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Browsing by Author "Wilmarth, Melissa J."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Benefits of participation in arts-based extracurricular activities for youth
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Lemmon, Ladye Joanna; Wilmarth, Melissa J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This research investigated the relationship among arts-based extracurricular activities, student proficiency, and student behavior. The study also analyzed the demographic makeup of students that were involved in arts-based extracurricular activities. For this investigation, the data came from the 1992 follow-up study of the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) of 1988. Specific findings from this study showed that if a student was involved in afterschool arts activities, then they were more likely to be involved in the community by volunteering their time and help. Another discovery from this research project showed that there was a difference between gender groups of the student sample. More females participated in arts-based extracurricular activities than males. Future research is needed to help gain a fuller understanding of what types of students participate in arts-based afterschool activities and what are the social, educational, and financial impacts that stem from student participation in arts-based extracurricular activities.
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    Exploring credit card behaviors of millennials in the United States
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Odom, Hillary Burgess; Wilmarth, Melissa J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Consumer credit is not a new concept in the United States. It has evolved over time from basic installment plans, which allowed consumers to pay off their purchases incrementally, to the more complicated and increasingly prevalent credit cards in today’s society. This study investigated the credit card behaviors of Millennials, individuals born between 1981-1997 (Pew, 2015), in the United States. Specifically, the main focus of this study was to see if Millennial respondents had a credit or debit card, outstanding balance on credit cards, and if they have a revolving amount of credit. For multivariate analysis, demographic control variables as well as unfavorable credit attitude, and risk tolerance were included in the analyses. Findings from the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) showed that as the age of Millennials increases, the likelihood of having a credit card and the amount of credit card outstanding balance increased. The households with higher education levels had higher credit card balances. Single males and females were less likely to use credit cards than married couples and carried lower balances than married households. White households were more likely to use credit cards and have credit card balances than other ethnicities, but were less likely to have revolving credit. This study provides characteristics and behaviors of the Millennial Generation as they relate to credit consumption and debt management compared to those of the rest of the U.S. population. This helps show the credit attitudes of Millennials as well as how Millennials view and use credit including whether or not they have learned to use credit cards responsibly. This is useful information for those who want to create a credit savvy population and educate about the adverse effects of carrying large amount of debt. Further, this study provides important insights for financial planners to determine why certain demographic characteristics and other factors cause Millennials to treat credit differently than previous generations. This information will allow financial planners to target needs that are specific to Millennials and offer them financial advice that is the most valuable and significant.
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    Exploring How Financial Knowledge and Generations Impact the Adoption Rate of Financial Technology
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2022) Conner, Jonathan M; Wilmarth, Melissa J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This study observes how different generations use and adopt financial technology. Specifically, it explores how generations use mobile banking, mobile transfer, and mobile payment technology. These generations consist of Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and The Greatest Generation. Generation Z consists of individuals born after 1996. Millennials consist of individuals born from 1981 to 1996. Gen Xers were born from 1965 to 1980. The Baby Boomer generation include individuals born from 1946 to 1964. The Greatest Generation consists of individuals born before 1946 (Pew Research Center, 2019). It also explores the role of financial knowledge plays in adopting and using financial technology. The technologies observed for this study included technologies specializing in mobile banking, mobile transfers, and mobile payments. This study utilized a dataset from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS).The results from this study concluded that younger generations are significantly more likely to use and adopt financial technology. Each generation is more likely to use and adopt financial technology than the generation that came before it. This study also concluded that financial knowledge is significant factor in the adoption and usage of financial technology. Individuals with a high level of financial knowledge and confidence were found to be more likely to use and adopt fintech than those with a lower level of financial knowledge and confidence. This study found implications for marketing financial technology to different demographics and found new education services specifically centered around financial technology. This will enable individuals to have more confidence when dealing with new services and will allow more consumers to have access to financial technology.
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    Maintaining lasting recovery after graduating from a collegiate recovery community
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Lovett, John Robert; Wilmarth, Melissa J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This phenomenological study sought to identify best practices employed by Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) members who successfully stayed in recovery after graduating and leaving said community. Research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with CRC graduates that self-reported uninterrupted sobriety for at least one year post-graduation. Twelve interviews were conducted and nine tertiary themes were identified through content analysis. Two independent reviewers were utilized to eliminate potential bias, consciously or unconsciously from the researcher. The independent reviewers confirmed six of the nine originally identified themes. The six tertiary themes that were identified and confirmed were: Maintaining Recovery Routines, Social Support, Personal/Peer Accountability, Motivating Emotions, Recovery/Life Balance, and Spirituality. The results of this research provide insights into the best practices utilized by successful CRC alumni and inform the growing literature surrounding CRCs.
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    The Social and Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Family Functioning and Well-Being: Where do we go from here?
    (Springer, 2022) Andrade, Claudia; Gillen, Martie; Molina, Jose Alberto; Wilmarth, Melissa J.; Instituto Politecnico de Coimbra (IPC); University of Florida; University of Zaragoza; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    A growing body of research demonstrates that COVID-19 has had a profound impact on family functioning and well-being in a range of countries. The fear and uncertainty of the health risks, in addition to the stress from ensuing restrictions and constraints on everyday life caused major disruptions, impacting the financial, emotional, and physical well-being of adults and children alike. In this report, we summarize the current literature on the impact of COVID-19 disruption to family functioning and economic well-being as a context for this special issue. Our findings indicate that while the pandemic may have caused a reallocation of intra-familial tasks, a large gender disparity remains regarding the proportion of domestic work and childcare. The pandemic disproportionally impacted lower-income families, families from ethnic minority and vulnerable groups, and women. Finally, the financial impacts of the emergence in Spring of 2020 have strained family relationships, although the effects depend to a large extent on quality of the relationships and family well-being before COVID-19. To address the long-term bidirectional effects of the pandemic on family well-being and the well-being of the global economy calls for research that crosses disciplinary divides.