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The Reluctant Heroes: How To Teach Younger Generations Every-Day Heroism Through Pedagogical Imagination, Jarema Drozdowicz

Heroism Science

This article explores the notion of pedagogical imagination in the context of its practical use in teaching young learners today. The idea of imagination is being presented through the lens of the existing concepts such as ethnographic, historical, and sociological imagination introduced in the social sciences and humanities by various authors. The educational setting of today’s digitalized reality is being understood here as a sociocultural sphere where different generations clash in their diverse abilities to learn and form specific skills that might help them to cope with difficult real life situations. The process of forming heroic behavior patterns is thus …

Discourse Analysis Of Partner-Focus In Intimate Partner Violence, Maureen Theresa Lowell

Dissertations and Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) involves behaviors that harm or threaten to harm an intimate partner; but more importantly, it involves the production of power and control in an intimate relationship that threatens a partner's liberty and wellbeing. As a wicked problem, IPV is challenging to unpack without reducing the complexities that give it its power. This study seeks to explore the complex nature of how abusive men's focus on their partner functions as a mechanism of abuse. To develop the concept of other-focus I draw on constructs of coercive control, power, and dominance. To investigate partner-focus, I conducted a discourse …

Intergenerational Trauma: A Qualitative Study Exploring The Impact Of Ace’S And Attachment Styles, Quinche` Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many individuals are impacted by ACEs at some point during their childhood. Researchers claimed that ACEs can be prevented; however, there are multiple factors that increase the risk of exposure to childhood adversity, which makes prevention and treatment more difficult. Childhood trauma can cause lasting problems that impact many areas of life and multiple generations. Attachment styles are formed early in life and shape how individuals respond in relationships and situations throughout their lives, including those with their future children. This study used a qualitative method to explore ACEs, attachment styles, intergenerational trauma, and how the intensity and timing of …

The Effect Of Sleep Latency, Duration, And Quality In Adolescents When Altering Nighttime Smartphone And Social Media Use, Ryan R. May

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Smartphones and social media are quickly becoming standard technological tools for connection and socialization within the modern-day adolescent population. Inversely, sleep for adolescents/young adults is decreasing while sleep problems are rising. This research trend is prompting researchers to investigate how restricting or eliminating smartphone/social media use benefits sleep health. The current study hypothesized that when adolescents/ young adults aged 18-21 eliminate smartphone/social media usage one hour before bedtime there would be a significantly lower number of nighttime awakenings, a reduction in sleep onset, and a higher number of minutes slept for participants in the experimental group when compared to participants …

Long-Term Psychological And Emotional Impacts On Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Quanesha Lashay Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) has lasting psychological and emotional effects, yet limited research directly compares long-term outcomes between CSA survivors. This study addressed that gap by examining adult survivors’ long-term depression levels, emotional wellbeing, and sexual wellbeing, focusing on how the relationship to the perpetrator may influence outcomes. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, the study employed three validated instruments: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), BBC Subjective Wellbeing Scale (BBC-SWB), and the Natsal Sexual Wellbeing Measure. A total of 78 adults participated. Of these, 46 reported experiencing CSA by a family member or family friend, 17 experienced CSA by someone else …

Navigating Health Management Decisions In Pediatric Food Allergy: Exploring Caregiver Needs, Experiences, And Behaviors, Perry Allen Catlin

Dissertations (1934 -)

Food allergy (FA) is a prevalent and often severe condition affecting approximately 8% of U.S. children (Gupta et al., 2018; Robson & Assa’ad, 2024). The responsibility for daily management of FA, including making critical health management decisions, often falls to caregivers. These responsibilities can impose significant psychosocial demands on caregivers, particularly as treatment options expand and require more nuanced decision-making (Collins et al., 2024; Hamadi et al., 2024; Knibb & Jones, 2024; Lieberman, 2024; Umetsu, 2024). Caregivers' decisions are shaped by a range of individual needs, experiences, and sociodemographic characteristics (Dale & Hemmerich, 2009; Hoefel, O’Connor, et al., 2020). As …

Exploring The Influence Of Early Life Attachment And Faith On Resilience And Independence In Emerging Adulthood: The Role Of Childhood Loss, Moriah E. Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The transition to emerging adulthood is a period of change that is shaped by early attachment. Previous literature has established that attachment security influences functioning later in life, including both resilience and independence. Additionally, faith is often associated with positive outcomes. However, limited research has examined how these constructs relate to one another in emerging adulthood. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore how faith moderates the relationship between early life attachment and both resilience and independence in emerging adults. The study employed self-report surveys to measure attachment, resilience, independence, and faith in a sample of 70 …

Impacts Of Positive Childhood Experiences That Foster Resilience In Adults With Childhood Trauma A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer J. Ruiz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today’s rapidly evolving environment, adolescents face increasingly complex challenges to their health and well-being. A significant contributor to these challenges is exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which have been linked to long-term negative outcomes in physical, emotional, and psychological health. The pervasive impact of ACEs highlights the urgent need to explore protective mechanisms that can buffer against these adverse effects. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) have emerged as a promising counterbalance, offering supportive and nurturing conditions that enhance resilience and promote healthier developmental trajectories. This qualitative case study explored the specific types of PCEs that foster resilience in individuals …

The Relationship Between Parent-Child Attachment And Emotional Regulations In Adolescents, Stanley T. Triplett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is unknown how parent-child attachment is related to emotion regulation among adolescents; this quantitative correlational study aimed to examine how the quality of parent-child attachment was related to adolescents’ emotion regulation abilities, and whether gender or stage of adolescence moderated this relationship. Data collected from 116 parents of adolescents aged 10-21 using the Attachment Q-Sort Questionnaire, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis, indicating that the model was significant; the quality of parent-child attachment explained 6% of the variance in adolescents’ emotion regulation, meaning the quality of parent-child attachment could predict …

Spiritual Fitness And Religious Commitment As Predictors Of Hope In Active Duty Deployed Military, David Sidnam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine how spiritual fitness and religious commitment are related to hope in deployed military personnel. Furthermore, the individual components of spiritual fitness (connection to God, belief in service, and purposeful meaning) were examined alongside religious commitment to determine the strongest predictor of hope for deployed military members. The study included 111 deployed, active duty members that were recruited from three deployed sites in the military. The data was assessed in SPSS and revealed that belief in service and purposeful meaning were significantly related to hope. Purposeful meaning was the strongest predictor …

Adult Romantic Attachment Styles, Attachment To God And Recidivism Risk Among Adult Male Sexual Offenders, Mary Crystal Wring

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the possible relationship between attachment to adult romantic partners and attachment to God style and sexual/violent recidivism risk scores. The study, also, sought to understand the lived experiences of adult male sexual offenders in relation to their family of origin, romantic partners, and with the Christian God. Participants (N=38) completed self-report questionnaires on their attachment styles to adult romantic partners (ECR-R) and to God (AGI). These scores were analyzed using chi-squared test of independence and multiple linear regression with scores of sexual/violent recidivism risk assessments performed by their probation or corrections officers (STATIC 99R, CPORT). This study …

Exploring The Bidirectional Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Spiritual Practices In Protestant Christians: A Qualitative Study, Emily Lauren Pritt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explores the bidirectional relationship between spirituality and attachment among Protestant Christians—a topic with limited empirical focus. Grounded in attachment theory and theological insights, prior research often treats attachment as a static predictor of spiritual development, with little attention to how spiritual engagement may reshape attachment. This study addresses the gap by examining how these relational domains mutually inform each other and affect psychological well-being within a Christian context. The purpose was to explore if adult attachment styles and spiritual practices influence emotional health, relational security, and overall well-being among active Protestant Christians. Twenty-two adults actively engaged in …

Modifying Tier 1 Strategies To Promote Positive Behaviors Of Autistic Preschoolers, Courteney Johnson, Maiko Yomogida, Michela Arlia, Angie Sjoquist, Maylin Herrera

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Our study assessed the outcomes of implementing a researcher-developed, teacher-led preventive program in special education preschool classrooms. We evaluated outcomes that were specific to student behaviors, classroom climate, and teacher self-efficacy. As iterative components of the Pyramid Model, an early-childhood-focused iteration of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports framework, the intervention focused on teaching, modeling, and reinforcing behavior expectations using research-based strategies deemed effective at supporting the autistic population. Participants in our study included seven special education preschool classrooms, each composed of approximately five students, one teacher, and two teacher assistants. While the student population included those with various disabilities, …

Parents’ Experiences With Their Child’S Psychotherapy And Mental Illness, Valerie Marsman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low parental engagement—especially among fathers and ethnic minority groups like Latinx parents—in child psychotherapy increases the risk of treatment dropout, behavioral issues, and poorer outcomes, contributing to persistent disparities. More research was needed on perceptual barriers and facilitators to parental engagement such as attitudes, beliefs, and expectations. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of parents’ experiences with their child’s psychotherapy and mental illness to facilitate parental engagement in services that support the child. An interpretative phenomenological approach and multiperspectival focus group design were used to illuminate each participant’s voice and explore overarching themes. Hill’s theory …

Kenyan Perspectives Of Trauma: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Helping Professionals, Megan Flinn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research addresses the critical gap in counseling literature regarding multicultural and trauma-informed training, particularly relevant given Kenya’s documented trauma and limited mental health resources, highlighting the need for incorporating lived experiences into research to equip counselors for increasingly globalized practice. The present hermeneutic phenomenological study aims to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the lived experiences of Kenyan helping professionals as they care for survivors of trauma in their country of origin. A previous data set was used, consisting of interviews from four Kenyan helping professionals in 2019, all whom worked actively with survivors of trauma at …

Straddling The Boundary Of Misleading Information Group: Exploring The Association Between Network Brokerage And Morality Expressions, Yiqi Li, Marina Mitiaeva, Ximeng Deng, Una Joh, Yafei Zhang

iSchool - All Scholarship

Existing misleading information studies mostly focus on either the message content or social network structures, overlooking the association between the content and structural factors. This research examines the role of brokers, the key network actors straddling between misleading and true/regular information groups. Content-wise, morality expressions are examined, which signal social media users’ expressions toward what is right and wrong. This research provides insights into the understudied relationship between network brokerage and moral expressions and identifies connections between moral foundation and network brokerage theories. Findings suggest that binding morality (i.e., authority and loyalty) is dominant among network brokers. Practical strategies are …

Evaluating Generative Ai For Depression Diagnosis: Implications For Counselor Education And Supervision, Matthew Rensi, Chung-Fan Ni, Leo Gonzalez, Jr., Mindi Barta, Cass Dykeman, James Geisler

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

This study evaluated the efficacy of three Generative AI tools—ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini— in identifying Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) from 119 written clinical case descriptions. Each AI tool determined if cases met DSM-5 criteria for MDD. The results showed significant performance variations, with Gemini demonstrating an accuracy of 97%. These findings suggest the potential for AI assistance in clinical practice, while also underscoring the importance of professional judgment. The implications for counselor education include opportunities to integrate AI tools into training programs, particularly in courses on psychopathology and clinical skills. Educators can use these tools to enhance students’ diagnostic skills …

Exploring The Environmental Impacts Of Telemental Health Counseling: Balancing Accessibility, Sustainability, And Climate Concerns, Daniel Bates, Greg Peterson, Vanessa Sinclair

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a nation-wide quarantine was mandated, which had a significant impact on the economy, healthcare, and lifestyle. It also dramatically changed the way mental health services were delivered. Many clinicians in private practice and at agencies rapidly transitioned the administration of mental health treatment to an online platform. The rapid upsurge of utilization of telemental health counseling (TMHC) yielded unexpected environmental benefits that have come to light by recent research. Some researchers shared concerns of TMHC efficacy compared to in-person counseling, however, other research comparing TMHC to in-person found comparable therapeutic outcomes. Research has also …

Evaluating Counseling Skills Through Language Style Matching: A Computer-Aided Text Analysis Of Suicide And General Counseling Transcripts, Chung-Fan Ni, Justin Jacques, Charles Silber, Cass Dykeman

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

This pilot study applies Computer-Aided Text Analysis (CATA) to examine Language Style Matching (LSM) in counseling transcripts, offering a novel metric for counselor education and supervision. Analyzing 50 suicide-focused and 100 general counseling sessions using LIWC-22 software, we found high LSM scores in both contexts (suicide-focused: M = 0.906; general: M = 0.903). Bayesian analysis provided moderate evidence (BF01 = 5.048) in support of the null hypothesis, indicating no significant difference between the two session types. The consistently high LSM suggests counselors effectively build strong alliances and align with client goals across topics. LSM analysis provides an objective measure of …

Computational Thinking As A Novel Framework For Enhancing Cognitive Organization In Older Adults With Cognitive Frailty (Letter To The Editor), Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

As aging populations grow, especially in high-income nations, the burden of dementia-related care continues to escalate both economically and socially. In response, this article introduces Computational Thinking (CT) as a novel, non-pharmacological framework to support cognitive organization in older adults experiencing cognitive frailty. Though CT has gained traction in fields like PK-16 education, including special education, for enhancing executive function and problem-solving, it has not yet been applied to geriatric- or memory-care contexts. This perspective proposes that CT’s core components (i.e., decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking) may align with residual cognitive strengths in mild-to-moderate dementia, offering a strengths-based, …

Screening For Bullying In A Middle School Setting, Paige Bernau

Dissertations

Problem: Bullied youth are two and a half times more likely to experience depression and three times more likely to experience anxiety and suicidal ideation than their peers (Li et al., 2024). Schools represent a key access point for mental health support and treatment for youth (Duong et al., 2020). Despite this, schools typically do not have formal bullying screening integrated into student support services.

Methods: This program evaluation used a descriptive, observational design to evaluate a bullying screening program in a suburban middle-school. This program used the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS) to assess for bullying victimization (BV) followed …

"...Anything My Friend Shares, I Would Want To Support Them By Clicking On It": Co-Designing Story-Based Interventions Against Clickbait For Teenagers, Ankit Shrestha, Audrey Flood, Bryson Hackler, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Teenagers' lack of digital sophistication and cyber hygiene makes them vulnerable to social engineering attacks, especially as they start using social media. Clickbait, one of such attacks, is primarily performed through social media to trick users into clicking on malicious links. With teenagers' increasing use of social media, clickbait poses a substantial threat to their online safety. The existing online safety measures for teens mainly focus on parental mediation, which can be perceived as restrictive and privacy-invasive. To this end, researchers recommended empowering teens to deal with online risks. In order to design such interventions for clickbait, we conducted co-design …

Anxiety's Impact On Autism Spectrum Disorder Symtomology: An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Two Comorbities, Michaela Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to be frequently comorbid with many medical and psychological disorders, one of which is anxiety disorders. Research has shown that, when anxiety is present within ASD, various areas of the child’s functioning may be impacted, such as ASD symptom severity, emotional regulation skills, adaptability, social skills and daily living skills. The current study aimed to investigate this relationship of anxiety and ASD. First, within a sample of children and adolescents with ASD, the magnitude of the correlation between specific ASD symptoms parent-reported anxiety was compared to determine if certain ASD symptoms were more …

Best Practice Toolkit For Burnout Prevention In Emergency Department Nurses, Moises A. De Oleo

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Burnout Syndrome (BS) is a serious problem in emergency department (ED) nurses and is associated with higher nurse turnover rates. A burnout prevention toolkit is needed.

PICOT: The project was guided by the following PICO question: "For emergency department nurses (P), how does the development of the best practice burnout prevention toolkit (I), compared to the absence of a structured intervention (C), support the establishment of nurse burnout best practices when evaluated using the CDC Program Evaluation Framework? (O)".

Evidence: The analysis of the literature supported the implementation of active interventions in the form of workshops.

Intervention: A …

Can Mere Possession Of A Consumer Product Boast Your Self-Efficacy? : A Cultural Perspective, Yixuan Gao

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Beggan (1992) introduced the mere ownership effect, suggesting that people evaluate owned objects more positively. Beggan argued that ownership fosters a psychological bond between people and their possessions, driven by self-enhancement motives (e.g., “I am good, thus my object must be good”). Yeung et al. (2017, 2020) extended the mere ownership effect, showing that ownership influences self-evaluations (e.g., I own a book so I am knowledgeable). Previous studies on the “person-based” mere ownership effect have primarily focused on East Asian participants. This thesis aims to compare cross-cultural differences, if any, in the “person-based” mere ownership effect (Study 1), and systematically …

Mental Health Counselors’ Perceptions Of Professional Identity As Correctional Counselors In An Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Setting, Jeanel L. Franklin, Kevin C. Snow, Edward S. Neukrug

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

This interpretive phenomenological study of four individuals examined clinical mental health counselors (MHCs) in a correctional integrated behavioral healthcare (IBH) setting to the purpose of examining how the unique experiences and roles of MHCs employed as correctional counselors in an IBH setting impacted the perceptions of their professional identity/development as counselors. Findings indicated how environment, work relationships, and multiple foci of mental health roles contributed to professional growth and identity development. Participants experienced an adaptive transitional process when applying counseling styles to the setting and population as well as integrating experiences as correctional counselors into pre-existing professional identities. Practical implications …

"Chatgpt Told Me To Say It": Ai Chatbots And Class Participation Apprehension In University Students, Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

The growing prevalence of AI chatbots in everyday life has prompted educators to explore their potential applications in promoting student success, including support for classroom engagement and communication. This exploratory study emerged from semester-long observations of class participation apprehensions in an introductory educational psychology course, examining how chatbots might scaffold students toward active and independent classroom contribution. Four students experiencing situational participation anxiety voluntarily participated in a pilot intervention using AI chatbots as virtual peer partners. Following comprehensive training in AI use and prompt design given to the entire class, participants employed systematic consultation frameworks for managing classroom discourse trepidations. …

Distinguishing Primary And Secondary Anomalous Self-Experience Using Momentary Variability, Michael D. Masucci

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Schizophrenia is associated with significant decreases in functioning and costly psychiatric hospitalization. However, it is frequently misdiagnosed due to phenotypic overlap with other disorders, and misdiagnosis can contribute to its functional and economic cost. Schizotypy and psychosis risk syndrome frameworks have been used to predict who will eventually develop schizophrenic psychosis, but accurate prediction caps at about 30% for individuals who are identified as “at risk” by these frameworks. Anomalous Self Experience (ASE), an alternative framework for understanding psychosis risk developed by phenomenological psychiatry, proposes that identifying fundamental alterations to sense of self are specific to schizophrenia and distinguish those …

Spotting And Preventing Air Rage: Proactive Strategies For Pilots & Flight Attendants For Handling Unruly Passenger Behavior, Alan Saquella, Joe Frary

Publications

Unruly passenger behavior has become an increasingly common challenge for airline crews. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), more than 53,500 disruptive passenger incidents were reported globally in 2024, averaging one incident every 395 flights. In the U.S., the FAA recorded over 900 cases by mid-year, with more than 100 directly tied to intoxication. While the majority of flights operate without issue, the rise in verbal abuse, intimidation, and physical altercations is impacting both safety and morale in the skies.

Factor Analysis Of The Cultivated Leadership Questionnaire (Clq) And Measurement Against The Short Dark Triad (Sd3), Christopher Ewing, Michael Epstein

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This study aimed to evaluate the Cultivated Leadership Questionnaire (CLQ), a self-report tool designed to assess leadership based on key constructs such as self-regulatory behaviors, emotional intelligence, prosocial actions, positive motivational strategies, and personal influence. An exploratory factor analysis identified two main components that together accounted for 65.44% of the variance, suggesting a general leadership factor and a secondary factor capturing more specific leadership attributes. The study also examined the relationship between Dark Triad traits—psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism—and the leadership behaviors measured by the CLQ. The results revealed negative correlations between both Machiavellianism and psychopathy with leadership behaviors, while narcissism …