Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Inflating Value With Other People’S Money, Mindy Peden

2023 Faculty Bibliography

A one country case study using a historical-institutional balance sheet approach provides a unique vantage point on financialization. By clarifying conceptual distinctions between assets and liabilities in households and banks and representing historical financial data in disaggregated forms, Kurt Mettenheim and Olivier Butzbach offer a significant critical genealogy of the production of money and value in the US.

Profiles Of Circumscribed Interests In Autistic Youth, Emily Spackman, Luke D. Smillie, Thomas Frazier, Antonio Y. Hardan, Gail A. Alvarez, Andrew Whitehouse, Mirko Uljarević

2023 Faculty Bibliography

Circumscribed interests (CI) encompass a range of different interests and related behaviors that can be characterized by either a high intensity but otherwise usual topic [referred to as restricted interests (RI)] or by a focus on topics that are not salient outside of autism [referred to as unusual interests (UI)]. Previous research has suggested that there is pronounced variability across individuals in terms of the endorsement of different interests, however, this variability has not been quantified using formal subtyping approaches. Therefore, using Latent Profile Analysis in a sample of 1,892 autistic youth (Mage = 10.82, SDage = 4.14; 420 females), …

The Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire: Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A New, Open-Source Measure Of Autism Symptomatology, Thomas Frazier, Anastasia Dimitropoulos, Leonard Abbeduto, Melissa Armstrong-Brine, Shanna Kralovic, Andy Shih, Antonio Y. Hardan, Eric A. Youngstrom, Mirko Uljarević

2023 Faculty Bibliography

Aim: To describe the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a new, freely available measure, the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire (ASDQ).

Method: After development and revision of an initial 33-item version, informants completed a revised 39-item version of the ASDQ on 1467 children and adolescents (aged 2-17 years), including 104 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Results: The initial 33-item version of the ASDQ had good reliability and construct validity. However, only four specific symptom factors were identified, potentially due to an insufficient number of items. Factor analyses of the expanded instrument identified a general ASD factor and nine specific symptom …

The U.S. Cable Televisions' Framing Of Mass Shooting: A Grounded Discovery Of Competing Narratives, Maurice Emelu

2023 Faculty Bibliography

News frames play a vital role in shaping the audience's interpretation of the news, their participation in policy discussions, and their engagement in public discourse. This study uses the Analysis of Topic Model Networks (ANTMA) frame analysis grounded approach and examines the 2017 Sutherland Springs, Texas, mass shooting coverage in a house of worship by three U.S. cable television networks—CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. News reports for the first seven days following the shooting were collected from the cable networks' Twitter, YouTube, and website accounts. A total of 290 news reports were analyzed and 760 aggregate units for frames were …

Meta Social Technology And Religion: A Media Ritual Theory Critical Discourse, Maurice Emelu

2023 Faculty Bibliography

This paper explores the proposition that Meta social media and technology functions as a ritual platform and concludes affirmatively. It identifies and critically evaluates ritual elements on Meta’s platform. Employing media ritual theory in the context of religion, it analyzes the Meta for Faith homepage. Consequently, the investigation delves into Meta's role in enhancing or diminishing the sacred rituals integral to religion, one of society's oldest cultural institutions. The discussion expands by considering the implications of Meta for Faith offerings in religious rituals. Thus, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the increasing social technology mediatization in the rapidly …

Arriving At The Empirically Based Conceptualization Of Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analytic Examination Of Factor Analyses, Mirko Uljarevi ́C, Emily K. Spackman, Andrew J.O. Whitehouse, Thomas Frazier, Wesley Billingham, Patrick Condron, Antonio Hardan, Susan R. Leekham

2023 Faculty Bibliography

An empirically based understanding of the factor structure of the restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) domain is a prerequisite for interpreting studies attempting to understand the correlates and mechanisms un- derpinning RRB and for measurement development. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of RRB factor analytic studies. Sets of meta-analyses were performed to examine (a) the factor structure of individual RRB instruments, (b) associations between RRB subdomains across instruments, and (c) the association between RRB factors and other variables. Searches for peer-reviewed articles evaluating the factor structure of the RRB domain were performed in PsycINFO …

Development Of Informant-Report Neurobehavioral Survey Scales For Pten Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome And Related Neurodevelopmental Genetic Syndromes, Thomas Frazier, Robyn M. Busch, Patricia Klaas, Katherine Lachlan, Shafali Jeste, Alexander Kolevzon, Eva Loth, Jacqueline Harris, Leslie Speer, Tom Pepper, Kristin Anthony, J Michael Graglia, Christal Delagrammatikas, Sandra Bedrosian-Sermone, Jenine Beekhuyzen, Constance Smith-Hicks, Mustafa Sahin, Charis Eng, Antonia Y. Hardan, Mirko Uljarevic

2023 Faculty Bibliography

There are few well-validated measures that are appropriate for assessing the full range of neurobehavioral presentations in PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) and other neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (NDGS). As potential therapeutics are developed, having reliable, valid, free, and easily accessible measures to track a range of neurobehavioral domains will be crucial for future clinical trials. This study focused on the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a set of freely available informant-report survey scales for PHTS-the Neurobehavioral Evaluation Tool (NET). Concept elicitation, quantitative ratings, and cognitive interviewing processes were conducted with stakeholders and clinician-scientist experts, used to identify the most …

Digital Archaeology: Detection Of Archaeological Structures Using Convolutional Neural Networks On Aerial Lidar Data, Katie Larue

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Archaeology is a field that is mostly done by hand. Archaeologists explore remote and unknown areas of the world to find undiscovered civilizations that will give us any idea about how people lived in the past. To speed up this process, Airborne light detection and ranging or LiDAR systems have been used to great effect to speed up this processing. However, we still require domain experts to annotate this information to confirm structures. Deep learning has the potential to speed up this process and the following presentation is a basic overview of machine learning, popular types of deep learning models, …

Municipal Waste In Southern Nevada: Understanding The Obsession With Garbage, Zachary Billot

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

This policy brief will analyze the current state of municipal waste, both residential and commercial, in Clark County Nevada. Southern Nevada’s reliance on inexpensive disposal of waste results in lack of support for sustainable investment in waste diversion programs. Clark County lags significantly behind the US in terms of recycling processing due to problems related to collection of materials and limited programs that divert food waste in a city reliant on casinos that dispose tons of food per day. A multifactor approach which includes education, investment in waste diversion, policy change for waste collection and cost, and management of waste …

A Tool For Digital Bibliotherapy: Fostering Emotional Resiliency Through A Visual Novel, Joy Cooper

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Suicide rates among children have risen over the last three years. In Clark County specifically, the numbers doubled between 2019 and 2021. The research for this project sought to find the benefits of bibliotherapy and create a tool to be used for early intervention in children displaying signs of developmental emotional and behavioral concerns. Additionally, the research focused on determining the benefits of bibliotherapy across various mediums with a particular aim on the accessibility of digital formats. The research concluded that bibliotherapy in a digital format is not only beneficial but has a tendency to produce higher engagement among children. …

Modeling Collaborative Research Practices With Zotero, Julian Kilker

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The early stages of research when students explore topics and evaluate resources are critical. Yet researchers can be overwhelmed by evaluating sources, organizing resources and notes, and working with collaborators. During these stages it is particularly important to model meaningful research relationships to support student success. I address these challenges by having students explore Zotero, a free “research assistant” application and web portal, as they work on structured research assignments. While Zotero is known as a powerful citation manager, my practice focuses on its features that are most relevant to storing, organizing, and sharing resources while working on both informal …

Monitoring The Philippine Economy Fourth Quarter Report For 2022, Mitzie Irene P. Conchada, Natasha Amber Y. Cabiltes, Brendan Emmanuel A. Miranda, Edgar Desher P. Empeño

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

The Philippine economy grew 7.2 percent, featuring robust growth despite facing domestic challenges. Fourth quarter growth reflected a more optimistic consumer sentiment as the economy continued to open up. Economic growth in Q4 2022 was 7.2 percent year-on-year and 17.1 percent quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q), showing the Philippines’ consistent effort to create a positive growth outlook for the economy (see Table 1). Year-on-year growth exceeded the median analyst forecast of 6.8 percent despite accelerating inflation and growing food security issues. Revenge spending continues to drive consumption on the demand side while service sector growth remains headstrong on the supply side amid stunted …

影視業勞工狀況中期研究報告2023, 嶺南大學政策研究院, 嶺南大學文化研究及發展中心, 嶺南大學「青年貧窮與就業」研究團隊, 鄧立賢, 蔡美琦, 楊皓鋮, 梁仕池, 潘毅

CCRD Research Report

文化及創意產業是近年香港政府重點發展的產業，銳意將香港打造成「中外文化藝術交流中心」。然而文化及創意產業行內的運作模式、勞動條件和文化卻鮮有被研究。近期，業內發生了幾宗轟動的工業意外，備受社會關注。此外，媒體不時報導從業員被「拖糧」、長時間超時工作、行業前景受限等，反映需要深入研究創意產業勞工的工作狀態。在眾多的創意產業行業中，影視業的從業員人數較多，每年亦有大量畢業生投入市場，因此本研究報告集中討論影視行業的狀況。我們在今年四月至八月透過訪談接觸了30位從業員，訪問他們的入行經歷、勞動狀態、待遇等問題。另外在六月至八月，我們利用問卷調查了123名從業員，主要收集他們的接案協議及酬勞、工時及勞動強度、職業安全等數據。

研究發現

外判制度導致影視業工作普遍零散化、延遲支付酬勞（即「拖糧」）情況常見。問卷顯示，有42.3%回覆者表示在現時或上一份工作，開工前僅前有口頭或訊息協議，14.6%回覆者則在開工前沒有任何形式的協議。影視業的外判制度其來有自，經歷九十年代港產製作大幅萎縮，投資商須緊縮成本製作預算，改以承包及自由工作方式聘用勞工，導致從業員缺乏正式僱傭關係和相關勞工保障。零散化的勞動模式亦造成普遍的不合理待遇，包括「拖糧」、欠缺清晰的工作協議、內容修改和工時安排等。

影視業從業員的勞動強度普遍較高，過勞和工傷普遍，但甚少有適當處理。超過六成回覆者表示「頗多」或「經常」連續兩天工作12小時以上；76.4%回覆者表示試過或目睹工傷，不過，只有11.7%回覆者表示有向勞工處呈報工傷。

政策倡議

訂立從業員基本待遇守則。影視業應制訂標準合約以保障從業員的基本權益，包括明確的酬勞支付方式、日期、付款分期，以及具體的休息時間規定。在盡量減低各持份者的行政成本下，標準合約讓自由工作者享有合理保障。行業亦應規範每組拍攝之間的最短休息時間及每週休息日。政府應負起帶頭責任，規定受資助團體或個人必須以不亞於行業標準合約的待遇聘請製作人員。

訂立工業安全指引。業界組織、勞工團體和勞工處應盡快共同制定工業安全指引。勞工處應研究拍攝場地的安全隱患，參考現行法例和工作守則，製作適用的宣傳材料和訓練課程。確立工作守則後，勞工處可研究不同執法的可行性，例如要求呈報拍攝現場、巡查、鼓勵舉報不安全的拍攝環境等。勞工處應審視勞工法例，研究同時保障僱員、日薪從業員、自由工作者的工傷補償。另外，勞工處應積極研究將中暑和過勞納入工傷保障範圍。

政府須完善對影視業的資助。政府應完善電影發展資助階梯，並鼓勵影視製作人擴展到不同平台，開拓市場。同時須增加畢業生支援，並聯同業界和學界，研究影視製作的區域分工及香港影視界的比較優勢，並按此推行相關的教育、人才培訓和資助計劃，使香港影視業能在區域分工中突圍而出。

長者健康理財素養訓練指南, 嶺南大學政策研究院

嶺大賽馬會長者健康及理財教育計劃

此書冊為一本為社工及教學人員而設的健康理財素養教材套，內附各單元的活動流程設計及附加資料以供活動設計者參考。

長者健康理財素養全攻略 : 智財篇, 嶺南大學政策研究院

嶺大賽馬會長者健康及理財教育計劃

此書冊為一本供長者自學使用的參考書，內容涵蓋退休理財單元的教學內容，從知識、態度及行為入手解構退休財務基本知識、投資規劃及 為退休理財作出準備的要點。

長者健康X理財 : 測量指標你要知 : 上冊, 嶺南大學政策研究院

嶺大賽馬會長者健康及理財教育計劃

此書冊為一本供長者自學使用的參考書，內附健康理財素養簡介、量度標準及附加資料以供讀者參考。

Comparison Of Cell Counts To Dna Yield In Mock Biological Evidence Samples, Jacob Sewell

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

The implementation of rapid DNA analysis systems is of interest to forensic DNA casework, as this technology exhibits a sample-to-profile time of approximately two hours with limited handling of samples. This decreases the likelihood of contamination, and can potentially reduce DNA backlogs; however, current rapid DNA analysis systems do not execute one crucial step of the forensic DNA analysis workflow: human DNA quantitation. This step is necessary for DNA profiles to be compliant with the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standard 9.4, allowing DNA profiles to be uploaded and searched within the CODIS database. Coupling traditional qPCR methods with rapid DNA analysis …

Business Highway 29 Overlay, City Of Danville, Sean Clendening

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The development of a casino in the city of Danville will alter the city's economic conditions. This plan focuses on creating design guidelines and development recommendations for a business highway corridor that will be directly impacted by its arrival.

The Impact Of Brexit On The United Kingdom's Economy, Matt Brook

Capstone Showcase

This thesis explores the impact of Brexit on the United Kingdom’s economy. The question this thesis seeks to answer is which side of the Brexit argument, Pro-Brexit or Anti-Brexit, is playing out in the United Kingdom today years after Brexit. To address this question, I will use three prominent immigration theories as well as open border and closed border theory which are grounded in the Pro-Brexit and Anti-Brexit arguments. In order to measure the impacts on the United Kingdom’s economy, I will use indicators such as trade, foreign direct investment, GDP, and immigration. I will argue that the Anti-Brexit position …

United We Stand: A Case Study About Increasing Equity In The Capacity Building Grant Funding Process For United Way Of Greater Richmond And Petersburg, Katherine G. Hansen Dr., Heather D. Sadowski Dr., Martha C. Tomlin Dr.

Doctor of Education Capstones

In response to a problem of practice presented by the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg, this case study addresses equity in the grant funding and capacity development processes and how small, emergent, grassroots, minority-led nonprofit organizations in one Virginia region are affected. Through the lens of Systems Informed Positive Psychology (SIPP), a convergent mixed-methods approach was used to holistically explore the challenges and needs that these particular nonprofits face. Data was obtained through community conversations which included focus groups, individual interviews, and an online questionnaire coupled with Shumate et al.’s (2017) Nonprofit Capacities Instrument, a validated 45-item survey …

Effect Of Poor Menstrual Health On Uti Diagnosis, Michelle Muturi

Pitzer Senior Theses

Urinary Tract infections (UTIs) are microbial invasions of the urinary tract because of abnormal pathogen growth. They have short term symptoms like abdominal pain, fever and urinary frequency. Khayelitsha is a township that has a population of 2.4 million, 52% of which are women. This area is shaped by poor governance in South Africa that exacerbated medical issues due to a lack of resources. With lack of sanitary pad accessibility and knowledge of proper hygiene practices during the menstrual cycle, women are getting infected with UTIs 2-3 times a year. With an increase in antimicrobial resistance patterns, areas like Khayelistsha …

Experiencing Dyslexia Through The Prism Of Difference, Keith Murphy

Articles

According to research by AHEAD (2021), students with specific learning difficulties (SLD) are accessing third level education in greater numbers than ever before. Within the body of research conducted few studies have focused on the overall experiences of students with dyslexia studying in third level education. The current study addresses this gap in knowledge as it provides an insight into how students with dyslexia, as an SLD, navigate third level education. Ethnography was used as the principal method of research in this project, and 17 participants, ranging in age from 20 years old to mid-40 years old, took part. The …

The Impact Of Perceived Social Support On Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Elizabeth Eng

Dissertations and Theses

Individuals who have experienced repeated and interpersonal trauma often develop symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), along with additional features relating to disturbances in self-organization (DSO), which is now known as Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). CPTSD has been seen to be associated with adverse outcomes such as somatic symptoms, attachment insecurity, and overall lower life satisfaction (Karatzias et al., 2018; Kuhar & Zager Kocjan 2022; Maercker et al, 2022). Due to these additional features relating to DSO, CPTSD has been identified as distinct from PTSD, and so it has been important to investigate these unique symptoms. One such symptom …

Are Debt-Holders Effective Monitoring Agents In Strategic Alliance Formations?, Malika Chaudhuri, Jay J. Janney

International Review of Business and Economics

When undertaking strategic alliances, managers face a fundamental choice to pursue alliances that allow them to exploit the value of current firm assets or alliances that allow them to explore new trajectories for the firm. To answer this question, we tested our proposed theoretical framework using 652 US-based publicly traded pharmaceutical firms between 1990 and 2012. Findings suggest that exploitation alliances have higher impact on firm performance in the short and long run than exploration alliances. Consistent with the debt overhang problem presented by Myers (1977), our findings confirm that high-leverage firms have a higher inclination toward exploitation alliance formations …

Exploration Of The School Mindfulness Project On The Executive Functions Of Elementary School Students, Jessica Brooke Savaiano

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between The School Mindfulness Project and the executive functions of elementary school students. Participants were teachers from an urban elementary school. Dependent t-tests were used to examine changes in executive functioning from pretest to posttest. The results did not show significant improvements in executive functions for the intervention group. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

The Relationship Between Adhd-Specific Cognitive Distortions And Adult Adhd After Accounting For Clinical Syndromes And Personality Pathology, Carly Gerbi

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience many difficulties in daily functioning. It is theorized that some of the difficulties experienced by adults with ADHD result from cognitive distortions. Although previous studies have identified a preliminary relationship between cognitive distortions and ADHD, which may be accounted for by comorbid disorders; these studies did not measure ADHD-specific cognitive distortions after accounting for these comorbidities. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between the frequency of ADHD-specific cognitive distortions, operationalized as ADHD Cognition Scale (ACS) and the severity of adult ADHD, operationalized as the Brown Executive Function/Attention Scale (BEF/A), …

Nebraskans Attitudes Towards Innovations In Food Production And Processing 2019 And 2020 – Methodology Report, Julia Mcquillan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

SURVEY QUESTIONS

Anti-Queer Policy As It Translates To Violence Against The Lgbt Community, Kendall Bush

Honors Theses and Capstones

In recent years, the amount of anti-LGBT policy introduced is rapidly increasing (ACLU, 2023). Contemporary policy focuses mainly on queer youth and gender identity, attacking gender-affirming health care and limiting LGBT discussions in public schools. Although these policies are particularly insidious, they follow a trend of queer persecution in the United States. Within federal policy and across state legislation, the panopticon of anti-LGBT policy ensures that queer bodies are policed and monitored. This paper posits that the increase in anti-queer policy translates to an increase in experiences of external and indirect violence. Based on findings from the UCR and various …

College Students’ Perceptions Of Alcohol’S Role In Disclosures Of Sexual Assault And Intimate Partner Violence, Emily A. Waterman, Lindsey M. Rodriguez, Sarah E. Ullman, Emily R. Dworkin, Katie Edwards

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Objective: Much is known about how alcohol increases the risk of sexual assault or intimate partner violence victimization during college. This research qualitatively explores perceptions about how alcohol influences disclosures about these events to informal supports.

Participants: Participants included college students who received a disclosure wherein they or the survivor were drinking during the disclosure (n = 81).

Methods: Responses were coded with regard to who was drinking and whether the effect of drinking during the disclosure was perceived as positive, negative, mixed, or neutral/none.

Results: Participants perceived alcohol to have both positive (e.g., increasing the likelihood of discussing …

Concern, Conflict, And Chaos: Nebraska Educator Experiences During The Pandemic, Amanda Witte, Amanda Prokasky, Courtney Boise, Renata T.M. Gomes, Gwen Nugent, Susan Sheridan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

During the spring of 2020, Nebraska’s 983 public schools sat vacant, and Nebraska’s 329,290 Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 students were learning in environments other than school. Educators were expected to pivot quickly from traditional classroom instruction to remote experiences. Understanding the effects of the pandemic on educators is necessary to effectively meet their needs and the needs of students. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the experiences of Nebraska’s urban and rural PreK–Grade 12 educators during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In surveys collected in July 2020, participants (i.e., superintendents, principals, and teachers) completed …