Digital Commons Network^™

Postsecondary Experiences And Impact On Career Choices And Employment Status For Cisgender Women With Autism, Maureen Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cisgender women with autism remain underrepresented in research on postsecondary education and career development despite experiencing distinct barriers within these systems. This qualitative study examined how cisgender women with autism perceived the impact of their postsecondary education experiences on career choices and employment navigation. Guided by the social model of disability and intersectionality theory, nine postsecondary participants formally diagnosed with autism and who self-identified as cisgender completed semistructured interviews exploring their educational and employment experiences. Thematic analysis identified seven interconnected themes. Findings indicated that academic success often masked significant internal distress, suggesting that performance did not reflect accessible environments. Participants …

Deciphering The Rules Of Odor-Driven Learning In The Fruit Fly Olfactory System, Cole B. Hanan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Odorant identity is encoded by patterns of activity across olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and their corresponding glomeruli in the antennal lobe (AL). An odorant's valence can be modified by experience, allowing animals to associate previously neutral odors with appetitive or aversive outcomes. However, some odors appear resistant to such reassignment, and the factors determining whether an odor can acquire learned valence and whether that association generalizes to chemically related odors remain poorly understood. This thesis uses Drosophila melanogaster to address this question using a fully automated proboscis extension reflex (PER) conditioning assay. Odorants are presented via a computer-controlled olfactometer, reward …

Ruslan-M: Longitudinal Multimedia Corpus Of Early Child Speech In Russian, Mariia Diachkova, Valeriya Lelik, Svetlana V. Dorofeeva, Anastasiya Lopukhina, Olga Dragoy, Irina A. Sekerina

Publications and Research

This article presents the Russian Language-Monolingual corpus (RusLan-M, v.1.0), a longitudinal multimedia collection of early child speech from two Russian-speaking monolingual children: Tosya (ages 0;10–3;10, 246 recordings) and Yasha (ages 1;04–3;00, 42 recordings). The corpus consists of approximately 41 h (2,454 min.) of video recordings and 35,386 child utterances, available with transcriptions in the CHAT format on TalkBank. The corpus adheres to strict ethics requirements for data sharing with anonymization. We also conducted two exploratory investigations of the acquisition of Russian morphology using the mean length of utterance (MLU) and the newly developed Index of Productive Syntax for evaluating grammatical …

The Freedom Myth: How Ski Culture's Hidden Conformity Reveals The Unconscious Power Of Brand Belonging, Isabel R. Phillips

University Honors Theses

Purpose: Ski culture sells freedom and enforces conformity. This review asks what unconscious behavioral patterns hold that contradiction in place, and how brands capitalize on it to manufacture belonging.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A narrative literature review across consumer psychology, behavioral neuroscience, sociology, and ski industry research. No primary data were collected. Four accounts of consistency-seeking are synthesized into one framework, then applied to three ski industry cases at ascending scales and tested against a comparative case from Spanish football.

Findings: Belonging is a conditioned response, and conditioning requires a stable stimulus. Consistency is therefore the precondition of belonging rather than a constraint …

The Effects Of Using Home Language Vs English In Teaching Safety Skills, Emma Ruiz

Thesis Projects

Cultural competence and cultural awareness are terms that have started to become more widely used when discussing how therapists impact their clients. The push for cultural competence and awareness has started to create new questions about how a client’s culture can be intertwined with the services that they are receiving. The purpose of this study was to teach a combination of basic safety skills and identify if language impacted behavior. This study utilized one participant who did not acquire the skill to stop in either language. During the experiment, a third language was added to measure control; however, responding remained …

Full Issue, Volume 14, Number 1., Donna J. Peterson Dr., Scott Cummings, Elizabeth Gregory North

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence Decision Support And Pilot Performance, Aarohi Srivastava

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into aviation decision support systems (DSS) introduces new opportunities for pilots. While these systems offer considerable benefits, ensuring safe and optimal human-AI interaction requires further research. In the case of student pilots, trust calibration, system transparency, and appropriate reliance are all factors that influence the operational success of an integrated AI system. The systems are designed with the goal of decreasing cognitive workload, increasing situational awareness (SA), and providing data-based recommendations to help the pilot make quick and accurate decisions. This study will evaluate the effects of disclosed vs undisclosed AI accuracy on student …

A Narrative-Restorative Framework For Addressing School Bullying, Tristan Patel, Michelle Myers, Daniel Stewart

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Bullying in schools is often addressed through punitive deterrence practices, solution-focused counseling, or restorative conferencing. These approaches often fail to recognize or account for the power imbalance that ultimately sustains bullying. This article discusses a narrative-restorative intervention to address bullying as a relational and communal issue, rather than relying on isolation or deterrence practices. The limitations of the dominant models discussed highlight the role of power in shaping bullying dynamics and connect legal and ethical responsibilities of narrative-restorative practices. Situated within the framework of California education law and professional ethical standards, at its core, undercover anti-bullying teams aim to redistribute …

Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Mental Health: Perceptions Of Ai Therapists, Ulker Yusupova

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study explores how people perceive Artificial Intelligence (AI) therapists compared to human therapists, focusing on differences in empathy, effectiveness, and competence. As AI tools like ChatGPT and mental health chatbots become more commonly used for emotional support, it is important to understand how users evaluate them in comparison to human professionals. To begin addressing this, in the first part of the study, participants reviewed therapist-client conversation transcripts and identified whether they believed the therapist was human or AI-generated, helping us validate the materials for the main study. Notably, initial findings suggest that participants frequently relied more on surface-level language …

Beyond The Indicators: Community-Defined Sustainability In Bario, Sarawak, Rhonwyn Hagedorn

Capstone Collection

This study examines how Kelabit community members in Bario, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo define and practice sustainability within community-based tourism (CBT), and how these local understandings align with or diverge from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study used a thematic analysis drawing on fifteen semi-structured interviews with Kelabit community members, supplemented by tourist questionnaires and document analysis of online tourism materials. Four themes emerged: sustainability as collective stewardship; community decision-making and collaboration; cultural identity as the core of tourism; and equity, participation, and the limits of growth. Findings suggest that Kelabit community members hold a holistic, relational, and …

The Chameleon Experience: Queer Identity, Mental Health, And Transformation, Cameron Penny

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In this autoethnographic piece, I examine the correlation between queer identity and mental health through reflective analysis of my own experiences within a Western socio-cultural setting. I expand external perspectives on the queer experience by highlighting the normalization of queer prejudice and its adverse impact on self-image. I share how the religious praxis of Catholicism enforces binary conformity by promoting dichotomous thinking that simultaneously constricts queer expression and subjugates implicit biases. In tandem, I utilize autoethnography as my medium because it provides a unique outlet to raise awareness for chronically stigmatized identities by centering marginalized voices (Atay, 2011; Chavez, 2013). …

Best Practices And An Agenda For Research In Benefits Communication, Kristi Egbert, Anne Kerber

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Benefits communication is information an employer/organization provides to employees about the types of benefit plans offered and information about them (i.e., health insurance, retirement, vacation time). Despite its importance to jobs across all sectors of the workforce, there is a dearth of current academic research regarding benefits communication. This paper defines benefits communication, examines its impact on organizations and workers, and explores existing research on best practices. Findings underscore the complexity of benefits material and emphasize the need for simpler and clearer language, employee-preferred formats, and adequate time for employees to review information and receive guidance from a knowledgeable source. …

Communication & Theater Association Of Minnesota Journal, Volume 49, Issue 1, 2026

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Volume 49, Issue 1 (2026) of the Communication & Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

Growth, Governance, And Organizational Crisis In Nonprofit Rowing Club: Failures In Leadership In A Growing Organization, Noah Legendre, Ehren R. Green

The COSMA Journal

This case explores governance and leadership challenges within a growing nonprofit sport organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. Within this case, the Litchberg Valley Rowing Club (LVRC), a rowing organization in a small community, experienced rapid growth in membership, financial resources, and competitive success. Despite this growth, the organization maintained informal governance structures and policies to guide its decision-making. In this case, the board of directors elected to terminate the head coach because of difficult contract negotiations and other issues at hand. This decision was met with public backlash, raising concerns about club leadership and the future of …

Lindenwood Digest, August 12, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

• Event & Date: Lindenwood University Employee Digest, published August 12, 2026.

• Geographic Grounding: Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Missouri.

• Key Honorees/Awards: Brandon Perkins was recognized in Q2 Moments for revisions to the faculty performance evaluation guidebook.

• Institutional Context: Key scheduled institutional programs include the 2026 Football Fan Fest on August 14, the Welcome Week Kickoff Meeting featuring Dr. John Porter, Dr. Kathi Vosevich, and keynote speaker Dr. Stephanie Afful on August 17, and the launch of the rebranded Office of Careers, Internships, and Achievements (C.I.A.) directed by Sara VonBokel on August 19.

Sac Newsletter 2026, South Asia Center

Newsletters from the South Asia Center

No abstract provided.

How Racial Bias And Job-Related Stressors Impact The Prospect Of Police Misconduct, Jean Emmanuel Brutus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police use of excessive force is an enduring challenge for criminal justice institutions and the public, particularly, affecting minority communities. This has contributed to diminished public confidence in U.S. policing institutions. Prior empirical studies among law enforcement officers, indicate that Black minorities have been discriminated by police officers. Stress research links social stress to mental health and identifies police brutality as an anticipatory stressor for minority groups. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify factors, including job-related stressors, and racial bias, that contribute to officers using excessive force, so to fill the gap in research, and develop …

Exploring The Definition Of Democracy And Rule Of Law From Afghan Women’S Perspective, Lynda Boswell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the United States funded programs from 2001 to 2021 to promote democracy, the rule of law, and opportunities for Afghan women, existing reports and evaluations focused primarily on expenditures, implementation, outputs, and accountability rather than Afghan women’s perspectives, particularly after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. This study addressed that gap by exploring how Afghan women experienced and understood democracy and the rule of law before and after the U.S. withdrawal and how U.S.-supported programs influenced their perceptions and experiences. Guided by theoretical frameworks of democracy and the rule of law as applied in Afghanistan and other …

System Leadership For Sdg-Aligned Research Security In Ireland, Seán Lacey

Publications

What is new?

Research security has rapidly emerged as a priority in research governance across Europe and internationally. However, discussions frequently frame research security primarily in terms of national security or geopolitical risk, with limited attention to how security measures intersect with sustainable development objectives. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the relationship between research security and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the emerging Irish research security framework as an illustrative context. It argues that research security and sustainable development are not inherently in conflict; however, aligning them requires coordinated system leadership to ensure that security measures protect …

Promoting The Bipartisan Dimension Of Political Leadership: A Study Of The Impact Of A Normative Intervention With Newly Elected Members Of Congress, Jaime M. Ruvalcaba

Dissertations

The U.S. political system is more polarized now than at any time in the past century, as evidenced by the rise of political incivility, legislative gridlock, and hyperpolarization. To date, most studies and efforts have focused on institutional strategies to explain, transform, and mitigate the challenges posed to the political environment. By contrast, little attention has been paid to the normative or values-based behaviors of leaders to either explain or influence political leadership in ways that positively impact the political environment. Fortunately, some organizational programs, like Harvard’s Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress, have taken a different tack, …

Resistance And Adaptation In Banyumas Traditional Gending: Musical Negotiation Between Cultural Preservation And Commercial Performance In Lengger And Ebeg, Darno Darno, Binarung Mahatmajangga

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This study investigates the musical dynamics of Banyumas-style traditional gending within the contestation of Lengger and Ebeg performances amid the demands of modern entertainment. Using a qualitative method combining ethnomusicological and cultural-sociology perspectives, the study examines changes in musical structure and the socio-cultural forces driving them, and asks specifically: what defines Banyumas gending musicality at the level of instrumental garap (working practice); what concrete forms of adaptation and resistance are observable in contemporary performance; and how these dynamics can be read through Merriam's concept of stability and change and Bourdieu's theory of capital and field. Data were collected through in-depth …

Children Second Dialect Acquisition In North America, Iqbal Nurul Azhar, Mohammad Halili

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This article aims to examine the causes, social contributing factors, and the linguistic consequences of Second Dialect Acquisition (SDA henceforth) in children in North America, drawing on relevant articles. For children growing up in a monolingual region but then must live in a new space, acquiring second dialect can pave them to improve their communication skills, adjust their social and identity belonging. Yet why, how, and the linguistic consequence of SDA require further studies. We used the thematic synthesis in reviewing the existing related literature based on three steps: article identification, selection, and analysis. Six causes of SDA were found: …

Flexibility In Javanese Folk Performing Arts: Adaptation, Creation, And Innovation, Kiswanto Kiswanto, Paimin Paimin, Wahyu Prihatin

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This study aims to uncover and explain the concept and model of flexibility as a mechanism for the sustainability of folk performing arts amidst conditions of social and cultural change. The study was conducted using an ethnographic approach, based on participatory and collaborative activities within the Turonggo Seto Boyolali group, and supported by data collection techniques including observation, interviews, documentation, and literature review. The results of this study indicate that flexibility is a principle and approach applied through the process of adaptation, creation, and innovation. This process is carried out to preserve and develop traditional performing arts, ensuring they continue …

Contradiction And Critical Consciousness: Engaging Canadian University Students In Racial Dialogue On Anti-Chinese Racism, Dan Cui

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study examines how Canadian university students perceived and engaged with anti-Chinese racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on grounded theory and interviews and written reflections from 28 undergraduates at a predominantly White university, the study analyzes students’ contradictory understandings of racism shaped by media, national narratives, and prior educational experiences. Informed by Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, it conceptualizes these tensions as a contradictory racialized habitus, in which awareness and denial, empathy and distancing, coexist. Three themes emerged: contradictory orientations toward anti-Chinese racism, the transnational influence of U.S. political discourse, and the limited transformative impact of a social justice course. …

Intersectionality And Institutional Power In Dystopian Cinema: Gender, Race, And Social Order In Sinners, Alexander Kilian, Amaya Baker

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This research project, Intersectionality and Institutional Power in Dystopian Cinema: Gender, Race, and Social Order in Sinners, examines how Sinners construct and represent women through intersecting systems of gender, race, and institutional power within a dystopian framework. Situated within broader discussions of equity, embodiment, and access, the project addresses how speculative media reflect and shape contemporary social hierarchies, particularly in modeling institutional authority, social organization, and identity formation. The primary objective is to analyze how these intersecting systems influence perceptions of identity, hierarchy, and social cohesion. Employing an interdisciplinary humanities approach, the project integrates film analysis, feminist theory, and critical …

Legitimacy-Seeking Tactics Employed By Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham In The Idlib Province, Kathrine Lopez

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This paper examines how Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) sought to stabilize and normalize its authority through governance in Idlib from 2017 to 2024. It applies the legitimacy-seeking tactics framework developed by McWeeney, Cunningham, and Bauer (2025) to assess five observable strategies used outside direct combat, provision of public goods, participation in conflict mediation, lobbying and cooperation with external actors, conventional political mobilization, and public outreach. Using qualitative interpretive analysis of primary and secondary sources, the study evaluates how these tactics appeared in HTS-linked governance institutions and public-facing practices during sustained territorial rule. The findings show selective but substantial tactic use. …

How Do Mainstream Newspapers In Sweden And The United Kingdom Compare In Their Framing Of 2024-2025 Gang Violence As A “Security Threat” Linked To Migration?, Ria Vlachos

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project will look at how the media portrays the relationship between gang violence and migration during the 2024-2025 time period. Sweden will be the primary case study, and it will see how the domestic Swedish newspapers and the Uk outlets explain the “security threats” through their reporting. This topic is of significant social and scientific importance because the way the media portrays things can shape the publics attitudes and give justification to certain actions/policy changes. This project is feasible as its going to be a comparative paper of a sample of newspapers from both sides. I will explore the …

Family Religious Socialization Index: Development And Preliminary Validation, Kaelie Rene Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

A key area of interest for religious scholars is how religious beliefs are passed across generations, or religious socialization. To expand this field of study, a theoretically grounded, validated measure of this construct is needed. This article describes the development and validation of the Family Religious Socialization Index (FRSI), a multi-informant, multidimensional assessment of the processes through which parents socialize religion and faith in their children. Based on Social Cognitive Theory and through a rigorous development and validation process, three subscales were developed to represent the primary processes of religious socialization. The FRSI consists of two parallel scales, a parent …

Identifying The Brain Circuits Involved In Religious Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Kiana Bunnell

Theses and Dissertations

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an often-debilitating psychiatric disorder involving a pattern of obsessive thoughts and compensatory compulsions. Symptoms tend to be chronic, leading to substantial emotional burden and significant impairment across multiple domains of daily functioning. Previous research has identified some consistency in the brain regions implicated in OCD. In particular, cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuitry has been linked to behavioral features commonly observed in OCD. Moreover, some studies suggest that distinct patterns of brain activation and functional connectivity may be associated with different OCD symptom dimensions, though findings have not been consistent. One symptom dimension of OCD (scrupulosity) is characterized by …

Is “No Change” Really No Change?: A Qualitative Analysis Of Clients With “No Change” On Routine Outcome Monitoring Who Report Improving In Therapy, Audrey Louise Stewart Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Routine outcome monitoring (ROM), the practice of tracking client progress in therapy by administering regular questionnaires to assess functioning, has demonstrated a significant positive effect on psychotherapy outcomes, especially for clients are who not improving as expected. However, some researchers argue the symptom-based measures and outcome classification criteria commonly used in ROM may not represent a complete picture of client change. A recent body of mixed-methods research has investigated these ROM-determined outcome categories to gain insight into client experiences and whether the category and client perception of therapy outcome align. In this investigation, researchers have found significant variety within outcome …