Digital Commons Network^™

Division Of Labor And Relationship Satisfaction: Examining The Mediating Role Of Self Esteem, Ellen Keith

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

As a result of feminist movements, rejections of gender roles, and changing economic conditions, profound changes have occurred within the structure of American families. This study delves into the intricate dynamics of divisions of household labor (DoL), self-esteem, and relationship satisfaction within the context of contemporary relationships. Drawing on data from the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (Pairfam), this study tested five hypotheses, and investigates how perceptions of fairness in DoL tasks influence self-esteem and relationship satisfaction. Significant associations were found between reported share of DoL and indicated fairness of DoL, indicated fairness of DoL and relationship …

The Role Of Local Knowledge In Climate Change Research, Ryan E. Mccoy

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This dissertation addresses the growing need within climate research for improvements in regional and local climate information. I argue that knowledge gaps in regional climate information constitute a form of climate injustice in which harm largely falls on regions most vulnerable to climate change. Moreover, I show that our current methods for garnering regional climate information fail to provide information on place-specific factors, such as local culture, socio-economic systems, and ecology, which mediate climate change impacts. In order to address these knowledge gaps, as well as provide information necessary for effective mitigation and adaptation, I argue for the inclusion of …

Empowering Caregivers In The Prevention Of Clinical Delirium For At Risk Older Adults Boarding In The Emergency Department Setting, Danielle Brewer

DNP Projects

Background: Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding is a global healthcare crisis documented in the literature for more than a decade, impacting patient outcomes and resource availability. While awaiting delayed transfer to an inpatient room, older adults in the ED remain vulnerable to developing acute delirium. Boarding potentiates the risk for worsening health outcomes, which are further compounded by delirium. Scarcity of resources and time constraints delay delirium detection and increase risk for down-stream hospital-acquired complications, higher cost, and prolonged length of stay. Current ED models do not prioritize caregiver partnership or involvement in delirium-conscious care, which is a holistic approach to …

Profiles Of Satisfaction And Frustration Of Undergraduate General Chemistry Students’ Basic Psychological Needs At The Beginning And End Of The Semester, Cara E. Worick

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The early college years represent an adjustment period characterized by motivational destabilization and academic and career-related uncertainty for many STEM majors (Robinson et al., 2019). Although students who begin college less academically prepared than their peers are at greater risk of struggling in introductory STEM courses, many still struggle in these courses despite adequate academic preparation (Perez et al., 2014). Self-determination theory proposes that motivation, optimal functioning, and psychological well-being occur through the satisfaction, as opposed to the frustration, of three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2020). Although many studies in educational settings demonstrate …

Recovery Capital In A Justice-Involved Population: An Asset-Based Approach To Recovery And Community Reentry, Evan Joseph Batty

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

The burden of the opioid epidemic demands further efforts to facilitate recovery, particularly for disadvantaged populations and those recently released from prison. After community reentry, individuals face a period of vulnerability as they adjust to new roles and responsibilities to meet their basic needs. Prison-based substance use disorder treatment (SUD Tx) programs provide support to help prepare individuals with SUD for their release and facilitate successful recovery goals after community reentry. This dissertation has three aims: (1) further the understanding of potential barriers and facilitators of recovery after community reentry, (2) assess how prison-levels of recovery capital influence recovery outcomes …

Child Language And Happiness Behaviors: Evaluating The Effects Of Caregiver Coaching, Ashlen Grubbs

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Caregivers of young children who have or are at risk for disabilities may struggle supporting their child’s language development. This study used a tailored rapid coaching intervention to teach a caregiver different naturalistic language interventions that can be used with their child during play. Evidence-based naturalistic skills for increasing child communication were chosen to teach the caregiver based on baseline levels of skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored RCI (training and coaching) with caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Like other studies, this study involved evaluating child-level communication but extended child measures …

The Movie Is On!: Pragmatics Of The Video Joker In Who Killed Captain Alex?, Hunter Hulett

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

The film Who Killed Captain Alex? (WKCA) is a Ugandan film that provides an opportunity to examine the use of pragmatic and specifically deictic features to study the manipulation of borders between the film and reality. A commentator called the Video Joker (VJ) is the film’s deictic center, constantly destabilizing deictic relations and orienting the internal and external pragmatics of the film around themself. As the film’s ultimate pragmatic force, they occupy a position blurring diegesis and non-diegesis due to originating as real-time film commentators before being edited into the text. In this unique position, they shift the deixis’s organization …

Beyond The Hands: Exploring Intersectional Identities Of Black American Sign Language Users, Tatum Turner

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

There is a significant gap in research related to the impact of intersectionality on linguistic identity performance among individuals negotiating multiple marginalized identities. This gap is especially significant among deaf Black and African American individuals who use the American Sign Language (ASL) variety deemed Black American Sign Language (BASL) (Hairston & Smith, 1983). This research aims to identify and discuss the use of the eight distinguishing features of BASL (McCaskill et al. 2011) as indexes of intersectional identities.

My data consists of videos sourced from YouTube, each chosen according to the following criteria: must have at least one self-identifying Black …

The Impact Of Measure 110 On Fatal Overdoses, Property And Violent Crime In Oregon, Hannah Mercado

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In November 2020, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act (also known as Measure 110) was passed in Oregon with the purpose to provide access to treatment and recovery services available to anyone who may need to utilize them, while focusing on a health-oriented approach towards substance use disorder (SUD) across the state through the removal of low-level drug possession criminal penalties (Oregon Health Authority, n.d.). Historically, Oregon has consistently had some of the highest rates of substance use in the U.S., making this a pertinent issue which was addressed through the implementation of Measure 110. Citing a critical need …

Developing Best Practices For Successful University Fundraising Events, Ravyn Ladenburger

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This research study addresses the crucial role of fundraising in sustaining universities in the United States, particularly public institutions facing funding challenges. For this paper, fundraising refers to the seeking of financial support from individuals to support initiatives at a nonprofit entity, such as a public university. It identifies a gap in research and professionalization within higher education philanthropy, emphasizing the need for standardized training and empirical research. The focus is on studying the effectiveness of fundraising events, especially in public universities like the University of Kentucky, amidst declining government support and rising operational costs. The research problem to be …

Analysis Of Implementation Of Student Homeless Programs Per County School District In The State Of Georgia, Hannah Watson

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This report investigates the implementation of federal and state policies concerning homeless students within school districts across Georgia. This analysis focuses on understanding how these policies are translated into practical strategies to meet the unique needs of homeless students, encompassing identification, enrollment, and provision of essential support services that result in proof of academic success. Through a combination of policy assessment techniques of current county school district procedures and services offered to students experiencing homelessness and a descriptive assessment of the contents of the current policies through the lens of public administration theories; we will develop a series of key …

A Review Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act In Kentucky Schools System, Spencer Collins

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The federal government's role in education has been center stage for the past decade. Policy actors on the right call for a complete deconstruction of the federal Department of Education (ED). In today's partisan fighting over government funding, the topic of education services is critical. With further investigations into education services provided by federal funding, one vulnerable population that needs to be safeguarded is those students with disabilities. Protecting those students with disabilities and ensuring equal access to education and resources provided for non-disabled students should be one of the highest priorities of policy actors within the education sphere today. …

Relationship Between Weir Openings And Green Tide Variation In Korean Rivers, Uisuk Jung

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

On the four major rivers in South Korea (Han River, Nakdong River, Geum River, and Yeongsan River), 16 weirs were installed in 2011 to secure water resources. However, there is controversy that the weirs allow the summer Green Tide (hereafter referred to as GT) to thrive, so the South Korean government has been opening them since 2017 to evaluate their effectiveness. The opening of the weirs was mainly done at three weirs on the Geum River, where there are few constraints, and some on the Yeongsan and Nakdong rivers, depending on the degree of constraints, while the Han River was …

University Of Kentucky Healthcare Community Engagement Program Strategic Plan, Madison Fyffe

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Strategic planning is an essential tool in providing direction to an organization through analysis of its current state and ideal future, and development of strategic goals. The University of Kentucky HealthCare’s community engagement program is a robust program within the department of Brand Strategy, tasked with serving all 120 Kentucky counties and over 150 local, state, and national organizations through health education, event sponsorship, and promotional resources. In its current state, a strategic plan to guide and track performance does not exist. This capstone aims to develop a strategic plan through the assessment of strategic planning theory, stakeholder analysis, and …

Defining And Evaluating Quality In Early Childhood Education, Abigail Jacob, Anna Nayyir, Vaughn Nebbitt, Nate Terrell

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Quality early childhood education is essential to ensure that children grow into well-adjusted, healthy, and happy adults. Early childhood is considered a child’s first five years before kindergarten, and nearly 90% of brain development occurs in these five short years (Brain Development, n.d.). According to the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, preschool attendance decreases the likelihood that the child will drop out of high school, be held back a grade, or be placed in special education (Importance of Early, n.d.). Not only does early childhood education benefit the child, but it can also positively influence society. Early childhood education …

Employer Incentivized Cancer Screenings In Kentucky: A Case Study, Addison Dumes, Sophia Freeman, Megan Latiff

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky has some of the highest mortality rates for colon, breast, cervical and lung cancer in the United States, according to the Center of Disease Control. Our Client, The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, is seeking to lower these rates by increasing employer driven cancer screenings. Previous studies show many states have been successful in implementing programs to motivate employees to participate in preventative screenings. Through individual interviews with Kentucky employers, this study aims to answer what factors affect the best practices and perceived barriers amongst employers with health and wellness programs to increase the rate of preventative breast, cervical, …

Lfcug's Utilization Of 2022 Opioid Settlement Funds For Recovery Housing, Emily Wiley, Ken Britton Jr, Madelaine Coy

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Following national settlements to combat the opioid epidemic, Kentucky and its local governments received a collective $842 million to invest in prevention and treatment. To employ these dollars most effectively, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) aims to become “recovery ready” as a part of Kentucky’s Recovery Ready Communities (RRC) certification program. This mixed methods comparative case study determined the following high-priority variables that align with RRC certification requirements: recovery housing infrastructure, certification disclosure, and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services. To provide additional insight into Fayette County’s recovery housing landscape, we analyzed the following supplemental variables: vulnerable populations served, …

Impact Of The Availability And Affordability Of Childcare On The Economy, Valentina Osunmade, Cameron French

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky's workforce participation rates are among the lowest in the nation, thus underscoring the urgent need to strengthen and sustain its workforce (Aull, 2023). One significant barrier for many families in the workforce is the lack of accessibility and affordability of childcare. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in Kentucky aims to alleviate this burden for low-income families. Despite the program's importance, no prior study has examined the direct impact of CCAP enrollment on workforce participation in Kentucky. This research addresses this gap by conducting a multiple regression analysis using aggregate data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics, the US …

Venture Capital & State Policy: A Mixed Methods Approach For Identifying And Understanding “Bright Spots”, David Durman Ii, Cole Wilson

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The relationship between the availability of venture capital at the state level and state policy is largely unexplored in research. To expand the understanding of this subject, the aim of this paper is to determine what states are performing greater than would be expected in the area of venture capital availability and examine the nature of policy in those states in order to glean insights in regard to policy improvement. To that end, the researchers developed a multiple regression model to identify overperforming states, then performed an examination of policy within the states identified and contacted subject matter experts within …

Essays On Corporate Debt Structure, Kyuyoung Oh

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

The dissertation consists of three chapters exploring three different facets of corporate debt structure choice. In the first chapter, “Risk Management and the Choice between Secured and Unsecured Debt: Evidence from Natural Experiment,” I study whether and how corporate hedging affects firms’ choice between secured and unsecured debt. Exploiting the introduction of steel futures as a natural experiment, I provide causal evidence that risk management enables firms to switch from secured to unsecured debt without sacrificing debt capacity. Cross-sectional evidence supports the interpretation that risk management drives the results. The effects are stronger for firms that are more likely to …

Changes In Criminal Thinking Among Homeless Veterans Receiving Housing First Services, Deirdra Robinson

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Homelessness is a social problem that has plagued the United States for decades. as early as 1987, veterans were identified has making up a large proportion of people living unhoused. This dissertation is a retrospective exploratory, quantitative study exploring the relationship between criminal thinking and specific characteristics (mental health symptoms, social connectedness, perception of seriousness of legal issues, and housing) of veterans who received services from a Housing First program. Using Survival Mode Theory as a framework for organizing and understanding the context of the study, and the utility of the findings, this dissertation aimed at improving practice and theoretical …

Fathers’ Perspectives On The Role Of Spirituality In Substance Misuse Disorder Treatment And Engaging With Their Children, Kendra Michelle Eubank

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

The father's role and the extent of involvement with his children have shifted over the past several decades. As a result, researchers have made considerable advances in understanding paternal influences on child development and families. However, one under-researched topic is how fathers' substance misuse, and the recovery process may influence father involvement and effective co-parenting, and specifically, how spirituality plays a role in that. In this qualitative study, fourteen participants participated in semi-structured interviews. The data revealed two main themes: 1) pillars of a spiritual awakening and 2) applying spirituality to healthy fatherhood engagement.

These findings led to four interpretations: …

Public Justice: Analyzing The Interactions Of Supreme Court Justices With The American Public, Abbie Wood

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

When and how do Supreme Court justices choose to interact with the public? What motivating factors spur a justice to make a public appearance? In the fields of political science, public law, and legal studies, research has overwhelmingly studied on-the-bench behavior. Scholars have analyzed judicial voting patterns, opinion writing, oral arguments, and more. Despite the prevalence and importance of non-decision making activities as well as the growing reporting by media outlets concerning justices' public appearances, there remains a lack of attention devoted to exploring how justices behave off-the-bench. In this dissertation, I seek to develop this neglected area within judicial …

Malleability Of Abortion Attitudes, Allison Leip

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Although abortion attitudes have been thoroughly investigated and population-level attitudes have not changed much over the past half-century, polls and research inquiring about abortion attitudes tend to ask isolated questions about if, and in what circumstances, abortion should be legal. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which abortion attitudes both varied and changed according to several contextual factors. A multiple-segment factorial vignette was conducted with 530 respondents in the state of Kentucky. Overall, most respondents held strong attitudes on access to abortion, both before the rationale was provided and regardless of the rationale provided. However, …

Cbt And Me: A Beginning Therapist's Journey Utilizing Client Feedback, Haley Scruggs

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Cognitive behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) is a model of therapy targeting cognitions, emotional responses, and behavioral interactions between couples experiencing relationship distress. Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is a tool that clinicians can use to track the progress of their clients in therapy from the perspective of the client. This study aimed to use MFT-PRN, a type of ROM, to gather client progress throughout CBCT treatment. Prototypical change trajectories were created in Microsoft Excel for examination of presenting problem progress, couple satisfaction, and overall relationship functioning. It was found that small data sensitivity affected the trajectories immensely, though ROM outcomes revealed …

Examining Anxious Attachment And Its Effects On Sexual Behaviors In Adulthood, Justin Graham

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxious attachment and adult sexual behaviors. The study utilized pairfam, a nationally representative German sample, as a secondary data set for its quantitative analysis. Participants responded to two anxious attachment scales and questions regarding sexual desire, sexual confidence, and age at first sexual experiences. Analyzing data from 5561 individuals, averaging 29.27 years old, a path analysis was conducted to assess variable effects. Findings indicate that higher anxious attachment correlates with reduced sexual confidence and earlier onset of sexual intercourse. Future studies should investigate additional attachment scales and include a more diverse …

Routine Outcome Monitoring In Emotionally Focused Therapy: A Clinical Perspective, Lillian Dunn

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The field of couple and family therapy has a foundation in systems theory and recognizes the intricate dynamics of relationships. Therapists often navigate complex webs of connection, aiming to enhance communication, foster healthy interaction patterns, and cultivate emotional well-being to strengthen relational bonds. This thesis focuses on the integration of routine outcome monitoring (ROM) within Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and aims to shed light on its role in achieving therapeutic goals. ROM tools offer insights into the therapeutic process, facilitating tailored interventions to meet clients' needs. The findings suggest that integrating ROM into EFT benefits therapists and clients, enhancing our …

Ruling In The Shadows: Analysis Of The Supreme Court’S Use Of The ‘Shadow Docket’ And Its Effects, Emilee Smart

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

The recent increased use of the shadow docket has left the public and scholars with unanswered questions about how procedures influence outcomes and behavior. Many of these shadow docket cases have been petitioned to the justices as emergencies in very important policy areas such as immigration, abortion, elections, and transgender rights. I collect a large dataset of all outcomes of the Supreme Court's shadow docket from 2010-2022. I examine the language the justices use to justify their decisions made using alternate procedures. I find unique differences in the justifying behavior of the justices as well as significant differences in the …

Essays On The Market For Higher Education, Samuel Lawrence Rhoads Glick

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

This dissertation studies the market for higher education and impacts of higher education policy on the market. In the first chapter, I estimate the short-run elasticity of supply of higher education using the rollout of state merit grant programs as plausibly exogenous variation in student demand for in-state higher education. I find that public and private not-for-profit four-year institutions have elastic supply responses to these programs. Public institutions have an estimated elasticity of 2.1 and private institutions have an estimated elasticity of 1.34. I estimate the causal effects of marginally qualifying for and receiving the federal Pell Grant and the …

Improving Nutrition Screening Practice In The Hospitalized Heart Failure Patient Population, Amanda J. Bourgeois

DNP Projects

Background: Heart Failure is a disease known to affect nearly 6.5 million adults in the United States. Characterized by recurrent hospitalizations, heart failure significantly contributes to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in the United States and worldwide. Because malnutrition is prevalent in the heart failure population, healthcare providers must perform nutritional assessments on admission to intervene in the case of malnutrition, prevent deterioration, and improve patient prognosis. Without intervention and early identification of malnutrition, heart failure hospitalizations will remain a significant problem.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based educational program for cardiac …