Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Observed Maternal Social Coaching Strategies And Early Adolescents' Social Adjustment, Natalie Low

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This observational investigation had two aims. The first aim was to examine the direct associations between maternal social coaching strategies and adolescents’ social outcomes. The second aim was to assess whether adolescents’ trait perspective taking and empathic concern are moderators of the relationship between maternal social coaching strategies and adolescents’ social outcomes. Sixty-four early adolescents (Mage=12.38 years old) and their primary female caregiver participated in the study. The majority of caregivers were biological mothers (n = 61). The sample consisted of 41 girls (64.1%) and 23 boys (35.9%). Mothers and their early adolescents were video recorded discussing typical hypothetical peer-related …

Not A Good Fit For The Job: An Intersectional Study Of Occupational Stereotypes In The Field Of Technology, Jesus Jose Martinez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Occupational stereotypes are preconceived notions about specific occupations, the people in those occupations, or one’s fit with an occupation (Lipton et al., 1991). Previous studies of occupational stereotyping have been useful to understand the impact of single demographic characteristics (e.g., gender; King et al., 2006) and multiple demographic characteristics (i.e., race-gender interaction; Bertrand & Mullainathan, 2004) on hiring preferences. A set of three studies were conducted to expand the field’s understanding of fit with occupational stereotypes as a mechanism of discrimination toward multiple combinations of social groups in the technology field.

The goal of the first study was to establish …

An Observational Study Of Maternal Parenting Behavior And Adolescent Social Anxiety, Cassandra R. Mick

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Parenting behaviors, especially maternal parenting behaviors, have been implicated in the etiology and maintenance of adolescent Social Anxiety Disorder and its symptoms for decades. Following calls from meta-analyses and literature reviews for observational measurement of parenting behaviors and preliminary results from a pilot study reviewed here, this investigation sought to evaluate the utility of the undermining autonomous relatedness (UAR) index of the Autonomy and Relatedness Coding System as a path through which maternal social anxiety symptoms are transmitted to adolescents. A racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 64 early adolescents (Mage = 12.37; 53.1% White; 64.1% female) and their mothers …

Self-Compassion And Emotion Regulation As Predictors Of Disordered Eating, Mandira Srivastava

Masters Theses

Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors are becoming widespread, with individuals employing maladaptive compensatory strategies to cope with the distress and dissatisfaction with themselves that they face. Emotion regulation and self-compassion, both are well-researched areas, with their relationships with disordered eating also being an emerging area of interest. However, there is limited literature that has examined the relationships among the three constructs, wherein it has been reported that self-compassion and emotion regulation serve as predictors of disordered eating in individuals. The goal of this study was to look at the connections between emotion regulation and disordered eating, self-compassion and disordered eating, …

Parent Training Workshop For Children With Selective Mutism: A Randomized-Controlled Trial, Jacqueline M. Pabis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of a parent-based workshop for child anxiety adapted from a novel parent-based intervention, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). This study expanded upon the current literature as the intervention was conducted with a sample consisting of parents with children who have selective mutism (SM). The sample included 53 parents (Mage = 40.34 years, 98% female, 77.4% White) of children who have SM symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to the parent workshop condition (n = 26) or the waitlist control condition (n = 27). Participants in the workshop condition completed a 6-week …

Characteristics Of Sickle Cell Trait Policies And Procedures At Ncaa Division Iii Institutions, M A. Eilers, B J. Warner, D M. Gallegos, J A. Clark, S A. Cage

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Context: In 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) introduced a proposal addressing sickle cell trait screening. This proposal later became a policy that required student-athletes in their first year of eligibility to provide their institution with accurate information regarding their sickle cell trait status. There does not appear to be a recent study published that has examined the sickle cell trait screening policy and procedures currently being used by NCAA Division III Institutions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of sickle cell trait policies and procedures at NCAA Division III institutions. Methods: We used …

Is More, Better? Relationships Of Multiple Psychological Well-Being Facets With Cardiometabolic Disease, Anna-Josée Guimond, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Julia K. Boehm, Farah Qureshi, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Assessments of psychological well-being taken at one time point are linked to reduced cardiometabolic risk, but psychological well-being may change over time and how longitudinal trajectories of psychological well-being may be related to CMD risk remains unclear. Furthermore, psychological well-being is a multidimensional construct comprised of distinct facets, but no work has examined whether sustaining high levels of multiple facets may confer additive protection. This study tested if trajectories of four psychological well-being facets would be associated with lower risk of self-reported nonfatal CMD. Method: Participants were …

The Syndemic Landscape: A New Paradigm For Montana Suicide Prevention Grounded In Agricultural Renewal, Emory Chandler Padgett

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana has had one of the highest suicide rates in the nation for half a century, and since 2000, it has risen almost 50%. Despite suicide’s alarming persistence in the state, there has been minimal academic study of suicide or mental health specifically in Montana, so this thesis attempts to answer a few questions: Why does Montana have such a high suicide rate? Is there something culturally, historically, or socially unique about Montana that contributes to suicide? Are current prevention efforts helpful, harmful, or lacking? Could a consideration of culture and land benefit an understanding of suicide in Montana? What …

Understanding The Underidentification Of Autism In Native American Students, Emily A. Brooke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

School psychologists are called upon to promote nondiscriminatory practices that ensure equity and fairness for all youth, including racially minoritized students. Despite being overrepresented in almost every other disability category of special education, Native American students nationwide are underrepresented within the category of autism. The current study focuses on factors within educators that might lead to the underidentification of Native American students with autism. In alignment with the cultural humility model, and the tripartite model of multicultural competence embedded within it, the current study explored 36 educators’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills as they relate to the culturally responsive assessment of …

Does Having Siblings Affect Caretaking Responses To Infants?, Kaitlin Rose Duskin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Infant facial cues affect a variety of caretaking-related responses in adults. These effects have primarily been explored as they relate to parental care, however infants receive care from others who are not their parents and it would be important for any caregiver, regardless of parental status, to respond to infant cues effectively. Because siblings often fulfill a caregiver role in the home, this study investigated whether having siblings, younger siblings in particular, influences the way in which adults respond to infant cues. Contrary to my predictions, the findings in this study indicate that having siblings does not influence how rewarding …

Does The Thatcher Effect Extend To Infant Faces?, Sarang Jew

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Decades of research on the mechanisms of face processing have demonstrated that humans rely heavily on configural processing strategies when viewing faces. However, this work has been done using almost exclusively adult facial stimuli. More recently, researchers have proposed that infant faces may elicit different neural activity and behavioral responses than adult faces. These observed differences may start at the very early stages of face processing (i.e., the structural encoding occurring within 200ms of seeing a face). However, no studies to date have explored potential differences in processing strategies used for infant faces compared to adult faces. The current study …

Blood Metabolites Predicting Mild Cognitive Impairment In The Study Of Latinos-Investigation Of Neurocognitive Aging (Hchs/So), Shan He, Einat Granot-Hershkovitz, Ying Zhang, Jan Bressler, Wassim Tarraf, Bing Yu, Tianyi Huang, Donglin Zeng, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Melissa Lamar, Martha Daviglus, Maria J Marquine, Jianwen Cai, Thomas Mosley, Robert Kaplan, Eric Boerwinkle, Myriam Fornage, Charles Decarli, Bruce Kristal, Hector M Gonzalez, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Blood metabolomics-based biomarkers may be useful to predict measures of neurocognitive aging.

METHODS: We tested the association between 707 blood metabolites measured in 1451 participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and global cognitive change assessed 7 years later. We further used Lasso penalized regression to construct a metabolomics risk score (MRS) that predicts MCI, potentially identifying a different set of metabolites than those discovered in individual-metabolite analysis.

RESULTS: We identified 20 metabolites predicting prevalent MCI and/or global cognitive change. Six of them were novel and 14 were previously reported as …

Dystonia Patients' Use Of Mindfulness To Address Pain, Diana Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative, phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of 10 women who used mindfulness to alleviate their chronic pain associated with cervical dystonia (CD). Individuals who suffer from CD face challenges related to symptom management and the psychological effects from experiencing chronic pain. Since treatments for CD are limited and pharmacological options to treat chronic pain, like opioids, can lead to addictions, individuals with CD may seek non-pharmacological treatment options. Women, 18-60 years of age were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. Bandura’s self-regulation theory provided a framework for this study. Results from this study found that …

The Mother-Daughter Attachment-Bond In Adulthood After Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dionne Carla Dauphin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildhood sexual abuse (CSA) may have a significant impact on the attachment bond between adult women and their mothers when CSA is disclosed during childhood. When CSA is known by the mother during the period of abuse, and she failed to intervene on behalf of her daughter, there can be long-lasting effects on the mother-daughter attachment bond in the future. There is a gap in the research literature regarding the attachment bond between the mother-daughter dyad in adulthood influenced by CSA known by the mother during the period of abuse. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the …

Role Of Social Media In Adolescent-Parent Relationships Among At-Risk Youths, Jennifer Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media has been linked to online crimes and cyberbullying among 88% of teens. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of adolescent and parent social media use on adolescents reported at-risk behaviors, as well as the role of social media among at-risk youths and their parents using the attachment theory. An interpretive phenomenological analysis design was used in this study to describe relationships between adolescents and their parents involving social media use and reported at-risk behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were performed with a total of six pairs of individuals resulting in 12 total participants. There were four …

Parenting Style Influence On Future Criminal Behaviors Among Adopted Children In Mozambique, Neidi De Carvalho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adoption is the process by which an adult legally becomes the parent of a child. This results in the child having the protection of a family and the same rights as a biological child. In Mozambique, there is a lack of research concerning the parenting practices of adoptive parents. This study was conducted to identify the parenting styles of Mozambican adoptive parents to determine if these parenting practices affect the well-being of the adopted child. In this qualitative study, data were collected through virtual interviews with four adoptive parents. Interviews were transcribed manually, and participants confirmed the accuracy of the …

Non Reporting Of Sexual Victimization In Male Prisoners, Christopher Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault within prisons continues to occur despite federally mandated safety protocols and reporting procedures. Male inmates must also navigate the challenge of upholding societal gender norms to meet the ideal of hegemonic masculinity as identified in Gender Order Theory. Seven formerly incarcerated males were interviewed for this study. The interviews were designed to explore four relevant topical points which explored the roles that stereotypical/hegemonic masculinity traits play in the reporting of sexual victimization in males who were sexually victimized during incarceration. 2) The role gender roles stress/conflict play in the reporting of sexual victimization in males who were sexually …

Mental Health Providers’ Perspectives: The Link Between Childhood Trauma, Juvenile Delinquency And Long-Term Effects, Vanay Lashon Frederick-Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile delinquency is an ongoing problem in society and is detrimental as many delinquents have mental and behavioral health issues. Delinquency is costly to society, and it was found that many delinquents have a traumatic past or adverse childhood experiences. They include child abuse and neglect, loss, separation/divorce of parents, witnessing domestic violence, parents who struggle with mental health and/or drug and substance abuse, parents who have their own trauma, death of a loved one, natural disaster, or other tragedies that are linked to an increase in the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. In this study, the relationship between juvenile delinquency …

Sense Of Belonging, Achievement Motivation, And Goal Attainment Through The Lens Of Transgender Activists, Donella Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It was not known how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influence their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Using the theory of achievement motivation, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Two topics guided this study: how transgender activists' community participation influenced their sense of belonging and how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivation to achieve and personal goal attainment. Thematic analysis was used to identify five themes collected …

Motivation And Statistics Anxiety Among Adult Online Learners: The Mediating Role Of Self-Regulated Learning, Angela Hubbard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who experience statistics anxiety have reported struggling with academic performance, an increase in academic dishonesty, and an aversion to careers or majors that are perceived to rely on statistical skills. Research has suggested that statistics anxiety is related to lower levels of motivation; however, it remains unknown if, or to what extent, self-regulated learning skills, including management of time and effort, complex cognitive strategy use, simple cognitive strategy use, contacts with others, and academic thinking may play a role in the relationship between motivation and statistics anxiety. This research study relies on the theoretical foundation of social cognitive theory, …

The Experience Of Affection Expressed Between Black Male Friends, David Manning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAffectionate communication supports the maintenance and sustenance of long-term relationships for the purposes of survival and procreation. Friendship has been identified as one of the most significant relationships throughout an individual’s lifespan, supporting improved mental and physical health. This qualitative study explored the expressions of affection experienced within Black male friend dyads. Two research questions were posed, what is the experience of Black men receiving and giving affection to other Black men within the context of friendships? Also, are the affectionate needs of Black men being met within their Black male friendships? Affectionate exchange theory and social learning theory were …

The Lived Experience Of Individuals Thinking About Food And Coping With Stress, Tobi Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress results in many people altering their eating patterns, often consuming food high in sugar and fat. Such behavior is a factor in the growing obesity epidemic and can potentially cause the development of chronic diseases, resulting in employment problems and billions of extra dollars spent on national health care programs. Researchers have focused on the concept of “emotional eating” while overlooking the overarching research question of this study, which was about exploring the experience of individuals using eating behavior as a coping mechanism to deal with stress. All responses were viewed through the lens of social cognitive theory. Interviews …

Overeating As A Coping Response To Workplace Gender Discrimination: The Role Of Resilience And Social Support, Rosemarie Charmain Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender discrimination in the workplace continues to be a persistent source of stress for women even after 5 decades of antidiscrimination legislation in the United States. Women are more likely than men to cope with stress by overeating, which is a risk factor for chronic illnesses and obesity. Much less is known about the protective factors that could weaken the association between perceived stress and overeating. The purpose of this quantitative study was to address this gap in the literature by examining whether resilience and social support are moderators of the overeating response for women who have experienced gender discrimination …

The Mediating And Moderating Relationship Between Cultural Intelligence Dimensions, Kisstopher Musick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of knowledge sharing has led to increased deaths during the pandemic as well as cooperate revenue losses in the billions. Cultural intelligence (CQ) increases knowledge sharing because the creation of laws, public and corporate policies, and personal biases are founded in culture. To raise CQ in the real-world, developers of training programs need information regarding how the construct develops. The purpose of this study was to provide more information regarding the development of CQ, specifically testing higher-order and indirect relations between cognitive and behavioral CQ. A sample of 225 SurveyMonkey audience members completed the surveys. The results showed that …

Self-Efficacy And Perceived Susceptibility As Predictors Of Condom Use Among African American Males, Karla Nash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) is a disease that claims lives on a global scale, and correct condom use reduces the likelihood of infection by 10 to 20 times. African-American males are at increased risk for contracting HIV/AIDS compared to the general population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between self-efficacy, susceptibility, and condom use in Californian African-American men using the health belief model as a theoretical guide. One hundred and five African American men between the ages of 18 and 35 years were recruited through local barber shops, sports and recreation centers, churches, and social …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Interoception, Cognitive Flexibility, And Posttraumatic Growth, Sheaneh Sattari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiencing a traumatic event is a common occurrence within the world population. Researchers have found post-traumatic growth (PTG) occurs in individuals who grow, adapt, and change after experiencing a trauma. Through the lens of adaptation and neuroplasticity frameworks, cognitive flexibility and interoception can be regarded as forms of change and growth. However, scholarly literature was deficient in the investigation of the possible associations between interoception, cognitive flexibility, and PTG in individuals with histories of trauma. The purpose of this nonexperimental cross-sectional correlation study was to find the combined effect and relative importance of cognitive flexibility and interoception in accounting for …

The Lived Experience Of Older, Independent Residents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Karen Graeb Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing older population confronting the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic have a story to tell of their experiences that may influence the way society confronts future pandemics. Little research has been done on older adults in independent living communities and their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to fill that gap using the biopsychosocial model as a framework to guide the exploration of the research question addressing the lived experiences of older, independent residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a basic qualitative analysis design, a purposive sample of 10 participants from a continuing care retirement community were …

Clinicians’ Experiences Working With Noncontact Sex Offenders, Jaclyn Nicole Stapleton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Exploring the unique relationship between therapists and their noncontact sex offender clients can provide additional insight into the complexity of clinicians' occupations. The goal of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the personal experiences felt by mental health clinicians (psychologists, social workers, nurses) when working with noncontact sex offenders in a clinical setting. The theoretical framework of this study was guided by a psychosocial approach of cognitive dissonance and self-perception theory, which emphasized the development of defined behaviors and thoughts concerning physical and mental health. The data were collected from in-depth interviews with eight clinicians who treated and assessed …

Investigating The Experiences Of Foster Youth On Community College Campuses, Jerrica Stimage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At the age of 18, foster youth are considered adults and typically released from the state’s custody and left alone to transition into adulthood with little to no support. The lack of support that these youth experience forces many of them to seek refuge at colleges and universities. Prior to completing this study, I discovered that there is no current research that explores the lived experiences of former foster youth in the state of Mississippi or the challenges that they may face when transitioning to a community college in the state of Mississippi. The focus of this research study was …

The Efficacy Of Juvenile Treatment Program Services As Evidenced By Posttreatment Re-Offenses, Michelle R. Valenzuela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe determination of whether juvenile intervention programs are effective in the reduction of future delinquency has been an ongoing research concern among scholars for over a century. Researchers have established that intervention programs are helpful for some juveniles but have not determined if intervention treatment outcomes continued beyond adolescence. The purpose of this quantitative study was to address the efficacy of services provided within juvenile intervention programs. This study addressed these gaps in previous research, focusing on the services provided within the intervention program and outcomes of continued delinquent behaviors beyond 3 years using multiple regression analysis. Social control theory …