Digital Commons Network^™

Peer Group Influence On The Antecedents Of Academic Coping Over The First Year Of Middle School, Daniel Lee Grimes

Dissertations and Theses

The motivational model of academic coping provides a framework for investigating the motivational antecedents and social contextual influences on ways of coping with academic adversity during the transition to middle school. Two studies were conducted to investigate the roles of three motivational antecedent variables of academic coping: perceived control, autonomous motivation, and catastrophizing. Study 1 investigated relationships between the motivational variables and academic coping across the first year of middle school. Study 2 investigated peer group influences on the motivational variables and on academic coping. Data from an entire cohort of 366 sixth students in the only middle school in …

The Role Of Multidisciplinary Collaborations In Publishing Innovation, Rachel Noorda, Okke Schlüter

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

Product innovation is crucial for the future of the publishing industry, and the objective of this study was to understand the role of multi-disciplinarity in publishing innovation teams, typical patterns of interaction between team members, and similarities and differences in multidisciplinary innovation teams across national boundaries (US, Canada, and Germany). This is an exploratory study from Portland State University, Stuttgart Media University and Toronto Metropolitan University based on twenty-one qualitative in-depth interviews with publishing employees involved in the innovation process. The study reveals that multidisciplinary innovation teams are common in all three countries. Using an input-process-output (IPO) model, researchers found …

Problem-Based Learning In Human Growth & Development Counselor Education, Javier F. Casado Pérez, Elliot Witherspoon

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a core curricular standard that applies to all Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2015) accredited programs, human growth and development can present unique challenges for the teaching professional. In this article, we present an in-class activity grounded in problem-based learning that uniquely lends itself to the task of supporting medium-to-large classrooms in learning about human growth and development.

Application Of Participatory Process Mapping To Evaluate Environmental Decision-Making And Implementation, Karissa Courtney, Emily Rabung, Jennifer Brousseau, Antony S. Cheng, A. Paige Fischer, Harrison Fried, Matthew Hamilton, Federico Holm, Jordan Inskeep, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Environmental governance outcomes hinge on the design and implementation of management decisions. Yet, available research methodologies can be limited in their ability to capture the complexity of decision-making and implementation processes and in turn predict and explain environmental governance outcomes. We present participatory process mapping as a method for examining the pathways that emerge and evolve over time that result in natural resource management decisions and on-the-ground outcomes, as perceived by participants in collaborative processes. The approach leverages a large-N comparative design, participatory diagraming within semi-structured interviews, and mental modeling toward a method that can fit into both quantitative and …

How Can Dei Training Change The Culture Of An Organization To Achieve Belonging And Retain Diverse Employees?, Kaisa S. Holt

University Honors Theses

Studies show the need for innovation and higher productivity yields can be best achieved through workforce heterogeneity. Creating effective DEI training frameworks is crucial for belonging, sustainable social well-being and enacting real change. This is key to proactively shifting our current system from one that responds to the need for DEI on a surface level to something that is regenerative. The aim of this review is to evaluate characteristics and enhancements added to evidence-based DEI training between 2020 and 2024. Studies were identified using the Portland State advanced database of academic journals on the DEI training and impacts of the …

Supportive-Leadership Training To Improve Social Connection: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Demonstrating Efficacy In A High-Risk Occupational Context, Cynthia Mohr, Leslie Hammer, Jennifer Dimoff, Shalene Allen, James Lee, Sarah Arpin, Sheila Mccabe, Krista Brockwood, Todd Bodner, Luke Mahoney, Multiple Additional Authors

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The high, and rate of loneliness is a threat to public health (Office of the Surgeon General, 2023), with negative mental and physical health consequences (e.g., Holt-Lunstad, 2021). Given that loneliness is a risk factor for poor mental health, efforts to address loneliness are urgently needed. Workplaces can facilitate an employee's social connection through supervisor support training, which can help mitigate loneliness. Among occupational groups, the military is at higher risk for mental health disorders, suicide, and loneliness (Fikretoglu et al., 2022; Naifeh et al., 2019). This study evaluated the efficacy of an evidence-based supportive-leadership training intervention targeting active-duty U.S. …

Caregiver Perceptions Of Antipsychotic Drug Use In Dementia Populations: Investigating How Antipsychotic Medications Are Overused, Alexis Wellman

University Honors Theses

Antipsychotic drugs have been strongly suggested by many authors to cause great harm to those with dementia. Yet, they are still used in an overabundance in memory care facilities. Caregivers, who spend the most time with residents, often decide when and why people with dementia receive antipsychotic drugs. By examining the background of the relationship between antipsychotic drugs and the dementia population, it is clear that caregivers need more education on antipsychotic medications, better staffing on the average shift, more administrative support to handle medication orders and changes, and better laws and regulations to better reduce the amount of antipsychotic …

Lsp Needs Analysis In The Context Of International Minor League Baseball, Julia Moore

University Honors Theses

Examining the language and cultural needs of international minor league baseball players through the lens of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) this study utilizes applied linguistics and sports sociology and aims to inform player development strategies to enhance on- and off-field communication. Survey data was gathered on language use preferences, focusing on players' attitudes and behaviors in professional settings. Ethical considerations included surveys in English and Spanish and voluntary participation, with data collected at the Oakland Athletics Complex in Mesa, Arizona, from 18 out of 20 players.

Findings reveal that players recognize the importance of English proficiency for effective gameplay …

The Basic Dualism In The World: Object-Oriented Ontology And Systems Theory, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graham Harman writes that the “basic dualism in the world lies…between things in their intimate reality and things as confronted by other things.” However, dualism implies irreconcilable difference; what Harman points to is better expressed as a dyad, where the two components imply one another and interact. This article shows that systems theory has long asserted the fundamental character of Harman’s dyad, expressing it as the union of internal structure and external function, which correspond exactly to what Levi Bryant, characterizing Harman’s views, refers to as the intra-ontic and the inter-ontic, respectively. After interpreting Harman’s dyad in terms of the …

Ronald E. Mcnair Scholars Program Profiles And Abstracts 2024, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This is the complete event program and provides presentation abstracts and biographies of McNair scholars and their mentors.

Binary Gendered Language: A Qualitative Study Of Psu Students, Dakota Abercrombie

University Honors Theses

This study explores experiences of gendered language in use in academia among two marginalized groups: women and those identifying beyond the gender binary. Guided by the theory of linguistic relativity this study attempts to understand specific ways in which gendered language, including generic language may show up and contrasted within these groups. While this data is not generalizable, the findings indicate that both women and nonbinary students experience binary pronoun use in written formats such as syllabi. However, nonbinary students describe more negative feelings associated with this experience. We also noted participants' gender identities intersecting with other identities, leading to …

A Native American Perspective On Navigating The Academic World With Resilience And Honoring The Wisdom Of Native Elders, Shani Renee Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

The graduation percentage among Native American students has consistently remained at a discouraging 50 %, both in the past and at present. This study employed a narrative inquiry approach to investigate the low graduation rates among Native American students, from the perspective of a Native American educator and mother. This study examined the historical trauma and colonization experienced by Native Americans and how it has affected Native American families and communities, resulting in low rates of graduation among Native students. In addition, this study examined factors contributing to resilience by acknowledging Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Ways of Knowing …

Participatory Democracy: The Potential For Civic Transformation Understanding Participants' Learning In The Milwaukie Citizens Jury, Amanda Grace Hudson

Dissertations and Theses

Faced with unresponsive government institutions and the limitations of representative democracy, participatory and deliberative democrats have created alternative models for robust democratic participation such as civic juries, civic assemblies and participatory budgeting. Advocates claim that these methods create better citizens and better outcomes and they claim these forums act as a school of democracy. The schools of democracy theory describes participation as a virtuous circle--that doing democracy will make people more democratic. While these processes often produce enthusiastic supporters and encouraging results, there has been very little research to date that attempts to explain how and why people learn and …

Differences In Bilinguals And Multilinguals Diagnosed With Alzheimer's Disease, Nathalie Rios Carreon

University Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s Disease does not have a cure but there are different things that can be done to manage the disease. Keeping your brain healthy is important to keep cognitive reserve (CR) strong and intact. One way to keep CR intact is to speak more than one language. Previous research done shows that monolinguals typically get diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 4 to 5 years earlier than bilinguals and multilinguals. Using existing articles it was found that this new research was similar to research already done. Speaking more than one language keeps the brain healthy in many different ways. Research suggests that …

Wired For Success: A Neurobiological Approach To Improving The Academic Outcomes Of Middle School Boys, Allison Emery

University Honors Theses

Male accomplishment in scholastic settings has been declining globally for the last decade, leading to long-term consequences for boys and men. Possible neurobiological underpinnings of the gender gap in education are discussed in this literature review. While male and female differences have, in the past, largely been considered socialized, recent science also confirms neurobiological variances between male and female development. These distinctions are assessed for their potential ties to the decline in male academic success, and are correlated to classroom practices, strategies and interventions meant to increase boys' engagement and performance.

Quantifying Relationships In Fuzzy Cognitive Maps Based On Content Analysis Of Unstructured Research Texts, Ahmed Alibage, Antonie J. Jetter, Elpiniki Papageorgiou

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

FCM projects often rely on knowledge-based approaches, such as expert interviews, which can be challenging to conduct because they require extensive expert participation. We propose a novel alternative to create FCM models based on expert knowledge that is already codified in research texts and other publications. In this approach, thematic network analysis identifies FCM concepts and signed causal connections, while computation of t-coefficient is used to determine the weights of the identified edges. We introduce and evaluate the approach in the context of a real-world system modeling project that is based on 47 carefully selected, peer reviewed research publications on …

Promoting Cultural Humility, Belonging, And Inclusion To Improve Well-Being Among Direct Care Staff In Oregon Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care Communities, 2024, Jacklyn Kohon, Dani Himes, Laura Rodriguez, Sarah Dys, Paula Carder, Diana Jacoby, Madeline Fox

Institute on Aging Publications

The voices and experiences of those working and living in assisted living, residential care, and memory care (AL/RC) settings in Oregon are highlighted in this study to understand cultural humility, belonging, inclusion, and intersectional experiences related to sustaining the workforce and promoting quality care. This qualitative study collected data through individual and focus group interviews with a total of 68 people, including 25 direct care staff, voice memos or interviews with 9 former direct care staff, interviews with 9 administrators, interviews with 7 management representatives (owner/operators, human resources specialists, directors of operations, among other titles), and interviews with 18 current …

Climate And Extreme Weather Event Impacts On Administrators, Direct Care Staff, And Residents In Oregon Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care Communities, 2024, Dani Himes, Jacklyn Kohon, Madeline Fox, Laura Rodriguez, Sarah Dys, Diana Jacoby, Paula Carder

Institute on Aging Publications

This brief report on AL/RC staff and resident experiences with climate events highlights the voices of AL/RC direct care staff, former direct care staff, residents, administrators, and management representatives to promote well-being in these care settings. This study can inform Oregon’s efforts to support long-term care workforce readiness for future climate emergencies and inform future quantitative data collection on AL/RC and other long-term care workers, including those employed in home health agencies, nursing facilities, and adult foster homes.

Organizational Reliability And Resilience As A Dynamic System: Knowledge Modeling With Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, Antonie J. Jetter, Ahmed A. Alibage, Nan Peter Liang

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Safety research in complex environments recommends that high-hazard industries improve reliability and increase their capacity for resilience by enacting principles for high-reliability organizing (HRO). This view has been highly influential in many industries, ranging from aviation to hospitals, and is at the core of many safety culture programs. However, even though HRO principles originated in business practice and were observed in diverse organizations, practitioners frequently struggle to enact them in the contexts of their work. This is likely caused by two limitations of current research: principles are insufficiently specified and the interdependencies between them, such as mutually reinforcing vs. tradeoff …

Power Resilience Planning Under The Threat Of Artificial Intelligence, Chip Corbett, Cuong Nguyen, Dahm M. Hongchai, Prajakta Thorat, Pavithra Prasad, Sarah Von Schimmelmann, Charles M. Weber, Timothy R. Anderson

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The earth is an unstable planet. Change is constant and frequently chaotic. It is very important to plan carefully to manage changes that can be anticipated now, and to cover potential issues that might not yet have been discovered. The dawn of artificial intelligence (AI) presents a host of new concerns and opportunities. The criteria for evaluation are diverse and complex. Cybersecurity is absolutely essential, yet advances in technology have created an internet of things (IoT) where threat vectors might gain access to critical command and control elements through trillions of connected IoT devices. Whereas elegant zero trust cybersecurity models …

Five Pivotal Practices For Leaders To Cultivate Empathy Within Virtual Scrum Teams, Dahm Mongkol Hongchai, Charles M. Weber

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the digital and global economy, business leaders need more than just business and technology competencies; they also require empathy. However, there is a notable scarcity of research on empathy in Scrum for product development. This study aims to uncover critical insights into how leaders can foster empathy within virtual Scrum teams. Accordingly, this paper proposes five pivotal themes leaders can employ: Scrum fundamentals, meditation, self- and other-analysis, healthy interactions, and informal connections. These vital strategies offer actionable methods for leaders seeking to enhance empathy within their virtual Scrum teams.

The Presence Of Diversity Initiatives Leads To Increased Pro-White Hiring Decisions Among Conservatives, Zeinab A. Hachem, Tessa L. Dover

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite the push and pull between pro-diversity advocates and conservative resistance, most organizations have implemented diversity initiatives in an effort to promote equitable and fair organizational practices. Past work has shown that these diversity initiatives may not be as effective as expected and may instead result in unintended negative consequences for the very individuals they are meant to support. In three novel experiments (total N = 3,664), we investigated whether and when the presence of pro-diversity messages in organizational job recruitment materials might facilitate versus hinder the hiring of underrepresented racial minorities. Participant race and political ideology were also investigated …

Neuroscience-Based Harm Reduction Education For College Students In Portland, Or, Catriona Swallow

University Honors Theses

Harm reduction (HR) is a movement focused on reducing the harms of the opioid overdose crisis through education, advocacy, and community engagement. A key component of HR is naloxone, a medication which reverses opioid overdoses when administered. Due to increased fentanyl contamination, opioid overdose deaths have been on the rise among adolescents in the U.S and HR practices are crucially important at this point in time. In recent years, alternative curricula of HR education have included a neuroscience-based approach to the topic of substance use. While both traditional and alternative programs have had success increasing substance use literacy among adolescents, …

Stricken By The Worst Type Of Sickness: The Communal Reaction And Response To Impaired Individuals In The Middle Ages, Alice Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Medieval communities often approached trouble within the fold collectively. This includes concerns over the health and safety of their individual members. This thesis examines the communal perception and treatment of disabled individuals in the Middle Ages. Using four twelfth-century miracle collections, The Miracles of Saint Gibrian (1145), The Life and Miracles of William of Norwich (1150-1172), The Miracles of Our Lady of Rocamadour (1172-1173), and The Miracles of Thomas Becket (1173-1179), I examine how communities created systems of care for their impaired members. In using these sources, which tell the stories of common individuals traveling to shrines for a saint's …

Itagaki Paru's Animalized Japan, Adoria Shanelle Walker

Dissertations and Theses

In the earlier works of manga artist and author Itagaki Paru, animal characters are used to prompt a discussion of the uchi/soto ("in-group"/"out-group") dynamic present in Japanese society. Throughout her most popular work, Beastars, and its supplemental short story collection Beast Complex, Itagaki tackles binary thinking and in-group versus out-group social politics using a blatantly obvious, yet nuanced and subtle herbivore-versus-carnivore, predator-versus-prey metaphor. The world she depicts in these works is full of misunderstandings caused by hastily made assumptions, sometimes instinctually quick. With her animalized characters, she explores human stigmatization and the poor treatment of those who do not want …

Diversity, Equity And Inclusion In Simulation-Based Education: Experiences From Multiple Academic Health Centers, Jesika Samuelson Gavilanes

Dissertations and Theses

The integration of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) into healthcare professional training is critical in order to ensure positive patient outcomes and help combat healthcare disparities, leading towards health equity. There is not currently a standard specific to DEI awareness in healthcare education and training. One area of healthcare training is simulation-based education (SBE), which is training that is set up to be as close to a real environment as possible for healthcare professional training. There is little in the literature that addresses DEI within SBE, yet SBE is one area with the potential for making an impact in healthcare …

Pathways To Social Mobility: Examining Trades As A Career Path For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, June Jenkins

Dissertations and Theses

Obtaining stable, paid employment is crucial for successful reentry into the community after incarceration, however, formerly incarcerated individuals face extensive barriers when entering the workforce. Trades may present a uniquely attainable career path for this population due to relatively low barriers to entry. To date, there is a lack of research investigating experience-based perspectives on the viability of trades training programs and trades careers in facilitating prisoner reentry. This study employs semi-structured qualitative interviews to investigate perspectives on trades as a career path for formerly incarcerated individuals as well as barriers to accessing and attending trades training programs. Interviewees include …

The Protective Effects Of Perceived Partner Responsiveness On Service Members' Drinking And Health Outcomes, Julia Maria Oosi Lynch

Dissertations and Theses

Stress is a known predictor of various adverse health behaviors and outcomes, such as poorer physical health, injuries, and mental well-being. Specifically, stressful events, including minor daily hassles, as well as major life changes and pressures that are perceived negatively, can lead to experiences of psychological distress. Psychological distress is commonly defined as symptoms of anxiety and depression, including worry, sadness, and hopelessness. These concerns are particularly acute for military families, who experience a unique set of stressors and loneliness due to deployments and separation, long shifts, and frequent relocations. Those experiencing psychological dFreistress are also more likely to engage …

Latinos' Intimate Partner Violence, Abuse, And Interventions: Developing A Latcrit Analysis And Critique, Adrian Luis Manriquez, Eric S. Mankowski

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The paper utilizes LatCrit and critical psychology perspectives in order to review and critique the literature on Latinos' intimate partner violence and abuse and intervention programs. LatCrit theories are described and reviewed, and then applied to the literature on IPV predictors among Latinos. The review demonstrates that the research literature on the predictors, correlates, and antecedents of Latino males' IPV behaviors focuses largely on the individual level of analysis, and consequently suffers from three main limitations: use of deficit models in research; decontextualized assessment and evaluations of IPV; neglect of higher levels of analysis influencing IPV in Latinx communities. Implications …

A Place To Rest My Soul: How A Doctoral Student Of Color Group Utilized A Healing-Centered Space To Navigate Higher Education, Jessica I. Ramirez

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Students of Color have historically faced explicit and implicit forms of discrimination and oppression in educational settings. Unfortunately, not much has changed over the decades as Students of Color continue to experience white supremacy and other systems of oppression. As Students of Color enter graduate school, there are often fewer Students of Color, making these educational settings isolating and hostile. These experiences often encompass white supremacist policies, practices, and remarks that negatively impact Students of Color. With this in mind and as someone who identifies as a Chicana who was once in a doctoral program, I questioned how doctoral Students …