Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Investigating Psychological Capital As A Moderator In The Relationship Between Incivility And Stem Students' Major Embeddedness, Kristen Denae Eggler

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Increasing the number of students who graduate from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors is a national priority in the United States as there is a need for more STEM employees in the labor force. However, less than half of students who initially declare a major in STEM graduate college with a STEM degree, in part because of the unwelcoming climate in STEM. The aim of the current study was to understand how incivility may undermine a student’s embeddedness within their undergraduate major and whether the individual difference of Psychological Capital could assuage the undermining effects. The presence of …

The Impact Of First-Person Perspective Text And Images On Drivers’ Comprehension, Learning Judgments, Attitudes, And Intentions Related To Safe Road-Sharing Behaviors, Alexandra Bryson Proaps

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Drivers and cyclists lack an alignment of road sharing knowledge, attitudes, and expectations, resulting in unnecessary fatalities. Educational countermeasures need to present information that captures drivers’ interest by being personally relevant, facilitate elaboration and synthesis of new information with existing knowledge, and change attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Well-documented health-related communication methods were employed to determine their effectiveness in a transportation domain. Health countermeasure designers use first-person perspective to improve narrative instruction outcomes, based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM; Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). Exploring narrative perspective-taking as a design tool requires the integration of multiple disciplines.

Our design case stems …

Negative Appraisals And Experiences Of Thriving And Burnout At Work And School During The Covid-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Effect Of Embeddedness, Kate Noel Warnock

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study examines the effects of negative appraisals of COVID-19 on thriving and burnout, and whether embeddedness moderates these effects. Specifically, I examined whether negative appraisals of COVID-19 at work and school are related to less thriving and more burnout in the respective domains, and whether the predicted effects of negative appraisals of COVID-19 on thriving and burnout were stronger among those who reported more embeddedness in their job or major compared to those who are less embedded. Additionally, I investigate potential spillover effects of negative COVID-19 appraisals in one domain into the thriving and burnout in the other …

Implementing An Online, Integrative, Multi-Component, Group-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Cbt) For The Reduction Of Caregiver Burden In Primary Familial Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia: A Preliminary Test Of Feasibility, Daniel Robert Schaffer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the preliminary feasibility of an online, manualized, group-based, multi-component, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment approach for the reduction of caregiver burden among family caregivers of persons with dementia. This study had five primary hypotheses: (1) the recruitment plan, as outlined within this study, would yield the target number of participants within a 12-month period; (2) the proposed group therapy protocol would produce a positive therapeutic climate, as operationalized by increased levels of perceived social support, perceived group cohesion, positive therapeutic alliance, and positive engagement; (3) this study would maintain adequate participant retention, …

How Exposure To Poverty Related Issues In The Classroom Affects Students’ Attitudes And Interactions With Their Social Environment, Rocco Placenti

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Impoverishment and its presence are the saddest forms of brutality and have long been recognized in the United States (U.S.). The common attitude of Americans is to view impoverishment from individualistic characteristics in which it is believed that individuals will not want to work if aid is offered to them. People’s attitudes towards those in poverty play a part in policy and practice in the American government. Therefore, this study explored how and the magnitude with which students’ connections within their ecological systems and their attitudes shifted after the introduction to an undergraduate course on families in poverty. A qualitative …

Social (In) Justice, Climate Change And Climate Policy In Western Australia, Naomi Joy Godden, Doreen Wijekoon, Kylie Wrigley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Climate change is a social justice issue, and people who experience disadvantage and marginalisation are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In 2019–2020, the government of the state of Western Australia (WA) held the world’s first inquiry into climate change and health. The Inquiry report, submissions, and hearing transcripts make an important contribution to a small but growing body of evidence that climate change exacerbates and reinforces existing social inequalities in WA in areas such as health, economics, gender relations, and access and inclusion. However, in late-2020, the WA government released its 38-page Climate Policy, with very limited …

A Psychoeducational Support Group Intervention For People Who Have Attempted Suicide: An Open Trial With Promising Preliminary Findings, Myfanwy Maple, Sarah Wayland, Tania Pearce, Rebecca Sanford, Navjot Bhullar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Psychoeducational groups have been used to address many health needs. Yet, there are few such options available for people who have attempted suicide. This study presents preliminary findings from an open trial of Eclipse, an 8-week closed, psychoeducational group for people who have attempted suicide. It examined the effectiveness of the Eclipse program in reducing suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness, and increasing resilience and help-seeking. Results showed statistically significant improvements in depressive symptoms, perceived burdensomeness, resilience and help-seeking from baseline (T1) to immediate post-test (T2), and in perceived burdensomeness from T1 to 1-month follow-up (T3). A …

Bullied Because Of Their Teeth: Evidence From A Longitudinal Study On The Impact Of Oral Health On Bullying Victimization Among Australian Indigenous Children, Md Irteja Islam, Verity Chadwick, Tuguy Esgin, Alexandra Martiniuk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Making life better for Indigenous peoples is a global priority. Although bullying and oral health have always been a topic of concern, there is limited information regarding the impact of this problem on the general population, with no evidence in this regard among the Australian Indigenous population. Thus, we aimed to quantify the relationship between bullying victimization and oral health problems by remoteness among 766 Australian Indigenous children aged between 10–15-years using data from the LSIC study. Bivariate and multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were employed. Findings indicated children self-reported bullying more than parents reported their children were being bullied …

135th Street Branch: Librarianship And The Passing Fictions Of Regina Anderson Andrews And Nella Larsen, Caitlin Matheis

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this thesis, I examine how two writer-librarians that worked in the 135^th Street Branch of the New York Public Library in the 1920's, Regina Anderson Andrews and Nella Larsen, grappled in their fiction writing with questions of classification, information, and knowledge that encompassed their daily work in the library. I begin by contextualizing the branch within the Harlem Renaissance and Arturo A. Schomburg's call for the preservation of Black history and literature at a time when the field of librarianship was being professionalized by implementing library schools and classification standards. I then provide readings of Andrews's one-act play …

Serendipityblah, Amanda Linn Kunkel

English Theses & Dissertations

So, you’ve stumbled upon my neck of the woods, where the weird and fantastical reside. Wit and humor may save you here but beware of what draws near. Beneath the bright and smiling facade, you may find the danse macabre. Within these pages you’ll find magic and wonder, darkness, and failure. The setting is post-March 2020 in Norfolk, Virginia. An urban city at the heart of Hampton Roads where the lines between reality and otherworldliness blur. Witches protect ghosts in a downtown Abbey. The fae break new ground in the art district of Ghent. Even Death stalks the halls of …

Feasibility Study Of Regional Air Mobility Services For High Priority Transportation In The San Joaquin Valley, Julia Roa, Joseph Oldham

Mineta Transportation Institute

Regional Air Mobility (RAM) focuses on building upon existing airport infrastructure to transport people and goods using innovative aircraft that offer a huge improvement in efficiency, affordability, and community-friendly integration over existing regional transportation options. These aircraft, which typically carry less than 20 passengers or an equivalent weight in cargo, are flexible in terms of where they can take off and land, even using existing runways and infrastructure to maximize compatibility with today’s airports. This project examines the feasibility of RAM supporting high-speed transportation for high-priority passenger and cargo movement within Fresno County and connection to coastal urban centers. Some …

Investigating The Resilience Of Accessibility To Emergency And Lifesaving Facilities Under Natural Hazards, Chih-Hao Wang, Na Chen

Mineta Transportation Institute

Studying accessibility, including the resilience of city transportation networks, is critical to understand how these networks influence individuals’ mobility and lives. This study developed an analytical research framework to examine the resilience of accessibility to emergency and lifesaving facilities under the threats of natural hazards such as earthquakes and wildfires. With a cumulative-opportunity approach, the authors measured accessibility by counting emergency and lifesaving facilities (including parks, schools, hospitals, roads, and fire stations) that can be reached by driving at the census tract level in San Fernando Valley, CA. With the calculated accessibility, the authors run simulations to collect data showing …

Reconceptualizing Conservation, S. J. Cooke, Sarah Michaels, E. A. Nyboer, L. Schiller, D. B. R. Littlechild, D. E. L. Hanna, C. D. Robichaud, A. Murdoch, D. Roche, P. Soroye, J. C. Vermaire, V. M. Nguyen, University Of Ottawa,, J. F. Provencher, P. A. Smith, G. W. Mitchell, S. Avery-Gomm, C. M. Davy, R. T. Buxton, T. Rytwinski, L. Fahrig, J. R. Bennett, G. Auld

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Early definitions of conservation focused largely on the end goals of protection or restoration of nature, and the various disciplinary domains that contribute to these ends. Conservation science and practice has evolved beyond being focused on just issues of scarcity and biodiversity decline. To better recognize the inherent links between human behaviour and conservation, “success” in conservation is now being defined in terms that include human rights and needs. We also know that who engages in conservation, and how, dictates the likelihood that conservation science will be embraced and applied to yield conservation gains. Here we present ideas for reconceptualizing …

Measuring Social Studies Teacher Self-Efficacy: Development Of A Valid, Reliable, And Fair Social Studies Self-Efficacy Scale, Leona Calkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social studies education provides unique opportunities for students to learn about the democratic process and, more importantly, how to engage in civic life to become active citizens. It is through meaningful social studies education that students are deliberately helped to understand the world, and are provided space to discuss, deliberate, and inquire about problems in the world, both past and present, and then learn how they can work to solve these problems (NCSS, 2013a; Parker, 2008). Considering the role of social studies education in helping develop active citizens, there has been a call for social studies teachers to provide instruction …

Psychometric Properties Of The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire: Factor Analysis And Measurement Invariance By The Intersection Of Race And Gender, Jessica H. Habashy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) was originally validated in non-Hispanic White women and over the past two decades has become widely used as an eating pathology screening measure in college students. However, the original factor structure has generally failed to replicate across most studies, particularly among culturally diverse samples. The current study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the EDE-Q in a large sample of gender and racially/ethnically diverse college students. Participants included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of men and women from two universities. I first conducted exploratory factory analysis (EFA) to examine the factor …

The Impact Of Collaboration Outcomes In Rape Crisis Centers, Robin J. Mendoza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual violence is a health and human service issue that touches a multitude of individuals, organizations, and communities. Collaboration is essential to achieving desired outcomes to prevent or intervene in sexual violence. Rape crisis centers depend on cooperation and communication with other health and human service organizations to achieve common goals of reducing sexual violence. Increasing organizational effectiveness and diversifying social and systems change through maximizing relationships is an important facet of collaboration. The purpose of this research is to identify the extent of effective collaboration amongst rape crisis centers and their affiliates in the United States. Social and organizational …

The Associations Of Cardiovascular Disease, Physical Activity Intensities, And Measures Of Obesity On Static Balance In Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Hannah Martha Twiddy

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The burden of falls is widely known in older adults, though less research has targeted middle-aged adults (40-64 years of age), particularly at the population level. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the roles of cardiovascular disease, physical activity (PA) intensity, and body anthropometrics on balance among middle-aged adults. Study 1 sought to determine if balance was impaired in middle-aged adults with poor ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI), a marker of cardiovascular disease. Study 2 determined the associations between PA intensity with odds of having good static balance. Study 3 explored how strongly a variety of anthropometric measures, including …

Complex Thought For Complex Work: Preparing Cognitively Complex Counselors For Work In Diverse Settings, Alexandra C. Gantt

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Counselor education researchers have explored the need for high levels of cognitive complexity (CC) in mental health counselors due to its relationship with high quality counseling skills and counselor ways of being (e.g., Castillo, 2018; McAuliffe & Lovell, 2006; Ridley et al., 2011; Welfare & Borders, 2010b). In these studies, researchers have called for continued study of means of enhancing CC in counselors in training (CITs) through andragogical efforts (e.g., Castillo, 2018; Duys & Hedstrom, 2000; Welfare & Borders, 2010a). However, we do not have an understanding of minimally acceptable CC for graduating CITs. In this study, I explored counselor …

The Experiences Of School Counselors Providing Virtual Services During Covid-19: A Phenomenological Investigation, Allison Kathryn Worth

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

School counselors are trained in providing academic, career, and social/emotional support to K-12 students. In March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic took the world of K-12 education by surprise, forcing school counselors to deliver a virtual school counseling program with little to no time for preparation. School counselors were faced with meeting the seemingly ever-changing needs of K-12 students as social, political, and health concerns evolved throughout the pandemic. Although schools have since begun to reopen their doors, the effects of Covid-19 are far from over. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of United States (U.S.) public …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of School Counselor Antiracist Social Justice Practices, Stephanie Deonca Smith-Durkin

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Decades after the landmark United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka in 1954, the push continues to make schools a safe and welcoming environment for Black and Brown students. Black students in particular are continuing to be oppressed and marginalized in PK-12 educational settings. Accounting for approximately 15% of public PK-12 students, Black students comprise 13.7% of all students who receive out-of-school suspensions in 2017, are 16% of the special education student population, and are more likely to attend a school with less resources (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2021; Ramsey, n.d.). …

Oh, The Place You’Ll Go: The Effects Of Commuting Time On Work, Family, And Health Related Outcomes, Lauren Kistler

All Theses

People spend a majority of their lives working and commuting is an essential part of most workers’ daily schedule. According to the 2017 American Community Survey distributed by the U.S. Census Bureau, the average commute for Americans is approximately 27 minutes. Time spent commuting has increased in recent decades (Denstadli et al., 2017; Gimenez-Nadal & Molina, 2019; Hoehner et al., 2012; Künn‐Nelen, 2016). Commuting to work is often a source of stress for workers, and its detrimental impacts are a rising public health issue as well as an area of concern for occupational health psychologists. Commuting is not considered a …

Outreach As Dialogue: Lessons From University Forests, Kelly M. Alvidrez

All Theses

University and school forests are managed for a unique set of multiple uses from research and teaching to recreation and forestry. Understanding how outreach is employed in these settings as a component of their land management strategy can offer insights to school forests generally as well as other complex land management efforts. Using outreach, a forest can facilitate communication as a dialogue, connecting to forest participants and stakeholders. This qualitative research study uses a multi-scale case study approach to examine a recent harvest and outreach efforts at the Clemson Experimental Forest, as well the outreach efforts at eight other university …

Coordination In Healthcare Multiteam Systems: A Qualitative Study Of Healthcare Meetings, Anna Wolf

All Theses

To facilitate optimal patient care and outcomes for in-patent cancer patients, healthcare organizations often rely upon the coordinated efforts between specialized teams of healthcare providers, working interdependently in a structure known as a Multiteam System (MTS). Healthcare meetings, such as Rounds, particularly those with an interdisciplinary element, may act as care coordination mechanisms for in-patient MTS. This research investigates an MTS operating within the Southeastern United States whose teams use Rounds and other meetings called SNAP Huddles, to facilitate patient care. Through qualitative analysis using interviews and observations, this exploratory study aims to elucidate research questions relating to how Rounds …

Recreational Cannabis Legalization And Homelessness In The U.S.: A Quasi-Experimental National Policy Analysis, James A. Sanderson

All Theses

In analyzing rising homelessness across the country, a comparison of state policies uncovered a trend: many states which were early adopters of adult-use recreational cannabis law also exhibited a high incidence of homelessness. As legalizing cannabis undoubtedly affects the number of substance users who are imprisoned, such changes to drug enforcement policy may also be impacting homeless populations. Now, there is substantial research on the relationship between incarceration and homelessness, and on co-occurring mental health and substance use problems known to be prevalent among these populations. Despite such similarities, and the impacts of recreational cannabis legalization on jail populations, there …

Perception And Play: Consumer Perceptions Of Craft Breweries And The Impacts Of Tourism Expenditures On Economic Health, Anne Wade

All Theses

This thesis evaluates two different strategies local leaders use to support and grow their economies. The first evaluates how residents from across the American South view and understand their experience of local craft breweries. The second evaluates the effects of direct tourism spending and direct tourism tax receipts on important measures of resident well-being in the twenty-three county Western North Carolina region. The first chapter in this thesis evaluates the overall consumer perception of the growing craft brewing industry within the states of Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana and what factors affect this perception. It uses …

Distraction In Retrospect: A Retrospective Interview Study, Andrew Obeng

All Theses

Student success, as currently defined, neglects the well-being of some students, specifically those who manage medical conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD), which complicates the educational experience regardless of age and is not fully addressed. In order to account for the needs of students with ADHD/ADD, it is important to understand how their medical needs manifest and impact them. ADHD/ADD, commonly associated with impulsivity and inattention, often presents with comorbid psychological or physiological conditions. While this combination of symptoms would prove difficult for anyone, it becomes particularly challenging within the context of college life, as students are often …

A Survey Of Indicators Of Zionism, Antisemitism, And Their Convergence With American Christian Nationalism, Jessica Liberman

All Theses

Since the 1970s, the American Christian right has favored U.S. involvement with the state of Israel, supporting it through decades of conflict with its Muslim-majority neighbor, Palestine. Antisemitism in the United States has surged since the 2016 election of Donald Trump, along with growing research interest among sociologists in a theopolitical phenomenon called Christian nationalism. Building upon research documenting the civic, racial, and ethnic exclusivism of Christian nationalist ideology as well as theory suggesting Christian Zionism, despite appearing philosemitic, is structured by antisemitism that views Israel and Jews as artifacts of biblical prophecies, I theorize that such factors are associated …

The Impact Of Oversaturation And Corporate Identity On Csr Messages Within The Electric Car Industry, Carla White

All Theses

Rooted in the call for increased electric and zero-emission vehicles, this study aims to analyze the impact of repeated industry-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) messages on public perception. This research will test the impact of oversaturation on CSR message outcomes according to Hon and Grunig's (1999) organizational-public relationships (OPRs) scale. Additionally, this research will incorporate corporate identity (CI) framework derived from business literature to test CI's influence on CSR messages and OPR outcomes. Participant's overall trust, satisfaction, and commitment towards a company mission statement and various advertisements under differing experimental conditions will determine the effect of both oversaturation and CI …

The Effects Of News Framing On Policy Support For Incarcerated Black Women, Rebecca Pool

All Theses

Mass incarceration has disproportionately affected many people; however, Black women have been routinely dismissed from the majority of prison scholarship and are at a particular risk through harmful stereotypes that serve as justification for their imprisonment. By examining their unique stance in the prison-industrial complex, this thesis draws attention to mechanisms to generate support for these women. Under the framework of framing theory and critical media effects, this research determined whether individual attribution of responsibility frames or societal attribution of responsibility frames affect individuals’ support for anti-mass incarceration public policies. According to the results, there were no effects between Black …

Covid-19 And Canine Travelers: Determining Likelihood To Travel With Dogs, Angela Rowan

All Theses

During the Covid-19 pandemic, dog adoption rates skyrocketed, restaurants focused on outdoor seating, and travelers pivoted away from tightly packed planes out of safety concerns. This study surveyed dog owners in the United States to determine whether pet attachment levels could predict dog owners’ likelihood of traveling with their dogs. In addition, it used Um and Crompton’s (1992) facilitators and inhibitors to establish how different factors affect a dog owner’s likelihood of traveling with their dog. These facilitators and inhibitors were split into three dimensions: needs satisfaction, social agreement, and travelability. Finally, this study sought to learn what effect the …