Digital Commons Network^™

Relations Between Prior Racial Microaggressions, Expat Motivation, And Life Satisfaction Among African American Expat Women In Mexico, Patricia Keller

Dissertations

Microaggressions refer to subtle forms of racism that occur in everyday interactions, often conveying hostile or demeaning messages. These experiences can have a negative impact on the psychological well-being and life satisfaction of African Americans. However, there is a lack of research that explores the relationship between microaggressions and the life satisfaction of African American women who have relocated abroad. Additionally, little is known of the contemporary motivations for expatriation of African American women. A review of African American historical migration, study abroad participation, and tourism lays the framework for examining recent expatriation. The purpose of this study was to …

Inhibiting Repetitive And Restricted Behaviors In Sprague-Dawley Rats Using Propranolol: Sex Differences, Melanie M. Berry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is diagnosed when an individual has persistent deficits in social communication and restrictive repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are typically triggered by anxiety and can cause significant detriment to an individual's life. While there is no cure for ASD, there are pharmacological treatment options for the symptoms caused by ASD. Propranolol, a beta-adrenergic antagonist, is used to treat anxiety and shows promise in reducing many of the symptoms associated with ASD. This study explores the effects of Propranolol on RRBs in a sample size of …

Biomedical Text Readability After Hypernym Substitution With Fine-Tuned Large Language Models, Karl Swanson, Shuhan He, Josh Calvano, David Chen, Talar Telvizian, Lawrence Jiang, Paul Chong, Jacob Schwell, Gin Mak, Jarone Lee

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

The advent of patient access to complex medical information online has highlighted the need for simplification of biomedical text to improve patient understanding and engagement in taking ownership of their health. However, comprehension of biomedical text remains a difficult task due to the need for domain-specific expertise. We aimed to study the simplification of biomedical text via large language models (LLMs) commonly used for general natural language processing tasks involve text comprehension, summarization, generation, and prediction of new text from prompts. Specifically, we finetuned three variants of large language models to perform substitutions of complex words and word phrases in …

Building Equitable Mental Health Care For Latino Children: Perspectives From Providers And Communities, Francisco Banda, Greeshma James, Karina Vasudeva, Michelle Franklin, Andrea Thoumi, Rushina Cholera

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background: The current pediatric mental health crisis has disproportionately impacted Latino youth in the United States (US), as demonstrated by their elevated risks of depression, substance use disorder, and anxiety. Despite this, research suggests Latino youth receive inequitable mental health services.

Objective: To understand best practices, challenges, and priorities in providing accessible and equitable mental health care for Latino youth from the perspectives of front-line mental health providers and Latino community members.

Methods: A bicultural, bilingual researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 participants with expertise in Latino mental health. Topics included barriers and facilitators to mental health care access and …

Closing The Early Literacy Skills Gaps Through Supplemental Phonics Instruction, Jeremy Pichany

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Starting Small Or Big: An Artificial Language Paradigm, Rachel Evans

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research on language acquisition has raised two competing hypotheses: Starting Small and Starting Big. Starting Small states that limitations (small working memory capacity, simple structure, short string length, etc.) are beneficial for language learning, which explains why children are able to acquire language more easily than adults. Starting Big proposes the opposite, that input of chunks of language rather than individual units creates a stronger and more fluid understanding of grammatical relations between words. The current study aimed to investigate these theories in the context of an artificial language paradigm using a forced-choice task, a production task, a working …

Rate Of Latine Caregiver Involvement In The Well-Being Promotion Program Using Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Communication Practices, Nicole G. Pacateque Rodriguez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latine and Hispanic youth tend to have higher rates of mental health disturbances in school compared to non-Latine youth, yet they are less likely to receive support (Alegría et al., 2008). Additionally, Latine families are more likely to terminate treatment for youth early due to negative stigma, lack of culturally appropriate mental health care, racial and ethnic discrimination, and linguistic and cultural barriers involving care (Kapke & Gerdes, 2016). Best practices in school-based mental health services often involve including caregivers in care (Hoover et al., 2019) as it can benefit outcomes of treatment for the child (Richards et al., 2007). …

The Influences, Experiences, And Sentiments That Create Indonesian Identity, Jack Wood

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research delves into the multifaceted and complex concept of Indonesian identity. Indonesia is a large archipelago nation with a populace who employ a varied and diverse collection of associations with their Indonesian identity. The notion of cultural pride, its expression across different backgrounds within the Indonesian populace, and the experiences that help create this sense of Identity are the main inquiries of this research. Through focusing on these questions, this paper seeks to understand what it means for individuals to take pride in their Indonesian identity and how this sentiment varies among Indonesians of diverse backgrounds, encompassing distinctions such …

The Use Of Figurative Suicidal Language By College Students And Its Impact On Mental Health And Suicide Stigma, Makayla Hooker

Senior Theses

Using suicidal language as a hyperbole in everyday conversation has become common for college students experiencing stress. Previous research analyzed use of suicidal language on social media with the intention of finding the best way to provide help to the individuals expressing true suicidal ideation on social media but found that many people do not literally mean what they are saying when they use suicidal language. It was hypothesized that the frequency with which individuals use suicidal statements figuratively as well as the frequency with which they hear others use these statements would negatively correlate with the level of seriousness …

Paul Celan And The Processes Of Survival In Post-Shoah Jewish Writing, Ari Savage

Theses

The following is a study of the poetry of Paul Celan as a representation of psychological and social processes present in the written works of Shoah survivors. It begins with an analysis of the place of writing in Jewish culture, then identifies three primary processes which operate in sequence: alienation, individuation, and integration. By examining Paul Celan’s highly personal and autobiographical texts in the context of his life experience as a Shoah survivor it is possible to discern the social and psychological forces at work which compel survivors to express their traumas in written form, and to gain a better …

Examining Adaptation To Diagnosis And Decisions About Medical Care Among Caregivers Of Children With Medical Complexity, Johanna Michlig

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Relatively little research has examined the experiences of caregivers of children with medical complexity (CMC). Additionally, it has been well documented that CMC, who are Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) graduates, have high healthcare utilization. As CMC often have ambiguous or multiple diagnoses, caregivers may face a period of adaptation to diagnosis differently from those with a singular diagnosis. Caregivers of CMC are at higher risk for anxiety, depression, and difficulties with the healthcare system. To date, no published studies have examined the experiences of caregivers of CMC, their adaptation to diagnosis, and their well-being. This study was conducted in …

The Influence Of Texting On Perceived Warmth: The Role Of Punctuation And Emoji, Elizabeth Mathews

Senior Honors Theses

Technology Mediated Communication (TMC) has become an essential part of interpersonal communication. Punctuation and emoji are major vessels of nonverbal communication in texting. The impact of punctuation and emoji use on perceptions of warmth was tested with 291 residential undergraduate students at Liberty University who were at least 18 years old. Through an online questionnaire, participants read a series of text messages with a randomly assigned condition of having either punctuation and emoji, punctuation and no emoji, no punctuation and emoji, or no punctuation and no emoji. Results indicated a significant main effect for the presence of emoji on perceived …

Contributions Of Barad's New Materialism To Well-Being Research, M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva, Alejandra Meyer

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we discuss the contributions that Karen Barad's theorizations can make to the study of well-being, particularly their ontoepistemological framework, “agential realism,” that emphasizes the inseparability of matter, ethics, and knowledge, as the relational entanglements of agencies. We use these ideas to imagine well-being as differential materializations, entanglements of human, and the non-human agencies that “intra-act” with each other and are inseparable from how we know about them and our responsibilities in their reconfigurations. From this perspective, we see well-being as a phenomenon, underpinning its dynamism and processuality. Analyzing an interview fragment, we exemplify how Barad's theorizations can …

In And Through The Body: A Quantitative Exploration Of Embodiment In Eating Disorders, Lauren Zaniboni

PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Dissertations (New England)

The field of clinical psychology has long privileged cognitive and affective experience and information over that which is stored in, and communicated by, the body (Caldwell, 2018; Young, 2006). Despite the profound and complex web of interactions between mind and body in EDs, this subspecialty has been no exception. The need for improvements in eating disorder (ED) treatment outcomes is well documented and transtheoretically accepted. Current practice guidelines for the treatment of adult EDs recommend the utilization of cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal strategies to target problematic thinking and deficits in emotion regulation that are thought to fuel ED behaviors (American …

Climbing The Academic Ladder While Black: Exploring The Experiences Of Institutional Belongingness For Black Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Jasmine Alicia Hawa Griffith

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Although ample research investigates students’ belongingness experiences in counselor education (CE) programs, existing literature only marginally explores the realities of Black master students, and there is a notable lack of empirical attention to Black doctoral students’ belongingness experiences in counselor education and supervision (CES) programs. Investigating Black CES doctoral students' belongingness experiences at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) is critical to understanding how the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) accredited CES programs can address the troubling statistic that Black doctoral students are least likely to become full-time CE faculty. Consequently, this study utilizes critical phenomenology from …

The Experiences Of Multilingual Learning-Focused School Counselors: A Phenomenological Investigation, Chelsea Jo Hilliard

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Equity in education has become increasingly prioritized, due to the growing mainstream recognition of the inequitable practices that historically have and presently continue to exist in K-12 education. With the K-12 student population diversity continuously increasing in areas such as abilities, race/ethnicities, socioeconomic status, languages, immigration status, and more, ensuring equitable access to education is vital. One such unique student group needing equitable access to education are multilingual learners or MLL. Located within schools, school counselors are uniquely positioned to equitably serve MLL students. Overall, while the research on school counselors serving MLL students (at the pre-service and practice level) …

Intersectional Cultural Identities Among First-Generation College Students: From A Deficit To Asset Perspective, Kelsie K. Allison

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise of over half of the U.S. higher education student population, yet have considerably lower academic attainment rates compared to non-FGCS. Research has explored challenges that may attribute to these academic disparities, however, there remains a critical gap in identifying FGCS assets that may ameliorate these disparities. Addressing this gap, the current study examined the role of cultural identity, which has shown to have a positive impact on college students’ academic achievement and well-being, as a key asset for FGCS. Specifically, the current study examined the unique effects of various cultural identity domains (i.e., ethnic, U.S., …

Gender Bias In Natural Gender Language And Grammatical Gender Language Within Children's Literature, Kaleigh Marie White Smolinski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been much research on the connection between language and gender bias but there is little comparing natural gender language, grammatical gender language, and gender bias. This research is important because it can offer an understanding of gender bias and how these biases are reinforced in different languages. The purpose of this study is to understand how gender biases are represented in children’s literature in different languages. The research questions how gender biases are found in both natural gender and grammatical gender languages within children’s literature. Then questions if there are any differences in these biases. This study compared …

Military Veterans And Yoga Teacher Training: A Phenomenological Review, Stephen L. Rego

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to discover the experiences of military veteran graduates of two Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) cohorts. The theory guiding this study was phenomenological inquiry, founded by Husserl and expanded by Hegel, Heidegger, and van Manen, as it explored the lived experiences and potential intersection of wellness in military veterans. The candidates for participation were recruited from the VYP MRYTT yoga training program 2021 Cohort 1, providing 16 graduates, and 2022 Cohort 2, providing 23 graduates. This study discovered 1) the lived experiences of yoga teacher training (YTT) in military veterans, 2) a conceptualization of military veterans’ …

Storytelling Through A Critical Positive Youth Development Framework: A Mixed Methods Approach, Maru Gonzalez, Michael Kokozos, Katherine Mckee, Christy Byrd

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

Black Social Workers Use Of Racial Identity And Self Concept In The Workplace, Shielah Monique Deblanc

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Navigating the Black professional identity in U.S. work environments poses challenges for social workers, with limited research addressing racial salience, power dynamics, and self-concept within their specific workplace contexts. Using self-concept theory, and the multidimensional model of racial identity as theoretical and conceptual frameworks, the purpose of this research was to examine Black social workers’ attitudes about self-concept using racial salience, power distance, and employee tenure as predictors. Using web-based surveys to collect data, a purposive sample of 77 participants were used to complete demographic information, a measure of centrality to gauge racial salience Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, a …

Educator And Caregiver Perceptions Of Project Begin Well: An Early Childhood Risk Identification Course, Samin Khallaghi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The early years of a child's life are vital to building the foundation for early childhood, and educators and caregivers are at the heart of making this foundation for children. However, educators and caregivers often lack knowledge on correctly identifying risks in children. The current study used a quantitative non-experimental design to examine early childhood educator and caregiver perceptions of a training program called Project Begin Well. Project Begin Well included a risk identification course for educators and caregivers of children aged 3-5 years. Specifically, educators' and caregivers' knowledge, skills, attitudes, aspirations, and behaviors toward the risk identification course were …

“It’S Always An Admixture Of So Many Identities”: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Indigenous Kalasha Cultural Identity, Fahad Riaz Choudhry Dr, Karen Jennifer Golden, Miriam Sang-Ah Park

The Qualitative Report

This case study examined how an Indigenous Kalasha participant in northern Pakistan makes sense of his multi-faceted identity. The interpretative phenomenological analysis method was used to analyze data from an in-depth, single person case study. Our selected participant was a 36-year-old male postgraduate student from an Indigenous marginalized tribe, which is an ethnic and religious minority group in the northern Hindukush mountain region of Pakistan. Results are presented in four superordinate themes: (1) Identity: admixture of a number of identities, (2) Changing culture and its psychological impact, (3) Cultural protective factors against psychological problems and (4) Mental health perspective. …

A Phenomenological Study On Preschool Educator Experience In Re-Imagining Play And Play-Based Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ronabeth Keh So

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores how play-based preschool educators experienced and re-imagined play and play-based learning throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Semistructured interviews were conducted with six teachers and three administrators from three private Midwest play-based institutions. This study uncovers preschool educators’ experiences of engaging in play-based learning throughout the different phases of the pandemic and delves into the issues and challenges of online learning and the subsequent return to the classroom. Results show that despite pedagogical adjustments and limitations brought about by online learning modalities and pandemic related restrictions, the nature of play remains unchanged and continues to be vital to …

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach To Working With Youth, Young Adults And Families, Weston J. Robins

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach to Working with Youth, Young Adults and Families

A focus on experiential mentoring, humanistic counseling and community engagement as a way to work with youth, young adults and families to provide true holistic therapeutic support and guidance.

“You Take My Place; Let’S Switch!” What It Means To Be A Woman Powerlifter In Parasport, Aaron Carl S. Seechung, Maria Luisa M. Guinto

The Qualitative Report

Gendered disability in elite sport has emerged as a pertinent area of inquiry in sport psychology. However, qualitative research aimed at amplifying the voices of marginalized subgroups is notably sparse. Employing a phenomenological approach, we examined the lived experience of a Filipina para powerlifter, probing the intersection of gender, disability, and socioeconomic status in shaping how the participant made sense of life and identity, both within and outside the realm of sport. Three personal experiential themes were generated from the interview data's interpretative phenomenological analysis: “survival of the fittest,” “the voices in my head did not allow me to give …

Childhood Discipline Disparities For African American And Latinx Students, Cierra Townsend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American and Latinx students are disproportionality impacted by punitive discipline models including suspensions, detention, and expulsions. This disproportionality removes students from the education setting creating adverse social emotional, academic, and economic outcomes. Students who are suspended and expelled are more likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system and or to be pushed out of school into alternative settings. Therefore, punitive discipline leads to increased school-based pathways to the juvenile justice system (SPJJ), also known as the school the prison pipeline (STPP). Despite knowledge of these adverse outcomes, schools continue to utilize punitive discipline practices. School psychologists are …

Can Neural Networks Reach Human Vision Levels On Object Recognition Tasks?, Luke D. Baumel, Mikayla Cutler, Matt Hyatt, Joseph Tocco, William Friebel, Nicholas Baker Dr., George K. Thiruvathukal Dr.

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Object recognition is a crucial function of biological vision; it allows us to draw conclusions about a visual scene that transcends the image formed by the retina. However, the task of object recognition quickly becomes a challenge when hindrances such as viewing angle, object distance from observer, illuminant qualities, and potential occlusions become active variables. Additionally, the diversity of visual features within the same category of object, coupled with the numerous contexts in which an object may be observed is demonstrative of the formidable task that is object recognition. Previous research showed a significant texture bias in Convolutional Neural Networks’ …

Evaluation Of The Heal™Ing Mental Health Program: A Prospective Cohort Study Of Short-Term Changes From A Physical Activity And Lifestyle Education Program For People With Mental Health Disorders Living In Rural Australia, Annette J. Raynor, Sophia Nimphius, Daniel Kadlec, Sally Casson, Caitlin Fox-Harding, Lauren V. Fortington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to evaluate short-term outcomes of the HEAL™ing Mental Health program, an 8-week intervention for change in functional, behavioural and physiological health and wellbeing designed for people living with mental health conditions in rural or regional areas of Australia. A prospective cohort study was completed, reporting on 19 items (pre-program) and 15 (post-participation change), organised across seven domains. Participants took part in an Accredited Exercise Physiologist/Nurse led supervised group exercise (60 minutes) and healthy lifestyle education program (60 minutes). Separate linear mixed models with restricted maximum likelihood were used to examine the primary research question considering the effect …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Inner Speech Used As A Self-Help Tool Among Adult Remote Workers, Jennie Yeung Dr., Jennie Yeung Dr.

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shift to remote work emphasized the importance of maintaining the well-being of adult remote workers. The problem studied was the awareness, understanding, and acceptance of inner speech/self-talk among adult remote workers. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of adult remote workers regarding their use of inner speech/self-talk. Inner speech/self-talk is an innate ability of higher mental functions that include reasoning, problem solving, planning and plan execution, attention, and motivation. Data collection involved the purposeful sampling of 10 participants who were adult remote workers. The semistructured interviews were …