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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Theses/Dissertations

2018

Articles 1 - 30 of 491

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Social Work Practice With Older Adults, Carley Yvonne Vailu'u Jan 2018

Social Work Practice With Older Adults, Carley Yvonne Vailu'u

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers working for adult protective services (APS) face many clinical challenges to ensure the safety and well-being of older adult clients. APS social workers often interact with older adults who engage in self-neglecting behaviors that compromise their ability to function in a healthy and independent manner. The purpose of this research study was to explore challenges in direct social work practice to identify how APS services can be improved when working with the older adult population, particularly individuals who engage in hoarding behaviors. Using action research methodology, 2 focus groups were conducted to explore the experiences and knowledge of …

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Demographics, Self-Autonomy, And Relationships As Predictors Of Substance Use Among Community College Learners, F. Lashell Robertson Jan 2018

Demographics, Self-Autonomy, And Relationships As Predictors Of Substance Use Among Community College Learners, F. Lashell Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abuse of prescription and over-the-counter substances other than alcohol is becoming a prevalent issue; therefore, it is important to identify factors that may help predict risk for this abuse. Some demographic and situational factors have been identified for traditional 4-year college students. However, less is known about community college students, who enter college less academically prepared and may be still enmeshed with family and peer groups from high school. In this correlational study, predictors of substance abuse other than alcohol were explored among a convenience sample of 118 students from an American community college. The research question was developed based …

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Latino Parents With Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Children And The Catholic Doctrine Towards Homosexuality, Axel Monroig Jan 2018

Latino Parents With Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Children And The Catholic Doctrine Towards Homosexuality, Axel Monroig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents who experience their children's coming out encounter emotional reactions that could compromise their ability to function, particularly when challenged by the Catholic doctrine towards homosexuality. It is not well known how Latino parents experience their children's coming out and how they mediate their Catholic identity. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of these parents considering phenomenology as the method of inquiry. The theoretical lens was based on the parental acceptance-rejection theory. The research questions addressed how Latinos experienced the coming out of their children and how they mediated their identities as Catholics and as parents …

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Males' Spouses Experiences Of Deployed Wives, Pamela Morales-Garcia Jan 2018

Males' Spouses Experiences Of Deployed Wives, Pamela Morales-Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to determine the psychological and emotional effects of female deployment on male spouses. The current research was designed to study the emotional and psychological experiences of male spouses of deployed women. The research question was focused on understanding the lived experience of the male spouses of their deployed active duty wives. The intent was to describe male spouses' lived experiences, focusing on mental health, physical health, marital problems, caregiving, and other reintegration related problems as well as the role transfer stress experienced by these male spouses of deployed wives. Gender role …

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Counterterrorism Efforts And Implications For International Humanitarian Law, Kunle Adebamiji Olulowo Jan 2018

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Counterterrorism Efforts And Implications For International Humanitarian Law, Kunle Adebamiji Olulowo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States increasingly has resorted to the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for targeted killings of terrorists as a counterterrorism strategy. More states and terrorist organizations also are acquiring UAVs and this development can lead to indiscriminate and unregulated use of UAVs. Previous researchers have indicated the surveillance ability and precise weapon delivery capacity of UAVs make them a weapon of choice for U.S. counterterrorism efforts. Although the U.S. government estimated the collateral damage involved in the use of UAVs at 3-5%, nongovernmental sources put it at 25-40%. A gap exists in the current literature regarding public perception …

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How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson Jan 2018

How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social identity theory (SIT) is a robust theory that explains in-group versus out-group behaviors. Two qualities of one's social identity include emotional connection and social connection with others, which someone who is experiencing loneliness tends to lack in their current situation. This dissertation explored whether when one's social identity becomes salient it results in a lower evaluation of one's current state of loneliness. An experiment was conducted in which college student participants, who were 18 years of age or older and currently enrolled in college courses, were randomly assigned to a social identity saliency group (college student) or 1 of …

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Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus Jan 2018

Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health counselors who counsel adolescents suffering from substance abuse and obesity issues have successfully used motivational interviewing with their clients; however there is little data that has explored motivational interviewing when it has been used to address academic concerns in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of school counselors who have used motivational interviewing to improve student academic performance. This heuristic phenomenological qualitative study examined the perceptions and experiences of professional school counselors who had used motivational interviewing in their schools. Criterion sampling was used to recruit 9 middle and high schools counselors from …

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Victims' Perspectives Of Management's Interventional Efforts Regarding Relational Aggression In The Workplace, Don Simmons Jan 2018

Victims' Perspectives Of Management's Interventional Efforts Regarding Relational Aggression In The Workplace, Don Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relational aggression (RA) is a social phenomenon that can severely impact organizational profitability and employee productivity. A gap in the literature exists concerning appropriate interventions to manage RA. The purpose of this study was to explore successful interventions that have been used to manage RA. The theoretical framework was informed by psychological contract theory. Data were collected via semistructured face-to-face interviews with 12 victims, and then analyzed using data management, reading and memorization, description, classification, interpretation, and representation. NVivo software was used to organize the data in this study. The research consisted of 3 subquestions addressing the role of written …

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Effects Of Occupational Stress On Decision-Making Style In Law Enforcement Officers, Christine M. Crippen Jan 2018

Effects Of Occupational Stress On Decision-Making Style In Law Enforcement Officers, Christine M. Crippen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers deal with a variety of stresses from different sources. Organizational stresses have the most effect on police officers, often more than stressful critical incidents. Previous research has indicated that over time, the mundane organizational and operational stresses of the job can result in a variety of effects from psychological to physiological, and this stress can impact police performance and public safety. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding the impact of stress on the decision-making style of police officers. Police officers often make split-second decisions that can affect their life, the public, and other …

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Individual Ability To Learn A Parallel Processing Technique And Musical Aptitude., Daniel Warren Emmett Jan 2018

Individual Ability To Learn A Parallel Processing Technique And Musical Aptitude., Daniel Warren Emmett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correlations between music training and psychosocial skills, sensory abilities, and aspects of intelligence, are sorted into primary or secondary effects. Correlations between these areas of human development and music training lack support pertaining to the underlying cognitive networks that these processes rely on. Thus, this study was based on the work of Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory, and implemented a test of parallel processing (Articulatory Suppression Task, AST), which measures proficiency of working memory systems. Individual differences therein, were compared with music aptitude. Participants were gathered throughout urban and rural regions of the state of Oregon. Half the …

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Changes In Beliefs About Aggression In Baton Rouge Youth Peace Olympics Participants, Shonta Manuel Jan 2018

Changes In Beliefs About Aggression In Baton Rouge Youth Peace Olympics Participants, Shonta Manuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth violence in the Baton Rouge inner-city area continues to create heightened concerns for the communities as well as the financial and healthcare systems. Even though violence prevention programs are in place in the area, no decline has been recorded in those who are being affected by violence. Due to lack of research in this field, a need for a sound research study exists to understand how Youth Peace Olympics (YPO) community-based program may be related to changes in attitudes about aggression and violence. A correlational cross-sectional research design was used to evaluate participants' beliefs about aggression, measured using the …

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The Policy Of Decentralization In The Mano River Region, Naigow Kuyon Jan 2018

The Policy Of Decentralization In The Mano River Region, Naigow Kuyon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decentralization policy is advanced in many regions as a collaborative approach to regional stability, economic and political development, and poverty reduction. However, there is not a valid decentralization policy in the Mano River Region (MRR) countries of West Africa despite the presence of multinational institutions and United Nations Peacekeeping forces. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological case study was to use the sequential theory of decentralization to investigate why peace and stability in the MRR are still fragile. The primary research question concerned how the policy of decentralization implementation in MRR can significantly contribute to regional stability, enhance economic development, …

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Assessing Executive Functioning In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Julie Johnson Miller Jan 2018

Assessing Executive Functioning In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Julie Johnson Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the inconsistency within research surrounding the relationship between executive functioning skills and autism symptomology in those being assessed for autism in early childhood (e.g., 34 to 60 months of age). Inconsistencies in current research connecting autism symptomology and executive dysfunction affect the best practice of practitioners that assess for disabilities. This study aimed to identify correlations between autism symptomology and executive functioning skills and whether combining autism symptomology and executive functioning skills assessments provide a more reliable classification as autism or non-autism. The framework foundation drew upon research that determined connections between those suffering from traumatic brain …

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The Effects Of Cultural Dissimilarity On Employee Job Attitudes And Productivity, Sherrice Olithia Lyons Jan 2018

The Effects Of Cultural Dissimilarity On Employee Job Attitudes And Productivity, Sherrice Olithia Lyons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations in Jamaica have been impacted by globalization and the opportunities and challenges of cultural incompatibilities. Most previous studies on cultural incompatibilities have focused on the impact on expatriates leaving a gap in the literature with respect to the implications for host country nationals, and specifically Jamaicans. This quantitative study focused on employees of 2 companies in Jamaica, an energy company and a hospitality company. It examined cultural dissimilarity with respect to host country nationals and expatriates, and its effect on the productivity, job satisfaction, affective commitment, and normative commitment of these employees (N = 110). In addition to the …

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Effects Of The Authentic Leadership Style On Job Satisfaction In Subordinate Employees, Theodosia Yvette Pope Jan 2018

Effects Of The Authentic Leadership Style On Job Satisfaction In Subordinate Employees, Theodosia Yvette Pope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior studies examined the importance of good leadership skills for those in leadership positions; however, this study addressed a gap in literature regarding how leadership characteristics in supervised employees can impact job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the influence of authentic leadership on leader, coworker, task, and general job satisfaction. Authentic leadership emerged from the theory of positive psychology which surmises that self-growth coincides with a focus on the development of others and is based on the premise that individual improvement is gained by focusing on positive personality aspects. Online recruitment using a participant pool …

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Amputee Social Support: A Quantitative Investigation Of Peer-To-Peer And Group Influence, Dirrick Anthony Williams Jan 2018

Amputee Social Support: A Quantitative Investigation Of Peer-To-Peer And Group Influence, Dirrick Anthony Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that vascular disease, trauma, and cancer lead to amputations and that 1.7 million Americans are living with an amputation. The social problem of this study is that amputees have limited places to obtain social support. Alderfer's Existence, Relatedness, and Growth Theory provided the foundation for this research. The current study examined the following questions. First, does type of social support impact amputee perceived social support satisfaction? Second, does type of social support impact life satisfaction? Survey methodology was used following attendance at either peer-to-peer or group support. A purposeful sample of 184 participants were assessed using …

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Differentiating Theists And Nontheists By Way Of A Sampling Of Self-Reported Sexual Thoughts And Behaviors, Kelli Callahan Jan 2018

Differentiating Theists And Nontheists By Way Of A Sampling Of Self-Reported Sexual Thoughts And Behaviors, Kelli Callahan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous researchers have addressed the impact of individual religiosity or spirituality on psychological well-being. However, studies addressing the possible relationship between religiosity and sexuality, specifically in the form of deterrence of certain sexual thoughts or behaviors based upon religious dictates, remain sparse. Individual religiosity may be related to individual sexual self-expression. Built on the framework of cognitive-dissonance theory and self-determination theory, this quantitative, correlational study was designed to examine the relationships between religiosity and sexual attitudes and behaviors of both theist and nontheist population samples comprised of approximately 400 subjects throughout the United States. Study participants completed the Derogatis Sexual …

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Examining Trauma Exposure, Organizational Climate, And Job Outcomes In Child Welfare, Shano Rodgers Jan 2018

Examining Trauma Exposure, Organizational Climate, And Job Outcomes In Child Welfare, Shano Rodgers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Exposure to traumatic situations is routine for child welfare workers in California, and the attrition rate for newly hired social workers in some states is estimated to be nearly 50% in the 1st year of employment. Prior research has indicated that reasons for dissatisfaction included dysfunctional organizational climate and culture. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which trauma exposure contributed to secondary traumatic stress and intent to quit and to examine the degree to which organizational climate moderated the exposure among direct service child welfare employees. Kurt Lewin's field theory, Figley's theory of secondary traumatic …

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A Meta-Analysis Of Video Based Interventions In Adult Mental Health, Lauretta Kaye Montes Jan 2018

A Meta-Analysis Of Video Based Interventions In Adult Mental Health, Lauretta Kaye Montes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Symptoms of mental illness such as anxiety and depression diminish functioning, cause distress, and create an economic burden to individuals and society. This meta-analysis was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of video based interventions (VBIs) for the treatment of adults in mental health settings. VBIs comprise four different ways of using video in mental health therapy, including video modeling, video exposure, video feedback, and videos used for psychoeducation. Bandura's social learning theory, Beck's cognitive theory, and Dowrick's theory of feedforward learning form the theoretical framework for understanding how VBIs work. The research questions were: (a) what is the range of …

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Complementary Infant Feeding Practices In Afghanistan, Hasibullah Na Niayesh Jan 2018

Complementary Infant Feeding Practices In Afghanistan, Hasibullah Na Niayesh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children are at greater risk of malnutrition in Afghanistan than they are in many other countries. Malnutrition impairs the mental and physical growth of more than 50% of children in Afghanistan. It also exacerbates the risks of mortality by 45% in infants and children in Afghanistan. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding complementary feeding and malnutrition in children in Afghanistan. The precaution adoption process model served as a theoretical framework in this quantitative cross-sectional research study. Data analyzed were collected from 306 mothers and children at 6 randomly selected …

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Vote-Selling: Infrastructure And Public Services, Nat Adojutelegan Jan 2018

Vote-Selling: Infrastructure And Public Services, Nat Adojutelegan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vote-selling in Nigeria pervades and permeates the electoral space, where it has become the primary instrument of electoral fraud. Previous research has indicated a strong correlation between vote-buying and underinvestment and poor delivery of public services. There remains, however, a significant gap in the current literature regarding the nature of the relationship between vote-selling and the delivery of public services. The purpose of this study was to uncover voters' behaviors by investigating their common and lived experiences with respect to the provision of infrastructure, delivery of public services, and voting during elections. Using Bandura's theory of reciprocal determinism, the research …

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Project Manager Strategies For Strengthening Communications Within Project Teams, Christine Taylor Jan 2018

Project Manager Strategies For Strengthening Communications Within Project Teams, Christine Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Communication inefficiencies are among the reasons for poor or substandard performances in project teams. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by project managers in the health care industry to strengthen communication within project teams. The conceptual framework for the study was McQuail's mass communication theory and Craig's communication theory. Participants of the study were 4 project managers from 2 leading medical supply companies located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. The summarized interview responses were validated by participants through …

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Comparative Analysis Of The Usaf F-16 And Raaf F-18 Training Programs, James D. Smith Jan 2018

Comparative Analysis Of The Usaf F-16 And Raaf F-18 Training Programs, James D. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As experienced fighter pilots leave the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), there is a need to develop new competent pilots to meet national defense requirements. Fighter training programs are expensive for taxpayers, and the USAF and RAAF face significant resource problems developing and implementing these programs. Using policy feedback theory and punctuated equilibrium theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this comparative, multi-case study of current USAF F-16 and RAAF F-18 fighter pilot training policies was to inform training policy development and efficacy of future USAF and RAAF fighter pilot training programs. Data …

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Challenges Of Aging With The Hiv Virus And Comorbidities, Rommie Navylia Abele Jan 2018

Challenges Of Aging With The Hiv Virus And Comorbidities, Rommie Navylia Abele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, the survival rate of infected HIV patients has been on the rise with a predicted increase by 2030. The longer a person lives with the virus, the more prone to HIV-associated chronic diseases he or she becomes, but it is not clear whether these diseases are solely from aging with the virus or from long-term use of antiretroviral therapy. Scientists demonstrated that the introduction of antiretroviral therapy led to an increased life expectancy yet early onset of comorbidities; however, they failed to address the challenges that people 50 years old or older face, as …

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Neurodevelopmental Basis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Based On Age And Gender, Sursatie Chetram Jan 2018

Neurodevelopmental Basis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Based On Age And Gender, Sursatie Chetram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, socialization, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. In 2012, one out of every 55 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) have been diagnosed with ASD in the United States. Only 30-40% of ASD has a known etiology (e.g., genetic predisposition) and the other 60-70% is unknown. Prior to this study, there was no known literature on age and gender differences related to neuro-developmental functioning of ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine how the differences in age and gender of people with ASD were related to …

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Adaptive Behavior Assessment Of Ethnically Different Children Referred For Special Education Services, Kelly C. Moynahan Jan 2018

Adaptive Behavior Assessment Of Ethnically Different Children Referred For Special Education Services, Kelly C. Moynahan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 6 children are diagnosed with a developmental disability or with developmental delays, which are associated with impairments in physical, language, cognitive, and/or adaptive behaviors. To fill a gap in the literature, the adaptive profile of young children initially served as developmentally delayed (DD) were analyzed to explore adaptive differences between different ethnicities and placement settings of children at the time of the initial referral prior to DD assessment. Archival data included 333 preschool aged children. The independent variables of eligibility status (DD or not DD eligible), ethnicity (White, …

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A Comparison Of Social Disconnectedness And Perceived Isolation In Deaf/Hard Of Hearing Women And Hearing Women, Mellissa Perry Jan 2018

A Comparison Of Social Disconnectedness And Perceived Isolation In Deaf/Hard Of Hearing Women And Hearing Women, Mellissa Perry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has concluded that hearing loss is related to psychological risk factors in a person that could potentially increase feelings of disconnect or isolation. However, the gap in literature and lack of knowledge regarding social disconnectedness and perceived isolation specifically for deaf/hard of hearing women makes it difficult for clinicians to develop appropriate programs to assist this population. The purpose of this study was to contribute information regarding the effects of hearing loss on social disconnectedness and perceived isolation to help clinicians create proper treatment plans to better assist the deaf/hard of hearing with negative feelings (e.g., loneliness, depression) …

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Perceptions Of Preconception Health And Prenatal Care By Young Adult Women And Men At Risk For Unintended Pregnancies, Broderick Crawford Jan 2018

Perceptions Of Preconception Health And Prenatal Care By Young Adult Women And Men At Risk For Unintended Pregnancies, Broderick Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Among young adults at risk for unintended pregnancies, preconception health and prenatal care programs aimed at positive birth outcomes remain unaddressed. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of young adults in terms of their willingness to use preconception health and prenatal care as a means for increasing both positive birth outcomes and overall health. All study participants met the following criteria: (a) young adult man or woman, (b) age 18 to 25, (c) at risk for unintended pregnancies, (d) sexually active, (e) single or in cohabiting partnerships, and (f) living in the greater Los …

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An Exploratory Case Study: Persistence And Retention Of Students In An Alternative High School, Lametrica Andrews Jan 2018

An Exploratory Case Study: Persistence And Retention Of Students In An Alternative High School, Lametrica Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) are at greater risk for dropping out of high school than other students, and are likely to experience fewer employment options and more societal marginalization. Alternative schools have been viewed as a last chance and best option for educating many students with EBD who have not actually been diagnosed. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore persistence and retention in the alternative school setting for students who may or may not have been diagnosed with EBD. Students in this study will be referred to as EBD. Although they have not been …

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Understanding Socialization Efficacy And Loneliness Of Baby Boomers Through Facebook, Lindsay Ballinger Jan 2018

Understanding Socialization Efficacy And Loneliness Of Baby Boomers Through Facebook, Lindsay Ballinger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Baby boomers are the largest age cohort in the United States, making up approximately 20% of the population. This cohort is faced with global problems that contribute to perceived loneliness and a lack of socialization. Additionally, baby boomers have an increased online presence on Facebook (FB), yet little is known about this age group and FB use. This research study addressed this issue with an examination of the relationships between overall perceived loneliness, socialization efficacy, and FB use. The theoretical framework that guided this study was Bandura's social learning theory, which was used to examine the effects of social reinforcement. …

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