Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Female Defendants As A Function Of Pregnancy Status, Rachel A. Silverthorn

2019 Symposium

Given the impact pregnancy has in other areas of life it makes sense that when a woman is brought into the criminal justice system pregnancy will play a role in how others perceive her. While research exists on the implications of pregnancy on incarceration, there is a gap regarding the trial phase and the effects of pregnancy on the adjudication process.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether pregnancy status impacts jury perception of female defendants. It was hypothesized that a pregnant defendant would evoke sympathy in a trial situation and consequently a pregnant woman would be judged …

Implementing Educational Courses On Social Media Within Prisons To Decrease Unemployment Rates Among Ex-Prisoners And Reduce Recidivism In The United States, Shannon Hernandez

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This paper focuses on whether or not it would be beneficial to implement educational courses on social media within prisons in order to prepare prisoners for release, improve post-release unemployment rates, and improve recidivism rates in the United States. Since the early 1990s, technology has grown to a point where it has become a part of everyone’s daily life, which includes social media platforms (Greenstein, 2012). While society has adapted to these advancements, prisoners who have been removed from society for many years are unable to achieve the same levels of social media comprehension, which can cause disparity between their …

Creating The Best: A Two-Prong Policy Approach To Improve The Quality Of Future Certified Ohio Peace Officers, Amy English

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This qualitative client applied study explained and explored a two-fold approach that could be used to implement policy changes that will aid small Ohio police departments in commissioning intellectually developed and psychologically suited individuals for employment in law enforcement. Several issues needed to be addressed in order to accomplish these policy changes. Criminological theories were correlated to deviant behaviors of criminally charged Ohio police officers. Past legislated police reform acts were addressed. Past studies of police officer higher education were analyzed. Finally, the implementation factors for psychological evaluations as a police academy pre-enrollment requirement were identified. This study, based on …

Moral Decision Making, Baylie Fowler, Tommi Donnelly-Julian

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

This study was conducted to assess the association between implicit biases and moral decision making. Implicit biases can control how we treat people and who we choose to associate ourselves with. We sought to determine if triggering those biases would cause a quantitative increase in moral decision making. We asked participants in the experimental group to complete the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, Banajo, & Nosek, 1998a), two parts of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (Graham, Haidt, & Nosek, 2008) and a demographics questionnaire. No statistically significant differences were found in control vs experimental groups in terms of their morality scores …

Who Experiences Violent Victimization And Who Accesses Services? Findings From The National Crime Victimization Survey For Expanding Our Reach, Heather Warnken, Janet Lauritsen

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

2018-2019, Full Issue

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

No abstract provided.

Conflict Management Training In Video-Based Teams, Alexis Ward

Master's Theses

In the wake of an emerging economy that demands organizational agility, globalization and an increasing number of independent contractors, corporations have exponentially incorporated virtual teams in their organizations. However, despite their financial and geographical convenience, research has indicated that virtual teams have consistently experienced more conflict and lowered performance and satisfaction levels than that of their traditional counterparts. The present study sought to examine whether conflict management training could help video based virtual teams demonstrate more positive conflict handling techniques and less negative techniques, which would result in higher group process and group outcome satisfaction. This study did not find …

Kali Psychi, Judith A. Reisman Phd, Aaron Nazif J.D., Mary Mcalister Esq.

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Perceptions Of School Professionals Regarding Prenatal Substance Exposure, Aliyah Vicia Mickey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Children who have been prenatally exposed to drugs are at higher risk of experiencing academic and behavioral difficulties as they become students. Current research is limited on the specific long-term social-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive effects for school-aged children. As these children advance into the schools, they need knowledgeable school professionals and evidence-based interventions that will support their academic and behavioral well-being. The purpose of the current investigation served to gather information regarding school professionals’ experiences, knowledge, and self-efficacy related to prenatal substance exposure of students. The results from the survey indicated school professionals are reporting having general knowledge of facets …

Using Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Children With Autism To Seek Help From Law Enforcement Officers When Lost, Greta Kos

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at an elevated risk of becoming lost in situations due to running away or wandering behaviors. When children with ASD become lost it may be difficult for them to effectively and efficiently seek help from community helpers in a safe manner due to communication deficits and poor social skills. This study aims to teach children with ASD how to identify when they are lost and how to seek help from police officers in the community by vocalizing the problem and using a communication card. Generalization probes were conducted with three children diagnosed with …

An Exploration Of Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Experiences, Training Needs, And Interactions Related To Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kirsten Scheil Railey

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Although research confirms the effectiveness of training to improve law enforcement officers’ awareness and knowledge of people with intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and mental health disorders (Bailey, Barr, & Bunting, 2001; McAllister, Bailey, & Barr, 2002; Scantlebury et al., 2017; Wood & Watson, 2017), research related to the efficacy of autism-specific law enforcement training is limited. In order to provide up-to-date information regarding training for LEOs related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a systematic review of the literature was conducted for the first study. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols 2015 (PRISMA), a …

Child Psychological Maltreatment, Alison Boughn

Dissertations and Theses

Child psychological maltreatment (PM) is challenging to define and difficult for a child to articulate. This study introduces the development and initial implementation of the Psychological Maltreatment Inventory (PMI) with child participants. The PMI consists of 16 items validated by subject matter experts. The pilot study sample (N = 21) and large sample (N = 166) consisted of child participants currently involved in open child maltreatment cases at a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in the Midwest. Quantitative research was used to explore the descriptive characteristics of the PMI to participant demographic information and correlational design to explore the relationship between …

An Analysis And Critique Of Mental Health Treatment In American State Prisons And Proposal For Improved Care, Shelby Hayne

Scripps Senior Theses

Mental health treatment in state prisons is revealed to be highly variable, under-funded, and systematically inadequate. Existing literature exposes this injustice but fails to provide a comprehensive proposal for reform. This paper attempts to fill that gap, outlining a cost-effective, evidence-based treatment proposal, directly addressing the deficits in care revealed through analysis of our current system. In addition, this paper provides historical overviews of the prison system and mental health treatment, utilizing theoretical perspectives to contextualize this proposal in the present state of affairs. Lastly, the evidence is provided to emphasize the potential economic and social benefits of improving mental …

The Effect Of Racial Confirmation Biases On Whistleblowing Intent, Charlotte M. Jacobson

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Previous research has demonstrated the negative impact of stereotypes on Black individuals in the workplace, including differential employment rates between races, the influence of race on hiring decisions, and the effect of racial discrimination on job satisfaction and turnover. However, the impact of racial stereotypes on employees’ decisions to report a witnessed wrongdoing (i.e., whistleblowing) have not been examined. In this study, I investigated whether racial stereotypes and confirmation biases make an individual more likely to blow the whistle on a Black coworker than a White coworker for the same wrongdoing. I also examined the potential moderating effect of the …

Investigating The Response Criteria Shift Account For The Verbal Overshadowing Effect, Matthew C. Dean

Honors Theses

The present study investigated the impact of response criteria shift effects within the verbal overshadowing effect (VOE). Participants watched a video recording of a burglary and were then given one of two tasks: either 1.) a recall task or 2.) a non- recall task (Tetris). Participants were then shown a two-person lineup and forced to identify the burglar. The results of the experiment indicated that participants who engage in the recall task demonstrate verbal overshadowing, despite being forced to identify from a lineup. Essentially, verbal overshadowing occurs without a shift in response criteria.

Campus Community's Perception Of Victimization And Fear Of Crime Regarding Campus Violence And Safety, Gianna White

Masters Theses

This study was designed to test perceptions and perceived safety and how it relates to fear of crime regarding university campus violence and safety. Faculty, students, and staff were drawn from a Midwestern university of the United States. This research examined vulnerability to stress, gender, age, and status, and its significance to fear of crime in comparison to the participation in precautionary and avoidance behaviors and campus crime statistics. It was hypothesized that there would be a general fear of crime regardless of overall low levels of campus crime and that both men and women would participate in precautionary or …

Volume 11, Jacob Carney, Ryan White, Joseph Hyman, Jenny Raven, Megan Garrett, Ibrahim Kante, Summer Meinhard, Lauren Johnson, William "Editha" Dean Howells, Laura Gottschalk, Christopher Siefke, Pink Powell, Natasha Woodmancy, Katharine Colley, Abbey Mays, Charlotte Potts

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Table of Contents:

Introduction, Dr. Roger A. Byrne, Dean

From the Editor, Dr. Larissa "Kat" Tracy

From the Designers, Rachel English, Rachel Hanson

Synthesis of 3,5-substituted Parabens and their Antimicrobial Properties, Jacob Coarney, Ryan White

Chernobyl: Putting "Perestroika" and "Glasnot" to the Test, Joseph Hyman

Art by Jenny Raven

Watering Down Accessibility: The Issue with Public Access to Alaska's Federal Waterways, Meagan Garrett

Why Has the Democratic Republic of the Congo outsourced its Responsibility to Educate its Citizens? Ibrahim Kante

Art by Summer Meinhard

A Computational Study of Single Molecule Diodes, Lauren Johnson

Satire of …

Generosity In Gaming: The Effect Of Prosocial Video Games On Charitable Donation Behavior, Ethan Tom

CMC Senior Theses

Although the link between violent video games and aggressive behavior has received extensive coverage, there is growing evidence that prosocial video games can exert a positive influence as well. However, whether these effects generalize to costlier prosocial behaviors that help more distant recipients remains unclear. Here I propose an experimental study to examine whether prosocial video games can influence charitable donation behavior. College students will be randomly assigned to play 45 min of either a prosocial video game (Lemmings) or neutral video game (Tetris), followed by a 10 min filler task (mental calculation). Participants will then …

Foster Care System Effectiveness In Assisting Young Adults' Transition To College, Vivienne Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggests that the relatively low rates of former foster youth enrolling in and graduating from a postsecondary institution may be related to lack of foster care system support. This study examined whether perceived support from the foster care system was related to the postsecondary enrollment and academic performance of former foster youth, and whether males and females differed in perceived support from the foster care system. Forty-five former foster youth aged 18-24 years who had transitioned from a southeastern state completed a measure of social support and reported whether they had attended a postsecondary institution and, if so, their …

Juvenile Correctional Officers' Job Satisfaction, Retention, And Quality Of Supervision, Lalita Nicole Appling-Plummer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile Correctional officers are important to the function of secure facilities because they maintain constant contact with offenders. This quantitative study sought to determine why turnover rates continue to rise and offered insight into retaining officers. This study utilized Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory as the foundation for explaining relationships between the variables: quality supervision and intent to stay and job satisfaction, job search, and job embeddedness of juvenile correctional officers across the United States. Survey data were collected from 247 juvenile correctional officers using a web-based survey containing 5 scales including Quality of Supervision and Intent to Stay, …

A Comparison Of Sexual-Minority Stress In Lesbian And Gay Police Officers, Laura Ellen Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The original purpose of this quantitative study was to compare 5 self-reported sexual minority stress (SMS) factors experienced by lesbian and gay police officers to discover if lesbian or gay police officers experience more SMS, and which factor, if any, is the biggest stressor for either group as measured using subscales of the Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire (DHEQ). This study partially incorporated minority-stress theory as applied to sexual minorities. This study used subscales from the DHEQ in anonymous, online surveys. Because of the low response rate, the study changed to compare the group of lesbian and gay police officers' self-reports …

Lived Experiences Of Women Receiving Substance Abuse Treatment From Male Counselors, Robert C. Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cost of the misuse of drugs is significant. The impact is felt across multiple systems across America and is covered mostly by federal, state, and local governments. Women comprise a significant portion of the persons using illicit drugs. Treatment is an effective way of reducing substance misuse. However, research into the efficacy of treatment for women lag that of men. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that women receiving substance abuse treatment from a man had shorter stays in treatment and poorer outcomes than those who had a female counselor while in treatment. Phenomenological and relational-cultural …

Relationships Between Vocational Identity, Substance Use And Criminal Thinking Among Emerging Adults, Eileen Marie Delzell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Successful formation of a self-chosen, purposeful identity in personal, social, educational and vocational areas is a primary task for emerging adults, with failure to do so often resulting in cycles of substance use, unemployment, and delinquent/criminal behavior. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between vocational identity, substance use, and criminal thinking within the population of emerging adults. The expectancy value theory of motivation, which states that identity may be a motivational construct between self-efficacy and subjective self-values, provided the foundation for the study. The online inventory platform PsychData was used to garner data from a sample …

Efficacy Of A Va Residential Treatment Program For Co-Occurring Disorders, Kathrin Hohenstern

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders among the veteran population can impact numerous aspects of a veteran's life, including self-esteem, relationships, employment, and legal issues. The Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP) at the Saint Cloud, Minnesota VA Healthcare System is a program that provides residential treatment for this population. Identifying practical and beneficial treatment methods promotes better coping mechanisms for veterans and impacts social change by providing timely and cost-efficient care for veterans, while also leading the way for overall changes and improvements in other VA residential treatment programs. This study identified how …

Psychological Characteristics Of Sex Offenders, Patrick Mcmunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current therapeutic treatment methods are ineffective in identifying at-risk sex offenders and reducing recidivism of known offenders, likely due to inadequate identification of specific traits of sex offenders. Previous research and prominent theories in the area of sex offender treatment, in terms of the biological foundation of substance abuse, behaviors of sex offenders, and the presence of aggression, helped to guide this research. Data about sex offenders were collected, as reported by mental health professionals who treat them and focused on three characteristics: maladaptive interpersonal behaviors, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors, on which the research questions were formed to detect commonality. …

Juvenile Offender Risk Factors Associated With Participation In Diversion Programs And Recidivism, Latasha Lavette Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although reducing recidivism among juvenile offenders is an important goal of the criminal justice system and diversion programs are known to reduce recidivism, little is known about the risk factors associated with participation in diversion programs or recidivism. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the juvenile offender risk factors associated with participation in diversion programs and recidivism. Social learning theory was the theoretical framework. The key research questions focused on how juvenile offenders'€™ demographic characteristics, risk factors, and participation in different types of diversion programs were associated with recidivism. Archival data from a large juvenile justice agency …

Certainty Versus Suspicion: Incapacitated Sexual Assault On Campus, Amanda Ellen Quade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One in four women experience sexual assault during college. With rates of sexual assault on college campuses continuing to increase, the need for advanced analysis utilizing contemporary variables is justified. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare two groups of female college-attending students. One group was certain and the other suspected that they were sexually assaulted while incapacitated (independent variables). Dependent variables compared between groups were offender type (interest on offenders with fraternal affiliations), law enforcement reporting decisions, and barriers to reporting sexual assault. Four research questions measured whether there was a statistically significant difference amongst the dependent …

High School Students' Perceptions Of Safety Concerns Predicts School Avoidance, Ann Marie Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School violence is a growing concern and an impending danger for American youth. Students' perceptions of violent school incidents may lead to fear and this fear may lead to school avoidance. Although researchers have found that teenage pregnancy and working to support family are two of the main reasons that students stay home from school, there has been no research conducted on whether students' perceptions of safety concerns, solely focusing on the presence of guns, gangs, student bullying, and fear of victimization, predict their decision to stay home from school. Therefore, based on social disorganization and resilience theories, the purpose …

Examining The Utility Of The Hexaco-Pi-R For Predicting Positive And Negative Indicators Of Police Officer Performance, Angela Marie Ripley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Identifying behaviors that are either counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) or organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) may assist law enforcement agencies in selecting and aligning police officers for the various roles asked of them. The 6 dimensions of personality are not currently being used in law enforcement agencies to predict overall job performance of police officers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which the 6 personality dimensions as measured by the HEXACO Personality Inventory Revised (HEXACO-PI-R) predicted overall indicators (OCB and CWB) of police officer job performance. A sample of 51 police officers from a variety …

Effects Of Psychiatric Hospital Closures On Local Jail Administrators, Correctional Staff, And Inmates, Mark Christian Lasko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A series of psychiatric hospital closures has led to a movement of care for individuals with mental illness from state-run facilities to managed care centers. Many of the individuals who no longer reside in psychiatric hospitals have become ensnared in the criminal justice system. Correctional facilities have an increased burden to care for the needs of the mentally ill, but lack the training and facilities to do so adequately. In this study, the lived experiences of correctional staff who have experienced the process of a hospital closure were examined. Psychiatric rehabilitation and gatekeeper theories served as the theoretical framework for …