Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Wait, We’Re Invited, Too? An Academic Social Justice Book Club For The Community (A Case Study), Amanda Boyer, Amir El-Chidiac

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

Political tensions, racial reckoning, and rising book challenges have led to deeper polarization in the United States, especially in Pennsylvania, where there is already an even divide between liberals and conservatives. The increasing division led two librarians from the Susquehanna University Blough-Weis Library (2021) to initiate a Social Justice Book Club. This club aimed to unite the campus and local communities to grapple with social justice issues in a safe environment. Librarians had concerns when starting the club due to the regional tensions. Still, they were determined to find a way to safely allow everyone involved to learn more about …

Practicing Critical Global Citizenship In An Academic Library: Experiences Of Immigrant-Origin Librarians, Balladolid Lopez, Boutsaba Janetvilay

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

The number of immigrant-origin students in U.S. higher education, those born abroad and those born in the U.S. with immigrant parents, has and will continue to increase. How can academic librarians engage with these students and their communities? In this article, We will provide a brief background on the increase of immigrant-origin students in higher education, our experiences as two immigrant-origin librarians, and our efforts to support global citizenship. We will also discuss how our skills as technical services librarians were particularly useful in this work. In two mini case studies, we will discuss our sustained efforts to support two …

Looking At The Past To Change The Future: Showcasing Featured Collections, Building Communities, And Co-Creating, Sherry Buchanan

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

Academic libraries have the opportunity and the responsibility to promote and advance content that creates transformative and iterative learning opportunities. To that end, and in an effort to build communities and facilitate co-creation, Portland State University showcases three main Featured Collections in our open access repository, PDXScholar: Climate Justice, COVID-19, and Racial and Gender Equity, with a fourth pilot collection—Student Work: An Open Showcase of Outstanding Student-Created Research & Creative Work—under development. The collections include a broad range of audiovisual materials, such as podcasts and webinar series, as well as sustainability and equity work, student-created content, and numerous future-focused multidisciplinary …

Library As Place: Fostering The Christian Traditions Of Scholarship, Silence, And Hospitality, Lyndi Fabbrini

Librarian Publications and Presentations

Academic libraries have changed and evolved, yet they remain a staple of academic life, supporting students by providing them with the space and materials they need to succeed in their courses. Beyond housing physical collections, library space holds a special significance and fulfills a vital need in the community to which it belongs. In studying Library as Place, three qualities of libraries emerge that are also deeply rooted in the Christian tradition: scholarship, silence, and hospitality. An exploration of these traditions demonstrates how libraries provide spaces for these practices to flourish.

The Library Cares About Me: Creating Distinct Spaces To Support Student Wellness And Mental Health, Alison Downey, Rachael Muszkiewicz, Natalie Muskin-Press

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

In January 2021, the Christopher Center Library at Valparaiso University, commenced a Mental Wellness Initiative to address the growing rates of neurodiversity and mental health concerns that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative started as a simple plan to increase mental wellness resources and then blossomed into a collaborative, cross-departmental approach to offering wellness spaces and programming within the library. The initial plan for the building was a single mindfulness space where students could relax and take a break from studies, but that quickly evolved into an initiative to include four unique spaces within the library, with one …

Development Of A Novel Measure To Assess For Alcohol Misuse In Older Adults: The Alcohol Misuse Scale For Older Adults (Amsoa), Nathan Jensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol is the most regularly used intoxicating substance in most geographic locations. Alcohol use in the United States specifically is well over global averages. While alcohol misuse is generally considered to be understood as a problem for younger adults, it is often unrecognized and understudied older adult populations. Currently, there is an absence of a comprehensive tool measuring for developmentally salient behaviors, symptoms, and features of alcohol misuse in older adulthood, which blocks researchers’ ability to measure alcohol misuse well. The purpose of this study is to develop a psychometrically valid and reliable assessment of alcohol misuse for older adult …

Examining The Moderating Effect Of Self-Compassion Between Rumination And Alcohol Use, Victoria Forgea Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abundant research suggests alcohol use among college students as a public health concern (SAMHSA, 2014). Previous studies support rumination, a manner of responding to emotional distress which involves repetitively and passively focusing on the distress, is linked to problematic alcohol use among college students (Oswalt et al., 2020). On the other hand, not all college students who experience rumination engage in problematic alcohol use which suggests the presence of a moderating variable. Due to its emotion regulating abilities and positive associations to well-being, self-compassion may be on factor that affects the relationship between rumination and alcohol use (Diedrich et al., …

At-Risk Children: Adult Perception And Recognition Of Mental Health Concerns, Abby D. Lucas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 20% of children ages nine to 17 in the United States struggle with mental health concerns each year (Gamm et al., 2010). Early identification of child and adolescent mental health concerns is crucial for initiating treatment to prevent recurrence or persistence of pathology into adulthood (Logan & King, 2001). Children are primarily dependent upon adults in their lives (e.g., parents/caregivers, education professionals, healthcare providers) to recognize mental health concerns and seek services (Sayal et al., 2010). Providing these adults with guidance on how to appropriately identify and recognize these mental health needs in children is critical (Crouch et al., …

"Shut Down And Closed Off": A Routine Activity Approach To Investigating The Relationship Between Covid-19 School Closures And Child Sexual Abuse Report Characteristics In Georgia, Spencer E. Riner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 created a public health crisis that led to an unprecedented number of school closures. A major concern raised by child advocates, law enforcement, and social service providers was the possible increase in undetected child abuse and maltreatment. Undergirding this concern was the belief that this mitigation effort might place child abuse victims and offenders within proximity for extended periods of time. While this was a significant concern, it has rarely been analyzed empirically. To address this gap in the literature, this thesis investigates how school closures impacted the characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) reports …

The Effects Of Cultural Responsiveness And Therapy Duration On Black Americans’ Therapy Preference, Katilyn M. Ashley Treem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Marginalized groups are less likely to seek out mental health services than non-marginalized groups. There are various reasons why marginalized groups, such as Black Americans, are less likely to seek out mental health services, one of which is the cultural barriers between a clinician and client. Research suggests that Black Americans feel that clinicians struggle to overcome these cultural barriers. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to actively receive training on how to serve clients with diverse backgrounds. Cultural responsiveness, an extension from cultural competence, is the active application of the knowledge and skills obtained in training. Examining people’s therapy …

The Relation Between Disordered Eating And Perceived Stress, Tori E. Byars

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating behavior encompasses a spectrum of maladaptive eating patterns, including emotional eating, binging, restricting, and other similar behaviors. Perceived stress is the extent that an individual perceives their demands exceed their ability to cope. Existing research has demonstrated a positive relation between high ratings of perceived stress and disordered eating behaviors (King et al., 2009; Skead et al., 2018). The current study aimed to expand this research by examining the relation between disordered eating and stress in students, workers, and those who partake in both commitments. Utilizing a single survey, participants completed assessments including the Perceived Stress Scale, the …

Exploring The Relationships Among Adhd, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, And Emotion Regulation, Anna S. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships among Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms and common comorbid struggles for clients, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms, and executive functions, especially emotion regulation. ADHD and GAD are prevalent mental health conditions, are commonly comorbid with each other, and are both correlated with relative deficits in executive functions. Executive functions comprise higher-order cognitive processes like planning, inhibition, initiation, and monitoring, as well as emotion regulation. Prior research established connections among ADHD symptoms, GAD symptoms, and emotion regulation but did not examine which specific facets of emotion regulation were most relevant. The current study aimed to …

The U.S. Southern Mothers Perspective On Affection, Destiny M. Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study utilizes Murray Bowen’s Family Systems Theory and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Intersectionality Theory to examine how ten mothers residing in what is identified as the U.S. Deep South (Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina) perceive affection shown to their children by adults outside of their nuclear family. Additionally, this study considers the influence social class plays in how parents in the Deep South navigate and negotiate social and cultural norms when it comes to affection displays shown to their children. Data was collected using thematic analysis to describe how parents in parts of the Deep South perceive affection shown …

Social And Structural Determinants Of Health As Predictors Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Older Adults In The United States, Kingsley Kalu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Although vaccination is one of the greatest accomplishments in public health, some people, especially older adults, are reluctant to take vaccines. This study examined the association between the social and structural determinants of health and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among older adults in the United States.

Methods: Secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) was used. The HRS participants were 65 years and older, and the sample size was 2311. Multinomial multivariable logistic regression models were conducted for this study.

Results: The study shows that social determinants of health (marital status, educational level) and structural determinants of health …

What Does It Mean To Be The Goat: A Narrative Study On Retired White Male Elite Individual Sport Athletes?, Tyler Behrmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The greatest of all time (GOAT) is a topic commonly discussed in sports today (Lundberg & Rosenberg, 2020). Despite this increased use of the term, there is a lack of research on the topic of the GOAT which could serve to benefit individuals in performance domains. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to investigate characteristics that describe a GOAT and the impact these characteristics of the GOAT have on individuals. Two participants were included in this study. The participants were white male, retired, and individual sport athletes who competed in multiple World Championships. Participants were interviewed using semi-structured …

Service-Learning And Student Success: Are Underrepresented Students Gaining The Same Benefits?, Sondra Bellard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Service-learning (SL) has increasingly been used as an educational tool based on the theory of experiential learning, which states that knowledge is developed through experience (Kohl, 1984). SL provides students with the opportunity to connect course work to the community leading to a better understanding of the content. Previous research has shown that SL is associated with positive academic, social, and civic outcomes. However, many of the previous studies fail to provide demographic information on the participants, specifically their ethnicities. There has also been a lack of quantitative studies that examine how first-generation students perceive SL and its benefits. The …

"Trans Talk" And The First Amendment, William M. Carter Jr.

Articles

The rights of transgender youth and their families have increasingly come under attack. In addition to barring transgender youth from participation in sports teams, from accessing bathrooms that match their gender identity, and from receiving gender-affirming healthcare, states are increasingly restricting speech and expression related to transgender issues. Courts and scholars have begun addressing the First Amendment implications of some of these restrictions, including the removal of books related to transgender issues; restrictions upon teachers' classroom speech regarding such issues; school discipline imposed upon students whose social transition includes forms of gender expression that differ from their assigned sex at …

Examining Working Memory Precision Estimates As An Individual Difference, Stephen A. Campbell

Psychology Theses

Working memory (WM) capacity has remained a central topic of individual differences research due to its ability predict performance in various cognitive domains and higher-cognitive abilities. While studies performing individual differences research with WM capacity are common, there are comparatively few studies investigating individual differences with WM precision. The present study examined WM precision as an individual difference, by examining the psychometrics of the modeled precision parameter derived from the Standard Mixture Model, investigating the relationship between precision for different feature types (e.g., color and spatial location), and looking at the relationship between precision and a well-known correlate of WM …

Exploring Usability In Exercise Interventions: From Conceptualization To Measurement And Application, Anne Inger Mørtvedt

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Exercise interventions hold promise for preventing and treating numerous conditions, diseases, and injuries. However, these interventions will only be effective if they are being used. Unfortunately, uptake and adherence to prescribed exercise and physical activity guidelines are insufficient. Some reasons for this include lack of knowledge, resources, flexibility, and enjoyment. Exercise program developers need to not only consider the effectiveness of the program during the development phase, but also involve end-users and receive feedback on program usability to determine likelihood of uptake and adoption. Usability testing can be used to detect barriers to use and implementation likelihood but has not …

How Individuals’ Opinions Influence Society’S Resistance To Epidemics: An Agent-Based Model Approach, Geonsik Yu, Michael J. Garee, Mario Ventresca, Yuehwern Yih

Faculty Publications

Background: Protecting public health from infectious diseases often relies on the cooperation of citizens, especially when self-care interventions are the only viable tools for disease mitigation. Accordingly, social aspects related to public opinion have been studied in the context of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. However, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of opinion-related factors on disease spread still requires further exploration. Methods: We propose an agent-based simulation framework incorporating opinion dynamics within an epidemic model based on the assumption that mass media channels play a leading role in opinion dynamics. The model simulates how opinions about preventive interventions change over …

Cover Page, Table Of Contents, Contributor Biographies And Editorial, Melissa Boyde, Sally Borrell

Animal Studies Journal

Animal Studies Journal 2024 13(1): Cover Page, Table of Contents, Contributor Biographies and Editorial.

Introduction: Animal Cultures, Laura Jean Mckay, Alexandra Mcewan, Clare Archer-Lean

Animal Studies Journal

Creative writing, transdisciplinary literary animal studies, and law-anthropology don’t often appear in the same sentence, but this interdisciplinary mingling is where we as editors meet in animal studies. We were particularly enthused by discussions that emerged during the Australasian Animal Studies Conference, held at the University of Sydney in November 2023, providing a rich source from which to consider the conference theme: ‘Animal Cultures’. Keynote speaker, Carol Gigliotti, wondered about the animal cultural research ideas that can be taken with us to ‘make lives better for animals, both wild and captive'.

Birds Beyond Words: Fantastic Animals And Other Flights Of Imagination, Pattrice Jones

Animal Studies Journal

In ‘Nature in the Active Voice’, Val Plumwood called for a ‘thorough rethink’ of the logic of domination that has authorized both colonialism and the exploitation of animals (113). But this mandate creates a conundrum: that logic elevates mind over matter and cognition over emotion. If Audre Lorde was right that ‘the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house’ (110), then we are unlikely to succeed in undermining that logic by rethinking it. We need practices that will expose the tedious nonsensicality of human supremacy while simultaneously awakening our capacities for empathy, imagination, and full-bodied ecological reasoning. Plumwood noted …

All The Animals: Short Fiction About Multispecies Families, Becky Tipper

Animal Studies Journal

The five-part short story ‘All the Animals’ imagines an array of animals who feature in the life of a fictional human family over many years. The story is inspired by qualitative research into human-animal relationships in families with children in Lisbon, Portugal. ‘All the Animals’ aims to offer a fictional ‘thick description’ of multispecies families in a particular time and place, but also to provide a reflection on the role of storytelling in human-animal entanglements.

[Review] Elizabeth Ellis, Australian Animal Law: Context And Critique. Sydney University Press, 2022. 390pp. Isbn 978-1743328514, A. P. A. Best

Animal Studies Journal

[Review] Elizabeth Ellis, Australian Animal Law: Context and Critique. Sydney University Press, 2022. 390pp. ISBN 978-1743328514.

[Review] Susan Nance And Jennifer Marks, Editors. Bellwether Histories: Animals, Humans, And Us Environments In Crisis. Seattle: University Of Washington Press. 242 Pp. Isbn 9780295751429, Wendy Woodward

Animal Studies Journal

163 [Review] Susan Nance and Jennifer Marks, editors. Bellwether Histories: Animals, Humans, and US Environments in Crisis. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 242 pp. ISBN 9780295751429.

An Investigation Of Body Image And Eating Behaviors In Former Ncaa Heptathletes, Claire Bailey

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Research consistently supports associations between body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating pathologies in collegiate athletes (e.g., Reel & Voelker, 2012; Sundgot-Borgen, 1994). More specifically, female NCAA athletes report feeling torn between peak performance body composition and body fat levels fitting ideal feminine standards (Beckner & Record, 2016; Carson et al., 2020). Examining track and field, most event groups hold a lean-promoting perspective. However, heptathletes warrant further investigation due to the multifaceted and contradictory nature of events. Specifically, heptathletes encounter complex pressures training for a wide range of physical demands, which can create confusion in expected body types (Heazlewood et al., …

Assessing College Students' Knowledge Of Applied Behavior Analysis And Evaluating The Effects Of A Fact Sheet To Address Misconceptions, Hannah Goike

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Previous research has indicated that college students consistently endorse misconceptions about behavior analysis (e.g., use of physical punishment, Applied Behavior Analysis [ABA] is only intended for people with autism). This study aims to assess college students’ knowledge of behavior analysis and identify the extent to which participants are likely to endorse common misconceptions. This study replicated Artzen et al. (2010) and extended it by adding questions related to the recent trends and reported misunderstandings in the field of ABA that stem from public misconceptions. The current study also evaluated the effects of a brief intervention for improving participant knowledge of …

Financial Autonomy And Happiness In College Students: Can They Coexist?, Jordyn Gerwig

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Prior research and theory suggests that happiness is often associated with charitable expenses and associated with feelings of autonomy. The present research examined how autonomy influences the happiness experiences participants have when spending money either charitably or on themselves. Participants completed the research online in an hour setting. Participants were asked to imagine situations where they have the ability to spend money freely, or where they first must seek advice or consult before making spending decisions. For half of each of these participants, they were directed to consider spending money on themselves, whereas the other participants were directed to consider …

Expressions And Attributions Of Ableism For Disabilities That Were Caused Or Congenital, Hadlie R. Daigle

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Ableism is a form of systemic oppression that prejudices disabled people. Ableist views perpetuate the idea that being non-disabled as the ideal and disability is a flaw or weakness to avoid. This research compared how different reasons for disabilities might lead to ableism toward auditory and cognitive disabilities. Some participants read about an individual who had cognitive disabilities (TBI) from congenital reasons, others due to illness, and then others due to a lack of caution leading to an injury resulting in TBI. Similarly, participants also read about individuals who had experienced an auditory deficit (deafness) due to these varying reasons …