Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Mechanical Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

Autonomous uncrewed aircraft will require collision avoidance systems designed with autonomy in mind as they integrate into the increasingly crowded national airspace system. Current uncrewed aircraft collision avoidance systems typically require a remote pilot to execute avoidance or provide poorly defined guidance that does not benefit autonomous systems. Path Recovery Automated Collision Avoidance System re-plans flight paths to adjust to collisions autonomously using path planners and keep out zones but does not currently detect or mitigate overtaking collisions. This work investigates the effect of geometric keep out zones on the overtaking scenario for autonomous uncrewed aircraft. Keep out zone shapes were developed by relating relative velocities and turn rates of the aircraft in the overtaking scenario and tested using the Path Recovery Automated Collision Avoidance System. Operational ranges for approach heading, relative velocity, and look-ahead time were then determined. The developed set of keep out zones prevented intruder aircraft from entering the minimum separation distance of one wingspan of the mission aircraft in the overtaking scenario for scenarios with look-ahead times between five and twelve seconds, relative velocities of two to twenty, and approach angles between 110◦ and -110◦ measured from the heading of the main UAS. Minimum separation was maintained for low speed encounters with relative velocities between 1.1 and 2.0 for look-ahead times between two and eight seconds for all approach angles. With a look-ahead time range of five to eight seconds, overtaking collisions of all tested approach angles and relative speeds are handled with more than twice the separation required for success, showing that the developed keep out zones are feasible for implementation on possible autonomous collision avoidance systems.

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Psychology

Math anxiety is a pervasive issue in higher education often associated with poor performance outcomes. A hypothesized reason for this association is that individuals with math anxiety avoid effortful math-related activities. However, there is little empirical evidence demonstrating a math anxiety–math effort avoidance association. Further, assuming such an association, it remains uncertain what mechanism drives this relationship and whether manipulations, such as exposure, can attenuate the math anxiety–math avoidance link. Here, I demonstrate that (a) math anxiety is associated with math effort avoidance, (b) multiple mechanisms appear to drive this relationship, primarily reactive fear, and (c) an exposure manipulation increases math effort, but not for those with higher levels of math anxiety. Understanding potential mechanisms underlying the math anxiety–poor math performance relationship, along with which interventions are effective, is critical for fostering math achievement.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Communication

This study serves as the first test of the Planned Risk Information Avoidance (PRIA) model proposed by Deline & Kahlor (2019). Information avoidance is an often overlooked subject of information management, and it must be studied in order to inform our understanding and allow health communicators to apply the knowledge gained in the study of information avoidance to reduce the prevalence of avoidance of health promotion messaging. The context of this study concerned parents of children age 5-11 (N=508), and their interactions with COVID-19 vaccination information for their children. Results showed that the PRIA model was largely supported by our findings, with the exception of closure and perceived behavioral control. Implications for this study are the expansion of a model dedicated to understanding avoidance, and some suggestions for how to apply these findings. This includes considering vaccination risk as separate from disease risk (in trying to combat avoidance of vaccination messaging), and using norms to influence attitudes toward avoidance, in efforts to minimize avoidance intentions.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2020, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This study was designed to examine the impact of witnesses' participation in the Cincinnati Citizens Respect Our Witnesses (CCROW) witness support program on decisions whether to cooperate in violent felony cases and the potentially moderating effects of approach and avoidance motivation (Elliot & Thrash, 2002) on those decisions. The study employed Carver & White's (1994) BIS/BAS scale to assess approach and avoidance motivation and Cincinnati Police Department archival data documenting the levels of cooperation among witnesses of violent crimes and their participation in a program designed to protect and support such individuals in one Mid-Western urban community. An overview of contemporary research related to approach and avoidance motivation theory and witness cooperation establishes areas of intersection between these lines of research, but not direct tests of the relationship among these variables. The literature highlights a variety of aspects related to community support and themes related to witness cooperation including historical aspects of the no-snitch mentality and witness intimidation. Review of previous research explores themes related to approach-avoidance motivation: goal setting, self-regulation, and the need for relatedness and affiliation. This review determined current research is lacking on the relationship between community support and witness cooperation, as well as witness motivation to cooperate. The review of literature also established that witness cooperation has been a long-standing phenomenon within the legal system (Cannavale 1976), and civic engagement in a variety of ways can lead to a decrease in crime rates (Masiloane and Marais 2009). Given that witness non-cooperation continues to persist, this study was designed to explore the effectiveness of the CCROW program in predicting cooperation among the witnesses of violent crimes, and whether differences in participants' motivational profile moderates program effectiveness. Data (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Psychology/Clinical

Research and theory have demonstrated that spiritual struggles are robustly tied to distress and ill health. Growth and positive outcomes are also possible. However, there is little research illuminating the factors that contribute to growth or decline in the wake of spiritual struggles. Mindfulness and Acceptance, as conceptualized in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, have been tied to positive and negative adjustment, respectively. The present study was designed to examine the relationships between experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and adjustment in a sample of 307 adults experiencing spiritual struggles. The predictions were that experiential avoidance would be associated with poorer adjustment and that mindfulness would be associated with better adjustment. It was also predicted that the relationships between spiritual struggles and poorer adjustment would be stronger among people with higher than lower levels of experiential avoidance. Finally, it was predicted that the relationships between spiritual struggles and less problematic adjustment would be stronger among people with higher than lower levels of mindfulness. The findings generally supported the hypotheses that experiential avoidance is problematic for people experiencing spiritual struggles. With a few notable exceptions, mindfulness, as measured in the present study, was not significantly related to indices of adjustment. Some support was found for the hypothesis that the detrimental effects of spiritual struggles on adjustment would be greater among people with higher than lower levels of experiential avoidance. These findings were particularly robust for the measure of situation-specific experiential avoidance. These findings are discussed along with implications and future directions.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, Psychology

The Cognitive Avoidance model (Borkovec, Alcaine, & Behar, 2004) predicts that individuals with GAD will experience low levels of physiological hyperarousal (PH) symptoms while the Contrast Avoidance model (Newman & Llera, 2011) predicts the opposite. Yet, neither theory can fully account for the range of GAD patients. One individual difference that may explain the heterogeneous nature of GAD is Effortful Control (EC). Vasey, Chriki, and Toh (2014; in preparation) have demonstrated that worry/GAD symptoms are less positively correlated with PH symptoms when EC is high than low. The present study sought to replicate the finding by Vasey et al. (2014). Secondly, we sought to demonstrate that the moderating influence of EC is mediated by several worry characteristics. These candidate mediators include the percentage of thoughts, percentage of images, extent of imagery, and efforts to transform images into thought. A sample of 960 individuals in the Psychology 1100 at The Ohio State University completed online questionnaires assessing worry, GAD symptoms, EC, PH symptoms, and worry characteristics. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted and interactions were probed using PROCESS, an SPSS tool (Hayes, 2013). The results successfully replicated the findings by Vasey et al. (2014). We also found that EC moderated the relationship between GAD symptoms and PH symptoms through several factors. As expected, those with high GAD symptoms who reported higher EC experienced lower PH symptoms by virtue of higher percentage of thoughts during worry. Contrary to expectation, for those with high GAD symptoms, EC was negatively, rather than positively, associated with efforts to transform images into thoughts. Furthermore, as expected, while worry/GAD symptoms were positively associated with the extent of imagery, EC had a countervailing main effect. EC acts as a moderator to reconcile the contradictory findings about PH symptoms in worriers/GAD patients as well (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2005, Integrated Engineering (Engineering)

The objective of this research is to establish a method of local motion planning for mobile robots which could be applied to a dynamic environment, wherein the obstacles are moving and their velocity profiles are not pre-known. This is accomplished by developing a hybrid system in which a global deliberate approach is applied to determine the motion in the desired path line ( DPL ), and a local reactive approach is used for moving obstacle avoidance. The dissertation shows through theoretical analysis, simulation, and experiment that the developed method can be effectively used to avoid collisions with obstacles in a dynamic environment. A unique modeling of a three-wheeled omni-directional robot has been developed. The equations of motion ( EOM ) are coupled nonlinear equations. The novel concepts of velocity and acceleration cones are proposed for determining the kinematic and dynamic constraints of a three-wheeled omni-directional robot. The velocity cone and acceleration cone are the feasible velocity and acceleration ranges in the Cartesian coordinates which are suitable for any orientation of the robot. A hybrid approach has been developed for local motion planning. A global deliberate approach has been applied to the motion along the desired path line ( DPL ) while a local reactive approach is used to avoid collisions with obstacles. For the experiments, a video camera is used as the sensor to detect the unknown motion of the obstacles. The kinematic and dynamic constraints of the robot have been taken into account in the developed method.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Animal Sciences

An estimated 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives. Equine-assisted interactions (EAI) have been reported to contribute to positive outcomes for a variety of populations. However, little is known of the how previous trauma may influence these outcomes. EAI is a comprehensive term used to refer to a variety of services that utilize horses and other equine to benefit people. Although positive outcomes have been observed among EAI participants, research reports mixed results with few studies utilizing a multifaceted approach to assess responses. Additionally, few studies have sought to investigate the impact of EAI on the equine participant. Limited evidence suggests there is little to no effect of EAI on the equine involved but these studies lack a multifaceted approach which prevents a more comprehensive understanding of the equine experience. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to 1) assess the influence of equine assisted interactions (EAI) on human biopsychosocial responses, 2) assess the influence of previous trauma type on biopsychosocial responses to EAI, and 3) to assess the influence of EAI on equine participants using a biobehavioral approach. Participants (n = 36) interacted with the same equine (n = 10) in four consecutive, weekly 30-min EAI sessions. Human biological measures included heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and salivary analytes oxytocin (OT), TNF- α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. Human psychological responses included participants' perceived quality of life, PTSD symptoms, momentary anxiety, and psychological distress. Human behavioral responses including standing, locomotion, sitting, and touch were assessed via scan sampling every 30 sec from video recorded every session. EAI sessions were video recorded to assess behavioral responses via scan sampling. Previous trauma was classified as TBI, PTSD, BOTH (PTSD/TBI), or NONE. Equine biological responses included heart rate (HR), heart (open full item for complete abstract)

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Business: Business Administration

Business connections, including firms connected through the same investors and audit committee chairs connected via professional social network, play vital roles in the quality of firms' financial statements and tax related decision-making. Business connections can facilitate the flow of information and the sharing of knowledge, enabling firms to make accounting and tax decisions more efficiently and to better serve their stakeholders. This dissertation comprises two essays that investigate how business connections affect firms' financial accounting quality and tax avoidance decisions. In Essay I, I examine the effect of common ownership on tax avoidance. Common ownership can lead to reductions in agency costs, implementation costs, and outcome costs. These reductions, in turn, facilitate tax avoidance strategies within commonly owned firms, ultimately benefiting their investors. Additionally, due to the presence of a stronger corporate governance system, commonly owned firms are better equipped to enhance their internal information environment, enabling more accurate and efficient processing tax-related information. The empirical findings are consistent with these hypotheses, revealing a positive correlation between common ownership and tax avoidance, as well as a positive association between common ownership and the internal information quality. These results suggest that common ownership fosters tax avoidance practices and benefits shareholders, and the improved internal information environment serves as a conduit for managers to implement their tax avoidance strategies. A falsification test and a difference-in-differences analysis are conducted to address potential self-selection biases and path analysis is employed to reinforce the mediating role of internal information environment. In Essay II, we examine how audit committee professional networks impact firm audit quality and audit committee social networks. Specifically, we exam an audi (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Information avoidance is the act of preventing or delaying learning unwanted information. People may avoid information to avoid negative future emotions or when they lack sufficient coping resources. Although cross-sectional, lab-based empirical research has identified antecedents of information avoidance, little research has investigated information avoidance consequences. The present daily diary study examined the temporal dynamics of college students' information avoidance in everyday life across different contexts. It was hypothesized that greater information avoidance would be associated with lower negative affect, lower coping resources and self-efficacy, and less adaptive behavior. Participants (n=182, 79.56% female, 79.01% white, Mage=20.30 years) responded to a baseline survey and nightly surveys for 14 days (yielding approximately 2,200 diaries). Measures included self-reported information avoidance, affect, coping resources, and behavior engagement. Cross-sectional analyses tested baseline factors predicting aggregate data over the two-week diary period. Within- and between-person associations were tested using concurrent and cross-lagged multilevel models controlling for sociodemographic factors. The average participant reported avoiding information in at least one context on 26.36% of days, with more variability in information avoidance explained within-persons compared to between-persons. Participants most frequently avoided information about money, the news, and physical activity. Participants who reported greater negative affect (B=0.66, p=.024), lower social support (B=-0.43, p=.025), lower money self-efficacy (B=-0.35, p=.034), and lower health self-efficacy (B=-0.29, p=.023) at baseline reported more instances of information avoidance over the two-week period. On days in which participants reported greater negative affect (OR=1.29, p=.002) and lower domain-specific self-efficacy (grades, money, health, and physical activity; ORs: 0.37-0.53; (open full item for complete abstract)

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2024, School Psychology

This study examined the effectiveness of a brief virtual training for school psychologists on the approach/avoidance continuum and the role of parent/teacher accommodations in anxiety treatment through a single group quasi-experimental design. Participants (N = 13) attended a half-day virtual training and completed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up questionnaire to measure knowledge gained and application. The mean knowledge of each participant prior to the training was compared to the mean knowledge of participants immediately following the training. In comparing the differences in scores from the pre-test and post-test surveys, participants showed significantly greater gains in knowledge from the pre-test (M = 3.09, SD = 0.39) to the post-test (M = 3.46, SD = .37). Additionally, a majority of participants reported that they had applied the knowledge gained from the training directly in their practice during the 5 months since the training occurred. Given the rising prevalence of anxiety in school-aged children, it is increasingly important to provide professional development opportunities for school psychology practitioners. The A3F training is one possible solution to increasing knowledge to aid school personnel and families in supporting students with anxiety. Implications for improving school psychologists service delivery for students with anxiety are discussed.

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have seen a rise in applications to various fields. With plenty of algorithms to support automation in UAV flights, Global Positioning System (GPS) is still the major source of position estimation. This has limited the application of UAVs to areas where GPS signal is available and strong. Thus, some other method of position estimation for the UAV is required to expand the UAV application to GPS-denied areas. Moreover, when an operator is piloting a UAV from a remote location, the operator is solely relying on the camera feed coming from the UAV to move the UAV. This camera feed gives a limited field of view of the environment, and the human operator may accidentally run the UAV into an obstacle. In this research, a method of using Hector SLAM for performing position estimation of the UAV in a GPS-denied indoor environment is presented. The Hector SLAM uses a 2D LiDAR mounted on top of the quadcopter to scan the unknown environment. Furthermore, to empower the UAV to autonomously avoid obstacles, an algorithm using Artificial Potential Field method is developed in this thesis which maneuvers the UAV away from obstacles while being piloted by a human operator. The system is developed using Robot Operating System (ROS) and PX4 autopilot. Two different ways, setpoints and attitude commands, of operating the UAV using a keyboard are implemented and compared. The algorithm has been tested in Gazebo Classic simulator and its performance is evaluated.

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Engineering and Applied Science: Aerospace Engineering

Fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) cannot fly at speeds lower than critical stall speeds. As a result, hovering during a potential collision scenario, like with rotary-wing UAVs, is impossible. Moreover, hovering is not an optimal solution for Collision Avoidance (CA), as it increases mission time and is innately fuel inefficient. This work proposes a decentralized Fuzzy Inference System (FIS)-based resolution algorithm that modulates the point-to-point mission path while ensuring the continuous motion of UAVs during CA. A simplified kinematic guidance model with coordinated turn conditions is considered to control the UAVs. The model employs a proportional-derivative control of commanded airspeed, bank angle, and flight path angle. The commands are derived from the desired path, characterized by airspeed, heading, and altitude. The desired path is, in turn, obtained using look-ahead points generated for the target point. The FIS aims to mimic human behavior during collision scenarios, generating modulation parameters for the desired path to achieve CA. Notably, it is also scalable, which makes it easy to adjust the algorithm parameters, as per the required missions, and factors specific to a given UAV. A genetic algorithm was used to optimize FIS parameters so that the distance traveled during the mission was minimized despite path modulation. The proposed algorithm was optimized using a pairwise conflict scenario. The effectiveness of the algorithm was evaluated through various pairwise conflict scenarios as well as a Monte Carlo simulation of random conflict scenarios involving multiple UAVs operating in a confined space. It was found that the overall number of collisions decreased by an average of 98% using the proposed optimized algorithm, thereby, supporting its effectiveness.

Master of Science (M.S.), University of Dayton, 2023, Mechanical Engineering

This thesis presents the research that has been done in advancing topics in multi-robot coordinated path planning and singularity avoidance of mechanisms. For coordinated robots, an offline path planning solution has been developed that incorporates manufacturing constraints while taking into account the manipulator's kinematics and collision constraints. A loading dock optimization problem is first tackled due to it being a simpler system with one degree of freedom (DOF) while keeping the collaborative nature intact. Then the focus is shifted to spatial robots having 3 prismatic and/or revolute joints. This includes a discussion on the kinematics of the robots, the task allocation using a Tabu-Search Heuristic, and collision avoidance routines. The 3P robots have a one-to-one inverse kinematic solution with a unique configuration for any point within the workspace. This allows for a less computationally expensive optimization model. Finally, the path planning solution is applied to N overlapping 5R robots that have increased computational complexity due to one-to-many inverse kinematic solutions. As the number of links of the robot increases, the effort for combinatory collision checking routine explodes. Several simulations are presented to validate the proposed methodology. The research on singularity avoidance focuses on finding an actuating chain that can be attached to a mechanism to drive it in a singularity-free manner. For a single degree of freedom spatial mechanism, a reference frame attached to any of its links produces a continuous motion of this frame. Given the progression of this frame from the start through the end of the mechanism's motion, this research seeks to identify specific points relative to this moving reference frame. The points of interest are those that can be coupled with a second point determined in the fixed frame to act as the end joint locations for a spherical-prismatic-spherical (SPS) driving chain. If the selection of the poi (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

Invasive temperate lianas are ecologically impactful and increasing in abundance in North America, but information regarding their ecophysiology is relatively scarce. I selected four introduced species representing potentially contrasting shade strategies, "light-demanding" Ampelopsis brevipedunculata and Celastrus orbiculatus and shade-tolerant Hedera helix and Euonymus fortunei, to compare their responses to either neutral shade or shade with a reduced R:FR ratio of 0.88 from the ambient 1.3, with the reduced-R:FR shade intended to more closely resemble canopy shade and induce a phytochrome-mediated shade avoidance response. I tested whether responses differed by species and by light quality, measuring five morphological and physical traits in all species and four photosynthetic traits in the shade-tolerant species. Mortality in shaded Ampelopsis was high along with Celastrus in all conditions, while no mortality was observed in shade-tolerant species. Differential responses to light quality were detected in three morphological traits and one photosynthetic parameter. Relative to neutral shade, leaf mass as a proportion of total aboveground biomass increased in Ampelopsis and Celastrus in reduced R:FR shade while increasing in both treatments for shade-adapted species. Internode length was only greater in R:FR-reduced shade than neutral shade for Celastrus, with no difference in elongation detected between shade treatments in any other species. These changes in allocation patterns and gross morphology were limited to the light-demanding species. While internode length was greatest for all species in control conditions, a subsequent analysis of biomass-adjusted internode length indicated that internodes were longest in the shade treatments, and nonsignificantly longer in R:FR-reduced shade relative to neutral shade. Hedera biomass was greater in R:FR-reduced shade, increasing nonsignificantly in all other species. Quantum yield (φ) was greatest in Hedera but unaffe (open full item for complete abstract)

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Engineering and Applied Science: Aerospace Engineering

Conventional control approaches have been developed based on mathematical models of systems that contain multiple user-defined parameters, and it is time-consuming to determine such parameters. With advancements in computing power, artificial intelligence (AI) has been recently used to control autonomous systems. However, it is difficult for engineers to understand how the resulting output is obtained because most AI techniques are a black box without defining a mathematical model. On the other hand, a fuzzy inference system (FIS) is a preferable option because of its explainability. By adding learning capability to the FIS using a genetic algorithm (GA), the FIS can provide a near-optimal solution, which is known as a genetic fuzzy system (GFS). To exploit the advantages of the GFS, this work develops the FIS-based control approaches for diverse autonomous platforms, which include aerial, ground, and space platforms. For aerial platforms, this work develops a FIS-applied collision avoidance (CA) algorithm that can provide a near-optimal solution in terms of the travel distance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). After introducing a compact form of equations, which reduces the number of unknown parameters from 6 to 2, based on the enhanced potential field (EPF) approach, the proposed FIS models determine two unknowns, which are the magnitude of the avoidance maneuvers. The proposed models are trained to overcome the drawbacks of the artificial potential field (APF) while minimizing the travel distance of the UAVs, the trained FIS models are tested in a complex environment in the presence of multiple static and dynamic obstacles by increasing the number of UAVs in a given area. Numerical simulation results are presented for the training and testing results, including the comparison with the EPF. For ground platforms, this work proposes a decentralized multi-robot system (MRS) control approach to perform a collaborative object transportation with a near- (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Communication and Information

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between intentional online information seeking, incidental online information seeking, eHealth literacy, and shared decision-making; the relationship between intentional online information seeking, incidental online information seeking, information overload, eHealth literacy, information anxiety, and information avoidance in the context of diabetes. The study is based on Wilson's models (1981, 1997, 1999) of information behavior, Williamson's (1998) ecological model of information seeking and use, and S-O-R (Stimulus, Organism, Response) framework (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974). It examines the survey data from diabetic patients aged 18 to 44 years old in the U.S. Linear regression and structural equation modeling approaches were utilized to analyze the data. Results indicated that intentional online information seeking and eHealth literacy have positive impacts on shared decision-making. Information overload is positively related to information anxiety and information anxiety is positively related to information avoidance. Additional analyses also indicated that incidental online information seeking is negatively related to information avoidance, and eHealth literacy is negatively related to information anxiety. Information anxiety positively mediates the relationship from information overload to information avoidance. Results extend existing theoretical frameworks and suggested that there is a necessity to develop information and communication strategies to distribute high quality online health information online and training programs to help decrease diabetes information seekers' information anxiety and information avoidance about diabetes and encourage shared decision-making for diabetic patients.

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2023, Psychology

Social anxiety involves excessive fear when there is a perceived threat of negative evaluation (Wong & Rapee, 2016). Individuals with social anxiety tend to use maladaptive strategies to avoid negative evaluation, such as experiential avoidance (Asher et al., 2021) and limiting intimate self-disclosure (Alden & Bieling, 1998). Recent data suggest that individuals with social anxiety tend to prefer online communication to face-to-face communication (Kamalou et al., 2019). Other studies suggest that individuals with social anxiety experience similar levels of anxiety during online and face-to-face communication (Doorley et al., 2020). It is unclear how past findings generalize to videoconference communication or face-to-face communication with a protective face mask. The purpose of the current study was to compare how individuals experience unmasked videoconference and masked face-to-face communication. Sixty-four undergraduate participants with traits of social anxiety engaged in a 45-minute conversation task. Dyads were randomly assigned to complete the task in a masked face-to-face or unmasked videoconference condition and completed measures of state anxiety, perceived threat of negative evaluation, experiential avoidance, and self-disclosure intimacy following the task. Analyses suggested the unmasked videoconference condition was associated with greater state anxiety and experiential avoidance, whereas the masked face-to-face condition was associated with greater perceived threat of negative evaluation. There was no difference between the two conditions on the self-disclosure measures. The results indicate that masked face-to face communication and unmasked videoconference communication have different effects on psychological processes associated with social anxiety.

MFA, Kent State University, 0, College of the Arts / School of Art

Loss is a major component of my lived experience and informs much of the work in my thesis exhibition, Oh, Horse Hockey! Herein, I explore my personal and familial relationship to grief. I utilize a working narrative of symbolic, metaphoric, and literal interpretations of grief. Through the use of recurring visual symbols of addiction, childhood, and celebration, I call attention to avoidance. Most glaring, however, is the inclusion of party ephemera. Its significance enlivens a contrapuntal read of this body of work, wherein the seemingly oppositional concepts of loss and celebration are made interdependent.

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / School of Biomedical Sciences

Recent research shows that early-life stress (ELS) in gerbils affects neural function in the auditory pathway and is associated with poor neural and behavioral detection of a temporally-varying sound – specifically, detection of short gaps, a feature vital for understanding speech and vocalizations (Ter-Mikaelian et al., 2013; Ye et al., 2022). This dissertation evaluates the general hypothesis that ELS affects such aspects of sound perception that are important for basic auditory communication. Because auditory-related behavior can only be elucidated with awareness of top-down influences, the first step (i.e., Chapter 2) must be to characterize the ELS gerbil by assessing higher-level functions (those related to cognition, learning, memory, and anxiety). Only with this knowledge can behavioral responses to acoustic communication sounds be accurately interpreted for ELS animals. I ran the gerbils through a battery of behavioral tests that included multiple measures of locomotion, anxiety, memory, and learning. Chapter 3 explores the effects of ELS on the behavioral detection of amplitude modulations, an important auditory feature of speech and vocalizations. Perception of speech-related sounds like gap detection and amplitude modulations is vital for survival, cooperation, mediation, and reproduction in countless species. I tested gerbils with increasingly difficult signals to determine whether ELS changes temporal sensitivity. This aim also provided valuable information about learning differences in ELS animals.The findings presented in Chapter 3 evaluate the hypothesis that an ELS-induced deficit in gap detection (Ye et al., 2022) can be extrapolated to a deficit in another type of a temporally-varying sound: amplitude modulations (AM). The highly vocal Mongolian gerbil is a well-established model used to assess temporal processing via behavioral detection of amplitude modulations (AM) in sound. For this reason, I trained gerbils with operant conditioning to detec (open full item for complete abstract)