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Antisocial Behavior Presentation Among Undergraduate Students with Martial Arts Experience
Full text linkMindfulness is a concept that incorporates nonreactivity and observation of
internal experience. Antisocial behaviors, such as physical and social aggression can present difficulties in functioning in society. Martial arts are activities that range in focus from personal growth to competitive fighting. Both mindfulness and antisocial behaviors are observed inconsistently in martial arts research. The study was a cross-sectional correlational design to examine the mindfulness and antisocial behavior differences between 1) martial artists and non-martial artists; 2) traditional and modern martial art disciplines; and 3) the approach to training of their instructors with the goal to further the knowledge of the association of martial arts with antisocial behaviors and mindfulness. Results indicated those with martial arts experience reported fewer antisocial behaviors than those without martial arts experience, and that participants with traditional martial arts experience reported lower scores on physical aggression, a component of antisocial behavior, than did those with modern martial arts experience. Participants without martial arts experience reported higher levels of nonjudging of inner experience, a component of mindfulness, than did participants with martial arts experience, no other statistically significant difference in mindfulness was observed. Additionally, results indicated no significant difference in participants trained under different teaching approaches. These findings further understanding of the interplay between mindfulness and antisocial behaviors in those with and without martial arts experience
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HIGHER EDUCATION ATTAINMENT AND HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS’ OVERALL JOB EFFECTIVENESS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Full text linkPurpose
The purpose of this research was to determine if there was a relationship between higher education attainment and HPD officers’ overall job effectiveness. The study consisted of measuring job performance activities and the relationship to the educational attainment of the officer. Another purpose of this study was to address the past and current research which supported and questioned the validity of this topic and what specific measurements of job effectiveness were impacted. The purpose of this research was also to study the nexus that existed between the Human Capital theory and HPD officers attaining higher education. Was there a societal benefit from this higher educational attainment and if so, what are the measures and steps that need to be taken within law enforcement to achieve this goal?
Method
In this analysis, a quasi-experimental research design was used. Archival data were obtained from a SHSU 2012 Master’s Thesis which was approved by this Dissertation Chair.
Findings
The findings revealed mixed results. Only one variable pertaining to job effectiveness (primary calls a month) was influenced by educational attainment. Officers who had a college degree perceived they ran more primary calls a month than officers who did not have a college degree. However, no relationships were revealed between educational attainment and the number of citations issued and the number of felony arrests. Although one variable was impacted (primary calls a month), the remaining two variables (felony arrest a month and total number of citations issued) were not, thus indicating that no consistency was present. Although no consistency was found among the variables, it should not negate the fact that this study reflected in part, that higher education attainment has a significant relationship with a segment of officer’s job performance. As such, this study reflected that higher education does have a positive impact in part of officer’s job effectiveness
Perceptions of Mathematics Instructors' Technology Acceptance for Engaging Remote Learning Pre-, Thru-, and Post-COVID-19
Full text linkThe COVID-19 pandemic forced mathematics instructors to rapidly transition
from face-to-face to online instruction, challenging their acceptance and use of instructional technology. This qualitative single-case study examined the experiences of mathematics faculty at a Southeast Texas university through the lens of the Extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM2). Findings revealed that technology adoption varied across pre-, during-, and post-pandemic phases, with factors such as image, job relevance, voluntariness, and perceived usefulness influencing acceptance. The study introduced the Adaptive Technology Acceptance Model (ATAM), which expands TAM2 by incorporating crisis adaptability, iterative feedback loops, and sustainability of use. ATAM provides a dynamic framework for understanding long-term technology adoption, integrating social, cognitive, and motivational influences. The study’s implications suggest that institutional support, professional development, and adaptability strategies are critical for enhancing sustained technology use in higher education. These findings
contribute to literature on faculty technology acceptance and inform future pedagogical strategies for digital learning environments
Impact of Perceptions of Mental Illness and the Criminal Legal System on Informant Ratings: Implications for Violence Risk Evaluations
Full text linkA multimethod approach to violence risk evaluations that includes ratings of knowledgeable others can improve the validity of these assessments. However, such ratings are subject to evaluative bias, which can be influenced by the informant's characteristics. This study examines how informants’ perceptions of mental illness and the criminal legal system might contribute to evaluative bias, using a social relations model approach. Participants (N = 328) completed self-reports assessing their views on mental illness and the criminal legal system and then rated the personality and violence risk of eight justice-involved individuals presented via clinical vignettes. A two-step procedure was used to assess how perceptions of mental illness and the criminal legal system related to evaluative bias. Specifically, each participant’s evaluative bias was estimated (Step 1) and bivariate correlations were then calculated between these biases and participants’ perceptions of mental illness and the criminal legal system (Step 2). Although individuals’ perceptions of the criminal legal system were not found to correlate with evaluative bias, biased ratings of personality and violence risk were significantly associated with individuals’ perceptions of mental illness. These findings underscore the need for further exploration of the complex factors that contribute to evaluative bias in violence risk evaluations
ESTIMATING THE METABOLIC REGIME OF HARMON CREEK: A SUBTROPICAL, SANDY BOTTOM STREAM IN EAST TEXAS
Full text linkStream ecosystem metabolism, which encompasses gross primary production
(GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER), serves as a vital indicator of the structure and
function of an aquatic ecosystem. While many studies have estimated metabolism in
temperate rocky bottom streams, few studies have assessed sandy bottom streams in
subtropical regions. I modeled GPP, ER, NEP (net ecosystem production) and K600 (gas
exchange rate) in a subtropical sandy bottom stream in East Texas using dissolved
oxygen, light, and temperature along with ancillary data such as barometric pressure
stream depth and discharge over 3 years. To understand the drivers that cause variation in
stream metabolism, I analyzed site-specific attributes such as light, temperature, turbidity,
discharge, dissolved organic carbon, chlorophyll- a, ash-free dry mass of sediments,
nitrate, orthophosphate and total nitrogen.
I found that ER exceeds GPP in Harmon Creek, indicating reliance on organic
matter from the surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. Temperature and discharge acted as
the primary drivers of GPP and ER in Harmon Creek. Temperature increased GPP while
discharge suppressed it. Discharge and temperature both increased ER. In addition, ER
increased with benthic organic matter while GPP was suppressed by total nitrogen which
reduced light availability to the stream. The heterotrophic (ER > GPP) conditions likely
resulted from the instability of sandy substrate and riparian vegetation. This study will
provide a large-scale picture to understand the factors that control ecosystem metabolism
in a less studied subtropical, sandy bottom stream in East Texas which serves as an effective indicator for conservation and management of streams
Relevance of Relationships: Capturing Kids' Hearts A secondary Journey in Reducing Exclusionary Discipline
Full text linkPurpose The purpose of this dissertation is to identify the degree to which Capturing Kids’ Hearts, a social-emotional learning program, was effective in reducing exclusionary discipline at the secondary level within X ISD. In this study, an attempt was made to examine how Capturing Kids’ Hearts affected exclusionary disciplinary consequences assigned to students overall by grade, by student gender, and by student economic status. The years of the study included two school years prior to the introduction of Capturing Kids’ Hearts to establish a baseline for comparison in identifying the effectiveness of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program on exclusionary disciplinary consequences in secondary grades housed within X ISD. Method A causal-comparative design was used to determine the extent to which Capturing Kids’ Hearts had an influence on the behavior of students in Grades 6 through 12 and the assignment of exclusionary discipline consequences. Archival data were collected through the use of X ISD’s PEIMS program. Findings A few years were present wherein the number of exclusionary disciplinary consequences was positively influenced; however, they were limited to specific grade levels. X ISD secondary grades followed the national trend of having boys being overly represented in exclusionary disciplinary consequence assignments compared to girls in the same grade. Students in Grades 6 through 12 who attended school at X ISD Middle School and at X ISD High School who were economically disadvantaged, followed national, historical trends regarding the higher percentage of exclusionary disciplinary consequences being assigned in comparison to their peers who were not in poverty. Implications regarding the use of Capturing Kids’ Hearts with students and staff at the secondary level, come down to training. Students in secondary grades require routine use of the social emotional learning program, and benefit from understanding the positive, prolonged actions that could benefit them. Teachers and staff require training on a routine basis for proper implementation of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program in a way that is age-appropriate for their students. Both staff and students could benefit from understanding the purpose of the social-emotional learning program as well as the potential positive outcomes and social skills that Capturing Kids’ Hearts can provide
The Role of Timing in Competency to Stand Trial Evaluations
Full text linkThe increased prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) in the criminal justice system has led to a parallel increase in the need for competency to stand trial (CST) evaluations, contributing to what has come to be known as the competency crisis. Only one study (Bryson et al., 2019) has examined the effect of timing on CST evaluation outcomes, despite a number of states enacting legislative policies dictating acceptable time frames for the completion of CST evaluations. Preliminary research has suggested the timing of CST evaluations may affect ultimate opinion rates, particularly in cases involving SMI, perhaps due to the nature of SMI symptoms requiring time to stabilize using psychotropic medications. The current study seeks to replicate and extend findings out of Texas suggesting an association between time and CST opinions using a large sample (N = 7,867) of competency to stand trial evaluations across the state of Missouri. Overall, 40% of cases resulted in an opinion of incompetent to stand trial (IST). IST rates were at their lowest (31.2%) in evaluations completed nine weeks after the evaluation was ordered. Defendants with private attorneys, from rural counties, facing felony charges, with a prior felony conviction, and who were not evaluated in a jail had greater odds of being opined competent. Defendants diagnosed with schizophrenia, developmental disorders, and neurocognitive disorders had greater odds of being opined incompetent than defendants without those diagnoses. Results indicated a significant association with a small effect between time and opinion such that, with each additional week, the odds of being opined competent were 1.03 greater. Results did not support the
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hypothesized curvilinear association between time and opinion, perhaps due to the decision to shorten the evaluation timeframe in the final sample (i.e., 17 weeks or less). Defendants diagnosed with bipolar disorder, defendants in jail, and defendants evaluated by psychologists (as opposed to psychiatrists) had greater odds of being opined competent as time increased. Conversely, defendants diagnosed with mood disorders or paraphilic disorders and defendants on bond had greater odds of being opined incompetent as time increased. Implications for practice, policy, and future directions are discussed
FLORISTIC INVENTORY OF THE PINEYWOODS ENVIORNMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES (PERL), WALKER COUNTY, TEXAS
Full text linkA floristic survey of the vascular plants of the Pineywoods Environmental
Research Laboratory (PERL) was conducted. PERL is in Walker County, Texas five miles east of Huntsville. PERL is approximately 247 acres or .99 km2 in size and is managed by the Department of Biological Sciences at Sam Houston State University. The vegetation includes Loblolly Pine Forest and Mixed Deciduous Hardwood Forest. The vascular flora of PERL was documented through a combination of field surveys and herbarium study. A total of 477 species of vascular plants across 112 families and 311 genera were collected within PERL, represented by: 7 Pteridophytes, 3 Gymnosperms, 115 Monocots, and 352 Dicots, together comprising 41.4% of the total vascular plant
species in Walker County. The number of unique taxa collected during field work was recorded every two weeks and the data was entered into a species accumulation curve. After approximately a year and a half of field surveying the accumulated number of species reached an asymptote. It was at this point that the decision to stop collecting was made, as no significant gain in species richness would be observed. A species area curve predicted the vascular flora of PERL at 356 species, 121 species fewer than what was observed. The higher-than-expected species richness can be attributed to a large number of non-native species (65 taxa) found at PERL, and by a recent native prairie restoration project that included the planting of native species not previously present at PERL. Finally, an analysis of the counts of different categories of plant species were calculated: wetland (92), non-native (65), endangered (2), and endemic (11)
21st Century White-Collar Crime: Gender Disparities and Psychological Portrayals in Media
Full text linkThis thesis examines media portrayals of white-collar crime in the 21st century, focusing on the psychological traits and gender disparities attributed to offenders in news coverage. Employing Sutherland’s definition of white-collar crime as a foundation, the study explores how media narratives construct societal perceptions of these crimes, and the individuals involved. A content analysis is used to examine a longitudinal sampling frame spanning 2001 to the 2023, identifying shifts in coverage and narrative strategies. An adapted Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) framework is used to code media texts, analyzing how psychological traits are attributed to white-collar offenders. These traits are further examined for gendered patterns, highlighting disparities in the portrayal of male and female offenders. Preliminary findings suggest a significant shift in media representations of white-collar crime beginning in the early 2000s, coinciding with increased public awareness of corporate scandals and financial crises. This shift shows a growing focus on the moral and psychological dimensions of whitecollar offenders, as well as a crafted portrayal of gender dynamics. The study contributes to criminology and media studies by illustrating how media representations influence public understanding of white-collar crime and by addressing gaps in existing literature concerning gender and psychological traits
In Search of Solutions to the Status of Long-Term English Language Learners: A Systemic Literature Review
Full text linkThis study investigates the causes and potential solutions to the phenomenon of Long-Term English Language Learners (LTELLs) prevalent in K-12 and higher education in the US. Despite attending English language classes for several years and demonstrating fluency in oral communication, LTELLs fail to acquire Academic English Proficiency (AEP), which results in repeating courses and eventually dropping out. Intensive or direct instructional strategies alone have not resolved this phenomenon. Teaching grammar rules, memorizing vocabulary and tenses, punctuation and pronunciation, and intensive reading and direct translation without extensive reading (ER) have not proved sufficient. Specifically, this study investigates whether incidental vocabulary acquisition (IVA) through ER powered by digital tools, systems, services and methods is a viable strategy for addressing the status of LTELLs. In the digital age, language teaching and learning can leverage rapidly evolving personalized learning, advanced intelligent tutoring, real-time feedback, and predictive analysis, potentially revolutionizing Second Language Acquisition. This study focuses on using ER powered by digital tools, systems, services, and methods. The primary source of data is the Extensive Reading Foundation Bibliography (https://erfoundation.org/wordpress/bibliography/). The study uses critical dialectical pluralism, the bioecological model of human development, and the four strands principle, and it follows the qualitative evidence synthesis methodology. The literature affirms that the primary cause of the status of LTELLs is a failure to leverage the TESOL Framework. The study confirms that Self-Determination Theory enhances motivation for ER, Love of Reading for Pleasure, ER, IVA, and AEP among LTELLs. Study recommendations include adopting a holistic, optimal, and self-sustaining Six-Phase-12-step TESOL Framework that integrates digital technology, including artificial Intelligence. The study concludes that success requires mitigating the limitations of teaching and learning in online spaces through governance and human oversight to ensure efficacy and promotion of professional development for educators. The study also advocates integrating the ontological imperative analytical framework to ensure transparency, privacy, fairness, and ethics. Furthermore, it recommends further research on the effects of teaching and learning in digital spaces on motivation and learning outcomes, collaboration between educators and digital technology, ethical decision-making, and transparency. The study also recommends the institutionalization of Governance through laws, policies, regulations, guidelines, and global collaboration to develop, deploy, monitor, and improve the quality of education while preventing malpractices