Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Psu Student Housing Insecurity Report, Jacen Greene, Greg Townley, Kenna Estell Dickard, Desiree' J. Duboise

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

This study on student housing insecurity and homelessness was funded as part of a HUD FY2023 Community Project Funding Opportunity awarded to Portland State University. Phase 1 of the study included a literature review; a summary of past PSU student survey results; a description of PSU programs based on interviews with staff and administrators; an analysis of programs at other institutions; and a set of recommendations for better addressing student housing needs. Phase 2 of the study incorporated the results of a comprehensive student survey on housing insecurity and homelessness conducted in fall 2023. Additional reports by outside consultants on …

Perspectives On E-Scooters Use: A Multi-Year Cross-Sectional Approach To Understanding E-Scooter Travel Behavior In Portland, Oregon, Minju Kim, Nicholas M. Puczkowskyj, John Macarthur, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Unique travel behavior patterns are observed as shared electric scooters (e-scooters) provided by private operators expand into U.S. cities. Three separate years of e-scooter ridership survey data from the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s E-scooter Pilot Programs were analyzed to ascertain the multi-year cross-sectional and demographic characteristics of e-scooter riders. A binary logistic regression model, descriptive statistics, and multiple regression model are used to analyze e-scooter mode substitution, trip purposes, and travel distance from 2018 to 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Since the introduction of e-scooter in 2018, respondents have been less likely to use their previous transportation, and especially vehicle …

Unmasking And Addressing Burnout In The Mental Health Profession, Sara Edwards

University Honors Theses

Burnout poses a significant challenge among mental health workers, impacting both the well-being of practitioners and the outcomes for their patients. The key inquiries guiding this literature review are: what factors contribute to burnout, and what interventions are essential for treating and preventing burnout in mental health professionals? The findings reveal that factors such as level of experience, lack of quality supervision, vicarious trauma, working conditions, and personal beliefs significantly contribute to burnout. Effective prevention and treatment measures for mental health workers vulnerable to burnout encompass self-monitoring, participation in support groups, additional training, and organizational interventions. These insights could serve …

Critical Consciousness & The Rural-Urban Divide, Kendall O'Rorke

University Honors Theses

This study investigated the relationship between conceptions of Critical Consciousness (CC) and urban vs. rural geographic location type. Participants (N = 31) completed the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (CCS-S, Rapa et al., 2020), and 25 additional questions regarding potential location-based Idealogical differences. No measurable differences were found regarding differences in conceptions of critical consciousness (using CCS-S scores) based on rural-urban location, however, other responses supported some current research regarding political typology. Additional research is needed to fully understand this topic.

Economic Analysis Of Population-Based Next Generation Sequencing For Breast Cancer, Sapphire Curelaru

University Honors Theses

Breast cancer develops due to accumulated DNA replication insults which causes cancer to uncontrollably proliferate. An individual's predisposition to developing cancer, as well as the composition of a tumor, can be sequenced using genetic tests. Myriad's BRACAnalysis CDx^® seems to be the most utilized genetic test. However, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) seems to be a better genetic test for breast cancer when compared to Myriad's BRACAnalysisCDx^® in terms of return-time, accuracy, efficiency, and healthcare cost. By using Next Generation Sequencing tests, stakeholders can save money on genetic testing which can be invested in more genetic tests. Payers can …

Digital Public Library Ecosystem 2023, Rachel Noorda, Kathi Inman Berens

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Digital Public Library Ecosystem is the network of digital book collection and circulation specifically through public libraries. Digital book collection and circulation have never been more important than they are today. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans has read an ebook in the last 12 months. Audiobook listening is also high; nearly 1 in 4 Americans has listened to an audiobook in that same time period. Libraries are one way in which readers gain access to ebooks and audiobooks. Despite this, a holistic view of the digital library ecosystem is largely opaque. Three factors contribute to current confusion about the …

Behavior Training For Educators: What Training Do Educators Need To Support Students With Challenging Behaviors?, Michelle R. Milburn

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral training programs/frameworks and Professional Development (PD) delivery methods that certified staff - including teachers, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, occupational therapists, and teachers on special assignment - as well as administrators, believe to be necessary to address the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students exhibiting challenging behaviors. This national study used survey methods to explore the views of US K-12 public school educators on the PD needed to support student behavior effectively. Using social media recruitment, primarily through Reddit and Facebook, allowed the survey to reach a substantially larger …

Contemporary Library Censorship Tactics: Reviewing The Literature, Lex Faller

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Library censorship efforts in the U.S. have broken records annually since 2021, spurred by social, technological, and political developments. These censorship efforts most frequently target diverse media representing Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and/or lesbian, gay, bisexual+, trans+, queer, intersex, and asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) communities in and at libraries. The current surge in attempts to censor library materials constitutes part of a greater conservative political strategy in the contemporary culture wars. This literature review analyzes the academic and professional literature alongside the gray literature regarding these censorship efforts to make sense of these trends. By investigating bodies of knowledge …

Oregon Transportation Plan: Innovations In The Exploratory Scenario Planning Approach, Adam Argo, Jonathan Slason

PSU Transportation Seminars

This seminar reviews the recently-adopted Oregon Transportation Plan and the process and innovations that underpinned the analysis to identify a preferred set of investments and actions to support the vision and goals of the plan. The plan used innovative methods for communicating how investment strategies may affect regions or example households across the state. Funding is a key influence on how the plan by identifying the affects of inadequate funding and identifying how investment priorities change if funding increases. The Statewide VisionEval strategic travel model was used to conduct an exploratory scenario planning process that informed the relationships between funding, …

Prosecutors Or Helpers: An Institutional Ethnography Of Child Protective Services Casework, Anna Maria Rockhill

Dissertations and Theses

The mission of child welfare is to strengthen the ability of families to care for their children and to protect children and provide aid, services, or referrals to families where maltreatment is said to have occurred. The vast majority of the families who become involved with child welfare are multiply disadvantaged and child welfare is a key feature of the array of public supports for struggling families. However, the institution fails many of the families it serves. Despite recent efforts by those in the field to promote collaboration and engagement, many parents experience child welfare as neither empowering nor helpful …

An Overview Of Elements And Relations: Aspects Of A Scientific Metaphysics, Martin Zwick

Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

A talk on my book, Elements and Relations: Aspects of a Scientific Metaphysics. Book description:

This book develops the core proposition that systems theory is an attempt to construct an “exact and scientific metaphysics,” a system of general ideas central to science that can be expressed mathematically. Collectively, these ideas would constitute a non-reductionist “theory of everything” unlike what is being sought in physics. Inherently transdisciplinary, systems theory offers ideas and methods that are relevant to all of the sciences and also to professional fields such as systems engineering, public policy, business, and social work. To demonstrate the generality …

The Basic Dualism In The World, Martin Zwick

Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graham Harman writes that the “basic dualism in the world lies…between things in their intimate reality and things as confronted by other things.” This paper supports Harman’s assertion from a systems theoretic perspective and illustrates it with some examples, including conceptions about truth, ethics, value, and intelligence. But dualism implies irreconcilable difference; what Harman points to is better expressed as a dyad, where the two components not only imply one another but are related, and where this spatial dyad is usefully augmented with a temporal dimension, expressed in a third component or an additional orthogonal dyad.

Active Transportation Counts From Existing On-Street Signal And Detection Infrastructure, Sirisha Kothuri

PSU Transportation Seminars

The goal of agencies is to provide a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people and helps communities and economy thrive. In order to fulfill this mission, it is important to have a robust understanding of the usage of each mode within the system as well as the linkages between modes. Currently there is no systemic accounting of pedestrian traffic across the transportation network, making it difficult to understand systemic crash safety and prioritize projects. Analysts must rely on imperfect proxies such as land use density, race, income, and transit usage in the absence of measured pedestrian traffic …

The Pacific Sentinel, November 2023, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

The Pacific Sentinel

Editor: Eva Sheehan

Articles in this issue include:

• Letter from the Editor
• Death Cab for Cutie Co-Headline with the Postal Service for a Twenty Year Anniversary Release
• When the Writers Come Out at Night
• Fall of the House of Usher
• A Professor's Literary Life
• Donuts & Crypto
• Seeing Static in Jane Removers' Census Designated
• What We're Enjoying
• Events Calendar & Extras

Ambulatory Intensive Care For Medically Complex Patients At A Health Care Clinic For Individuals Experiencing Homelessness The Summit Randomized Clinical Trial, Brian Chan, Christina Nicolaidis, Meg Devoe, Priya Srikanth, P. Todd Korthuis, Samuel T. Edwards, Devan Kansagara, Rachel Solotaroff, Somnath Saha

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Importance Intensive primary care interventions have been promoted to reduce hospitalization rates and improve health outcomes for medically complex patients, but evidence of their efficacy is limited.

Objective To assess the efficacy of a multidisciplinary ambulatory intensive care unit (A-ICU) intervention on health care utilization and patient-reported outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants The Streamlined Unified Meaningfully Managed Interdisciplinary Team (SUMMIT) randomized clinical trial used a wait-list control design and was conducted at a health care clinic for patients experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon. The first patient was enrolled in August 2016, and the last patient was enrolled in November 2019. …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Primary Care Appointment Availability By Physician Age And Gender, Janna Wisniewski, Sarah E. Tinkler, Brigham Walker, Miron Stano, Rajiv Sharma

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using data generated through simulated patient calls to a national random sample of primary care physicians between February and July 2020, we examine the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on the availability of the U.S. primary care physician workforce for routine new patient appointments. As states enacted stay-at-home orders, physicians overall became less selective by insurance, and there was a 7 percentage-point increase in acceptance of patient insurance. Telemedicine appointment offers increased 10.2 percentage points from near zero. However, relative to younger counterparts, physicians older than the sample mean (53.1 years) became 18.1 percentage points less likely to …

Portland’S Response To The Western North American Heatwave: A Brief Report, Athanasios Burlotos, Caleb Dresser, Vivek Shandas

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background:

In June of 2021, a heatwave resulted in high mortality across the Pacific Northwest region. The city of Portland, Oregon, had many advantages: emergency response personnel, science-based policies, political support for climate change adaptation, and collaboration among municipal, county, state, and federal authorities. Though the city’s response likely prevented many deaths, heat-related mortality was high.

Methods:

This study presents a retrospective case analysis of the 2021 Western North American Heatwave in Portland, Oregon. Specifically, the study examines the limitations of current heatwave response paradigms by means of a narrative review of the heatwave response and impacts.

Results:

Most deaths …

Automating Intended Target Identification For Paraphasias In Discourse Using A Large Language Model, Alexandra C. Salem, Robert Gale, Mikala S. Fleegle, Gerasimos Fergadiotis, Steven Bedrick

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose:

To date, there are no automated tools for the identification and fine-grained classification of paraphasias within discourse, the production of which is the hallmark characteristic of most people with aphasia (PWA). In this work, we fine-tune a large language model (LLM) to automatically predict paraphasia targets in Cinderella story retellings.

Method:

Data consisted of 332 Cinderella story retellings containing 2,489 paraphasias from PWA, for which research assistants identified their intended targets. We supplemented these training data with 256 sessions from control participants, to which we added 2,415 synthetic paraphasias. We conducted four experiments using different training data configurations to …

Private Benefits From Ambient Air Pollution Reduction Policies Evidence From The Household Heating Stove Replacement Program In Chile, Adolfo Uribe, Randall Bluffstone, Carlos Chávez, Walter Gómez, Marcela Jaime

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We estimate the key private benefits from a program to improve ambient air quality during winter in central Chile by replacing inefficient wood-fired home heating stoves with more efficient pellet stoves. We are interested in the private benefits to households because they represent the additional value of the program and likely drive private adoption. Combining electronic stove surface temperature and air pollution monitoring with household surveys, we estimate the effects of adoption on household fuel expenditures, indoor temperatures, and indoor air pollution concentrations (PM2.5). We also explore heterogeneous effects of the program by income group and energy poverty status. Our …

Subseasonal Clustering Of Atmospheric Rivers Over The Western United States, Emily Slinskey, Paul Loikith, Naomi Goldenson, Jesse Norris, Jesse Hall

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

The serial occurrence of atmospheric rivers (ARs) along the US West Coast can lead to prolonged and exacerbated hydrologic impacts, threatening flood-control and water-supply infrastructure due to soil saturation and diminished recovery time between storms. Here a statistical approach for quantifying subseasonal temporal clustering among extreme events is applied to a 41-year (1979–2019) wintertime AR catalog across the western United States (US). Observed AR occurrence, compared against a randomly distributed AR timeseries with the same average event density, reveals temporal clustering at a greater-than-random rate across the western US with a distinct geographical pattern. Compared to the Pacific Northwest, significant …

A Guaranteed Income Intervention To Improve The Health And Financial Well-Being Of Low-Income Black Emerging Adults: Study Protocol For The Black Economic Equity Movement Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial, Sheri A. Lippman, Margaret Libby, Michelle K. Nakphong, Abigail Arons, Monica Balanoff, Rain Mocello, Emily A. Arnold, Starley B. Shade, Marguerita Lightfoot, Multiple Additional Authors

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Economic inequity systematically affects Black emerging adults (BEA), aged 18–24, and their healthy trajectory into adulthood. Guaranteed income (GI)–temporary, unconditional cash payments–is gaining traction as a policy solution to address the inequitable distribution of resources sewn by decades of structural racism and disinvestment. GI provides recipients with security, time, and support to enable their transition into adulthood and shows promise for improving mental and physical health outcomes. To date, few GI pilots have targeted emerging adults. The BEEM trial seeks to determine whether providing GI to BEA improves financial wellbeing, mental and physical health as a means to address …

Gen Z And Millennials How They Use Public Libraries And Identify Through Media Use, Kathi Inman Berens, Rachel Noorda

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

Gen Z and millennials have some surprising attitudes and behaviors regarding media consumption and library use. 54% of Gen Z and millennials visited a physical library within a twelve-month period. Libraries attract even Gen Z and millennials who don’t identify as readers. This report examines Gen Z and millennials' book-related behaviors (such as borrowing, buying, downloading and socializing) and and how media use shapes Gen Z and millennials' identity claims as Readers, Gamers, Fans and Writers. The report is intended for specialists such as librarians and book publishers, and broad public audiences.

Webinar: Understanding Connections Between Mobility, Transportation, And Quality Of Life In Refugee Communities In Tucson, Arizona, Orhon Myadar

TREC Webinar Series

While resettlement typically allows millions of forcibly displaced persons to escape from unpredictable and often dangerous conditions of displacement, most refugees experience an array of challenges after resettlement as they integrate into new communities. Many of these challenges are related to their ability to get to and from places that are important to their sense of autonomy and well-being, including sites of education, employment, worship and medical care. In this talk, Dr. Myadar will present some of the key findings of her collaborative research project on mobility-related challenges faced by refugees in Tucson, Arizona after their resettlement. This webinar is …

When Communities Face Drinking Water Crises, Bottled Water Is A 'Temporary' Solution That Often Lasts Years--And Worsens Inequality, Daniel Jaffee

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a sociologist, I study the social and environmental effects of the rapid growth of bottled-water consumption in the U.S. and beyond, and how it is linked to distrust of public tap water. In my new book, “Unbottled,” one chapter examines how these dynamics played out in Flint. As its example shows, communities can end up relying on bottled water – often at great expense – for years after a crisis.

Trimet & Tod – Opportunities For Growth, Miles Anderson, Fiona Lyon

PSU Transportation Seminars

Staff of the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) will present TriMet's recently published Regional Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) plan, explaining its inception, creation, and delivery. The team will explain how the plan fits within a hierarchy of regional and sub-regional plans and how it delivers transparency to TriMet's TOD program, enabling all stakeholders to participate. Current TOD project examples will be showcased to demonstrate how partnerships can enhance project outcomes and indicate how stakeholders from various backgrounds can influence projects.

Critical Analysis Of Anti-Asian Hate In The News, Benardo Douglas Relampagos

Dissertations and Theses

Since 2019, the United States has had an increase in violence against Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities along with an increase of mainstream anti-Asian racist rhetoric. Between 2021 and 2022, The Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism reported an overall 164% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes (Report to the Nation, 2021). While racism against black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) communities has been the topic of an ever-growing body of critical discourse, prior to 2019 few publications had addressed racism and injustice regarding language choices and discourse in the context of anti-Asian rhetoric in the US, specifically …

The Impetus Of International Security In European Integration: The Nature Of Eu Common Security And Defense Policy, Osman Goktug Tanrikulu

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the complicated relationship between security considerations and the European integration process. The research uncovers specific security factors that have shaped the EU integration process. Applying policy alignment and collective efforts for governance, this study offers a methodological improvement to the conventional status quo satisfaction concept within power transition theory.

Findings indicate that external militarized actions targeting European nations only occasionally disrupted integration in the short term. Instead, inner coordination among member states vis-à-vis external actors, promoted integration. During the early stages of integration, alignment with the EU collective was crucial, while aligning with regional leader Germany became …

Transportation Planning In An Aging Society, Shengxiao (Alex) Li

PSU Transportation Seminars

By 2030, all Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) will be 65 and older in the U.S. However, the understanding of how Baby Boomers travel differently from the previous generations, and the opportunities and challenges of older people's travel, do not keep pace with the increasing number of older people. This presentation starts with an overview of transportation policies for older people and challenges, followed by several empirical studies investigating older people's generational travel differences, vehicle ownership over the life course, and the interaction of technology usage and travel among older people. It concludes with a policy agenda …

The Green New Deal And Transit Investment, Eric Bruun

PSU Transportation Seminars

I have spent much of my professional life advocating for high quality transit infrastructure even if it takes a long time to build. I now believe we must focus on investments that can reduce greenhouse gas generation quickly. I cite some examples of how slowly projects have been built compared to peer nations and explain why.

Glimpses Of Oregon’S Sea Otters, Cameron La Follette, Douglas Deur

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sea otters are an iconic species in the history of what is now known as Oregon. Their pelts brought great wealth in late eighteenth and nineteenth century China, motivating some of Oregon’s earliest exploration, trade, and contact between Native American and Euro-American people. Over time, hunting eliminated the species from Oregon’s coastal waters. This article provides a broad introduction to the history of Oregon’s now-extinct sea otter population, describing the emergence of the Chinese market that created and sustained the hunt, the British discovery of profits to be made by trading for the pelts, and the rise of American traders. …