Digital Commons Network^™

Satisfaction With Caseworker Services And Child Outcomes For Youth In The Foster Care System, Taira Masuda

Master's Theses

Currently, there are approximately 400,000 children involved in the U.S. foster care system (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). Youth involved in foster care experience challenges such as trauma, disruptions to their support system, academic disruptions, and additional public system involvement (Emerson & Lovitt, 2003; Fawley-King et al., 2017; Masuda & Helm, 2024; Modrowski et al., 2023). Considering this context, it is essential to increase efforts to reduce added distress and bolster supportive contexts for youth. Caseworkers are essential service providers for youth in foster care. Caseworkers provide support to youth and families through assessing needs, connecting families …

Reality Tv & Social Media Impact On The Psyche Of Adult Women Who Experience Physical Image Discomfort, Tierra James

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to examine the perception of adult women regarding the role of reality television and social media in influencing body image, self-worth, and mental health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 15 women aged between 18 and 50 years, who lived in the United States and actively used reality TV and social media, and reported body-image distress, which was indicative of body dysmorphic trait. Data interpretation was done in an ideographical manner and followed by pattern analysis across cases. The results suggested that idealized and edited media images were popularly identified by the participants as …

“Being An Arab Is Like Fighting For Your Joy”: Exploring Bicultural Identity, Racialization, And Psychological Well-Being Among Us-Born Arab Americans, Hisham Nsier

Master's Theses

Bicultural identity development in Arab Americans, who must manage sometimes conflicting cultural expectations, is understudied. Even less is known about Arab Americans born in the United States (US-born AA), who are American by birth yet are alienated from society due to differences between their ‘white’ racialization and their cultural identities. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between bicultural identity, racialization, and psychological well-being at the intersection of US-born AA’s co-existing identities. Eight adult US-born AAs (Mage = 28 years, SD = 4) were recruited from professional Listservs and WhatsApp affinity groups. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed …

Articulating The Future: How The Techno-Optimist Manifesto Constructs Ai Hegemony, Christian Noel Yeomans

Master's Theses

This paper analyzes two recently published digital manifestos—the Techno-Optimist Manifesto (TOM) by Marc Andreessen and the Bitcoin Whitepaper (BW) by Satoshi Nakamoto—and how they articulate political visions for the respective rising technologies of artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency. I apply Laclau and Mouffe’s discursive articulation theory to both manifestos, analyzing how they contribute to the formation of hegemonic ideological visions among the elites of these two technological sectors. In the context of AI elites, TOM transforms an existing Silicon Valley ideology, techno-optimism, into a radical new form of accelerationism, which I coin t/opt. This shift is examined within the context …

Interviewing Civilians For A Local Perspective Of Violent Extremism In West Africa, Benjamin Ellis

Masters Theses

This study examines how civilians in West Africa experience violent extremism, with the goal of informing more effective policy solutions. Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on a focus group conducted with ten participants from various countries in West Africa. Data was transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in participants’ responses. Six major themes emerged: prolonged fear and restricted daily movement; economic and infrastructural disruption; psychological distress and uncertainty about the future; recruitment into extremist groups driven by complex factors; limited outsider understanding of local realities; and support for multidimensional responses rather than purely …

The 1778 Fort Pitt Treaty: U.S. Relations With The Lenni-Lenape Nation And The Unraveling Of Early Promises, Veronica E. Riddle

Masters Theses

This study examines the Treaty of Fort Pitt (1778), signed in present-day Pittsburgh, as the first formal diplomatic agreement between the United States and the Lenape (Delaware) Nation during the American Revolutionary War. Formed amid the military and political instability of the Revolution, the treaty promised mutual military assistance, recognition of Lenape sovereignty west of the Alleghenies, protection from settler encroachment, and the unprecedented possibility of Native representation within the emerging American confederation. However, following the deaths of key Lenape leaders, escalating frontier violence, and the failure of the Continental Congress to ratify or uphold critical provisions, the treaty rapidly …

Barriers And Beliefs: Narratives Of Mental Health Help-Seeking Among First-Generation Latino/Hispanic College Students, Karina L. Alba Lockhart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health challenges among college students in the United States have increased in recent years, yet first-generation Latino/Hispanic college students continue to underutilize available services while facing unique cultural and structural barriers to care. This qualitative narrative study explored how first-generation Latino/Hispanic college students made meaning of mental health help-seeking in relation to perceived barriers, perceived benefits, and cultural values such as familismo and stigma. Guided by the health belief model and cross-cultural psychology, this study recruited 15 participants from four-year institutions in the United States and collected data through an online asynchronous questionnaire. Thematic and narrative analysis revealed that …

Exploring Menstrual Cycle Experiences And Well-Being In Young Women With Type 1 Diabetes, Yolanda Rotzinger Ballesteros

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Young women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) navigate complex physical, emotional, and social challenges, being at a higher risk for mental health concerns (e.g., depression), as well as physical (e.g., fatigue) and cognitive (e.g., focus) symptoms related to the management of their chronic health condition (Dantzer et al., 2003; Northam et al., 2005). About one-third of young women with T1D experience some form of menstrual dysfunction (Griffin et al., 1994; Schweiger et al., 2011), which is associated with lower quality of life across several domains, including the educational setting (Knox et al., 2015). Nevertheless, there is a gap in the …

A Qualitative Study Of Multiracial Individuals Sharing Black And White Racial Identities Within The Southeastern United States, Carissa N. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Racial identity can be complex, especially when considering those with a biracial or multiracial identity (Holliday, 2019). American society often conceptualizes race through a monoracial lens, leaving individuals with multiracial identities marginalized, sometimes forcing them into an unchosen identity and resulting in a potential loss autonomy (Albuja et al., 2020; Albuja et al., 2019; Harris et al., 2021; Mitchell, 2022; Rozek & Gaither, 2021; Song, 2021). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand social, emotional, mental, and relational impact of living in a monoracially lensed society on individuals with Black and White multiracial identities in the southeastern …

Technology Acceptance And Chatgpt Use In The Workplace, Niya Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated into organizations and workplaces increasing the need to better understand the influence this technology has on employees. Research investing psychological factors that influence employees' intended use and benefits of these technology tools will help to better understand strategies to support adaptation and effective use of these tools for employees. This quantitative correlational study examined the relationships among technology self-efficacy (TSE), perceived usefulness (PU), decision-making confidence (DMC), occupational self-efficacy (OSE), and technology acceptance (TA) of ChatGPT among working adults across various occupational sectors. Mediating and predictive mechanisms that influence workers objectives to engage with ChatGPT …

The Black American Women, Mental Health, Self-Stigma, And The Church, Sylvia D. Dorsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of Christian Black American women who underutilize mental health services due to a perceived notion of self-stigma of Christian Black American women seeking mental health services and how the church may play a role. A transformational theory guides this study. In a transformative framework the study focuses on looking at marginalized groups that have power differentials and are viewed as being less important in society and to understand their life experiences. Stigma and self-stigma are the dominating factors that contribute to the underutilization of mental health services …

The Missing Baby: Investigating The Effects On Psychological Distress, Marital Couple Quality, The Timing Of Bereavement Care And Grief Adaptation Among Fathers Following Perinatal Loss., Sharon L. Green

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Extensive research on maternal perinatal loss has been conducted for decades. In contrast, there is much less research on bereaved fathers following perinatal loss, specifically, studies that examine bereaved fathers’ psychological distress, time it takes for the health care provider to deliver bereavement care, and the impact it has on grief adjustment. The purpose of this study was to investigate bereaved fathers’ psychological distress, length of time to receive bereavement care, and marital couple quality and their impact on perinatal grief adaptation. The study design was quantitative, nonexperimental, descriptive, and correlational. Study participants were 200 bereaved fathers who were administered …

Toward Defining Vulnerability For The Field Of Communication, Adrian Osman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Vulnerability, a common human experience, is still not well-theorized within the field of communication and lacks a clear, discipline-specific definition. This qualitative study examined how vulnerability shapes interpersonal communication, using general systems theory and social exchange theory as guiding frameworks. Through in-depth interviews with individuals who identify obesity as a lived vulnerability, five central themes emerged: awareness and acceptance of vulnerability, experiencing weight-based dismissal in healthcare, weight-related communication in familial and everyday interactions, avoidance and situational disengagement, and support systems – what works and what does not. Findings show that vulnerability acts as a dynamic communicative force, shaping engagement, withdrawal, …

Beyond The Battlefield: Analyzing Trauma's Impact On Veterans' Holistic Health, Keyanna Mikell-Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the multidimensional effects on U.S. veterans' physical, mental, and spiritual health. Two surveys gathered quantitative data from 100 veterans. The surveys included elements of the Life Events Checklist, PTSD screenings, physical health conditions common in the veteran community, and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. The surveys used five-point Likert scales. Quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS using correlation and regression analyses. Qualitative data comprised 10 semi-structured interviews with 10 of the 100 veteran participants. Interviews were transcribed, and ATLAS.ti was used to conduct a thematic analysis from which themes were extracted. Results showed …

A Qualitative Study Of Gratitude Practice Among Won Buddhist Older Adults And Implications For Gerontological Social Work, Sungsim Lee

Dissertations

Although gratitude has been widely studied in social science, existing scholarship has largely relied on Western worldviews and quantitative research frameworks, limiting understanding of lived gratitude experiences within diverse spiritual and cultural contexts, including Eastern spiritual traditions. In Won Buddhism, originating in South Korea, gratitude holds a central place in spiritual life and is understood as an essential practice. This qualitative study explores the views of Won Buddhist older adult practitioners regarding their experiences, benefits, and challenges of engaging in spiritually grounded gratitude practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 practitioners aged 65 and older from English-speaking Won Buddhist communities. …

Attached To The Algorithm: Investigating The Relationship Between Adult Attachment Styles And Instrumental And Relational Dependency On Large Language Models, Jim Zapf, Ala Yankouskaya, Timothy J. Evans, Andrew J. Graham, Abigail Hill, Troy Backhuus

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

The rapid growth of large language models (LLMs) raises questions for counselors regarding when such tools are used adaptively versus when they foster dependency. Guided by attachment theory and a dual-dimension view of AI reliance, this study examined whether adult attachment styles predict instrumental (task/decision support) and relational (companion-like) dependency on LLMs, whether spiritual engagement relates to these dependencies, and whether levels differ by age. Faculty, staff, and students who had used an LLM completed the LLM-D12 and the ECR-R (N = 515). Analyses showed that instrumental dependency on LLMs was highest among individuals high in avoidance, with modest additional …

Information, Communication, And Content Creation Digital Skills: Task-Based Performance Tests Among Youth In Europe, Alexander Van Deursen, Ester Van Laar, Ellen J. Helsper, Luc Schneider, Veronika Kalmus, Signe Opermann, Mari-Liis Tikerperi, Margus Pedaste, Rasmus Mannerström, Katariina Salmela-Aro, Natalia Waechter, Christin Brando, Cristina Ponte, Rita Baptista, Susana Batista, Giovanna Mascheroni, Davide Cino, Jacek Pyżalski, Natalia Walter, Marie Jaron Bedrosova, Hana Machackova, Michal Muzik, Stepanka Kadera, Leen D'Haenens

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

Youth’s digital skills are of growing interest to scholars and policymakers. This paper reports on a performance test in which over 600 youth from six European countries tested their skills by undertaking tasks measuring information, communication, and content creation digital skills. The findings question whether youth have the skills needed to reap the benefits from online information provision and social interactions. They struggle to understand whether websites are trustworthy, to distinguish advertising from information, with online meeting and conversation etiquette, and with content creation. This applies to both girls and boys, although some gender differences were observed depending on the …

Book Review - Violent Impacts: How Power And Inequality Shape The Concussion Crisis, Samuel M. Clevenger

Global Sport Business Journal

Kathryn Henne and Matt Ventresca’s Violent Impacts critically examines how narratives surrounding CTE, TBI, and the concussion crisis are constructed across sport, the military, law, media, and science. Drawing on intersectional feminism and science and technology studies, the authors show how dominant concussion discourses privilege the experiences of White male athletes while marginalizing other groups. Based on extensive fieldwork, the book makes an important contribution by exposing representational inequalities and highlighting the intersectional gender politics of concussion research and public debate.

Book Review - California And The Making Of Modern Sport, Sean Burke

Global Sport Business Journal

Joel S. Franks’s California and the Making of Modern Sport argues that California helped shape modern sport as spectacle, consumer culture, and civic branding. review highlights the strengths in linking iconic sites such as the Rose Bowl, Muscle Beach, Fresno baseball, Billie Jean King, and the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics to broader themes of commercialization, diversity, and inequality. Drawing on historical sources, Franks demonstrates how sport in California produced modern sporting culture and its contradictions.

Moving Through Disasters: Spatial Analysis And Modeling Of Evacuation, Migration, And Socioeconomic Selectivity In The United States, Xiang Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disasters increasingly affect population movement in the United States, but their relationships with mobility and migration at various spatio-temporal scales are not fully understood. Disaster-related movement may appear as short-term evacuation during hazardous events, long-term migration after major or repeated disaster exposure, or selective redistribution across socio-economic groups. Therefore, this dissertation aims to address three main questions: 1) What are the spatial patterns of evacuation, and how do evacuation rates vary across space during a major disaster? 2) To what extent are natural disasters associated with long-term human migration patterns in the United States, and how can their contributions be …

How Location-Allocation Modelling Can Be Used To Site Pet-Friendly Evacuation Shelter Locations For Pet Owners In Hillsborough County, Florida: An Exploratory Study, Sarah A. Shaughnessy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida has been hit by some of the most destructive tropical cyclones in North America due to its relative location to the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean. Florida’s population growth since the 2000’s and the increased frequency of stronger storms because of climate change have made numerous emergency management leaders throughout the state get evacuation shelter networks established for public safety. However, the existing shelter network in Hillsborough County has become inadequate to satisfy the unprecedented population growth in that specific area since the COVID-19 pandemic and there’s a need for new shelter locations to better accommodate the growth when a …

Using In-Home Air Quality Monitoring To Reduce Cannabis Secondhand Smoke Exposure In Children: Quantitative Pilot Feasibility Study, Vincent Berardi, Bradley N. Collins, Laura M. Glynn, Eusabeia Silfanus, Darby G. Lyons, Stephen J. Lepore

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background: An estimated 5 to 8 million US children live with a parent who uses cannabis, and most cannabis users report smoking cannabis inside their homes, placing children at risk for cannabis secondhand smoke (cSHS) exposure. Indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring provides real-time feedback on airborne pollutants and has shown promise in reducing in-home tobacco secondhand smoke exposure, suggesting its potential as an effective harm reduction strategy for cSHS.

Objective: This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of using low-cost, off-the-shelf IAQ monitors to increase caregivers’ awareness of children’s cSHS exposure risk and to change …

Hand Mapping: Our Sexual Health Is (Not) In Our Hands, Laura L. Ellingson

Feminist Pedagogy

This Original Teaching Activity introduces hand mapping, an assignment based on the body mapping method, in the context of a communication and gender studies course. Hand mapping can be adapted to interpersonal, organizational, intercultural, and media courses that address identities, intersectionality, communication, culture, and power in different contexts and mediums. Students outline their hands on paper and artfully embellish them as a visual representation of important takeaways or lessons they learned in the course in response to the prompt, “Our sexual health is (not) in our hands.” Students write an “artist’s statement” explaining meanings of color, symbolism, and design.

Book Review: Yamin Hu, The Contemporary Construction Of The Chinese Form Of Marxist Literary Criticism , Paul R. Patton

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

Worldbuilding, Brent Ryan Bellamy

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Entry for special issue, 'Keywords for Value and Culture'

Substantialism, David Janzen

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Entry for special issue, 'Keywords for Value and Culture'

Style, Clint Burnham

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Entry for special issue, 'Keywords for Value and Culture'

Spectrality, Marlon Lieber

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Entry for special issue, 'Keywords for Value and Culture'

Secularization, Jake Orbison

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Entry for special issue, 'Keywords for Value and Culture'

Rhetoric, Fintan Calpin

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Entry for special issue, 'Keywords for Value and Culture'