Reducing Youth False Confessions With Attorney Presence, Rosa Bowden-Maccalla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interrogation techniques are influenced by the interrogator's style and the individual being interviewed. Most law enforcement agencies use adult-centered interrogation methods, leading to suboptimal results when working with youth. The research has focused on youth offenders in the interrogation room and the choices they make, often leading to false confessions when an attorney is absent. This suggests that the presence of legal representation helps protect youths' vulnerability, suggestibility, and rights, thereby reducing the likelihood of false confessions. This qualitative collective case study aimed to understand why youth offenders falsely confess by collecting seven anonymous questionnaires from multigender U.S. practicing attorneys …

Navigating Blended Family Dynamics: Lived Experiences Of Newly - Married Black American Couples With Children, Nichole King-Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Remarriage offers the opportunity to create new family structures, giving individuals second chances to forge meaningful connections and develop new family dynamics. This study involved investigating the experiences of newly-married Black American couples with children as they faced challenges inherent to blended family dynamics. The objective was to understand how these families navigated the complexities of integrating different family systems during their formative years. Using a basic qualitative research design, the study was guided by Bowen’s family systems theory, which emphasizes how individuals construct knowledge within their socioemotional contexts. A convenience sample of nine spouses from blended families was purposefully …

Dietary Flavonoid Intake And Psychological Well-Being – A Bidirectional Relationship, Alysha S. Thompson, Nicola P. Bondonno, Yan Lydia Liu, Farah Qureshi, Laura D. Kubzansky, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Julia K. Boehm, Eric B. Rimm, Aedín Cassidy

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background and aim

Methods

“Fairy-Tale Beginnings Are Often Pretty Bad.” Filling The Gaps Of The Adoption Experience With Narrative Inquiry, Christina B. Gunther, Michelle A. Cole, Robin L. Danzak

The Qualitative Report

This study utilized narrative inquiry to delve into some of the less-celebrated experiences of adoptees and their families. Drawing on focus group data from 17 adult participants with various connections to adoption, we co-constructed three composite narratives centering on darker aspects of the adoption experience: adoptees’ sense of loss, adoption as a secret or taboo, and the challenging implications of interracial adoption. By weaving together participants' authentic voices, the study provides rich insights into the multifaceted experiences of those touched by adoption. The narratives reveal complex emotional journeys of adoptees, including feelings of rejection and grief, identity struggles, and the …

Conflict And Community Building In Waste Water Management: The Case Of Azrou Morocco, Jack V. Kalpakian

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

Climate change is forcing Morocco to institute a wide program of wastewater treatment. Despite legal and bureaucratic problems, the water is being reused directly or indirectly. But the construction of water treatment plants is leading to conflicts with farmers that depended on the untreated water and the use of treated water for green spaces and parks is also often viewed with suspicion. Using the case of the Azrou water treatment plant, this paper argues that while the infrastructure and technical adjustments to climate change have been effective, a gap in understanding between the water managers and the public they serve …

Café Narcissism, Jamie Dangler, Mark P. Worrell

Fast Capitalism

The 1979 Cortland Conference marked a decisive shift in the adventures of Telos by opening up a debate on narcissism that would pave the way for later contests that, in turn, symbolize in the eyes of many, the errant swerve of Marxism and post-Marxist critical theory. In what follows we examine the vibrant theoretical community at Cortland during the late-70s and early 80s, revisit the conference itself, and reflect on the narcissism concept and its relationship to anti-capitalist struggle in a way that is both attuned to debates surrounding the 1979 conference as well as its ongoing relevance for critical …

Absolutizing The Particular, Robert J. Antonio

Fast Capitalism

From the late-1960s to the mid-1980s, Telos brought the Frankfurt School, Western Marxism, and other critical Continental thought to North America and the English speaking world; it was the critical theory organ of that era and best ever English language journal on the topic. Its left lean did not compromise its critical view of communist regimes and left-wing parties and thinkers. Its contribution with regard to critical theories, with Hegelian-Marxist roots, was so substantial and widely acknowledged that many former readers and, I expect, even some journal editors, who have advertised in Telos, during the last 25 years, did not …

Enhancing Self-Esteem In Adolescents During Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization: A Mixed Methods Study, Praveen Injeti, Julie D. Kugel, Dragana Krpalek, Liane Hewitt, Lida Gharibvand

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Low self-esteem (LSE) can negatively impact adolescent mental health, leading to suicidal ideation (SI). Social stressors, such as peer rejections, are considered a source of stress that can contribute to LSE, SI, and subsequent admission to psychiatric facilities. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an occupational therapy intervention to improve self-awareness and self-esteem during short-term hospitalization.

Method: The research used a mixed methods approach to evaluate the impact of a psychoeducational intervention by an occupational therapist on 16 adolescents. The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) was used before the intervention (pretest), immediately after the intervention (posttest …

Empowerment Pedagogy: A Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Approach To Developing A Pedagogical Framework For Empowering Middle School Aged Students, Henry James Bryant

Educational Studies Dissertations

The current state of adolescent well-being in “post-COVID” America demonstrates a need for widespread intervention to aid students in coping with trauma and mental health issues. In a review of the literature, feelings of empowerment have been found to be antithetical to feelings of trauma. Moreover, the benefits of empowerment in terms of adolescent mental health, academic achievement, and behaviors are well documented. However, strategies designed to impact students’ feelings of empowerment have not been well established, and programs that are presently offered are often inaccessible due to cost, public opinion, and a need for whole school adoption. In this …

Assessing Mindfulness-Based Practices Applications For Use With Incest Survivors With Ptsd And Cptsd, Rosemarie M. Lore

Mindfulness Theses

Abstract

Mindfulness-Based Practices (MBPs) have shown how adverse effects respond in treating symptoms of complex PTSD (CPTSD). There is a lack of research on the impact of (MBPs) upon survivors of incest, a population with an elevated risk of re-traumatization. Professionals must approach MBPs within a multi-modal, trauma-sensitive framework, through psychoeducation, establishment of safety and trust, awareness of Mindfulness-Related Adverse Effects (MRAEs), and developing ways to foster healing. Through a literature review and the current creative project, professionals can use the proposed tool chest to manage MRAEs when treating survivors with CPTSD symptoms. Survivors learn to self-regulate in the face …

The Role Music Plays In Facilitating Transformation And Self-Actualization In Israeli Music Students Impacted By Trauma, Adina Feldman

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the role music plays in facilitating transformation and self-actualization among Israeli undergraduate and alumni music students who have experienced trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. Guided by social constructivist and humanistic-existential frameworks, this research employs a narrative methodology to examine how music operates as a medium for meaning-making, resilience, and growth in non-clinical contexts. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and the analysis of musical compositions and artifacts from two singer-songwriters who transformed personal adversity into creative expression. The findings reveal that although trauma leaves lasting psychological and emotional effects, engagement with music enables …

Improving The Well-Being Of Mothers Of Infants And Toddlers Through Mindfulness And Creativity, Tia L. Curran

Mindfulness Theses

U.S. mothers of infants and toddlers report experiencing feelings of confusion surrounding their identity in early motherhood. Research also shows emotion dysregulation, cognitive overwhelm, attention issues, high stress and isolation as common challenges mothers of toddlers and infants experience in their daily lives. These challenges can directly impact a mother’s well-being as well as her child’s well-being and the entire family unit. Mindfulness practice and creative expression are two ways of being that relate directly to each other and have been shown to improve well-being. Through repeated exercising of mindfulness and creativity, one can regulate their emotions and reduce stress …

Why Agtech Startups Fail? Evidence From Global Shutdown Patterns In 2025 And The Cost-Adoption Mismatch Effect, Ankit Chandra, Ishani Lal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Agricultural technologies are widely seen as a driver for sustainability, resilience, and food-system transformation. Yet in 2025, agtech startup across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa experienced multiple shutdowns. Although each company closed for its own reasons, the failures highlight consistent underlying patterns. We analyze 18 publicly reported shutdowns across controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), robotics, insect protein, digital platforms, sensors, and ag-biotechnology. We find that most ventures struggled not with scientific feasibility but with economic and adoption dynamics at the farm level. We identify a Cost-Adoption Mismatch Effect, in which the capital and operational burden of a technology exceeds farmers’ capacity …

Writing From The Rift: Queer Temporality And The Refusal Of Resolution, Daniela Ruiz Perez

Masters Theses

This thesis develops a phenomenological method for reading speculative literature as a site where queer ecological temporality is experienced rather than explained. Working with Annihilation (2014) by Jeff VanderMeer, The Day of the Triffids (1951) by John Wyndham, and Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals (2020) by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, the project treats reading as a bodily practice shaped by forms of attention. Texts are not interpreted for stable meaning and instead I remain with moments where resolution is withheld. The work is informed by a Marxist attention to how capitalist time organizes labor, productivity, and value, and how …

Investigating The Reliability And Validity Of The Social Connectedness Instrument Among U.S. Adults, Blake A. Fraser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Growing evidence shows that poor social connectedness is becoming a public health threat, with rising prevalence and connections to poor mental and physical health across the lifespan. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop feasible and effective social connectedness interventions. There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of current interventions, with studies recommending tailoring the intervention to an individual’s specific social connection needs. However, previous measures of social connectedness provide little information about potentially modifiable contributors of poor connection. Thus, the Social Connectedness Instrument (SCI) was developed to fill in this gap by proposing two novel latent constructs of …

A187: The Comprehensive Impact Of Competitive Liondance On Bio-Psycho-Social Health: Cohort Tracking Study Of Elite Athletes, Yong Zhu

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Competitive lion dance, a traditional sport that integrates artistic performance, cultural heritage, and high-intensity physical training, has not yet been systematically studied for its multidimensional health benefits. Method: This study investigates the comprehensive impact of competitive lion dance on the bio-psycho-social health of elite athletes through a 12-month longitudinal cohort tracking. Thirty-two national-level competitive lion dance athletes (18 males and 14 females, aged 22.5 ± 3.1 years) were recruited and assessed at three time points: baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Biological health indicators included cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen uptake, VO₂max), muscle strength (isokinetic strength test), and body composition analysis. …

A223: Does The Induced Pap Effect Have An Impact On The Squatting Start Of Swimming, Jiayi Lyu, Jie Gao, Xinyi Li

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Post activation potential (PAP) is one of the hot topics in warm-up preparation and physical training. This article explores the effect of inducing PAP on swimming start by using an 85% RM barbell squat in the lower limbs and investigates the impact of PAP 9 minutes after the squat start. Method: This article adopts an experimental method. The study selected 8 university swimming specialized student athletes and used the testing equipment Kistler to shoot videos and obtain data on their exercise biological force and time. The paired sample t-test was used to process the pre-test and post-test related data. After …

A263: Exploring Cadd-Based Binding Modes Of Androstenedione And Its Metabolites With Potential In Vivo Targets, Yuhong Ding, Wei Dong

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

The abuse of androstenedione, an endogenous steroid hormone, among athletes to enhance performance is a significant concern in sports. Current anti-doping detection methods are limited by short detection windows and high false-positive rates, largely due to the transient nature of primary metabolites. To address these challenges, this study employs computer-aided drug design (CADD) to identify stable, long-acting metabolites of androstenedione that can extend the detection window and improve anti-doping efficacy. The integration of CADD with sports physiology principles allows for a more comprehensive understanding of how exercise-induced metabolic fluctuations can influence the detection of these metabolites. Method: Molecular docking simulations …

A094: Dose-Response Effects Of Tennis Participation On Cardiorespiratory Fitness In College Students, Xianyue Li

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Based on the FITT-VP principle, this study investigated the dose-response relationship between tennis participation and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in college students. Addressing the current reliance on expert consensus for exercise prescription and the lack of dose-regulation mechanisms, this study focused on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint interval training (SIT). It aimed to analyze the dynamic relationship and biological mechanisms between exercise intensity (SIT: 80-100% HRmax vs. HIIT: 75-90% HRmax), duration (8 weeks, frequency 2-3 sessions/week), and key CRF indicators (VO2max, anaerobic threshold, and exercise efficiency). Forty healthy college students with similar tennis experience were randomly assigned to HIIT (n=10), …

A097: Intelligent Exercise Prescription Facilitates The Development Path Of Sports For Obese Populations, Qiqi Huang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

The global population of individuals is expanding rapidly. By 2024, the obesity rate among adults in China is expected to surge to 16.4%, while globally, over 4 billion people are facing issues of overweight or obesity. Traditional exercise prescriptions suffer from the limitations of "generalized guidance" and "static prescriptions." Studies have shown that due to the neglect of individual metabolic differences, only 20% of individuals can maintain clinically significant weight loss for more than 12 months, and merely 10-25% patients can sustain a weight loss of ≥10% in the long term. The intelligent technology-driven exercise intervention system is reshaping the …

A146: Independent And Joint Role Of Inflammatory Diet And Physical Activity In The Acceleration Of Aging, Shuting Peng, Yu Jiang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Biological aging arises from the accumulation of molecular changes or “hallmarks”, which can represent a person's aging status than chronological age. A healthy lifestyle can slow biological aging and prevent or delay the onset of multiple age-related diseases. This study is the first to investigate the independent and joint association of physical activity (PA) and inflammatory diet with acceleration of aging. Method: Data from 4767 participants in the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Binary logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, smoking, and sleep disturbances, were used to assess the independent and …

A227: Eliminate Or Evolve: Digital Transformation Of Paris 2024 Olympics Under Olympic Ai Agenda, Tong Zheng

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been promoting sports digitalization since the early 2000s, with the Olympic Agenda 2020 and the Olympic AI Agenda in 2024 providing strategic frameworks for this transformation. This paper examines how digital and AI technologies were applied at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the first Games guided by the exploration of impact on the Olympic movement and global sports landscape. Method: Using literature reviews and case studies from academic platforms like CNKI, WanFang, and Web of Science, this study analyzes digital transformation examples at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. AI empowering the Olympics under the "Agenda" …

Exploring The Counselor Identities Of Latina Counselors Through The Lens Of Their Familial, Cultural, And Religious Contexts: A Phenomenological Study, Samuel Landa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Developing a counselor identity is an essential component of becoming a counselor. There are several factors influencing the developmental process. Though there are several studies that explore the topic of counselor identity development, the research on what this process entails for Latina counselors is limited. Thus, this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study explores how family, culture, and religion influence the counselor identity development of Latina counselors. This study utilized Schlossberg’s transition theory (1981) to observe how these factors become evident in the first year of their Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) and how they influenced their …

Trauma-Informed Practices (Tips) And Burnout, Job Satisfaction, And Ptsd In First Responders, Tyler Mcdonough

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

First responders are the frontline defense of society and consist of people that push back against chaos to keep our communities civilized and in functioning order. This study aimed to ensure that first responders’ mental health is adequate for home life as well as daily job functions, and to assess which Trauma Informed Practices (TIPs) can lead to positive outcomes in reducing first responder’s feelings of burnout, increasing their job satisfaction, and suppressing frequency of PTSD symptoms. TIPs are different intervention techniques that are designed to assist the individual with a variety of emotions such as anxiety, stress, burnout, and …

Examining The Psychological Impact Of Adverse Childhood Traumatic Experiences In Adult Survivors: Creating A Community Of Awareness And Intervention, Lawanda T. Mobbs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Childhood trauma encompasses experiences such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, experiences which have profound and lasting effects on an individual’s development and well-being. These behaviors can manifest in many ways. The intricate interplay between childhood trauma, mental health challenges, and maladaptive behaviors creates a complex clinical picture, often requiring specialized and trauma-informed approaches within the community. Understanding the efficacy of interventions tailored to this population is crucial for improving the quality of life and fostering resilience. Despite extensive research, there remain significant gaps in understanding the full scope of these effects and how to mitigate them. This study investigated …

Social Support In The College Classroom And The Impact Supportive Communication Has On Student Academic Success And Quality Of Life, Rachael Tiede

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

College students often encounter academic and personal challenges that lead to stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. These challenges can feel burdensome, making it difficult for them to determine the best course of action for the issues they face. They frequently experience difficulties in managing the demands of college. Given these challenges, a potential solution for their anxiety and stress is social support through supportive communication from friends, instructors, and others at the college or university. Guided by social support theory and social penetration theory and employing a quantitative methodology, the research examined the impact of supportive communication on college …

Unmothered: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Daughters Who Are Detached From Their Black Mothers, Imani S. Steele

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mother-daughter relationships are often characterized as foundational, nurturing bonds, but for some adult daughters, the relationship is a source of pain and disconnection. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of adult Black American daughters who are detached from their Black American mothers, influenced by Bowen Family Systems Theory’s emotional cutoff concept. Seventeen Black adult women, aged 27-49, were interviewed to assess how they made meaning of being detached from their mothers, along with the ways it shaped their lives. Findings showed that detachment was a gradual response to a history of harmful mothering. Daughters described detachment as an act …

A Phenomenological Study To Describe The Lived Experiences Of U.S. Military Veterans Diagnosed With Ptsd Who Have Completed A Spiritually Integrated Treatment Program, Roger Fall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of U.S. military veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who completed a spiritually integrated treatment program. Schlossberg’s transition theory formed the study’s primary theoretical framework, through which the following research questions were answered: 1) How do U.S. military veterans diagnosed with PTSD describe their experiences before attending a spiritually integrated treatment program? 2) How do the participants describe their expectations for the program prior to their participation? 3) How were the participants’ expectations met, and were any unexpected outcomes experienced while participating in the program? and 4) …

Resiliency Among Service Industry Workers: A Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Assessment, Winston King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to quantify service industry workers’ resiliency’s relationships with their emotional intelligence, understanding of differing personality types, spiritual resiliency, and substance abuse, as these are all applicable to the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, which served as the theoretical framework. The study included administering the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SEIT), a self-reporting of employees’ understanding of differing personality types, a self-reporting of employees’ spiritual resiliency, and the Substance Use Brief Screen (SUBS) to social science graduate students working in the service industry. Resiliency was identified as the predictor variable and the other …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Christian Women Emotional Traumatic Symptoms Post Spousal Infidelity, Tracy Y. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The discovery of spousal infidelity has been recognized in the literature as a devastating breach of marital commitment. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe women of faith’s experiences with emotional trauma after discovering spousal infidelity in the Northeastern United States. This study’s theoretical framework is guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory, which aims to answer the following research questions: How do women of faith describe emotional trauma after the discovery of infidelity? How does infidelity affect the psychological, emotional, and physical functioning of women and their social systems? How do participants describe their spiritual relationship with God after …