Psychology Commons^™

Comparing Motivation And Ambition Between Adolescent Mothers And Child-Free Women, Deirdre Lynn Jones Lowman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies have concluded that adolescent pregnancy and subsequent motherhood can contribute to mental health stressors, acting as potential barriers to ambition and motivation. Researchers have explored motivation and ambition; however, there is little or no research comparing motivation and ambition between adolescent mothers and child-free women. The purpose of this casual-comparative study was to compare motivation levels and ambition values between adolescent mothers, age 18-24, and women of the same age range who are child-free. Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory as the theoretical lens, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and Aspirations Index, were used as data collection instruments. Recruitment …

Built Environment And Well-Being Of Stem Women Employed In The Petroleum Sector, Natalie Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male-dominated occupations have received increased attention concerning the environmental health and retention of its specialized workforce. Research studies on the impact of the environment suggest that ecological and infrastructure conditions of the workplace affect the psychological health and physical well-being of employees across both public and private industries. Presently, in the context of the oil and gas and engineering field, there is a literature gap in exploring whether workplace conditions or adverse circumstances in male-dominated built environments negatively affect the psychological well-being and retention of women employed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations. For the current qualitative study, …

Emotional Intelligence And Gender As Predictors Of Infidelity Among Heterosexual, Monogamous Couples, Dina R. Schulsinger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of families being impacted by divorce is high. Studies show that infidelity remains the number one cause of divorce or the dissolution of relationships; however, couples with a higher level of emotional intelligence (EI) have demonstrated a higher rate of marital satisfaction.The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to determine if gender, EI, ethnicity, and age, individually or in combination, can adequately predict infidelity among persons in committed, heterosexual, monogamous relationships. EI theory served as the theoretical foundation for this study. Using an online survey methodology, each participant answered four qualifying questions and, when qualified, took the …

A Female Perspective On Overcoming Barriers To Become A City Manager In Californian Municipalities, Jessica M. Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are significant implications related to understanding perceived barriers experienced by women in local government. The purpose of this study was to identify career barriers of women executives in municipal administrations based on their own experiences. Approached using the situational leadership theory and role congruity theory and the narrative research design along with thematic analysis, this study was comprised of one-on-one interviews with nine female city managers currently working in Californian municipal administrations. Five themes (early influences, home life, work life, leadership experiences and development of others) were not only present within each of the participants’ experiences, but also represent …

Sense Of Belonging, Achievement Motivation, And Goal Attainment Through The Lens Of Transgender Activists, Donella Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It was not known how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influence their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Using the theory of achievement motivation, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Two topics guided this study: how transgender activists' community participation influenced their sense of belonging and how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivation to achieve and personal goal attainment. Thematic analysis was used to identify five themes collected …

Online Dating Experiences With Filtering Profile Photos, Jamie Barrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study is a qualitative, phenomenological analysis of male Tinder users’ experiences with women over-filtering their visual self-presentation on Tinder using augmented reality (AR) smartphone technology. Tinder users frequently discuss how their dates do not live up to their profile photographs once they meet face-to-face due to the proliferation of filtered photos on dating apps and social media to make themselves appear more attractive. Augmented reality, Tinder, social media, and smartphone filtering are all ingrained in pop culture, yet have not been previously studied. Eight male Tinder users were recruited and interviewed. Coding and thematic analysis were used in this …

The Use Of Social Media In Moderating Feelings Of Belongingness And Suicidal Ideation Among Women, Latasha Davidson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide among women in the United States increased significantly over the last decade, now accounting for six suicides per 100,000 population. Concurrently, there has been an increase in social media use, with women exhibiting elevated presence on social networking platforms. Grounded in the theoretical framework of the theory of suicide and the interpersonal theory of suicide, the purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to evaluate the association between social media use, feelings of belongingness, and suicidal ideation to address the increased suicide rate among adult women in the United States. One research question focused on how social media use …

Intimate Partner Violence: Effects Of Emotional Abuse In Women, Judith Marie Watiti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEstimates by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics point to over 30% of women being victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) yearly. Severity and frequency of violence in childhood have been shown in several studies to predict adult interpersonal violence. Research has shown that emotional abuse predicts other forms of abuse, thus identifying it as a potential causal link to IPV. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether emotional abuse mediates the relationship between history of childhood abuse and IPV. Social learning theory served as the theoretical framework for the study, in which 182 adult female participants from …

Post-9/11 Women Veterans' Experiences Transitioning Into The Civilian Workforce, Qwynn Anna Galloway-Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-9/11 veterans’ transitional challenges have become an important topic in veteran studies. However, there was a gap in the literature regarding post-9/11 women veterans’ transitions into the civilian workforce. This interpretative phenomenological analysis explored the lived experiences, challenges, and perceptions of eight post-9/11 women veterans (four enlisted and four commissioned officers) who had transitioned from the military into the civilian workforce within the last 5 years. The study was guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory. Data from transcribed participant interviews were coded and analyzed for emergent themes. The superordinate themes included navigating the career transition, exploring identity shifts, accessibility and use …

The Long-Term Impact Of Intimate Partner Violence On Survivors’ Employment Outcomes, Heather Stark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When women experience intimate partner violence (IPV), subsequent effects could impact their performance in the workplace, including physical illness, absenteeism, lack of focus, financial hardship, and other problems. Little information is available, however, as to whether there are long-term negative effects on the victims’ employment. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare long-term job success as measured by the dependent variables of job satisfaction, unemployment, underemployment, and job stability among women who have experienced IPV in the past and those who have not. Trauma theory provided the framework for this study. Participants were recruited from women’s organizations and …

Perceptions Of Help-Seeking Experiences Among Female Veteran Survivors Of Military Sexual Assault, Hiza Jackson-Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe numerous obstacles that female military sexual assault (MSA) survivors face after discharge from military service are well documented in research. However, there is a need for qualitative studies regarding perceptions of female veterans’ help-seeking experiences in disclosing MSA to understand how to encourage them to seek help and provide it for them when they do seek help. Based on this scarcity of knowledge, this study aimed to provide a voice to this population as well as provide results that can be used to aid this population. A social constructionist perspective, which postulates that knowledge and experience are constructed by …

Maternal Discrimination Stress And Negative Birth Outcomes Among Black Women, Quantrilla Y. Ard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women are more than twice as likely as White women to experience losing their infants in the first year of life. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between maternal discriminatory stress and negative birth outcomes such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, very low birth weight, and infant death among Black women with varying levels of education. This study was grounded in critical race theory and Black feminist theory, positing that Black women are the sum of intersecting identities that shape their world view. A sample of 107 Black women were recruited by convenience and …

Investigation Of Posttraumatic Growth On Health Behaviors With Self-Efficacy As A Mediator, Annissa Pellicano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has been accumulating on the positive outcomes that people may experience following trauma. However, scholarly literature is deficient in the area of investigating the association among centrality of event (CE), posttraumatic growth (PTG), and health behaviors of women with histories of sexual trauma. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to (a) determine the extent of the relationship between CE and PTG, (b) explore the relationship between PTG and health behaviors (i.e., drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and physical activity), and (c) to determine whether general self-efficacy (SE) mediated these relationships. The theoretical frameworks used to inform this …

Experiences Of Subtle Sexism Among Women Employees In The National Park Service, Audrey Marie Ashcraft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although blatant sexism persists in the workplace, there is a subtler type of sexism that is not often discussed. Some of the harmful outcomes that concern organization employees and leaders include decreased job satisfaction and morale, increased stress and turnover, damaged workplace relationships, barriers to career development for women, and decreased feelings of safety in law enforcement employees. Subtle sexism is often disguised as friendliness or chivalry, and therefore is difficult to detect, so it is often ignored or trivialized. The harms are cumulative and compound over time. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to gather data about …

Increasing Daily Exercise Adherence In Women By Examining Motivational Factors, Victoria Wozniak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women ages 20–39 years old have seen the most dramatic increase in obesity levels in the United States over the last 2 decades. Researchers have indicated the need for studies to increase motivation in women to promote daily exercise. There is a gap in the literature about what motivational factors are most effective with increasing exercise in daily life. Using the transtheoretical model of change (TM) as the grounding theory, this study measured daily exercise adherence. A selective sampling of women ages 20–39 years old in the United States were recruited to complete an online survey. The online survey included …

Rural Transgender And Gender-Nonconforming Individuals' Experiences With Social Media During Adolescence, Heather Lynn Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide attempt and completion rates are significantly higher for the transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) population. TGNC adolescents experience many challenges and adversities, which are compounded when they live in rural communities. The lived experiences of rural TGNC adolescents with social media were unknown and created a gap in the research. This study was grounded in transgender, gender minority stress, and resiliency theories, along with the conceptual frameworks of rural communities and grit. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological qualitative research study was to explore the lived experiences of rural TGNC individuals (18-24-year-olds) with social media during adolescence. Data was collected …

Lived Experiences Of Women Receiving Substance Abuse Treatment From Male Counselors, Robert C. Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cost of the misuse of drugs is significant. The impact is felt across multiple systems across America and is covered mostly by federal, state, and local governments. Women comprise a significant portion of the persons using illicit drugs. Treatment is an effective way of reducing substance misuse. However, research into the efficacy of treatment for women lag that of men. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that women receiving substance abuse treatment from a man had shorter stays in treatment and poorer outcomes than those who had a female counselor while in treatment. Phenomenological and relational-cultural …

Work-Life Balance Of Women Employed Within State Government, Luisa Cunanan Martinez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women in the U.S. workforce have been a focus of scholars since the onset of the 21st century, when work-life balance skewed in favor of the term work-life integration because professional working mothers found that balance was an unachievable ideal in the fast pace of the contemporary world. Accordingly, this research study examined the work-life challenges and career choices of women working in the public sector through the framework of the Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM). While research has been conducted on women in corporate America, there have been limited studies exploring the work-life challenges and career decisions of women working …

Women Of Intimate Partner Abuse: Traumatic Bonding Phenomenon, Meghan Koch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers indicate women succumb to relational abuse as seen with maladaptive attachment, identity enmeshment, and implicit maltreatment. Implicit violence and nonviolence, bonding victims to victimizers remains unstudied, although the domestic abuse phenomenon continues. Intimate partner abuse was examined through qualitative inquiry. There is much to learn about female victim perspectives describing attachment bonds, identity conflicts, and implicit maltreatment experiences. Traumatic bonding theory served as the lens through which female participant responses were examined in this study. Research questions were developed to focus on female attachment bond perceptions, views concerning self-esteem, self-identity, or self-reference, and implicit aggression, coercive control, or manipulation …

The Single Working Mother's Experience Of Listening To New Age Music For Stress Relief, Estella M. Castillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many single working mothers are challenged with the task of balancing work and home demands. Prolonged exposure to stress can threaten individuals' physical and emotional health and well-being. Listening to music is one commonly used positive coping mechanism for stress management and relief. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of single working mothers who regularly listen to New Age music for stress relief. Participants were single working mothers, 30-45 years old, with self-reported stress, who were employed at least part time and who had at least 1 child under 18 years of age in …

Women's Perceptions Of Flourishing Through Quilting As A Leisure Activity, Cathy Lynn Ferrarese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Quilting is a self-chosen leisure activity for millions of women in the United States. Previous research on quilting suggested that quilting is influenced by the emotional state of the quilter. However, the emotional experiences generated during quilting have not been fully explored. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore quilters' perceptions of what quilting as a leisure activity does to enhance their well-being and increase flourishing. Positive psychology well-being theory was the theoretical foundation for the study. Semistructured interviews with 12 adult women who quilt as a leisure activity were the basis of the narrative inquiry. Data …

A Phenomenological Analysis Of Formerly Incarcerated Women's Perceptions Of Successful Reentry, Angela Martilik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female offenders are distinctly different from male offenders, and present with their own gender-specific needs and issues both in and out of the correctional setting. Most approaches to treatment and programming for female offenders are currently based on research involving males and approaches designed for males. Inquiry regarding the gender-specific needs of female inmates as they pertain to treatment and reentry programs is necessary so professionals can better understand how to serve this population. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 8 women who were formerly incarcerated in the United States, this phenomenological study was used to examine the perceptions of successful …

Predictors Of Gambling-Related Problems In Adult Internet Gamblers, Barbaradee Foote

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of the Internet to gamble has become increasingly prevalent in recent years.

Although researchers have suggested that adult Internet gamblers are at high risk for

developing a gambling disorder, few studies, overall, have been conducted on the effects

of Internet gambling. Furthermore, conflicting research exists regarding what moderates

gambling-related problems. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if

age, gender, and emotions prior to the gambling experience are related predictors of

Internet problem gambling severity. A retrospective design was used. The pathways

model was used to support the belief that emotions felt before an Internet gambling …

Lived Experiences Of Mothers Returning To Work After A Child-Rearing Hiatus, Brenda Marceline Yahraes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mothers who leave the workforce to raise children may face personal and professional difficulties when returning. There was a lack of qualitative research on what these women experience in their return to work. The purpose of this study was to discover and describe how a mother in a professional or managerial position experiences a return to the workforce after a hiatus of 2 or more years to raise children. The philosophy of Husserl and the methodology of Moustakas guided this transcendental phenomenological study. Through purposive snowball sampling, 12 women participated in semistructured interviews. Data analysis followed the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method leading …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment Among Chronically Homeless Women: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Rebecca Keeler Spicer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeless women demonstrate higher rates of mental illness than homeless men. The combination of complex life circumstances, stigmas related to mental illness, and homelessness may cause homeless women with mental illnesses to face unique barriers that prevent them from accessing necessary mental health services. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to expand the body of literature on homeless women's experiences with the mental health system and to understand the barriers to treatment services. Guided by Young's critical social theory of gender, this study was designed to develop a better understanding of the support that may be in place to …

Saudi Women's Experiences Of Control And Engagement As Employees In Private Universities, Kimberly Dawn Deatherage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Saudi women have higher rates of graduation from college than their male counterparts, but are underrepresented as employees in the private higher education sector. Saudi women working in higher education report a lack of involvement in the planning of their work, challenges in balancing family and career, and low wages. Yet, no research has explored how Saudi women in administrative support staff positions in private universities perceive control and how their perceptions of control affect their engagement in the workplace. Therefore, based on locus of control theory, the 2-process model of perceived control, and compensatory control theory, the purpose of …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Authenticity And Female Sexual Dysfunction, Ellen Kaye Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the late 1990s, researchers have reported a high degree of sexual dysfunction among American women that is associated with significant negative consequences (e.g., reduced quality of life and sexual satisfaction). In addition, sexual satisfaction is a primary factor in marital stability. Because of the widespread impact on both individual well-being and marital relationships, female sexual dysfunction is a significant public health problem. Most research has supported the predominance of psychocultural factors in women's sexual issues. Authenticity, defined by Kernis and Goldman as acting in accord with one's natural inclinations, is associated with increased well-being, but researchers have often overlooked …

Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness, And Personal Growth Initiative Among Postpartum Women, Tamar Mary Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior research on maternal postpartum care, the transition to motherhood, pelvic floor dysfunction, and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) has revealed that postpartum women are often denied the basic information, instruction, and preventive strategies necessary for optimal postbirth rehabilitation and psychological well-being. Employing a dual framework of self-determination theory and personal growth initiative (PGI) theory, this quantitative study utilized a cross-sectional design to investigate if autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction predicted PGI in postpartum women. Differences in autonomy, competence, relatedness, and PGI between PFMT practicing and nonpracticing postpartum women were also examined. A web-based survey method was employed to collect …

Female Police Officers' Perceptions And Experiences With Marginalization: A Phenomenological Study, Dr. Arlether Ann Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of female police officer representation in police departments nationwide. Women's position, or lack thereof, in law enforcement is a topic of discussion in many police literature reviews. However, there were minimal studies detailing female police officers' personal experiences in the law enforcement profession. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and understand the perceptions and lived experiences of female police officers, as well as the impact those experiences had on their careers. Female participants from 3 police departments formed the purposive sample that included 8 full-time female police officers. The feminist theory helped to …

Role Of Coping Self-Efficacy In Working Mothers' Management Of Daily Hassles And Health Outcomes, Sonya Kali Broadnax

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. working mothers experience frequent daily hassles, yet little is known about how working mothers have disproportionate abilities to handle stress. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which coping self-efficacy mediated the effect that cumulative daily hassles had on working mothers' health outcomes (i.e., physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health). The transactional model of stress and coping, social cognitive theory, and self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical foundations for this study. Daily hassles were used for this study as an additional theoretical approach for measuring stress. A …