Ester Agasha

Master's Theses

Financial literacy and the cultivation of aspirations are pivotal in empowering individuals and fostering economic growth, particularly within disadvantaged com munities. Although prior research has extensively analyzed the individual effects of financial education and motivational interventions on economic behaviors, there is less clarity on how the synergy between them can collectively impact the socioe conomic status of individuals in developing economies, especially women. Through randomized control experiment(RCT), this study explored the effectiveness of two interventions; 1) a financial literacy digital gaming application and, 2) an aspirations intervention (a short video documentary and a follow-up curriculum) in not only enhancing financial …

Impacting Queer Trans-Migrations In Mexico: A Case Study Of Civil Society Organization Casa Frida Refugio Lgbt+, Leticia Morales

Master's Theses

Mexico has historically been known as an emigration or transit country. In this context, civil society organizations have played pivotal roles in addressing the voids in support for migrants. Among these organizations, Casa Frida Refugio LGBT stands out as a significant service provider, specifically for LGBT+ migrants. This study engages in a qualitative case study analysis of the organization Casa Frida, drawing from interviews conducted with nine LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees, personal observations, and Casa Frida’s website and social media accounts. The research seeks to answer two central questions: Firstly, what role does an LGBT+ specific service provider like Casa …

The Cost Of Prosperity In China, Comparison Of Early Development Differences Between Left-Behind Children And Non-Left-Behind Children In Rural China, Yuchen Zhu

Master's Theses

This study aims to explore the cognitive development differences between left-behind and non-left-behind children in rural China, specifically in the rural villages of Ya'an City, Sichuan Province. Utilizing cross-sectional data from 570 children aged 0-3 years, the children were categorized based on parental presence into four groups: non-left-behind children (both parents present), left-behind children (both parents absent), left-behind children (mother present), and left-behind children (father present). The cognitive development of these children was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development's cognitive subscale. Regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for village-level clustering, and controlling for demographic variables such as age in …

The Impact Of Female Political Leadership On Intimate Partner Violence In India, Khushboo Patel

Master's Theses

Abstract:

This study employs an instrumental variable approach to examine the impact of female political leadership on women’s experiences of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). It finds that in rural areas with more female leaders, incidents of sexual and psychological IPV increase. The analysis investigates the drivers behind this impact, revealing that entrenched gender norms and expectations, such as a husband’s preference for more sons, may exacerbate IPV. Additionally, despite the increase in female leaders, attitudes toward violence remain largely unchanged. These findings highlight the need for research and policy initiatives that not only encourage female political participation but also specifically …

Evaluating Climate Migration Through Discourse Analysis Of International Policy Framework And “El Progreso” Community Blog, Olusola Akanni

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Environmental changes are driven by global warming, such as rising temperatures, melting ice, and increased natural disasters which directly affect the living conditions of huma thereby driving migration. This study highlights the inadequacies of current migration management policies as the United States is seeing a significant influx of migrants from Central America. The focus of this discourse analysis is on the role of inadequate policies and the failure of international efforts like the Paris Climate Agreement in addressing the issue of climate-induced migration effectively. Despite the goals set by such international agreements to mitigate the effects of climate change …

Human Trafficking: Foreign National Adolescent Survivors In The United States, A Call To Expand Otip Eligibility Letters, Ailleene L. Maldonado

Master's Theses

The Office of Trafficking in Persons grants child eligibility letters to foreign national minors who have been confirmed victims of trafficking. These OTIP Eligibility Letters provide recipients with public benefits to the same extent as a refugee but do not grant protection from removal or pathways towards legal permanent residence. Additionally, many OTIP recipients have unaccompanied minor status in the United States. In order to capture the experience of OTIP recipients, this research explores existing literature on trafficking trauma and migration stressors/ trauma. Additionally, this research identifies international and national legal frameworks to define trafficking and acknowledge the responsibility that …

Leveling Up Financial Literacy: Evidence From Game-Based Intervention With Aspiration Treatment Amongst Rural Women In India, Akash Shaji

Master's Theses

In India, rural women exhibit notably low financial literacy levels, necessitating effective and scalable educational interventions. Our randomized controlled trial evaluated a novel approach, combining game-based financial literacy education with a video documentary-based aspirations intervention, targeting women in self-help groups in Karnataka. The study included 348 participants and employed an ANCOVA model adjusted for clustering to analyze the effects. The results demonstrate significant improvements in financial literacy and aspirations, particularly when interventions are combined. The game-based intervention alone significantly enhanced digital literacy, financial confidence, and behavioral indices such as agency, pathways, and aspirations. The aspirations intervention also independently affected financial …

Vrouwenwerk | Beyondtheglassceiling: Educate, Empower, Reimagine, Malou Lena Julia Desplenter

Master's Theses

In contemporary society, social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools for advocacy and activism. This thesis explores the potential of Instagram in raising awareness and fostering dialogue around workplace equity for women in Belgium. Inspired by influential women's advocacy accounts, I embarked on a journey to fill a noticeable gap in the digital landscape – the absence of Belgian-centric content addressing workplace empowerment for women. Grounded in the unique intersections of Belgian national policies, European Union directives, and global socio-economic dynamics, this capstone delves into the multifaceted challenges faced by Belgian women in the workplace.

Through critical historical analysis …