Digital Commons Network^™

Coping Among Advocates With And Without Lived Experience Of Sexual Assault, Martina Mihelicova

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Volunteer sexual assault survivor advocates are vital to the provision of services by rape crisis centers. Volunteer advocates are exposed to trauma by witnessing the emotional and psychological impact of sexual assault on survivors. Trauma exposure places providers at risk for experiencing negative outcomes, such as vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress. Additionally, advocates who are survivors of sexual assault may be at higher risk for these negative outcomes. However, trauma exposure can also be a source of positive outcomes, such as posttraumatic growth. Focusing on advocate strengths, such as coping and self-care strategies that help advocates overcome distress during …

Effects Of Pedagogical Agent Design On Training Evaluation Measures: A Meta-Analysis, Timothy J. Quesnell

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Pedagogical agents are, "conversational virtual characters employed in electronic learning environments to serve various instructional functions" (Veletsianos & Miller, 2008). They can take a variety of forms, and have been designed to serve various instructional roles, such as mentors, experts, motivators, and others. Given the increased availability and sophistication of technology in recent decades, these agents have become increasingly common as facilitators to training in educational settings, private institutions, and the military. Software to aid in the creation of pedagogical agents is widely available. Additionally, software use and agent creation often requires little formal training, affording nearly anyone the opportunity …

Individual And Contextual Factors And The Efficacy Of An Experiential Sexism Intervention, Samantha M. Smith

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a sexism-focused diversity training program. More specifically, this study examined the direct and indirect relationships between individual characteristics (i.e., gender, self-efficacy, and reactance), contextual factors (i.e., organizational diversity climate) and diversity training outcomes and training transfer. To test hypotheses, graduate and undergraduate students participated in a two-stage study (baseline and intervention stages), with the intervention consisting of a 90-minute sexism-focused diversity training workshop. Data from one hundred and forty participants were retained for regression analyses. Results suggest the workshop was generally effective at reducing endorsement of sexist attitudes, improving …

The Longitudinal Effects Of Violence Exposure On Delinquency And Academic Outcomes For African-American Youth, Adina Cooper

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

There are millions of violent crimes reported each year in communities across the United States, disproportionately affecting ethnic minority and low-income communities. Violence exposure has harmful effects on residents and significant implications for adolescent development. Youth who are exposed to violence are at greater risk for problem behaviors and experiences, including delinquency and low academic performance (Baskin & Sommers, 2014; Patton, Wooley, & Hong, 2012). Many of the consequences of violence exposure impact trajectories of adolescent development and can be observed well into adulthood. However, some youth overcome the challenges associated with violence exposure and successfully transition into adulthood. Resilience …

The Impact Of Social Norms On Bystander Behaviors To Prevent Campus Sexual Violence, Kelly Collins

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

High incidence rates of sexual violence (SV) on college campuses and the limited effectiveness of traditional prevention programs has created a need for innovative prevention programing. In recent decades, bystander intervention approaches that target broader campus community norms have gained popularity. These programs aim to prevent SV by equipping student bystanders with the skills to intervene before, during, and after instances with the risk of SV. Student bystanders’ ability to effectively intervene hinges on their ability to recognize SV risk situations as problematic and worthy of intervention. However, situational ambiguities and mixed social norms messages often create challenges to recognizing …

Inferring Character Emotions During Text Comprehension: A Divided Visual Field Study, Blaine Tomkins

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

During reading, individuals often need to activate mental representations of a character’s emotional state. Currently, little is known about how readers infer positive and negative character emotional states. Furthermore, the selective involvement of the two cerebral hemispheres in generating emotional inferences is unclear. In the current study, participants read texts that primed either a positive (Experiment 1) or negative (Experiment 2) emotion of a character in a text. Using a divided visual-field paradigm, participants performed a lexical decision task for target words congruent with the character’s emotional state, which were presented to either the left visual field-right hemisphere or right …

Examination Of Multidimensional Acculturation Theory And Acculturation Process On Latinas/Os In Communal Recovery Homes, Roberto Lopez Tamayo

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Disparities in access and utilization of substance abuse treatment (SAT) among Latinas/os, accentuated by the rapid growth of this population are creating a public health issue. Among those in need of SAT, only 7.7% receive treatment and nearly half of these individuals complete SAT or continue their recovery in a controlled environment. Additionally, Latinas/os who complete SAT reported their needs were not met in treatment. Although substance abuse literature has given more consideration to environmental factors and social support in relation to treatment outcomes, current substance abuse models fail to address important contextual and cultural aspects for Latinas/os in recovery. …

The Impact Of Values As Heuristics On Social Cognition, Lauren James

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Stereotypes, and other forms of heuristics, are used in our everyday lives to assist our brains absorb information. An argument is made here to show that values can act as a form of heuristics and affect implicit attitudes. Drawing on research regarding implicit attitudes, heuristics, and values, we believe that values, such as equality, can act as a heuristic and consequently alter implicit attitudes on race. In this experiment, participants were primed with equality, intuition, or a stereotype inhibition prompt and ran through the affect misattribution procedure (AMP). Contrary to the hypothesized expectation, the results showed that participants in the …

Maternal Trauma Experience On Infant Cortisol Reactivity At 12 Months, Michelle Anne Gilchrist

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health concern in the United States (US). One third of women in the US have experienced rape, physical assault or stalking by a former or current partner (Black et al., 2011). Evidence suggests that women experience increased risk for IPV during the perinatal period and exposure to IPV during and after pregnancy increases risk for adverse physical and mental health outcomes for victims. The “fetal programming” hypothesis proposes that prenatal experiences are also particularly impactful for offspring development in the short and long term; prenatal poor nutrition and stress have been linked …

Proactive Workplace Bullying In Teams: Test Of A Rational And Moral Model Of Aggression, Anthony S. Colaneri

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This study tested part of a recently developed theoretical model of proactive workplace aggression put forth by Dixon, Chang, and Johnson (2015). The model postulates distinct motives underlying why perpetrators will morally justify their aggressive behavior, dependent upon the relative in/out-group status and relative hierarchical status of the target. Participants from Amazon’s MTurk community were shown one of four vignettes that described a team workplace scenario where the participant was presented with the choice to act aggressively toward a coworker in order to help facilitate the team’s goal. All four of the model’s dyadic perpetrator-target relationships were represented, but the …

The Lived Experience Of Recovery Home Residents: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Dina Chavira

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Substance use disorders have had an enormous impact on individuals, families, and communities in the United States. The societal cost of substance abuse in terms of health care, crime, and lost wages is over $700 billion annually. Despite advances in evidence-based treatments, the chronicity of substance use disorders underscores the need to explore and expand long-term aftercare options to prevent relapse after acute residential treatment. Oxford Houses offer an affordable alternative to more costly and limited forms of transitional housing. These self-sustaining, democratically-run recovery homes provide a safe and sober living environment with peer support and no professional staff. Provided …

Investigating Post-Exertional Malaise As A Core Symptom Of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Meta-Analytic Approach, Abigail A. Brown

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Efforts to establish a reliable and valid case definition for myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME and CFS) have been complicated by an over-reliance on clinical consensus, and inconsistent application of established case definitions by researchers across study sites. This has resulted in the absence of an empirically-based case definition for ME and CFS, as well as failed replication studies on potential diagnostic tests and biomarkers. One step toward an empirically-driven case definition is determining which symptoms best discriminate between patients with ME and CFS versus controls. Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is considered a cardinal symptom of ME and CFS …

Examining The Role Of Mentorship On Urban Youth: The Effect Of Locus Of Control On Academic Achievement, Stacy Alaina Stewart

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Positive academic effects of mentoring interventions have bee established, but little is known about how and why mentoring interventions are effective. Understanding the mechanisms or constructs that enable mentoring effects would allow researchers to better generalize these types of interventions across populations. This present study explored the construct, locus of control, and examined its effects on academic achievement in the context of mentorship. In the present study, 87 urban, low-income middle school youth participated in a randomized controlled trial intervention, entitled The Cities Mentor Project. Cities Mentor Project provides coping trainings, and access to mentors and community organizations, to further …

Stereotypes Of Saudi Women Among Saudi College Students, Ali Hadi Omair

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the nature of stereotypes regarding Saudi women in contemporary Saudi Arabia. Despite the extremely high levels of inequality between men and women that The Global Gender Gap has documented in Saudi Arabia (American Association of University Women, 2014), little is known about the actual perception of women within Saudi society. Several factors in Saudi Arabia’s history—including its pastoral herding economy, tendency toward frequent warfare, and polygamous family structure (Wagemakers et al., 2012)—link Saudi society with a tendency to encourage the formation of restrictive gender stereotypes that may be particularly harmful to women (Alesina et al., 2013; Nisbett …

An Examination Of Depression And Social Support Among African American Women In Substance Use Recovery, Jocelyn Rose Droege

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Depression is responsible for widespread functional impairment and disability in 16 million individuals across the United States, as well as societal costs that exceed $36 billion. There are numerous risk factors for depression, such as female gender, ethnic minority status, poverty, incarceration, and comorbid substance use disorders. Thus, low-income, criminal-justice-involved African American women in recovery from substance use problems represent a population that is particularly vulnerable to depression. Social support has been established as a protective factor against depression; however, the relationship between social support and depression has been understudied in such high-risk African American populations. The present study examined …

The Effects Of Perceived Danger, Fear Of Heterosexism, And Internalized Homonegativity On Public Displays Of Affection Among Gender And Sexual Minorities, John Patrick Brady

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Among the gender and sexual minority (GSM/GSMs plural) population, public displays of affection (PDA) “out” the participants to observers. Any minor display of affection - such as holding hands or comforting a partner - can lead to verbal harassment or physical assault. In addition to this perceived danger, GSM couples must take into account the possibility of less dangerous and direct forms of heterosexism, such as the denial of business services or poor response from authorities to discrimination. This fear of nonviolent prejudice and discrimination is referred to as a fear of heterosexism. Due to a negative view of their …

The Role Of Therapeutic Engagement, Oral Language Proficiency, And Core Learning Indicators On The Effects Of Therapy For Youth With Depression, Amanda E. Wagstaff

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Youth with depression, particularly ethnic minority youth, have low rates of engagement in mental health services, indicating a large need to better understand the role of engagement in effective treatments for depression (Merikangas et al., 2011). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the leading psychotherapeutic treatments available for youth with depression (Weisz, McCarty, & Valeri, 2006), but several questions still remain regarding why and in what circumstances this therapy is most appropriate. CBT posits that part of the positive treatment effects is accounted by learning certain cognitive and behavioral skills during and outside of session (i.e., through active homework …

Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) And Its Impact On Actions: Exploring Social Change Through College Students, Rachael Leigh Suffrin

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The present study has three goals. First, it validates a new Sensitivity to Employer Social Responsibility Scale, used to help understand how undergraduate students perceive their values related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) impact their prospective employment decisions. Second, this study examines whether students value working for a socially responsible employer and third, how (a) social justice experiences in college and/or (b) social justice attitudes and beliefs may predict how students perceive the impact their CSR values have on their prospective employment decisions. Results indicate that students who participated in the study overall positively endorsed a degree of sensitivity to …

Universal Teacher-Child Interaction Training: A Pilot Study Examining Coaching With Random Assignment, Alexandra Lauren Barnett

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Classrooms are in dire need of teacher support services and effective child behavior management, particularly in low-income urban areas (Campbell & Ewing, 1990; Fantuzzo & Mohr, 1999; Hamre & Pianta, 2004; Visser, Bitsko, Danielson, Perou, & Blumberg, 2010). Teacher-Child Interaction Training - Universal (TCIT-U) is a preventive, classroom-wide teacher training protocol that shows promise for strengthening teacher and child behavior (Budd, Garbacz, & Carter, 2016; Fernandez, Gold, Hirsch, & Miller, 2015b; Garbacz, Zychinski, Feuer, Carter, & Budd, 2014; Lyon, Budd, & Gershenson, 2009a). To date, this is the first pilot study with random assignment to investigate TCIT-U; further, it is …

Prevalence Of Indecision Among Japanese Adults: A Collectivist Lifestyle Concept?, Miki Nomura

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Procrastination behavior sabotages their future performance, damages other people's perception of the person, and much more personal, academic, work-related, financial, and health problems (Ferrari, 2010). One purpose of this study was investigating the prevalence of decisional procrastinators on decision-making among Japanese adults, as an example of collectivistic countries in Asia. A total data of 2,603 adults (1,047 men, 1,521 women) residing in Japan was used. Two hypotheses, 1) the prevalence rates of chronic decisional procrastination among Japanese people would be higher than that of people in individualistic countries, and 2) participants who leaned to the collectivism dimension on Individualism-Collectivism scales …

Initial Development Of A Team Viability Measure, Jessica Nicole Cooperstein

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Team effectiveness has been studied greatly in organizational research, and many factors have been identified that contribute to team success. However, given that numerous work teams today are long-term, ongoing entities, performance alone may not be the most appropriate measure. Many teams need to be highly adaptive to meet environmental demands (Tannenbaum, Mathieu, Salas, & Cohen, 2012). These teams go through several performance episodes, often managing several tasks simultaneously (Marks, Mathieu, & Zaccaro, 2001). Team viability as a construct may be useful in determining how well a team will perform on subsequent tasks. Viability assesses the team’s potential for future …

"It Just Weighs In The Back Of Your Mind”: Microaggressions In Science, Amy Anderson

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Despite significant increases in academic degrees earned in recent decades, underrepresentation in the sciences still remains for women, African-Americans, Latina/os, and Native Americans (National Science Foundation, 2015). According to social cognitive career theory, academic and career development is impacted by contextual factors, such as environmental barriers (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994). Among previously examined factors, discrimination has been shown to be a barrier for individuals throughout their science academic and career development (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2000). However, the impact of microaggressions, a subtler form of discrimination, requires further exploration for its potential influence on underrepresented groups in the sciences. …

The Experience Of Mental Health Practitioners With Computer Games Designed To Induce Empathy, Jordan Reed

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Though mental health care providers’ primary function is to facilitate improved outcomes for their clients, providers who have stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness can compromise therapeutic outcomes for those living with mental disorders. The therapeutic relationship is the component of care most closely tied to therapeutic outcomes, and this relationship is often jeopardized by provider stigma. Training and mid-career interventions to reduce stigma by enhancing provider empathy for persons with mental illness show varying levels of effectiveness and a majority of these use lecture based instruction. Interventions that engage mental health providers in the experience of persons with mental health …

Predictors Of Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Youth With Spinal Cord Injury, Kathleen E. Mcauliff

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the different dimensions of psychosocial HRQOL for youth

with spinal cord injury (SCI) is still a developing research focus in medical and disability studies. Pediatric-onset SCI is relatively rare. Family Stress Theory’s Adaptation Phase accounts for how a stressor can impact all family members (McCubbin and Patterson, 1993). This study aimed to look at new factors, including cognitive approaches to challenges, physical health indicators (i.e., incontinence), caregiver mental health problems (i.e., anxiety and depression), and general family dysfunction that may impact psychosocial HRQOL for youth (ages 6-18) with SCI, in terms of the perspectives of both the youth and …

Beyond Access Towards Success For First-Generation College Students Of Underrepresented Ethnic Backgrounds: The Role Of College Adjustment And Perceived Stressors On Academic Achievement During The First Year, Shannon Williams

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The current study explored the first year college transition between traditional and underrepresented student groups (ethnic minorities and first-generation college students; N = 500; M age = 18.34) at a diverse institution, comparing GPA and college adjustment over time. Using Tinto’s retention model (1975), the aim of the current study explored whether social and academic adjustment differences would explain any gap in academic achievement among underrepresented students groups. Results indicated that first-generation college students (FGC) of minority ethnic backgrounds reported significantly lower GPA scores, and had lower adjustment subscale scores compared to all other student groups by the end of …

Perspective-Taking Of The Defendant: Does Race Influence The Final Sentencing Verdict For Mock Jurors?, Matthew A. Pardo

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this study is to test whether there are disparities in a final sentencing verdict, of a guilty defendant that identifies as either African-American or Caucasian. Using a mock-jury design, participants were randomly assigned to the police report of Jamal Washington (representing the African-American defendant), or Greg Sullivan (representing the Caucasian defendant). Additionally, participants were randomly assigned to either take the perspective of the defendant or not to take the perspective of the defendant (control). This combination of race and perspective-taking as manipulations allows for the examination of the extent of racial schemas in courtroom settings through …

Relational Cultural Theory And Mentoring In A Science Support Program, Kathleen Buehler

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Increasing the number of Latinx students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is a national priority, but statistics show that Latinx students are still underrepresented in these fields (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). Mentoring interactions are thought to be integral to the retention and success of STEM students (George & Neale, 2006) and a contextualized mentoring model that both supports growth in STEM fields and also meets the needs of underrepresented groups is essential. This study used relational cultural theory (RCT; Ragins & Fletcher, 2007) to examine non-hierarchical relational mentoring approaches within STEM contexts. Using qualitative data from …

The Benefits Of A Science Support Program For Low-Income Latina/O Students, Alison L. Mroczkowski

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

A current national priority is to increase the number of students prepared for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM; U.S. Department of Education, 2015). Unfortunately, Latina/os are underrepresented in STEM fields (National Science Foundation, 2010). STEM support programs may be one avenue for increasing the number of Latina/o students who enter the STEM pipeline (Afterschool Alliance, 2011), but few studies have examined the benefits of participation in a STEM program for Latina/o youth, and very little is known about the specific program activities that are related to beneficial outcomes. Social cognitive career theory offers a model of career …

The Impact Of Conformity And Qualifications On Perceptions Of Power, Competency, And First Offers In Negotiations, Scott Mcluckie

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Norm violations typically result in negative consequences and perceptions towards the transgressor; however, recent research has indicated that violating norms may result in positive outcomes if the transgressor was perceived as high status (Bellezza, Gino, & Keinan, 2014). Negotiators in a job hiring process might have their own set of social norms that they are expected to follow, such as the attire they should wear to a negotiation. A violation of one of these norms may have an impact on the perceptions of the job applicant, and thus, alter the negotiation process for a starting job offer. It was hypothesized …

Diabetes-Specific Distress And Glycemic Control In Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Moderating Effect Of Social Support, Carolyn E. Turek

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the roles diabetes-specific distress and social support play in impacting glycemic control trajectories in youth with type 1 diabetes. Due to the increase in responsibilities and stressors occurring during pre-adolescence and adolescence, it is particularly important to consider the impact of diabetes-specific distress on glycemic control trajectories during this time, in order to determine best practices for screening and treating this population. It is also important to consider how social support may serve as a buffer against negative diabetes outcomes. In order to determine how diabetes-specific distress and social support impact glycemic control trajectories in this population, …