Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Macroeconomic Investigation Of The Labor Market Matching Efficiency, Sarah M. Welch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The first section of this research explores how traditional measures of unemployment can mask important changes in the labor market across the business cycle. We therefore use broader definitions of unemployment to estimate time-varying job-matching efficiency rates that are consistent with vacancies and hiring activity data for the U.S. Our efficiency rates are then modeled along with employment data to study their dynamic, non-linear relationship. We find that including part-time workers for economic reasons as well as marginally attached workers helps explain the changes in employment patterns observed after the global financial crisis, emphasizing the importance of accounting for underemployment, …

Mental Health Counseling For Individuals With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: Attitudes And Experiences Of Licensed Counselors, Alysha Dawn Blagg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following study examined the attitudes and beliefs of licensed mental health counselors toward individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and those providing services to the population. This study examined if professional and/or personal contact with individuals with IDD impacts counselors’ attitudes. A quantitative research design was utilized to examine the relationships among counselors’ attitudes toward individuals with IDD, contact with the population, perception of treatment effectiveness, and confidence in working with individuals with IDD. The responses from 74 participants were used in data analysis for this study. Findings in this study suggested that counselors may hold neutral to low positive …

Coronavirus (Covid-19) Climate Snapshot Poll: Top Resource Needs Of Veterans And Active Duty Service Members, Linda Rougeau Euto, Rosalinda Maury, Nicholas Armstrong, Brice M. Stone, Rachel Linsner

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief analyzes resource needs among veteran and the active-duty service member populations in key areas such as employment, education, childcare, mental and physical health, along with caregiving resources. Results reveal widespread concern and resources needed among military and veteran community members collectively and independently. Knowing which resources are needed is just half the battle as findings also indicate that navigating some of those services is also a challenge. This report aims to offer insight and recommendations, to the military community, along with multiple stakeholders including policymakers, practitioners, grant makers, and researchers.

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Barriers Faced By Nursing Assistants And Medication Aides In The Care Of Dysphagia Residents, Lauren Kreuzberg

Honors Theses

Dysphagia refers to the symptom of difficulty in swallowing that accompanies several prevalent conditions in the older adult population, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease), stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, dementia, various cancers, and brain tumors (Allari, 2014). Many older adults who suffer from these conditions reside in nursing facilities, where most of their care is provided by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and medication aides (MAs). However, the extent of these workers’ knowledge and competence in providing care to nursing home residents with dysphagia is vastly under-researched. The qualitative analysis investigates themes among interviews with fifteen CNAs and …

Patterns Of General- And Eating Disorder-Related Psychopathology In Relation To Weight Change In Treatment-Seeking Children, Anne Claire Grammer

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few studies have examined the compounded impact of general psychopathology and eating disorder (ED) psychopathology on weight change in youth with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). We characterized patterns of general psychopathology and ED psychopathology in children with OW/OB and examined the impact on weight change following family-based behavioral obesity treatment (FBT). Children (n=172) with OW/OB participated in 4 months of FBT. General psychopathology (i.e., anxiety, depression), ED psychopathology (i.e., shape concern, weight concern, loss of control (LOC) eating), and child percent overweight (%OW) were assessed at baseline. Latent profile analysis identified patterns of general and ED psychopathology at baseline. Multiple linear regression …

Quality Of Sleep, Stress, And Exercise: Effects Of Environmental And Lifestyle Factors On Spatial Navigation In Older Adults, Hannah Maybrier

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: With increasing age, many adults experience reduced spatial navigation ability, with the most prominent reductions in tasks dependent on the hippocampus. Hippocampal dysfunction may be linked to age-related increases in sleep fragmentation, which results in reduced neurogenesis and long-term potentiation. This project aims to determine if age-related reductions in hippocampal-dependent navigation ability and strategy selection are mediated by impaired sleep. Further, we propose that the effects of sleep on navigation are moderated by psychological stress and physical activity. Methods: 36 older (m: 70, sd: 7) and 33 younger (m: 20, sd: 1.5) adults recorded one week of sleep via …

Planning And Navigating In An Unfamiliar Location: Effects Of Outsourcing On Memory, Bailey Hoffer

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Outsourcing is the process of using some external tool as a memory aid. There are a whole host of tools to outsource information that we want to remember. The purpose of this study was to better understand how outsourcing impacts memory for information outsourced and the information not outsourced. This study used different methods of navigation: simulated GPS as well as a self-generated route to involve the generation effect—generating the to-be-remembered information by oneself. Route accuracy and route tasks were measured by participants’ memory. The independent variables in the study are navigation source (GPS determined versus self-generated) and test instruction …

Factors Influencing Participation In Liberal Student Organizations On College Campuses, Nathan Johnson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Despite a long history of student organizations on college campuses there is relatively little research on participation and student experiences in such groups, especially on what factors motivate students to become involved. This study sought to examine factors that influence participation in political organizations on college campuses through dependent variables of attendance and holding a leadership role. The sample focused on groups understood to be “liberal” such as the College Democrats, environmental groups, and others. Respondents were reached through personal connections, social media, and distributing the survey to student organizations. The examined factors accounted for less than a fifth of …

Observing Waste Production And Bringing Sustainable Options To The Houses In Fraternity Circle, Lindsay Travers

Senior Honors Projects

In our ever-changing world, focusing on sustainability has become important due to human-caused climate change. As a result of our world changing and advancing, the majority of the population now moves at a fast pace. In some cases, this speed of living requires the easiest route possible when it comes to using resources or disposing of items. However, there have been many advancements that have given our world options to be more sustainable. In the 1970’s, recycling was introduced and groups ranging from large corporations to individual households began recycling items and reducing their overall waste production. This was a …

The Impact Of Stress On Diet, Sleep, And Exercise Amongst College Students, Jessica Rizzo

Senior Honors Projects

Stress is something that everyone faces in their lifetime and has an everlasting impact on their health. College students face high levels of stress throughout the semester, but how is that impacting their behavior? I conducted a survey alongside Dr. Melanson, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, to see just how college students are reacting to stress. The survey was circulated to different departments and classes to achieve a widespread collection of data. The survey remained completely anonymous and posed questions about eating, exercise, and sleep habits, along with questions on demographics and stress levels. Our …

How Much Do You Love Grey’S Anatomy?, Katherine Baldwin

Honors College Theses

Does the prominence of medical Television Shows impact people’s decision to pursue a medical career?

We are constantly told that the things we see in media and entertainment influences how we think about things, but not much research has been done regarding its ability to impact major life choices such as career choice. This paper investigates this by examining the causal relationship between television and interest in the pursuit of a medical career. An ordinary least squares model, created using time series data over the last 24 years, tested specifically the effect of the number and quality of medical television …

Public Policy Congruence And Nationalism In Post-Soviet Spaces, Emily N. Griffin

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Culture In Engaging The Senior Population In Omaha, Ne, Jamie Bish

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In recent years, the senior care industry has become the focus of many public health initiatives as we have come to better understand the significance of our aging population (Olivari et al., 2020). Between the years 2010 and 2050, the population of the United States over 65 years is expected to more than double, from 40.5 to 89 million (Dall et al., 2013). While this data provides a national outlook, further research is needed to determine local impacts. This project centers on developing a better understanding of the demographics of seniors in the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area and how …

Perspective Driven Behavior: The Effects Of Classroom Climate On A Student's Personality And Willingness To Communicate, Nicholas Weber

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Modern students are experiencing problems novel to the college environment. Much emphasis has been placed on learning in the classroom and the interactions with other students and professors, but this research has neglected features intrinsic to the student in question. The current study evaluates the student’s communication climate (or Connected Communication Climate Inventory (CCCI) score) within their classrooms as it relates to the relationship between key personality traits (i.e. Extraversion, Intellect/ Imagination, and Neuroticism) and their willingness to communicate (WTC) in those settings. College students have been given assessments to evaluate the prevalence of distinct personality traits and their relationships …

Pitching Change: Micro-Community Of Higher Learning, Christopher Chaphe

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Being around sports growing up has given me some experiences that have shaped who I am today. Playing and watching sports is a common activity amongst my friends and family. These events spark engagement and camaraderie between us. The stadium in which these sports are played within are a key component to this engagement. They bring people together to enjoy and root on your favorite teams along side thousands of other fans.

Stadiums today are becoming a remarkable instrument to generate communal spirit besides marketing, recruiting and hosting games for universities. The iconic design of these stadiums has become more …

Vermont Foodbank Needs Assessment: An Investigation Into The Needs Of Community Partners In The Northwest Region Of Vermont, William Thomas Ball

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Graduate students at the University of Vermont collaborated with the Vermont Foodbank between May and October 2019 to conduct a needs assessment of 20 selected community partners (CPs) in Northwestern Vermont. The purpose of the assessment was to identify firmographics, levels of community engagement, and interest in foodbank initiatives among partner organizations. Surveys were sent to 25 organizations, and 20 were received by the cutoff date of October 21, 2019, resulting in an 80% participation rate. The questionnaire consisted of 27 questions both qualitative and quantitative in nature, consisting of open-ended, multiple-answer, and multiple-choice questions. The survey revealed multiple actions …

A Phenomenological Approach On Communication Experiences Between Strength And Conditioning Coaches And Head Sport Coaches, Benjamin Charles

Leadership Education Capstones

This study investigates communication experiences between Strength and Conditioning Coaches and Head Sport Coaches using a phenomenological approach. Sixteen Strength and Conditioning Coaches were surveyed, via Qualtrics, to obtain basic demographics and answer open-ended questions to understand communication experiences and strategies Strength and Conditioning Coaches use to have effective relationships, teamwork, and athletic performance with Head Sport Coaches. Participants were required to be currently working for a DI-DIII 4-year University in the United States, have at least 1-year of Strength and Conditioning experience, an accredit certification related to training athletes at the college level, and be at least 21 years …

Transformation Leadership And Youth Development Soccer Coaches: Behaviors That Enhance Coaching Performance, Diego Barros Dos Santos

Leadership Education Capstones

This quantitative study investigated the potential relationship between youth development soccer coaching style and transformational leadership behaviors. An anonymous survey was the source of data for this study. Participants responses were categorized into the four factors of transformational leadership which include (1) intellectual stimulation, (2) inspirational motivation, (3) idealized influence, and (4) individualized considerations. Recommendations for future research encompass expanding the demographics, sample size and field observations. Additionally, further research could include a contrast and comparison between coaches perspective x athletes perspective about transformational leadership behaviors. Furthermore, transformational leadership workshop and post survey intervention might expose how coaches leadership style …

Assessing Lipid Content In Migrating Alewife, Anthony Zenga

Honors College

Alewife are a commercially, economically, and ecologically important fish, that expend large amounts of energy during their long migrations to spawning habitat. This energy demand can influence an individual’s chances of surviving and reproducing successfully. To understand how energy use may affect fitness, we captured alewife from the Souadabscook Stream over the course of their spawning migration. Fifty fish were sampled each week from May 12th to June 10th 2019. The lipid content of each individual was measured by using i) a Distell Fatmeter and ii) gravimetric analysis by measuring muscle moisture as an indirect method to assess lipid content. …

Intersectional Experiences Of Violence: Studying The Serial Murder Of 16 Men And Boys In Milwaukee, 1987-1991, Sally Svetic

Theses and Dissertations

Between the years of 1987 and 1991, 16 multiply-marginalized men and boys went missing in the City of Milwaukee; few other than their family and friends noticed. In 1991, it was discovered that they were murdered by Jeffrey Dahmer, a white man living on Milwaukee’s near west side. This paper argues that state power, racial capitalism, and white supremacy devalued the lives of Black, queer, young and poor people and created conditions that allowed Dahmer to commit 16 murders without detection by the Milwaukee Police Department. In this thesis, responses from Black, Lao, queer and Othered people are centered. In …

From Economic Slowdown To Recession, Iryna Demko, Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The most recent recession, known as the “Great Recession,” began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. The recession affected the entire U.S., but its impacts were not uniform. Unfortunately, Ohio was a primary example of the recession’s iniquities as the recession lasted five months longer here compared to the rest of the nation. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we face further uncertainty and another recession with economic activity contracting “sharply and abruptly” across the entire U.S. This research brief examines the state of the economy in the U.S. and Northeast Ohio pre-pandemic (2019) and provides an analysis of …

Does Proximity To Fast Food Cause Childhood Obesity? Evidence From Public Housing, Jeehee Han, Amy Ellen Schwartz, Brian Elbel

Center for Policy Research

We examine the causal link between proximity to fast food and the incidence of childhood obesity among low-income households in New York City. Using individual-level longitudinal data on students living in public housing linked to restaurant location data, we exploit the naturally occurring within-development variation in distance to fast food restaurants to estimate the impact of proximity on obesity. Since the assignment of households to specific buildings is based upon availability at the time of assignment to public housing, the distance between student residence and retail outlets—including fast food restaurants, wait-service restaurants, supermarkets, and corner stores—is plausibly random. Our credibly …

Parenting Styles And Child Outcomes In Puerto Rican Families: A Comparison Of Individual And Dyadic Coding, Jeisianne Rosario Colón

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parenting styles are comprised from three dimensions: warmth, autonomy granting, and demandingness. These dimensions combined form four parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful. Forty-nine Puerto Rican families with children 6-11 years participated. Families engaged in several tasks that were coded using the Parenting Style Observation Rating Scale and child outcomes were measured using the Child Behavior Checklist. Overall, parents received high ratings in warmth, autonomy granting, and supportive demandingness, and low scores in nonsupportive demandingness. There were some differences between parents, with mothers exhibiting higher levels of warmth with girls than boys, and higher levels of autonomy granting and …

The Norms Are More Guidelines Than Actual Rules: Applying Isomorphism To Disability Accommodations In The Catholic Church., Jonathon Holland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the role of isomorphism as it pertains to disability accommodations in the Catholic Church. Isomorphism is the concept articulated by DiMaggio and Powell (1983) that organizations are becoming more similar. They do this in three ways: mimetic (when one organization copies another organization), coercive (when one organization or cultural practices pressure another organization to perform an action or adopt a policy), and normative (when organizations adopt similar actions because their leaders are following a common set of norms established through professional or educational processes). Sacraments that address disability issues in the Catholic Church are unique because they …

Brothers As Men: Masculinity, Homosociality, And Violence Among Fraternity Men, Daniel Mccloskey

University Scholar Projects

A significant aspect of gender study, specifically when dealing with men, is the idea that there is no single masculinity and that there are many different constructions of masculinity. This project engages fraternity men about their constructions of masculinity and how these constructions affect behavior. In addition to these constructions of masculinity, this study is concerned with issues of homosociality and views of sexual violence. This project utilizes research techniques including semi-structured and structured interviews as well as free listing and pile sorting.

Cultivating Curiosity And Collaboration: Mentalizing As A Modality Of Intervention In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Danielle M. Bryson

Child Development Theses

Parents and caregivers who are able to understand their own mental states are better able to hold a child’s mental states in mind, an important consideration for moderating negative perceptions of ADHD behavior. In this thesis, I discuss how mentalizing-focused treatment for parents and caregivers strengthens attachment bonds in families where a child is diagnosed with ADHD. I explore the effectiveness of mentalizing-focused treatment to parents, some of whom experience difficulty in understanding their own mental states, and all of whom experience challenges in interpreting the intentions and mental states of their children, particularly in families where a child has …

"He Knows Who He's Messing With": Hostile/Helpless Representations On The Parent Development Interview, Anna Kilbride

Child Development Theses

Current systems for assessing parenting narratives lack the capacity to capture representational phenomena associated with significantly disrupted attachment relationships. This thesis will describe the adaptation of the valid and reliable Hostile/Helpless (HH) coding system for use with the Parent Development Interview (PDI). The hostile–helpless dyadic model posits that these two relational stances derive from an unbalanced internal working model of attachment that is shaped over the course of a caregiver’s own attachment history. Entering parenthood with hostile–helpless representation of caregiving puts a parent at risk of relating to their child from the extreme stance of either unbalanced behavioral position or …

Representations Of Women: A Media Intentions And Effects Analysis Of The Popular Music Industry, Emily A. Bourne

Comm-entary

This thesis features a critical media effects analysis of the present United States music industry. Popular music and its associated production and promotion industry is overwhelmingly dominated by men and is correspondingly subject to the influence of dominant cultural ideologies. These ideologies include the oppression and marginalization of women and the furthering of their subordinate status within American culture. The projection of these inherently unjust principles not only reinscribes pre-established societal status quos, but also influences the general public to further internalize, develop, and reproduce them. These prompted understandings contribute to the lacking power and equality of women in society …

Examining The Relationships Between College And High School Relational And Physical Victimization And Its Effects On Self-Esteem, Tylore Gross, Juan F. Casas

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationship between high school and college peer relational and physical victimization and its effects on self-esteem, as well parallel associations between relational victimization in romantic relationships and its effects on self-esteem. Participants were recruited at a Midwest University to participate in an online study through the Psychology Department wherein they completed a series of questionnaires. A total of 317 college students participated in this study, including 245 females (77%) and 72 males (23%). Participants received extra credit in their psychology class for participating. Self-reports of self-esteem were measured using the …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 4, Number 5, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton, Ana Gutierrez Zubiate, Ignacio Santana

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.