Digital Commons Network^™

Autism And Down Syndrome: An Examination Of The Baby And Infant Screen For Autism Traits In Toddlers With Down Syndrome, Celeste Tevis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Current research suggests that children with Down Syndrome (DS) are at an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to the general population. Detecting ASD early in children with DS is crucial to providing access to additional treatment services and supports that may be necessary. Despite a critical need to identify ASD as early as possible, diagnoses of ASD are often delayed in individuals with DS. It can be especially difficult for clinicians to differentiate between symptoms attributed to intellectual developmental disorder (IDD), a primary feature of DS, and possible ASD symptoms. Only two research studies have evaluated the …

Parents Of Adolescents On Electronic Use And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Parental Perspectives, Sleep, Internalization, Jessica Wiepking

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

ADHD in adolescents is a common diagnosis, with exposure to daily electronic use. There is strong evidence for a relationship between electronic use and ADHD in adolescents. However, there is a gap on electronic use, internalized feelings, and sleep behaviors in ADHD adolescents and how sleep behaviors might impact that relationship. ADHD has its core symptoms that impact the individual daily. These symptoms need to be taken into consideration when looking at internalized feelings and sleep behavior patterns. The theoretical framework that aligns with this study is the Dopaminergic Dysregulation Theory (DDT). This theory is a module that suggests that …

Body Language In Social Interactions: Patterns Of Nonverbal Behavior, Caleb Roten, Ivelina Naydenova

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

A two-part study was conducted on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of nonverbal behavior to investigate the factors that influence physical movement. The qualitative aspects of nonverbal behavior were investigated by testing the effects of academic anxiety on the amount of body language mirroring produced by a population of collegiate honors students. The honors students were induced with varying levels of academic anxiety based on groups, and were recorded to determine the quality of their movements in relation to stress level. To test the quantitative aspects, a broad range of participants was collected and assessed on their demographic variables, emotional …

Co-Design Of A Program For Medical Students’ Experiential Learning In Community-Engaged Research, Daenique H. A. Jengelley, Tess D. Weathers, Dustin O. Lynch, Morgan E. Ness, Luis Garcia, Gina E. Claxton, J. Dennis Fortenberry, Tamara S. Hannon

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Medical education may lack experiential training on authentic community engagement (CE). Employing a human-centered design approach with medical faculty and students to identify goals, opportunities, needs, and barriers to implementing CE research, we developed an Experiential Community Engagement Learning Series (EXCELS) pilot program. EXCELS supported both our community partners and medical students as a platform from which to learn from each other. EXCELS can be accomplished virtually, incorporated in medical training, and disseminated broadly.

Enhancing Undergraduate Education Through Social Innovation Projects: The Experience Of A Young University In Singapore, Intan Azura Mokhtar, Yong Lim Foo

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this paper, social innovation is used as a catch-all phrase for projects and initiatives by higher education institutions (HEIs) related to community engagement, community-based learning, and service-learning. This paper explores the concept and application of social innovation in higher education, followed by a case study of implementing social innovation projects in a young, applied learning university in Singapore, a discussion of lessons learned, and plans for the near future in enhancing and strengthening its implementation.

The Civic Minded (Post) Graduate: Examining The Long-Range Benefits Of Community-Engaged Service Learning, Catherine Wilkins

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This project seeks to fill gaps in the knowledge about the long-term benefits of undergraduate participation in community-engaged service learning (CESL). A mixed-methods research protocol delivered to graduates of an R1 public university three years after the completion of a CESL senior capstone course observed significant divergences in knowledge and behavioral attributes of civic mindedness. This research methodology could be employed by other scholars to determine if these findings are reproducible.

Intergenerational Design Challenges: Participants’ Perspectives On Moving From Ideas To Implementation, Tina M. K. Newsham, Matthew J. Peterson, Alicia M. Sellon, Logan Elkins, Abrielle Leblanc, Tess Ryan, Andrew Zeldin

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Many social innovation efforts are aimed at meeting social challenges presented by the aging of the population, yet older adults are often excluded from such efforts. The purpose of this case study was to examine an approach used in a midsized university in southeast North Carolina to create intergenerational opportunities for students, local community organizations, and older adult residents of the surrounding area to collaboratively develop suggestions for addressing challenges facing the older adult population.

First-Year Intersections: Professional Preparation And Civic Engagement Across Four New American Colleges And Universities (Nacu) Campuses, Shereen Ilahi, Chastity Blankenship, Andy Morris, Jeffrey Thomas

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Four institutions hypothesized that civic engagement in first-year courses reinforces career readiness by helping students think critically, communicate effectively, and work well with diversity. We measured teamwork skills, the ability to synthesize and apply different perspectives, and the ability to express, listen to, and adapt ideas based on the perspective of others. We compared self-assessments to direct assessment of student-created artifacts and found a positive correlation that encourages further enquiry.

Feasibility Of A Peer-Facilitated Video-Based Mental Health And Substance Use Service-Learning Program, Mara Carmina A. Tamayo, King Filart, Maria Regina Hechanova

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This study examined the feasibility of implementing a peer-facilitated mental health and substance use video-based program delivered by psychology students as part of service learning. The program was delivered on-site and online. Findings reveal improvements in knowledge, attitudes, refusal self-efficacy, and adaptive coping among on-site participants. However, there was no effect on online participants given many implementation challenges. Recommendations include delivering the program on-site, strengthening training for facilitators, increasing program duration, and shortening the videos.

Teaching About Substance Use Recovery: The Pedagogical Power Of Community-Based Learning, Jumi Hayaki, Isabelle Jenkins

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Community-based learning (CBL) is a form of experiential learning that integrates academic theory and content with active service in an applied setting. CBL is especially well suited for teaching about complex social issues. We present the case study of a psychology course on substance use recovery that leverages CBL to dismantle stereotypes, humanize a highly stigmatized mental health problem facing society, and afford students the opportunity to consider their own privilege and positionality.

A Preliminary Examination Of The Effects Of Moral Elevation On Pain Tolerance, Pain Severity, And Interpersonal Goals, Candice Hayden

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Despite the abundance of chronic pain treatment research, chronic pain continues to affect an estimated 20% of the world's population; thus, new approaches are likely needed to expand treatment options. One innovative approach to managing chronic pain distress is moral elevation. Moral elevation is an emotion experienced after witnessing an act of virtue, often described as a feeling of being uplifted, inspired, or in awe. Moral elevation has been linked with positive health-related outcomes such as improved mental health symptoms and higher physical quality of life, as well as higher social functioning such as prosocial behavior and a greater sense …

African American Women's Lived Experience Of The Process And Outcomes Of Psychotherapy For Depression, Eva Coleman Springs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study of individuals’ experiences in psychotherapy has resulted in improvements in delivery of services to clients. The purpose of the current study was to use Aragon’s primary provider theory as the theoretical foundation to explore African American women’s perceptions of the process and outcomes of their psychotherapy for depression. Phenomenological methodology was used to explore a sample of nine African American women’s perceptions of the process and outcomes of their psychotherapy for depression and other mental health issues. Participants answered nine semi-structured interview questions to describe their experiences of at least one session of psychotherapy in the 2023 calendar …

Moral Judgment Toward Individuals In Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationships As A Function Of Moral Foundations And Disgust Sensitivity, Dylan Selterman, Jeff Bowen, Ria Datwani, Amy C. Moors

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In two experiments we demonstrate how participants perceive individuals in consensually non-monogamous relationships (e.g., polyamory) more negatively compared to those in monogamous relationships, as a function of moral foundation variables and trait-level disgust sensitivity. In Study 1, we experimentally presented participants with vignettes depicting characters in one of two relationship types (monogamous or non-monogamous), after which participants completed character judgments (ethics) and relationship impressions. Participants viewed the characters in a monogamous relationship as more ethical and having higher relationship quality, and these associations were fully mediated by perceptions of the characters as pure, loyal, caring, fair, and honest. Participants high …

Exploring Relationships Between Racial Bias, State Empathy, And Perceived Recovery Time Following A Medical Hardship, Kabe Aberle, Lydia Gengler, Madelyn Kavalieros, Brookelyn Mayfield, Kevin M. Summers, Sarah Huff

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This experiment investigated whether racial biases exist in laypeople's perceptions of recovery time following a common, medically-related hardship and whether these biases can be explained by differential empathy across race. White participants (n=133) read a vignette describing either a White or Black target who experienced a minor car accident. They then rated the amount of time they felt was reasonable for the target to take off from work and normal activities and how much time it would take to recover physically and mentally. Participants also completed measures of state empathy toward the target and their sleep quality. Results …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Kabe Aberle, Nadia Kako, Kateri Mcrae, Brooke Agulnek, Sky Palmon, Yasmine Ramirez, Francisca Aguirre Beltran, Ashley Juarez, Bridget Kim, Tessa Appel, Sterling Kerr, Spencer Ingley, Gabe Meyer, Robin Tinghitella, Dale Broder, Lily Baeza, Chloe Beers, Julia Coakley, Whitney Kelsey, Sydney Gainforth, Gabi Wing, Audrey Martin, Aaliyah Amore Berry, Brooke Watley, Kiruthika Venkatesan, Rachel Bienstock, Annabella Brotherston, Madison Bryant, Mia Burgener, Emma P. Lieb, Rachel A. Johnson, Jennifer L. Hoffman, Kania Campbell, Kiena Campbell, Courtney Cassidy, Sage Krzyzkowski, Maddox Jones, Skylar Abookire, Luke Hawkins, Sunnah Yoon, Andrea Chu, Yan Qin, Nyah Cubbison, Brian Gearity, Daniel Mcintosh, Mariely Cruz, Edward Garrido, Grady Dionne, Nicole Doris, Lyndsie Salvagio, Ann-Charlotte Granholm-Bentley, Anna Dymov, Hannah Eckert, Gabrielle Welsh, Erica Larson, Charlie Ernst, Anna Zhou, Sarah Watamura, Larissa Fedorovich-Klein, Georgie Fields, Kimberly A. Guevara, Aven Mccall, Ben Peltier, Feruz Yahia, Patrick Flores, Jadyn Floyd, Sophia Forcier, J. Von R. Monteza, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Gwendolyn Geiger, Scott Nichols, Camryn Gunter, Kendal Hengst, Charlie Bednarz, Issy Garside, Addison Baker, Rachel Mina, Brooke Hermanson, Amanda Klingler, William Highfill, Sydney Jaques, Kerstin Lewey, Allison Grossery, Daniel Linseman, Ethan Lim, Jagger Livengood, Owen Mantelli, Gabby Pappas, Abby Mcdonald, Madeleine Dierking, Eve Miller, Emma Loeber, Anna Marlow, Michael Kerwin, Ella Mathews, Hillary Hamann, Khadija Mohamed, Vivian Nguyen, Gabri Notov, Ifunayachi Ogbonna-Ukuku, Sunil Kumar, Charles Baysah, Sarah Olson, Don Sullivan, Anna Paradiso, Jay Parrish, Mira Pronobis, Alisha Pravasi, Kerstin Haring, Diego Ramirez, Christopher Reardon, Juliana Ramirez, Casey Doherty, Ella Kestner, Teagan Weindel, Cate Billings, Pablo Torre-Walter, Lucy Rand, Samantha Reynolds, Mark Siemens, Khadeeja Rashid, Laine Satterlee, Piper Heilbronner, Lily Pound, Ben Whitehurst, Anna Respet, Lizzie Lesoing, Sydney Hertel, Aya Saad-Masri, Brooke Ballenger, Max Proske, Hannah Rosenberg, Ellia Nakahara, Sophia Espinoza, Ivan Woolhouse, Simon Ruland, Gorkem Er, Timothy Sweeny, Melaku Saketa, Michela Schenk, Maren Lynch, Madi Hamm, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Rana Seif, Jackson Hall, Marisela Simental, Daniel Paredes, Aaron Mena, Preston Spaan, Evelyn Stovin, David Andrew Swartz, Anh Tran, Daniel Pittman, Luke Farchione, Emily Boyer, Ukari Verner, Lacey Conrad, Jonathan Velotta, James Weiner, Jagger Gossett, Noah Sherry, Sam Proud, Ben Block, Avi Narayana, Zoey Weiss, Alyssa Wilson, Gabrielle Walsh, David Zonana, Keely Wright, Kena Riveria, Lillybelle Deer, Jena Doom, Elysia Davis, Isabelle Yaremenko, Caitlyn Young

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Conflicting Social Information And Its Impact On Sentence Comprehension In Young Adults With Dld: An Eye Tracking Study, Ansley Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals must recognize linguistic and non-linguistic social cues to resolve contextual ambiguities in their conversations. When the linguistic and social cues match, sentence processing is facilitated. However, conflicts between linguistic and social stimuli (i.e., incongruency) can lead to prediction errors which slow sentence processing. Limited research has explored the social cognition conflict resolution skills in individuals with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) despite their documented emotion processing deficits. This study considers the role of social prediction processing in adults with DLD as they engage in a social cognition conflict resolution task.

Young adults with DLD (n=29) and typically developing (TD) peers …

Big Five Personality Traits As Predictors Of Funeral Directors’ Job Satisfaction, Teresa Busick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

By 2037, annual deaths in the United States are expected to exceed 3.6 million, over 1 million more than in 2015. At the same time, the funeral service industry faces a serious staffing problem, with about 50% of funeral directors leaving the profession within 2 years. These combined challenges highlight the need to understand what contributes to job satisfaction and helps to retain these workers in this essential field. This quantitative correlational study examined whether the Big Five personality traits predict job satisfaction among funeral directors. Thus, the Big Five model of personality traits was used to guide the study. …

Experiences Of Managing And Living With Autoimmune Addison’S Disease In The Younger And Newly Diagnosed Adults: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Mathew Horodner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of knowledge regarding the experiences of managing and living with autoimmune Addison’s disease (AD) in the younger and newly diagnosed adults. AD research usually focuses on biological or medication studies. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of the younger and newly diagnosed adults living with autoimmune AD. Consisting of the complex integration of biological, psychological, and social factors, Engel’s biopsychosocial model served as the study’s conceptual framework. I conducted this study to include the experiences of managing and living with autoimmune AD in the younger (18–35) and newly diagnosed …

Effects Of Self-Monitoring On Teachers’ Behavior-Specific Praise And Students’ Behavior In A Center-Based Classroom, Samantha Walsh

Theses

The current study explores the effects of self-monitoring on teachers' use of behavior-specific praise (BSP) and its impact on student behavior in a center-based classroom. Self-monitoring, a cost-effective and time-efficient intervention, has been proven effective in previous research for enhancing educator performance. However, previous studies have often combined self-monitoring with other interventions, leaving a gap in understanding its effects in isolation. This study aims to replicate the work of Justus et al. (2023) by examining the impact of self-monitoring on paraprofessionals in a center-based classroom with students aged 6-10. Using a multiple baseline design across participants, three paraprofessionals were trained …

Building Belonging Infrastructure In Cities: Arts/Culture-Based Critical Participatory Action Research And Youth, Kimberly Rae Nightingale

Dissertations and Theses

Belonging is a critical human need. Urban planning's history of bureaucratic expertise continues to champion the powerful, resulting in structures and procedures that still separate and damage city communities. This research challenges the current hegemony of urban planning that centers geography--the container of land--in its practice. Instead, centering the belonging of people to each other is the essential quality of healthy urban planning. A people-centered urban planning practice where the community's people are the experts and decision-makers of their own cities--and belonging is the primary objective--is long overdue.

Arts/culture-based critical participatory action research (PAR)--where the research questions, design, data collection, …

Gaining Insights Into Community Engagement Efforts: Learning From Preservice Stem Educators, Amy G. Maples, Lynn L. Hodge, Nick Kim

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This study seeks to extend research in the field by exploring literature examining preservice teachers’ perceptions of community engagement efforts. We then report findings from a thematic analysis of a survey conducted with teacher candidates at a university in the southeastern U.S. who took part in school- and community-based STEM events, and provide implications and suggestions for utilizing community engagement opportunities as a means of enriching preservice teachers’ understandings of local school and community contexts.

This Is Why We Do It: Faculty Motivations For Embracing Community-Engaged Pedagogy, Magdalena Denham, Lee M. Miller, Joyce K. Mccauley, Danica Schieber, Taylor L. Morrison, Chuck Drumm

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Institutions of higher education are increasingly highlighting community engagement activities to make the benefits of higher education more visible. The most transformational community engagement is linked to curriculum, so it is faculty who must incorporate community-engaged pedagogy. This content analysis of faculty narratives about community engagement reveals motivations for faculty to engage in this work. These findings connect to social capital theory and suggest a new direction for faculty development efforts to promote community engagement.

The Role Of Cultural Brokers In Community-Based Research, Rachel Boit, Joy Birabwa, Dhoha Altaki, Savannah Bayer, Michele Kamau, Linda Hestenes

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Cultural brokers play a critical role of helping researchers navigate cultural and language barriers to gain insight into communities. This paper focuses on one cultural broker who helped facilitate community-based research among the refugee community. Her professionalism, expertise and knowledge of the community made her a valuable resource for both the researchers and the community. This work acknowledges the position of power and privilege that cultural brokers hold in community research.

Town And Gown: Engagement And Collaboration Between Local Municipalities And Institutions Of Higher Education, Vivian González Cueto

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The role of the local government within the context of engagement and collaboration with universities has largely been understudied. Employing a cross-sectional design, this study of 67 universities and 78 municipalities from 29 states examines how collaborative capacity impacts university and local government perceptions of engagement and collaboration with each other. The findings indicate that local government trust is the primary catalyst for both engagement and collaboration between the parties.

Community Engagement In Music Therapy: Reflections From The Field, Jess Rushing, Denise M. Cumberland

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper reflects on a music therapy community engagement project that incorporates clinical training, service learning, and community music therapy. Two faculty members and a practicum student in a Midwestern university engaged community members connected to Parkinson’s disease to create a music-based program. We offer a conceptual framework that connects approaches situated within community music therapy (CoMT) qualities and community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles. We share project processes, findings, and recommendations, emphasizing all as equal stakeholders.

Positively Impacting Traffic Safety Culture For Indigenous Youth: A Heritage-Focused Approach, Jacob Steven Pehrson, Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, Logan Prescott

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper presents the development of heritage-focused outreach materials with the objectives of positively impacting traffic safety culture for Indigenous youth to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes impacting these communities. The approach presented in this paper includes involving local community leaders in traffic safety education and incorporating culturally based material in outreach education. This could empower Tribal communities to preserve their cultural identities while acquiring the expertise needed to promote traffic safety.

Service Learning As A Mode To Deliver Course Learning Outcomes In A Research-Based Exercise Science College Course, Jennifer Lape Kaiser, Madison Skaggs

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The following case study presents an approach to teaching research courses in undergraduate exercise science programs. Research courses are commonly required in the curriculum for this degree. Service learning (SL) is an effective way to promote student learning outcomes (SLOs) by providing hands-on experience for the students, and should be considered in exercise science research courses. Quantitative and qualitative survey results from students over two semesters of SL in an exercise science course are presented.

A Father-Friendliness Survey: How Do Community Organizations Report Engaging Fathers?, Kyle Miller, Jordan A. Arellanes

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This community-based project explored levels of father-friendliness across local organizations, agencies, and schools. A community coalition of individuals from diverse backgrounds and roles created a community survey to gather quantitative and qualitative information from individuals who worked with children or families. An analysis of survey responses (N=122) led to descriptive and thematic results of how the community served or marginalized fathers. Results were used to guide efforts in father engagement across various professional sectors.

Stepping Up, Keeping On Track, And Pulling Your Own Weight: Collaborative Arts-Based Service-Learning Metaphors, Marcy Meyer

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this study, the author explores metaphors related to students’ experiences conducting collaborative arts-based ethnographic research in a U.S. nonprofit organization. A metaphor analysis of 25 students’ essays revealed they were most likely to frame their experiences with arts-based service learning as a journey or a sports contest. The author examines the extent to which students’ metaphors legitimize or delegitimize arts-based service learning, as well as the degree of novelty that characterizes these metaphors. She explores the implications of her findings for teaching and promoting arts-based service learning in the academy.

Incorporating Community-Engaged Pedagogy In Online Classes: Benefits, Challenges, And Strong Practices, Emmy Price, Margaret Thomas-Evans

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Community-engagement in virtual classrooms comes with unique benefits and challenges. Between 2018-2021, technical writing e-service-learning students from Indiana University East (Richmond, Indiana) raised a total of $149,239 through grant writing projects. This e-servicelearning project gave students real-world experiences and opportunity to connect with local organizations, prompting one student to choose grant writing as a career. Many students were able to successfully obtain funding for their chosen nonprofits, giving students a sense of social responsibility.