Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Life After Steel: How Covid-19 Shed Light On Canton Township's Industrial Past, Daniel D. Dillon

Mountaineer Undergraduate Research Review

Undeniably, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the ways in which life carries on, whether this manifests in the forms of altering how people interact or how individuals work to further career goals. In the field of archaeology, attending an accredited field school takes central importance to developing much-needed skills; however, the virus made such opportunities nonexistent. Seeking a remedy for this rapidly-changing situation, I decided to make the decision to run a “field school” in my parents’ backyard. What was uncovered went beyond the nearly 300 recovered artifacts, extending into the largely unexplored history of Canton Township, Washington, Pennsylvania. Just …

Examination Of The Implication Of Information Processing On The Library Users Learning Comprehension/Satisfaction., Obia Gopeh Inyang, Juliana Agwunobi

Communications of the IIMA

The paper looked at Information Processing Theory's implications for the Library users’ learning satisfaction. The study discussed the nature of information and asserted that the dissemination of information empowers learning since the world is increasingly becoming information-based. It looked at information processing as the standard for understanding and satisfactory learning against memorization, leading to poor academic performance as it does not allow what the learner has learned to be part of him. The study also discussed that the instructor, facilitator, teacher, lecturer, and users have a role to play in processing information that improves learning. What remains essential is the …

Zoom Fatigue In The Age Of Covid-19, Angela Bullock, Alex D. Colvin, M. Sebrena Jackson

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

As the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted how institutions of higher education function, colleges and universities have shifted to remote learning and now rely heavily on the use of web conferencing tools, such as Zoom, WebEx, Adobe Connect, and others. As a result, educators are increasingly experiencing the effects of Zoom fatigue. The purpose of this article is to explore the videoconferencing fatigue that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The technostress model is used as the framework to provide strategies for recognizing and addressing videoconferencing fatigue.

Family Perspectives On Developmental Monitoring: A Qualitative Study, Sarah Behrens, Evan Dean, Marisol Torres

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Developmental monitoring, an ongoing process to identify children at risk for developmental delays, is an essential component to the identification of a developmental disability in young children. In collaboration with families, medical professionals are expected to monitor the development of a child; however, current research focuses on screening with less attention on developmental monitoring and the role of the family. Here, we show the experiences of families with medical professionals specific to developmental monitoring and how families obtain and develop knowledge on child development. We analyze qualitative data from a sample of family caregivers using semi-structured interviews. With a thematic …

Collaboration Between Secondary Special Education Teachers And Community Rehabilitation Service Providers: A Focus Group Analysis, Tabitha L. Pacheco, Robert L. Morgan, Michelle C. Mcknight-Lizotte

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Collaboration by professionals across agencies has been identified as a research-based practice associated with successful post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Succesful post-school outcomes include community employment, postsecondary education (such as involvement in two- or four-year college programs), and independent living for young adults with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation counselors, special educators, and community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) must collaborate to increase the probability of successful outcomes, particularly given the advent of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Five core areas of Pre-ETS include: (a) job exploration counseling, (b) work-based learning experiences, (c) counseling, (d) workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent …

Experiential Learning Through Participatory Action Research In An Interdisciplinary Leadership Training Program, Jessica L. Franks, Stephanie D. Baumann, Marvin So, Angela M. Miles, Jorge M. Verlenden, Teal Benevides, Mark Crenshaw, Stephen Truscott, Daniel Crimmins

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: Experience in multidisciplinary collaboration among healthcare providers, leaders in public health, and educators is essential to effectively address the diverse needs of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.

Purpose: We describe three participatory action research (PAR) projects from an interdisciplinary training program, which used experiential learning to enhance leadership competencies and promote inclusive services. Trainees report their leadership growth as providers and advocates for children with I/DD using experiential learning through PAR.

Approach: Trainees discuss their engagement with organizations serving children with I/DD and ways that experiential learning supported leadership skill development, …

Assessing Need And Acceptability Of A Youth Mentoring Intervention For Adolescents With Autism By Adults With Autism, Kai Y. Gunty, Lindsey Weiler, Angela Keyzers, Rebekah Hudock

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: Adult mentors can positively influence development, yet youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have too little access to adult mentors who can provide role modeling, guidance, and support. Furthermore, neurotypical adult mentors (i.e., adult mentors without ASD) may not understand the day-to-day realities that youth with ASD face and the social world they navigate. Therefore, it is possible that adults with ASD may be particularly well-suited as mentors for youth with ASD.

Method: Six semi-structured focus groups of four to seven people each explored the need for a mentoring program to bridge the gap between the supports youth with …

Librarians’ Perceptions, Information Technology Competencies And Use Of Cloud-Based Storage Systems In Academic Libraries In South-West Nigeria, Victoria Adeola Olukayode, Olayinka Babayemi Makinde Dr, Ibidapo Oketunji

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study investigated how perceptions and IT competencies of academic librarians influenced their use of Cloud-Based Storage (CBS) systems in libraries in South-West Nigeria. Primary data were collected from 127 academic librarians working in 11 university libraries across six Southwestern states of Nigeria. The answers from these valid copies of the questionnaire were descriptively (frequency count and percentage) and inferentially (regression statistics) analyzed using SPSS version 23. The findings revealed that the librarians had high perceptions for the use of CBS systems and also their IT competencies were on the high side. The perceptions and IT competencies of librarians significantly …

Gay Male K-12 School Leaders' Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, John Mccarthy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-method explanatory study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by California gay male K-12 school leaders to explore the impact these behaviors have had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by California gay male K-12 school leaders to overcome these self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This mixed-method sequential explanatory study explored the lived experiences of eight gay male K-12 school leaders who self-identified that they have experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their career. Purposeful, convenience, snowball sampling was utilized to identify gay men who met …

Technical Training Of Female High Jumpers At The Stage Of Higher Sportsmanship, Komoliddin Fahriddinovich Ruzamukhamedov

Eurasian Journal of Sport Science

Aim: Determination of the level of technical training of highly qualified athletes.

Methods: The study involved athletes specializing in high jumping from a great height (n = 16). The average age of athletes at the time of the study was 20 years. The subjects were divided into two groups: experimental (EG, n = 8) and control (CG, n = 8), depending on the predominance of certain motor skills in specific physical training ("fast" and "power" method). The study was conducted in February 2019 and May 2021.

Results: Analyzing the results (presented by representatives) of highly qualified high jumpers of Uzbekistan, …

Privatizing Retirement: The Case Of The Female Chilean Worker, Teresa A. Renier

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

Chile has been called the “promised land” of Latin America, a First World country, and an economic miracle. Privatizing social security in Chile has often been hailed by economists as the key for their unprecedented economic growth and success within the past few decades—so much so that other countries have adopted similar pension models within their own countries. Somewhere along this path of astonishing economic growth, Chile, like other developed nations, has arrived at a point where it can no longer assume that the typical worker is a man. Yet as the gap continues to decrease between female and male …

The Effects Of A Narrative Intervention On Gender Attitudes In Students At A Christian University: A Study On Narrative Persuasion, Katelyn Hawkins

Honors Theses

This study analyzes how identification, empathy, and perspective-taking influence prejudiced attitudes towards women. Through utilizing a narrative intervention alongside measures of prejudiced attitudes, empathetic capacity, and narrative identification, this study documents how students at a Christian university in the southern United States (n = 100) responded to narrative persuasion. While analyses revealed that the narrative intervention was ineffective in significantly affecting prejudiced attitudes towards women, participants’ empathy levels were positively correlated with character identification, further elucidating the process of perspective-taking. Despite some non-significant results, this study sheds light on the role of narrative persuasion on students at a Christian university …

Unpacking The Environmental Movement In Megacity Dhaka: How Does The Resource Mobilisation Theory Explain Local Urban Complexity?, Saleh Ahmed

Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the Global South, urban policies are heavily influenced by colonial heritages, and people often experience citizens-detached urban development initiatives. The environmental movement is seen as a new addition that might contribute to society’s efforts to achieve equal urban environmental opportunities. The geographical focus of this article is the megacity Dhaka, which is the social, political, and economic capital of Bangladesh. Unfortunately, this hyper-urbanised megacity suffers from a large poverty-stricken population, leading to a gap in environmental services between the poor and rich. In recent years, Dhaka has experienced a growing momentum with the environmental movement, demanding environmental rights and …

Small Actions, Grassroots Efforts, And Community Building: Inspiring Fresh Perspectives On Teaching Information Literacy In Uncertain Times, Andrea Baer, Daniel G. Kipnis

Libraries Scholarship

In this workshop two academic librarians will share about their grassroots approach to fostering civic and digital literacies through their work in teaching “lateral reading” and online source evaluation. We will reflect on how a small action, creating an online research guide, was a seed for growing roots - connections and relationships - and for expanding our own teaching and our educational outreach. While we’ll touch on work with lateral reading, our primary focus will be reflecting with fellow librarians on small actions as regenerative responses to burnout and as starting points for more collective engagement in civic literacy education. …

Exploring The Impacts Of Student Classification On Perceptions Of Success, Mackenzie Richmond

Honors Theses

There are several definitions of success, and everyone has their own personal take. Some define success as receiving honors, rewards, or having good relationships, while researchers have their own success vocabulary. Although there is a battle between logic and sociality for perceptions of success, it is commonly agreed that success is linear and multifaceted. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of student classification (undergraduate and graduate/professional students) on perceptions of success. Knowing how someone perceives success offers insight into that person. Such insight can equip therapists on ways to personalize a therapeutic approach, including goals and …

Journaling As A Social-Emotional Teaching Practice To Promote Adolescent Mental Health, Mackenzie Robertson

Honors Projects

Given the current state of education in the United States, there has been an influx in the number of adolescents diagnosed with a mental illness or have experienced struggles with their mental health. Because of this, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies have been introduced further into adolescent education to bolster the skills students learned in their youths. To assist in the promotion of the five SEL competencies, different journaling strategies can be introduced to impact adolescent mental health positively and continue to practice SEL for life beyond high school. The purpose of this research is to introduce these strategies to pre-service …

Female Prisoners, Mental Health, And Contact With Family And Friends, Katarzyna Celinska, Irina Fanarraga

Publications and Research

The present study explores the psychological symptoms of 194 female inmates housed in a northeast state prison. Imprisoned women completed Derogatis’ (2001) Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and responded to questions on the frequency of contact with family and friends via phone calls, letters, and visitations. The results showed significant correlations between psychological symptoms and modes of contact. Multiple regression models revealed that certain types of contact with family and friends had a statistically significant impact on the self-reported psychological symptoms of female inmates. Policy implications and recommendations are discussed.

A Fusion Of Microscopy Technique In Human Coprolite Analysis: The Dyck Cliff Dwelling And The Arid West Cave, William Darwin Hertzel

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

In the two papers that comprise this thesis, I will discuss the dietary complexes of two separate Southwestern archaeological sites excavated in the 20th century through the medium of coprolite analysis. The fusion of microscopy techniques in this project expands the capability of observation and identification of microremains and their use in reconstructing the dietary habits of past peoples. I intend to highlight the value of integrating three separate methods of microscopy for the identification of diet and any practices for using that information to narrow down a coprologically unstudied site location for samples of lost provenience. Additionally, this project …

Insular Interconnectivity In The Viking Age: A Geospatial View From Norse Jarlshof, Trent Michael Carney

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

During the Viking Age, settlements and trading centers were often located near lakes, seas, waterways, and sailing routes. As such, access to other locations was facilitated, whether for the purpose of settlement, trade, resource acquisition, or conflict, by some form of seafaring vessel or watercraft. Over the course of the Scandinavian Diaspora, a level of cultural and economic interconnectedness was maintained between mainland Scandinavia and the settlements in the North Atlantic region. This shared link with Scandinavia contributed to the development of local connections between insular and coastal sites within the broader diasporic network. This thesis considers the archaeological evidence …

The Role Of Dispositional Mindfulness Against Craving In Trauma Recovery For Oud, Sarah Mathewson, Melanie Somppi, Michael Gawrysiak

Psychology Student Work

BACKGROUND: In 2020, it was estimated that 2.7 million people suffered with an opioid use disorder (OUD). Prior research suggests that dispositional mindfulness can buffer substance use severity and posttraumatic stress. However, further research is needed to clarify the relationships between dispositional mindfulness and craving specifically for those suffering from OUD. Dispositional mindfulness greater awareness and non-reactivity to emotions and internal thought patterns are features relevant to both OUD and posttraumatic stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness would inversely relate to opioid craving and posttraumatic stress symptom severity.

METHODS: This study utilized archival data that collected from an ongoing …

When Worlds Collide: Boundary Management Of Adolescent And Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors And Caregivers, Elizabeth A. Ankrah, Arpita Bhattacharya, Lissamarie Donjuan, Franceli L. Cibrian, Anamara Ritt-Olson, Joel Milam, Lilibeth Torno, Gillian R. Hayes

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors experience health complications, late or long-term biomedical complications, as well as economic and psychosocial challenges that can have a lifelong impact on their quality-of-life. As childhood cancer survivors transition into adulthood, they must learn to balance their identity development with demands of everyday life and the near- and long-term consequences of their cancer experience, all of which have implications for the ways they use existing technologies and the design of novel technologies. In this study, we interviewed 24 childhood cancer survivors and six caregivers about their cancer survivorship experiences. The results of our …

The Nil Agreement And Social Media: A Content Analysis, Scott Smith

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Name, Image and Likeness Agreement has opened hundreds of doors for college athletics to make money based on their "likeness" and not their performance on the field. This new agreement levels the playing field for all athletes in college. Through a content analysis this paper will take a look at how the NIL is being discussed in various media channels such as TikTok and how this agreement is affecting the student athlete experience. Not every athlete is striking mega deals, but with this agreement everyone from Junior college to Division 1 has the opportunity to make money through avenues …

The Role Of Memes In An Online Community Created By College Students: A Content Analysis, Jessica Probst

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This paper explores how a community is formed in the Facebook group The M in UMW Stands for Memes and what role memes play in shaping a sense of community and sharing information. Based on previous research, there was a common theme found within the results of the studies; memes can be used to communicate information and a shared understanding is needed to have a sustainable online community. I chose to complete this study using a content analysis which allowed for an evaluation of the shared language used in the posts revealing how this mode of communication creates a sustainable …

Salary Cap Efficiency: A Study Of The Relationship Between A Nfl Quarterback’S Salary And Their Team’S Performance, Prasad Gosavi

Honors Scholar Theses

For years, sports economists have attempted to understand the impact of salary caps in sports leagues, as they can have an impact on a team’s favored personnel approach. In the National Football League (NFL), one of the more important positions is the team’s quarterback, who has the ability to command large contracts. This paper examines the work of past researchers, and attempts to add to the literature by analyzing data from the past ten NFL seasons. I find inconclusive results relating to the relationship between a NFL team’s winning percentage and the amount of salary cap space allocated for their …

Falling For Moses: The Role Of Stroop Inhibition And Language Expertise, Isabella Holmgren

Honors Theses

When presented with the question, “How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark?”, people often respond “2”, despite knowing that Noah is the Biblical figure who is said to have taken animals on the ark. This phenomenon where people fail to detect inaccuracies in text has come to be known as the Moses Illusion (Erickson & Mattson, 1981). The current study was designed to investigate Moses illusion rates in a multiple-choice format. Further, participants were assessed on two cognitive constructs: language experience and cognitive inhibition. Results showed robust rates of the Moses illusion using the multiple-choice …

The Emotional Mechanisms Of Altruism Born Of Suffering, Mia Dini

Honors Theses

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences have been found to be a predictor of both altruism inhibition and increased altruism (Altruism Born of Suffering) (Staub & Vollhardt, 2008). Factors affecting the development of altruism after ACEs are not well understood. The emotional mechanisms of emotion regulation and empathy development have both been independently linked to ACEs and to prosociality (Batson et al. 1991, Schroeder et al., 1988). This study aims to further investigate these emotional mechanisms as mediators and moderators of the Altruism Born of Suffering model. Methods: 418 participants completed a cross-sectional study assessing their Adverse Childhood Experiences, levels of prosociality, …

Designing Democracy: A Normative And Empirical Analysis Of Redistricting Reform, Morgan Deckert

Honors Theses

A democracy is more than just an empirically observable mode of governance; it is an actively adopted ideal, an inherently value-laden concept that affects and permeates throughout all dimensions of society. It encompasses corresponding rights held by all democratic citizens, and various state obligations that arise directly from this unique status. As political institutions and practices are given tangible form in a democracy, these moral principles provide both a mandatory set of requirements and an ideal to be oriented towards in their construction. In majoritarian systems with single-member districts, the establishment of electoral boundaries through redistricting is one such process. …

Barriers To Public Health In Latino American Indigenous Communities, Wilzave Quiles Guzman

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

This paper focuses on barriers to public health in Latino American Indigenous communities. Indigenous people throughout the world are at a public health disadvantage due to a lack of clearly defined practices within the decision-making processes to plan, evaluate, and control finances from governmental and non-governmental entities in charge of managing health services. I argue that political, social, and institutional changes are still needed to achieve health equity in Indigenous communities and that these changes should go beyond implementing a universal health care program. I must recognize improvements made by many Latino American countries like Brazil, which prepared a plan …

Coercion Or Influence? Ethical Strategies Leaders Should Use To Increase Covid-19 Vaccination Uptake, Olivia Podber

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to millions of cases and deaths around the world, persists, in large part, due to vaccine hesitancy. Through interrogating the harm principle and exploring ethical justifications of influence, this thesis seeks to determine justifiable strategies leaders should use to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake. I will argue that lesser forms of coercion—such as vaccine mandates—are justifiable, in principle, but ought not to be used by agents due to concerns for liberty and trust, and the presence of less restrictive alternatives. Thus, leaders should use influence strategies to motivate behavior change from the vaccine hesitant.

Barriers To Care, Depressive Symptoms, And Moderating Factors Among Patients With Esrd, Amarachukwu O. Nwangwu

Honors Theses

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is the fifth and final stage of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and has been reported to have the highest prevalence rate in the United States, with about 2,242 cases per million in the total population in 2017 (Johansen et al., 2021). Current studies document a high prevalence of depression among patients with ESRD which may lead to increased mortality (Shirazian et al., 2017). Additionally, barriers in access to care, which may be understood as the barriers that prevent individuals from seeking mental health services, has been linked to increased levels of undertreatment (Clement et al., 2012). …