Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling Hazard Perception Learning In Novice Drivers With Autism: A Multimodal Simulation-Based Study, Erik J. Sand

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Young drivers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate difficulties with road-surveillance behaviors such as scanning ahead, monitoring mirrors, and identifying emerging hazards. These challenges can increase crash risk, particularly for adolescents with limited driving experience. This study explored whether a simple, video-game–based hazard-training program could improve hazard detection performance, visual scanning, and self-regulation in this population. Five participants aged 15–18 years, each identified by a parent as having ASD and possessing either a learner’s permit or no license, completed sequential Baseline, three Treatment, and Withdrawal phases using the SpeedLimit driving simulation. The study employed a single-case experimental design with …

The Silent Language Of Trauma: Defendant Behavior, Juror Bias, And Expert Testimony, Jensen Goldman

Scripps Senior Theses

Trauma can profoundly influence behavioral presentation, yet jurors often rely on demeanor as a diagnostic cue for guilt, credibility, and remorse. Such reliance poses risks within a legal system that seldom equips jurors to interpret trauma related behaviors accurately. The proposed study will examine how two trauma-linked affective presentations– overemotionality and flat affect– shape juror perceptions of credibility and guilt, and whether expert psychological testimony about trauma-related affect can mitigate these biases. Online survey participants will read one of five trial vignettes with varying defendant conditions (flat affect vs. overemotional) and varying expert testimony conditions (present or not present) and …

Righteous Defenders And Evil Challengers: The Morally Polarized Battle For Books On Reddit, Erika Casburn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The issue of book bans has moved to the forefront of public and political debate over the past few years. Anti-censorship advocates who defend against these challenges have yet to be studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs and worldviews as expressed by those defenders in a public forum—Reddit. Data in the form of Reddit threads was collected from subreddits belonging to states that have seen the greatest number of book challenges. This data was subjected to discourse analysis, first manually, then by qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA). Analysis revealed that defenders spent a majority of discursive …

Bridging Worlds Of Care: A Qualitative Exploration Of Integrating Non-Western Healing Modalities With Mental Health Counseling, Douglas Valdez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The aim of the study is to explore the experiences of practitioners who treat individuals presenting with depression and anxiety using culturally integrative non-Western healing modalities. Participants included 15 experienced practitioners (minimum five years of practice) who identified as Traditional Chinese Medicine providers (e.g., acupuncturists, herbalists) and/or Curandero/x/as. The approach was qualitative, utilizing open-ended survey responses collected electronically and analyzed with thematic analysis. Results indicated six primary themes: (a) Philosophies in Healing, highlighting culturally grounded conceptualizations of depression and anxiety; (b) Traditional Chinese Medicine Interventions, including acupuncture, botanical, nutritional, manual, and movement-based practices; (c) Curanderismo Pláticas and Integrative Western Healing …

Between Self, Family, And Becoming: Mindfulness And The Transition Experiences Of Latinx Clinical Counseling Graduate Students, Orlando R. Alvarez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Latinx graduate students transitioning into their first semester of clinical counseling master’s programs often navigate substantial challenges as they embark on their academic journeys. While transitions into any new role can be difficult, the changes that accompany the beginning of a graduate program have been associated with increased role and identity strain, anxiety, depression, and feelings of fraudulence and imposterism, negatively impacting student success, performance, and attrition rates (Halladay et al., 2019; Murphy, 2021; Vidic & Cherup, 2019). Although mindfulness practices provide benefits for graduate student wellbeing, there is no current scholarship that has examined how mindfulness practices support Latinx …

The Lived Experience Of Tenders Of Community Grief Rituals, Margaret Y. Wilson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research study is to gain an understanding of the lived experience of tenders of community grief rituals, and how tenders make meaning of their experiences. This study utilized photo elicitation and a reflexive thematic analysis. Participants (N = 11) provided one to three photographs that captured their experience of grief and/or tending grief rituals. The results identified 10 themes supported by subthemes: (a) Grief Tender Wisdom About the Nature of Grief, (b) Life’s Many Experiences are Sources of Grief, (c) The Multifaceted Impacts of Grief-Body, Anger, Compassion, Empathy, Resilience, Gratitude, Joy, and Love, (d) The Nuances …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 School Shutdown On Standardized Test Scores In Rural And Nonrural Areas, Cory Laflamme

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The novel Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19; Gillings School of Global Public Health, n.d.) caused an extensive disruption of education systems worldwide. Elementary and secondary schools began to close to students and staff to protect them from potential exposure to the virus (Masonbrink & Hurley, 2020). Nearly 1.6 billion students in over 200 countries had their learning impacted on some level, causing changes in traditional educational practices (Pokhrel & Chhetri, 2021). One profound change in educational practice was the shift from face-to-face learning to online learning alternatives. Using the State of New Hampshire data allowed for a unique analysis of how …

The Effect Of Paternal Engagement On The Sexual Self-Concept Of Black Female Adolescents, Amelia Flynn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Black women in the U.S. continue to experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancies, with a 64% rate reported in 2011 (Finer & Zolna, 2016). Positive sexual self-concept (SSC) is linked to healthier sexual behaviors, yet research on SSC development has largely overlooked the role of fathers and systemic influences, particularly within Black families. Grounded in an ecological framework, this study examines the impact of father-daughter engagement on SSC among Black female adolescents, considering paternal residential status and socioeconomic class as key contextual factors. The study revealed that when middle class father-daughter engagement is high, daughters’ sexual self-esteem is lower. …

A Qualitative Study Of Existential Paralysis As A Pathway To Meaning And Purpose Among Generation Z, Oksana V. Panchenko

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the lived experiences of emerging adults from Generation Z (N = 26) with a qualitative reflexive thematic analysis. Data was collected with an online survey and open ended prompts. Twelve themes were identified as part of data analysis: (1) Feeling Lost, Immobilized, Isolated and Overthinking, (2) Feeling Depressed and Experiencing Identity Erosion and Functional Disruption, (3) Anxiety, the Struggle for Authentic Connection, and Fear About the Future, (4) Social Media, Comparison, and Fear of Missing Out, (5) Cultural and Sociopolitical Pressures on Self-Expression, (6) Ambiguous Loss and Disconnection in Social Presence, (7) Social Skills, Self-Confidence, and Adaptation …

Storytelling And Equity: A Program Evaluation That Promotes And Supports Narrative-Based Learning And Open Dialogue Practices At Higher Ed Institutions, Regis A. Peeples

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On college campuses worldwide, storytelling functions as a primary method for transmitting and affirming knowledge. It serves to validate lived experiences, acts as a relational teaching tool, and supports theoretical inquiry. Given that teaching is inherently political, storytelling can also perpetuate hate, oppression, and other social harms within academic environments. Even when educators use storytelling constructively, limited training exists on the full range of its impacts on students, particularly in terms of what may be described as “dangerous” storytelling. Dangerous storytelling refers to narratives, intentional or authentic, that reinforce or cultivate phobias about physical appearance (e.g., race, culture, nationality), propagate …

Bipoc Supervisors And Their Cross-Ethnoracial Supervisees: An Exploratory Dyadic Interdependence Study On Cultural Humility, Ethnocultural Empathy, Supervisory Alliance And Ethnoracial Identity Development, Karen Andal Neri

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is an ongoing need for more relational, process-oriented multicultural supervision training models and research to address multicultural issues through a sociocultural perspective in cross-ethnoracial supervision. BIPOC therapists have often reported inadequate multicultural education and training as well as responsiveness from their White supervisors. As supervisors themselves, BIPOC therapists are often overlooked and understudied in the couple/marriage, family therapy (C/MFT) field, which remains predominantly Eurocentric. As a process-oriented model, multicultural orientation (MCO), especially its primary organizing pillar, cultural humility, appears highly relevant to BIPOC supervisors working across ethnoracial and cultural lines with their supervisees. However, neither the MCO nor broader …

Mind The Gap: Comparing Asian American And White American Experiences In Integrated Primary Care, Tenzin Miller-Dorjee

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores Asian American and White American adults’ experiences of integrated primary care (IPC), focusing on patient satisfaction and perceived provider cultural competence. Although IPC models are intended to improve access to behavioral health services, it remains important to examine whether these models are experienced as culturally responsive and equitable across racial groups. This study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design with 550 adults in the United States who reported experience with IPC. Patient satisfaction was assessed using the Patient Experience of Integrated Care Scale (PEICS), and perceived provider cultural competence was assessed using the Iowa Cultural Understanding Assessment–Client …

“I May Flourish In Spite Of The Obstacles": A Deaf Queer Minority Stress Model, Maya E. Weaver

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The current study explores the intersectional experiences of individuals who identify as both d/Deaf and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer/Questioning, among other marginalized sexual identities. Historically, both Deaf and queer communities have faced significant oppression and discrimination; yet little research has examined the unique challenges encountered by those living at the intersection of these two identities, with most of the existing deaf literature focusing on heterosexual individuals and most of the queer literature centering around non-Deaf individuals. This study sought to address that gap by, within an exploration of their unique form of minority stress, investigating how identifying with both …

The Psychological Process Of Decolonizing The Colonized Self: A Grounded Theory Based On Hong Kongers’ Decisions After The 2019 Protests, Lai Kwan Shirley Lo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Hong Kong, a British colony for over a century, was returned to China in 1997. In 2019, the proposal of an extradition bill sparked widespread outrage, leading to a year of unprecedented social unrest. The protests eventually dissipated with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese central government’s tightening controls. Although the state characterized its interventions as decolonization, a significant wave of Hong Kongers responded by leaving their homeland to cultivate new lives in the “Western world,” including Britain. How does a colonized population willingly return to their colonizer after decolonization? This study sets out to search for …

The Role Of User Experience In Virtual Reality Flight Training: A Comparison With Pc-Based Simulation, Tianxin Zhang, Christina M. Frederick, Barbara Chaparro

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The current project explores how user experience (UX) in virtual reality (VR) flight simulation influences both cognitive learning outcomes and procedural skill acquisition when compared to traditional desktop-based simulation.. Using a quasi-transfer of training design, 48 student pilots were randomly assigned to VR, Desktop, or Control groups and trained on the Chandelle maneuver. UX was measured with the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), while training effectiveness was evaluated through a post-training knowledge test and recorded maneuver performance on a high-fidelity flight training device. Results indicated that the VR group reported significantly higher UX scores in Attractiveness, Stimulation, and Novelty, and showed …

The Efflorescence Of Apocalypticism (Imminent & Prepping Beliefs): Considering Informational And Motivational Regulatory Mechanisms, James T. Good Mr.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In the last quarter of the 21st century, apocalyptic beliefs emerged in scholarly and lay representations notably doubling over the last decade. With nearly forty percent of United States citizen reporting this belief, unfulfilled questions arose: What drives discrepancies in beliefs of an imminent end of the world? Additionally, what drives beliefs in the need to prepare for an end of the world? These individual questions were examined together in this study using Construal Level Theory (CLT) and Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT) in an attempt to identify how psychological mechanisms are significantly affecting the fluctuations, in these self-reported beliefs. A …

Impact Of Religion On Mental Outcomes Among Racial/Ethnic And Sexual/Gender Minority Individuals, Braden J. Waugh, Michael E. Nielsen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Marginalized identities (Adams & Miller, 2022) are associated with elevated risks for negative outcomes (Ching et al., 2018; Kayode et al., 2024). Religion has been found to act as a protective and risk factor. Minority Stress Theory (Meyer, 2003) and Intersectionality Theory (Crenshaw, 1991) are used to examine the relationship between identity status and anxiety, prosocial tendencies (PT), and quality of life (QoL). One hundred fifty-two participants were primed with a religious or neutral stimulus, and then answered measures regarding these outcomes (GAD-7, Spitzer et al., 2006; PBIS, Baumsteiger & Siegel, 2019; WHOQOL-BREF, The Whoqol Group, 1998; IFS, Hammer & …

The Effect Of Complexity Of Expert Testimony And The Presence Of A Defensive Rebuttal On Jurors' Decisions In Criminal Trials, Shelby E. Madden

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Forensic science plays a critical role in criminal trials, yet forensic techniques vary in their reliability. Expert testimony, often held in high regard by jurors, can be a decisive factor in verdicts, but its influence is complicated by factors such as technical complexity, adversarial bias, and heuristic processing. The present study examined how the complexity of prosecution expert testimony and the presence of a defensive rebuttal influenced jurors’ decisions when presented with faulty forensic evidence. Participants (N = 142) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (testimony complexity: high v. low) x 2 (defensive rebuttal …

Exploring Acculturation And Its Role In Substance Abuse Behaviors Among Refugee Populations In Bowling Green, Ky: An Interactive Learning Experience Through Provider’S Perspectives., Aishwarya Potluri

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Substance use among refugee populations is an emerging public health concern shaped/influenced by cultural, social, and structural factors associated with resettlement. This qualitative study explored providers’ perspectives on substance use behaviors among refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Using Health Behavior Theory with acculturation as a contextual construct, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 providers working with refugee-serving organizations. Data collected through the interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo. The findings indicate that substance use is being influenced by peer exposure, occupational stress, and the increased availability of substances in the United States. Providers identified cultural stigma surrounding mental …

Paradox Mindset In Working Parenthood: Linking Dual-Role Enrichment To Pursuit, Success, And Satisfaction, Tengjiao Huang, Xiaoyu Dai, Chi-Ying Cheng, Angela Leung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Managing the simultaneous demands of career and parenthood often generates tensions—particularly for women, who have historically been expected to take primary responsibility for caregiving. These gendered expectations persist, even as men increasingly express a desire to engage more actively in caregiving while maintaining their professional roles. Drawing on paradox mindset theory and work-family enrichment literature, this research investigated whether a paradox mindset—a cognitive tendency to embrace and value tensions—is positively associated with an aspiration for enrichment between work and parenting roles. In turn, this aspiration is hypothesized to predict intentions and outcomes related to dual-role pursuit. Three cross-sectional survey studies …

Exploring The Role Of Cognitive Load In Applicant Faking And Prevention Methods, Sabah Rasheed

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Personnel selection is critical to organizational success, and personality assessment is widely used to identify the best job candidates. However, applicant faking threatens the validity of personality assessments in high-stakes contexts. Faking is widely assumed to be more cognitively demanding than honest responding, and several faking-prevention methods rest on this premise. This dissertation examines that assumption across three studies using the dual-task paradigm to impose cognitive demands during personality assessments. Study 1 used a verbal digit-span task with a student sample and limited faking on the three job-relevant personality composites. Study 2 used a visual dual-task with a student sample …

Neural Correlates Of Cognitive Fatigue In Regular Cannabis Users And Non-Users: A Pilot Fnirs Study, Mariia Vistyzenko

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: Cognitive fatigue impairs performance across multiple domains, yet how regular cannabis use affects fatigue responses remains unclear. This pilot study investigated neural and behavioural correlates of cognitive fatigue in abstinent cannabis users versus non-users.

Methods: Twenty-six participants (18 non-users, 8 regular cannabis users after 24-hour abstinence) completed cognitive tasks before and after a 60-minute Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) designed to induce fatigue. Tasks assessed working memory (N-Back), cognitive flexibility (Wisconsin Card Sorting), psychomotor speed (Digit Symbol Substitution), sustained attention (Continuous Performance Task), inhibition (Stroop, Stop Signal), and motion perception. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) continuously monitored prefrontal cortex …

Children's Peer Selection In Stem: The Influence Of Gender, Ethnicity, And Disability, Meagan Girard, Kim P. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present study examined how children’s peer selection in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) may be influenced by gender, ethnicity, and physical disability. Sixty-four children (ages 6-12) from elementary schools in Southwestern Ontario completed three tasks: a simulated peer selection task, an attribution of ability task, and a stereotype belief questionnaire. In the peer selection task, participants were repeatedly asked to select one peer from a set of AI-generated photographs showing children who differed by gender (male, female), ethnicity (White, Black, East Asian), and physical disability status (able-bodied user vs. nondisabled). The Peer Selection Task was based on the …

Hungarian Validation Of The Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory - 20 (Pfdi-20) Questionnaire And The Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire - 7 (Pfiq - 7), Barbara Kozma, Bence Kozma, Peter Takacs, Dávid Rátonyi, Nelli Farkas, Attila G. Sipos, Balint Farkas

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Introduction and Hypotheses

Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) affect women's quality of life through physical, psychological, and social domains. The Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 (PFIQ-7) are validated tools for assessing symptom severity and quality of life impact. The current study aim to investigate the reliability and validity of the Hungarian versions of these questionnaires in women with PFD symptoms.

Methods

This validation study was carried out at the University of Debrecen among women with clinically confirmed pelvic floor disorders. The PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 questionnaires were translated into Hungarian using independent native English speaker in …

Embodied Tales Of Older Women And Their Relationship With Movement And Their Younger, Present And Future Selves, Valeria Varea, Robyne Garrett, Alfonso García-Monge, Gustavo González-Calvo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Ageing has been often seen as negative in Western cultures. Older bodies are frequently associated with decline, loss, dependency, illness and increasing incompetence. Significantly, this ‘decline model’ of ageing tends to ignore the diverse lived experiences of older adults. This paper draws on the theoretical concepts of embodiment and affect to explore the embodied experiences of a group of 17 older women, focussing on their relationship with movement and with their younger, present and future selves. We used a narrative analysis approach and creative nonfiction to represent the data. The findings are presented in composite narratives in the form of …

Fishing For Father Relationships: Motivations, Successes, And Barriers To Participating In A Community-Based Program, Jordan A. Arellanes, Kyle Miller, Travis Hicks, Ryan J.S. Liew, Earl Kloppmann

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Fathers who participate in community programs experience a range of positive outcomes, including improved relationships with their children. However, many community programs struggle to gain fathers’ attendance at local events. To counteract this, we utilized Community-Based Action Research in collaboration with local and state agencies to develop a father-specific community program that capitalized on the traditionally masculine parenting activity of fishing. The program educated families on the basics of fishing and then provided them with all the necessary materials. Over the course of three years of data collection, 48 fathers participated in interviews, designed to gain a deeper understanding of …

Carrots, Not Sticks: A Contingency Management Model For Rural Methamphetamine Recovery, Ella House

Scripps Senior Theses

Rates of methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) have risen sharply across the United States, with rural Appalachia experiencing the steepest mortality increases. Contingency management (CM) is among the most effective treatments for stimulant use, yet implementation is constrained by cost, logistics, and clinician shortages. Utilizing digital CM platforms and peer recovery support specialists, who are central to addiction support in rural regions, may reduce these barriers. This thesis proposes a 16-week, three-arm randomized controlled trial (N ≈ 300) comparing: (1) Digital Abstinence CM Only (remote saliva toxicology and monetary vouchers for stimulant-negative tests); (2) Digital + Peer-Goal CM (digital abstinence-based CM …

Mindfulness As A Potential Facilitator Of Self-Forgiveness?, Isabella S. Lindsay Castelli

Scripps Senior Theses

Despite clinicians’ attestation to self-forgiveness’ relevance in clinical practice, as well as research suggesting its positive relationship to well-being, most clinicians are not familiar with models for facilitating self-forgiveness. The present study draws on theoretical overlap between mindfulness theory and three prominent models of the self-forgiveness process, as well as empirical research showing a positive association between dispositional mindfulness and dispositional self-forgiveness. Participants were adults in the United States, randomly assigned to a mindfulness exercise or control (progressive muscle relaxation exercise). Participants were asked to think of a transgression they committed, report their self-forgiveness for that transgression, and retake the …

Advancing Models Of Ptsd-Aud Comorbidity: Protocol For A Multimethod Framework Using Genetics And Ecological Momentary Assessment, Elizabeth A. Stinson, Samhita Lellapalli, Sage E. Hawn, Natalie Merrill, Lance M. Rappaport, Christina M. Sheerin, Vasiliki Michopoulos, Silviu-Alin Bacanu, Roseann E. Peterson, Abigail Powers, Ananda B. Amstadter

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), which are moderately heritable, frequently co-occur and contribute to significant public health burdens, particularly among economically disadvantaged urban communities. There are noted sex differences in PTSD and AUD outcomes, with evidence suggesting women have heightened susceptibility to stress-related alcohol use. Preliminary PTSD-AUD ecological momentary assessment (EMA) findings support bidirectional associations across clinical outcomes. However, no studies to date have used PTSD-AUD comorbidity models as organizing frameworks to examine the temporal ordering and stability of within-person symptom dynamics underlying the maintenance or exacerbation of PTSD and AUD symptoms, including bidirectional and …

Efficacy Of Induced After Death Communication Therapy For Grief: A Single-Group Wait-List Controlled Trial, Thomas J. Nehmy, John Daniels, Paul Williamson, Sarah E. Stegall-Rodriguez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Induced After-Death Communication (IADC) therapy, which uses bilateral stimulation derived from EMDR, is an emerging approach to reducing grief symptoms in bereaved individuals. The present study evaluated the IADC protocol, consisting of two 90-min sessions, in 43 bereaved adults with assessments at four time points including a one-month waitlist period to provide control data. Large reductions in grief symptoms were observed from baseline to follow-up (global grief severity d = 1.56; average daily sadness d = 1.33). Two-thirds of participants who exceeded the clinical cutoff score for prolonged grief at baseline scored below this threshold at follow-up. Treatment effects were …