Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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. …

Ucf Libraries 2026 Faculty Research Showcase, Thomas R. Caswell, Patrick D. Green, Rae Mair, Yuqing Li, Athena Hoeppner, Sai Deng, Jeanne Piascik, Nokimul Hasan Arif, Peter Spyers-Duran, Tina Buck

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries’ Faculty Research Showcase is an annual tradition that celebrates the scholarly achievements, research, and creative work of library faculty.

The 2026 Showcase took place on August 4, 2026, and features six engaging presentations covering a diverse range of topics:

• Thomas Caswell – UCF Libraries Faculty Scholarship: Growth & Impact

• Patrick Green – Making Moves: A Cross-Institutional Presentation on Library Skill Transference

• Rae Mair & Yuqing Li – Generative AI as Peer Tutor: Designing & Evaluating a Prompt to Support Source Identification & Evaluation

• Athena Hoeppner – Have you ever …

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 …

Ai And The Music Industry: Its Current Status And A Speculative Projection Of Its Evolutionary Trajectory, Rhett D. Morris, Clayton Rosati, Stefan Fritsch

Honors Projects

Music serves as one of society's biggest cultural outlets, allowing millions to share in what used to be a uniquely human form of expression. The commodification of music has built a huge industry full of companies and platforms that have used technology and property laws to shape music's relationship with the public. This study aims to look into the future to see how AI and its implementation could affect the structure of the music industry. To look into the future, this piece establishes two of the most pressing kinds of AI technology for the music industry and looks to contextualize …

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.

Extreme Heat And Its Impact On Public Transit Ridership In Nyc, Craig Denton

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the connection between extreme heat events and public transit ridership patterns in New York City, with a particular emphasis on low-income communities. It investigates the intersection of socioeconomic factors and heat-related challenges, analyzing how extreme temperature periods influence overall transit use and why certain routes or neighborhoods experience greater declines in ridership during these events.

Utilizing existing literature, NYC-specific transit and climate datasets, and the broader context of transit equity, this research aims to inform strategies that strengthen climate resilience within urban transportation systems. The study’s findings are intended to support policy development and planning initiatives that …

Green Extractivism And The Discursive Legitimization Of Deep-Sea Mining In The Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Kaitlyn Maritan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis critically examines deep-sea mining as an example of green extractivism, constructed through narratives of responsible mining practices. A content analysis assesses the discursive tactics of four actors in the emerging industry; how they collectively legitimize deep-sea mining and manage the contradictions of sustainability and extractivism.

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 …

Trends And Disparities In Cardiometabolic Disease Prevalence By Physical Activity Among Us Adults: Nhanes 2007–2018, Zhijing Xu, Jinyu Hu Hu, Jackie Finik, Xiang Qi, Ruotong Liu, Yaguang Zheng, Bei Wu

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) significantly contribute to U.S. morbidity. Physical activity (PA) is associated with lower CMD prevalence, yet trends in CMD prevalence by PA level and associated disparities remain underexplored.

Methods: We analyzed 2007–2018 NHANES data from 26,380 adults aged ≥20 years. CMDs included diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD; eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² or ACR ≥30 mg/g). PA was categorized as no activity, some/irregular activity, or regular activity. Age-standardized prevalence and survey-weighted logistic regression estimated trends (reference: 2007–2008) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs).

Results: Diabetes prevalence increased, with higher odds in 2013–2014 (OR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.01–1.60), 2015–2016 (OR = 1.41; 1.08–1.84), and 2017–2018 (OR = 1.45; 1.16–1.80) and an absolute increase of 2.49% (0.85 to 4.13). No significant trends were observed for CKD (absolute change: 0.11%; …

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" …

Applications And Insights Of The Use Of Ethnographic Research In A Local Context Of Nepal, Dipak Raj Rai, Sunita Dangol, Megh Raj Dangal

The Qualitative Report

This paper expounds on ethnographic research in comprehending the cultural, economic, and social nuances in the Nepali local community. The paper also emphasizes the significance of ethnographic research in providing profound insights into the daily lives, traditions, and interactions of cultural groups. This writing aims to describe the historical concept of ethnography, its philosophical standpoint, types of ethnography, fields of ethnographic research and commonly used methods for collecting ethnographic data. The main idea of the paper is to present the methods employed such as participant observation, ethnographic interviews, self-reporting, and artifacts that enable the researcher to obtain the true lived …

Reflections On Focus Group Participant Recruitment In An Indian Youth Mental Health Study, Debanjali Saha, Ketoki Mazumdar

The Qualitative Report

In this article, I (DS) critically reflected on my journey as an Indian graduate student while navigating dissonant expectations versus reality from the planning to data collection phase of my doctoral research, especially the challenges involved in the participant recruitment process for focus group discussions. The goal of my study was to understand the narratives of various stakeholders of the Indian higher education community on students’ mental health on Indian college campuses using Participatory Action Research strategy with the help of focus group discussions. Recruiting participants was a crucial first step in this endeavor. Six FGDs were conducted with a …

Reimagining Photovoice: Leveraging Ai For Inclusive And Equitable Engagement In Refugee Research, Areej Al-Hamad, Kateryna Metersky, Yasin M. Yasin, Victoria Hayrabedian, Rezwana Rahman

The Qualitative Report

This methodology paper reimagines photovoice, a visual research method, by integrating artificial intelligence (AI), thereby expanding methodological options for both researchers and participants to foster more inclusive and equitable engagement in refugee research. Using AI-generated images, metaphors, and photocollage, displaced Ukrainian women in Canada co-created symbolic visuals to express complex emotions and experiences that may be difficult to capture through traditional photography. This approach addresses limitations of conventional photovoice by reducing technological and linguistic barriers, enhancing emotional expression, and supporting diverse representations of displacement and resettlement. Rather than replacing existing methods, this AI-assisted approach expands the methodological options available to …

The Use Of Foamed Glass Aggregate (Fga) As A Lightweight Fill Above Culverts, Amr Morsy

Mineta Transportation Institute

Transportation infrastructure—including buried utilities, drainage systems, and culverts—is frequently subjected to significant external stresses arising from existing conditions and new construction, especially in urban environments where deformation and failures can lead to significant operational and safety consequences. Lightweight fills offer a viable strategy to mitigate these stresses by reducing imposed loads. This study investigates the use of lightweight fills, specifically Foamed Glass Aggregate (FGA), as a sustainable solution to support California Senate Bill 1 (SB1) efforts to repair and maintain culverts, as well as for new construction applications. A numerical investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of culverts backfilled …

Mind The Gap: Freight And Rail System Resilience Between Planning And Practice A Synthesis Of Freight Plan Best Practices And Survey Results From U.S. Transportation Professionals, Serena Alexander, Carmella Uwineza

Mineta Transportation Institute

Freight and rail networks across the United States face mounting risks from weather-related hazards and other systemic disruptions that threaten operational continuity, economic stability, and community well-being. While state freight plans are federally mandated, local and metropolitan freight planning varies widely, leaving gaps in how resilience is addressed across scales. This study examines how resilience is being integrated into freight and rail planning through a two-part approach: (1) a content analysis of 43 recent state and metropolitan freight plans, and (2) a nationwide survey of 56 transportation professionals engaged in freight and rail planning. Findings show broad consensus on the …

Automated Battery Management Systems For Electric Vehicles, Woonki Na, Yuanyuan Xie

Mineta Transportation Institute

Electric vehicle (EV) safety, efficiency, and lifetime are strongly influenced by how well battery cells are managed, and as EV adoption accelerates, improving battery performance has become critical to vehicle reliability, cost, and public trust. This report conducts a field study on the core technologies and challenges in Battery Management Systems (BMS), focusing on the classification of BMS circuit topologies (design/structures) and systematically reviewing different topologies of active cell balancing circuits (systems that move energy from stronger battery cells to weaker ones). The study provides a detailed analysis of the working principles, advantages, and disadvantages of various active balancing circuit …

A Primary Care Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating The Efficacy Of A Caregiver-Focused Prevention Program For Child Sexual Abuse, Cassandra Dukes

Dissertations

Child sexual abuse (CSA) affects 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys before the age of 18, resulting in significant long-term physical, emotional, and social consequences. Caregivers play a crucial role in preventing CSA by engaging in preventative behaviors with their children. Primary care settings may be an avenue through which to educate caregivers on their role in prevention of CSA. The present study used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to investigate the efficacy of a caregiver-focused educational program to prevent CSA, provided via integrated behavioral health (IBH) in a pediatric primary care setting. Participants (n=56) were …

Establishing And Validating Foundational Competencies In The Application Of Behavioral Gerontology Through Expert Consensus, Alexandra Doran

Dissertations

Behavioral gerontology continues to evolve and grow as an application of behavior analysis, but there remains a critical need to define competencies necessary for behavior analysts to provide ethical, effective care within their scope of competence. This study sought to establish and validate foundational competencies for Board Certified Behavior Analyst s® (BCBA s® ) working in this area. A mixed-methods design using three experiments was used. In Experiment 1, a review of discipline-specific competency frameworks and a job mapping process yielded a preliminary set of behavior-analytic competencies for behavioral gerontology. This produced a preliminary framework consisting of 142 competencies. Experiment …

Bridging The Gap: Action-Oriented Vs. Community-Minded Mentalities And Behaviors In Cold Case Investigation Units, Samantha Strine

Dissertations

One key group in policing that has seen an increase in public and media attention but not research is the cold case investigation unit. These units tend to be more “bureaucratic”, focusing on communication, community-engagement skills, and “desk work”. Thus, this is a potential area for learning techniques and policies that shift the mentalities within police culture to be more accepting of new community focused policies. This study also seeks to address a gap in current research related to studying specialized police units.

The purpose of this study is to describe the organizational dynamics and officers’ tactics, perceptions, and interactions …

Tales, Traditions, And Tides: The Little Logan River And Its Role In Cache Valley's History, Culture, And Conservation, Emily A. Kovacic

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The Little Logan River (LLR) plays a vital role in the cultural, historical, and ecological landscape of Cache Valley, Utah. Amid growing concerns raised by the Logan River Watershed Project (LRWP), which threatens to alter the river’s environment, this project seeks to understand the significance of the LLR as a cultural and recreational asset through collected oral histories. Building on folkloric perspectives of place-based storytelling, this thesis introduces the idea of vivus locum, or “that place which is alive,” through the example of the LLR to the study of folkloristics. The concept of vivus locum emphasizes the importance of …

Park Visitor Education And Landscape Conservation: Evaluating Education-Based Strategies To Mitigate Visitor-Caused Damage In Goblin Valley State Park, Jason Beukers

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Goblin Valley State Park contains rare and highly fragile geological formations that are increasingly impacted through visitor-caused damage. While the park’s open-range management approach enhances recreational freedom and the visitor experience, it also leaves vulnerable hoodoo formations susceptible to vandalism and damage by visitor behavior and exploration. Balancing public access with landscape preservation remains a persistent challenge, particularly in large, protected areas where staffing, enforcement, and management resources are limited. This thesis reviews the effectiveness of management strategies, particularly education-based strategies such as signage and visitor messaging, in reducing depreciative visitor behaviors in national and state parks and other protected …

Using A Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Approach For Assessing Vulnerabilities Downstream Of Dams, Michael J. Englert

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Dam failure is rare, but when it occurs the consequences can extend far beyond the structure of the dam itself. This project assessed vulnerabilities downstream of Utah’s 189 state-regulated, high-hazard dams using a Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS) approach. The purpose of the project was to look beyond engineering and structural risk alone and identify the people, protected ecosystems, critical infrastructure, and land cover types located within mapped dam inundation zones.

Potential inundation zone maps were obtained from the Utah Division of Water Rights Dam Safety Section. They were processed using ArcGIS Pro and integrated with publicly available nationwide geospatial datasets to …