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14,559 Matching Results
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"An Encountered Moment"
This MFA graduate thesis explores the intersection of therapeutic photography, generational trauma, and Christian spirituality in promoting spiritual healing in disabled veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Drawing from personal experience, rigorous biblical training, and extensive research, I argue that incorporating faith-based practices and beliefs can complement existing PTSD support and enhance spiritual and mental well-being. Through the lens of generational trauma, the thesis analyzes the complex interplay between individual and collective trauma. It posits that the healing process is intrinsically linked to the restoration of the individual and community. I present a framework for therapeutic photography that incorporates Christian spiritual principles and offers practical guidelines for implementation in conjunction with therapeutic photography. The thesis concludes with a call to action for faith-based communities, mental health practitioners, and policymakers to recognize and address the spiritual and artistic therapeutic needs of disabled veterans with PTSD.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Thomas, Aaron Mahlon
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Engineering a Microfluidic Blood-Brain Barrier on a Silicon Chip
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is composed of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), pericytes, and astrocytic endfeet, which regulate the transport of molecules into and out of the brain. BMECs possess intrinsic barrier properties that limit the passage of approximately 98% of small molecules into the brain in healthy individuals. However, in some brain diseases, the BBB undergoes structural and functional alterations, which can contribute to disease progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the BBB by exploring the effects of endothelial cell stretching and the optimal dimensionality of stretching to enhance endothelium barrier tightness in Chapter 2. Subsequently, we developed an endothelium gradient stretching device to further examine the stretching effect in Chapter 3. Additionally, we investigated the promotion of endothelium tightness through the use of electrospun fibers, wherein we controlled the pore size. Based on these findings, we designed and fabricated an organ chip model that incorporates mechanical stretching, microfluidic techniques, electrospun fibers, and hydrogel extracellular matrix (ECM). The results of permeability testing demonstrated that this chip significantly improved the tightness of microvascular selective transport ability and has the potential to be used in drug sorting for central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Liu, Jiafeng
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
ESG Misreporting: Role of Assurance, Assurance Provider, ESG Issue Characteristics and Personal Environmentalism in Employee Reporting Decisions
Corporate environmental social and governance (ESG) reporting is becoming subject to increased scrutiny by regulators, investors and public. This dissertation will contribute to several research streams in the extant literature. This dissertation is the first to show the impact of employee environmental values and attitudes on reporting and whistleblowing decisions, making contributions to accounting, management, whistleblowing and environmental psychology literatures. Next, it is among the first to examine the role of the identity of ESG assurance provider in ESG reporting context. Further, it is among the first to examine the impact of SEC assurance mandate and the value of assurance over ESG information, thus contributing to audit literature. Using experimental methodology, I examine how ESG report assurance, ESG report assurance provider, ESG issue type, and environmentalism as a personality factor influence employee decisions to accede to a supervisory request to misrepresent ESG information, to report management's actions to a corporate hotline, to post information about management wrongdoing on social media, to switch jobs, and to judge ESG misreporting actions as unethical. The results indicate that (1) employee personality factor environmentalism impacts their ESG reporting decisions; (2) pro-environmental employees are more likely to whistleblow when assurance is not mandated, and they …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Sapounova, Gloria N.
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP): An Examination of Criterion Validity
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is a requirement for licensure as a psychologist across the entire United States as well as in numerous territories and provinces. Despite many longstanding criticisms and findings of bias, the EPPP is being expanded (adding a second, putatively competency-based, portion to the overall exam) and rebranded as the Enhanced EPPP. A review of literature reveals strong skepticism surrounding these developments, particularly with respect to the issue of criterion validity. The current study sought to examine the criterion validity of the EPPP by (1) drawing archival competency assessment data from existing measures (convergent validity) and (2) gathering new neurocognitive and emotional intelligence data, along with demographic data (discriminant validity), with copies of EPPP score reports from individuals who have recently taken the EPPP. Competency ratings did not significantly positively correlate with EPPP scores and, instead, indicated the opposite trend. Analyses also revealed a significant relationship between ethnicity and exam scores, with White individuals scoring higher than other ethnicities. Finally, performance on neurocognitive tests significantly positively correlated with exam scores, indicating that general test taking abilities play a larger role than abilities and competencies unique to the psychology field. Given the gatekeeping role the …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Saldana, Samantha
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
An Examination of Communication Patterns, Relationship Satisfaction, and Mental Health Symptoms in IPV-Exposed Women With and Without a History of Child Abuse
Extant research suggests communication styles (CS) such as constructive communication (CC) to be associated positively with relationship satisfaction (RS) and negatively with mental health (MH) whereas self-demand / partner withdraw (SD/PW) communication is associated negatively with RS and positively with MH. Research also suggests child abuse (CA) to be associated with poorer CS, lower RS, and poorer MH. Further, RS has been differentially associated with MH and CS in adult intimate relationships. However, no study has examined these associations simultaneously. The current study aimed to (1) assess these associations in IPV-exposed women and (2) assess differences between those with and without a history of CA. Data (n = 412; Mage = 36.77, SD = 12.54) come from a larger data collection project (N = 676). I hypothesized that: (1) higher CC and RS would be associated with lower severity of MH symptoms; (2) higher SD/PW and lower RS would be associated with higher severity of MH symptoms; (3) women with a history of CA will report less CC, lower RS, and higher severity of MH symptoms; and (4) women with a history of CA will report more SD/PW, lower RS, and higher severity of MH symptoms. Results did not support …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Griffith, Elizabeth L.
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
An Examination of the Metaverse Technology Acceptance Model in Tourism
The traditional definition of tourism has been transformed by significant advancements in communication and information technology. The concept of Metaverse, derived from the words "meta" (meaning beyond) and "verse" (meaning universe), has redefined how people experience travel. This innovative concept combines virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence to create virtually augmented spaces. However, the tourism industry should clarify and narrow down the definition of Metaverse and its intriguing concept for its successful adoption in the future. Thus, it is crucial to define Metaverse tourism and understand how users will accept it in the near future. This study aims to comprehend the technology behind Metaverse tourism, review current research on the topic, and identify the critical factors related to experiential Metaverse tourism. The paper also examines how computer self-efficacy, novelty seeking, subjective norm, job relevance, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment can influence expected user satisfaction and behavioral intention, given the context of situational motivation. The findings have significant implications for theory and management, addressing various questions related to users' perceptions, expectations, design considerations, stakeholder preparations, and performance assessment of metaverse technology in tourism applications.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Lee, Sangyung
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Examining the Perceived Efficacy of Professional Learning in Gifted and Talented Education
This research aims to examine current practices in gifted and talented educator professional learning, as well as teacher attitudes, beliefs, and experiences towards gifted education in order to explore opportunities to further develop and improve professional learning structures. Through a qualitative methodology following the constructivist-interpretivist paradigm, this research utilizes a phenomenological interview design in which data from educator interviews are examined through thematic analysis. To support and further extrapolate on the feedback from the interviews, this research also includes a document analysis of the published descriptions of 30-hour educator training required for those providing GT services in the state of Texas. The thematic analysis of interviews identified three major themes and two minor themes after engaging in a deep analysis of the interview transcriptions. These major themes are the (1) utility of professional learning, (2) shared control of learning, and (3) understanding the whole student. Minor themes are (i) long-term career growth and (ii) role of professional support networks and connections. Results of the document analysis illustrate that the most frequent descriptions are associated with the abilities participants will take from the learning. Within this descriptive code, most of the language focused on learner competence, while few of the descriptions …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Lockhart, Kari Beth
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Examining the Relationship of Critical Thinking Educational Efforts on Student Grade Point Average and Program Retention
Demand for the skill of critical thinking is extensive in both higher education and in the workforce. The purpose of the current research is to examine the relationship between critical thinking educational efforts (e.g., programs incorporating high impact practices) and higher education student outcomes. For this study, student outcomes were defined as cumulative grade point average and student program retention. The study used existing data which were obtained from a large public research university in the southwest United States. The study found that higher critical thinking was significantly associated with higher overall GPA, and this relationship was stronger in males as compared to females. However, students' critical thinking was not significantly related to program retention. Findings from this study appear to confirm previous studies indicating a positive relationship between students' ability to think critically and GPA. The study also suggests that elements promoting critical thinking can be successfully embedded into undergraduate curricula through various means, including the use of high impact practices.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Schellen, Michael Christopher
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Experiences of Young Adult-Aged Women from South Asian Countries Attempting to Participate in Sport and Physical Activity in the United States
This study aimed to broaden the understanding of young South Asian women's experiences/relationships and participation in leisure physical activities at universities in the United States. Using a phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews of 20-30 minutes duration were conducted with 5 South Asian women about their relationships and experiences when participating or attempting to participate in physical activity while attending university in the US. The following criteria were set for participants to be included in this study: they should be between the ages of 18 and 24, non-US citizens from a South Asian country, attend a university in the US, and engage in other physical activities. The interviews were audio recorded via Zoom and then the audio data were transcribed verbatim and then coded to identify the major barriers commonly experienced by participants. Results indicated that many girls and women perceived the US as a "safer" place with excellent infrastructure, ample opportunities to engage in physical activities, and convenient access to gyms, which encourage them (women) to remain active. Most participants were hesitant to participate in physical activities because of the culturally non-responsiveness of the system. This research study was done in a shorter time span with a small sample size. Further …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Rahman, Sohaila
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Exploring Principal Burnout
Principal workloads and demands are steadily increasing while principal health and well-being are declining, resulting in increased rates of principal turnover. Currently, principals are experiencing numerous work-related stressors that are increasing burnout. In many cases, school leaders are sacrificing their families and health to lead their schools. As school success is linked with principal leadership, principal burnout and wellness demands further discussion and investigation. Yet, there is a limited body of research that examines the lived experiences of principals who experience burnout. Consequently, this researcher conducted a phenomenological qualitative study of 12 Texas K-12 elementary and secondary public school principals in central Texas. Findings pointed out that principals experience burnout in waves. While the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted the burnout principal experienced, political divisiveness and social media attacks intensified their burnout. Additional findings revealed that burnout can cause principals to question staying in their role and negatively affect the quality of their family relationships as well as their health. Principals coped with their burnout by being aware of their emotions, spending time doing things that brought happiness, exercising, and reverting back to their faith in God. Additionally, principals believed that having knowledgeable district leaders who are visible, trust their leadership, …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Cunningham, Tiffany
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Exploring the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) for Startup Learning Environments
Although the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) has been widely accepted by the HRD community, it has not been tested in a startup context for reliability. The purpose of the current study is to explore if the DLOQ is a reliable instrument for startups to help them be more successful. The current study seeks to address some of the questions, which have been posed by previous researchers. The study utilizes a mixed-method design applying Cronbach alpha values to check the reliability of the instrument in a startup learning environment, with more than 600 participants and 42 startup businesses at a university in the Mountain West. The study uses objective financial measures for startup firms to explore the correlation between the seven dimensions of the DLOQ and startup companies at the university. Cronbach alphas for the instrument measured at the .80 level or higher. Four of the dimensions were found to be statistically significant resulting in a model that accounted for 30% of the variance in predicted Operating Income (p<.004) and 29% of the variances in predicted Net Income (p<.003). The study also uses qualitative analysis to explore what activities relate to the seven dimensions of the DLOQ, and …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Morris, Mark Orlando
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Exploring the Synergistic Effects of MXene-based Nanocomposites for Superlubricity and Friction/Wear Reduction on Rough Steel Surfaces
The aim of this thesis is to advance the field of solid lubrication science by developing coatings that provide reliable performance in ambient conditions, work on rough surfaces, and are amenable to industrial size and design complexities. Two different coating systems, Ti3C2Tx-MoS2 and Ti3C2Tx-Graphene Oxide blends, were studied in this work. The Ti3C2Tx-MoS2 nanocomposites were spray-coated onto rough 52100-grade steel surfaces, and their tribological performance was evaluated in a ball-on-disk configuration in a unidirectional sliding mode. The test results indicate that Ti3C2Tx-MoS2 coatings achieved superlubricity, which has not been previously reported for either pristine material under macroscale sliding conditions. The observed synergistic mechanism enabled the superlative performance, which was explained by the in-situ formation of a robust tribolayer responsible for sustained lubricity even at high contact pressures (>1.1 GPa) and sliding speeds (0.1 m/s). Processing, structure, and property correlation studies were conducted to understand the underlying phenomena. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to reveal the formation of the tribolayer. The Ti3C2Tx-Graphene Oxide blends were also spray-coated onto rough-bearing steel surfaces, and their tribological assessment was carried out in ambient environmental conditions and high contact pressures in a ball-on-disc experimental setup. The coatings led to …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Macknojia, Ali Zayaan
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Exploring Uses of Automated Essay Scoring for ESL: Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice
Manually grading essays and providing comprehensive feedback pose significant challenges for writing instructors, requiring subjective assessments of various writing elements. Automated essay scoring (AES) systems have emerged as a potential solution, offering improved grading consistency and time efficiency, along with insightful analytics. However, the use of AES in English as a Second Language (ESL) remains rare. This dissertation aims to explore the implementation of AES in ESL education to enhance teaching and learning. The dissertation presents a study involving ESL teachers who learned to use a specific AES system called LightSide, a free and open text mining tool, to enhance writing instruction. The study involved observations, interviews, and a workshop where teachers learned to build their own AES using LightSide. The study aimed to address questions related to teacher interest in using AES, challenges faced by teachers, and the influence of the workshop on teachers' perceptions of AES. By exploring the use of AES in ESL education, this research provides valuable insights to inform the integration of technology and enhance the teaching and learning of writing skills for English language learners.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Tesh, Geneva Marie
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Exposure to Trauma and Its Effect on Information-Seeking Behaviors and Decision-Making Processes
This dissertation examines the impact of trauma on information-seeking behaviors and decision-making processes. Essay 1 includes a qualitative analysis of the transcripts obtained from interviews with four military service members diagnosed with PTSD. The results showed that 75% of this small sample population exhibited addictive behavior that was presented in their information behaviors. All four members indicated that the excessive extent to which they seek information is related to the perceived importance of the information and their level of trust in the sources. Low trust in information sources increases the number of sources searched for validation in this population. Essay 2 involved the collection and analysis of survey data. The results of the stepwise backward regression show that two trauma variables (adult sexual assault, sudden fear) have a significant combined negative effect on decision-making in this population. The analysis and results of a different survey are presented in Essay 3. The stepwise logistic regression analysis results conducted on the summated scales developed showed a strong positive link between trust in scientific experts for scientific information and the dichotomous dependent variable trust in social media for news. The research conducted in this dissertation extends the understanding of how trauma affects people's …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Fantasia, Anthony Thomas
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
β, β'-π-Extended Porphyrins: Exploration of Functionalization and Aromatic Character
Seventeen new dithiophenyl- and napthodithiophenyl- fused porphyrins were synthesized; from these an additional 7 porphyrin oligomers were also synthesized. Additionally freebase 2,7-dimethoxytriphenylene fused porphyrin was also synthesized from a freebase precursor. Aromatic indices NICS and AICD were used to evaluate these new molecules.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Cooper, Courtney Taylor
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
A Factor Analytic Evaluation of the Private Club Members' Benefits Scale
This study's first goal is to investigate whether a 23-item multidimensional scale is a valid and reliable measure of benefits private club members perceive to be important. Seven theoretically plausible model structures are empirically tested: a unidimensional model, a two oblique first-order factors model, a four oblique first-order factors model, a two oblique second-order factors model, a bifactor model with two domain-specific factors, a bifactor model with four domain-specific factors, and two oblique bifactor models. The second goal is to examine the benefits members receive most often from their membership clubs. The multidimensional scale is based on four dimensions: member-to-employee relationship, member-to-member relationship, confidence, and reduced anxiety. Member-to-employee relationship and member-to-member relationship subscales are aligned with social benefits while confidence and reduced anxiety subscales are aligned with psychological benefits. The study participants (N = 114) were recruited through a commercial crowdsourcing platform, Prolific. The results of a Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis (BCFA) provided support for the two oblique bifactor models. Additionally, the social benefits and psychological benefits bifactor scales displayed acceptable reliability. A comparison of the means for each type of benefit revealed that no statistically significant differences existed between the general social benefits factor and the general psychological benefits …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Njeri, Millicent
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Forbidden Pleasures: Queerness and Cannibalism in Film and Television
The trope of the queer cannibal recurs throughout fiction as well as film and television. While literature scholars such as David Bergman and Caleb Crain have written about this figure in American literature, the queer cannibal remains unstudied in the realm of media studies. This thesis analyzes six media texts that feature queer cannibals: Hannibal (2013-2015), Ravenous (1999), The Terror (2018), Yellowjackets (2021-), Raw (2016), and Bones and All (2022). Through these analyses, this thesis establishes a genre termed "queer cannibal texts." These texts function on two different levels: they include a cannibal character who is or can be read as queer, and they in some way cannibalize and queer an existing story or societal script. The presence of a queer cannibal character often signals that the work itself is a queer cannibal text. These texts are built on an awareness of existing power structures and narratives. By cannibalizing these narratives—whether they be a fictional narrative that is being adapted, or societal narratives of white supremacy, heteronormativity, and so on—and interrogating them from a queer perspective, queer cannibal texts create reparative narratives that speak from the margins. Queer cannibal characters act as a textual manifestation of this framework, providing a …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Hadley, Kristen M.
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Gauging Gun-Based Social Movements Frames: Identifying Frames through Topic Modeling and Assessing Public Engagement of Frames through Facebook Media Posts
The lack of success of the gun control movement and the success of the gun rights movement in the United States have prompted research into the root causes. Although the political infrastructure, organizational resources, and public interest prove to be important factors in a social movement's success, how each social movement frames their arguments is extremely important for proposing policy initiatives and garnering support. In order to understand how gun control and gun rights organizations frame their arguments this study does two things: (1) performs topic modeling on the six gun control organizations' and three gun rights organizations' press statements to see the frames that each social movement engages in, and (2) identifying these frames in the most popular gun control and gun rights organizations on Facebook to predict likes, comments, and shares. This study is able to identify the top frames in the gun control and gun rights social movements and see how followers of each of these movements engage with each of these frames on Facebook.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Prasanna, Ram
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Global Techno-Capitalism and the Production of Hate: Understanding Political-Economic and Ideological Utility on YouTube and Gab
The production of Hate, albeit a historical, long-existing, and relentless process, has been reinvigorated by the simultaneously globalizing and localizing power of cyberspace. Techno-capitalism, often perceived as the actuating force of neoliberal globalization, has emanated novel formations of social interaction, community formation, the dissemination of ideology, and political mobilization. Far-right ideology is being globalized throughout popular social cyberspaces like YouTube by thought leaders or ideological entrepreneurs, while users then localize within alternative social cyberspaces like Gab, wherein their beliefs are reaffirmed, identities are consolidated, and communities are formed. This process is integral to the materialization of far-right extremism, manifested as political action in real, physical space, and thus, illuminates new expressions of real virtuality, various politics of scale, and contemporary consequences of neoliberal globalization.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Esmonde, Jonathan Spencer
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Good and the Bad Sides of the Protest: Framing Abortion Rights Protests in Photojournalism
In both Mexico and the U.S., abortion rights protests have been taking place in recent years, but while Mexico is moving forward with the legalization of abortion, the U.S. is going in the opposite direction with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Through framing, journalists select salient information, shaping audiences' understandings of social movements. The protest paradigm suggests that due to journalistic norms and routines, journalists tend to focus on disruptive acts, which can stigmatize the protest. Additionally, scholars have stated that men and women photojournalists have different approaches to covering certain topics. This cross-national research combined a content analysis of photographs in U.S. and Mexican media with in-depth interviews with photojournalists to determine if photojournalists in each country are reproducing the protest paradigm and if there are gendered differences in how they photograph abortion rights protests. The results revealed that women and men photograph differently, with women capturing more intimate photos; however, photojournalists' gendered experiences are also influenced by how protesters perceive them. Furthermore, the study suggests that photojournalists from both countries are questioning objectivity and are attempting to move away from the protest paradigm. This research provides valuable insights into visual framing theory, protest news coverage, and gendered …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Díaz González Vázquez, Greta
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Governor and the Gangster: Dewey, Luciano, Commutation, and Controversy
Thomas E. Dewey and Charles "Lucky" Luciano became household names during a 1936 vice trial in which Dewey successfully prosecuted Luciano, a prominent Mafioso, who received a thirty-to-fifty-year prison sentence. Later, Dewey became the Governor of New York and a perennial Republican presidential candidate while Luciano, still in prison, took part in a joint Navy-Mafia intelligence operation in World War II. In 1946, Governor Dewey commuted Luciano's sentence on the condition that he be deported to his native Italy. The commutation led to years of controversy fomented by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), which downplayed Luciano's wartime services, spread rumors that he had bribed his way out of prison, and claimed that he was smuggling drugs into America from Italy. The FBN's narrative was echoed by muckraking journalists and Dewey's political opponents, finally prompting Dewey in 1954 to order an investigation that thoroughly debunked FBN assertions. However, the records of that investigation were quarantined until the mid-1970s. Since then, most scholars have used those records to explore the Navy-Mafia wartime alliance, but this dissertation exhaustively mines them and other documents in Dewey's papers, along with federal records, to disprove the FBN's narrative that there was something untoward about Dewey's …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Rzeppa, Joseph
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Graduation, Sport Retirement, and Athletic Identity: Moderating Effects of Social Support on Collegiate Athletes' Life Satisfaction and Alcohol Use
Retirement from sport is a process that unfolds over time in which athletes have varied experiences, ranging from seamless transition to psychological distress. Researchers have sought to understand the variables (i.e., athletic identity, social support) that contribute to successful or unsuccessful transitions, with athletic identity being one of the most frequently mentioned. Athletes who strongly identify with the athlete role at the time of retirement are more at risk for adverse retirement outcomes (i.e., mental health concerns, identity concerns, substance use). To date, few studies have examined the moderating effect of coping resources, such as social support, on athletic identity at the time of retirement. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, we found that student-athletes who graduated and retired had lower athletic identity, higher alcohol use, and less perceived social support than their peers who continued competing four months after graduation. Second, we longitudinally examined the relationship of athletic identity and social support to the psychological well-being (i.e., life satisfaction and binge drinking) of collegiate student athletes who retired from sport. Neither T1 athletic identity nor T1 social support, nor their interaction, were related to T2 life satisfaction or T2 alcohol use in the retired student-athletes after controlling …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Kiefer, Heather R.
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Great Equalizer? An Analysis of the Relationship between Race, Severe Weather Disasters, and Climate Change Policy Support
Climate disasters are on the rise, with devastating effects on communities around the globe. Scientists have provided evidence that severe weather events due to climate change will continue to increase in frequency and severity. Extreme weather events are often referred to as the great equalizers, disregarding the socioeconomic status and race of those affected during widespread destruction. However, the literature suggests that people of color are disproportionately exposed to and affected by climate change and extreme weather events. In this study, I examine how exposure to extreme weather events will influence climate change policy support amongst different races. I argue that people of color will support climate change policy more than white people. I run regression models using data from Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey and National Centers for Environmental Information. I do not find support for my hypothesis, but I do find that among the Black population, climate change policy support increases as respondents get older.
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Shaw, D'Andrea N.
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library
A Grounded Theory of Resilience among Elite Musicians Who Survived Childhood Maltreatment
While experiencing childhood maltreatment (CM) increases the risk for negative lifetime outcomes, protective factors can lessen the harmful impact of stressful experiences and contribute to one's overall resilience. Musical engagement may operate as a protective factor by facilitating creative expression, increasing feelings of mastery, and providing a sense of belonging. It may also present stressors due to the unique demands of music performance (e.g., time constraints, competitiveness, scarce career opportunities). Due to the limited current research looking at musicians that have experienced trauma, we used a constructivist grounded theory approach to understand how the experience of engaging in music education and performance as children influenced resilience among adult survivors of CM. We invited thirteen students from prestigious music performance programs to participate based on their demonstrated resilience to perform at elite levels, despite reports of severe CM. Participants reflected on their experiences with CM, music education and performance, their identities as musicians, and the concept of resilience. Our analysis of interview transcripts supported the positive influence of social support, self-efficacy, and time and space away from their primary perpetrators of CM. Participants also consistently noted challenges present within organized music education, including ineffective instructors, pressure to perform well, and music …
Date:
July 2023
Creator:
Knizek, Olivia A.
Object Type:
Thesis or Dissertation
System:
The UNT Digital Library