Digital Commons Network^™

Time To Listen: Engaging Latino Autistic Adults And Parents As Partners In Advancing Autism Research, Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Chenoa Navarro, Jessica Abouchard, Ana C. Ramirez, Victoria Villareal, Susana Perez Kantor, Valerie Neeley, Alberto Allegre, Antonio F. Pagán, María Cecilia Montenegro

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

The limited representation of Latino autistic individuals and their families in research studies limits our understanding of how autism presents and is experienced across diverse communities, emphasizing a need for more inclusive research methodologies and participant recruitment strategies. Our project aimed to explore how participatory research methods can be effectively implemented to develop culturally valid measurement tools and research protocols that accurately capture the experiences of bilingual/bicultural Latino autistic individuals and their families. This study used a phenomenological framework design guided by community-based Participatory research and the social model of disability principles. Two trained researchers conducted three focus groups with …

The Lived Experiences Of Gay Trafficked And Traumatized Men Seeking Psychological And Forensic Restoration Services, Katreace Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Feminine-centric, heteronormative psychological restoration interventions on gay minority men exposed to trauma and human trafficking are poorly understood. This study includes an analysis of forensics and psychological causal factors retrieved from 6 semi structured interviews with gay minority male psychological services providers. The corroboration of the clinical opinions of the participants and the enrichment of data using database reviews reflected poor treatment outcomes for the gay, minority-men population. The qualitative methodology and thematic analysis framework highlighted oppressive factors of structural intersectionality. This results in heteronormativity gender binaries that misalign with self-identified gender perceptions of gay-minority men exposed to trafficking and …

Postpandemic Perspectives Of Teleassessments In Clinical Psychology, Jacklin B. Cardentey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teleassessments gained prominence as a viable means of conducting psychological assessments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was an exploration of teleassessment use catalyzed by the pandemic, with a focus on the postpandemic era. The aim was to identify the factors influencing perceptions and strategies used in effective postpandemic teleassessment adoption, including factors that influence licensed psychologists’ perceptions of effective teleassessments and strategies adopted to maintain quality practices since face-to-face restrictions were lifted. The significance of this inquiry extended to various stakeholders, including mental health care practitioners, policymakers, and the public, all of whom have a vested …

Perceiving The Perceiver: “Viewing” Sauron Through The Gestalt Theory Of Perception, Cameron Bourquein

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper uses Gestalt theory, the Gestalt laws of perception, and the reception theory of Wolfgang Iser to elucidate the character “Sauron” as he appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power, and Tolkien’s wider legendarium. It argues firstly that Sauron’s high degree of indeterminacy and ambiguity suggests he can be read as a gestalt entity, one the reader creates by mentally constructing a whole from (seemingly) disparate parts. Building on the semiotics work of Nagy (2013), it argues that Sauron in The Lord of the Rings can be read as gestalt across the spatial, …

Serving Minority Women Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Consuelo Valentina Riso

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread public health concern that disproportionately affects women, particularly those belonging to minorities. In the United States, the prevalence of IPV among Latina women is influenced by intersecting factors such as immigration status, socioeconomic stressors, cultural values, and systemic barriers. Research and community initiatives addressing IPV among Latina women have included crisis hotlines, domestic violence shelters, advocacy programs, and bilingual services within community health centers. Research also highlights that culturally tailored services yield better outcomes than trauma-informed approaches alone.

Additionally, online interventions are emerging as promising tools to expand safe, accessible, and bilingual support, …

Successful Psychopathy: Trait Expression, Construct Validity, And Career Differences Among Lawyers, Law Students, And Pre-Law Undergraduate Students, Jessica Rush

Student Theses

Psychopathy is a multidimensional personality construct traditionally studied in offender populations but increasingly recognized in high-functioning, nonclinical groups. This study examined the expression of psychopathic traits—Fearless Dominance, Self-Centered Impulsivity, and Coldheartedness—among legal professionals at various career stages, including pre-law students, law students, and practicing attorneys. Using the Psychopathic Personality Inventory–Revised (PPI-R) alongside validated measures of related constructs (e.g., narcissism, aggression, affect, behavioral activation/inhibition), the study assessed trait distribution, construct validity, and contextual influences in a sample of 82 participants. Results provided partial support for the PPI-R’s construct validity in this population. Total psychopathy and Self-Centered Impulsivity were positively associated with …

The Experience Of Spirituality And Self-Image In Sexually Abused Women, Nereyda Sullins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

I explored the role of spirituality and self-image in the healing processes of adult women who have experienced sexual abuse. Using trauma theory as a guiding framework, I sought to understand how survivors engage with spirituality to reconstruct their identities and navigate their recovery. I aimed to contribute to the growing body of literature on trauma recovery by offering insights into the ways survivors integrate spiritual practices and self-perceptions to foster resilience. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to capture the lived experiences of 12 women who had experienced sexual abuse and engaged with spirituality as a coping mechanism. Thematic …

The Moderating Effect Of Political Ideology On The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Covid-19-Related Anxiety And Stress, Sarah Boomhower

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic created a mental health crisis within the United States. Previous research examining locus of control and mental health issues during the pandemic revealed that individuals with an external locus of control exhibited increased mental health symptoms. Research also found that political attitudes played a role regarding COVID-19 with liberal-leaning individuals and Democrats reporting higher levels of emotional distress during the pandemic. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational study was to determine the extent to which political ideology moderates the relationship between locus of control and COVID-19-related anxiety and stress. Locus of control was the theoretical foundation …

Effects Of Healthcare Administrators And Icu Nurses’ Perspectives Of Leader Bullying On Work And Physical Six Sigma/Lean Training, Agha Raza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the U.S. government-funded initiatives, public responsiveness, and antibullying legislation to improve healthcare, leadership bullying behavior remains a serious concern in hospital intensive care units (ICUs). The ICU nursing involves high stress levels and hospital work conditions, which lead to bullying behaviors. When ICU nurse leaders do not participate in work and physical Six Sigma/Lean training, they may develop different perceptions of leaders’ bullying behavior compared to those whose leaders participate in this training. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative cross-sectional survey study was to discover any significant relationships between the type of Six Sigma/Lean training (descendant, ascendant, and horizontal) …

Psychologists’ Competency And Training Regarding Treating Transgender And Non-Conforming Youth With Gender Dysphoria, Amydth Chumacero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited evidence-based research on required competency, training, assessment, and treatment practices for psychologists who treat transgender and non-conforming (TGNC) youth with gender dysphoria. Eleven licensed psychologists with at least 5 years of experience treating TGNC youth were recruited through social media and snowball recruiting to participate in this qualitative Delphi study. Using multicultural competency theory as a guide, these experts were asked to develop a consensus regarding the minimum competencies and training to treat TGNC youth, as well as what they thought the standards should be for assessment and treatment. Data were collected in three rounds of online …

Network Analysis Of Biopsychosocial Factors Associated With Trauma Exposure: Impacts On Inflammation, Taryn R. Fitzgerald

Dissertations

This study adds to current understandings of the relationship between trauma exposure and inflammation through network analysis of the sociodemographic sequelae that may influence this relationship. A reductive approach has been helpful in establishing the relationship between a pro-inflammatory state and trauma exposure, however understanding of the role of additional factors in this relationship is necessary to better understand how inflammation may serve as a transdiagnostic factor relating to mental health and biopsychosocial variables. 999 trauma-exposed individuals from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), 1994-2018 study at three timepoints (ages 18—26, 24—32, 33—43) were included. …

The Role Of Somatization In Predicting Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Racial And Ethnic Minorities: Examining The Mediating Effects Of Perceived Injustice And Symptom Catastrophizing, Kimi Han Hashimoto

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

There is a pressing need to address the significant health disparities of underrepresented groups such as racial and ethnic minorities (Mills et al., 2020). As of 2019, individuals identifying as a racial or ethnic minority make up 40% of the U.S population as of 2019, yet they fare significantly worse across many health-related measures (Hill et al., 2022). Given these disparities in healthcare and health outcomes, racial and ethnic minorities represent an important group to investigate somatization and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Cognitive appraisals, such as perceived injustice and symptom catastrophizing, may mediate this relationship, influencing how somatization translates …

The Effects Of Crossfit And Pharmacology On Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms And Self-Efficacy Levels, Priscilla Kay Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly half of individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) who are provided with an SSRI or SNRI medication do not experience a clinically meaningful reduction of symptoms or a full remission of symptoms. A gap in the literature existed for comparisons of treatment approaches and their outcomes for GAD symptoms and self-efficacy levels. Research questions for this study were: Is there a difference in GAD symptoms between the CrossFit participants and pharmacology participants at the point of three months treatment regimen?, and Is there a difference in self-efficacy levels between the CrossFit participants and pharmacology participants at the point …

Quiet Times: The Application Of Self-Management To Private Spiritual Practices, Noah R. Branson

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

A “quiet time” refers to the private spiritual practice of reading the Bible, praying, and meditating on one’s own initiative outside of religious sanctioned events. This study examines the effect of a self-management intervention on establishing and maintaining the habit of a daily quiet time. The study’s hypotheses predicted there would be an increase in quiet time 1) frequency, 2) duration, and 3) overall satisfaction from the baseline phase to the intervention phase. Data was collected via a daily check-in and pretest/posttest surveys, and participants attended an in-person intervention to determine how to apply self-management tactics to their own personal …

Mock Juror Perceptions Of Intimate Partner Rape Victims: The Effects Of Mental Illness And Emotional Expression, Kristina Lambert

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Intimate partner rape (IPR), defined as non-consensual sexual intercourse between domestic partners, has a high prevalence rate especially among women with mental illness, yet it is highly under-convicted. This is often due to a lack of evidence in rape cases resulting in jurors relying on extralegal factors, such as a victim’s mental illness or emotional expression, in their decision making. Jurors may provide lower pro-victim judgments (e.g., guilty verdicts, victim credibility) when a victim has a mental illness, whereas jurors often expect a victim to express emotions, which can increase pro-victim judgments. The present study examined mock juror perceptions of …

Gender Differences In Factors Influencing Problematic Sexuality: A Comparative Analysis Using The Midsa Assessment, Brandon Andrew Lozano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Problematic sexuality among college students is a complex and understudied issue, particularly regarding gender-based differences in affective instability and sexual compulsivity. While prior research has focused mainly on male populations, limited evidence exists about how these factors manifest among female students or whether gender moderates these relationships. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine whether gender moderates the relationship between factors affecting sexual compulsivity as measured by the Multidimensional Inventory of Development, Sex, and Aggression (MIDSA). The MIDSA, originally developed for male sexual offenders, has since been administered to both male and female populations. Findings from hierarchical …

Foraging Connections: Exploring The Relationship Between Optimal Foraging And Phonological Fluency Performance, Kimberly Savika Arjune

Theses - ALL

The semantic fluency task is a timed listing of as many words as possible within a certain category (Bousfield & Sedgewick, 1944). Optimal search requires traversing resource-rich clusters (groups of consecutive responses with shared characteristics) and weighing the benefit of staying in the current cluster, decreasing the rate of return, or switching to a new cluster with more easily accessible resources, but with the cost of search time (Charnov, 1976). According to the marginal value theorem, a switch to a new cluster should occur when the rate of finding words in the current cluster drops below the average rate for …

Developing Art Resources To Reduce Stress And Increase Well-Being For Healthcare Professionals, Elisabeth Ruth Baird

Theses - ALL

This study explored how art-based wellness resources can support healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care in hospital settings. A focus group of these providers shared their experiences with stress and burnout, identifying key challenges and needs. Based on their feedback, a Mini Wellness Manual was developed with practical, research-based art activities designed to help reduce stress and promote well-being. In a second focus group, participants reviewed the manual and provided feedback on its usefulness and accessibility. Findings showed that self-care interventions often place the burden on individuals rather than addressing the larger systemic issues that contribute to burnout, highlighting …

Identifying Strategies In Moral Decision Making, Ilaria Siriner

Theses - ALL

This study explored the strategies used in moral decision-making, within the context of selfdriving car scenarios. Our goal was to uncover the strategies people use when faced with moral dilemmas, using methodological approaches previously applied to the study of decision-making. The strategies that we were interested in were those that align with the ethical frameworks of utilitarianism, deontology or a blend of the two. In this study, participants were confronted with a series of moral dilemmas involving self-driving cars. Their choices and decision-making processes were analyzed using Machine Learning Strategy Identification (MLSI), which incorporated features related to the information participants …

Predicting Detection Threshold Performance With Modality-Specific Sensory Profile Scores, Marie Shuter

Theses - ALL

Research on tactile psychophysics among autistic people has examined inhibitory pathways within the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Both adults and children with autism are equally able to detect vibrotactile stimuli in dynamic and static task conditions. In contrast, typically developing peers find dynamic tasks harder than static tasks due to pre-stimulus inhibition. Task performance has been linked to sensory overresponsivity in children with autism (McKernan et al., 2020); however, recent literature suggests that sensory processing (e.g., overresponsivity) in autism may be better defined within sensory modalities. Here, I utilized a cross-sectional design to 1) replicate findings of similarities and differences …

A Counselor’S Experience: Trauma-Informed Care When Working With Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abbigail Rinard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to understand the lived experience of professional counselors when implementing trauma informed care to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. There are few studies that have assessed the counselors lived experience of implementing TIC, and even fewer that have examined professional counselors experience doing so in a specialized population.

To understand the lived experience of professional counselors, the participants of the study were purposefully selected to include those who have an active professional counseling license, implement TIC, and work with children diagnosed with ASD. The study was conducted with a total of eight participants who have implemented …

Parent Engagement And Preschooler Development In Suriname: Unveiling Patterns, Predictors, And Outcomes Through Latent Class Analysis, Corinne Blake

Dissertations - ALL

Despite the fact that different aspects of parent engagement with preschool aged children have a significant impact on children’s social and cognitive development, this area of research is still emerging in global majority contexts, such as the Caribbean. This study identified parenting engagement patterns in a Surinamese sample and examined the relationship between parent engagement patterns and child social and cognitive development. Propositions within sociocultural theory, parenting and literacy models, and the developmental niche model guided the formulation of research questions and hypotheses. A sample of 1765 mothers/caregivers of 3- and 4-year-olds interviewed in the UNICEF Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys …

Behavioral Self-Regulation In Context: Timing, Types, And Changes Of Material Hardship Across Childhood, Qingyang Liu

Dissertations - ALL

Behavioral self-regulation in childhood lays the foundation for lifelong adaptive functioning, including academic achievement, social relationships, and psychological well-being. While early poverty is consistently linked to worse behavioral self-regulation, less is known about how the timing, types, and changes in material hardship (i.e., daily experiences of deprivation), shape children’s development of behavioral self-regulation. This dissertation addresses these literature gaps through three interconnected studies that examine the dynamic association between material hardship and behavioral self-regulation across childhood, including (1) how early exposure to distinct patterns of material hardship in infancy shapes children’s behavioral self-regulation developmental trajectory from early to middle childhood; …

Changing The Face Of Power: Understanding Black Female Clinical Supervisors Through The Superwoman Schema, Shanelle V. Clay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014), the counseling profession’s core values include honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach to both direct services and supervision. Despite the acknowledgement of multiculturalism in clinical supervision, there is minimal research on the impact of supervisors’ intersectionality on supervision dynamics. This qualitative research study will examine the experience of Black female clinical supervisors and the impact the Superwoman Schema has on their role in supervision. This phenomenological research is grounded in the Superwoman Schema Conceptual Framework and Black Feminist Thought. A total of five superordinate themes and 14 subordinate themes …

Behavior Analysts’ Training And Practices Regarding Cultural Diversity: A Replication And Extension, Tania M. Valdez-Nuguid

Theses & Dissertations

Culturally responsive care, which involves adapting assessment and treatment methods to reflect the culture of individuals served (Sue & Torino, 2005), is crucial for client success, especially for minoritized and marginalized groups. This study replicated and extended Beaulieu et al. (2019) by surveying behavior analysts on their training, perceived competence, and practices in culturally responsive care. We extended Beaulieu et al. (2019) by including open-ended questions regarding culturally responsive practices and barriers faced in delivering culturally responsive care and offering the survey in Spanish. Participants reported feeling skilled and comfortable providing culturally responsive care, with increased training across various modalities. …

Reducing Stigma Towards Alcohol Use Disorder (Aud): A Parasocial Contact Approach, Prah Haider

Honors Thesis

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by loss of control over alcohol intake, compulsive alcohol use and a negative emotional state when not drinking, which can follow a chronic, relapsing course (Carvalho et al., 2019). AUD ranks among the most prevalent mental disorders globally. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 28.8 million adults ages 18 and older (11.2% in this age group) had AUD in 2021 (NIH, 2024). My proposal seeks to create a novel approach to addressing stigma through creating the illusion of a relationship between a television viewer and a mediated on-screen persona. …

The Art Of Dreaming: A Surrealist Approach To Dream Analysis, Shelby Wright

Honors Thesis

Over the past two years, I created a series of paintings to explore the meaning of my nightmares. This study analyzes the themes and symbols in these dreams through the psychological frameworks of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Freud’s causal approach focuses on repressed desires, while Jung’s method relies on mythological symbols and archetypes in the collective unconscious. Drawing on the ideas of André Breton and the Surrealist movement, I examine how art can bridge dreams and waking life. By painting my dreams, I aim to better understand my unconscious and invite viewers to question their perception of reality. This …

The Endocannabinoid System's Influence And Modulation Of Nociception, Doreen M. Flannery

Honors Thesis

The anatomy and physiology of pain is a well-defined pathway where noxious stimuli is processed by different systems in the brain. The central research question of this review is how can we better understand the neurobiological effects pain has, and assess if there is therapeutic potential in using endocannabinoids to modulate these effects. Endocannabinoids are signaling molecules that play a key role at both the cellular and molecular level in modulating both acute and chronic pain by influencing different processes within each level that affect how the body responds to both internal and external stimuli. The endocannabinoid system is a …

Universal Adolescent Depression Screening And Implications For Identification Of Adolescent Depression And Mental Health Referrals, Cherry Cooper, Juan Zhou Powell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background: Throughout the United States, mental health concerns have been steadily increasing, which has created a significant impact for caregivers, overburdened healthcare facilities, and patients. In fact, a large number of those experiencing mental health issues are unidentified and thus more likely to experience mental health crises, suicidal ideation, or suicide attempts. Rural adolescents are significantly more vulnerable than their urban counterparts related to disparities in both mental health services and preventative screening. Coordination with a critical access hospital (CAH) emergency department revealed that there was no universal adolescent depression screening in place, and patients were potentially going undiagnosed and …

Processing Words Using An Ostracism Avoidance Scenario Improves Recall Performance, Julia R. East

Honors Theses

Background. Psychologists have long been interested in studying memory retention, the ability to retain or recall information. Many experiments show that survival processing, which involves encoding information in the context of survival scenarios, has consistently been demonstrated to be one of the best deep processing tasks identified to date. Memory performance following survival processing has been compared with other conditions universally accepted to produce excellent retention, such as processing information using imagery, pleasantness instructions, and self-reference processing. The present study compares the survival processing condition with an ostracism processing condition. It was hypothesized that ostracism processing might perform similarly …