Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Confirmation Bias On Criminal Investigative Decision Making, Wayne A. Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Confirmation bias occurs when a person believes in or searches for evidence to support his or her favored theory while ignoring or excusing disconfirmatory evidence and is disinclined to change his or her belief once he or she arrives at a conclusion. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether emotionally charged evidence and evidence presentation order could influence an investigator's belief in a suspect's guilt. The study included 166 sworn police officers (basic training recruits, patrol officers, and criminal investigators) who completed online surveys in response to criminal vignettes across different scenarios to record their measure of …

Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Locus Of Control And Marital Satisfaction, Jesus Botello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition researchers have cited as a major cause of marital discord and divorce for veterans with PTSD. This study examined the psychological construct of locus of control among the wives of veterans diagnosed with combat-related PTSD and whether or not it was a predictor of marital satisfaction within this context. An extensive search of the current literature revealed no previous studies that had investigated this relationship. Utilizing the family systems theory to address this gap, this study sought to compare reported marital satisfaction in wives with an internal locus of control to …

Spiritual Well-Being Of Black Lgbt Individuals When Faced With Religious Homonegativity, Patricia Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spiritual Well-Being of Black LGBT Individuals When Faced With Religious Homonegativity

by

Patricia A. Hill

MA, Loyola University-Chicago, 2004

BS, Chicago State University, 2000

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Psychology

Walden University

May 2015

Abstract

Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) individuals in the United States often face homophobic sermons and messages within their traditional religious settings. This phenomelogical research study was designed to document and understand the lived experiences of Black LGBT individuals' spiritual well-being in the face of homonegativity, and to identify the ways in which they …

School District Stress Prevention Practices In A Southern U.S. State, Stephen Field Keohane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing recognition that stress is a risk factor for youth health problems has spawned research on school-based stress prevention programs and services. While such programs and services are now available for adoption by schools, there is an absence of data on their use in U.S. schools systems. In the current study, Everett Rogers's diffusion of innovations model provided the theoretical framework for the investigation of school district stress prevention practices in one southern U.S. state. The sample for this quantitative descriptive study consisted of 135 out of 136 active public districts, and 72% of school systems completed and returned …

Perceptions Of Role Conflict And Workplace Stress Among Women Working In Two Traditionally Male Professions, Timothy Herley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Role conflict and workplace stress can result in psychological and physical disorders. Research has indicated that societal forces are ingrained concerning how gendered behaviors are manifested in the workplace. However, research has not included women working in male-dominated professions, nor has research examined how stress and role conflict might differ for women in these professions. Understanding the different experiences of women in two distinct professions might illuminate the diversity of experiences in these understudied environments. This quantitative study, based on role-congruity and transactional stress theories, examined and compared women's perceptions of role conflict and stress in 2 male-dominated professions. A …

A Comparative Analysis Of Mississippi Rural Schools' Abstinence-Only And Abstinence Plus Programs, Alonzo Jeffrey Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The predominately rural state of Mississippi responded to high teenage pregnancy rates by enacting a 2011 law requiring school districts to choose between an abstinence-only and an abstinence-plus program for their high schools. However, there is limited extant research on Mississippi's sex education policies, creating a research gap that inhibits developing successful programs to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. There is specifically a need to compare the two types of allowed programs with a focus on rural areas. This study compared programs by examining students' abstinent sexual attitudes, social norms, self-efficacy, sexual abstinence behaviors, and perceived effectiveness of sexual education and …

Bereavement And Parents Who Have Experienced The Sudden Death Of A Child, Thomas Brian Fulbrook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In studies, grief due to the loss of a child is recognized as a complex process, one whose trajectory is influenced by a variety of factors. One factor, the age of the child at the time of death, may be an important influence in the trajectory of grief. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of loss for 15 bereaved mothers and fathers whose children suddenly died between the ages of 2 and 12 years. This age range was selected to explore bereavement in parents of young and preteen children because they may feel a …

Adult Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction Among Men Who Experienced Childhood Abuse, Selisha Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiences of childhood physical and sexual abuse among men have not been sufficiently studied because many men are not forthcoming about experiences of abuse. This abuse is linked to aggressive behaviors, difficulty developing and maintaining close relationships, and various psychological disorders. Current research has not fully examined relationships between childhood abuse, adult attachment, and levels of relationship satisfaction among men. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to evaluate the relationship between adult attachment as measured by the Relationship Scales Questionnaire and relationship satisfaction as measured by the Couples Satisfaction Index among men abused during childhood. Bowlby's theory of …

Interactions Between Patterns Of Gamer Behaviors And Time-On-Task For Mathematics Remediation In A Game-Based Hive, Marvin Gene Fuller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the presence of digital game-based learning increases in United States classrooms, understanding their impact on achievement is critical. Digital games for learning offer many potential benefits, including reducing the number of students trapped in a remediation cycle, a contributor to college dropout. Despite the recognized potential of game-based learning, few researchers have explored the relationships between specific patterns of behaviors and types of digital game-based learning environments. The underlying theory for this study was patterns of gamer behaviors may predict in-game behaviors. Archival, third-party data regarding The Lost Function - Episode 1: Sum of the Forgotten Minds by Advanced …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Women With Spinal Cord Injury Who Undergo Urinary Diversion Surgery, Sukhpinder K. Dhillon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), bladder management is of primary importance. As an activity of daily living (ADL), it affects community integration and quality of life (QOL). Women with SCI have neurogenic bladders that require self-catheterization, but they are unable to catheterize the native urethra, thus making bladder management physically and emotionally challenging. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of women with SCI who undergo urinary diversion surgery for bladder management. Qualitative data were collected using semistructured interviews from 10 women with SCI after urinary diversion surgery for bladder management. Qualitative Nvivo analysis of interview data …

Positive Psychological Capital, Need Satisfaction, Performance, And Well-Being In Actors And Stunt People, Brian Hite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive psychological capital (PsyCap), a second-order construct formed from optimism, hope, resilience, and self-efficacy, has predicted the performance and psychological well-being of a variety of full-time workers, and mediators of the relationships between PsyCap and performance and psychological well-being have rarely been examined. Using self-determination theory, broaden-and-build theory, and the conceptual framework of positive psychology, this study was an exploration of (a) the relationships among PsyCap, (b) basic psychological need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness), and (c) psychological well-being and performance using a sample of 103 working actors and stunt people. A serial mediation model was proposed whereby PsyCap predicted …

Facilitating Weight Tolerance Among Health And Fitness Majors Toward Obese Persons, Stephanie Boss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Weight bias exists in some health-related degree programs. Overweight and obese persons who experience weight bias in health-related services often delay or avoid medical attention altogether. Guided by the attribution theory, the purpose of this sequential explanatory study was to examine weight bias among health majors at a southwest regional university to illuminate how attitudes can affect the level of care provided to overweight persons. The Attitudes toward Obese Persons (ATOP) scores from a convenience sample of 184 health majors revealed that participants' scores were found to be significantly lower than the midpoint (60) of the ATOP scale, M = …

School Counselors' Perceived Multicultural Competence, Adherence To The Asca National Model, And Students' Performance, Jessica Helene Conroy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multicultural competence (MCC), despite its integral part in school counseling and the school setting, is not applied within the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) national model (NM). Rather, the ASCA NM is a guideline that is expected of school counselors with limited opportunity for deviation. Without incorporating multicultural practices in the school setting, student performance may suffer. Student performance affects everyone who is learning, working, or has a child who is or will be at the middle school level. The purpose of this study was to identify if perceived MCC, as measured by the MCCTS-R, and/or adherence to the ASCA …

Major Depressive Disorder: Precursors, Predictors, And Coping Mechanism Among Undergraduate Students, Grace Antia Bickham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among college students. The disease perpetuates depressive symptoms and potentially leads to chronic depressive episodes. Existing literature has shown that students who use both cognitive and behavioral maladaptive coping skills are more prone to endure depressive symptoms and poorer academic performance. Despite these known associations, little research has examined the relationship between coping skills and self-efficacy in response to warning signs of MDD in college students. This study sought to fill the gaps in the research of MDD related to precursors, predictors, and coping mechanisms among undergraduate students in a national sample of U.S. …

Predictor Variables Of Online Sports Problem Gambling By College Fraternity Members, Matt Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quantitative study identified predictor variables of online sports problem gambling, as measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) among fraternity students at major college universities. The data were composed of 125 college fraternity students from ages 18 to 25 years of age. The average SOGS score was 1.776 with a standard deviation of 1.93. A SOGS score of 5 or greater indicates a probable problem gambler. The study used the Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) pathways model to determine how fraternity students could become problem gamblers. A stepwise regression model was run in SPSS using multiple independent variables taken …

Personality Traits Associated With Environmental Concern, Tara Rae Wuertz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 5 factor model of personality, including the traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, is a well-established theoretical model for describing how personality is structured. Hirsh (2010) demonstrated the big 5 personality traits, excluding extraversion, were correlated with pro-environmental attitudes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to replicate previous findings, and discover if there was a correlation with a person's pro-environmental behaviors and the big 5 personality traits. A total of 100 participants from an online participant pool completed a survey, which included the Environmental Concern Scale to measure concern and attitudes about the environment, and the …

A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Psychoeducational Program In Postpartum Support Groups, Marina Pesserl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Postpartum Depression (PPD) affects 15% of women after childbirth. Its etiology includes psychoneuroimmunologic factors with long-lasting postpartum stressors that lead to allostatic overload. Using mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for PPD has not yet been studied. Addressing this literature gap, the potential benefits of including an 8-week MBSR component based on Beck's theory of PPD at support groups were examined in this phenomenological study based on a sample of 10 women and 2 group facilitators. Purposes of the study included describing the experience of PPD and the MBSR program, identifying the stage of behavioral change of the participants, and describing the …

Emotional Labor And Employee Engagement Within A Pediatric Hospital, Michele Louise Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High levels of emotional work, staffing shortages, high turnover rates, low workforce engagement levels, and complex healthcare reforms are common problems in healthcare settings. Healthcare leaders are increasingly aware of the vital impact an engaged workforce can have on patient outcomes and an organization's ability to survive despite current challenges in the healthcare setting. It is important for leaders to understand what factors may influence the ability to engage with their organization, such as emotional labor. The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to test whether emotional labor is related to employee engagement within a large Midwestern pediatric hospital. …

Risk Factors Associated With Depression And Anxiety In Older Adults Of Mexican Origin, Raquel Estrada Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adults of Mexican origin are often underserved, especially those residing in nursing homes. Their number has increased in the past 4 years. There is a gap in the research literature on Hispanic elders, specifically those of Mexican origin, residing in nursing homes along the Texas-Mexico border. Because Texas has one of the fastest growing populations of Mexican elders, it is important to better understand this population. This nonexperimental study evaluated the relationship among risk factors' such as gender, marital status, family support, activities of daily living (ADLs) and participation in nursing home activities. These relationships were evaluated with a …

General Education Diploma Students' Familial Attachment Experiences Influencing Premature High School Departure, Tonya Suzanne Wright-Stone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lowered academic achievement and premature departure from high school continue to plague the educational system, creating the need for greater insight into experiences affecting students' classroom performance. Much is known about academic achievement; however, less research has focused on the role of familial attachment on premature departure from high school. Guided by attachment theory, the purpose of this interpretative phenomenological study was to gain insight into General Education Diploma (GED) students' familial attachment experiences influencing premature departure from high school. The research questions focused on GED students' primary caregiver and educational experiences. Participants (n = 14) consisted of current or …

The Relationship Between Final Grades And Tutoring Methods Of At-Risk College Freshmen, Valeria A. Russ

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Without academic intervention, such as tutoring, at-risk students may not pass their courses. This study examined differences between the final grades of at-risk students and tutoring methods, such as self-determined tutoring, academic advisor scheduled tutoring, group tutoring, one-to-one tutoring, peer tutoring, and professional tutoring. This study drew from cognitive learning theory and humanistic theory for its conceptual framework. A quantitative, ex post facto research design was used. Archived data supplied by the Registrar's Office and the Academic Enrichment Coordinator included records of 95 male and female students conditionally enrolled at Methodist University in the Academic Enrichment Program during the 2007 …

Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Illness Perceptions Among Individuals With Fibromyalgia, Susan D. Fay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Illness Perceptions among Individuals with Fibromyalgia

by

Susan D. Fay

MS, Drexel University, 1994

BS, Metropolitan State University of Denver, 1983

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Psychology

Walden University

February 2015

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse and neglect, are a significant social health problem. Exposure to ACEs can place a child at a high risk for developing different diseases or illnesses in adulthood, including fibromyalgia. The purpose of this study was to determine if exposure to ACEs, moderated by perceived social support and/or …

Health Behaviors, Hardiness, And Burnout In Mental Health Workers, Jeremiah Brian Schimp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout has emerged as a significant and costly issue in the modern workforce. Researchers have not fully explored the role of individual health behaviors and personality in burnout among mental health workers. The knowledge gap addressed in this study was the connection between health behaviors, what mental health workers do to take care of themselves, and hardiness, the characteristic way they perceive and interpret environmental challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of health behaviors and hardiness among mental health workers on the 3 dimensions of burnout as measured by the MBI-HSS: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and …

Clinical Significance Of Response Shift In A Spine Interventional Clinical Trial, Robin Carlson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effectiveness of treatments for degenerative spine conditions, where the primary symptom is back pain, is typically determined using patient-reported quality of life (QoL) measures. However, patients may adjust their internal standards when scoring QoL based on factors other than their health. This response shift phenomenon could confound the interpretation of study data and impact effectiveness conclusions. In the current study, response shift was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) and previously collected clinical trial data comparing 2 minimally invasive medical devices in lumbar spinal stenosis patients through 1 year postintervention. In subject QoL results, reprioritization shift between 3 months …

Relationships Between Specific Health-Related Fitness Components And Standardized Academic Achievement Tests, Tona Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an attempt to meet monetary-driven mandates to improve student achievement test scores, administrators are replacing physical education activities with subject matter classes in many American schools. This practice negates the positive contributions of physical activity to academic performance and student fitness. Guided by self-efficacy theory, this study assessed the impact of optimal versus minimal physical fitness state on student academic achievement. The study sample included 5,416 9th grade students from the same school district who completed a minimum of 5 of the 6 components of the FITNESSGRAM tests, and who also completed the math and English language arts (ELA) …

Veterans In Transition: A Correlational Investigation Of Career Adaptability, Confidence, And Readiness, Schleurious Lavan Gaiter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thousands of service persons and veterans may be leaving military service annually without required skills and not receiving timely career counseling and interventions needed to aid in their career transitions. Knowledge about service persons' career adaptability, confidence, and readiness could enhance the actions of all stakeholders to address the challenges that accompany career transitions and may aid in identifying needed counseling and interventions. Using a survey containing the Career Transitions Inventory and the Career Futures Inventory-Revised, perspectives were obtained from service persons (N = 264) while attending Transition Assistance Program workshops. Two research questions for the study examined associations between …

Learned Helplessness And Depression: Comparison Of Skilled Nursing And Assisted Living Facilities, Paul Lynn Susic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research with geriatric populations suggests high levels of clinical depression and greater financial and psychological costs of treatment in long-term care facilities with more restrictive care. Research on learned helplessness, a construct separate from depression, suggests learned helplessness and perceived control are useful theories for the study of elder depression, but the relationship between depression and learned helplessness in this population is not clear. This cross-sectional quantitative study examined the relationship between depression and learned helplessness by comparing residents over age 65 in less restrictive assisted living (n =42) versus those in more restrictive skilled nursing facilities (n =63). Data …

School Principal Attitudes Toward The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Taleshia Lenshell Chandler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion is a philosophy and practice of educating students with and without disabilities in the same learning environment. Previous researchers have indicated that principals play a key role in implementing successful and effective inclusive programs. However, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the attitudes of principals and assistant principals toward including students with disabilities at both elementary and secondary school levels. Therefore, the purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study, based on transformational leadership theory, was to examine the attitudes of principals toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. An electronic version of The Principals' …

Quality-Of-Life Indicators For African American And European American Long-Term Survivors Of Early-Stage Breast Cancer, Cher De Rossiter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This meta-analysis investigated the difference in perceptions of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among long-term early-stage breast cancer survivors (BCS). The comparison was between African American and European American women. Initial pilot searches suggested that enough studies existed for a meaningful meta-analysis of a BCS population at least 5 years post diagnosis. Only studies using the outcome measure HRQOL were included in the study; this yielded an initial sample of 212 study reports, with 56 reports entering the coding phase of the process. African American women were grossly underrepresented in this set of studies in comparison to the overall breast …

The Complexities Of Female Sexuality: Narratives Of Women Who Have Experienced Both Heterosexual And Same-Sex Marriages, Krista Anne Butland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to social stigma, millions of sexual minorities have concealed their true sexual identities by entering into heterosexual relationships and marriages. Eventually, some transition to same-sex relationships and are able to live authentic lives. This latter group had identified as genuinely heterosexual, never questioning their sexuality until a particular time in their lives when same-sex desires spontaneously appeared. The experiences of transitioning from heterosexual to same-sex partners are not well known, particularly for women who have been legally married to both men and women. Diamond's dynamical systems theory for same-sex sexuality and McCarn and Fassinger's lesbian identity formation model provided …