Digital Commons Network^™

An Integrated Model Of Ethical Capital And Relational Wealth Of The Firm, Bradley Goronson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Key sources of competitive advantage for a firm include its various forms of relational wealth. These intangible relational assets exist because of a firm’s relationship with a given stakeholder. We argue that stakeholder perceptions of the morality of a firm can have substantive positive or negative effects on that firm’s relational wealth. Previous research has suggested links between perceptions of the morality of a firm held by stakeholders such as employees, strategic alliance partners, customers, and communities and the relevant relational wealth held by the firm in relation to those stakeholders. However, a comprehensive model and composite measure of these …

Media And The Formation Of Scottish Parliament, Emily Ashcraft

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The thesis explored how media interacts with politics, specifically the Scottish Parliament, by considering the representation of the Scottish Parliament in newspapers from the time the Scots voted for a parliament (1997) through the years following the beginning of the Scottish Parliament (1999-2003). It compared various newspapers from Scotland and the United Kingdom during this time and examined their reporting on the parliament. It also evaluated specific differences between the UK and Scottish Parliaments, where they originated and how newspapers and other media were involved in the conversation. This research found that press representation and media framing is important in …

Dialect And Employability: Human Resource Managers' Perceptions Of African American English, Kimberly Michelsen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the question of whether different dialects can change the probability of speakers being perceived as employable. It is one of the few that takes this question away from college campuses and directly to Human Resources Managers in the workforce. Using the Matched Guise Technique, recordings of Standard American English (SAE) and African American English (AAE) were presented to forty-two HR Managers from regions across the United States. Using a series of Likert scales, the HR Managers rated the recordings on eight characteristics of employability: four focused on professional skills and four focused on human-relation skills. The study …

The Role Of The Autonomic Nervous System In The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation And Conflict Tactics In Couples, Natalie Gold Orr

Theses and Dissertations

Gross' emotion regulation model, Porges' polyvagal theory, and other existing research suggest that regulation of emotions, tactics used to handle conflict, and certain physiological processes that occur within the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in response to stress are significantly related, especially in relational contexts. However, despite their pervasiveness and negative impacts, there is a noticeable lack of research on predictors of violent, aggressive, or abusive conflict tactics in couples. In the current study, the predictive role of emotion regulation in relation to conflict tactics was examined, in addition to the role of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP) …

Impact Of Intercultural Competence On Communicative Success In L2 Environments(With Reference To Missionaries Of The Church Ofjesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints), David Milford Lucero

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the impact of cultural competence on success in completing key missionary tasks. Qualitative survey results are supported by data from an intercultural effectiveness assessment and a Mandarin Chinese listening proficiency test to describe themes related to missionary communicative success and to explore correlations between intercultural effectiveness and listening proficiency. Missionary communicative tasks are clarified into themes:"obtaining referrals,"obtaining teaching opportunities," and"helping people make and keep commitments." Factors perceived as associating with communicative success include"feeling and communicating love" and receiving"spiritual guidance." The effect of training on intercultural competence is also described. The intercultural effectiveness subcategory of positive regard is …

The Use Of Video-Based Instruction To Teach Life Skills To Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Kori Paige Esplin

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with developmental disabilities struggle to learn important life skills. This deficit impedes their ability to function in the community and live meaningful lives. Video prompting (VP) is an evidence-based practice that has been used to teach a wide variety of skills to individuals with disabilities. VP utilizes technology to create step-by-step videos to teach academic, social, vocational and other life skills This article extends the current literature on VP interventions to hygiene skills and investigates the efficacy, skill maintenance, social validity, and level of independence that can be achieved using VP to teach hygiene skills. Three participants with developmental …

China's Maritime Grand Strategy, Sarah Quan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

China’s goals in the South China Sea are twofold: to expand sovereignty while keeping the peace. I argue this is accomplished through rhetorical strategic ambiguity and military clarity, which have characterized China’s maritime grand strategy since 2010. Using confusion and clarity—two seemingly opposite strategies—allows China to simultaneously expand sovereignty and maintain peace. This paper first introduces the literature and theory behind grand strategy and strategic ambiguity. It then demonstrates how China’s intentions are made clear through military actions, then shows that China’s rhetoric is ambiguous to members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by weighing evidence that China is …

Let Us Reason Together: Female Voices In Religious Deliberation, Rachel Finlayson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines deliberation within ward councils of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My findings suggest ward councils can fall short of the democratic ideals articulated by church leaders. This ideal is captured in Jane Mansbridge’s conception of unitary democracy, which emphasizes friendship, equality, and consensus in decision-making regarding common goals. Ward council members report feeling friendship and unity, but reserve authoritative executive power for the bishop alone. This hybrid dynamic creates potential challenges and tensions with the unitary ideal as participants seek to both express their unique perspectives and defer to one authority.

My interviews show …

Oxytocin Receptor Genotype And Serotonin Transporter Genotype As Mediators Of Social Behavior: A Rhesus Macaque Model, Ryno Kruger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies suggest that sociality plays a major role in physical and mental health, with loneliness, hostility, and aggression contributing to ill health. Genetic variation functions as a foundational basis for positive sociality, as well as antisocial behaviors such as social alienation and aggression. It is widely believed that the central serotonin and oxytocin systems are two neurotransmitter systems that play important roles in sociality and antisocial behavior. In this study, we investigate the genetic impact of the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) and a recently discovered oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene on social isolation and antisocial behavior using a rhesus monkey model …

Co-Parental Conflict And Maternal Gatekeeping: The Effects On Parental Media Monitoring Behaviors, Erin Fitzgerald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within the last decade, there has been an onslaught of digital media among adolescents, the majority of whom are ill prepared to self-regulate and critically examine the messages they receive from the media. Unfortunately, parents are often unsure how to help, and may disagree on how to monitor the media in their home. This study was conducted on the influence of conflictual co-parenting behaviors on media monitoring style choice. The results indicated that parents who experience co-parental conflict and maternal gatekeeping may have a difficult time encouraging their children’s autonomy through active and autonomy supportive media monitoring and are more …

Measurement Implementation In Youth Psychotherapy: An Examination Of Barriers And Facilitators Of Y-Oq And Tsm Implementation, Tess Janeen Collett

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown a concerning and disproportionate amount of treatment failure and premature termination in youth populations. Routine measurement feedback has been proposed as a means to prevent treatment failure and premature termination for adults and may also improve youth mental health services. However, studies examining helpfulness of measurement feedback systems in youth populations have demonstrated a lack of effects more likely due to poor measurement implementation than to the measurement feedback system itself. Because contexts within the service settings are such crucial factors in whether an innovation is successfully implemented, examining barriers and facilitators in said contexts is a …

A Methodology To Measure The Impact Of Diversity On Cybersecurity Team Effectiveness, Caralea May Cornel

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the definition of cybersecurity professional has been diluted to include more individuals, particularly women, to be included. Depending on the definition used, women currently comprise between 11% and 25% of the cybersecurity workforce. While multiple studies have indicated the benefits to diverse teams, research in the cybersecurity area is lacking.This research proposes a framework that uses a modified escape-the-room gamified scenario to measure the effectiveness of cybersecurity teams in technical problem-solving. The framework presents two routes, incident response and penetration testing, the participants can choose. In a preliminary study, this framework is used to show the combination …

The Effect Of Inconsistent Therapy Attendance By Client And Therapist On Therapeutic Outcomes, Elyssa Louise Zimmerman

Theses and Dissertations

Inconsistent therapy attendance is a problem for clients and clinicians. Clients who don’t attend therapy consistently, whether because of their own actions or therapist reasons, may experience difficulty making therapy work effectively for them. Most of the literature regarding inconsistent therapy attendance has examined the demographics of those who are inconsistent and some of the reasons that may contribute to inconsistency. There are only two known studies (Defife et al., 2010; Erekson et al., 2015) that have attempted to examine the impact of inconsistent therapy attendance on therapy outcomes. This study investigated whether inconsistent therapy attendance patterns had a significant …

Foreign Domestic Workers In Hong Kong: Identifying Risk Factors, Resilience, And Psychological Well-Being, Ka Yan Mok

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic workers, also known as house maids or handmaids, are a predominately female workforce that traditionally provides labor in upper-class households. With the increase of dual income families and the global expansion of the middle class, the demand for domestic workers increased, which facilitated the practice of importing lower-cost foreign domestic workers (FDWs) from developing areas. Hong Kong has the highest concentration of FDWs when compared to other metropolitan areas, such as Taiwan, Singapore, or New York. Since the trade began in the 1970s, qualitative research and journalistic investigations have reported that FDWs frequently encounter exploitation, including emotional, physical, and …

Treatment Integrity Of Behavior Intervention Plans (Bips) In Public School Settings, Danielle Marie Rigby

Theses and Dissertations

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are intended to guide educators’ efforts to help struggling students succeed in school by reducing the frequency of problem behavior and teaching appropriate, pro-social responses. The impact of a BIP, however, depends on the degree to which the plan is implemented with fidelity. In practice, there are many factors that prevent teachers and other practitioners from strictly adhering to the BIP including having multiple plans to follow, inexperience with the specified intervention(s), or particularly challenging behaviors in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that contribute to the treatment integrity of …

Describing Therapeutic Relationship Change And Failure In Group Psychotherapy, Harold Thomas Svien

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. This study reanalyzed data from Burlingame and colleagues’ (2018) randomized controlled trial on the effect of adding Group Questionnaire (GQ) to Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) feedback. These data were assessed for the feedback effect using the amount of GQ alerts in one session reported by the group member to track change in GQ subscales as a measure of reversing therapeutic relationship failure.Methods. 374 participants engaged in 58 psychotherapy groups. Every participant provided GQ measurements after every group session. These GQ measurements formed ‘person-session units’ representing whether or not each type of alert was present following each group meeting. Person-session units …

"Camouflaging" In Women With Autistic Traits: Measures, Mechanisms, And Mental Health Implications, Jonathan S. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic traits are associated with frequent psychological distress and everyday functional challenges. Some individuals with autistic traits “camouflage” these traits during social interactions by effortfully engaging in “typical” social behaviors. Camouflaging seems to be especially common in autistic girls and women. Emerging evidence proposes a role for camouflaging behaviors in poorer mental health and daily functioning. Furthermore, camouflaging efforts may delay receipt of a proper diagnosis and access to appropriate mental health care. Despite their clinical significance, camouflaging efforts remain difficult to quantify, and the mechanisms and impacts of camouflaging are poorly understood. This study aimed to compare multiple methods …

An Exploration Of Mechanisms Of Change In Compassion Focused Therapy Groups: A Pilot Study In A College Counseling Center Population, Jennifer Lynn Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. This study explored mechanisms of change for Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) groups. The feasibility and acceptability of a new group therapy protocol were assessed in a college counseling center population.Method. Seventy-five participants engaged in eight transdiagnostic CFT groups. Group CFT consisted of 12 weekly sessions. Participants completed measures of fears of compassion, flows of compassion, self-reassurance, self-criticism, shame, and psychiatric distress at pre, mid, and post time points. Significant and reliable change was assessed. Potential mechanisms of change were examined using correlations. Self-report feasibility and acceptability data were collected from therapists and participants respectively.Results. Significant and reliable change was …

The Effects Of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams In Two Middle School Art Classrooms, Kimberly Davis Monson

Theses and Dissertations

Classroom management is a common challenge in middle schools. Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a multi-tiered intervention designed to decrease problem behaviors at the classroom level (Wills et al., 2010). It is comprised of evidence-based practices such as teaching classroom expectations, increasing teacher praise, and using positive reinforcement in an interdependent group contingency. CW-FIT has shown promise in a variety of school settings, but it has not been tested in middle school art classrooms. This was initial investigation examining the effects of CW-FIT using a single-subject ABAB design in two middle school art classrooms. Results indicated that class on-task …

Personality Inventory Dsm-5: A Spanish Translation For Hispanics In The United States, Jessica Abigail Carmona

Theses and Dissertations

The Personality Inventory DSM-5 (PID-5) was created to measure personality pathology and help in the development of a dimensional conceptualization of personality disorders (Krueger, Derringer, Markon, Watson, & Skodol, 2012). It measures five maladaptive personality traits: Negative Affect, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition and Psychoticism. The PID-5 has also garnered significant support for its hierarchical structure, five-factor structure across samples and translations, and its ability to predict variance in internalizing and externalizing disorders (Krueger & Markon, 2014). The current study builds on this literature by translating the PID-5 into Spanish spoken in Latin America and testing the replicability of the five-factor structure, …

Understanding The Processes And Outcomes Of The Lds Addiction Recovery Program's Pornography Addiction Support Groups, Adam Michael Scalese

Theses and Dissertations

This study qualitatively investigated the processes and outcomes associated with the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (LDS) Addiction Recovery Program (ARP), with a specific focus on their Pornography Addiction Support Group (PASG) meetings. Researchers interviewed 24 (21 males, 3 females) individuals with varying experiences in PASG meetings. Their interview content was broken down into themes. Primary findings suggest that PASG participants experience a significant amount of shame due to their pornography use behaviors. Member-to-member sharing in meetings facilitates self-compassion and lessens shame. Participants reported strong spiritual process in PASG meetings and some spiritual outcomes. Attendance in PASG …

Sri Lankan Widows' Mental Health: Does Type Of Spousal Loss Matter?, Katrina Nicole Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined mental health outcomes for widowed Tamil women in Sri Lanka to identify any associations between type of spousal loss and several outcomes, including internalized stigma as a result of widowhood, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. A sample of 381 Tamil female widows living in Eastern Sri Lanka were surveyed in 2016 to understand their experiences in a post-disaster and post-war context. Type of spousal loss was separated into seven categories: war-related death, death as a result of tsunami, illness-related deaths, accidental death, suicide, disappearance, and other. Path analysis was used to assess whether type …

The Effects Of Premarital Education Promotion Policies On U.S. Divorce Rates, Tiffany Lura Clyde

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has documented the effects of divorce on children, families, communities, taxpayers, and society. Accordingly, local, state, and national governments have enacted policies aimed at strengthening marriages and reducing divorce. Currently, ten states have enacted some form of premarital education promotion policy. However, no research has documented whether the implementation of premarital education promotion policies has actually decreased the divorce rate in implementing states. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to investigate empirically the effectiveness of premarital education policy implementation on reducing early divorce rates. Prior to running any empirical analyses, an implementation study was conducted to understand …

Media And Parents: Socializing Factors Of Relational Aggression, Kjersti Maye Summers

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to relational aggression in various contexts has been found to predict relationally aggressive behavior in adolescents. Past research has examined socializing factors of relational aggression separately. The current study expounds upon this research by looking at three important contexts for socialization of relational aggression during adolescence together: media relational aggression, parental psychological control, and couple relational aggression. Specifically, this study looked at how these different socializing factors combine to predict relational aggression. Participants consisted of 423 adolescents and their parents. A person-centered approach was used to determine different profiles. Latent profile analysis found three profiles, including "average" (78%), "high …

A Content Analysis Of Ethnic Minorities In The Professional Discipline Of Clinical Psychology, Pedro L. Perez Aquino

Theses and Dissertations

A more diverse population in the United States calls for the inclusion of REC minority populations in research to improve treatment and clinician cultural awareness. A content analysis is proposed to analyze the inclusion level of REC minority groups in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Five questions are explored to organize and present the findings of the content analysis. Results demonstrate the low level of inclusion of REC minority groups as well as congruence between most studied topics and each REC minority group in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. These results should encourage researchers and clinicians to push for more …

What Parents Value Matters: Examining The Association Between Cultural Values, Parenting Styles/Practices, And Child Outcomes, Chen-Yun Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have identified significant relationships between parenting styles and child outcomes. However, these associations might vary in different cultures because parenting behaviors could link to cultural values. Additionally, understanding the cultural values of parents would help researchers better understand the reasons of parents’ behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between parental Asian values, parenting styles, parenting practices, and child outcomes. Parents of preschool-age children (N = 273) from Taiwan completed a series of parenting values and parenting behaviors questionnaires. Teachers rated child prosocial behaviors, modesty, sociability, and impulse control. Results revealed that some domains …

Learning Aggression: The Association Between Parental Psychological Control And Adolescent Relational Aggression, Jennifer Jaeun Byon

Theses and Dissertations

Late adolescence and early emerging adulthood are important developmental time periods during which transitions to adulthood begins including independence from one's parents. While adolescents spend more time away from their homes, especially as they start attending college, the influence of their parents is still salient. Parental psychological control has been shown to impact adolescents' developmental outcomes, including their engagement in relational aggression. While past research has focused mostly on children and young adolescents, the current study seeks to explore the bidirectional associations between parental psychological control and relational aggression among late adolescents and early emerging adults. It also seeks to …

Coding Rupture Indicators In Couple Therapy (Crict): An Observational Coding Scheme, Annalisa Ward Carr

Theses and Dissertations

The therapeutic alliance, a construct representing agreement and collaboration on therapy goals, therapy tasks, and the emotional bond between client(s) and therapist, is a robust predictor of therapy outcomes in individual, couple, and family therapy. One way to track the therapeutic alliance is through ruptures and repairs. Ruptures are breaks, tensions, or tears in the therapeutic alliance. Ruptures and repairs influence the therapeutic alliance and consequently therapeutic outcomes. Currently, there is a lack of research addressing ruptures and repairs in couple therapy. The first step in researching alliance ruptures is to have a reliable way to assess alliance ruptures. This …

Factors Associated With Parent Reactions To The Diagnosis Of An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emily Irene Anderberg

Theses and Dissertations

Receiving a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is often a pivotal moment for parents. The diagnostic feedback session can provide helpful information for moving forward with their child’s care but can also be filled with conflicting emotions. A few studies have looked at common parent experiences and have suggested actions for providers, but there is little information about how providers can predict parent reactions to the diagnosis and adjust their feedback accordingly. This study investigated factors related to parent reactions to the diagnostic disclosure session using a) interviews with providers that commonly diagnose autism; b) a focus group with parents …

The Association Of Spirituality And Well-Being In South African And Ugandan Samples, Alicia Jane Doman

Theses and Dissertations

Literature has shown a correlation between spirituality and well-being, but this has not been thoroughly studied outside North America, with very few studies conducted in Africa. This study compared data from two sub-Saharan African nations, Uganda and South Africa, that differ markedly in terms of multiple factors that affect well-being, such as mortality rates and access to healthcare, as well as educational and personal growth opportunities. Survey data were collected using the measures of The Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale and Ryff's Personal Well-Being Scale. There were four racial groups represented in the data: Black South Africans, Coloureds, White South …