Psychology Commons^™

The Physics Of Organizational Culture: Building A Scale To Quantify Organizational Culture, Veronica Bou Onk

Dissertations

Traditional measures of organizational culture often focus on culture as a static entity, defined by its traits. However, studies have shown that culture is organic and ever-changing. Therefore, organizational culture should also be measured in terms of its shifting nature, what direction this nature is shifting, and how quickly this shift is happening. The following study seeks to develop a scale to measure the physical properties of organizational culture, dubbed Cultural Mass, Cultural Direction, and Cultural Velocity. The pilot survey was conducted through a non-profit organization in Texas, with a sample size of n = 124. Exploratory factor analysis, correlation, …

Religion, Spirituality, And The Workplace: A Meta-Analytic Study On Outcomes Of Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Juan Balcazar

Dissertations

Research indicates behavioral and attitudinal manifestations of religion and spirituality exert cross-domain impact across cognitive, intrapersonal, biological, industrial-organizational, and behavioral domains (Calman, 2008; Ngunjiri & Miller, 2004). The present study conducted a meta-analysis of both religious and spirituality (RS) as predictors on outcomes of job satisfaction, job performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. The present study seeks to delineate and distinguish religious faiths from spirituality by comparing the pooled effect size of religion studies with spirituality studies. A random effects model was analyzed for two subgroups on each dependent variable. Next, a subgroup fixed effects (plural) model was utilized to detect …

Tattoo Adversity, Regret, And Removal: Constructivist Grounded Theory, Luis R. Esparza

Dissertations

To date, unique tattoo designs and inks have become a trend (Mao & De Joseph, 2012). Regrettably, trendy tattoos have brought many forms of tattoo adversity. Tattoo adversity can include tattoo regret, tattoo-related health complications, and tattoo artist -tattooed relational betrayal (Birrell & Freyd, 2006). The purpose of this study was to explore the events, circumstances, and experiences that comprise tattoo adversity to such a degree that an individual would seek tattoo removal. The researcher utilized constructivist grounded theory to understand participants’ experiences of tattoo adversity leading to tattoo removal. Interview data illuminated participants’ tattoo regret, pain, and aspirations while …

The Impact Of Neurofeedback On Women Diagnosed With Ptsd: A Multiple Case Study, Reema Abdulrahman Alhowaish

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how women diagnosed with PTSD experienced neurofeedback (NFB) using quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data included pre- and post-test scores on the quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG), the Davidson Trauma Scale, and the Inventory of Altered Self-capacities. The qualitative data illuminated participants’ experiences with NFB and their observations about the changes that occurred during and after NFB. The participants in this study included three women who received at least 20 sessions of NFB to treat their PTSD. The results indicated that two participants achieved a significant reduction in their PTSD symptoms and improvements …

The Influence Of Intergroup Contact On Attitudes Toward Diversity Among Professional Counselors: A Mixed Methods Study, Jiyoung Moon

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore diverse intergroup contact experiences and attitudes toward diversity among professional counselors. A total of 137 participants were included in the first phase of the study, which was a quantitative survey of intergroup contact experiences and attitudes, and eight participants were interviewed for the second qualitative phase. The quantitative results indicated that the quantity of intergroup contact was positively related to the perceived importance of intergroup contact, and all intergroup contact variables were positively related to the overall attitudes toward diversity. While multicultural courses in graduate counseling programs were not found to …

An Examination Of Social Support And The Academic Performance Of Saudi Arabian Students In The United States, Yaser Abdulrahman Alghamdi

Dissertations

Saudi Arabia is among the top 10 countries from which students have enrolled in U.S. universities. The scarcity of research about Saudi students in the USA was the inspiration for this study. Previous researchers have examined Saudi students’ challenges and adjustment issues in the USA, but the topic of social support and academic performance remained lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived social support (PSS) and academic performance among Saudi international students in USA. This study was a cross-sectional quantitative survey design with a sample of 384 Saudi students enrolled in USA universities and …

Cyber Security In Mental Health: An Assessment Of Current Practice And Behavioral Intent, Richard Hamilton Stotts

Dissertations

Mental health practitioners rely on digital systems to interact with and in some instances treat patients (Hydari, Telang, & Marella, 2015; Recupero, & Rainey, 2005). Yet, while widespread use of digital devices provides significant practical advantages, that same use exacerbates the possibility of a cyber breach (Guterman, 1999). This research describes mental health practitioners’ current cyber security practices and the factors influencing their behavioral intentions to implement cyber security within clinical mental health settings. Factors assessed included knowledge, self-efficacy, norms, threat awareness and penalties. Mental health practitioners (n = 210) from across the United States formed the sample population, received …

An Examination Of The Use Of Social Media To Improve The Psychological Well-Being Of Saudi Arabia Women, Shoaa Ahmed Dardoum

Dissertations

Social media is used increasingly for different purposes, playing an important role in peoples’ lives. It has been reported that social media is involved with the mental health profession as it offers a way to communicate with mental health providers and peers who share similar concerns. People with mental illnesses who have utilized social media to share and find mental health information have reported positive outcomes related to their mental health status. However, additional research is needed in regard to the mental health status of general populations. As such, this quantitative study was intended to examine the use of shared …

Law Enforcement Officers' Romantic Relationships Strengths : A Mixed Methods Analysis, Mary Telisak

Dissertations

This study explores the diversity of personal and interpersonal features associated with relationship quality for law enforcement officers and their romantic partners. A concurrent, embedded, mixed methods design was used to address the central research question, "What interpersonal characteristics and work- and home-based contextual factors are associated with relationship quality for law enforcement officers and their romantic partners?" Specific efforts were made to account for the gaps left by existing literature on the romantic relationships of law enforcement officers. Participants were recruited from four Midwestern communities of similar size and demographic composition in the winter of 2018-2019. One hundred ten …

Factors Influencing Hispanic Soldiers Seeking Treatment For Alcohol Abuse : Secondary Analysis Of The Army Study To Assess Risk And Resilience Of Servicemembers (Starrs), Karina L. Bocanegra

Dissertations

This study examined factors that influenced whether Hispanic soldiers will elect to seek treatment for alcohol abuse. The data for this study were collected using archival data from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS) survey conducted between the years 2011 and 2013. The STARRS dataset consisted over 21,000 surveys but for this study the sample size was specific to Hispanic soldiers wi th alcohol abuse (n= 917). The impact of seven independent variables on the dependent variable of treatment seeking was examined in the final statistical model. The seven independent variables examined were pri mary …

Adjustment Issues Of Saudi Arabian Students And Their Spouses In The U.S., Saleh Saeed Alshihri

Dissertations

A significant proportion of Saudi Arabians seek further studies in western countries, including the United States. The benefits of an international education come with the challenges of relationship stress for Saudi s tudents and their spouses that increase during their stay in the United States. The purpose of this study was to understand the adjustment issues of Saudi Arabian students and their spouses in the U.S. This study u sed a sample of 320 Saudi Arabian students and student spouses, 65 of which could be matched with their spouse, in the U.S. The couples were sampled from different areas in …

The Big Five Inventory, Substance Abuse History, And Academic Success Among Students Majoring In Substance Abuse Counseling, Christi D. Myers

Dissertations

Students pursuing careers in substance abuse counseling may have higher rates of substance abuse histories than the general student body Previous research has shown that substance abuse is negatively correlated with Conscientiousness, yet academic success is positively correlated with Conscientiousness. This may put them at risk for academic difficulties. There is no previous research that has investigated the links betwe en personality traits, substance abuse history, and academic success. This study investigated the correlations between personality, substance abuse history, and academic success with 103 participants from an addict ion counseling program at a community college in South Texas. The Big …

The Experiences Of African American Pastors Treating Mental Health Issues Among Parishioners In The State Of Texas, Rosalind S. Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn the practices, attitudes, and self-described competency of a sample of 12 African American pastors, with churches located in Texas, as they counsel their parishioners with mental health issues. Pastoral counseling formed the theoretical framework for the study. The researcher asked each pastor eight open-ended questions, inquiring about the pastor's experiences, practices, attitudes, and training in regard to dealing with their parishioners' mental health issues. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and qualitative methods were used to analyze the responses to determine themes in the pastors' responses.

A total of 10 themes …

The Mother's Experience : A Phenomenological Study Of Maternal Self-Efficacy Among Mothers Attending Outpatient Treatment For Substance Abuse, Lisa Witkowski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to better understand the perceptions of maternal self-efficacy among mothers in substance abuse recovery. A phenomenological research design using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews captured the lived experiences of mothers attending outpatient drug and alcohol treatment. For this study, the researcher distributed approved flyers to designated outpatient treatment centers to voluntarily recruit mothers for purposeful sampling. Eligibility requirements include women at least eighteen (18) years or older, at least one living child, attended prior rehabilitation services, and display good mental status after assessed by the researcher with the Mini Mental Status Exam. During the interview, the …

Comparing Adult Attachment Styles Among Hispanic And Non-Hispanic Undergraduate College Students Using The Experiences In Close Relationships Revised Structures (Ecr-Rs), Guadalupe Flores Valdez

Dissertations

Research on attachment in adult relationships has included minimal studies to encompass a Hispanic population. Mexican Americans have specific characteristics grounded in historical, demographic, and family contexts which are different from other groups. Therefore, cross-cultural validation of instruments to assess family relationships increases the clinical usefulness of the instruments. The purpose of this study was to compare the equivalence of the factor structure of a widely used family attachment assessment, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Structures Questionnaire (ECR-RS; Donbaek & Elklit, 2014; Parker et al., 2011). This study used principal components factor analysis with maximum likelihood extraction to compare the …

Working On What Works (Woww) : Classroom-Level Impact On Teacher And Student Outcomes, Laura B. Wallace

Dissertations

The Working on What Works (WOWW) school-based intervention applies solution-focused theory and techniques to improve learning at the classroom level. This study evaluated WOWW's impact on student and teacher outcomes. Thirty classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions, then compared on teacher-completed measures. Students who received WOWW experienced lower levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, including lower anxiety (p=0.000), sense of irrelevance (p=0.002), inattention (p=0.049), hyperactivity (p=0.044), impulsivity (p=0.044), and need for behavior correction (p=0.000). Overall externalizing behavior was also lower in students who had received WOWW (p=0.018). However, students in the treatment condition also scored lower on …

Translation And The Validation Process Of The Hemingway: Measure Of Adolescent Connectedness (Mac) Into Turkish, Yasir Kurt

Dissertations

Adolescent connectedness has been studied by researchers around the world because of its positive associations with academic, behavioral, and emotional indicators of positive youth development. Researchers in several countries also have found that it could serve as a protective factor against several health risk problems. The Hemingway: Measure of Adolescent Connectedness is one of the few assessment tools to measure connectedness across the adolescent social ecology, capturing connectedness in school and at home, in the present and in the anticipated future. The need for such instrument is particularly great in Turkish society where the scarcity of such psychometric scales constrains …

A Multiple Regression Analysis Of Locus Of Control And Psychological Flexibility Regarding The Total Mental Well-Being Of Muslims, Hawazan Abdulaziz Binzaqr

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the relationships between mental health, psychological flexibility, and locus of control within the Muslim population, and how these variables are related to demographic characteristics such as gender, level of spirituality, and marital status. The sample of 235 participants was taken from the worldwide adult Muslim population. Mental health was measured by PROMIS-57 survey, psychological flexibility was measured by the AAQ-II survey, and locus of control was measured by the MHLC survey. All data were self-reported via online form. There was an inverse relationship between level of spirituality and poor mental health (high PROMIS-57 scores) …

Disenfranchised Grief And The Substance Abuse Counselor: A Heuristic Inquiry, Melissa Pettit

Dissertations

Grief and loss are a part of the substance abuse counselor experience. The purpose of this study was to generate a heuristic inquiry on how substance abuse counselors experience and manage disenfranchised grief in their work with the substance abuse population. A review of the literature indicated health care professionals experience disenfranchised grief. The experiences of disenfranchised grief was noted in relation to substance abuse counselors, who experience ongoing, client-related losses in the workplace. The researcher interviewed 10 Substance Abuse Counselors and asked the research questions, "How do you experience loss in your work as a substance abuse counselor?" and …

Total Wellness Of Turkish International Students In The U.S. : Perceptions And Inherent Growth Tendencies, Mehmet Avci

Dissertations

The international student population in the United States has increased exponentially over the past decade. Students are coming from many countries including Turkey who often face stressors proper of migration such as cultural uprooting, family disruption and identity challenges that might influence their wellness while in America. The total impact that this academic adventure has on Turkish’s international students is not well known as there is a dearth of scientific data addressing their total wellness and specially their psychological wellbeing from a holistic perspective. This research study examined the perceived total wellness of Turkish students living in the USA. Survey …

Divorce After Long-Term Marriage : A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study, Melanie M. Somerville

Dissertations

Divorce is an enduring feature of American culture. As much as Americans value marriage, they also assert the right to divorce. The literature makes clear that modern couples expect their spouses to meet their individual personal goals of self-fulfillment and growth. Furthermore, divorce recovery is often portrayed as an individualistic endeavor. Changing attitudes about marriage and divorce have contributed to the current rate of divorce among midlife individuals, who have the highest divorce rates of any age group. Many individuals who divorce at midlife have been married for 20 or more years. Divorce is most often experienced as a disruption …

Psychological Attitudes Of Saudi Arabian International Students Toward Mental Health Counseling, Ruba Alajlan

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological attitudes of Saudi Arabian international students toward mental health services. One of the problems that prompted this research is the scarcity of scientific literature on this issue. This research used a mixed-method study convergent design with a convenience sampling of 162 for quantitative section and 35 for the qualitative. The main validated instrument used was the Beliefs About Psychological Services Scale (BAPS) along with a demography survey and some qualitative open-ended questions. The researcher found that licensed psychologists and professional counselors had the highest statistical representation of relationship with intent. …

An Exploration Of Attachment, Trauma, And Treatment Outcome In A Cognative Behaviorable Therapy-Based Group Anger Management Program: A Multiple Case Study, Cynthia K. Swope

Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between trauma, attachment styles, and treatment outcomes among violent offenders attending a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based anger management program. Using a mixed method, multiple case study design, the researcher examined the individual experiences of seven individuals court-mandated to attend a community-based anger management program. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to develop the participant narratives used in the qualitative analyses. Participant scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR-R) Questionnaire, and the Novaco Anger Scale (NAS) provided quantitative measures of trauma history, attachment style, and anger disposition. The results of …

An Exploration Of Therapists' Personal Experience Of Loss And Grief And Impact On Therapeutic Approach, Moonyeen O'Phelan

Dissertations

Themes of loss and grief resonate through life. That we sustain trauma and anguish and move through it at all becomes part of our life story, worthy of being acknowledged. Most often, it appears there is no clear-cut end or resolution to our loss. Moreover, there are too few trained individuals who are willing to “go the distance” in processing these weighty matters. The purpose of this study was to explore therapists’ personal experiences of loss and grief and how these events transformed their therapeutic approach in clinical practice. Using heuristic phenomenological methodology, qualitative research was conducted in which therapists …