Digital Commons Network^™

Exercise Effects On Decreased Levels Of Depression In Female Breast Cancer Patients, Dorothy Y. Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are at a high risk of experiencing pain and fatigue, anxiety and substance use, poor quality of life, marital spouses with elevated depression, impaired sexual functioning, sleep disorders, poor immune system functioning, rapid progression of cancer, and higher mortality rates. Grounded in Fritz Heider’s attribution theory, the purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to examine the relationship between physical exercise and a decrease in MDD. The participants comprised of 15 female breast cancer patients, 18 years of age and older, who may have experienced depression. The participants completed the Beck Depression …

Effect Of Physical Custody On Relationship Satisfaction In Adults, Mathew Aaron Richards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Custody decisions are often informed by attachment-based arguments, yet little research has examined long-term effects of custody type on adult outcomes. This study involved examining whether joint versus sole physical custody predicted relationship satisfaction, testing both parental attachment and socioeconomic status as mediators. Data were collected from 226 adult participants (mean age = 33.42), whose parents separated before age 13. Validated measures were used to assesse relationship satisfaction, parental attachment, and socioeconomic status. Participants who grew up in joint physical custody arrangements reported significantly higher relationship satisfaction compared to those who experienced sole physical custody (b = 0.54, p = …

Coping Strategies, Barriers, And Supports Of Female Nurses And Veterans With A Work-Related Traumatic Exacerbation Of An Existing Respiratory Disorder, Joanna Lynn Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Department of Defense and Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that female veterans and nurses experience work-related trauma at rates of 51% or higher. While many studies have examined their mental health outcomes, posttraumatic worsening of physical health has been less studied in this population. This generic qualitative inquiry was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the subjective lived experiences of female nurses and veterans' work-related traumatic exacerbation of an existing respiratory disorder. The coping strategies developed, the potential barriers they overcame, and the support systems used were examined. The theoretical framework that grounded this study was …

Family-Level Mediators In The Intergenerational Transmission Of Maternal Childhood Trauma: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Pooled Effect Measures, Emma J. Mew, Rhayna Poulin, Veronika Shabanova, Hannah Gorman, Marie-Claire Meadows, Jessica L. Bonumwezi, Victoria Chung, Rachel Hennein, Audrey Y. Huang, Kevin Quach, Vanessa Blas, Ashlin Ondrusek, Karly Sara Weinreb, Kate Nyhan, Si’Itia Soliai-Lemusu, Jueta Mccutchan-Tofaeono, Nicola L. Hawley, Sarah R. Lowe

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Children of mothers with childhood trauma are at an increased risk for mental health problems, yet the most influential family-related mediators of this intergenerational transmission remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized effect sizes from 29 studies (n = 352,279 dyads) examining psychosocial family-level mediators between maternal childhood trauma and child mental health. We identified 380 simple and 40 serial mediation paths across four domains: child characteristics, maternal characteristics, parent–child relationship factors, and household characteristics. Maternal characteristics showed the largest pooled effects (proportion median [PM]: 31.2%; ratio median [RM]: 0.21), particularly maternal mental health (PM: 36.0%), maternal attachment style …

The Relationship Of Concussion And Alcohol Use: An Investigation Into Intervening Cognitive Mechanisms, Alexi Cranford

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

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and alcohol use are common and pervasive issues in society today. Alcohol use is frequently linked with brain injury even in its mildest form, concussion, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The brain’s reward system has been shown to be involved in alcohol and substance use behaviors, and a neural basis has been demonstrated to underlie reactivity to alcohol cues. Learning theories such as classical and operant conditioning can also help conceptualize how these relationships develop. Reward sensitivity and executive functioning (particularly decision-making skills) are cognitive processes that may moderate the relationship between brain …

Enhancing Academic And Religious Values Through Literacy: An Ethnographic Qualitative Study In A Hindu Student Community, Ni Komang Sutriyanti, I Wayan Widiana, Ni Luh Ika Windayani, I Gede Wahyu Suwela Antara

The Qualitative Report

This study explores the influence of Indonesia's school literacy initiative program, also known as the school literacy movement (SLM), on academic achievement and religious character formation among Hindu students at Bali Mandara State High School. The SLM’s effects within Bali’s predominantly Hindu community provide a perspective on how literacy initiatives intersect with cultural and religious education in a largely Muslim country. The objective of the study was to assess the transformative impact of the SLM on both educational outcomes and character development, specifically examining its alignment with Hindu teachings. A qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through semi-structured interviews …

Qualitative Analysis Of Emotion Schemes Theory Of Compassion Satisfaction In Emotion - Focused Therapy, Bronislava Šoková, Lenka Janík Blašková, Katarína Greškovičová, Júlia Halamová

The Qualitative Report

There is little to no research focused on the qualitative understanding of compassion satisfaction among helping professionals, despite the demanding nature of the profession. Our aim was to examine how helping professionals experience compassion satisfaction through the lens of emotion scheme theory applied in emotion-focused therapy. Eight helping professionals were randomly selected from the pool of 29 participants representing a convenience sample, with the age range from 20 to 44 years. Data were collected via online in-depth interviews with open-ended questions concerning emotion scheme of their intense experience of compassion satisfaction. To analyze the data, phenomenology and consensual qualitative analysis …

Transitions Of Growth And Partner Responsiveness In Late Adolescent Marriage, Terrell Ka-Seem Pugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the stage of late adolescence, marriage presents unique challenges, with partners navigating several developmental tasks in tandem with forming and maintaining marital relationships. Partner responsiveness has been consistently identified as a key factor for personal wellbeing and relationship satisfaction. Limited research has explored how late adolescent married individuals describe this dynamic. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of late adolescent married individuals between 18 and 20 who described their experiences with partner responsiveness during this transitional period. This study was grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory in order to explore how relational …

Psy312 - Psychology Of Memory, Sandra Campeanu

Open Educational Resources

Theoretical issues, established findings, empirical research, and contemporary controversies in the study of memory. Analysis of the processes of encoding, storage and retrieval, including models, developmental changes, neurophysiology, and memory distortions. Consideration of the ways memory influences behavior, problem solving, and sense of self.

This document is a revised syllabus for Professor Campeanu's PSY312 - Psychology of Memory course at Lehman College.

Decision Making Processes Of Adolescent Women About Entering Intimate, Long-Term Romantic Relationships, Jeannie Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high rate of women in their late 20s and early 30s that are in destructive relationships, many because of decisions that were made during adolescence . Little research has focused on understanding the decision making process of entering intimate, long-term romantic relationships from the viewpoint of adult women in their late 20s through 30s who made that decision during adolescence. This phenomenological study allowed for a greater understanding of adolescent decision making, specifically about entering intimate, long-term romantic relationships. The research questions were (a) What are the lived experiences of young women as they enter intimate, long-term …

Retrieval Interference In The Processing Of Relative Clauses: Evidence From The Visual-World Paradigm, Matthew W. Lowder, Gwynna Ryan

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although object-extracted relative clauses (ORCs) are more difficult to process than subject-extracted relative clauses (SRCs), there is still substantial disagreement regarding the cognitive mechanisms underlying these effects. The current visual-world eyetracking experiment took a novel approach to this problem by examining whether ORC-SRC differences would emerge at the matrix verb during the processing of spoken sentences containing these structures. Fixation patterns at the onset of the matrix verb revealed a tendency for participants to fixate the picture representing the subject of the sentence in both ORCs and SRCs. Crucially, participants considered the picture corresponding to a competing noun more while …

Transformational Leadership In Higher Education, Dr. Jewel Hale, Jr., Kristi Apostel

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

A crisis can highlight the critical need for resilient leadership within higher educational settings. Educational leaders encounter extraordinary difficulties, ranging from different learning options to prioritizing the well-being of both staff and students, necessitating flexible and innovative methods. By exploring how school leaders apply transformational techniques in actual educational environments, this article addresses the impact of the four I’s of transformational leadership, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, on building educator resiliency, sustaining school effectiveness, and promoting student achievement in higher education.

Silent Detonations: Redirecting Focus, Preserving Identity, And Leading Under The Weight Of Microaggressions, Ray Lavan

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

African American educational leaders consistently navigate racial microaggressions that challenge their focus, identity, and well-being. This study explores how these leaders deploy attention to manage the emotional weight of microaggressions in K-12 public school settings. Using Gross’s emotion regulation theory and Sue’s taxonomy of racial microaggressions, this qualitative phenomenological study examines how attentional deployment serves as both a shield and constraint. Data from the African American leaders reveal that silence, background processing, selective focus, and redirection to professional goals are common strategies to sustain composure. These strategies protect leaders in the moment but create emotional strain, identity conflict, and cumulative …

Fierce Leadership-Perspectives Of Black Women Educational Leaders: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Janice Taylor, Dianne Reed

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

The authors of this transcendental phenomenological study aimed to describe the lived experiences of Black women based on their perceptions, values, and beliefs about the complexities of leadership and the kind of leadership required to succeed in their respective roles, as educational leaders. This study was framed by the adaptive leadership theory. Adaptive leadership recognizes the need for leaders to stay flexible and resilient in fast-paced environments (Nelson & Squires, 2017). The three Black women leaders in this study were fierce adaptive leaders. The information acquired from this study is significant and highlights how Black women educational leaders developed the …

Being-Their-Ship: A Presence-Based Model Of Human-Centered Leadership, Ricky J. Martinez

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

Being-Their-Ship describes a presence-based approach to leadership grounded in lived experience rather than positional status. Developed over years of service in rural education, the framework highlights leadership as a relational practice grounded in steadiness, quiet support, and a willingness to take responsibility for others. Drawing from autoethnography and narrative inquiry, the framework articulates four interconnected dimensions: Caring-Ship, Loving-Ship, Load-Ship, and Being-There-Ship, that define leadership not through authority but through consistent action and cultural trust. Each dimension reflects how leadership emerges when individuals become a stabilizing presence, absorb burdens that others would otherwise carry, and remain committed to a community through …

Research Literacy And Research Production Skills As Core Competencies In Leaders, Kk O'Byrne

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Self-Awareness In Conscious Organisms, Robert A. Dielenberg

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Self-awareness in conscious organisms remains an enduring puzzle for philosophers and neuroscientists. This paper proposes a tripartite evolutionary model tracing its emergence through three sequential types: the sensory self (primitive egocentric, valence-tagged awareness of sensory states), the bodily self (external objectification of the body as a distinct entity, evidenced by mirror self-recognition in select species), and the cognitive self (internal objectification of the mind enabling recursive self-transformation). Adopting a monist framework, the model treats consciousness as the biological substrate of delayed neural apperception (the “Delayed Present”), within which selves emerge as increasingly sophisticated models. It distinguishes non-human metacognition—implicit, online regulation—from …

Personality Traits In Criminals, Ravinesh Prasad Jr

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

It's a poster that shows research done to show personality traits that are in criminals. The studies show how criminals differ from civilians. It also goes into the flaws of the studies and how they could be done better. The information is present on the poster, but I also add more context and answer questions people have. The point is to just share interesting studies and what they found. This study shows that correlation doesn't equal causation.

From Field To Marketplace: Nil, Identity Dynamics, And Well-Being Among College Athletes, Kathryn Heinze, Landy D. Lu, Hairou Ren, Sara Soderstom

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

The rapid expansion of name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities has reshaped the U.S. college sport landscape, yet limited research has examined how NIL engagement affects athlete identity and well-being. This study investigates the relationships among NIL engagement, identity salience, and stress. Survey data were collected from 351 Division I athletes across four major conferences. Regression analyses indicated that greater NIL commitment was associated with heightened athlete identity salience and increased NIL-related stress. NIL satisfaction emerged as a protective factor, predicting lower stress, whereas perceptions of fairness were not significantly related to stress. Brief open-ended survey responses provided explanatory context, …

Clinicians’ Perceived Preparedness To Support Clients Who Have Co-Occurring Disorders, Jessica A. Love Jordan, Joseph Day

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders are prevalent, yet many clinicians feel underprepared to provide integrated care for this population. This study explores the factors influencing clinicians' perceived preparedness and objective knowledge in treating clients with co-occurring disorders. Data were collected from 131 clinicians using the CODECAT EZ 2.0 and TIP ZIP assessments to evaluate their competence in co-occurring disorders treatment. Results indicate that while participants held positive attitudes toward integrated care, their practical knowledge and skills were often rated as average or below. Education, clinical experience, and continuing education were found to significantly influence both perceived preparedness and …

Social Determinants Of Health And Treatment Outcomes In Black And White Men With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer, Laurel Cannon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black men are disproportionately affected in diagnosis and death rates from prostate cancer compared to White men. Although prior research established links between race, sociodemographic factors, and prostate cancer outcomes, longitudinal analyses examining multiple social determinants of health simultaneously were limited. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether race, marital status, and education impact how long patients live who were diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. Social impact theory framed how social forces such as race, education, and marital status influence health outcomes. A non-experimental correlational design was employed, drawing on archival data from 4,407 participants in the …

Enacting Tension: A Phenomenological, Art-Based Study Of Nicu Siblings’ Lived Experience Through Engagement With Dramatic Reality, Rebecca A. Versaci

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

A Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization reorganizes family life, yet siblings’ perspectives are rarely centered in NICU research. This phenomenological, art-based dissertation explores NICU siblings’ lived experience as revealed through the roles they created during engagement in dramatic reality. Eight child siblings of NICU patients participated in a storymaking and improvisational role-play intervention. Transcripts, participant artwork, and stories were examined through thematic analysis, and dramaturgical coding. Three central tensions organized children’s dramatic worlds: It’s Hard to be Together and It’s Hard to be Apart, I Want to be Free, but I am Trapped; I Want to Help …

Supervisor Behaviors And Perceived Organizational Impact Of Telework: A Work Disruption Perspective, Tsuyoshi Ohira, Masaki Hosomi

Japanese Society and Culture

As telework (e.g., working from home) has become widespread, understanding its organizational impact from managers’ perspectives and identifying supervisor behaviors that influence this impact are critical. Drawing on work disruption theory, we examined the relationships between four supervisor behaviors in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) management competencies—respectful and responsible (RR), managing and communicating work (MCW), reasoning and managing difficult situations (RDS), and managing the individual within the team (MIT)—and the perceived organizational impact of telework. We also tested whether telework rate and intensity moderated these relationships. Survey data were collected from 239 supervisors at two time points. Results showed …

Pressed For Time: The Role Of Time Pressure And Attentional Awareness On The Mental Health Of Employed Informal Dementia Caregivers, Kate Bishop

University Honors Theses

Informal caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD) experience increased time demands and poorer well-being, especially when caregiving is combined with paid employment. Subjective feelings of high time pressure, which include feeling rushed and short on time, relate to poorer self-reported measures of mental health more than objective task load. Attentional awareness is one of the fundamental components of mindfulness alongside nonjudgmental acceptance; it has been linked with more optimal mental health and feelings of having enough time. This cross-sectional study examined whether higher levels of perceived time pressure would relate to poorer self-reported mental health functioning and …

Dating Among University Undergraduates Living With Disability In South-Western Nigeria, Usman A. Ojedokun, Bukunmi I. Oluborode, Lateef J. Adeyemo

The Journal of Social Encounters

In many university campuses in Nigeria, undergraduates living with disability are visible and functionally involved in academic, political, social, and religious activities. However, the social life of these students is hardly the focus of scholarly research. Therefore, this study explored dating behaviours among undergraduates of selected public universities in south-western Nigeria living with disability. The social disability model was employed as the conceptual framework. Data were elicited through in-depth interview and focus group discussion methods.  Findings showed that the choice of partners among undergraduates living with disability was guided by trust, communication, emotional safety, shared values, and acceptance of disability …

The Influence Of Alongside For Educators, An Ai Wellness Tool, On Educator Well-Being, Amanda Grell

Doctorate in Education

Educator well-being has become an urgent concern in K-12 education, as educators continue to experience chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and high levels of burnout. Despite these challenges, few school-based interventions offer timely, individualized support that addresses educators’ real-time emotional needs. This mixed-methods study examined the influence of the Alongside for Educators application on educator well-being within middle and high school settings. The purpose of this research was to explore how the tool supported educators across the Coping-Competence-Context (3Cs) framework, including experiences with the application, contextual factors shaping engagement, and changes in well-being. Qualitative findings from 10 interviews revealed that educators …

Exploring Identity Development Of Therapeutic Boarding School Alumni, Travis Philipsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on therapeutic boarding schools (TBS) has largely focused on treatment experiences and immediate adolescent outcomes, with limited attention to identity development after program discharge. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine identity development during emerging adulthood in TBS alumni aged 18-24 and to explore how internal strengths and external supports influenced participants’ developmental experiences after leaving TBS. Positive youth development was the guiding theoretical framework, emphasizing the bidirectional relationship between a person and the external ecological assets they access. Semistructured interviews were conducted with six alumni, and data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis within a …

Psychologists’ And Psychiatrists’ Views On Criminal Behavior, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, And Federally Sentenced Indigenous Women In The Prairie Region And British Columbia, Rina Asghar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The overrepresentation of federally sentenced Indigenous women in Canada reflects longstanding structural and systemic injustices within the criminal justice system. Constituting approximately 5% of the female population, Indigenous female offenders are disproportionately represented, especially in maximum security facilities and structured intervention units. This qualitative study examined psychologists’ and psychiatrists’ perspectives on the potential role of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) related neurocognitive impairments in increasing justice system involvement among Indigenous women in Western Canada. Guided by the multidimensional Indigenous developmental framework, which integrates historical trauma theory and attachment theory, nine psychologists and one psychiatrist were interviewed in semi-structured interviews. The …

Emergent Patterns In Individual Perceptions Of Domestic Violence Among African Immigrants, Annah Ezuma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic abuse continues to be a prevalent and intricate matter within society, frequently concealed by silence. The comprehension of individuals’ perceptions of abuse is of utmost importance in the advancement of efficacious interventions and support systems. Among African immigrants in the United States, perceptions of domestic violence were often influenced by several factors like religion and migration stressors. Despite increasing concerns about abuse within this population, limited research has explored how they interpret abuse and how these perceptions shape help seeking behaviors and disclosure. The gap was significant because of the cultural transition and many immigrant experiences. This qualitative study …

Nursing Interventions To Reduce Anxiety And Psychological Distress In Breast Cancer Patients In The Us, Alexis Abboud, Al Araydeh Mifleh

The Cardinal Edge

Background Breast cancer patients frequently experience psychological challenges, such as anxiety, distress, and diminished quality of life (QoL). Nursing interventions show promise in addressing these issues; however, a comprehensive synthesis of their impact is lacking. This review evaluates the effectiveness of nursing interventions in reducing anxiety and psychological distress while improving QoL.

Research Question What nursing interventions effectively reduce anxiety and psychological distress and improve QoL among breast cancer patients in the United States?

Methods A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches of CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Medline identified studies published in the last five years in …