LibraOpen

LibraOpen is UVA's home for open access scholarly articles, books, presentations, and other creative works. Learn more about LibraOpen here. Want to submit? Review our LibraOpen Checklist or contact libra@virginia.edu for deposit help.

Communities in DSpace

Select a community to browse its collections.

Recent Submissions

  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Publication, Access status: Open Access ,
    The Complexities of Love
    (2026-04-16) Camacho, Giovanna
    Love is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has been examined through biological, psychological, and relational perspectives. While some theories emphasize the role of neurochemical processes—such as dopamine, oxytocin, and adrenaline—in driving attraction and attachment, these explanations alone do not fully account for the long-term maintenance or dissolution of relationships. This gap has led to the development of alternative frameworks, such as Dr. Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages, which propose that relational satisfaction depends on how individuals express and receive affection. Despite its widespread popularity, this model lacks strong empirical validation, with prior studies yielding inconclusive support for its underlying structure. This paper critically evaluates the scientific validity of Chapman’s framework, with particular emphasis on limitations in content validity and sample representation in existing research. A review of Egbert and Polk’s (2006) study highlights concerns related to sample size, demographic homogeneity, and insufficient statistical power. In response, a preliminary study was conducted with a more diverse participant pool, though it similarly faced constraints in sample size. Findings suggest that while the concept of relational maintenance remains valuable, more rigorous and inclusive research is needed to establish valid and generalizable constructs for understanding love and relationship dynamics.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Publication, Access status: Open Access ,
    Can Love Be Defined
    (2026-04-16) Camacho, Giovanna
    Numerous theories have sought to explain the nature of love and its influence on emotional well-being, relational dynamics, and interpersonal communication. Among these, Dr. Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages model has gained widespread popularity, proposing that individuals express and receive love through five primary modalities: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Despite its broad public appeal and global dissemination, the model was developed from clinical observations rather than empirical validation. This paper critically examines the theoretical foundations and scientific support for Chapman’s framework, situating it within existing literature on relational maintenance and communication. A review of prior research reveals that, although aspects of the model resonate with established constructs, empirical evidence supporting the validity and reliability of the five love languages remains limited and inconclusive. Notably, studies often cited as validation do not fully substantiate the model’s structure. This analysis highlights the gap between the model’s popularity and its scientific grounding, underscoring the need for more rigorous, evidence-based evaluation of widely adopted relationship frameworks.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Publication, Access status: Open Access ,
    Analysis and Recommendations for Phosphorus Management in P-limited and P-abundant Watersheds
    (University of Virginia, 2020-05-04) Malabad, Anthony
    This work was completed as part of the Spring 2020 Global Sustainability Capstone course under the direction of Professor Phoebe Crisman. Professor Deborah Lawrence served as advisor on the project. This paper is the result of a semester of research on soil phosphorus and provides the case for an integrated, multi-faceted approach to phosphorus management. It culminates in recommendations for phosphorus management in two watersheds, one that is phosphorus-limited and one that is phosphorus-abundant. Justification of these measures is made, based on the projected depletion of high-quality rock phosphate reserves, the widespread problem of nutrient pollution in waterways, and the call for better management of phosphorus at all parts of the cycle. Several methods of phosphorus management are discussed, including front-end solutions like intercropping, cover cropping, nutrient management plans, specific application of fertilizer, fertilizer treatment, and soil amendments; and back-end solutions such as riparian buffers and Resource Recovery Facilities.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Publication, Access status: Open Access ,
    Affecting Sustainable Changes in the Individual Through Landscape Architecture: A Case Study of the University of Virginia
    (University of Virginia, 2020-05-29) Manville, Annie
    In the long trek towards creating a sustainable society, universities play one of the most significant roles. They serve as laboratories for defining what it means to be a sustainable institution, and as educators and moral influencers of the next generation of informed citizens. Sustainability initiatives at many universities still focus mainly on technical and economic fixes, with some minor focus on equity and social dynamics. The inner world and consciousness of the individual, as well as aesthetics and beauty, have mostly been ignored as significant factors in the creation of a sustainable society. Landscape architecture is a field that has the potential to explore both of these factors through the design of outdoor spaces on campus that inculcate sustainable values in individuals and increase the inhabitant’s own sense of well-being. This work was prepared over the course of one semester, for the capstone class of the Global Environments and Sustainability major program at the University of Virginia, and was completed with advising from Professor Phoebe Crisman, who is a member of the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Architecture as well as the Director of the Global Environments and Sustainability major.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Publication, Access status: Open Access ,
    Making it Personal: The Ways in Which We Communicate Sustainability, and How to Target the Individual Using Effective Language
    (University of Virginia, 2020-08-24) McPherson, Katherine
    This paper will provide a detailed review of tactics that should be employed in sustainability communication with the final goal of targeting individual behavior change. Three major areas of communication are to be examined: 1) using an individual’s cultural identity as an access point to sustainability education on a values-based level, 2) navigating scientific language and the social role one must fill to understand it, and 3) the advantages of a narrative-based approach in sustainability communication. These three areas may seem divided, but through applied research I hope to make a case for their interconnectedness. Ultimately, I will prove that through a strategic synthesis of each area discussed, we can improve the language used to communicate sustainability and elicit tangible results from the individuals who listen to it. This work was completed in completion of the Global Sustainability and Environments distinguished major in Spring 2020 under the guidance of Professor Willis Jenkins.