Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Achieving Positive Mental Health And Academic Achievement For Students With Behavioral And Emotional Issues In Elementary School, Reynalda Fuentes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Elementary students, their peers, and teachers today are being affected by emotional and behavioral issues that some students struggle with at school. In order to understand why it is affecting their academic achievement and mental health, this report answers the following research questions to investigate how these problems affect schools, classrooms, and teachers, as well as what appears to be contributing factors to this problem, and what are some of the solutions. In review of the literature on preventions and interventions placed at elementary schools the research shows that frameworks such as The Multi-tiered System of Supports, and the incorporation …

My Family, Their History: Using Exploratory Inquiry & Pragmatic Methods To Learn History, Lowellen Sucgang

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

History education is at a crossroads. The availability of information at our fingertips has the potential to change how the non-historian sees history and the other social sciences. This capstone researched ways the non-historian can utilize the changing face of history education by implementing the pragmatic methods of John Dewey’s education philosophy called instrumentalism. Principal issues discussed include the pros and cons of out-of-classroom history education, utilization of exploratory inquiry for research and the usefulness of primary sources for a historiography. To apply instrumentalism ideals and methods, I created a historiography about my ancestors and how their lives intertwined with …

“So, Literally,…Basically,...It’S Like…”: A Study Into The Generational And Sociological Impact Of American Language Culture, Richard Moreno

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Language is unique to the human species. It serves to communicate thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. Within the context of this capstone I outline the theory that language is much more than this. Words can also serve to bond or reject, based on the level of acceptance within social groups towards the speaker. In seeking to discover what effects specific language utterances have on social interaction and the processes involved in developing cohesiveness collective identity in these groups, I found that they do have a definite impact and this is based mainly within generational parameters. Using a mixed method approach of …

Student Support Services At A Hispanic Serving Institution: A Non-Traditional Student Perspective, Viridiana Vidales-Anguiano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In this capstone project, the focus is on student support services that are offered to non-traditional students at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). The university is classified as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), a section of non-traditional students. The project consists of the students’ perspectives about the support programs as well as how it correlates to their overall experience at CSUMB. A questionnaire was administered to students to ask about their satisfaction and knowledge of student support services. In addition, the Transfer Student Success Center was observed as part of the case study to further discuss options offered on …

Covid-19 Impacts On Tourism-Related Businesses: Thoughts And Concerns, Glenna Hartman, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been detrimental for both the health and the economy of Montanans and the entire globe. Many of Montana businesses, especially the travel-related businesses, were shut down from mid-March to the end of May. All non-essential travel stopped. The impact on businesses was felt statewide. This report focuses on the open-ended responses within the third round of business surveys conducted by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR) at the University of Montana. The survey was conducted in the height of Montana’s shut-down to capture the thoughts and concerns of business owners in the travel …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of The Impacts Of A Strength-Based And Youth-Driven Approach To Suicide Prevention In Rural And Minority Communities In Hawai‘I, Mapuana C.K. Antonio, Jane J. Chung-Do, Deborah A. Goebert, Kris Bifulco, Antonia R.G. Alvarez

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Suicide is a serious public health issue, particularly for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islander youth living in rural communities in Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i’s Caring Communities Initiative (HCCI) for Youth Suicide Prevention was implemented to address these concerns and used a strength-based, youthleadership approach to suicide prevention. A qualitative study was completed with youth leaders and adult community coordinators to evaluate the impacts of participating in HCCI. Participants included 9 adult community coordinators and 17 youth leaders ages 13-18 years. Coordinator interviews took place at a location of the interviewee’s convenience, and youth leader focus groups were conducted at 1 …

Crop Yield And Democracy, James B. Ang, Per G. Fredriksson, Satyendra Kumar Gupta

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

How does the historical legacy of agriculture affect democratic traditions in contemporary societies? This paper provides empirical evidence that inherent crop yield and democracy exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship. This finding is supported by cross-country data from up to 147 countries, 186 pre-colonial societies, and the U.S. states. The relationship thus exhibits a highly persistent pattern. Crop yield is measured by kilocalories per hectare per year under rain-fed conditions, which has the advantage of being highly exogenous. The hump-shaped relationship holds up to a battery of robustness tests.

The Influence Of State Political Orientation On Firm Environmental Practices, Trisha Coberly

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the correlation between the political environment of the state where a company is headquartered and the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices. Additionally, I add firm specific factors as moderating variables to see if they will positively or negatively influence this relationship. Although there is an abundance of research on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its effects on firm performance this paper will look more narrowly at the environmental aspect of CSR and use state political orientation as the independent variable with firm characteristics acting as the moderating variables. Our results conclude that …

Examining Differences In Housing Voucher Law Application In Cook And Dupage Counties, Justin Wettstein

University Honors Program Senior Projects

This study examines the experiences of families with active involvement in open cases with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) within a Housing Advocacy Program (HAP) at La Casa Norte in Chicago, Illinois. Housing advocates in this program work with clients in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County, as well as DuPage County. This program focuses on assessing the needs of families with open DCFS cases who are nearing completion of a mandated program, with housing that meets DCFS guidelines and requirements being one of the final steps towards case closure. HAP case managers educate …

Fragmentation In Care And Hospital Admissions Of Older Adults, Dylan Burke

University Honors Program Senior Projects

The large population of older adults in America has many medical needs which creates a large economic burden. People who are more negatively affected by fragmented care need advocates for them in the field of healthcare. The research question of this study is “what is the relationship between fragmented care and hospitalizations in older adults with mental illness?” The research hypothesis is that fragmented care and hospitalizations have a statistically significant relationship for older adults with mental illness. The hope of this study is to advocate for decreased fragmentation in care for older adults who receive Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) …

The Politics Of Colonial Authenticity: Food In A Galaxy Far, Far Away, Katelyn Juerjens

University Honors Program Senior Projects

In August 2015, The Walt Disney Company announced its plans for two new 14-acre additions to their already expansive theme parks: Galaxy’s Edge. The new additions, which opened in the Summer of 2019, are themed as a never-before-seen planet within the multi-billion-dollar Star Wars franchise. Each park was designed to transport fans and tourists to a galaxy far, far way to experience foreign topographies, activities, adventures, and even food. This project looks at the representations of food and consumption across the Star Wars multimedia galaxy. Through exploring the menus circulating inside the Galaxy’s Edge theme park alongside Galaxy’s Edge tie-in …

Thoughts And Opinions On Police Intervention On Domestic Violence, Magdalene Thebaud

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Historically, the criminal justice system was highly criticized for dismissing the intimate violence reports. Many lawsuits were filed against the police for not responding to victim’s police reports. It is important to consider the victim’s opinions on intimate partner violence interventions when deciding what it effective or not. Policy research should implement more victim focused resources and laws that would allow victims to safely leave abusive relationships. Being mindful of the evidence this study should encourage policy makers to consider the police intervention of intimate partner violence. This research could provide statistics showing that police intervention is causing retaliation and …

Intersections Of Climate Justice, Brigid Mark, Alejandra Gallardo, Jack Pieper, Danielle Voss, Corrie Grosse, Leonardo Cumplido, Elena Lozano

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This packet covers current information on climate justice issues in Minnesota including: Latinx immigration, public health, Black Lives Matter, native rights, LGBTQIA+ community, Somali livelihoods, and just transition.

We hope to help realize how we are connected to the climate crisis, identify action items for individuals, and build an understanding of how the crisis may affect our neighbors with different experiences. We believe that exchanging knowledge and raising awareness of local issues are essential to build a lasting and welcoming movement to secure healthy and happy livelihoods for all.

Case Study: Portland State University Library's Open Textbook Publishing Program, Pdxopen, Karen Bjork

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

A brief narrative that focuses on the history and lessons learned of Portland State University's open access textbook publishing program, PDXOpen.

Toward The Development Of A Practitioner-Friendly Delay Tolerance Assessment And Treatment For Typically-Developing Children, Kaitlynn Mary Gokey

Theses and Dissertations

Delay discounting is the decrease in the value of a reinforcer as a function of the delay to the delivery of the reinforcer. Individuals who exhibit steep delay discounting are commonly referred to as ‘impulsive’ and are at a greater risk of behavior problems such as poor academic performance, addiction, and excessive risk-taking. One effective intervention is a concurrent activity, in which the individual must complete a task demand during the waiting period. Rules and rulegoverned behavior also play a critical role in improving delay discounting rates across populations, and may be used as an intervention to promote self-controlled responses. …

Different Paths, Same Destination? Comparison Between Two Approaches To Developing Situational Judgment Tests On Cross Cultural Competency, Xiaowen Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on developing SJTs to measure an individual’s cross-cultural competency, and comparing the two SJT development approaches in terms of development costs, reliability, validity, susceptibility to social desirability, and test-taker reactions. In the first phase, the two 3C SJTs were developed with the model-based approach and the SME-driven approach respectively. In the second phase, data were collected to examine the reliability and validity of the two SJTs. Both 3C SJTs demonstrated acceptable reliability (αSME = .72; αmodel =.70), and convergent to CQS (rSME = .35, p < .01; rmodel = . 24, p < .01). The SJTs psychometric properties were further examined in the third phase, wherein the SJTs displayed similar reliability and were convergent to CQS. Both SJTs predicted satisfaction with overseas life (βSME = .24, p < .01; βmodel = .18, p < .05) and sociocultural adaptability (βSME = -.20, p < .05; βmodel = -.21, p < .05), meanwhile, only having none or small correlation with satisfaction with general life (rSME = .10, n.s. and rmodel = .19, p < .05). The SME-driven SJT outperformed the model-based SJT and CQS in predicting the actual multicultural team performance that was rated by peers (βSME = .26, p < .05; βmodel = - .04, n.s.; βCQs = .01, n.s.). The utility of the two SJT development approaches, implications, future research directions and limitations were discussed in the end.

Determinants Of Safety Outcomes In Organizations: Exploring O*Net Data To Predict Occupational Accident Rates, Lavanya Shravan Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

Workplace safety is of utmost importance given the regular occurrence of both fatal and nonfatal occupational injuries all around the world. Although research in this area is hugely prevalent, it is focused mainly on safety climate and lacks an integrated approach when examining predictors of safety outcomes. The development of an occupational risk factor that predicts safety outcomes will aid in understanding the relative importance of different factors that contribute to safety and help organizations target their safety programs and interventions efficiently. The present study is an exploratory analysis utilizing publicly available O*NET data (work activities, work context features, and …

Leading Together: Exploring Conditions For Shared Leadership Emergence In Teams, Charles Percy Reed Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Modern workplaces require complex teamwork and leadership behaviors to innovate and achieve their goals effectively. Research has found that one of the best ways to help improve team collaboration and performance is to foster shared leadership across the team members. However, little research has been conducted to determine what factors actually drive the emergence of shared leadership in teams. This archival study examines the possible factors and pathways that lead to shared leadership emerging within teams. The data from sixty-six (66) three-person teams was used. Each team member had to collaborate to successfully complete a simulated spaceship bridge task. Six …

“Say Something!”: Examining The Bystander In Sexual Harassment, Lida Ponce

Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. Past research on harassment has primarily investigated the victim and the perpetrator, with limited research on bystanders in these events. However, bystanders can play an important role in the occurrence and outcomes of harassment by speaking up and intervening, particularly when the victim is too intimidated to do so. Therefore, this research examined this issue, focusing on factors influencing bystander intentions to intervene in sexual harassment incidents. Specifically, drawing from the Cognitive-Affective Processing System approach (Mischel & Shoda, 1995), this study investigated the construct of give/take/match (Grant, 2013) as …

Effects Of Contemplative Practice Applications On Learning With An Adaptive Training System, Melissa Marie Walwanis

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to test the impact of the contemplative practices of guided mindfulness and more traditional mindfulness compared to a standard educational practices control condition, on learning. Guided mindfulness practices are embedded concentrative psychoeducational practices of contingency planning and guided reflection that are systematically sequenced in experiential learning contexts. Traditional mindfulness practices are embodied interoceptive practices such as diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness meditation, and body scan used in a generalized sense. The control condition standard educational practices include note taking and learning styles. By engaging learners in an embedded psychoeducational practice and embodied interoceptive practices, this study sought to: 1) …

Willingness To Seek Professional Help For Suicidal Thoughts: The Role Of Masculine Norms And Self-Stigma In Service Members, Samantha E. Daruwala

Master's Theses

Given the high rate of suicide, it is important to understand what barriers are preventing service members from seeking professional help for suicidal thoughts. Self-stigma and conformity to masculine norms, which are evident in the military culture, have been demonstrated as barriers to care in civilians. This study sought to better understand how these two factors are related to willingness to seek professional help for suicidal thoughts and a personal-emotional problem among service members. Specifically, we (1) identified service members’ willingness to seek help from a variety of sources for suicidal thoughts and a personal-emotional problem, (2) examined how conformity …

The Role Of Action In Affordance Perception Using Virtual Reality, Ashley J. Funkhouser

Honors Theses

Space perception in virtual reality (VR) is distorted. Does action in conjunction with an avatar's presence improve perception in VR? Participants judged whether a virtual ball was within reach. Condition 1 was perception-only, where the participant was not allowed to move nor could see their arms. Condition 2 was perception with nonvisible action, where the participant could move their real arm to reach but could not see an avatar representation of the arm. Condition 3 was perception with visible action, where the participant could move and see a virtual hand that corresponded to the actual arm movement. Participants overestimated their …

An External Expression Of The Inner Spirit: Dance, Religion, And Taboos In Christianity, Erin E. Ingram

Honors Theses

Dance, religion, and the presence of taboos have each been recognized as what is known throughout the social sciences as “cultural universals.” For example, though not every individual dances, dance can be found in all societies (Brown, 2004). Furthermore, many cultures use dance as part of religious or ritual worship. The following thesis explores possible answers to these three intertwined questions: “Many cultures across the world have developed dances for the purpose of religious or spiritual rituals and celebrations. Does dance as a form of expression stem from a biological, spiritual, or cultural need? Why do cultures turn to dance …

Test-Driving Interventions For Teachers To Improve Treatment Integrity, Viktoria Papp

Honors Theses

Teachers often have to implement interventions in the classroom to address challenging student behaviors. Such issues are often addressed during behavioral consultation which involves working with a specialized consultant, such as a school psychologist, to determine the most robust strategy that will predictably have the greatest impact in addressing the problematic behavior. Equally important in this intervention process is the application of any intervention technique or strategy in the manner in which it has been designed and investigated to work based on supporting research.

There is an increasing need for consultants to consider utilizing strategies that promote the adherence to …

Putin's Invisible Hand: Why Are Gongos Increasingly Resurfacing Under The Putin Administration?, Sydnee Merritt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Government Organized Non-Governmental Organizations (GONGOs), once common during the Soviet-era, are now increasingly resurfacing under the Putin administration. Once completely abolished from Russia, these deceitful organizations are accompanying various new laws signed by President Putin in the Russian Federation. While Russia does not claim to be a liberal democracy with a free civil society and Putin has described his state as a “managed democracy,” the puzzle still remains why the Putin administration is secretly using organizations to fulfill government ploys. This thesis will analyze the types of GONGOs along with new laws and policies signed into effect under the Putin …

Is There A Relationship Between Experiences Of Workplace Discrimination And Self-Stigmatization Among Mental Health Peer Support Workers?, Nicole King

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis aimed to explore whether a statistically significant relationship existed between experiences of workplace discrimination and self-stigmatization among mental health peer support workers. This relationship has not previously been explored in this group. The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI) was used to measure self-stigmatization, and a 3-measure scale adapted by Stromwall, Holley and Bashor (2011), alongside a newly created measure, were used to assess perceived workplace discrimination. The sample was a convenience sample of 20 participants. The researcher expected a positive correlation between workplace discrimination and self-stigmatization. Ultimately, no statistically significant relationship was found between the two …

Maternal Stress And Child Internalizing Symptoms: Parent-Child Co-Regulation As A Proposed Mediator, Tatum Harvey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The effects of maternal stress on child behavior, especially externalizing problems such as aggression, defiance, and lack of self-control, are well-established within psychological literature. Few studies, however, have examined the effects of maternal stress on child internalizing problems, such as loneliness, withdrawal, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moreover, there is much research within developmental psychology to support the notion that parent-child co-regulation, sometimes called dyadic synchrony, can predict child behavioral outcomes. Currently, researchers lack an understanding of how this process can interact with maternal stress to predict child internalizing symptoms. The following thesis details a multi-method assessment which is …

No Hope For Rousseau In Tomorrowland: Limits Of Civil Religion In E.L. Doctorow’S The Book Of Daniel: A Novel (1971), Gabrielle R. Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Current scholarly work on E.L. Doctorow’s (1931-2015) novel The Book of Daniel: A Novel (1971) often ignores the narrator Daniel Isaacson’s implicit critique of Rousseau’s civil religion. This paper will show the importance of civil religion within the novel despite its being overlooked by most scholars. In The Book of Daniel, Daniel frequently examines instances of American civil religion and even goes as far as to describe it as inevitable and intrusive on freedom. Daniel implies throughout the novel that the American government models their civil religion on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s (1712-1778) conception as described in his treatise The Social …

The Effects Of Nursing School Peer Tutoring On Tutors, Yelyzaveta Soboleva

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An integrative review was used to examine the effects of being a tutor versus not being a tutor. The matrix method was used to guide the research process, to identify articles that met the inclusion criteria, and to reduce data into common topics of peer tutoring. The results of the integrative review yielded 20 articles and suggested that students in the position to assist others are more confident in communicating in groups and have higher knowledge in the subject they help with than their fellow peers. The literature showed that students in the position to assist others have defined personal …

College Students’ Attitudes Towards Police Officers And Their Perceptions Of Prison Systems, Lee Poff

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current research seeks to study and gauge current perceptions of police among college students at East Tennessee State University. As well as studying perceptions of police among students, the research will compare police perceptions among students with student opinions on incarceration. Correlations will be attempted to be observed through various demographical characteristics and similar standardized viewpoints. This will build on prior research from Lim (2015) and others in which college students were used to gauge results around perceptions of police. It is important to understand college student perceptions on police and incarceration as they form the future work force …