Digital Commons Network^™

School Administrators’ Perspective On Juvenile Delinquency, Ebonee Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of school administrators in Maryland public schools regarding the implementation of discipline policies and their impact on juvenile delinquency. Prompted by rising concerns about delinquent behavior and inconsistent consequences for students, the research investigated how administrators perceive and navigate the challenges of enforcing discipline and the strategies they employ to foster safe, positive school environments. Grounded in defiance theory and social learning theory, the study used open-ended surveys to gather insights from 16 retired and current principals and assistant principals in Maryland public school systems. The findings reveal that while discipline policies provide …

Law Enforcement Officers’ Experiences With Secondary Traumatic Stress And Coping While Working With Child Molesters, Aaliyah Blanding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was focused on law enforcement officers’ experiences with secondary traumatic stress and coping while working with child molesters. Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive model of stress and coping were used to examine how law enforcement officers manage stress, focusing on their cognitive processes and thought patterns. Using a basic qualitative approach, eight law enforcement officers who work with child molesters in the state of South Carolina were interviewed to hear their personal experiences. Interviews were semi-structured interview questions via a video-conferencing platform. The data were analyzed and coded using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. The study’s findings confirmed …

The Effectiveness Of Rehabilitative Activities In Social Reintegration Of Ex-Parolees Into Guyanese Society, La-Toya Lucrisha Arthur-Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many parolees struggle with successful reintegration into society. Further research was needed to assess the benefits of parole for both parolees and former parolees in Guyana, the only English-speaking country in South America. The insights of ex-parolees may make the country’s parole process more meaningful to offenders’ rehabilitative experience and overall social reintegration. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the effectiveness of rehabilitative activities in the social reintegration of ex-parolees into Guyanese society. The risk–need–responsivity model, general strain theory, and social support theories provided a framework for the investigation. The focus was on ex-parolees who had been …

Lyari: A War Unseen, Sammi Deen

MSJ Capstone Projects

This capstone explores the conflict in Lyari Karachi and its enduring aftermath on the locals. It examines the lived experiences of conflict victims, their families and the profound psychological traumas resulting from prolonged violence. The study highlights how the conflict continue to shape everyday life in Lyari.

My capstone provides overview of the Lyari conflict, followed by an in-depth analysis of its social and human consequences. It documents the impacts on locals’ communities, particularly victims’ families, and illustrates how the conflict not only devastated lives but also contributed to the spread of drug abuse, lawlessness, and a culture of unaccountability, …

From Strain To Strength: A Narrative Review Of Wellness Dimensions In Caregiving, Valerie Perkoski

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This narrative review investigates the positive aspects of being a family caregiver for individuals with developmental disabilities (DDs) using the National Wellness Institute’s Six Dimensions of Wellness (Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Occupational, Spiritual, and Social). While much research has traditionally focused on “caregiver burden,” this review highlights the often-overlooked beneficial outcomes of caregiving. Emotional wellness is enhanced through gratitude and resilience. Physical wellness is discussed through interventions like physical activity, which can reduce caregiver distress. Intellectual wellness emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization, helping caregivers find fulfillment in their roles. Occupational wellness shows that employment and community engagement can reduce anxiety among …

Assessing Working Musicians’ Perspectives Of Need And Barriers Regarding Lay Harm Reduction Efforts For Substance-Related Harm In South Carolina, Sarah Grace Frary

Faculty Publications

Background

Harm Reduction (HR) approaches applied to substance use aim to decrease the toxic consequences of overdose. The addition of xylazine and benzodiazepines to fentanyl, the primary opioid in the US drug supply, increases the likelihood of overdose. Likewise, adding fentanyl to other popular substances, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, has further driven the exponential increase in opioid and stimulant overdoses. Engaging lay community members in HR efforts may help to combat the overdose crisis. Substance use is common in live music settings, and working musicians may be uniquely positioned within “the scene” – individuals who populate specific cultural niches …

The Relationship Between Mindful Awareness And Acculturative Stress For International Undergraduate Students In America, Nandini Narula Bajpai, Mary Stone

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

This study examines mindful awareness and its role in acculturative stress experienced by international undergraduate students in American colleges. Data from 101 students from 37 countries attending 35 colleges revealed a significant negative correlation between mindful awareness and acculturative stress (r[99] = -0.51, p < 0.001). Higher mindful awareness predicted lower general acculturative stress and specific subdomains. These findings aim to refine cultural adaptation frameworks and inform evidence-based support systems for international students.

Ichps Special Issue Introduction, Donna Coffman, Recai M. Yucel

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Childhood Emotional Abuse And Effects On Adult Behavioral Health, Motivation, And Resilience, Jonathan Pawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) is a frequently overlooked form of maltreatment that disrupts attachment formation and increases vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and other internalizing symptoms in adulthood. Because the harm is relational and often invisible, its long-term effects can persist without recognition. This study examined how CEA related to adult internalizing behaviors, resilience, and motivation, and whether resilience and motivation moderated these relationships. Attachment theory guided the framework for understanding how early emotional deprivation shapes later functioning.

A quantitative correlational design was used with 249 adults who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form (CTQ-SF), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Generalized Anxiety …

The Role Of Forgiveness: Spirituality, Loneliness, And Depression In A Christian University, Elda Botello-Ramirez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For university students, loneliness has harmful effects, like depression, but choosing to forgive and embracing spirituality can lead to better mental health. Yet, limited studies have examined these constructs among students enrolled in long-distance learning (LDL) courses. This is important because an increase in loneliness continues, and more students are taking LDL classes. Still, there is a paucity of work on mental health among students in Christian universities. Thus, this quantitative research study examined context-specific or transgression-specific forgiveness (state forgiveness) while considering the role of personality traits (i.e., trait forgiveness) related to forgiveness to investigate its impact on loneliness and …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Decision-Making, Nelson Fernandes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study explores how leaders with high emotional intelligence (EI) experience and describe decision-making in personal, organizational, and leadership contexts. Guided by Rational Choice Theory (RCT), Behavioral Decision Theory (BDT), and Moon’s (2021) emotional intelligence framework, the study integrates psychological perspectives with biblical principles to examine how self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal awareness contribute to ethical and effective decision-making. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten to fifteen purposively selected participants identified as possessing high levels of emotional intelligence. The findings indicate that leaders with high EI view emotions as informational resources rather than obstacles and intentionally integrate emotional …

Understanding The Effect Of Affective Context On Conflict Monitoring Through Erp And Behavioral Indices Of Cognitive Control, Amanda Holbrook

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding cognitive control in response to conflict requires examining how control-related processes are modulated by affect. This study tested the negative-affective signaling hypothesis, which posits that negative affect elicited by conflict enhances cognitive control. Undergraduate participants (n=73) completed an affective-flanker task in which affective images preceded flanker stimuli. Cognitive control was indexed by the error-related negativity (ERN), conflict N2, response times (RTs), and accuracy, and late positive potential (LPP) to images indexed motivated attention. Across hypotheses, adding event-related potential (ERP) coupling terms did not improve the predictive accuracy of multilevel models, providing no evidence for the predicted trial-to-trial affect-control coupling. …

Burnout, Perceived Organizational Support, And Spirituality: In Msd Special Educators, Bianca Grider Fisher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational research study explored whether burnout (BO) is correlated with perceived organizational support (POS) in special education teachers (SETs) working with moderate to severe disabilities (MSDs) students during distress, and whether spirituality moderates the correlation. SETs working with MSD students face a heightened risk of BO, yet there is little literature exploring how organizational or spiritual resources help. Exploring these factors is necessary to strengthen SETs’ well-being. Guided by the Organizational Support Theory, theoretical frameworks on BO, Maslow's Theory on Spirituality and Hierarchy of Needs, the Cognitive Appraisal Approach, and biblical truths, this study explored how internal and …

Experiences Of Loneliness And Belonging Among U.S.-Born Women During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Germany, Anna Sizorina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing literature indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased levels of loneliness, particularly among individuals with transnational ties. Travel and entry bans, along with social distancing, led to separation from family abroad and from people and communities in the countries of new residence. In this qualitative phenomenological study, experiences of loneliness and belonging among U.S.-born women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany were explored. The transaction theory of stress guided the scientific enquiry, and the evolutionary theory of loneliness served as a conceptual framework for examining loneliness in the given context. Six adult female participants, born in the United …

Teaching Peace, Stopping Bullying: The Transformative Power Of Kh Ahmad Dahlan’S Psychoeducation, Wahyu Nanda Eka Saputra, Anya Ahda Mahira, Salsa Puspita Dwi Djajuli

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Bullying in schools remains a serious problem that negatively impacts students' academic and psychological development. A safe and violence-free learning environment is crucial to supporting the achievement of national education goals, thus requiring effective interventions to reduce bullying behavior. This study aims to test the effectiveness of group counseling services using psychoeducational techniques based on the teachings of KH. Ahmad Dahlan in reducing bullying behavior. The scope of the study focuses on the application of peaceful values in junior high schools as a prevention strategy and as a positive character development strategy for students. This study used a quantitative approach …

Cv: Matthew Domico (Clinical Psychology), Matthew Domico

Psychology Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Preventing Burnout In School-Based Behavioral Health Clinicians: Organizational Strategies For Mitigating Work-Related Mental Health Impairment, Virginia W. Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This is a qualitative case study on Organization X that used the Baldrige Framework to investigate employee burnout, a growing concern associated with staff turnover, reduced job satisfaction, depression, and disengagement. The goal was to examine how organizational leaders assess the effectiveness of burnout prevention strategies, identify organizational factors and leadership practices that either mitigate or increase burnout, and discover key factors that contribute to burnout. Semi-structured interviews, guided by the Baldrige Framework, were conducted with three leaders at Organization X. The themes resulting from interviews included burnout, open-ended communication, team cohesion, real-time protection, ethical leadership and authenticity, restoring norms, …

Potential Mediators In The Relationship Between Racial Identity And Neuropsychological Performance In A Retired Nfl Cohort, Claire Stafford, Charles Golden, Ryan Bennett

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Historically, Black Americans have consistently performed more poorly than White Americans on various neuropsychological tests, with debates surrounding the causes of these differences ranging from genetic to societal factors. These differences have been documented across various cognitive domains, including memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed. Findings from previous research suggest that individuals with higher levels of education and stable marital relationships tend to exhibit better cognitive functioning, while certain football positions are linked to differences in cognitive abilities. However, the specific effects of these factors on neuropsychological performance require further investigation. The present archival study was derived from a …

Incarceration’S Impact On Young Adults’ Psychological Development, Well-Being, And Reintegration Into Society, Monica Murrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how individuals who experienced incarceration during emerging adulthood understood and made meaning of their developmental, emotional, and psychosocial experiences. Emerging adulthood, defined as ages seventeen through twenty-five, is a critical developmental stage, and incarceration during this period may disrupt identity formation and emotional maturation. The purpose of the study was to examine the perspectives and coping mechanisms of individuals incarcerated during this stage to better understand how early adult imprisonment shapes trauma responses, identity development, and reintegration. Social learning theory served as the conceptual framework. Data was collected through interviews with six formerly incarcerated adults …

Emotion Regulation And Stress In Adult Learning Through Social Media Platforms, Jennifer Irocky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media platforms have become significant contexts for informal learning among adults, offering access to information and peer exchange outside of formal educational settings. These platforms are also emotionally complex environments in which stress and emotion regulation may shape learning outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between social media use and informal learning in adults, with perceived stress and emotion regulation examined as moderating variables. Secondary data from the Stress in America: The State of Our Nation, 2007–2018 surveys were analyzed, using binary logistic regression with moderation while controlling for age, gender, and …

Cv: Gregory Benson-Flórez (Counseling Psychology), Gregory Benson-Flórez

Psychology Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Role Of Depression And Anxiety On Brain Care Scores In A Primary Care Setting: A Preliminary Analysis Of The Bham Registry, Terina Lane Myers

ETDs from 2020-2029

While the field of brain aging research continues to grow at a rapid pace, there is still much to learn about how certain factors influence brain aging as well as when and how these factors can be intervened upon. Cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases continue to pose a major obstacle to healthy brain aging and the better we understand the risk factors of these diseases, the greater chance we have at mitigation strategies and prevention. Previous research has identified key factors, consisting of physical, lifestyle, and socio-emotional aspects of life, which have the greatest impact on brain aging. These factors overlap …

Daily Coping Strategies, Unmet Needs And Daily Health Outcomes Among Family Caregivers Of Persons Living With Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias, Henrietta Armah Bennett

ETDs from 2020-2029

Providing care for an individual with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) is considered the most stressful type of family caregiving that impacts caregivers’ health. More than one in five ADRD family caregivers report their overall health as poor to fair. These adverse health outcomes are often exacerbated when caregivers’ emotional, informational, and practical needs remain unmet throughout the caregiving trajectory. Numerous studies have shown that the ways in which caregivers cope to caregiving-related stressors significantly shape their health outcomes. Despite this evidence, a clear and consistent understanding of caregivers’ own appraisals of their unmet needs, coping strategies and mental …

Mom Is Developing Too: Preliminary Evidence For The Reciprocal Effects Of Infant Sensory Reactivity And Maternal Behavior, Emily C. Sweiss, Vincent Berardi, Elysia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Caregiver sensitivity to infant cues is well-established as a predictor of child development. Infants also actively influence their social environment, especially their caregivers, even from their earliest days. Sensory reactivity, characterized as hypo- (under) and hyper- (over) responding to environmental stimuli, is one domain of development that is likely to influence caregiver-infant interaction, due to its role in regulating emotions and responses to both physical and social stimuli. Although sensory reactivity could be an important target for improving caregiver-child interaction, the longitudinal, reciprocal relations between infant sensory reactivity and caregiver behaviors are currently unknown. In the present proof-of-concept study, we …

Recognition At Work: How Managerial Acknowledgment Shapes Team-Level Outcomes, Annalissa Thomas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Employee recognition has become a central focus for organizations worldwide, with billions of dollars spent annually on recognition programs. Despite this investment, scientific research on the effectiveness of recognition beyond performance outcomes remains limited. Furthermore, little is known about how recognition operates at the team-level and the specific attributes that make recognition impactful. This study addresses these gaps by disentangling the nuanced attributes of recognition and exploring their influence on employee perceptions of recognition. It also examines how these perceptions affect key outcomes, including perceptions of manager support, job security, autonomy, team cohesion, and engagement, and tests whether trust moderates …

Reimagining Safety And Justice: Experiences Of And Resistance To Police Sexual Violence In New York City, Priscilla Bustamante

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the era following both Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, police sexual violence (PSV) currently constitutes the second most commonly reported police complaint after excessive force. Police across the U.S. are caught for some form of sexual misconduct once every five days, with on-duty officers found to commit sexual assaults at more than double the rate of the general population. The gendered and racialized perpetration of sexual violence extends far beyond policing; however, it has been intensified within the masculine, militarized carceral structures designed to legally control and punish.

Accordingly, this dissertation utilizes an interdisciplinary, multi-method approach to offer what …

Open To The Public(S): Privatized Public Space, Technology, And Aspirational Wealth At Hudson Yards, Troy Simpson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Using the publicly accessible plaza at the Hudson Yards development in New York City as a backdrop, this dissertation provides an examination of mechanisms by which public spaces—already under pressure from a range of factors including privatization and securitization—are further transformed via processes associated with the notion of smart cities initiatives, or platform urbanism. Following a literature review and presentation of relevant contextual background related to the history and configuration of the site, the data chapters present a range of operational and material mechanisms that cumulatively establish a class-based strategic provision of narrow boundaries for visitor access and activities oriented …

Examining The Effect Of Newcomers’ Adaptability On Proximal And Distal Outcomes Of Organizational Socialization, Vahe Permzadian, Mishra Vipanchi

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

We investigate the role of individual adaptability (I-ADAPT) in newcomer socialization by exploring its effects on the proximal and distal outcomes of the work-role transition process. Based on I-ADAPT theory, our study assesses how I-ADAPT affects the three key indicators of newcomer adjustment (i.e., role clarity, task mastery, and social acceptance) and, in turn, their effect on the distal socialization outcomes of job satisfaction, turnover intention, and work withdrawal. Using a 2-wave prospective design, we collected data from 280 newcomers recruited through Prolific. Results indicated that I-ADAPT dimensions differentially predict newcomer adjustment, with learning adaptability affecting role clarity, uncertainty adaptability …

Voices In Transit: Intersectionality, Silence, And Political Engagement In Ride-Sharing, Soran Tarkhani

Commonwealth Review of Political Science

Abstract This study examines Uber as a digitally governed “third space” for political discourse. Based on 4,716 ride observations from Louisville–Southern Indiana—3,676 collected in 2023–2024 and 1,040 in 2025—it uses a mixed-methods design combining multinomial logistic regression and qualitative observation. Political conversations are defined as discussions of parties, elections, policies, or major social issues. Results show that White and male passengers were most likely to initiate such talk, while African American and female riders often remained silent, consistent with Noelle-Neumann’s spiral of silence. African American women faced the strongest intersectional constraints. Women and LGBTQ passengers leaned liberal, while men displayed …

Somatosensory Cortex Responses To Illusory Touch In A Visual-Tactile Integration Task, Aditi Surendra Pawar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Perceptual illusions arising from multisensory integration reveal how the brain constructs subjective experience from sensory input, and provide a powerful means of allowing the investigation of neural processes that track perceptual interpretation rather than physical stimulation alone. While visual illusions induced by auditory or tactile stimuli have been fairly well studied, the neural mechanisms underlying visually-induced illusory touch remain unclear. This study investigated whether illusory tactile perception engages the somatosensory cortex in a manner similar to veridical touch. Twenty healthy adults participated in an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study while performing a tactile numerosity judgment task. Each trial …