Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

No. 22: Predictors Of Household Food Insecurity In Maputo And Matola, Mozambique, Cameron Mccordic, Ezequiel Abrahamo

Hungry Cities Partnership

The rapid growth of Maputo and Matola (neighbouring cities in Southern Mozambique) has dramatically changed each city’s demographic and food insecurity profile. Previous research in Maputo indicates that household access to infrastructure plays an important role in determining vulnerability to food insecurity. This paper investigates (a) whether this relationship is also true of Matola and (b) whether the demographic composition of households plays a role in defining vulnerability to food insecurity in either city. Using household survey data collected by HCP in 2014 in Maputo and Matola, the paper demonstrates that inconsistent access to water, electricity, medical care, cooking fuel …

"Participant" Perceptions Of Twitter Research Ethics, Casey Fiesler, Nicholas Proferes

Information Science Faculty Publications

Social computing systems such as Twitter present new research sites that have provided billions of data points to researchers. However, the availability of public social media data has also presented ethical challenges. As the research community works to create ethical norms, we should be considering users’ concerns as well. With this in mind, we report on an exploratory survey of Twitter users’ perceptions of the use of tweets in research. Within our survey sample, few users were previously aware that their public tweets could be used by researchers, and the majority felt that researchers should not be able to use …

Social Responsibility, Librarianship, And The Ala: The 2015 Banned Books Week Poster Controversy, Emily J. M. Knox, Shannon M. Oltmann

Information Science Faculty Publications

This article explores the recent controversy over the American Library Association’s poster for Banned Books Week. In particular, this article connects the 2015 controversy to broader historical issues and tensions within American librarianship concerning social responsibilities. The researchers used a qualitative approach, conducting telephone interviews with 26 individuals. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed deductively. The interviews revealed deep continuing tensions regarding American librarianship’s relationship to responsibilities. First, there is some dissatisfaction with the American Library Association and its Office for Intellectual Freedom. Second, there are competing conceptualizations of censorship and how to apply these differing meanings while remaining …

Community-Based Participatory Research (Cbpr): Towards Equitable Involvement Of Community In Psychology Research, Susan E. Collins, Seema L. Clifasefi, Joey Stanton, Kee J.E. Straits, Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, Eleanor Gil-Kashiwabara, Multiple Additional Authors

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) answers the call for more patient-centered, community-driven research approaches to address growing health disparities. CBPR is a collaborative research approach that equitably involves community members, researchers, and other stakeholders in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each bring. The aim of CBPR is to combine knowledge and action to create positive and lasting social change. With its origins in psychology, sociology and critical pedagogy, CBPR has become a common research approach in the fields of public health, medicine and nursing. Although it is well-aligned with psychology's ethical principles and research aims, it has …

Feral Horse Management In Parque Provincial Ernesto Tornquist, Argentina, Alberto L. Scorolli

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The number of feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) in the world has been estimated at 1.5–2 million, of which 5,000–10,000 occur in Argentina. Feral horses are considered an invasive alien species in Argentina, and as such, create a problem for biodiversity conservation. Only the population in Parque Provincial Ernesto Tornquist, Buenos Aires province, has been managed. In this paper, I discuss the conflicts between feral horse advocates, government authorities, and researchers that occurred after management actions were implemented and identify some factors that contributed to the conflict in positive and negative manners as well as some confusing concepts and ideas. …

Invited Essay: Investigating Family Voices From The Margins, Lynn H. Turner, Richard West

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This essay surveys articles from the Journal of Family Communicationto make the argument that our journal needs to feature more scholarship on families that heretofore have been virtually ignored or marginalized. We discuss four types of diversity to consider when exploring questions of family communication, and review three imperatives for making this argument.

A Secret Police: The Lasting Impact Of The 1986 Foia Amendments, A.Jay Wagner

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

The 1986 Freedom of Information Act amendments were passed as a last-minute rider to Reagan-era War on Drugs legislation. The three pieces – a broad restructuring of Exemption 7, the law enforcement exemption; the addition of exclusions for law enforcement and intelligence requests; and introduction of a new fee structure – have had a lasting impact on FOIA implementation and contribute to the contemporary inability to affect police transparency. Review of the 1986 FOIA amendments’ legislative history documents the White House’s determination to loosen law enforcement oversight and congressional appeals to exaggerated fears of illicit drug users. The study considers …

Sacred Vs. Profane In The Great War: A Neutral’S Indictment, Marty Miller

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Pilots: What Are They And Are They Affected By Institutional And/Or Economic Constraints? The Case Of Wisconsin Municipalities, Craig S. Maher, Ji Hyung Park, Bit An

Public Administration Faculty Publications

Following the rise of tax and expenditure limitations in the 1970s, scholars have focused on assessing the effects of these limitations on local government fiscal outcomes. One key takeaway has been local governments’ decreasing reliance on property taxes and increased use of nontax revenue sources, in particular fees and changes. This study builds on this work by focusing on a particular type of fee—that is, payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs). We find that, in Wisconsin, revenues received by municipalities from two PILOTs programs are affected quite differently. The extent to which the economy, municipal fiscal condition, tax and expenditure …

Lesson Plans For Teaching Economics With The Big Bang Theory, Wayne Geerling, G. Dirk Mateer, Ben O. Smith, James E. Tierney, Jadrian J. Wooten

Economics Faculty Publications

Using examples in the classroom from current and past television shows and movies is becoming increasingly common. Being able to relate ideas back to a popular clip or episode allows the instructor to reach students in ways the traditional lecture cannot. Building on the work of Tierney, Mateer, Smith, Wooten, and Geerling (2016), this paper introduces five lesson plans tied to clips from The Big Bang Theory that can be used in high school (9-12) economics courses.

The Gender Gap In Economics Degrees: An Investigation Of The Role Model And Quantitative Requirement Hypotheses, Tisha L. N. Emerson, Kimmarie Mcgoldrick, John J. Siegfried

Economics Faculty Publications

Using a panel of 159 institutions over 10 years, we investigate the role model effect of women faculty and quantitative requirements on the female proportion of undergraduate economics majors. We find no evidence that female faculty attract female students. Calculus, however, does matter. A one semester calculus requirement is associated with more female majors at institutions offering business degrees and liberal arts colleges. A second semester calculus requirement deters women from majoring in economics at Ph.D.–granting universities, but is associated with more female majors at liberal arts colleges. Econometrics requirements are unrelated to the gender gap in economics majors.

Exploring A Possible Mechanism Underlying Stereotype Threat In Adhd, Alexandra Gabor

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Previous research has shown that college students with ADHD often struggle academically. The present study explores a possible mechanism underlying stereotype threat in ADHD that may explain the cognitive challenges that those with ADHD face. I examined whether exposing college students with ADHD to positive or negative stereotypes about the disorder would change their self-perceptions and their performance expectations, thereby changing their working memory performance. I hypothesized that those exposed to negative stereotypes would report having more ADHD symptoms, expect to perform worse on tests of working memory, and thus would score lower on working memory measures compared to those …

The Effect Of Music Syntax Therapy On Speech Production In People With Aphasia, Brandi Kordes

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Music is often thought to have medicinal or therapeutic properties across a wide variety of disciplines. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pairing linguistic phrases with the same structure, or syntax, of music affects the speech production of individuals with non-fluent aphasia. Prior to any intervention, four individuals with non-fluent aphasia were assessed to determine mean length of utterance and syntactic complexity in everyday (formulaic) phrases and less-frequently used (non-formulaic) phrases. They were also given a pre-test designed to measure their understanding of music syntax. They then received three one-hour sessions of linguistic syntax therapy and three …

Perception Of Emotion In Music In Adults With Cochlear Implants, Delainey Spragg

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Music is an integral aspect of culture that is uniquely tied to our emotions. Previous studies have shown that hearing loss and cochlear implantation have deleterious effects on music and emotion perception, particularly cues related to pitch, melody, and mode. The purpose of this study is to examine acoustic cues that adults with cochlear implants and adults with normal hearing might use to perceive emotion in music (e.g., tempo and pitch range). One adult (ages 18-50 years) with a cochlear implant and 15 adults who have normal hearing were tested. The participants listened to a series of 40 melodies which …

What A Difference A Course Makes: Early College Experience Fosters Flexible And Transcendent Self-Identities, Hannah Faccio

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The college experience is often referenced as a period of ‘finding yourself.’ The concept of self-identity is considered malleable and often formed during time spent at a university or college. One way universities provide opportunity for changes in identity is by offering liberal arts core curriculum courses that allow for the broader thinking of the self, the world, and of one’s experiences. Examples of these courses include Honors and First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses. These courses offer exposure to new topics, ideas, and cultures, which can help students better understand themselves and their place in the world. I hypothesized these courses …

The Social Relationships Of Captive African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Juveniles, Julia Machado

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In situ female African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) live in a fission- fusion society comprised of “core groups” in which adult females associate with their dependent offspring (Archie, Moss, & Alberts, 2006). Most of the animals in a core group are related (Archie et al., 2006), but kinship is not the only contributor to elephant sociality.Pre-reproductive females (allomothers) often assist in the care of calves and juveniles (Lee, 1987). The concept of inclusive fitness (Riedman, 1982) is the favored hypothesis for the evolution of allomothering. Zoological settings, with varied social groupings, provide the perfect opportunity to test this hypothesis (Schulte, …

Thriving Beyond Surviving: An Examination Of The Role Support Groups Play In Enhancing Later Cognitive And Social Development Of Pediatric Cancer Patients, Mary Maccarthy

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Adult survivors of pediatric cancer are at risk of developing “late effects” which are deficiencies in physical, cognitive, and/or social functioning that are usually due to long-term cancer treatment and hospitalization at a young age. These late effects can significantly impact survivors’ well-being and prevent them from leading successful, independent lives. The aim of our research was to investigate whether participation in cancer-related support groups could lessen the impact of late effects. Specifically, we examined whether the degree of engagement with cancer-related support groups was related to the level of cognitive and social functioning in adult pediatric cancer survivors. Through …

Gait Development In African Elephant Calves, Brandon Austin-Elizondo Knepper

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Most descriptions of elephant locomotion recognize only one gait: the lateral sequence walk. In contrast, several studies on African elephants (Loxodonta africana) have indicated that elephants use at least two other gaits: an amble and a trot. Other animals modify their gaits over the lifespan, but there is no published research on the gaits of elephant calves. The present study examines gait development in African elephant calves born at the Indianapolis Zoo between 2000 and 2015. I conducted frame-by-frame analysis on the gait samples of six calves across two time periods: Early (zero to six months of age) and Late …

Information Needs Of Korean Immigrant Mothers In The United States For Their Children’S College Preparation, Jungwon Yoon, Soojung Kim, Natalie Taylor

School of Information Faculty Publications

This study aims to understand the information needs of Korean immigrant mothers in the United States for their high school children’s college preparation. A content analysis was conducted for the messages posted to a “motherhood” forum on the MissyUSA website. In total, 754 posts were analyzed in terms of a child’s grade, college preparation stage, type of post, and topic of post. The study found that there is a range of information needed at different stages in a child’s education. Many of the demonstrated information needs showed similarities to those of other immigrant groups, but there were also community-specific themes, …

Wildlife As Pets: Reshaping Public Perceptions Through Targeted Communication, Rosanna M. Vail

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Review Of Patterson, The Eve Of Destruction: How 1965 Transformed America, Amanda Boczar

Tampa Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Town Of Wells Ordinance Amendments, Wells (Me.). Municipal Officers

Maine Town Documents

Town ordinances include:

Building Design Ordinance Amendment, 2017
Personnel Policies Ordinance, 2018
Vehicles and Traffic Amendment, 2018

Downtown Westbrook Facade Improvement Grant Program, Cai Technologies

Maine Town Documents

Contents of this document include:

Facade Improvement Grant Program Key Facts, 2018
Downtown Facade Improvement Final Map, 2018
Downtown Facade Improvement Final Guidelines, 2018
Downtown Facade Improvement Final Application, 2018

Managing Human-Habituated Bears To Enhance Survival, Habitat Effectiveness, And Public Viewing, Kerry A. Gunther, Katharine R. Wilmot, Steven L. Cain, Travis C. Wyman, Eric G. Reinertson, Amanda M. Bramblett

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The negative impacts on bears (Ursus spp.) from human activities associated with roads and developments are well documented. These impacts include displacement of bears from high-quality foods and habitats, diminished habitat effectiveness, and reduced survival rates. Additionally, increased public visitations to national parks accompanied with benign encounters with bears along park roads have caused more bears to habituate to the presence of people. In some contexts, habituation can predispose bears to being exposed to and rewarded by anthropogenic foods, which can also lower survival rates. The managers and staff of Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, …

2017-2018 Annual Town Report Town Of Windsor, Windsor (Me.). Municipal Officers

Maine Town Documents

No abstract provided.

Genotypic Clustering Does Not Imply Recent Tuberculosis Transmission In A High Prevalence Setting: A Genomic Epidemiology Study In Lima, Peru, Avika Dixit, Luca Freschi, Roger Vargas, Roger Calderon, James Sacchettini, Francis Drobniewski, Jerome Galea, Carmen Contreras, Rosa Yataco, Zibiao Zhang

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) can elucidate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) transmission patterns but more data is needed to guide its use in high-burden settings. In a household-based transmissibility study of 4,000 TB patients in Lima, Peru, we identified a large MIRU-VNTR Mtb cluster with a range of resistance phenotypes and studied host and bacterial factors contributing to its spread.

Methods: WGS was performed on 61 of 148 isolates in the cluster. We compared transmission link inference using epidemiological or genomic data with and without the inclusion of controversial variants, and estimated the dates of emergence of the cluster and antimicrobial …

Are Cancer Survivors Following The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Health Behavior Guidelines? An Assessment Of Patients Attending A Cancer Survivorship Clinic, Kelly A. Hyland, Jamie M. Jacobs, Inga T. Lennes, William F. Pirl, Elyse R. Park

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Engaging in positive health behaviors post-treatment is important for cancer survivors' health. However, little is known about whether survivors are practicing health promoting behaviors. We aimed to explore whether survivors are meeting the recent health behavior guidelines set forth by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and to examine associations between health behaviors and distress. Methods: Sixty-six survivors completed a cross-sectional questionnaire assessing health behaviors prior to an initial appointment at a survivorship care clinic. Information about sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables and six health behavior recommendations, including physical activity, sunscreen use, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, weight …

Binge Eating Disorder: Relationship To Physical And Emotional Factors, Taylor M. Mcmillan

Masters Theses

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a new core diagnosis within the Diagnostic Statistical Manual Fifth Edition (DSM-5; APA, 2013). Because binge eating disorder is a new diagnosis, research within this area is both lacking and developing quickly. Social physique anxiety and emotion regulation have been linked previously to binge eating disorder. In contrast, there is little research on the potential link between physical activity and binge eating disorder; however, physical activity has been shown to have potential treatment benefits for binge eating. This study examined BED on a continuum and its links to physical activity, emotion regulation, and subtypes of …

Factors Influencing Persistence Of Students With Learning Disabilities At Four-Year Institutions, Abigail Frye

Masters Theses

This study investigated the persistence and transition of college students with learning disabilities at a mid-sized Midwestern university. The qualitative, narrative approach was used to determine which factors influenced the persistence of students with learning disabilities at a four-year, mid-sized university and which college services and resources students with learning disabilities utilized. This research found that students do utilize college services and supports to assist through their transitions into college. The participants in this research relied on the support of their family and friends while they approached and navigated their college transition. This study found that students with learning disabilities …

Bicycle Infrastructure And Traffic Congestion: Evidence From Dc's Capital Bikeshare, Timothy L. Hamilton, Casey J. Wichman

Economics Faculty Publications

This study explores the impact of bicycle-sharing infrastructure on urban transportation. We estimate a causal effect of the Capital Bikeshare on traffic congestion in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. We exploit a unique traffic dataset that is finely defined on a spatial and temporal scale. Our approach examines within-city commuting decisions as opposed to traffic patterns on major thruways. Empirical results suggest that the availability of a bikeshare reduces traffic congestion upwards of 4% within a neighborhood. In addition, we estimate heterogeneous treatment effects using panel quantile regression. Results indicate that the congestion-reducing impact of bikeshares is concentrated in highly …