Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Readiness Monitoring Tool: Investigating The Psychometric Evidence For Group-Level Aggregation In Two Samples, Samantha N. Hartley

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational readiness is an essential factor for successful implementation of a particular innovation. Although there is general consensus within the research literature on the importance of organizational readiness, there has been significantly less agreement on the nature of readiness as a construct and how it should be operationalized. Previous research has focused on organizational readiness for change at both the individual and organizational levels, but measures based on these theories of readiness have typically lacked evidence of reliability and validity.

The R=MC2 heuristic and its associated measure, the Readiness Monitoring Tool (RMT), offer a compelling and comprehensive approach by which …

Family Oriented Values, Emerging Adulthood, And Tobacco Use Among Hispanic Emerging Adults, Melek Yildiz Spinel

Theses and Dissertations

Theory and research on emerging adulthood (ages 18 to 25) have increased in the past two decades. However, few studies have assessed how different cultural values and experiences influence the experiences of ethnic minority emerging adults. The first objective of the current study was to expand the field of emerging adulthood research by exploring how familism, the belief that family is central to a person’s life, related to their experience of emerging adulthood. Specifically, the study assessed how familism related to Arnett’s proposed experiences of emerging adulthood (identity exploration, self focused, other-focused, feeling in between, the age of instability/negativity, and …

A Mixed Method Feasibility Assessment Of A Youth Participatory Action Research Program To Promote Physical Activity: Evaluating Implementation Within Two Pre-Existing Aftercare Programs Serving Middle School Youth, Michelle Abraczinskas

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity interventions to date have had small effects, which may be due to youth disengagement. In youth participatory action research (YPAR), youth become involved in research to make changes that impact their lives. Thus, integrating YPAR into a physical activity intervention, like we do in the current study, is a novel strategy to engage youth and increase empowerment for health behavior change. YPAR is typically implemented with high school youth, standalone, and within elective classrooms or focused after school programs; yet, YPAR can benefit all youth, so we expanded its reach into pre-existing aftercare programs. Participating youth were predominantly minority, …

Contexts Of Recovery: Community Resilience Capacity As A Predictor Of Trauma Symptoms, Douglas J. Archie Iii

Theses and Dissertations

In October 2015, the state of South Carolina was devastated by effects related to hurricane Joaquin. The event set new state records for rainfall totals. Contemporary research highlights the need to increase community resilience so that populations can better adapt to the unique stressors presented by natural disasters. Using the framework provided by Norris et al. (2008) we measure four “capacities” of community resilience: Economic Development, Social Capital, Information and Communication, and Social Trust to determine their relationship to the development of PTSD symptoms and feelings of hope. Results revealed that overall perceived community resilience was a significant predictor of …

Male Gender Equality Ideology, Empathy, And Prosocial Bystanding Behaviors And Intentions: A Path To Intimate Partner Violence Prevention On College Campuses, Virginia Diane Woodbrown

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The importance of involving young college males as prosocial bystanders who will step in to stop sexual violence on college campuses is acknowledged as an important next step in reducing violence against women. However, research revealing which factors influence males to become engaged in this way is nascent. Prior research designed to uncover which factors lead people to step in as prosocial bystanders has primarily focused on situational factors rather than personal characteristics, and has not explored males in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) more specifically. Method: Survey data from 1,455 male participants, ages 18 through 25, …

The Relation Between Early Adolescent Physical Activity And Internalizing Problems: Variations In Exercise Motivations As A Critical Moderator, Stephen Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Although research suggests there is a bidirectional relation between Physical Activity (PA) and internalizing symptomology, there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding this relation for early adolescents and little research exists that investigates potential moderators that may account for these discrepancies in underserved (i.e. low SES and minority status) populations. The current study was the first to utilize a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework to investigate the main effects five key motivations to exercise and their moderating effects between PA and internalizing problems in an underserved sample of early adolescents (N = 167; M age = 12.19 years; 58.1% female and …

Developing A Measure Of Empowerment In Schools, Abby Albright Bode

Theses and Dissertations

Youth empowerment is widely defined as youth being actively involved in and influencing their environment in such a way as to foster positive developmental trajectories. Youth empowerment is fostered by such external aspects as positive relationships with adults, having a safe and supportive environment, and being included as meaningful contributors to teams. Given these aspects that enhance empowerment, schools are poised to provide a natural context for fostering youth empowerment. Relatedly, there is a national movement toward more comprehensive school mental health (SMH) programs and services, and building youth empowerment within this field is a logical and needed step, but …

Gene By Environment Interaction On Weight-Related Outcomes Over Time In Underserved African-American Adults, Tyler Coe Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity research in the area of prevention has become a national priority given the increasingly high prevalence rate of this condition among US adults, and subsequent health risks that are associated. The etiology of obesity is complex, so a more comprehensive understanding of the interaction between genetic predisposition and the social environment in regards to obesity in adults would advance our knowledge for future public health and prevention efforts. This study’s aim was to assess the impact of a gene by neighborhood social environment interactions on weight-related (i.e., waist circumference) and stress-related (i.e. cortisol) outcomes in underserved African-American adults. A …

Predicting Post-Treatment Recurrence Of Child Maltreatment Among Substance-Abusing Parents, Emily Noel Neger

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately one quarter of parents identified by Child Protective Services (CPS) as having committed child maltreatment will be reidentified within a year. Children who are multiply victimized are at the greatest risk for detrimental outcomes across development. This study looked to determine whether four predictors of interest could help differentiate parents who recommitted maltreatment within an 18-month follow-up period from those who did not. Predictors assessed were the severity of a parents’ substance use, parents’ level of social conflict, parents’ belief in the use of harsh parenting practices and parents’ overall quality of life. Covariates of interest included a parent’s …

Cognitive Remediation Of Working Memory Deficits In Children With Chronic Health Conditions: Tailoring Cogmed Training To Address Barriers To Adherence, Kelsey Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and cancer are at risk for working memory impairment due to the disease and treatment. However, inconsistency in adherence to cognitive training programs conducted with this population suggests that adaptations are necessary in order to improve the effectiveness of this intervention. In addition, it is unclear whether gains in working memory translate to improvement in classroom functioning.

Methods: Children engaged in cognitive training exclusively over the summer in order to improve adherence to Cogmed Working Memory Training. A total of 17 children ages 7- 17 with a diagnosis of SCD (n = 14) …

Temperament, Adhd Symptoms, And Impairment In Middle Childhood, Lauren Elizabeth Dattilo

Theses and Dissertations

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a disorder first diagnosed in childhood that often persists into adulthood, is characterized by difficulty sustaining attention and controlling hyperactive and impulsive behaviors (Barkley & Murphy, 2006). ADHD is associated with impairment in numerous domains in both childhood (Hinshaw, 1992) and adulthood (Flory, Milich, Lynam, Leukefeld, & Clayton, 2003). Research suggests that temperament is associated with both ADHD and impairment (Martel, Gremillion, Roberts, Zastrow, & Tackett, 2014; Nigg, 2006), and the relation between ADHD and impairment is well established (Johnston & Mash, 2001). However, there has been very little research examining the relations among ADHD, temperament, …

Adhd Symptoms And Adult Romantic Relationships: The Role Of Partner Attachment Style, Emotion Recognition, And Personality, Katherine Knies

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to examine the impact of ADHD within the context of adult romantic relationships more thoroughly than has previously been examined. Whereas symptoms of ADHD do seem to contribute to the quality of a relationship (Canu, 2014; Orlov, 2010; Pera, 2008), no prior research has examined the interaction between individual characteristics and partner ADHD symptoms in predicting relationship quality. The present study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the characteristics of both partners, specifically, how certain characteristics of one partner interact with the other partner’s ADHD symptoms in predicting relationship quality. Participants were …

Sustaining Evidence-Based Substance Use Prevention Interventions: A Five-And-A-Half Year Follow-Up Study, Tara Kenworthy

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, extensive monetary resources are dedicated annually to support drug use prevention programs, but the sustainability of these interventions over time is often a neglected area of research. This study examines the moderating effect of capacity factors on the relationship between motivation factors and years interventions were sustained. We retained a sample of 29 evidence-based substance use prevention interventions implemented in 14 community coalitions as part of the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) in Tennessee. Primary data were collected through interviews about each intervention conducted five-and-a-half years after SPF SIG funding ended. These interviews …