Digital Commons Network^™

An In-Depth Exploration Into College Students’ Information Acquisition And Evaluation Behaviors During The Covid-19 Infodemic, Nien-Tsu Nancy Chen, Kimmy Kee, Bianca T. Villalobos, Miriam Ortiz, Hyesun Lee

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: This study examines how vaccination-inclined and vaccination-hesitant U.S. college students acquired and evaluated COVID-19 vaccination information.

Methods: In 2021, we conducted 26 focus group discussions and used thematic analysis to identify patterns in information acquisition behaviors and trust in information sources.

Results: Findings revealed mismatches between frequently used and most trusted sources. Public health agencies were highly trusted but not commonly consulted first. In contrast, social media were frequently used for information scanning despite being the least trusted. Interpersonal sources (e.g., family) were identified as both a most and least trusted source. They were trusted for their good intention …

Opening The Black-Box Of Mental Disorders: An Actor-Network Theory Analysis Of Schizophrenia, Brandalyn Morris

McNair Scholars Manuscripts

Schizophrenia is a poorly understood mental dysfunction. It is culturally specific and encompasses several disease entities that defy robust classification. Using a few of the methodological notions from Bruno Latour’s Actor-Network Theory (ANT), this research seeks to disambiguate schizophrenia. The scope and focus of this examination will be restricted to three actors/actants within the assemblage of this mental disorder. By appropriating tools and terminology from ANT to reveal human and non-human actors and actants within the DSM classification system, the medical model of mental illness, and psychopharmacology, the objective of this research is to describe how the current concept of …

Proceedings Of The 19th Facet Theory Conference, Samuel Shye

International Facet Theory Conference

No abstract provided.

Understanding Hispanic Cultural Strengths Through Parents’ Voices: Insights For Interdisciplinary School Personnel, David Moran, Johana Rocha, Kristy Carlisle

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Examining the strengths of Hispanic cultural values among K-12 school students is a generally understudied concept, and from their parents’ perspective specifically. This study sought to take a qualitative approach toward the exploration of Hispanic parents’ perspectives on how their cultural values promote strengths within their school-aged children. Hispanic parents (N = 8) participated in bilingual (i.e., Spanish and English) focus groups, with the results providing content that can inform culturally responsive prevention and intervention strategies to support the roles of interdisciplinary school personnel who regularly interact with the children. Findings pointed to (a) interaction with peers and school …

Gender Role Conflict In Women, Candyletta Lewis

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines gender role conflict (GRC) in women within the context of feminine norms, with a focus on developing a scale designed to measure GRC derived from feminine ideology that may contribute to gender related stress. The primary research questions address the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Gender Role Conflict Scale for Women (GRCS-W). Additional research questions examine the relationship between feminine gender role conflict and psychological well-being, and whether any racial differences exist in self-reported GRC. Participants include 132 women aged 18–70 from diverse educational backgrounds. Findings revealed a three-component solution for the GRCS-W. The internal …

Competence To Stand Trial And Criminal Responsibility: The Effect Of Pretrial Publicity On Insanity Verdicts, Hannah Hennessey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite the legal distinction between competence to stand trial (CST) and criminal responsibility (CR), the potential for jurors to conflate these constructs due to pretrial publicity (PTP) remains an under-examined issue in forensic psychology research. Therefore, the current study investigated whether exposure to PTP about a defendant’s CST influences jurors’ CR verdicts. A national sample of jury-eligible adults (N = 598) was recruited through Prolific. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of three mock PTP news articles: (1) the defendant was CST, (2) the defendant was previously found incompetent to stand trial (IST) but was later restored to competency, …

Mexican Americans’ Attitudes Toward Mexican Immigrants In The United States, Sandra Daisy Espinoza Montes

Dissertations

The United States (U.S.) has often been described as a nation of immigrants. Among the 40 million immigrants in the U.S., Mexican-descent individuals comprise 25% of the overall immigrant population, positioning them as the largest immigrant group in the country. Additionally, Mexican Americans constitute 63% of the Latinx population, making them the largest minoritized ethnic group in the U.S. Considering that Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans have a significant presence in the country, scholars have called for additional research on attitudes towards Mexican immigrants (Byrne & Dixon, 2016; Flores et al., 2022). However, much of the existing literature on attitudes …

Dissecting The Heterogeneous Effects Of Opioid Prescribing Limit Laws On Pediatric Mortality: A Multidimensional And Negative Binomial Modeling Approach, Francine R. Vega

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Opioid prescribing for children and adolescents continues to be a significant health crisis in the United States. Early naïve exposure to opioid prescriptions has been linked to later misuse, opioid use disorder, and death. In response to the crisis, many states have implemented opioid prescribing limit laws (OPLLs) aimed at reducing exposure to opioids. These laws vary widely in their approach, including differences in dosage restrictions, prescription duration limits, informed consent requirements, educational provisions, and whether they offer explicit protections specifically for minors. Despite their widespread adoption, there is limited understanding of how heterogeneity in legal regulations affects outcomes for …

Rethinking Health Systems Responsiveness In Low–And Middle-Income Countries, Meesha Iqbal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Health systems responsiveness (HSR) refers to a health system’s ability to meet legitimate non-health expectations of the population. Traditionally, HSR has been conceptualized across eight domains: respect for dignity, autonomy, confidentiality, prompt attention to health needs, availability of basic amenities, choice of provider, access to social support networks, and clarity of communication. However, as the expectations of populations in high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs) differ significantly due to diverse social and cultural contexts, the conceptualization of HSR also varies. We conducted a systematic review of literature to adapt and contextualize the HSR framework for L&MICs based …

Learning From Adolescents’ Lived Experience: Recommendations For Suicide Prevention For Youth And Their Caregivers, Genesis Minaya

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored adolescents’ views on which supports are most helpful during suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Interviews revealed six themes: Communication & Disclosure, Empathic Non-Judgmental Support, Consistent Presence, Parent/Family Education, Coping Tools, Hope and Future Orientation. These findings highlight the critical role of family dynamics in adolescent suicide prevention.

The Lasting Impact Of Childhood Maltreatment On Parenting: A Qualitative Study, Leslie K. Moorman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative study explored how Child Protection Service (CPS)-involved parents made meaning of their parenting and what informed their meaning making. Bronfenbrenner’s Person Process Context Time (PPCT) framework was utilized to examine the context of parenting within the CPS system. The PPCT theoretical assumptions were used to discuss the results of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants, from diverse ethnic backgrounds. All but one returned for a second interview. The CPS-involved parents disclosed childhood experiences that were consistent with childhood maltreatment. The participants were preoccupied with stories of their own childhood and not wanting to parent like …

Immersive Consulting On The Ground: Learning Od By Doing It, Mendiola Teng-Calleja, Jaimee Felice Caringal-Go, Maria Regina Hechanova-Alampay, Nicasio A. Pimentel Iii, Christina Marie Ysabel Cruz, Allen Joyce Flaviano

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

Step out of the ODLAB conference venue and into the real world of Organizational Development with Live Client Consulting, ODLAB 2025’s most immersive learning experience. Participants will be grouped and deployed to actual partner organizations in Zamboanga City—ranging from SMEs, community institutions, and business organizations—where they will engage with leaders and staff to conduct real-time diagnosis, facilitation, and consultation. This rare opportunity allows learners to apply OD tools and frameworks in a dynamic and unscripted environment, gaining insights that no simulation can match. Under the guidance of senior OD mentors, each team will be expected to observe organizational realities, conduct …

Investigating Temporally Dynamic Models Of Choice In Rats And Bumblebees, Jack Van Allsburg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Temporally dynamic models of choice simulate how animals use past experience to make optimal decisions in variable environments. Chapter 1 briefly reviews a series of such modeling approaches and their mathematical properties. Extension of these models to longer experiments (more than 48 hours) designed to produce spontaneous recovery of choice (a behavioral phenomenon implicated in relapse) previously led to results not described well by current models. Chapter 2 comprises an empirical investigation of different explanations for these inconsistent results using rats, evaluating the effect of different test delays on preference following varied reward conditions. The results of the first two …

Link Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Parenting Styles Of African American Fathers, Tatianna P. Johnson

Dissertations

African American fathers may be more susceptible than fathers of other races to having a negative parenting style due to their high levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are traumatic experiences during childhood that can affect a person’s mental and physical health, income and adult parenting style. African American adults tend to have experienced multiple levels of ACEs at a higher rate than White and Asian adults (Maguire-Jack et al., 2021). ACEs can lead to adults experiencing higher levels of alcoholism, depression, health-related issues, mental illness, substance use, and academic problems. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to …

Lgbt+ Poc Well-Being And Resilience, Terra Reynoso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Historically, both LGBT+ individuals and People of Color have each been subjected to stressors linked to oppression, with those belonging to both groups experiencing a potentially higher degree of distress. This study examined factors that contribute to resilience and well-being in LGBT+ People of Color to highlight potential means to mitigate this distress, guided by queer theory and intersectionality theory in order to provide a relevant framework to inform preliminary research, interview questions, and content analysis. Interviews were conducted with twelve participants with subsequent content analysis revealing the use of social support networks, access to community, productive coping strategies, and …

More Arguments For The Weakness Of The Empirical Evidence Used To Support Spanking Bans: Rejoinder To Afifi Et Al. (2025) And Kraus De Camargo (2025), Marjorie Lindner Gunnoe, Robert E. Larzelere, Christopher J. Ferguson, Ronald B. Cox Jr.

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In this rejoinder we address 13 concerns elicited by our invited commentary “An update on the scientific evidence for and against the legal banning of disciplinary spanking.” In addition to defending assertions made in the initial commentary, we make several new substantive arguments. In response to dissenters’ equating of non-experimental evidence against spanking with nonexperimental evidence against smoking, we demonstrate that the two are very dissimilar. We question the purpose of spanking bans, providing stronger evidence that they do not seem to prevent child abuse. We review Canada’s association with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) …

The Impact Of Previous Police Contact And Attitudes Toward Police On Firearm Carriage In A College Student Population, Amanda Kroll

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines whether an association exists between police contact and firearm carriage. Additionally, the present study examines whether the intrusiveness of police contact has an association with firearm carriage. Questionnaires measuring participant demographics, perceptions of the police, contact with the police, and firearm carriage were administered to 222 participants recruited through undergraduate psychology courses at a state university in the Midwest. Results indicated that participants with a history of contact with the police were more likely to carry a firearm than participants with no contact with the police. Regarding frequency of firearm carriage, participants with a history of police …

Examining The Predictive Validity Of Adolescent Complete Mental Health On High School Academic Performance, Nai-Jiin Yang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This multiple-paper dissertation examines how adolescent complete mental health, based on the Dual-Factor Model, predicts high school academic performance. The Dual-Factor Model considers both psychological distress (such as internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and subjective wellbeing (such as life satisfaction and positive affect). The main research objective is to determine whether this comprehensive framework offers stronger predictive power for academic success than symptom-based approaches alone.

Two studies were conducted using self-report mental health data collected at three time points during an academic year. These data were analyzed alongside end-of-quarter grade point averages in English Language Arts, math, and overall GPA using …

"I'Ll Leave The Back Porch Light On:" An Exploration Of The Legitimization Of Same-Gender Male Couple Members Through Marriage And Parenthood For Those With Adverse Coming Out Experiences, Devin S. Simpkins

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Reczek and Bosley-Smith (2022) identified several reasons why queer adult children reported feeling compelled to maintain relationships with their rejecting parents, and the strategies that they utilized to do so. The construct of legitimization exists within a heteronormative context, contributing to the theory that adherence to cis-heteronormative relational ideals allows same-gender couples to have a greater chance of being accepted by the dominant culture (Chevrette & Eguchi, 2020). Unintentional or deliberate aligning with idealized images of traditional (i.e., cisgender and heterosexual) couples or families is a means by which same-gender couples may seek this acceptance.

The present study sought to …

Good And Safe: Exploring The Impact Of Mindfulness And Primal World Beliefs On Psychological Well-Being, Katelyn J. Haschke

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Dispositional mindfulness refers to the ability to intentionally focus on the present moment, which positively affects psychological well-being (PWB). Mindfulness can be practiced through formal interventions—such as meditation or body scan, where individuals engage in structured activities to cultivate awareness—or informal practices, such as focusing on one task at a time where mindfulness is integrated into routine activities. A person’s phenomenological perspective, shaped by their core beliefs about the world (primals), also influences PWB. For instance, those who view the world as mostly safe or good may be more likely to form close relationships and engage more deeply with their …

Building Safer Spaces:Exploring Supportive Leadership And Remote Work As Strategies Against Lgbtqia+ Mistreatment, Saray Valenzuela Jaime

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Organizations worldwide are undergoing significant transformations driven by employees’ demands for healthier, more inclusive workplaces (Mercer, 2022). This shift amplified by the influx of Gen Z and Millennial workers, whose higher rates of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) identification have nearly doubled the proportion of sexual- and gender-minority employees over the past decade, reshaping work dynamics. Yet, nearly half of all LGBT employees experience unfair treatment based on their gender identity or sexual orientation (Sears et al., 2021). LGBTQIA+ identity and hostile workplace climates, marked by mistreatment and discrimination, negatively impact organizational effectiveness by undermining employee …

Flipping The Script?: The Development And Validation Of A Qualitative Framework For Identifying Key Cognitive And Attitudinal Components Of Conflict-Based Problem Representations, Kyle Christenson

All Dissertations

When people work together, disagreements are inevitable. How someone understands a given conflict, specifically whether they see it as a shared problem or not, can shape how they respond and whether they look to resolve it collaboratively. Researchers have studied many aspects of conflict, like what causes it and the strategies people use to manage it. But we know much less about how people think about conflict in the first place and how those thoughts affect efforts to manage conflict. This research developed a tool to study how people describe conflicts in writing. It identifies key ideas and attitudes that …

Dermatoglyphic Fluctuating Asymmetry In Schizotypy, Marcus R. Thomas

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schizotypy has been linked with many of the proposed endophenotypes of schizophrenia, but research is limited on the relationship between schizotypy and dermatoglyphic fluctuating asymmetry. The present study sought to examine relationships between schizotypy, dermatoglyphic fluctuating asymmetry, handedness, and season of birth. 146 undergraduate students were identified as schizotypes (n = 52) or controls (n = 94) based on the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale and had their finger and palm prints collected along with completing additional measures of schizotypy and handedness. Schizotypes did not exhibit a greater degree of dermatoglyphic fluctuating asymmetry, negative schizotypy was associated with increased absolute finger ridge …

Understanding The Physical Health Associations Of Intra-Individual Variability In Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults, Frosch Y. X. Quek, Kenneth Tan, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

It is well established that inter-individual differences in life satisfaction positively predict health, but it is less clear how intra-individual variability in life satisfaction across time could influence health, particularly across individuals with different satisfaction levels. To address this gap, we analysed a large panel dataset from a national sample of 8,674 older adults, aged 50–70 (M = 59, SD = 5.42) in Singapore who completed surveys over 53 consecutive months. Results from multi-level modelling showed an interaction between variability in life satisfaction and life satisfaction mean on physical health. Specifically, there was no association between variability and health among …

Polymathy: The Foundational Source Of Creativity And Innovation., Michael Araki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an era of mounting complexity and a growing need to transcend siloed thinking, this dissertation advances polymathy as a critical yet underexplored construct in the management and behavioral sciences. Polymathy is framed as an expansive approach to the pursuit, development, and application of knowledge, marked by the conjunction of breadth, depth, and integration. Building on a thought lineage that stretches from Ancient Greece through the Renaissance to the present day, this work shows that polymathy is neither a relic of the past nor an achievement reserved for a few—but a mode of being, thinking, and acting in the world …

Project Choices: An Experimental Serious Video Game For Performance-Based Risk Assessment, Rachel Bomysoad

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Risk assessment for future criminal conduct currently relies on evaluator ratings or self-report measures, with imperfect predictive utility. A new serious (clinical) video game, Project Choices, was developed for assessment and treatment purposes with persons involved with the criminal legal system. Project Choices offers performance-based measurement of individuals’ responses to realistic scenarios relevant to overall criminogenic risk and individual risk factors. The current study aimed to pilot test the newest version of Project Choices (Version 2) using a sample of university students (N = 100), examining gameplay performance metrics (number of risky decisions overall and within individual risk domains) for …

Lifetime Stressor Exposure, Race And Ethnicity, And Habitual Stress Processes: An Evaluation Of Repetitive Negative Thinking And Hair Cortisol Concentration, Harrison Dickens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Habitual stress processes are thought to influence acute stress reactivity and stress-related disease. Habitual stress processes have been shown to adapt in response to stressor exposure experienced across the lifespan. The current study seeks to explore whether two habitual stress processes, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and repetitive negative thinking (RNT), were associated with lifetime stressor exposure (self-reported and objective neighborhood-level stressors). Additionally, the current study attempts to quantify how this process may be moderated by race and ethnicity. Participants (N = 134, Mage = 18 [SDage= 1.69], 56.7% female) consisting of White (N = 52), Black (N = 37 ), …

I See Sick People: Beliefs About Sensory Detection Of Infectious Disease Are Largely Consistent Across Cultures, Joshua M. Ackerman, Theodore Samore, Daniel M. T. Fessler, Norman P. Li, Et Al

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Identifying cues to contagious disease is critical for effectively tracking and defending against interpersonal infection threats. People hold lay beliefs about the types of sensory information most relevant for identifying whether others are sick with transmissible illnesses. Are these beliefs universal, or do they vary along cultural and ecological dimensions? Participants in 58 countries (N = 19,217) judged how effective, and how likely they were to use, cues involving each of the five major sensory modalities in an imagined social interaction during a flu outbreak. Belief patterns were strongly consistent across countries (sight > audition > touch > smell > taste), suggesting a largely …

Flex-Spatialities: Interior Spaces, Play, And Fantasy, Camilo Lozano-Rivera

Interiority

This article examines how interior spaces in the digital age have evolved into flexible, adaptive environments shaped by technological mediation and shifting everyday practices. Focusing on smart homes and home offices, this article introduces the concept of flex-spatiality to describe how these spaces continually reconfigure in response to changes in needs and digital interfaces. Grounded in Gregory Bateson’s (1972) theory of play and fantasy, the study explores how interior spatiality operates on two levels: as a locus for expressing identities and as a structure for organising social interaction. Through Bateson’s distinction between metalinguistic and metacommunicative functions, flex-spatiality is framed as …

Postpartum Experiences Of Arab Women And The Educational Role Of The Mother, Diana Ikki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women in the Arab world traditionally observe a 40-day postpartum rest period, during which they rest, follow specific rituals, and learn to care for their newborn under the guidance and care of a family matriarch, typically their mother. Despite the prevalence of this practice, there is limited empirical research exploring the educational role of Arab mothers during their daughters' postpartum period; this qualitative study addressed this gap. Foundational to this study’s theoretical framework was Ramona Mercer’s theory of maternal role attainment. The study addressed two research questions: how Arab women describe their postpartum experiences and the educational role their mothers …