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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Qualitative Study Of Family Communication Patterns Theory Of Digital Supplementation On University Students, Heather S. Vaughan May 2024

A Qualitative Study Of Family Communication Patterns Theory Of Digital Supplementation On University Students, Heather S. Vaughan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Currently there is data that exists to support the benefits of traditional parental supplementation. However, the same cannot be said for digital parental supplementation. At present, it is unknown if remote interaction is necessary and whether it generates the same results in human beings, emotionally, mentally, and physically. As society continues exploring the complexities of the digital revolution and technological tools, it is imperative to explore the limitations as well as allowances in computerized communication. Even more importantly, there are several opportunities associated with digital parental supplementation that people must consider. First, digital media can provide proper parental supplementation if …


Using Media Equation Theory To Assess The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality Technology In Organizational Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging (Deib) Training, Michael L. Oetken May 2024

Using Media Equation Theory To Assess The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality Technology In Organizational Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging (Deib) Training, Michael L. Oetken

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The emergence of immersive virtual reality media technology is providing human beings with a new communication platform to engage beyond the traditional frameworks of video media, audio media, and static webpages on the Internet. These communication media technologies offer users an immersive environment in which they are able to communicate and interact with fellow human beings and non-human entities in life-like mannerisms. Most importantly, this technology also has the potential to bridge gaps and solve problems within the context of certain cultural and societal issues. The issue of communication deficiencies surrounding the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) …


Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen May 2024

Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project introduces Proactive Pastoral Counseling (PPC) as a Christian Integrative Therapeutic (CIT). PPC, combined with its counterpart, Christian Intrapersonal Formation (CIF), offers a proactive pastoral counseling approach to assist others in coping with intrapersonal conflict while guiding them toward Christian intrapersonal formation. The impetus behind the study addresses the need for pastoral counseling with members of First Baptist Church (FBC) in Harmony, ME. Chapter One lays out the history, background, and beliefs of FBC and the Maine culture dating back to the late 1700s. Chapter Two addresses the nature of pastoral counseling, its tenets, and applications described …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Perinatal Experiences Shaping A Woman’S Identity In Academia, Elizabeth Catherine Debolt May 2024

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perinatal Experiences Shaping A Woman’S Identity In Academia, Elizabeth Catherine Debolt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the meaning women faculty in academia in the United States ascribe to their perinatal experiences and how these experiences affect the integration of their academic and maternal identities and outlook on continuing in the academy. The theories guiding this study were Mercer's theory on becoming a mother and Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model. The study was comprised of 10 women who became a mother with their first child within the last seven years of the study's initiation while holding a faculty position in academia that included teaching, scholarship, and service responsibilities …


A Parent-Child Intervention For Conveying Unconditional Love: A Transcendental Phenomenological Pilot Study, Saundra H. Robinson May 2024

A Parent-Child Intervention For Conveying Unconditional Love: A Transcendental Phenomenological Pilot Study, Saundra H. Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every child wants to know whether their parents love them. The answer to this question is absolutely the most important thing in any child’s life. Most parents love their children, but not all know how to convey love in a way that their child feels loved. The purpose of this study was to examine how parents can put their feelings of love into action by applying a parent-child intervention of eye contact, focused attention, and physical touch. This transcendental phenomenological pilot study explored the lived experience of four individual parents applying the intervention over a 30-day period, contributing to positive …


Predicting Government Non-Manager Employees’ Creative Self-Concept Based On Their Leaders’ Transformational Leadership Qualities, Steven R. Palmer May 2024

Predicting Government Non-Manager Employees’ Creative Self-Concept Based On Their Leaders’ Transformational Leadership Qualities, Steven R. Palmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative non-experimental, predictive, correlational study aimed to evaluate the predictive relationship between government leaders exercising transformational leadership attributes and government service employees' potential to engage in creative problem-solving. This study contributes to the existing knowledge on leadership and creative self-concept by focusing on the government civilian service sector. This sector represents a large population with limited exposure to the correlation between leadership and creativity. The sample for this study was 1,432 engineering and contracting professionals from a government acquisition center in northern Alabama who designed and built weapons systems for combat forces. The data analysis included 609 participants. The …


Developing A Pathway For Ministry Leaders At Southside Church Of The Nazarene, Reginald David Phillips May 2024

Developing A Pathway For Ministry Leaders At Southside Church Of The Nazarene, Reginald David Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project created a leadership development pathway to produce more ministry leaders at Southside Church of the Nazarene. A five-step leadership development pathway culminating in discipleship integration was designed and implemented. This pathway produced a statistically significant increase in the number of new leaders in one quarter of a calendar year compared to the quarterly average of new leaders in the previous three years. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and roundtable discussions, and reviewed by multiple researchers to help remove bias.


Cultural Identity In Isolation: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Big Brother Season 23, Summer Ann Clutter May 2024

Cultural Identity In Isolation: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Big Brother Season 23, Summer Ann Clutter

Masters Theses

This qualitative content analysis focuses on the creation and maintenance of cultural identity amongst the houseguests in the reality television program Big Brother. Season 23 of Big Brother was qualitatively coded through the lens of cultural identity theory. The study found that cultural identity language was heavily present through the houseguest’s early personal disclosure, strategic formation of alliances, demonstration of interpersonal skills, and candid sharing with the audience in Diary Room segments. Sharing cultural identity language on a national television program allows the audience to witness and interact with the information and apply it to their society.


Beyond The Crown: A Qualitative Research Study On Pageant Women And The Looking-Glass Self, Laurel R. Stiekes May 2024

Beyond The Crown: A Qualitative Research Study On Pageant Women And The Looking-Glass Self, Laurel R. Stiekes

Masters Theses

Pageantry has existed in society for hundreds of years and is still prevalent within society today. Pageant contestants voluntarily compete in systems to hear what judges have to say about their intellect, talent, and poise. However, the opinions of the judges seem to not be the true influential voice in a pageant queen’s life. Previous research has reported that it is the people closest to us that have the most positive or devastating impact on the way we view ourselves. The question this study sought to answer was, “How have the opinions of others had an impact on the self-image …


The Lived Experiences Of Perimenopausal Christian Women: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Sheri Collinsworth Cobarruvias May 2024

The Lived Experiences Of Perimenopausal Christian Women: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Sheri Collinsworth Cobarruvias

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Perimenopause (PM) is a natural physiological process indicating the start of the non-reproductive phase of a woman’s life, which is a significant life event and a global health issue that affects millions of women worldwide. PM produces the most physiological changes in a woman’s body than the other phases of menopause. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of PM Christian women from a bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective through the lens of feminist theory. Data were gathered through virtual semistructured personal interviews with a sample of 10 participants focused on their physical, biological, psychological, emotional, mental, cognitive, social, relational, and religious/spiritual experiences …


Pressured To Conform: The Qualitative Paradigm In Counselor Education And Supervision, Bridger Dale Falkenstien May 2024

Pressured To Conform: The Qualitative Paradigm In Counselor Education And Supervision, Bridger Dale Falkenstien

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Using Charmaz’s (2014) grounded theory (GT) and Clarke’s (2003; 2005; Clarke et al., 2018) situational analysis (SA), this study explores the experience of counselor educators and their pressure to conform throughout their professional identity development process. As counselor educators, these individuals are thought and practice leaders in the field of professional counseling, training up future counselors and advancing the field in scholarship and advocacy as a social science (Aubrey, 1980; Hansen et al., 2014). As a social science, the integrity and investigative power of counseling are tethered to empirical discovery through quantitative and qualitative methods and philosophy – while inherently …


A Study Of Followership In An Organizational-Wide Change Of The Ministry Of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Michelle M. Russell May 2024

A Study Of Followership In An Organizational-Wide Change Of The Ministry Of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Michelle M. Russell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The influence of Child Evangelism Fellowship saw a significant increase across the United States of America after an organizational change following a 2001 Supreme Court case ruling. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the role of followership on the change and followership principles that emerged during the change that was implemented following the ruling Good News Club v. Milford Central School on the Good News Club ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship. Organizational change was defined as intentional actions promoted by leadership and intentional actions taken by followers who took advantage of the rights guaranteed by the ruling. …


Social Enterprises And Social Media: A Dialogic And Comparative Analysis, Kevin L. Rawls May 2024

Social Enterprises And Social Media: A Dialogic And Comparative Analysis, Kevin L. Rawls

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is devoted to assessing the public relations activities of social enterprises on social media through a dialogic communication lens and comparing those activities with traditional businesses. Social enterprises are fundamentally devoted to leveraging market forces to help create sustainable social change, and as such are interested in not only financial returns but also specific social returns, and the public relations strategies of these organizations should be more aligned than traditional businesses with fully functioning society theory and dialogic communication principles. This study reveals areas of opportunity for both social enterprises and conventional companies to develop in the area …


Changing The Narrative: Developing Evidence-Based, Communication Strategies To Address Health Disparities Of Black Women In The United States, Emmerline Francesca Nelson-Rogers May 2024

Changing The Narrative: Developing Evidence-Based, Communication Strategies To Address Health Disparities Of Black Women In The United States, Emmerline Francesca Nelson-Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Black women experience health issues at disparate rates when compared to their racial counterparts. Although these health disparities can be linked to health behaviors, they are deeply rooted in historic, racial systems that govern our lives today. More often than not, changes in health behaviors are at the forefront of addressing these health disparities rather than historical health trends of Black women in the U.S. This study aims to discuss why the change needed is a change in the narrative for why these health disparities exist and persist as well as a change in narrative about the role Black women …


Black Consonance And Dissonance Theory: As Explored Through The Social Media Use Of Black Women In Late-Adolescence, Iris Goode-Middleton May 2024

Black Consonance And Dissonance Theory: As Explored Through The Social Media Use Of Black Women In Late-Adolescence, Iris Goode-Middleton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Media messages play a crucial part in teaching people how to view themselves and others through the representations of things like gender roles, racial groups, and perceptions of what is deemed beautiful. There is an abundance of stereotypical images of Black women in the media. In addition, they are also inundated with unrealistic beauty standards reflective of Eurocentric ideals of attractiveness that do not include them. Social media allows for content containing stereotypes about Black women and beauty criteria that do not include them at unprecedented rates. This narrative qualitative study aimed to examine how social media content used by …


African American Parents’ Perceptions Of How Their Digital Practices Affect The Parent-Child Relationship, Teyuna T. Darris May 2024

African American Parents’ Perceptions Of How Their Digital Practices Affect The Parent-Child Relationship, Teyuna T. Darris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study aimed to understand African American parents’ perceptions, observations, and experiences concerning their digital practices and whether or not these practices have any impact on their communication with their children. The theories that guided this study are housed in the sociopsychological communication tradition (i.e., uses and gratification theory and the family communication patterns theory) and the sociocultural communication tradition (i.e., cultivation theory). Thirty-five in-depth interviews of African American parents who completed a qualifying survey were conducted. The interview transcripts underwent a thematic analysis to understand the interviewees’ perceptions, observations, and experiences related to the research questions, which addressed …


The Perpetual Progression In The Schleswig-Holstein Duchy: History, Politics, And Religion, 1460-1864, Christian Anthony Ahlers May 2024

The Perpetual Progression In The Schleswig-Holstein Duchy: History, Politics, And Religion, 1460-1864, Christian Anthony Ahlers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

German nationalism in the Schleswig and Holstein duchies that predates the German Unification Wars of the Nineteenth Century continuously transformed in response to Danish encroachment, civic disputes regarding treaty legitimacy, and war. The Germans in the duchies fought to retain their ancestral homelands and, in doing so, embraced a pan-Germanic consciousness that is the foundation for early modern nationalism. This consciousness dates back hundreds of years. This case study examines the Germans of Schleswig and Holstein and their experiences with the consistent and pressing Danish encroachment. Despite the encroachment, the Germans remained connected with their culture, traditions, religion, and their …


Does Education Enhance A Recruit's Academic Performance During Academy Training, Mark A. Lahr May 2024

Does Education Enhance A Recruit's Academic Performance During Academy Training, Mark A. Lahr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study will examine cadet/recruit academic performance while attending the Illinois State Police Training Academy. The focus will be primarily on the academic testing portion of the academy training. This quantitative study will evaluate whether there is a correlation between the academic achievement of the recruit before entry into the academy and academic performance while attending the academy training. This research will explore questions such as: What is the relationship between educational levels and academic performance among recruits while in the police academy? Does having a college education impact the recruit’s ability to score higher on academic testing sections within …


A Quantitative Study On Operational And Organizational Stress On Game Wardens, Lori A. Perez May 2024

A Quantitative Study On Operational And Organizational Stress On Game Wardens, Lori A. Perez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been a notable gap in research concerning stress among game wardens within the law enforcement field. Game wardens encounter operational and organizational stressors similar to those faced by traditional law enforcement officers. Previous research on stress in game wardens has predominantly focused on operational stress, the transition of their duties towards more traditional law enforcement roles, and various stress-inducing factors. This quantitative study utilized the Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) survey to analyze both operational and organizational stress in Maine Game Wardens. The research aimed to address two primary research questions: firstly, examining organizational and occupational stress utilizing the …


The Political Economy Of The Igbos Of Southeastern Nigeria: Analyzing The Igbo Entrepreneurship Model (Iem), Eze Simpson Osuagwu May 2024

The Political Economy Of The Igbos Of Southeastern Nigeria: Analyzing The Igbo Entrepreneurship Model (Iem), Eze Simpson Osuagwu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the relationship between culture and economic development using the case of the Igbo ethnic group of Southeastern Nigeria. The Igbo traditional apprenticeship system has been widely described in contemporary political economy literature as a model for stakeholder capitalism and shared prosperity for sustainable entrepreneurial development. This study draws a sample of 2,000 entrepreneurs from five business clusters across Nigeria in Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi, Lagos and Abuja to ascertain if there is a significant difference between the entrepreneurs who passed through the traditional apprenticeship system and those who did not. The study employs a Propensity Score Matching technique …


Determining Who Gets Help And Why: A Phenomenological Study Into Help-Seeking Behavior In Law Enforcement Officers, Gerald A. Steckmeister May 2024

Determining Who Gets Help And Why: A Phenomenological Study Into Help-Seeking Behavior In Law Enforcement Officers, Gerald A. Steckmeister

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In a post-George Floyd world, police agencies are under unprecedented scrutiny. There is tremendous pressure to improve performance, reduce the use of force, and expand police-community relations. In addition, police agencies struggle to maintain officer wellness. Police officers have higher levels of physical and mental illness than the general population, which results in a significantly lower age expectancy and quality of life. There is a general trend to reduce police funding, spurred by dissatisfaction with police services and general fiscal constraints. In order to combat increasing problems with diminishing resources, police administrators need solutions that can work on several problems. …


Banyamulenge Immigrants' Perceptions Of Police In The United States: A Qualitative Study, Fidele Nkomezi Sebahizi May 2024

Banyamulenge Immigrants' Perceptions Of Police In The United States: A Qualitative Study, Fidele Nkomezi Sebahizi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Banyamulenge are Congolese from South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While research on different minority groups worldwide is prominent, research on the Banyamulenge remains scarce. This study attempts to close this void in literature. The Banyamulenge's ill-treatment was evident during the colonial period, before the DRC’s independence. It stemmed from various ideologies, including the Banyamulenge's denial of being native Congolese. The DRC is a country inhabited by numerous tribes linked to neighboring countries, sharing languages and cultures. Like many other Congolese, the Banyamulenge were on the Congolese territory before the Western colonizers' arrival before 1885. …


Mi Ofrenda, Bonita Vasquez May 2024

Mi Ofrenda, Bonita Vasquez

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the role of the Dia de los Muertos holiday in wasteful spending, food waste, and environmental waste in the United States due to its food-centered traditions and commercialized competitions. As the holiday has become more mainstream, the once-homebound practices have expanded into large, drawn-out festivals nationwide. Articles on the holiday’s traditions, as well as studies on waste, have been reviewed. The analysis showed that the traditions have evolved and that food waste directly affects financial and environmental waste. This paper concludes that the holiday’s practices can be adjusted to help reduce food, financial, and environmental waste.


Profiles In Influence: Shaping American Perceptions, Attitudes, And Policy Towards China, Benjamin Merritt May 2024

Profiles In Influence: Shaping American Perceptions, Attitudes, And Policy Towards China, Benjamin Merritt

Masters Theses

Pearl Buck, Henry Luce, Edgar Snow, and Richard Nixon have profoundly influenced Sino-American relations throughout the 20th century. Their impact on American perceptions, attitudes, and foreign policy has played a pivotal role in shaping the current state of relations between the United States government and the People’s Republic of China. Pivotal historical events such as WWI & WWII, the Sino-Japanese War, China’s Civil War, and the Soviet-Sino conflict—among other events—have also significantly influenced the dynamics of Sino-American relations. Despite their importance, there is a notable absence of studies that comprehensively explore the collective impact of these individuals and events. Understanding …


From Doom To Bloom: The Effects Of Pre-Major Coaching On Undecided Student Persistence, Lisa Dianne Wycoff May 2024

From Doom To Bloom: The Effects Of Pre-Major Coaching On Undecided Student Persistence, Lisa Dianne Wycoff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student retention is a persistent dilemma in higher education because it is how student success is measured. Universities invest resources in retaining vulnerable populations and provide additional support measures because they are most at risk of dropping out. The premise of this study is that students who enter college without a major are considered vulnerable, as they are highly prone to drop out. Numerous studies have found that entering college with an “unknown/undecided” status negatively impacts retention, well-being, and motivation due to a lack of clearly defined educational goals. However, students and families often lack adequate information about the importance …


Moral Injury In Active Service And Veteran Female Military Combatants, William Curtis Neal May 2024

Moral Injury In Active Service And Veteran Female Military Combatants, William Curtis Neal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A topic of concern and discussion in the mental health community, and maybe a special concern from both governmental and civilian practitioners, is the subject of moral injury. Moral Injury has been widely researched over the last 10 years and is a known and discussed condition that is linked to military personnel and veterans who have experienced events while deployed or operating in adverse conditions such as combat. The following descriptive study focuses on one group from which they have been excluded or overlooked in past studies. This creates a gap in the published literature: female servicewomen and veterans. Both …


A Phenomenology Of Working With Youth Sex-Trafficked Survivors In Florida, Paula Marie Robinson May 2024

A Phenomenology Of Working With Youth Sex-Trafficked Survivors In Florida, Paula Marie Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of health care professionals (HCPs) and other service providers (SPs) who work or worked with children and adolescent survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) and the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Florida. The Conceptual Model for Factors Affecting Well-Being and Resilience devised by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Five Ways to Well-Being Model developed by Catherine Gilliver were used to guide this study. These models helped the researcher gain a better understanding of how participants experienced working with survivors and victims of …


A Phenomenological Study: Experiences Of Men Residing In A Substance Abuse Recovery Program With A Domestic Violence Perpetration Intervention Cohort, Tauchanna Gilmore Bullock May 2024

A Phenomenological Study: Experiences Of Men Residing In A Substance Abuse Recovery Program With A Domestic Violence Perpetration Intervention Cohort, Tauchanna Gilmore Bullock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of men in a substance use disorder (SUD) residential program simultaneously receiving domestic violence (DV) perpetration intervention and services that address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This study examined men’s ACEs, substance use, and DV perpetration. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model and Rudolf Moos’ modification of socioecological model provided the foundational context and theoretical framework for the study. Although there are various reasons individuals use substances, one of the underlying causes is often unattended ACEs. Individuals with SUDs are also often the perpetrators of DV within their intimate relationships. …


Spiritual Disciplines And Mental Resiliency: The Effectiveness Of Spiritual Coping Mechanisms To Decrease Anxiety And Depression Symptoms, Alysa Lynn Vanderweerd May 2024

Spiritual Disciplines And Mental Resiliency: The Effectiveness Of Spiritual Coping Mechanisms To Decrease Anxiety And Depression Symptoms, Alysa Lynn Vanderweerd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The outcome of anxiety and depression’s symptomology is an ever-rising global economy cost of 1 trillion U.S. dollars, due to medical costs and loss of productivity, leading researchers and clinicians to search for effective cost saving solutions (Chodavadia et al., 2023). Religion/Spirituality (RS) based cognitive therapy treatments are recognized in alleviating maladaptive behaviors and cognitive distortions, offering comfort to the afflicted, hope and belief that God is available for the seeker (Ramos et al., 2018). Therefore, the researcher conducted an internet-based, self-paced intervention of a mixed methods study of a 40-Day Biblical Worldview Educational Treatment Program of a convenience sample …


Active Shooter Drills In Schools Across The United States, Barbara Slater May 2024

Active Shooter Drills In Schools Across The United States, Barbara Slater

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to understand the types of drills and safety measures implemented at various schools across the United States and the effects of these drills and safety measures on the participants. The physical and psychological impacts these drills and safety measures have on participants has not been thoroughly researched. Researcher utilized a self-designed online survey with questions that corresponded with the research questions and answered by 297 participants to provide the data and answer the research questions. Schools across the United States conduct active shooter drills to prepare students and school personnel for an active shooter crisis in their …