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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Liberty University

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Series

2018

Articles 1 - 30 of 33

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Leadership Style And Employee Job Satisfaction In Registered Nurses In The Pittsburgh Msa Region, Jeffrey Belsky Dec 2018

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Leadership Style And Employee Job Satisfaction In Registered Nurses In The Pittsburgh Msa Region, Jeffrey Belsky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Healthcare worker jobs, particularly in the nursing profession, are among the fastest growing occupations in the United States. However, the nursing field is overwhelmed with an aging workforce, low morale, ineffective leadership practices, employee dissatisfaction, and increased worker turnover. Healthcare organizations have witnessed an increase in employee job dissatisfaction amongst nurses, which ultimately has led to increased employment turnover among other negative consequences such as lack of organizational commitment, absenteeism, reduced patient care, and disgruntled employees. This quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational research examined the relationship between perceived Registered Nurse (RN) job satisfaction and leadership styles in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area …


Leadership Matters: The Process Of Leading A Declining Church To Revitalization Utilizing Early Church Principles, Jarvis Baker Dec 2018

Leadership Matters: The Process Of Leading A Declining Church To Revitalization Utilizing Early Church Principles, Jarvis Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature that exist details the perpetual decline that is occurring in the local church. Nevertheless, the leadership a pastor provides must not be ignored, when there is an attempt to lead a church from decline to revitalization. The purpose of this project is to assist pastors who lead declining churches to revitalization by examining the principles of the early church, which was a church that was vibrant in the area of growth and spiritual life. Based on questionnaires sent to pastors and other ministry leaders, the project will reveal the need for a practical Biblical plan …


Husbands' Experience Of Being Trusted By Their Wives: A Heuristic Study, Paul Andrew Johns Dec 2018

Husbands' Experience Of Being Trusted By Their Wives: A Heuristic Study, Paul Andrew Johns

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Trust is widely understood to be a critical component of interpersonal relationships. In an effort to understand this complex construct, the majority of research on dyadic trust has focused on the decision to trust and the interactions between a trustor and trusty, with a strong bent toward understanding the trustor’s experience. Surprisingly little is known about the experience of the trusty, or the recipient of trust, which if not remedied may result in erroneous assumptions about the experience of the trusty or an obscuration of the relational dynamics surrounding trust as a whole. Using qualitative, heuristic methodology, the author sought …


Health And Wellness Factors Affecting The Wholistic Lifestyle Of National And International Christian Missionaries, Angela C. Williams Dec 2018

Health And Wellness Factors Affecting The Wholistic Lifestyle Of National And International Christian Missionaries, Angela C. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis will focus on the health and wellness of missionaries and will develop a wholistic framework for healthier living. This framework will be used as a guide to help sustain missionaries living in various cultural contexts by connecting and integrating the mind, body, and spirit in harmony for wholistic lifestyle. God intended for His people to live a healthy lifestyle and to take care of their temples. Missionaries are the backbone of cross-cultural evangelism, but they often find themselves living unhealthy lifestyles. These unhealthy lifestyles can have a negative impact on missionaries’ overall health, wellness, and fruitfulness in serving …


The Relationship Between Organizational Commitment And Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles In Government Contract Employees, Alethia Gardner Dec 2018

The Relationship Between Organizational Commitment And Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles In Government Contract Employees, Alethia Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to determine if a relationship exists between leadership styles and organizational commitment in government contract employees. The psychological contract theory, expectancy theory, and transactional and transformational leadership theories framed the study purpose. The quantitative research method using the Pearson correlational statistical design was used to assess variable relationships. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Three-Component Model (TCM) of Commitment were used to collect data from a sample of government contract employees. The results revealed weak but no statistically significant relationship between transformational and transactional leadership styles and organizational commitment. The study also found weak but no …


Faith-Based Organizational Values And International Business Transactions, David Ralph Pennington Dec 2018

Faith-Based Organizational Values And International Business Transactions, David Ralph Pennington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The general business problem is conflicting values between faith-based businesses and hosting countries can adversely affect business performance. The problem may be the gap between business leaders and organizational values and host country values. The specific business problem is some faith-based business leaders lack strategies to mitigate incongruousness between the core values of their organizations and the contrary values of foreign cultures to effectively conduct international business. The purpose of this qualitative case study research is to explore what strategies biblically based business leaders use to mitigate incongruousness between the core values of their business and contrary values of foreign …


A Strategic Evangelism Project For The Youth Of The Newly Formed South Brooklyn Academy Sparklers: The Indiscriminate Distribution Of God's Four Everlasting Covenant Provisions, Courtney W. Wickham Dec 2018

A Strategic Evangelism Project For The Youth Of The Newly Formed South Brooklyn Academy Sparklers: The Indiscriminate Distribution Of God's Four Everlasting Covenant Provisions, Courtney W. Wickham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God’s prophetic word to Jeremiah (31:31-34) echoes God’s plan of redemption which was there, even before the foundation of the earth. In this prophecy, God declares that “He will write His law on the hearts of men”. God’s law is His Word, and this Word “became flesh and dwelt among men” (John 1:14). This Thesis Project focuses on the first stage of Evangelism, sowing. The membership of the South Brooklyn Academy Sparklers Pathfinder Club, represent the youth arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They are passionate about the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) and the Three Angels Messages (Rev. 14:6-12). However, …


Pastoral Burnout Of African American Pastors: Creating Healthy Support Systems And Balance, William E. Johnson Iii Dec 2018

Pastoral Burnout Of African American Pastors: Creating Healthy Support Systems And Balance, William E. Johnson Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastoral self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout in ministry. Caught up in the daily demands of ministry, pastors are under tremendous stress as they try to serve God’s people in multiple roles in ministry. Often, pastors are called upon to be counselors, preachers, project managers, students, social activists, and a moral compass for those they lead. Too often, pastors are expected to perform duties with superhuman perfection, life and ministry can get so crowded with obligations and emergencies that pastor’s maintenance of a healthy lifestyle can become unbalanced or cease to exist. This research study will complement …


The Influence Of Teacher And Institutional Support On Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Outcome Expectations, And Academic Interest: An Exploration Study, Maureen Quiles Ponce Nov 2018

The Influence Of Teacher And Institutional Support On Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Outcome Expectations, And Academic Interest: An Exploration Study, Maureen Quiles Ponce

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While college and career readiness benchmarks were created to provide evidence that a student is academically ready to succeed in a post-secondary educational setting, many high school graduates do not reach these academic benchmarks, and of students who go on to college, many do not complete their bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, current college and career readiness markers neglect to consider non-academic factors despite research suggesting that psychosocial factors strongly influence readiness beyond academic performance. The literature supports the premise that other powerful forces, namely social-cognitive factors also shape learning and performance, which in turn shapes academic and career outcomes. Self-efficacy emerged …


The Impact Of Cyber-Bullying On Adolescents' Georgia Milestones Scores, Sy Hudson Nov 2018

The Impact Of Cyber-Bullying On Adolescents' Georgia Milestones Scores, Sy Hudson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This correlational study investigated the relationship of adolescent cyber-victimization to performance on the Georgia Milestone Assessment System (GMAS) competency test. Technology today allows students to learn how to operate various forms of digital equipment very early, but proper cyber etiquette training is not always included. This study addressed the potential that cyber-victims’ may have low performance scores on high stakes tests. A closer look at the predictive relationship between the two is an important step in the process for developing plans to resolve this issue. The participants included 100 randomly-selected Georgia middle school students. After collecting the Cyberbullying and Online …


Burnout In Sweden And The United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, Gina G. Barker Oct 2018

Burnout In Sweden And The United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, Gina G. Barker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation begins with a background on the phenomenon of burnout. A review and examination of the literature on burnout in offered, including diagnoses, symptoms, and assessments; causes and antecedents; the related concepts of demands, motivation, and stress; prevention, intervention, and treatment; and cultural influences. Research on cross-cultural differences between Swedish and American cultures is addressed. The review concludes with a rationale, research questions, and hypotheses to guide this cross-cultural investigation of burnout in Sweden and the United States. Next, the research design is described and illustrated. This study examined how cultural dimensions, self-efficacy, and performance-based self-esteem moderate the relationships …


"I Refuse To Die": Exploring The Relationship Between Spirituality And Persistence Among African American Ph.D. Students And Graduates, Kerley Perminio Most Aug 2018

"I Refuse To Die": Exploring The Relationship Between Spirituality And Persistence Among African American Ph.D. Students And Graduates, Kerley Perminio Most

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American doctoral students experience the highest levels of attrition (60%) in the nation and the most social and academic challenges in higher education. Concurrently, research supports that African Americans are among the most spiritual people in America. This study applied hierarchical logistic regression to investigate the relationship between spirituality and persistence among African American doctoral students (N = 179). Tinto’s model of attrition, a systematic framework to predict degree completion based on suicide theory, was employed. Reliable instruments, the Institutional Integration Scale and the Spirituality Scale, were utilized. Results revealed that (a) different levels of spirituality were related to …


When Professional And Personal Values Collide: A Thematic Analysis Of Counseling Students' Developmental Journey Through An Ethics Course, Patricia Kimball Aug 2018

When Professional And Personal Values Collide: A Thematic Analysis Of Counseling Students' Developmental Journey Through An Ethics Course, Patricia Kimball

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Ethical practice is a foundational value in the profession of counseling. Ethics education is provided throughout graduate school and considered mandatory in most states to maintain a license. Even with this emphasis on ethics education, violations continue, putting the welfare of clients, communities, the profession and the counselor in jeopardy. One complicating factor in ethics is the difficulty found in addressing values, beliefs, and attitudes during graduate programs. These student dispositions are even more complex to address when values lie at the core of ethical dilemmas. This study examines the writings of master’s level counseling students at the end of …


When Professional And Personal Values Collide: A Thematic Analysis Of Counseling Students' Developmental Journey Through An Ethics Course, Patricia Kimball Aug 2018

When Professional And Personal Values Collide: A Thematic Analysis Of Counseling Students' Developmental Journey Through An Ethics Course, Patricia Kimball

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Ethical practice is a foundational value in the profession of counseling. Ethics education is provided throughout graduate school and considered mandatory in most states to maintain a license. Even with this emphasis on ethics education, violations continue, putting the welfare of clients, communities, the profession and the counselor in jeopardy. One complicating factor in ethics is the difficulty found in addressing values, beliefs, and attitudes during graduate programs. These student dispositions are even more complex to address when values lie at the core of ethical dilemmas. This study examines the writings of master’s level counseling students at the end of …


Examining The Role Of Shame In Somatic Pain And Symptoms, Heather Fritch Jul 2018

Examining The Role Of Shame In Somatic Pain And Symptoms, Heather Fritch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Shame has been linked to several types of psychopathology, however its role in health and wellness is less understood. This study sought to answer the following questions to bring further theoretical understanding to the unique features that shame plays in somatic pain and symptoms. First, does internalized shame predict somatic pain and symptoms? Second, does externalized shame predict somatic pain and symptoms? Third, does internalized shame predict a greater influence over somatic pain and symptoms than externalized shame? Lastly, does externalized shame moderate the relationship between internalized shame and somatic pain and symptoms? This study revealed that internalized and externalized …


Problematic Sexual Beliefs And Behaviors In The Church: A Content Analysis Of Faith-Based Curricula Related To Evidence-Based Interventions, Vicki Neill Jul 2018

Problematic Sexual Beliefs And Behaviors In The Church: A Content Analysis Of Faith-Based Curricula Related To Evidence-Based Interventions, Vicki Neill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Internet pornography use, sexual problems, and sexual addiction are problematic not only for society but also for the church. The religious community needs interventions that can effectively treat sexually addictive and non-addictive problems that do no harm to individuals. The purpose of this study was: (a) to examine five faith-based curricula available for use in churches to determine whether they include key evidence-based treatment (EBT) components found effective in treating sexual addiction, and (b) to determine whether these curricula differentiate between addictive versus non-addictive sexual behaviors. Because no known studies have been conducted to examine faith-based treatment (FBT) curricula for …


The Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Beliefs About Sex And Spirituality, Brittany Lashua Jun 2018

The Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Beliefs About Sex And Spirituality, Brittany Lashua

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Spirituality and sexuality are related concepts that include sacredness and transcendence. When the spiritual concepts of sacredness and transcendence are the filter through which sexuality is understood, there are many positive benefits, including increased sexual and relationship satisfaction. Previous research has considered the concepts. However, little empirical work has addressed the idea of transcendence, spirituality, and sacredness without explicitly religious overtones. Previous measures that have considered spirituality and sexuality have been found lacking in the ability to capture the multidimensionality of sex fully and have utilized explicitly religious terminology that may not capture the experience of non-religious or spiritual individuals. …


Validation Of The Professional Quality Of Life Model Among Correctional Officers, Tiffany Arrows Jun 2018

Validation Of The Professional Quality Of Life Model Among Correctional Officers, Tiffany Arrows

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stress has significant effects on correctional officers’ physical and mental health. Given the risks involved in a career in corrections, development and implementation of preventive programs to address work-related stress has become a recognized need, and subsequently a call for increased research using standardized, established, and theoretically-driven models and instruments. This study sought to establish the Professional Quality of Life model as a valid and reliable measure among correctional officers, linking the population to the greater literature base of first responders and health care workers along the constructs of compassion fatigue, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Research questions …


In Covenant: A Grounded Theory Exploration Of What Helps Evangelical Marriages Recover After Sexual Infidelity By The Husband, Theresa C. Allen Jun 2018

In Covenant: A Grounded Theory Exploration Of What Helps Evangelical Marriages Recover After Sexual Infidelity By The Husband, Theresa C. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Infidelity is a commonly identified reason for the dissolution of marriages, including Christian evangelical marriages. Although there is empirical research investigating factors that contribute to infidelity, there is little research on how couples recover from such a breach to the marriage commitment. This study sought to answer the question: What helps evangelical marriages recover after sexual infidelity by the husband? The qualitative research was built on a semi-structured interview framework that collected the personal narratives of three couples that were a minimum of two years post disclosure of an infidelity in the marriage relationship. Infidelity, for the purposes of this …


Pornography Use: The Lesser Of Two Evils For Religious Emerging Adults, Lea A. Garcia Jun 2018

Pornography Use: The Lesser Of Two Evils For Religious Emerging Adults, Lea A. Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pornography use has become the norm instead of the exception among emerging adults (18 – 26-year-olds) and has been found to be associated with increased sexual permissiveness and sexual shame outcomes among the general population, but does the same hold true for religious emerging adults who maintain a moral opposition to viewing pornography? Within the context of recent developmental theory research among emerging adults, this study examined associations between pornography use, sexual permissiveness, and sexual shame. This research hypothesized that religiosity and age would moderate the relationships between pornography use and sexual permissiveness, and pornography use and sexual shame. The …


Examining The Effect Of Parental Attachment, Emotional Maturity, Spiritual Maturity, And View Of Suffering On Sense Of Coherence, Alyssa M. Gavulic Jun 2018

Examining The Effect Of Parental Attachment, Emotional Maturity, Spiritual Maturity, And View Of Suffering On Sense Of Coherence, Alyssa M. Gavulic

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Suffering and loss are inevitable parts of the human experience. Nonetheless, the ability to find meaning in various forms of suffering has been shown to impact individual responses to diverse experiences of pain, distress, and loss. Despite the ubiquitous nature of human suffering, perceptions of the cause, purpose, impact, and outcome of experiences of suffering can vary greatly among individuals. Consequently, this inquiry-oriented, descriptive dissertation research examines how emotional maturity, spiritual maturity, and views of suffering mediate the relationship between parental attachment and sense of coherence. This study employs a correlational research design that examines the scores on a variety …


Measuring Pornography Use Identity: Validation Study Of The Modified Centrality Of Event Scale, Michael Takacs Jun 2018

Measuring Pornography Use Identity: Validation Study Of The Modified Centrality Of Event Scale, Michael Takacs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been an increase in research focused on the influence that pornography use has on an individual. Observations of dysfunction with pornography users, in both clinical and religious settings, have driven a large part of this increase in research. Current research findings on religiosity and incongruent sexual behaviors further support the need to examine the correlation between the individual and their pornography use, especially with religious users. To date, there has been no research in the literature addressing the connection between the individual’s beliefs towards their pornography use and the effect of these beliefs on their identity or other …


The Relationship Between Counselor Educators' Leadership Experience And Competence And Burnout, John Harrichand Jun 2018

The Relationship Between Counselor Educators' Leadership Experience And Competence And Burnout, John Harrichand

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mentorship and servant leadership are requirements of quality counselor educators. Recognized as leaders in the field of counseling, counselor educators exert great influence on students, clients, peers, and society at large. However, it is apparent from the paucity of research on the subject that attention and resources examining the impact leadership has on burnout in counselor educators is lacking. This study examined the relationship between a counselor educator’s experience and competence of leadership and dimensions of burnout. The results from this pilot study indicated no significant correlations between the Principles and Practices of Leadership Excellence Experience subscale and each of …


Exploring The Relationship Between Students' Sense Of Community, Student Satisfaction, And Doctoral Program Retention, Adam Roberson Jun 2018

Exploring The Relationship Between Students' Sense Of Community, Student Satisfaction, And Doctoral Program Retention, Adam Roberson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a study examining the interaction between certain doctoral student engagement indicators (peer, institution, curriculum, faculty, spirituality) and student satisfaction. The scope is to understand if student sense of community is a significant moderator to this interaction in order to address the issue of student attrition. It is important to understand these interactions and the influence of sense of community so that institutions of higher education better analyze student commitment. The outcomes of this study may be used as a means to design and implement engagement strategies that are effective in student retention and completion. Doctoral students were invited …


Religiosity, Moral Disapproval, Shame And Pornography Use: Assessing The Relationship Between Shame And Sexual Behaviors, Ryan Carboneau Jun 2018

Religiosity, Moral Disapproval, Shame And Pornography Use: Assessing The Relationship Between Shame And Sexual Behaviors, Ryan Carboneau

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many compulsive and hypersexualized behaviors, including pornography use, have been associated with negative emotional, neurological, and psychosocial problems in a subset of users. Research showed that the constructs of shame, shame-proneness, and attachment may be related to the use of pornography as well as the theory of addiction. Shame-proneness is a construct that is consistently and positively associated with a variety of internalizing symptoms including depression, social, and generalized anxiety as well as a linked to an assortment of externalizing and risky behaviors such as anger, substance use, and criminal offending. Research suggested that higher levels of religiosity have a …


Effectively Transporting A Spiritually Based Intervention For Reducing Subsyndromal Anxiety And Increasing Coping Skills In Urban Adolescents: A Multiple Baseline Design, Morais Cassell Jun 2018

Effectively Transporting A Spiritually Based Intervention For Reducing Subsyndromal Anxiety And Increasing Coping Skills In Urban Adolescents: A Multiple Baseline Design, Morais Cassell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A critical review of literature revealed a gap in the literature of spiritually based interventions, most notably the subject of a spiritually based intervention for reducing subsyndromal anxiety and increasing coping skills in urban adolescents. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between a spiritually based intervention, a triangulation approach, subsyndromal anxiety, and coping skills in urban adolescents, employing the add-on/integration of a Prayer Wheel intervention. Utilizing a multiple baseline design across subjects to demonstrate the controlling effects of spiritually based intervention/prayer wheel, research revealed a decrease in subsyndromal anxiety levels, and an increase in coping skills …


Religious Advisors' Mental Illness Stigma: Pentecostal Attributions, Krista Kirk May 2018

Religious Advisors' Mental Illness Stigma: Pentecostal Attributions, Krista Kirk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Some individuals, who subscribe to religious beliefs, often prefer to seek help from religious advisors when addressing mental health issues rather than seek help from mental health professionals. Although these religious advisors do not believe they have received adequate training to support individuals with these issues, they will still attempt to counsel them without the help of mental health professionals. One particular issue both types of practitioner face is the increase of the addictive qualities associated with problematic pornography use. The representation of the addictive qualities in problematic pornography use is a widespread concern, especially in religious communities, and mental …


Emotional Re-Engagement After Deployments: Using Attachment Principles With Relationship Resources For Post-Deployment Relational Enhancement, Rob Fasnacht Apr 2018

Emotional Re-Engagement After Deployments: Using Attachment Principles With Relationship Resources For Post-Deployment Relational Enhancement, Rob Fasnacht

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The understanding of attachment theory helps one to overcome personal and relational problems that are exacerbated by past traumas. This thesis project focused on how long durations of separations, especially in a military setting, may trigger symptoms from past traumas, which may impede relational secure attachments to friends and family. A survey was crafted and answered by over 100 adults, including military members, military dependents, and non-military civilians. The results were analyzed to discover how often people were separated from loved ones, the length that perhaps caused problems, and the feelings that developed. A literary review of books and scholastic …


A Collective Case Study To Examine Administrators' Instructional Leadership Perspective Of The Role Of Instructional Coaches And Teacher Librarians In California Public Schools, Melanie Ann Lewis Apr 2018

A Collective Case Study To Examine Administrators' Instructional Leadership Perspective Of The Role Of Instructional Coaches And Teacher Librarians In California Public Schools, Melanie Ann Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to develop an understanding of why California K-12 public school administrators distribute instructional leadership responsibilities to either instructional coaches or teacher librarians and how the two roles compare within the context of the implementation of the California Common Core State Standards in ELA/Literacy. The study addressed the following research questions: Why do administrators select instructional coaches/teacher librarians to help them provide instructional leadership? How do administrators and instructional coaches/teacher librarians work together to provide professional learning within daily instructional practice? How do administrators evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional coaches’/teacher librarians’ instructional …


A Phenomenological Study: The Quest For God In An Epoch Of Distraction, Todd Marcy Apr 2018

A Phenomenological Study: The Quest For God In An Epoch Of Distraction, Todd Marcy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Distraction happens to everyone at some point in time. Diverted attention while driving can have serious consequences, and being sidetracked while talking on the cellphone can cause one to forget where the car keys were laid down at home. Distraction at church during a worship service can affect one’s relationship with God and others. Personal motivations, pre-existing conditions, and duration of time contribute to how a person will interact with a disturbance of attention; likewise, factors of biology, technology, values, and mores can influence the power of partial attention. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to examine the lived …