Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Are You What You Eat? The Complexities Of Food Choice, Normative Influence, And Identity., Melanie Del Rosario

WWU Graduate School Collection

Prior research has investigated the effectiveness of social normative and environmental impact messages to encourage pro-environmental behaviors. One goal of this thesis was to investigate how these messaging strategies can be used to influence the sustainable behavior of making a plant-based food choice. Recent studies have also suggested that both social and self-identity resulting from various cultures, backgrounds, social roles and individual experiences have a strong influence on food choice. Study 1 presented in this thesis produced quantitative results from a field experiment on a university campus that investigated the influence of three different messaging techniques on plant-based food choice. …

Utilizing Music Therapy To Enhance Competency Restoration Treatment, Cory Linder

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

In Dusky v. the United States (1960), the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution requires all defendants to be competent to proceed before the judge issues a verdict. Specifically, to stand trial, defendants must have a factual and rational understanding of court proceedings and the capacity to work with their attorneys. Those who are found incompetent to proceed frequently have severe and persistent mental illness and often exhibit cognitive deficits (Mossman et al., 2007). Competency restoration utilizes therapeutic services to treat symptoms that inhibit defendants from being opined competent to proceed. Existing research suggests music therapy can be used …

Link Rot, Reference Rot, And Link Resolvers, Justin White

University Library Publications and Presentations

From the earliest days of the web, users have been aware of the fickleness of linking to content. In some ways, 1998 was a simpler time for the Internet. In other ways, like basic website design principles, everything old is new again. Jakob Nielson, writing “Fighting Linkrot” in 1998, reported on a then-recent survey that suggested 6% of links on the web were broken. The advice then hasn’t changed: run a link validator on your site regularly, and update or remove broken links. Also set up redirects for links that do change. The mantra for Nielson was “you are not …

Can Religiosity Be Explained By ‘Brain Wiring’? An Analysis Of Us Adults’ Opinions, Sharan Kaur Mehta, Christopher P. Scheitle, Elaine Howard Ecklund

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Studies examining how religion shapes individuals’ attitudes about science have focused heavily on a narrow range of topics, such as evolution. This study expands this literature by looking at how religion influences individuals’ attitudes towards the claim that neuroscience, or “brain wiring,” can explain differences in religiosity. Our analysis of nationally representative survey data shows, perhaps unsurprisingly, that religiosity is negatively associated with thinking that brain wiring can explain religion. Net of religiosity, though, individuals reporting religious experiences are actually more likely to agree that brain wiring can explain religiosity, as are individuals belonging to diverse religious traditions when compared …

Cliff-Top Dunes In The Lower Chippewa River Valley Of West-Central Wisconsin, Jason Millett

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to investigate recently identified cliff-top sand dunes located within the Lower Chippewa River Valley (LCRV), Wisconsin, USA. Research within the LCRV notes the existence of a variety of aeolian deposits, but a comprehensive explanation of their complete spatial distribution, genesis, age, and paleoenvironmental significance does not exist. In particular, stabilized cliff-top dunes with a parabolic form remain poorly understood. This problem is exacerbated by a lack of clarity in the literature regarding the genesis of dunes in a cliff-top position. Therefore, this thesis begins by reviewing the literature concerning sand dunes in cliff-top …

Positive And Negative Effects Of Social Media On Adolescent Well-Being., Katie Kennedy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social media use is rapidly growing among adolescents, studies cite that the rates of “constant use” doubled from 2015 to 2018 (Anderson & Jiang, 2018; Lenhart, 2015). Social media use can have a serious negative impact on areas of well-being including feelings of depression, anxiety, fear of missing out, body image, bullying and sleep. Mojtabai, Olfson and Han (2016) cite the problematic use of mobile phones and social media applications as one of the trends aligning with the increase in major depressive episodes. Conversely, use of social media can promote positive feelings of well-being including creating a sense of community, …

Parent-Focused Interventions In Economically Developing Countries, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz

Monitoring Learning

The authors conducted a scoping review of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) interventions in economically developing countries between 1998 and 2017, aimed at improving children’s learning in the years before school. The review identified 37 parent-focused studies from 19 countries which provide an evidence base for parent-focused interventions that have both depth and geographical breadth. This policy note outlines characteristics of these interventions which contribute to changes in developmental outcomes for children. It found that of all ECEC interventions, the largest body of effectiveness evidence is available for parent-focused programs.

Mid-Atlantic Oil Spill Workshop: Are We Ready? A Regional Workshop As Part Of The National Academies And Sea Grant Collaborative Workshop Series, G. Walker, M. Covi

OES Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) In 2017, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) and the Health and Medical Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop to prepare for and respond to major marine oil spills. To address gaps identified at the workshop, GRP reached out to the Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Program to host a series of regional workshops. The Sea Grant Oil Spill team, based in the Gulf, partnered with state Sea Grant programs across the country to plan and deliver regional workshops in 2018-2019. The goals of the workshops were to raise awareness of …

A Survey Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Identification Using Psychophysiological Data, S. De Silva, S. Dayarathna, G. Ariyarathne, D. Meedeniya, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurological disorders among children, that affects different areas in the brain that allows executing certain functionalities. This may lead to a variety of impairments such as difficulties in paying attention or focusing, controlling impulsive behaviours and overreacting. The continuous symptoms may have a severe impact in the long-term. This paper explores the ADHD identification studies using eye movement data and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). This study discusses different machine learning techniques, existing models and analyses the existing literature. We have identified the current challenges and possible future directions …

Hungary's New Church Law Is Worse Than The First, H. David Baer Ph.D.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In early December 2018, the Hungarian parliament passed a series of sweeping laws with major constitutional implications. The parliamentary session itself was something of a circus. In order to pass the law, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government was forced to disregard rules of the chamber that would have allowed the opposition to derail the legislation with parliamentary maneuvers. In protest, the opposition sounded bullhorns in Parliament while throwing confetti, before walking out. Perhaps the most significant law was one establishing a new, parallel system of courts which critics say give Orbán complete control of the judiciary. Less noted, but also …

Country Snapshot North Macedonia, Mariglen Demri

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A brief summary of the history and current status of religion in North Macedonia.

Survey Report Albania, Leonie Vrugtman, Dior Angjeli

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In April and May 2019, more than one hundred surveys were distributed amongst influential figures in Albania. The survey aimed to gather their views on the role of religion in Albania and the Western Balkans.

Survey Report Bosnia And Herzegovina, Lejla Hodžić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In assessing the role of religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina and analysing the multiconfessional context of the country, the report relies on the findings from an opinion survey and a range of secondary sources. The survey, administered during April 2019, aimed at gathering the opinions of influential figures in political, cultural and economic sphere in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the role of religion. It is based on a questionnaire which was distributed to over 50 influential figures, of which 30 provided quantitative and qualitative answers to questions addressing religion’s impact on society.

Survey Report Kosovo, Romario Shehu

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

During April and May 2019, approximately 120 surveys were distributed to high-level individuals involved in political, economic and cultural spheres in Kosovo.

Survey Report Serbia, Nenad Zekavica

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

During March and April 2019, a survey was conducted as part of a regional project which deals with the role of religion in the Western Balkan countries. The survey was conducted as the research part of the project and it was conducted among members of cultural and political elite members of society. Its purpose is to give a sketch of the religious topography of different societies in the Western Balkans.

The Interfaith Council For Social Cohesion In The Western Balkans, Ylli H. Doci

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

With the demise of the communist governments in the Balkan region in the early 1990s, we have entered a phase in which serious religiously related issues challenging the social cohesion of our societies need serious analysis and action at different levels. Interfaith councils as a way of engaging the different religious communities in one society are not new and not the same. Nor are they unquestionably accepted or easily dismissed as ineffective in addressing challenges of peacebuilding and social cohesion in a religiously pluralistic society. There are political, cultural, ethnic and national considerations beside religious and educational ones which figure …

In Pursuit Of ‘Twin Toleration’: Democracy And Church–State Relations In Serbia And Montenegro, Marko Veković

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the relationship between church and state in Serbia and Montenegro by examining the development of ‘twin toleration’. In particular, it aims to explain why there is still no ‘twin toleration’ in these states, and why it is important to impose such institutional arrangement in church–state relations. The ‘Twin toleration’ concept suggests that institutional arrangements between the state and religious communities in a democratic society should be based on mutual autonomy, in which the state should not interfere in the matters of religious communities, and vice versa. However, since the fall of communism and resurgence of religion, both …

The Struggle Of Kosovo Policymakers To Upgrade The Law On Religious Affairs, Jeton Mehmeti

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Apart from guarantees over freedom of religion, in the last two decades, authorities in Kosovo have made little progress in advancing its legal framework to accommodate the emerging needs of religious communities. The only law that regulates religious affairs in Kosovo is the 2006 Law on Freedom of Religion. The law is framed in very broad terms, and has received a lot of criticism for failing to properly regulate the status of religious communities. Representatives of these communities have consistently asked for changes to legislation that would grant them the status of legal entities. Without legal entity status, religious communities …

Religions As Loci Of Conflict Prevention: Local Capacities Of Bosnia And Herzegovina’S Religious Communities, Julianne Funk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Conflict and coexistence remain in a tense balance in the Western Balkans. Latent conflict, in which one’s ethno-religious community denotes which side you are on, persist after the violent breakup of Yugoslavia. These frozen and potential lines of conflict were laid decades and centuries ago, when religious affiliation diversified. At the same time, these religious, ethnic and national communities have a history of suživot: everyday relations with one another, or coexistence. The close geographic proximity of communities makes functional relational systems, which determine when, where and how people tend to interact, a practical necessity.212 As a result of this necessity …

Frontmatter (Volume 39, Issue 7), Beth Admiraal

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

“It's Not About Us": The Erasure Of African American Heritage And The Rehistoricization Of The First Africans On Jamestown Island, Virginia, Lamarise C. Reid

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This thesis explores the complex relationship between making African Diaspora history and culture visible at Historic Jamestowne, a setting that has historically been seen as "white". The four hundredth anniversary of the forced arrival of Africans in Virginia has created a fraught space to examine African American collective memories of shared history, community and commemoration. This thesis operationalizes Page and Thomas's (1994) "white public space" which describes the utilization of "locations, sites, patterns, configurations or devices that routinely discursively, and sometimes coercively privilege Euro-Americans over nonwhites" (1994: 111). When this concept is applied to the construction of heritage and production …

Exploring Communication Tendencies Of Program Facilitators, Fawn Kurtzo, Leslie D. Edgar, Don W. Edgar, Donna L. Graham, Mark Russell

Journal of Applied Communications

Audience analysis is a critical skill to forge relationships and develop effective communications. Programs provided by the Cooperative Extension Service must be aware of external and internal audiences to provide relevant information and evoke impacts. Berlo’s (1960) Source-Message-Channel-Receiver Model of Communications guided this formative evaluation of Extension staff, and horse 4-H club volunteer leaders (program facilitators) to expose internal communication tendencies in Arkansas. Findings identified that program facilitators seek horse-related information from a variety of sources, most frequently relying on personal connections and least frequently seeking Extension sources. Program facilitators share a variety of messages and most frequently relay information …

Consumers' Evaluations Of Genetically Modified Food Messages, Taylor K. Ruth, Joy N. Rumble

Journal of Applied Communications

Consumers are concerned about the risks related to genetically modified (GM) food, and there is a need for agricultural communicators and educators to address those concerns. The purpose of this study was to explore Florida residents’ latitudes of acceptance, rejection, and noncommitment toward GM food messages. The findings from this study can be used to guide communication and education campaigns for GM food. An online survey was distributed to a non-probability sample of 500 Florida residents to fulfill the purpose of the study. The messages that most aligned with the respondents’ views toward GM food discussed how potential risks related …

Informal Science Engagement Via Extension Exhibits: A Pilot Evaluation Of Adult State Fairgoers’ Experiences, Attitudes, And Learning At Raising Nebraska, Jamie Loizzo, Nathan W. Conner, Karen J. Cannon Ph.D., Elizabeth Janning, Jeffrey Rollins

Journal of Applied Communications

Science communication and informal science education collide in the context of Extension state fair exhibits for engaging public audiences in critical agricultural and natural resource issues impacting people’s daily lives. A need exists to employ systematic communication and education theory and techniques to effectively deliver scientific information in informal learning spaces. In an effort to apply and expand systematic instructional design thinking and research in informal science learning, this study piloted a touchscreen iPad survey evaluation (n= 93; ages 19-66) of adult state fairgoers’ demographics, experiences, attitudes, and learning during their visit to a 25,000 square-foot facility featuring an Extension …

State-Level Fdi And Within-Occupation Wage Inequality In The United States, Miao Wang, M. C. Sunny Wong, Hong Zhuang

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

Our paper explores the relationship between inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and within-occupation wage inequality at the state level in the U.S. We argue that sectoral FDI may affect different occupations differently, and our study looks at possible heterogeneous effects of sectoral FDI on wage inequality for 22 occupations. Using data over 1999–2007, our results show that state-level manufacturing FDI tends to reduce wage inequality, measured by the ratio of the 90th percentile wage and the 10th percentile wage in an occupation. Manufacturing FDI is significantly associated with less wage inequality in the production occupations and the construction and extraction …

Bank Efficiency And Regional Economic Growth: Evidence From China, Hong Zhuang, Haiyan Yin, Miao Grace Wang, Jiawen Yang

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

This paper examines for the first time the relationship between bank efficiency and regional economic growth in China with provincial data over 1995 - 2014. We find consistent and strong evidence that bank efficiency positively affects regional economic growth. Further, bank efficiency exerts a more pronounced impact on economic growth in inland provinces than coastal regions. The insignificant effect of the quantity of credit in our regressions suggests that a mere expansion of financial volume is not effective in promoting regional economic growth, whereas the improvement in the quality of financial intermediation plays an important role fostering provincial economic growth.

The Impact Of High School Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Magnet Programs On The Academic Performance Of Students, Guillermo Alejandro Munoz

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Concern about the impact of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs on society are not new. STEM employment in the United States has grown twice as fast as other fields during the last decade. School districts have been encouraged to consider STEM-focused schools to meet this demand and have responded by offering STEM magnet program options. This mixed-methods study used Lewin’s Theory of Change and Fullan’s ideas on Coherence as the theoretical frameworks to examine how students who participate in a high school STEM magnet program perform academically. Academic performance was measured using grade point average (GPA) and graduation …

Data Literacy In Economic Development, Simon Halliday

Economics: Faculty Publications

In economic development and other economics electives, students regularly encounter economic measures of absolute and relative deprivation, from poverty measures like the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke index to measures of distribution like the Gini index. By “doing economics,” students practice applying economic measurement to real-world data and develop more general data literacy. The author proposes a series of exercises starting with stylized 10-household economies, proceeding to nationally representative cross-sectional surveys using MS Excel or Google Spreadsheets, and culminating in students applying their acquired data literacy to a team project. The data sources are easily tailored to alternative household surveys in low- and middle-income …

Shifting Courses: Economies Of The Maghreb After 2011, Karen Pfeifer

Economics: Faculty Publications

Chapter Four of the book: The Lure of Authoritarianism: The Maghreb after the Arab Spring

Stephen King and Abdeslam Maghraoui, eds.

Indiana University Press

Promoting An Ethical Economics Classroom Through Partnership, Simon Halliday

Economics: Faculty Publications

In teaching economics, the instructor scaffolds what they teach on an implicitly assumed or explicitly recognized ethical vision. Such a vision holds true even as economists often separate “positive economics” from “normative economics,” claiming positive economics finds its basis in data and theory whereas normative economics concerns the ought or ethical statements that data or theory may imply (Davis, 2016). Economics, furthermore, suffers from lack of diversity: from white men constituting the majority of researchers and teachers, to textbooks that fail to show the diverse range of real people participating in the economy (Aerni, Bartlett, Lewis, McGoldrick, & Shackelford, 1999). …