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Caring With Ai: The Efficacy Of A Customised Chatgpt-Delivered Self-Compassion Intervention On College Students' Well-Being And Academic Functioning, Tracy Xi Chen, Chi-Ying Cheng, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

College students face various challenges, including academic pressure, social stress, and the transition into adulthood, which can lead to increased anxiety and other mental health issues. By recognizing personal struggles as part of a shared human experience and responding with kindness, self-compassion serves as a powerful strategy for enhancing resilience, facilitating better well-being and performance outcomes. Although effective, Compassion-Focused Therapy often requires substantial resources and time, limiting its applicability to college students. To overcome these barriers, the current study designed and evaluated Your Self-Compassion Companion, a ChatGPT-powered AI chatbot intervention grounded in self-compassion theory and delivered over three weekly 20-min …

Exploring Public Perceptions Of Genetic Risk In Substance Use Disorders, Brooke A. Goodenow

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines genetic risk perception, with specific emphasis on substance use disorders (SUDs), through a collection of three manuscripts. The dissertation examines genetic risk perception for hereditary diseases in existing literature, describes a methodological framework for capturing genetic risk perception across social media discourse, and identifies themes and emotional tone associated with genetic risk perception for SUDs across two major social media platforms (X and Reddit).

Combined, these three manuscripts expand and support previous findings about genetic risk perception and its role in shaping health beliefs and associated behaviors. The dissertation findings reveal numerous similarities in genetic risk perception …

Leveraging Technology To Measure The Strength Of Demand For Commercial And Trafficked Sex, Michael D. Shively, Bob Rodgers, Courtney Furlong, Brooke Ruffin

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The article examines Transaction Intercept (TI), an artificial‑intelligence platform designed to reduce sex trafficking by disrupting the revenue streams that draw organized crime into the market. Transaction Intercept deploys decoy online ads that appear to offer commercial sexual exploitation or prostitution. Automated "decoy" personas connect to individuals who click on these ads and engage them in text conversations. These exchanges can remain fully automated, ending with deterrence messages, or be transferred to police for potential enforcement action or to trained volunteers who attempt to discourage further attempts to buy sex. Transaction Intercept generates extensive, real‑time data on local demand for …

Balancing War And Peace In Taekwondo Athlete Development: A Multi-Criteria Coaching Decision Support Framework Using Leadership Scale For Sports And Fuzzy Ahp, King Harold A. Recto, Hazel Jade L. Antonio, Jhyrald Anthony P. Dalida

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Coaching effectiveness is frequently evaluated through competitive outcomes, with the assumption that coaching behaviors directly influence athlete performance. This study examined the relationship between perceived coaching behaviors and individual win percentage among collegiate Taekwondo athletes using the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted across five coaching dimensions: Training and Instruction, Democratic Behavior, Autocratic Behavior, Social Support, and Positive Feedback. Results showed that none of the coaching dimensions demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with win percentage. Although coaching behaviors did not significantly predict win percentage, the findings suggest that athlete development is shaped …

Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Forensic Psychology: An Umbrella Review Of Potentials And Pitfalls, Ysabel Thereze Ang Guevarra, Nur Eva Alisha Binte Mohamed Hisham, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly embedded within forensic psychological practice, shaping how criminal risk, legal responsibility and public safety are assessed. AI tools are now used in recidivism prediction, behavioural analysis, deception detection and investigative support, high-stakes domains where errors can have profound consequences. Despite this rapid adoption, the existing literature remains fragmented, with most reviews confined to narrow subdomains and offering limited integrated synthesis of AI′s broader role in forensic psychology. Thus, this umbrella review addresses this gap by synthesising findings from 43 reviews obtained from five major databases, namely EBSCOhost ERIC, EBSCOhost PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus and Web …

Gender And Professional Identities In Businesswomen’S Negotiation, Chi-Ying Cheng, Amy J. Lim, Yi Wen Tan, Fiona Lee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Gender roles and expectations for women have been shown to account for why women tend to negotiate ineffectively in business settings. Drawing from the psychological literature on multiple identities, this paper examines how individual differences in perceived compatibility between gender and professional identities–captured by the construct Gender-Professional Identity Integration (G-PII)–shape businesswomen’s negotiation behaviors. Two studies examined how G-PII interacts with identity cues and cue valence to influence negotiation outcomes. We found that those who perceived their gender and professional identities as compatible (high G-PII) exhibited an “assimilation” effect–they negotiate more effectively when their professional identity was primed by professional identity …

Social Workers’ Lived Experiences Of Trauma-Informed Training, Ashley Ann Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers report limited formal training in trauma-informed approaches, and implementation of trauma-informed care varies widely across settings, with inconsistent training uptake and organizational support for sustained practice change. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of social workers in trauma-informed training. The study was guided by trauma-informed care principles and an experiential learning framework. The research question examined how social workers develop trauma-informed competence and how systemic factors influence practice. Data were collected through 11 semi structured interviews with social workers and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three key themes emerged: (a) trauma-informed competence …

Exploring The Experiences Of Women In Mental Health Therapy After The Occurrence Of Perinatal Loss, Courtney Allison Nishnick

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Perinatal loss encompasses losses of pregnancies at any gestational age, as well as deaths occurring within one year post-birth. In the United States, around 40 thousand stillbirths and infant deaths occur every year (Ely & Driscoll, 2025; Gregory et al., 2025), with about 23 million miscarriages also occurring annually worldwide (Quenby et al., 2021). Perinatal loss experiences lead to distressing mental health symptoms not limited to anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and grief (Crockett et al., 2019; Wamser & Ferro, 2025). While there is extensive research on perinatal loss as it pertains to medical context, there is minimal research relating to …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Juvenile Offending: Client-Factor Variations And A Novel Intervention Approach, Madison M. Dobreff

Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences have consistently been identified as risk factors for juvenile offending. However, this relationship is complex and varies based on individual factors. This critical literature review not only examined the current research on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and juvenile offending but also identified client factor variations that influence the relationship. Client factors examined throughout include race/ethnicity, gender, age, internalized and externalized mental health symptoms, positive internal factors, familial and external social support, educational engagement, environmental factors, and positive childhood experiences. The relationship is further complicated by examining the effects of multiple client-factor variations on the adverse …

Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez

Dissertations

This literature review examined gang involvement among young Black men in the United States and explored the factors that contribute to joining gangs and the consequences that may follow. The first chapter provides a brief history of gang involvement in Black communities and introduces Erikson’s development model, self-determination theory, and the minorities’ diminished returns as the three theoretical frameworks. The second chapter discusses common challenges faced by young Black men who are currently involved in gangs or are at risk of joining. The chapter explores issues such as life expectancy after gang involvement, adverse childhood experiences, mental health concerns, and …

Intergenerational Trauma And Grief Among The Latine Community: Proposed Interventions And Treatment Considerations, Alexandra M. Johnson

Dissertations

The intersectionality of bereavement, trauma, and culture has many clinical considerations, including the impact on individuals and families. Traumatic events can impact an individual directly, collectively, and intergenerationally. The Latine community is one of the largest cultural groups in the United States, and mental health treatment often includes several cultural considerations. This critical literature review examined how the Latine community has been impacted by intergenerational trauma, specifically through experiences of grief and loss, to inform clinical focus, case conceptualization, and identify gaps in the literature. The first chapter provides a brief history of the intersectionality of intergenerational trauma and bereavement, …

Navigating The Dark Side: Emotional Labor's Impact On Hr Professionals' Wellness, Esmeralda Amelia Rendón

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to document and describe how female-identifying human resource (HR) generalist practitioners serving as sole or primary employee relations practitioners in small- to medium-sized organizations across the United States experience and manage emotional labor in their roles, cope with its demands, and how these experiences impact their wellness and perceptions of organizational support. Despite the centrality of emotional labor (EL) in human resource professionals’ (HRPs) roles, little was known about how HRPs in these underresourced environments cope with these demands. Data were collected through semistructured virtual interviews with eight participants and analyzed using Braun and …

An Evaluation Of Staff Training To Teach Implementation Of Functional Analysis Of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior, Lauren Marie Lightner

Theses and Dissertations

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) along with other feeding disorders are prevalent in both neurotypical children along with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Children with feeding challenges often exhibit inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) to avoid consuming non-preferred foods. It is pertinent to determine the function of IMB in order to create an efficacious treatment; one such assessment is the functional analysis (Iwata et al. 1982/1994). Iwata et al. (2000) taught students how to implement a functional analysis of self-injurious behavior using behavioral skills training. Since the assessment’s development, it has been extended to various …

The Representation Of Suicide In Spanish Teen Fiction Tv Series: Narrative Trends And Media Literacy Implications, Patricia Palomares-Sánchez, Victoria Soto-Sanz

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

The present study analyses the narrative treatment of suicide in Spanish youth fiction television series produced between 2015 and 2024, aiming to identify representation trends in relation to the recommendations for responsible media coverage and their implications for media literacy. The methodology underpinning this study encompasses eight fiction TV series and combines quantitative research, derived from data collection and analysis, with a qualitative component, focusing on the interpretation and analysis of the results. Findings indicate that the representation lacks due caution in depicting the method and location of suicide, which increases the risk of imitation. Although the narratives present alternatives …

Eco-Anxiety Among Environmental Volunteers: The Emotional Cost Of Caring For The Planet, Siti Jaro'ah, Cholifia Sarining Pawasa, Kuni Saffana

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Environmental disasters have frequently been shown to impact the psycho-emotional states of humans, a phenomenon commonly termed eco-anxiety. Individuals who engage in close interactions with the environment may encounter more significant repercussions than other groups, including environmental volunteers. This study seeks to investigate the phenomenon of ecological anxiety among environmental volunteers. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological methodology, using three environmental volunteers as participants. Data were gathered through semi-structured, comprehensive interviews and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The results indicate that participants experienced the effects of environmental issues in three ways: emotionally, cognitively, and in their daily lives. Among …

How Psychological Capital Promotes Student Flourishing: Mediating Effects Of Career Adaptability And Study Engagement, Sana Nisar, Adnan Adil, Sultan Shujja, Samina Rashid

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

In today’s rapidly evolving academic and occupational landscape, understanding the psychological resources that support student well-being is critical. This study investigates the predictive role of academic psychological capital (PsyCap) in fostering flourishing among Pakistani university undergraduates, specifically identifying the mediating mechanisms of career adaptability and study engagement. Grounded in career construction theory and the JD-R model, the research contributes to theory by positioning PsyCap as a key personal resource that facilitates adaptive capacity and meaningful engagement. Data from 350 undergraduates in public-sector universities were analyzed using path analysis. Results revealed that PsyCap significantly predicted flourishing (β = .35, p …

African American Mother Counselors' Lived Experiences During The Dual Pandemics Of Covid-19 And Structural Racism, Shanti Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and structural racism in 2020 created compounded personal and professional stressors for African American mothers who are professional counselors, yet little was known about how they appraised these stressors and selected coping strategies. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe what it means to be an African American mother and professional counselor making decisions about coping strategies to manage personal and professional stressors during the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and structural racism in 2020. Guided by Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology and informed by the Transactional …

Effective Techniques In Equine Assisted Therapies From The Facilitators Perspective, Emily Dolezal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Equine assisted therapies have been shown to be an effective treatment approach for individuals experiencing mental health issues. However, there have been rising challenges in standardization and nomenclature throughout the field. Current research supporting the benefits of equine assisted therapies is often from the client perspective. There is a gap in understanding what occurred in session that made it beneficial to their mental health. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of equine assisted therapy facilitators in terms of mechanisms that produce positive changes in their clients. The theories and concepts that ground this study …

Childhood Trauma, Mental Health, And Crime Commission Among Persons Deprived Of Liberty In A Selected City Jail: Toward A Trauma-Informed Intervention Program, Gerardo Sj. Gonzales Jr., Elmer G. De Jose

Social Sciences and Development Review

This study explores the relationship between childhood trauma and mental health among Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in the Philippine jail system, focusing on Baliuag City Jail, Region III. It also examines whether significant differences in trauma and mental health exist across crime categories. While trauma-crime linkages are widely studied in Western contexts, research remains limited within Philippine jail/correctional settings. Grounded in General Strain Theory and supported by Social Learning Theory, Differential Association Theory, and Trauma-Informed Care Model, the study uses a descriptive correlational and comparative research design. A stratified sample of 212 PDLs completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form …

Modern Psychology And The Religious Experience: Faith Or Just Institutionalization?, Darin Challacombe

Psychology Faculty Publications

A literature review of Paloutzian’s (1996) “Religious Experience” chapter in Invitation to the Psychology of Religion is presented by outlining and critiquing works cited. Specifically, the combination of three distinct theories (e.g., schemas, attribution, and attachment) is presented and evaluated. Using these three theories, empirical research that has been done in this field can be explained. However, the main component of these theories has to be present: faith. Faith needs to be seen as being the opposite of institutionalization; rather, events that are religious must have faith and cannot be completely explained by institutionalization concepts of groupthink and manipulation. Further, …

Under Pressure: Negative Urgency And Disordered Eating In The Context Of Parental Differential Support, Hamide Gozu, Jenna K. Rieder

College of Humanities and Sciences Faculty Papers

Disordered eating behaviors are prevalent in emerging adulthood and may be shaped by family dynamics. This study examined associations among maternal and paternal differential support, weight-shape concerns, and binge eating and compensatory behaviors in emerging adulthood, while testing the moderating role of negative urgency. Participants were 517 emerging adults from across the United States (ages 18-29; M = 22.60, SD = 3.81; 76% female). Participants reported on parental differential support, weight-shape concerns, eating behaviors, and negative urgency. Using moderated-mediation analyses, we found that weight-shape concerns mediated associations between differential support and eating behaviors. Unequal maternal support and paternal favoritism showed …

Cbd's Impact On Learning, Memory, And Anxiety: A Dose Response, Audrey Camacho

Psychology ETDs

Cannabidiol (CBD) is widely utilized for its therapeutic properties, yet its impact on an unmanipulated model at baseline behavior remains poorly understood. This study investigates CBD’s dose-dependent behavioral profile on spatial learning, memory, and anxiety using Long-Evans rats. Subjects received a vehicle, 20 mg/kg, or 40 mg/kg CBD dose prior to assessment in the Morris Water Task (MWT) and Elevated Plus Maze (EPM). MWT results indicated consistent Day 1 learning, but the 40 mg/kg dose induced a temporary disruption 24 hours post-treatment. Performance returned to baseline by day 6. On the EPM, traditional anxiety markers remained unchanged. While CBD did …

Borderline Personality Disorder (Bpd) And Witness Memory: A Beginner’S Guide For Criminal Justice, Forensic Mental Health, And Legal Professionals, Jerrod Brown Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S.

Forensic Scholars Today

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with emotional instability, impulsivity, interpersonal difficulties, identity disturbance, and stress-related dissociative symptoms that may influence cognitive functioning. Research suggests that BPD may contribute to difficulties with attention, executive functioning, and memory, particularly during periods of emotional distress. These issues, combined with common co-occurring conditions such as trauma exposure, substance use disorders, and sleep disturbances, may affect the encoding, storage, retrieval, and recall of information. This article examines current literature on BPD and discusses how symptoms and associated factors could influence witness memory in forensic and legal settings. Because findings remain mixed, the presence of …

Exercise Self-Efficacy And Physical Wellness In A Worksite Wellness Program: Exploring Factor Structure And Perceptions, Micah B. Mcglathery

Dissertations

Exploring Perceptions of Exercise Self-Efficacy and Physical Wellness in a Worksite Wellness Program

Abstract

Worksite wellness programs are increasingly adopted to address insufficient exercise participation and other health-related behaviors that put employees at risk of chronic disease. Although quantitative outcomes are well-documented, there is limited research exploring how employees perceive these programs' impact on personal behavior change, particularly in relation to exercise self-efficacy. Guided by the Social Cognitive Theory and the Exercise is Medicine initiative, this study qualitatively investigates employee perceptions of a worksite wellness program’s influence on physical wellness and confidence to exercise. A phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews …

Stop Blaming My Users: Illumination Of The Technocentric Mythos Bias, Ervin H. Frenzel, Richard Lightcap

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

 Abstract -This conceptual essay addresses the need for systemic and systematic transdisciplinary analytical techniques within cybersecurity and technical security. This conceptual essay is contingent upon recognition that cybersecurity is not simply technical in nature, it does not need an adversary, and more importantly it is based upon systems engineering and systems thinking.  The essay contributes a socio-technical attribution chain and field-specific ontology/taxonomy which distinguish user-triggered events from root causes, latent conditions, technical debt, validation failures, governance failures, and attribution bias before assigning responsibility to end users. It systematically defines an ontology inclusive of developer technical debt, organizational debt arising from …

Investigating Learning In Immersive Virtual Reality, Andrew Negrette

Master's Theses

Students often struggle with learning challenging subjects throughout their education. This also tends to lead to lower enjoyment and science self-efficacy for learning. Some subjects may be better represented in 3-dimensional spaces utilizing immersive virtual reality (IVR). Recently, IVR headsets have become more accessible and affordable and therefore are in wider use. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differences in science selfefficacy, enjoyment, presence and knowledge retention exist between IVR and controls on an ocean acidification lesson. I predicted that participants taking the lesson in IVR would score higher compared to a laptop on all measures, due …

The Role Of Social Emotional Learning In Utah’S Implementation Of Essa, Sharon Walles

Transforming Communities

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as a policy, offers an additional tool to address the escalating adolescent mental health crisis. By acknowledging the critical link between student well-being, academic success, and evidence-based practices, this policy analysis explores how funding from ESSA can be leveraged to integrate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) within Utah’s schools. Experts, educators, and parents can be voices to combat misinformation surrounding the recent politicization of SEL and its implementation. This analysis connects Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory, which highlights the interconnectedness of the environment, with the importance of prioritizing mental health within schools to help adolescents with issues …

Sense Of Safety And Quality Of Life Among Immigrants, Rachel Gomez

McNair Scholars Research

This study examined the relationship between sense of safety and quality of life among Hispanic/Latinx immigrant communities. The study sought to determine whether perceived sense of safety was associated with quality of life and whether differences existed based on immigration status, gender, and age. A quantitative, non-experimental survey design was used with a convenience sample of 33 first- and second-generation Hispanic immigrants from Arkansas. Participants completed a survey combining the Immigrant Enforcement Fear Scale and the 10-Item Well-being Instrument, which were translated into Spanish to increase accessibility. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and independent-samples t-tests with an alpha …

“I’Ll Cry Tomorrow”: The Heroism Of Anti-Alcoholism Advocate Lillian Roth, Elizabeth Gritter

Heroism Science

Lillian Roth (1910–1980) is remembered primarily for her bestselling autobiography I’ll Cry Tomorrow and its successful film adaptation, yet her broader significance as a social hero has received little scholarly attention. This article examines Roth’s transformation from celebrated entertainer and alcoholic to influential public advocate whose confessional storytelling helped reshape public attitudes toward alcoholism during the mid-twentieth century. Drawing on Roth’s autobiographies, contemporary media coverage, and historical sources, the article argues that her willingness to publicly disclose trauma, addiction, and recovery represented an act of social courage that challenged prevailing stigma. By leveraging celebrity to promote compassion, recovery, and public …

The Health And Well-Being Of Grandparents Who Report Major Responsibilities For Grandchildren: Perceived Physical Health, Depressive Affect, And Life Satisfaction, Tze-Li Hsu Phd, Patricia Drentea Phd

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This study examines how grandparents who report major responsibilities for their grandchildren experience perceived physical health, depressive affect, and life satisfaction compared to grandparents who do not report these responsibilities. Using data from the third wave of MIDUS (2013–2014), a nationally representative dataset focused on mid to later life (n = 1,819), we analyzed a sample of grandparents. Ordered logistic regression was used for perceived physical health, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used for depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Results indicate that grandparents with caregiving responsibilities are more likely to be women, non-White, and have lower incomes and …