Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Indicators Of Political Instability In The Presence Of Rapid Urban And Youth Population Growth, Douglas W. Hubbard

Theses and Dissertations

Large and rapidly growing cities and other urban agglomerations have the potential to become incubators of political instability. This is especially true of rapidly growing cities which are located in countries that are also experiencing high rates of growth in their youth population. Rapid growth rates put stress on urban infrastructure and other institutions, and these stresses can cause major problems for both city and national governments. Knowing when these cities and countries may be trending toward their tipping points regarding political instability will help governments and international organizations develop and implement effective strategies to mitigate the risk of instability.

Screening Heuristics For The Evaluation Of Covert Network Node Insertion Scenarios, Andrew E. Pekarek

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research on covert networks uses social network analysis (SNA) to determine critical members of the network to either kill or capture for the purpose of network destabilization. This thesis takes the opposite approach and evaluates potential scenarios for inserting an agent into a covert network for information gathering purposes or future disruption operations. Due to the substantial number of potential insertion scenarios in a large network, this research proposes three screening heuristics that leverage SNA measures to reduce the solution space before applying a simple search heuristic.

An Exploratory Analysis Of Time Series Econometric Data For Retention Forecasting Using Deep Learning, John C. O'Donnell

Theses and Dissertations

Officer retention in the Air Force has been researched many times in an attempt to better predict the personnel needs of the Air Force for the future. There has been previous work done in regards to specific AFSCs and how their retention compares to specific yet similar private sector jobs. This study considers different econometric time series statistics as a feature space and an average Air Force officer separation rate as the response variable for the multivariate time series analysis deep learning techniques. The econometric indicators used in this study are New Business Formations, New Durable Good Orders, and the …

Combined Effects Of Depression And Sport-Related Concussion On Neuropsychological Test Performance, Morgan Amanda Davies

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which the combination of depression and sport-related concussion (SRC) impact cognitive functioning and recovery time. Neuropsychological test-score differences between concussed athletes with and without pre-existing or post-concussive depression were examined. Participants included 2238 collegiate athletes who completed baseline testing between 2015 and 2019. Of those participants, 152 sustained concussions and were further investigated. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for depression at both baseline and post-concussion. Total scores of 5 or greater on the PHQ-9 resulted in classification as depressed. Cognitive functioning …

Comparison Of The Gad-7 And Impact Symptom Cluster Scores In Measuring Anxiety Among College Athletes, Robert Steven Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

Assessing the needs of mental health among college athletes is important given the prevalence rates, stigma, and complications that may arise after experiencing a concussion. Utilizing the General Anxiety Disorder- 7 (GAD-7) as an independent measure of anxiety at concussion baseline evaluation was explored among Division II collegiate athletes (n=568), which also included the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) symptom clusters. ImPACT symptom clusters can be divided into four cluster (affective, cognitive, physical/somatic, and sleep) encompassing a 22-item self-report questionnaire. Simple linear regressions revealed that GAD-7 total score was significantly predicted by all four ImPACT symptom clusters. The …

Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Women Interpersonal Violence Survivors, Melissa Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Women have a significant risk of experiencing interpersonal violence over the course of their lifetime. There has been some suggestion that this risk has been exacerbated by the isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed study will evaluate levels of stress associated with interpersonal violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression, coronavirus anxiety, Posttraumatic symptoms, and COVID-19 stress levels will be evaluated. It is hypothesized that participants who experienced interpersonal violence (childhood abuse, physical assault, unwanted sexual experiences, and/or intimate partner violence) will endorse higher levels of COVID-19 stress, Posttraumatic symptoms, depression. These outcomes would be mediated by experiential avoidance. …

Differences In List Learning Performance On The Moca Wordlist And Shepherd Verbal Learning Test In Cognitively Normal, Mci, And Ad Individuals, Gabrielle Montgomery Gavitt

Theses and Dissertations

Title: Differences in List Learning Performance on the MoCA wordlist and Shepherd Verbal Learning Test in Cognitively Normal, MCI, and AD Individuals Author: Gabrielle Montgomery Gavitt, M.S. Major Advisor: Anthony LoGalbo, Ph.D. Objective: The present study examines performance on the MoCA wordlist and SVLT wordlist and their association with the outcomes of healthy, MCI, and AD in a memory disorder clinic sample and community sample. Method: Archival data form 125 Health First Memory Disorder Clinic patients was utilized. Data from a community sample of geriatric individuals was also utilized. Participants were included if they were administered both the MoCA and …

Marital Satisfaction, Parental Stress, & Perceived Social Support Of Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Miriam Khiari Millan

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of both formal and informal social supports on mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder’s marital satisfaction and parental stress. To our knowledge, no other study has examined the relationship between various formal support types and marital satisfaction. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the effects of both formal and informal social supports on mothers of children with ASD’s marital satisfaction and maternal stress. A sample of 151 mothers of children with ASD completed the online survey, assessing their use of formal and informal supports, their perceived effectiveness of said social …

Group Psychotherapy For Pain: A Meta-Analysis, Cameron Todd Alldredge

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain is common and frequently interferes with people’s regular functioning and reduces quality of life. Though pharmacological approaches are used most frequently to treat pain-related issues, the side effects of these medications often lead to other problems. Group therapy has been used and studied for decades in treating pain though it’s general efficacy for addressing pain is not clear. Objectives: to determine group therapy’s efficacy for patients with pain-related issues and whether the effects are moderated by study, patient, leader, or group characteristics. Method: potential articles were selected from searches completed in major databases based on a set of …

God, Me, And Thee: Associations Between Religion, Sexuality, And Marital Connection, Rebecca Walker Clarke

Theses and Dissertations

There is a well-established and positive association between religiosity and marital satisfaction. What is less clear is the effect of religiosity on marital sexual outcomes, with research findings that have run the gamut from negative to positive. Given that most religions teach that marriage is the divinely appointed context for a sexual relationship, religious persons who are married and in sexual relationships could have a different experience with sex than those who are not in a marital sexual relationship. Although the majority of the population in the United States is religious, sex in religious marriages has received scant research attention. …

Financial Inclusion And Monetary Policy - Investigating The Relationship Between Financial Inclusion And Monetary Policy: The Case Of Egypt, Salma Maher

Theses and Dissertations

In the past decade, financial inclusion has become an issue of increasing importance to developing nations. This is due to its perceived effects on poverty alleviation, sustainable growth and enhancing monetary policy effectiveness. Unfortunately, there is little empirical research on the effects of financial inclusion. The thesis hopes to contribute to the literature by inspecting the relationship between financial utilization indices and monetary policy in Egypt. The thesis utilizes quarterly data on outstanding deposits and loans from 2004 to 2020 as well as a VAR model – supplemented with an ARDL model – to test the aforementioned relationship. The thesis …

Cryptocurrencies Bandwagon…Fad Wave Or Investment Asset? Firm Level Analysis Of Panel Data In Egypt, Yasmine Galal

Theses and Dissertations

The crypto market is growing rapidly and gaining momentum globally. The current study is tackling the impact of the crypto exchanges on the stock market in Egypt. The author consolidated firm level data from DataStream and Cryptocurrency data from CoinDesk to conduct this study over the period 2014-2020. The methodology is based on Fixed Effect and IV-GMM models to study the differential impact across sectors and firm attributes. Our main findings can be highlighted as follows: (a) cryptocurrencies are substitutes to stocks. (b)Two periods are highlighted in the analysis: 2016 post currency devaluation and COVID-19 pandemic, where the adoption was …

Stuck In The Middle: An Analysis Of Economic Growth And The Technological Intensity Of Exports, Aya Abdel Halim

Theses and Dissertations

Driven by the persistence of some economies’ lower-middle-income status, also known as the middle-income trap, this research aims to identify the relationship between exports and their growth rates. A Cobb-Douglass model augmented by the different types of exports is employed, and the relationship is estimated for a panel of 77 lower-middle-income economies using multiple two-step system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) model. This research’s contribution to the literature is two-fold: First, it analyzes exports from both an aggregated level (i.e., total exports) as well as at a disaggregated level by the technological intensity of exports. To add, the panel of …

Animal Abuse In Egypt: An Assessment Of Attitudes, Behaviors And Protective Factors Among University Students And Graduates., Salma El Saedy

Theses and Dissertations

Animal abuse is an understudied problem in Egypt with possible ramifications on both non-human and human animals and links to interpersonal violence and conduct problems. This study aims to explore the attitudes and behaviors of Egyptian university students and graduates towards the treatment and use of animals in society and to test if exposure to animal abuse is associated with abusive behavior. The study also aims to identify possible protective factors against animal abuse among a group of positive deviants. A mixed-methods approach was used to study these questions; an online survey was disseminated over social media platforms, and 99 …

Inhabiting Suspension: Neoliberalism And The Public Servants In Ismailia's Radio Canal, Mayar Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

To be a public servant in 2021 is to endure many sociopolitical and financial hardships as well as many stereotypes. Between living in dire straits and lacking any motive to work, the public servants and their behavior are almost always rendered indolent. Yet, this ambiguous/all-inclusive category needs to be pinned down, shaped in a sociopolitical landscape in which change is analyzed, documented, and conveyed. In the journey of uncovering what it is like to be working in a service governmental institution, Radio Canal in Ismailia allowed me to delve into a segment of the public servant category in a moment …

Entrepreneurship Education As Part Of Higher Education Reform In Egypt: An Exploratory Qualitative Case Study, Mona Mersal

Theses and Dissertations

Higher Education plays a key role in developing societies’ economies through preparing successful leaders and citizens who can compete in today’s rapidly-changing labor market. Entrepreneurship education can pave the way for job creation, innovation, critical thinking, and economic growth. The aim of this study is to explore the views of higher education stakeholders about the economic, socio-cultural, and pedagogical implications of entrepreneurship education in a private international higher education institution in Egypt, namely the American University in Cairo (AUC). Moreover, the study seeks to investigate some of the obstacles and best practices of entrepreneurship education at the AUC. The study …

Communication Fatigue Among Egyptian School Teachers, Nahla El Gendy

Theses and Dissertations

Communication fatigue is a situation when a person is no longer able to engage in communication. This study, which is one of the very first in the field, determines the antecedents and consequences of communication fatigue among Egyptian school teachers to be used as a guide for decision makers in the educational sector. Communication between teachers and students is fundamental in the learning process and understanding the antecedents and consequences of communication fatigue is meant to improve the communication between teachers and students and positively reflect on the learning process.

This study answers three main research questions: What is communication …

“No Masses Without Muslims’ Approval” The Crisis Of Building And Restoring Churches In Egypt: Three Case Studies From El-Minya Governorate, Sara Shaltout

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the crisis of building and renovating churches in Egypt in the light of the Church-state relation. I focused on three case studies in the El-Minya governorate that includes the largest Christian concentration in the Middle East to shed light on the existing difficulties that face Christians there regarding building a house of worship. The first case study, "church No 1", was demolished due to political conflict between Islamists and the state after the Rabaa massacre in 2013. In comparison, church No 2 asserts that Muslims' approval is a prerequisite for Christians' prayers. In addition to church No …

Effect Of Covid-19 On The Wellbeing Of Healthcare Professionals In Public Isolation Hospitals In Egypt, Shaimaa Sabbah

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most vulnerable groups severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic has been the Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), especially the physicians, pharmacists, and nurses who work in public Isolation hospitals. The Egyptian medical syndicate declared the death of more than 600 physicians from February 2020 till January 2022. In the meantime, the Egyptian government has worked on different policies for relieving the negative effects of the pandemic on this vulnerable group; however, easing restrictions, no total lockdown implementation, and monitoring bureaucracy has negatively affected the wellbeing of those HCPs. The study aims to figure out recommended policies to protect HCPs’ …

Exploitation And Perpetuation Of The Israeli Occupation By The Arab States: A Historical Political Economy Perspective, Seif Hendy

Theses and Dissertations

Within the larger Arab-Israeli conflicts, numerous states within the Arab world have become involved to varying degrees. Despite overwhelming vocal support for the Palestinian cause, the conflict has persisted with many of its varying aspects becoming amplified, as opposed to approaching resolution. Through the context of contemporary normalisation, this analysis investigates the role of these Arab states historically in perpetuating this state of conflict. Utilising a perspective of historical political economy, the investigation draws on two case studies that illuminate this thesis. The first case study is that of the division and occupation of Palestine following the collapse of the …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Psychological Stress And Academic Motivation On Psychology Graduate Students, Symone Kierra Calhoun

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students experience significant amounts of psychological stress in terms of academic and professional settings. In addition, academic performance can fluctuate depending on the circumstance. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant challenges for mental health, academic motivation, substance use, and other related domains. However, the research specific to psychology graduate students and the impact of COVID-19 is limited, specifically related to performance. Therefore, the current study examined the relationship between the pandemic and its impact on psychology graduate students' psychological health related to depression, anxiety, stress, and experiential avoidance. In addition, the study examined academic motivation related to degree specific requirements …

Effects Of Cumulative Trauma, Discrimination, And Racial Trauma Among African Americans, Brittany Renee Clayton

Theses and Dissertations

In the current study, we examined the impact of cumulative trauma, racial trauma, and everyday discrimination experiences within the African American community on psychological outcomes. One hundred and nineteen participants completed a series of self-report measures that analyzed their experiences of lifetime stressors, racial trauma, frequency of everyday discrimination, current posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive symptoms, and experiential avoidance levels. It was hypothesized that increased exposure to lifetime stressors, racial trauma events or experiences, and everyday discrimination would be associated with increased psychological distress. Correlations were conducted to identify and examine these relationships. This hypothesis was supported for lifetime stressor exposure …

Health Risk-Related Outcomes Associated With Academic Burnout And Engagement, Madeline Blair Trahan

Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated a connection between burnout and self-rated health and health risk behaviors, specifically substance use, mental health problems, low physical activity, and sleep difficulties. However, studies have focused primarily on job-related burnout, rather than academic burnout. Additionally, engagement (the conceptual opposite of burnout) has not been well examined in relation to behavioral health outcomes. The goal of this study was to examine the association between both academic burnout and engagement concurrently to health-risk behaviors, perceived health status, and perceived academic stress among college students. Participants were recruited through requests to professors and/or social media. Students were asked to …

Trauma Survivors And Perceptions Of Tobacco-Related Health Risks, Alyssa Ann Barsky

Theses and Dissertations

Given the established relationship between trauma and tobacco use, the increased use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), and the research identifying numerous health risks to users of ENDS, examining the relationship between trauma and the use of these products is critical. This study examined trauma survivors’ health risk perceptions of ENDS use on their smoking and vaping behaviors. A total of 126 trauma survivors were included in the study and ranged in age from 18-64 years and were primarily male. In this study’s sample, the majority of participants were “current dual users” of both cigarettes and ENDS products (n …

Transnationalism And Identity: The Dream Of ‘Better Life’ For Egyptian Migrants In The Uae, Aliaa Ellawaty

Theses and Dissertations

In the modern globalized world, there has been a shift in migration studies that now focus on those immigrants from a transnational perspective. Thus, their lives are not detached from the transnational space that is not only about the point of departure and the point of arrival, but it is more related to the interconnections that emerge in the transnational space. This means that individuals are no longer tied to ethnic and cultural diversities, but by the transformations in the sociality of the transnational space. For many years, the United Arab Emirates has been a great attraction for middle-class Egyptians …

Promoting Climate Change Mitigation & Supporting Ngos: Converging The Theory Of Planned Behavior & The Elaboration Likelihood Model, Passant Mostafa Halawa

Theses and Dissertations

In the 21st century, public opinion's attention in developed nations has increasingly been directed to climate change and the urgency for humanity to take action. The main discourse is that climate change would have devastating consequences on a global scale, threatening humanity’s existence. However, in most developing countries climate change is generally not regarded as an important topic and climate change messages suffer from poor public engagement. Most recent research has investigated climate change communication efficiency in developed countries. The novelty of this study lies in understanding the effectiveness of climate change messages in the Egyptian context. More specifically this …

The Effect Of Covid-19 On The Performance Of Listed Firms: Do The Governments’ Policies And Vaccination Rates Play A Role? Evidence From Countries In The Middle East And North Africa, Mofida El Bassioni

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses a quantitative approach to estimate the empirical results of COVID-19, stringency index, and vaccination rates on the stock returns of Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and UAE. Additionally, the researcher included firm-specific variables such as liquidity and leverage, total capital, employees, and date of incorporation. Total capital and employees were used as proxies for company size and for whether the firm is capital intensive or not, while date of incorporation was used as a proxy for company age. Additionally, the researcher created interaction strings between COVID-19 cases and stringency index, COVID- 19 cases and …

Employment Transitions Of Egyptian Women In Times Of Crisis, Souraya El Assiouty

Theses and Dissertations

The labor force participation of Egyptian women has been chronic economic problem in Egypt. Despite the improvement on the human capital front, whether on the education or health indicators, the female labor force participation remains persistently low. Using the data from the Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS), this paper aims to identify the factors that influence, and the probability of women being employed, and to look at the transitions of women between the different employment statuses across the years using historic data from 2006-2018. The paper relies on the logit regression model that identifies the factors affecting the probability …

Young People Transitioning Out Of Alternative Care In Egypt: Aftercare Challenges Faced By Non-Profit Organizations And The Way Forward, Mai Amr Abdel Hafez

Theses and Dissertations

Young people raised in Care homes face many challenges after they reach 18 years old and have to leave these care homes to be independent and integrate with society. Minimal research is conducted in Egypt on this topic; thus, this study is presented to fill this research gap by answering these research questions: What were the biggest challenges faced by the care leavers? And how can the government and the non-profit sector support in decreasing these challenges? The purpose of the study is focused on the effectiveness of care homes in preparing young people for aftercare and how to provide …

Macroeconomic Shocks And Credit Risk Stress Testing: Evidence From The Egyptian Banking Sector, Noha Elgaliy

Theses and Dissertations

Stress tests can satisfy a range of policy objectives and ensure banks are adequately resilient to common economic shocks or specific financial risks. Though the growing body of literature on stress testing, the existing studies have usually focused on developed countries who have relatively stable macroeconomic indicator when compared developing countries. Therefore, this thesis aims to present a macroeconomic credit risk model that explicitly links a set of selected macroeconomic factors including gross domestic product, inflation, lending interest rates and exchange rate to banking non-preforming loans using evidence from the Egyptian banking sector over the time period from 2011 to …