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Living Up To The American Dream: The Influence Of Family On Second-Generation Immigrants, Nicole Palmeri

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Second-generation immigrants are increasingly embracing their biculturalism, equally identifying as American and "other" (Yazykova & McLeigh, 2015). While this allows for ethnic diversity as well as other social and linguistic advantages, the internalization of two different cultures has been linked to causing tensions related to identity development and mental health (Huynh et al., 2018; Ceri et al., 2017; Ritsner & Ponizovsky, 1999). Previous research has shown a link between parental support and an individual's acculturation and psychological well-being (Pawliuk et al., 1996; Abad & Sheldon, 2008). This study seeks to further examine the influence of family on the bicultural identity …

Qualitative Inquiry, Jeanne Marecek, E. Magnusson

Psychology Faculty Works

Qualitative inquiry is a form of psychological research that seeks in-depth understanding of people and their social worlds. Qualitative researchers typically study the experiences of people as meaning-making agents, relying on verbal material. Qualitative inquiry has a long history in psychology, beginning in the 19th century with founders of psychology like William James and Wilhelm Wundt. However, for much of the 20th century, qualitative inquiry has occupied a marginal position in the discipline. This marginalization is best understood in relation to the discipline’s early struggle to be regarded as legitimate. Adopting the methods of the natural sciences—notably quantification and measurement—was …

Bilingual Children's L1 And L2 Word Frequency Effects: The Role Of Individual Differences, Astrid Michelle Portillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Bilingualism continues to grow among the world's population. Nevertheless, most research studies on language processing have focused on monolingual individuals, leaving questions about how language processing unfolds in bilingual individuals. Here, we investigated how individual differences in bilingual experience, indexed by current L2 exposure, impact eye movement measures of reading fluency, indexed by word frequency effects, in an understudied population: bilingual children. Prior eye movement research involving bilingual younger adults (aged 18 to 30) has reported a trade-off in L1 and L2 word frequency effects with greater levels of current L2 exposure (Whitford & Titone, 2012, 2017). We wanted to …

Development And Validation Of The Perinatal Mental Health Literacy Scale Among Latinas, Irma Y. Torres-Catanach

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Psychiatric disorders in pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth are considered a significant health complication of the perinatal period (O'Hara & Wisner, 2014). The prevalence of perinatal mood disorders has been shown to be higher among women from racial/ethnic minority groups (Gavin et al., 2011; Melville et al., 2010). As the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the U.S., Latinas are disproportionately affected by these disparities. Despite the volume of research examining the prevalence of and treatment for perinatal psychiatric disorders, there is a dearth of knowledge focused on educational approaches that aim to reduce perinatal mental health disparities. …

The Framing Of Past Bullying Experiences: Impact On Social Decision Making, Emotions, And Predictions Of The Future, Abigail Stark

Psychology Department Dissertations

Background: Studies on framing demonstrate that the way ideas are presented influence the way individuals feel emotionally, conceptualize risk, and make decisions. Few studies have examined framing in social contexts, particularly within bullying. Many bullying interventions involve competing frames, with some discussing bullying in terms of negative effects and others in terms of resiliency from the experience. Gender is closely related to frames about bullying, as culturally communicated expectations and past experiences contribute to differences in individuals’ internalized frames about bullying. To explore this gender by frame effect within the context of bullying, the current study examines how creating either …

Can Metacognitive Monitoring Ability Be Trained?, Erica Abed

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Low performers tend to greatly overestimate their performance on a task, but high

performers slightly underestimate their performance; the unskilled-unaware effect (Kruger & Dunning, 1999). Because assessment of one’s own skill (monitoring) impacts future decisions, such as selecting information to re-study (control), low performers may be disadvantaged in both what they know and what they are likely to learn. Although most research has attempted to reduce metacognitive errors in low performers by training cognitive ability (e.g., teaching them to perform better on a task), training metacognitive ability may be both more efficient and more likely to transfer to other tasks. …

Understanding Latinas' Responses To Coercive Control : Marianismo Beliefs, Relationship Satisfaction, And Commitment, Nicole Da Silva

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Although substantial evidence indicates that Latinas are at high risk for experiencing negative consequences from intimate partner violence (IPV; Alvarez & Fedock, 2016), few studies have tested the applicability of theories of IPV in this population. The present study, which was based on the investment model of IPV (Rusbult, 1995), was designed to investigate how specific gender role beliefs (i.e., marianismo) for Latinas contribute to their responses to coercive control (a core aspect of IPV; Dutton & Goodman, 2009) by their male partners.

Cross-Cultural Validation Of The Korean Version Of The Multicultural Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale-Racial Diversity Form (K-Mcse-Rd) For Korean Counselors, Sung Yong Park

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Faced with growing racial and ethnic diversity in South Korea, the demand for culturally competent counseling services by multicultural clients has increased. The current study aims to contribute to the research of multicultural counseling and multicultural counselor training by examining psychometric properties of the culturally adapted Multicultural Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale-Racial Diversity form for use in South Korea. The purposes of the study were threefold: (a) establish content validity during the translation and cross-cultural adaptation stage for the MCSE-RD to the context of multicultural counseling in South Korea; (b) test plausible underlying factor structures and report internal consistency reliability estimates of …

Myth Endorsement And Children’S Age Of Referral To Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Jennifer Madaffari Ferreira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children who are born without functional speech and who have complex communication needs are at a disadvantage because of their inability to verbally respond. Professionals disagree on when to incorporate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), often missing critical windows of development. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the extent to which endorsement of myths related to AAC intervention persist among speech language pathologists (SLPs) and pediatricians, and the extent to which these myths and other factors influence age of referral for children with complex communication needs to receive therapy that incorporates AAC. Perlovsky’s theory of a hierarchical …

The Influence Of Age And A Self-Actualizing Workshop On Adult Self-Actualization Scores, Tami Amelia Michelle Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seeking self-fulfillment is a relevant goal among many adults but one that is often not attained. Existing literature includes research on programs that enhance the well-being of participants but does not teach how core self-actualization attributes are significant in developing self-fulfillment. The main theoretical framework for this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs concentrating on the internal and external schemas of self-actualizing attributes. Using a snowball sample, the total number of qualified participants for this study was 80; the study was a cross-section sample of adults using a between group, single group, pre-/posttest, quantitative design. The 10 items of the …

Clinicians’ Perspectives On Distinguishing Between Religious/Spiritual And Psychotic Phenomena, Jessica K. Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychosis is a central concept in mental health, yet the concept is unclear. Clinicians are challenged with the task to be able to distinguish psychotic phenomena; however, little is known about how clinicians are able to distinguish religious/spiritual phenomena from psychotic phenomena, as both may be similar in presentation. The focus of this dissertation was on understanding the perspectives and distinguishing processes of mental health professionals when distinguishing between religious/spiritual and psychotic phenomena. Taking a generic qualitative framework approach, the study included face-to-face and telephone interviews with 10 licensed mental health professionals recruited through social media and snowball sampling. Interviews …

The Cultural Construct Of Stress In Luganda-Speaking Women In Uganda, Courtney Skiera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Luganda, the primary language spoken in Uganda has no word for stress, but this does not necessarily preclude the Luganda-speaking population from experiencing stress. There is currently no research that reveals the stress phenomenon from a Ugandan’s perspective. The purpose of this study was to examine how Luganda-speaking Ugandans conceptualize stress. Two theoretical foundations formed the basis of this study: the cognitive appraisal of stress theory and the coordinated management of meaning. Using a qualitative interpretive design, this study examined the conceptualization of stress by Luganda-speaking women in terms of understanding, experiencing, and communicating the stress phenomenon. Participants were 7 …

The Lived Experiences Of Caregivers Of Children With Reactive Attachment Disorder, Abby Baumgart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents of children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) encounter challenges in parenting and parent-child relationship development that are not typical to most parental situations. The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of caregivers of children with RAD, to identify current met and unmet needs, to explore the experiences the caregivers of children with RAD have and the resources available to them. The study included a hermeneutic phenomenological foundation and incorporated the conceptual frameworks of family systems theory and attachment theory. A nonprobability, self-selection sampling strategy was utilized with recruitment through Facebook support groups. Methods included …

Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Impact Of Attachment Behavior Toward Therapeutic Staff Support, Karen Kotchik Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated that levels of attachment behavior by individuals with intellectual disability toward professional staff in a residential setting prevent dysregulated behavior. Although challenging behaviors are not part of the diagnostic criteria for an ASD, these behaviors are frequently observed in the forms of property destruction and disruptive/aggressive behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the attachment relationship of individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) toward the therapeutic support staff (TSS) assigned to their case as indicated by the display of challenging behaviors (self-injurious, stereotypical and aggressive behavior). Levels of attachment were measured by the …

Tripping Over The Other: Could Psychedelics Increase Empathy?, Emily Blatchford, Stephen Bright, Liam Engel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There is increasing evidence that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is effective for a range of psy-chological conditions. There are likely numerous mechanisms of action that contribute to these clinicaleffects. One such mechanism of action might involve psychedelics increasing levels of empathicfunctioning. This paper synthesises research concerning the relationship between psychedelics andempathy, emphasising neuroscientific and clinical contexts. We conclude that neuropsychological andclinical evidence imply psychedelics could lead to increased empathic functioning. The effects of psy-chedelics on the 5-HT system, default mode network, neural connectivity and ego dissolution areimplicated in these changes. Changes in empathic functioning also likely relate to increases in thepersonality trait …

Pathways For Integration And Growth: Exploring Love, Passion, And Peak Experience, Monica N. Montijo

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Love, passion and peak experiences are connected to flourishing as generally positive, energizing and intense experiences that make life worth living. Although they share theoretical overlaps as potent sources of integration and growth (Mouton & Montijo, 2017), love, passion, and peak experience have rarely been examined together or across cultures. The purpose of this study was to (a) explore how, if at all, subjective accounts of love, passion, and peak experience increase organization of the self through integration and differentiation by satisfying basic psychological needs (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and helping to develop psychological complexity (Csikszentmihalyi & Rathunde, 1998), and …

Experience Of Academic Motivation Among Disadvantaged High School Graduates, Jamaal Anthony Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Impoverished students face obstacles that influence academic achievement and motivation. These young people are disadvantaged by their circumstances and are at risk for missing opportunities that could prepare them for meaningful careers and improved quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a deeper understanding of academic motivation in academic scholarship students who attended disadvantaged schools. Social identity theory provided the theoretical framework for a narrative analysis of the experience of academic motivation, academic achievement, and social identity. Five female and 4 male college students were interviewed. The thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: motivated by overcoming …

Motivations And Experiences Of Female Expatriate Educators Teaching In Saudi Arabia, Tahira Hoke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a significant gap in the literature regarding women's lived experiences and work motivation in Saudi Arabia. In order to address this gap, this qualitative study explored the lived experiences of female expatriates who chose to teach and live in Saudi Arabia for longer than 1 year. Using Moustakas' phenomenological method, a purposive sample of 10 female educators who worked in Saudi Arabian higher education institutions were recruited and interviewed. Although English teachers were not targeted, all of the participants recruited were primarily English teachers (5 North Americans, 5 Europeans). With Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory as the conceptual …

Predictors For Passing The Psychology License Exam, Edith Chaparro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychology license exam takers who do not pass the exam cannot practice psychology independently, have difficulty securing employment, and may lose current jobs. Despite the increased number of psychologists entering the field and the increase in ethnic minority students in doctoral-level psychology programs, there is scarce recent research on predictors of license exam pass rates. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to examine whether APA internship match rates, GRE scores, percentage of ethnic minority students, gender, program type, rate of admittance, and years to completion predict license exam pass rates. The triarchic theory of intelligence served as the …

Cultural Identity As A Predictor Of Weight Loss In U.S. Hispanics, Leon Daniels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on behavioral weight-loss programs has guided the development of health-related, behavior-change interventions that contribute to combating overweight and obesity in the United States, and illnesses that co-occur with unhealthy weight. However, research on behavioral weight-loss programs that focus on the U.S. Hispanic population and cultural identity is largely unrepresented in the current literature. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine body mass index (BMI) decreases of U.S. Hispanics while observing their (a) motivation toward exercise, (b) cultural identity, (c) physical activity program type, (d) exercise frequency, and (e) demographic variables as predictors of weight-loss. Guiding this study …

An Enhanced Ebook Facilitates Parent-Child Talk During Shared Reading By Families Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Georgene Troseth, Gabrielle Strouse, Israel Flores, Zachary Stuckelman, Colleen Russo Johnson

School of Education Faculty Publications

Language input plays a key role in children’s language development, but children from families of low socioeconomic status often get much less input compared to more advantaged peers. In “dialogic reading” (Whitehurst et al., 1988), parents are trained to ask children open-ended questions while reading, which effectively builds expressive vocabulary in at-risk children. In the research reported here, a dialogic questioning character in a narrated eBook provided effortless support for parents to ask questions while reading. Parents of lower socioeconomic status talked more than three times as much with their children using significantly more utterances and unique words when using …

Children’S Development And Crisis: Comparing Developmental Best Practices Against Aid Program Curricula, Martha Baker

CMC Senior Theses

Using the monitoring, evaluation and learning for adaptive management model (MEL4AM), this paper examines how international organizations translate productive criteria for early childhood development (ECD) into emergency response programming for children. Early childhood is a crucial developmental time in individual’s lives and adverse experiences undermine, among other things, language development, self-regulatory capabilities, and child-caregiver interactions. International aid organizations are operationalizing the research on ECD best practices into site-level programming. This thesis examines whether the developmental needs of these children in crisis are being met through these efforts and offers two in-depth case studies: Sesame Workshop’s intervention for Syrian refugee children …

Bilingual Versus Monolingual Performance Within Memory Suppression, Santiago David

CMC Senior Theses

Bilingual participants have been argued to have a cognitive inhibitory advantage over monolinguals resulting in a faster ability to inhibit information. However, the advantage has not been studied using the item-method within the Directed Forgetting (DF) paradigm, which is suggested to cause inhibition through remember and forget instructions. As the DF paradigm uses a recall and then recognition task format, the current study also investigated the possibility of retrieval-practice effects of the recall task on recognition. By utilizing the item-method with recall and no-recall conditions, the possible bilingual cognitive advantage, role of inhibition in DF, and potential retrieval-practice effects were …

Sibling Mediated Play Intervention Of Joint Engagement And Symbolic Play In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Catherine Callaci

CMC Senior Theses

The study will utilize a multiple baseline design to assess a sibling mediated play intervention using Behavior Skills Training (BST) to increase joint engagement (JE) and symbolic play (SP) behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). JE will be operationalized as turn-taking, imitation, or following through on verbal commands to play. SP will be operationalized as play actions with objects for imaginative uses, without the actual objects present, or labeling abstract properties of the object. Six siblings of children with ASD will be taught BST during playtime. JE and SP occurrences will be scored via a 15 second partial …

Women With High Functioning Asd: Relationships And Sexual Health, Isabelle Taylor

CMC Senior Theses

Women with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are disproportionately less represented in research in comparison to their male counterparts. Some propose that this is as a result of more men having ASD and therefore the diagnostic criteria being further indicative of their gender, but regardless, it remains apparent that the need for supporting women with Autism Spectrum Disorder is just as crucial (Kreiser & White, 2014). For both genders, though, deficits in social skills and the presence of repetitive and restrictive behaviors often lend themselves to conduct seen as inappropriate or awkward within the neurotypical dating world (Hodges et …

Telling A Trusted Adult: Factors Associated With The Likelihood Of Disclosing Child Sexual Abuse Prior To And During A Forensic Interview, Hanna M. Grandgenett, Samantha L. Pittenger, Emily R. Dworkin, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Many child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors delay or withhold disclosure of their abuse, even when presenting for formal investigation interviews. Objective: This study examined factors that relate to the CSA disclosure process. Participants and Settings: Participants were CSA victims (N = 1,732) presenting to a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) for a forensic interview. Method: We tested a structural model to predict disclosure before and during a forensic interview using secondary data analysis. Results: Youth were less likely to disclose before a forensic interview if they witnessed domestic violence (β = -.233, p < .05). Caregivers were less likely to believe the abuse allegation if the alleged perpetrator resided in the home β = -.386, p < .05) and more likely to believe if the youth made a prior disclosure (β = .286, p < .05). Youth were more likely to disclose during the forensic interview if they were older (β=.388, p < .05), if the alleged perpetrator resided in their home (β=.209, p < .05), if they disclosed prior (β=.254, p < .05), and if their caregiver believed the allegation (β=.213, p …