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The Impact Of Coach-Created Motivational Climate On Athletes’ Mental Health And The Mitigating Effects Of Psychological Safety And Psychological Resiliency, Shir Wasserman

Dissertations, 2020-current

With the growing importance of athletes’ mental health in sport, there is an escalating need for understanding the multifaceted nature of the concept, including related individual and environmental factors (Nixdorf et al., 2023). Previous studies suggest that athletes’ engagement with their social environment can potentially influence their mental health outcomes (Reis, 2001). Additionally, studies examining the coach-athlete relationship have consistently affirmed the significance of this connection to various athlete-related outcomes, including aspects of mental health and overall well-being (Jowett & Shanmagum, 2016). Therefore, this study explored the relationship between coach-created motivational climate, athletes' mental health, and the mitigating effects of …

Relationship Between Student Physical Therapist Pain Knowledge, Beliefs, And Self-Efficacy Assessing And Treating Pain, Ryan Morgan Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects a large percentage of the population. According to recent studies, chronic pain management is best treated using a biopsychosocial (BPS) non-pharmacological approach rather than a biomedical (BM) approach. Student Physical Therapists (SPTs) trained in a BPS approach have different beliefs about pain than those trained in the BM approach. Beliefs about pain are related to pain knowledge and self-efficacy for treating pain patients. To date, no study has examined these three variables together or explored differences in BM versus BPS beliefs in relationship to the other two variables. Guided by social cognitive …

A Radical Ethnography Of Asian American Mental Health, Sofia Huang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S. both historically and currently impacts the Asian American community, leading to widespread fear and negative mental health consequences for Asian Americans. This has been widely discussed in the media due to the rise in anti-Asian rhetoric and attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, psychological literature does not typically address the effects of the history and politics of Asian America on Asian American mental health. In particular, psychological literature does not engage with radical political perspectives which situate Asian American mental health within the broader context of structural oppression and processes of racialization. This …

The Impact Of Kangaroo Care (Kc) On Parent Stress, Infant Neurobehavioral Regulation, And Parent-Infant Attachment In Very And Extremely Preterm Infants, Justine Vecchiarelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the high-risk population of infants born atinfants, developmental delays in infants, and parent-infant relationship disruption. Kangaroo care (KC) has shown promise as an intervention to buffer these adverse effects, however, KC engagement in NICUs is obstructed by lack of clear guidelines. Furthermore, limited research exists on KC including infants born atoutcomes, infant behavioral/developmental outcomes, and parent-infant relationship outcomes conjointly. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine the impact of kangaroo care engagement on precursors of adverse outcomes including parent stress, infant neurobehavioral organization, and parent-infant bonding with the intent of informing clinical practice. Data was …

Effect Of A Systematic Mindfulness Intervention On Student Internalizing, Externalizing, And Adaptive Behaviors, Akshita Nayyar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to Bouchrika (2020), on a scale of 10, American teens rated their stress rate at an average of 5.8, whereas the average stress rate for adults is 3.8. Children with more school problems tend to have more negative and fewer emotions at school and at bedtime (Bai & Repetti, 2017). The most common stressors reported by school-aged children include excessive homework, unrealistic expectations from parents and coaches, peer pressure, standardized testing, and after-school activities (Ryan-Wenger et al., 2005). Schools can address these concerns by providing mental health services within their school settings by collaborating with community agencies within their …

Exploring Sexual- And Gender-Minority Adolescent's Use Of Online Spaces As A Potential Socio-Ecological Protective Factor, Courtney Hassan

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of online resources for support in SGM youth with the goal of informing the potential use of these supports as tools for suicide prevention in this population. Six students from a high school in a large school district in Southern New Hampshire who identify as LGBTQ+ participated in a focus group exploring what their lived experiences are in the context of using online spaces for support, as presented using a socio-ecological model. Qualitative data from the focus group session was analyzed using thematic analysis and eight themes emerged from the …

School Psychological Practices Within Personality Assessment Of Non-Binary Youth, Christian Fary

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The following analysis provides the school psychology community with a discussion pertaining to the assessment of personality, particularly with Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binary students. This student population faces greater mental health concerns and faces a higher amount of discrimination. Emerging research has shown that this population faces a higher risk for developing both mood disorders and harmful behaviors to themselves. The use of personality assessments provides practitioners with a vast look into many facets of mood, personality, and behavior. These measures can look deeper into behavior, especially internalizing behaviors, which can be useful for students with depression and other mood …

Investigating Help-Seeking Behaviors Of Adult Children With Parents With Mental Health Conditions, Logan Dasher

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This study intended to address the topic of mental health and help-seeking behaviors in college-aged children of a parent with a mental health condition. For this study a locally developed survey was administered on three different days with six different sessions that participants were able to sign up for. Participants were all volunteers from a preexisting subject pool at one southeastern public university who received course credit for participating. In total, 34 college-aged children signed up and completed the entirety of the survey. From their response, descriptive statistics and frequency analysis were run and open-ended qualitative questions were explored for …

Emotional Response In Working Memory Of Individuals With Latent Toxoplasmosis, Antonella Quimbayo

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent parasite that infects about 30% of the world population. House cats and other felids serve as definitive hosts and acquire Toxoplasma by consuming infected prey, which are intermediate hosts. This includes rats and avians, but also large mammals such as wolves and deer. Toxoplasma gondii is known to manipulate prey behavior to enhance its transmission. For example, infected rodents demonstrates attraction to and curiosity around cat urine. Wolves infected with Toxoplasma were 11 times more likely to disperse from their pack and start a new pack. The manipulation of intermediate host behavior observed in rodents …

Help Seeking Experiences Of Asian American Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mellanie Kristelle Roxas De Guzman

Doctoral Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has become more widely understood and accepted by the general and professional populations. However, self and social stigma related to ASD persist and continue to negatively impact help-seeking behaviors. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews guided by an ecological systems model, to explore the lived experiences of 11 Asian American (AsAm) parents residing in the greater San Francisco Bay Area with a child with ASD. A thematic analysis framework was utilized. A total of six themes and six subthemes emerged from this study and included: (1) comparisons, (2) stigma, (3) resilience, (4) support for services, (5) …

Development Of A Multidimensional Measure Of Wellbeing For Emerging Adults Utilizing A Convergent Parallel Mixed Method Design, Kelley Marie Wick

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Attempting to conceptualize wellbeing is difficult, and the current research literature does not offer a standard definition that encapsulates the complexity of this construct, nor has there been a thorough consideration the impact of culture and societal standards of behavior on wellbeing. Additionally, the emergence of a new developmental period between adolescence and true adulthood (emerging adulthood) offers an additional layer of nuance, as many of the traditional scales currently used to measure wellbeing are inappropriate for emerging adults. A major gap in the current research literature is the reluctance in developing measures with the help of the target population. …

Self-Efficacy’S Mediating Role On The Relationship Between Personality And Depression In The Unemployed, Christina Tran

Master's Theses

Depression affects 1 in 5 unemployed individuals, holding rank as one of the most prevalent negative effects of unemployment in the United States. Personality is often considered a predictor of the development of depressive symptoms during unemployment however, there is little research to explain the relationship between personality and depression. The purpose of this study was to expand on the relationship between personality and depressive symptoms in the American unemployed population by testing self-efficacy’s mediating effect between personality and depressive symptoms in the American unemployed population. A sample of 121 participants, who were either currently or recently unemployed, completed an …

The Influence Of Internet Media On Young Adult Development, Michael A. Ouellette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examines from a Christian worldview how free will, regarded as God's greatest gift, is now being shaped by human influence. New treatment methods become essential to adapt to the media-changing world and help with developmental delays. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory lite study was to explore Internet media’s influence on young adults in Quebec, Canada. Data on Internet media demographics, social behavior, identity, influence, emotional self-regulation, and moral decision-making were collected by conducting twelve semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews with young adults in Quebec. The responses were coded into six primary themes, with an intercoder conducting a cross-verification …

Violent Outcomes In Adult Males Raised In Absent Biological Father Homes During Early Childhood, Wallace Robert Ascencio

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The absence of a biological father during early childhood can evoke numerous and often potentially violent or life-altering adverse outcomes for adult males during adulthood. Research on the long-term effects of father absence on adult men raised without a biological father during early childhood has garnered considerable attention among institutions, U.S. policymakers, and criminologists. The goal of this research was to extrapolate data related to the absent father phenomenon in Southeastern Washington state and how it leads to violent outcomes in adult males. This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study used structured interviews and assessments to explore the lived experiences and outcomes …

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Survivors: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Post-Traumatic Growth, Quality Of Life, And Unmet Mental Health Needs, Carla Horton Gray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to investigate levels of PTSD, PTG, QOL, their relationships, and unmet mental health needs of triple-negative breast cancer survivors diagnosed between stages 2b-4 and 2-5 years post-treatment. Participants were recruited through two cancer organizations, breast health navigators, TNBC support groups, and online breast cancer support groups. Sixty-one participants completed the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). Thirty participants completed the optional short answer questions about unmet mental health needs. Participants’ mean score of 48 (SD=12.22) on the PCL-C was higher than 44, PTSD scores …

The Lived Experiences Of Cisheteronormativity By Nonbinary Sexual Assault Survivors, Emma Jackson Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender minorities experience higher rates of sexual assault (SA) victimization and psychological distress, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than their cisgender counterparts. Nonbinary individuals, in particular, face elevated levels of victimization, post assault distress, and unique barriers to receiving competent care both in general and specific to their assault experiences. Current research highlights the need for culturally competent care for nonbinary and transgender individuals, as well as for SA survivors. Although the experiences of SA survivors have been previously explored, specific information regarding the experiences of nonbinary survivors remains scarce. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study, grounded in Heideggerian …

Beyond ‘Manning Up’: The Impact Of Hegemonic Masculinity & Gender Norms On Mental Health Help-Seeking Among College Men, Joslyn Barragan

Master's Theses

This narrative inquiry study was conducted to explore college men's conceptualization of masculinity and gender norms and their relationship with mental health-related help-seeking behaviors. Through semi-structured interviews with seven men, I gathered their perceptions of mental health support and the obstacles they encountered in accessing it. Drawing from Connell's conceptualization of masculinities, this study locates their narratives within the broader framework of societal expectations, highlighting the complexities of men's attitudes and behaviors toward mental health counseling. Ultimately, five critical narratives were discovered: a) Initial models of masculinity emerge through socialization; b) Men encounter barriers to mental health care from all …

Emergent Themes In Identity Development For Transracial Adoptees: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Andrew G. Cecil

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the identity development processes of transracial adoptees in college, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of individuals from this community through in-depth interviewing. This study identified nine superordinate themes and eighteen sub-themes providing knowledge on the dynamic processes of multidimensional identity development of transracial adoptees in college. Despite variability and differences across participant experiences, these themes function as major paradigms illustrating participants’ understanding of their respective identity development and lived experiences. The results of this study may serve as a basis for further exploration of transracial adoptees’ identity …

Five A Day, The Rainbow Way: A Nutrition Education Toolkit For Elementary School Aged Children, Sasha Menard

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Learning Outcome: Develop a nutrition educational toolkit based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) for obesity prevention among elementary school-aged children by improving determinants of fruit and vegetable intake.

Background: Poor consumption of fruits and vegetables is a major contributing factor to childhood obesity, increasing the risk for chronic diseases later in life. There is a need for multicomponent nutrition educational tools to influence children to improve their eating behavior by increasing their awareness and self-efficacy. The current project describes the development of a 3-component toolkit for improving participants’ knowledge and values related to fruit and vegetable intake among 6-11-year-olds.

Methods: …

African American Men’S Pursuit Of Leadership Roles In White-Collar Professions: A Qualitative Study, Quincy Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to examine the context of minority leadership for African American men to identify how African Americans’ physiological, safety, security, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs impact their desire to seek leadership roles in white-collar settings while understanding modern implications of their experiences. Previously, there have been discrepancies in terms of managerial roles, specifically top management, which has contributed to addressing potential variables that influence lack of minority leadership in white-collar organizations. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory was used. Purposive and snowball sampling strategies were used to identify 21 participants for this qualitative study via one-on-one …

Essential Resource Barriers And Perceived Implications Among Military Parents Of Autistic Children, Ann Bayron-Freay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elevated mental health issues and health care accessibility challenges may be exacerbated by the stressors experienced by military parents of autistic children. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore how military parents with autistic children experienced and perceived essential resource barriers. Parent perceptions of the obstacles they experienced with essential resource accessibility led to significant difficulties being identified. The stress process model was used to frame the concepts in this research. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with eight active duty or recently retired military parents who had at least one autistic child during their service. Themes …

Affect Regulation And Allostatic Load Over Time, Amanda E. Ng, Tara Gruenewald, Robert-Paul Juster, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Emerging work suggests that affect regulation strategies (e.g., active coping, anger expression) predict disease and mortality risk, with sometimes divergent estimates by sex or education levels. However, few studies have examined potential underlying biological mechanisms. This study assessed the longitudinal association of affect regulation with future allostatic load.

Method

In 2004–2006, 574 participants from the Midlife in the United States study completed validated scales assessing use of nine general and emotion-specific regulatory strategies (e.g., denial, anger expression). As a proxy for how flexibly participants regulate their affect, variability in the use of regulatory strategies was operationalized using a standard …

Educational Experiences Of Juvenile Offenders In Minnesota, Danielle Petruska

Theses and Graduate Projects

Objective of Study. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of positive adult/teacher relationships in juvenile detention educational settings in Minnesota on juvenile offenders’ perceptions of school, as well as their future plans for attending college after high school. Method. Data were obtained from the 2019 administration of the Minnesota Student Survey, involving 280 juvenile offenders (83 girls) from correctional educational facilities. Hypotheses were tested using correlational analyses to examine the relationship between perceived adult/teacher relationships and school perceptions, as well as the association between these relationships and post-high school plans. Results. Results revealed …

The Effects Of People, Time Of Day, And Season On Affiliative And Stereotypic Behaviors In Captive Rhinoptera Bonasus And Other Rays Across Two Human-Interactive Enclosures, Wren C. A. Newman

Theses and Dissertations

Cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) are among the most common species found in aquaria, yet the impact of touch enclosures on their welfare remains largely unknown. While research on animal-visitor interactions has produced mixed results for other species, the lack of studies focusing on fish welfare poses a risk of overlooking potential welfare concerns. Therefore, we aimed to establish a baseline for cownose rays regarding stereotypic behaviors, sociality, and activity in captivity, and to examine the influence of human interaction on these behaviors. We collected over 700 hours of footage from two enclosures at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ …

Sex Differences In The Diets Of Forest-Dwelling Baboons (Papio Anubis), Kara Hartunian

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to eat and switch between many food sources is an adaptative feeding strategy utilized for meeting nutritional needs across different environments, seasons, and physiological conditions. Baboons (genus Papio) excel at both dietary flexibility and foraging selectively, and consequently have one of the most widespread geographic distributions in the Order. To further expand to our understanding of baboon feeding ecology, I analyzed foraging activity and the nutritional characteristics of the diets of the relatively understudied rainforest baboons (Papio anubis) living in Kibale National Park, Uganda. I also investigated if there are differences in food type choice …

Maternal And Other Social Influences On Signature Whistle Structure Of A Captive Group Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Riley Synan

Theses and Dissertations

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are social animals that use acoustics as a major method of communicating across a marine environment. They also live in fission-fusion groups and thus interact with many conspecifics over a lifetime. Individual dolphins have a signature whistle that functions as an identity call and serves to maintain group cohesion in murky waters or during reconciliation. Dolphins exhibit vocal learning and the signature whistle of a calf may be modeled after the whistle of their mother or another individual in the pod as they develop. Mother-calf pairs or other related animals sometimes have similar whistle types. Some …

Assessing Comprehension And Competence In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) On The Concept: Do Something Different, Charlotte M. Mulligan

Theses and Dissertations

Many studies have been conducted using a training paradigm based on the research of Pryor et al. (1969) wherein the participants are trained on the abstract concept: do something different. This paradigm challenges working memory and requires the participants to respond with a behavior, either previously trained or novel, which has not yet been offered within the session. The work of Braslau-Schneck (1994) expanded this concept and demonstrated the ability of dolphins to successfully complete this task in synchronized pairs, though the method of accomplishing this task remained unclear. The present research was conducted as part of a broader …

A Quantitative Examination Of Tobacco And Marijuana Use On Oral Health Outcomes Among Young Adults In Texas, Meenakshi Dasagi

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

This dissertation aimed to quantify the relationship between methods of tobacco and marijuana use and their impact on oral health. Tobacco use was defined as smoking combustible tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, and hookah) or electronic aerosolized vaping nicotine with an e-cigarette.5,9 Similarly, marijuana use was defined as smoking combustible marijuana (joints, blunts, and spliffs) or vaping marijuana with an e-cigarette.8 Despite the prevalence of nicotine vaping and marijuana use among young adults1,3-4,7,14-15, there is limited evidence of their association with oral health in Texas. To address this issue, this dissertation comprising three studies analyzed longitudinal data from the Texas Adolescent Tobacco …

Gender As A Predictor Of Parent-Teacher Discrepancies In Child Adhd Evaluations: Consideration Of Gender Bias, Kaitlyn M. Saunders

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to advance the current literature on the relationship between informant (parent and teacher) perceptions of ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity, inattention) and gender, considering possible gender bias. Previous research demonstrates that there are consistent differences in the prevalence of ADHD between boys and girls in childhood, between girls in childhood versus adult women, and in the sex-ratio between community versus clinical samples. The current literature is mixed regarding what is causing these discrepancies in prevalence of ADHD, particularly about whether gender bias is a contributing factor. Data was collected from parents and teachers of 116 children (50% male; 50% …

Improving Pedestrian Conspicuity At Night: Testing The Efficacy Of A Video-Based Educational Intervention, Morgan Mccree

All Theses

The majority of fatal crashes involving pedestrians occur at night. Insufficient conspicuity has been implicated as a causal factor in these crashes, and there is a critical need for innovative strategies to increase the nighttime conspicuity of pedestrians. This experiment investigated the efficacy of an 11-minute educational video aimed to teach road users about critical and relevant visual perception concepts (e.g., contrast, retroreflectivity, biological motion) that impact nighttime conspicuity. Fifty-four college students were randomly assigned to either watch the video (intervention; n=27) or not (control; n=27). Each participant provided quantitative judgments regarding the nighttime visibility of a pedestrian on an …