Digital Commons Network^™

Creative Engagement For Community Through The Life-Span, D. Nicole English, Pelgy Vaz

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Creative Engagement for Community Through the Life-Span

Creative Engagement includes crafts, cultural practices, expressive arts, and activities that bring people together. Having access to such activities enables people to develop healthy habits, social interactions, and build community that can sustain one throughout the lifespan. On-going research indicates that Creative Engagement Activities, and the Communities of Practice that build around them, benefit people throughout the life-span, but become particularly important to older adults, by building resilience and social connections, in the face of inevitable life losses.

https://youtu.be/r3JS5YP-MnM

Defining The Meta-Story Of Heroism Science: Initiation, Formation, And Governance In An Emerging Discipline, Peter Bray

Heroism Science

This article traces the meta-story of the journal Heroism Science across Volumes 1–10 by treating the publication record as a living narrative of field formation. Using an eight-dimension decoding framework (D1–D8), it argues that the journal’s development is best understood as a braided trajectory in which methodological maturation and theoretical maturation co-evolve. Special issues function as turning points: downside dynamics, whistleblowing, and heroic screens formalize consequence sensitivity and contestation, while later conference and legacy issues consolidate pluralism and reflexive ethics. The article contributes (a) an explicit coding and audit method for reading a journal as a field-forming narrative and (b) …

The Moderating Role Of Sadism And Psychopathy In The Relationship Between Stress And Malevolent Creativity, Kaitlin A. Dixon, Dr. Elizabeth Mancuso, Dr. Janet Trammell

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Malevolent creativity is creating original ideas with an intent to harm others. It is also associated with aggression and anger-inducing situations. To date, no research has examined stress as a potential trigger for malevolent creativity. We hypothesized higher stress would increase malevolent creativity (H1). Malevolent creativity is associated with the personality traits of the dark triad, psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. The dark tetrad expanded the dark triad by adding sadism. Sadism and psychopathy are often considered the most aggressive dark tetrad traits. We hypothesized sadism and psychopathy would separately moderate the relationship between stress and malevolent creativity (H2, H3). Participants …

The Role Of Political Orientation In The Relationship Between Masculinity Threat And Pain, Bethany Kronlund, Randy Corpuz Ph.D., Dr. Elizabeth Mancuso

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This experimental study aimed to explore whether political orientation might moderate the relationship between threatened masculinity and pain tolerance among 128 college men. Research has shown that the manipulation of gender stereotypes and how it affects pain tolerance in men has yielded mixed results. We administered a bogus gender knowledge test with fake feedback placing participants into either a masculinity threatening condition or masculinity affirming condition. This was followed by a pain tolerance test using a pressure algometer, where pain tolerance, pain threshold, perceived unpleasantness, and perceived painfulness were recorded. We hypothesized that men in the threatened masculinity condition would …

Sense Of Social Belonging, Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help, And Psychological Distress Among Sexual And Gender Minority Students At Christian Colleges And Universities, Alethia Winley, Elizabeth Mancuso, Steve Rouse

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Sexual and gender minority individuals (SGMs) often report more mental health struggles than their cisgender and heterosexual (cis-het) counterparts, as described by minority stress theory. At the same time, research shows that religiosity is associated with fewer mental health struggles. This study examined one intersection of these topics among SGM students at Christian institutions of higher learning by testing if religiosity moderated the relationship between SGM status and psychological distress, social belonging, and attitudes toward seeking help. The sample consisted of 203 students, including 70 SGMs, from 38 American Christian institutions of higher learning. Consistent with past research, SGMs reported …

The Role Of Religiosity In Moderating The Relationship Between Social Media-Induced Upward Social Comparison And State Self-Esteem, Cade Matthias Swearingen, Cindy Miller-Perrin, Elizabeth Mancuso

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The purpose of this study was to examine whether religiosity was a moderator in the relationship between social media induced upward social comparison and state self-esteem. Festinger’s social comparison theory suggests that upward social comparison negatively impacts self-esteem due to comparing oneself to someone perceived as better. It was hypothesized that individuals experiencing an upward social comparison social media condition would experience greater decreases in state self-esteem than individuals experiencing a lateral social comparison social media condition, and this effect would be moderated by strength of religious faith, such that stronger religious faith would be associated with less decreases in …

Addressing Sensory Processing And Regulation To Improve Developmental Outcomes In A Nicu Developmental Clinic, Faith Crumley

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Background and Significance 

Infants and children who spent time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experienced intense sensory stimuli early on, during a critical period of brain development. These early experiences have been associated with later challenges in sensory processing and regulation, impacting developmental outcomes (Pineda et al., 2023). Following discharge, NICU Developmental Follow-Up Clinics play a key role in monitoring developmental progress and identifying delays. Given the influence of sensory processing on regulation, motor development, and participation in occupations, early identification is critical. This capstone project was conducted at a NICU Developmental Clinic to address the need for …

Emotional Intelligence Training In Physician Assistant Education: Comparing Workshops Alone To Workshops Plus Coaching, Mickey Lebowitz, William Holmes

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

Introduction

Clinicians and health care students with higher emotional intelligence (EQ) are more likely to experience positive outcomes for themselves and their patients. Given these benefits and EQ’s learnability, teaching EQ to health care students has been suggested. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of workshops combined with coaching (W+C) relative to workshops only (WO) on PA students’ EQ, and, as an outcome measure, their feelings of success. Additionally, we investigated whether these impacts depend on students’ baseline EQ.

Method

Using the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Inventory, we retrospectively tracked first- and second-year changes in EQ and success scores …

Ai-Human Relationship Experiences, Ari Rad

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Recent scholarly research regarding “human–chatbot relationships

(HCRs)” demonstrates that users often report having developed

meaningful connections with artificial intelligence. Although the

initial exposure to AI chatbots is seemingly predicated on users’

“curiosity,” the data suggest that “loneliness” is a precursor that

maintains the use of chatbots (Skjuve et al., 2022; Skjuve et al.,

2023). A cross-sectional mixed-method survey study demonstrated

that “loneliness” and “lower perceived social support” are among the

initiators of the use of chatbots for companionship (Herbener &

Damholdt, 2025).

The unique characteristics of these AI companions (e.g., being

socially safe, nonjudgmental, and always available) have brought

forth …

Psychologists’ Preparedness And Self-Efficacy In Serving Grieving Hispanics During Covid-19, Janet Salinas Sanchez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health professionals working with Hispanic populations often face challenges in addressing grief, a culturally multifaceted experience influenced by traditions and familial and community practices. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine psychologists’ self-efficacy and preparedness in managing grief among Hispanic individuals who have been affected by COVID-19, address cultural factors in grief management, and identify demographic or professional factors that predict higher self-efficacy in working with Hispanic clients. Data were collected at a single point in time from eight psychologists who were actively working or had worked with Hispanic populations during COVID-19 to explore psychologists’ self-efficacy, preparedness, …

Advancing The Study Of Politics And The Brain: Targets For Research On Neurology And Political Behavior, Glenn W. Rainey Jr.

Commonwealth Review of Political Science

In this paper I argue that advancing research on neurology is creating important opportunities for political scientists to integrate its findings into their research, particularly with regard to the effects of emotional processes on political behavior.  I provide a general background on neural anatomy, genetics, and neurobiological chemicals, and I briefly review techniques of neurological research, the findings that have been developing, and the limitations on the research. I provide an overview of selected key neural anatomy, and neurotransmitters and hormones, that play a role in neurological functions, and particularly in the development and expression of emotions.  I then suggest …

President João Goulart And The Breakdown Of U.S.-Brazilian Relations, Jake Hall

Commonwealth Review of Political Science

The 1950s and 1960s were a tumultuous time for relations between the United States and Brazil. Following the Cuban Revolution and the rise of Castro in 1959, the United States felt vulnerable and feared that the Cuban Revolution would spread communism to other countries in Latin America. Meanwhile, Brazil was experiencing an economic crisis as former President Juscelino Kubitschek had engaged in expensive policies intended to grow Brazil’s economy and spur industrial development. These policies left the country with rampant inflation and an untenable amount of debt, which Brazil had no hope of paying off. President John F. Kennedy’s Alliance …

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Emotional Disclosure Dilemmas: How Personal And Relational Factors Predict Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression, Julie A. Tobin, Camilla S. Øverup, Qian Lu

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Ambivalence over emotional expression (AEE) has been associated with various health and wellbeing outcomes, yet the relational factors that may be associated with AEE have been underexplored. The current study explored the associations between social support, conflict, gender, and AEE across a variety of different relationship types. Participants (N = 135) read scenarios describing situations where they imagined either expressing or suppressing different emotions (anger, pride, apprehension, appreciation) to five different people and then indicated the amount of regret (AEE) they anticipated over that expression decision. The results suggest that although social support was particularly related to emotional expression, …

Call For Papers: 97th Annual Conference Of The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Leisure Activities On Veterinarian Mental Health Outcomes, Kevin Garuccio

Undergraduate Theses

While there are many professions that are stressful enough to be linked with negative mental health outcomes, few measure up to the mental dangers of veterinary medicine, with suicide rates twice that of the dental and medical professions and four times that of the general population (Stoewen, 2015). The current study aimed to focus on veterinarians and their mental health. While there have been a few studies done about the veterinary workplace, none thus far have investigated how veterinarians are spending their leisure time outside of work and how it could be impacting their mental health. The current study was …

Gender And Emotional Expression In The Courtroom: Mock Juror Perceptions Of Attorney Effectiveness, Emma Cantrell

Undergraduate Theses

This quantitative study examines how gender and emotional expression influence mock jurors' perceptions of an attorney's courtroom effectiveness. Using mock jurors, this study extends previous research suggesting that assertiveness and emotional displays are evaluated differently by gender. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of four closing statements in a mock burglary trial. The videos were of either a male or a female attorney delivering a passive or an aggressive argument. Participants then evaluated the attorney’s effectiveness across four categories: competence, persuasiveness, ability to instill confidence, and emotionality. Male participants generally rated female attorneys as less effective than female participants …

The Role Of Psychological Need Satisfaction In Prosocial Rule-Breaking: Examining Leadership Moderators In The Financial Services Industry, Lucas Augustine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examines the relationship between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs- autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and prosocial rule-breaking among employees in the financial-services industry, as well as the moderating effects of transformational and transactional leadership styles. Guided by self-determination theory and full range leadership theory, the study explores how intrinsic motivation and leadership context jointly influence ethical decision-making within highly regulated environments. Data were collected from 102 financial-services professionals through an online survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicate that autonomy was a strong positive predictor of PSRB, relatedness demonstrated a negative relationship, and competence’s …

Parental Incarceration: The Lived Experiences Of Those Left Behind, Shatoya L. Young

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Incarceration in the United States is being touted as an obscure public health crisis. Approximately 47% of male incarcerated individuals and 58% of female incarcerated individuals are parents to minors. The number of children who have experienced parental incarceration at any point in their lives is believed to be more than 5 million. Incarceration negatively impacts the lives of children, especially when children lack an understanding of their parents' incarceration. There are risk factors that increase the possibility of adverse outcomes for children of incarcerated parents, and protective factors that mitigate the risk of poor outcomes. Many of the stories …

Intergenerational Apologetics: A Strategy For Careful Confidence, Thomas C. Farley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a subtle confusion between the objectives of evangelism and apologetics, leaving Open Door Baptist Church (ODBC) seniors unknowingly ill-equipped and intimidated to defend their Christian values. The purpose of this Doctor of Ministry research was to address that intimidation by training seniors in a dedicated faith-values curriculum to become confident apologetic communicators. The intervention leveraged the process of intergenerational values-sharing while training stakeholders to develop their own faith narratives by seamlessly integrating biblical values with relevant apologetic particulars into personal stories to be shared with their grandchildren. In this environment, participants could develop a personal faith narrative that …

Volume 28, Issue 2 Full Contents

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

The Courts Closest To The People: The Battle Between Populism And Democracy In The U.S. District Courts, Shruti Rana

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

The U.S. district courts have emerged as a critical site of contested terrain amid the chaos and controversies consuming American law and politics since the start of the second Trump administration. This article examines these frontline courts through the theoretical lens of populism, arguing that they have become a critical institutional flashpoint in the populist assault on constitutional democracy in the United States. As the courts closest to the people, the district courts occupy a unique structural position: They are the fact-finding courts, the most geographically dispersed and professionally diverse tier of the federal judiciary, and often the first institutional …

Editor-In-Chief's Note, Surekha Rao

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviewers And Referees

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Why Publish With Mssj?

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial History

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

George C. Roberts Award Recipients

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Submission Guidelines

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.