Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 6, Number 6, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Friends-Based Protective Strategies And Unwanted Sexual Experiences: A Daily Diary Examination Of First Year College Women, Jessica A. Blayney, Tiffany Jenzer, Anna E. Jaffe, Quinn Carroll, Jennifer P. Read

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Risk for unwanted sexual experiences can emerge in social contexts—the same contexts that early college women navigate with their friends. Though friends naturally engage in prevention strategies, less is known about how capable guardianship influences risk. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, the present study examined guardianship at the person- and situation-level. First year college women (N = 132) completed eight weekends of daily surveys. We examined whether guardianship (e.g., more friends present, greater proportion of female friends, no intoxicated friends) would reduce unwanted sexual experience risk and if this relation was mediated by friends-based strategy use. An alternative model …

Essays On Social Choice And Implementation Theory, Paulo Daniel Salles Ramos

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

We present here three essays. The first two are about Social Choice Theory and explore under what domain restrictions is possible to obtain a Social Choice Function that is Well Behaved as well as Monotonic, and what other characteristics can be inferred about such functions on that domain. The last essay is about Implementation Theory and explore how to obtain a more compelling form of implementation than pure Nash Equilibrium for finite environments using finite mechanisms.

Three Essays On Development Economics And Human Capital, Arpita Khanna

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the first chapter, we estimate the impact of exposure to the 2015 Nepal Earthquake on intimate partner violence with two rounds of Demographic and Health Surveys data. Using differences-in-differences estimation, we find that exposure to the earthquake lead to a statistically and economically significant increase in intimate partner violence in the urban areas but not in the rural areas. This is possibly due to an increase in the stress felt by the victims. We also offer some evidence that the impact heterogeneity between the urban and rural areas is attributable to the differences in the reconstruction processes and assistance …

Bayesian And Machine Learning Methods With Applications In Asset Pricing, Yaohan Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The dissertation consists of three essays on asset pricing by constructing new data set and developing new methodologies. In the first chapter, we conduct empirical studies on the volatility-managed portfolios in the Chinese stock market. Using data from the Chinese stock market, we have found that the main empirical findings in Moreira and Muir (2017) break down. Based on the empirical findings, we exploit a comprehensive set of $99$ equity strategies in the Chinese stock market to analyze the value of managed portfolios. Based on these $99$ equity trading strategies, we find that there exists no systematic gain from scaling …

Essays On Long Memory Time Series And Panel Models, Shuyao Ke

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation studies different long memory models. The first chapter considers a time series regression model where both the regressors and error term are locally stationary long memory processes with time-varying memory parameters, and the regression coefficients are also allowed to be time-varying. We consider a frequency-domain least squares estimator with kernelized discrete Fourier transform and derive its pointwise asymptotic normality and uniform consistency. A specification test on the constancy of coefficients is provided. The second chapter studies a linear regression panel data model with interactive fixed effects where the regressors, factors and idiosyncratic error terms are all stationary but …

Unrestricted Factor Analysis: A Powerful Alternative To Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp, Alberto Maydeu-Olivares

Faculty Publications

The gold standard for modeling multiple indicator measurement data is confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which has many statistical advantages over traditional exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In most CFA applications, items are assumed to be pure indicators of the construct they intend to measure. However, despite our best efforts, this is often not the case. Cross-loadings incorrectly set to zero can only be expressed through the correlations between the factors, leading to biased factor correlations and to biased structural (regression) parameter estimates. This article introduces a third approach, which has emerged in the psychometric literature, viz., unrestricted factor analysis (UFA). UFA …

Yes, The Mda Stands For Something, Michael G. Maihofer Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In the President's address, Dr. Maihofer responds to concerns about the MDA's relevance, outlining four key points that emphasize its commitment to ethical dentistry, continuous education, advocacy, and adapting to changing professional needs. He highlights the MDA's role in opposing dental therapy, advocating for tax repeals, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Maihofer encourages member participation, emphasizing the collective strength of the MDA community. The address expresses gratitude to various contributors, including predecessor Dr. Steve Meraw, President-elect Dr. Vince Benivegna, the Board of Trustees, MDA staff, volunteers, and his wife, Denise.

The Mda Public Education Campaign: An X-Ray View, James Pond, Matt Maguy

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The MDA Public Education Campaign has achieved significant engagement, surpassing previous milestones in video views and Find-a-Dentist searches. The article delves into the campaign's success, emphasizing its educational focus and strategic use of digital platforms. It explores the campaign's structure, target audience, and the integration of the Find-a-Dentist tool. With a shift from traditional TV commercials to digital advertising, the campaign's adaptability and real-time metrics are highlighted. The piece concludes by providing insights into the campaign's funding, oversight, and the content of the 2022 initiatives.

Headquarters Report: Without Mda Advocacy, Michigan Dentistry Would Look Very Different, Karen Burgess Cae

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Headquarters Report reflects on the impactful advocacy efforts of the Michigan Dental Association (MDA) over the past three years. Highlighting various scenarios, the report envisions a different landscape for dentistry in Michigan without MDA advocacy. The article emphasizes the critical role played by MDA in addressing issues related to COVID-19, regulations, funding, public protection, and dental policies. The advocacy initiatives have not only protected dental professionals but have also ensured the best interests of the public, contributing to a resilient and thriving dental community in Michigan.

The Teacher, Yoga, And The Third Eye, Christopher J. Smiley Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial discusses a dental assistant's concern about a teacher promoting unfounded claims about fluoride and the "third eye" concept, impacting students' choices. The author explores the dubious origins of the third eye idea, referencing a yoga article, and emphasizes the importance of evidence-based approaches in dental care. Drawing from historical examples and challenges in patient beliefs, the editorial stresses the need for clinicians to blend scientific evidence, expertise, and patient preferences in a patient-centered approach. The author advocates presenting valid, reliable information in plain language to empower patients in making informed decisions and highlights the obligation to provide care …

One More Wall To Cross: The Role Of Psychologists In Addressing Integrated Health Among Undocumented Latinx Immigrants In Inpatient Medical Settings, Luz M. Garcini, Amanda Venta, Alfonso Mercado, Thania Galvan, Casandra L. Compean, Gabriela Guerrero, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, there has been increased attention to the benefits of an integrated health-care care model in which psychologists play a vital role collaborating with other health providers to deliver services in inpatient medical settings, such as emergency departments and acute care medical units. Psychologists working in inpatient medical settings can facilitate access to mental health services and referrals, reduce mental health stigma, improve health outcomes associated with insight into psychosocial factors that affect health and illness, improve communication between patients and providers, and increase sensitivity in addressing the health needs of diverse patients. Psychological services in inpatient …

Nationalism In The ‘Nation Of Immigrants’: Race, Ethnicity, And National Attachment, Joe R. Tafoya, Álvaro José Corral, David L. Leal

Political Science Faculty Publications

This paper compares nationalist attitudes among Whites, Latinos, and African Americans. The research on nationalism and national attachment draws varied conclusions about how race and ethnicity structure such attitudes; some find that Whites have the strongest views, while others see more similarities than differences. Using the General Social Survey of 2014, we examine three separate dimensions of nationalism: American nationalism, American national identity, and American national pride. We test for differences across race and ethnicity as well as how such attitudes structure opinions about immigrants. Despite some expectations in the literature that views might vary by group, we generally find …

Take Flight Music Festival Branding, Maxwell Bo Chen, Jake Oxenham

Graphic Communication

We created a branding and design campaign for the Take Flight music festival on campus. The project covered many aspects of event creation and marketing such as name, logo, content creation, social media, printed media, vendor outreach, and administration outreach. All these pieces had to work together to create a strong and cohesive brand image for this event which would help ensure a successful turnout and event overall.

Ramble: Travel Journal Application Concept, Christine Elizabeth Curulla

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this project is to provide an easier and more engaging way for study abroad students to document their experiences. I wanted to collect data on the effectiveness of student journaling while abroad, and identify ways to improve the process through a mobile application.

Ramble is a social app I designed that provides a new question or prompt each day to encourage more frequent, fun journaling while traveling, and connection with others at home and abroad. Ramble solves problems that accompany traditional journaling by making the journaling process more accessible and requiring less time from the user.

The Queer Dictionary, Mia Lew

Graphic Communication

With the government continually obstructing queer education in public schools, it becomes harder and harder for queer people to understand themselves than in turn, have the tools to explain what they are going through to others. This is a problem but in turn an opportunity. While there are queer literature and children’s books out there, they typically only encompass one story or one view on queerness. Thus, this project's main goal is to encompass queerness as a whole by using as many LGBTQ+ words as possible, people's stories under each word, historical graphics, highlights on the internationality of queerness, pronoun …

Sex Differences In Competitiveness In Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (Mmorpgs), Robert O. Deaner, Lucretia C. Dunlap, April Bleske-Rechek

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Sex differences in the use of competitive tactics have been well established. Although many factors may contribute to these sex differences, according to social role theory (SRT), stereotypes and expectations about men's and women's typical social roles are crucial. We addressed the potential impact of social roles by studying massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), a setting where individuals represent themselves with avatars and thus enjoy the opportunity to compete without regard to the typical expectations and behaviors associated with men's and women's roles. We surveyed players via MTurk (63 women, 191 men) and Reddit (166 women, 1,326 men) regarding …

Resource Gaps For Minority Entrepreneurs: Toledo Business Survey And Interviews Findings, Iryna Lendel, Jack Yochum, Madeline Frantz, Georgina Figueroa

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This publication details the state of Toledo’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (EE) through the lenses of service providers and clients. The Center conducted a total of 12 interviews with service providers across the Toledo EE to uncover the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the services the Business Growth Collaborative (BGC) provided. We combined this with survey responses from entrepreneurs in the region to identify how their perceptions of the EE were consistent with and differentiated from those of the service providers. This report closes by providing actionable items for the BGC to pursue that directly address the gaps in support.

Leadership Failures That Lead To Poor Organizational Performance, Brahaspattie Annie Singh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Our world continues to change rapidly because of globalization and internationalism thus has become more multicultural and diverse that strong and effective leadership was needed in the workforce. The real estate industry has changed as well and continues to change because of multiculturalism. The effects of COVID-19 placed burdensome restrictions and regulations both from the state and city levels that firms must follow in order to function internally and externally to market properties. The effects of COVID-19 will forever change the way business is done as usual, where the general business practice must include a constant of new critical change …

Disability And Employability: Challenging Stereotypes Through Information And Education, Claire Gallagher Mcelvaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals with disabilities (IWDs) have had an alarmingly low employment rate despite introduction of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other legislation meant to enable workplace inclusion. This low employment rate seemed illogical as employed IWDs have often demonstrated extremely high work engagement and organizational loyalty. Prior research indicated that organizations were willing to hire IWDs but were concerned regarding potential costs and training issues. Because lifelong unemployment has often resulted in segregation and depression for those with disabilities, this research sought to determine if educational intervention, i.e. a presentation designed to address some of the myths regarding costs and …

Preemptive Church-Based Marital Education And Counseling As An Intervention To Increase Marital Satisfaction And Reduce Divorce Rates, Shane C. Kreller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Marriage is a fundamental component of the Christian experience; it is an institution that ideally bonds two believers in a lifelong relationship through which they can grow spiritually and emotionally, support one another, and often create and raise the next generation within the warmth and nurturing of a united family. Unfortunately, marital dissatisfaction and divorce—common phenomena in the United States—can have a wide range of negative consequences not only for spouses but also for their children, parents, and friends. This Doctor of Ministry thesis examines how the author’s local church ministry, River of Life Fellowship Ministries, deals with issues of …

Child Protective Services Social Workers Health Outcomes: Results Of Working With Trauma Survivors, Decora Lachelle Bowers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study explored if and to what extent pre-existing health conditions, resilience and coping mechanisms moderated the relationship between job-related stress reactions and mental health outcomes in child protective services social workers. The most challenging clients are victims of trauma, and professionals who work with trauma survivors are at risk of experiencing job-related stress reactions which can be harmful to their overall health. Ann Masten’s variable-focused model of resilience theory guided this study, which involved ninety-six child protective services social workers, supervisors, managers, and directors in North Carolina. Data was collected through a survey which involved demographic questionnaire …

Sole Sourcing Reliance, John Sidney Stammreich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research case study investigated the increasing reliance on sole-sourced critical defense components within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain network. This reliance has resulted in increased risks of operational units not achieving the agency’s minimum operational readiness requirements as presented in the DoD Inspector General’s Top 10 management challenges for the fiscal year 2020. The general problem to be addressed was the increasing reliance on sole-sourcing within the supply chain networks of government agencies and business organizations that have contributed to heightened risks of operational readiness reduction and manufacturing production delays. The purpose of this qualitative …

Association Of Alcohol Use And Physical Activity With Body Mass Index In Mexican-Origin Adults, Natalia I Heredia, Qiong Dong, Shine Chang, Lorna H Mcneill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Studies across racial/ethnic groups indicate that physical activity (PA) and alcohol consumption are positively associated, and that alcohol consumption is negatively associated with body mass index (BMI), but this relationship is less often evaluated in Hispanics. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between alcohol consumption, PA, and BMI in Hispanic adults.

METHODS: In this secondary data analysis of a Mexican-American cohort, we collected self-reported PA, alcohol consumption, and demographics, and measured height and weight. Linear regression assessed the association between PA and alcohol consumption with BMI, controlling for covariates. Total sample for analyses was n …

The Utility Of Divergent And Convergent Thinking In The Problem Construction Processes During Creative Problem-Solving, Benjamin Wigert, Vignesh Murugavel, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

The process of problem construction is known to be a critical influence on creative problem-solving. The current study assessed the utility of different problem construction methods used to maximize creativity during the creative process. An experimental design was used to explore the interplay between convergent and divergent thinking processes. Participants were asked to creatively solve an ill-defined problem under four conditions that varied in their combinations of instruction to engage in divergent and convergent thinking. Findings indicated that following divergent thinking methods with a method that facilitates convergent thinking in problem construction results in more creative solutions than using only …

Shaping The Witch: A Visual Art Thesis, Amanda Cobb

University Honors Theses

This thesis is an exploration of the complex and interconnected nature of folklore, personal mythology, and re-enchantment as expressed through the lens of puppetry. I have drawn inspiration from the works of deeply reflective works concerning the psychological nature of mythologies of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung, as well as the magical and beautiful work of artists Jim Henson, Brian and Wendy Froud, and Mercer Meyer. Through working in the medium of puppets, I have given consideration to the possibilities and limitations of these forms in expressing the complexity of narrative, personal mythology, the anxiety of disenchantment, lost and reclaimed …

Analyzing Perceptions And Outcomes Of Intimate Partner Violence Within Muslim Communities, Areebah Zaidi

University Honors Theses

Intimate partner violence is a complex issue that involves gender, race, sexuality, religion, and culture. Muslim communities are a combination of many identities and to be able to support the community, there needs to be a better understanding of how IPV is expressed within this population. This thesis reports findings from a survey distributed throughout Muslim networks and IPV organizations in the US. The results are based on 200 responses and demonstrate that individuals with a history of IPV have worse social and health outcomes. In addition, the source of IPV disclosure (e.g., healthcare provider, religious leader) depended on whether …

The Influence Of The Mothers Of The Plaza De Mayo On Contemporary Feminist Movement In Argentina, Ni Una Menos, Alexandria Blackwill

University Honors Theses

This thesis aims to explore the development of Argentine feminism between the Madres Plaza de Mayo and Ni Una Menos movements. This study will examine the extent to which the Madres have established a permanent human rights framework that provides a structure for contemporary movements in Argentina. First, the socio-cultural and economic conditions in which the Madres emerged are dissected, including the results of Peronism and Eva Perón's influences on Argentine culture as explored through a feminist lens. Next, the tactics used by the Madres to subvert patriarchy and instead use oppression to their advantage are analyzed through their conceptions …

The Trends And Patterns Of Crime In Ghana: The Case Of Robbery, Joseph Appiahene-Gyamfi

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The study utilized the official police data that included the robbery incident addresses/spots to explore the incidence, volume, trends, and patterns of robbery in Ghana from 2014 to 2017. There were 5696 robbery cases of which the highest, 1772 cases, were recorded in 2017, and the lowest cases, 1116 recorded in 2014 reported to the police during this period. The daily average robberies were 3 cases in 2014, 4 cases each in 2015 and 2016, and 5 cases in 2017. The robbery per 100,000 of population in 2014 was 4.1 persons. In 2015, the rate was 5 persons, in 2016 …

Effects Of Positive Reappraisal And Self-Distancing On Meaning-Making In Negative Experiences, Yong Hao Clement Lau

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Scant research has investigated the impact of common daily adversities on one’s sense of meaning, and how one can cope and find meaning in these distressing events. Drawing on the meaning-making model and tripartite model of meaning, this study sought to examine how using a combination of coping strategies (i.e., positive reappraisal and self-distancing) can help individuals to derive greater situational meaning (i.e., meaning from the experience), greater global meaning (i.e., meaning in life)—across three facets (i.e., coherence, significance, and purpose). Specifically, it is proposed that the effects of positive reappraisal on promoting meaning would be enhanced by adopting a …