Digital Commons Network^™

Back To The Future? How The Global Powers And The Local Militias Hindered Un Multi-Dimensional Mediation In The Libyan And Syrian Civil Wars After 2011, Ahmed S. Mahdi, Melissia Shapib, Noura Gamie

Future Journal of Social Science

UN mediation efforts in the Libyan and Syrian civil wars, which followed the Arab Revolutions of 2011, were hampered by the great power intervention, and by the belligerents' insistence on solving the problem through military victory instead of negotiation. There is a shortage in the literature which examines an alternative, or how UN mediation can be improved. One of the few models to assess, and improve, UN mediation in civil wars is the so-called Kane Model (2022). Using the model presented by Kane to assess the procedures of a powerful UN mediation process in internationalized civil wars, this paper argues …

Approaches And Tools Of Peace And Conflict Management Between Two Perspectives, Yasmine Z. Radwan

Future Journal of Social Science

This study aims at pointing out the tools of peace and the approaches to conflict management and resolution presented in the Islamic and Western perspectives. It also searches for clarifying the convergent and divergent zones that could help in finding, analyzing and criticizing the basic concepts on which arguments and debates are constructed. This study concluded that the differences between the Islamic and the Western perspective are a human requirement for acquainting and integrating based on a crucial notion, which is identity. Identity is treated in details in many discourses and occupies a large place in the Western literature on …

Optimizing Associative Memory In Autistic And Non-Autistic Adults: Retrieval Practice, Post-Retrieval Feedback, And Gesture, Brianna E. Cairney

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Associative memory—or the ability to form a memory representation linking two previously unrelated concepts—is a critical aspect of learning. This work provides insight into strategies that can be used to support associative memory, their underlying mechanisms, and their effectiveness in autistic and non-autistic learners. Chapter 1 demonstrates that iconic gestures can be used as a tool to enhance associative memory by increasing word concreteness and imageability. This effect was eliminated when the iconic gestures were interspersed with ambiguous nonsense gestures, suggesting a boundary on these benefits that depends on listener expectations regarding gesture clarity. However, it remains unknown whether gestures …

Investigating The Role Of Betrayal Blindness Between High Betrayal Trauma And Dating Violence Among Young Mothers Maltreated As Children, Lauren Catherine Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Young mothers experience greater rates of dating violence (DV) victimization and perpetration compared to their non-parenting, female peers as well as older mothers (Joly & Connolly, 2016). Child maltreatment is a salient predictor of DV victimization and perpetration (Li et al., 2019; Murphy et al., 2020). According to Betrayal Trauma Theory (BTT), child maltreatment perpetrated by a close loved one, such as a parent or primary caregiver, is defined as a high betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1996). Young mothers who experienced a high betrayal trauma may endorse betrayal blindness as a way to cope with abuse from their caregiver (Freyd & …

Burned Out By The Binary: How Misgendering Of Nonbinary Employees Contributes To Workplace Burnout, Sky Corby, Larry R. Martinez, Nicholas A. Smith, Kelly M. Hamilton, Mordeky C. Dullum

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We examine nonbinary employees’ experiences with misgendering in work contexts and draw from minority stress theory (Meyer, 2003) to understand the consequences of misgendering. Our findings from 29 semi-structured interviews with nonbinary individuals revealed that although being misgendered is a common and highly stressful experience (distal stressor), the emotional labor associated with anticipating and reacting to misgendering acts as an additional and more proximal stressor. Together, these stressors jointly contribute to all three components of employee burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced professional efficacy). We also identified support from coworkers and supervisors (in preventing and addressing misgendering) as important ameliorating …

Reduction Of Elopement Using A Multicomponent Treatment In Young Children With Asd, Zina Eluri, Kimberly A. Zoder-Martell, Ivette Andrade, Noemi Trevino

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Elopement, leaving a caregiver's side without permission or supervision, is a behavior that is more prevalent among children with autism as compared to their typically developing peers. With potentially fatal consequences (e.g., exposure to water, traffic, and strangers), it is reported to cause high levels of stress for caregivers. In the present study, we evaluated the assessment and treatment of elopement using a multicomponent treatment package to address the multiple functions of elopement. Treatment consisted of verbal instructions, blocking, and differential reinforcement of other behaviors with extinction (DRO w/ EXT). An ABAB reversal design was utilized to assess treatment effectiveness. …

Preliminary Efficacy Of A Digital Intervention For Adolescent Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial, Emily Peake, Ian Miller, Jessica Flannery, Lang Chen, Jessica Lake, Aarthi Padmanabhan

Psychology

Background:
Adolescent depression is a significant public health concern; however, access to effective mental health care is limited. Digital therapeutics (DTx) can improve access to evidence-based interventions; however, their efficacy in adolescents is sparsely documented.

Objective:
This study aims to examine the efficacy of a mobile app DTx versus an active control as an adjunct treatment for adolescent depression symptoms.

Methods:
An internet-based open-label randomized control trial was conducted nationwide with a partial crossover design, and 168 adolescents aged 13 to 21 years with symptoms of depression were recruited between November 2020 and September 2021. Participants were randomized (1:1) to …

“We’Ve Been Doing Mindfulness Since Time Immemorial”: Provider Experiences Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions In American Indian And Alaska Native Communities, Jalene L. Herron

Psychology ETDs

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals are underrepresented in mindfulness research. Mindfulness may be relevant to some AI/AN traditions and aid in providing culturally responsive mental healthcare. This study examined the experiences of providers who use mindfulness-based interventions with AI/AN clients. Twenty-five providers completed interviews about their experiences. Three primary themes were identified using thematic analysis: 1) using a cultural lens in providing therapy, where providers integrate cultural practices and utilize a client centered approach; 2) framing mindfulness in AI/AN contexts through cultural adaptations to demonstrate the applicability of mindfulness to cultural settings; and 3) processes in implementing culturally …

Effects Of Posttraumatic Cognitions, Working Alliance, And Relational Intimacy Skills In Ptsd Treatment, Xiaonan Zhang

Dissertations (1934 -)

Cognitive theories have been proposed to explain the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social-cognitive theories, as one of two major categories of cognitive theories (Brewin et al., 1996), emphasize the role of trauma-related beliefs in the development of PTSD, which led to the incorporation of modifying maladaptive trauma-related cognitions in psychological treatments of PTSD. Although extant studies have provided empirical evidence for the efficacy of these treatments, questions regarding active therapeutic components still exist. To that end, this study examined the effects of social-cognitive factors (i.e., posttraumatic cognitions, relational intimacy skills, and working alliance) on PTSD symptomatology …

The Hidden Impact Of Sociocultural Determinants In Adolescence, Lauren B. Robins, Nicholas Schmoyer, Atiya Smith, Krystal L. Clemons, Jill Kivikoski

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

This study, guided by the Social Determinants of Health framework and Social Ecological Model, examined how SDOH impact the presence of anxiety during adolescence. This study set out to understand what sociocultural determinants predict anxiety, using the 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health dataset. The analysis included a logistic regression to determine the predictability of SDOH on anxiety in adolescence. The results indicated that various SDOH are significant predictors of anxiety, while also indicating that the absence of adverse SDOH predicts the lack of anxiety. Further, unique findings related to race/ethnicity, age, and gender set the stage for additional research …

Relative Numerosity Is Constructed From Size And Density Information: Evidence From Adaptation, Frank H. Durgin, Zahara Martinez , '23

Psychology Faculty Works

To dissociate aftereffects of size and density in the perception of relative numerosity, large or small adapter sizes were crossed with high or low adapter densities. A total of 48 participants were included in this preregistered design. To adapt the same retinotopic region as the large adapters, the small adapters were flashed in a sequence so as to “paint” the adapting density across the large region. Perceived numerosities and sizes in the adapted region were then compared to those in an unadapted region in separate blocks of trials, so that changes in density could be inferred. These density changes were …

The Blessed Assembly: Irreplaceable Physical Co-Presence In Worship And Healthy Hybridity Reimagined After The Pandemic In The Digital Age, Yvette, Ying Wai Lau

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Because of the unprecedented and unexpected force of the pandemic since 2020, most churches around the world have experienced some online worship during the lockdown of their cities or the mandated closure of the church buildings. For many people, online worship seems to be an equivalent, if not better, alternative for gathering together—a physical co-presence in worship—even after the pandemic has ended. As necessary and vital as online worship experiences have been for Christians during the pandemic, the witness of the church from Pentecost throughout Christian history indicates that gathered worship in physical spaces is irreplaceable for faith formation and …

Altered Sensory Processing And Pain In Youth With Sickle Cell Disease: Risk Factors And Moderators, Julia Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience recurrent pain and increased risk for chronic pain. Neuropathic pain, characterized by alterations to the central and/or peripheral nervous systems, is not well understood among youth with SCD. Based on our current understanding of pain systems and existing literature on pain in SCD, this study aimed to elucidate psychosocial correlates of altered sensory processing (ASP) and neuropathic pain, determine biomedical risk factors contributing to the development of ASP among youth with SCD, and identify how sensory processing and biopsychosocial factors collectively influence pain experiences by assessing two plausible models. Methods: Thirty-five youth …

A Comparative Evaluation Of Two Youth Mental Health Trainings For Volunteers, Monica M. Lobenstein, Shannon Sparks, Jennifer Park-Mroch, Danette Hopke, Jayna Hintz, Megan Suehring, Kea Norrell-Aitch, Karla Gearing, Michelle Gobert, Sheila Michels

Journal of Youth Development

Adolescence is a critical period for developing social and emotional habits important for mental well-being (Kessler et al., 2005). Half of all mental health conditions start by age 14, and the average delay between onset of symptoms and intervention is eight to ten years (Wang et al., 2007). Youth with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviors, and worsening physical health. Youth often do not get the help they need due to ongoing stigma and barriers in accessing mental health treatment. For example, in Wisconsin, 30% of the population live in a …

Inpatient Staff Perspective On Verbal De-Escalation Within A High Acuity Population, Giovanna Dezutti

Dissertations

This study explored inpatient staff’s perspective of verbal de-escalation within a high acuity population as well as the factors that make either a positive or negative impact on the effectiveness of verbal de-escalation as used in high acuity impatient settings. This phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews of 5 participants working in this setting. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling, and interviews were conducted via zoom. This study found that participants unanimously agreed that the training they received regarding verbal de-escalation was not sufficient and that employment of certain personality traits and behaviors were more effective than using only the methods …

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Management & Implications Of Power Differentials Experienced By Pre-Licensed Supervisees In Clinical Supervision Settings, Joyti Jariwala

Dissertations

The focus in this qualitative study was to explore how power differentials in supervision create positive and negative experiences between licensed psychologists and pre-licensed doctoral students. The study results provide insight into how supervisees navigate these dynamics during supervision, which typically involves experiential learning environments in which trainees discuss progress, receive feedback, and enhance their skills. The theoretical framework grounding the study was social learning theory, which is based on the idea that individuals learn from modeling, observation, and imitation in a social context (Bandura, 1986). Reflexive thematic analysis was used to recognize similarities in findings gathered via two sets …

Students Speak: A Qualitative Examination Of The Intersection Of Identity And Sexual Violence In A University Setting, Danika M. Charles

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence remains a public health concern in the United States. Much of the research has focused on gender-binary individuals, despite the heightened vulnerability of Black, transgender, and nonbinary (BTN) individuals due to societal stigma and discrimination. Campus climate surveys have been recommended by the Obama Administration to address sexual violence, though they often underrepresent BTN students, failing to capture their unique experiences. This study aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the intersection of gender and racial identities, using an intersectional stigma framework to explore the prevalence and impact of sexual violence on BTN students and advocate for …

Navigating Identity: An Examination Of Intersectional Discrimination And Suicidal Ideation Among Lgbq Latinx Individuals, Jaclyn Pachicano

Dissertations (1934 -)

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with LGBQ Latinx adults showing higher risk for suicidality and related mental health outcomes. Experiences of discrimination, including heterosexism and ethnic discrimination, are often connected to increased risk for suicidal ideation. In addition to intersectional experiences of discrimination, LGBQ Latinx people often feel an incompatibility between their sexuality and ethnic identity, known as conflicts in allegiances (CIA), possibly increasing risk of suicidal ideation. It remains unclear what mechanisms connect intersectional discrimination and suicidal ideation. The current study expands on intersectional research by utilizing the Interpersonal Theory of …

Intense, Repeated, And Ever-Present: An Initial Investigation Of Traumatic Invalidation Among Sexual Minorities, Zane Browning Ballard

Dissertations (1934 -)

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals have been shown to experience significantly more negative health outcomes than do heterosexuals, commonly attributed to sexual minority stress. Research to date has insufficiently explained the processes by which stigma exposure becomes felt, internalized stigma and has not accounted for resemblance between presentation of mental health effects of sexual minority stress and of post-traumatic responses. Researchers have posited traumatic invalidation may partially explain the development and manifestations of reactions to sexual minority stress. The current study proposed and tested a measure of traumatic invalidation, conceptualized as instances of interpersonal, identity-based invalidation among sexual minorities. …

The Impact Of Tic Suppression On Speaking Ability, Nicolas Brooklyn Merl

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Tics are rapid, recurrent, sudden movements or vocalizations. Recent research has found that (a) children can suppress tics for short durations if this suppression is reinforced, (b) suppression can lead to stress, and (c) the suppression of tics can lead to simultaneous activities being disrupted. The present study attempts to replicate and extend prior findings. An attempt was made to replicate the finding that tics can be suppressed using a DRO procedure and that suppression leads to stress. The experiment then investigated whether the suppression of tics led to a reduction in the ability to speak. Four conditions were compared: …

Young Driver Training And Socioeconomic Status: A Human-In-The-Loop Driving Simulator Evaluation, Jeffrey Edward Glassman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Previous research consistently shows that young drivers are poor at anticipating latent hazards on the roadway compared to more experienced drivers. The Road Awareness and Perception Training (RAPT) program is a driver training program that aims to accelerate young drivers’ learning of hazard anticipation (HA) skills. More recent research has started showing evidence that RAPT may be even more effective at reducing accidents for young drivers with a lower socioeconomic status (SES), though the direct impact of RAPT on HA skills in the driver population is yet unclear. The current experiment thus directly evaluated the effectiveness of RAPT on the …

Associations Between Combat Exposure, Moral Injury, And Suicidality Among U.S. Military Members: The Moderating Impact Of Positive Rumination, Jeffrey M. Gabelmann

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have documented the risk for suicide among recent-era veterans with combat experience. Recently, moral injury has emerged as a possible contributor to suicidality in veterans. To that end, no study has approached the combat exposure-moral injury-suicidality link with a focus grounded in positive psychology. Specifically, the present study explored whether positive rumination, or the reflection on positive emotions and moods, may buffer the deleterious effects of potentially traumatic experiences in warzones on moral injury and suicidality. This study was a secondary analysis of 250 current or former U.S. military members (M_age = 33.3 years) who had …

Gender Measurement Invariance Of The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Adolescent - Restructured Form (Mmpi-A-Rf) Internalizing And Externalizing Specific Problem Scales, Thomas Jay Augustin

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Due to social, psychological, biological, and cultural differences in adolescent development, it is important to evaluate measurement invariance in psychological measures. Although the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) assessments have a plethora of research to evaluate their utility in clinical practice, few published studies have examined the measurement invariance between males and females for any of the scales in the adolescent versions (MMPI-A/MMPI-A-RF). The present study examined the measurement invariance of the MMPI-A-RF Internalizing and Externalizing Specific Problem Scales between male and female adolescents. Data were obtained from an outpatient sample and from Pearson’s mail-in service resulting in 1,622 valid …

Tracing The Development Of Trust In Automation/Autonomy In A Multitasking Environment, Tetsuya Sato

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Future Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations will likely involve autonomous systems that exceed the capabilities of a typical automation. However, human operators could use such systems counterproductively by either misusing unreliable systems or disusing reliable systems. One determinant for inappropriate use of autonomous systems is trust. Human factors theorists proposed numerous ways to characterize trust such as the tripartite model of trust that describes the bases of trust in automation (i.e., performance, process, and purpose; Lee & See, 2004). Previous works have indicated that participants rated lower performance- and process-based trust toward the automation when the tracking task required more …

Understanding Foster Parents' Experiences Of Secondary Traumatic Stress, Sarah Marie Boeding

Dissertations (1934 -)

Secondary traumatic stress, which has been studied across many helping professions, refers to symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder which an individual may develop as a result of indirect exposure to another individual’s trauma (Sprang et al., 2019). Foster parents may be particularly susceptible to developing secondary traumatic stress due to their exposure to their foster child’s trauma history and trauma symptoms, which has been confirmed in recent studies (Bridger et al., 2020; Whitt-Woosley et al., 2020). Importantly, foster parents’ experiences of secondary traumatic stress may differ from those of other helping professionals given their unique role. The purpose of …

Examining A Regulatory Flexibility Framework Of Psychological Distress: Integrating Distress Tolerance, Emotion Differentiation, And Emotion Regulation Flexibility, Germaine Yue Qi Tng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Several theoretical accounts identify emotion regulation (ER) difficulties, including poor abilities to withstand or distinguish negative emotions, as a transdiagnostic risk factor for symptoms of psychological distress. Considering this, nascent evidence hints that ER flexibility may be a mediating mechanism that explains the relationship between specific ER abilities (i.e., distress tolerance, negative emotion differentiation) and distress symptoms. Across time-lagged (Study 1) and three-wave longitudinal (Study 2) investigations of college-aged adults, a regulatory flexibility framework of distress was examined in which ER flexibility mediates the respective pathways from distress tolerance and negative emotion differentiation to psychological distress symptoms. Furthermore, we explored …

Initial Evaluation Of A Peer Supervision Program For Health Service Psychology Doctoral Students, William Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical supervision has long been utilized as the primary method of clinical training and evaluation for health service psychology doctoral students. Despite the central role that supervision has played and continues to play in the training of psychologists, little scholarly attention has been given to identifying effective methods for fostering competency in providing supervision. The lack of research in this area is concerning, given the accumulating evidence that negative supervision experiences, such as ineffective or inadequate supervision, are reported by a substantial proportion of trainees (21-92% across studies). Moreover, these experiences are associated with important proximal and distal training outcomes, …

Therapeutic Potentials Of The Gut-Brain-Microbiota Axis For Prevention And Treatment Of Motivational Deficits In Ecohiv Infected Rats, Mason T. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

People living with HIV begin to experience gastrointestinal disturbances as early as 6 months after initial infection. Regardless of adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the gut microbiome of people living with HIV maintains a state of dysbiosis throughout the rest of their lives, providing potential for a novel target for improving the lives of those living with HIV. The present study investigated the impact EcoHIV and cocaine have on the gut microbiome of F344/N rats. Fecal samples were collected from 20 female and 20 male animals at baseline, following self-administration of cocaine, and following inoculation with EcoHIV or Saline. …

Associations Between Neurological Correlates Of Reading And Learning Disability Profiles Among Children, Jessica Luedke

Theses and Dissertations

Early reading skills are vital for child development. Children with specific reading learning disabilities (SLD-R) display persistent difficulties acquiring reading skills. They are at an increased risk for adverse life outcomes, including mental health concerns, low educational attainment, and low academic motivation. Progress in neurobiological research provides opportunities to enhance the assessment and identification of learning disabilities by revealing distinct neurological patterns of learning. However, the integration of this progress with school psychology research is rare. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate brain network connectivity as a biomarker of reading using resting-state quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) coherence. Fronto-central …

Neurocognitive Processes As Longitudinal Predictors Of Reading Fluency, Jody Samuels

Theses and Dissertations

Reading fluency involves a complex interaction of different cognitive skills and abilities that develop with instruction and practice and relies on the automaticity of many distinct reading skills (e.g., pacing, word recognition, expression, phonological awareness). Fluent reading frees cognitive resources, such as working memory, for more advanced components of reading including comprehension and synthesis (Kim & Wagner, 2015; Samuels, 2006). Though early identification of students with fluency challenges is critical for providing evidence-based intervention, most screeners assess skills that are dependent upon instruction (e.g., letter identification, sound-symbol correspondence), delaying opportunities for identification. The current study examines the utility for including …