Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Aquaculture Research Institute Newsletter, August 21, 2023, Aquaculture Research Institute

General University of Maine Publications

AquEOUS Fellowship. The inaugural summer of this new USDA fellowship program welcomed six undergraduate students to Orono from UMaine and four other U.S. colleges and universities. Over the course of 10 weeks, they approached aquaculture projects with "two-eyed seeing," incorporating local indigenous perspectives. The program took them to some of Maine’s most beautiful field settings, including the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, the Darling Marine Center, and the Hurricane Island Center for Science and planning the program for next summer’s larger cohort! Learn about two of our fellows’ experiences

The Influence Of Framing And Recent Experience On Farmer Choices In Experimental Games Depicting Risk-Reducing Agricultural Technologies, Ana Maria Ospina Tobar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is a major threat to food security, particularly in low and middle-income countries that are highly dependent on staple crops for subsistence. The vulnerability of staple crops, like maize, in the face of climate change, is increasing due to the increasing frequency of droughts. This thesis aims to evaluate two mechanisms through which farmers may be more willing to adopt new technologies that increase their resilience to climate change: First, I evaluate the effectiveness of a new virtual maize farming game as a learning tool to teach farmers about the outcomes they could obtain under different weather events …

Navigating The Kaleidoscope Of Object(Ive)S: A User-Experience Approach To Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Madeline Bruegger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Activity Theory, specifically third-generation activity theory also known as Cultural-Historical Activity Theory or CHAT (Engeström, 2001, 2015; Leontiev, 1978, 1981; Vygotsky, 1978) has largely been used as a framework for studying different networks of activity, encountered by subjects who utilize tools or mediating artifacts in order to divide their labor within particular communities. This theoretical and empirical project analyzes a transnational user’s experiences performing their identity on Instagram by answering the research question: How does a user with transnational literacy experiences perform their identity and manage communities through the mediation of particular technologies on Instagram? Using mixed-methods from four data …

Do Good Things Come To Those Who Wait?: Investigating Temporal Discounting Rates Among Older Adults, Amy Halpin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decision-making is widely viewed as a higher-order cognitive construct, drawing on fluid intelligence as well as intact functioning across a wide variety of cognitive domains including executive function, working memory, declarative memory, and attention. The conditions of the decision-making outcome (e.g., immediate or delayed), the framing of the outcome (e.g., loss vs. gain), and the type of outcome (e.g., money, food, social or health consequences), are consistently highlighted throughout the literature as being important influences on decision-making behavior. However, decision-making behavior among and within these contexts remains inconsistent and inconclusive in older adult populations. Considering that recent evidence suggests the …

Oral Contraception And Cognition, Kathleen Gerencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oral contraception is currently used by over 100 million women worldwide. Women utilize contraception not only to prevent pregnancy but also to manage a wide range of health concerns, such as acne and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Although this medication has granted women bodily autonomy, helped them attain higher levels of education, and helped them enter the workforce in greater numbers, little is known about the consequences outside of the intended contraceptive effects, specifically the cognitive and behavioral consequences. Moreover, because doctors can prescribe contraception after the first menstrual cycle and during puberty, it’s possible that this critical window of development …

Factors Contributing To Recurrent Homelessness Among Single Mothers Using Shelters, Favour O. Akhidenor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Building on the long-term benefits of early homelessness prevention and intervention. And scaling up support for single parents with children is essential to improving economic status, good health, human capital, and well-being across all areas of life expectancy. Chronically homeless people, homeless veterans, and homeless families have all been the subject of specific studies. Yet only a few studies have investigated single mothers' return to homelessness (Anderson, 2021). Studies suggest that between 4 and 25 percent of women, who were previously homeless, end up using shelter services again, despite being provided with "permanent" housing (Johnson, 2016). This indicates that, as …

Scaling Up The Relevance Of Land-Sea Connections In Coastal Bacteria Pollution Vulnerability, Bea E. Van Dam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria pollution closures of Maine’s coastal shellfish harvest areas have substantial negative consequences for coastal businesses and communities. Sustainability solutions for Maine’s shellfish harvesting areas and businesses require new types of knowledge and information to protect water quality and public health while avoiding unnecessary fishery closures. Coastal management agencies have interests in tools to support science-based management decision-making related to pollution and sustainability solutions for businesses and communities.

Prior research into land-sea connections has demonstrated uses of geographic information and statistical methods to facilitate management and science communication. Research in Maine has focused on identification and comparison of attributes influencing …

Effects Of The Minimum Wage On U.S. Labor Markets, Dawn M. Otterby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The first section of this research investigates the impacts of the minimum wage on regional labor markets in the United States. Using ten years of county-level data, we examine the relationship between the minimum wage and several key components of the labor market. Following past research, employment variables are used to measure labor supply, but—as an extension to the literature—job postings data are included to measure labor demand. Consistent with previous studies, we find a positive relationship between labor force participation and a county’s minimum wage. We do not find a statistically significant relationship between job postings and the minimum …

Nutrition As A Modifiable Risk Factor For Cognitive Decline: Associated Cognitive And Physical Health Changes, Taylor Mcmillan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dementia is defined as gradual, progressive loss of cognitive functioning, greater than what is expected of normal aging, resulting in functional impairment. There are several types of dementia clinical syndromes that are accompanied by unique patterns of cognitive dysfunction and neuropathological changes. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of clinical dementia syndrome, accounting for approximately 60-70% of cases. Neuropathological mechanisms associated with AD include the disruption of the cholinergic system, accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau, as well as vascular pathology. Vascular pathology complicates the characterization of clinical and neuropathic changes in AD, as there becomes significant …

Exploring The Importance Of Values, Place, And Perceptions In Conservation Decision-Making In Maine: A Mixed Methods Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conservation inherently involves intertwined ecological systems and human societies. In Maine, USA conservation decision-making brings together many viewpoints, values, motivations, and experiences to balance diverse goals. Socio-cultural, experiential, financial, and ecological factors can all influence an individual’s ability to make or support a decision. This dissertation aimed to broadly explore how people perceive their role in conservation decision-making in Maine. In doing so, we articulate a diverse set of perspectives, experiences, and values. We used a mixed methods approach which enabled an in-depth understanding of the complexity of conservation decision-making while providing the opportunity for different voices to be heard. …

Spontaneous Behavioral Coordination: The Impact Of Achieved And Desired Interpersonal Closeness On Synchrony And Mimicry, Morgan Stosic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present dissertation was to examine the impact of interpersonal closeness and the desire for interpersonal closeness on displays of behavioral synchrony and mimicry, simultaneously. Groups of two strangers (N = 182 participants, N = 91 dyads) were randomly assigned to complete a “closeness-inducing” task where partners took turns asking and answering intimate questions or a comparison “small-talk” task where partners asked and answered less-intimate questions. Additionally, dyads were randomly assigned to complete these tasks in real time over Zoom, or by reading and responding to the task’s questions over text. These tasks were intended to generate …

Collaborative And Engaged Research To Strengthen Equity And Adaptive Governance In Co-Managed Fisheries, Gabrielle V. Hillyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small-scale, co-managed fisheries are found throughout the world and often represent intertwining cultures, societies, communities, economies, institutions, and governments. They face complex issues, derived from ecological and social sources. Solving these issues requires diverse expertise, often developed through engaged methodologies which can facilitate collaborative solution creation between researchers, community members, and others. In this dissertation, I demonstrate the benefits of these engaged methodologies and review how they, when coupled with anticolonial approaches to research, can create more equitable solutions to complex issues. This dissertation focuses on multiple projects within the wild clam fishery in Maine including: (1) the creation of …

The Role Food Security, Financial Literacy, And Nutrition Literacy Play On The Diet Quality Of College Students, Amelia Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to explore the roles of food security status (FSS), financial literacy (FL), and nutrition literacy (NL) on the diet quality (DQ) of college students at the University of Maine. This research additionally sought to understand mediational relationships among these factors that could impact DQ.

A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic factors, short healthy eating index (sHEI)-score, FSS, FL, and NL. Participants' continuous data were analyzed using a Pearson correlation. Differences between interactive NL and sHEI-score while controlling for gender and meal plan differences were analyzed using a MANCOVA. Additionally, differences …

"Smells Fishy": Exploring Sense Of Place Salience In Community Rejection Of Closed Net-Pen Aquaculture In Frenchman Bay, Maine, Gabriella Gurney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The global population is rising, and with it, demand for protein, particularly seafood. Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic species such as finfish, shellfish, and kelp, has been proposed as an alternative to wild-catch fisheries, of which 75% are overfished or at capacity. In Maine, aquaculture is growing, but often faces mixed community response when new or expanded projects are proposed. In the summer of 2020, a large-scale closed net-pen farm for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was proposed for Frenchman Bay, Maine. Community reaction was instantaneous and overwhelmingly negative. The strong, unified response from residents in the towns of …

The Relationship Between Intuitive Eating And Body Mass Index And Diet Quality In College Students, Ashley A. Reynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective

The objective of this research was to explore the influence of intuitive eating (IE) on body mass index (BMI) and diet quality (DQ) among college students.

Methods

A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online survey consisting of the short-Healthy Eating Index (SHEI) and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (23 items). Body mass index was calculated using self-reported height and weight. Descriptive statistics were used to assess group characteristics. A linear regression was used to test if IE scores significantly predicted BMI. An independent t-test was used to compare BMIs of students with IE scores above and below …

The Social, Cultural, And Political Influences On American Classical Composers Post-9/11: A Comparison To The New Deal And Early Cold War Eras, Christine E. Letcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how the social, cultural, and political environments of the post-9/11 period influenced the music composition of American classical composers, from the perspective of the composers. These composers are then compared to those of the New Deal and early Cold War eras. During both the New Deal and the subsequent anti-communist movement of the early Cold War era, composers and musicians made aesthetic choices because of the political climate. While much study has been done of the political engagement and activism of contemporary popular musicians, there is a dearth of research regarding classical …

Beyond 2020: How General Education Archaeology Curricula Should Adapt To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexis T. Boutin, C. Midori Longo, Victoria R. Calvin

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Archaeology often justifies its existence by invoking the trope that we must learn about the past in order to create a better future. The COVID-19 pandemic is itself an event that will enter the historical record. Thus, the universality of this public health crisis is a unique opportunity to assess the relevance of university-level archaeology curricula to our present historical moment. We studied an upper division general education course on the archaeology of complex societies at a public liberal arts college in California. The instrument of data collection was a questionnaire administered at the end of the Fall 2020, Spring …

Imperative Protection Or Veiled Persecution? Balancing §230 Immunity And The First Amendment In The Censorship Of Social Media, Emily A. Middleton Valdés

New England Journal of Political Science

In the new age of fast-paced digital news, the primary platform for political discourse has evolved from the static town square to an ever-expanding, broadly accessible, and immediately available forum of global proportions. As traditional publishers scramble to adapt to this shift, social networking platforms like Twitter and Meta (“Facebook”) have become harbors of unverified, even dangerous, information. This position has prompted the creation of “fact-checkers,” which attempt to identify and block information deemed subjectively inappropriate from disseminating into the public. Other industry leaders, like Google, have adopted a similar policy of censoring information and choosing market winners, through the …

Maine, James P. Melcher

New England Journal of Political Science

No abstract provided.

New Hampshire, Christopher J. Galdieri

New England Journal of Political Science

No abstract provided.

Note From The Editor

New England Journal of Political Science

No abstract provided.

Landings, Vol. 31, No. 8, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance, Melissa Waterman, Paul Withers, Amber-Jean Nickel, Carli Stewart, Kevin Kelley, Patrice Mccarron

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to Maine's lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

For more information, please visit the Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) website.

Rhode Island, Emily K. Lynch

New England Journal of Political Science

No abstract provided.

Race And Reparations In Providence, Rhode Island: The Role Of Public History In Racial Justice, Patrick Shea

New England Journal of Political Science

Contemporary critiques of race reparations programs in the United States often highlight two primary concerns: the shortcomings of similar policy in the past, and a perception of reparations as a kneejerk response to nationwide protests against police violence. This article presents the city of Providence’s 2020 reparations project as a potential response to these criticisms. By contextualizing the bill within the history of reparations in the United States and decades of historical activism on racial violence in the history of Southern New England, this article establishes Providence’s reparations project not simply as a reaction to recent racial justice activism, but …

Fiscal Crisis As Political Artifact: The Problem Of Misplaced Trust, Marc A. Eisner

New England Journal of Political Science

This article examines how early decisions regarding the financial model supporting Social Security—a dedicated payroll tax and a fully-funded reserve account—shaped the understanding of revenue flows and, ultimately, the debt. Although the original model was discarded, the residual features of the model had unintended consequences. The segregation of payroll taxes from the general fund and the distinction between the debt held by the public and the intragovernmental debt accentuated concerns over an imminent fiscal crisis and created pressure for austerity in discretionary spending. The projections of trust fund insolvency, in turn, framed a larger narrative about the entitlement crisis. To …

Connecticut, Paul Petterson

New England Journal of Political Science

No abstract provided.

Massachusetts, Jerold J. Duquette

New England Journal of Political Science

No abstract provided.

Vermont, Paul Petterson

New England Journal of Political Science

No abstract provided.

All Politics, No Longer Local? A Study Of The New Hampshire House Of Representatives, 2001-2021, Dante J. Scala, J. Mitchell Scacchi

New England Journal of Political Science

New Hampshire’s state legislature is at the heart of its political culture. The Granite State prides itself on the legislature’s intensely local brand of politics, in which representatives remain highly attuned and accountable to their constituents. In this article, we explore whether state representatives still possess strong local ties.

We use biographical data to examine whether legislators build robust local public service experience before joining the legislature. We conclude that the latest generations of New Hampshire state legislators were less likely over the past decade to bring significant local experience with them to the legislature. This decline occurred among both …

R&R: Retirements From And Retentions In The Popularly-Elected Senate, Hanna K. Brant, Theodore J. Masthay, L. Marvin Overby

New England Journal of Political Science

While there has been a good bit of scholarly attention paid to career dynamics in—including retirements from—the U. S. House of Representatives, relatively less attention has been paid to the Senate. The few studies of career decisions in the upper chamber (e.g., Bernstein and Wolak 2002; Masthay and Overby 2017) have focused on the more or less modern Senate. In this study, we extend the time series back to the early 1900s, taking in the entire century of the popularly elected Senate. In doing so, we increase our analytical leverage to explore dynamics in the frequency, ratio (compared to …