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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Counterterrorism Efforts And Implications For International Humanitarian Law, Kunle Adebamiji Olulowo Jan 2018

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Counterterrorism Efforts And Implications For International Humanitarian Law, Kunle Adebamiji Olulowo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States increasingly has resorted to the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for targeted killings of terrorists as a counterterrorism strategy. More states and terrorist organizations also are acquiring UAVs and this development can lead to indiscriminate and unregulated use of UAVs. Previous researchers have indicated the surveillance ability and precise weapon delivery capacity of UAVs make them a weapon of choice for U.S. counterterrorism efforts. Although the U.S. government estimated the collateral damage involved in the use of UAVs at 3-5%, nongovernmental sources put it at 25-40%. A gap exists in the current literature regarding public perception …


Affordable Care Act And Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine Among Adolescent Females, Eunice Odaku Nnakwe Jan 2018

Affordable Care Act And Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine Among Adolescent Females, Eunice Odaku Nnakwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most frequent cause of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and cancers for U.S. adults. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, eliminated copay expenses for childhood immunizations and expanded access to health care. The purpose of this secondary data analysis study was to determine if there was an association between ACA and the usage of HPV vaccine among adolescent females in Georgia. Data concerning HPV vaccinations from 2011 to 2015 were obtained from the National Immunization Survey-Teen dataset. Andersen's BM of health care use was applied to ascertain the factors that enhanced the …


Substance Abuse And Mental Illness Among Youth In The United States, Emmanuel Xavier Okoro Jan 2018

Substance Abuse And Mental Illness Among Youth In The United States, Emmanuel Xavier Okoro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the trends showing a reduction in the use and abuse of drugs among American adolescents, the prevalence rates remain high. There is also comorbidity of mental illnesses among the adolescents using drugs. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and nature of the association between the use and abuse of marijuana and alcohol and mental illnesses among the American adolescent population. The noted comorbidities and the hypothesized association between the substance abuse and mental illnesses were explained using the expectancy theory. Using a quantitative research methodology, secondary data from the National Survey on Drug Use and …


Relative Effectiveness Of Nutritional And Physical Programs On Young, Rural, Impoverished Students, Dora Ida Justice Jan 2018

Relative Effectiveness Of Nutritional And Physical Programs On Young, Rural, Impoverished Students, Dora Ida Justice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past several decades, childhood obesity has continued to rank as an epidemic, particularly in rural, impoverished areas in the United States. Therefore, researchers have affirmed the necessity of exploring solutions to the epidemic, including the need to develop and implement programs that target at-risk behaviors of childhood obesity. In this quantitative, quasi-experimental study, the focus was to determine whether public school-based programs teaching nutrition, physical education, and dietary choices could increase the nutritional knowledge, physical activities, and dietary behaviors of students attending second and third grade in rural, impoverished communities of West Virginia. The theories that served as …


Dispositional Optimism Effects On Stress And Police Task Performance, Roland Art Perez Jan 2018

Dispositional Optimism Effects On Stress And Police Task Performance, Roland Art Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study of stress on police task performance is important as this relationship can positively or negatively impact encounters with the public. This study focused on protective factors of positive psychology within the measured construct of dispositional optimism as a possible mediator of stress effects on physical task performance. The cognitive processing models used were the performance efficiency theory and attentional control theory as they apply in perceptual motor skill. Using a mediation model, the research question asked whether dispositional optimism mediated the relationship between stress and a pistol performance accuracy task. This study used a limited data set collected …


Portuguese-American Parents' Knowledge Of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Debbie Shrimatie Persaud Jan 2018

Portuguese-American Parents' Knowledge Of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Debbie Shrimatie Persaud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, there is an interethnic research gap that exists regarding Portuguese-American parents' knowledge of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to explore Portuguese-American parents' knowledge of the symptoms and diagnosis of ADHD, how they think it impacts their children's education, learning, behaviors, and what interventions they use to address the behavioral issues and learning disabilities that result from ADHD. Guided by family systems theory, with the premise that children are an integral part of the family and cannot be understood in isolation from the family, this qualitative, phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews …


How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson Jan 2018

How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social identity theory (SIT) is a robust theory that explains in-group versus out-group behaviors. Two qualities of one's social identity include emotional connection and social connection with others, which someone who is experiencing loneliness tends to lack in their current situation. This dissertation explored whether when one's social identity becomes salient it results in a lower evaluation of one's current state of loneliness. An experiment was conducted in which college student participants, who were 18 years of age or older and currently enrolled in college courses, were randomly assigned to a social identity saliency group (college student) or 1 of …


Effective Management Communication Strategies, Dr. Cad W. Shannon Jan 2018

Effective Management Communication Strategies, Dr. Cad W. Shannon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managing employee engagement is critical to the success of an organization, but 85% of managers struggle with engaging employees. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore effective communication strategies within an organization and determine how managers used these strategies to increase employee engagement, productivity, and organizational effectiveness. Data were collected from organizational documents, observations, and semistructured interviews with 6 managers of a corporation located in the midwestern United States. All participants were working full-time for at least 3 years, had a managerial title, and were responsible for departmental communication. Moustakas's modified van Kaam method was used for data …


Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus Jan 2018

Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health counselors who counsel adolescents suffering from substance abuse and obesity issues have successfully used motivational interviewing with their clients; however there is little data that has explored motivational interviewing when it has been used to address academic concerns in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of school counselors who have used motivational interviewing to improve student academic performance. This heuristic phenomenological qualitative study examined the perceptions and experiences of professional school counselors who had used motivational interviewing in their schools. Criterion sampling was used to recruit 9 middle and high schools counselors from …


Child Sexual Abuse And Prenatal Care: Understanding Screening, Modifications, And Proper Care, Wendy Abbott-Egnor Jan 2018

Child Sexual Abuse And Prenatal Care: Understanding Screening, Modifications, And Proper Care, Wendy Abbott-Egnor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that 1 in 9 women in prenatal care have a history of childhood sexual abuse. Pregnant women with a history of childhood sexual abuse are at increased risk of depression, somatization, preterm contractions, posttraumatic stress symptomology, and re-traumatization. The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap in literature between research and practice. Data was collected from practitioners regarding the care and treatment of pregnant women with a childhood sexual abuse history. It was hypothesized that screening practices and modification to care and treatment based on practitioner knowledge of prior sex abuse history will vary by …


The Experiences And Perceptions Of African American Women Who Reside In Nursing Homes, Lakeisha De Lon Riley Jan 2018

The Experiences And Perceptions Of African American Women Who Reside In Nursing Homes, Lakeisha De Lon Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of African American women who reside in a nursing home and to understand African American women's decisions for admitting to the facility. Social Learning Theory was applied to answer the question of how African American women's experiences and perceptions toward long-term care influence healthcare decisions and admission to a nursing home. Eleven participants interviewed in the study were at least 60 years old, admitted into the facility within the past two years and who had not previously resided in a nursing home. Yin's five step approach …


Victims' Perspectives Of Management's Interventional Efforts Regarding Relational Aggression In The Workplace, Don Simmons Jan 2018

Victims' Perspectives Of Management's Interventional Efforts Regarding Relational Aggression In The Workplace, Don Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relational aggression (RA) is a social phenomenon that can severely impact organizational profitability and employee productivity. A gap in the literature exists concerning appropriate interventions to manage RA. The purpose of this study was to explore successful interventions that have been used to manage RA. The theoretical framework was informed by psychological contract theory. Data were collected via semistructured face-to-face interviews with 12 victims, and then analyzed using data management, reading and memorization, description, classification, interpretation, and representation. NVivo software was used to organize the data in this study. The research consisted of 3 subquestions addressing the role of written …


Employee Retention Strategies In Trinidadian Small Enterprises, Alicia Singh Jan 2018

Employee Retention Strategies In Trinidadian Small Enterprises, Alicia Singh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders face obstacles stemming from the lack of employee retention. An ineffective retention strategy can result in the loss of employees and the loss of institutional knowledge. Lack of appropriate retention strategies can negatively impact the reputation of the organization and ultimately affect the financial standing of an organization. Grounded by Herzberg's 2-factor theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small retail business managers in Trinidad used to retain employees. I collected data through face-to-face semistructured interviews with 5 small business managers and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation, …


Thinking Perspective Profiles As A Predictor Of Intelligence Analysts' Job Performance., Curtis Rasmussen Jan 2018

Thinking Perspective Profiles As A Predictor Of Intelligence Analysts' Job Performance., Curtis Rasmussen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empirical research has supported the use of general cognitive ability to predict employee performance; however, studies have accounted for only a fraction of the variance. The current study addressed whether intellectual styles, which describe how individuals habitually acquire and use information, account for a significant portion of the variance in job performance not covered by general cognitive ability. The study followed a quantitative, nonexperimental design with a convenience sample of 77 intelligence analysts from 6 U.S. government agencies and 2 online professional groups. MindTime provided the primary theoretical framework. The International Cognitive Ability Resource, MindTime Profile InventoryTM, and Self-Rated Analytic …


Differential Treatment Outcome Factors For Custodial And Noncustodial Mental Health Care Programs, Sheila Fay Waters Jan 2018

Differential Treatment Outcome Factors For Custodial And Noncustodial Mental Health Care Programs, Sheila Fay Waters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have suggested that jails and prisons in the United States are becoming the new mental health clinics, contributing to the phenomenon of mass incarceration and costing upwards of $15 billion per year in public revenue. The problem is no conclusive evidence exists that treatment in these custodial environments is more effective than that provided by noncustodial programs; especially for substance users. Additionally, the continuing incarceration of people with mental health problems by the hundreds of thousands poses a difficult ethical dilemma regarding why this population does not receive noncustodial or hospital treatment instead. The study addressed the research question …


Predictive Relationships Between Cultural Coping Strategies, Intimate Partner Violence, And Depression In African American Women, Tiffany Wiggins Jan 2018

Predictive Relationships Between Cultural Coping Strategies, Intimate Partner Violence, And Depression In African American Women, Tiffany Wiggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women has been linked to long-term, negative health consequences such as depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. There is a growing perception that African American women are the most affected by IPV, but the current literature does not confirm this perception. The purpose of this nonexperimental, correlational study was to examine the predictive relationships between the independent variables (spiritual coping, religious coping, and levels of IPV) and the dependent variable (level of depression). The ecological systems theory provided the framework for the study. The research question addressed how well variables such as religious coping, spiritual coping, …


Crisis Intervention Team Training Among Cit-Trained Police Officers, Monique Allen Jan 2018

Crisis Intervention Team Training Among Cit-Trained Police Officers, Monique Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this phenomenological study was the lack of documentation that supported the lived experiences of crisis intervention team (CIT) trained police officers related to their encounters with persons with mental illnesses (PwMI). The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of officers among CIT-trained police officers to address the problem. Using the Giles's communication accommodation theory and Rogers's protection motivation theory (PMT), the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of CIT-trained police officers of PwMI during CIT encounters. Rogers's PMT was aligned closest with the teachings of CIT training as described …


Effects Of Occupational Stress On Decision-Making Style In Law Enforcement Officers, Christine M. Crippen Jan 2018

Effects Of Occupational Stress On Decision-Making Style In Law Enforcement Officers, Christine M. Crippen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers deal with a variety of stresses from different sources. Organizational stresses have the most effect on police officers, often more than stressful critical incidents. Previous research has indicated that over time, the mundane organizational and operational stresses of the job can result in a variety of effects from psychological to physiological, and this stress can impact police performance and public safety. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding the impact of stress on the decision-making style of police officers. Police officers often make split-second decisions that can affect their life, the public, and other …


The Lived Experiences Of Counselors Working With Youth With Problem Sexual Behaviors, Beverly Crump Jan 2018

The Lived Experiences Of Counselors Working With Youth With Problem Sexual Behaviors, Beverly Crump

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth, between the ages of 12 and 17, account for the majority of sexual assaults in the United States. Counselors who work with youth with problem sexual behaviors need to have appropriate clinical skills to the degree to which clinical services increase the probability of effective results and are consistent with current professional knowledge. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of counselors who work with youth with problem sexual behaviors. A purposeful sample of 8 licensed professional clinical counselors employed at a mental health agency in one city in Ohio shared their experiences …


Reunification Rates Of Mothers With Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, And Co-Occurring Disorders, Beth Coke Jan 2018

Reunification Rates Of Mothers With Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, And Co-Occurring Disorders, Beth Coke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness is a problem that affects many people; however, little to almost no research relates to mental illness and reunification rates for mothers who have had their children removed from them by the child welfare system. The purpose in this study was to assess and compare reunification rates between mothers with mental illness, those with substance abuse, and those with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness. The conceptual framework for this study was the use of the structured decision making (SDM) assessment tool in child welfare. The research questions addressed the differences in reunification rates among mothers with mental …


Individual Ability To Learn A Parallel Processing Technique And Musical Aptitude., Daniel Warren Emmett Jan 2018

Individual Ability To Learn A Parallel Processing Technique And Musical Aptitude., Daniel Warren Emmett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correlations between music training and psychosocial skills, sensory abilities, and aspects of intelligence, are sorted into primary or secondary effects. Correlations between these areas of human development and music training lack support pertaining to the underlying cognitive networks that these processes rely on. Thus, this study was based on the work of Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory, and implemented a test of parallel processing (Articulatory Suppression Task, AST), which measures proficiency of working memory systems. Individual differences therein, were compared with music aptitude. Participants were gathered throughout urban and rural regions of the state of Oregon. Half the …


Predictors Of Binge Drinking In High School Youths In Montgomery County, Maryland, Lum M. Fube Jan 2018

Predictors Of Binge Drinking In High School Youths In Montgomery County, Maryland, Lum M. Fube

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Underage drinking is a major problem in the United States, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. About 43,000 deaths a year result from binge drinking in youths at a cost of $24 billion in 2010 to the U.S. economy. The purpose of this quantitative dissertation was to examine the predictors of binge drinking in high school youths in a highly racial diverse community of Montgomery County, Maryland. The social ecological model was the theoretical framework used for this study due to the presence of both personal and contextual factors that influence behavior. Using binary logistic regression to analyze data from …


Opportunity And Sex Offending By International Peacekeepers In The Central African Republic, Musa Yerro Gassama Jan 2018

Opportunity And Sex Offending By International Peacekeepers In The Central African Republic, Musa Yerro Gassama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite their peacekeeping role in the management of internal armed conflicts, some military peacekeepers have sexually exploited local populations in host countries, resulting in dire social and health consequences and threats to the success of international peace operations. Although researchers have examined sexual violence committed by peacekeepers, few researchers, if any, have used routine activities theory to examine sex offending by peacekeepers. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which situational opportunities influenced international military peacekeepers' engagement in the sexual exploitation of civilians in the Central African Republic, a peacekeeping host country. Data were collected from …


Changes In Beliefs About Aggression In Baton Rouge Youth Peace Olympics Participants, Shonta Manuel Jan 2018

Changes In Beliefs About Aggression In Baton Rouge Youth Peace Olympics Participants, Shonta Manuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth violence in the Baton Rouge inner-city area continues to create heightened concerns for the communities as well as the financial and healthcare systems. Even though violence prevention programs are in place in the area, no decline has been recorded in those who are being affected by violence. Due to lack of research in this field, a need for a sound research study exists to understand how Youth Peace Olympics (YPO) community-based program may be related to changes in attitudes about aggression and violence. A correlational cross-sectional research design was used to evaluate participants' beliefs about aggression, measured using the …


Greek Primary Educators' Perceptions Of Strategies For Mitigating Cyber Child Exploitation, Aikaterini Fragkou Jan 2018

Greek Primary Educators' Perceptions Of Strategies For Mitigating Cyber Child Exploitation, Aikaterini Fragkou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cyber child exploitation is a problem in Greece due to the economic crisis and the resulting lack of government focus on social improvements. Research reveals the importance of educating school teachers of the potential for cyber exploitation of children and argues that early detection of child-focused cybercrimes will decrease the prevalence of child exploitation. The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to explore the phenomenon of cyber child exploitation in Greece and to identify strategies teachers may employ to identify and avert cyber child exploitation. Grounded theory provided the framework for this research. The sample consisted of 20 school …


The Role Of Social Media In Millennial Voting And Voter Registration, Elesia Glover Jan 2018

The Role Of Social Media In Millennial Voting And Voter Registration, Elesia Glover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The millennial generation has become the largest generation in the United States. Yet as more members of this generation reach voting age, their propensity to vote remains stagnant. For instance, in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, less than 50% of eligible millennials voted, in comparison to the 69% of baby boomers and 63% of Generation X. Voting is a civic duty essential to a successful democracy; therefore, it is imperative to find solutions to increase millennial political engagement. As millennials represent the largest proportion of users of social media, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships …


Experiences Of Current Or Former Homeschool Students Who Report Adhd Symptoms, Melissa Felkins Jan 2018

Experiences Of Current Or Former Homeschool Students Who Report Adhd Symptoms, Melissa Felkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeschooling is currently the fastest-growing educational population in the United States with an estimated 2 million students. Because 11% of school children have been diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there are likely to be many children with ADHD symptoms in the homeschooling population. The purpose of this study was to extend knowledge of the experiences of homeschooling in this population to assist students with ADHD as well as their parents and educators to make informed educational decisions. The multiple intelligences theory provided the theoretical framework for this phenomenological study. The key research question was focused on how current or …


Medication Reconciliation In Primary Care Setting, Lawrence James-Osondu Jan 2018

Medication Reconciliation In Primary Care Setting, Lawrence James-Osondu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Polypharmacy entails the use of multiple drugs taken at the same time to manage the various comorbidities common among elderly patients. Polypharmacy is associated with increased health care spending due to drug duplication, adverse drug events, and medication noncompliance. Medication reconciliation has been shown to reduce the problems seen with polypharmacy. The purpose of this project was to review published evidence to develop a staff education program on medication reconciliation in a primary care setting and determine the efficacy of the program in relation to staff confidence and knowledge levels concerning medication reconciliation. The project was guided by Nola Pender's …


The Impact Of Authentic Leadership Development On Safety Climate Change, Victoria Hoyt Jan 2018

The Impact Of Authentic Leadership Development On Safety Climate Change, Victoria Hoyt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tragic, life-changing, and fatal incidents are a reality on large-scale, civil construction projects. Despite a decline following the enforcement of the 1971 Occupational Safety and Health Act, serious and fatal incidents on heavy construction projects remain higher than that of the active military and have not declined in any notable way in the past decade. Industrial-organizational literature suggested a lack of applied testing for the well-developed theory of authentic leadership (AL) to impact safety outcomes. This quasi-experiment combined the constructs of authentic leadership with safety climate perception as quantifiable measurement of potential safety outcomes in the workplace. The research question …


The Policy Of Decentralization In The Mano River Region, Naigow Kuyon Jan 2018

The Policy Of Decentralization In The Mano River Region, Naigow Kuyon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decentralization policy is advanced in many regions as a collaborative approach to regional stability, economic and political development, and poverty reduction. However, there is not a valid decentralization policy in the Mano River Region (MRR) countries of West Africa despite the presence of multinational institutions and United Nations Peacekeeping forces. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological case study was to use the sequential theory of decentralization to investigate why peace and stability in the MRR are still fragile. The primary research question concerned how the policy of decentralization implementation in MRR can significantly contribute to regional stability, enhance economic development, …