Digital Commons Network^™

Clinicians’ Reports Of The Impact Of The 2008 Financial Crisis On Mental Health Clients, Donna M. L. Heretick

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study investigated the impact of the 2008 economic crisis on mental health clients. One hundred and three mental health providers (101 being psychologists) from California, Colorado, and Arizona completed an online survey. Following Lazarus’ stress theory, social identity theory, and the finances-shame model, several moderator variables were evaluated for impact of financial crisis: gender, age group, previous mental health, lifestyle threat, and sources for support. As predicted, male and female clients were generally described as equally stressed, but stress responses differed. Financial role responsibilities and previous mental health were noted as predictors of stress. Men—as well as clients earning …

Self-Regulatory Skills For Controlled Eating Emanating From Newly Initiated Physical Activity, James J. Annesi Ph.D., Kandice Johnson Porter

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The relationship of physical activity with weight loss may largely be due to its association with psychosocial factors. The goal of this research was to clarify such relationships using a field design lasting 24 weeks. In Study 1, change in self-regulation for controlled eating, but not energy expenditure, mediated the relationship between changes in physical activity and weight in formerly sedentary, severely obese adults (n = 174). In Study 2 (n = 148), the addition of a cognitive-behavioral nutrition treatment was associated with significantly greater improvement in self-regulation for eating. Physical activity-related self-regulation changes were related to those …

Examining Research Issues Of Power And Privilege Within A Gender-Marginalized Community, Stacee L. Reicherzer, Sherece Shavel, Jason Patton

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This research practice article presents the ethical dilemmas and decision-making of a White transgender researcher (Author A), who conducted a qualitative case study of resiliency among three transsexual women of Mexican origin who worked as entertainers in south and central Texas. The study, conducted within a community in which both the researcher and participants were a part and in which they had all experienced varying degrees of marginalization, presented a number of unique characteristics from the onset that became more embedded as the study developed and concluded. In the absence of a guiding body of literature from her own profession, …

The Road To “Severe Obesity”: Weight Loss Surgery Candidates Talk About Their Histories Of Weight Gain, Julia Temple Newhook, Deborah Gregory, Laurie Twells

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Much research focuses on the causes of weight gain, but few studies examine the perspectives of those who have been categorized as “severely obese.” This paper discusses the findings of 54 interviews with weight loss surgery candidates in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We explore participants’ perspectives on their histories of weight gain, focusing on their explanations for weight gain as well as the emotions surrounding their weight gain experiences. We find that the dominant individualized, medicalized construction of obesity both (1) adds to the burden of blame for weight loss surgery candidates, with potential emotional health implications, and (2) overlooks …

Seeing Is Believing: The Csi Effect Among Jurors In Malicious Wounding Cases, Corey Call, Amy K. Cook, John D. Reitzel, Robyn D. Mcdougle

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

With the popularization of television crime shows that focus heavily on forensic science, such as CSI and its spin-offs, concerns about a new threat to jury trials have emerged in recent years. Dubbed the “CSI effect,” this phenomenon has reportedly come to influence the way jurors perceive forensic evidence at trials based on the way forensic evidence is presented on television. While the CSI effect has been the topic of much discussion throughout the popular press, the CSI effect has seldom been empirically tested. In this study, we present a selection of media accounts as well as criminological and …

From College Student To Change Agent: A Triadic Model Of Self-Efficacy, Attribution, And Appraisal, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Beyond their newfound emancipation and opportunities for self-discovery, college students in the young adult stage of development are expected to achieve balance between their autonomous new world and the impending pressures of postgraduation life. The college student must not only reconcile issues related to identity formation, goal pursuits, and career exploration, but is expected to begin the process of identifying and developing the skills required to address salient social themes. How students establish competency beliefs, negotiate controllability over future outcomes, and appraise challenges have deep implications in their capacity to discover their social change “voice.” The following discussion proposes a …

An Innovative Approach To Action Research In Family Violence Prevention, Linnaya M. Graf, Nancy K. Rea, William M. Barkley

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Violence prevention remains a priority in the current public health agenda because of continuing high rates and debilitating effects of violence that exist across the globe (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families [USDHHS-ACF], 2009; World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). This article presents the use of an innovative qualitative study developed from community action research methods in the area of family violence. By applying the combined framework of force field analysis (Lewin, 1958) and the public health model (Centers for Disease Control, 2002; Knox & Aspy, 2011), the current study identified factors that positively …

Initial Environmetric Studies Of The Seta-Form C, Daniel W. Salter

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The Salter Environmental Type Assessment (SETA) was designed to measure the “personalities” of behavioral environments and to work in conjunction with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®. The Form C revision of the SETA, which launched in 2012, involved increasing the number of scored items and moving the assessment to online administration. Initial results from environmetric studies of scores from Form C show that the SETA’s measurement properties remain consistent with previous versions and support its overall utility.

Compassion Fatigue And Emotional Intelligence In Physicians, Jennifer Peterson

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Literature reveals that healthcare professionals, like physicians, experience compassion fatigue (CF) as a result of exposure to patient trauma. Research also demonstrates that leaders, like physicians, with higher emotional intelligence (EI) are more effective. This study proposes to identify if there is a correlation between CF and EI in physicians.

Burnout, Secondary Trauma, & Compassion Fatigue In Disaster Mental Workers, Susan Marcus, Catherin Barmore

2010-2016 Archived Posters

This phenomenological study of Disaster Mental Health counselors will include interviews with 25 participants. The themes to be explored include: secondary trauma as a primary, proximal experience; compassion fatigue as a "solo" phenomena; and burnout experienced as response to administrative processes.

Students’ Research Skills And Self Efficacy Gained In An Online Laboratory, Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles, Amy Sickel

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Stadtlander and Giles (2010) showed the feasibility of an online psychology research laboratory. The proposed study extends their work by examining whether students’ research skills and self-efficacy improves in an online lab, as has been reported in land based research labs (Love et al., 2007).

2012 Walden University Summer Research Symposium, Walden University

2010-2016 Archived Programs

Welcome to the 2012 Walden University Summer Research Symposium, which is being held during the university faculty meeting for the first time. This positioning provides an opportunity for more of our academic community to experience the symposium and makes it more convenient for some of our newest researchers to participate. The topics for this symposium remain as interesting and varied as in the past and include some of our evaluation studies and thought leadership efforts. Speaking of new researchers, we have presentations on capstone projects representing nearly all the doctoral programs at Walden University—and in spite of the variety, each …

Conceptual Framework For Mentoring Doctoral Students, Iris M. Yob, Linda Crawford

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

In the research and professional literature, there are at least four lines of inquiry around mentoring: perceptions of successful mentoring in general, mentoring of doctoral dissertations in particular, mentoring specific to the online environment, and relative importance of mentoring behaviors. In each case, particular qualities that make for successful mentoring are identified and described but not coalesced into a conceptual model of mentoring. In examining this literature, the authors identified 94 mentor behaviors and characteristics of effective mentors, which were reduced for redundancies to 55. These were clustered into a conceptual model of mentoring with two domains, academic and psychosocial …

The Emerging Hiv Epidemic On The Mexico-U.S. Border: An International Case Study Characterizing The Role Of Epidemiology In Surveillance And Response, Steffaine Strathdee, Carlos Magis-Rodriguez, Richard Jimenez

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome surveillance data are critical for monitoring epidemic trends, but they can mask dynamic subepidemics, especially in vulnerable populations that underuse HIV testing. In this case study, we describe community-based epidemiologic data among injection drug users (IDUs) and female sex workers (FSWs) in two northern Mexico-U.S. border states that identified an emerging HIV epidemic and generated a policy response.

Methods

We draw from quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional and prospective epidemiologic studies and behavioral intervention studies among IDUs and FSWs in Tijuana, Baja California, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

Results

The recognition that the HIV epidemic …

Training The Resilient Psychotherapist: What Graduate Students Need To Know About Vicarious Traumatization, Aletha Baker

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

There is a pressing need for more research, not only about the experience of vicarious traumatization (VT), but also how academic institutions can best prepare graduate students for this experience. This qualitative study provided insight into the shared, lived experience of VT, effective coping strategies, and the need for a graduate-level course in trauma therapy. A purposive sample of 11 master’s-level trauma therapists, simultaneously enrolled in a doctoral program, responded to questions about their experiences with VT, their ways of coping, and ideas for a graduate-level course. Data were analyzed via a series of steps, as outlined by Moustakas (1994). …

Assessing Content Knowledge And Changes In Confidence And Anxiety Related To Economic Literacy In A Professional Development Program For History Teachers, Julia M. Rollison, Larry H. Ludlow, Todd Wallingford

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a Teaching American History professional development program on content knowledge, and confidence and anxiety associated with teaching economic literacy. Two content assessments and a confidence and anxiety instrument were administered to teachers prior to and immediately following a two-week Summer Institute. Statistically significant findings included an increase in economics content knowledge and an increase in confidence combined with a decrease in anxiety. The scale and measurement model employed to examine status and subsequent change should be useful for similar professional development initiatives and evaluations.

Improving The Use Of Data In Early Reading Intervention Programs In Northwest Florida, Carla J. Thompson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Improving student performance for high-need student populations by improving the use of data in decision-making for early reading intervention programs in northwest Florida is the focus of this research to practice effort. The study is conceptually based on using a relational-feedback intervention (RFI) database model in early learning environments. The innovative use of data is the incorporation of trained classroom observers who performed over 2,000 observations (30 minutes each) in randomly selected reading (K–3) classrooms over a 2-year period using a quantitative observation tool that depicts 85 differentiated reading strategies. The RFI database model aligns classroom observation data to student …

An Analysis Of Governance Policies And Practices In One School District Regarding English Learners, Lynn V. Lysko

Frank Dilley Award for Outstanding Doctoral Study

In a large, urban, high school district, secondary English-learning students are not achieving at the same rates as other identified subgroups on state and local standardized tests. This gap compounds economic and social inequities in the region. A solution to the problem is important to educators and policy makers in providing an equitable education for all students. Using the conceptual framework of organizational culture, this qualitative project study explored the district's policies and practices on the academic program for English learners and whether policies result in meeting academic needs of English-learning students at the secondary level. One-on-one interviews with district …

The Polarities Of Democracy: A Theoretical Framework For Building A Healthy, Sustainable, And Just World. Chapter Seven, William J. Benet

Polarities of Democracy Collection

No abstract provided.

Professional Doctorates: Literature, History, And Recommendations, Walden University Professional Doctorate Working Group

White Papers

The purpose of this paper is to guide the Walden University academic community toward a consistent understanding of the standards and scope for our doctoral degrees, with a focus on the professional doctorates. The specific purpose of the findings in this paper is to help shape future development and assessment of professional doctorates within the University. Tools within this document can be used for guidance and criteria to help demonstrate that Walden is upholding basic agreed-upon standards of doctoral education

Survivors’ Perspectives Of Organizational Downsizing On Knowledge Sharing In A Downsized Environment, Michelle Hall

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Organizational workforce reductions can negatively affect a company’s ability to preserve its knowledge base. The problem researched in this study was the perceived effect of downsizing on knowledge sharing among surviving employees. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived effect of downsizing on knowledge sharing. Survivors’ knowledge sharing behavior was examined in relation to (a) survivor syndrome, (b) attitude towards knowledge sharing, and (c) perceived loss of knowledge power. A quantitative correlation research design was used to investigate the relationship between downsizing and knowledge sharing. A web-based survey was used to collect data. The convenience sample consisted …

2012 Walden University Winter Research Symposium, Walden University

2010-2016 Archived Programs

Welcome to the Walden University Winter 2012 Research Symposium in Miami, Fla. In keeping with the tradition, this symposium showcases the work of faculty members, students, and our newest graduates, all of whom have been working on a wide range of research topics and areas of inquiry. Each symposium is a little different, however, and it is not hard to see distinct themes in the topics that are being presented and discussed this evening. First, an increasing number of graduates and faculty members from our professional doctorate programs are participating in the symposium, and as a result, we see more …

Parent’S Experiences During Their Infant’S Transition From Neonatal Intensive Care Unit To Home: A Qualitative Study, Sharon W. Hutchinson, Marydee A. Spillett, Mary Cronin

Center for Research Quality Publications

Limited literature exists which examines how parents of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) transition from their infant’s NICU hospital stay to home. This study examines the question, “What are the experiences of parents during their infant’s transition from the NICU to home? Grounded theory methods served as the paradigm to explore twelve NICU parents’ experiences during their infant’s transition. The basic social psychological process identified was “becoming a parent” which was based on the core problem “I’m not a parent.” Analysis of data contributed to a model described by the researchers as the resultant Model of …

Exploring The Educational Involvement Of Parents Of English Learners, Elizabeth M. Vera, M Susman Israel, Laura Coyle, J Cross, Laura Knight-Lynn, I Moallem, G Bartucci, N Goldberger

Center for Research Quality Publications

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the relationships among a range of specific barriers and facilitators of parent involvement and a variety of types of school involvement within a diverse group of immigrant parents of English Learners (ELs) in four elementary school districts. In-home types of educational involvement such as monitoring homework and asking children about their school day were the most commonly reported behaviors, and utilizing community resources was found to be the least common type of parental involvement. Involvement type was predicted by parental demographic factors such as comfort with English language, educational background, and …

Child, Parent, And Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives On Hiv Infection Status Disclosure To Children, Grace Gachanja

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

HIV infected parents face great challenges when contemplating and performing disclosure of theirs and their children's illnesses to their infected and noninfected children. HIV disclosure guidelines for a parent's and child's illness do not exist in resource-poor nations. This hinders and impedes the delivery of disclosure from parent to child. This qualitative phenomenological study, based on the disease progression theory and the consequence theory of HIV disclosure, was conducted to understand the lived experiences of HIV-infected parents and their children living in Kenya before, during, and after disclosure of a parent's and child's HIV infection status. Thirty four participants consisting …

The Impact Of Facebook Access In Creating A Sense Of Community In Tourism And Recreation Classes, Lorie A. Tuma

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

Previous research has indicated that college students use social networking sites such as Facebook to establish friendships, maintain communication, and foster a sense of community; research also has indicated that many college instructors do not. Many college faculty acknowledge the importance of a sense of community in the classroom but are reluctant to try social media as a way to enhance student motivation, affective learning, and classroom climate. The purpose of this ex post facto, causal comparative study was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in tourism and recreation students' self-reported sense of community when an instructor's …

A Multiple Case Study Analysis Of The Positive Deviance Approach In Community Health, Piroska Bisits Bullen

Harold L. Hodgkinson Award for Outstanding Dissertation

The positive deviance (PD) approach involves finding individuals who have solved a problem and spreads their unique solutions to others. While there have been calls for PD to become a standard tool in community health, there has been little research on the approach. This study investigated how PD is used in practice and evidence of its effectiveness by analyzing case studies of 40 PD programs and 32 PD inquiries implemented in a range of high, middle, and low income countries by both national and international organizations. Case studies were developed using data from publicly available documents. Qualitative within-case and cross-case …

Fear As A Predictor Of Life Satisfaction For Older Adults In Retirement In Canada, Satoko Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In developed countries, most healthy retirees still have fears about growing old; however, there is little empirical data on the relationship between this fear and quality of life. This cross-sectional, correlational, survey study tested whether a summated measure of fears of growing old (fear) based on Laslett’s theory of retirement (the third age) significantly predicted life satisfaction and retirement satisfaction after adjusting for significant activity theory covariates. 190 Canadian volunteer retirees at 3 community retirement centers completed surveys. A pilot study established the reliability and valdity of the scales, including an instrument Fears about Growing Old derived from Laslett’s exemplifications, …

Graduate Student Researchers' Knowledge/Efficacy: Results From A Virtual Lab, Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Stadtlander and Giles (2010) showed the feasibility of a virtual psychology research laboratory. The present study examines improvement in students’ research skills and efficacy in a three quarter lab. Students conducted interviews in a faculty designed project, analyzed the data, and co-wrote a journal manuscript. Findings indicate lab students’ research knowledge and efficacy improved significantly over non-lab graduate students.

Transformational Leadership And Job Satisfaction Of Retired Army Noncommissioned Officers In South Korea, Terra Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations, including the military and their managers, have used transformational leadership for over 30 years to increase job satisfaction. The purpose of this correlation research study was to determine whether a relationship existed between transformational leadership and job satisfaction among retired Army noncommissioned officers who had rejoined the military workforce in South Korea. The research question was grounded in a synthesis of theories concerning transformational leadership and job satisfaction. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ5X), the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), and Job in General (JIG) scales were used to gather data from 141 participants. Univariate analyses were used to document that …