Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Budgets And The Timing, Intensity, And Composition Of Interest Group Lobbying In The U.S. States, John M. De Figueiredo

Faculty Scholarship

This paper examines state level lobbying data to determine how budgeting affects the timing, intensity and composition of lobbying expenditures. Using a database of all available lobbying expenditures in the U.S. states ranging up to 25  years, the paper shows interest group lobbying increases substantially during the budgeting process, and the budgeting process is unlike other issues lobbyists face. Spikes in lobbying during budgeting are driven primarily by business groups, and these business groups account for most of the changes on the margin in lobbying activity. Moreover, even groups relatively unaffected by budgets lobby more intensely during legislative budgeting, consistent …

The Influence Of Apoe Status On Rate Of Cognitive Decline, Cassandra Morrison, Michael Oliver, Virginia Berry, Farooq Kamal, Mahsa Dadar

Funded Scholarship

Background

Apolipoprotein (APOE) ɛ4 positivity and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) both increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) development. However, few studies have examined the relationship between SCD and APOE status, especially using longitudinal data. The current study examined whether APOE is associated with the rate of cognitive change in SCD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods

A sample of 3494 older adults (1990 normal controls, NC, 775 SCD, and 729 MCI) with a mean follow-up of 9.09 years were included from the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center Research Sharing Hub. Linear mixed effects models examined the relationship between APOE status and …

Pediatric Dentists’ Considerations Concerning Obesity-Related Education For Parents Of Young Children: Who Should Educate About What, How And When?, Arianne Swanson Dds, Ms, James R. Boynton Dds, Ms, Larry B. Salzmann Dds, Yu-Ju Yang Dds, Marita R. Inglehart Dipl. Psych., Dr. Phil., Dr. Phil. Habil

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This study aimed to explore pediatric dentists' perspectives on obesity-related interventions for parents of young children. A web-based survey was administered to 210 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry members. Findings revealed that respondents considered it important for various healthcare professionals, especially pediatricians and nurse practitioners, to engage in obesity-related parent education. Strong consensus existed on educating parents about the link between early childhood caries and diet, soft drink and fruit juice consumption, and healthy snacking. The study also found positive attitudes correlated with increased engagement in objective weight determination, data collection, and diet/nutrition counseling.

Staying Focused On A Moving Target: Coping With Change, North Shetter Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Amid rapid changes in dentistry, this commentary addresses strategies to manage stress and maintain professional balance. Drawing parallels to Moore's Law in technology, the author emphasizes the need for a balanced life, integrating work, play, love, and worship. The concept, rooted in the Pankey Philosophy, aligns with principles from Stephen Covey's Seven Habits. Core skills, including patient relationships, foundational dental practices, periodontal health, occlusion, and perpetual learning, are deemed essential. The article underscores the importance of personal dental health and advocates for study clubs to share, learn, and mentor, fostering a positive professional environment amid evolving technologies and information overload.

Setting The Foundation For A Lifetime Of Oral Health, Samuel Blanchard Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In this Children’s Dental Health Month article, the Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry emphasizes the crucial role of relationships and trust in pediatric dentistry. Highlighting the significance of collaborative efforts between dental societies, the commentary discusses the impact of professional connections on patient care. The author shares personal insights on transitioning in their career, underscoring the value of cultivated relationships. The age-1 dental visit is highlighted as a powerful preventive measure to establish rapport and empower parents with oral health knowledge. The article emphasizes the enduring benefits of building connections in promoting lifelong oral health.

Manganese In Residential Drinking Water From A Community-Initiated Case Study In Massachusetts, Alexa Friedman, Elena Boselli, Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Paige Brochu, Mayah Burgess, Samantha Schildroth, Allegra Denehy, Timothy Downs, Ian Papautsky, Birgit Clauss Henn

Sustainability and Social Justice

Background: Manganese (Mn) is a metal commonly found in drinking water, but the level that is safe for consumption is unknown. In the United States (U.S.), Mn is not regulated in drinking water and data on water Mn concentrations are temporally and spatially sparse. Objective: Examine temporal and spatial variability of Mn concentrations in repeated tap water samples in a case study of Holliston, Massachusetts (MA), U.S., where drinking water is pumped from shallow aquifers that are vulnerable to Mn contamination. Methods: We collected 79 residential tap water samples from 21 households between September 2018 and December 2019. Mn concentrations …

Methods To Compare Sites Concerning A Category’S Change During Various Time Intervals, Thomas Mumuni Bilintoh, Robert Gilmore Pontius, Aiyin Zhang

Geography

This paper presents new methods to analyze a category’s change through a time series of maps, even when the time intervals have inconsistent durations. The methods include an option to facilitate comparison among sites by expressing results as an annual percentage of each site’s unified size. A site’s unified size is the union of where the category exists at any of the site’s time points. The methods also specify gross losses, gross gains, eight trajectories, and three components: Quantity, Exchange, and Alternation. The illustrative application compares maps of the marsh category for three Long-Term Ecological Research sites: Plum Island Ecosystems …

Growing Up Sustainable? Politics Of Race And Youth In Urbanplan, Copenhagen, Max Ritts, Rebecca Rutt

Geography

This paper considers how racialized youth in Denmark negotiate sustainability amid contexts marked by intersecting forms of economic restructuring, progressive neoliberalism, white ethno-nationalism, and green urban planning. Urbanplan is a low-income, notoriously “troubled” Copenhagen neighborhood where we conducted fieldwork for 7 months (2019-2020) with fifteen male youth, aged 17-21. Using ethnography, policy reviews, and interviews with city social workers, we explore how intimate experiences of nature, group-identity, and place attachment here relate to and depart from the structural forces actively reshaping the neighborhood. Our analysis combines Cindi Katz's intersectional political economy approach with recent work on green gentrification, Critical Utopian …

“Our Hands Are Tied”: How State Educational Diversity Laws Affect Iowa Public Educators And How Educators Respond, Lydia Berns-Schweingruber

Honors Program Theses

In May 2023, Iowa passed Senate File 496, which restricts public educators from sending students social-emotional learning surveys, requires public educators to inform parents when students request a pronoun change, and bans any books depicting a sexual act from public schools (Iowa Legislature 2023). Iowa and other states’ recent educational diversity laws are part of a broader history of public school censorship. This study examines how state educational diversity laws affect Iowa public educators and how educators respond. This paper draws on data from eight interviews with Iowa public teachers, administrators, and counselors. The findings show that state educational diversity …

Impact Of High School Climate And Bullying On Depression And Anxiety In Emerging Adulthood, Tyler K. D. Larson

Honors Program Theses

Depression and anxiety disorders are a significant public health concern, especially among adolescents and emerging adults. Education is a central component of adolescents’ lives that shapes their development and experiences. School climate refers to the overall nature and quality of a school’s environment. Social relationships, teaching and learning practices, school facilities, safety, and school connectedness all contribute to school climate. Previous studies have found that positive school environments serve as a protective factor against adverse mental health outcomes. However, many of these studies focus on a single aspect of school climate, and there is conflicting evidence on how school climate …

Information Provided By State Human Trafficking Websites: A Content Analysis, Brooklyn Dilley

Honors Program Theses

Human trafficking evolved from the legal and regulated slavery of the past and has likely been in existence throughout human history. Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865, and slavery and servitude were prohibited globally through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 (United Nations General Assembly, 1948). Nevertheless, modern-day slavery has still thrived in the form of human trafficking. There have been many global and national efforts to combat human trafficking, including the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (OMCTP). The Trafficking Victims Protection …

The Impact Of Sexual Assault And The Influence Of Leadership Within The Military, Holly Rigel

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between service member’s resilience levels and leadership’s response to sexual assault and sexual harassment. This research is conducted based on a quantitative study utilizing secondary data analysis of data collected by the Office of People Analytics on gender relations (2023) that is composed of several topics such as perception of the military and servicemembers’ resilience. Conducting both a univariate and a bivariate analysis of the data, the findings in the research revealed a statistically significant relationship between service members’ resilience levels and leadership’s response. The more positive leadership response is …

An Uncanny Perspective: Sculptures By Martin Puryear, Jake B. Demartini

Dissertations and Theses

An Uncanny Perspective: Sculptures by Martin Puryear will demonstrate how Puryear (b.1941) both aesthetically and conceptually evokes narratives found in Sigmund Freud’s (1856-1939) theories of the uncanny, specifically signifiers of darkness, unfamiliarity and secrecy. This employment of the uncanny in sculpture aids Puryear’s ability to address a range of aesthetics and provides a striking lens through which he addresses the collective history of violence and servitude within the African American experience. In applying Freud’s theories to several works by Puryear, this thesis will reveal how elements of the uncanny activate a questioning of narratives around terror and fear. Using methods …

Therapist Engagement With Patient Nonverbal Behavior: Exploring These Interactions As A Mechanism Of Change In Virtual And In-Person Short-Term Psychotherapy, Elliana Sheriwn

Dissertations and Theses

The individual (intrapsychic) and dyadic (interpersonal) implications of nonverbal behavior have kindled interest among psychologists for decades. Many researchers and clinicians have studied nonverbal communication in the context of attachment and moment-to-moment interactions between parent and infant (Stern, 1977; Beebe et al., 2000). Theorists have also explored nonverbal behavior in the clinical setting as a dynamic relational dimension co-created by patient and therapist (Freedman and Lavendar, 1995). Although the extant literature highlights how nonverbal communication can inform psychotherapy outcome (e.g., by fostering empathy and building rapport), the topic of therapist engagement with patient nonverbal behavior—specifically, how these interactions serve as …

Moving Toward Belonging: Library Integration In A Summer Bridge Program, Becky Leathersich, Alessandra Otero Ramos, Alan Witt, Brandon West

Milne Library

Long before higher education’s most recent shift to antiracist practices and policies, many universities and colleges implemented summer bridge programs (SBPs) to assist students from diverse backgrounds in adjusting to the rigors of college. The library instruction program incorporated into the SBP at the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Geneseo is a product of the librarians’ understanding of the importance of advocating for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students. The research instruction librarians take a proactive approach to inclusion, diversity, equity, and antiracism (IDEA).

Effects Of The Cb1 Receptor Antagonist, Am251, On Maternal Behavior In Long-Evans Rat Dams, Jennifer Aguilera-Fonseca, Karla Colley, Eddie Galarza, Atoria Hamm, Joe Morse, Rachel Ntor, Destiny Pichardo, Vincent P. Markowski

McNair Scholars Program

No abstract provided.

How Do Pay Transparency Laws Impact The Gender Pay Gap In The United States?, Kendall Chapko

CMC Senior Theses

After much progress during the late 1900s, the gender pay gap has hardly closed in the last two decades. As policy makers look for new solutions, many governing bodies have turned to pay transparency laws, which make employee salaries transparent to employees. There have been several international studies on this topic, and almost all found that these laws are very effective in decreasing the pay gap. This research is extremely important, as it suggests that these policies push us further towards equality, and makes gender based discrimination less common in the workplace. In my study, I conduct a difference in …

Multipolar Melting Pot: A Spatial Analysis Of Political Orientation In The United States, Nathanael Baumann

CMC Senior Theses

Politics at the national level seems increasingly polarized – but what does polarization really mean in a political context? Is the American political landscape so unidimensional that voters throughout the country can be represented by a linear left-right spectrum? By classifying gubernatorial candidates across the country based on their distinct social and economic positions, then mapping them in a two-dimensional space, I posit a very different kind of political landscape – one made up of diffuse, fluid political preferences.

Community-Centric Approaches To Coastal Hazard Assessment And Management In Southside Norfolk, Virginia, Usa, Dalya Ismael, Nicole Hutton, Mujde Erten-Unal, Carol Considine, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Christopher Davis, Yin-Hsuen Chen

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Urban communities in environmentally sensitive areas face escalating challenges due to climate change and inadequate infrastructural support, particularly in underserved regions like southside Norfolk, Virginia. This area, characterized by its vulnerability to flooding and a predominantly low-income population, lacks equitable inclusion in broader urban flood protection plans. This research focuses on the development of community-centered resilience strategies through active engagement and collaboration with local residents. The methodology centered around building trust and understanding within the community through a series of interactions and events. This approach facilitated a two-way exchange of information, enabling the research team to gather crucial insights on …

Immersive Visualization In Infrastructure Planning: Enhancing Long-Term Resilience And Sustainability, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Infrastructure decisions today significantly impact future generations' quality of life, especially as severe storms and rising sea levels increasingly threaten communities across the United States. Decision-makers at all levels, including those involved in disaster prevention and response, must address climate change. However, those in infrastructure design and construction often prioritize immediate gains over long-term resilience. Engineering teams typically employ decision tools to manage complexity, but these methods may not highlight the long-term consequences of their choices. This study tests whether integrating Virtual Reality (VR) technology with engineering decision-making tools, can enhance engineers’ ability to visualize the future impacts of their …

An Overview Of Youth Crime And Violence In The Caribbean Community (Caricom), Marika Dawkins-Cavazos

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Enforcement Through Voluntary Participation: The Impact Of Non-Binding Informal Groups On The International Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime, Claudia M. V. Hampton

Dissertations and Theses

The present thesis analyzes the policy impact of the informal group known as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a non treaty-bound grouping of states organized to define mutually agreed upon nuclear export controls with the aim of advancing the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, in line with the values of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). As informal groups or voluntary forms of interstate cooperation are often criticized for their lack of enforcement mechanisms, two case studies in this thesis review the implementation of amendments and changes in national laws for states participating in the NSG (The United …

Reporting On Un Security Council: Decoding Media Bias, Alessandra Loiero

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores Western media's representation of the United Nations (UN), focusing on the Security Council's role in global conflict resolution. It examines how UN-accredited correspondents perceive the effectiveness of the Security Council, particularly when the body faces deadlock. The study employs text analysis techniques to identify biases and perceptions in media coverage, using The New York Times' reporting on the Ukraine conflict as a case study. It illuminates framing effects in journalistic narratives, revealing how journalists subtly interject their views when reporting, often revealing unrealistic expectations and shedding light on the limitations of the UN's mandate or its inability …

Brics Currency And Dollar Hegemony: Passing Of The Torch?, Sami Tomaihi

Dissertations and Theses

The dawn of the 21st century has brought with it tremendous uncertainty with regard to the nature of global dominance. As doubts concerning the United States’ viability as a hegemon emerge, questions about how new powers may come to prominence circle (Rapayane, 2020). The BRICS bloc -- consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, respectively -- is a collection of regional powers in the developing world that have engaged in a series of high-profile collaborations together in the ostensible interest of increasing global advocacy within the developing world (Kubayi, 2022). One radical means that has been proposed within …

Parasympathethic Nervous Activity And Social Exclusion In Borderline Personality Disorder, Rebecca E. Barnes

Dissertations and Theses

Abstract

The experience of being excluded is universally unpleasant. However, for individuals that suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), the experience of social exclusion, or ostracism can be unbearable (Bortolla, et al., 2019). While there is a significant amount of research on physiological reactivity in BPD, no studies adequately connect the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) responses of people with BPD to social exclusion which is critical to understand as the inability of the PNS of individuals with BPD to adapt to stressors may be a contributing factor to the elevated rate of suicide and suicide attempts in this clinical population …

Depression In African American Males And The Mental Health Stigma, Deanna Carrington

Dissertations and Theses

Depression is a common mental health disorder in the United States. In particular, African Americans have a greater risk of depression because they are predisposed to depressive symptoms as opposed to their White counterparts (Miller and Taylor, 2011). Moreover, African Americans are 20% more likely to experience psychological distress that leads to depression compared to other racial groups. While African American cultural norms focus on resilience and independence, discussion around mental health is discouraged, which leads to underreporting and delayed treatment. For males in the African American community, they can be hesitant to seek help, let alone discuss their experiences …

Social Determinants Of Psychosis: An Examination Of Loneliness, Stress, Discrimination, And Neighborhood Cohesion In Psychotic Disorders, Alexandria Selloni

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined social determinants in individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders in a large, diverse, sample from the NIH-sponsored All of Us Research Program. Participants completed self-report measures of loneliness, perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and neighborhood social cohesion. Analyses showed that individuals with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder experience significantly more feelings of loneliness, stress, everyday discrimination, and poorer neighborhood social cohesion compared to individuals without any diagnosis of a mental disorder as well as compared to individuals who may have other mental disorders other than psychosis. We further examined racial difference among individuals with psychotic disorders and found …

Exploring Spatial Operations Of Distractor Suppression In The Sense Of Touch, Nicole A. Serino

Dissertations and Theses

The ability to select sensory information in our environment is key to facilitating goal-directed actions. Sensory selection mechanisms are prevalent in all sensory modalities, and can be implemented by enhancing information at the relevant location and/or suppressing neural information outside the focus of attention (a mechanism known as distractor suppression). Although we have a decent understanding of how the brain enhances information within the focus of attention, less is known about the mechanisms that mediate suppression of distractors, especially in sensory modalities outside vision. In this study, we conducted a series of behavioral experiments to investigate the spatial flexibility of …

The Menstrual Cycle In Psychotherapy: Interventions, Therapist Engagement, And Blind Spots, Rozita Alaluf

Dissertations and Theses

There is a dearth of literature on psychotherapy and menstruation, except for the treatment and diagnosis of issues associated with premenstrual distress. This study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating the frequency and context of discussions about the menstrual cycle, the factors influencing therapists’ engagement with this topic, and the therapeutic approaches utilized to address the menstrual cycle within psychotherapy.

In phase 1, 118 psychotherapists from various theoretical backgrounds completed a survey on menstruation in clinical practice. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. In phase 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 psychotherapists, primarily identifying their theoretical orientation …

Motherhood In Crisis: A Qualitative Study Of First-Time Mothers Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Tamzin M. Baker

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore the psychological impact of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) on a first-time mother’s identity. What effects does life-threatening illness have on the development of maternal identity and connection? This question was explored with a sample of six mothers via semi-structured interview and self-report measure with the aim to shed light on a scarcely studied phenomenon that is predicted to affect a greater number of mothers in the future. These research questions were explored through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009) resulting in group experiential themes and three theoretical constructs: (1) a …