Digital Commons Network^™

Adaptive Functioning And Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptom Severity In Childhood: Parent Perception Vs Clinician Rating, Corin Lillian Osborn

Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurocognitive developmental disorder that impacts over one percent of the population. As of 2016, one in 64 children were diagnosed with ASD by four years of age, with males receiving the diagnosis 3.5 times more often than females (Shaw et al. 2020). Research also indicates that ASD prevalence varies by socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity (Diguiseppi et al., 2016). These differences may be a result of differential access to resources, a connection between SES and race/ethnicity, measure sensitivity to child sex, cultural differences in sensitivity to symptomatology, or a true difference in ASD presentation. …

Covid-19: Social Support Among The Bereaved, Fernande Nanda Mamane

Theses and Dissertations

Bereavement is a universal experience. Presently, there have been over 1,024,611 deaths in the United States alone related to the COVID-19 virus and this number is growing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). With the significant rise in deaths, as well as subsequent societal health and safety measures due to the pandemic, social support for the bereaved is expected to be severely impacted. Limited access to social spheres, as well as adjustments to typical funeral practices, may impact the perception of support by those grieving. The purpose the study was to gain a better understanding of bereaved individual’s experiences …

Multilevel Modeling Of Academic Self-Concept And Moderation Of The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect In Math And Science For Timss 2019 Participating Countries, Heather Marie Spangler

Theses and Dissertations

Self-concept is an important construct across a variety of disciplines as a facilitator of a full range of human potential. Big Fish Little Pond Effect (BFLPE) results have confirmed global generalizability for the negative effects of school- and country- averaged achievement on students’ academic self-concept based on social comparisons with implications that generally discredit ability grouping, streaming or tracking. However, few studies have identified variables that ameliorate the negative effects of BFLPE. Accordingly, this study applied hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) in HLM 8.2 software to examine the effects of student, school, and country-level moderators of both school- and country-level BFLPE …

Targeting Parental Behavior: Contingency Contracting To Increase Parental Competence And Adherence, Sara Clasky Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of using behavior contracts specifically targeting parental behavior and providing reinforcing consequences for the parent’s behavior on parental adherence in implementing behavior contracts to address their child’s behavior problems. Parents used identical procedures to implement behavior contracts with their children to address their child’s noncompliance and associated problem behavior. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine parent perceptions about the impact their use of behavior contracts had on the behavior of their children.

This study used a multiple baseline across participants design to measure the effectiveness of a …

The Lived Experiences Of 911 Telecommunicators: Life Outside Of The Call Center, Mary's Dariela Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

911 operators are tasked with solving the caller's problem by promptly and efficiently decoding a cry for help, collecting pertinent information, quickly deciding its priority level, and dispatching the appropriate assistance. These employees are responsible for what happens on that line, internalizing their problems to solve those of the callers, which often result in stress disorders, trauma, and personal, professional, and social issues. Their job duties are extensive, the responsibility is vast, and the overall environment can be overwhelming. Aside from the environmental stressors, the details of each critical incident leave the employee susceptible to various risk factors and other …

Law Enforcement Training On Suicide By Cop: Implications Of Mental Health Crisis And Encounters With Those Individuals Who Want To Die, Juan C. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

There is a high prevalence of suicide in people who engage in Suicide by Cop (SbC), a method of suicide that involves provoking law enforcement into fatal use of force. This research study aimed to examine the changes in knowledge about SbC, self-efficacy when dealing with SbC offenders, and empathy toward SbC offenders in response to law enforcement officers’ (LEO) participation in a 30-minute SbC intervention training. This dissertation first introduced information about defining features and prevalence of suicide as a whole and SbC in particular. SbC factors include SbC intent, mental health history, noncompliance with LEO commands, and multiple …