Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Increasing Conceptual Clarity Of Act Interventions For Burnout: A Novel Workshop For Women In Ministry, Lydia Hogan

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study is threefold; to address a gap in the literature concerning mechanism of change of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions for burnout, to create an evidence-based burnout intervention for women in ministry, and to propose a theory of burnout etiology and recovery. Participants in this novel 6-week online ACT-based workshop showed significant improvement in burnout, particularly those who endorsed higher pre-intervention burnout. Change in burnout scores was inconsistently mediated by changes in psychological flexibility across dimensions of personal burnout, work burnout, and client burnout as measured on the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Findings of this study …

Inner Work Community: Shadow Work As Spiritual Formation, Michael Simmons

Doctor of Leadership

The NPO statement surrounding this doctoral project is that A theological, practical, and community-centered framework for shadow work is disconnected from Christian spiritual formation. This doctoral project is the culmination of a three-fold process: discovering the need for shadow work in the context of spiritual formation, designing multi-faceted virtually-based opportunities to address this need among individuals and groups, and delivering those opportunities via online courses, one-on-one shadow work, and digital content such as essays, articles, and podcasts. My vocational context is my unofficial organization, and MVP, Inner Work Community, which provides these opportunities. Inner Work Community is extended through partnerships …

Spiritual Well-Being Scale (Swbs): Measuring Spiritual Well-Being In International Contexts, Rodger K. Bufford, Raymond F. Paloutzian

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) is a 20-item measure of self-perceived spiritual health. Developed in the 1980s, it includes 2 subscales with 10 items each. Responses are made on a 6-point continuum from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree with no neutral point; 9 of the items are negatively worded to minimize response biases. The US samples show good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Content validity was established in construction. Expected correlations with religion and spirituality indices, social and psychological mea-sures, and physical functioning and demonstration of expected group differences support criterion validity. Factor analysis commonly shows 2 factors corresponding to …

Military Chaplains’ Provision Of Psychological Assistance To Soldiers In Ukraine, Artem Makovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article presents the results of a theoretical analysis of and the author's personal practical experience with the work of military chaplains in providing psychological assistance to Ukrainian servicemen. Researchers in the field of psychology of religion have identified a number of functions of religion,--namely communicative, regulatory, integrating, ideological and compensatory--on which the pastoral activity of a military chaplain can be analyzed in their provision of psychological assistance to combatants. A comparison of the tasks facing military psychologists and military chaplains is carried out based on legal documents. Emphasis is placed on those moments where they can functionally complement each …

The Effect Of The Political Climate On Latinos’ Wellbeing, Magda E. Mendoza Soto

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The presidential election of Donald Trump significantly influenced various aspects of the population of the United States. Given Trump’s emphasis on anti-immigrant policies, it is essential for professionals and practitioners to better understand how the Latin population is experiencing and responding to today’s political climate. Participants in this study ranged in age from 18 to 64 and were from Latin descent, which consists of persons, cultures, or countries related to the Spanish language, culture, people, or to Spain in general. Ninety-six participants completed the quantitative measures including The Adult Hope Scale (HS), Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the …

Invitational Vulnerability: Practices That Increase Communal Resiliency By Nurturing Belonging Across Difference, Jenn Rombeek Burnett

Doctor of Ministry

The mental health crisis, rising individualism, polarization and conflict aversion are key factors preventing Canadians from building the bonds necessary for individual and communal flourishing. Communal Christian resilience will be characterized by love across differences. Drawing on psychology and neuro-theology, this paper suggests communal practices of eating, play, service and prayer will contribute to reducing anxiety, moving responses from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic region of the brain. By activating neurogenesis and utilizing storytelling to encourage neuro-coupling, collaborative meaning-making can effectively build resilient communities.

The table facilitates exchange that encourages personal histories and cultural expressions to be shared. It provides …

Experiences Of Divine Grace Among Christian Friends, Kyle T. Webster

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Though topics of prayer, forgiveness, and gratitude have received attention in the psychology of religion, there is sparse literature regarding the concept of grace. This study explored how Christians who identify as Friends (Quakers) experience grace from God. Thirty interviews were conducted with Friends in the Pacific Northwest, using a standardized semistructured interview developed for a larger study of how Christians from various denominations experience grace. Four organizing themes were derived from the interview questions and then grounded theory was used to uncover associated sub-themes within each organizing theme. The organizing themes include the nature of God, the nature of …

Does Christian Faith Impact Loneliness?, Jeffrey M. Kelly

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Loneliness is on the rise within the United States, particularly within younger adults ages 18-37 (Bruce et al 2019). Although much is known about the negative dimensions of loneliness, and some about protective factors to help ease loneliness, the potential impact of religious and spiritual beliefs and behaviors on loneliness remains largely unexplored. This study focused on the relationship between a committed religious faith and perceived feelings of loneliness among university students. Participants include 1,182 undergraduate students from George Fox University who participated in the National College Health Assessment (NCHA). Religious commitment was evaluated using a supplemental 6-item self-report measure …

Experiences Of Grace As Told By The Lgbtq Community, Nicholas A. Schollars

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Positive psychology has yielded rich insights about the nature of forgiveness and gratitude, but it is just beginning to broach the topic of grace. Theoretical evidence suggests grace is a crucial therapeutic factor in helping patients overcome shame, but empirical evidence is wanting. Because of the central role grace plays in Christianity, a qualitative exploration was conducted with a sample of participants identifying as either lesbian, gay, or bisexual, as well as Christian. Transcripts from 26 semi-structured interviews were coded and analyzed. Participants reported that their experiences of Divine Grace were related to their views about God’s nature. They reported …

Experiences Of Hope, Resilience And Spirituality In Kenyan Children And Adolescents, Anne King

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Resilience is a vital factor in overcoming adversity. The presence of hope and spiritual meaning have been demonstrated to contribute to resilience. Globally, there are millions of children and adolescents who have faced traumatic experiences including, but not limited to, the loss of their parents. The current study explored Kenyan children and adolescents’ experiences of resilience, hope and spirituality in the environment of a group home and school in Kenya. Mixed measures were utilized. Seventy-five participants ages 10-19 years old completed the quantitative measures including the CD-RISC, SEARS-C/A, the Children’s Hope scale, the Adult Hope scale, and a 1-item Spirituality …

Is Anybody There? Exploring The Role Of Social Presence In An Online Political Science Research Methods Class, Delton Daigle, Aaron Stuvland

Faculty Publications - Department of History and Politics

Social presence, or the “being there” and “being real” presence of others in an online learning environment, is widely considered to have a positive impact on student motivation and participation, actual and perceived learning, course and instructor satisfaction, and retention in online courses (Richardson et al. 2017; Oh et al. 2018). Several aspects of social presence remain understudied however, such as how gender, class rank, and other demographical characteristics may influence perceptions of social presence and condition the relationship between perceptions of social presence and academic performance or course satisfaction. Furthermore, although studies of the impact of social presence abound, …

Sexual Attitudes & Shame: Catholic Women’S Perspectives, Colleen Conklin

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Guilt, particularly around sexuality, is a concept commonly associated with those who practice Catholicism. Additionally, women in the United States (US) often navigate many mixed messages surrounding sexuality. Women who are raised in religious traditions that hold strong messages about the importance of one’s sexuality and its expression may have a particularly complicated relationship with their body and sexual experiences. Nonconsensual sexual experiences also further complicate one’s self image and self-esteem. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential correlations between one’s level of religiosity, shame, and sexual attitudes. These themes were investigated through the implementation of a …

The Effects Of Language Brokering Among The Korean Population, James J. Kim

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Children of immigrant families frequently are immersed in a process called language brokering (LB) in which they interpret and translate between various linguistic and cultural parties for their families. Previous studies that investigated correlations among LB, mental health and behavioral outcomes revealed both positive and negative effects of well-being and development. The current study expanded this research by examining the relationship of LB, acculturation, hope, and resilience among 53 Korean adults. This study revealed a significant negative relationship between the frequency of LB and levels of hope. Additionally, the results did not demonstrate any significant relationships between the frequency of …

Program Evaluation Of Integration Training, Megan Anna Neff

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This paper provides a brief historical overview of the integration of psychology and Christianity while highlighting some of the growing tensions within the movement. Integration of psychology and Christianity has been heavily influenced by training that occurs at APAaccredited programs which explicitly integrate psychology and Christianity as part of their training, making integrative training a salient component to evaluate when considering the future development of the integration movement. An overview of the current research on the effectiveness of learning integration among undergraduate and graduate populations is offered followed by exploratory questions addressing how these inputs may relate to students’ experiences …

A Culturally-Sensitive Exploration Of Adversity And Resilience Among Trinidadians, Christabel Léonce

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research done by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse, household challenges, and neglect were linked to later health risks in life and overall well-being (CDC, 2019). Adverse experiences occur worldwide in a variety of culturally-specific ways. Research involving youth in Trinidad and Tobago outlines emerging concerns with violence in homes, communities, and schools (Baker-Henningham et al., 2009). Currently, however, there is limited data on adverse experiences and their long-term impact in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidadians (n = 79), born and lived in Trinidad till 18 years was surveyed, ranging from ages …

Psychopathic Personality Traits In Students Entering Helping Professions, Sarah E. Gallup

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Psychopathy is often misrepresented as a sign of criminality and deviance. However, current literature suggests that psychopaths make up approximately one-fifth of the general population. Some people use these characterological traits to their benefit in positions of leadership. In this study, students from a Christian university in the Pacific Northwest were selected to participate in a survey, based upon their chosen major (Business, Psychology, and Religion). It was hypothesized that Business students would have the highest total levels of psychopathy and religion majors would show the lowest levels of psychopathy. Since religion often serves as a protective factor, it is …

The Relationship Between Self-Compassion, Religion, Gender, And Objectified Body Consciousness In Christian Nazarene Women, Arielle R. A. Marston

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Body shame and objectification of the female body are well known contributing factors in physical and mental health issues including high stress, eating disorder symptomatology, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Religion plays a role in body shame and female objectification through both scripture and theological writings although this relationship remains inconclusive. Self-Compassion has been found to be a mitigating factor with regard to body shame in college and caregiver contexts. The Church of the Nazarene promotes itself as supporting female leadership and roles within the church. Since religion and gender roles seem to play a role in body shame and …

The Obstacles To Receiving Grace In A Substance Abuse Population, Bradley Johnson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Grace has been important throughout the history of Christianity, and it is also relevant in the contemporary positive psychology movement. Nonetheless, the construct of grace has been left relatively unexplored through theoretical or empirical investigation in the social sciences. The few psychological explorations of grace found in the current literature can be roughly divided into four categories: advocating for grace, theoretical development, measuring grace, and empirical studies of grace. The current study examined the obstacles to grace experienced by patients in a substance abuse recovery program. Seven obstacles were first identified by a group of 25 participants through the use …

The Relationship Of Spirituality, Religiosity And Attitudes Toward Lesbians And Gay Men Among Students At A Faith-Based Institution, Megan C. Cormier Castaneda

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research indicates heterosexual students at faith-based universities often hold negative attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women. The factors that can influence these attitudes are complex. This study examines the relationship between attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women, religiosity and spirituality in students who are enrolled in a faith-based institution. A correlation was run to examine the relationship between these variables along with further statistical analyses to gather more information. There is a small positive relationship between higher levels of spirituality and positive attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. There is a medium positive relationship between high levels of …

Pearce's "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Christians With Depression: A Practical Tool-Based Primer" (Book Review), Kenneth D. Litwak

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Am I Good Enough? Dealing Pastorally With The Shame Of Women In The Amalgam Of Korean Confucian And Christian Culture, Sarah Ahn

Seminary Masters Theses

In this paper, the literature review of shame is examined: the definition of emotions, the relationship between shame and the self, the definition and characteristics of shame alongside with guilt, the social nature of shame, and the female quality of shame. After examining the previous attempts on shame and its relationship with culture, this paper argues how shame functions, particularly in Korean culture, employing a cultural-anthropological, a societal-anthropological, and a Korean native-psychological approach. Furthermore, the paper explores the relationship between shame and Korean women in the amalgam of Korean Confucian and Christian context. The negative and positive roles of shame …

The Relationship Of Gender, Spirituality, And Willingness To Seek Mental Health Treatment Among Students At A Faith-Based Institution, Lauren A. Hoffman

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

College is a demanding time in a student’s life that can require willingness to seek help in times of significant distress. The factors that can influence this decision are numerous and complex. This study examined the relationship between willingness to seek mental health treatment, gender, and level of religiosity and spirituality in students that are enrolled in a single faith-based institution. Results suggest that female students were more willing to seek help from a mental health professional than males, and students who endorsed high levels of religiosity and spirituality were more inclined to seek help from a religiously affiliated advisor …

Changing Behavior And Renewing The Brain: A Study Of College Students, Mark Maddix, Glena Andrews

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The field of neuroscience and religion continues to explode as researchers seek to understand religious experiences in the brain. Studies in religious experience, called neurotheology, attempt to draw conclusions about the truth of these religious experiences from the study of biological brain events. Given the substantial research on the science of religion, this article explores the physiological changes of college students engaged in regular spiritual practices. Students were asked to engage in intentional spiritual formational practices, such as prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, and contemplation, to see if these practices impacted their physiological activities, including brain wave, heart rate, skin response …

Spiritual Formation In The Graduate School Of Clinical Psychology At George Fox University, Rodger K. Bufford, Nancy S. Thurston, Kathleen Gathercoal, Marie-Christine Goodworth, Lynn H. Holt

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

At its inception, the training model in the Graduate School of Clinical Psychology (GSCP) at George Fox University was informed by the approach inaugurated at Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology in the 1960s. In the original model, training in Christian religion/spirituality and theology accompanied training in professional psychology. In the interim, our culture, psychological knowledge, perceived psychological needs, and training programs have changed greatly. Here we report changes in religion/spirituality (RIS) training and integration over the last two decades. We describe our current spiritual formation structure and process, and program evaluation efforts. Over the past several years the GSCP …

Wrestling For The Souls Of The Survivors: Helping Partners Who Are Married To Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, John N. Raymond

Doctor of Ministry

For some who partake in the wonders of marriage, the experiences of pleasant memories and successful challenges mark their dreams in their twilight years. For couples where one or both experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA), marital challenges have far greater negative effect on each of the marital partners—their twilight dreams may not be so pleasant. Although many couples experience setbacks and hardships, for the couple affected by CSA, the setbacks are experienced with greater intensity and duration. This dissertation will highlight research quantifying the negative long-term consequences of CSA. I also will give examples of qualitative research that describes the …

Pratt's "Don't Panic: How To Keep Going When The Going Gets Tough" (Book Review), Deborah Hunt

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Grace On Self-Forgiveness With A Religious Community, Laura Geczy-Haskins

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Genuine self-forgiveness entails accepting responsibility for wrongdoing while experiencing a continued sense of self-worth (Enright & Human Development Study Group, 1996; Fisher & Exline, 2006; Hall & Fincham, 2005; Martin, 2008; Szablowinski, 2012; Vitz & Meade, 2011; Wenzel, Woodyatt, & Hedrick, 2012; Woodyatt & Wenzel, 2013a; Woodyatt & Wenzel, 2013b). Previous research has demonstrated that a benevolent concept of God and a personal sense of God’s forgiveness facilitate self-forgiveness (Exline, Yali, & Lobel,1999; Hall & Fincham, 2008; Martin, 2008; McConnell & Dixon, 2012), suggesting that those who accept responsibility for the offense and believe God can forgive that offense will …

The Effects Of Trauma On Adjustment To College For Children Of Missionaries, Melissa J. Winfield

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Missionary Kids (MKs) encounter challenges in adjusting to college due to cross-cultural transitions and unique experiences related to missionary life. Though trauma is more common among missionaries than for the general American population, little is known regarding the impact of past trauma on missionary kids as they adjust to college. This study compared adjustment to college and psychological well-being of missionary kids and students who are not children of missionaries. The extent to which students have experienced trauma was used as a covariate in the study. MK students were recruited through college organizations and missions’ agencies. They were asked to …

Introduction To The Science Of Virtue, Why Positive Psychology Matters To The Church, Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

My students look at me funny when I mention 1980, as if we are studying ancient history. It doesn’t seem that long ago to me, but most of them were ten years shy of being born. Mount St. Helens erupted that year, gifting my classmates and me with an inch of ash for our college graduation day in Portland, Oregon. Rubik’s Cube captured the world’s attention and more of my free time than I care to admit. And a concerned couple at my church approached my wife, Lisa, and me a few weeks before we packed our U-Haul for graduate …

Wisdom, Chapter 1 Of The Science Of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters To The Church, Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The day before I started this chapter I played flag football with some of my doctoral students. Though I am thirty years their senior, I tried my best to keep up for three hours of great fun. Today my sore muscles scream any time I try to move. My wife, Lisa, would say they are reprimanding me for my foolishness. Typing on the keyboard is about the only motion that doesn’t hurt. It seems both fitting and paradoxical to begin writing about wisdom the morning after punishing my body in the name of a good time. Hopefully I haven’t just …