Digital Commons Network^™

The Correlation Of Intergenerational Faith On Black Families, Anita Serwaa Bonsu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parent-child relationships play a significant role in predicting human behavior during childhood development. As more individuals become religiously unaffiliated, this research explored the factors contributing to this reality. Many studies have highlighted the correlation of parents on behavior; however, few have examined the intergenerational closeness and religiosity within Black families in America. The primary goal of this study was to assess the correlation of parent-child closeness on intrinsic religiosity among Black families. The research asked the following question: Does parent-child closeness positively correlate with intrinsic religiosity among adult Black children? The sample consisted of 73 Black adults aged 18 years …

Family Risk Classes Predict Longitudinal Parent And Child Outcomes: Understanding The Implications Of Poverty-Related Adversity, Daniel K. Cooper, Benjamin L. Bayly, Brianna Tennie, Francesca Lupini, Martha E. Wadsworth

Faculty Publications

Experiencing poverty and associated risk factors can be detrimental to families’ mental health and well-being. However, it is unclear whether experiencing specific types or patterns of adversity leads to distinct outcomes. Guided by the Family Stress Model, the objective of this study was to (a) identify unique family risk classes based on exposure to various combinations of poverty-related adversity and (b) examine whether the family risk classes differed in their levels of parental coping strategies, couple relationship quality, parenting practices, and child behavior problems. The sample included 301 mother–father–child triads (602 adults and 301 children) with a combined income ≤ …

Exploring Emotion Classification Of Indonesian Tweets Using Large Scale Transfer Learning Via Indobert, Connor Shaw, Phillip M. Lacasse, Lance E. Champagne

Faculty Publications

Business, political, and other social structures create strong motivation to understand the attitudes, motivations, feelings, and emotions of a population of interest. Social media is a rich source of self-disclosed information by individuals from all walks of life about virtually every domain of the human experience, but the vast quantity of data is impossible to effectively analyze without advanced natural language processing algorithms. This research creates a transfer learning based emotion classification model for Indonesian language Twitter data. Transfer learning consists of two steps: pre-training and fine tuning. Three variations of Indonesian Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (IndoBERT) are tested …

Synthesizing Metoo: A Meta-Analysis Of Workplace Sexual Harassment In Hospitality And Tourism, Yunxuan Carrie Zhang, Cass Shum

Hospitality Faculty Research

Purpose – Despite increasing research attention on hospitality and tourism workplace sexual harassment, there is a lack of holistic understanding of its nomological networks. This meta-analysis aims to synthesize the antecedents and consequences of workplace sexual harassment in the context of tourism and hospitality.

Design/methodology/approach – A total of 184 effect sizes from 39 independent hospitality and tourism studies (N=12,093) were included in this meta-analysis. Comprehensive MetaAnalysis software was used to analyze the results.

Findings – The results supported victim age and work environment as antecedents of workplace sexual harassment. Workplace sexual harassment affects work-related (job attitudes and job performance) …

Use And Benefits Of A Therapeutic Hypnosis Interactive Media Program For Chronic Pain Management: A Pilot Study, Mark P. Jensen, Joy F. Chan, Owen Gottlieb, Laurence I. Sugarman, Emily Stensland

Articles

Chronic pain is a common condition that has significant negative effects on individuals and society. Opioids continue to be the primary treatment provided to the billions of individuals with chronic pain, despite their general lack of efficacy and significant negative side effects. A growing body of research supports the potential of therapeutic hypnosis for helping individuals better manage their chronic pain. However, access to this treatment is limited. The availability of a hypnosis digital therapeutic has the potential to address this access problem. The current study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of a digital therapeutic hypnosis prototype (not yet …

Crossing The Chasm: Engaging Black Men Survivors Of Gun Violence In Mental Health Services, Erin Major, Celina Thomas, Charlotte Healy, Amy Vanderstoep, Joseph B Richardson, Thomas M Scalea, Melike N Harfouche

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Despite being high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, Black men survivors of gun violence, and particularly young men aged 18-24, seldom participate in mental health services after injury. The aim of this study was to identify barriers to participation in mental health services for this population.

METHODS: Over a 2-year period, 1 hour-long focus group was conducted with three counselors of the local hospital-based violence intervention program and 21 individual, semistructured in-depth interviews were held with Black men who were hospitalized for a firearm-related injury. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were coded using open coding and grounded …

Identifying Common Patterns In The Time Of Day Of Mindfulness Meditation Associated With Long-Term Maintenance, Ryan Fowers, Aurel Coza, Yunro Chung, Hassan Ghasemzadeh, Sara Cloonan, Jennifer Huberty, Vincent Berardi, Chad Stecher

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Forming a habit of practicing mindfulness meditation around the same time of day is one strategy that may support long-term maintenance and in turn improve physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to identify common patterns in the time of day of meditation associated with long-term meditation app use to assess the importance of temporal consistency for maintaining meditation over time. App usage data were collected from a random sample of 15,000 users who had paid for an annual membership to a commercial meditation app in 2017. We constructed three measures of temporal consistency in the time …

Queer Connections: Relationship Initiation Approach And Relationship Quality For Queer Couples, Kai Ambakad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Queer individuals encounter unique challenges in romantic relationships, making it essential to explore factors that influence their relationship quality. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare relationship quality among queer individuals based on the method of meeting (i.e., through dating applications vs. in person) and to test communication quality as a moderating variable. This study examined commitment and satisfaction as the dependent variables for relationship quality and meeting method as the independent variable. The research addressed whether there were (1) differences in relationship quality based on meeting method and (2) whether communication quality moderated this relationship. The study …

Religiosity, Patience, And Mental Well-Being Among Ncaa Athletes In The United States At State, Secular Private, And Faith-Based Colleges And Universities, Laura Upenieks, Elizabeth M. Bounds, Karen K. Melton, Perry L. Glanzer, Sarah A. Schnitker

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Patience has been defined as remaining calm in the face of frustration, suffering, or adversity for the sake of something beyond the self. This study examines patience, an understudied virtue in the world of collegiate athletics. Drawing from a sample of 415 student-athletes across the United States, we assess patience as a mediating mechanism between religiosity/spirituality and well-being. Regression results suggest that of the three subscales of patience considered, only greater hardships patience was associated with lower depression, anxiety, and loneliness. We also observed that greater intrinsic religiosity and a secure attachment to God predicted greater patience, yet more frequent …

Navigating Digital Geographies And Trauma Contexts: Conceptions Of Online Communities And Experiences Among Lgbtq+ People During Covid-19, Rachel M. Schmitz, Jennifer Tabler, Ruby Charak, Gabby Gomez, Reagan E. Cole, Joshua J. Schmitz

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

The coronavirus pandemic shaped challenges for marginalized groups. Specifically, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ+) people experienced community-building constraints, notably in predominantly rural regions. People are also navigating digital geographies, or online social environments, in novel ways to develop virtual communities in the face of prejudice, discrimination, and potential trauma. Through a minority coping approach, the present study explored LGBTQ+ people’s experiences navigating the dynamics of digital geographies during the pandemic while residing in socially conservative, highly rural physical spaces where they may be exposed to vicarious trauma. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, data were gathered from 43 LGBTQ+ identifying …

Examining The Role Of Cognition And Late-Life Treatment Resistant Depression On Everyday Functioning, Ashlyn Runk

LSU Master's Theses

The capacity to complete instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) is essential to older adults maintaining their ability to age in place and is influenced by factors including depression and cognition. There is evidence to suggest that depression and cognition influence each other in their relationship with everyday functioning. However, much of this work has been done in samples with low overall levels of depressive symptoms. The goal of the current study was to examine these relationships in older adults with a history of moderate to severe treatment resistant depression and determine if the relationship between executive functioning and everyday …

A Creative Introduction To Narrative Therapy: Harnessing The Power Of Stories, Art, And The Person-Of-The-Therapist, Marissa Mueller

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper describes a proposed graduate-level academic elective course for mental health practitioners in training. The course content is organized across a total of 10 class sessions. Topic areas include introductions to the theory and techniques of narrative therapy, including expressive art approaches, the importance of social justice work through collective narrative practice and liberation psychology, the construction and analysis of stories of self and personal myths, and a focus on developing the person-of-the-therapist. Each class session will review that week's lecture content, assigned readings, small and large group discussion prompts, and in-class activities. The course prioritizes centering student experiences …

Mirrors For Pacific Islander Children: Teaching Resilience Through Culturally Adapted Bibliotherapy, Isabel Medina Hull, Elizabeth Cutrer, Paul H. Ricks, G. E. Kawika Allen, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, Lorena Seu, Kristopher J. Urbina, Melia Fonoimoana Garrett

Faculty Publications

Pacific Islander youth face disproportionately high rates of suicide and mental health challenges, yet culturally appropriate interventions remain scarce. This study investigated whether culturally adapted bibliotherapy could effectively promote resilience in American Samoan children by incorporating culturally relevant stories and coping strategies. Through collaboration with on-island Samoan cultural brokers, we developed and implemented culturally adapted stories and lessons designed to resonate with the experiences of children in American Samoa. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with 34 American Samoan children aged 5–13 years, using observations, adapted card sorts, and forced-choice procedures to measure responses to the intervention. The results demonstrated …

Mental Health Literacy, Education, And Implications For Mental Disorder, Robert Louis Sims Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health literacy (MHL) improves the recognition and treatment of mental disorders. The completion of a bachelor’s degree has been correlated with higher levels of MHL, and higher levels of MHL are reported to improve mental health status (MHS). While educational attainment has a significant positive relationship with MHL, the strength and significance of education in predicting MHL level remains unclear. A health literacy conceptualization and self-efficacy theory underpinned further examination of these variables in this study. A survey was administered to a sample of 105 university graduates in Georgia enrolled in one of five bachelor’s degree disciplines: education, humanities, …

Classroom Teachers' Approaches To Values Education: Exploring Explicit And Implicit Strategies For Teaching And Modeling Values, Maria Ukamaka Clare Okeke

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This study explores the approaches Nigerian secondary school teachers in Anambra State use to teach values through explicit and implicit methods. Recognizing the need to understand how values are effectively communicated in the classroom, this research delves into the dual strategies employed by educators and their impacts on student moral development. The research used a qualitative interview study approach, which included semi-structured interviews with ten experienced secondary school teachers and a document analysis of teaching resources. This method allows one to investigate the explicit instruction and implicit modeling strategies applied in values education in depth. Findings reveal that teachers …

Racialization Of Urban Black Middle School Students From The Perspective Of Middle School Teachers: A Phenomenological Study In Central And Southeast Michigan, Bryan L. Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University College of Education and Human Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Bryan L. Spencer has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Michael Langlais, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Matthew Hertenstein, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2025   Racialization of Urban Black Middle School Students from the Perspective of Middle School Teachers: A Phenomenological Study in Central and Southeast Michigan by Bryan L. Spencer MPhil, Walden …

Identifying Factors Associated With Sleep Disorders And Treatment Avoidance Among Collegiate Student-Athletes, Allie Ziniti, Andrew W. Froehle, Brian A. Edwards

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Introduction: Mental health concerns among collegiate students-athletes are exacerbated by poor sleep, and this population experiences elevated risk for irregular sleep patterns and associated sleep disorders. Interventions aimed at early identification of student-athletes experiencing sleep disorders and guiding them to treatment can contribute to improved mental health in this group. The present study’s objective was to clarify risk-factors associated with increased likelihood of sleep disorders and treatment avoidance in student-athletes. Methods: Data were self-reported survey responses related to sleep disorders, from US college/university varsity athletes (n=51,882) completing the 2011-2019 National College Health Assessments (NCHA). Outcomes: The primary outcomes that we …

Stem Ability Perceptions, Basic Needs Satisfaction, And Intrinsic Motivation In Adolescents: The Role Of Inclusive Perceptions In Self-Determination, Angelina Joy, Adam Hartstone-Rose, Jerica Knox, Channing J. Mathews, Jacqueline Cerda-Smith, Kelly Lynn Mulvey

Purdue Center for Early Learning Faculty and Staff Publications

Current work suggests that basic psychological needs are related to higher intrinsic motivation, which in turn, can promote more positive academic outcomes. However, few studies have examined how perceptions around one’s abilities in science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) are related to intrinsic motivation and what role needs satisfaction plays in this association. This study assessed adolescents’ (N = 285, 56.1% female, Mage = 15.76 years, SD = 1.24) STEM ability perceptions, basic needs satisfaction, and intrinsic motivation. A path analysis was used to examine the association between STEM ability perceptions, basic needs satisfaction, and intrinsic motivation in …

Stress As A Means Of Success: Investigating The Effect Of Stress Appraisals On Willpower, Ego Depletion, And Physiological Responses In College Students, Anna Minor

Honors College Theses

Stress impacts our emotions, cognition, behavior, and health. Although stress is abundant and unavoidable, recent research suggests our perception of stress can strongly influence its outcomes. The Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat (BPS) states that we appraise a stressful scenario in one of two ways: challenge or threat. A challenge appraisal involves a positive perception of stress and is associated with lower physiological output while a threat appraisal involves a negative perception of stress and increased physiological arousal. The current research seeks to apply the BPS to a cognitive task and consider its relation to willpower, ego depletion, and …

Psychosocial And Audiological Characteristics In Misophonia: An Interdisciplinary Comparison Study Of Adults With Misophonia To Healthy Controls, Mercedes G. Woolley, Hailey E. Johnson, Emily M. Bowers, Doris Velasquez, Julie M. Petersen, Karen Muñoz, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Despite the increasing investigation into misophonia, its classification remains debated due to symptom overlap with audiological and psychological conditions, as well as methodological limitations in existing studies. In the present study, we compared a clinical sample of adults seeking treatment for misophonia with a non-treatment-seeking sample of age- and gender-matched healthy controls. In these two samples, we examined the psychological and audiological features of misophonia by assessing key psychological processes (anger, disgust, OCD symptoms, anxiety, depression, stress, wellbeing, and psychological inflexibility) and audiological features (hearing, hyperacusis, and tinnitus). We found that individuals with misophonia exhibit higher levels of psychological inflexibility …

Examining The Influence Of Digital Transformation On Organizational Culture And Employee Adaptability In Higher Education Institutions Across The Gulf Cooperation Council (Gcc), Hussein Elsayed Mohamed Ismail

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

The study aimed to explore the impact of digital transformation on organisational culture and employee readiness within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Conducted in 2024, it involved research that used a sample of employees and administrators from various universities across the region. Structured questionnaires served as data collection tools, allowing for an in-depth evaluation of the different dimensions of digital transformation. This study primarily utilises secondary data analysis, which involves examining data from existing studies, reports, and scholarly articles. This approach is selected for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as it allows access to extensive …

Evolving Connections: Exploring A Non-Traditional Relationship Label Through Thematic Analysis, Nevaeh P. Copenhaver, Whitney Whitaker

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Introduction: Every generation makes its mark on society as it comes of age—introducing novel terminology, challenging preexisting norms, and shifting cultural paradigms. Due to social media’s far-reaching influence, this process has been expedited. Some neologisms such as “just talking” and “situationship” have become widely recognized; despite their prominence, concrete definitions have not yet been established.

Purpose: The present study aimed to provide insights into how the current generation of emerging adults views and manages relationships with non-traditional labels.

Methods: Via an online survey, participants (N=221; mean age=26.47) described newer, non-traditional relationships labeled “just talking.” The researchers conducted a multi-phase qualitative …

Recognizing Individual Variability In Misophonia: Identifying Symptom-Based Subgroups With Gaussian Mixture Modeling, Mercedes G. Woolley, Amanda M. Ramos, Emily M. Bowers, Karen Muñoz, Julie M. Petersen, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Misophonia is characterized by intense emotional and physiological reactions to everyday sounds such as chewing and tapping. While previous researchers have focused on defining and characterizing the disorder, limited attention has been given to the variability in symptom presentations across individuals. In this study, we sought to identify distinct subgroups of individuals with misophonia by applying a Gaussian finite mixture model to explore the heterogeneity of symptom profiles. Sixty treatment-seeking participants completed the Duke Misophonia Interview, which assessed the presence and severity of various behavioral, affective, and cognitive symptoms. Items from this measure served as model indicators. Two clusters were …

A Qualitative Approach To Identifying Obstacles To Mental Healthcare In The Rio Grande Valley From The Perspective Of Mental Healthcare Professionals., Shania M. Linder, Cristian Botello, Raquel Villarreal, Nelda Rodriguez, Mario Gil, Dayana Zamora

Research Symposium

Background: There are many factors that prevent members of the Hispanic/Latino community from accessing mental health resources. This is important to investigate because there is a lack of knowledge on why residents of the Rio Grande Valley, an underserved region of South Texas, are unable to access and/or utilize mental health resources.

Methods: A focus group session was held at a mental health counseling clinic in Cameron County, Texas on February 1, 2024. The participants consisted of mental health professionals, such as two mental health clinicians, a clinical counselor, two school counselors, a licensed professional counselor supervisor, and a …

Impact Of Acute Stress On Circadian Rhythm Regulation Of Locomotor Activity In Syrian Hamsters, Raquel A. Villarreal, Laura E. Garcia, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Disruptions of circadian rhythms, caused by factors such as environmental changes or stress, are linked to health conditions, including metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and mood disorders. Circadian rhythm disturbances are particularly relevant for understanding the etiology of conditions like insomnia, depression, and anxiety. The circadian rhythm, primarily regulated by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the hypothalamus, coordinates biological processes to align with daily environmental cycles. Acute stress, especially when experienced immediately upon waking, has been shown to disrupt these rhythms, impair sleep regulation, and exacerbate mood dysregulation. Given the significant clinical implications, understanding how stress impacts circadian rhythms is …

Systemic Functioning Of Puerto Rican Families With A Cancer Patient, Nicole Velez Agosto

Research Symposium

Background: Systemic family interventions with Latino families that have a cancer patient have been suggested as effective and necessary, but few studies have focused on evaluating systemic functioning to design culturally relevant interventions. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to assess systemic functioning in Puerto Rican families with a cancer patient using the Spanish translated version of the Family Genogram Interview (FGI) that measures Bowen’s four emotional processes in nuclear family and family of origin.

Methods: Translation and cultural adaptation of the Family Genogram Interview in Spanish was done following a modified version of Erkutt and collegues (1999) dual-focus …

The Relationship Between Closed-Loop Auditory Stimulation During Sleep And Eeg On Memory Consolidation, Hector Patricio Valverde

Psychology ETDs

Slow-wave sleep is critical for consolidating information into long-term memory. Past research has found this process can be enhanced using closed-loop auditory stimulation (CLAS), where pink noise tones are timed to slow oscillations using live EEG to increase slow wave amplitude and synchronize connections across the neocortex, thalamus, and hippocampus. In this study, subjects slept in our laboratory while receiving counterbalanced sham or verum CLAS. Memory retention scores were calculated using a paired associates word task completed before and after sleep. Subjective sleep quality scores were also obtained. A total of 33 verum and 35 sham nights of data were …

An Investigation Into The Efficacy Of Self-Monitoring And Mixed Schedules For Reducing Stereotypy In Children With Autism, Ryan J. Hinderliter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with disabilities, especially children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), often engage in problem behaviors that can have a negative impact on their quality of life. This study explored the application of self-monitoring (SM) and mixed schedules as alternative strategies for reducing stereotypy in children with autism. Stereotypy (STPY) is a repetitive motor behavior commonly observed in individuals with autism. The study employed a multiple baseline across participants design with three participants ages 6 and 14, diagnosed with autism, and exhibiting STPY as the target behavior. After participant selection, a baseline phase was followed by three treatment conditions: Differential Reinforcement …

Experiences Of Grandparenting During Covid-19 For Grandparents Geographically Distanced From Their Grandchildren, Eva Louise Benevit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2015, the number of retirees relocating after retirement has increased significantly, leading grandparents to be distant from their grandchildren. Isolation and distance from families has increased due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to high rates of loneliness and isolation for older adults. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore experiences during COVID-19 for grandparents geographically distanced from their grandchildren. This research was grounded using Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory, with a focus on the maturity stage, and thematic analysis was used to guide interviews and analysis. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit five …

Exploring Stressors And Coping Mechanisms Among Esperanza Community Residents Seeking Healthcare At The C.D. Doyle Clinic, Kashish Sawant, Alexander Carruth, Lucas Williams, Miriam Yampuler, Krishna Hariprasad, Pranavi Kolli

Research Symposium

Background: The C.D. Doyle Clinic (CDD) is a student-run free clinic that operates as an acute care center in the Esperanza Community (EC), a state sanctioned encampment in Southeast Austin supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. Residents of EC are provided with access to low-cost insurance, employment opportunities, and community support by The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF). However, studies have indicated that home-insecure individuals experience a heightened level of stress, due to causes such as social estrangement, systemic inadequacies in support structures, and financial instability¹. While CDD primarily addresses acute wellness needs, the clinic hopes to establish more collaboration with …