Digital Commons Network^™

A Rare Family: Exploring Genetic Literacy In An Online Support Group, Heather H. Goltz, Sandra Acosta

Journal of Family Strengths

Healthy People 2020 and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) define health literacy as the “degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Essential components of health literacy include oral and print literacy, numeracy, and cultural and conceptual knowledge; the latter is influenced by sociodemographic factors and cultural understandings and approaches to concepts such as healthcare. Genetic literacy, a form of health literacy, may be defined as the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to individual understanding of genetic information, and genetic-based health, behavior, technology …

Despite Best Intentions: A Critical Analysis Of Social Justice Leadership And Decision Making, David E. Dematthews, Angus Shiva Mungal, Paul A. Carrola

Administrative Issues Journal

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between social justice leadership and organizational decision making in order to make recommendations for how principals can make more socially just decisions in difficult school contexts. This article begins with a discussion of social justice leadership, facets and theories associated with social justice, and how facets can be contradictory and problematic in practice. Then, rational choice theory is presented to detail key assumptions and criticisms that are associated with decision-making in complex organizations. Next, rational choice theory is utilized as a straw man for analyzing principal decision-making in complex organizations …

Influence Of Locus Of Control, Work Motivation And Information Use On Decision- Making Of Managers In The Aviation Industry In Nigeria., Olaronke O. Fagbola Dr, Sunday O. Popoola Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study discusses the influence of locus of control, work motivation and information use on decision making of managers in the aviation industry in Nigeria. Stratified random sampling method was used to select 1238 managers from five aviation parastatals in Nigeria out of which 945 responded. The response rate achieved was 76.3 percent. The study found that locus of control, work motivation and information use significantly influence decision making of the respondents. It is therefore recommended that aviation industry administrators and most especially policy makers in the industry should give due attention to locus of control, work motivation and information …

How Family Physicians In Saskatchewan Make Lung Cancer Screening Decisions, Nusrat Jamil

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Aims: This study explored family physicians’ (FPs) stated practices and decision-making for lung cancer screening.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of a stratified random sample of Saskatchewan FPs using single item questions and simulated clinical scenarios.

Findings: Wide variations in FPs’ lung cancer screening practices exist in their decision to screen and choice of screening test. Certain physician, patient and non-medical factors influence FPs’ decision-making contrary to their perception of guidelines.

Conclusions: The high self-reported prevalence and measured inclination to screen in clinical scenarios contrary to prevailing guidelines adds unnecessary health care costs and has potential to cause harm.

Significance: First and …

Examining The Relationship Between Leadership Decision Making Styles And Personality Type Within The Department Of Defense, Antoine Lamont Prince Sr.

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Leadership is perhaps the single most important function within the Department of Defense. While the old cliché “everyone is a leader regardless of position” may hold moral meaning, personnel in leadership positions are key. Under the umbrella of leadership is decision making. What leadership is to an organization, decision making is to leadership. Yet, despite this knowledge, unsound decisions are readily conducted. There are various theories as to why this holds true, one of which is personality type. Research however, shows that there is a limited amount of relevant knowledge to determine if there is in fact a …

Sexuality And Incapacity, Alexander Boni-Saenz

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Immigrant Mothers In Abusive Relationships: Decisions And Actions, Michelle Castro Fernandez

Open Access Dissertations

Intimate partner violence is an important public health concern affecting millions of mothers and their children each year. Research suggests that Latina women, particularly immigrants, are at risk for victimization, face multiple barriers for help-seeking, and tend to remain in abusive relationships longer than their non-immigrant counterparts. Theoretical models used to explain Latinas’ decisions to stay or leave an abusive relationship fail to capture many nuances and complexities of their experiences. This study relies on grounded theory methodology to construct a model to better understand Latina immigrant mothers’ decision to stay or leave their abusing partners. Interviews with eight Latina …

Associations Between Anxiety And Attention In Laboratory-Housed Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Lauren E. Hobbs

Masters Theses

Previous studies completed with humans have revealed insight into the effects of anxiety on attention tasks such the dot-probe task, but there is little information about such effects on non-human primates. This study aimed to assess whether anxiety or anxious behaviors would impact rhesus macaque performance on a three stimuli paradigm similar to the dot-probe task. Utilizing images of conspecifics (strong threat, mild threat, and neutral), eight monkeys were video recorded completing a task that required them to slide two doors, which held these images, to the side to obtain a treat. We hypothesized that behavioral phenotype (high or low …

Relationship Decision-Making As A Mediator Between Regret, Autonomy, And Two Forms Of Relationship Commitment: Dedication And Constraint, Ashley Fehr

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationships among autonomy, anticipated regret, decision-making, and dedication and constraint commitment of college students in romantic relationships. Two models were specified, with the first assessing autonomy as a predictor of dedication and deciding as a mediator. The second model assessed anticipated regret as a predictor of constraint and deciding again as a mediator. Participants were 267 undergraduates from a Mid-Atlantic region university, were recruited through a participant pool, and completed the study voluntarily or for course credit. To be included in analysis, participants had to be in a current dating, cohabiting, or married relationship for 30 …

Blood Alcohol Concentration Is Negatively Associated With Gambling Money Won On The Iowa Gambling Task In Naturalistic Settings After Controlling For Trait Impulsivity And Alcohol Tolerance, Michael Lyvers, Nicole Mathieson, Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards

Introduction: Acute alcohol intoxication has been found to increase perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a well known neuropsychological index of prefrontal cortical functioning, in both laboratory and naturalistic settings. Method: The present study examined the relationship between levels of alcohol consumption at campus drinking venues and performance of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), another neuropsychological test designed to assess prefrontal cortex dysfunction, after controlling for potential confounding variables including habitual alcohol intake (as a proxy for alcohol tolerance), trait impulsivity, and everyday executive functioning. Results: The 49 participants of both genders aged 18 to 30 years were …

Hoarding And Emotional Reactivity: The Link Between Negative Emotional Reactions And Hoarding Symptomatology, A. M. Shaw, K. R. Timpano, G. Steketee, D. F. Tolin, Randy O. Frost

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by difficulty discarding, clutter, and frequently excessive acquiring. Theories have pointed to intense negative emotional reactions (e.g., sadness) as one factor that may play a critical role in HD's etiology. Preliminary work with an analogue sample indicated that more intense negative emotions following emotional films were linked with greater hoarding symptoms. Symptom provocation imaging studies with HD patients have also found evidence for excessive activation in brain regions implicated in processing emotions. The current study utilized a sample with self-reported serious hoarding difficulties to examine how hoarding symptoms related to both general and hoarding-related emotional …

Deciding, Curtis E.A. Karnow

Curtis E.A. Karnow

Review of cognitive fallacies judges may encounter, such as expectation fallacies, cognitive dissonance, narrative fallacies and generally problems with associative reasoning

Using The Delta-Model For End-Stage Liver Disease To Improve The Decision-Making Process For The Donor Liver System, Joanne Chin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this experimental research was to determine whether using delta-MELD as a criterion for the liver transplant patient selection process could improve the U.S. liver allocation system. This research closed a gap in current literature on the utility of delta-MELD for liver transplant patient selection. The frameworks of systems theory, the analytic hierarchy process, and the Kalman filter contributed to the development of 2 simulation models of the liver allocation system: one that used delta-MELD and one that did not use delta-MELD. The research question examined whether using delta-MELD could improve the liver allocation system by reducing the …

Leveraging The Power Of Shared Governance, Cynthia S. Cohen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shared governance (SG) creates an evidence-based framework to support decision making in healthcare organizations by encouraging nursing staff ownership of nursing practice issues. This project assessed the current state of shared governance at a community hospital through: (a) deployment of Hess's Index of Professional Nursing Governance (IPNG) and the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) nursing satisfaction surveys which were open to nurses working in areas included in the SG framework at the project site, and (b) retrospective review of Unit Practice Council (UPC) and Nursing Senate (NS) minutes and agendas. Kotter's theory of change and the logic model …

Principals' Perceptions Of The Bully Busters Program In Combating Cyberbullying In Elementary Schools, Sheila Ann Cuffy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over time and with both the increasing ubiquitousness of the Internet and children's technological knowledge at young ages, cyberbullying has grown more widespread and acts of bullying have become more intense. However, little is known about the effectiveness of different antibullying programs for decreasing cyberbullying behaviors. This study addressed that gap in the literature by exploring one elementary school's use of the Bully Busters program for combating cyberbullying. The decision-making model was used as the conceptual framework for this qualitative interview study. Participants were 3 principals from 3 schools using the program. Data were gathered from the participants via interviews …

Psychology And Effective Lawyering: Insights For Legal Educators, Jean R. Sternlight, Jennifer K. Robbennolt

Scholarly Works

Psychology-the science of how people think, feel and behave-has a great deal to teach about a range of core competencies related to working with people and making good decisions. For example, psychologists have conducted extensive research into perception, memory, communication, individual and group decision-making, conflict, goal setting and planning, self-assessment, motivation, "grit," and many other matters that are central to effective lawyering. This research has much to contribute to an understanding of the work of lawyers and can be effectively incorporated into how we teach law students to practice law.

"I Could Never Do That In Real Life" : An Exploration Of Real World Morality And Moral Decision-Making In Role-Playing Video Games, Samuel E. Flescher

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Video games as a medium for play increase in popularity and participation every year. Around the world, video games are also constantly criticized for depicting violent, gratuitous, and potentially immoral material that consumers can engage in. Yet very little evidence exists suggesting a tangible connection between individuals' real world thoughts and actions with their in-game experiences. This mixed-methods study aimed to explore the potential relationship between individuals' real world moral identities with their virtual decisions and actions in singleplayer role-playing video games. Fifty-one people completed an online survey containing qualitative and quantitative questions. Participants provided narrative accounts of in-game decisions …

A Psychological Analysis Of Behavioral Consumerism: Advertising, Decision-Making, And Its Implications For Retailers, Grace V. Coburn

CMC Senior Theses

Advertising is a ubiquitous and substantial influence in consumerism, prompting psychological decision-making processes and behavioral consumerism. Selective marketing, advertising, and merchandising can only be successful when the processes within populations are identified and modified to fit the consumer. This paper examines psychological concepts surrounding the complex variables of decision-making. It will discuss relevant literature and empirical evidence that are imperative to further studies of behavioral consumerism. Such concepts that will be examined include: the elaboration likelihood model, regulatory focus theory, paradox of choice, as well as consumer variables such as influences of personality and maximizers versus satisficers. It then addresses …

Gaming And Aggressive Tendencies: The Effects Of Conflict Simulations On Behavior And Political Decision-Making, James Gilmore

MSU Graduate Theses

Simulations and war games have seen increasing use not only in the military, but various other agencies throughout the United States Federal Government as well. There seems to be a gap in the relevant literature examining if there are any effects on foreign policy decision-making after participating in these games, however. I deployed a survey at a local paintball place, to test for any noticeable effect on people's foreign policy preferences after they take part in a conflict simulation. The results of my research demonstrated a greater need to examine the effects of conflict simulations on decision-making processes. Some of …

Understanding Everyday Decisions: An Examination Of Biases In Decision-Making, Educational Attainment, And Use Of Tobacco And Nicotine Delivery Products Among Women Of Reproductive Age, Laura L. Chivers

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study was to examine associations between biases in decision-making (delay discounting [DD], opportunity cost neglect [OCN], status quo bias [SQB]), educational attainment, and use of cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine delivery products among women of reproductive age. Women of reproductive age are of special interest because of the additional risks that cigarette smoking or use of these other products represents should they become pregnant. Data were collected anonymously online in survey format using Amazon Mechanical Turk [AMT]. Participants were 800 women of reproductive age (24-44 years) from across the US. Half (n = 400) were …

Improving Understanding Of Colorectal Cancer Screening Decisional Conflict And Breast Cancer Survivorship Care, Kara P. Wiseman

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Behavioral interventions and evidence based guidelines along the cancer control continuum can reduce the burden of cancer.

Objectives: This dissertation aims to increase our understanding of colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) decisional conflict and breast cancer survivorship care. This project: 1) assesses CRCS decisional conflict in a general population, 2) uses the Theory of Triadic Influence to model and evaluate direct and indirect associations between CRCS decisional conflict and colonoscopy adherence, 3) assesses post-treatment breast cancer care.

Methods: Data from a questionnaire administered to randomly selected adults, 50-75 years, living in six MN communities (N=1,268) and the 2010 Behavioral Risk …