Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Empirical Evaluation Of A Novel Spatial Disorientation Induction Strategy, Michaela Cathlin Satter

Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that spatial disorientation-related accidents account for roughly 33% of all aviation mishaps with a 90% fatality rate (Gibb et al., 2011). Research meant to establish common practices and standardization of spatial disorientation (SD) training is needed to work toward decreasing this staggering statistic. The current study investigated the viability of a novel SD Induction Strategy that combined rotation about the vertical axis, visual cue input from a wireless virtual reality (VR) head mounted display (HMD) flight environment, and tactile input from a wireless joystick controller. To assess this combination’s effectiveness, Bank situation awareness (SA) and Pitch SA, …

A Multi-Level Comparison Of Increasing Training Modalities To Train Behavior Analysts To Conduct An Intensive Pediatric Feeding Intervention, Ronald Joseph Clark

Theses and Dissertations

A common focus within behavior analytic clinical practice is to incorporate training with caregivers to promote successful transition of clinical services. In the pediatric feeding literature, for example, training caregivers to ensure maintenance and generalization of the intervention is expected. However, training staff members to provide specific behavioral interventions has received less attention. The current study systematically implemented three levels of training to evaluate the level of intensity required to train behavior analytic staff (i.e., behavior technicians, Registered Behavior Technicians®, and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts®) to implement a feeding protocol with a role play partner. Only one participant met the mastery …

Effect Of Brain Injury On Demand Of Alcohol, Whitney Michele Chaney

Theses and Dissertations

Brain injury, or damage to the brain and/or surrounding structures, is listed by the CDC as the leading cause of disability and death in the United States. This kind of injury can result in symptoms that physical, cognitive, and behavioral functioning in those affected. Despite this, current literature reflects a significant deficiency in the understanding and management of behavioral symptoms, that present after the injury, in most neurorehabilitative treatments. This study aimed to investigate whether sustaining a brain injury can effect an individual’s demand intensity for alcohol, if their demand was inelastic, and their probability for misuse of alcohol. To …

Milner Monitor, May 2023, Milner Library

Milner Library Newsletters

Internal newsletter produced by Milner Library staff between 2018 and present.

The In/Visible Stockade: Sex Offender Management, Governmentality, And The Search For Normal Life, Christopher Wakefield

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Over the past thirty-five years, the United States has seen a dramatic expansion of regulatory policy around individuals convicted of sexual offenses. Sex offender management policies include national and state registries, notification laws, treatment mandates, residency restrictions, and numerous exclusions from institutions. A growing body of research from sociologists and criminologists has tracked the effects of this sex offender regime by measuring recidivism and collateral consequences among released offenders. Less attention has been paid to how sex offenders adapt to their regulator context—especially the selective public visibility that the registry generates. Furthermore, sociological scholarship has not yet developed strong theoretical …

Exploring Factors That Influence Disagreements In Self-Other Ratings In 360-Degree Feedback Systems, Robert Allen Miller

Theses and Dissertations

360-degree feedback systems are some of the most widely used ratings systems in organizations today. The current study examined the use of 360-degree feedback systems as a method for capturing job performance in organizations and the challenges associated with accuracy in ratings due to individual differences in perception. The study investigated the links between self-other rating tendencies and narrow facets of personality and examined how an individual’s personality affects self- and other-ratings of their performance behaviors. The findings suggest that various aspects of personality differentially affect both self- and other-ratings of performance, providing a deeper understanding of how individual differences …

Healthcare Experiences By Race, Sex, And Weight Status In A Sample Of Low Wage Workers Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael Ampofo

Honors Scholar Theses

There is longstanding evidence of racial, sex-based, weight-based, and socioeconomic status (SES) disparities in the quality of healthcare. These disparities can result from provider bias and discrimination in the healthcare system and can contribute to disparities in health outcomes. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated differential treatment in healthcare due to the strain it placed on the healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. healthcare experiences among low SES non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White patients. This secondary analysis utilized survey measures from 225 low-wage workers, ages …

Genetic Implications Of Language Acquisition, Marissa Renee Ciccarini

Honors Scholar Theses

The argument about whether language acquisition is "nature" or "nurture" has been long debated. Linguists have concluded that it requires the two, but how much does language acquisition rely on nature? Children show the capacity to learn languages quickly and without much effort. While research suggests that infants absorb many visual and verbal cues in their environment, biological structures are the underlying component of how this knowledge is gathered and organized. The genetics that code for specific neurophysiological pathways affect how people interact with their environment and where information is stored, forming the basis for these biological structures. Genetic research …

Western Maine Addiction And Recovery Initiative's Substance Misuse Prevention And Wellness Day: Year 1 Feedback Survey For Ohchs And Telstar, Tyler Egeland Ba, Evelyn Ali Bs, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

As part of the evaluation of the Western Maine Addiction Recovery Initiative’s (WMARI) HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grant, staff from the Catherine Cutler Institute developed a survey to gather feedback from individuals who participated in the SUD Day events. Two separate PRE/POST surveys were deployed at each high school (OHCHS and Telstar) to assess knowledge gain, beliefs, and satisfaction. For more information, please contact Lindsey Smith at m.lindsey.smith@maine.edu

Improved Marginal Likelihood Estimation Via Power Posteriors And Importance Sampling, Yong Li, Nianling Wang, Jun Yu

Research Collection School Of Economics

Power posteriors have become popular in estimating the marginal likelihood of a Bayesian model. A power posterior is referred to as the posterior distribution that is proportional to the likelihood raised to a power b∈[0,1]. Important power-posterior-based algorithms include thermodynamic integration (TI) of Friel and Pettitt (2008) and steppingstone sampling (SS) of Xie et al. (2011). In this paper, it is shown that the Bernstein–von Mises (BvM) theorem holds for power posteriors under regularity conditions. Due to the BvM theorem, power posteriors, when adjusted by the square root of the auxiliary constant, have the same limit distribution as the original …

On The Spectral Density Of Fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Process: Approximation, Estimation, And Model Comparison, Shuping Shi, Jun Yu, Chen Zhang

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper introduces a novel method for accurately approximating the spectral density of the discretely-sampled fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (fOU) process. We utilize this approximated spec-tral density to develop an estimation method called the approximated Whittle maximum likelihood method (AWML) for fOU. Additionally, we develop a likelihood-ratio (LR) test using the approxi-mated spectral densities to distinguish between the fractional Brownian motion (fBm) and fOU pro-cesses, two popular models in the volatility literature. Simulation studies demonstrate that the AWML method improves the estimation speed and accuracy compared to existing ones and that the LR test is effective in distinguishing between the two processes …

“You’Re On Your Own”: Examining The Wellbeing Of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Who Have Transitioned Into Adulthood In The United States, Hannah E. Taverna

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The United States' Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) Program, which has served around 13,000 foreign-born children since the 1980s, aims to incorporate unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) in need of international protection into the child welfare systems of 15 individual states. Despite the fact that children accepted into the URM program have access to the same benefits as those in state custody, URMs face unique challenges from their non-refugee peers. Limited research exists regarding the wellbeing of URMs who have transitioned out of the URM program and into adulthood. This study aimed to explore the experiences of participants who have transitioned out …

One Pager - “How Scared Are You?” Mapping The Threat Environment Of San Diego’S Elected Officials, Rachel Locke, Carl Luna

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

This one pager includes data summary points from survey sent to San Diego County elected officials.

Targeted threats and the perpetration of physical violence against elected officials have been increasing steadily around the world. Democracy cannot function without individuals serving in elected governance. The presence and growth of threats and harassment undermines community cohesion, further undermining our ability to address our collective challenges.

Face Peace Design Brief #1: Communities Of Practice On/Offline, John Porten

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The FACE Peace Initiative at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice intends to help peacebuilders answer questions about in-person and online collaboration with intention and care. This design brief combines desk research on best practices from other fields with observation of peacebuilding organizations to identify key debates and concerns and provide insight into how to navigate trade-offs between in-person and distanced peacebuilding activities and events.

Peacebuilding organizations often attempt to gather members of the field into “communities of practice” (“CoPs”), which intend to increase skills and knowledge among members through long-term information-sharing and reciprocal mentorship. Facilitators of …

Examining The Relationship Between Program Satisfaction, Credential Earnings, And Gender On Full-Time Employment Outcomes Of Career And Technical Program High School Graduates In Virginia, Margaret J. Turley

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Career and technical education (CTE) incorporates occupational skills, workforce readiness skills, and credentials that make high school graduates better prepared for the workforce. Students who complete CTE programs of study have higher employment rates after high school graduation and often go on to postsecondary education. For those who do not go on to postsecondary education, CTE programs can provide opportunities for increased earnings and more access to the labor market.

This quantitative study used binary logistic regression, using data collected by the Center for Survey Research of the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center to examine if satisfaction with CTE …

Modeling The Impacts Of Sea Level Rise In Coastal Virginia At Multiple Scales, George Murray Mcleod Iv

OES Theses and Dissertations

Relative sea level is increasing along the Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and the rate of relative sea level rise (ΔRSL) for Coastal Virginia is approximately double the rate of global sea level rise (ΔSLRG)(1). The potential impacts posed to communities by ΔRSL are best understood by examining the spatial relationship between the upper limits of ocean-connected waters and the geographic positioning of critical natural and societal assets. This research examines this problem at three spatial scales to quantify the impacts of ΔRSL and storm flooding events on (i) structural and transportation infrastructure for the tide-influenced coastal zone of …

Opportunities And Challenges From Major Disasters Lessons Learned Of Long-Term Recovery Group Members, Eduardo E. Landaeta

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Natural hazards caused by the alteration of weather patterns expose populations at risk, with an outcome of economic loss, property damage, personal injury, and loss of life. The unpredictability of disasters is a topic of concern to most governments. Disaster policies need more attention in aligning mitigation opportunities with disaster housing recovery (DHR). The effect of flooding, which primarily impacts housing in coastal areas, is one of the most serious issues associated with natural hazard. Flooding has a variety of causes and implications, especially for vulnerable populations who are exposed to it. DHR is complex, involving the need for effective …

Two Essays On Industry Tournament Incentives, Sarah Almisher

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

A large body of literature has developed on the disparities in compensation among chief executive officers. Financial media has highlighted the fact that CEOs in the United States receive excessive pay and that the gap among executive compensation is soaring. High compensation creates incentives for CEOs to take higher risk in firm policies to land a more attractive position managing another firm and attaining higher pay which is considered the ultimate prize (Kale, Reis, and Venkateswaran 2009; Coles, Daniel, and Naveen 2006). This creates a tournament in the managerial labor market. We define this tournament as the pay differential between …

Collaborative Leadership Skills And Competencies In Emergency Management And Resilience: Lessons And Implications From The Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Norah Abdullah A Alshayhan

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Collaborative leadership is a critical component in emergency management and resilience. Although cross-sector leadership is considered compulsory in the management of many disasters, the skills and competencies for successful execution of collaborative leadership approaches in emergency management and resilience are still largely unknown, especially as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic response. The perspectives of emergency management and resilience leaders may fill in this research gap.

This qualitative study relies on semi-structured interviews to explore the needed skills and competencies for collaborative leadership in emergency management and resilience during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the South-Atlantic states. The …

Cms Emergency Preparedness Rule: Examining The Relationship Between Nursing Home Facility Characteristics And Regulatory Deficiencies, Tihara Richardson Sommers

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

The effects of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters have increased the focus on nursing homes, particularly nursing home emergency preparedness. Nursing home administrators and direct care employees have described the challenges faced when responding to an emergency event. Due to numerous emergency preparedness insufficiencies, requirements were implemented to protect the vulnerable population of older adults who reside in nursing homes. In 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) added specific emergency preparedness requirements to the existing fire safety requirements for regulated nursing homes. These deficiency evaluations are the only routinely collected source of information detailing compliance with the …

Outreach To Distance Learning Faculty: A Scoping Review, Christina Hillman, Lucinda Ward

Lavery Library Faculty/Staff Publications

This scoping review examines the techniques used by academic librarians for outreach to distance learning faculty From 533 initial records, librarians included 16 articles and identified five recurring themes: in-person visits, synchronous workshops, electronic communication, branding and personalization, and campus partnerships. Despite the prevalence of literature about outreach and marketing in academic libraries, there has been little research on connecting with distance education faculty. This review highlights the need for continued exploration of this topic, including how the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to blur what it means to be a distance learning faculty.

Name Change Practices, Digital Commons Institutional Repository, Sue Ann Gardner

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Includes information on practices for starting the process, guidelines for remedy by type of name change, and default practices for change of first/given name for name changes in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries' Digital Commons institutional repository.

The Role Of Peer, Supervisor, Mentor, And Organizational Support On Workplace Ostracism And Inclusion, Erica Boucher

All Theses

A common workplace problem, particularly for women and other minorities, is workplace ostracism and a lack of inclusion into social and professional networks. There are many negative effects of workplace ostracism including decreased job satisfaction and productivity and increased turnover intentions. Conversely, inclusion is associated with positive interpersonal, psychological, and work-related outcomes for individuals. Given the importance of ostracism and inclusion, understanding predictors of these variables may aid the design of successful, supportive organizational interventions to create a positive environment for employees. Based on the literature, it seemed that ostracism and inclusion would be impacted by feelings of institutional, supervisor, …

The Effect Of Yearly Labor Earnings On Commute Time To Work In South Carolina, Peter Trela

All Theses

In this paper, I attempt to ascertain the effect of labor earnings on commute time to work for individuals in South Carolina by using ACS 1-year Public Use Microdata Sample Estimates. First, I use standard linear regression models with controls to determine the direction and magnitude of the association between yearly labor earnings and commute time to work. I later use standard linear regression models with limited controls to determine how the association between yearly labor earnings and commute time changes before and during the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. There exists a positive relationship between yearly labor earnings and …

Unidentified Deceased Persons: Who Are At-Risk?, Sarah Duncan

All Theses

This study explores the silent mass disaster of unidentified deceased persons that is occurring across the United States and identifies the individual and community level characteristics that make a person “at-risk” of becoming an unidentified deceased person within the United States. This study identifies trends-based hotspots by using data reported on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and comparing those trends to the gender United States population. It finds that males, and age of death between 20-64 are overrepresented and White persons are underrepresented in the unidentified deceased person sample when compared the general population. Social and human …

Making The Subconscious Conscious - Showcasing Unresolved Childhood Trauma Through Animation, Alexis Hunter

All Theses

The focus of this work is to shed light on unresolved childhood trauma that can contribute to mental hardships - whether people are aware of its presence in their lives or not. In this paper, I will discuss childhood trauma, its impact on adult life when left unresolved, self-parenting as a method to manage it, and how it is portrayed in various media. Drawing inspiration from my research on trauma and visual storytelling, I will present a proof-of-concept for a 2D animated short film, Strongholds, which visualizes the internal mental struggles through the character dynamics of the personifications of the …

Individual Differences In Vulnerability To Phishing, Fake News, And Vishing, Jeff Black

All Theses

Digital deception, such as phishing emails, scam phone calls, and fake news, poses a threat to anyone using digital devices. Research on digital deception often points to individual differences like age, cognitive impulsivity, and digital literacy, but has only investigated different types of digital deception independent of each other. Therefore, it is unclear whether users vulnerable to one type of deception are also vulnerable to others, and why. The present research examined relationships between vulnerability to different types of deception, and how this vulnerability is associated with common individual differences like age, cognitive impulsivity, digital literacy, and gullibility, and exploratory …

Decisions Athletic Directors Face When Allocating Funds In An Athletic Department, Joseph Mueller

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of this study is to understand the decision-making process athletic directors use when allocating funds within an athletic department. The research is intended to identify the decision-making process athletic directors use when dealing with finances in their department. Athletic directors have a large role in an athletic department and are the driving force for their institution’s athletics, especially regarding the finances related to athletics. Using a qualitative research method using interviews, surveys, and document review, themes of budgeting plans, fundraising, and benchmark analysis emerged.

Strategies To Increase Job Satisfaction In Remote Finance Urban Healthcare Workers, Kenna Johnson

Leadership Education Capstones

As the world changed with COVID-19, as did the future following it for workers in all fields. Working remotely has become a routine for many employees. Technology has allowed organizations to expand where employees work. Healthcare workers who were not on the front lines are now working remotely, including workers in finance. The research design was a qualitative study. The data obtained from this research focused on major themes of urban healthcare finance remote workers' challenges and what strategies can be implemented to increase job satisfaction overall. The crucial data points of challenges faced included the lack of communication between …

An Analysis Of The Sophistication–Maturity Of Justice And Non-Justice Involved Youth And Young Adults, Lauren Grove

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Juvenile transfer refers to a set of mechanisms whereby a juvenile’s case may be processed in criminal court. Forensic mental health evaluators often assess youths’ risk/dangerousness, sophistication–maturity, and treatment amenability to assist judicial determinations regarding youth disposition. Of these three factors, sophistication–maturity—in which the law is concerned with the extent to which a juvenile defendant’s criminal sophistication and maturity level parallels that of an adult—has traditionally been the most challenging for practitioners to define and apply in practice. The Risk-Sophistication-Treatment Inventory (RSTI) is the only commercially available, specialized forensic assessment instrument for the assessment of youths’ sophistication–maturity. However, this tool …