Digital Commons Network^™

Racial Concordance And The Assumption Of Trust: Why Engagement Is Often Mistaken For Partnership In The Care Of Black Men, Samantha Faith Calhoun, Lacretia Carroll, Y'Esha Williams-Click, Kola Brown

Patient Experience Journal

Race concordance between patients and clinicians is frequently promoted as a strategy to improve trust and engagement for Black men in healthcare. Evidence suggests that encounters with Black male clinicians often increase patient comfort and observable engagement; however, engagement alone does not necessarily reflect trust. Drawing on professional experience as a nurse and researcher working with Black men, and on prior research examining shared decision-making preferences among Black men with hypertension in the U.S. Mid-South, this Personal Narrative examines how race-concordant encounters may rely on presumed trust, leading clinicians to advance diagnosis and treatment planning without adequate co-construction of care. …

Building Or Breaking Trust In Healthcare Through Patient And Family Engagement In Research And Service Design: The Need For Authentic Engagement Practices, Lisa D. Hawke, Hajar Seiyad, Shoshana Hauer, Charlotte Munro, Natasha Y. Sheikhan

Patient Experience Journal

Trust in the healthcare system is an important driver of public health, but is sometimes lacking among individuals and communities. Patient and family engagement in research and service development is one proposed means of influencing trust. Patients and families can be engaged authentically and meaningfully as partners in the conduct of research and the development of healthcare services. When engagement is conducted following best practices, patients and families have the opportunity to build strong mutual relationships with project leads, hold a share of the power in the discipline, and exercise choice to influence the research and service development agenda. These …

Healing The Social Covenant: Rebuilding Trust And Re-Humanizing Healthcare, Cynda Hylton Rushton

Patient Experience Journal

Violence against healthcare workers continues to escalate despite substantial investments in security measures, workplace violence prevention programs, and legislative protections. Although these interventions are necessary, they have not produced sustained improvements in workforce safety or retention, suggesting that workplace violence is more than a behavioral or security problem. This commentary argues that it also reflects a deeper erosion of trust within healthcare. Drawing on evidence linking workplace violence to burnout, moral injury, psychological distress, and turnover intention among nurses, we propose that repairing trust is essential to sustaining the workforce and healthcare.Building on our earlier work, Rebuilding a Foundation of …

How Philip K. Dick Used The Unreliable Narrator To Transport Unwitting Acolytes, Michael Barros, Jordi Smith

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This essay examines the use of the unreliable narrator to transport the reader into narrative worlds, specifically in Philip K. Dick's fiction. By exploring the phenomenon of narrative transportation and the role of emotions in engagement with fiction, we argue that Dick's use of the unreliable narrator significantly engages and transports readers into his narrative worlds. Subsequently, we contend that his belief in the fundamental reality of those worlds is effectively positioning himself as a gatekeeper and mediator between the narrative world and the real world, which sets him, in his mind, as a prophet, using fiction as a tool …

Media Emotion Regulation And Executive Function In Childhood: Associations With Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, Lara M. Almeida

Theses and Dissertations

Media emotion regulation (MER), or the use of media to help children manage emotions, may influence children's development by shaping opportunities for practicing self-regulatory skills. Guided by the Dynamic, Relational, Ecological Approach to Media Effects Research (DREAMER) model, this study examined longitudinal associations between MER and executive functioning (EF) in early childhood and explored whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a physiological index of regulation, predicted developmental changes. Participants included 175 parent-child dyads assessed across two annual waves when children were approximately 4 and 5 years old. Structural equation modeling was used to test bidirectional associations between MER and EF while …

Emotion-Attention Relationships In Anxiety: A Multimodal Psychophysiological Network Analysis, Kyle O'Brien

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Anxiety has long been associated with changes in attention processing, emotional salience detection, and emotional affect. Traditional methods of measuring anxiety frequently utilize self-report symptom measures, behavioral performance measures, and psychophysiological indicators. The current study integrates behavioral accuracy, self-report measures of psychological distress and well-being, and event-related potential markers of attention processing into an exploratory multimodal psychological network analyses to identify meaningful patterns across these indicators. The final sample of nonpatients included 36 anxious (low depression) and 24 control (low anxiety and depression) participants who completed an Emotion Attention Blink task while EEG data were collected to assess early, more …

Integrating Matrescence Into Birth Worker Practice: A Practice Improvement Project, Kelsey B. Green

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect 20–25% of mothers worldwide and are a leading cause of maternal complications. Stigma, fragmented care, and limited provider training leave families vulnerable, while birth workers offer trusted, continuous support.

Problem: Birth workers' maternal mental health (MMH) training is minimal and often excludes matrescence, the developmental transition to motherhood, limiting their ability to distinguish normal adjustment from clinical PMADs and delaying intervention.

Methods: A single-group, pre-/post-test design evaluated a matrescence-informed workshop at Roots Community Health's 2nd Annual Symposium. Anonymous surveys measured knowledge, attitudes, and confidence, analyzed with Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and …

The Screening Tool Of Behavioral Self-Regulation “Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders” Task: A Preliminary Adaptation To Greek Older Adults, Eleni Rachanioti, Dimitra Magkavila, Olga Fragkomichelaki, Magda Dinou, Effie Katsadima, Theodora Foti, Anastasia Tzalla, Anna Dougali, Christina Bourmpou, Maria Staikopoulou, Aphrodite Papantoniou, Fotini Varlami, Irene Dinaki, Maria Tsiountala, Konstantinos Staikopoulos, Tryfon Mavropalias, Efthymia Efthymiou, Demetra Tomprou, Maria Georgiadi, Dimitra Katsarou, Georgios Kougioumtzis, Ioanna Giannoula Katsouri, Harilaos Zaragas, Despina Moraitou, Maria Sofologi, Georgia Papantoniou

All Works

The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) behavioral self-regulation (executive function) measure in a sample of Greek older population. Specifically, 88 cognitively healthy Greek older adults over the age of 65 participated in the study. The Greek version of HTKS was administered along with the Greek versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Raven's Educational CPM, the Number Series (NS) test, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P). Exploratory factor analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the HTKS. The …

The Experiences Of Black Student-Athletes Across Different Institutions, Raniya Burkett

Psychology Summer Fellows

Sports, like many social institutions, require athletes to develop social competencies that shape performance, self-presentation, and behavior. Black collegiate athletes frequently experience these pressures and may conform to white supremacist ideals of propriety. Findings from this study will identify barriers to authenticity in athletic spaces and inform strategies to promote greater inclusivity and cultural sensitivity among coaches, teammates, and athletic programs.

Evaluating Gender Equity In The Berenstain Bears Picture Books, Christy Tisnawijaya, Geni Kurniati

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

Picture books serve as a foundational medium in early childhood education, utilizing interrelated visual and verbal elements to foster linguistic, cognitive, and social development. Despite their pedagogical utility, certain literary works inadvertently perpetuate traditional gender roles, constraining children's conceptualizations of identity. This study evaluates gender representation within eleven selected titles of The Berenstain Bears series. Employing a qualitative multimodal content analysis, the study integrates Butler's gender performativity framework (1990), Callow's multimodal narrative approach (2020), and Adam and Harper's evaluative criteria (2021) to examine how domestic, social, and recreational roles are constructed. This study offers novelty by establishing a dual-lens multimodal …

Physical Activity, Trauma, And Posttraumatic Stress: The Indirect Role Of Exercise Addiction, Anastasiia Rozumna

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise is often conceptualized as a protective factor for mental health, including for individuals exposed to trauma. However, less is known about whether exercise may relate to posttraumatic stress symptoms differently when it is accompanied by compulsive or addictive features. The present study examined whether volume and intensity of physical activity were associated with posttraumatic stress symptom severity indirectly through exercise addiction symptoms. This secondary cross-sectional analysis included 557 adults living in the United States who reported regular participation in sport or physical activity. Participants completed self-report measures of physical activity behavior, exercise addiction symptoms, trauma exposure, and posttraumatic stress …

A Systematic Review Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Hispanic Immigrants In The United States, Rashel Acireale

Theses and Dissertations

This study systematically reviews the literature on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Hispanic immigrants in the United States, a population exposed to cumulative trauma across the migration process. Stressors may occur before, during, and after migration and include violence, family separation, dangerous travel conditions, discrimination, and fear of deportation. Despite these risks, findings on PTSD prevalence remain mixed, and Hispanic immigrants are underrepresented in clinical research and culturally informed interventions. This review examines sample representation, types and timing of trauma, PTSD measurement approaches, and the inclusion of cultural and contextual factors such as acculturation and immigration-related stress. It also evaluates …

Spatial Abilities In Down Syndrome: A Comparison Of Mental Rotation And Perspective Taking, Edward C. Merrill, Yingying Jennifer Yang, Frances Conners, Beverly Roskos, Stephanie Grinshpun, Samantha Zakrzewski, Matthew Baker

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Introduction: Mental rotation and spatial perspective taking are two key spatial abilities and are integral to one's everyday life. This study compared performance on these two abilities between adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome (DS) and typically developing (TD) children.

Methods: Twenty-three participants with DS and twenty-three TD children were matched using Raven's progressive matrices ability scores. Two experimental tasks measured each spatial ability, and combined scores were calculated for mental rotation and perspective-taking, respectively.

Results: Participants with DS did not differ significantly from their TD counterparts in perspective-taking. However, the groups differed significantly in mental rotation, with participants …

#Narctalk: Analysis Of Perceptions Of Personality Disorders In Tiktok Content, Amanda C. Dediego, Auna Nelson, Feven Seifu, Amanda D. Tracy, Madeline Grubb, R.J. Schoen

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Integrating Death Education Into Asynchronous Online Counselor Training, Kara E. Wolff

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Online counselor education has grown exponentially, with a greater number of courses being offered in an asynchronous format. This presents challenges and opportunities for counseling training in death education, a subset of grief counseling. Death anxiety and death avoidance can result in counselors-in-training's disengagement with strictly didactic materials in this area. Instead, death education must offer opportunities for experiential processing and personal reflection to be effective. Specific teaching strategies that foster the development of death acceptance and death competence within asynchronous online counselor education courses are offered.

Clinicians’ Reflections On Explainable Ai (Xai) In Counselor Education And Diagnostic Training: An Exploratory Qualitative Study, Kuo Deng, Xiaomeng Ye, Yi Li-Brown, Cara Miles, Angelina F. Pennino

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Current approaches to teaching clinical diagnosis in counselor education and supervision often

rely on self-reports, brief vignettes, and supervisors’ recollections—methods that can be resource- intensive and prone to bias, contributing to diagnostic inaccuracy among trainees. While artificial

intelligence (AI) has gained traction in healthcare, many machine learning (ML) models function as “black boxes,” limiting transparency and educator trust. Explainable AI (XAI), which focuses on making AI processes interpretable, offers a potential solution for counselor training. This exploratory qualitative study examined eight licensed psychologists’ reflections after viewing a live demonstration of an original XAI model trained to predict depression. Using Reflexive …

Toward A Triadic Therapeutic Alliance: Understanding Client, Therapist, And Ai Relational Processes In Counseling, Jennifer Young

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Artificial intelligence (AI) is integrated into counseling through chatbots, digital companions, and clinical decision-support tools. This integration challenges traditional models of the therapeutic alliance, which have historically centered on the dyadic relationship between client and therapist. To address this gap, the Triadic Therapeutic Alliance (TTA) Model of Client-Therapist-AI Relational Dynamics offers a new framework for understanding how relational processes unfold when AI becomes an active participant in therapy. The model extends alliance theory into a triadic structure that includes the client-AI and therapist-AI relationships alongside the traditional human alliance. Drawing on research in human-computer interaction and ethical frameworks of trust …

Exploring Chatgpt As A Simulated Client: A Feasibility Study In Undergraduate Counselor Training, Kayla E. Hayes, Rebecca L. Wilson, Joshua Wilson

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) offers new possibilities for simulation-based counselor training by enabling scalable, text-based interactions that mimic human dialogue. This exploratory feasibility study examined whether ChatGPT can serve as a simulated counseling client and feedback provider for undergraduate students learning counseling skills. Five upperclassmen completed a 45–60-minute text-based session with ChatGPT portraying “Sarah,” a college student experiencing depression and loneliness, followed by AI feedback and a semi-structured interview. Trained raters judged ChatGPT’s client portrayal and feedback as generally accurate, particularly for tone, empathy, and identification of students’ strengths. Accuracy was lower for rapport, summarizing, and pacing characteristic of an …

The Digital Tightrope: Navigating Social Media Ethics In Counseling, Kaitlynn Cornell-Mullane

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Social media has become deeply integrated into both personal and professional lives, yet the use by counseling professionals remains underexplored. This study investigated how various roles within the counseling field experience and utilize social media in their professional development, identity formation, and ethical practice. A qualitative online survey was utilized to collect data from counseling professionals (N = 20). Findings revealed six themes: (1) Conflicting Perspectives on Client Social Media Use and Engagement, (2) Personal Discomfort and Ethical Ambiguity, (3) Counselors’ Varied Approaches of Social Media Use, (4) Social Media Use for Professional Development, (5) Mixed Perspectives on Social Media …

Generative Artificial Intelligence In Counselor Development: Examining Systemic Influences On Training, Lauren Dollarhide, Leo Gonzalez Jr., Rachel M. Smith

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The use of large language models (LLMs) and generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, AI-assisted supervision platforms, and AI-powered role-play simulations) in counselor education is changing the way counselors-in-training (CITs) are trained and has both risks and benefits for the field. This conceptual article applied Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to evaluate the impact of these technologies at multiple levels within the counseling training environment. The microsystem is described as the interactions between CITs and the AI they use to support their training experiences (e.g., AI-based learning tools, role-playing simulations). The mesosystem refers to the movement of AI across different …

Simulation-Based Education In A Counseling Skills Course: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study, Alexandra Gantt-Howrey, Hana Shewamoltot Meshesha, Renyi Huang, Elizabeth A. Doughty Horn, Renee Howells, Adenike Ololade Adedapo

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Simulation-based education (SBE) is a technique that introduces students to real-world experiences (Gaba, 2004) in a safe way (Holmes et al., 2023). Scholars have suggested that SBE may be a promising means of enhancing counselor education (e.g., Pope & Hilliard, 2024). We recruited a sample of N = 12 counseling skills students who completed up to 12 simulation-based education (SBE) activities using Simucase (2025) across one semester. We conducted an embedded, qualitatively-driven mixed methods pilot study (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2017) to understand participants’ perspectives on and impacts of the SBE activities on their perceived counseling self-efficacy and multicultural competence. …

Examining Six Domains Of Resilience With Latinx College Students From Migrant Farmworker Backgrounds: A Quasi-Experimental Single Case Design Study, Rebecca Dickinson, Raissa Miller, Cian L. Brown, G Michael Russo, Emma Knowles

Trauma Counseling and Resilience

Resilience-building interventions show promise in higher education, yet few studies focus on Latinx college students from migrant farmworker backgrounds (LMFWs), a group facing significant challenges such as acculturative stress, mixed familial immigration status, and educational discontinuity. This quasi-experimental single-case design study examined resilience domains among LMFW students participating in a group-based intervention informed by the predictive 6-factor resilience model. Resilience was measured across six domains: collaboration, vision, tenacity, reasoning, health, and composure, using standardized assessments adapted from Rossouw and Rossouw (2018). Pre- and post-intervention scores were visually analyzed to assess change at the individual level. Results indicated a evidence of …

The Roles Of Adverse And Benevolent Childhood Experiences In Posttraumatic Growth And Social Connectedness Following Interpersonal Trauma, Margaret Poandl, Emily Kitching, Daniel Gutierrez, Yuqi Zhang

Trauma Counseling and Resilience

Interpersonal trauma, such as childhood abuse, neglect, and intimate partner violence, is a prevalent and harmful form of trauma associated with deleterious psychosocial outcomes. Despite its negative impacts, individuals exposed to interpersonal trauma may also experience posttraumatic growth (PTG). While adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known risk factors and benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) are potential protective factors for adult outcomes, little is known about how combinations of ACEs and BCEs influence PTG. This study examined how combinations of ACEs and BCEs relate to PTG and social connectedness among individuals who have experienced interpersonal trauma. Using cross-sectional survey data from 615 …

Padres Ayudando A Padres: Co-Constructing A Family-Centered Mental Health Intervention Of, By, And For Central American Immigrant Parents, Rachael Goodman, Colleen K. Vesely, Maribel Tohara Nakamatsu, Victoria Stone, Valeria Quintana, Bethany Letiecq, Amigas De La Comunidad

Trauma Counseling and Resilience

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, our partners in a Central American immigrant enclave reported an increasing need to support parents and children whose mental health was negatively impacted by the confluence of underlying systemic stressors and traumatic experiences. Using our existing family-centered participatory action research (FCPAR; Letiecq, Vesely, et al., 2022) approach and guided by the transcreation model (Nápoles & Stewart, 2018), we co-constructed a mental health intervention in partnership with community members, via our community advisory board (CAB). Essential to this process was building the intervention with the community, ensuring that it was culturally and contextually grounded …

Collective Trauma And Systemic Negligence: Exploring South Korean Disasters Through Media And Cultural Narratives, Jung H. Hyun, Eunae Han

Trauma Counseling and Resilience

Disaster trauma often occurs at multiple levels, with the systemic level highlighting its collective impact on survivors. Betrayal trauma, inflicted by trusted individuals or institutions including the government, further compounds this experience. Drawing on historical and contemporary challenges in modern Korean history and recognizing their collective impact on the Korean population, this paper examines Korean betrayal trauma stemming from disasters, introduces a new concept of political betrayal trauma, and explores how media can serve as a tool for healing. Through a fictional case study, this paper illustrates how collective cultural narratives support both survivors and the broader society in validating …

Flows That Teach: Multimodal Hip-Hop Pedagogy For Equity In Special Education, Camille O'Quin, Sara Jozwik

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Hip-Hop can be more than a soundtrack played at home, it can be a bridge between culture, language, and learning at school. This article shows how Hip-Hop pedagogy, translanguaging, and code-meshing can support students with disabilities, especially those who speak African American Vernacular English (AAVE), in the classroom setting. Grounded in culturally relevant pedagogy and translanguaging theory, the approach uses rhythm, storytelling, and performance to build narrative fluency, language awareness, and confidence. Examples include students drafting rap verses about personal experiences, holding structured cypher circles to practice turn-taking and self-expression, and blending AAVE with Mainstream American English in writing for …

Behavioral Indicators Of Stress In Wild Savanna-Dwelling Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) In Fongoli, Senegal, Leah T. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Stress influences health, reproduction, social relationships, and survival in primates. I identified behavioral indicators of stress in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and determined whether coping strategies varied between behavioral contexts. Coping behavior differed significantly across contexts and behaviors, indicating that coping behaviors are strategically utilized in different contexts and provide insight into the emotional regulation of chimpanzees.

The Purpose Of Integration Beyond Expression: Emerging Human Patterns And Possible Selves In A Computational Model Of Self-Reflection, Lore Olson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Self-reflection encompasses the dual modes of Integration and Expression, the processes of actively attempting to know oneself and doing something with that knowledge. Each mode serves a distinct purpose; however, the long-standing idea that Integration is needed before Expression can occur has been challenged by the demonstrated ability to create and maintain a small, stable identity through constant Expression. Across three studies, a theory was tested of the Integration mode as a method of quickly and sustainably distributing clusters of organization across the self-structure, allowing for diversity in the selves one can coherently express. Study one replicated the previously observed …

Coping With Adversity: Exploring The Role Of Protective Factors And Their Impact On School Enrollment And Satisfaction Among Adolescents Living With Hiv In Low-Resource Settings, Jennifer Nattabi

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Globally, an estimated 2.38 million children and adolescents (0–19 years) are living with HIV, with 80% residing in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, adolescents remain at high risk, with approximately 6,600 new infections among 10–19-year-olds in 2023. Despite expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV) continue to experience poor outcomes, including low viral suppression and high mortality, largely driven by non-adherence. However, ART adherence represents only one dimension of their lived experience. ALHIV must also navigate intersecting adversities, including poverty, stigma, orphanhood, and exposure to sexual and gender-based violence, while meeting academic expectations, particularly in boarding school …

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …