Digital Commons Network^™

Psychological Conditions That Promote Job Engagement: Test Of A Model, Zhuo Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

According to Kahn’s theoretical model (1990), the following three psychological conditions - meaningfulness, safety, and availability - are the key proximal predictors of job engagement. The current study examined the effects of these three psychological conditions (meaningfulness, safety, and availability) on three aspects of job engagement (JE), using both cross-sectional and daily diary data to examine between-person and within-person relationships among these variables. Psychological conditions were also examined as mediators of relationships between organizational and personal factors and job engagement. Furthermore, positive affect (PA) was tested as a moderator of the relationships between distal predictors and the three psychological conditions. …

A Deep Breathing Intervention For Stress Reduction In 5-Year-Old Children, Tara Jean Veerman

Doctoral Dissertations

This multi-manuscript dissertation concentrates on child stress, an important area of attention for social workers. Many children we work with are exposed to chronic stressors such as poverty, child maltreatment, and other forms of stressors and/or trauma. These experiences can be damaging to a child’s development, especially if they occur early in life, and the effects may be long-lasting. The first manuscript provides an overview of the human stress response and its potential deleterious effects on child brain development. It highlights specific brain regions affected by stress, and possible physical and mental health consequences of stress later in life.Building on …

"Living It In The Day To Day": Narratives Of Advanced Martial Artists, Michael Duncan Overton

Doctoral Dissertations

Western perspectives of learning often marginalize other-ways-of-knowing. A need to further understand other-ways-of-knowing, in particular non-Western perspectives, is a growing concern of the adult and continuing education field. Prior research supports the martial arts as a non-Western and other-way-of-knowing. However, the adult and continuing education field have underutilized the martial arts in research. The purpose of this narrative study was to explore adult learners’ lived experiences of learning and practicing martial arts in the southeastern United States of America. The two research questions that guided this study were “What experience(s) led adult learners to practice martial arts?” and “What are …

Nonlinear Control And Estimation Of An Infammatory Immune Response, Ouassim Bara

Doctoral Dissertations

The immune response is a complex mechanism that can be triggered by biological or physical stresses on the organism. However an excessive and dys-regulated inflammatory response may lead to sepsis, a critical state, promoting tissue damage, organ dysfunction or even death.The main objective in this dissertation is to derive a strategy consisting of manipulating pro and anti-inflammatory mediators in order to direct the state of a virtual patient to a healthy equilibrium, after some disturbance from health due to infection. Two key challenges need to be addressed in solving such a problem: estimating the unmeasurable states of the inflammatory model …

The Effectiveness Of Mixed Reality-Based Intervention For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-Analysis And Single-Case Study, Byungkeon Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

The development of technology has led to the development of various software and application as well as computer-based devices, and is extending its influence even to the mixed reality domain. These technologies are being used actively in the education field for students without disabilities as well as for students with disabilities. In recent years, the instructional application of technology has been accelerated by the development and dissemination of hand-held smart devices. These technologies are increasingly promoting the participation of students with ASD in education and rehabilitation programs. Currently, the number of apps developed as interventions for students with ASD is …

A Critical Content Analysis Of The Representation And Portrayals Of Females In Yalsa Award-Winning Science Comics, 2002-2017: A Feminist Perspective, Christopher Ryan Bowen

Doctoral Dissertations

According to the results from the 2015 NAEP science exam, female students in 12th grade scored an average of 5 points lower than males, indicating continual stagnation since 2009. Research indicates one of the ways schools can positively impact the self-confidence and interest in science for female learners is through equitable representation and healthy portrayals of women doing science (Kimmel, 1999). In addition, studies have indicated the positive role comics and graphic novels play in student learning, academic performance, and identity development in the academic sciences (Özdemir, 2010; Hosler & Boomer, 2011). With the increasing popularity of graphic literature in …

Analysis Of Supportive Campus Environments And First-Generations-Student Learning Outcomes, Brian Michael Wright

Doctoral Dissertations

This research utilized ten years of National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data to identify differences between first- and non-first-generation students’ relationship with supportive campus environment variables and learning outcomes. The dataset included 3,796 non-first-generation and 1,844 first-generation students that attended a research intensive public institution between 2003 and 2011. The main dependent variable was a composite measure of student learning gains across four areas: writing, speaking, thinking critically and analyzing numerical or statistical information. The results indicated that while supportive campus environments are critical for all students, first-generation students showed higher and more consistent statistical associations with campus environment …

The Impact Of Non-Cognitive Factors On First-Year College Gpa For University-Eligible Students From Low-Performing High Schools, Eric Michael Stokes

Doctoral Dissertations

There is considerable evidence suggesting that low-income, first-generation students from low-performing high schools are not retained and do not graduate at the same rate as their counterparts. However, a good number of them do. It has been suggested that an explanation for this phenomenon may rest in differences in non-cognitive variables (NCVs) among similarly prepared students (Sedlacek, 1987, 1989, 1996, 2004; Sedlacek & Brooks, 1976; Tracey & Sedlacek, 1984). Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of non-cognitive factors on first-year college GPA for university-eligible students from low-performing high schools.The present study was guided by the …

Negotiating Motherhood And Intersecting Inequalities: A Qualitative Study Of African American Mothers And The Socialization Of Adolescent Daughters, Brandyn-Dior Mckinley

Doctoral Dissertations

'Archival abstract submitted'

Weaponized Citizenship: A Critical Race Theory Analysis Of U.S. Citizenship Legislation In The Pacific Unincorporated Territories, Ross Dardani

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines U.S. citizenship legislation in the U.S. Pacific unincorporated territories through Critical Race Theory’s interest-convergence thesis. I employ Derrick Bell’s theory of interest-convergence to argue that it is only when economic, cultural, political, and social interests converge to benefit the United States that U.S. lawmakers have enacted legislation to extend citizenship to the Pacific unincorporated territories (Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). I also rely on Mary Dudziak’s use of interest-convergence, which she used to explain the implementation of key social reforms of the Civil Rights Movement, such as desegregation, as a model …

An Examination Of Household Food Security’S Measurement, Report And Experience By Gender, Jaime Foster

Doctoral Dissertations

Food insecurity, defined as the inability to access sufficient food for an active, healthy life, affects 14.3 percent of United States. Food Security (FS) has been measured annually using the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Household Food Security Module (HFSM) since the 1990s; however, responses to this self-report measure may vary by household member. Thus, this study aims to 1) determine how gender is related to differences in interpretation and report of FS using the HFSM; 2) determine if gender is related to interpretation of terms relevant to FS measurement, and; 3) pilot test a qualitative technique novel to the …

Family And Juvenile Court Judges And The Best Interests Of The Child: Current Practices, Procedures, And Recommendations, Jodie Oshana

Doctoral Dissertations

Children are involved in the legal system in numerous ways, most often in the child welfare system as victims of abuse or neglect or in the family court arena entangled in divorce and custody proceedings. These courts are guided by “the best interests of the child” standard, which over the last several decades has evolved as the prevailing doctrine impacting the outcome of legal cases involving children in the Unites States as well as internationally. Generally, the best interests of the child standard refers to the idea that the outcome of the legal action relative to the child should be …

Three Papers On Social Interactions And Labor Market Outcomes, Tian Lou

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I study the influences of social interactions on individuals’ labor market outcomes. The first chapter tests for causality in the positive relationship between teenage alcohol consumption and future earnings. Specifically, to investigate this relationship, I exploit the quasi-random variations in high school peer compositions as a treatment to teenage alcohol consumption. By using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data, I find that high school peer compositions that cause teenagers to drink more do not have significant influences on their future incomes. This provides indirect evidence that the positive relationship between teenage drinking and …

Perceptions Of Nonnative Accented Speakers, Elif Ikizer

Doctoral Dissertations

During communication with a novel individual, nonnative accent can be one of the first factors that determine the course of the conversation. This dissertation aims to understand perceptions toward nonnative accented speakers. We aimed to understand the effect of the targets’ accent, background, and race on the perceivers’ perceptions. In Study 1, we exposed White American college students to fictional Latino and White American teaching assistants. In Study 2, we exposed White American college students to fictional French and White American teaching assistants. In Study 3, we exposed White American, Latino, and other ethnicity perceivers to fictional Latino and White …

Law's Haze, Police Ways, And Tech's Maze: Relationships Between American Law, Crime, And Technology, Meghan Peterson

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore the role of law in policing operations targeting cyber sex offenders in the United States. Specifically, I examine enforcement in this crime arena as part of an ongoing expansion within the carceral, surveillance, risk-based state. I argue that imprecision and lack of clarity within American law – particularly in the evolving world of online interactions – generate hazy, arbitrary applications in law enforcement. On this point, I submit that absence of legal clarity undermines law enforcement efforts to address crimes – both within and beyond the cyber world. Distinctive spaces of online and tech-based socialization, …

Gender And Domain Differences In College Students’ Responses To Success And Failure, Elizabeth K. Lawner

Doctoral Dissertations

Four studies examined perceptions of STEM and non-STEM college courses, gender and domain differences in responses to success and failure, and whether interventions to make failure seem normative could ameliorate negative responses to failure, particularly among women. Study 1 found that college students perceive STEM courses as more difficult than non-STEM courses, and believe that introductory STEM courses are used to remove students from those fields. Moreover, the difference in perceptions of STEM and non-STEM courses was larger for women. Study 2 piloted a novel task that was used in Studies 3 and 4. These studies did not support the …

Essays In Behavioral Economics, Jing Li

Doctoral Dissertations

In chapter one, I propose a model consolidating the norm- and preferences-based approaches to explain laboratory bargaining outcomes. Social norms are identified by the axioms of cooperative bargaining theory, and other-regarding preferences are captured using Fehr and Schmidt's inequity aversion utility function. The model applies to bargaining situations where other-regarding agents abide by social norms in their decision-making. Preferences and norms interact to determine bargaining outcomes, and their interaction undermines the recoverability of the other-regarding preference parameters based on observations from the lab.

In chapter two, I employ a lab experiment to study whether men receive lucrative tasks more often …

Connecting The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (Soc) Program And The Campus Environment At A Soc Program Institution: A Mixed Methods Study With A Transformative Design, Gary Lee Petree

Doctoral Dissertations

A theoretical perspective was used to suggest the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) program and a welcoming campus environment for student veterans are connected. The process, person, context, time/timing (PPCT) model of human ecology theory was used to explore the theoretical perspective through a student veteran lens. The researcher developed a questionnaire and incorporated survey research in a concurrent transformative mixed methods design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from student veterans at a typical SOC program institution. The site selected for this study was a public land grant research institution where there was a sizable population of student veterans …

The Role Of Family Endorsement In Venture Creation And Sustainability, Thomas Daniel White

Doctoral Dissertations

Entrepreneurship research has shown that family social support is an important factor in an entrepreneur’s venture creation and sustainability efforts, yet little is known about the nature and impact of family processes that occur prior to venture start, or how early endorsement of a venture impacts the entrepreneur. These processes are important to consider, because they may facilitate or inhibit ongoing family social support and influence the entrepreneur’s venture creation and sustainability decisions. Utilizing a family systems theoretical framework, I draw on theories of self-perception, social support and conservation of resources to address three issues. First, I introduce the construct …

Understanding Regional Melanoma Survivors Health-Related Experiences And Needs Following Treatment, Shirleen Denise Chase

Doctoral Dissertations

Melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer that can spread throughout the body without treatment. The population of melanoma survivors has grown for several reasons including rising melanoma incidence, earlier detection, and treatment advances. The eastern Tennessee area is designated as an Appalachian region of the country where many people still live in abject poverty and lack access to adequate healthcare resources. Eight counties were found to have the highest melanoma incidence rates in Tennessee. Currently, post-treatment melanoma surveillance is disjointed, and falls on a variety of healthcare providers. The health-related experiences and post-treatment needs of melanoma survivors are …

Vehicle Ownership Transition And Sustainability Impacts In China, Ziwen Ling

Doctoral Dissertations

With considerable economic growth and technology development, China is rapidly experiencing motorization and a dramatic expansion of the transportation system. This dissertation centers on exploring vehicle ownership in China with new transportation technology influencing, and addresses the sustainability implications. First, it examines household vehicle purchase decisions across 59 cities in China with broad geographic, environmental, and socio-economic characteristics, focusing on a subset of households who own e-bikes and relying on a telephone survey from an industry customer database. Second, this dissertation presents a study on public perceptions and purchase intention towards new energy vehicles (battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid …

"There’S Nothing Standardized About Being Human": The Impact Of Education Policy Reform On Experienced English Teachers In A Rural High School, Allison Leigh-Ann Varnes

Doctoral Dissertations

Education reforms have transformed the teaching profession into a business model that uses standardized test scores as capital. Failure to deliver projected scores results in punishments for teachers and schools under increased accountability measures. In this climate, job satisfaction is low, and teachers across the nation are leaving their classrooms. However, one rural high school presents as an anomaly because there has been no turnover within the English department, where each staff member has been teaching a minimum of five years. The purpose of this study was to learn how experienced secondary English teachers are impacted by education policy reform, …

Examining The Sense Of Belonging Of First-Generation Students And Their College Persistence: An Exploratory Interview Study, Jamia Wiley Stokes

Doctoral Dissertations

It has been suggested that low-income, students of color, and first-generation students face major impediments to feeling like they belong on campus (Ostrove & Long, 2007). Because first-generation students come to college with a myriad of challenges that directly impact their first-year experience, understanding how best to support this population is a crucial responsibility. Sense of belonging has been shown to be related to academic achievement, retention, and persistence to degree completion for students from historically marginalized groups (Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Rhee, 2008; Strayhorn, 2008d; Walton & Cohen, 2011). The purpose of this study was to understand how first-generation …

Do Personal Factors And Interpersonal Influences Affect Commitment To A Plan Of Action For Physical Activity Among African-American Women?, Bobbie W. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

The lack of physical activity (PA) among African American (AA) women is a predisposition to chronic diseases associated with obesity. Women, particularly AA women, who are between 35 and 60 years of age, are particularly noted to be at highest risk for developing obesity-related chronic diseases. Few PA studies have included AA women older than 25 years of age and younger than 65 years of age (Carter-Parker, Edwards, & McCleary-Jones, 2012).

All analyses were conducted using SPSS Version 21 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corporation) and statistical significance was assumed at an alpha value of .05. The assumption of normality for continuous …

Alternative Biographies: (Re)Telling Feminine (Hi)Stories In Selected 20th-Century Texts By Québécois Women Writers, Jessica Mcbride

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to examine the tendency on the part of several québécois women authors from the 20^th century to create alternative feminine biographies for forgotten, undervalued, or misrepresented women from the past. Given the complex relationship the Québécois have with their provincial history, and the central role chauvinistic representations of women and the “Québec national text” play in safeguarding the québécois cultural identity, contemporary women writers from Québec are singularly poised to resurrect, recreate, revive, and rewrite the feminine historical experience into the traditional discourse of History. From Québec’s most famous woman writer, Anne Hébert, …

Mediators And Moderators Of Childhood Family Adversity And Adult Cortisol Response: The Role Of Marital Conflict Behavior, Jeffrey P. Winer

Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood family adversity influences behavioral and physiological response processes to acute interpersonal stress. Additionally, conflict behaviors in marriage are primary determinants of stress response and related psychological problems in adulthood. As little research has examined these two important literatures simultaneously, further work is warranted to clarify the role of marital conflict behavior in the relation between childhood family adversity and adult cortisol response to conflict. The current study examined relations between childhood family adversity, observed marital conflict behaviors, and salivary cortisol in response to acute marital conflict among 228 different-sex newlywed couples. We examined intrapersonal “actor” effects as candidate mediators …

Understanding Food Literacy And Its Use In A Technology-Driven Nutrition Education Program For Adolescents., Catherine A. Wickham

Doctoral Dissertations

One in three adolescents in the U.S. is overweight or obese. The dietary habits of this population are concerning as few meet current dietary recommendations for consuming fruits and vegetables. Equally troubling among this group is the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the lack of physical activity. Studies that investigate the link between nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors have shown mixed results and new methods to investigate this relationship are needed. Food literacy is a new term that has risen out of the health and nutrition literacy fields. Food literacy seeks to examine the complex relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and …

Influence Of Work Environment Conditions On The Ability Of Critical Care Nurses To Provide Efficacious Nursing Care In Puerto Rico, Yolanda M. Torres

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the conditions in the work environment that may contribute to caring efficacy of critical care nurses in Puerto Rico. The study measured nurses’ perceptions of the empowering structures in the work environment, and the relationship to their perceived caring efficacy and explored the correlation between sociodemographic factors of age, education, and experience of work empowerment and/or caring efficacy. The Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire and Caring Efficacy Scale were used to assess the association between the nurses’ work environment conditions and caring efficacy. The instruments were translated to Spanish and adapted to …

Imidacloprid, A Neonicotinoid Insecticide, Impairs Lipid And Glucose Metabolism, Quancai Sun

Doctoral Dissertations

Emerging evidence suggests that environmental pollutants, including insecticides, are linked to excessive weight gain and altered glucose homeostasis. However, there is currently limited knowledge regarding the biochemical mechanisms by which exposure to insecticides contribute to obesity and its associated pathologies. We first studied the influence of fipronil (a phenylpyrazole family insecticide) on 3T3-L1 adipogenesis. Recently imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, was reported to potentiate adipogenesis and insulin resistance in vitro. The current studies also determined the effects of imidacloprid exposure and its interaction with dietary fat in the development of adiposity and insulin resistance using both male and female C57BL/6J …

Dialogue And "Dialect": Character Speech In American Fiction, Carly Overfelt

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the linguistic construction of race and place in turn-of-the-century American novels and short stories. Literary analyses of character speech continue to reinforce the old dichotomy of Standard versus nonstandard/dialectal English. I challenge the ideology of Standard English in my readings of works by Mark Twain, Charles Chesnutt, Sarah Orne Jewett, and little-known Cherokee author, Ora V. Eddleman Reed, among others. I argue that these texts create their own standards that interact with (and sometimes resist) the language ideology of their time. By analyzing all variation, rather than only what has been traditionally viewed as “dialect,” I reveal …