Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Care Techniques To Decrease Special Education Teacher Burnout, Carrie Frost

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focal topic of my capstone project is special education teacher burnout and how self-care techniques can reduce the likelihood of chronic stress and burnout. The challenges of being a special education teacher include but are not limited to, various disabilities and behaviors, lack of classroom and administration support, and overall management. Research conducted by Emery and Vandenberg (2010) stated that special education teachers often experience burnout, which commonly leads to employee attrition. Burnout and the personal stress that comes with it are the biggest contributors to the shortage of qualified special educators throughout the United States. Their challenges involve …

Success Over Stress Support Group, Sophia Pescador-Torrance

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Harden Wellness Center is located in Salinas, California on the campus of Harden Middle School. After surveying and interviewing eighth-grade students at Harden Middle School, it was determined that there was a need to provide healthy coping skills for stress and anxiety. The project provided students a place to learn healthy coping skills along with normalizing mental health services among adolescents. In order to engage students and keep them interested each week, focus on a new skill with an activity attached to reinforce the coping skill. By the end of the six weeks, the group started to talk about …

Context-Specific Conceptualizations Of Death In Early Childhood, Spencer Hart Winter

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Despite cultural myths and social taboos, young children are capable of understanding death and death concepts. Previous research has demonstrated that children have a varied and complex understanding of death that is influenced by their age, family culture, and previous experience. This study aims to differentiate children’s death concept depending on context, including children’s magical thinking, namely the difference between the deaths of a human, an animal, and an electronic toy. Using a modified version of the Death Concept Questionnaire, preschool-aged (3 to 5 years old) children (n=7) were presented with short video clips of a human, a dog, and …

Increasing Social Awareness Skills In Kindergarten Students, Chloe Dennis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social awareness is a key component of social-emotional learning and is often underrepresented in kindergarten curriculum. Students who struggle with social awareness are at a greater risk for antisocial behaviors, low academic performance, diminished self-efficacy, low motivation, and low adaptability. Jean Piagets’ cognitive-developmental theory places kindergarten-age students in the preoperational stage of development. At this stage, children are egocentric, exhibit centrated thought, and struggle to use perspective and empathic skills. Kindness, problem-solving, and maintaining positive relationships are all rooted in social awareness and require students to move away from egocentric thinking. I designed a three-part lesson on acts of kindness …

Responding To Domestic Violence With Transformative Justice And Community Accountability, Anaiis Nysether

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center (WAFWC) wanted to create a survivor-driven transformative justice program for survivors of domestic violence and the people who caused them harm. The program needed to be customizable enough to suit the specific needs and individual safety considerations of the participants, but also needed enough structure that it could be reproducible from case to case. In order to design a program that was based on these ideas and able to be used in the context of a non-profit organization, WAFWC researched ways other communities had been using transformative justice and community accountability to address issues …

Improving Stress Management For Female College Students, Kelsey Acosta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Although many college students report feeling stress, women may have a unique perspective and experience regarding stress. Gilligan's theory states that women consider their relationships when considering decisions. This decision-making process can create an added layer of the already existing academic stressors that women face. Stress management techniques that acknowledge the unique stressors that women face are essential to improve mental health and provide an optimal college experience.

Future Possibilities For Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nicolas Leonardi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder’s nature of presenting socially awkward behaviors creates barriers for those with ASD in the job interview process. This problem raises questions on how the interview process can be redefined to be more inclusive. Dillenburger et al. conducted a study on interventions provided for individuals with ASD. The study concluded that most jobs do not provide an appropriate job interview process for those with ASD. Solomon et al. and Maras et al. both conducted studies that highlighted the social behaviors presented by individuals with ASD that prevented them from being hired during the job interview process. Both of …

Rainbow Impostors: Impostor Syndrome In The Lgbtq+ Community, Kira C. Rideout

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Most people do not enjoy feeling like they are not enough or as like they are not a part of their community. As human beings we are social creatures and our communities play an essential role both in our development as we grow up and for our overall emotional well-being as we continue to live our lives. When people feel like they are an outcast or like they are not contributing to the progress of their community it can have a negative impact on their state of mind. This sense of self-doubt can cause individuals to realize their fear of …

College Students Rape Myth Acceptance And Men's Objectification Of Women, Samantha Dunlap, Devyn Fries

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the extent to which college students believe in and adhere to common rape myths and victim blaming beliefs, the extent to which college aged men objectify women, and lastly, the extent to which these two variables are related to one another. Using two groups divided based on gender and sexual orientation, participants responded to the Rape Attitudes Belief Scale (RABS) and the Men’s Objectification of Women Scale (MOWS). The survey questions used on these scales were designed to gather information about a person’s belief of common rape myths as well as men’s …

Learning About Healthy Relationships And Sexuality For Adults With Disabilities, Vanessa Karjack

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities receive little to no sex education; as a result, they often struggle to have fulfilling and healthy relationships, experience limitations in physical interactions, and are at risk of being taken advantage of by others. Sommaro et al. (2019) explained that individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) and developmental disabilities (DD) are often placed into one of two categories: they are treated as either eternal children or sexual deviants. These ideas are based on old knowledge and are known to be inaccurate. However, current systems of care struggle to move forward from these notions. A …

Heavy Is The Head, Elizabeth Wiles

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

"Heavy is the Head: how my mental illness made me a writer" is a collection of poetry about a journey in and through mental illness. It engages the social action issue of mental health awareness. "Heavy is the Head" tells a story of mental illness, how it was accepted, how it was used to improve, and how it can pave the road to self-acceptance.

Stigma Reduction Programming In Monterey County, Don Heading

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Mental illness-related stigma is a barrier to societal inclusion and productivity. With nearly one in five individuals being impacted by mental illness in the United States (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019), there is a greater need for understanding through education to support those affected by mental illness. Stigma impacts those with mental illness in the realms of employment, housing, and incarceration. The Success Over Stigma Program located within the OMNI Resource Center in Salinas, California addresses the lack of education by offering contact-based community education delivered by those affected by mental illness. The project addressed the need …

Cultivating Growth Mindset With Adolescents, Daisy D. Yang

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Some teens may believe that intelligence and other traits are fixed and unchangeable. As a result of having these fixed perspectives, adolescents may not be motivated to achieve academically and may give up in the face of challenge. Instead, teens can increase their confidence levels and motivation and adopt a growth mindset for their well-being. In order to address this issue, I created a two-day lesson for highschoolers at Rio Linda High School in Sacramento, California.

Importance Of Mental Health Awareness In Schools, Alexandra Elliott

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

We all have different experiences and beliefs that shape our perspectives and impact our mental health. The concept of mental health exists in Western civilization but is absent in others, so it is important to be sensitive when discussing the terminology of mental health by itself. There is ample evidence of a disproportionate amount of mental health issues among people living in low-income areas due to lack of resources in these communities. In fact, mental health resources are disproportionately accessible to white, affluent individuals in Western civilization. This senior capstone research project is intended to find ways to reach new …

Achieving Positive Mental Health And Academic Achievement For Students With Behavioral And Emotional Issues In Elementary School, Reynalda Fuentes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Elementary students, their peers, and teachers today are being affected by emotional and behavioral issues that some students struggle with at school. In order to understand why it is affecting their academic achievement and mental health, this report answers the following research questions to investigate how these problems affect schools, classrooms, and teachers, as well as what appears to be contributing factors to this problem, and what are some of the solutions. In review of the literature on preventions and interventions placed at elementary schools the research shows that frameworks such as The Multi-tiered System of Supports, and the incorporation …

Implementing Homeless Youth Professional Development Workshops In Salinas, Mikayla Spooner

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The homeless population in Salinas has risen dramatically over the past few years, and child care workers consistently do not know how to serve homeless youth. My capstone project created a professional development workshop on homelessness in Salinas. This workshop was given at the Salinas YMCA for all child care staff. The point of this project was to inform child care professionals about how widespread homelessness is in Salinas. These professionals were able to identify how homelessness adversely affects the stages of development in children and families and how to better support them in child care settings. For child care …

Increasing Adult's Awareness Of The Importance Of End-Of-Life Care Discussions, Taylor Gardner

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For many American families, end-of-life care is often not discussed, until advanced illness or injury has fully disrupted everyday life. There are many benefits to discussing end-of-life care prior to any medical complications. Research has shown that individuals who plan their end-of-life processes with a hospice service provider and family members report a higher quality of death than individuals receiving common health care during their final six months of life. In order to make families and friends more comfortable with end-of-life discussions, I will conduct two one-hour educational sessions to students at California State University, Monterey Bay.

The Social Progression Of Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder: Post Vietnam And September 11th Attacks, Ellie Mcdonald

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Social Progression of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-Vietnam and September 11^th Attacks is an examination on the infrastructure of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’and of the Department of Defense’s lack of clarity and misinformation of the challenges and effects of mental illness within military ranks. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) made the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) after Vietnam. Since then, PTSD has been reevaluate numerous times, to properly define it. This research is a comparative analysis of the misconceptions of PTSD as experienced by Vietnam veterans and the first responders of the September 11^th tragedy. My research charts …

Fitspiration: Social Media's Fitness Culture And Its Effect On Body Image, Makenzie Norton

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social media’s largest platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram, has revolutionized the average American’s accessibility to new subcultures, usurping the societal influence of traditional media forms while retaining many of their marketing methods. The following capstone research discusses how the fitness subculture and fitness-related content on social media affects male and female body image and body ideals. Through a content analysis of current literature, I provide connections between the marketing of fitness in American media and its influence on men and women’s body image. Using social comparison theory, I analyze prior research that explains the causes of body dissatisfaction and explain …

(Re)Painting Self: Art Therapy And Ontological Security In Refugee Children, Domonique Jimerson

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

To be a refugee is to know loss intimately. The refugee experience can be characterized by the multidimensional loss the loss of loved ones, support networks, economic security, culture, safety, and home.^{1 2} The compounding of traumatic experience can have a profound effect on belief systems and identity. This paper will explore the relationship between trauma and ontological state in resettled refugee children. The philosophical concept of ontological security considers the ability create consistent expectations about the way the world operates to a stable mental state.³ The three states of ontology security and shock will be useful in …

A Theoretical Analysis Of Isis Indoctrination And Recruitment, Trevor Hawkins

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper is an attempt to use various theories in the social sciences as a tool to understand the mechanisms employed in ISIS indoctrination and recruitment tactics. There is a discussion of theories that have been developed in the field of influence psychology, rationalizing the context of indoctrination within this area of study. There is a discussion of proposedly relevant materials in philosophy, specifically simulacrum and linguistic deconstruction. These components are extrapolated to interpret a first person account of ISIS indoctrination, the first-ever ISIS recruitment film, and a Radical-Islamist periodical Inspire Magazine. Using a form of propaganda film analysis, and …

Effects Of Classroom Relationships Between Students And Teachers On Emotional Development Of Elementary School Students, Hannah R. Allen

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Today, the current education system does not foster the emotional development of elementary school students. As a consequence, this affects student’s emotional development. Through the use of literature review, interview of a teacher, anonymous survey with five teachers and twenty-six elementary school students, this senior capstone research examines the effects of classroom relationships between students and teachers on the emotional development of elementary school students. The results indicate that classroom relationship does in fact foster the development of student emotional skills.

Social Media's Impact On Compassion, Courtney L. Tulipani

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this paper is to understand whether individuals are losing their sense of compassion through the use of using social media. I will be examining the social media sites Facebook and YouTube, and I will provide examples as to how people are losing their compassion through use of these sites in order to victimize and bully others.

I will be discussing cyberbullying within this essay and how it is an example of how individuals are losing their compassion online. My primary source will be the case of Amanda Todd, who was a severely bullied fifteen year-old girl who …

Bullying And Development, Caitlin O'Hare

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project looks into the developmental aspects behind bullying. Cyberbullying, suicide and long term effects are presented along with how schools have been handling bullying within the classroom. Adding a personal touch, to show a prime example of how one can overcome substantial obstacles and see the light at the end of the tunnel. This project also looks in depth of the effects of cyberbullying as it has increased over the years with the strong use of technology. Additional information was gathered by conducting an interview with teachers from a Bay Area elementary school along with a high school …