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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Russian Real Estate Purchases In Finland, 1990-2016, Mika Hasanen Jan 2017

Russian Real Estate Purchases In Finland, 1990-2016, Mika Hasanen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foreign real estate ownership has been a frequent topic in the Finnish public discourse in the 2010s. Real estate purchases by Russian citizens have received lots of negative attention. In this thesis, the spatial distribution of real estate bought by Russians was studied. Purchases between January 1990 and August 2016 were mapped and analyzed using Getis-Ord Gi* hot spot analysis. The home addresses of the buyers were also geocoded to find out where the majority of buyers live, and geodetic distances to their properties were calculated. Buildings on these properties were analyzed to examine motives for the purchases.


Gender Matters: Perceptions Of Corporate Leadership, Kylie A. Braegelmann Jan 2017

Gender Matters: Perceptions Of Corporate Leadership, Kylie A. Braegelmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women remain conspicuously underrepresented at the highest levels of corporate management; thus, it seems, gender matters. Gender bias in financial markets would imply an inefficient market, which necessarily constrains economic performance and social welfare more generally. To measure gender bias, I examine the cumulative abnormal returns around CEO announcements from 1992 through 2016 using a modified event study methodology. Existing event studies in this field are inconclusive as to whether or not such a bias exists. Therefore, this research contributes to the literature by extending the data, using a larger event window, and studying bias over time and firm size. …


Normalization Of Pseudo-Invariant Calibration Sites For Increasing The Temporal Resolution And Long-Term Trending, Harika Vuppula Jan 2017

Normalization Of Pseudo-Invariant Calibration Sites For Increasing The Temporal Resolution And Long-Term Trending, Harika Vuppula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given their low level of temporal, spatial, and spectral variability, Pseudo-Invariant Calibration Sites (PICS) have been increasingly desired as data sources for radiometric calibration of Earth imaging satellite sensors. The temporal resolution for PICS data acquired by any sensor is limited by the amount of time required for it to make subsequent passes over the site. Consequently, for any given PICS, it can take many years of imaging to develop a sufficient amount of cloud-free data to perform radiometric calibration; this can be especially problematic for sensors in their early years after launch. This thesis presents techniques to combine Landsat-8; …


The Transformation Of An Agriculture-Based Economy To A Tourism-Based Economy: Citizens' Perceived Impacts Of Sustainable Tourism Development, Debra P. Laville-Wilson Jan 2017

The Transformation Of An Agriculture-Based Economy To A Tourism-Based Economy: Citizens' Perceived Impacts Of Sustainable Tourism Development, Debra P. Laville-Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers have explored the perceptions and impacts of tourism development. However, no studies have included the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis where tourism has replaced agriculture as the primary driver of the islands’ economies. Furthermore, recent studies have not explored demographic factors that determine people’s perceptions of the impacts of tourism development in these islands. The purpose of this study was to investigate if citizens’ perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural, environmental and community impacts of tourism development vary by demographic factors such as age, education, gender and geographical location in relation to tourist areas. Nineteen research hypotheses …


Relationship Of Stress, Sleep, Physical Activity, And Food Insecurity On Eating Behaviors And Obesity, Amy Lee Richards Jan 2017

Relationship Of Stress, Sleep, Physical Activity, And Food Insecurity On Eating Behaviors And Obesity, Amy Lee Richards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is an urgent need to find effective interventions to prevent and reduce obesity as it is associated with chronic disease and decreased quality of life. Gaining a better understanding of how modifiable variables such as stress, sleep, physical activity, and food insecurity are related to eating behaviors associated with obesity is essential to guide the direction of future interventions and research. Interventions that hold promise need to be tested to determine if they have merit or not. This dissertation presents three papers. Two papers are cross-sectional studies evaluating associations between eating behaviors, obesity, and modifiable variables (stress, sleep, physical …


The Determinants Of Rural Outmigration In The United States: 2010-2014, Munia Sunjid Jan 2017

The Determinants Of Rural Outmigration In The United States: 2010-2014, Munia Sunjid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on both economic and noneconomic determinants of geographical migration out of rural areas in the United States. In line with existing studies on individual’s decision to migrate from rural to urban areas, our analysis compares expected returns in rural to those in urban areas. Using annual U.S. countylevel count data spanning the period from 2010 to 2014, Fixed Effect and Negative Binomial methods are used to evaluate the effects of both economic and noneconomic variables on geographical outmigration from rural to urban areas. Determining factors investigated include distance between place of origin and potential destination, median household …


Associations Between Personality Style, Perceptions Of Health Coaching And Percent Of Starting Weight In Meal Replacement Program Participants, Anne E. Sawyer Jan 2017

Associations Between Personality Style, Perceptions Of Health Coaching And Percent Of Starting Weight In Meal Replacement Program Participants, Anne E. Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine if personality style and an individual’s perception of their health coaching experience impact their ability to lose weight and/or maintain weight loss. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to 20,000 current and past meal replacement program participants. Personality style was assessed via the Ten Item Personality Inventory, providing individual perceptions of each of the Big Five personality domains (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience). The Working Alliance Inventory (Short Revised) was used to assess three key perceptions of health coaching: 1) agreement on the goals of coaching (goal), 2) agreement on the tasks of …


The Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Rhetorical Analysis Of President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, And President Donald J. Trump’S Political Discourse About Syrian Refugees, Erin Lionberger Jan 2017

The Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Rhetorical Analysis Of President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, And President Donald J. Trump’S Political Discourse About Syrian Refugees, Erin Lionberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I introduce the reader to sixteen texts of political discourse about Syrian refugees from three rhetors; President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and President Donald J. Trump. As the Syrian refugee crisis continues to grow, political leaders and citizens around the world debate the appropriate way to provide aid to those fleeing Syria. I rhetorically analyze multiple texts from each of these politicians’ and their use of framing, ideographs and metaphors within their political discourse. In my research, I suggest that the framing language used by each rhetor about Syrian refugees has varying impacts on the audience. The …


Graduate School Decisions: The Impact Of Out-Of-Class Communication On First-Generation College Students, Kaitlyn Voges Jan 2017

Graduate School Decisions: The Impact Of Out-Of-Class Communication On First-Generation College Students, Kaitlyn Voges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students possess barriers within academics that may be unique to the population. This thesis seeks to understand how instructors and advisors can use the memorable messages framework to encourage first-generation college students to attend graduate school despite barriers the students may possess. Thirteen first-generation college/graduate students were interviewed regarding their decisions to attend graduate school. Specifically, interviewees were asked if they received memorable messages from an outside source which encouraged them to pursue a master’s degree. A majority of participants stated they had received a particular message from either an instructor or academic advisor. These messages tended to …


Explaining The Gender Wage Gap In Rural And Urban China, Wei Gu Jan 2017

Explaining The Gender Wage Gap In Rural And Urban China, Wei Gu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The gender wage gap is a long-standing and worldwide issue. Since the equality sense towards gender role are difference between rural and urban China, this paper will (1) compare the gender wage gap in rural and urban settings; (2) examine how the associated factors (such as education, occupation, and housework involvements) affect the wage; (3) assess and compare gender discrimination in the rural and urban labor markets. This paper utilizes the survey data from China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2011. The methods of descriptive statistics, correlation, and stepwise multiple regression models are applied in analyzing the data. The results …


Do College Students Perceive Stigma The Same Way Experts Do? An Experimental Test Of Lay Perceptions Of Body-Size Stigma, Andie Malterud Jan 2017

Do College Students Perceive Stigma The Same Way Experts Do? An Experimental Test Of Lay Perceptions Of Body-Size Stigma, Andie Malterud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personal experience with weight-based stigma is negatively associated with selfesteem (Myers & Rosen, 1999). This study examined how self-esteem is affected by exposure to weight-based stigma communication that is directed at another person. Using Smith’s (2007a) stigma communication framework, I created a 2 (Stigma Level: high, low) x 2 (Gender of stigmatized person: male, female) x 2 (Body Size of stigmatized person: large, small) posttest-only experiment. Participants’ self-esteem was not impacted after viewing stigmatizing messages directed at another person. This suggests that selfesteem is more stable than some researchers indicate (Wagner, Lüdtke, and Trautwein, 2016). My results suggest that stigma …


Assessment Of Watershed Condition And Vulnerability To Forecasted Land-Use/Land-Cover Change In The Northwestern Great Plains Of Western South Dakota, Aaron Suehring Jan 2017

Assessment Of Watershed Condition And Vulnerability To Forecasted Land-Use/Land-Cover Change In The Northwestern Great Plains Of Western South Dakota, Aaron Suehring

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A projected increase in global population by mid-century will likely further intensify agricultural practices given future demand for food, increasing the strain on the nation’s aquatic resources. Extensive water quality monitoring will be important in agriculturally dominated regions. The main objectives of this effort were to develop an approach to assess watershed condition and watershed vulnerability to land-use/landcover (LULC) change under multiple scenarios of future development. We used U.S. EPA’s Analytical Tools Interface for Landscape Assessment (ATtILA) to analyze landscape spatial data to determine the condition of wadeable, perennial stream watersheds in the Northwestern Great Plains level III ecoregion of …


Examination Of The Potential Of Structure-From-Motion Photogrammetry And Terrestrial Laser Scanning For Rapid Nondestructive Field Measurement Of Grass Biomass, Sam D. Cooper Jan 2017

Examination Of The Potential Of Structure-From-Motion Photogrammetry And Terrestrial Laser Scanning For Rapid Nondestructive Field Measurement Of Grass Biomass, Sam D. Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Above ground biomass (AGB) is a parameter commonly used for assessment of grassland systems. While destructive sampling of AGB is highly accurate, it is time consuming and often precludes repeat temporal sampling or sampling in sensitive ecosystems. Consequently, a number of nondestructive techniques that relate grass structural properties to AGB have been developed. This study investigated the application of two recent technologies, Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Structurefrom- Motion (SfM), in the development of rapid nondestructive AGB estimation of grassland plots. TLS and SfM volume metrics generated using a rasterized surface differencing method were linearly related to destructively measured total …


Heterogeneous Nitrogen Losses: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Changes In Management Across South Dakota, Archibold Quaye Jan 2017

Heterogeneous Nitrogen Losses: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Changes In Management Across South Dakota, Archibold Quaye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The loss of nitrogen fertilizer into the atmosphere and waterways is of increasing concern for citizens and policy makers. This is particularly relevant for hypoxia in rivers, lakes, and oceans, but also relevant for policy makers in reducing the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere and include: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. Overall, the estimated contribution from the agricultural sector to GHG emissions was 9% in 2013 (EPA, 2013). Further, the addition of nitrogen to the soil through the use of synthetic fertilizers is a main contributor to …


Exploring The Relationship Between Immediacy Behaviors And Student Motivation In Engineering Classrooms: Immediacy As A Cause Of Motivation, Andrea N. Barahona Guerrero Jan 2017

Exploring The Relationship Between Immediacy Behaviors And Student Motivation In Engineering Classrooms: Immediacy As A Cause Of Motivation, Andrea N. Barahona Guerrero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Instructor immediacy is an essential characteristic of effective instructors. Although instructional communication has done extensive research on the impact of immediacy behaviors on students, there is little available research observing immediacy behaviors as predictors of motivation on engineering students. As a result, this study examined the impact of engineering instructors’ use of immediacy behaviors on engineering students’ motivation. The results indicated that verbal immediacy predicted engineering student motivation. The thematic analysis revealed that when students perceived their instructors as helpful, students’ motivation to learn and ask more questions increased. The thematic analysis also observed that when instructors seemed unapproachable, students …


Women’S Rights And Public Confidence: The Connection Between International Human Rights Norms And Public Confidence In Women’S Organizations, Druanna Marie Mozingo Jan 2017

Women’S Rights And Public Confidence: The Connection Between International Human Rights Norms And Public Confidence In Women’S Organizations, Druanna Marie Mozingo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1949, human rights has been a constant concern. Women, in particular, are particular objects of distress in that they still face the most inequality globally. Despite the need for better women’s rights, public confidence in women’s organizations is varied widely. This paper explains the variations in public confidence of women’s organizations. I argue that the variation in confidence is a function of the state’s level of internalization of international norms of basic women’s rights. This paper uses the Convention to End Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as the foundation for international women’s rights. …


Meaning In Life As A Moderator Of Resilience And Traumatic Stress: A Study Of Protective Factors And Sex Differences In A Sample Of Mississippi Coastal Residents Seeking Mental Health Services After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Bethany Jane Aiena Jan 2017

Meaning In Life As A Moderator Of Resilience And Traumatic Stress: A Study Of Protective Factors And Sex Differences In A Sample Of Mississippi Coastal Residents Seeking Mental Health Services After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Bethany Jane Aiena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In April of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded, releasing millions of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Disasters often lead to a decrease in psychological well-being for those affected by the disaster. Positive psychological constructs such as resilience and perceived meaning in life have been shown to be significant protective factors against the negative psychological effects of a disaster. Utilizing a sample of 1119 adults seeking mental health services along the coast of Mississippi after the spill, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between these …


Sicilians In Detroit: How Do They Speak?, Giovanna Brunetti Jan 2017

Sicilians In Detroit: How Do They Speak?, Giovanna Brunetti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study focuses on the linguistic analysis of the varieties of the Sicilian dialect spoken in the city of Detroit, Michigan. The city has witnessed, starting from the early 19th century, a steady process of immigration and settlement involving speakers mainly arriving from the two Sicilian coastal towns of Terrasini and Cinisi. The varieties they speak appear to have never been the subject of systematic observation. The present study, thus, focuses on the preservation, attrition and/or loss of the phonological features of the Sicilian dialect spoken by a community of Sicilian immigrants of different generations living in Detroit. Native …


Before Me, After Me, Through Me: Stories Of Food And Community In Eastern Kentucky, Abigail Myers Huggins Jan 2017

Before Me, After Me, Through Me: Stories Of Food And Community In Eastern Kentucky, Abigail Myers Huggins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This text contextualizes and presents twenty-three oral history interviews conducted in eastern Kentucky during the summer of 2016 as a part of a Master of Arts thesis in southern studies. The interviews were conducted with people specifically connected to food, farming, and community activism in and near Letcher County, Kentucky. The interviews explore such topics as: past and present food traditions, seed saving, gardening, farming, food preservation, herbalism, local food systems, food access, youth, theater arts, lgbtq+ advocacy, and appalachian identity. This document complements an online collection of oral history excerpts created as an audio documentary portion of the overall …


Comparing The Effects Of Cognitive And Social Stress Among Individuals With Headache, Yelena Louise Johnson Jan 2017

Comparing The Effects Of Cognitive And Social Stress Among Individuals With Headache, Yelena Louise Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress is the most frequently reported trigger of headache. A number of studies have examined responses to cognitive and physical stressors among individuals with headache, primarily using self-report and various physiological measurements as outcome variables. In the stress literature more broadly, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) consistently has been shown to be a valid and reliable method of eliciting laboratory stress. However, this popular stress manipulation has not been previously used or promoted within the headache literature. The present study aimed to introduce the TSST to the headache literature and to experimentally compare the TSST to a cognitive stressor …


Into Ireland: An Analysis Of Cultural Hybridity, Immigration, Food, And Place In The Silicon Docks Market In Dublin, Ireland, Grace Katharine Elizabeth Myers Jan 2017

Into Ireland: An Analysis Of Cultural Hybridity, Immigration, Food, And Place In The Silicon Docks Market In Dublin, Ireland, Grace Katharine Elizabeth Myers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ireland is still recovering from the Great Recession that devastated much of the world in 2007. Simultaneously, the country is also dealing with increasing diversity and multiculturalism during a time of rising economic stability. This thesis analyzes the effects of globalization on the local expressions and perceptions of changing cultural identities through an examination of interactions between Irish patrons and Non-Irish vendors and employees in a weekly lunchtime food market located in the Silicon Docks Business Park in Dublin, Ireland. The actions which occur in the market demonstrate the influences of cross-cultural contact and heterogeneity on the Irish display of …


The Analysis Of Contact-Era Settlements In Clay, Lowndes, And Oktibbeha Counties In Northeast Mississippi, Emily Lee Clark Jan 2017

The Analysis Of Contact-Era Settlements In Clay, Lowndes, And Oktibbeha Counties In Northeast Mississippi, Emily Lee Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to compare the spatial distribution of sites across Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha counties between the Mississippi and Early Historic periods using site files from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), sites were mapped chronologically to examine change through time to investigate how people reacted to European contact and colonization. Site locations and clusters also were used to evaluate possible locations of the polities of Chicaza, Chakchiuma, and Alimamu discussed in the De Soto chronicles. Sites in Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha counties were chosen due to the existence of …


Three Essays On Private Market Interactions, Jonathan Daigle Jan 2017

Three Essays On Private Market Interactions, Jonathan Daigle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The first study addresses why insurers, whom traditionally invest in relatively safe assets, choose to invest in private equity (PE). Using insurer financial disclosures, we test theories relating how risk shifting, managerial discretion, underinvestment, asset liability matching, regulation, home bias, and reaching for yield affect PE investment. Results indicate risk¬ shifting and managerial discretion by stock insurers does not factor into the PE investment decision. In addition, results confirm home bias positively influences PE investment while underinvestment, asset liability matching, and regulation deter PE investment. Finally, insurers have not increased their PE allocation due to low-yield interest rate environments. The …


Investigating The Glass Ceiling: How Women In Top Media Management Shattered The Glass Ceiling, Jessica Frenshea Love Jan 2017

Investigating The Glass Ceiling: How Women In Top Media Management Shattered The Glass Ceiling, Jessica Frenshea Love

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the successful experiences of women in top media management and their attitudes toward factors of the glass ceiling to identify which factors they perceive as most important, those that remain prominent, and other factors that may have aided in their success. The glass ceiling is the “unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements” (Cotter, Hermsen, Ovadia, & Vanneman, 2001). This ceiling persists for women in top media management, despite increased feminization in these fields. Previous studies conclude that family …


Short-Term Study Abroad And Dialect Acquisition: An Analysis Of The Acquisition Of The Ustedes-Vosotros Verbal Mixing By Study Abroad L2 Learners Of Spanish, Samuel Collins Hearn Jan 2017

Short-Term Study Abroad And Dialect Acquisition: An Analysis Of The Acquisition Of The Ustedes-Vosotros Verbal Mixing By Study Abroad L2 Learners Of Spanish, Samuel Collins Hearn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Study abroad is often idealized as a panacea for language learning. The growth in the popularity of studying abroad has led to the proliferation of programs of various lengths, among which is the short-term study abroad program, typically lasting around one month. Much needed investigation remains regarding the effectiveness of short-term study abroad programs, and this study aims to understand the level of effectiveness through the lens of dialect feature acquisition. Specifically, in southwestern Andalucía, there exists a phenomenon in which local speakers of Spanish mix the pronoun ustedes with the verbal conjugation of the second person plural pronoun, vosotros. …


Citizen Security And Democratization In Latin America: Implications Of Law Enforcement Reforms And Demilitarization, Fernanda Andrea Gutierrez Merino Jan 2017

Citizen Security And Democratization In Latin America: Implications Of Law Enforcement Reforms And Demilitarization, Fernanda Andrea Gutierrez Merino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Latin American region has transitioned to democracy in the last forty-thirty years and along with many policy reforms, citizen security has not been left behind. As these changes evolve, the relationship between internal security and the development of a stable democracy has acquired a great importance in terms of the factors that contribute to a free world. The purpose of this research is to look at how security policy and policing in Argentina, Chile, el Salvador, and Mexico have contributed to the democratization process in regards to how the recent reforms in law enforcement in the region have created favorable …


Cyberbullying: Exploration Of Impact Of Loneliness And Prior Experience On Psychological Distress, Amy Marie Beel Jan 2017

Cyberbullying: Exploration Of Impact Of Loneliness And Prior Experience On Psychological Distress, Amy Marie Beel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the potential role of loneliness as a mediator in the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration and psychological distress in a sample of college-age students. It was also hypothesized that prior history of traditional bullying involvement in childhood would moderate the impact of loneliness as a mediator of the relationship between cyberbullying and loneliness. University of Mississippi students (n = 372), primarily females of European descent participated in an online survey. Participants completed measures assessing loneliness, cyberbullying involvement, psychological distress, and past traditional bullying involvement. Few participants reported a history of traditional bullying. As such, a mediation …


Ask Your Doctor About Exposure Therapy!: Direct-To-Consumer Marketing Of Empirically Supported Psychological Treatments For Anxiety, Joshua C. Fulwiler Jan 2017

Ask Your Doctor About Exposure Therapy!: Direct-To-Consumer Marketing Of Empirically Supported Psychological Treatments For Anxiety, Joshua C. Fulwiler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts to disseminate Evidence-Based Psychological Interventions (EBPIS) to mental health practitioners, most individuals with psychological disorders do not receive any form of treatment, and many others who do seek treatment do not receive EBPIS. The success of the pharmaceutical industry in effectively marketing prescription drugs directly to consumers is considered as a model for advancing dissemination of EBPIS. Utilizing undergraduate students as participants, the current study examined how potential consumers of mental health services respond to internet-based marketing information about EBPIS. Participants vieinformation about anxiety disorders and a specific type of treatment (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy) in both text and …


Deconstructing The Winner's Circle, Taylar Bolds Jan 2017

Deconstructing The Winner's Circle, Taylar Bolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has investigated black women in mass feminized sports cultures and spaces such as gymnastics, beauty pageants, and cheerleading, finding patterns of hegemonic ideals and the preference for "white" standards. I expand the narrative to include the twirling culture by investigating how female twirlers, and in particular black female twirlers, perform and embody femininity and whiteness. Using data from ten (10) semi-structured interviews and observations of three baton-twirling competitions, I investigate how female baton twirlers competing in one of the largest American baton twirling organizations embody femininity, as well as negotiate raced and gendered criteria in what I call …


Discreet Only: An Exploration Of Discreet Practices On Grindr In A Mississippi Town, Ian Michael Whalen Jan 2017

Discreet Only: An Exploration Of Discreet Practices On Grindr In A Mississippi Town, Ian Michael Whalen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.