Digital Commons Network^™

Relief Revival Reincarnation, Lisa Moon

Theses and Dissertations

there is a complex connectivity that we have with the built environment that goes beyond visual aesthetics and stimulates each of our senses. this connectivity is tied to our identity and the way we contextualize our experiences and our world. inspired by ethnographic observations, oscar newman’s seminal work, + the pruitt-igoe documentary, the project seeks to study the elements of this connectivity or in some cases the reduced connectivity within a public housing residential environment.

what contributes to this reduced connectivity?

newman examined it from an architectural perspective, exterior elements of building, space designation, corridors, skip|stop elevators, circulation patterns, natural …

Mindfulness Training To Enhance Emotion Regulation In A Polarizing Political Context: A Multimethod Investigation, Hadley Rahrig

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. continues to show an upward trend in political polarization, perceived as a moral divide between liberal and conservative ideological groups. This moralization of political identity has contributed to the escalation of negative emotions (e.g., fear, anger, and hatred) directed towards political outgroup members. Although negative emotions are potent motivators of political intolerance, these emotions are nevertheless subject to regulation. Mindfulness offers a promising yet understudied emotion regulation strategy which may facilitate open receptivity towards opposing partisans. The present randomized controlled trial (RCT) examines the effects of short-term mindfulness training (MT) vs structurally equivalent Cognitive Reappraisal training (CT) on …

Sociodemographic And Injury Severity Characteristics As Predictors Of Functional Independence In Older Adults With Tbi Up To 10 Years Post Injury, Carmen M. Tyler

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence rates have been increasing in recent years, with the greatest number of TBIs and the highest morbidity and mortality rates in individuals aged 80 and over. As average life expectancy continues to increase, the older adult population is expected to comprise nearly one-quarter of the U.S. populace by 2060. With the increased risk to a larger proportion of the U.S. population posed by TBI, the aim of the current study was to examine the roles of sociodemographic and injury severity characteristics as predictors of functional independence trajectories across 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after …

Characterizing The Patterns, Predictors, And Processes Involved In Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Rebecca L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol and drug use disorders are associated with significant cost to individuals, families, and society.Approximately 40-75% of affected individuals remit from alcohol use disorders (AUD). Although the development of AUD is well studied, recovery from AUD and factors that contribute to recovery are not as well characterized. With the definition of recovery evolving towards a process rather than an outcome, there is a need to better understand psychosocial functioning and quality of life among individuals at different points in their recovery journeys. Concurrently, additional research is needed to understand the interplay between sources of recovery capital, individual differences in risk …

A Technology-Based, Mixed Methods Approach To Examining The Psychosocial Determinants Of Maternal Health Disparities, Hannah M. Ming

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Exposure to racism and discrimination in the U.S. increases Black women’s risk for experiencing maternal health disparities. Additionally, racism and discrimination affect maternal psychosocial well-being, creating evidence for a biopsychosocial relationship between racism and maternal health outcomes. However, current research does not define the psychosocial Black maternal self well. Given the dynamic relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes, research must comprehensively examine the Black maternal self. The operationalization of a comprehensive construct for Black maternal psychosocial well-being can improve understanding of the relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes.

Purpose: …

The Abuse Liability Profile Of An Unflavored, Sucralose-Sweetened, Electronic Cigarette In Combustible Cigarette Smokers, Sarah F. Maloney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of sucralose and nicotine in otherwise unflavored PG/VG ECIG liquid solutions, via a 30-watt ECIG, using multiple measures predictive of abuse liability to provide a basic understanding of the effects of sweeteners and perceived sweetness on ECIG abuse liability in reference to combustible cigarettes. Fourteen dependent smokers completed five independent study sessions that were within-subject, Latin-square ordered, and were identical in regards to all aspects but the product used. In each session, participants were given either their own brand of cigarettes or one of the four ECIG conditions: 0 mg/mL …

Challenges Among Latine Daca Recipients And Anxiety: A Systematic Meta-Analytic Review, Isis A. Garcia-Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Immigrant-origin Latine young adults (ILYAs) face a challenge that is specific to their developmental period. As ILYAs transition from high school to beyond (e.g., workforce, college, etc.), they begin to grapple with participating in normative experiences for all young adults in the U.S. (e.g., obtaining a driver’s license, getting their first job at 16). The lives of ILYA, particularly those who are DACAmented or DACA eligible, are characterized by the legal and social contradiction that arises from growing up in the U.S. yet facing barriers to full participation in U.S. society. The nonexistent synthesis of the exponentially growing literature in …

Shared Decision Making In Adolescence: The Role Of Race And Health Status, Mona L. Quarless

Theses and Dissertations

Youth participation in Shared Decision Making (SDM) is still a novel clinical practice with unique considerations. Moreover, though SDM has been touted as an effective model for patient-centered care it has largely been underutilized and under-researched in Black and Latinx adolescent populations. The current study examined the association of health factors that may relate to Black and Latinx adolescents, their families, and HCPs engaging in SDM. Specifically, I examined within-group racial differences in relation to health conditions (i.e., pain, obesity, mental health status) and SDM during adolescence. Measures of adolescent chronic pain, BMI status (overweight/obese), mental health symptoms (depression/anxiety), SDM …

The Interaction Of Moral Identity And Recognition On Fundraising Behavior, Craig O. Fulton

Theses and Dissertations

The research examined the role of moral identity in motivating prosocial behavior, specifically volunteer fundraising measured in dollars via Facebook fundraisers for the Spina Bifida Association, a national nonprofit organization. I predicted a three-way interaction of moral identity symbolization, internalization, and recognition (i.e., public acknowledgment of the gift by the organization) to predict prosocial behavior. When moral identity internalization is low, I hypothesized that high moral identity symbolization will motivate recognized prosocial behavior due to the opportunity to have one’s prosocial behavior in a public venue. In contrast, when moral identity internalization is high, prosocial behavior would be motivated regardless …

Black Hearts Matter: A Comparative Study Of Sociodemographic, Clinical, And Psychosocial Characteristics In Black And White Persons With Heart Failure, Hannah M Anderson Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, progressive, debilitating illness that disproportionately affects Black individuals, often leading to poor quality of life (QOL). Various sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics are related to QOL in patients with HF. Because most studies do not include representative Black samples or report findings from racial subgroup analyses, these relationships and any existing racial differences are not well understood. The purpose of this descriptive, comparative study was to explore the relationships among sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics and QOL in patients with HF and to determine if there were racial differences between Black and White individuals. …

Predicting Medication Adherence Patterns During The Maintenance Phase Of Treatment For Pediatric Leukemia And Lymphoma: A Model Of Individual- And Family-Level Factors, Stephanie M. Romo

Theses and Dissertations

Adherence during the maintenance phase of pediatric cancer treatment is critical to prevent relapse and ensure long-term, event-free survival. Yet, little research has been done to examine individual- and family-level factors that may relate to adherence during the maintenance phase of treatment, particularly among Latinx patients. This is surprising given findings demonstrating that children who miss more than 5% of their prescribed oral chemotherapy medicine, most commonly 6-mercaptopurine (6MP), are 2.5-2.7 times more likely to relapse than children who take 95% or more of their prescribed 6MP. Pediatric cancer patients face unique adherence challenges given the importance of family involvement …

Perceived Discrimination And Mental Health Outcomes In College Students: The Mediating Role Of Preventive Health Behaviors And Social Support, Sarah C M Morton

Theses and Dissertations

Perceived discrimination has been linked to adverse mental health outcomes, increased risk-taking behaviors, and poor engagement in health promoting behaviors. College students may be especially susceptible to negative mental health outcomes associated with discrimination due to the unique stressors faced by young adults (e.g., prolonged transition to adulthood, onset of mental health disorders, changes in social support). The current study examined the mediating and moderating roles of health behaviors and social support on the association between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidality) in college students. A total of 709 college students (42.8% White; 72.2% female; 30.2% …

Sleep Self-Efficacy, Loneliness, And Physical Activity: Assessing The Pathways Between Sleep Quality And Mental Health Using Structural Equation Modeling, Amber M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is robust empirical support that poor sleep contributes to declines in mental health, explanations of this relationship remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the pattern of associations between sleep quality, sleep self-efficacy, loneliness, physical activity, and mental health among U.S. adults across the lifespan, and whether they differed by gender or age group. A structural equation model with invariance analysis was developed and examined data from 2,300 adults (M_age = 44.1, SD = 16.78) participating in the online study Investigating Sleep Longitudinally Across Normal Development (ISLAND). Sleep quality was measured by …

The Examination Of Health Care System Distrust As A Barrier To Utilization And Engagement Of Preventive Services In The Health Care System In Black Emerging Adults, With A Special Focus On Insurance Status And Usual Source Of Care., Alexandra Wynn

Theses and Dissertations

Health care system distrust is a well-known barrier to health utilization and engagement in older African Americans. However, it has not been explored in Black emerging adults, individuals 18- 26. It is important to explore the social and psychological effects of systemic barriers, such as health care system distrust, in this developmental period as emerging adults undergo unique demographic shifts, changes in sense of self, and identity exploration. Due to emerging adulthood being an exploratory and challenging transitionary phase, emerging adults have an increased susceptibility to preventable morbidity and mortality issues and decreased access to important preventive services. Thus, health …

The Role Of Mindfulness And Compassion In Parochial Empathy And Prosocial Behavior Toward Out-Groups, Denise Zheng

Theses and Dissertations

As opposed to the tendency to empathize with and help one’s in-group members, there are often barriers to responding altruistically toward out-group members. Little is known about people’s capacity to cultivate intergroup prosocial responses through contemplative practices. This experiment examined the role of mindfulness instruction in parochial empathy and prosocial behavior toward an out-group, relative to compassion and relaxation instruction. A national sample of U.S. residents (N = 450) was recruited online through the on-line Prolific platform. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three brief, structurally equivalent instruction conditions: mindfulness meditation, compassion meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation. …

Intergenerational Transmission Of Alexithymia As A Predictor Of Child Posttraumatic Stress Outcomes During Covid-19, Casey Burton

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to test the role of parent alexithymia in explaining why some children are functioning relatively well during the COVID-19 pandemic while others are experiencing poor mental health. Participants were 88 U.S. children (M_age = 9.94 years; 54.5% female; 59.1% White) and their parents/caregivers (68.2% female; 59.1% White). Two models were tested: a path model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) was mediated by child alexithymia symptoms, and a moderator model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child PTSS was moderated …

Culturally Relevant Coping Strategies Within Bicultural Latine College Students In The Face Of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment And Policy, Cindy M. Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Despite their protective potential against anti-immigrant sentiment and policy, the connections between bicultural identity development and culturally relevant coping among temporarily documented Latinx college students remain unstudied. Therefore, this study (a) describes culturally relevant coping strategies used by bicultural Latinx college students, (b) examines the role cultural identity plays in bicultural Latinx college students’ coping strategies, and (c) illuminates the role institutional level systems play in liminally-documented college students’ coping with anti-immigrant sentiment and policy. Participants in this study included 16 Latine college students (M_age = 21.19, SD = 3.21) with DACA (n = 14) or TPS (n = …

Using Individual Determinants To Predict Behavioral Health Service Use In Integrated Pediatric Primary Care, Alfonso L. Floyd Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health problems (e.g., attention, externalizing, internalizing) are commonly observed in youth and are often associated with significant impairment and an increased need for mental health services. Conceptual frameworks, such as Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization, have proposed that several individual determinants (e.g., predisposing, enabling, and need factors) may influence service use for mental health problems among youth. Despite the glaring need for mental health treatment among youth with mental health problems, studies indicate that many affected youths do not receive mental health care. Integrated pediatric primary care (IPPC) settings provide an ideal setting for youth and families …

Alcohol And Other Addictive Behaviors Among Bariatric Surgery Patients, Rachel M. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Research has repeatedly highlighted a high rate of comorbidity of addictive behaviors in both clinical and non-clinical samples. While polydrug use has received significant attention in recent years, less is known about rates of comorbidity with behavioral addictions such as eating, work, exercise, or sex. Individuals with a history of bariatric surgery may provide a unique opportunity to examine the potential co-occurrence of addictive behaviors. High rates of food addiction symptoms and changes in alcohol use patterns post-surgically have highlighted a potential gap in our understanding of bariatric patients and their needs post-surgically. Using a composite measure of addictive behaviors, …

Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Inflammation And Pain In Youth And Emerging Adults With Sickle Cell Disease, Angela Pascale

Theses and Dissertations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent genetic disorder involving red blood cells. SCD is a multisystem disease and is connected to various severe medical complications, including debilitating pain. Though pain and inflammation have been connected to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in other populations, no prior work has investigated ACEs within a SCD population. The current study examined the prevalence of ACEs as well as the association of ACEs, inflammation, and pain in a sample of youth and young adults with SCD. Utilizing the biopsychosocial model of pain, I examined individual and cumulative ACEs as possible factors relating to inflammation, …

The Relationships Between Adolescents’ Future Aspirations And Postsecondary Enrollment: Finite Mixture Models, Chu Yi Lu Qiu

Theses and Dissertations

This study took person-centered statistical approaches to explore the multidimensional construct of adolescents' future aspirations and its associations with three covariates (i.e., gender, race, and SES) and a binary, distal outcome measure, postsecondary enrollment. Fourteen survey items representing the multidimensionality of adolescents' future aspirations were extracted from two-waves of Educational Longitudinal Study:2002 student data. The multidimensionality or the latent construct of the adolescents' future aspirations were explored using two finite mixture models called latent class analysis (LCA) and latent transition analysis (LTA). Based on the students' response patterns on the fourteen indicators, three latent classes representing three levels of aspiration …

An Examination Of The Impacts Of Childhood Trauma On Healthy Intimate Relationships In College-Aged African Americans, Broquelynn D. Shepard

Theses and Dissertations

For African Americans, the dynamics of relationships are rooted in childhood experiences of unconditional love, restraint, and respect. These experiences help individuals form their understanding of how relationships function. Experiencing healthy relationships has an enduring impact on social development and interpersonal relationships. However, regarding studies on childhood trauma and intimate relationships, there is insufficient literature that includes African American samples as the primary foci of the research. Due to gaps in extant literature, the present study aims to explore whether experiences of healthy intimate relationship in African Americans are associated with childhood trauma (neglect, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse). Using …

The Impact Of Healthcare Professional Students' Racial, Hiv-Related, And Abortion-Related Biases On Recommendations For Prenatal Care, Alison J. Patev

Theses and Dissertations

Black women and HIV-positive women have increased maternal mortality rates and other negative pregnancy outcomes, in part due to disparate prenatal care. Although women who seek abortions do not have the same negative outcomes, abortion stigma exists and is normalized in healthcare. Limited work has examined prenatal care provision for women in these groups, and even less work has explored the prenatal care provision by healthcare trainees (i.e., medical, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant students). Examining the role of bias on the prioritization of prenatal care items by healthcare trainees is imperative. Healthcare education sets the stage for future practice, …

The Importance Of Connection: Contributions Of Relationships With Fathers And Connections To School To Delinquent Behavior And Positive Youth Development, Colleen S. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Risk-taking and boundary pushing are hallmarks of adolescent behavior, making the identification of promotive and protective factors related to both delinquent behavior and positive adolescent functioning essential. Previous studies have provided compelling evidence that suggests aspects of familial relationships may successfully attenuate delinquent behavior and support positive functioning outcomes. Despite these findings, the father-adolescent relationship is understudied in association with these outcomes. The current study examined relations between adolescents’ perception of school connectedness and father-adolescent relationship quality and delinquent behavior and positive adolescent functioning outcomes. This study used data collected when youth were nine and fifteen years old from the …

Effect Of Task-Irrelevant Emotional Faces On Attention To A Letter Search Task At High And Low Perceptual Loads, Nina Plotnikov

Theses and Dissertations

The attentional processing of emotional faces has interested researchers over the past thirty years. However, differing methodology has led to inconsistent findings. It has been suggested that using emotional faces as task-irrelevant distractors and varying perceptual load of the primary task can create an experimental framework that will allow attentional capture by emotional face processing to be better identified and differentiated from other processes. Furthermore, the effects of time on-task on attentional processing of emotional faces are currently not well understood, in part because traditional statistical analyses, such as the ANOVA, are insufficient for finding longitudinal trends in the data. …

Understanding Predictors Of Telemedicine Adoption Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bradford S. Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined change in physicians’ use of telemedicine before, during, and expectations after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined the ability of personal and environmental variables to predict telemedicine adoption, and applied the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model to physicians’ adoption of telemedicine during the pandemic. A total of 230 licensed physicians currently practicing in the United States were recruited. Telemedicine accounted for 3.72% of physicians’ clinical work prior to the pandemic, 46.03% during the pandemic, and predicted 25.44% after the pandemic ends. Physicians within hospitals reported less telemedicine use during the pandemic (M = …

The Harm In Seeking Care: Assessing The Relationship Between Healthcare Discrimination And Healthcare Avoidance Behaviors In The Past Year And Since The Start Of The Coronavirus Pandemic In A Transgender And Gender Independent Sample, Kyle L. Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Gender minorities encounter a myriad of barriers to accessing general and gender affirming healthcare. Financial disparities impacting affordability of healthcare costs and insurance-based denials for gender-affirming care are among prominent barriers discussed. Considerations of the prevalence of stigma, discrimination, and erasure of gender minority identities must not be neglected when seeking to understand healthcare accessibility and utilization in this population. Previous researchers have examined gender minority patients’ experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings and delaying care due to fear of discrimination. There is a dearth of knowledge about the relationship between lifetime exposure to varied forms of healthcare discrimination …

Interpersonal Trauma And Mental Health Among Lgbq+ College Students: Examining Social Support And Trauma-Related Drinking As Mediators, Eryn Delaney

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the increased risk of childhood, adulthood, and lifetime interpersonal trauma among LGBQ+ individuals, existing research that has examined the influence of interpersonal trauma on mental health has primarily focused on LGBQ+ adolescents and samples of LGBQ+ community-based adults, and less on LGBQ+ emerging adults in college. Additionally, limited work has focused on mechanisms that might explain the relations between these variables. Thus, the current study tested the relations between interpersonal trauma (i.e., childhood sexual abuse, adulthood sexual victimization, and lifetime physical assault and IPV) and mental health outcomes (i.e., anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and PTSD symptoms), and examined social …

Western Clinicians’ Diagnostic Accuracy Of Culture-Bound Syndromes, Lisa Y. Chung

Theses and Dissertations

Culture-bound syndromes are of increasing importance in today’s more diverse world. The current study measured the ability of clinicians trained in a western setting to accurately diagnose culture-bound syndromes from cultures outside of their background. Eight-four clinicians were recruited through the American Psychological Association (APA) membership directory. All recruited clinicians were asked to read three vignettes. In two vignettes a patient was suffering from either Hwabyung or Ataque de Nervios and the third vignette represented a control GAD vignette. The clinicians were asked to diagnose the patient in the vignette, to explain what information informed their diagnosis, to complete two …

A Psychometric Evaluation Of The Best In Class Adherence And Competence Scale, Katrina A. Markowicz

Theses and Dissertations

It is critical to utilize treatment integrity instruments to support the evaluation of evidence-based programs in early classroom contexts. However, in the early childhood field, guidelines for collecting treatment integrity data are underdeveloped. Consequently, most treatment integrity instruments employed in the field solely assess adherence, vary in design features and have little psychometric evidence supporting their use. As such, this represents a gap in the field that might slow efforts to implement evidence-based programs. The current study examines the score reliability and validity of an observational treatment integrity instrument (The BEST in CLASS Adherence and Competence Scale [BiCACS]; Sutherland et …