Organizational Stressors As Predictors Of Burnout, Kristen Albritton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if organizational stress, measured by role conflict and role ambiguity, predicts burnout among employees. A review of the related literature identified variables that demonstrate a relationship with burnout, supported by the Maslach (1998) theory of burnout and Katz and Kahn’s (1966) organizational role theory. The researcher also examined whether organizational level and demographic variables (gender, education level, and job tenure) moderate the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout.

The study follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using data collected from a survey. Results of linear regression analyses reveal role conflict and …

A Signal Detection Framework For Evaluating The Effects Of Feedback On Stroke Recognition, Jordan D. Bailey

Dissertations

The impact of stroke on the lives of individuals and the healthcare system is considerable. Damage from stroke can be reduced if the treatment is administered at the appropriate time so early recognition is essential. One problem is that strokes present in a variety of ways that sometimes do not fit into the Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time (FAST; American Heart Association, 2019) acronym. Signal detection is one way to measure decision making under conditions of uncertainty (e.g., discriminating stroke symptoms and risk factors from other symptoms, and non-risk factors). The methodology also allows us to consider …

Cuban Immigrants’ Experience With Acculturation And How They Cope In The United States, Lourdes Araujo

Dissertations

Objective: This research examines how Cuban immigrants experience cope and adapt to the United States. Cuban immigration is associated with specific stressors related to the immigration experience and the necessary process of acculturation and assimilation. These major stressors can result in mental health concerns among Cuban immigrants; however, no studies have examined how acculturation may influence Cuban immigrants’ coping skills and resultant mental health concerns. This unique study is the first to examine the coping skills Cuban immigrants use during acculturation and the effects of these skills on Cuban immigrants’ mental health. Methods: Seventeen participants completed a semistructured interview and …

Acculturation, Psychological Well-Being And Substance Use Behaviors In Asian Indian Americans, Sonia Y. Amin

Dissertations

The American population is becoming more diversified with increases in the number of immigrants and refugees entering the country. These new Americans bring distinct cultural values, traditions, and worldviews. With this diversity, an important need has arisen to better understand the interplay of culture, physical, and mental health concerns that affect specific racial and ethnic populations. This increase in knowledge and awareness will aid in the development and provision of culturally-sensitive mental health services. The stress of immigration and the multifaceted sociocultural and psychological adaptations involved in adjusting to living in a new country with a Eurocentric dominant culture can …

Uncertainty In The Context Of End-Of-Life Communication In Heart Failure, Caleb Pardue

Dissertations

End-of-life communication between patients, their family members, and healthcare providers is essential to quality care at the end-of-life. Advance care planning is increasingly utilized to facilitate end-of-life communication, but heart failure patients in particular face numerous challenges to achieving adequate end-of-life communication. Extant literature has highlighted the inherent uncertainty in heart failure as a barrier to end-of-life communication as well as the role of time perspective on the experience of heart failure patients, but little empirical research has been conducted to examine the impact of these constructs. The sample included 168 participants with heart failure who were recruited online through …

Searching For A “Home”: Examining The Experiences Of Confucian Asian College Students With Third Culture Kid Backgrounds, Yuima Mizutani

Dissertations

Third culture kids (TCKs) spend their childhood and adolescence outside of their home countries. Because of their unique backgrounds, TCKs and adult TCKs face challenges including identity development, low self-esteem, lack of connection with their home countries, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, adjustment disorder, and others. Although the number of TCKs is increasing due to globalization, this population has been understudied. Moreover, most existing research has focused on TCKs in Western countries. Few researchers have studied Confucian Asian adult TCKs; that is, adult TCKs from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and others. Confucian Asian countries have collectivistic cultures …

Empowering Nurses Of Minority In The Face Of Incivility And Bullying: Through The Lens Of Phenomenology, Corrine Floyd

Dissertations

Abstract

Up to 85% of nurses have reported exposure to incivility in the workplace (Hunt & Marini, 2012). The often-subtle nature of incivility toward nurses in a minority population may partially explain why it remains a problem. Healthcare organizations realize the need for civility to counter the high turnover rate, staff shortages, and low job satisfaction reported by nurses, but lack understanding of how nurses of a minority population perceive incivility and bullying. This study aimed to answer the research question how do nurses with minority representation experience incivility and bullying versus empowerment in the workplace? A descriptive phenomenological design …

Recognition Of Gender Microaggressions In The Workplace: The Case Of Predisposition And Propensity To Recognize, Alicia Ako-Brew

Dissertations

This study examined the individual factors that affect the recognition of gender microaggressions in the workplace. A total of 220 subjects participated in this study. Specifically, this study revealed how social dominance orientation, ambivalent sexism and gender discrimination perceptions toward women affect a third-party observer’s recognition of gender microaggressions perpetrated against women. In addition, this study examined the effect of role congruence on the propensity to recognize gender microaggressions. Role congruence stems from role congruity theory which posits that a woman in a leadership or masculine role will receive positive or negative evaluations based on the degree to which she …

Assessing A Cognitive Model Of Trauma-Related Sleep Disturbance, Rebecca Chesher

Dissertations

Sleep disturbance is a symptom of many mental health disorders that may negatively affect cognition and mood. Trauma-related sleep disturbance is a core reaction of traumatic stress and PTSD, similar to symptoms experienced by individuals with insomnia or other sleep-wake disorders. Although the cause and symptom progression of trauma-related sleep disturbance may be very different, research and clinical practice assess and treat it with measures and interventions designed for general insomnia. Using a cognitive model of insomnia modified for trauma-related sleep disturbance, the current study assessed the relations between select trauma and sleep variables within the proposed constructs of: 1) …

Career Influences: A Phenomenological Study Of Career Influences Of African American Women In The Counseling Profession., Tamara L. Ford

Dissertations

The current literature concerning African American women in the counseling profession is limited. Research is available regarding women in the profession; however, research on African American women is scarce. This study seeks to add to the body of literature by exploring the reasons African American women become counselors, thereby improving recruitment techniques to increase representation in the field and improve mental health care for the African American community. This qualitative research study used a phenomenological approach to explore, interpret, and describe the lived experiences of eight African American women who are Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors currently practicing in the …

Exploration Of The Link Between Migration And Acculturation Related-Stress, Attachment Style, And Psychological Distress In Arab Immigrants, Refugees, And Asylees, Hayat Nadar Psy.D.

Dissertations

Abstract

The migration process is fraught with experiences of ethnic discrimination and has been linked to heightened levels of psychological and acculturative stress. Interestingly, earlier research revealed a higher prevalence of insecure attachment in migrant compared to non-migrant populations. Attachment style may be influenced by sociocultural and sociopolitical forces and the associated prejudice and discrimination experienced by a particular migrant population. The current study was conducted to explore whether higher levels of sociocultural adversity were associated with increased psychological distress and attachment insecurity and to test attachment as a mediator between sociocultural adversity and psychological distress. Using a cross-sectional design, …

Exploring Gender Differences Between Bipolar Disorder And Borderline Personality Disorder In Responses On The Personality Assessment Inventory (Pai), Stephanie M. Green

Dissertations

Bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are two diagnoses that are often difficult to differentiate. Current literature supports this challenge and reveals a high rate of misdiagnosis between the two, as well as a high prevalence of borderline personality disorder diagnoses in women. Diagnostic accuracy remains a vital skill for clinicians to effectively address the needs of clients, and diagnostic assessment tools are often used to aid in this endeavor. The focus in this study was to explore gender discrepancies in responses across the main features of borderline personality disorder (i.e., affective instability, identity problems, negative relationships, and self-harm) and …

Accurately Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder Among A Comorbid Population, Michelle Okolita

Dissertations

Two of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are diagnosed in early childhood. The two disorders share similar impairments across domains, are highly comorbid, and have many overlapping symptoms. Studies have shown that among this comorbid population, children receive an ASD diagnosis a few years after their initial ADHD diagnosis, which leads to many negative consequences, including a delay in treatment. The focus in this study was on the early indicators of ASD that are present prior to the age of 3 years in order to educate others on these symptoms. In an …

A Task Analytic Model Of Tenderness In Emotion-Focused Therapy For Couples: The Discovery Phase, Corie Mcnally

Dissertations

The focus in the present study was to develop a refined model of tenderness events in emotion-focused couples therapy. The model was created in the discovery phase of a task analytic research study through a rational-empirical method. The study was designed to combine empirical and rational data on the expression of tenderness and the display of a tenderness expression within the context of therapy. The rational model was derived from a review of the literature on emotions, couples therapy, and tenderness as an emotion. Empirical data were observed and recorded through reviews of videotapes and transcripts obtained during the York …

The Experiences Of African American Men At Predominantly White Institutions Of Higher Education, After Successfully Transferring From A Community College, Keenan King

Dissertations

African American men complete post-secondary education among the lowest rates of any other subgroup in higher education (Brooms & Davis, 2017; Farmer & Hope, 2015; Palmer, Wood, Dancy, & Strayhorn, 2014; Warde, 2008). This study focuses on addressing this problem by attempting to understand the experiences of African American men who successfully navigate a higher education pipeline from community college to a four-year, predominantly White institution (PWI). Half of all African American men enter higher education at the community college level (Villavicencio, Bhattacharya, & Guidry, 2013); therefore, community college plays a key role in shaping their experiences in higher education …

Romantic Relational Aggression Among College Students: A Moderated Mediation Study Of Attachment Style, Romantic Jealousy, Mate Value, And Relationship Investment, Skylar Hicks

Dissertations

Most of the research on intimate partner violence has concentrated on overt physical and verbal aggression, and less is known about relational aggression in the framework of romantic relationships. Relational aggression is more prevalent in college students’ romantic relationships compared to physical aggression and may be a risk factor for intimate partner violence. Additionally, a number of adverse correlates have been associated with romantic relational aggression, suggesting that it is worthy of study independent of its association with intimate partner violence. The present study explored the relationships among adult attachment, romantic jealousy, mate value, relationship investment, and romantic relational aggression …

The Mediating Effects Of Drinking Refusal Self-Efficacy On The Associations Between Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies And Alcohol Use Outcomes, Kray Scully

Dissertations

Alcohol use continues to pose a serious public health problem at universities across the U.S., largely due to the extent of consumption and frequency of negative consequences experienced among college students. Alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS-A) are an empirically supported repertoire of safe drinking behaviors college students can use to monitor and control their alcohol consumption as well as limit harm while drinking. However, there remains a need to better understand how cognitive mechanisms, such as drinking refusal self-efficacy (DRSE), help explain college student safe alcohol use behaviors to enhance evidenced-based intervention and prevention efforts. Recently, studies that examined the …

The Role Of Masculinity In The Development Of Capability For Suicide, Claire Houtsma

Dissertations

Males account for over two-thirds of suicide deaths annually. Additionally, more than 50% of American suicide deaths annually are firearm-related. Suicide risk is elevated within firearm owning households and men are more likely to own firearms, which suggests that male firearm owners are at disproportionate risk for suicide. Prior research has argued that certain stereotypically male traits (e.g., lack of help-seeking) may explain sex differences in suicide death; however, this remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Male gender norms (e.g. physical toughness, self-reliance) may contribute to the development or expression of capability for suicide, primarily through their impact on behavior. The …

A Parametric Analysis Of Opportunities To Respond On Academically Engaged Behavior, Morgan G. Mccargo

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequate rate of opportunities to respond (OTR) to provide to students that would result in the highest rates of Academically Engaged Behavior. This study utilized a parametric analysis to evaluate and assess the effects of altering the number of OTR provided per minute (i.e., 1, 3, 5) on academically engaged behavior, disruptive behavior, and passive off-task, as an antecedent intervention in a general education elementary school setting. An alternating treatments design was utilized with three treatment conditions. All treatment conditions were implemented in a predetermined pattern, meeting the standards of Kratochwill …

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Alcohol Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Drinking Motives And Protective Behavioral Strategies, Hallie R. Jordan

Dissertations

The present study evaluated the sequentially mediating role of drinking motives (i.e. social, enhancement, coping, conformity) and alcohol protective behavioral strategy (PBSA) subtypes (i.e. serious harm reduction [SHR], stopping/limiting drinking [SLD], manner of drinking [MOD]) on the relationships posttraumatic stress symptoms had with hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences in college students. Participants were 492 (50.8% men) traditional age (i.e. 18 to 25 years old) college students reporting past 30 day alcohol consumption and the experience of at least one potentially traumatic event over their lifetime. Participants reported their gender and completed measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms, drinking motives, PBS …

Student-Athlete Success: An Examination Of Parenting, Grit, Academic Success, And Mental Health Outcomes, Jackson Howard

Dissertations

Factors such as poor adjustment, substance misuse, and mental health concerns have been found to be detrimental to college student success. Considering this, researchers have focused on investigating protective factors, which may enhance performance in higher education. Specifically, non-cognitive traits, such as grit, or an ability to maintain determination and passion for long-term goals in the face of adversity, and positive parenting strategies, such as psychological autonomy granting, have been tied to positive outcomes for college students in higher education. Conversely, overparenting behaviors and negative outcomes, such as burnout, have been found to be damaging to student success. Student-athletes are …

Brief Intervention With Holland’S Theory And Vocational Calling: Three Conditions With Pre-Existing Calling Status As A Covariate, Nathan Ross

Dissertations

In a series of workshops, Holland’s RIASEC Theory and elements of Cognitive Information Processing Theory were infused with vocational calling language. Participants were largely college freshman in a community learning group and students participating in an extra credit opportunity in the School of Psychology. An in-person quasi-experimental design compared outcomes between three career workshops (i.e., Holland, Calling, and Control) on career decision-making self-efficacy, cognitive and emotional career decision-making difficulties, and vocational identity. The Calling workshop outperformed Holland and Control for all measured career variables (i.e., career decision-making self-efficacy, cognitive career decision-making difficulties, emotional and personality career decision-making difficulty, and vocational …

An Examination Of Parental Locus Of Control, Stress, Social Support, And Depression Among Parents Of Children And Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities, Brandi Ellis

Dissertations

Caregivers (i.e., mothers and fathers) of youths with ID seem to be at a much higher risk of having symptoms of depression than caregivers of typically developing youths (Cantwell, Muldoon, & Gallagher, 2015; Giallo et al., 2015; Hu et al., 2010; Lee, 2013). A concurrent link has been found between parental locus of control (PLOC) and depression; however, there is a lack of support for a longitudinal association between these constructs among caregivers of youths with ID (Campis, Lyman, & Prentice-Dunn, 1986; Coyne & Thompson, 2011; Freed & Tompson, 2011; Lloyd & Hastings, 2009). Researchers have hypothesized that the lack …

Exploring The Maladaptive Cognitions Of Moral Injury, Rachel L. Martin

Dissertations

Moral injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are two prominent mental health problems that affect military personnel. Moral injury results when the individual is exposed to a situation or event that violates their moral code; however, PTSD results when there is a substantial threat of harm. Moral injury is a relatively new construct within the literature with research starting in the late 2000s. Although distorted cognitions are core components of PTSD symptomatology, there has been no research of cognitions in moral injury. The current study sought to differentiate PTSD and moral injury using the specific maladaptive cognitions associated with trauma …

The Effects Of Culturally Competent Messaging On Willingness To Engage In Firearm Means Safety, Sarah E. Butterworth

Dissertations

Little is known regarding how to most effectively deliver messaging that promotes safe firearm storage behavior. This study examined the extent to which engagement with firearm means safety messaging is conditional based on type of messaging, political beliefs, past suicidal ideation, and implicit associations of firearms with safety or danger. A sample of 909 American firearm owners recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk) was randomized to receive standard or gun culture-friendly firearm suicide prevention messaging at baseline, with 608 completing one-month follow-up. Main effects of messaging condition on means safety openness, intention to change firearm storage practices, and actual changes …

The Role Of Acculturation And Acculturative Stress In The Association Between Generational Status And Factors Related To Suicide Among South Koreans In The United States, Hyejin Jin

Dissertations

Korean Americans have the highest suicide mortality rates among Asian American subgroups (6.84 per 100,000 population; U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Therefore, it may be important to examine the unique factors that account for the suicide rates of Korean Americans, especially since current knowledge on suicide with Korean Americans is limited. Thus, the present dissertation study sought to examine the role of acculturation and acculturative stress in the association between generational status and factors related to suicide among Korean Americans.

A sample of 150 participants completed a study protocol consisting of various self-report measures on MTurk. The results supported the hypothesis …

The Roles Of Violence Exposure And Gender On The Relationship Between Adolescent Psychopathic And Conduct Disorder Traits And The Capability For Suicide, Tiffany Harrop

Dissertations

Suicide represents one of the leading causes of mortality for adolescents. Externalizing behaviors, such as psychopathic and conduct disorder traits, represent risk factors for adolescent suicide. Investigation of suicide capability is especially important, as it is theorized to distinguish individuals who evince suicide ideation from those who progress to making a suicide attempt. Currently, associations between psychopathic and conduct disorder traits and capability in youth are understudied, as well as factors that may potentiate these associations, such as exposure to violence and gender. The aim of this study was to explore the interactive nature of psychopathic and conduct disorder traits, …

Evaluating The Effects Of Behavior Bingo On Students' Academically Engaged Behaviors, Kristi White

Dissertations

This study sought to extend the current literature regarding the use of an interdependent group contingency intervention (i.e., Behavior Bingo) for increasing students’ academically engaged behavior and decreasing students’ disruptive behaviors. Participants included three 6th grade Science teachers and their students. An ABAB design across classrooms was used to examine the effects of the Behavior Bingo intervention on students’ behaviors. Specifically, this study consisted of four phases: a) baseline, b) behavior Bingo intervention, c) withdrawal from intervention, and d) intervention reinstated. Results indicated increases in student’s academically engaged behaviors following implementation of the Behavior Bingo intervention with moderate to large …

Natural Disasters And Attachment Quality: The Mediating Roles Of Self-Compassion And Positive Mental Health, Alexandra Teller

Dissertations

Emerging adults exposed to natural disasters may develop posttraumatic stress symptoms, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. Attachment quality has been found to be negatively associated with psychopathology in emerging adult hurricane survivors; however, the mechanisms by which this occurs have not yet been explored fully. Self-compassion may act as a protective factor against developing psychopathology while potentially promoting positive mental health outcomes following hurricane exposure. Furthermore, positive mental health has been identified as a potential resilience resource and may be impacted by attachment quality and self-compassion. The present study investigated the relationships between attachment quality, self-compassion, positive mental health, posttraumatic …

Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support For Head Start Teachers Behavior Specific Praise, Elizabeth Lown

Dissertations

A variety of evidence-based studies have examined teachers’ intervention implementation and its effects on student outcomes. This study tested a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support approach to supporting teachers’ intervention implementation. Specifically, the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support approach was comprised of Tier 1 (didactic training), Tier II (tactile prompting), and Tier III (performance feedback). The primary dependent variable was Head Start teachers' use of behavior specific praise. Secondary dependent variables included teachers' use of reprimand statements and child outcomes, which included academically engaged behavior and disruptive behavior. This study further examined if Head Start teachers' use of behavior specific praise was …