5063 research outputs found
Sort by
Comparing the narrative with facts: examining the impact of the presidency on right-wing domestic terrorism in the United States
Get PDFSeveral studies have examined the activity of right-wing extremists in relation to the actions of President Trump (Chyzh, Nieman, & Webb, 2019; Piazza, 2020). Comparatively, little research has examined the impact of the Obama presidency on right-wing extremism despite a peak in the number of right-wing extremist groups during his second term (SPLC, 2020). The purpose of this study is to examine the unique effects of the Obama and Trump candidacies and presidencies on the frequency of attacks committed by right-wing extremists in the U.S. The results indicate that President Obama’s second term was associated with a gradual, permanent increase in the frequency of attacks by right-wing extremists, while the presidency of Donald Trump was associated with an abrupt, permanent increase in the frequency of attacks. These findings suggest a number of policy implications related to political polarization and rhetoric in the U.S
Suspension
Get PDFThis collection of original poems explores the idea of being stuck in a state of suspension regarding oneself. Serving as contextual support is the narrative essay that illustrates the creative direction as well as the artistic influences that went into forging this body of work. With a mix of narrative, lyric, and monologue, the situational complexities between desire and location, love and loss, family and remembrance, humanity and nature, are all at the forefront of this collection
Associations among academic motivational styles, purpose in life, and depressive symptoms in college students
Get PDFStudents vary in three motivational styles when pursuing academic attainment: (1) amotivational style (lack of motivation), (2) extrinsic style (contingent upon external influences), and (3) intrinsic style (dependent upon internal influences) (Froiland, 2018). Research has demonstrated that individuals who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to report higher rates of meaning and purpose in life (Chalofsky & Krishna, 2009) and higher rates of psychological well-being (Huang & Wu, 2016). While this relationship between intrinsic motivation, purpose in life, and psychological well-being has been supported, research has yet to explore the relationship between extrinsic motivation, purpose in life, and psychological well-being (Huang & Wu, 2016). The proposed self-report survey study will test the relation between purpose in life and extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation for attaining higher level education among college students. The study will also test the relations between academic motivational styles and depression symptoms. I hypothesize that college students who are more extrinsically motivated will report lower perceived purpose in life and higher depression symptoms, while college students who are more intrinsically motivated will report higher perceived purpose in life and lower depression symptoms. Self-report questionnaires were administered online to currently enrolled college students attending various universities. Results indicated that purpose in life related significantly and positively to intrinsic motivation, even when additionally covarying for extrinsic motivation, but nonsignificantly related to extrinsic motivation. Depression did not significantly correlate with either motivation style, but was in the expected directions. Thus, intrinsic academic motivation may influence variables of purpose in life to increase and depression symptoms to decrease among college students
Building a (great) wall: a semiotic analysis of the rhetoric of President Donald J. Trump
Get PDFWhen Donald J. Trump announced he was running for president of the United States, the country was thrown into division. He was an abnormality as a presidential candidate and a rhetorical oddity since so many of his messages were ones of ignorance and bigotry rather than understanding and inclusion, the expected rhetoric of a president. Through a semiotic analysis, this study aims to understand who the people were that supported Trump, why his rhetoric appealed to them, the ways in which Trump talked about America and its people, and how his supporters interpreted his language. Semiotics is the study of signs and their meaning and aids in the interpretation of not only what Trump says but how and why his supporters interpret his words and messages the way they do. This research focused on understanding who Trump and his supporters were in addition to thematical studies of language using his language around America first policies, race, and the military from the moment Trump announced he was running for president until the end of his term. My research suggests his supporters included not only white supremacist groups and white supporters but also more unexpected voters from any background who perceived Trump as someone who would make their lives better in unconventional ways. In the end, his ambiguous and divisive language left citizens of the United States to vote for a more rhetorically conventional president, and only time will tell if Americans decide they want another untraditional president in the future
The Effect of Race of the Perpetrator and Misinformation on Eyewitness Accuracy and Confidence
Get PDFEyewitnesses are an important component of criminal justice protocol; however, if inaccurate, there are grave consequences. The prevalent use of eyewitness accounts, despite the limits and fallibility of human memory demonstrate the need for research on factors affecting credible eyewitness accounts. The current study examines how the introduction of misinformation affects eyewitness accuracy and confidence when the race/ethnicity of the perpetrator is different from, compared to when the race of the perpetrator is the same as, the race/ethnicity of the eyewitness. A total of 69 White/European participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions where they read a University-Issued Email Alert describing and depicting (through a photograph) either a Black/African or a White/European American individual suspected of a crime on campus. In a follow-up University-Issued Email Alert, participants were or were not introduced to misinformation through the use of the same or a different perpetrator photograph, respectively. All participants then completed a questionnaire assessing their ability to and confidence in accurately identify the correct perpetrator from a photo lineup. Results revealed that participants were less accurate and less confident in identifying the correct perpetrator when misinformation was present compared to absent. Additionally, participants were less accurate and less confident when the race/ethnicity of the perpetrator was different from their own race/ethnicity rather than when the race/ethnicity of the perpetrator was the same as their own race/ethnicity. This study contributes to the literature on understanding the limits of eyewitness accuracy and confidence
Terrorists or freedom fighters : an analysis of the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland with respect to the idea of just war
Get PDFFor more than two decades, Northern Ireland has suffered the high social cost of a violent political conflict. Debates over the nature of this conflict have been wide-ranging, but the dominant view is that the conflict is criminal rather than political in nature. This view holds that the violence is widespread terrorism, with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) seen as the chief protagonist. But while this view is dominant, it is not ubiquitous. It is held neither by those who challenge the foundations of the Northern Irish state nor by those communities which are tolerant if not supportive of those labeled as terrorists
Analyzing the mutability of oral and digital media
Get PDFThis project takes the analyses of Walter Ong and synthesizes conclusions about the likelihood of different mediums to encourage change in artifacts over time. The mediums explored ar et eh oral and the digital, with two heavily studied works being examined as representatives of each. This study found much higher mutability of artifacts within digital media due to its likelihood to encourage cooperative creative behavior, and further study would be extremely helpful to the field
Police perceptions of body-worn cameras: can resistance be predicted?
Get PDFThe present study sought to examine the relationships between police officers’ demographic and experiential characteristics and their perceptions of body-worn camera programs. If relationships were present, further examination would seek to identify any characteristics were predictive of the officers’ support for a body-worn camera program and their willingness to wear a body-worn camera. There were four research questions in the study: 1. Are there relationships in police perceptions of body-worn cameras based on demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, or education? 2. If there are relationships in police perceptions of body-worn cameras based on demographic characteristics, what characteristics, if any, may be predictive of police perceptions of body-worn camera use? 3. Are there relationships in police perceptions of body-worn cameras based on prior policing experiences such as rank, years of service, or internal affairs experience? 4. If there are relationships in police perceptions of body-worn cameras based on prior policing experiences, what prior policing experiences may be predictive of police perception of body-worn camera use? The data included responses from a survey administered to 169 police officers. A Spearman’s Rho correlation analysis was conducted to examine research questions one and three. This analysis showed several statistically significant correlations. Classification/rank, length of service, and use of force complaints all demonstrated relationships with age. Race demonstrated a relationship with BWC adoption. Classification/rank demonstrated relationships with length of service and education. Finally, the variable of BWC adoption demonstrated a relationship with BWC comfort. A series of linear regression analyses were conducted in order to examine any predictive relationships among the variables to address research questions two and four. While the findings of the regression models were not as robust as the correlation models, one predictive relationship was identified between length of service and officer comfort with wearing a body-worn camera. The present study serves to inform police administrators about officer characteristics that may prove to cause resistance to body-worn camera programs by police officers. Through a better understanding of these characteristics, police administration could target officers through training, communication, or involvement in an effort to improve officer adoption of new policies
A study of the geolocator attachment effects and migration timing of Louisiana waterthrushes and Worm-eating warblers
Get PDFAs migratory bird tracking technologies advance, we can now follow movements of birds throughout a full-annual cycle. These breakthroughs are revealing information that was previously unknown for many species. Using light-level geolocators, my study follows Louisiana Waterthrushes and Worm-eating Warblers from four populations, from 2016 to 2019. The purpose of my research was to examine the potential effects geolocators have on body condition and survival, as well as to describe the migratory speed and duration of the populations. My results suggested that tracking Louisiana Waterthrushes and Worm-eating Warblers with light-level geolocators or other small markers weighing 0.5 g, using proper attachment methods, can be accomplished without deleterious impacts on the condition and survival of the birds, and the data revealed the birds employed a time-minimizing strategy during migration. Lastly, there was a cultural component of the project that connected communities on each end of Neotropical migration through an educational program
Enhancing health and energy efficiency through data-driven urban initiatives: a smart city approach
Get PDFWith the recent growing recognition, the smart city project aims to advance the quality of modern cities through technology and data science. In this dissertation, two fundamental smart city applications are explored: Smart Health and Smart Energy. The goal of the presented studies is to transform the future of healthcare and energy through data-driven solutions. For Smart Health, statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms are employed to improve patient management and their eventual outcomes. This is done by implementing a predictive analytics framework to identify various risk factors associated with respective medical conditions. The aim of the Smart Energy application is to analyze energy meter data to improve energy efficiency and manage power demand in both residential and industrial sectors. Various state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms are investigated by scrutinizing data obtained from multiple sources. The proposed method introduced in this dissertation emphasizes the effectiveness of data-driven approaches in urban development and planning. The unification of technology and infrastructure will improve individual quality of life and advance the community into a new era of smart society