Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Student Adherence And Intervention Complexity Within A Class-Wide Cover-Copy-Compare Intervention, Kaytlin Ann Nelson

Dissertations - ALL

Cover-Copy-Compare is a self-management intervention strategy developed to improve students’ academic performance, particularly in spelling. In academic intervention research, it is often assumed that students are completing the intervention as intended, yet this is seldom examined during intervention implementation or subsequent data analysis. The purpose of the present study was to extend the empirical literature on students’ intervention adherence by examining Cover-Copy-Compare permanent products to assess whether the complexity of the intervention (i.e., targeting six versus nine spelling words) contributed to a student’s ability to adhere to core intervention components. For the purposes of the present study, data from one …

Capturing Processes Of Influence In Students' Social Interactions: Examining A Two-Part Strategy To Detect Patterns Of Reinforcement In Continuous Real-Time Observations In The Classroom, James Lamar Delaney Iii

Dissertations and Theses

Students' active engagement in learning activities is presumed to be influenced by their interactions with social partners in the classroom setting, like teachers and peers. For instance, statements of support or affirmation from teachers or peer group members are assumed to encourage positive behaviors for struggling students, while statements of disapproval are assumed to discourage and undermine active classroom behaviors. Extant research examining these processes typically tries to demonstrate significant interaction patterns or show influence over time by way of indirect behavioral measures, such as survey-based assessments. It is an open question whether these processes of influence can be directly …

Black Mothers' Adhd Experiences, Attitudes, And Support-Seeking Decisions, Catherine L. Montgomery

Dissertations - ALL

Background: ADHD, particularly when left untreated, is associated with significant impairment in several domains. Black youth may still be under-diagnosed with ADHD, resulting in symptoms going untreated. Black mothers may determine non-professional delivered supports to be more appropriate and acceptable than medication for their children with ADHD. As they tend to be the primary healthcare decision makers, it is important to develop a greater understanding of Black mothers’ ADHD support-seeking decision making for their youth. Method: The present study used semi-structured interviews guided by Kleinman’s Explanatory Models of Illness to discuss Black mothers’ decision making for their youth with ADHD. …

Pain Intensity And Alcohol Use Behavior Among Veterans With Chronic Pain: The Moderating Role Of Chronic Pain Acceptance, Kyle White

Dissertations - ALL

The co-occurrence of chronic pain and unhealthy alcohol use is common among veterans and associated with worse treatment outcomes and greater functional impairment relative to either condition alone. Accordingly, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has underscored the importance of addressing co-occurring medical conditions in their clinical practice guidelines for substance-related disorders. Recent legislation has also oriented the VA towards complementary and integrative health therapies to minimize opioid prescriptions for chronic pain. Thus, identifying malleable psychological factors linking pain to alcohol use is a vital step in the development of tailored interventions for veterans. The goal of the current …

A Systematic Review Of Participant Adherence To Writing Self-Monitoring Interventions, Alec Ryan Goldstein

Dissertations - ALL

Writing is a highly versatile tool that can be used to achieve various goals and serves as an effective means for learning (Bangert-Drowns et al., 2004; Graham, 2007). One widely adopted intervention to enhance student writing is self-graphing, which enables students to compare their current performance with previous efforts, thereby potentially increasing their motivation to improve subsequent performances (Harris et al., 1994; Hirsch et al., 2013; Sheehey et al., 2016; Wells et al., 2017). Self-graphing interventions require students to engage in self-directed self-assessments, which presents opportunities for noncompliance or errors. This necessitates the examination of participant adherence, or the likelihood …

A Religious Etiology Of Genito-Pelvic Pain And Pain With Penetration, Emily L. Carlson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Pelvic pain during penetration (PPDP) has been described using various diagnostic terms, including vaginismus, dyspareunia, and vulvodynia. The most recent and comprehensive classification is Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) which is characterized by psychological distress associated with pain during or in anticipation of vaginal penetration (DSM-5-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022). The etiology of PPDP is multifactorial, involving a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and relational factors. Religious and cultural influences may play a significant role in shaping individuals’ experiences of sexual pain. This study investigated the etiology of PPDP in relation to the religious influences among women raised in Judeo-Christian …

A Comparative Study Of Fgcs And Non-Fgcs In Mainland China : An Analysis Based On The G University, Meihan Tao

Lingnan Theses (Doctoral degree)

While Western scholarship on First-Generation College Students (FGCS) is well-established, research on FGCS in mainland China remains underdeveloped, despite the group’s substantial size and critical role in social mobility. This study examines the disparities between FGCS and Non-First-Generation College Students (Non-FGCS) in cultural capital accumulation, university major selection, academic adaptation, and career planning. Grounded in cultural capital theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative in-depth interviews and quantitative surveys to explore how familial cultural capital influences educational and career trajectories. The research focuses on students from G University in southwest China. Quantitative …

Gendered Challenges In The Chinese Workplace : Examining Maternity Leave And Discrimination Against Working Mothers In Shenzhen, Tianyang Wen

Lingnan Theses (Doctoral degree)

Under the background that labor competition and the society progress become more in-tense, the dilemma of motherhood faced by working women has become increasingly prominent. This dissertation aims to explore gender challenges in the Chinese workplace, in particular the maternity leave system and its impact on discrimination against working mothers. Taking Shenzhen as an example, this study adopts qualitative research methods and systematically examines the challenges faced by working mothers in terms of maternity leave and employment discrimination through in-depth interviews with ten working mothers, seven human resource managers, three corporate employers and three in-depth interviewers. The study found that: …

Understanding The Gaming Disorder–Depression Co-Occurrence: A Narrative Literature Review, An-Pyng Sun, Stephanie Diez

Social Work Faculty Research

Because gaming disorder (GD) often co-occurs with depression, understanding how both disorders work together enables clinicians to better treat individuals with GD–depression comorbidity. The extant literature on GD–depression comorbidity is unsystematic and contradictory, with some studies suggesting depression predicts GD but not vice versa, some claiming GD predicts depression but not vice versa, and some proposing a bidirectional relationship between the two. The goal of this narrative review is to explore and organize these findings to establish a holistic and coherent conceptual framework that explains how GD co-occurs with depression.

The PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Sciences databases were searched …

Predictability And The Pleasure Of Music, Amy M. Belfi

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Social Buffering By Siblings In Childhood And Adolescence, Deborah Han, Natalie A. Thwaites, Julia Olson, Kenia Rivera, Julia Dmitrieva, Jenalee R. Doom

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Although positive sibling relationships are associated with better developmental outcomes for children and adolescents, it is unknown whether siblings may be effective social buffers of physiological stress. In addition, there is little research on whether depressive symptoms may moderate the effectiveness of social buffering. The current study examined (1) whether siblings, compared to strangers, buffered the cortisol response to a social evaluative stressor in children and adolescents, (2) whether depressive symptoms moderated this effect, and (3) whether self-reported sibling relationship quality influenced sibling buffering effectiveness. A total of 72 children (9-11 years) and 65 adolescents (15-17 years) were randomly assigned …

Re-Engaging Driver Attention Using Chatgpt: A Multimodal Study On Stress Impact And Driving Performance, Alaa Zaki Elfiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Driving is considered a complex task that requires continuous focus and attention from the driver. Driving performance can also be impacted by changes in the driver’s stress level. However, limited research explores methods to address this challenge. With the current advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) and their ability to engage in human-like interaction, this study investigates the potential of using ChatGPT, designed to speak Egyptian Arabic, in re-engaging driver attention under different driving scenarios for low-stress and high-stress conditions within a virtual reality (VR) environment driving simulator. Drivers were asked to follow a leading car into two scenarios with …

Registered Nurses' Autism Knowledge And Preparedness To Care For Autistic Patients, Bronte Elisa Weissman

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic individuals frequently report negative experiences during healthcare interactions and numerous provider-level barriers to accessing quality care, including stereotyping, perceived lack of autism knowledge, challenges with communication, and insufficient accommodations. Reports of healthcare providers’ experiences caring for autistic patients in the U.S. have largely come from physicians, who endorse inadequate training, resources, and practical guidelines. Although patients spend far more time with nurses than other healthcare providers, registered nurses (RNs)’ perspectives on caring for autistic patients in the U.S. are largely unknown and autism-focused trainings for nurses are minimal. In the current study, a survey was nationally disseminated to a …

Smartphone Attachment In Emerging Adults : Impacts On Mental Health Through Basic Psychological Needs, Jialin Xiao

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

In the digital era, smartphones have become integral to daily life, fulfilling various emotional needs. Mirroring human attachment, past studies have found people can develop three types of attachment to smartphone: secure (comfortable, dependable connection), anxious (intense emotional reliance with separation anxiety) and avoidant (preference for independence from one’ s phone) attachment. However, little is known about how these types of smartphone attachment relate to mental health over time. Moreover, the mechanism underlying the relationship between smartphone attachment and mental health is unknown. To fill these gaps, based on the attachment theory, this study examined the longitudinal associations between smartphone …

The Impact Of Mental Health Courts On Public Attitudes Held Toward Justice-Involved Individuals With Mental Illness, Maeve Porter

Student Theses

Prior research has established that mental health court programs play an important role in reducing recidivism and mental health symptoms of defendants. However, there is a lack of understanding of the stigma that justice-involved individuals may encounter upon release from mental health court into the community, and the extent to which the general public is aware of mental health court programs. The present study sought to address public perceptions regarding mental health courts, their efficacy, and their participants based on the awareness and availability of these specialized courts in two similar states (New York and New Jersey), one in which …

Uncovering The Hidden High School Experiences Of Asian American Young Adults: A Mixed Methods Approach, Julia Shin

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Most research regarding Asian American adolescents’ high school experiences have been quantitative in nature, leaving out the nuances of their lived experiences. While quantitative data is important to gather measurable, objective data from a larger sample of people, qualitative data is also important to add depth and humanness to participant responses. Thirty-two Asian American young adults participated in a mixed methods study that consisted of a survey and optional focus group, aiming to explore the impact of the internalization of the model minority stereotype (MMS), ethnic identity, and representation of racially and ethnically minoritized teachers on their high school experiences. …

Toward A Consensus Model Of Cognitive–Reading Achievement Relations Using Meta-Structural Equation Modeling, Daniel B. Hajovsky, Christopher R. Niileksela, Dawn P. Flanagan, Vincent C. Alfonso, William Joel Schneider, Jacob Robbins

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cognitive tests measure psychological constructs that predict the development of academic skills. Research on cognitive–reading achievement relations has primarily been completed with single-test batteries and samples, resulting in inconsistencies across studies. The current study developed a consensus model of cognitive–reading achievement relations using meta-structural equation modeling (meta-SEM) through a cross-sectional analysis of subtest correlations from English-language norm-referenced tests. The full dataset used for this study included 49,959 correlations across 599 distinct correlation matrices. These included correlations among 1112 subtests extracted from 137 different cognitive and achievement test batteries. The meta-SEM approach allowed for increased sampling of cognitive and academic reading …

Cinematic Empathy: Autistic Interpretation Of Social Cues In Narrative Film, Lux Gomez

University Honors Theses

From research and lived experience we can see a pattern of Autistic people engaging and forming connection with emotional narratives in media, despite stereotypes suggesting they lack empathy or theory of mind. This mixed-methods study sought to lay the groundwork and start preliminary investigation into how film’s structured formal elements may facilitate autistic viewers’ interpretation of social cues that typically challenge autistic-allistic (nonautistic) communication in real life. A sample of 22 participants (13 autistic, 9 allistic) viewed five film scenes depicting lying, flirting, sarcasm, exposition, and flat affect and completed a survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. While …

An Examination Of The Purity Culture Beliefs Scale And The Interaction Of Religiosity, Purity Culture Beliefs, And Pornography Use In A Census-Matched United States Sample, Kaelyn R. Griffin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The impacts of purity culture have been documented in the prevalence of abstinence-only sex education, perception of personal value tied to virginity, and shame and guilt related to sexual behavior. Similarly, models of moral incongruence often examine religiosity as a contributor of distress related to sexual behavior and pornography use, likely tapping into the influence of purity culture without directly naming its presence. This distinction is crucial due to the variety of religious beliefs and practices, some including purity culture and those without sexually restrictive beliefs and practices. Despite this, standardized measures for researching purity culture are limited. Ortiz (2018) …

Housewerk: How Drag Performers Engage In Emotional Labor While Navigating Community Care, Steph O. Landeros

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines drag performance as a form of service labor shaped by emotional labor, community care, and identity-based inequality. Drawing on interviews with drag performers shows how drag labor blends artistic skill, emotional regulation, interpersonal care, and entrepreneurial labor. While these demands mirror service sector roles in other industries, drag remains underrecognized and undervalued, particularly for performers who do not conform to white, cisgender norms. The study introduces Housewerk—an adaptation of Marlon Bailey’s concept of housework (Bailey, 2013)—to describe the mix of paid and unpaid labor drag performers engage in. Housewerk captures how performers must balance self-preservation (branding, income, …

Ecological Momentary Assessment Of Mood, Affect, And Perceived Criticism: Investigation Of Daily Patterns And Family Impact, Kayla Mcginty

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Perceived criticism (PC) is a component of expressed emotion (EE) that assesses an individual’s perceptions of the criticism that they are exposed to within their interpersonal relationships. PC is elevated among individuals with mood disorders, and mood and mood symptoms act as both a predictor and an outcome of PC. However, few studies have examined the relationship between PC and affect, a more momentary measure of emotion that can serve as a guide to underlying mood. Additionally, limited research has examined how PC within family relationships compares to other interpersonal interactions. Understanding the relationship between momentary affect and PC and …

Identifying Appropriate Clinical Cutoffs For Traumatic Dissociation In Maltreated Youth, Amanda L. Mraz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Maltreated youth who experience traumatic dissociation are at an increased risk for various severe psychopathological outcomes. Much is still unknown about the risk factors for traumatic dissociation in maltreated youth. The present study aimed to identify dissociation (e.g., dissociative amnesia, absorption and imaginative involvement, passive influence, and depersonalization and derealization) risk factors, via parametric statistical methods, in association with the appropriate clinical cutoff for the total and subscale scores from the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES). Investigatory variables included demographic (e.g., age, race, and gender), cognitive (e.g., resiliency and posttraumatic cognitions), and psychological (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression …

Error Processing In Psychopathy: An Analysis Of Event Related Brain Potentials And Post-Error Task Behavior, Ananda Liz Peixoto Couto

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Performance monitoring and error processing are crucial for learning from mistakes, adjusting responses, and adapting to the environment. Individuals with psychopathy present with failures in performance monitoring, particularly a failure to learn from experience, and error processing deficits have been reported in this population. Error processing literature has investigated its underlying mechanisms via two prongs, namely behavioral measures and electroencephalography (EEG) indicators. Behaviorally, error processing literature has focused on post-error slowing (PES) and post-error accuracy (PEA). Meanwhile, EEG research has identified two components of error-related brain potentials (ERPs) in error processing: error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe). This study …

More Than A Feeling: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Transgender Community Connectedness And Associations With Suicidality, Erin Rook

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transgender adults experience significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation than the general population. A sense of transgender community connectedness (STCC) may reduce this risk, but predictors of STCC and its association with suicidal ideation are understudied. This cross-sectional mixed methods study examined STCC and past-year suicidal ideation in relation to dimensions of transgender community connectedness (TCC) at each level of the Social Ecological Model using data from a U.S. survey of transgender adults (n = 126). About half (52.4%) felt connected to the transgender community, and 27.0% reported past-year suicidal ideation. Hierarchical logistic regression models for both outcomes showed good …

School Absenteeism In Children With Disabilities: An Analysis Of School Climate And Academic Mindset, Karolyne Bastos Stucki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are more likely to be chronically absent than general education peers (Anderson, 2021; Gee, 2018, U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Etiology for SWDs is complex with influencing factors spanning multiple ecological levels, but bolstering protective factors for SWDs may address attendance disparities. Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) models have the potential to address absenteeism in SWDs via school-wide preventative and/or intervention efforts (Tier 1 & 2) aimed at increasing or decreasing influencing factors in students with disabilities. School climate and academic mindset may influence students with disabilities’ attendance. The purpose of the present study was to …

Exploring The Processing Of Objects, Settings, And Global Properties In Natural Auditory Scenes, Margaret A. Mcmullin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Our auditory system has a remarkable ability to make sense of complex environments, allowing us to identify what we are hearing and where sounds come from. This process of auditory scene analysis is essential for situational awareness, decision-making, and effective communication in daily life. While much is known about how listeners segregate and identify individual sound sources (e.g., voices), less is understood about how global properties of a scene (e.g., openness, naturalness) contribute to perception. This dissertation examined how object- and setting-level information in natural auditory scenes are processed, and whether they rely on distinct or overlapping mechanisms. In Experiment …

Internalized Weight Stigma As A Mediator Between Past Weight Stigma And Current Healthcare Avoidance/Comfort In Seeking Medical Care, Shannon Joyel Sagert

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research has found that medical providers such as physicians, nurses, and medical support staff may contribute to externalized weight stigma directed toward youth (Garcia et al., 2016; Gorlick et al., 2021). Individuals who have encountered weight stigmatization may internalize those experiences, leading to psychological, physical, and behavioral changes that reduce their quality of life (Palad et al., 2019; Romano et al., 2023; Tanas et al., 2022; Zancu & Diaconu-Gherasim, 2023). However, little is known about how historical externalized weight stigma from medical providers relates to future healthcare access behaviors. This study examined whether internalized weight stigma mediated two relationships: First, …

The Impact Of Alternatives To Incarceration And The Motherhood Identity On Mothers And Their Children: A Qualitative Study, Chloe Blau

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The U.S. prison system population increasingly includes women, a significant proportion of whom are mothers, often incarcerated for non-violent crimes. Some research suggests that alternative to incarceration (ATI) programs can help these women to continue supporting their children while serving their sentences and receiving services that may decrease recidivism. However, few studies have explored the lived experiences of women in these programs. This dissertation investigates the impact of participating in ATI programs on mothers and their relationship to their motherhood identity, their ability to mother, and their relationship with their children. Using a qualitative approach to better understand how women …

The Impact Of The Doctor-Patient Relationship In Bipoc Women Suffering From Benign Gynecological Conditions, Gabriela Baez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study sought to gain a better understanding of the impact of the doctor-patient relationship on BIPOC women with benign gynecological conditions. The current study explored how wellbeing is impacted in BIPOC cis-gender women with benign gynecological conditions by measuring the quality of the relationship. General racism experience was also explored as a moderator on the impact of doctor-patient relationship on wellbeing. A total of 169 participant responses were included in this study. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between gynecological conditions and wellbeing. In addition, there was a significant negative relationship between racism experience and …

Sexual Intervention Self-Efficacy In Clinical And Counseling Psychology Doctoral Trainees: Examining Education, Family Sexual Communication, And Sex Positivity, Sara Aigen

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Sexual wellbeing is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of psychological health. Despite its significance, many psychologists report discomfort and low self-efficacy in addressing clients’ sexual concerns. The current study examined factors associated with sexual intervention self-efficacy among doctoral trainees in clinical and counseling psychology. Specifically, it investigated whether family communication about sex and didactic education in sexuality predicted sexual intervention self-efficacy and whether sex positivity moderated these relationships. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 166 doctoral students enrolled in APA-accredited programs across the United States. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and measures assessing family sexual communication, sex positivity, …