This is a two-part study that investigated university students’ comfort with instructors’ nonverbal immediacy behaviors in a college classroom. A sample of 289 participants was drawn from a regional university in the Midwest. The participants were asked to respond to an instrument designed to measure the students’ comfort with an instructors’ nonverbal immediacy behaviors. In the first study, the results do not support the hypothesis that males are significantly more comfortable with immediacy behaviors than female students. The results also do not support the hypotheses that students of both sexes will be more comfortable with immediacy behaviors from female instructors than male instructors,or that of the four possible combinations, female students with male instructors will be the least comfortable with immediacy behaviors. In the second study, the results suggest that student gender does not have a significant effect on students’ comfort with instructor immediacy behaviors.

Repetitive behaviors are a core symptom of autism spectrum disorders. They represent a major barrier to learning and social adaptation, affect levels of engagement in life situations, communication, social interactions and sustain social connections. Repetitive behaviors are often managed using exercise-based interventions which have been suggested to reduce repetitive behaviors and benefit mental health and behavioral functioning of individuals with ASD. The purpose of this systematic review was to explore and critically review the findings of previous studies examining effects of various exercise-based interventions on reducing autistic repetitive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. Searches were limited to peer-reviewed studies written in English and published between Jan.2008- Jan. 2019. Only studies focusing on physical exercise-based interventions aiming to decrease repetitive behaviors as a symptom of an autistic spectrum disorder were included. Quality of articles included in the review was assessed using the Joanna Briggs checklists. Two researchers were involved in the quality assessment process, and any discrepancies were resolved through discussion. 5 studies were included in the final review. All studies examined the effects of short term exercise interventions on repetitive behaviors in children with ASD. There was no consistency across studies regarding types or duration of interventions, sample sizes or demographics of participants. However, the findings of the studies examined in this review provide a moderate to strong evidence that exercise-based interventions decrease repetitive behaviors. The studies reviewed included clinically relevant findings that can be used and adapted to fit different needs of children in future interventions. However, additional research using stronger and more varied designs, would be needed to determine the most beneficial types of exercise- based interventions for decreasing repetitive behaviors.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo traduzir, adaptar e validar o Eating Bahaviours and Body Image Test (EBBIT), para uso com crianças de uma cidade do interior do Estado de São Paulo. Foram sujeitos do estudo 261 escolares do sexo feminino, na faixa etária de 9 a 12 anos. Por meio da análise fatorial, com rotação varimax avaliou-se a consistência interna do instrumento. Esta análise, realizada pelo programa SPSS, versão 10.0, revelou dois fatores. Para o instrumento total a consistência interna foi adequada (∝ de Cronbach: 0,89) e para os dois fatores (1 e 2) os valores de ∝ também foram considerados satisfatórios (∝=0,90 e ∝=0,80 respectivamente), mostrando assim que o EBBIT é útil para uma avaliação precoce, rastreando comportamentos indicadores de possíveis distúrbios no comportamento alimentar. Foram mantidas as características psicométricas do instrumento original. / This study aimed to translate, adapt and validate the Eating Bahaviours and Body Image Test (EBBIT), to be used with children in a city in the interior of São Paulo. Study subjects were 261 female students between 9 and 12 years old. The internal consistency of the instrument was evaluated by means of factorial analysis with varimax rotation. This analysis was accomplished through SPSS, version 10.0, revealed two factors. The internal consistency was adequate for the total instrument (Cronbach’s ∝: 0.89) and ∝ values were also considered satisfactory for the two factors (1 and 2) (∝=0.90 and ∝=0.80 respectively), which demonstrated that the EBBIT is useful for an initial evaluation, tracing behavior that indicates possible eating behavior disorders. The psychometric characteristics of the original instrument were maintained.

The present study sought to examine optimism and hope as predictors of suicidal behaviors (viz., suicide ideation and suicide attempt) in a sample of 179 adult primary care patients. Furthermore, we aimed to determine if the combination of hope and optimism would account for additional variance in the prediction model for suicidal behaviors among this population. In this cross-sectional study, participants completed measures of hope (viz., agency and pathways), optimism, and suicidal behaviors, as well as a series of demographics questions. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the aforementioned hypotheses. Results indicated that hope and optimism were both significant and unique predictors of suicidal behaviors among adult primary care patients. However, the hope-by-optimism interaction terms were not found to be significant. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.

abstract: Nicotine and tobacco use, whether it be through cigarette smoking or other devices, creates negative health conditions in pilots. The literature that was reviewed pertained to nicotine withdrawal symptoms and their negative impact on pilot performance. There have been studies conducted in order to explore how these symptoms impact pilot performance using cigarettes as the only nicotine device and does not specify the nicotine levels or the frequency of use. This thesis extends this work to examine the relationship between the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the nicotine behaviors of pilots. It was hypothesized that the extent of withdrawal symptoms may differ by device and by nicotine levels and frequency of use, with higher levels and more frequent use being associated with more severe withdrawal symptoms. These behaviors included the device they use to take nicotine whether it be cigarettes, vaporizers, e-cigarettes, or smokeless tobacco. The behaviors also included exploration of how nicotine levels relate to withdrawal symptoms whether the nicotine level is as low as 3mg or high as 36mg. The last relationship that was explored was that between the withdrawal symptoms presented in pilots and how often they used nicotine, whether it be often as every day or less frequent as 1-2 times a year. It was found that there is no statistical relationship between nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the nicotine habits such as device used, nicotine level used, and frequency of use. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Engineering 2019

abstract: Emotions help shape prosocial behavior from early childhood through adulthood (Rivera & Dunsmore, 2011). Thus, it is important to further our understanding of how emotions are perceived and expressed during adolescence, a time where individuals are establishing their independence, solidifying their individuality, and expanding their understanding of expectations. In this context, it is necessary to consider what influences how emotions are socialized in adolescents. Parents play a central role in the development of children’s understanding of emotions, but less is known about how this influence may extend into adolescence (Feldman & Klien, 2003; Cassidy et al., 1992; Cohn & Tronick, 1987). Indeed, previous literature has found that culture and social support may influence how emotions are expressed and perceived and how they impact mental health (Crockett, et.al., 2007; Torres and Rollock, 2007; Torres, 2010; Padilla et. al., 1988). This study aims to bridge these factors to create a more comprehensive understanding of parent attitudes toward adolescents’ emotions by comparing White and Hispanic parents of adolescents. Specifically, this study examines whether parent gender (mothers versus fathers) and greater acculturation enhance these relationships and whether more positive attitudes about emotions and adolescents’ emotion expression influence parents’ own mental health. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2019

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which is marked by severe social disabilities, also present with higher rates of anxiety. Understanding the qualitative symptoms that underlie anxiety in ASD may help to better characterize the overlap of ASD and anxiety symptomology and suggest targeted treatment strategies. Twenty mothers with male children diagnosed with high-functioning ASD were interviewed using a follow-up interview to the SCAS parent rating scale, in order to better understand how mothers perceive their child's anxious thoughts, behaviors and cognitions. All interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was used to analyze the results. Eight themes emerged from the analysis: first, anxious symptoms in children with autism negatively impacts the whole family; second, anxiety interferes with the child's life; third, mothers can identify anxiety by their child's anxious behavior; fourth, children with ASD utilize coping strategies to reduce their anxiety; fifth, children with ASD experience physiological symptoms with their anxiety; sixth, anxiety and anxious thoughts go together; seventh, mothers can identify the etiology of children's anxiety; and eighth, children's anxious thoughts are perceived by their mothers as reasonable. Interventions for anxiety in ASD should consider the whole family system including education, symptom reduction, and possible respite care.

The agriculture industry has high rates of injury and illness. Furthermore, the average age of US farmers is 58 years old. Chronic conditions are more common among older populations and often require management by a health professional. Farmers face barriers when seeking healthcare. These barriers include limited free time, shortage of providers in rural areas, limited funds, and poor health insurance. In addition, lack of quality health insurance and concerns about paying for healthcare are identified as barriers to healthcare-seeking behavior among farmers. More research is needed to examine the impact of type of health insurance on utilization of specific types of healthcare services among this high-risk population. The goal of this study was to examine the association between a farmer’s type of health insurance and their healthcare-seeking behaviors. A brief, in-person, self-administered survey was used to identify the types of health insurance Midwest farmers were using and how this affected what type of healthcare services they utilized, specifically looking at preventive healthcare services. A second survey, administered online, was used to identify pre-existing conditions farmers had and the specific healthcare preventive healthcare services they utilized. The online survey found that type of health insurance was significantly associated with usage of preventive services. Other associations were found in the in-person survey between type of health insurance and stress over health insurance as well as stress over injury on the farm. These results can be used to inform future health and safety programs about the impact of health insurance on farmer’s healthcare-seeking behavior. However, additional research should be done with a larger sample.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate similarities and differences in the listening behaviors of native speakers and learners of Japanese, focusing on the production of aizuchi and head nods. The term aizuchi is often interchangeably used with the word backchannel, and these are characterized as the listener's use of short utterances such as oh or uh huh in English or hai, un, or aa in Japanese. In this study, aizuchi is defined as a short verbal utterance that is produced in response to the primary speaker's speech in Japanese. A total of 14 NS--NS or 14 NS--NNS dyads were formed to elicit native speakers' and learners' aizuchi and head nods. With the exception of a few participants in their late twenties, most of the participants were female native speakers and learners of Japanese who were of college age. The learners of Japanese were native speakers of American English who had been labeled as intermediate/high-intermediate level learners of Japanese. Each interaction included a semi-free conversation and a narrative story-telling task, both of which were recorded and transcribed for analysis. The findings indicate that the differences in the use of aizuchi and head nods produced by native speakers and learners lie not mainly in their frequency, but in the types and functions. The results show that when the frequency of aizuchi and head nods was measured with a time-based scale, which was the frequency per 60 seconds, differences were found in the frequency of head nods and total frequency of aizuchi and head nods. However, no significant difference was found in the frequency of aizuchi and head nods based on the amount of speech the speakers produced. Aizuchi were categorized into 16 groups to investigate differences in their types. The results show that the learners were using less aa-group, hee-group, iya-group aizuchi but more soo-group aizuchi compared to the native speakers. The number of different aizuchi each participant used was also measured to examine the variety of aizuchi, and it was found that both the native speakers and the learners were producing a similar number of different aizuchi. Head nods were analyzed based on nodding count, and it was revealed that more multiple head nods were observed in the learner's behaviors. The functions of aizuchi and head nods were categorized into seven groups, and the distribution of the functions was analyzed. The results indicate that learners tend to use more aizuchi to express their understanding and reaction to their interlocutors' response solicitation, while the use of aizuchi that do not show their attitude was more frequent with native speakers. The distribution of the functions of head nods was similar between the two groups. By further examining the types and the function of aizuchi and head nods, the study sheds light on which types of aizuchi learners may be lacking or overusing. Pedagogical implications are drawn from the results.

Building on a previous 1994 study, this descriptive study reflects on the ever-shifting sands of the nurse manager role. This national survey is based on the Katz (1955) conceptual framework of interrelated technical, human and conceptual competencies. An instrument developed by the investigator for determining important nurse manager competencies was validated using an expert panel of AONE nurse manager Fellows. The research used a web-based survey to collect information from hospital nurse managers via a self-administered competency instrument. Eighty one completed the online survey with complete data for a response rate of thirteen percent. Findings suggest the highest self-reported nurse manager competency ratings included effective communication, retention strategies, effective discipline and decision-making. In contrast, the lowest self-reported nurse manager competencies included nursing theory, case management and the research process. The associations of nurse manager competencies with individual and organizational variables were studied. The impact of organizational variables of hospital size and span of control had a medium effect. Magnet status impact was unremarkable. Individual variables of gender, age, education, tenure as an RN, and tenure in current position also did not significantly impact competency ratings. A large and medium effect was noted between tenure in the management role on all the competency ratings within the five constructs. The Chase Nurse Manager Competency Instrument underwent psychometric testing as none had been done since the original 1994 study. The 1994 and the 2010 study data was used to determine reliability and validity assessments with positive results. A crosswalk was also completed between the Chase Instrument and the 2005 AONE Nurse Manager Leadership Collaborative Framework and due to the similarities in the five categories the Chase Instrument was revised to reflect the parallel similar headings support the consistencies between the models. Study findings reveal Nurse managers have to deal with finance and budgeting, patient safety, quality improvement, staff retention, and many other tough topics. They are expected to achieve a blend of clinical and business management with little to no training. Based on the findings the following ten recommendations are provided and include, Provide realistic expectations of the role; Provide a skill assessment and form a plan based on competency development; Provide a structured orientation and development program which includes 30/60/90 day checkpoints; Establish long term mentorship building on the key ingredients of inspiration and role modeling; CNO involvement is critical; Teach Influence; Teach implementation strategies; Create the culture; Invest in Nurse Manager support for Development of Staffing, Financial Acumen and Compliance; Enhance communication skills at every level. Among nursing leadership, the nurse manager role has been identified as critical in the provision of high-performing, effective and efficient care in the patient care delivery setting. This individual is the unit-based CEO responsible for quality, safety, satisfaction and financial performance in alignment with regulatory and accrediting body requirements. Excellence in horizontal and vertical communication is required as this role represents the voice of the direct care nurse at the leadership table as well as the voice of the board of trustees at the unit level.