University of Southern Mississippi
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Unlocking Potential: How Disengagement and Reengagement Shape Performance and Well-Being
Full text linkTask persistence can become problematic when individuals continue to perform challenging tasks unlikely to yield success. Instead, it may lead to frustration, burnout, and negative psychological outcomes. Recognizing when to disengage from these goals is essential for reallocating resources toward more attainable objectives by shifting focus to a new task rather than persisting on the same one. Ultimately, this promotes emotional well-being and resilience. No previous studies have experimentally examined the combined processes of disengagement and reengagement. This study investigates the temporal and causal effects of disengagement and subsequent reengagement with an alternative task, making it the first to experimentally test these dynamics. Task persistence was employed as the research paradigm to manipulate disengagement and reengagement techniques across four experimental conditions: disengagement, reengagement, a combination of both, or a control group. The tasks involved solving difficult anagrams. Participants initially worked on an anagram set for five minutes, followed by a three-minute manipulation period. After each manipulation, participants completed a five-minute task. Before the anagram task began, participants choose the category of anagrams they wanted to solve. This allowed researchers to assess how strategies impacted task selection, engagement, and performance. It was hypothesized that the combination of disengagement and reengagement would yield the highest performance outcomes. The results demonstrated that trait disengagement was a significant predictor of task performance. Individuals high in disengagement performed better, particularly in the absence of experimental manipulation. Experimental manipulations did not independently influence performance outcomes. Self-control was positively associated with resilience, suggesting individuals with greater self-regulation were better equipped to adapt to changing task demands. These findings stress the importance of self-control in maintaining psychological resilience, especially when navigating challenges requiring both persistence and flexibility. Additionally, self-control was positively associated with well-being and self-esteem, while reengagement played an essential role in promoting optimism and resilience. These findings suggest adaptability in goal pursuit is not solely about persistence but also about knowing when to disengage and reengage effectively. This research emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to resilience, recognizing the value of both letting go and pursuing new goals
Solution of Preconditioned Nonsymmetric Saddle Point Systems through Modified Conjugate Gradient Iteration
No full textIn this dissertation, we present an iterative method (Preconditioned Nonsymmetric Saddle Point Conjugate Gradient) for simultaneously solving forward () and adjoint () linear systems. Our approach involves constructing an augmented nonsymmetric saddle point matrix that has a real positive spectrum and developing a conjugate gradient-like iteration for this matrix. We investigate the use of Schur Complement preconditioners with block-diagonal factorization computed by an incomplete QR factorization of to speed up the convergence of our method and compare the results to the preconditioned generalized least squares residual (GLSQR) and quasi-minimal residual (QMR) methods. We develop quadrature rules based on our NspCG method for estimating the generic bilinear form necessary for approximating the scattering amplitude
Tailoring Electrodes for Electrocatalytic Water Splitting
No full textThis dissertation explores techniques for developing electrocatalysts aimed at advancing renewable energy technologies, especially for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). HER and OER are the cathodic and anodic reactions of the electrochemical water-splitting process used to generate green hydrogen for energy storage and conversion technologies. The core of the research focused on developing non-noble-metal based electrocatalysts while simplifying the synthesis and fabrication processes. Background, fundamentals, and recent literature are discussed in Chapter I. In Chapter II, a wet-chemical synthesis method is employed to synthesize copper and vanadium oxide/hydroxide-based nanosheets intercalated with water molecules and carbonate ions. Nanomaterials with higher interlayer spacing provide increased surface area and a higher number of electroactive sites, enhancing OER activity. Subsequent chapters focus on the generation of binder-free electrocatalysts via electrodeposition processes which have potential for scaling to industrial applications. Two approaches are explored to enhance electrocatalytic activities: electrodeposition of porous materials onto smooth surfaces and electrodeposition of materials onto porous substrates. In Chapter III, hydrogen bubbles are utilized as template during the electrodeposition of Cu, Ni, and P onto a smooth copper sheet substrate, which is investigated for OER. A systematic study is conducted to understand the influence of electrodeposition parameters on surface area, morphology, and electrocatalytic performance. Chapter IV examines the electrodeposition of Ni, Co, Fe onto carbon-cloth substrate electrodes for OER. The elemental composition is optimized to finely tune the electrocatalytic performance. HER performance is explored for these electrodes in Chapter V, where the electrode surface is modified with sulfur using a simple and rapid ion-exchange method. Sulfurization of the electrocatalyst surface significantly enhances HER activity. In Chapter VI, selenium doping of the electrodeposited electrocatalyst is explored to tune the electroactive sites. The incorporation of Se2- ion impacts the electronic structure of electroactive sites, leading to enhancement of HER activity in various pH media. Finally, Chapter VII provides useful insights for further modifications to enhance the electrocatalytic performance. Collectively, this dissertation advances the understanding of electrocatalyst design, particularly through electrodeposition techniques, contributing to the development of efficient energy conversion and storage technologies
The Examination of Teacher Mentorship Design for Mentees
Full text linkTeacher stress has been documented as a problem for today’s educators. Improving teachers’ well-being through mentorship programs is promising in the literature. Therefore, this study examined a daily check-in mentorship program for teachers experiencing moderate stress. The researchers examined the changes in mentees’ daily stress levels, perceived stress, sense of self-efficacy, and use of proactive classroom management strategies. Mentees and mentors were also asked to complete ratings of the social validity of the mentorship program. Three mentees and mentor dyads working in an elementary and middle school in a Southeastern school district in the USA participated. A nonconcurrent Multiple Baseline Design across three teachers was used in this study to examine the impact of the daily check-in mentorship program. The results suggested that daily check-ins with a mentor teacher decreased all three mentees’ daily stress and their overall perceived stress, improved all participants’ sense of self-efficacy, and increased the use of proactive classroom management strategies in their classrooms. Lastly, all participants rated this intervention as socially valid
Examining Affective and Biological Responses to Minority Stress Among Sexual Minoritized Young Adults
No full textExperiences of heterosexism (i.e., stigmatizing experiences rooted in beliefs, attitudes, and structures that assign value to heterosexuality and thereby devalue minoritized sexual orientations) have a tangible impact on the health of sexual minoritized people by eroding psychological and physical well-being. Affective consequences of minority stress and associated blood pressure and heart rate variability (HRV) changes are mechanisms whereby minority stress may create psychological and biological wear and tear that wears away the health of sexual minoritized young adults. The current study examined changes in affect, HRV, and blood pressure from baseline to after the sexual minority stress induction and through a brief recovery period. Participants were 83 undergraduate students who identified with a minoritized sexual orientation (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) recruited from USM’s SONA participant pool and via flyer advertisement for USM students who were non-SONA users. After completion of an online screening survey, participants were invited to the in-person visit wherein they completed measurements of affect, blood pressure, and HRV before, during, and after an experimental sexual minority stress induction. ANOVA results indicated that there were significant differences in negative affect, positive affect, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and HRV across measurement time points, but the effect of the minority stress induction varied depending on the outcome examined. Planned contrasts showed adaptive changes in negative affect and HRV relative to the stressor. Planned contrasts also highlighted that positive affect decreased following the stressor, and this decrease was sustained throughout the recovery period. ANCOVA results and planned contrasts indicated that there was no difference in outcome variables based on perceived heterosexism group (low, average, high). Broadly, these results suggest that young sexual minoritized adults may not necessarily lack adaptive mechanisms, but rather their mechanisms of resiliency (e.g., positive affect) may be disrupted by minority stress, which may contribute to greater wear and tear on psychological and biological health
THE MAGIC OF SIGHT: EYES, GLASSES, AND BLINDNESS IN THE HARRY POTTER SERIES
No full textThe magical world of Harry Potter emphasizes the link between sight, knowledge, and power. With this connection, it raises the question of ethics within the wizarding world. Because of the different capabilities of sight, such as becoming invisible, the ethics are pushed into a gray area. Since “good” and “evil” are so clearly defined in the series, it is worthy to note the ethics of sight exist in such an undefined area
Osteology, Morphometrics, and Phylogenetic Systematics of the ‘Booneville Dinosaur’ (Ornithopoda: Hadrosauridae) From the Early–Middle Campanian Coffee Formation of Northeastern Mississippi
No full textThe non-avian dinosaur fossil record of Mississippi includes members of the clades Hadrosauroidea, Nodosauridae, Tyrannosauroidea, Ornithomimidae, Dromaeosauridae, and Ceratopsia. These members are represented only by non-articulated usually isolated elements, deposited in the marine and terrestrial units of the Mississippi Embayment from the Coniacian through the Maastrichtian of the Late Cretaceous. MMNS VP-12239, also known colloquially as the Booneville Dinosaur, is an iguanodontian ornithopod discovered at the Booneville Dinosaur Site, an outcropping of the Coffee Formation in northeastern Mississippi. This specimen is the most taxonomically significant dinosaur to be discovered in Mississippi and is represented by partially complete postcranial material, including taxonomically informative elements such as the left and right pubes and a left humerus. Morphometric and phylogenetic analyses were utilized to elucidate the taxonomic identity of MMNS VP-12239 among iguanodontian ornithopods. MMNS VP-12239 was recovered as a basal hadrosaurid, an outgroup of the clade containing the more morphologically derived hadrosaurids (Saurolophidae). The morphometric analysis of the humerus supports this hypothesis as the humeral characters of MMNS VP-12339 were found to be very similar to other outgroups of Saurolophidae. The geometric morphometric analysis performed for the pubis, however, conflicted with this hypothesis and suggested a morphology more similar to the clade Saurolophinae than either Lambeosaurinae or any non hadrosaurid hadrosauroids. This suggests that MMNS VP-12239 is likely an outgroup member of the clade Saurolophidae with a pubic morphology more similar to Saurolophinae. MMNS VP-12239 is morphologically and chronologically distinct from other Appalachian hadrosaurids and shares few similarities with hadrosaurids outside of Appalachia
Adversarial Inverse Reinforcement Learning with Noisy Observations
No full textInverse reinforcement learning (IRL) has emerged as a popular approach for training robots from human/expert demonstration, where a learner/robot infers the expert\u27s hidden reward function using the demonstrations and a simulator. We argue that noise is inevitable in certain parts of the demonstration, and show that such noise does indeed deteriorate the performance of a popular and widely applied IRL method, called Adversarial IRL (AIRL). To render AIRL robust to noise, we formulate the problem of reward inference as one of log-likelihood optimization that accommodates noisy input. We adopt two techniques from the literature on learning hidden representations in sequential decision tasks and combine them with AIRL to solve this unified optimization problem. Experiments in four benchmark OpenAI Gym environments show that our proposed methods are effective in overcoming demonstration noise for the task of reward learning, but less so for the task of reproducing the expert behavior
Demon Horse: The Functions of Family
No full textDemon Horse: The Functions of Family is a collection that showcases how family relationships can affect people, especially those navigating grief, parenthood, abuse, mental health, betrayal, and ancestry. As a collection, Demon Horse: The Functions of Family looks at family as a whole by breaking it down into different dynamics and relationships that are encompassed by the term, showing the experience of parents, grandparents, children, and cousins as they live in varying family experiences.
The critical preface to Demon Horse: The Functions of Family centers around this idea of family dynamics, looking at forced relationships that blood ties create and how they are depicted in fiction. This essay analyzes scholarship on family in fiction to discuss different experiences with familial structures, hardships, and the impact these relationships have on people’s lives. Additionally, the introduction to this collection looks at first-person perspective, particularly exploring the ways first-person perspective allows for an emotional connection between readers and characters
Social Sprouts: A Play-Based Packaged Intervention - Improving Peer Interactions in Early Childhood Classrooms with a Novel Group Contingency
Full text linkTeaching prosocial skills such as positive peer interactions in early childhood settings not only promotes behavioral health but reliably predicts future learning outcomes. The literature suggests that decreasing levels of challenging behavior may improve peer interactions, and a feasible class-wide strategy that can address this combination of needs effectively is a group contingency. The current study investigated the effect of a novel group contingency, Social Sprouts, on both positive peer interactions and disruptive behavior. This study utilized a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design in three Head Start classrooms to evaluate the effect of this packaged intervention delivered just before and during play-based center activities. Lastly, social validity data were collected to better understand the teachers’ perceptions of feasibility, effectiveness, and acceptability. Results indicated an increase in positive peer interactions class-wide and for a student identified as having low levels of peer interactions and an immediate and stable decrease in disruptive behavior. All three teacher participants found Social Sprouts to be Acceptable, Feasible, and Effective. These results highlight a promising and feasible class-wide intervention to be implemented in Head Start settings without additional resources