Digital Commons Network^™

Cover And Foreword, Nancy Hoalst Pullen, Mark W. Patterson

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Foreword

Diversity Of Forest Vegetation In The Quarry Landscapes Of Central Polissia, Ukraine (Eastern Europe), Ivan Khomiak, Oleksandr Harbar, Ruslana Vlasenko, Tamara Andriichuk, Oleksandr Lavryk

The Geographical Bulletin

The features of territorial differentiation of vegetation in quarry landscapes are crucial for addressing theoretical issues in landscape science and applied problems of restoration ecology. This study aims to establish the phytocenotic diversity of forest communities. The forest vegetation of the quarry landscapes of Central Polissia includes 7 classes, 9 orders, 15 unions, 24 associations, and 2 groups of undetermined rank. Based on phytocenotic diversity, the quarries of Zhytomyr Polissia fall into three distinct zones: northern, central, and southern. The northern zone necessarily includes groupings of the Vaccinio-Piceetea class and excludes Salicetea purpurea. The central zone mainly features derived forests …

Public Sector Experiences Of Disruptions In The Psychological Contract: The Influence Of Ideological Currency And Digital Transformation On Public Servants, Willemijn Van Haeften, Xander Lub, Pascal Ravesteijn, Pascale Peters

Communications of the IIMA

Digital transformation is reshaping public-sector work and may alter how public servants evaluate their psychological contract with their employer. This research-in-progress examines how critical incidents associated with digital transformation disrupt psychological contracts and how ideological currency, the perceived commitment to valued societal causes or principles, shapes subsequent trajectories toward renegotiation, repair, or exit. The study uses a qualitative phenomenological design based on semi-structured interviews with 20 employees from five Dutch municipalities experiencing transformation-related changes. The Critical Incident Technique is combined with the dynamic psychological contract phase model to reconstruct disruption trajectories, while thematic analysis identifies recurring patterns across cases. Preliminary …

How Partner Support Impacts The Intimate Relationship Quality Of Adult Childhood Sexual Abuse (Csa) Survivors: A Qualitative Study, Colin E. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) often experience long-term disruptions in their ability to form and maintain healthy adult intimate relationships. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how adult survivors described partner support and its impact on their relational healing and the quality of their intimate relationships. Eleven adults who had experienced CSA and had participated in a committed intimate relationship lasting at least 12 months were recruited through a combination of convenience, purposive, and snowball sampling. Data were collected through demographic questionnaires, a Lived Experiences Timeline Activity (LETA) sheet, semi-structured interviews, field notes, and memos. …

Perceived Effects Of Cancel Culture Threat And Digital Natives’ Patterns Of Communication On Social Media, Randolph N. Townley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

"Cancel culture" is a well-known atropism that has become commonplace on social media. To many this may feel like a new phenomenon, but it has existed in various forms since antiquity. From biblical times to today, people have attempted to silence dissenting viewpoints. The cancel culture philosophy is distributed over all viewpoints that have a potentially offensive bent for the group of people who deem the content offensive. This study evaluated whether digital natives feel compelled to limit their exposure on social media to their authentic viewpoints considering the threat of repercussions. Using Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory coupled with …

Invisible Transitions: A Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Christian Working Women Navigating Perimenopause, Rebekah S. Willis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Perimenopause is a significant life transition that can affect how women experience their bodies, relationships, work, and sense of self. However, the experiences of working women during this transition, specifically women of faith, remain underrepresented in existing literature. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of Christian working women navigating perimenopause, with attention to how they understood changes in daily life, professional identity, personal coping, workplace experiences, and faith. Eight women participated in semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Five major themes emerged from the findings: the disruption of a previously …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Men Who Voluntarily Remain Childless, Sylvia Joan Muglia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe men’s experiences choosing to remain childless in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan. The theory guiding this study was Blackstone’s Theoretical Framework on Voluntary Childlessness. Rich, descriptive data were collected using a short demographic questionnaire and twelve semi-structured interviews that answered three research questions guiding this study: (1) How do men in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan describe experiences choosing to remain childless? (2) How do men in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan recount any impact from adverse childhood experiences which contribute to their decision to remain childless? (3) How do men in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan explain the …

Who Killed Lucio Blanco? Border Incursions & Sovereignty Along The Rio Grande, Jaime L. Alvarez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The assassination of Lucio Blanco along the banks of the Rio Grande in 1922 was not an isolated episode of political violence but the culmination of nearly a century-old practice of contested sovereignty, border incursions, and lack of law enforcement. This dissertation thus examines the borderlands of Texas and Mexico from the nineteenth century through the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. Within this time frame, this dissertation demonstrates that the international boundary functioned less as a fixed division between two sovereign states and more as a political gray zone in which authority, identity, violence, and political power were continually negotiated. …

Enhancing Cognitive And Emotional Development In An Inclusive High School Setting: A Study Of Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Roxanne Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students with intellectual disabilities often experience cognitive deficits that limit the development of social cognition and critical thinking skills. Challenges in executive functioning, including reduced metacognitive awareness, emotional regulation, and self-regulation, further hinder their ability to plan, monitor, and adapt their thinking and behavior, creating barriers to success in inclusive educational settings. This mixed-methods pilot study examined the effects of the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) program on the cognitive development of five high school students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in an inclusive Christian high school over one semester. Using a sequential explanatory design, quantitative data were collected via the MINDCAP …

Navigating Roman-Script Literacy Acquisition From Learners To Instructors: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Adult Efl Esl Educators’ Experiences With Multimodal Instructional Resources, Morgan Dunsfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of credentialed educators who previously transitioned from non-Roman alphabet systems to Roman-based literacy and now teach Roman alphabet languages to linguistically similar learners in accredited adult English as a foreign or second language (EFL ESL) programs. The theory guiding this study is cognitive load theory, as it informs the investigation of how instructional scaffolds, schema development, and digital platforms influence literacy acquisition and teaching efficacy for learners navigating orthographic transfer. The central research question is: How do credentialed EFL ESL educators, who previously transitioned from non-Roman to …

Moral Ecology In Shakespeare's Tragedies: Nature, Animals, And Conscience As Ethical Agents In Hamlet, Macbeth, And King Lear, Md. Abu Bakkar

Journal of Language, Literature, and Arts

Shakespeare's tragedies repeatedly dramatize a universe in which moral transgression produces consequences that extend beyond individual psychology to affect society, nature, and the non-human world. This study examines how Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear construct a system of moral ecology, understood as a framework of ethical causality in which human actions generate interconnected consequences across psychological, social, and natural orders. Using qualitative close reading informed by moral criticism, ecocriticism, animal studies, and early modern cosmology, the study analyzes selected passages representing natural disturbance, animal imagery, and conscience as forms of ethical response. The findings show that the three …

The Lived Experiences Of Custodial Grandparents In Northern Appalachia: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Christina Marie Savage

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Grandparents raising their grandchildren represent a growing demographic in North America. This qualitative transcendental phenomenological research study examined the shared lived experiences of custodial grandparents living in Northern Appalachia. This study was guided by Erikson’s seventh and eighth stages of psychosocial development and Resilience Theory. Fourteen custodial grandparents who reside within a Northern Appalachian county in Pennsylvania participated in semi-structured in-person interviews and data were analyzed using Moustakas' (1994) transcendental phenomenological method. Six themes emerged from the data: returning to parenthood later in life, accepting responsibility to protect grandchildren, changes in family roles and relationships, navigating challenges with limited support, …

Employees With Disabilities: Determining If Servant Leadership Moderates The Relationship Between Accommodations And Job Performance, Rachael E. Stout

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over 11% of working-age adults have a disability in the United States. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act established accommodations as the gold standard to help disabled individuals perform at work. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the moderating effect of servant leadership on the relationship between accommodation support and job performance across different types of disabilities. This study used a cross-sectional online survey with NSHD disability types, the servant leadership SLQ-7, a question about the effectiveness of accommodation support, and the IWPQ for job performance. Survey responses were collected anonymously from 248 disabled workers …

The Effect Of Mental Health Check-Ins On Stigma And Symptoms Of Anxiety, Depression, And Post-Traumatic Stress, Benjamin Joseph Boeke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This applied quantitative study examined whether participation in structured mental health check-ins was associated with self-stigma toward seeking psychological help and reported symptoms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression among law enforcement officers. Using a cross-sectional, nonexperimental comparative design, anonymous survey data were collected from 130 active sworn officers across 10 small and mid-sized Iowa law enforcement agencies. The agencies included those with and without mandatory check-in policies; primary comparisons were based on officers’ reported participation in at least one check-in. Measures included the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. …

The Effect Of Job Enlargement Programs On The Wellbeing Of United States Air Force Personnel, Joseph Earl Stone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between job enlargement programs and overall wellbeing among active-duty United States Air Force personnel using a mixed method, convergent parallel approach. Utilizing a sample of 125 active-duty personnel, these two variables were examined for a predictive relationship while controlling for eight covariates utilizing multiple regression analysis (quantitative) and assessed for contextual purposes using thematic analysis (qualitative), employing survey data from all participants. The study was framed by self-determination theory (SDT), which posits that the wellbeing of individuals is affected by three core needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Quantitatively, no …

Wayang 3d Interactive E-Book: Development And Classroom Evaluation For Javanese Traditional Drama Learning, I’In Dwi Susanti, Afendy Widayat

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

Javanese traditional drama (wayang) is a key element of Indonesia's cultural heritage, yet classroom instruction remains largely text-based and low in engagement. This study developed and evaluated Wayang 3D, a cloud-based interactive e-book integrating Canva, Heyzine, and H5P to support traditional-drama learning. Using the ADDIE model, the product was validated by content and media experts and tested through a quasi-experimental nonequivalent pretest–posttest control-group design with 62 ninth-grade students. Content validity was Feasible (79.5%) and media validity Very Feasible (83.0%); teacher and student practicality ratings were also Very Feasible (85.01%). The experimental group achieved a significantly higher normalised learning gain than …

Semiotic Breakdown In Disaster Evacuation Signage For International Tourists, Mario Christopher Fimbrez

Masters Theses

Japan’s disaster evacuation signage systems are highly standardized and widely regarded as effective for the domestic population, who operate within a shared cultural framework shaped by years of earthquake drills, formal disaster education, and a common visual vocabulary for risk and evacuation. In coastal cities like Kamakura, however, the audience composition has changed significantly, with millions of international visitors now navigating these spaces each year without the disaster literacy or cultural familiarity that the existing signage was designed to assume. When those shared assumptions about urgency, symbolism, and environmental threat are absent, the communicative force of the system can be …

The Challenges Of Foster Parents And Foster Care Professionals Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic., Yaasmiyn Marcelle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It was not known how foster care parents and foster care professionals perceived the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using family stress theory and the Double ABC-X framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how foster care parents and foster care professionals perceived the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northeast region of the U.S. Thirteen participants were purposively sampled, including eight foster parents and five foster care professionals from New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Interview data were collected from semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and an open-ended questionnaire. Four main …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Family Dynamics And Juvenile Delinquency: A Qualitative Case Study With Probation Officers, Sevoca Glass Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Beqo et al. (2017) discuss the correlation between juvenile delinquency and upbringing in dysfunctional and fragmented homes. The point of this study is to investigate the link between family structure and dynamics while also figuring out how likely it is that someone will commit a crime (Mwangangi, 2019). Large amounts of empirical research have clearly shown that teens who grow up in bad homes are more likely to become juvenile offenders than their peers who grow up in loving homes. The main aim of this qualitative case study is to examine the views of federal probation officials regarding the possible …

Exploring Self-Care And Mental Health Resilience Among Black Female Mental Health Therapists In Practice, Rhonda R. Mark

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Black women who serve as mental health therapists often carry a unique and invisible load, borne from caring deeply for their clients while also navigating the daily realities of race and gender bias, both inside and outside of their profession. In that context, this study examines how Black female therapists working in clinical practice care for themselves and stay emotionally resilient in the face of these challenges. It adopts a qualitative, phenomenological approach, and is grounded in intersectionality and Black feminist thought, with the goal of elevating the personal stories and lived experiences of 10 participants. Their reflections offer a …

The Role Of Street-Level Bureaucrats In Relieving Food Insecurity Among African American Single Mothers, Andre Bakajika Kazadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Washington, DC, African American single mothers continued to experience food insecurity despite available assistance, as financial and bureaucratic barriers limited access to and utilization of these programs. This problem is relevant because identifying barriers to food assistance can inform recommendations to improve Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) implementation and effectiveness. Findings from existing literature, conducted primarily from clients’ perspectives, found that food insecurity remained prevalent among African American single mothers. However, limited research has examined the perspectives of SNAP workers, known as street-level bureaucrats, who implement food assistance policies and mediate access to benefits. The purpose of this generic …

Examining The Relationships Among Cultural Intelligence, Religiosity, And Cross-Cultural Adjustment Among Faith-Driven Expatriates Living And Working In Thailand, Jerry W. Bosken

Masters Theses

This quantitative correlational study examined the relationships among cultural intelligence, religiosity, and cross-cultural adjustment among adult faith-driven expatriates living and working in Thailand. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey using three established instruments: the Cultural Intelligence Scale, the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, and the Expatriate Adjustment Scale. The final analytic sample included 85 usable responses. Analyses included data screening, descriptive statistics, assumption testing, and multiple regression models. The results indicated that the four dimensions of cultural intelligence collectively predicted overall cross-cultural adjustment. However, motivational cultural intelligence was the only statistically significant individual predictor. Religiosity did not significantly predict …

Are We Prepared? A Qualitative Multiple Case Study On Multijurisdictional Readiness And Response Capabilities For Atypical Complex Coordinated Incidents Involving Mass-Casualty Cbrne Threats In The State Of Washington, Christopher J. Gard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Complex coordinated terrorist attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) elements, along with active shooter threats, pose significant challenges for first-responding law enforcement officers. Responding to active threats where civilian lives are at immediate risk of serious injury or death requires an immediate, decisive response from the initial officers on the scene. When responders learn that perpetrators have dispersed one or more CBRNE-related weapons during an ongoing violent spree, on-site law enforcement personnel must be appropriately trained and adequately equipped to quickly and decisively confront and neutralize the attacker(s). Because prolonged federal CBRNE response assets can be delayed …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Emotional And Psychological Impact Of Pornography Consumption Among Young Christian Hispanic Adult Males In Las Vegas, Zeferino Solis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of young adult Christian Hispanic men residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, who struggle with pornography use. Chapter One introduced the problem, purpose, significance, and research questions that guided the study. Chapter Two reviewed the relevant empirical, theoretical, and biblical literature related to pornography addiction, behavioral addiction, cognitive dissonance, spiritual conflict, and Hispanic Christian identity. Chapter Three described the qualitative phenomenological methodology, participant recruitment, data collection procedures, and thematic analysis process used to examine the participants’ experiences. Chapter Four presented the findings that emerged from participant interviews. Major themes included early exposure to …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration Of Educational Support Model Accessibility And Parent-Perceived Connections To High School Outcomes For Students With Adhd In Georgia, Whitney Rae Bowden Kling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of parents of students diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who attended public schools in Georgia, a southeastern state of the United States of America (USA), with a particular focus on how parents perceived the influence of access to, or denial of, Section 504 Plans and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) on their children's high school outcomes. The study was informed by the theoretical principles of behaviorism and Bronfenbrenner's bioecological process-person-context-time (PPCT) model to examine how access to individualized educational supports within the school microsystem influenced educational outcomes …

Resilient Ethical Governance By Design: Building Resilience For Future-Ready Smart Cities Against Emerging Technology Disruptions In Public Sector – A Case Study Of Dallas Smart City, Emmanuel Asamoah Asare

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how Dallas’s smart city strategic policies foster resilience against disruptions associated with emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and Internet of Things systems. Using a convergent mixed-methods comparative case study, Dallas serves as the primary case, Austin serves as a U.S. municipal comparator, and Barcelona serves as a qualitative benchmark for ethical and trust-centered smart city governance. The study integrates document analysis, broadband and digital equity indicators, stakeholder engagement evidence, and exploratory quantitative comparisons to assess how governance adaptability, preparedness, functionality, equity, and stakeholder trust shape resilience outcomes.

The findings provide partial support for the study’s hypotheses. Dallas …

Exploring Psychological Capital And Perceived Employability In The Career Experiences Of Military Spouses, Sydney Higginbotham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military spouses face distinct employment challenges that stem from the unique demands and disruptions that the military lifestyle can create. These disruptions can create barriers to employment that require military spouses draw on internal and external resources to adapt. Grounded in conservation of resources theory and social cognitive career theory, this study considers how psychological capital and perceived employability, as adaptive responses, contribute to an increase of one’s agency in career management. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed to test hypotheses through regression analyses. Data was collected from an online survey of a convenience sample of 41 military spouses …

The Social Construction Of Firearm Meaning In 2022 Hollywood Films: A Qualitative Content Analysis, Anthony L. Paduano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study investigated how meaning was socially constructed around firearms in mainstream American cinema. The study used Berger and Luckmann’s (1966) social construction of reality as the primary framework, with semiotic analysis and Bandura’s (1977, 1986) social learning theory as supporting lenses, treating firearms as culturally loaded signs whose meanings were encoded and stabilized through narrative convention. A qualitative content analysis of 50 films, 2022 Hollywood films in which firearms were prominent enough to meet the study’s inclusion criteria, was conducted using a two-pool design that combined purposive selection with random selection from a bounded pool of commercially prominent …

The Correlation Of Information-Seeking Traits With Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence Output To Ill-Defined Problems, Joel Bouchard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a new class of technological tool whose innovation exists in its ability to engage in reciprocal, socially fluent, undetermined response generation. How individuals come to trust such responses, especially as it regards classes of problems previously unavailable to programmed computational responses, is a question of importance. Prior research has addressed motivational dispositions towards epistemic decision-making, but work examining the relationship between these traits and perceptions of AI output in epistemically ambiguous circumstances is limited. The current study aimed to address this gap by exploring how trait curiosity and need for cognitive closure (NFCC) relate …

Strength Of No-Cash Bail Policies And Jail Population Outcomes: A Quantitative Study, Charles Lincoln Tucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study assessed the impact of no-cash bail reforms on local jail populations in various U.S. states. The no-cash bail policies, also known as "cashless bail," are criminal justice reforms that reduce or eliminate the need for defendants to pay money to secure release from jail while awaiting trial. The goal is to base pretrial detention on safety risks, not financial status. These systems use non-monetary conditions to ensure court appearances instead of wealth-based detention. This study aimed to address a critical gap in scholarly understanding of statewide implementation policies carried out at the local level. The data were …