Digital Commons Network^™

Gender And Cross-Cultural Invariance Of Attitudes Toward Statistics Among Non-Stem Undergraduate Students, Mihili Edirisooriya

Dissertations

Because of the wide usage of statistics in almost every field, many universities have incorporated statistics into their undergraduate and graduate curricula. Students taking statistics have often reported negative experiences and an aversion to statistics. Non-STEM students have often reported negative attitudes toward statistics (Chew & Dillon, 2014; Keeley et al., 2008). Researchers have used qualitative and quantitative approaches to measure attitudes toward statistics. The Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics-36 (SATS-36) scale has been the most widely accepted measure to investigate attitudes toward statistics. Any psychometrically sound measurement instrument requires invariance across groups in its usage. Otherwise, measurement biases could …

Vision Based Activity Recognition Using Machine Learning And Deep Learning Architecture, Sarbagya Shakya

Dissertations

Human Activity recognition, with wide application in fields like video surveillance, sports, human interaction, elderly care has shown great influence in upbringing the standard of life of people. With the constant development of new architecture, models, and an increase in the computational capability of the system, the adoption of machine learning and deep learning for activity recognition has shown great improvement with high performance in recent years. My research goal in this thesis is to design and compare machine learning and deep learning models for activity recognition through videos collected from different media in the field of sports.

Human activity …

Doing More With Less: A Quantitative Analysis Of Mindfulness, Meditation, Sustainable Consumption Awareness And Practice Among University Undergraduates, Teresa Van Horn

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Climate change, overconsumption, air, and water pollution continue to be pressing issues for society. Given the significant impact of overconsumption, the search for strategies to promote more sustainable behavior has become a topic for investigation. Universities are uniquely positioned to help students work toward sustainable solutions. This research explored the role of mindfulness in university students' sustainable consumption awareness and practice as there are gaps in the literature concerning definitions, constructs, and research regarding mindfulness and sustainable consumption.

To address these disparities, this research used stepwise regression analysis to investigate the extent to which mindfulness and select demographic measures …

Personal Data Privacy And Protective Federal Legislation: An Exploration Of Constituent Position On The Need For Legislation To Control Data Reliant Organizations Collecting And Monetizing Internet-Obtained Personal Data, Giovanni De Meo

Dissertations

In the past twenty years, the business of online personal data collection has grown at the same rapid pace as the internet itself, fostering a multibillion-dollar personal data collection and commercialization industry. Unlike many other large industries, there has been no major federal legislation enacted to monitor or control the activities of organizations dealing in this flourishing industry. The combination of these factors together with the lack of prior research encouraged this research designed to understand how much voters know about this topic and whether there is interest in seeing legislation enacted to protect individual personal data privacy.

To address …

Reproducing The Status Quo In The Middle School English Classroom: A Critical Examination Of Literacy Learning Via Personalized Learning Technology, Michele Mcconnell

Dissertations

Personalized learning technology (PL Tech) is a growing educational reform movement supported by federal grant dollars. As a bourgeoning educational movement, no research has been conducted to explore the potential effects of such structures in supporting student literacy learning. Additionally, current education reform research often lacks the perspective of the students experiencing the reform. Therefore, this study sought to examine the lived experiences of middle school students using PL Tech to understand what structural and cultural arrangements influenced students’ literacy learning.

Portraiture, a qualitative methodology, was employed to conduct the study at a charter school in Fresno, California implementing PL …

Non-Affirmation As A Moderator Between Social Support And Quality Of Life For Transgender Populations, Michael Evitts

Dissertations

This research builds upon scholarship exploring the quality of life of transgender populations. Knowledge on quality-of-life (QOL) for transgender populations has been limited due to the fact that most studies have focused on gender affirming medical procedures as interventions (Nobili et al., 2018). Other protective factors, such as social support, have been identified in the literature but have been defined in broad terms. The purpose of the study was to better understand additional factors that promote QOL and psychological well-being, specifically social support. It is unclear how non-affirmation of gender identity affects the protective effects of social support for QOL. …

Racial Identity, Masculinity, And Academic Help-Seeking Behaviors In African American Male College Students, Walter T. Malone

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Black racial identity attitudes, as measured by the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS), and masculine norms, as measured by the Conformity to Masculinity Norms Index -46 (CMNI-46), in relation to men's academic helpseeking behavior. Participants were 120 African American undergraduate males at a historically White university in the Midwest region of the United States. Four hypotheses were designed to help guide the measure's influences on two academic help-seeking variables, avoidance and perceived benefits. The first and second hypotheses both focused on the effects of Black college men's racial attitudes. …

Three Essays On The Relationship Between Policy Uncertainty And Foreign Direct Investment, Chikezie Kenneth Okoli

Dissertations

Foreign direct investment (FDI) occurs when an entity in one country establishes a significant degree of ownership in an enterprise in another country. FDI is a critical component in ensuring the development of any economy. It often aids with the development of an industry or sector within an economy by bringing in capital, new technologies, manufacturing methodologies, and managing expertise to the receiving country. This dissertation examines the relationship between policy uncertainty and foreign direct investment (FDI) in developed economies.

The first essay focuses on U.S. policy uncertainty and its effects on U.S. FDI inflows, while the second essay focuses …

Preclinical Behavioral Assessment Of Chronic, Intermittent Low-Dose Psilocybin In Rodent Models Of Depression And Anxiety, Harmony I. Risca

Dissertations

Recent studies have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. Amidst the overall success of recent clinical trials using a single high dose of psilocybin, anecdotal reports indicate anxiolytic and antidepressant effects following a repeated low dose regimen. As therapeutic outcomes are often tightly intertwined with the individual’s subjective experience, animal models are used as objective measures to investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the putative antidepressant/anxiolytic effects of psychedelics. Three rodent models predictive of anxiolytic or antidepressant effects were used to evaluate effects of chronic intermittent low dose (CILD) psilocybin treatment; the Light/Dark conflict …

Career Development In Sport And Leisure: An Application Of Social Cognitive Career Theory, Nicole Sellars

Dissertations

Utilizing Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent et al., 1994) this research aimed to determine perception differences related to sport and leisure management employment for undergraduate students in related degree programs with a specific focus on the minority groups of women and People of Color (POC). Given the lack of diversity in sport and leisure enrollment and employment (Adriaanse, 2016; Massengale & Lough, 2013; Shropshire, 2004; Vianden & Gregg, 2017), this research sought to explore whether gender and/or race were predictors of feelings of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, barriers, and supports. An electronic survey was distributed to sport and leisure management undergraduate …

Compassion For Self-Identity: An Evaluation Of A Compassion-Based Intervention For Stigmatized Sexual Identities, Du T. Nguyen

Dissertations

Sexual minority persons often experience notable negative mental and physical health disparities when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. According to the minority stress framework, it is posited that these discrepancies are due to additional, group-specific stressors that they experience beyond stress felt by the general population. One such minority stress variable that has received considerable attention is sexual stigma. Not only has sexual stigmatization been found to be related to negative mental and physical health outcomes, it has also previously been found to hinder adaptive emotion regulation.

Due to the minority stress felt by sexual minority persons, there is a …

Salary Discrimination In The Sports Labor Market: An Evidence From Major League Soccer, Hoyoon Jung

Dissertations

Since Gary Becker’s (1971) discrimination theory, which provided the groundwork to investigate various forms of discrimination based on individuals’ demographic characteristics, wage discrimination has been a long-standing issue in labor economics and sport management. With this knowledge, it is of interest to examine whether sports labor markets offer equal financial opportunities. Although a growing body of literature has examined and uncovered evidence of pay discrimination in various sports settings, relatively little attention has been paid to Major League Soccer (MLS) because of its short history. In addition, there is a need to understand salary discrimination among superstars in MLS amid …

Journey To The Professoriate: Exploring The Career Development Of African American Male Faculty In Counselor Education, Lacretisha Danielle Mcdole

Dissertations

Much of the existing literature on African American faculty in counselor education and supervision programs focuses on the challenges that confront them as racial minorities (Bradley & Holcomb-McCoy, 2004; Holcomb-McCoy & Addison-Bradley, 2005; Thompson, 2008; Turner & Myers, 2000). Findings from recent research studies have offered ways to support and guide African American faculty in combating racial discrimination and oppression within the academy (Jones-Boyd, 2016; Robinson, 2018). However, there are gaps in the literature about the personal and environmental factors that shape African Americans’ decisions to pursue the professoriate in counselor education and supervision, and factors that contribute to their …

Género Y Sexualidad En Seis Novelas Del Siglo Xxi, Sandra Chang Raak

Dissertations

From its inception Latin American literature has used gender and sexuality as rhetorical devices to approach the topic of cultural identity. For instance, Hernán Cortés in his Cartas de Relación embodies a type of masculinity that overdetermined the lives of the Amerindian people. Centuries later, the modernismo movement headed by Rubén Darío reacted to a Latin American societal shift towards the prevalence of a materialistic culture brought about by the advent of industrial civilization. During the 1960s Latin American literature experienced a rapid blooming that has come to be known as El Boom. Both landmarks, modernism and El Boom …

Asian International Students In U.S. Higher Education: A Secondary Data Analysis Of Satisfaction Levels And Willingness To Recommend Their Institution, Soongmin Chow

Dissertations

International students are integral to U.S. higher education. They bring talent and cultural diversity to U.S. campuses, contribute immensely to the U.S. economy, and create long-lasting political and academic links that aid public diplomacy in the long run (NAFSA, 2003). The U.S. has traditionally been the largest market for international students seeking quality higher education (Institute of International Education, 2018). However, reports show that the U.S. is slowly losing its market share of international students, and the number of new international students coming to the U.S. has been on the decline since 2016/17. Higher education institutions are most concerned over …

Role Identity And Engagement Behaviors Of Student-Athlete Alumnae, Matthew Charles Brinton

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the meanings volleyball student-athlete alumnae (SAA) from a doctoral granting research institution in the Rocky Mountain region (Rocky Mountain Regional University or RMRU) associate with their lived experiences and how those interpretations shape their engagement behaviors as alumnae. Using Stryker’s (1980) interpretation of Symbolic Interactionism as a theoretical framework, I interviewed seven participants and found that the meaning they associated with their experiences varied by their placement in different types of closed positions, those that require permission, invitation, or special status for membership. My findings suggest that there is …

Non-Psychiatric Registered Nurses' Perceptions Of Caring For Persons With Mental Illness In A Non-Psychiatric Healthcare Setting, Debra Sue Ollila

Dissertations

Patients with mental illness receive care in acute medical facilities for medical and acute psychiatric problems. Non-psychiatric nurses are responsible for the care of patients with mental illness regardless of their training in psychiatric nursing skills. The purpose of this study was to inform the nursing profession and nursing education of the needs of non-psychiatric nurses in caring for patients with mental illness. This study also sought to discover non-psychiatric nurses’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research study used qualitative descriptive phenomenology to explore the research phenomenon. Eight participants were interviewed virtually using a semi-structured interview guide with interview …

The Experiences Of Mental Health Service Providers Adapting Counseling Treatments For Refugee Clients, Gurusewak Singh Khalsa

Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of mental health professionals through their experiences of adapting counseling treatments to meet the cultural needs of their refugee clients. For this interpretative phenomenological study, 11 licensed clinicians participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews that utilized multicultural counseling and vicarious trauma theories. Results were presented in superordinate and subordinate themes. This study added to the literature and exploration of the unique experiences of mental health providers culturally adapting their counseling approaches in order to provide more effective services to refugee communities. Participants discussed the influences of their cultural backgrounds, the challenges, supports, and areas of growth …

Development And Initial Evaluation Of The Assessment Of Teacher Expectations And Practices (Atep), Kimberly Barajas

Dissertations

Teacher practices and expectations are important factors for students’ academic and behavioral functioning (Andersson & Palm, 2016; Oliver, Wehby, & Reschly, 2011; Rimm-Kaufman, Storm, Sawyer, Pianta, & LaParom 2006; Rubie-Davies, 2007; Sandholtz, 2011). The current measures available require a great deal of resources (i.e., time, money, personnel), have poor psychometric properties, or are not comprehensive (e.g., facets assessed; assessment of teacher practices for different grade levels). Given these concerns, the proposed study aimed to develop a psychometrically sound measure that is time and cost efficient and comprehensively assesses the multi-faceted construct of teacher practices. This measure is expected to allow …

Workplace Microaggressions Experienced By Sexual Minorities: Relationships To Workplace Attitudes, Mental Health, And The Role Of Emotional Distress Tolerance, Dylan Richard

Dissertations

Overt discrimination against sexual minorities in the workplace has been a topic of research and current political debate. However, little is known about a more nuanced form of workplace discrimination against sexual minorities: microaggressions. However, research has established clear mental health consequences of everyday microaggressions (e.g., increased depressive and anxiety symptoms, suicidality, lower life satisfaction, and physical health symptoms) against racial and sexual minorities. The current study aimed to explore correlates of microaggressions in the workplace, specifically workplace attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction and job stress) and mental health symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress). Further, emotional distress tolerance (EDT) was …

A Re-Examination Of The Motivations For Using Substances Questionnaire: Motives For Alcohol And Simultaneous Alcohol And Marijuana Use, Taylor Altenberger

Dissertations

The growing body of research examining simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use suggests motivations for alcohol-only, marijuana-only, and SAM use, especially among college-aged people, warrant further examination to ultimately tailor interventions to not only specific substances but also the underlying motivations for using those substances. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to test the measurement invariance of a novel broadband motives measure, the Motivations for Using Substances Questionnaire (MUSQ), across alcohol-only, marijuana-only, and SAM users and further test motivations’ relationships to use-related problems. However, due to insufficient sample sizes of marijuana-only users (n = 175), the MUSQ …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Training Used For The Implementation Of A Peer Support Program To Support Second Victims, Karen Adamouski-Marion

Dissertations

In many health care organizations, the needed support for second victims, or care of the caregiver, is lacking or unavailable. This was true of the Inova health system organization at the conception of this project. This paper describes the process of establishing the need for a peer support program and evaluating the effectiveness of the selected peer support training program to meet the needs of the peer supporters, the team members they serve, and the organization. Unfortunately, unanticipated and tragic events will happen to excellent health care team members; the results are often anxiety, depression, guilt, and fear. The effects …

Exploring The Deleterious Connection Between Tradional School Discipline Practices And Male Latino Students Who Have Endured Adverse Childhood Experiences: An Exploratory Study In Northern California., Sonia Vargas

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to critically evaluate the deleterious connection between traditional school discipline practices and male Latino students who have endured adverse childhood experiences. This study examined Latino male students’ testimonials and understanding of their educational trajectories as they encounter adverse childhood experiences as well as their perceptions towards punitive disciplinary practices. This exploratory research utilized a documentary film design methodology and examined the perceptions of Latino male students, counselors, administrators and district official in an urban school district located in northern California. The study drew upon qualitative data collected in video format through student participants’ and …

Experiences, Attitudes, And Perceptions Of Female Adjunct Clinical Instructors Teaching Male Pre-Licensure Nursing Students, Amanda E. Shilo

Dissertations

The global shortage of nurses is a problem that has serious consequences. Recruitment of men into nursing has been seen as one possible solution to both diversify the profession, and fill the shortfall, but there are multiple barriers for males in nursing. These barriers are reported as they first contemplate a career in nursing, during nursing education, and as they transition into the profession. This results in decreased retention and success, with males leaving nursing in higher numbers than their female peers. Clinical instructors are described as an essential source of encouragement and support for nursing students, yet are also …

Promoting Prep Uptake In Primary Care Practice For The Prevention Of Hiv Transmissions, Sokonie S. Reed

Dissertations

The nation is charged with the great task of eradicating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by year 2030. PrEP is an acronym for pre-exposure prophylaxis. Multiple clinical trials have recognized it as a safe and highly effective regimen that includes taking a daily dose of an antiretroviral medication to prevent HIV transmissions. The regimen is backed by prominent healthcare organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that have developed guidelines for PrEP implementation. Yet, there is a nationwide problem of low provider uptake of PrEP. Investigators in the literature on PrEP implementation concur that PrEP, as a preventative …

An Evaluation Of The Healthfulness Of The Hospital Food Environment, Cynthia E. Horton Dias

Dissertations

Though nurses may have knowledge about the health promoting benefits of a healthy diet, many do not consume enough fruits or vegetables. For hospital shift nurses to achieve healthy eating while at work, environmental barriers were reportedly the most challenging to overcome. To better understand the hospital food environment from the nurses' perspective, two mechanisms for workplace food acquisition were studied: 1.) hospital consumer food environment, which includes cafeterias, vending machines, and gift shops; and 2.) free food at work.

Empowering Nurses Of Minority In The Face Of Incivility And Bullying: Through The Lens Of Phenomenology, Corrine M. Floyd

Dissertations

Up to 85% of nurses have reported exposure to incivility in the workplace (Hunt and Marini, 2012). The often-subtle nature of incivility toward nurses in a minority population may partially explain why it remains a problem. Healthcare organizations realize the need for civility to counter the high turnover rate, staff shortages, and low job satisfaction reported by nurses, but lack understanding of how nurses of a minority population perceive incivility and bullying. This study aimed to answer the research question how do nurses with minority representation experience incivility and bullying versus empowerment in the workplace? A descriptive phenomenological design used …

The Role Of Counseling Trainee Adversity, Attachment Style, And Trauma-Informed Principles In Clinical Supervision, Nicole Hurless

Dissertations

Current supervision literature suggests that supervisees with insecure attachment styles may perceive a poorer relationship with their supervisor and feel less satisfied with supervision. Studies across disciplines indicate a relationship between traumatic and/or adverse experiences and insecure attachment; however, this association has not been studied within the context of supervision. This dissertation explores a structural equation model assessing the associations between student’s adverse experiences, insecure attachment, and quality of the supervision relationship. It was hypothesized that greater prevalence of adverse experiences would negatively relate to supervision relationship quality, and this relationship would be mediated by insecure attachment. The results of …

Discovering Hidden Signs And Symptoms Of Heart Failure In The Electronic Health Record Using The Omaha System, Anita Reger

Dissertations

Purpose/Background/Significance: For the past 30 years, heart failure has been in the top 3 readmission diagnoses with patients discharged to community care. This is costly to the healthcare system and negatively impacts the patient’s quality of life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a community care database to determine if previously under-considered latent variables exist that could provide early detection of heart failure signs and symptoms. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: The theoretical and conceptual frameworks surrounding this work are the Omaha System and Donabedian’s structure, process, and outcomes theory for healthcare quality improvement supported by Neuman’s Systems Model. The Omaha …

Gender And The Authoritarian Dynamic: An Analysis Of Social Identity In The Partisanship Of White Americans, Bradley Dimariano

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the influence of authoritarianism and gender on the political behavior of white Americans. Authoritarianism and gender are two prominent variables in the formation of political preferences. Authoritarianism is regarded as a dynamic psychological disposition toward order and structure in social relations. Meanwhile, gender reflects external cultural markers attached to sex to indicate appropriate social behavior. Environmental factors like resource disparities and social conventions contribute to the production of gender. Both gender and authoritarianism have become increasingly contentious subjects in the context of contemporary partisanship. Scholars believe that each variable uniquely contributes to polarization, and have studied the …