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Self study (Summer 2022)
External reviewer report (Fall 2022)
Action plan (Spring 2023)https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/program-review/1071/thumbnail.jp
Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, and Insurrection: A Theory
No full textCitizens are deeply cynical of the actual institutions and exercising of representative democracy, resulting in increased isolation and extremism rather than nuanced public debate and democratic involvement. Three interrelated background conditions led to this inevitable point: the erasure of political citizenship by neoliberalism, the ability of technology (especially social media) to provide perfect filtering, and the resulting fragmenting of civic experience. In this paper we outline a theory of democratic isolation that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, exploited by populist politicians, and ultimately led to the January 6 insurrection
The São Paulo Forum’s Armed Forces Agenda: Examining Venezuela and Brazil
No full textThe São Paulo Forum (SPF) is a resilient ideological alliance that provides extremist public policy recommendations to formal political parties, social movements, and insurgent groups throughout the Western Hemisphere. Based on substantial evidence, this research project asserts that the SPF has successfully influenced the national security and defense policies of states in the Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) region. Analysis of two significant cases in South America shows that, after being elected to high office, SPF affiliates and their political parties/platforms sought transformation of their countries’ national security and defense sectors to conform to SPF positions. Given its extensive influence and stated goal, the Forum’s support for malign, extra- hemispheric actors, rogue states within the LAC region, and “endogenous” violent non-state actors portends serious obstacles for the United States’ political, strategic, and operational objectives regarding hemispheric security and stability in the Americas. Critical examination of official SPF declarations, public statements, and resolutions; subject-matter-expert commentary; and available literature on the organization’s guidelines, are combined with case-study reviews of defense-policy modifications under Chávez’s MVR/PSUV (Movimiento V República / Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela) and under Lula’s PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores - Brazil) administrations, respectively
Common Ground: An Examination of Rural Planning and the Growing Amish Presence in Missouri
No full textHow do rural communities in Missouri balance the potentially conflicting land use and economic planning needs between incoming and growing Amish populations and non-Amish populations? This qualitative research addresses a gap in the literature by examining the growing Amish population in rural America through the lens of community planning. A comparative case study was conducted in three Amish communities in Missouri and included interviews with public officials who engage in planning and planning-related tasks and an Amish leader at each case site. This project finds that Amish growth and expansion is resulting in both community conflicts and collaborative efforts in rural areas. The project culminates in the development of implications that planners might consider in order to actualize better outcomes for rural communities in the midst of the growth of this ethnoreligious group
Online Speech & Debate: Should We Zoom Into the Future?
No full textThis study uses quantitative analysis of survey responses to identify and explain individuals’ motivations for or against online Speech & Debate competition. This study used a 51-question survey to generate multiple variables to explore the issue of online participation from a variety of angles including: financial costs, feelings of community, cultural experiences, sub-community, age, familial status, role in the community, feelings of work/life balance, technology, access, and tournament or season structure. This study found that there are few single determinants for online participation, rather all the factors listed above were motivating factors, for various individuals, for various reasons, and at various intensities. However, this study did find that all sub-communities would be best served by a few online competitions each season
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Self-Compassion Training With Disability Support Staff
No full textThe current study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of self-compassion training with disability support staff concurrently completing their college education for career advancement. The intervention was guided by a combined Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Self-Compassion training framework. The ACT Matrix was utilized within the study prior to intervention to determine values within self-compassion and to identify three behaviors to target within the weekly self-compassion training, and daily behavior report (Polk and Schoendorf, 2014). During the intervention phase, daily reported self-compassion behaviors and weekly reported self-compassion scores were collected (Neff, 2003a; Belisle et al., 2022), as well as their perceived social validity, and daily engagement in self-identified self-compassion behaviors via ecological momentary assessments (EMA) were collected. Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and social validity scales were also utilized. We utilized a withdrawal single-subject research design to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. Results, for two of the four participants, demonstrated the percent exceeding the median (PEM) score exhibits a moderate effect size. Data suggests that there was a moderate change in self-compassion participation during training weeks, and participants positively reported the advantageous effects of training on both psychological and work well-being. The data does indicate, however, that as the demand for practicing self-compassionate behaviors increases when experiencing hardships, there may be a simultaneous increase in the movement away from the practice of behaviors due to possible psychological rigidity
An Exploratory Analysis of Bias Formation, Prejudice, and Discrimination Through Contextual and Functional Similarities Using the Theoretical Framework of Relational Density Theory
No full textBehavior Analysis “attempts to improve the human condition through behavior change”, with behavior being the primary target (BACB, n.d.). However, considering the way people perceive, interact with, and establish relational frames within different contexts is widely misunderstood. Much of this research has expanded on the components found in Stimulus Equivalence (SE) and Relational Frame Theory (RFT) by providing a more modern approach to examining language and its treatment approach. Relational responding of individuals and groups may contribute to implicit biases, prejudice, and discrimination as well as how they operate within nested contingency systems. While critical theorists have provided foundations for examining the implications and barriers continued by oppressive systems, the formation of the complex interplay within relational behavior as it relates to issues of oppression have not been adequately explored. Thus, the purpose of this study, to attempt to explore how organization of arbitrary stimuli along with the pre-existing relational frames as a function of the history and how it may attribute such bias. The present study occurred in two phases. Phase one being a relational training task to establish bias in favor of or against an Arbitralien, a creature with arbitrary features interacting within an arbitrary planet with a deep cultural divide. The second phase of the study was a Multidimensional Scaling Procedure (MDS) where participants were presented with a series of pairwise combinations and instructed to scale them on a 0 (not related) – 10 (most related) scale in terms of relatedness to one another. Results found that there were distinct formations of relational classes that resulted from the direct training as well as the derivative responses of the remaining Arbitraliens. Results provide many implications for understanding the way bias is formed in correspondence with functional and contextual similarity
A Pilot Randomized Trial to Assess Motivating Operations in Delay Discounting of Food
No full textThis pilot study addresses the impact motivating operations have on delay discounting of food in the presence of real food. Six participants were recruited and randomly assigned to three food stimuli groups (donut, vegetable, and control) and assigned to either a deprivation or non-deprivation condition within the group. Participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires and a delay discounting task. Demographics and anthropometric measurements were obtained from each participant. The pilot study showed support for previous delay discounting research that as the delay to more nutrient dense meals increases the subjective value of the delayed reward decreases. Thus, resulting in more impulsive food consumption behavior. Moreover, the manipulations of deprivation and presence of real food stimuli as motivating operations appear to alter the perceived value of a hypothetical reinforcer
Shadow-Based Automatic Building Height Estimation From High Spatial Resolution Satellite Imagery
No full textThree-dimensional city (3D) models are very useful in supporting natural disaster preparation and response. LiDAR surveying is currently the main method by which 3D city models are created; however, LiDAR data on a local scale is hard to obtain for developing countries. This project sought to test whether or not urban feature height data obtained using the photogrammetric sun-angle shadow method is a viable alternative to LiDAR-derived 3D city models. A core element of this work was the development of a toolset to be shared freely to the public to promote crowdsourcing of 3D building data. Prior works were reviewed and a shadow-overlapping method for estimating building heights was selected and implemented in the Python programming language. Shadow detection methods in the literature were also reviewed and eight were modified into a simple command-line Python tool to batch process shadow detection using multiple algorithms. The Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, campus was selected as the study site for testing the shadow-overlapping process and LiDAR/DEM data was used to create building footprints with ground truth height values. For the shadow detection methods that produced the most accurate results, roughly 60% of building height estimates were within 10 feet (or one floor) of the true height, and buildings whose heights were between 37-50 feet consistently had the lowest margins of error. A systematic finding, however, was that shorter buildings’ heights were overestimated and taller buildings were underestimated. A similar pattern was identified with building size/square footage with smaller buildings being overestimated and larger buildings being underestimated. In the end, the results suggested that the shadow-overlapping method is likely not reliable enough to produce height estimations comparable to LiDAR-derived methods and that these height estimates are not suitable for downstream calculations. However, for a simple/generalized 3D cartographic representation of an area, it appeared that this low-cost method could produce adequate results
Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity of Hyporheic Invertebrates in an Ozark Stream
No full textThe hyporheic zone (HZ), an ecotone between surface water and groundwater in streams, provides extensive but underappreciated habitat for invertebrates in alluvial systems like the gravel-bed streams common in the Ozark highlands. Relative to its importance as a habitat, little is known about spatial distribution and response to disturbance by invertebrates in the HZ. In riffle-pool systems, surface water typically enters the HZ at the head of riffles (downwelling) and returns to the surface at the tail of riffles (upwelling). Previous research has found differences in invertebrate communities and environmental variables between upwelling and downwelling zones, but results have been inconsistent. I sampled the hyporheic zone at three depths in upwelling and downwelling zones for four months (Oct-Jan) in high flow and three months (June-Aug) in low flow seasons, as well as opportunistically in response to floods. Abundance and richness were significantly greater in downwelling zones than upwelling zones, and greater at shallower depths. Dissolved oxygen and particulate organic matter, two important resources for invertebrates, showed no spatial patterns and no correlation with abundance and richness. Invertebrate communities showed no differences in abundance or richness between pre and post flood samples, suggesting that the HZ was not used as a refuge in response to disturbance. While invertebrates were not observed using the HZ as a refuge, sampling difficulties likely impacted these results and further research is needed on this topic. My research highlights the importance of the HZ as habitat for a high diversity and biomass of invertebrates and emphasizes the need for further research on this understudied part of stream ecosystems