Digital Commons Network^™

A Community-Academic Partnered Approach To Designing A Virtual Village To Address The Needs Of Older Adults Living With Hiv, Annie L. Nguyen, Andrea N. Polonijo, Jerome T. Galea, Moka Yoo-Jeong, Jeff Taylor, Erik L. Ruiz, Karah Greene, Jasmine L. Lopez, Christopher Christensonf, Brandon Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

Many older adults living with HIV face unique challenges, including comorbidities, loneliness, and isolation. This community-academic partnered study elicited viewpoints from older adults living with HIV about the characteristics of a digital environment (“Virtual Village”) to combat against loneliness and isolation. We utilized Choice-Based Conjoint Analyses to determine preferred attributes of a Virtual Village. We also conducted focus groups and interviews with older adults living with HIV and used an iterative, data-driven approach to systematically identify emergent themes. Participants (N = 82) were aged 50–82 years and racially/ethnically diverse. The majority were men (78%), gay (66%), and lived with …

沒有年齡的課室 : 成效評估研究報告, Meng Soi, Florence Fong, Chak Kwan, Dickon Chan, Ka Hing, Calvin Lau, Ka Chung, Tom Kwong

APIAS Research Report 研究報告

背景

香港人口老齡化的趨勢持續加劇，傳統的家庭照顧模式已難以滿足老年人和幼童在身心發展上的需求，需要探索新的跨代互助模式。因此，和悅社會企業於2023 年夏季舉辦了一項名為「沒有年齡的課室」的計劃（以下簡稱「計劃」/「課程」）。該課程旨在為長者及幼童提供共學的機會，推動跨代連結與互惠。為了更客觀地檢視「沒有年齡的課室」的實施情況與成效，以及探討在香港推行跨代共學的可行性，和悅社會企業委託嶺南大學亞太老年學研究中心對該課程進行了評估研究，並撰寫了此報告以供相關持分者參考。

研究方法

2. 研究採用定量研究及定性研究的數據收集和分析的混合研究法 (Mixed Methods) 進行。除了透過問卷調查和聚焦小組去收集參加者對課程的看法外，同時分析課程的數據、進行實地觀察，以及檢視相關文獻資料，從而更全面地瞭解整個課程的實施情況、對參與者的影響，以及探討計劃未來的發展方向。

研究結果

3. 本研究於2023年6月至9月期間成功對實驗組及對照組參加者進行了兩輪問卷調查，收集參加者的意見。調查結果顯示，長者及幼童的家長讓他們的孩子參與計劃的最主要原因是為了「想學習新知識 」(長者學員：72%；幼童：73%)，其次為「進行跨代接觸交流」 (長者學員：60%；幼童家長：54%)，第三個主要原因是可以「嘗試新事物」(長者學員：40%；幼童：54%)，以及可以「認識新朋友」 (長者學員：36%；幼童家長：50%)。至於計劃對參加者的影響方面，本研究透過比較實驗組 (即參加「沒有年齡的課室」的長者及幼童學員) 與對照組 (即課程無長幼共學成份)參加者在對雙方態度、自尊心及自信、社交技巧等方面的前後變化。從分析結果顯示，長幼學員在修畢本課程後，對彼此的態度 (長者學員對幼童態度：實驗組增長17%，對照組下降1%；幼童學員對長者態度：實驗組增長19%，對照組增長7%) 及幼童學員的社交技巧 (實驗組增長9%，對照組增長1%) 之增長達統計學顯著程度，足見本課程成功透過長幼共學的方式去改善長幼對彼此的觀感和態度。至於對課程的體驗方面，長者學員及幼童學員之家長均給予高度評價和評分，以1-7分為量表去評價，參加者普遍對課程感到十分滿意 (長者學員：平均分為6.07分；幼童學員：6.29分)、並表示若和悅社會企業日後舉行類似課程會再次參加(長者學員：平均分為5.33分；幼童學員：6.41分) 和向別人推薦此類課程 (長者學員：平均分為5.33分；幼童學員：6.29分)。概括而言，從統計結果反映了課程為參加者帶來很多正面影響，特別是長者或幼童態度之改善比沒有跨代共學成份的課程更為顯著。

4. 此外，本研究邀請了參與課程的長者、幼童家長、和推行「沒有年齡的課室」計劃的同工進行了3 場聚焦小組以深化對問卷調查結果，並進一步探討可如何改善計劃之推行及在社區推廣跨代共學的模式。從結果顯示，長幼學員透過參與本課程互相接觸及互動，增加彼此了解，使彼此的觀感及態度亦變得正面，達到促進跨代共融的目標。同時，幼童的社交技巧、接觸長者的動機及幼童的個人成長亦有所提升。長幼學員、課程導師及項目統籌人員均表示參加者能愉快地學習和十分享受參與本課程。

5. 從不同的的數據作綜合分析，促進「沒有年齡的課室」的成功因素包括: (i) 1對1的長幼配對，增加長幼學員之互動機會以便建立互信關係以及日後的情感聯繫； (ii) 課程時間節數安排要配合幼童的學習時間表 (如與暑假活動分開、每堂時數能讓幼童學員專心等) ；及 (iii) 招募適合的參加者，以其年齡、興趣喜好及性別進行配對 (如女性參加者明顯更為適合參與此類以幼童為對象的活動計劃)。

6. 關於課程的未來發展，研究建議推行機構可考慮以下5 個要點：(i) 除以1對1長幼配對外，亦可考慮同時加入1位長者對數名幼童，或1名幼童對數名長者的混合模式，這樣可以增加長幼學員與不同參加者的互動機會，進一步培養社交技巧；(ii) 可增加針對長者學員的課程內容 ，讓長者以學生身份投入各個課程活動；(iii) 讓一些能力比較高的長者參與課程設計及教材 (如讓長者準備自己過去相片與幼童分享過去時代點滴生活)，為長者充權；(iv) 微調課堂時間以配合長者的活動時間表 (如可參考現時日間長者中心的活動時間)；及 (v) 增加人手安排編制至5至8人，以便在推行活動過程中提供適時的支援 (如增設社工以應付課堂上幼童學員突發的情緒問題)。

總結

7. 綜合各種數數據證明「沒有年齡的課室」有效促進跨代共學與互助，為長者建立正面形象、提升他們的生活質素、亦能令幼童認識如何與長者溝通，改善社交技巧以及提升自尊感等。因此，其他長者服務機構、企業及教育團體可以仿傚此活動，在幼稚園 (即幼兒期) 便引入跨代共學的元素，促進代際間情感、知識與文化的傳遞，重塑「老吾老以及人之老，幼吾幼以及人之幼」的價值觀，建立一個強調代間互助和共融的社會。

Impact Of A Covid-19 Related Lockdown On The Experience Of Informal Caregiving In Singapore, Vicky Mengqi Qin, Abhijit Visaria, Rahul Malhotra

ROSA Journal Articles and Publications

Introduction: Lockdowns, while limiting COVID-19 transmission, can affect provision of care by informal caregivers and their caregiving experience. We assessed, among informal caregivers in Singapore, (a) the perceived impact of a 2-month (April to May 2020) nationwide lockdown on their care provision, (b) correlates of different perceptions of the impact of the lockdown on care provision, and (c) association of different perceptions of the impact with negative and positive experiences of caregiving. Methods: In the August 2020 wave of the Singapore Life Panel (SLP; nationally representative, longitudinal monthly survey of Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 50-70 years at baseline), …

Ability To Reduce Gram Scams Through Educational Intervention, Ellis Garel

Scripps Senior Theses

Objective: This study aims to understand why people fall for scams and seeks to explore what interventions for scam prevention are the most effective in older adults. Participants: Approximately 686 participants aged 65 and above will be randomly assigned to view one of four intervention types: celebrity endorsement PSA, community-based PSA, personal advice from a family member, or the control group. Method: A path analysis will be conducted to examine how the type of intervention, gender of the participant, and history of financial fraud, mediated through concerns and susceptibility to scams, impact the propensity to fall for a hypothetical scam …

沒有年齡的課室 : 跨代共學實務手冊, 陳曉瑩, 伍婉萍, 袁沅玉, 周頌聲, 杜詠詩, 馮明穗, 陳澤群, 劉嘉慶, 鄺家宗

Manual & Guide 手冊及指引

由周大福慈善基金及和悦慈善基金共同捐助、和悦社會企業舉辦的「沒有年齡的課室」項目，建構香港首個跨代學習空間，推動「長幼共學」理念，讓長者及幼童共同體驗成長及學習的過程，增加跨代互動，促進了解及尊重。

《沒有年齡的課室 : 跨代共學實務手冊》收錄了嶺南大學亞太老年學研究中心為「沒有年齡的課室」項目進行的成效評估研究結果，同時收錄了教學團隊設計的課程教案及活動設計，記錄曾面對的困難和具體改善建議，供有意舉辦跨代共學活動的幼兒及社福機構參考。

Champagne Wishes And A Domestic Beer Budget: Assessing And Supporting Serials Access At A Carnegie R2, Chad E. Buckley, Julie Murphy, Rachel E. Scott, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Anne Shelley

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

As library budgets are cut or remain flat, librarians asked to do more with less are considering diverse data to investigate how best to invest limited funds. The data available to librarians are extensive but they may also be contradictory. In this presentation, we contextualize findings from interviews conducted with Illinois State University faculty with institutional and collections data. Using the words of faculty members across disciplines, we highlight some of the tensions around discovery and access to scholarly literature, perceptions of urgency, and engagement with open access. The interview results--triangulated with institutional usage and cost data—suggest a variety of …

Approaches To Charitable Giving And Perceptions Of Organizational Effectiveness Among Midlevel Donors, Cal J. Halvorsen, Johanna Lynch, Sylvia Brown, Melissa L. Mcternan

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

For decades, scholars have devoted attention to identifying the giving habits of charitable donors, yet the behaviors of midlevel donors have not been independently considered. This study examined midlevel donors’ approaches to charitable giving and the extent to which they give to effective organizations. Operationalized as giving between $2,000 and $20,000 annually, we analyzed descriptive statistics and multivariate probit models of 1,260 midlevel donors using a novel study. We found that respondents were least likely to engage in ad-hoc giving and most likely to give to organizations due to personal connections or prior research. However, while caring about a cause …

Brief Virtual Intervention Associated With Increased Social Engagement And Decreased Negative Affect Among People Aging With Hiv, Andrea N. Polonijo, Annie L. Nguyen, Karah Y. Greene, Jasmine L. Lopez, Moka Yoo-Jeong, Erik L. Ruiz, Christopher Christensen, Jerome T. Galea, Brandon Browni

Social Work Faculty Publications

Virtual Villages—online communities that deliver supports to promote aging in place—are proposed to mitigate isolation and support the health of aging populations. Using a community-engaged approach, we developed and pilot-tested a Virtual Village intervention tailored for people living with HIV (PLWH) aged 50+ . The intervention employed a Discord server featuring social interaction, regional and national resources, expert presentations, and mindful meditation exercises. In 2022, a sample of PLWH aged 50+ from three U.S. study sites participated in a four-week pilot. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed participants’ demographic characteristics; degree of loneliness, social connectedness, HIV-related stigma, and technology acceptance; mental …

Retirement Transition Sequences And Well-Being Among Older Workers Focusing On Gender Differences, Oejin Shin, Sojung Park, Borin Kim, Chi-Fang Wu

Faculty Publications - Social Work

This study examines retirement transition patterns and well-being in later life, focusing on gender differences using data from the 2004–2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) with1,653 older workers. Sequence analysis identifies key retirement patterns, showing that men predominantly transitioned from full-time to mid-time voluntary retirement, while women experienced more gradual involuntary retirement. Involuntary retirees, both men and women, had precarious work histories and poorer mental health. The findings highlight gender-specific implications for social policy and emphasize the need for support in promoting successful aging and reducing social inequities among involuntary retirees.

Mapping The Older User’S Journey: Building Ux With Theories Of Cognitive Aging, Aichatou Diaw

CMC Senior Theses

The aging global population represents a pressing consideration for user experience (UX) designers. The field of cognitive aging research focuses on characterizing and explaining changes in cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, perception, and problem-solving that occur as people age. Understanding these changes is vital for crafting interfaces that cater to a broader demographic. With the hope of creating more inclusive digital interfaces, this thesis explores the application of three cognitive aging theories, Cognitive Reserve, Cognitive Load Theory, and Controlled Processing, in order to examine their implications for UX design. By integrating insights from these theories, designers can make digital …

Improving Screening For Intimate Partner Violence Amongst Older Adults, Olivia Bell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This systematic literature review was conducted to gather a better understanding of screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) among older adults. IPV affects millions of people every year. Many screenings are conducted with women of reproductive age in medical settings, not older adults. This study focused on ways to improve screenings for older adults by addressing topics including elder abuse and IPV and the lack of resources/knowledge for IPV survivors who are older adults. This study was a literature review conducted with the University of Central Florida’s PRIMO database to find articles on IPV among older adults over the last …

การศึกษาความโดดเดี่ยวของผู้สูงอายุในบ้านพักคนชรา: การวิจัยแบบสร้างทฤษฎีจากข้อมูล, ภาดล สุขสถิตย์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยฉบับนี้จัดทำขึ้นเพื่อศึกษาถึงกระบวนการสร้างมโนทัศน์ การรับรู้ และการตอบสนองของผู้สูงอายุที่มีต่อประสบการณ์ความโดดเดี่ยวที่อาศัยอยู่ในศูนย์ดูแลผู้สูงอายุหรือผู้มีภาวะพึ่งพิง โดยใช้ระเบียบวิธีการวิจัยแบบทฤษฎีฐานรากตามแนวคิดสรรคนิยม (constructivist grounded theory) ผ่านการเก็บข้อมูลด้วยการสัมภาษณ์จากผู้สูงอายุจำนวน 22 คน เพศชายจำนวน 9 คน เพศหญิง 13 คนจาก ศูนย์ดูแลผู้สูงอายุฯ จำนวน 5 แห่งในจังหวัดระยองและจังหวัดจันทบุรี เมื่อนำข้อมูลการสัมภาษณ์มาทำการลงรหัสและวิเคราะห์พบว่ามีข้อค้นพบที่อธิบายกระบวนการในการรับรู้ สร้างมโนทัศน์และตอบสนองต่อความโดดเดี่ยวของผู้สูงอายุ จำนวน 5 ประเด็น ได้แก่ 1) ปัจจัยด้านบุคคล 2) ศูนย์ดูแลผู้สูงอายุ 3) ประสบการณ์ที่เกิดขึ้น 4) ความโดดเดี่ยว 5) การตอบสนองต่อความโดดเดี่ยว โดยพบว่าปัจจัยด้านบุคคลที่เป็นปัจจัยที่อธิบายถึงลักษณะบุคลิกและภูมิหลังของผู้สูงอายุและปัจจัยด้านลักษณะการรับรู้ของผู้สูงอายุที่มีต่อศูนย์ดูแลผู้สูงอายุฯ นั้นมีอิทธิพลต่อการรับรู้ความเป็นไปหรือประสบการณ์ในขณะที่อาศัยอยู่ในศูนย์ดูแลผู้สูงอายุ รวมไปถึงการรับรู้ประสบการณ์ความโดดเดี่ยวและรูปแบบที่ผู้สูงอายุแต่ละคนตอบสนองต่อความโดดเดี่ยวที่เกิดขึ้น ซึ่งในขณะเดียวกันการรับรู้ประสบการณ์ หรือความโดดเดี่ยวและการตอบสนองที่เกิดขึ้นกับผู้สูงอายุก็ส่งผลให้เกิดการเปลี่ยนแปลงในด้านบุคลิกภาพของผู้สูงอายุได้เช่นกัน ซึ่งข้อค้นพบนี้ได้เน้นย้ำให้เห็นถึงอิทธิพลที่ส่งผลซึ่งกันและกันในกระบวนการรับรู้ประสบการณ์และความโดดเดี่ยวของผู้สูงอายุทั้งจากปัจจัยภายในผู้สูงอายุ ปัจจัยด้านสภาพแวดล้อมและปัจจัยเชิงสังคม งานวิจัยฉบับนี้จึงได้เสนอให้มีการพัฒนาการดูแลผู้สูงอายุอย่างเป็นองค์รวมและสร้างความเข้าใจถึงพลวัตที่เกิดขึ้นกับการรับรู้ของผู้สูงอายุที่อาศัยภายในศูนย์ดูแลผู้สูงอายุฯ ซึ่งจะเป็นรากฐานในการพัฒนาการบริการการดูแลระยะยาวต่อไป

Three Essays On Digital Health: Online Communication, Health Information Seeking, Complementary Medicine Use Among Older Adults And Vulnerable Populations, Daria Turavinina

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Through three empirical essays, this work explored how information and communication technology (ICT) use shapes population health behaviors and outcomes, with a particular focus on older adults. The first essay critically investigated whether online communication can serve as a substitute for in-person social contact in mitigating loneliness among late middle-aged and older persons. The study finds that while excessive reliance on digital interaction correlated with higher loneliness in the general older adult population, it could potentially serve a protective function for those in poor health by reducing social isolation. The second essay investigated how online health information seeking behavior and …

How Marital Stress May Affect The Onset Of Dementia In Older Adults, Khunza Asma

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Marital stress has been identified as a significant factor influencing the cognitive health of older adults, with emerging evidence suggesting a potential link between marital discord and the risk of developing dementia. This study will review the existing literature on the relationship between chronic stress, depression, marital discord, and the development of cognitive impairment which can increase the risk of developing dementia in older adults. However, the purpose of studying how marital stress affects the onset of dementia is to deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between psychosocial factors and cognitive health in older adults, with the ultimate goal …

Environmentalism Among Older Adults: Investigating Predictors Of Pro-Environmental Behavior In Later Life, Ajit Singh Mann

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Human actions are largely responsible for degradation of the natural environment, and environmental threats due to climate change are increasingly prevalent. Despite the immediate need to conserve the natural environment, the role of older adults in pro-environmental initiatives has largely been ignored. I conducted two studies to understand pathways for promoting pro-environmental behavior among older adults, with the goal of shedding light on older adults’ engagement in environmental action. In the first study, I investigated the indirect effect of age on pro-environmental behavior, through personal values and environmental concern, among a general sample (N=292). I considered the role of flow …

The Unequal Distribution Of Social Risk For Black Men Across The Life-Span. A Novel Framework., Waleed Y. Sami

Adultspan Journal

This conceptual overview offers a comprehensive overview of systemic pathways that negatively impact the mental health of Black Men throughout their lives. Our argument highlights the importance for counselors and mental health professionals to utilize a thorough social risk assessment that considers these pathways in order to effectively address the mental health needs of Black Men while fostering positive working relationships. This overview strongly advocates for the use of context and structural determinants when evaluating mental health symptoms. Without an appropriate understanding of social risk and determinants, counselors may inadvertently perpetuate disparities by decontextualizing symptomology, and reproducing racist discourse.

Proximal Discourses In Residential Facility Care Providers’ Sense-Making Of Their Communication With Family Members Of A Loved One With Alzheimer’S Disease, Aimee E. Miller-Ott, Tristin Evans

Faculty Publications - Communications

Families often stay involved in the care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease even after relocation to a residential care facility, and through this transition, communication between the residential care providers and families becomes integral to keeping family informed and providing good care to the patient. However, care providers of people with Alzheimer’s living in residential facilities find themselves overwhelmed by expectations related to their caregiving role and struggle with making sense of their experiences. Fifteen care providers of people with Alzheimer’s disease living in a residential facility participated in qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Using relational dialectics theory as the …

Fp-24-14 Cohabitation In Middle And Later Life, 2022, Jaden Loo

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

The popularity of cohabitation for US adults of all ages has continued to grow in recent years. For older men and women (aged 50+) in 2000, the number of cohabitors was about 1.2 million, or 1.6% of adults in that group (Brown, Bulanda, & Lee 2005). As of 2022, this number has almost quadrupled to 4,205,505. We find that among older adults more men (2,216,977) are cohabiting than women (1,988,528). This sex difference is especially pronounced when comparing cohabitation rates (number of cohabitors per 1,000 unmarried and separated). The cohabitation rate is higher among older men at 118.2 than women …

Loneliness Is The Nucleus For Psychopathology: Relationships With Cognitive, Social, And Personality Disorders, Natalie S. Byrd

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

Loneliness is not just a phenomenon observed in clinical practice but is a core issue in the study of mental disorders more broadly – psychopathology. Loneliness is the key to the study of all mental disorders as many have shown significant relation to loneliness either as a risk factor for developing or maintaining the disorder, or as a co-occurring condition of the disorder. In other words, loneliness is both a cause and a consequence of mental illness. Specifically, this review explores the relationships of loneliness in cognitive disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder), social disorders (social anxiety disorder, …

The Role Of An Occupational Therapy Practitioner In Professional Advocacy: A Scoping Review, Sarah Mckinnon, Natalie Petrone, Amanda Tarbet

Translational Science in Occupation

Background: Participation in professional advocacy amongst occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) is necessary for strengthening the profession. Although advocacy remains essential for practice, specific activities of OTPs in professional advocacy remain inconsistent and unclear.

Purpose: To examine the activities occupational therapy practitioners are engaging in related to professional advocacy. To identify key strategies and future opportunities to strengthen OT practitioner participation in professional advocacy.

Methods: We systematically searched 4 databases and 1 search engine for relevant articles- MEDLINE via PubMed, The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete via Ebscohost, ERIC via Ebscohost, APA PsycInfo …

The Effectiveness Of Group Treatments For Veterans: A Meta-Analysis, Janine S. Hazel

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Transitioning into civilian life after serving in the military can be a huge adjustment for many military members. The military lifestyle and culture are unique structures that become a large part of military members’ identity and belief systems. For decades, veterans have struggled with several mental health issues and other poor outcomes at higher rates than non-military individuals (i.e., depression, PTSD, suicidal ideation, homelessness, financial distress). Often, these poor outcomes can leave veterans feeling alone and misunderstood by their non-military community—impacting their ability to reintegrate into civilian life successfully. Social isolation and a lack of felt interconnectedness negatively affect veterans’ …

Developing A Gender Diverse Stimulus Set For Emotion Expressions, Amir Robertson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Much past research has demonstrated that gender plays an important role in emotion perception, such that gendered stereotypes about emotion seem to shape how we perceive and interpret the emotion expressions of men and women. However, the stimulus sets that are typically used in the vast majority of this research have been based on binary ideas of gender, and purposefully limit common elements of gender presentation, with models posing with limited accessories or personal aesthetic choices. In everyday life, however, individuals’ gender and gender presentation are not limited in these ways and likely contribute in important ways to how we …

Individual Differences In Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories, Kelly Jakubowski, Edith Lee, Elena Bai, Amy M. Belfi

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Music is increasingly used as a cue for autobiographical memories in psychological research and clinical interventions. Despite the burgeoning body of evidence on the phenomenology of music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs), few previous studies have focused in detail on how the capacities and experiences of individual listeners impact features of MEAMs. The present work examined the relationship of individual differences in visual and auditory imagery, musical familiarity and engagement, musical reward sensitivity, musical training, and gender to MEAM features. Participants (N = 304, ages 18–25 years, 156 female) completed a self-selected MEAM task, in which they described an autobiographical memory they …

The Effects Of Alcohol Consumption On Cognitive Decline, Ashley Highland

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between alcohol use and cognitive decline among young adults. This study is a quantitative study in which secondary data was used as a means to gather information from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) database. In this study, the researcher analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, such as independent sample t-test, correlations analysis, ANOVA, and Chi-Square test. The findings in this research revealed that there is a significant relationship between cognitive decline and binge drinking in young adults. Meaning, young adults who binge drink are …

Csbs Statements, V25, 2023-24, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Social And Behavioral Sciences.

CSBS Statements

Contents:

From the Dean --- 3
A New Home for Health --- 4
Becoming Part of the Solution --- 7
Thriving Through Movement --- 10
Support Across the Lifespan --- 12
Atmosphere of Empathy: Path to Healing --- 14
College News --- 16
Student Spotlight --- 20
Alumni Highlights --- 24
Donor Spotlight --- 30
Annual Giving --- 34
Class Notes --- 38

Qualitative Family Research: Innovative, Flexible, Theoretical, Reflexive, Abbie E. Goldberg, Katherine R. Allen

Psychology

Qualitative research is increasingly part of the methodological repertoire of scholars who study families. In this article, we examine contemporary trends, tensions, and possibilities for the interdisciplinary enterprise of qualitative research on and about families. We situate our collaborative approach as critical family scholars who pursue social justice work. We then examine four trends that have recently emerged or evolved in qualitative family research. First, we address methodological innovations associated with the pervasive emergence of online technologies and their possibilities for enhanced sample selection, data collection, and data analysis. Second, we address the potential for qualitative methodological orthodoxy to become …

Fantasia On A Theme Of Purpose: Using A Music-Guided Scribble Technique To Support Meaning-Making In Older Adult Retiree Musicians, Sophia R. Smith

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Within the population of older adults, overall well-being corresponds with the ability to self-actualize and seek meaning, but age-related changes combined with ageism and isolation can negatively impact this capacity to maintain a sense of purpose, especially following retirement. It may be that retired musicians are especially vulnerable to this experience later in life due to a loss of the primary method of creative engagement and community that is facilitated by musical performance in a group setting. Integrating phenomenological and ethnographic approaches, this study utilized a qualitative design to understand how music-guided art-making incorporating the scribble technique could support a …

Anxiety And Depression In Older Adults Post Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Mickaela R. Reed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research has investigated challenges that are created when one experiences a disaster within populations such as older adults and other vulnerable groups of people. However, there is little to no consideration given to how age in combination with trauma history are related to well-being after a disaster. Using two theories, socioemotional selectivity theory (SST, Carstensen, 2006) and the strength and vulnerability integration model (SAVI, Charles, 2010). I compared older adults post disaster vulnerabilty to depression and anxiety to that of younger adults with trauma history as a moderator. The 2,508 participants in the current study were from the Survey of …

Improving Patient Self-Advocacy And Communication With Providers Through Diabetes Self-Management Education: Analyses From A Randomized Controlled Trial, Brenna Owens Kirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: West Virginia (WV), a rural state in Appalachia, has the highest type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence in the United States. Open communication in the patient-provider relationship is an integral part of comprehensive chronic disease management. This is especially true for patients living with T2DM, a disease that requires many complex, daily self-management activities and is associated with increased emotional distress. However, patients living with T2DM are often reluctant to openly share their concerns regarding self-care with their provider. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of the Diabetes and Hypertension Self-Management Program (DHSMP), a 12-week group lifestyle …

Cognitive Reflection And Socioeconomic Status Predict Children's Explanations Of Inequality, Mykee Vives

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Research suggests children who prefer internal over external explanations of inequality (e.g., innate ability differences vs. structural racism/sexism) are more likely to develop social biases. Adults with greater cognitive reflection (i.e., analytic thinking) and socioeconomic status (SES) are sometimes less likely to engage in internal reasoning about social groups. We investigated whether cognitive reflection and SES similarly predict children’s explanations of inequality. Five to 12-year-old children (N = 162) completed Rizzo et al.’s (2021) explanations for inequalities task for the domains of race and gender. In this task children chose between internal (“because of who they are on the inside”) …