Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Public Support For Juneteenth As A Federal Holiday, Amy Ehinomen Eremionkhale, Iván Flores Martínez, Wendy Zhou

Business Analytics Faculty Publications

This study investigates the factors influencing public support of Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday in the United States. Leveraging the Affect, Behavior, and Cognition (ABC) model, we uncover nuanced relationships that shape individual policy attitudes by adding family and community traditions to the model. Our findings show that positive beliefs, emotions, and preferences for celebrating with family or friends increase support, while negative perceptions, commercialization of the holiday, and conservatism decrease it. Polarization perceptions reduced support, but only for the general population. Interestingly, our findings reveal that family traditions of celebrating Juneteenth during childhood have varying effects across different racial …

Enhancing Belt And Road Science, Technology, And Innovation Cooperation By Leveraging Insights From Operational Models Of International Scientific And Technological Organizations, Liang Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since the implementation of the Belt and Road Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, significant progress has been achieved. Nevertheless, there have been some external doubts encountered during the promotion process. Based on the current status and challenges of Belt and Road science, technology, and innovation cooperation, this article presents policy recommendations for advancing such collaboration by leveraging insights from the operational models of international scientific and technological organizations. These organizations advocate for technological norms and policies, uphold scientific values, and coordinate multiple interests and ideologies. They possess extensive experience in facilitating cooperation in scientific and technological innovation among …

Neuroscience And Organizational Trust: Biological Mechanisms For Enhanced Learning, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Individual representations of trust are deeply rooted in individual consciousness and serve as significant cognitive constraints, influenced by neural processes and psychiatric factors. This paper aims to highlight the often overlooked or under-operationalized role of human trust's biological agency within the context of organizational learning. From a psychiatric and neuroscience perspective, the paper proposes that through intentional management practices, the biological agency of trust, mediated by neural mechanisms, can act as a proxy for organizational learning. It suggests that adopting a more scientific approach to management, informed by an understanding of neural and psychiatric underpinnings, can enhance employee trust from …

Integration Of Digital And Real Economies To Shape New Advantages In Development: New Form Of Human-Cyber-Physical Ternary Fusion, Jiaofeng Pan, Jing Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Facing the accelerating of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, expediting the deep integration of digital economy and real economy is a crucial pathway to enhance industrial competitiveness and address social development challenges. The integration of digital and real economies, with the linkage of human-cyber-physical ternary fusion, brings about an increase in production factors and a reduction in uncertainty. This integration permeates through the whole process and channels of the real economy, including R&D innovation, manufacturing, collaborative integration, and supply services, triggering systemic transformations in the real economy. Looking to the future, the deep connection of technology, data, and …

Culture Or Power: The Eruption Of The Anglophone Crisis In Cameroon, Danielle Tagakou Talla

Dissertations and Theses

Located in Central West Africa, Cameroon has been the stage of a protracted conflict since 2016. The conflict called the "Anglophone crisis" is rooted in Cameroon colonial history. This is reflected in the composition of its population with a large majority of Francophones and only 20 percent of Anglophones. The subsequent thesis aims to examine the crisis between 2016 and 2022 and understand the shift in focus that happened in the early years of the conflict. Using a qualitative methodology, journal articles, books and recorded interviews will provide substantial sources to decipher the change from cultural focus to one of …

Morality And Power: The Influence Of Individual Differences And Situational Factors On Ethical Decision Making, Mallory Rose Smith

Master's Theses

Decision making is a process we see, encounter, and engage in all the time. Many of the choices made by people every day have little, if any, relation to ethics. However, many of the important decisions people make do have potential implications for others and ethical considerations would be relevant. Due to the prevalence of less-than-ethical decisions, it is important to gain a better understanding of when, and why such decisions are made. Several factors that influence ethical decision making have been identified in the literature. Two of the more prevalent research topics involve situational factors and individual differences. The …

Exploring The Relationship Of Social Dominance Orientation, Symbolic Ableism, And Support For Mitigation Implementation With Exposure To A Health Threat, Samantha Chambers

Master's Theses

Social Dominance Theory (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999) proposes that groups of individuals in society are organized in social hierarchies that place dominant groups at the top of the hierarchy and subordinate, disadvantaged groups at the bottom. Research on prejudice, discrimination, and intergroup relations has largely focused on sexism and arbitrary-set hierarchies (e.g., race), leaving the idea of a health hierarchy largely neglected. Recently, Raoul (2023) presented the theoretical framework of a health-based social hierarchy, and the present study is an application of this framework. The aims of this study were to a) replicate previous findings by Raoul (2023) that found …

The New China Model: Combating Economic And Political Order, Jack R. Swords

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Contemporary world politics centers around the actions of the two largest powers on Earth, the United States and China. They are both each other’s greatest adversary yet at the same time are each other’s largest trading partners. This thesis explores the nature of China’s economic climate that has seen it grow to one of the world’s foremost powers. However, the East Asian Nation faces economic challenges centered around the three D’s: Debt, Deflation, and Demographics. This thesis analyses what the nature of these challenges are and how China is responding to them within the ever-advancing world of economic and political …

Spatial Patterns In Anthropomorphic Fremont Rock Imagery Of Central Utah, Alyssa Pitts Merrill

Theses and Dissertations

Rock imagery from the late Fremont period (1000-1300 AD) has captivated the interest of both professional and avocational researchers for the past century. In this thesis, I apply a highly systematized method of cataloguing and analysis to 482 anthropomorphs from Clear Creek Canyon (CCC) and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The primary theoretical assumption in this thesis is that the shapes used in anthropomorphic imagery convey ideas about how the Fremont saw people. I therefore recorded the head and body morphology and presence of arms, legs, and genitalia of each anthropomorph. By observing the data spatially, I discovered both …

"It’S Not A Science Isolated In A Bubble": Grave Encounters In Forensic Anthropology In Colombia And Peru, Franziska Albrecht

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

My doctoral research explores the experience of forensic anthropologists in places of sociopolitical unrest, specifically focusing on Colombia and Peru. Forensic anthropologists, who specialise in identifying skeletal remains, analysing skeletal trauma, and providing expert opinions on the circumstances of death, often serve as expert witnesses in legal proceedings. However, in Latin America, the concept of witnessing extends beyond the courtroom, encompassing a broader spectrum of knowledge generation. This dissertation examines the diverse encounters faced by forensic anthropologists in Colombia and Peru, including encounters with human remains and the legacies of political violence, encounters with the families of the missing, perpetrators, …

The Australian Woolen Industry; British Investment In Colonial Australia: Unraveling The Threads Of Economic Development 1788-1850, Marie Cecilia Hedrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the dynamic relationship between British investment and the development of pastoralism and wool production in Australia from 1788 to 1850. It focuses on the crucial period of early European settlement and the subsequent growth of the wool industry as one of their first major staple industries. This study utilizes a multidisciplinary methodology approach, integrating historical, economic, political, and agricultural perspectives in order to provide a clearer understanding of the factors influencing British investment decisions. Research is conducted into the motivations behind British colonization in Australia with an emphasis on the role of …

Asset-Building Policy And Black Reparations: Effective Delivery And Wealth Accumulation, Trina R. Shanks, Jin Huang, William Elliott, Haotian Zheng, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Discussions of reparations focus on who should pay reparations, who should receive them, and how much should be paid, but there is much less consideration of the delivery design. Drawing upon children’s account research, particularly evidence from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, and insights from the implementation of Child Development Account (CDA) policies, this brief summarizes options for delivering reparations, discusses the policy model for delivering CDAs, and elaborates that model’s implications for the structure of a reparations policy.

For a fuller treatment of these matters, see “A Policy Platform to Deliver Black Reparations: Building on Evidence from Child …

The Impact Of Social Stress And Alcohol Intoxication On Cognitive Processes Among College Students With Heavy Episodic Drinking, Caroline R. Scherzer

LSU Master's Theses

College students with high social anxiety and heavy episodic drinking appear to consume alcohol more frequently and at greater quantities, presumably because individuals with higher trait social anxiety may be more responsive to the stress-response dampening effects of alcohol in social contexts due to appraisal disruption and activation of implicit social cognitions. However, little work has tested this hypothesis within a controlled lab-based setting. The current study tested whether the sequence of alcohol intoxication and induction of an anticipatory social stressor interacts with trait social anxiety to predict changes in anticipatory social anxiety, craving, implicit drinking identity, and implicit self-esteem. …

Residential Older Adults’ Experiences Related To Mental Health From Covid-19 Isolation, Heidi Beth Lubetkin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many illnesses afflicting older adults in U.S. communities, including mental health wellness. Since 2020, at the inception of the pandemic, older adults living in residential settings, including assisted living and skilled nursing homes, experienced harsh limitations in their everyday lives. The conditions included prolonged periods of isolation and reduced interactions between caregivers and loved ones. Therefore, it is important to understand the experiences of older adults living in facilities and their ability to adapt to the environment. The research question addressed in this study gained insight into the effects of mandated isolation on older adults. Using …

Examining How Sexual Trauma Has Affected Women In Their Education: Creating A Community Of Awareness In The Educational System, Tyeasia Dorsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual Trauma can have debilitating effects on women’s lives. The goal of this study was to focus on one aspect: how sexual trauma affects women’s academic performance, whether continuing education, a decrease in grades and grade point average (GPA), or the continuation of further educational studies. The underlying rationale for the study was the lack of research on the topic, especially in rural communities. This research utilized a qualitative study approach by conducting semi-structured interviews. This study was conducted to examine the mental health components of sexual trauma in women: a lack of support versus having a supportive environment and …

Needs-Supportive Teaching And Its Impact On Standardized Test Scores In Southwest Missouri Schools, Ed Barlow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the theoretical proposition that needs-supportive teaching practices, guided by self-determination theory (SDT), can positively influence student academic outcomes, research examining the relationship between teachers' self-reported needs-supportive behaviors and objective measures of student performance, such as standardized test scores, is scarce. This study investigated the correlation between teachers' needs-supportive practices, as assessed by the Teacher as Social Context Questionnaire (TASCQ), and their students' academic achievement based on standardized test results. The sample consisted of 31 K-12 teachers from various grade levels in public schools located in Southwest Missouri. Participants completed the TASCQ, which measures needs-supportive teaching in terms of autonomy …

The Influence Of Working Memory And Anxiety In Adolescents, Donna M. Ward

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Literature supports a reliable link between lower working memory (WM) performance and higher anxiety, and both anxiety and WM are reported as comorbid with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). This study sought to understand to what extent WM deficits and anxiety exists in adolescent NDD and non-NDD groups. Participants (N = 11,400; ages 9-10) were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study archived dataset, with the approval of the NIMH approval. Participants in the dataset were recruited from 21 sites across the U.S. A Mann-Whitney U test, comparing the NDD (N=2756) and non-NDD (N=8644) groups was statistically significant, noting a …

Mass Incarceration: Racial Disparities Within The U.S. Criminal Justice System, Crystal Nichole Pugh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States incarceration rate has remained steady at over two million people incarcerated within their criminal justice facilities. Among the U.S. criminal justice system incarcerated populations, African Americans are disproportionately represented contributing to its overwhelming numbers and overcrowded facilities nationwide. Studies have shown racial disparities experienced within the correctional system have been credited as a direct result of decision-making at various points throughout the criminal justice process. Previous and even current research on racial disparities within the criminal justice system have attributed much of its data to disproportionate minority contacts in the juvenile population and a heavy police presence …

Feminine Language For God In The Hebrew Bible And The Implications For The Image Of God In Women, Shanté Grossett O'Neal

Masters Theses

Genesis 1:27 affirms that God created males and females in his image, suggesting that there are both masculine and feminine aspects to God's nature. Despite this, evangelical Christians often emphasize God's masculine attributes and minimize God's feminine qualities. This thesis seeks to promote awareness of the feminine language for God in the Hebrew Bible and to consider its implications for understanding the image of God in women. The research begins with a historical overview of feminist and evangelical scholarship on language for God, as well as an introduction to the Conceptual Metaphor Theory and its application in Biblical Studies. The …

Relational Dynamics Following Divorce: Evaluation Of An Online Co-Parent Education Program, J. Kale Monk

The Journal of Extension

I sought to investigate the potential efficacy of an online divorce and co-parent education program. Across 9-years of evaluation data for the Focus on Kids online program, participants (N = 6,679) reported a high degree of program satisfaction. According to pre-post test reports, average knowledge of how to support children across the divorce transition increased. Participants also increased in their intention to avoid engaging in behaviors that are distressing for children. Overall, this study provides evidence for the efficacy of online divorce education and provides support for the advancement of online programming as a promising avenue for Extension more …

Investing In The Next Generation: The Long-Run Impacts Of A Liquidity Shock, Patrick Agte, Arielle Bernhardt, Erica Field, Rohini Pande, Natalia Rigol

Discussion Papers

Poor entrepreneurs must frequently choose between business investment and children’s education. To examine this trade-off, we exploit experimental variation in short-run microenterprise growth among a sample of Indian households and track children’s education and business outcomes over eleven years. Treated households, who experience higher initial microenterprise growth, invest more in education and are one-third more likely to send children to college. However, only literate households experience child schooling gains and their enterprises stagnate in the long-run. In contrast, illiterate treatment households experience long-run business gains but declines in children’s education. Our findings suggest that microenterprise growth has the potential to …

Exploring Chaplains’ Lived Experience Concerning Mental Health Stigma And Suicidal Thoughts In The Military Context, Eric T. Victorino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The empirical inquiry at the heart of this qualitative phenomenological research revolves around the identification of mental health stigma and suicidal ideation within the military context. This study delves into the lived experiences of military chaplains as they interact with service members grappling with thoughts of suicide and dealing with the associated mental health stigma. By examining the viewpoints of United States Army chaplains, we aim to gain a deeper insight into the perceived mental health stigma and its consequences for service members who are contending with suicidal thoughts. Chaplains’ unique viewpoints will contribute to an enriched comprehension of mental …

Variables Predicting Turnover Intention Among Mental Health And Addictions Therapists, Deborah J. Milanek

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research study was to explore the correlations between pay satisfaction, burnout, workload, and flexible work arrangements on turnover intention among mental health and addictions therapists. Previous research studies indicate that turnover may negatively affect patient care, increase cost to employers, decrease workplace morale and increase workload demands for remaining therapists. Some research studies have also found that pay satisfaction, burnout, workload, and flexible work arrangements may be related to turnover intention. This study planned to support current research as well as determine the strength of the correlation between each of these variables and turnover intention. To …

The Nexus Of Passive-Avoidant Leadership And Deviancy: Exploring Job Embeddedness, Anthony Maurice Da Silva

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have experienced unprecedented changes in the workforce, including labor shortages and new legislation. As a result, many organizations, known as second-chance employers, proactively seek alternative talent sources to mitigate staffing shortages, including hiring candidates with criminal backgrounds, either voluntarily or as mandated by law. However, this approach has challenges; individuals with criminal records often lack essential support upon reentry and experience an increased risk of reoffending. Although existing literature indicates that the appropriate leadership style is crucial for behavior correction, there is a gap in the literature addressing employees who work for …

Mass Shooting Prevention: What Can Local Law Enforcement Do?, Alycia Mary Shelton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how law enforcement officers can influence mass shooting prevention tactics. Minimal research has been conducted on law enforcement’s influence in the prevention of mass shootings. At this stage, researchers describe needing more information about mass shooting prevention tactics. Since minimal research has been conducted on law enforcement’s influence on mass shooting prevention, the goal was to determine what they believe can be done. Guiding this study was phenomenology, the study of conscious experiences as they appear in the first person. Phenomenology has been crucial in the tradition of European philosophy throughout …

Evangelicals As Zionists And Peacemakers In Arab And Israeli Peacemaking Through Track Ii Diplomacy, Johnnie Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study contributes to the literature at the intersection of religion and foreign policy by focusing on one of the modern era's most protracted and relevant foreign policy issues (the conflict between Israelis and Arabs), the influence of one of America’s most powerful religious constituencies (evangelicals), and one of the most widely used tools of non- governmental diplomacy (Track II diplomacy). It provides original research related to the relevancy of Track II diplomacy by evangelicals, specifically pro-Israel or “Zionist” evangelicals, in Israeli and Arab peacemaking. The study analyzes three relevant case studies to answer the research question: “How are …

Voices Unveiled: Exploring Americans' Perspectives On Social Media Censorship And Advocacy For Reform Through A Qualitative Lens, Vail Forbeck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explored social media users’ perceived experience of censorship on social media communication platforms to better understand the effects of censorship on users. The study relied on a qualitative questionnaire with open-ended questions to collect initial data from 115 participants in the United States. Of the questionnaire respondents, 12 participated in an in-depth interview. The questionnaires and interview answers gathered information about users’ perceived experiences of censorship on social media platforms to determine whether there is a need for changes in current social media practices and policies. The study found that Black males between the ages of 25 …

Church Attraction Through Uncertainty Reduction: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Local Church Content Communication On Facebook And Instagram, Kailey Spilger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For the first time since the founding of America, less than 50% of U.S. adults claim to attend church (Jones, 2021). With the transition from traditional marketing methods to digital marketing methods post-COVID-19, church leaders admit that using social media would help them reach new people, but less than 40% have a strategy (Hodøl, 2021). The purpose of this study is to understand current content themes of local churches on social media in order to inform future social media strategies. Guided by the uncertainty reduction theory, this study considers how social media content can reduce uncertainty and promote attraction and …

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Therapists And Their Work With Socially Isolated Female Victims Of Sexual Violence Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic, Iris Lazette Saldivar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to assess the experiences of therapists and the descriptions of their navigation processes while working with female victims of sexual violence who were socially isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Texas. The theory that guided this study was the theoretical framework of loneliness, social isolation, and associated health outcomes. The research study focuses on two research questions that sought to examine the experiences and navigation of virtual treatment of therapists who provided counseling during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to March 2022. This study sought to find a …

A Correlational Study Between Spiritual Bible Reading And Spiritual Formation Of Leaders Of Pentecostal Churches, Mark Kwablah Buku

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aimed to understand the nuances of spiritual Bible reading and how it connects to the spiritual maturity of Christian leaders. The lack of spiritual formation in Christian spiritual leaders motivated this research. Literature abounds with spiritual reading, biblical engagement, interpretation methodologies, and the spiritual formation of Christian leaders. However, only a few studies exist on how people engage with the Bible. There is no empirical data on how biblical interactions impact spiritual development. The theory that guided this study was Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory. With a quantitative survey methodology and non-probability sampling, data was collected from 91 …