Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Parents' Pathological Social Media Engagement And Parenting Style On Delinquent Behavior Among Mexican American Adolescents, Martha Lilia Varela-Rios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The pathological use of social media is a growing problem for diverse groups today. For parents, the resulting detachment from their adolescent children, compromised communication, and limited monitoring of children's activities appear highly correlated with increased adolescent delinquency. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the predictive relationships between Mexican American parents’ pathological use of social media and their adolescent's delinquent behavior and between these parents’ parenting styles and their adolescent's delinquent behavior. Unhealthy parenting styles have also been associated with delinquency in adolescents. The theoretical foundation of the study was based on Bowlby’s attachment theory and …

Prison Medical Professionals’ Perspectives On Dignity In Death For End-Of-Life Inmates, Charlene Lupo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care requirements of older persons in prison are complicated, and many may require palliative care before their term is completed. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore perspectives on dignity in death for end-of-life inmates through the lens of nine prison medical professionals. Concepts of dignity provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected from one-to-one audio-recorded Zoom interviews and reflective literature articles. Axial coding and thematic data analysis were used to identify five themes: committed to their vocation, lack of services in administering proper health care, institutional barriers prohibiting death with dignity, …

Parents’ Perceptions Of Kinesthetic Learning And Academic Performance Among Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Beverly Mount

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle academically more than students without ADHD. Although kinesthetic learning, a motor and tactile style of experiential learning, has been found to benefit students generally, parents’ perceptions of it as an educational intervention for students with ADHD has not been examined. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ perceptions of kinesthetic learning and academic performance among students with ADHD. The experiential learning theory, which posits that learning occurs through experience, was the theoretical framework for the study. Eleven parents participated in an open-ended question interview ranging from 7 to 22 …

Grief Experiences Of Mothers After A Child’S Death From A Drug Overdose, Shonetesha L. Quail

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch on young adult deaths primarily focuses on other causes of death such as homicide, suicide, and accidents. There is very little research surrounding maternal bereavement when the cause of death is from a drug overdose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions, attitudes, and lived experiences of grieving mothers who had a biological, adopted, or stepchild die from a drug overdose when the decease’s age was between 18 and 25. Guided by Le Poi Devin’s multidimensional grief theory, the study sought a better understanding to assist mental health and other healthcare providers in developing individualized …

Factors Impacting Vicarious Traumatization In Metropolitan Law Enforcement Officers, Falisa Asberry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe exposure to work-related trauma and the relationship to gender, age, years of service, and education level and their impact on the development of vicarious traumatization (VT) on metropolitan law enforcement officers has been underexamined. This quantitative correlational study aimed to examine whether the mediating variable resilience, along with the independent variables gender, age, years of service, and level of education, impacted the dependent variable VT. The constructivist self-development theory and the resilience theory were used as the framework for the study. The professional quality of life scale was used to measure the independent variables and VT. The resilience scale …

Low Income African American Parents Experiences Managing Obese Young Children Weight Loss, Angela Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

February 2022 Abstract In the United States, 17% of children between the ages of two to 19 years are diagnosed with obesity more than any other chronic health condition. African American children living in the United States have an obesity rate of 22% compared to White children who have an obesity rate of 14.1%. These high obesity rates created situations in which these children are likely to experience significant lifelong health problems. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American parents of low-income managing weight-loss in their young children with obesity between …

The Role Of Child And Adult Sexual Fantasies And Criminal Paraphilia Involving Serial Sexual Murderers, Heather Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood trauma may be a reason a child develops maladaptive coping mechanisms such as sexual fantasies and paraphilia. These coping mechanisms increase in intensity, leading to sexual violence to gain a sense of power and control. Even though researchers have identified that serial sexual killers suffer from child and adult sexual fantasies and criminal paraphilia, details of the sexual fantasies and paraphilia have not been examined. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the role of child and adult sexual fantasies and criminal paraphilia involving serial sexual murderers. Hickey’s trauma-control model and relational paraphilic attachment theory …

Perceived Discrimination As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Allostatic Load And Asthma Control, Vera Kern

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While asthma prevalence in the United States is generally declining, African Americans tend to experience poorer outcomes regarding asthma severity and control. The purpose of the present study was to test whether discrimination (everyday and lifetime) moderated the relationship between allostatic load and asthma severity/asthma control (dyspnea and peak flow). In previous literature, researchers established the relationship between allostatic load and asthma severity/asthma control among African Americans. The biopsychosocial model and allostatic load theory served as the theoretical frameworks for this study. In this cross-sectional, nonexperimental, quantitative design, 201 African Americans between the ages of 34 and 82 years were …

Maternal Attachment And The Role Of Disparate Biology In Lesbian Co-Mothers, Annisha J. Peets

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lesbian co-mothers represent a unique population whose alternative family structure has received additional attention resulting from legal changes permitting same-sex marriage. Challenging the heteronormative status quo through lesbian mothering offers numerous facets of familial relationship development and dynamics worth exploring. Prior research has focused on exploring how adoptive lesbian co-mothers navigate the emotional connections to their children; however, it has not adequately explored how lesbian couples negotiate unequal biological ties to their children and the extent to which biology influences which mother forms a primary bond to the child. This study explored the disparate role of biology and any influences …

Exploration Of Religious Parents’ Involvement In Their Children’S Sexual Education, Helenita Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated that religious families influence the sexual education of their children. This qualitative phenomenological research addressed the research gap of how religious parents engage and communicate with their children concerning sexual education and sexuality. Bronfenbrenner’s multilevel ecological theory supported the notion of parents as first teachers developing the basis for socialization with family, relatives, neighbors, friends, church, schools, peer, and other groups in the community. The study included 10 qualitative data sets collected through guided interviews with parents in four separate conservative faith communities. Data analyses via explication process identified the major themes of self-preparation by parents, communicating …

Association Between Multicultural Counseling Graduate Training And Mental Health Professionals’ Self-Perceived Effectiveness, Janessa Liscette Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Special training is often needed for counseling professionals to meet the unique cultural needs of their clients. Previous researchers have suggested that larger samples of professional counselors are needed to better understand the presence of these multicultural skills and noted a dearth of research regarding the effects of training in multicultural counseling following graduation and among practitioners. Following the theory of multicultural counseling and therapy (MTCT), the research questions were tested by using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple linear regression to address the study of multicultural knowledge and multicultural awareness among counseling professionals who did and did not receive formal …

Mental Health Counselors’ Use Of Complementary And Alternative Approaches For Treating Individuals With Anxiety Disorders, Jane Rose Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide. Traditional counseling approaches do not address the evolving needs of individuals with anxiety disorders, and information is scarce regarding counselors’ use of complementary and alternative approaches in treating anxiety disorders. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to investigate whether counselors’ knowledge, perceptions, intentional practices, and openness predicted their use of complementary and alternative approaches in counseling individuals with anxiety disorders. The integrative mental health model for the conceptual framework guided this study. The research questions examined how five variables—spirituality, specialization, types of anxiety disorders treated, training, …

Relationships Between Social Bonds And Non-Reoffender Status Among Female Offenders, Tiffinny Beard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this quantitative longitudinal correlational study was to examine whether positive social bonds with caring, supportive family, prosocial peers, and spouses/partners were significantly predictive of non-reoffender status using archival data from a sample of female offenders who were under community supervision in the state of Michigan during the years 2011–2014. The study had three interval predictor variables: positive social bonds with family, prosocial peers, and spouse/partner. The dichotomous criterion variable was recidivism (i.e., reoffending within a three-year period). The study sample was 325 female offenders on probation or parole in Michigan during the years of 2011–2014. Most of …

The Biopsychosocial Impact Of Racial Discrimination Among African Americans, Amy Renae Amin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between racial discrimination and anger, stress, and obesity. The stress-disease model provided a theoretical perspective of the biological, psychological, and social pathways from stress. Past research regarding the correlation between racial discrimination, anger, stress, and obesity reported a possible connection, but results have been mixed. This research expanded upon existing literature that proposed that blatant or subtle experiences of racial discrimination are pathways to mental and physical health consequences. The hypothesis was that there was a significant relationship between racial discrimination and the levels of stress, anger, and obesity. Racial …

Gender Differences In The Mediation Between Childhood Abuse/Neglect And Trauma, Marc Samuel Cutler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood abuse/neglect is a consistent concern in the United States and is related to future physical and mental health concerns. Studies have shown that childhood abuse/neglect can result in negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and lower levels of self-compassion. However, less is known about how gender impacts the relationship between negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and self-compassion with trauma symptoms in those with a history of childhood abuse/neglect. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to measure the impact of gender on the mediating variables (negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and self-compassion) …

Coherence-Based Resilience Effects On Antenatal Autonomic Nervous System Stress Markers Controlled, Patrice Fortune

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAntenatal stress disrupts autonomic nervous system (ANS) equilibrium within the neuro-cardio-utero-placental (NCUP) structure perpetuating treatable conditions of depressive-based gestational hypertension disorders. The present ANS-based study of the NCUP system investigated the effect of coherence-based stress resilience (CBSR) post-4-week intervention. This quasi-experimental research design involved experimental (n = 8) and waitlist control (n = 3) conditions. Controlling for pretest values, quantitative pre-post methodology was used to assess the effect of CBSR to evaluate change in variables. Resultant of small sample size, significant findings are considered tentatively. Heart rate variability (p = 0.044), dehydroepiandrosterone/ dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (p = 0.142), Pregnancy Experience Scale …

Visual Looming Cues Increases The Auditory Looming Bias, Maggie K. Mccracken

Senior Independent Study Theses

Looming objects have been environmentally relevant cues throughout human evolution due to potential danger. Observers integrate both auditory and visual signals emitted by moving objects. While visual arrival time estimates are relatively more accurate, auditory estimates are anticipatory as observers perceive a moving sound source as arriving before it actually does. In the present study, participants made loudness change judgments of sounds presented unimodally or with visual motion. The sounds consisted of two intensity ranges and conditions included both looming and receding motion. The results showed that listeners perceived looming sounds as changing more in loudness than equivalent receding sounds. …

Are We Defined By Our Adversity? Examining The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma And Well-Being In Adulthood, Karabella Rose Hernandez

Senior Independent Study Theses

Much research has laid bare the significant negative impacts that childhood trauma can have on individuals’ lives; however, its relationships with other variables, including substance use, attachment, and self-esteem, are often unclear. Thus, the current study investigates the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological well-being in conjunction with the variables listed above. I predicted that childhood trauma would have significant relationships with well-being, substance use, attachment style, and self-esteem and also predicted that self-esteem would mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and well-being. Fifty-eighty (58) total participants, who were either clients or staff members of the mental health and substance …

A Missing Narrative: The Creation Of A Trauma-Informed Children’S Book For Children In The Foster Care System, Elizabeth Hoff Saunderson

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This article includes a review of literature relevant to the experiences of children in the foster care system including demographics, trauma and stressful experiences, attachment challenges, and useful interventions. Limited research has been conducted to inform resource tools for children in foster care. The aim of the present study was to create a trauma-informed resource tool for children in the foster care system in the form of a children’s book. A review of children’s books related to foster care yielded four major themes including the importance of mindful language, the need for a resource tool, a focus on safety, and …

Stem Inqueery: How Communion And Feminine Gender Expression Affects Lgbtq Individuals Pursuing Stem, Jasmine Elise Graham

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has examined why some US students, Black, Latinx, and women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, at least 7.1% lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals live in the US, so what about the LGBTQ community pursuing STEM? We know that STEM careers are stereotypically seen as agentic and masculine instead of communal and feminine although LGBTQ individuals desire community within STEM and want to express their femininity. The current study examines how perceived communal opportunities in STEM and feminine gender expression are related to feelings of belonging and motivation to pursue STEM. …

Not Just Women’S Work: Recruiting Men To Occupational Therapy, Alexandra I. Zelin, Erin Melhorn, Kristen J. Black, Nicole Harty

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Compared to women, men are less likely to become occupational therapists (OT). To have a more diverse workforce, and to relate to various patient groups, reasons men do not enter the field of OT must be better understood. Our study compares men and women in their familiarity with OT and desire to work in the field. Data were gathered using an online, self-report survey administered to students at a public university in the southeast. The sample included 334 undergraduate students who were in majors that often serve as feeder programs to OT graduate programs. The average age was 19.8 years …

For Whom The Bell Tolls: Psychopathological And Neurobiological Correlates Of The Dna Methylation Index Of Time-To-Death, Sage E. Hawn, Xiang Zhao, Danielle R. Sullivan, Mark Logue, Dana Fein-Schaffer, William Milberg, Regina Mcglinchey, Mark W. Miller, Erika J. Wolf

Psychology Faculty Publications

Psychopathology is a risk factor for accelerated biological aging and early mortality. We examined associations between broad underlying dimensions of psychopathology (reflecting internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms), PTSD, and age-adjusted GrimAge (“GrimAge residuals”), a DNA methylation biomarker of mortality risk relative to age. We also examined neurobiological correlates of GrimAge residuals, including neurocognitive functioning, blood-based biomarkers (of inflammation, neuropathology, metabolic disease), and cortical thickness. Data from two independent trauma-exposed military cohorts (n = 647 [62.9% male, M_age = 52], n = 434 [90% male, M_age = 32]) were evaluated using linear regression models to test associations between …

Gender Differences In Academic Self-Concept, Perfectionism, And Math Performance Among First-Year Stem And Non-Stem Students, Jessica Lewis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this research was to compare academic self-concepts and adaptive and maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies as they relate to differences in mathematics performance of first-year undergraduate students’ gender and major (STEM or non-STEM). One hundred and ninety-nine first-year undergraduate students completed self-reported questionnaires including the Frost Multidimensions Perfectionism Scale, the academic self-concept scale of the Personal and Academic Self-Concept Scale (PASCI), and a math performance measure consisting of practice SAT questions. This study utilized correlational, multivariate analyses of variances (MANOVA), and multiple regression techniques. MANOVA results revealed a main effect of gender on all variables and a marginally …

Systems Of Oppression: The Impact Of Discrimination On Latinx Immigrant Adolescents’ Well-Being And Development, Stephanie A. Torres, Susana Sosa Phd, Roxanna Flores Tousaint Phd, Sarah Alicia Jolie Phd, Yvita Bustos Phd

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

With over 400 harmful immigration policy changes in the past 4 years, Latinx adolescents and families nationwide are developing within a context of extreme anti-immigrant sentiment (Dismantling and reconstructing the U.S. immigration system: A catalog of changes under the Trump presidency, Migration Policy Institute, 2020). This paper introduces the Multitiered Model of Oppression and Discrimination (MMOD), a conceptual model for understanding the impacts of multiple levels of discrimination on the well-being and development of Latinx immigrant adolescents. Interpersonal discrimination (Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 2010, 32, 259), community-held stereotypes (Social Psychology of Education, 2001, 5, 201), institutional policies (Children and …

Assessing The Temporal Relationship Between Changes In Neuroticism And Symptom Improvement In The Unified Protocol, Nicole Stumpp

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Neuroticism is defined as the tendency to experience frequent and intense negative emotions accompanied by the belief that one could not cope adequately in response to stress. Neuroticism is associated with the development and maintenance of a range of emotional disorders (e.g., anxiety disorders, depression) and targeting this trait in treatment (rather than symptoms) may represent a more efficient approach to care. However, researchers have rarely measured neuroticism and symptoms frequently enough to establish temporal precedence between these dimensions. The present study is a secondary analysis that examined the temporal relationship between neuroticism and anxiety and depressive symptoms during a …

Examining The Impact Of Discrete And Contextual Stress Factors On Memory, Jillian Rae Silva-Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Stress is a complex and multifaceted process which is often not perceived as such. Therefore, given the unidimensional conceptualization of stress in previous research the current understanding of the associations between stress and memory are not well understood. This study investigates the association between stress and memory by capturing the complexity of stress through discrete and contextual stress factors. The current study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and geocoded indices (i.e., zip codes) of population density (i.e., urbanicity) and deprivation (socioeconomic disadvantage) in a large and diverse sample of U.S. participants (N = 8817) to examine the relationship between …

Lay Perceptions Of Treating Mental Illness With Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, Dèjah Barksdale, Emily Pica

Modern Psychological Studies

With roughly 44.7 million individuals struggling with mental health problems, it is important that new methods of treatment are explored. Currently, the primary method of treatment is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) for disorders such as: anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but they also provide many detrimental side effects and only decrease symptomology for a short period of time. However, the interest and enthusiasm of many researchers has led to uncovering the true benefits of utilizing psychedelic drugs as a leading treatment for mental health problems. Participants (N = 474) were given a questionnaire regarding their knowledge of …

Defending Gender: Transprejudice As Gender System Maintenance, Linas Mitchell

Dissertations

The high levels of interpersonal and policy-based discrimination that transgender people face can be understood as a way of responding to transgender threats to gender systems. By understanding gender as a system of meaning and power, I apply System Justification Theory to interpret transprejudice as a form of gender system maintenance that may be influenced by one’s position in the gender system (gender) and general support for the status quo (conservatism). The present studies test whether transprejudice functions as a form of system affirmation/threat rejection. I found that exposure to system threat did not lead to greater transprejudice than a …

Supporting Latine Children’S Informal Engineering Learning And Spatial Thinking Through Tinkering And Storytelling, Diana Acosta

Dissertations

In the United States, the Latine community is the fastest growing minority group. Projections estimate that by the year 2060, they will represent 28% of the total population. Yet, Latines continue to be underrepresented and underserved in STEM fields and careers. Providing equitable informal STEM learning opportunities to young children may be a way to increase access and interest in STEM, to address the broader goal of increasing representation. Importantly, for these learning experiences to be truly equitable they must be meaningful and engage everyday cultural practices. Guided by a strengths-based approach, the current study examines how oral stories as …

Comparison Of Schedules, Stress, Sleep Problems, Fatigue, Mental Health And Well-Being Of Low Cost And Network Carrier Pilots, Marion Venus

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Objective

This research investigates and compares working-conditions, duty rosters, stress, sleep problems, fatigue levels, mental health, and well-being of pilots working for network (NWCs), and low-cost carriers (LCCs). This study extends previous research by investigating working conditions, pilots’ actual rosters, fatigue and mental health of two groups of pilots flying for LCC or NWC.

Method

A comprehensive cross-sectional online survey was completed by N=338 pilots (185 NWC, 153 LCC pilots). All pilots reported their roster data of the last 2 months during peak flight season, psychosocial and work-related stress (e.g., high job insecurity, less total flight-experience, lower income, more time …