Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Cynicism, Michelle Fried

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trait cynicism, or “cynical hostility” as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory’s Cook-Medley Scale, is defined and studied as characteristics associated with psychopathology, interpersonal conflict, and negative health outcomes including heart disease and cognitive decline. Likewise, “organizational cynicism” is operationalized in industrial/organizational psychology for the purpose of describing and identifying an undesirable employee type in the workplace. This research proposes an alternative assessment. It reconnects cynicism with its roots in ancient philosophy by asking if cynical attitudes, despite their negative valence ascribed in the modern literature and conventional opinion, may serve a practical purpose. This study of Functional Cynicism …

Negative Psychology Of Anti-Semitism: Fear Of The Uncategorizable, Benjamin Strosberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anti-Semitism is a pervasive global issue, particularly prominent in the United States. Studying and defining anti-Semitism prove remarkably challenging for scholars, leading to inadequate understanding and exclusion from contemporary academic discourse and social justice initiatives. In this dissertation, I made the case that anti-Semitism is hard to categorize, stemming, in part, from the difficulty in categorizing what it is to be Jewish, which seems to be multi-form (a figure of thought, a race, an ethnicity, a religion, a nation, none of the above). In thinking about the difficulty in categorization, I constellated various instances of anti-Jewish practices across historical epochs …

Using A Three-Dimensional Theoretical Orientation Matching Model To Predict Therapeutic Outcomes, Daniel Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Matching helpers and clients in a therapeutic setting is inefficient and ineffective. So far, there are no significant and enduring variables that reliably match helpers and clients that lead to positive therapeutic outcomes. This study attempts to match helper and client using theoretical orientation. It uses a quantitative methodology to predict therapeutic outcomes given match quality in the therapeutic dyad. Participants were 30 dyadic pairs—consisting of one helper and one client—who had a pre-existing therapeutic relationship. Each was given an assessment tool, used to measure their theoretical orientation to psychotherapy. Results showed no statistically significant relationships between theoretical orientation match …

A Demonstration Of Enactivist Personality Assessment Using The Five-Factor Model, Garri Hovhannisyan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to extend the intellectual and existential horizon of the enactive approach by bringing forth an enactivist understanding of human cognitive life as it is lived from the perspective of personality traits. The theoretical task of this dissertation is to review existing evidence in support of the Enactivist Big-5 Theory (EB5T) of personality and its potential for bridging the phenomenological gap between minimal and human cognition. As a phenomenologically grounded theory of personality, EB5T conceptualizes individual differences not merely as differences in trait measures within a person but as differences in styles of how individuals bring forth, experience, …

The Impact Of Sitting And Crawling On The Acquisition Of Object Permanence In Infants With Motor Delays And Infants With Typical Development, Karl Jancart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Object permanence (OP) is the ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be perceived. During play, infants with an understanding of OP will continue searching for toys when the toys have been obscured by other items. Searching requires movement. The theory of embodied cognition maintains that the form and function of an organism’s body influence how the organism learns; Therefore, if a child has difficulties with movement, as demonstrated by children with motor delays, they will likely have difficulty engaging in play, the modality by which children learn about their world. The current research is …

Understanding The Psychological Significance Of Astrology In Millennial Women's Lives, Rachel June Floyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In North America, astrology has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This is immediately remarkable given that the United States and Canada are industrialized, modern societies where astrology is widely lamented as a pseudoscience. This dissertation presents a phenomenological exploration of the underlying reasons for this cultural trend, particularly among the demographic that uses it most: millennial women. Existing psychological literature on astrology is primarily dominated by correlational studies or historical analyses and lacks the depth and richness of direct experiences of individuals engaging with this phenomenon. This study sought to address this gap within psychological literature specifically, by conducting …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Using Point-Of-View Video Modeling On Mathematics Improvement In Students With Learning Disabilities In Saudi Arabia, Tirad Alsaluli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video Modeling (VM) is one of the most widely used approaches by researchers to improve many skills, such as academic skills in students with Learning Disabilities (LD; Boon et al., 2020). As the incidence rate of individuals with LD in Saudi Arabia increase (Almedlij & Rubinstein-Ávila, 2018), the need for evidence-based math interventions focused on the math development of individuals with LD also increases. Although VM is recognized as an Evidence-based Practice (EBPs), a limited number of studies have implemented VM as an intervention to improve mathematic skills. Implementing VM as a math intervention strategy would explore its effects on …

Examining The Usefulness Of Interprofessional Education (Ipe) For Legal, Social Work, & School Psychology Student Training To Support Justice Involved Youth, Mary Comis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The school-to-prison pipeline is defined as a set of policies that contribute to the removal of students from the school environment and into the justice system (Justice Policy Institute, 2011). These students have unique and complex needs that include educational needs, legal needs, and community needs; however, these students often lack the support necessary to assist them when navigating the complexities of the educational and legal system. As a result, the complexity of the challenges these students face can be provided through a holistic legal representation team, where a school psychologist, social worker, and lawyer, can coordinate their efforts to …

Indirect Aggression And Victimization: Investigating Instrument Psychometrics, Gender Differences, And Its Relationship To Social Information Processing, Taylor Steeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of indirect bullying behaviors, relational aggression and social aggression, has been of theoretical importance and interest to researchers and psychologists within the last few decades. In this investigation, using a convenience sample of 451 late adolescents attending a private university in the mid-Atlantic U.S., I examined the factor structure of two measures of indirect bullying, the Young Adult Social Behavior Scale – Victim (YASB-V) and the Young Adult Social Behavior Scale – Perpetrator (YASB-P). Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), I found that the YASB-V comprised a four-factor model, differing from the model that had been identified in the …

Assessing School Psychologists’ Perspective Of Students Entering A School District From Juvenile Detention Facilities, Emily Wuenschell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents who are involved with the juvenile justice system encounter setbacks, stigma, and other increased risk factors that negatively impact their future life outcomes. Schools, and in turn school psychologists, are in the unique position of being able to provide effective services for these adolescents. Previous research has identified many practices that schools can implement to improve the academic, social, and vocational prospects of adolescents entering their districts from a juvenile justice placement. This study sought to understand the role of school psychologists in this transition by assessing their recommendations for and opinions of students involved with juvenile justice. Results …

The Impact Of Repeated Reading Intervention On Oral Reading Fluency For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Al Naji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence rate of learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen concurrently with their inclusion into public schools in Saudi Arabia. Being in schools, they face academic challenges, particularly in reading. This increased rate evokes the importance of implementing valuable strategies to keep up the academic skills of those students. These students require Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), which have been demonstrated crucial for their reading development. Nevertheless, limited research has been done on examining the efficacy of EBPs used to enhance the reading skills of learners with ASD, especially their Oral Reading Fluency (ORF). This study used an effective approach …

Do Integrated Circuits Make For An Integrated Supply Chain? A Network Analysis Of Trade Flows, Noah Martens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integrated circuits (colloquially referred to as chips) are an increasingly critical commodity experiencing continuous and substantial rises in demand. These increases in demand recently resulted in shortages. This paper seeks to understand the market for chips and construct a framework by which a network analysis of trade flows can evaluate concentration in the international market for a particular product category. Leveraging this framework and proposing a new model, I evaluate the level and nature of concentration in the chips sector, as well as two key inputs to the manufacturing process, silicon and chip fabricators. I find moderate-to-high levels of concentration …

Evaluation Planning And Special Service Eligibility Decisions Of School Psychologists: Differences By Chronic Health Condition And Impairment Severity, Maria Tina Benno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School psychologists are expert practitioners who are well-versed in conducting comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations to address a wide range of students’ needs in schools. The increasing prevalence of pediatric chronic illnesses (CIs) and the presence of students with CIs attending school requires school psychologists to be knowledgeable of the educational and social-emotional impacts of CIs on students’ functioning. Moreover, organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and National Association for School Psychologists (NASP) encourage school psychologists to demonstrate competency in understanding the influence of CIs on students’ function in the classroom (APA, 1998; Schmitt et al., 2019). Comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations …

School Psychologists’ Knowledge And Perceived Competence Regarding Concussion Management In Schools, Braelyn Tracy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can have a serious effect on a young, developing brain. Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Schools may be the ideal setting to address some of the problems children experience as schools employ some personnel with expertise and experience in assessment and intervention. If return to learn is put to the side, students experiencing concussion signs and symptoms could potentially have long-term cognitive problems. School psychologists play a key role in the prevention and assessment of, and intervention for …

Reducing Barriers To Reporting Campus Sexual Victimization: Exploration Of Gender Microaggressions, Campus Climate, Institutional Betrayal And Institutional Courage, Rebecca Ellsworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine college cis-women’s experiences with gender microaggressions and perceptions of campus climate, institutional betrayal, and institutional courage, how those experiences and perceptions are related, and how each predicts college students’ likelihood of reporting sexual assault to the University. College cis-women (n = 483; 84.3% White) at a private predominantly-White Catholic university in the northeastern United States completed a 153-item survey, the data from which was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, Pearson correlations, and linear regressions.

Gender microaggressions were found to be prevalent at the University, with perpetration by peers more common …

Neil Postman's Loving Resistance Fighter: A Philosophy Of Communication In The Age Of Technopoly, Ryan Mccullough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project walks the work of Neil Postman (1931-2003) into the philosophy of communication. Traditional conceptions of Neil Postman’s body of work position his ideas within the traditions of media ecology, general semantics, or, more broadly, as a form of media studies and criticism. In addition, others label Postman’s work, especially in Technopoly (1992), as pessimistic, deterministic, and/or imbibed with Luddite tendencies. This project articulates a different view and contends that Postman’s scholarship, in particular his articulation of the loving resistance fighter in the final chapter of Technopoly, is committed to resisting the nefarious forces embedded in both technology …

The Semiotic Use Of Emojis In Marketing Communication, Naif Albarzan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the emergence of social media as the primary tool for communication in social and business settings, research on effectiveness of communication using of emojis is limited. This project seeks to bridge the gap in understanding the effectiveness of the use of emojis in marketing communication. In particular, the dissertation will focus on an interpretive exploration of the use of emojis in marketing communication as a semiotic that supports persuasion.

Restorative Playscape Design: A Phenomenological Approach To Designing Playscapes, Jennifer Bradley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation outlines the development of a phenomenological and restorative approach to playscape design. Restorative Playscape (RPD) is a phenomenologically based approach to designing children’s play environments that involves a process of attending to, noticing, and uncovering natural affordances for play and development, and making enhancements to the environment so that the affordances can experienced in their full potential and capacity to support children’s growth and development. The restorative approach involves the application of three phenomenological methods to identify the affordances of the outdoor play environment: 1) Child Guided Walks- to explore the affective and relational dimension of children’s experience …

Assessing The Appropriateness Of Free-Roaming Cat Management Strategies Based On Resident Perspectives In A Small Pennsylvania Municipality, Brianna Marks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The popularity and mismanagement of free-roaming cats has resulted in invasive populations responsible for over-predation of birds and small mammals and increased disease transmission to humans and animals (Bies, 2014; Crowley et al., 2020). Management effectiveness fluctuates between communities due to varying opinions of free-roaming cats by governments and the public, which can influence management development and success (Deak et al., 2019). This research assesses the relationship between community perspectives of free-roaming cats and management. A survey of residents in a small Pennsylvania municipality was conducted with questions pertaining to free-roaming cats and management preferences in the community. Over 50% …

Embodied Fatness In Boys: A Critical Phenomenological Study, Sean Leadem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was an exploratory study of experiences of fatness in boyhood using a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative method. The author conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews with participants who identify as men and for whom fatness or related body-difference was an issue in childhood or adolescence to gather data on the meanings of fatness for boys and the men they become. Data analysis was organized around the existential dimensions of embodiment, temporality, and relationality. Themes emerging from this analysis included a) the discovery of fatness as ambiguous meanings mediated by others, b) fatness as a problem in a horizon that does not …

Examining The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Violent Crime In The City Of Pittsburgh, Brittany Urban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to examine patterns of Part I crimes [including Part I Person/Violent: Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault, and Robbery, and Part I Property: Burglary, Larceny-Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Arson, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Standards] in The City of Pittsburgh, framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a major stressor that Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory suggests may lead to increased opportunity for crime, due to the perceived unjustness of the associated lockdown orders and potential incentive for criminal coping (Agnew 1992). This descriptive analysis is based primarily upon …

Feel My Story: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Latinx Counselors-In-Training Experiences With Psychological Safety, Felishatee Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used in the current study to examine how Latinx counselors-in-training (CITs) define and experience psychological safety in their classroom environments while enrolled in CACREP-accredited master’s degree programs in the United States. In the present study, IPA was employed to make sense of the participants’ detailed narratives and discover how Latinx CITs interpreted and made meaning of their experiences with psychological safety in classroom environments. Serving as the theoretical framework, Latino Critical Theory was used to weave together and validate the cultural components of Latinx CITs’ accounts as they orchestrated themselves through their CACREP-accredited master’s …

The Impact Of Antecedent Physical Exercises On Increasing On-Task Behaviors And Decreasing Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors In Elementary Students With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder In Saudi Arabia, Shadi Albadawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical exercises (PEs) are one of the most used approaches by researchers to treat restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) and enhance on-task behaviors in students with high-functioning Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although PEs is recognized as Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) for students with ASD in the United States of America (USA) that are based on moderate evidence, it is important to conduct more empirical studies to explore its effects on individuals with ASD from different populations in the KSA. The current study used a single-subject, multiple baseline design across subjects to examine the effect of antecedent structured physical exercises (teaching soccer …

Facial Expression Recognition Deficits In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Zachary Friedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are an umbrella term for lifelong neurobehavioral disorders characterized by a set of social (verbal and nonverbal) communication challenges and behaviors and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Emotions serve many functions, but primarily they help with the appraisal of stimuli and driving of responses. Emotional processing and facial recognition are integral abilities that influence the acquisition of social skills. For individuals with ASD, it is hypothesized that facial recognition deficits contribute to social communication traits. The bulk of previously conducted research has utilized static images of facial expressions. This study utilized videos of spontaneous expressions. Participants were tasked …

Tabletop Role-Playing Games As Autism Psychotherapy: A Video-Cued Multivocal Clinical Ethnography, Adina Rubin-Budick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study is a video-cued multivocal ethnography that analyzed the clinical reasoning and perspectives of psychotherapists using Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPG) as a therapeutic treatment for children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum conditions. With a growing number of TRPG therapists nationwide using this modality in their clinical practices, this study aimed to develop a clearer understanding of the ways in which their therapeutic orientation, gaming practices, and knowledge of Autism Spectrum Conditions informs their use of TRPG psychotherapy with Autistic clients.

Research that focuses on clinical decision-making and the knowledge that informs clinical interventions and technique generally refers …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Traditional Taped-Problems Intervention With A Remote Delivery Version For Increasing Math Fact Fluency, Cortney Chelecki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The knowledge of math fact fluency skills is crucial for children to develop both related and subsequent necessary math skills. Students require fluency in basic math facts in order to successfully understand and perform more complicated math problems. Research has shown that students demonstrating math skill deficits are likely to have limited cognitive capacity to devote to higher math tasks, and also suffer from math-related anxiety, a lack of engagement, and limited vocational and career opportunities (Delli Sante et al., 2001; Gersten & Chard, 1999; Parkhurst et al., 2010; Poncy et al., 2007; Riconscente, 2013). During the COVID-19 pandemic, all …

A Qualitative Study Into Modern Psychoanalytic Joining And Mirroring Through Psychotherapeutic Exchanges, Tricia Shihui Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation intends to address current deficits in knowledge regarding the modern psychoanalytic interventions of joining and mirroring, including substantial definition issues in the literature and the absence of current writings on the psychotherapeutic interventions of joining and mirroring in practice. The focus of the study was on the ever-dynamic landscape between modern analytically-informed practitioners and their clients in psychotherapeutic exchange(s) that the practitioners believed encompassed joining and/or mirroring interventions. Participants were six experienced practitioners who described their clinical work as being informed by modern psychoanalysis and who have engaged or were currently engaging in individual psychotherapy with a client. …

The Relationship Between Urban Green Space Perception And Use Within The Adolescent Population: A Focused Ethnography, Rachel Lyons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Greenspace is beneficial for improving adolescent mental health, yet we still do not understand the connection between the built environment and subjective mental wellbeing. We also lack understanding of how this population uses greenspace and how they feel when in it. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was threefold: to understand why adolescents use greenspace, to identify how they use greenspace, and to explore how they feel when they are in greenspace. Methods: participated in a focused ethnography that utilized auto photography for photo elicitation. Braun and Clark's (2006), six phases of thematic analysis were used to guide …

“I Hear You”: Exploring The Lived Experience Of Counselors’ Empathic Response To Clients When Conducting Telephonic Counseling During Covid-19, Michael Sickels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dissertation supervised by Dr. Debra Hyatt-Burkhart

This study sought to unearth the lived experience of counselors empathically responding to clients via telephonic counseling during COVID-19. The term empathic response refers to as attending to the emotional and mental state of another person in a way that is attuned with the feelings and meanings of the individual’s experience. There are few studies that have assessed the merits of telephonic counseling, and even fewer that have examined counselors’ empathic response to clients through this medium.

To uncover the lived experience of the target population, the participants of the study were purposefully selected …

The Purple Heart And Suicidal Behaviors In Post-9/11 U.S. Army Combat Veterans With A Traumatic Brain Injury: A Mixed Methods Study, Jayna Moceri-Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Military suicide rates remain high, despite years of targeted efforts to prevent suicide. Specifically, Army Combat Veterans who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism are at the highest risk for suicide. This dissertation highlights possible causes for suicidal behaviors within this unique group and provides specific military suicide prevention recommendations. The dissertation is organized into three publishable manuscripts: The first manuscript (Chapter 1) is a mixed-methods dissertation research proposal written according to the National Institute of Health proposal guidelines. The second manuscript (Chapter 2) is an integrative review of the …