Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Promoting Couples Collaboration In Type 2 Diabetes: The Diabetes Support Project Pilot Data, Paula Trief, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Robert Ploutz-Snyder, Rebecca Brittain, Donald Cibula, Kasandra Scales, Ruth S. Weinstock

Faculty Publications

A pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility and potential efficacy of a couples focused diabetes intervention in which a collaborative problem-solving approach to diabetes self-care was promoted. Couples (N = 44), in which one partner had Type 2 diabetes and was in poor blood glucose control were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a couples intervention, and individual intervention, or individual diabetes education. The intervention included goal-setting, dietary behavior change, and a focus on emotions. For those in the couples arm, this was done within the framework of promoting collaborative communication between the partners. All intervention …

Getting To The Root Of Relationship Attributions: Family-Of-Origin Perspectives On Self And Partner Views, Brandt C. Gardner, Dean M. Busby, Brandon K. Burr, Sarah E. Lyon

Faculty Publications

A large body of research has been devoted to the study of family-of-origin (FOO) experience influences on future relationship outcomes and processes. In addition, substantial information exists regarding the role relationship attributions play in connection with relationship quality and stability. Yet, limited information has been forthcoming regarding how the FOO experience has an influence on attributions made in romantic relationships. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the impact of the FOO experience on attributions made about one’s own communication and personality variables, as well as the communication and personality variables of one’s partner from a sample of individuals …

Experiential Learning In Washington, D.C.: A Study Of Student Motivations And Expectations, Richard Holtzman

History and Social Sciences Faculty Journal Articles

Experiential learning offers students opportunities to learn in real-world settings outside the classroom. In political science, such experiences have been found to enhance knowledge of the political process, positively impact subsequent academic performance, and develop more robust understandings of civic values. While these research findings have led colleges and universities to increasingly mandate service-learning courses, many experiential learning opportunities such as internships and study abroad programs are voluntary and demand student initiative. The purpose of this paper is to explore why students choose to engage in such voluntary experiential opportunities. The research questions guiding this project ask: Why do students …

Seoul Hope Plus Savings Accounts: Asset-Building Program For Low-Income Households In Seoul (Second-Year Collaborative Research Report), Youngmi Kim, Soonung Lee, Mihyun Kim

Center for Social Development Research

Seoul Hope Plus Savings Accounts: Asset-Building Program for Low-Income Households in Seoul (Second-Year Collaborative Research Report)

International Service And Higher Education: Toward A Vision For The Field, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Eric Mlyn

Center for Social Development Research

International Service and Higher Education: Toward a Vision for the Field

Direct Effects Of Assets And Savings On The College Progress Of Black Young Adults, William Elliott Iii, Ilsung Nam

Center for Social Development Research

Direct Effects of Assets and Savings on the College Progress of Black Young Adults

The Age Old Question, Which Comes First? A Simultaneous Test Of Children's Savings And Children's College-Bound Identity, William Elliott Iii, Eun Hee Choi, Mesmin Destin, Kevin Kim

Center for Social Development Research

The Age Old Question, Which Comes First? a Simultaneous Test of Children's Savings and Children's College-Bound Identity

Reducing The College Progress Gap Between Low- To Moderate-Income (Lmi) And High-Income (Hi) Young Adults: Assets As An Understudied Form Of Economic Capital, William Elliott Iii, Monique Constance-Huggins, Hyun-A Song

Center for Social Development Research

Reducing the College Progress Gap Between Low- to Moderate-Income (LMI) and High-Income (HI) Young Adults: Assets as an Understudied Form of Economic Capital

What’S The Problem, Mr. President?: Bush’S Shifting Definitions Of The 2008 Financial Crisis, Richard Holtzman

History and Social Sciences Faculty Journal Articles

A case study is presented which examines the political rhetoric of U.S. President George W. Bush concerning the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009. Topics include Bush's definition of the economic crisis, his reluctance to recognize the existence of the financial crisis and the relationship between his rhetoric on the financial crisis and his legacy.

Exploring Programmatic Moderators Of The Effectiveness Of Marriage And Relationship Education Programs: A Meta-Analytic Study, Alan J. Hawkins, Scott M. Stanley, Victoria L. Blanchard, Michael Albright

Faculty Publications

This study uses meta-analytic methods to explore programatic moderators or common factors of the effectiveness of marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs. We coded 148 evaluation reports for potential programmatic factors that were associated with stronger intervention effects, although the range of factors we could code was limited by the lack of details in the reports. Overall, we found a positive effect for program dosage: moderate-dosage programs (9–20 contact hours) were associated with stronger effects compared to low-dosage programs (1–8 contact hours). A programmatic emphasis on communication skills was associated with stronger effects on couple communication outcomes, but this difference …

Mining The Meanings And Pulling Out The Processes From Psychology Of Religion’S Correlation Mountain, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

The article illustrates how rigorous quantitative studies in three distinct and promising areas opened the door to additional related qualitative work. Using qualitative narratives from a landmark sample of 184 diverse religious families, the authors discuss and illustrate two research methods and that have been useful to them: triangulating data in the context of family, and seeking truth through progressive questioning. Next, consistent with the paper's primary purpose, the authors highlight three areas where the strong, correlation-based research foundation provided by quantitative social scientists of religion has created some prime, complementary opportunities for follow-up work by qualitative researchers. …

Residents' Perceptions Of Social Interaction And Social Activity In An Affordable Assisted Living Facility, Elena Garcia

Honors Scholar Theses

This study is a qualitative study looking at the social interactions and social activities in an assisted living facility, based on the residents’ perceptions. In this study I interviewed 20 residents of an affordable assisted living facility. The participants were male and female, 65 or older, and any ethnicity. Inclusion criteria include: (1) Residing in the assisted living facility at least 6 months and no more than 2 years; and (2) being mentally competent to give informed consent. I recruited the participants based on a list of who was eligible from the facilities administration and then asked the eligible participants …

Conflict Management Education In Medicine: Considerations For Curriculum Designers, Jeffery Kaufman

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

It is important to address conflict in the medical field for a variety of reasons ranging from reducing turnover to increasing the quality of care received by patients. One way to assist with the management of medical conflict is by teaching resolution techniques to medical personnel. There is an opportunity for conflict management curriculum to address many of the issues facing physicians, administrators, staff and patients, however, it is also necessary for those developing that curriculum to understand the nature of the environment and appropriate conflict management tools to be used in that environment as part of the design process. …

Parks And Obesity In Rural And Urban Nebraska, Michaela S. Wolf

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In order to better understand the role community design plays in obesity rates, this project studies a potential relationship between distance of parks from homes and obesity rates in four Nebraska counties. Park use may contribute to important health benefits, such as reducing risk of obesity by increasing physical activity levels. There are limitations to park use, such as crime rates and facility upkeep that are important to understand so that they might be managed and communities can reap greater benefits from their parks, including better fitness. This study examines park distance from homes as a potential limiting factor to …

The Creative Coach: Exploring The Synergies Between Creative Problem Solving: Thinking Skills Model And Non-Directive Coaching, Trevor J. Mcalpine

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project looks at the similarities and differences between the most recent version of Creative Problem Solving called Creative Problem Solving: Thinking Skills Model and the approach to coaching known as Non-Directive Coaching. Creativity practitioners are challenged to find opportunities of engaging in formal full-blown, group-based Creative Problem Solving sessions. There is a need to find other, less formal ways of helping people use their creativity. The Thinking Skills Model’s design allows it to mesh with the creative process in other content areas by making the basic concepts of Creative Problem Solving transferable to those other contexts. Non-Directive Coaching …

The Process Of Becoming A Strong Glbt Family: A Grounded Theory, Maureen E. Todd

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using the qualitative method of grounded theory, data were collected from 21 couples who identified as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and/or Transgender (GLBT) from across the country. The purpose of this grounded theory was to generate a model that explains the process of developing family strengths in GLBT couples. In-depth interviews (both in person and phone interviews), observations with field notes, and member checking were used. A theoretical model was developed describing 1) the central phenomenon of strong GLBT families, 2) the contexts in which GLBT families thrive, 3) the various strategies GLBT couples use to build and maintain their strengths, …

Designing A School Garden Space That Emphasizes Children's Wants And Uses Permaculture Design Methods, Mikhaela Mullins

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A case study was organized at Saratoga Elementary school in Lincoln, Nebraska to obtain data on what children desire in a garden space. To collect this data a school garden space was constructed and an after school garden club was implemented. Students who participated in the after school garden club partook in the study by drawing their ideal garden. Elements that the subjects drew were identified and categorized into ‘highly desired’ and ‘somewhat desired’.

These elements were then incorporated into a proposed garden design plan for Saratoga. The proposal plan uses Permaculture design methods to emphasize sustainability.

Reducing The College Progress Gap Between Low- To Moderate-Income (Lmi) And High-Income (Hi) Young Adults, William Elliott Iii, Monique Constance-Huggins, Hyun-A Song

Center for Social Development Research

College progress identifies young adults who are “on course,” that is, those who are currently enrolled in, or who have a degree from, a two-year college or a four-year college. However, little is known about the impact of these factors on low-to-moderate-income (LMI) young adults. Findings suggest LMI young adults with school savings are two and half times more likely to be on course than LMI young adults without savings. Policies such as universal Child Development Accounts (CDAs) that can help adolescents accumulate savings may be a simple and effective strategy for helping to keep LMI young adults on course.

Direct Effects Of Assets And Savings On The College Progress Of Black Young Adults, William Elliott Iii, Ilsung Nam

Center for Social Development Research

Large disparities in attendance and graduation rates exist between White and Black young adults. We find that 63% of White young adults between the ages of 17 to 23 are on course (i.e., either in college or have graduated from college) in 2007 compared to only 35% of Black young adults. Moreover, research suggests that Black young adults who manage to stay on course and graduate are facing ever increasing amounts of college debt. Debt can lessen the return on education, making college appear less desirable for future generations. Thus, finding novel and promising ways to promote college progress that …

Understanding Geographic Variations In Bmi In India, Ravikumar Chockalingham, Ramesh Raghavan, Jyotsna Agrawal, Gyanesh Lama, Hor Yan Angel Lai, Guatam Yadama

Center for Social Development Research

Comparison of Body Mass Index is a useful marker for energy imbalance and associated variations across populations. High BMI is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, whereas low BMI is associated with increased mortality. BMI comparisons across geographical locations may give us indication as to which direction the public health policies should head and what could be the corrective approach towards a more balanced and healthier energy level. The current study uses Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) data for women from 2005-06 to develop state-specific models of BMI and do inter-state comparisons. We also examined the individual versus contextual …