Digital Commons Network^™

The Lived Experience Of Immigrant Parents Raising First-Generation Adolescents In The United States, Hala Mohamed Hassan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrant parents experience challenges raising adolescent children, including cultural adaptation, language barriers, and generational differences, and how these impact adolescent development in bicultural contexts. Relatively little is understood about immigrant parents raising first-generation adolescents. The purpose of this study, grounded in Baumrind’s parenting style theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, was to explore the lived experiences of immigrant parents raising first-generation adolescents in the United States using a qualitative phenomenological approach. This study employed semistructured interviews with 12 immigrant parents of first-generation teenagers aged 13-19, with data analyzed thematically to identify patterns and themes in participants’ experiences. Key findings revealed the …

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Public Perceptions Of Victim Forgiveness And Offender Reparative Effort, Samantha Does

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

Passing judgment is an inevitable aspect of human behaviour, particularly in cases of severe wrongdoing or crime. These assessments can affect the individuals implicated in the transgressions, including the victim and offender. This research enhances our understanding of how third parties judge offenders and victims of crime, exploring whether offender participation in rehabilitation, offender remorsefulness, and the victim's forgiveness following a crime influence the third party's judgement of the victim and offender. Participants were presented with a scenario depicting a significant transgression, after which they responded to prompts concerning their perceptions of the event and the people involved. The findings …

Sources Of Tensions In Ai Adoption For Organ Procurement Organizations, Amaneh Babaee, Grace Hall, Daniel Burton Shank, Casey I. Canfield

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Social Support On Pandemic Challenges For Parents And Young Adult Children, David Grandel, Mackenzie Schram, Jennifer Feenstra, Seowon Song

Celebration of Research

The COVID-19 brought abrupt changes in the everyday lives of families with children worldwide. While existing research has highlighted the significant role of social support in promoting psychological well-being of both children and parents separately during the pandemic, less is known about how parents’ perceived support and life stressors may spill over to affect their children’s psychological well-being.

Participants (N = 546 families) were drawn from the Future of Families and Child Well-being Study (Reichman et al., 2001). Parents reported their perceived tangible social support (i.e., financial/ material aid; Cohen et al., 1983), family life stressors and financial threat …

The Enneagram & The Barnum Effect, Julia Anderson, Brooke Bartscher, Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

The Enneagram is a 9-type personality system that has gained widespread acceptance as a tool for self-understanding and personal growth. Despite its popularity, empirical support for it is mixed and it has not been tested critically to see if it works due to psychological biases. We hypothesized that the Enneagram seems accurate because of the Barnum effect, which explains the tendency for people perceive vague and general personality descriptions as tailored to them. Specifically, we hypothesized that:

1. The highest three Enneagram types will not be rated differently from each other on accuracy.
2. The highest three Enneagram types will be rated …

Long-Term Effects Of Pre-Pandemic Coparenting Support On Young Adults’ Well-Being During Covid-19, Mackenzie Schram, David Grandel, Seowon Song

Celebration of Research

The onset of COVID-19 brought an immediate necessity for families and children to adjust to dramatic changes in everyday lives. While research has shown the important role of coparenting support on children’s well-being during pandemic, less is known about the long-term effects of pre-pandemic coparenting support on young adult children’s life stressors and psychological well-being after its onset. Such understanding is crucial for informing interventions that promote a strong family foundation before stressful events like COVID-19 and better adjustments for young adult children and their families in future crises.

Participants (N = 546 families) were drawn from the Future …

Pareidolia And Creative Potential: Exploring Individual Differences In Attention To Pareidolia, Anna Prinz

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Faces are important stimuli in our environments and elicit a greater attentional response than non-faces. This is also true for pareidolic faces, which are objects in which individuals see features of faces such as eyes and mouths. Creative potential can affect pareidolic processing. Recent studies have found that perceptions of pareidolia occur more often and quickly in individuals with higher creative potential (HCP) compared to individuals with lower creative potential (LCP), which might contribute to greater distractibility for HCP individuals. In the present study, I expected that individuals with HCP would be more distracted by less pareidolic stimuli compared to …

How Do Human And Ai Gender Bias Interact In Hiring Decisions?, Eyuel Getahun, Daniel Burton Shank, Casey I. Canfield, Jessica L. Cundiff, Jenny Davis, Celia Freed

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Assessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders, Hazem Alata, Hussein Bazzi, Saleh Al-Juburi, Angie Achkar, Liam Browning, Nicole Oska, Adam Chaban, Arash Javanbakht

Medical Student Research Symposium

Assessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders

Introduction:

Substance use disorders (SUD) among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations remain largely understudied, despite evidence of high prevalence rates and lower rates of treatment engagement. Unique cultural conceptualizations and beliefs surrounding substance use disorders may perpetuate stigma, further contributing to disparities in access to and utilization of treatment services. This study aims to explore the attitudes and perspectives of individuals from MENA communities regarding substance use disorders, with the goal of identifying and addressing barriers to treatment.

Methods:

An anonymous bilingual Qualtrics survey was administered, gathering responses from …

Anxiety Sensitivity And Intolerance Of Uncertainty Uniquely Explain The Association Of The Late Positive Potential With Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms, Matt R. Judah, Hannah C. Hamrick, Benjamin Swanson, Morgan S. Middlebrooks, Grant S. Shields

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studies suggest that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms are related to late positive potential (LPP) responses to negative images, suggesting greater attention. Anxiety sensitivity (AS) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) are cognitive factors in GAD vulnerability that may be activated by negative stimuli, thereby explaining why the LPP and GAD symptoms are related. We examined whether AS and IU explain the association of the LPP with GAD symptoms. Eighty-seven (77% women) young adults viewed 60 negative and 60 neutral images. The LPP was examined using both frequentist and Bayesian approaches. This revealed unique indirect effects of the LPP on GAD …

Developing Behavior Based Rubrics To Improve Evaluation Processes: A Case Study, Celia Freed, Clair Reynolds Kueny

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Fractional Brownian Motion With Mean-Density Interaction, Jonathan House, Skirmantas Janusonis, Ralf Metzler, Thomas Vojta

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experiences Of Rural Nurses In The Post-Covid-19 Era, Amy Schultes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 60 million people, or one in five Americans, live in rural areas across the United States. Despite this, there is a lack of information about the experiences of critical access nurses working in rural hospitals that serve small towns and rural areas. The goal with this research was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of rural nurses in the post-COVID-19 era. Using hermeneutic phenomenology and rural nursing theory, the lived experiences of eight nurses working in critical access hospitals in Iowa were explored through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data was analyzed using the hermeneutic circle for phenomenological …

Inside Out 2, Bertha A. Manninen Ph.D.

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Inside Out 2 (2024), directed by Kelsey Mann.

Does Ai Help Or Harm? Why And How Ai Use Influences Workplace Outcomes And Employee Well-Being, Haille Trimboli, Reka Lassu

Education Division Scholarship

Although the recent surge in excitement surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) might suggest it is a new development, AI has been applied in organizations for over forty years (Fanti et al., 2022; Markelius et al., 2024). Indeed, the term "artificial intelligence" itself emerged in the 1950s during a research project at Dartmouth College, where it was used to describe "machines able to simulate human intelligence" (Haenlein & Kaplan, 2019, p. 3). Most recently, in 2022, the landscape of AI use for laypeople greatly changed when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, a generative AI tool, to the public; ChatGPT is an advanced AI language …

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Alyssa Galin, Hayden Jennato, Isabella Ramirez, Micaela Corzo, Tiara Morales, Christos Chatziioannou

Honors Program

ADAPTING AND EMBRACING COLLEGE LIFE AT BENTLEY:

Page 2: The Best of Both Worlds by Amanda '25

Page 3: How Bentley Has Changed My Life by Yun Song '25

Page4: From the Andes to Boston by Gabriel E. Mendoza Hancco '28

Page 5: Navigating Imposter Syndrome: A First-Generation Ethiopian Student's Journey

TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT

Page 6: The TikTok Ban by Khussam Mohamed '28

Page 7: My Haphazard (Yet Steadily Improving) Relationship with AI as a Lifelong Writer by Sahil Raut '27

REDEFINING HAPPINESS

Page 8: Hack Your Happiness by Sadie Fitzpatrick '28

Page 9: Don't Wait by Sinead Keyes …

Toxic Leadership In Media: The Brash Bully And The Egocentric Pretender, Ayanna L. Journey

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project features a comparative analysis of two characters who demonstrate toxic leadership in unique ways. Sue Sylvester is the cheerleading coach from the show Glee. She is cruel, dominating, and paranoid. Ava Coleman is an elementary school principal on the show Abbott Elementary. Ava is incompetent, self-absorbed, and exhibits various inappropriate behaviors. In efforts to analyze their behaviors that contrast with those of an ideal leader, I view the characters through a scope of influence, power, identity, and follower relations, based on modern leadership concepts from “The New Psychology of Leadership” (Haslam et al., 2020). Sue’s style …

Power And Influence: A Media Analysis Of Toxic Leadership In Michael Scott & Jordan Belfort, Lily M. Garrison, Aidan Hammond

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

For our SACAD presentation, we were given the task of looking at and analyzing two toxic leaders from various types of media, this could be from books, movies, television shows, or video games. The purpose of this was to look at the various traits these people have that make them classified as toxic leaders. For our examples, we chose to analyze Jordan Belfort, specifically from the movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street”(M. Scorsese, 2013). As well as Michael Scott from “The Office”(A. Greene, 2005). The theme that connects these two is as simple as being business people, they are each …

Manipulation And Power: A Comparative Analysis Of Toxic Leadership In Mean Girls And The Hunger Games, Madeline G. Schlyer, Kerstin R. Brown

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project employs a qualitative media analysis to compare two toxic leaders, Regina George from Mean Girls (2004) and President Snow from The Hunger Games series. Both characters exhibit manipulative leadership tactics to maintain control in different social contexts. Regina, the dominant queen bee of her high school, leads The Plastics through emotional manipulation and fear tactics. She employs a transactional leadership style, offering social rewards for compliance and punishing lack of agreement with exclusion. Her leadership is rooted in a need for validation, using her followers to reinforce her own status. In contrast, President Snow rules through violence and …

Corrupted Kings And Heroes: Toxic Leadership Of Scar And Homelander, Brandon Mckenna

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project uses a qualitative media analysis to look at toxic leadership through a comparative study of two characters: Scar, villainous usurper from “The Lion King,” and Homelander, publicly revered leader of superheroes and private psychopath from “The Boys.” These characters, despite their distinct contexts, exhibit toxic leadership styles. Drawing upon Haslam et al.’s (2020) "The New Psychology of Leadership," this analysis examines the context of their rule, their manipulation of identity, and their impact on followers. Scar’s thirst for power by any means necessary demonstrates a leader who manipulates others for personal gain. Meanwhile, Homelander’s narcissism and greed for …

Workshop Series: Reflections On An Emerging Leadership Journey, Sanjay D. Paul

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Defense Date

April 1, 2025

Candidate Name

Sanjay Paul

Personal Email Address

[email protected]

First Advisor

Dr. Emile Hawkins

Second Advisor

Dr. Debra Dean

DSL Final Project Abstract

Project Type

Global Conference Presentation

Project Overview

Reflections on an Emerging Leadership Journey is a PowerPoint presentation (of approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes) which designed to connect glo al interests in a way that can share best practices across an interdisciplinary front. Sanjay Paul shares ideas, observations, educational, volunteer, and professional experiences, along with his growth in the leadership journey. This journey can serve as a catalyst for others who are on …

Understanding The Wellness Needs Of Black Men Student Athletes, Sephora Abigail Wawa-Egbuche

Dissertations (1934 -)

Race, ethnicity, and gender significantly impact the wellness of Black collegiate athletes, particularly males. However, the literature on the wellness of collegiate-level student-athletes highlights a lack of diversity in gender and racial/ethnic representation, often overlooking Black student-athletes, who form the second largest group in college sports (Boyd et al., 2017; Elder et al., 2014; NCAA, 2012). Notably, there is an underrepresentation of males (Hinton et al., 2004; Stickler et al., 2022). Additionally, the dearth of qualitative research on this issue is troubling, as such studies can provide deeper insights into these experiences (Biggerstaff, 2012). This qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis aimed …

Are The Kids Alright? An Analysis Of Sex Education, The Sexual Behaviors Of Minors And Age Of Consent Laws In The United States, Monica L. Johnston

Senior Theses

This paper explores the sexual development of children, the sexual education they receive, as well as the history of sex laws in the United States, to determine whether the laws regarding education and age of consent adequately protect children. A qualitative survey is also conducted with undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina to determine what topics were discussed in their sexual education curriculum, as well as their sexual behaviors as a minor. While the push for comprehensive sexual education models has been growing, millions of dollars are still being allocated to promote Abstinence Only Until Marriage programs, which …

Bridging The Gap: Evaluating The Impact Of A First-Generation Mentoring Program On Sense Of Belonging And Self-Efficacy, R. Olivia Mace

Senior Theses

Many higher education four year institutions define a first-generation student as any individual whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree. Prior research on this population has shown that various factors, such as socioeconomic status, academic support, and sense of belonging contribute to their decreased graduation rates compared to continuing-generation students. Student feedback from an independent study with this population at a four-year institution indicated a need for a specific mentoring program for first-generation students. Additional prior research suggests this intervention, while few evaluate the effects of a pilot mentoring program for first-generation students. This thesis aims to do exactly …

The Stigma Surrounding Sex And Sexuality In American Culture, Sophia L. Pollock

Senior Theses

An important question to examine is the origin and implications of the taboo against sex and sexuality. The stigma against these topics encourages negative public health implications like poor sex education, high rates of sexually transmitted infections, and teen pregnancy. History of sexual stigma was examined through physical media and digital articles from the Thomas Cooper Library databases. The background and global perspective of these stigmas are covered, examining how past and distant cultures deal with sex. How sex is portrayed in the media, why a healthy sex life is important, and the subject of sex education are also addressed. …

How Do Children Learn How To Learn? Promoting Early Development At Home Through Play: A Scoping Review, Annika J. Larson

Senior Theses

Early childhood is a critical time in human development, during which children are discovering and practicing countless skills, from basic motor and language skills to problem-solving, self-regulation, memory, and other foundational abilities like literacy and math skills. From infancy through childhood, play is thought to be the primary condition under which most early skills are developed and perfected. During this time, young children are especially vulnerable to adversity and negative environmental influences due to their brains’ high plasticity; adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact an individual well beyond early childhood, specifically in early skills deficits. Play is known to be a …

Physiological Indicators Of Social Anxiety In Preschoolers With The Fragile X Premutation, Olivia Cyburt

Senior Theses

The Fragile X premutation (FXpm) is a common genetic disorder often characterized by psychiatric impairments, including anxiety. It results from a trinucleotide repeat expansion (CGG) of 55-200 repeats on the FMR1 gene. Despite its association with psychiatric symptoms, there is limited research regarding the relationship between FXpm and anxiety, particularly social anxiety. Early detection of social anxiety is essential for timely intervention, yet it remains challenging to identify in young individuals with FXpm due to limited research. The present study aimed to bridge this gap by examining social anxiety in preschoolers with the FXpm, utilizing both a physiological and behavioral …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Mitigation Through Education: A Brain-Based Learning Approach, Marisa S. Paglino

PhD in Education

Prior research has indicated a noteworthy relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), working memory (WM) function, and quality of life (QOL) among individuals who have experienced traumatic events within their lifetime. Despite much prior research focusing primarily on adult combat veterans of war, minimal data exists evaluating the effects of traumatic events in civilians who have yet to pass the age of complete neurological development (25 years or age). The present study aimed to evaluate the differences in trauma perception, perception of WM function, and perception of QOL among college students in Florida. Using descriptive statistics, based on the type …

Do Systems Exist?: A Conversation, Adam Walls, John M. Flach

Books Authored by Wright State Faculty/Staff

“Do Systems Exist? A conversation” is a refreshing and ambitious exploration of systems thinking, framed as a cross-disciplinary dialogue between Adam Walls, a business consultant, and John Flach, a cognitive systems theorist. The book resists the conventions of both academic textbooks and business manuals, opting instead for a conversational format that invites readers to think alongside the authors, rather than simply absorb pre-packaged conclusions.

This strength, however, may also be a limitation for some readers. Those expecting a structured framework or a step-by-step methodology for applying systems thinking in organizations may find themselves adrift in what feels more like a …

Examining Mental Health In Mass Shooters, Christina K. Robison, Brooke Mann

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Mass shootings are defined as shootings that cause 4 or more deaths not including the shooter (excluding those committed in connection to underlying criminal activity, such as gangs or drugs); examples include workplace shootings, school shootings, public shootings, shootings at places of worship, etc. There have been 195 mass shootings since 1966, with 1,398 reported deaths. While several factors influence mass shootings, research points to psychological, sociological, and economic influences. This analysis is over 3 separate studies, having between 172-177 shooters each with the same basic demographics, but separate focuses. Overall, the main focus is looking for patterns that could …