Digital Commons Network^™

Deepfakes As Crisis Triggers: Experimental Evidence On Response Strategy Effectiveness, Responsibility Attributions, And Sharing Intentions, Alicia Mason, Mariah Laman, Tanner Glenn, Treyton Meyers

Faculty Submissions

The term deepfake refers to falsified media content created using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to manipulate audio, video, or images. Deepfake news fabrications are designed to appear highly realistic, making it difficult for audiences to distinguish them from authentic content. Responding to deepfake-induced  reputational threats therefore presents a unique challenge for organizations. Despite the growing prevalence of deepfake technology, little experimental research has examined how different crisis communication strategies perform in mitigating the reputational and relational harm posed by deepfake-induced crises. Accordingly, this study seeks to (1) examine how exposure to deepfake news relates to public perceptions and affect toward …

Effectiveness Of Pcit With Toddlers In A Community-Based Sample: Special Considerations For Youth With Neurodevelopmental Conditions, Rebecca Scott Bradley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The early caregiving environment serves as the context in which young children develop emotional regulation abilities. While supportive, responsive caregiving is crucial for helping children regulate their own emotions in times of stress, disruptions to the parent-child relationship may set the stage for poor emotion regulation throughout childhood. Emotional and behavioral problems, particularly in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, may stem from early difficulties with emotion regulation. If left untreated, emotion dysregulation in children can mark a trajectory towards continued social-emotional concerns and family disruption; as such, the toddler years represent an ideal time for intervention. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Toddlers …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Nature Metaphor Patterns For Cultivating Intimacy, Acceptance, Relationship Satisfaction, Self-Compassion, And Positive Communication In Couples, Jenna Rice, Sarah Fraher, Elizabeth Engelkamp, Melissa Mcternan, Hannah Grigorian, James Cordova

Psychology

Effective couple interventions, such as Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy and the Relationship Checkup, include the labeling of common relationship patterns. This study hypothesized that a micro-intervention using nature metaphors, such as “Porcupine–Turtle,” would produce greater improvements in relationship health relative to descriptive labels such as “Approach–Withdraw.” Twenty-five couples were presented with nature metaphor patterns, while 24 couples were presented with descriptive patterns. Several measures of relationship health showed significant improvements across both groups, while other measures showed significant improvements for descriptive patterns only. Generally, nature metaphor patterns were initially rated as more novel and more resonant. Broadly, these results add …

Influence Of Self-Reported Maternal Mental Health Diagnosis And Parenting Practice On Child Externalizing Behavior, Caitlin E. Smith

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maternal psychopathology generally has been associated with greater likelihood of childhood pathology (e.g., Bellina et al., 2020) which is likely due to both genetic (e.g. heritability of mental health diagnoses) and environmental (e.g., parenting) influences. ADHD, in particular, is a disorder with a high heritability rate (Kuja-Halkola et al., 2015). Other parent mental health difficulties, such as anxiety or depression, can also influence parenting behavior as well as child behavior. Broadly, maternal psychiatric history is related to child ADHD symptom severity (López Seco et al., 2015). Positive parenting may be especially important when parenting a child with ADHD as positive …

How Cultural Homogeneity Couples With Organizational Climate In Public School Environments, Steven R. Peterson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examines how cultural homogeneity influences teachers’ perceptions of school climate in Indiana public schools. Grounded in systems thinking and organizational theory, the study analyzes how shared values and norms shape teachers’ responses to leadership practices and stakeholder demands. Data were collected from educators using the School Culture Survey and a custom scenario-based climate instrument capturing reactions to organizational challenges. Statistical analyses explored relationships between cultural homogeneity and teachers’ perceptions of stability, workload, and adaptive capacity. Results indicate that alignment in key cultural dimensions—particularly Collaborative Leadership—significantly shapes climate experiences, while overall homogeneity alone does not predict workload pressures. …

Navigating Your First Technical Paper In Social Sciences: Understanding Single Case Research Design, Diana Parry-Cruwys, Allen Karsina, Jacquelyn M. Macdonald

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Reading and understanding a research article utilizing single case research design (SCRD) may be a particularly challenging hurdle students face when starting graduate level coursework in the social and health sciences. This paper helps ease this challenge by describing what SCRD is and why it is important to understand when interpreting results in SCRD papers. Additionally, it will explain the various parts of a single case research design paper and what should be included in each section. To understand the results of SCRD, it is imperative that students understand experimental design. …

Examining The Effects Of Interdependent Group Contingencies As A Classwide Intervention To Reduce Unsafe Behavior On The Playground, Elizabeth K. Linton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different class wide interdependent group contingencies on unsafe playground behavior and student preferences for each intervention. In Experiment 1, we assessed the effects of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on unsafe behavior across three third-grade classes. The GBG effectively reduced unsafe playground behavior relative to baseline, though student-choice data indicated that students did not prefer the intervention. This finding prompted Experiment 2, in which we evaluated synchronous schedule of reinforcement (SSR) as a classwide interdependent group contingency and compared its effectiveness and preference to the GBG. Participants in Experiment …

The Psychology Of Diplomacy In The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: The Role Of Emotions And Perceptions In Peace Negotiations, Tomy Octavian, Linda Noviyana

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains one of the major challenges in building sustainable peace through diplomacy. This study analyzes the role of emotions and perceptions in Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations through the perspective of diplomacy psychology. Using an integrative literature review and an integrated theory approach that combines psychological theories and international relations theories, this study synthesizes empirical and conceptual findings on the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiation process. The results of the analysis show that negative emotions such as fear, hatred, and anger worsen diplomatic relations and hinder peace deals. Distorted perceptions of the other side's intentions and identities, as well as conflicting …

Promoting The Hpv Vaccine Across The League Of Arab States: A Scoping Review Of Interventions, Basil H. Aboul-Enein, Patricia J. Kelly, Fatmah Almoayad, Teresa Keller

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

INTRODUCTION: This scoping review examined existing interventions designed to promote and educate about HPV vaccination in the league of Arab states (LAS).

METHODS: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines and using a PICOS-informed approach, a comprehensive search was conducted across 16 databases to identify peer-reviewed intervention studies published between 2010 and August 2025.

RESULTS: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions originated from Egypt and Saudi Arabia and were delivered in academic or clinical settings using short, didactic, one-group pre-post designs. Only a few studies incorporated behavioral theories, digital modalities, or multi-component strategies. Nearly all studies reported short-term improvements in HPV-related knowledge …

The Process Of Alcohol-Involved Sexual Assault Disclosure: Examining Disclosure Content And Reactions From Informal Supports, Madison Elle Edwards

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Alcohol-involved sexual violence (SV), in which unwanted sexual contact is attempted or obtained without consent during or after the victim’s alcohol use is a major public health issue among young women. Research consistently shows that alcohol-involved SV can have particularly harmful mental and physical health consequences. Moreover, survivors who were drinking are more likely to receive negative reactions (e.g., blame, minimization) when they disclose their SV experiences to informal supports (e.g., friends, family). These negative reactions are consistently linked to negative psychosocial outcomes. However, little research on negative disclosure reactions has examined the content of survivors’ disclosures. The present study …

From Pathology To Ecology: Rethinking Student Well-Being Through Consciousness-Centered Education, Molly Beauregard

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This article revisits a five-year mixed-methods study conducted from 2012 to 2018, involving 207 student participants (n = 207), of an undergraduate sociology course—Consciousness, Creativity, and Identity—that integrated group meditation and mindfulness into a standard curriculum. Earlier analyses interpreted positive outcomes primarily as reductions in stress and improvements in attention among students. This paper reconsiders that interpretation, arguing that such a framing risks locating dysfunction within students rather than the social and cultural environments they inhabit.

Drawing on an ecological perspective, the study reexamines survey, reflection, and interview data documenting changes, not only in affect and attention, …

Career Decidedness Among Multicultural Adolescents In South Korea: Relational Support And Internalized Psychological Resources, Kahyen Shin

Dissertations - ALL

Despite the growing number of multicultural adolescents in South Korea, little is known about how to support their career development. Specifically, Korean multicultural adolescents who have foreign-born mothers and Korean fathers have experienced educational and career gaps compared to non-multicultural adolescents in Korea. Given that relational supports are documented to have significant associations with adolescents' career decidedness, this study aims to examine the relationship between relational supports and career decidedness through internalized psychological resources such as self-esteem and achievement motivation. Grounded in the Relational Theory of Working (RTW; Blustein, 2011), the researcher focused on the mediating role of internalized psychological …

Examining Public Perceptions Of Source Credibility In Mental And Physical Health Communication, Bailey Fraser Dr, Joanna Pozzulo Dr., Emily Pica Dr.

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Surveys in Canada and the United States have indicated declines in subjective well-being alongside growing public interest in improving personal health. With increased availability of credible and non-credible health information, particularly online, it is important to understand how the public perceives the credibility of various information sources for physical and mental health information. The present research is the first known study to directly compare perceptions of source credibility across mental versus physical health contexts and to examine associated information-seeking behaviors. Results indicated that participants consistently rated professional sources as more credible than layperson sources and perceived meaningful differences in the …

Interpreting Discrepant Multi-Informant Data: Examining School Psychologists’ Decision-Making Processes With Social-Emotional And Behavioral Assessment, Thomas Koza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multi-informant assessment is a common method used by school psychologists to collect data on students' social-emotional and behavioral concerns across the three tiers of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. While this data can provide a comprehensive understanding of student functioning, informant discrepancies are common, and little is known about how school psychologists make sense of discrepant data or whether using structured frameworks can support their interpretation. This dissertation used an experimental mixed-methods design with vignettes to examine how school psychologists interpret discrepant multi-informant social-emotional and behavioral assessment data and whether exposure to a structured framework influenced this process. …

Effectiveness Of Simulations In Workplace Training: A Systematic Analysis, Brittney Gaban

Honors Theses

Beyond the classroom, training simulations can be used in the workplace and have been used in a variety of industries, but most focus on the acceptance and perceived results rather than realworld transferability. To determine the state of simulations in workplace training, five articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed by participants, industry, results, perceived effectiveness and transferability of skills, data type collected, and participant feedback. The included studies demonstrated the variety of ways simulations have been integrated into training, primarily through hospital and emergency response teams, clinics, and transportation settings. Virtual reality was the most frequently used out …

Adaptation Of Moral Integrity Scale To Kazakh Language: A Psychometric Investigation, Madina Ishkibayeva, Nesrullah Okan, Zhazira Abdykhalykova, Nursulu Makhambetova

Higher Learning Research Communications

The present study has been designed to adapt the Moral Integrity Scale (MIS), originally developed by Schlenker (2008), into Kazakh and to examine its psychometric properties among undergraduate students. Moral integrity, a critical component of ethical behavior, is essential in tertiary education, yet few culturally validated tools exist in the Kazakh context. Following a rigorous scale adaptation process (including translation, back-translation, expert review, and pilot testing), the scale was administered to three independent student samples. The results of the exploratory factor analysis (n = 470) revealed a single-factor structure explaining 52.13% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis ( …

Disability Stigma, Disability Identity, And Psychological Distress Among Young Adults With Disabilities, Dylan G. Serpas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disability discrimination is positively associated with psychological distress. Internalized disability stigma or the extent to which negative beliefs about one’s disability become personally adopted is implicated as a mediator. Moreover, disability identity processes, including identity affirmation and rejection may shape downstream consequences of navigating disability discrimination and internalization processes. These relationships are particularly relevant among young adults with disabilities (YAWD) who navigate a critical developmental period characterized by identity formation and heightened perception to social evaluation. In this study, 233 YAWD aged 18 to 25 completed a cross-sectional survey measuring disability microaggressions, internalized disability stigma, disability identity (rejection and affirmation), …

Where Diagnosis Meets Daily Life: Testing Theoretical Models Of Social Anxiety, Jessica A. Birg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is thought to persist through self-reinforcing cycles linking threat perception, fear of evaluation, avoidance, and social behavior. This dissertation examined whether the nature of these daily processes generalize across individuals, cluster into subgroups, or vary by social anxiety severity. Two ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies were conducted: a community sample with and without SAD (Study 1: N = 96; five prompts per day across two 14-day bursts) and an undergraduate sample (Study 2: N = 129; six prompts per day across 14 days). Momentary variables included social anxiety, avoidance motivation, and threat and safety cues (hurt …

A System Dynamics Perspective Of User Adaptation: The Case Of Exoskeleton Technology, Enzo Novi Migliano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Technology implementation is a common occurrence in organizations to which workers must adapt. Although research on workers' technology acceptance is widely spread, research on the workers' technology adaptation process is less represented in the literature. The discrepancy in the literature permeates research on new technologies currently being implemented in organizations, such as occupational exoskeletons. As in other technologies, the variance research perspective dominates the literature on exoskeleton implementations. The current thesis aims to foster process research by formalizing the coping model of user adaptation (Beaudry & Pinsonneault, 2005) and exploring research questions regarding workers' adaptation to general technology and exoskeletons. …

Driving-Related Challenges For Autistic Youth, Jeong-Heun Kim

ETDs from 2020-2029

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face barriers to driving. Despite evidence that they have potential to drive safely, some unique challenges exist, manifested in a substantially lower licensure rate than typically developing (TD) peers and restricted driving patterns among this population. Therefore, the overarching goal of this dissertation project was to investigate driving-related challenges that young autistic people face. Both objective and subjective measures were used to comprehensively explore this research topic. The first two papers focused on investigating perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral factors underlying hazard response using data from a total of 34 licensed drivers (17 with …

Altered But Adaptive: Network Integration In Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survivors A Diffusion Mri Graph Theory Analysis, Amanda Cook

ETDs from 2020-2029

Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors face treatment-related risk for late-emerging cognitive difficulties. Chemotherapy can disrupt white-matter structure leading survivors to experience subtle but persistent challenges with processing speed, working memory, and executive functioning. However, cognitive outcomes vary widely even among survivors with similar treatment exposures. To better understand this variability, this study examines how the brain adapts after treatment and how that adaptation is shaped by the environment. This study used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) connectomics to characterize white matter network organization in 18 pediatric ALL survivors compared with 20 typically developing controls (ages 10-18). Structural connectomes were …

Testing The Impact Of Sexual Minority Stress On Endorsement Of Prospective Behaviors Related To Borderline Personality Disorder Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Queer Adults, E. Elisa Carsten

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals face increased risk for numerous forms of psychopathology compared to heterosexual individuals, including borderline personality disorder (BPD). Previous investigation into the causes of these mental health disparities highlights several sexual minority-specific factors that may render sexual minority individuals uniquely vulnerable to meeting criteria for a BPD diagnosis, including chronic exposure to minority stressors, such as sexual orientation-based discrimination and stigmatizing beliefs. Some scholars have argued that the relevance of these minority-specific stressful experiences hampers the utility of a BPD diagnosis among members of this historically marginalized population. The present study experimentally tested the influence of minority stressors …

Justice-Involved Individual Experiences Accessing Community Reentry Services Postincarceration In Northern California, Pamela Michelle Kesee-Wyre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Sleep Health Composite: Changes In Sleep Over The Menarcheal Transition Among Girls, Julianna Adornetti

Master's Theses

Sleep undergoes a shift during puberty, increasing the risk for psychological and insomnia symptoms, particularly among girls. However, little research has examined how the onset of menarche may contribute to vulnerability in sleep and psychological functioning. The Sleep Health framework provides a standardized, multidimensional way to conceptualize sleep health (RU-SATED: satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, duration, and regularity). Although prior studies have provided proof-of-concept for assessing sleep health using a composite score (SHc), its measurement properties have yet to be explored. The primary aims of this longitudinal study were to (1) evaluate the factor structure of a sleep health composite, (2) …

Young Adults Describe Their Lived Experiences Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Through The Lens Of A Secure Attachment, Martin Weinberger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Values And The Black-White Mental Health Paradox, Tiffany Soignoli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative cross-sectional study explored the Black-White mental health paradox (BWMHP), which proposes that Black individuals have better or similar mental health than White individuals despite additional stressors, but the etiology of these differences has not been found. While self-esteem has been consistently found to differentiate Black and White adults in relation to the BWMHP, values have not been investigated. Therefore, using a total sample of 191 Black and 191 White American adults (N = 382), values were examined to determine whether they contribute to the differences in depression, stress, and anxiety, leading to better mental health. Chi-square tests of …

Growing Through Systemic Adversity: Evaluation Of Developmental Trauma Assessment Among Black And/Or Latiné Adolescents With Adhd, Victoria Grant O'Daniel

Master's Theses

Black and Latiné youth are disproportionately impacted by targeted harm and trauma exposure, which is further exacerbated by stigma, biases, and punitive actions towards youth with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). This presents an urgent public health concern, as frequent exposure to trauma across development can lead to difficulties with behavior regulation, interpersonal relationships, impulse control, emotion regulation, and attention and cognition. Developmental trauma disorder (DTD) was proposed to capture the adverse developmental outcomes experienced by youth exposed to chronic trauma; however, there is a dearth of research on how to assess DTD. Thus, the current study aimed to establish support …

The Prevalence Of Moral Injury Among Veterans Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): Analyses By Combat Exposure, Gender, Age Group, And Military Service, Carl B. Forkner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, heralded in a new concept affecting our combat and support military personnel. This concept is known today as moral injury. Military personnel were already familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whether from personal experience or from reading and training on the subject, but no training addresses the prevalence or effects of moral injury. The term moral injury (MI) was first coined by psychiatrist Jonathan Shay and his colleagues based on feedback from military and veteran patients in 1998; however, it remains that …

Correctional Leadership And Its Relationship To Psychological Well-Being And Job Satisfaction Among Former Department Of Corrections Staff, Brittaney Brown Kovacs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Correctional institutions represent complex work environments in which leadership may influence employee psychological well-being and job satisfaction. Although prior research has primarily focused on correctional officers, less attention has been paid to the broader workforce within Departments of Corrections (DOCs), including educational, healthcare, and administrative personnel. This retrospective mixed-methods study examined the relationships between employee perceptions of transformational, transactional, and authoritarian leadership styles and employee outcomes among former staff of state-level DOCs in the United States. Participants included 75 former DOC employees from multiple states. Quantitative data were collected using standardized measures of leadership, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Multiple …

Caregiver Depression And Psychological Distress As Predictors Of Substantiated Maltreatment In Nscaw Ii (Wave 2 Cps Sample): A Quantitative Archival Study, Gloria Forotan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative archival analysis examined whether caregiver mental health is associated with child maltreatment outcomes through CPS involvement, using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II), Wave 2. Child maltreatment remains a persistent public health concern with long-term effects on children's emotional, psychological, and physical development. Although caregiver mental health is consistently identified as a significant risk factor for maltreatment, few studies have utilized nationally representative child welfare data with standardized measures to test these associations.

Caregiver mental health variables were operationalized using NSCAW II indicators of major depression and depressive symptoms (DP2), psychological distress (K6 …