Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

County Finance, House Prices, And Financial Decision-Making, Kyle Kopplin

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This work is in three chapters. The first chapter investigates the extent to which county-level property tax changes are capitalized into house prices. The literature mainly focuses on specific tax events, but this chapter generalizes the context to large U.S. cities. The main findings suggest that county-level property tax capitalization occurs and varies along the distribution of house prices. The second chapter measures differences in county-aggregated self-assessed valuations of house prices and county- aggregated sale prices to determine whether there are trends in the level of misperceived house value. Factors like age, time of tenure in a house, and house …

The Role Of Gender And Curiosity On Transformational Leadership: A Mixed-Methods Study, Brooke Colleen Mott

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Environmental leaders are tasked with finding innovative solutions to dynamic environmental challenges. Leaders must gain and use new knowledge and experiences that motivate resolving gaps in one’s knowledge (i.e., curiosity) and thereby find forward-thinking solutions. Although curiosity is an integral part of human existence, it may be experienced in various ways. Studies have shown that men and women may possess different leadership styles. Nevertheless, the influence of curiosity on leadership between genders has not been as readily explored. Women exhibit unique characteristics for successful leadership in many contexts, but they are often underrepresented in natural resource management overall. Characteristics of …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Strict Photo Id Laws On Election Turnout: Do They Discriminate Against Minority Voters?, Josh Gromowsky

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Over the last 20 years, states across the nation have passed photo ID laws requiring potential voters to provide a form of identification before they can cast their ballots. These laws have generated great controversy, with opponents of the laws accusing them of being racially discriminatory. Studies attempting to analyze their effects on turnout have resulted in differing results due to different methodologies, and no consensus has been reached in the academic literature regarding this topic. Recognizing that laws do not exist in isolation and that people can react to their implementation in different ways, this paper examines the effects …

Education, Beliefs, And Health Literacy Of Care Providers On Mouth Care Of Older Adults, Molly Lakin

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Oral health is important to one’s overall health and quality of life as it can lead to chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and neurodegenerative disorders (Haumschild et al. 2021). In long-term care facilities, it is important that dependent older adults are provided mouth care to maintain their oral health and decrease their chances of developing a chronic illness; however, there are barriers affecting the level, quality, and quantity of mouth care being provided in these facilities. A survey was developed to look at the education, beliefs, and health literacy of care providers on providing mouth care in hopes …

Quality Determinates Of Rice Price In Open Bag Markets In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bailey Peterson-Wilhelm, Lawton Nalley, Alvaro Durand-Morat, Aaron Shew, Francis Tsiboe, Willy Mulimbi

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

Weaknesses in the grades and standards system in low-income countries across Sub-Saharan Africa undermine the transparency of agricultural markets. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana and Mozambique rice is predominately sold in open bags and if rice price does not reflect its quality, then inefficiencies may lead to consumer welfare losses. Importantly, it is possible that impoverished communities are priced out of the market due to inflated and inefficient prices. The objective of this study is to examine determinates of rice price by estimating the impact of selected rice quality attributes on rice prices in Democratic …

The Mutual Constitution Of Culture And Psyche: The Bidirectional Relationship Between Individuals’ Perceived Control And Cultural Tightness-Looseness, Anyi Ma, Krishna Savani, Fangzhou Liu, Kenneth Tai, Aaron C. Kay

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

According to the theory of mutual constitution of culture and psyche, just as culture shapes people, individuals’ psychological states can influence culture. We build on compensatory control theory, which suggests that low personal control can lead people to prefer societal systems that impose order, to examine the mutual constitution of personal control and cultural tightness. Specifically, we tested whether individuals’ lack of personal control increases their preference for tighter cultures as a means of restoring order and predictability, and whether tighter cultures in turn reduce people’s feelings of personal control. Seven studies (five preregistered) with participants from the United States, …

Synthetic Or Not: Implications Of Hormonal Birth Control On Women’S Hormones And The Cortisol Stress Response, Maddie Perry '23

Honor Scholar Theses

Women’s bodies are the subject of decision-making and control, yet women’s lives are dismally ignored. The field of women’s health is highly understudied, and the demand for that adequate research must be granted to the women’s health field. This interdisciplinary research study investigated stress response differences between hormonal birth control users and non-users. Hormonal birth control (HBC) is one of the greatest technologies afforded to women and further research is necessary to ensure women are guaranteed bodily autonomy and women’s health education. Due to altered hormonal signaling, HBC has been linked to behavioral and decision making differences in women. Building …

May 2023 Table Of Contents Newsletter - Depauw Scholarship Celebration, Kayla Birt Flegal

Table of Contents Newsletter

A celebration of the Faculty Achievement and Author Book Signing event (a collaboration between the DePauw Faculty Development Coordinator and the DePauw Libraries) and the inaugural Senior Research Symposium. The libraries celebrates all faculty and student scholarship by archiving research and creative projects in our institutional repository.

Equity And Access To Care: Barriers To Diagnostic And Treatment Services For Black Families Of Autistic Youth, Harlee Onovbiona

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous barriers to diagnostic and treatment access are present for families concerned their child might have autism spectrum disorder (ASD; e.g., long waitlists, limited specialized providers). However, Black families of autistic youth may experience additional racial barriers (e.g.., racial microaggressions, perceived stigma) due to the intersectionality of their child's disorder and their identity as Black Americans, a group that is systematically minoritized in the United States. Despite the importance of early identification and intervention, little research has documented how these barriers to treatment participation may impact perceived treatment effectiveness, treatment satisfaction, and stress among Black families of autistic youth. This …

The Dynamics Of Emotion-Related Impulsivity: An Analysis Of Emotional Control And Daily Emotion-Driven Urges And Actions Via Ecological Momentary Assessment, Jeremy B. Clift

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emotion-related impulsivity, or the engagement in impulsive reactions specifically in response to emotions, has been identified as a crucial transdiagnostic factor. Mixed evidence from ecological momentary assessments (EMA) underscores a potential discrepancy between the existing measurements of emotion-related impulsivity at trait and state levels. Unlike previous EMA studies examining emotion-related impulsivity through measures of urgency, the current study tested Carver and colleagues’ (2008) reflexive responding to emotion framework by investigating the relationship between emotional control and emotion-related impulsivity. Participants (N = 197) with varying levels of emotional control completed one week of EMA to investigate two central questions. First, we …

Lgbtqia+ People And Religious Trauma, Cira Abiseid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), intersex, and asexual people (LGBTQIA+) experience religious trauma caused by the harmful messaging often aimed at sexual and gender minorities. Identity dissonance can be created when LGBTQIA+ people find their religious and sexual or gender minority identities at odds with each other. A review of existing literature revealed themes of identity erasure, internalized homophobia, and resilience, but there was limited research involving this population. This qualitative study centers the voices of those who have experienced religious trauma based on their identities and works to understand their healing journeys. Fifteen LGBTQIA+ individuals participated …

Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of African Water Snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Grayia), Teslin Chaney

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Grayia is a genus of relatively large (1.5 - 2.5 m) aquatic Afrotropical snakes. Recent molecular phylogenies recovered Grayia in its own distinct subfamily (Grayiinae), which was strongly supported as the sister group to Colubrinae. Because tropical African snakes are generally understudied, the relationships within Grayia are poorly known. Due to high degrees of intra- and interspecies variation, identification is often difficult and previous studies involving Grayia included misidentified specimens in other genera. The goal of this study is to create a phylogenetic tree that can be used to understand the relationships and taxonomy of Grayia via an integrative taxonomic …

Arming Development: Measuring The Effects Of Development Aid On Armed Conflict. An Analysis On West Africa, 1990-2020, Alyk Collins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Did the securitization of the development aid to West Africa lead to an increase in armed conflict and one-sided violence? The goal of this research is to provide evidence that development aid allocation following the September 11th terror attacks had undergone securitization that led to an increase in casualties from armed conflict and one-sided violence in West Africa. I argue the Global War on Terror shifted development aid allocation from development projects to security projects in countries that were geostrategic partners. My approach is based on the Security Complex theory conceptualization of development aid in West African countries. Using both …

El Que No Tranza, No Avanza: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Mexican American Community College Students On The U.S.-Mexico Border In Becoming Philosophers, Manuela Alejandra Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of seven Mexican American community college philosophy students in their journeys to becoming philosophers in the U.S.-Mexico border, between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Philosophy is one of the least diverse academic fields in the United States (Jones, 2020) and often excludes women and people of color (Alcoff, 2013; Ferrer, 2012; Galea, 2017; Haslanger, 2013 Hutchinson & Jenkins, 2013; Leuschner, 2015; Saul, 2012; Wilson, 2012). Therefore, I examine what it means to be a philosopher to these seven Mexican American students and their processes of …

I Lie Awake, Pauline Juliet Ku

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Maggie Kim is a Korean American girl coming of age in Chicago and San Jose before moving to Pasadena, CA to study Biology at Caltech. Her struggles with her own sexuality, immediate family, growing up in an abusive church, traumatic memories and hallucinations and delusions make for a riveting read that validates her personal experience through trauma, stigma, and mental illness in the first-person point of view.

Power Transition Theory And The Determinants Of Regional Integration Agreement Accession And Exit, James Langford

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

While the phenomenon of regional integration has been paid substantial attention, the question of what causes states to accede to or exit from regional integration agreements (RIAs) has not. I draw from power transition theory to explain membership in RIAs, hypothesizing that states accede to an RIA when there is a high level of both power preponderance and status quo satisfaction, and exit when the levels of those variables are both low. I employ large-N quantitive analysis to test my two hypotheses. I find weak support for the hypothesis on RIA exit and offer concluding remarks on what the results …

Geological Mapping Of Ferric And Ferrous Irons In The Apache Hills, New Mexico: Applying Landsat 8 (Oli), Spectrometry, And Geographic Information System (Gis) Methods, Sergio Gerardo Macias

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mineral discoveries are typically tangible on surface studies. Previous research describes mineral deposits of ferric and ferrous irons in the lithology, structures, and alluvial fans in the Apache Hills in southwest New Mexico. The research for this thesis combines and models four methods for validating and mapping the presence of Ferric and Ferrous Irons developed in weathered zones above mineral deposits. A beneficial steppingstone before exploration and discovery begins with extensive research. This study began with data acquisition and reviewing previous research and was essential for the project methods. The study combines four techniques: spectral geology (e.g., remote sensing and …

Conflict Minerals: 3tg Minerals And Low-Scale Violence In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Jesus Tlaloc Maldonado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Existing literature on resource curse and conflict minerals tends to focus on violent events that result in large amounts of fatalities. These studies seemingly exclude from their analysis populations which experience violence at less fatal levels, like sexual violence, violence against protestors, and child-labor. This thesis studies the relationship between 3TG minerals (tin, tungsten, tantalum, gold) and "low-scale violence" fatalities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study defines low-scale violence (LSV) as violence which results in no more than 24 fatalities per event. In contrast, high-scale violence (HSV) results in 25 or more fatalities per event. Through quantitative …

The Intersection Of Urban Heat Islands And The Cdc Social Vulnerability Index In Two Border Cities, Ileana Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing How Bilingual Experience Impacts Performance In Stimulus-Stimulus And Stimulus-Response Conflict Tasks, Christian Ruiz-Ortiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have revealed that bilingual individuals outperform monolinguals in tasks requiring executive control. However, the exact impact of bilingualism on executive functions remains unclear due to inconsistent findings in the literature. These discrepancies may stem from factors such as participant demographics, variations in definitions and operationalizations of bilingualism, and task selection. To address these issues, we investigated the link between degree of balance and contextual use with the ability to address conflict across sensory modalities (auditory and visual) at different stages of processing. Rather than focusing on mean performance, this study investigated performance stability (coefficient of variation) over time …

Effects Of Witnessing Terrorist Attacks On Perceived Causes Of Terrorism And Support For Security Measures, Austin Trevor Sullivan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The following research aims to understand how individuals who were aware of, and affected by, terrorist attacks at the time they took place perceive the causes of terrorism and support security measures. It is hypothesized that the extent to which one â??witnessedâ?? attacks characterized by more traditional forms of terrorism, such as bombings and religiously motivated and affiliated perpetrators (Wave four), versus new forms of terrorism, such as shootings and lone wolves (Wave five), would be affected by the age of the witness. This research proposes an indirect pathway from age to "witnessing" terrorist attacks to attributions for the attacks …

What Are The Relationships Between Corporate Training Expenditures, Private Education Spending, Published Academic Articles And Gdp Changes Over Time, William Lex Stapp

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT An analysis of the history of the evolution of education and its impact on economic development establishes the context and motivation for my primary research. The research inquiry is to determine if there is a measurable relationship between the three variables of training expenditures, private education spending, and academic publications with the dependent variable of GDP for various countries and globally. The analysis is followed by a discussion of future policy implications from the research, in order to create greater government investment in public education. The history of education demonstrated the random development of human learning from prehistoric times …

The Impact Of Rule Of Law And Property Rights On Development And Economic Growth: A Comparative Analysis Of Cameroon And Côte D'Ivoire, Raoul Tayou Tayou

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The issues of economic growth and development occupy a central place in the studies of underdeveloped or developing countries. Many solutions have been proposed, including foreign aid or institutional reforms. This last aspect is the subject of this research, particularly the rule of law and the property rights.Analyzing what is the impact of these two institutions on economic growth and development is at the center of my dynamic. Over a period from 1960 to 2022, I carry out a comparative study of the growth, and development trajectories of two countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which share the same demographics: Cameroon, and …

Exploring The Mediating Link Between Stressful Life Events, Adverse Psychological Effects, And Ipv Victimization, Valeria Torres-Rivera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: Research has established that violent victimization is influenced by a variety of life events and psychological effects. However, limited research has examined this relationship with a specific type of victimization, such as intimate partner violence (IPV). To fill this gap in the literature, this study aims to test whether stressful life conditions induce adverse psychological effects on a person, which then may lead to IPV victimization. Methods: To test this, a series of regression analyses are conducted. Data from the American subsample of the International Dating Violence Study (n = 4,162) are analyzed to test the link between stressful …

Epistemological Framing In Statistics Courses For Psychology Students, Carlos Manuel Vargas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As psychology grows in popularity, most students select professions related to therapy, which constantly deem statistics courses as irrelevant and accentuate negative attitudes. This study explores perspectives of knowledge, also known as epistemological frames, that students enrolled in a psychology-based course in statistics generate and the extent to which these relate to attitudes. Research evidence the existence of productive and unproductive epistemological frames; the former involves automatic thought processes that require minimal effort or sense of voluntary control, while the latter prompts conscious learning efforts. This study follows an explanatory sequential design as it begins with a quantitative phase analyzing …

Examining The Role Of Pretrial Detention On The Juvenile Plea Process, Isabelle May Clough

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Plea bargains are a necessary part of the criminal justice system as a whole, and the juvenile justice system more specifically. However, juveniles may be at a particular disadvantage when entering into a plea bargain as a result of their developmental capacities. Pretrial detention in particular might influence the quality of the final plea agreement that a juvenile accepts, as adolescents would be motivated towards the short-term goal of being released from detention. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between juvenile pretrial detention and plea discounts through mediating relationships with number of attorneys and time to plea. Data …

Do Spontaneous Trait Inferences Influence Behavioral Intentions?, Jessica Renee Bray

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Character traits are spontaneously inferred from observing peopleâ??s behavior. This inference process is called a spontaneous trait inference. Although spontaneous trait inference effects are robust and well replicated, little research has examined what perceivers do with the inferences they make. A pilot study and two experiments examined whether spontaneous trait inferences led to differences in two behavioral intentions: friending and aggression. The savings in relearning paradigm was used to measure spontaneous trait inferences. Participants were exposed to trait implying descriptions or neutral descriptions of targets. After a filler task, participants completed a social media friending questionnaire and a modified voodoo …

Demographic And Clinical Variables Associated With Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Response In Depression: A Growth Mixture Modeling Study, John William Capps

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Depression is a growing public health crisis impacting millions around the world. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment for depression which has been FDA approved but the factors related to how well patients respond are still under investigation. The current study aimed to identify different treatment response patterns based on Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores over the course of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment for depression and to identify the differences between these response classes on demographic and clinical variables. A total of 285 patients from a psychiatric clinic were included with a sizable number of Hispanics and …

Asset-Rich And Cash-Poor: Which Older Adults Value Reverse Mortgages?, Joelle H. Fong, Olivia S. Mitchell, Benedict S. K. Koh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Home equity represents a substantial share of retirement wealth for many older persons, particularly in Asia where national housing policies have encouraged home-ownership. This paper explored the potential for reverse mortgages to help 'asset-rich and cash-poor' older Singaporeans unlock their home equity while ageing in place. The empirical analysis was based on a nationally representative survey of home-owners age 50+ in the 2018 Singapore Life Panel (N = 6,258). Our analyses showed that the average older home-owner holds some 60 per cent of total net wealth in housing equity, suggestive of high demand potential for reverse mortgage products. Nevertheless, actual …

Economic Forecasting In A Pandemic: Some Evidence From Singapore, Hwee Kwan Chow-Tan, Keen Meng Choy

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper aims to investigate whether the predictive performance and behaviour of professional forecasters are different during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared with the global financial crisis of 2008 and normal times. To this end, we use a survey of professional forecasters in Singapore collated by the central bank to analyse the forecasting records for GDP growth and CPI inflation for the period 2000Q1–2021Q4. We first examine the point forecasts to document the extent of forecast failure duringthe two crises and explore various explanations for it, such as leader-following and herding behaviour. Then, using percentile-based summary measures of probability distribution …