Master's Degree Culminating Works
Persistent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11299/209910
This collection contains works created by UMD graduate students for master's degrees from programs based at UMD. It includes theses (for "Plan A" thesis-based master's degrees), projects (for "Plan B" project-based master's degrees), and papers (for "Plan C" coursework-based master's degrees).
Please note: Additional theses (not Plan B project papers or Plan C papers) can be found in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Dissertations and Theses collection.
To see final works for specific graduate degrees, click the links below. (Some of these graduate programs have been discontinued.)
Search within Master's Degree Culminating Works
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Disentangling Weirdness from Moral Purity: A Test of Two Competing Theoretical Perspectives(2025-05) Boots, Jared DPast investigations indicate that harm-based moral violations are judged to be worse when greater in magnitude or frequency, but purity-based moral violations are relatively insensitive to variations in magnitude and frequency. While some psychologists argue that this is evidence that harm and purity violations are rooted in different psychological mechanisms, others contend that all moral judgments are rooted in harm and point to confounding issues such as the association between weirdness and purity-based moral violations. The current study addresses these criticisms by experimentally varying weirdness as a feature of harm-based moral violations. A sample of 314 participants judged the wrongness of moral violations in the harm, purity, and weird-harm domains. Each violation was either low or high in magnitude, varying the frequency or amount of transgression occurring. If harm and purity moral judgments have distinct psychological mechanisms, moral evaluations of weird-harm violations low versus high in magnitude should resemble those of harm-only violations by showing sensitivity to action magnitude while also demonstrating different patterns from purity violations that instead are relatively insensitive to magnitude. In contrast, the perspective arguing for a single psychological mechanism rooted solely in perceived harm would predict that moral evaluations of weird-harm violations low versus high in magnitude should resemble those of purity violations and deviate different from harm-only violations by showing insensitivity to action magnitude. Results indicated a sensitivity to action magnitude for both weird-harm and harm-only violations but not for purity violations. These findings support a pluralistic understanding of morality suggesting the use of distinct psychological mechanisms in moral judgment dependent upon the type of moral transgression that has occurred.Item A Comparison of Sustained Attention Between Adults With and Without ADHD: Is ADHD the Result of Excessive Habituation?(2025-05) McCarty, Andrew PThe current study used electroencephalography (EEG) to elucidate the nature of habituation in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Habituation describes the reduction of response to a stimulus over time. The following paper reviews the function of dopamine in attentional processes related to information saliency and sensory gating in the context of ADHD. ADHD symptomatology and the use of stimulant medications for ADHD treatment is discussed. The neuroanatomy of dopamine in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex, three major dopamine pathways, and two families of dopamine receptor types are explained. The attentional networks of alerting, orienting, and executive functioning measured by the Attention Network Task (ANT; Fan et al., 2002) are discussed in the context of ADHD. Previous research exploring dopaminerelated attentional processing is reviewed. Finally, the use of EEG to explore habituation in terms of event-related potential is justified. The current study aimed to use EEG to offer evidence that ADHD is the result of excessive habituation. Adult participants (N = 68) aged 18 - 48 (M = 21, SD = 5) with and without ADHD were recruited to participate in an in-person EEG experiment. Participants with ADHD attended sessions both on and off their stimulant medication. EEG was used to measure the habituation of neural response to a repeating identical tone stimulus. ANT scores were used to provide a behavioral measure of ADHD deficits to compare with habituation. Expected covariates of habituation (e.g., chronic anxiety, ADHD symptom severity) were explored. Additionally, all participants were tested for ADHD symptoms using the Adult Self Report Scale (ASRS; Kessler et al., 2005). Results indicated that stimulant medication boosted neural response to the repeating tone. However, individuals with ADHD did not significantly differ from healthy controls in terms of magnitude of response to the tone nor habituation to the tone over time.Item The Influence of Alcohol-Related Stereotypes on Inhibitory Control of Eastern European Immigrants and Non-Immigrant Americans(2025-05) Galeeva, IndiraThe pervasive issue of alcohol dependence affects diverse demographic groups across the United States, including its sizable immigrant population, notably with European immigrants displaying elevated rates of alcohol and substance abuse. Negative stereotypes surrounding alcohol dependence lack factual basis and contribute to stigma within social, healthcare, and media, exacerbating challenges for affected individuals and communities. This study investigated the impact of alcohol-related stereotypes on inhibitory control cognition among Eastern European immigrants and non-immigrant Americans. Using a cross-cultural approach and a quasi-experimental design, the study explored how stereotype threat influenced inhibitory control, particularly among Eastern European immigrants living in the United States. The stereotype threat condition involved a manipulation that linked drinking behavior with impaired inhibitory control, while the control condition focused on the influence of contextual factors without exposing participants to negative stereotypes. Participants completed both Cued and Alcohol Go/No-Go tasks alongside self-report measures of alcohol use and demographics. It was hypothesized that both groups would show diminished inhibitory control under stereotype threat, with greater impairments anticipated among Eastern Europeans. The results provided limited evidence supporting this hypothesis. However, significant associations were found between alcohol consumption, related consequences, and drinking motives, especially within the non-immigrant American group. These findings hope to shed light on the important topic of looking through a cultural lens and psychological context in understanding substance use and highlight directions for future research and stigma-reducing interventions.Item Unraveling Misconceptions: The Impact of Emotion and Refutational Texts on Belief Change, Stigma, and Metacognition Over Time(2025-04) Mastrian, CarlyPsychological misconceptions are highly persistent and contribute to stigma and misunderstanding of mental illness (Hughes et al., 2015; Lilienfeld et al., 2010). Refutational texts, which explicitly present and correct misconceptions, have been shown to reduce beliefs in misinformation (Kendeou & O’Brien, 2014; Trevors et al., 2021). Emotional states may foster different forms of information processing, leading to knowledge revision (Forgas, 1995). This study examined the short- and long-term effectiveness of refutational texts while exploring the effects of induced emotions and metacognition on misconception revision. A 2 x 3 experimental mixed-design was used, with the independent variables being emotion condition (joviality or sadness) and time (baseline, posttest, and follow-up), and the dependent variables being misconception endorsement and social distancing stigma. A sample of 197 undergraduate students was randomly assigned to an emotion condition before watching the emotion induction videos and reading refutational texts on abnormal psychological misconceptions. Participants completed measures of misconception endorsement, social distancing stigma, and metacognitive accuracy at different timepoints. ANOVAs and ANCOVAs revealed significant reductions in targeted (ηp2 = .72), inferred (ηp2 = .05) and unrelated misconceptions (ηp2 = .04) immediately after reading, with more enduring effects for targeted misconceptions (ηp2 = .38). The emotion condition did not significantly affect outcomes. Metacognitive accuracy for confidence increased at posttest but decreased by follow-up, whereas relative knowledge decreased by follow-up. Overall, the findings support the use of refutational texts as an effective strategy for reducing students’ beliefs in abnormal psychological misconceptions.Item Self-Compassion and Role Transition in Young Mothers(2025-05) Colberg, Allison LPrevious research on self-compassion has demonstrated its association with improved well-being and functioning among adolescents and mothers. However, there is little research on the role of self-compassion among young adult or adolescent mothers. Self-compassion and adult role attainment, moderated by social support, may be essential to assisting young parents with their role transition into parenthood. Using a community based participatory research approach, adolescent and young adult parent participants took a self report digital survey to obtain scores of self-compassion, markers of adulthood, maternal role attainment, and social support. Results were analyzed through a multiple regression. The overall model was not found to be statistically significant. However, early adulthood role attainment was the only variable with significant correlation to maternal role attainment. Maternal role attainment was negatively skewed, suggesting lower overall attainment than would typically be expected, while scores of self-compassion were within the moderate range consistent with other studies. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.Item The Roles of Cognitive Appraisal, Work Engagement, and Job Burnout in the Relationship Between Job Autonomy and Innovative Work Behavior(2025-02) Pederson, Luke JamesEngaging in innovative work behaviors (IWB) can improve the productivity and sustainability of organizations (Lee & Hong, 2014). At the same time, engaging in these behaviors can provide employees a sense of purpose and meaning in their work, which may increase their motivation (Chen et al., 2022). This study examined the roles of cognitive appraisal, work engagement (WE), and job burnout (JB) as serial mediators in the relationship between job autonomy (JA) and IWB for health and human service professionals (HHSPs). A convenience sample of 607 HHSPs accessed a survey on Qualtrics via a link provided through email and social media and responded to sociodemographic and job-related items, as well as items measuring JA, cognitive appraisal, WE, JB, IWB, and work innovation (WI). Results showed that cognitive appraisal, WE, and JB mediated the relationship between JA and IWB, while WI accounted for variation in IWB that could not be explained by the other variables. To our knowledge, this is the first study to have examined cognitive appraisal and JB as mediators and WI as a covariate in the JA-IWB relationship. The findings provided new knowledge about how cognitive appraisal and well- being outcomes (WE and JB) influence the dynamic JA-IWB relationship, which can affect HHSPs’ propensity to engage in IWB.Item Perceptions of Continued Resilience Development in Nature Preschool Alumni(2024-12) Kroll, Melanie RoseThis study explored the perceptions of educators, parents, and children who attended a nature-based preschool in Minnesota on how resilience continues to develop in youth as they enter middle childhood. Parents explored what attributes associated with resilience their children demonstrate, ways these are encouraged outside the nature-based school, and reflected on what role nature may play in their family. Youth participants reflected on the resources they used when faced with challenging or adverse experiences. Through thematic analysis, common traits identified by parents include confidence, leadership, empathy, self-regulation, and problem solving. Youth demonstrated a familiarity with place, reliance on self-regulation tools, and trust in their family, friends, and more-than-human companions. The Lead Guide identified programmatic features which instilled a sense of security, belonging, and independence among preschoolers and centered connections to the more-than-human world. Examined together, the perceptions of participants highlight the role of connection, safety, and independent exploration as factors which promote resilience within youth.Item A Mafic Layered Intrusion of Keweenawan Age Near Finland, Lake County, Minnesota(1974-04) Stevenson, Robert JA gently dipping sequence of layered, differentiated, mafic rocks are exposed in the vicinity of Sonju Lake, Minnesota. These rocks, here named the Sonju Lake intrusion, are in fault contact along their eastern edge with diabasic olivine gabbro and troctolite. To the south, prismatic granodiorite appears to intrude the top of the layered units, and to the north, the base of the intrusion is bounded by diabasic troctolite. All of the rock units in the area are presumed to be Late Precambrian in age. The Sonju Lake intrusion has well-developed igneous lamination and centimeter-scale, gravity stratified, and cryptic layering. The intrusion has a stratigraphic thickness of approximately 3300 feet (1000 meters). The rock units, from the base to the top, are picrite (105 feet), a transition zone (150 feet), troctolite (965 feet), two-pyroxene gabbro (780 feet), augite gabbro (680 feet), apatite-rich ferrodiorite (265 feet), and a granodiorite unit (350 feet). The crystallization sequence based on stratigraphy and textures is (chromian spinel)-olivine-plagioclese-augite-pigeonite(inverted)-ilmenite-magnetite-apatite-alkali feldspar-quartz. Compositions of major minerals vary systematically with stratigraphic height. Electron microprobe and optical studies show that olivine varies from Fo71 in the picrite to Fo12 in the uppermost portion of the apatite- rich ferrodiorite, plagioclase from An83 in the picrite to An46 in the ferrodiorite, and augite from Wo43En46Fs11 in the two-pyroxene gabbro to Wo40En25Fs35 in the uppermost portion of the apatite-rich ferrodiorite. A calculated bulk composition for the Sonju Lake magma is tholeiitic and is between the high-alumina olivine diabase magma of the Pigeon Point sill and the more alkali and titaniferrous tholeiitic magma of the Logan Sills, Canada. In bulk composition, layering, crystallization sequence, and differentiation the Sonju Lake intrusion has many affinities with other Keweenawan intrusions as well as the Tertiary Skaergaerd intrusion of East Greenland. The data presented in this thesis place new chemical and physical restraints on models of Late Precambrian petrogenesis.Item The Quaternary Geology of the Wrenshall and Frogner Quadrangles, Northeastern Minnesota(1977-06) Zarth, Randee JoStudy of late Wisconsin glacial deposits of the Wrenshall and Frogner quadrangles, southwest of Duluth, suggests a revised model for the late- and post-glacial history of the area. Two major sedimentary environments are distinguished: (1) an ice-disintegration environment and (2) a glaciolacustrine environment associated with Glacial Lake Duluth. Sediments produced by ice-disintegration are stratified, moderately to poorly sorted sand and gravel with clasts predominately of Precambrian sandstone, volcanics, granite, and slate; and minor bodies of laminated silt and clay. Topographically, these sediments comprise a wide belt of kettles, kames, and disintegration ridges, that are dissected locally by meltwater channels and tunnel valleys, some of which contain eskers. The lacustrine environment contains the following units: (1) thick, horizontally-bedded sand, (2) cross-bedded sand, (3) laminated silt and clay, (4) massive clay, and (5) massive and stratified dropstone deposits. In the nearshore environment are found moderately sorted and well rounded sand (0.25 mm) with lag boulders and gravel at the shoreline. At 300 to 309 min elevation the sand grades rather abruptly to massive clay. The nearshore facies overlies the offshore facies (silt and clay) indicating progradation of Glacial Lake Duluth. The highest strandline features occur at elevations near 330 m. They are expressed primarily as beach scarps and other well developed shoreline features such as several spits, an offshore bar, and a delta. A prominent linear, northeast trending scarp between 300 and 309 m, previously considered to be a strandline, is here interpreted to be the depositional front of a coarse grained shelf deposited into Glacial Lake Duluth as it stood near its highest stage (330 m). This indicates that what previously had been considered to be two stages, Glacial Lake Nemadji and Glacial Lake Duluth, is actually a single stage, that of Glacial Lake Duluth. The following late- and early-postglacial history is indicated: (1) Ice from the last advance of the Superior Lobe stagnated at the margin of the Lake Superior basin, resulting in the development of an ice-disintegration complex and stratified glacial deposits. (2) Meltwater from the disintegrating ice and the retreating Superior Lobe, along with other sources, was ponded in front of the retreating ice. A lake level rise to 330 m is indicated by a transgressive sequence of sediments. (3) The lake stabilized as Glacial Lake Duluth long enough to develop strong beach features. Sediment supplied at this stage appears to have been derived mainly from the ice-disintegration complex and the Superior Lobe (as ice-rafted sediment). (4) Progradation of the shallow water facies over the deep water facies was the result of sediment laden streams, meltwater and other runoff entering the lake. (5) The lack of a regressive facies indicates a rapid drop in lake level as a lower outlet was uncovered.Item Petrology and Structural Relations of the Brule Lake Intrusions, Cook County, Minnesota(1976-06) Burnell, James Russell, JrThe Duluth Complex splits into two east-trending tongues at its eastern extent to form a north ern and a southern prong which expose a strip of older Keweenawan volcanic rocks between them. Brule Lake is located at the westernmost extent of the strip of volcanics just east of the point where the gabbro prongs coalesce. The volcanic rocks are intruded by a series of large sill-like bodies which terminate against rocks of the nearby Duluth Complex. Thus, these intrusions were formed between the time of the eruption of the local Keweenawan volcanic rocks and the subsequent gabbroic intrusions. The intrusive rocks of the Brule Lake area, which occur both as dikes and sills, consists of porphyritic intrusions and subsidiary non-porphyritic bodies. The gabbro porphyries are from 100 to JOO meters thick and extend for 2 to 8 kilometers along strike. The non-porphyritic intrusions are much smaller than the porphyritic units and occur as dikes and sills in the volcanic rocks and in the older porphyry units. The Brule Lake intrusions were derived from magmas of two different sources. Type A magmas, which formed mainly large, porphyritic gabbro units, are older than those smaller dikes and sills formed by the type B magma. Major and trace element concentrations suggest that the type A magmas were developed by a two-stage process. The first stage was one of extensive differentiation of a tholeiitic magma involving principally the fractionation of calcic plagioclase and Mg-rich pyroxene in relatively shallow-crustal magma chambers. The melt was then tapped off, leaving behind a residuum of anorthositic or gabbroic composition. The liquid continued to crystallize plagioclase (now more sodic) in a second chamber, the feldspar this time floating in the liquid. This phenocryst-rich liquid portion was then tapped from the top of the magma chamber and injected along planes of weakness in the overlying volcanic pile. The type B magmas did not undergo the same degree of differentiation as the type A. They were probably derived through a process that involved olivine fractionation to a greater degree than occurred in the type A line of descent. They were then intruded along the same planes exploited by the earlier liquids, incorporating very little of the country rock. The intrusive rocks of the Brule Lake area are chemically similar to other intrusive rocks of northeastern Minnesota, particularly the Logan Intrusions. Although there are chemical differences between the two groups, their overall similarity leads to a conclusion that their origins were probably quite similar and are related to the same phase of Keweenawan igneous activity.Item Sap to Syrup(2021-04-28) McNulty, JanineNative people have faced a history of oppressive government acts that have attempted to destroy native culture and assimilate people. The Ojibwe children of today carry that battle with them, even in preschool, and the following synthesis of research shows that introducing tradition, culture, and Indigenous science in a place-based academic setting can help rebuild culture and language. St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin has a Head Start program located on the reservation. This curriculum project was written to help the preschool children, Head Start teachers, and program introduce language and culture while experiencing the Ojibwe maple sugar harvest. This place-based environmental education curriculum project is a 5-day cross curricular series of lesson plans that is connected to Wisconsin and Head Start academic standards and ingrained in a critical pedagogy of place.Item An Analysis of Body-Specific Mechanisms Explaining the Associations Between Self-Compassion, Body Checking, and Body Image Avoidance(2024-06) Backderf, ChloëBehavioral manifestations of body image dissatisfaction, such as body checking and body image avoidance, are linked with the pathology of eating disorders (Walker et al., 2018). Due to this relationship, research establishing risk and protective factors for these body image disturbances is important for the development of interventions. One of these potential protective factors is self-compassion (Braun et al., 2016), which is comprised of three compassionate facets (mindfulness, self-kindness, common humanity) and three uncompassionate facets (overidentification, self-judgment, isolation). The mechanisms by which self-compassion are linked to body checking and body image avoidance are understudied, particularly with respect to the individual facets of self-compassion, which could provide information on what aspects of self-compassion relate most with these body image disturbances. The present cross-sectional study examined the relationship between the three uncompassionate facets of self-compassion and body checking/avoidance through mediation models. We anticipated that each uncompassionate facet would be associated with body checking and body image avoidance, and that these relationships would be mediated through a body-specific variable (e.g., body shame, body comparisons, body rumination) that appeared to conceptually align with that particular uncompassionate component. Specifically, we hypothesized that a) the relationship between self-judgement and body checking/avoidance would be mediated by body shame, b) the relationship between isolation and body checking/avoidance would be mediated by body comparisons, and c) the relationship between over-identification and body checking/avoidance would be mediated by body rumination. A total of 195 female college students completed a set of surveys and were included in the analyses. Pearson’s correlations and simple mediation analyses were used to examine the various models we hypothesized. Results showed that the uncompassionate facets correlated with their paired body-specific cognition, and both the uncompassionate facets and body-specific cognitions correlated with body checking and avoidance. The body-specific cognitions significantly mediated the relationship between their paired uncompassionate facet and body checking/avoidance. Parallel mediation analyses showed that no body-specific cognition explained the relationship between any uncompassionate facet and body checking/avoidance significantly more than the other body-specific cognitions. This indicates that body-specific cognitions, in general, appear to co-occur and collectively mediate the relationship between lack of self-compassion and body checking/avoidance, as opposed to specific body cognitions. The results of this study may be helpful in understanding the processes involved in the development of body image disturbances and could be useful in informing specific targets in self-compassion interventions.Item Exploration of Increased Visitor Use Motivations and Impacts on the Visitor Experience as well as on the Natural Resource(2024-08-01) Bhat, Fouzia BThis exploratory study investigated the surge in nationwide usage of protected natural areas in the USA, that aimed to understand the driving forces behind the increasing visitor numbers. The research addressed whether the rise in visitor use was influenced by advertising, COVID-19 lockdowns, or other factors, with a focus on natural areas along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. By exploring visitor motivations and their perceived impacts (through online and in-person survey), gauging perspectives of nature area park managers (through online survey) to assess their perspectives on the impacts of increased visitor use and assessing impacts on charter fishing businesses to understand changes in visitor patterns and associated effects on recreational businesses (through online survey), the study provided a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics at play. With a 92.9 % response rate from 158 participants overall, the research highlighted the nuanced dynamics of outdoor recreation, emphasizing the need for adaptive management strategies to balance visitor experiences with environmental preservation. The results showed diverse visitor motivations and importance of balancing visitor preferences with environmental preservation in campground management. Park Managers faced complex challenges managing recreational lands during COVID-19, necessitating strategic planning and adaptive management. The Lake Superior charter fishing industry demonstrated resiliency and adaptability necessitating ongoing efforts to address challenges and leverage opportunities.Item Nature-Based Early Learning and Preschoolers' Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary: An Exploratory Study(2024-08) Stelley, Hannah MThis study examined how nature-based practices affect preschoolers’ receptive and expressive vocabulary. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Expressive Vocabulary Test were administered to 134 children from 11 preschool classes at the beginning and end of the 2022-2023 preschool year. Results suggest that nature-based practices that are integrated into preschool programs support significant vocabulary growth, but that effectiveness varies by public versus private setting and children’s socioeconomic status. This study adds to the literature surrounding effective practices for supporting vocabulary development. It also adds to the growing body of research that incorporates the impact of nature play on children’s overall development and school readiness.Item Do Explanations Matter? The Hiring of Ex-offenders(2024-06-19) Manning, Josieann JMany employers are disinclined to hire applicants who have committed a crime due to the belief that they will commit another offense in the future. In order to screen out those with prior offenses, employers may use criminal background checks. After such background checks are conducted, applicants may be given the opportunity to explain the circumstances behind their criminal offenses to their employer, should they have one. However, little is known about how such explanations affect how the applicant is evaluated by the employer. This study aimed to assess whether the type of explanation offered by an ex-offender with a felony conviction will increase their likelihood of being hired by the organization. A total of 413 participants were recruited to participate in this study. Results revealed that the type of felon a person had (nonviolent versus violent) had no impact on their favorability rating by the participant. Furthermore, the type of explanation provided by the job applicant (none, self-explanation, court documentation, or both) also had no impact on the way that the participant perceived the ex-offender. Results of this study did reveal that the hiring decision-maker’s belief set did have an impact on how they perceived the job applicant. Participants who had an incremental theorist belief set (growth mindset) perceived the job applicant more favorably than participants with an entity theorist belief set (fixed mindset). These findings indicate that providing an explanation has no impact on whether the ex-offender may be hired by an organization.Item Mystical Experiences Following Solo and Dyadic Orgasmic Meditation and the Impact of Orgasm Occurrence(2024-04) Hill, Madeleine RItem Children's Wellbeing and ADHD among Rural and Urban Families(2024-05) Coleman, Callie AnnThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between both positive parent-child relationships and community support to child ADHD symptom severity and child subjective wellbeing across rural and urban families. Past literature has found extensive barriers for accessing quality mental health services among rural families, however there is limited information on assets and strengths of rural families that may facilitate improved mental health. In particular, accessing high quality mental health services is important for assessment and treatment of mental health conditions such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Additionally, evaluating the relationships between parents and children would be beneficial, as ADHD is a concern of the entire family. The current study’s aim is to provide information on the unique experiences of rural families with children with ADHD that may ultimately inform community or school based services. The current study recruited children with ADHD and their families from urban and rural settings to complete surveys on the parent-child relationship, child wellbeing, and community support. Results showed a significant main effect of positive parent-child relationships on ADHD symptom severity. However, location and community support were not significant predictors of ADHD symptom severity. Community support and positive parent-child relationships were significantly associated with each other. Results showed there were no significant main effects of the predictors of location, community support, and positive parent-child relationships on child subjective wellbeing. Implications and limitations of the current study are discussed.Item Glacial History of the Late Wisconsinan Des Moines Lobe in Minnesota: Geomorphic, Lithologic and Stratigraphic Evidence for Two Advances(2024-05) Arends, Heather EContinental ice sheets play a significant role in the Earth’s climatic system. Reconstructing the growth and decay of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum betters our understanding of how ice sheets respond to climate change and contribute to rising global sea levels. The southwestern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet formed discrete terrestrial lobes, influenced by bed topography. The Des Moines lobe (DML), channeled by the Red River and Minnesota River valleys, advanced to a terminal position in central Iowa. Four dated ice margins provide chronological constraints for regional correlations: the Bemis at ~17.0 ka cal BP, the Altamont at ~16.2 ka cal BP, Algona at ~14.8 ka cal BP, and the Big Stone moraine at ~14.0 ka cal BP, which marks the transition to what is known as the Red River lobe. The number and timing of DML phases were reconstructed using multiple lines of evidence derived from geomorphic, lithologic, and stratigraphic analyses. In a study area located in southwestern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota, the delineation of subglacial bedforms was used to identify lateral shear margins positioned at the base of topographic highs. Locations of lateral shear margins also correlate to continuous glacial landforms and the greatest compositional variability within the till sheet, observed from modeling 451 DML till sample sites. Spatial relationships indicate that a single, heterogenous till sheet is surfically exposed throughout the study area and bed topography may have influenced ice-flow dynamics to generate faster flow. Correlations of moraines with the stratigraphy of Late-Wisconsinan sediments indicate there is one continuous basal till unit capped by discontinuous sorted, unsorted, and interbedded sediments that extends from the Bemis margin and continues up-ice of the Altamont moraine. A second till sheet overlies this stratigraphy north of the Algona moraine in Minnesota. Results suggest that the DML experienced two phases. The first, associated with the Bemis advance, is followed by a systematic retreat from the study area and reorganization of the ice mass. A second advance is associated with the Algona margin. The onset of global warming, defined by Greenland Interstade 1 (GI-1), occurred soon after the Algona advance at ~ 14.7 ka cal BP. Rapid climate change caused widespread stagnation and ice retreat to the Big Stone margin at a rate of 250 meters/year. The scale of stagnation and resulting surficial landforms is a unique response to unprecedented global warming associated with the GI-1 and probably not representative of earlier DML ice behavior. The ages of proglacial lakes that bound the Big Stone moraine suggest the margin is a recessional feature and does not represent a third advance.Item Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting as an Adjunctive Intervention for Posttraumatic Stress Among Adolescents in Residential Treatment(2024-05) Lee, Elizabeth KathleenThere is little research on the effects of weightlifting as an adjunctive embodiment-based intervention on posttraumatic stress symptoms among adolescents with complex trauma histories. Therefore, the present study sought to explore how a newly developed adjunctive embodiment-based intervention, Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting (TIWL), influenced participants’ self-reported posttraumatic stress and associated mental health symptoms. Twelve adolescents from two residential facilities participated in the current study. Seven participants engaged in a weekly, eight-week TIWL intervention. Following a participant preference approach, participants without a preference for engaging in TIWL were assigned to the treatment as usual (TAU) comparison condition (n = 5). Those who engaged in TIWL were compared to those in the TAU group. Posttraumatic stress and associated symptoms were measured with six validated self-report measures. Symptoms were assessed before participants started TIWL, mid-way through the intervention, at the end, at 4-week post-intervention follow-up. Posttraumatic stress symptoms and interoception were assessed weekly. Overall, TIWL appeared feasible and acceptable in an adolescent residential treatment setting based on participants’ attendance rate (87.5%) and ratings of helpfulness (Ms = 75.71–94.71). Although effects were not maintained at follow-up and demonstrated some mixed findings between the weekly and monthly outcomes, the present study provided overall evidence for the efficacy of TIWL in lowered posttraumatic stress (Mi-j = -3.39, t = -2.08, p = .04, dRM, pooled = 3.20), depression (F(4, 5.25) = 6.73, p = .03, dRM, pooled = 0.59), and stress symptoms (F(4, 5.04) = 9.76, p = .01, dRM, pooled = 0.05) and higher levels of interoception (Mi-j = 0.45, t = 0.73, p = .47, dRM, pooled = 0.18) at the last TIWL session compared to baseline. There was also a large difference (~1.32 SD) in arousal and reactivity symptom levels between the TIWL condition and the comparison condition, with greater differences in Week 1 to Week 8 scores for the TIWL condition. From baseline to the four-week post-intervention follow-up self-reported avoidance (Mi-j = 0.67, t = -0.50, p = .25, dRM, pooled = -0.39), arousal and reactivity (Mi-j = 3.21, t = 1.16, p = .15, dRM, pooled = -0.27) and derealization (Mi-j = 0.69, t = 1.01, p = .15, dRM, pooled = -0.30) posttraumatic stress symptoms were higher in the TIWL condition. Given that two of the seven TIWL participants dropped out after two sessions, posthoc exploratory analyses were conducted with them removed. These analyses showed lower posttraumatic stress (Mi-j = -11.28, t = -1.39, p = .11, dRM, pooled = 0.94), depression (Mi-j = -3.88, t = -1.27, p = .13, dRM, pooled = 0.64), anxiety (Mi-j = -2.24, t = -1.26, p = .12, dRM, pooled = 1.17) and stress (Mi-j = -4.45, t = -1.68, p = .08, dRM, pooled = 0.63) symptoms from baseline to follow-up. Therefore, the participants who received a minimum of seven sessions of TIWL reported improvements in their posttraumatic stress and associated mental health symptoms from baseline to follow-up with large effects. Researching the effects of TIWL and extending beyond the present pilot study (e.g., multiple trials starting at different time points, larger sample sizes, different doses, comparing TIWL to a standard weightlifting group) are warranted given the potential confounds that could not be controlled for here.