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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Improving Veterans’ Psychological Well-Being With A Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercise, Clara Im Adkins Dec 2020

Improving Veterans’ Psychological Well-Being With A Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercise, Clara Im Adkins

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The demand for therapeutic services and effective counseling interventions aimed at rehabilitating veterans has increased exponentially over the past thirty years. Veterans with PTSD symptoms experience several problems including, relationship issues, lower life satisfaction, suicidal ideation, isolation, and comorbid diagnoses. Current research on veterans diagnosed with PTSD suggests integrating wellness and strength-based approaches aimed at developing positive psychology characteristics into clinical services for veterans. Gratitude is a core construct in positive psychology and has been practiced in cultures all over the world. Gratitude journal interventions have been proven to increase well-being, positive affect, social relationships, optimism, life satisfaction, and lower …


A Meta-Analysis Of Group Treatment Outcomes For Veterans With Substance Use Disorders, Robert “Tony” Dice Dec 2020

A Meta-Analysis Of Group Treatment Outcomes For Veterans With Substance Use Disorders, Robert “Tony” Dice

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Group therapy is commonly used in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD). Many studies exist related to the efficacy of group interventions for veterans with SUDs. A meta-analysis and systematic review of the literature addressing the use of group therapy, specifically psychoeducational groups, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) groups and support groups, in the treatment of SUDs with veterans was conducted. The following questions guided the research: What are viable treatment outcomes for psychoeducational, CBT, and support groups of veterans with SUDs? and What are the measures that capture outcomes related to psychoeducational, CBT, and support groups of veterans with …


Counselor Education Doctoral Students’ Research Self-Efficacy: A Concept Mapping Approach, Zahide Sunal Aug 2020

Counselor Education Doctoral Students’ Research Self-Efficacy: A Concept Mapping Approach, Zahide Sunal

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Research self-efficacy (RSE) is a key concept not only for counselor educators as successful researchers but also for the advancement of counselor education field. In the literature, researchers have studied multiple factors (e.g., research interest, productivity) to understand the complex nature of RSE phenomenon. Despite being informative, these studies only focused on partial aspects of the multilayered RSE, showing methodological and conceptual limitations. Particularly, we do not have a holistic understanding of RSE and the interrelated relationship among the factors informing RSE. In the current study, the researcher used a mixedmethods design, Concept Mapping (Kane & Trochim, 2007) to explore …


Quasi-School Leaders: The Lived Experiences Of High School Counseling Directors And Their Role In Schools, Andrea Cherice Simon Aug 2020

Quasi-School Leaders: The Lived Experiences Of High School Counseling Directors And Their Role In Schools, Andrea Cherice Simon

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this study is to explore the lived experiences of high school counseling director’s and how their principal and district school counseling supervisor shape their experiences as leaders. The role of high school counseling director’s is increasingly complex, unique, and oftentimes misunderstood. They are often viewed as leaders and change agents in student’s overall success due to their unique skill levels in advocacy and collaboration (Kaffenberger, Murphy, & Bemak, 2006; McMahon, Mason, Daluga-Guenther, & Ruiz, 2014; Young, Millard, & Kneale, 2013). However, principal’s and district school counseling supervisors are key players in defining the role and responsibilities of …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of Counselors’ Experiences With Clients Affected By Problematic Internet Pornography Use, Kendall R. Sparks Aug 2020

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Counselors’ Experiences With Clients Affected By Problematic Internet Pornography Use, Kendall R. Sparks

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The primary researcher conducted a phenomenological study examining the experiences of licensed professional counselors (n = 8) who have worked with clients affected by problematic Internet pornography use. There were five female participants with an average age of 49 and three males with an average age of 63. All eight participants identified as Christian. Four participants reported their highest level of education was a Master’s degree, three participants reported holding a Ph.D. and one participant reported holding an Ed.S. Through semi-structured interviews, the primary researcher of this study sought to gain an understanding of how counselors were experiencing and navigating …


Group Treatment Effectiveness For Substance Use Disorders: Abstinence Vs. Harm Reduction, Jill D. Parramore Aug 2020

Group Treatment Effectiveness For Substance Use Disorders: Abstinence Vs. Harm Reduction, Jill D. Parramore

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare group treatment effectiveness for substance use disorders within the U.S. across treatment philosophies as it relates to the primary research question, Is there a significant difference of group treatment effectiveness between Abstinence and Harm Reduction treatment philosophies? It was hypothesized that group treatment will remain an effective intervention to treat substance use disorders between treatment philosophies and that no significant differences exist between-group comparisons. The aim of this study is to provide evidence of treatment effectiveness that will ultimately improve treatment outcomes for substance use disorders, provide guidance for …


Student Success Coaching In Virginia Community Colleges, Angela Lawhorne Aug 2020

Student Success Coaching In Virginia Community Colleges, Angela Lawhorne

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Community college students face many barriers when they start college, especially if they are from first-generation families, are low-income, or identify as a minority. Retention and completion for these at-risk students are relatively low compared to those with higher socioeconomic backgrounds (Bettinger & Baker, 2014). To improve these statistics and promote academic persistence, some Virginia Community College System (VCCS) colleges have implemented student success coaching under the Chancellor’s College Success Coach Initiative (VCCS, 2011). This entails not only assisting students with academic coaching, but also with career, financial, and personal matters that may affect their academic success. The researcher sought …


Investigating The Impact Of The Fava Well-Being Protocol On Perceived Stress And Psychological Well-Being With At-Promise High School Students, Renee L. Fensom Aug 2020

Investigating The Impact Of The Fava Well-Being Protocol On Perceived Stress And Psychological Well-Being With At-Promise High School Students, Renee L. Fensom

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

An elevation in stress levels can be caused by many contributing factors, which can ultimately interfere with the learning of young people. Fortunately, an increase in well being can help promote resilience, creating a buffer to stress. Therefore, the current study investigated the influence of a positive psychology intervention aimed at lowering perceived stress and increasing well-being among at-promise students. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Ryff’s Model of Psychological Well-Being (PWB). The specific intervention used was the Well-being Therapy School Protocol developed by Fava and associates, based off of Carol Ryff’s Model of PWB (Fava, 2016). …


Best Practices In Clinical Supervision: What Must Supervisees Do?, Johana Rocha Apr 2020

Best Practices In Clinical Supervision: What Must Supervisees Do?, Johana Rocha

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Clinical supervision is critical for training competent counselors who provide ethical and professional services aimed at protecting the welfare of the populations they serve. Despite clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of supervisors in supervision literature (Borders et al., 2014), scholars have not offered guidelines to inform supervisees with their responsibilities to make the most out of their supervision experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to attend to the gap in the literature by understanding what supervisees perceive as their responsibilities in clinical supervision. Such an effort may inform further studies and provide an empirical basis to establish …


Mental Health Counselors' Perceptions On Preparedness In Integrated Behavioral Healthcare In Underserved Areas, Kyulee Park Apr 2020

Mental Health Counselors' Perceptions On Preparedness In Integrated Behavioral Healthcare In Underserved Areas, Kyulee Park

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Integration of behavioral and primary healthcare (IBH) has been increasingly suggested as a model approach in serving historically marginalized populations, including rural, Healthcare Provider Shortage (HPSA), and Medically Underserved (MUA) communities (Coleman & Patrick, 1976; Wong et al., 2019). However, there is no evidence-based practices in interprofessional education and training for professional mental health counselors to serve as competent practitioners in integrated behavioral healthcare. This study examined the gap in interprofessional and counselor education literature by identifying the lived experiences and perceptions of mental health professionals in integrated settings and assessed the need areas in current counselor education. A phenomenological …


Development And Validation Of The Students With Learning Disabilities School Counselor Self- Efficacy Scale: A Psychometric Study, Rawn Alfredo Boulden, Jr. Apr 2020

Development And Validation Of The Students With Learning Disabilities School Counselor Self- Efficacy Scale: A Psychometric Study, Rawn Alfredo Boulden, Jr.

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

School Counselors play an important role in the success of all students. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Council for The Accreditation of Counseling And Related Educational Programs (CACREP) emphasizing the importance of school counselors in supporting the diverse needs of all students. Despite the efforts of the aforementioned association and accrediting body, the verdict is mixed regarding school counselors’ self-efficacy to counsel and support students with learning disabilities. This quantitative study aimed to develop and validate the Students with Learning Disabilities School Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale, an instrument that assesses school counselors’ belief in their ability to counsel …


Making Connections Between General Education Information Literacy Classes And Upper Level Writing Courses: An Exploration Of Faculty And Student Perceptions, Lucinda Wittkower, D. E. Wittkower, Narketta Sparkman-Key Jan 2020

Making Connections Between General Education Information Literacy Classes And Upper Level Writing Courses: An Exploration Of Faculty And Student Perceptions, Lucinda Wittkower, D. E. Wittkower, Narketta Sparkman-Key

Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

This presentation will describe a collaborative project between University faculty and a librarian that connected faculty who teach general education information literacy courses to those who teach upper-level writing intensive courses. The project provided an opportunity for these faculty to participate in a focus group discussion to explore how the courses are aligned and how information literacy courses can support and prepare students for upper-level writing courses. Following the focus group discussion the presenters provided an opportunity for writing and information literacy faculty to take action on what they learned from each other by participating in an assignment redesign workshop. …


Advising The Online Student: A Breakout Of Advising Frequency, Preferences, And Satisfaction Of Online Students, Maeghen Macdonald, Brittani Wyskocil Garcia Jan 2020

Advising The Online Student: A Breakout Of Advising Frequency, Preferences, And Satisfaction Of Online Students, Maeghen Macdonald, Brittani Wyskocil Garcia

University Administration Publications

This breakout study reviews the findings of a 2017 study of Penn State University's World Campus undergraduate online students. The study surveyed students to report demographic, academic, preferences, and satisfaction information and sought to develop relationships between these variables by their levels of academic success. This breakout study focuses on the findings related to three of the study's variables: academic advising frequency, interaction preference, and satisfaction of undergraduate online students.


Advancing Human Services Education: Exploratory Study Of International Service Learning And Digital Pedagogy, Narketta Sparkman-Key, Anthony Vadja, T'Airra Belcher Jan 2020

Advancing Human Services Education: Exploratory Study Of International Service Learning And Digital Pedagogy, Narketta Sparkman-Key, Anthony Vadja, T'Airra Belcher

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

This study focuses on advancing the understanding of human services education in international service learning focused study abroad programs. There is a gap in the literature pertaining to service-learning education for human services students. This study explores the integration of service-learning, reflection, and technology in human services education. Case study methodology and document review analysis are used to examine the use of ePortfolio as a reflective tool in addition to the skill development of upper-level undergraduate human services students through service learning. Seven themes arose from the findings, which suggest that international service-learning assists students in human services skill development …


Building Empathy And Developing Instructional Design Experience And Skills: A Case Study Of Using Personas To Design Open Education Resources, John Baaki, Jennifer Maddrell Jan 2020

Building Empathy And Developing Instructional Design Experience And Skills: A Case Study Of Using Personas To Design Open Education Resources, John Baaki, Jennifer Maddrell

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This single case study involves the authors’ participation and observation of a massive open online course. To help instructional designers (IDs) develop open education resources for adults attempting to pass a United States high school equivalency exam, we constructed six personas that helped IDs put themselves in the users’ shoes. We begin by providing an overview of the scholarship that connects empathy, empathic design, persona construction, and meaning-making. After presenting our case study methodology and how we constructed six authentic personas, we present eight themes that demonstrate how IDs used the personas to build empathy for users and to develop …