Digital Commons Network^™

The ‘Well-Rounded’ Artist: An Intersectionality Of Stage Presence, Artistry, And Entrepreneurship, Megan E. Zuhowski

Dissertations, 2020-current

Undergraduate voice students spend hours over their degree in coursework relevant to bettering their overall musicianship. Coursework in music history and music theory, coupled with applied lessons, allows students to develop the knowledge necessary for their future professions. While universities strive to equip students with advanced music proficiencies, as the landscapes of professional opportunities shift and morph into work in multiple genres of expertise, students may not receive the full scope of skills needed to be independent entrepreneurial designers.

The purpose of this DMA document is to explore the intersectionality of stage presence, artistry, and entrepreneurship through a course offering …

An Exploration Of The Value In Integrating Pre-Treatment Assessments Of Caregiver-Child Dyad Functioning, Emery Qian Brautigan

Dissertations, 2020-current

Parent child interactions constitute a wide variety of behaviors that have been linked to a variety of childhood outcomes. A variety of caregiver-child dyadic treatment modalities have arisen, such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Theraplay, that aim to improve the quality of parent child interaction. These modalities utilize pre-treatment semi-structured observational assessments to establish the current functioning of the caregiver-child dyad and inform treatment goals. PCIT utilizes the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System, Fourth Edition (DPICS-IV) and Theraplay utilizes the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM). Given the similar interests of these assessments in assessing the quality of parent-child interaction, a …

Esl Teachers’ Identities And Beliefs That Influence Their Teaching Of Students With Limited Or Interrupted Formal Education (Slife): A Qualitative And Phenomenological Study, Benita Azpeitia

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the beliefs and identities of ESL teachers, their personal and professional experiences and how those experiences shape their teaching of students who have limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). Three experienced high school teachers were interviewed three times for 45 – 60 minutes for each interview. This study utilized semi-structured interviews, effective lesson plans selected by the participants, and a researcher’s journal. The participants recognized the complexities of SLIFE students and expanded on their teacher identities. The themes of ethnicity and language, guiding beliefs, personal experiences and teacher challenges emerged. The two most significant themes …

From Montpelier To Fort Hill: James Mason And The Defense Of Slavery In Virginia, 1848-1861, Zachary D. Thompson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the mid-nineteenth century, the topic of slavery dominated American politics. Virginia, the state that fostered the ideals of the Revolution, traditionally followed the defense of slavery posited by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, known as the necessary evil defense. James Mason, a grandson of revolutionary figure George Mason, arrived in Washington, D.C. in 1848 and assumed his seat in the Senate, filling the seat after the death of Isaac Pennybacker. A former state delegate and member of the House of Representatives, James Mason carried with him to the Senate influences and relationships that spurred the Virginian to drift away …

Look: An Examination Of The Clothing And Clothing Assemblages Of The Washington D.C. Punk Scene, Cedric Ansah

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Punk clothing has iterated and innovated on aspects of its own history as a subculture, it has been representative of yet another chapter in the long history of subculture and counterculture, and it has been indicative of the values of whatever geographical area or scene spawned it. Broadly, history has favored the representation of some geographical punk spaces over others. While Britain, New York, the Midwest-U.S., and California have all been observed and championed by punk scholarship as being unique chapters in punk history, other geographical spots, such as the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., have gone underrepresented by comparison in …

“If We Don't Get The Help That We Need, What Does That Say About The Future For Americans?”: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Public Responses To Ohio Environmental Disasters, Kaitlin M. Gold

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis examines three case studies surrounding various Ohio environmental disasters and controversies. In particular, I explore how the public has resisted and asserted themselves through advocacy measures to ensure that their homes and communities are safe. The case studies examine how the state of Ohio has evaded responsibility and not taken action, and thus how the public has attempted to resist those efforts through various means. While Olson and Goodnight’s (1994) conception of oppositional arguments acts as a methodological backbone to the thesis, each case study employs other specific tools of rhetorical analysis to better understand each chapter and …

The World After: Central Virginia In The Wake Of The Civil War, Harry Caldwell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis examines the situation in Central Virginia following the surrender of Appomattox. Its primary focus is on the Federal Provost Guard who were sent back into the region in the month following the Surrender. It begins in March 1865, introducing the world that the Provost will be thrown into that summer, and it will go month to month until January 1866, when the Provost have fully departed from the region and power was fully turned over to civilian authorities. This research is primarily built of the General Orders that were printed in the Lynchburg newspaper, The Daily Virginian, …

Navigating Global Influence: A Qualitative Exploration Of Funding Dynamics And Stakeholder Engagement In Sexual And Reproductive Health Organizations In Nepal, Jenisha Mainali

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This paper investigates the dynamics of power and influence within transnational advocacy networks (TANs) operating in the realm of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) through qualitative interviews with eight SRHR advocates from Nepal. The research explores the collaborative processes and dialogues and relationship between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) receiving funding from the Global North and international nonprofits. By analyzing the thematic results derived from the interviews, two themes emerged, one being the Duality of Funding Relationship and Domestic Challenges being the other. The findings reveal that participants utilize various communication channels, such as email, WhatsApp, phone calls, and Zoom …

Exploring The Link Between Self-Distancing And “Stress Is Enhancing” Mindsets, Kyle Green

Masters Theses, 2020-current

While stress is generally framed as debilitating, past research has shown that adopting a mindset that focuses on the positive aspects of stress, referred to as a “stress is enhancing” mindset, can improve the ways in which one engages in stressful experiences. Researchers in this area have called for further investigation of the ways in which “stress is enhancing” mindsets are adopted. This study sought to explore the practice of self-distancing as a potential mechanism. It was hypothesized that participants who were instructed to write about a personally relevant future stressor from a distanced, third-person perspective would have more positive …

The Relationship Among Oral Contraceptive Use, Sleep, And Sexual Behavior, Sureyya Sanchez

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to discover if individuals taking oral contraceptives differed on measures of sleep and sexual behavior compared to those who are taking no form of birth control. Participants wore motion loggers every night for two-weeks, tracking their sleep, and filled out a questionnaire every morning inquiring about their sleep, sexual feelings, sexual behaviors, and affect from the day before. Research in this area of study is very sparse and results are conflicting, therefore I aimed to obtain comprehensive information to derive a basic understanding on if sexual behavior variables and sleep variables are in fact …

Examining The Psychometric Properties Of Issaq-Ss Subscales And Testing Measurement Invariance Across First-Generation Status, Riley Herr

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The ISSAQ-SS is a new scale developed for the purpose of measuring students on twelve noncognitive skills, all of which are theoretically predictive of academic success in higher education. Each of the twelve noncognitive skills measured via the ISSAQ-SS are represented by distinct subscales which contain five to nine items. Students respond to each item using a 4-point Likert scale. Given that the ISSAQ-SS is still new, further validity evidence is needed to support the use of this scale. For example, prior to comparing ISSAQ-SS subscale scores across groups of interest, it is necessary to establish that the subscales exhibit …

“It’S Not You, It’S Me”: Understanding The Relationship Between Students Academic Advising, Xavier Grier

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Understanding what students need should be at the forefront of every higher education institution’s design or plan for impact. From an academic advising standpoint, listening to the voices of students should be of utmost importance when determining how advisors can effectively influence student success. The purpose of higher education is to promote the success of students. Providing assistance towards individual, professional, and career development is the main focus of educational institutions when regarding their ability to help their respective students succeed. One avenue of this assistance is through their academic advising departments. Academic advising is a vital part of how …

The Effects Of Tree Shelters On Tree Seedling Growth, Microclimate, And Seedling Chlorophyll Fluorescence: Two-Year Results, Christina Henriksen

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Continuous land development practices such as property development and large-scale agriculture impact watersheds when excessive nutrients from surface runoff enter streams, and over time, cause a decline in water quality. As these sources of pollution are diffuse, mitigation of nutrient loading can become quite difficult and costly to stakeholders such as farmers. To reduce the effects of nutrient loading into local streams and rivers, riparian forest restoration has long been the focus of many stakeholders wishing to improve water quality in landscapes which have been heavily degraded for agricultural use. There are many methods of riparian forest restoration, however, the …

The Effects Of Various Array Sizes On The Skill Acquisition Of Auditory-Visual Conditional Discriminations, Ashlee Parks

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Common skills frequently taught to young learners in early childhood often include simple and conditional discriminations of stimuli. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different array sizes presented to a learner when teaching auditory-visual conditional discriminations. An alternating treatments design was used to determine which array size led to the quickest and longest maintained skill acquisition. The researcher tested one participant’s ability to identify a shape from arrays of four, six, and nine. During baseline, the researcher observed low levels of responding in each array indicating this was not a skill the learner had in …

Increasing Social Communication With A Client Using Video Modeling, Christa Sutton

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Video modeling was a powerful and effective tool to gain skills and begin the generalization of those skills to other settings and situations. Communication between peers and adults was an important skill, which helps build and maintain relationships, solve problems, and accomplish tasks. One way to support learners in acquiring these skills was to implement peer video modeling. In the literature, peer video modeling has been shown to be an effective intervention for supporting skill acquisition for individuals with a variety of disabilities. However, using a peer that shares similar demographic characteristics and the same disability was an area that …

Measuring Alumni Career Outcomes: A Validity Study, Mason Jones

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Higher education experiences routine scrutiny as the cost continues to rise and evidence of a return on investment is variable. Higher education institutions would benefit from measuring post-graduate outcomes to better articulate their impact. The current study examines the factor structure and measurement invariance of the National Alumni Career Mobility (NACM) a 25-item survey, that is widely used to assess alumni career outcomes. Prior psychometric reports for the NACM purported two different factor structures: a five-factor and bifactor model. National reports disaggregated the data by demographic variables, including first-generation status. Disaggregation by first-generation status is problematic given the lack of …

The Lincolns In Linville: A Public History Approach To The Lincoln Homestead, Sydney Ring

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis project aims to examine and update the interpretive content and themes present on the website for the Lincoln Homestead, a private home located in Linville, Virginia. There are two main components to this thesis, including a written paper and a website functioning as a digital exhibit. The paper analyzes the interpretive content available on the Lincoln Homestead website and identifies its strengths and weaknesses. It discusses the importance of the Lincoln family and home within the wider history of the Shenandoah Valley. Furthermore, the Interpretive Plan recommends themes such as enslavement, colonization, and gender which can be implemented …

Shaping Tomorrow’S Ethical Leaders, Christina M. Secrist

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative research study sought to explore the essences of ethical leadership by reviewing existing theories and frameworks, the characteristics and behaviors of ethical leaders, the leadership styles that portray an ethical component, the motivations of ethical leaders, and the self-efficacy of emerging leaders when faced with challenging decisions of an ethical nature. A thorough literature review was completed in an effort to gain a better understanding of how research studies have defined ethical leadership over the last couple of decades. Transcendental phenomenological interviews were conducted with four self-identified ethical leaders across the industries of agricultural manufacturing, a global non-profit …

Fading Reinforcement Within High-Probability Request Sequences, Morgan Mabery

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Following Mace at al.’s (1988) seminal article, which first established the efficacy of the high-probability request sequence, further research on the high-p sequence has examined the factors which impact the effectiveness of the sequence. Wilder et al.’s (2015) research supports that the use of programmed reinforcement within high-p sequences is critically important for the procedure’s effectiveness. Some research has supported the efficacy of fading the number of high-p requests presented while maintaining responding, yet no research thus far has examined the use of fading reinforcement and its effects on maintenance of responding. The present study aimed to replicate the findings …

Hatred Unveiled: Femininity, Masculinity, And The Duality Of The Female Klanswoman From 1923 – 1987, Ashley Tokarz

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The Ku Klux Klan of the post-Reconstruction era in American history is a well-known and frequently studied domestic terrorist organization. The KKK was born of lost cause ideology, and their intended purpose was to preserve southern society as it had been – that is, a society founded on white supremacy – through racial terror and violence. Although the KKK dissolved in less than a decade, the terrorist organization was ‘born again’ during the 1920s. This Klan was markedly different from the first. It grew to include millions of members, including elected officials, and was nationwide at its height. Yet, perhaps …

The Impacts Of Teacher's Pride Skill Acquisition On Student Challenging Behavior, Haley Gardner

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of teacher’s PRIDE (praise, reflection, imitation, description, and enjoyment) skill acquisition on student challenging behavior using direct measurement. PRIDE skills are positive attention skills that have demonstrated success in improving teacher-student rapport as well as reducing student maladaptive behavior within the classroom setting. A multiple baseline across behaviors design was used to assess the impacts of P + R and I + D pairings on the dependent variable, student behavior. Behavioral skills training (BST) and feedback was used to teach and maintain PRIDE skill acquisition in the intervention phases. Due …

Living In A Barbie World: Barbie's Origins And Her Impact On The American Mother, 1959-1965, Colleen Caldwell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis examines the impact of the 1959 release of Barbie on white middle class American mothers. It works to show how the doll represented an idealized image of American womanhood and beauty standards, while also showing different careers women could potentially hold. This thesis analyzes popular culture from the time such as, magazines, television commercials, and newspaper editorials along with studying the actual dolls and outfits. Through studying these sources, it becomes clear that Mattel recognized that mothers were the people buying the dolls for their daughters and the company sought ways to appeal to them as buyers. The …

Iron In The New World’S Veins: Government, Ironworks, And Community In The Massachusetts Bay Colony, Abigail Adam

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The Massachusetts Bay Company conceived of a colonial iron industry as early as 1628; two years before its leaders migrated to the New World. The colony’s founders continued their efforts to establish a functioning iron industry in subsequent decades. With the General Court’s support, John Winthrop Jr. engaged in business with the London-based Company of Undertakers to make the iron industry a reality. Nevertheless, previous scholarship has neglected the iron industry’s place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s establishment. Yet surviving court records and correspondence indicates that these two bodies are inseparable. Indeed, the General Court used the ironworks to materially …

Intersectionality And Success: A Study Of Black Women Teachers In Higher Education, Harmony Wilson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative research study sought to explore the lived experiences of Black women teachers in the United States. Specifically, the research aimed to uncover the meanings of success among Black women teachers and the ways in which intersectionality impacts those meanings. The researcher interviewed four Producers of Knowledge (POK); two were from Virginia, North Carolina, and New York. The findings show that the participants of this study share lived experiences of systemic sexism and racism at their universities, actively pushing back on systems, stereotypes, and policies, and shared feelings regarding representation, support, and the importance of community. The implications of …

A Component Analysis Of Behavioral Skills Training In Teaching And Maintaining Social Skills In An Adolescent With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hannah Lockwood

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Modern social skills literature show the use of behavioral skills training (BST) and role-play in social skills instruction in small-group and school-based settings, although there is limited research measuring the effects of components of the BST package in maintaining social behaviors. The purpose of the present study, in response to the work of Kornacki et al. (2013), was to measure the effectiveness of the role-play and feedback components of BST in maintaining social skills. A multiple-baseline design across behaviors was used to measure social skills acquisition across different behavior domains for an adolescent participant with autism spectrum disorder. The participant …

Varied Versus Non-Varied Behavior-Specific Praise On Student On-Task Behavior, Courtney West

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of praise variety on student behavior, by assessing how varied and non-varied behavior-specific praise statements affect student on-task behavior. An alternating treatments design was used to compare the two praise conditions. During baseline, participants were not provided with any feedback on their interactions with students. Following baseline, instructions were given to teachers on the two skills (varied and non-varied BSP) and the experimental phase began. In the experimental phase, participants alternated between a condition providing varied BSP to students and a condition providing non-varied BSP to students. The results of …

Envisioning Our Ecological Futures. Diffracting Creative Expressions., Mariam Ismail

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis delves into the realm of eco-art, examining its multifaceted role in informing, educating, and mobilizing audiences towards sustainable environmental practices. Through an interdisciplinary lens that intertwines environmentalism, critical explorations of the anthropocene, ecofeminism, Indigenous knowledge, and social justice, this research investigates various themes, approaches, and methodologies employed by eco-artists. Utilizing a diffractive methodology, I acknowledge and respect these concepts’ contextual and theoretical differences while exploring their relationality to one another and to the artworks. By recognizing these entangled relationships, the diffractive framework creates and re-creates ‘research assemblages’ that shift away from conventional anthropocentric or representational methods of interpretation, …

Losing It: Anti-Fat Bias And Implications For Counselors, Kate Bailey

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Anti-fat bias and stigma can be pervasive in the United States and can impact almost every aspect of culture in the U.S. Counselors are likely not exempt from holding anti-fat bias. Yet, anti-fat bias is often overlooked as an issue worthy of attention in a profession dedicated to advocacy. Anti-fat bias can negatively affect larger-bodied clients in the counselor/client relationship when counselors are unaware of the anti-fat bias that they hold. Using a framework of liberatory consciousness (awareness, analysis, action, and accountability) counselors may reduce the harm caused in the counselor/client relationship regarding anti-fat bias.

Let’S Get Creative: Using Creative Arts Interventions To Address Trauma Experiences, Ashley Oginz-Wilson

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Trauma as a theme in counseling work is something that mental health clinicians are commonly exposed to. While there are standard practices and therapeutic modalities to address trauma in counseling, it is important to maintain flexibility as a clinician to best meet the individual needs of the client. This literature review explores ways to embrace creative counseling interventions in support of clients with trauma experiences. Creative counseling interventions could include art, music, dance and movement, nature, humor, drama, and play. The premise of such interventions is that they offer clients a new way to express their feelings, memories, stories, etc. …

Assessing Multiracial Experiences In Counseling: The Multiracial Life Story Interview, Kylie Mirabella

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Multiracial individuals face unique challenges, including denial or invalidation of racial identity, sensitized perception of discriminatory experiences, and monoracial cultural biases. These challenges may lead to race-related adverse mental health outcomes, prompting need for culturally responsive clinical mental health counseling. This paper introduces a tool called the Multiracial Life Story Interview, adapted from Dr. Dan P. McAdams’ Life Story Interview, based on findings from current multiracial counseling literature. This interview is aimed to promote multiracial client exploration of racial identity, counselor evaluation of racist incidents and/or discriminatory experiences, and overall multicultural competency.