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Reclaiming Healing Spaces: A Phenomenological Study On The Transformative Power Of Outdoor Therapy From The Lived Experiences Of Black Clinicians Working With Black Clients, Lynn Murphy

Dissertations

This phenomenological study involved assessing the experiences of Black therapists who engaged Black clients in outdoor therapeutic contexts. The study was founded on the existing literature that shows the quality of the therapeutic relationship is pivotal for client retention and the Western standards that have historically favored treatment within indoor environments. To contextualize this research, a comprehensive literature review was commenced, covering topics such as the decolonization of therapy, the historical and present-day relationship between Blacks and the outdoors in the United States, sedentary lifestyles, the psychological benefits of time spent in nature, various types of outdoor therapy, and the …

The Psychological Risks Of War Between The United States And China, Eugen Koh

New England Journal of Public Policy

The relationship between the United States and China has deteriorated over the past two decades and fears of escalating risks of war are regularly reported in global media. This article explores the psychological factors that contribute to the two superpowers shifting from a collaborative relationship to a competitive relationship, seeing each other as enemies, feeling increasingly threatened by each other, failing to consider the heightened sensitivities that arise from their respective traumatic pasts, triggering the collapse of thinking and unleashing of uncontainable emotionality, escalating accidents to conflict, and escalating conflict to war. It highlights the dangers of ignoring heightened trauma-related …

Making Sentencing Meaningful: How Victims Find Justice In The Sentencing Process, Melissa Handford

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This article examines the role of victims in the criminal justice system, and how victims find justice through the sentencing process. It examines the role that providing a victim impact statement, receiving information about typical sentencing practices, and restorative or traditional sentencing play in how victims perceive justice in sentencing. Quantitative analyses were conducted analyzing the aforementioned variables and their relationship to participant perceptions of sentence effectiveness, anger, sentence harshness, and happiness, as well as their propensity to obedience. Qualitative analyses were conducted to better understand the reasoning behind victim perceptions and preferences in relation to restorative and traditional sentencing …

A Journey To A Black Woman’S (Read Black Girl’S) Joy And Her Story Of Coming Home, Brittany Lauren Brock

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This is an auto/ethnography about the self-actualizing journey of reclaiming storytelling as my native tongue and my journey to joy. Throughout, using my story and the stories of so many others, I not only lay out the wounds (the pain, the loss, then the hope that comes) within the academy and outside in the world but I also use storytelling as a tool of healing—my tool of healing—to show how I wrote myself free.

When Black women (read Black girls) go through The Reckoning (the moment we realize something isn’t right with how we are perceived by others) …

From The Editor In Chief, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Summer 2024 issue of Parameters. We open this issue with a special “In Memoriam” by General Charles A. Flynn, Commander US Army Pacific, honoring the life and legacies of our director and consummate colleague, Carol V. Evans. We dedicate this issue to her. General Flynn’s memoriam is followed by an In Focus commentary on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. We then feature three forums covering the Russia-Ukraine War, the Middle East, and Professional Development. This issue also contains special essays on the role of professional writing, the US Army War College’s Civil-Military Relations Center, …

The Combat Path: Sustaining Mental Readiness In Ukrainian Soldiers, Oleh Hukovskyy, James C. West, Joshua C. Morganstein, Eugene F. Augusterfer, David M. Benedek, Oleg Boyko, Robert J. Ursano, Amy B. Adler

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

In Ukraine, soldiers’ psychological resilience is of paramount concern. Therefore, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have developed a new intervention, Combat Path Debriefing, designed to address combat stress and promote unit readiness for soldiers returning to combat. This article outlines the components of Combat Path Debriefing and discusses how it is rooted in principles of combat and operational stress control and the unique characteristics of Ukrainian military life. This perspective offers US and allied leaders real-world experience that can inform future efforts to support soldiers’ mental health and combat performance.

Consciousness And The Reality Of Monsters In Horror Movies: Dehumanization And What Monsters In Horror Films Say About Us

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This essay responds to Carroll’s The Nature of Horror from the perspective of transdisciplinary phenomenological film theory, largely developed by Edgar Morin in the 1950s. It argues that Carrolls’s reduction of the phenomenological value of horror films to an unreal category minimizes and even dismisses the inherent value of horror films. Morin, Allan Combs, and others offer more integral and transdisciplinary methods for art interpretation and functionality. They help us understand how monsters in horror films can stand as mirrors and reflections of the monstrous in ourselves and society. Thus, the transformational function and value of film is revealed and …

Medical Trauma In Pediatric And Adult Patients With Crohn's And Ulcerative Colitis, Catherine Raupe

Senior Theses and Projects

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a term that is used to classify Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. It is abundantly clear from past literature that hospitalizations and surgery can lead to PTSD (Taft et al., 2019). However, past research has not examined the impact that smaller procedures, such as infusions, can have on an individual’s mental health. Patients at Connecticut Children’s Infusion Center were recruited during their infusion appointments. After obtaining consent, patients completed questionnaires measuring their felt stigma and concealment, PTSD, and depression and anxiety symptoms. The research team completed medical chart reviews to identify the types of medications participants …

All In The Image: Nightmares, Posttraumatic Stress, And Expressive Therapy: Critical Literature Review, Emma Geller

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper reviews the therapeutic potential of combining expressive therapy approaches with dreamwork protocol in treating recurrent nightmares seen in populations with PTSD. The intersection between the dreaming state, nightmares, dreamwork, and trauma can provide important insights into the purpose of dreaming, subconscious processing of trauma, and effective treatments for individuals struggling with nightmares. Clinical implications of dreamwork are considered in working with posttraumatic stress disorder along with this condition’s connection to recurrent nightmares. In working with trauma and the arts at a sensory and affective level of experience, there is potential for individuals to explore and process their recurrent …

Teacher Voices: Stress And Coping Mechanisms Among The Teaching Profession, Jasmine Suttles

Education | Master's Theses

Stress is a natural response that occurs in our body when we feel overwhelmed, and it can manifest in both positive and negative instances. The teaching profession is not exempt from this phenomenon, as it is unique in that educators have multiple roles to play and have to manage and interact with many students simultaneously. Teachers have been described as "exasperated by heavy loads of emotional labor in the classroom" (Ferguson et al., 2022). This "heavy load" can place the teaching profession at risk of stress and burnout if self-care is not addressed or mental health resources are not offered. …

The Power Of Words: Unpacking Language's Role In Educational Inequities, Zara Yokohama, Liz Beccari, Malcolm Jasmin

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

The language used to describe racial disparities in education may inadvertently influence how we address them. Framing such disparities as “achievement gap” rather than as “inequality in educational outcomes” assumes a deficit thinking mindset, shifting focus from the structural injustices contributing to education disparities to individuals, resulting in decreased prioritization of racial equity (Quinn & Desruisseaux, 2022). We aim to replicate this prioritization effect, specify the language driving the effect, and examine the impact of frames on perceptions of how to achieve racial equity. Participants were randomly assigned to conditions framing racial equity concerns as: a racial achievement gap, racial …

Exploring Attrition And Linguistic Shifts: The Impact Of Covid-19 And Anti-Asian Discrimination On The East And Southeast Asian Diaspora, Sam Mutschler-Aldine, Amy Wan-Ling Lin, Natalie Robison, Milntra Raksachat, Carolyn Quam

Student Research Symposium

This study investigates language and identity among speakers of East Asian and Southeast Asian languages in the United States, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent rise in anti-Asian hate. We adopt a mixed-methods approach guided by three research questions exploring: (1) changes in language use since pandemic onset, (2) changes in perspectives on language identity since pandemic onset, and (3) effects of geopolitical climate, specifically the rise in anti-Asian hate, on language use and perspectives on language identity. Qualitative methodologies allowed us to capture a diverse range of language experiences. Many (but not all) participants indicated …

Online Or In-Person: What Mode Of Conversation Makes People Feel The Most Socially Connected?, Nathan P. Gheorghita, Cynthia D. Mohr, Maryann Samson, Sheila Mccabe, Julia Lynch

Student Research Symposium

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been spending significantly more time online. Today, people spend an average of 6 hours and 58 minutes online every day, and much of this time is spent socializing via various platforms. Many studies have examined the benefits and risks of socializing online, but few studies have examined online conversations specifically. In this study I aim to uncover the differences in perceived social connection based on the medium of conversation. To do this, I will administer the Connectedness During Conversations Scale (CDCS) to a sample of Portland State University students (N=80). The …

Work And Psychological Recovery Experiences Of Asian American And Pacific Island Workers In Higher Education, Christine M. Beceril

Student Research Symposium

Individuals from Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) backgrounds constitute the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. job market - comprising 6.7% of the U.S. population and expected to reach 15% by 2065 (United States Census Bureau, 2022). Despite their rapid growth, there has been a scarcity of literature in industrial-organizational psychology, with limited research on how AAPI workers engage in psychological recovery after work. This is a critical, yet unexplored area as previous research on psychological recovery from work has been investigated with homogenous White samples. Additionally, AAPI workers play integral roles in the U.S. higher …

Urban Harmony: Exploring The Interplay Of New Urbanism Qualities On Economic Prosperity And Psychological Wellbeing In Contemporary Cities, Crew T. Borgeson

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects

Now that most people live in urban places, answering which urbanism best provides citizen well-being becomes increasingly important. After nearly a century of suburban development, the significant drawbacks of urban sprawl are widely documented, namely the unsustainability and social impacts they incur. Many American cities, however, continue to chiefly expand in this way. What if cities were to make decisions not based on the status quo of today’s building codes but instead drew inspiration from great historical cities, applying their lessons to the unique challenges of the 21st century?

The New Urbanism movement aims to identify and incorporate the elements …

An Analysis Of Child Valence Bias Trajectories As A Result Of Parental Factors: A Longitudinal Perspective, Kaylee Brooke Donner

Honors Theses

Valence bias is an important part of how individuals perceive the world around them, and this is especially influential in terms of children’s development. This study used data from longitudinal data collection surveys consisting of 197 participants, ages 6-17, to investigate correlations between valence bias, puberty, parental conflict, emotion regulation, temperament, interpersonal regulation, trait anxiety, and personality. This research provides much sought-after knowledge in terms of how parental factors impact children’s development, specifically children's valence bias development. Previous research has shown that emotion regulation in parents, along with different parenting styles with equal levels of discipline and loving support largely …

The Relationship Of Psychology And Music, Thomas Pulling

Honors Projects

This paper discusses the relationship between psychology and music, examining some of the foundational research in the field, and looks at some of the historical context surrounding the psychological study of music and of music theory. The goal of this project is to use my experience as a performing musician and psychology student to emphasize the importance of furthering research into the psychology of music.

Art Mindfulness Initiative, Margaret Dunn

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

The Art Mindfulness Initiative was a student-led 4 week workshop focusing on providing other students with affordable ways to use art to destress, center oneself, and take a break from the hecticness of life. Each week, students gathered to learn about psychology and mental health from the NAMI and Psych Club then learned a new craft from art students. At the end of the workshop, everyone’s work was put together to make a conjoined piece to be displayed in the April Art Walk.

Equality In Times Of Uncertainty: Economic Downturn And Body Image Messaging Toward Women, Ritsa Giannakas

Honors Theses

A vast body of literature indicates that the economy and the status of women are interlinked, with higher levels of economic well-being tending to correspond with advancements in women’s rights. However, little of this research has investigated the changes in the wellbeing of women as it pertains to their physical and mental health, especially as it pertains to exploring the impacts of economics on eating disorder rates and societal messaging toward women. This thesis investigates a novel theory linking economic uncertainty and downturn to the spread of pro-eating disorder content online, positing that economic uncertainty may coincide with a “conservative …

Experiential-Based Research Depicting Humanistic Survival After Violent Victimization & Traumatization Exploring Human Resilience, Spirituality, Meditation & Expressive Writing, Sabrina Harris

Dissertations

Unattended trauma-induced stressors resulting from incidents of violent victimization can escalate into mental health challenges, including trauma-related and substance-abuse disorders, which most often co-occur in a debilitating manner. Therefore, it is essential to conduct ongoing exploratory research on cognitive-based approaches (e.g., spirituality), psychological adaptations (e.g., human resilience), and trauma-informed approaches (e.g., meditation, expressive writing), which serve to reduce or offset the adverse impact of trauma.

Twelve women who experienced victimization and traumatization but did not seek professional mental-health intervention were interviewed; six had been abused as children and eight as adults. Some did not contact or follow through with reports …

Music As A Coping Mechanism: Clinical Implications Of How College Students Utilize Music To Cope With Anxiety, Depression, And Daily Stressors, Karly Pikel

Senior Theses

Many college students face stress, anxiety, and/or depression in their daily lives which they cope with in their own ways. Listening to music or playing an instrument are particularly powerful forms of coping that can have a plethora of positive effects on an individual. The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey amongst the University of South Carolina student body to determine how they utilize music to cope in their daily lives. Of 847 respondents, almost all of them reported experiencing some extent of anxiety and/or stress and listening to music to help them cope. Respondents agreed that …

Focus Group And Survey Responses To Postural Feedback During Creative Movement Exploration, Mary C. Matthews

Senior Theses

John H. Riskind’s “appropriateness hypothesis” states that posture, positions, and gestures can be emotionally self-regulating if an individual holds a posture that is appropriate for its context. A litany of studies on power posing suggests expansive postures could increase Feelings of Power. One meta-analytic review demonstrates the “robust” significance for evidence of “power feelings, emotion, or self-esteem” due to postural feedback while cautioning researchers on the empirical invalidity of evidence for behavioral and physiological variables. A qualitative description of individuals’ experiences as they change posture, gesture, and position would direct future research on postural feedback. The current project qualitatively examines …

Exploring The Interrelationship Between Anxiety, Academic Apathy, And Avoidance In Community College Students, Katey R. Leverson

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate aspects of mental health and the approaches students take when coping with stress. Specifically, this study sought to understand the interrelationship between anxiety levels, feelings of academic apathy, and the use of avoidance coping strategies. Students from seven public, two-year colleges within a Midwest college and university system served as this study’s sample. Data collection took the form of a non-experimental self-report structure and included the use of three empirically established and valid measures: The Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Bresso’s Academic Burnout Questionnaire, and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). …

Demographic Differences In Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire And The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, Victoria Carter, Janett Naylor-Tincknell

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Empathy and social masking are traits related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social masking, the act of camouflaging socially to appear closer to the social norm, is often utilized to conceal autistic traits, such that individuals with ASD mask more frequently than neurotypical individuals (Hull et al., 2017). However, neurotypical adults also use masking and camouflaging behaviors in routine social interactions, including actively attempting to mirror others’ moods, reflecting vocabulary and syntax, or matching facial expressions to respond appropriately (Pryke-Hobbes et al. 2023). Additionally, empathy is related to ASD traits; although, the findings are often mixed. Originally, it was thought …

Psychology Of Altruism: A Phenomenological Study Of Christian Leaders, Joshua G. Belk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Altruism is fundamentally a part of Christianity, but this phenomenon has never been researched from the perspective of Christian leaders. More than simple kindness or generosity, altruism can be defined as actions and behaviors which place a person’s own interests subordinate to another’s. This qualitative study interviews 31 Christian leaders to establish an understanding of what altruism is in the context of Christian faith. The study found that Christian leaders’ experiences with altruism redefines what was previously known about the phenomenon and its role in our lives. Examining the Christian rationale of altruism provides a richer conception of altruism and …

Military Veteran Career Transition Coaching Experiences: Navigating The Shift From Military Service To Civilian Employment, Miguel A. Ingle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Shifting from a structured military culture is regarded as a critical juncture in the lives of military veterans. Veterans face career adaptation, identity conflict, and social integration challenges separating from the military, yet current military transition programs fail to address these challenges. Research on veterans’ transition has overlooked how career transition coaching benefits veterans’ reintegration into civilian careers, leaving a gap in understanding veterans’ challenges and successes with career transition coaching. Addressing veterans’ transition challenges is crucial for developing programs that facilitate their successful integration into civilian careers. This multiple-case qualitative study employed interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to address this …

Gender Bias In Natural Gender Language And Grammatical Gender Language Within Children's Literature, Kaleigh Marie White Smolinski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been much research on the connection between language and gender bias but there is little comparing natural gender language, grammatical gender language, and gender bias. This research is important because it can offer an understanding of gender bias and how these biases are reinforced in different languages. The purpose of this study is to understand how gender biases are represented in children’s literature in different languages. The research questions how gender biases are found in both natural gender and grammatical gender languages within children’s literature. Then questions if there are any differences in these biases. This study compared …

Fake News And Social Media: The Impact Of Emotional Lexicon On Interactive Behaviors, Charles Bishop Montjoy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As issues with fake news continue to increase, so does the need to understand better the motivation for interacting with these types of articles. Social media has become a primary source for finding news. Individuals within social media have the option to share, like, and comment on new articles. Interventions such as fake checkers, rater comments, and other types of warnings have been proven helpful in slowing the believability and interactive behaviors of fake news articles on social media sites. This qualitative, phenomenological study interviewed five participants to gain insight into how individuals experience the negative emotional lexicon within fake …

Ciis Dissertation Abstracts, 2022-2023, California Institute Of Integral Studies

CIIS Dissertation Abstracts

This compilation of dissertation abstracts reflects the exciting research completed by the 2022-2023 graduates from PhD programs in the School of Consciousness and Transformation and the Clinical Psychology Doctorate (PsyD) in the School of Professional Psychology and Health at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).

The original and impactful doctoral research presented here spans diverse areas of scholarship from anthropology and social change to human sexuality, philosophy and religion, and whole person approaches to psychology, demonstrating the breadth and depth of transformative and integral inquiry happening at CIIS. The transdisciplinary nature of these dissertations reflects the richness and complexity …

Psychopathy & Perceptions Of Control, Amy Kenny

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Psychopathy is a complex personality disorder characterized by egocentricity, antisocial tendencies, and emotionally insensitive behavior. One trait of psychopathy is a grandiose sense of self-worth, related to positive self-regard and egocentricity. A few studies have shown relationships between psychopathy traits and self-report measures of locus of control. However, less is known about how psychopathy traits, including grandiose self-worth, relate to perceptions of control in the moment using computer-based tasks. This study explored the correlation between psychopathy traits and perceptions of control in undergraduate students. We hypothesized that: (1) overall psychopathy scores would negatively correlate with perceptions of control, and (2) …