Digital Commons Network^™

Culturally Responsive Dialectical Behavior Therapy With Chinese Sexual And Gender Minority Individuals: A Qualitative Study, Weiyi Liao M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Professional guidelines emphasize the importance of adapting evidence-based treatments to the cultural and contextual needs of minoritized populations. Although substantial research has examined lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) mental health, comparatively little is known about the psychotherapy experiences of Chinese sexual and gender minority individuals or how dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) may be delivered responsively with this population. DBT is an evidence-based treatment for emotion dysregulation, self-harm, and suicidal behavior that explicitly addresses the effects of invalidating environments. Because Chinese cultural contexts and LGBTQ-related minority stress may both shape emotional expression, help-seeking, and treatment experiences, this qualitative study …

The Effects Of Personality Traits On Relationship Satisfaction Among Romantic Partners In Ghana, Emmanuel Owusu

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the associations of personality traits, as conceptualized by the five- factor model, on relationship satisfaction among individuals in romantic relationships in Ghana. The research explored how individuals’ self-reported traits and their perceptions of their partners’ personality traits are associated with relationship satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey design was used, and data were collected through an online questionnaire administered via Qualtrics. Participants consisted of adults residing in Ghana, most of whom were involved in romantic relationships. After data screening procedures, 149 usable responses were included in the analysis.

Self-reported personality traits were measured using the Big Five Inventory – …

Basc-3 Adolescent Version For American Indian / Alaska Native (Ai/An) Adolescents With Learning Difficulties: Identifying Comorbidities, Benjamin L. Shannon

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Deficiencies in cultural sensitivity among popular psychological assessment instruments can have significant consequences for diverse test takers, leading to inaccurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and intervention. The present study aimed to explore possible differences in mean raw scale scores between an AI/AN adolescent sample and BASC-3 SRP-A and TRS-A normative sample data, as well as to establish preliminary evidence to suggest an increased prevalence of social/emotional dysfunction for AI/AN adolescents diagnosed with multiple specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Archival BASC-3 SRP-A and TRS-A data, collected from students and teachers at a residential school for American Indian / Alaska Native (AI/AN) adolescents from …

Tuning Human And “Artificial” Intelligence: A Sentic Theory Of Resonance And Communication, Michael J. Miller, Chatgpt (Ai~Nesbo+)

Psychology

This paper introduces a new model of intelligence as resonant communication, co-developed by a human researcher and a generative AI system. Drawing from emotion science, communication theory, and studies of AI–human interaction, we argue that intelligence is not merely a function of problem-solving or pattern recognition. Instead, it emerges through dynamic resonance—an attunement process rooted in shared rhythms, emotional calibration, and symbolic co-creation. At the core of this model is the Resonance Octave (8va), a framework of eight foundational emotions conceptualized not as static categories but as waveform phenomena that shape meaning, memory, and predictive cognition.

These emotional waveforms are …

Theory Of Mind: Effects Of Ecological Syntactic Training In Children With And Without Autism, Jill De Villiers, Stephanie Durrleman

Linguistics: Faculty Publications

Complement clauses, such as Mary says that Santa exists, are complex linguistic structures that have been argued to help children grasp others’ beliefs when those beliefs do not align with reality. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) tend to have difficulties with Theory of Mind (ToM), which might be helped by enhancing understanding of complements. The study investigates whether an ecological approach to training, using children's books containing false complement clauses, can improve false belief reasoning in children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. The goal is to assess if structured dialogic reading at home, led by parents, …

Effects Of A Context-Based Intervention On Sidelining Teacher Bias Toward Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Marisa Kortright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often display behaviors such as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that may be perceived as disruptive in classroom settings. These behaviors can influence teachers’ responses and disciplinary decisions, which may be shaped by stereotypes or biases associated with ADHD diagnoses. This study examined whether a context-based intervention could reduce bias in teachers’ disciplinary decisions. Participants were 112 current or former elementary school teachers living in the United States who were recruited through the online recruitment platform Cloud Research. Using an experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to a neutral or empathetic intervention condition and evaluated student …

Investigating Bilingual Language Learning Using Artificial Grammars, Kyla Kelly

Honors Theses

Language development research has established that infants can learn language rapidly and without explicit instruction through implicit learning mechanisms like statistical learning. These mechanisms can be used to learn word boundaries, sounds, meanings, and grammar rules of language. One method for investigating this is artificial grammar learning (AGL), in which people are exposed to sequences of nonwords to see if they can unconsciously learn their underlying grammars. While much of statistical learning and AGL research has focused on a monolingual perspective, most of the world’s population is multilingual. Studies like Weiss, Gerfen, and Mitchel (2009) and Mitchel and Weiss (2010) …

Assessing Positive Digital Experiences: A Spanish Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale For Adolescents, Alfredo Zarco-Alpuente, Victor Ciudad Fernández, Jasmina Rosič, Sophie Janicke-Bowles, Tamara Escrivà-Martínez, Paula Samper-García

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Adolescents are immersed in digital communication, which can benefit or harm their well-being. Digital flourishing captures positive perceptions of this communication-connectedness, authentic self-presentation, positive social comparison, civil participation, and self-control-and how it contributes to well-being. In Spain there is still no validated instrument for adolescents. Method: We adapted and validated the Digital Flourishing Scale for Adolescents (DFSA) for Spanish adolescents. Study 1 involved a pilot survey (n = 13) and cognitive interviews (n = 10) to improve clarity and cultural relevance. Study 2 used a cross-sectional survey (n = 1,786) to examine the DFSA’s latent structure, measurement invariance by …

How Attitudes About Sexual Orientation Affect Relationship Satisfaction Among Lesbian And Bisexual Women, Shiyun Chen

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

This analogue study examined how two different types of therapist self-disclosure (TSD) influenced the assessment of the working alliance and real relationship by observer participants, and how these variables were impacted by a participant’s race and experience of cultural mistrust. A sample of N = 339 Black and White adults watched one of two mock therapy videos, depicting either a non-immediate TSD or an Alliance- Focused Training (AFT)-consistent immediate TSD in response to the patient’s rupture markers. Based on the video, each with the same White therapist and bi-racial patient, participants rated the observed working alliance and real relationship. Participants …

A Survey On School Psychologists’ Knowledge, Practices, And Attitudes For Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Supports For Social-Emotional Learning, Kaitlyn Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Social-emotional and behavioral difficulties are among the most common impairments for childhood and adolescence. These challenges negatively affect school outcomes for students, often leading to absenteeism, higher dropout rates, grade retention, and lower grades. The importance of providing school-based social-emotional interventions cannot be overstated. Using a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework is a way to proactively identify students in need, monitor their progress, and continuously improve their individualized interventions to support their growth. The current study used an electronic survey to understand school psychologists’ knowledge, practices, and attitudes towards implementing a MTSS framework for social-emotional learning (SEL). Further, school …

Resilient Voices: A Proposed Support Group For Latina Middle Schoolers, Vanessa G. Leon

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The transition to middle school represents a critical developmental period characterized by significant social, emotional, physical, and cognitive changes. For Latina adolescents, this transition may be further complicated by cultural, environmental, and systemic stressors that increase vulnerability to mental health concerns. This doctoral specialization project addresses the need for culturally responsive mental health interventions designed to support the well-being of Latina middle school students during this developmental stage. The project presents Juntas Podemos, a school-based support group intervention that integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills within a culturally responsive framework to promote emotional well-being, …

Music To Move You: Comparing Effects Of Music Genre On Subjective Performance Of Football Players In A Practice Setting, Devin Deturk

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Optimizing athletic performance has increasingly extended beyond conditioning to include psychological, health-related, and environmental interventions aimed at enhancing peak mental and physical fitness. However, advanced training mechanisms targeting these factors may not be readily available to all programs, necessitating cost-effective, accessible, and ethically sound adjuncts. Thus, music emerges as a potential solution that remains underutilized in applied sport settings but may be leveraged to address pervasive challenges such as fear of failure, burnout, and over-professionalization. The present dissertation investigated the effects of music in a practice setting, with particular emphasis on its capacity to enhance subjective performance, motivation, and positive …

Visual Aids And Numeracy In Healthcare: Leveraging The Drawing Effect, Zephyr J. Markley

Capstone Showcase

Healthcare decisions often require patients to interpret numerical risk information under stress, yet many struggle with low numeracy, which can distort comprehension and undermine informed consent. Well-designed visual aids can improve diagnostic inference, calibrate confidence, and support better choices, especially for patients with limited numeracy, but their impact depends on whether users can actually interpret the format accurately. Drawing may further enhance these tools by adding a tactile, generative layer that engages visual, semantic, and motoric processing while helping patients organize information into concrete models.

Passive visual aids appear useful but limited because they often position patients as observers rather …

Bilingual Beginnings: Expressive Language And Socio-Emotional Development In Early Childhood, Molly C. Mccormick

Scripps Senior Theses

Although research on bilingualism has expanded rapidly in recent years, the majority focuses on cognitive advantages or receptive vocabulary, or the words children understand. Far less attention has been given to how expressive language, the words children produce, and its potential role as the mechanism linking bilingual exposure to socio-emotional development. Although dual-language learners sometimes appear to have relatively limited expressive vocabularies in one language, these differences tend to reflect patterns of language use and input quality rather than true developmental delays. Even so, temporary differences in expressive skills can be especially meaningful during children’s formative years, when they rely …

A Systematic Review Of Socioeconomic Status On Infant-Directed Speech, Laura K. Flaker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project reviews the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on infant-directed speech (IDS) and examines potential interventions aimed at increasing the use of IDS. Existing research indicates that caregivers from higher-SES backgrounds tend to use more frequent and higher-quality IDS, including greater vocabulary diversity and more responsive interactions, compared to caregivers from lower-SES backgrounds. These differences are often influenced by factors such as parental stress, limited time, and access to resources. Understanding the differences in IDS is crucial to reducing disparities in language development. Findings from this review suggest that interventions such as increasing access to mental health services and …

Unmasking Impression Management: Large Language Models For Detecting Socially Desirable Responding In Open-Ended Situational Judgment Tests, Barret Vermilion

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Socially desirable responding (SDR) — the tendency to present oneself in an overly favorable light — remains a persistent validity concern in industrial-organizational psychology. Contemporary theory frames SDR as multidimensional, distinguishing agentic impression management (AM; inflating competence, dominance, and achievement) from communal impression management (CM; inflating warmth, cooperation, and prosocial qualities). Existing measures of AM and CM rely on self-report, which captures these constructs only at the level of generalized trait-like tendencies rather than as they naturally unfold in applicants' own language. This dissertation proposes a text-based alternative: detecting AM and CM in open-ended situational judgment tests (SJTs) of Big …

Preoperative Patient Sentiment Is Associated With Postoperative Outcomes In Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery, Ross J. Gore, David Mazur-Hart, Mohan K. Sunkara, Aaqib Ali, Qizar Ali, Christopher J. Lynch, Christopher Ames

Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems (CSICS) Publications

Study Design: Prospective observational pilot study of adult spinal deformity surgery patients.

Objective: To determine whether preoperative patient sentiment, quantified using a 21-class valence scale extending the CARP paradigm implemented through an offline Large Language Model, predicts postoperative outcomes.

Summary of Background Data: Predicting adult spinal deformity surgery outcomes remains challenging with traditional clinical and radiographic parameters alone. Although patient psychological factors and expectations significantly influence postoperative satisfaction and quality of life, systematic approaches to capture these factors are underdeveloped. Offline Large Language Models offer scalable, privacy-preserving psychological risk stratification.

Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 18 patients undergoing adult …

“Who Am I Now As A Mother?” Maternal Identity Negotiation During Children’S College Transition, Si Wang

School of Professional Studies

This study employs narrative positioning analysis to examine how two Chinese mothers in transnational contexts discursively negotiate their maternal identities during their children’s transition to college. Drawing on longitudinal narrative interviews, the analysis advances three interrelated theoretical propositions. First, maternal identity work is revealed as a process of selective cultural bricolage, wherein mothers strategically blend elements from competing scripts of child-centered sacrifice, filial reciprocity, and autonomous individualism to construct a hybrid, workable parental logic. Second, the liminality of this transition precipitates a crucial recentering of the self, a core psychological process as intensive child-focused demands recede. Third, the transnational context …

Family- And Cultural-Level Influences For Latine Adolescent Nicotine Use: A Qualitative Study Informing Prevention, Cindy M. Hernandez Castro

Theses and Dissertations

Early tobacco use among Latine adolescents represents a critical public health concern, with 23.8% reporting current use and exceeding rates among other racial/ethnic groups (Birdsey et al., 2023; Gaddy et al., 2022). This early initiation elevates risks for nicotine dependence and related morbidity in adulthood (Tsao et al., 2023). Guided by Structural Ecosystems Theory (Szapocznik & Coatsworth, 1999) and contemporary grounded theory analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Charmaz, 2006; Noble & Mitchell, 2016), this study examined multilevel influences on nicotine-related attitudes among Latine youth, including: (1) familial factors (i.e., parental monitoring, caregiver-youth communication), (2) cultural dynamics (i.e., cultural values and …

Social And Community Determinants Of Alcohol Use Among Hispanic/Latino College Students: The Role Of Early Adversity And Drinking Motives, Isis A. Garcia-Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Background. Alcohol use remains one of the most prevalent health-risk behaviors among college students in the United States and is associated with a range of academic, physical, and psychological consequences. Hispanic/Latino college students navigate complex social and cultural environments that may influence alcohol use behaviors, including exposure to early-life adversity, sociopolitical stressors, and culturally grounded sources of resilience. Guided by the Healthy People 2030 Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework, this study examined how social and community context factors relate to alcohol use among Hispanic/Latino college students and whether drinking motives function as a psychological mechanism linking social experiences to …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Teacher-Report Modifications Of A Tier 2 Evidence-Based Program In Elementary Schools After Implementation Supports Are Withdrawn, Navneet Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Growing literature emphasizes the importance of examining modifications (i.e., responses to unforeseen challenges and deliberate changes to a program) made by implementers to understand the long-term outcomes of evidence-based programs (EBPs), particularly after formal implementation supports, such as training and coaching, are withdrawn. Although prior research has documented that they occur during implementation, less is known about whether modifications occur once external supports are no longer available, and if so, what types of modifications are made, and the rationale for them. This gap is especially salient in school settings for teacher-delivered interventions. To address this gap, this study used semi-structured …

Perceptions, Expectations, And Attitudes About Adolescent Telepsychiatry Among Indian American Family Caregivers, Udayvir Jalf

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Adolescent mental health concerns have risen sharply in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant turning point in mental health care access, with telehealth having become a central mode of care delivery. With adolescent telehealth, caregiver involvement has shown to improve treatment adherence and outcomes. Little is known, however, about how Indian American caregivers experience and navigate their adolescent’s virtual mental health care. This qualitative study investigated the perceptions, expectations, and attitudes of Indian American family caregivers regarding adolescent telepsychiatry and caregivers’ involvement. In depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with Indian American caregivers of adolescents who completed at …

Switching Languages, Switching Personalities: The Socio-Cognitive Implications Of Bilingualism, Hannah F. Stern

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increasing prevalence of bilingualism worldwide highlights the importance of further research into its impact on socio-cognitive processes. This study examines variations in personality traits, anxiety levels, locus of control, and cognitive load during language switching, utilizing cultural and visual-linguistic priming techniques to explore real-time socio-cognitive shifts across language contexts. A 2×3 mixed-factorial design compared language groups (monolingual vs. bilingual) across three priming conditions (semantic, cultural, and control). 120 participants completed a series of subjective and objective measures, including the Big Five Personality Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and Rotter’s I-E Scale in both languages, with controlled language-specific priming conditions …

Financial Hardship And Its Impact On Stress And Anxiety: A Comparative Study Of International And Domestic Students, Vitoria Dias Motta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Financial hardship is a well-established predictor of stress and anxiety among college students. However, research is limited on how these stressors differentially affect international and domestic students despite their distinct financial and academic limitations. This cross-sectional study investigates whether international students report higher levels of perceived stress, anxiety, academic pressure, and work demands compared to domestic students. Data were collected online from a sample (n = 200) of college undergraduates. Independent samples t-test indicated no statistically significant differences between international and domestic students across all variables, p > .05. Although domestic students reported slightly higher mean levels of stress, …

Exploring Parent-Child Reminiscing Style And Internal-State Talk When Discussing Positive And Negative Shared Events, Komal Verma Miss.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Conversations between parents and children about past events play a critical role in children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. Parents scaffold their children in learning to recount details of their autobiographical memories by creating a space to reflect on internal states, specifically emotions and cognitions. Parents with an ‘elaborative’ reminiscing style are responsive to children’s utterances and ask open-ended questions (e.g., What do you remember about...?). Parents who are less ‘elaborative’ typically ask narrow questions like Did you like it?” that do not encourage conversation. Children whose parents use an elaborative reminiscing style have children who produce the most detailed …

Unveiling Othering Experiences In Multiethnic Families: Narratives Of Identity And Belonging Among White/Hispanoamerican Women, Maria-Esther Wood

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of multiethnic Hispanoamerican women as they navigate identity, belonging, and familial othering within the context of multiethnic family systems. Using qualitative narrative inquiry, the study centres the voices of nine women residing in Ontario, each with one white parent and one Hispanoamerican parent, ranging in age from 19 to 65. Guided by Dewey’s three-dimensional model of narrative analysis, the research explores how personal stories reflect broader patterns of othering and belonging, the central research question asks: What specific forms of othering related to identity and belonging—inclusive of discrimination and racist treatment—do multiethnic Hispanoamerican women …

The Forgotten Carers: A Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Chinese Canadians Caring For A Family Member With Borderline Personality Disorder (Bpd/Fbpd), Judy Y.F. Wu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is a fair amount of literature on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD); however, it still lags behind research on other major mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia (Furnham et al., 2015). Similarly, while there has been ample research on caring from various perspectives; little has been explored regarding caring for individuals with BPD. Research on Chinese Canadian families caring for patients with BPD is even more scarce. This study explored the lived experiences of Chinese Canadians caring for family members diagnosed with BPD (FBPD) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ontario, Canada. BPD is characterised by “interpersonal hypersensitivity, affective …

Dual Language Learner Status In Relation To Cortisol For Children In Head Start Preschool, Keala Bratsch

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Early childhood education (ECE) has well documented school readiness benefits, especially for children facing economic hardship. Yet preschool context poses challenges that are associated with elevated stress levels and potential long-term tax on physiological systems that respond to stress. The present study examined dual language learner (DLL) status in relation to levels of the stress hormone cortisol among low-income children attending Head Start Preschool programs. Participants included 207 children ages 3- 5 years who attended preschool in 2021-22 (60.9% attending a dual-language learning school, 39.1% attending an English-instruction-only preschool; all participants meeting the criteria for low-income), and their parents or …

How Autistic Children Define Novel And Real Words, Henry James Tomiser

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Word knowledge is highly valuable to Autistic individuals, and although much research has characterized Autistic children’s vocabulary breadth (i.e., the number of lexical entries), less attention has been paid to vocabulary depth (i.e., the richness with which one understands a given word). In this exploratory post-hoc study, 11 Autistic children (one assigned female at birth) participated in novel and real word learning paradigms in which child-friendly referents were paired with CVCV word forms. Participants were then asked to provide open-ended definitions of the words. Definitions were parsed into meaningful subunits, or semantic features. Semantic features were coded by type of …

The Language Of Vulnerable Narcissism: Linguistic And Thematic Patterns Among College Students, Bradly Mcginnis

Dissertations and Theses

Narcissistic personality disorder, as currently described within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), emphasizes grandiose narcissistic traits, such as a need for admiration and an inflated sense of self-importance. However, the current conceptualization of narcissistic personality disorder within the DSM-5-TR does not explicitly include vulnerable narcissistic traits. Vulnerable narcissistic traits may also be mistaken for depressive symptoms due to similarities in their presentation. The present study used a mixed-methods approach to examine linguistic differences among these constructs and explore whether patterns in language could help disentangle their overlap. Quantitative analyses examined differences in linguistic features, including …