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Characteristics And Motivation Of Spanish- Speaking Latinx Families Of Children With Disabilities Engaged In A Family Support Group, Sandra Helena Rasmussen

Dissertations

Rasmussen, Sandra Helena. Characteristics and Motivation of Spanish-Speaking Latinx Families of Children with Disabilities Engaged in a Family Support Group. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. English learners consistently demonstrate achievement gaps with family educational engagement being one method to improve student academic achievement, however, culturally and linguistically diverse families engage less due to cultural and language differences as well as due to motivational barriers. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to add to the limited literature by gaining insights into the motivational reasons of Spanish-speaking families to engage in a family support group. …

From Invisibility To Belonging: Supports And Challenges Of First-Generation College Students Who Identify As Racial Or Ethnic Minorities, Megan Nichols Martinez

Dissertations

Martinez, Megan N. From Invisibility to Belonging: Supports and Challenges of First- Generation College Students who Identify as Racial and Ethnic Minorities. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The experience of navigating through college is fraught with challenges, and within six years only 20 percent of first-generation college students graduate with their bachelor’s degree (RTI International, 2019b). Additionally, these students experience notable academic difficulties during college when compared to peers, including lower GPA (Chen & Carroll, 2005; D’Amico & Dika, 2013; Lohfink & Paulsen, 2005), decreased academic engagement (Soria & Stebleton, 2012b), and greater likelihood of …

An Empirical Study Of The Determinants Of Consumer Price Sensitivity For The Health And Fitness Club Industry, Lei Ouyang

Dissertations

Ouyang, Lei. An Empirical Study of the Determinants of Consumer Price Sensitivity forthe Health and Fitness Club Industry. Published Doctor of Philosophydissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The primary purpose of this study was to propose and test a general model todescribe the extent to which customer price sensitivity is influenced by perceived value, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and switching costs. Additionally, the study also sought to examine if there is a significant difference in consumer price sensitivity among gender and household income groups. Finally, the study was designed to examine the congruency of the hypothesized model and …

The Experience Of Affectional And Gender Minority Students At Cacrep Accredited Counseling Programs Housed Within Conservative Christian Institutions: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Matthew S. Tis

Dissertations

Tis, Matthew S. The Experience of Affectional and Gender Minority Students at CACREP Accredited Counseling Programs Housed within Conservative Christian Institutions: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the lived experiences of affectional and gender minority students who currently attend or previously attended CACREP accredited counseling programs housed within Conservative Christian Institutions (CCIs), and the sense they make of those experiences. Eight themes emerged from individual interviews conducted with five participants, with most themes existing across all participant accounts. Participants described discriminatory environments …

Perceptions Of Challenges And Resiliences Of Of Post 9/11 Combat Veterans’ Wives, Kaitlin N. Ohde

Dissertations

Ohde, Kaitlin N. (2020). Perceptions of Challenges and Resiliencies of Post 9/11 Combat Veterans’ Wives. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. This study examined the perceptions of challenges and resiliencies of post 9/11 combat veterans’ spouses. For this phenomenological study, 12 female, heterosexual, Caucasian, post 9/11 combat veterans’ wives participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews that utilized family systems and secondary traumatic stress theories. Results were presented in themes and subthemes. This study added to the literature and exploration of the unique challenges experienced by post 9/11 veterans’ wives and how they cultivated resiliency in their marriages. …

Student Nurses Who Witness Critical Events In The Clinical Setting: A Grounded Theory Qualitative Study, Tiffany Lee Hood

Dissertations

Hood, Tiffany Lee. Student Nurses Who Witness Critical Events in the Clinical Setting: A Grounded Theory Qualitative Study. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. Background: Nursing students often experience critical events in the clinical setting, and too often, the clinical instructor does not have the training to help students through these situations. The literature shows that students often feel alone and abandoned, requiring them to endure these experiences without proper psychological recovery. Clinical nurse educators and staff nurses may not fully understand their role in emotional support, pre-briefing, and debriefing, not knowing what to do to …

Consequential Saints: A Preliminary Study Of Jazz And Religion In New Orleans, David Baker

Dissertations

The moral ecosystem of New Orleans at the beginning of the twentieth century offers a unique opportunity for jazz to function and be observed beyond positivist definitions of music. The common narrative often cites religion and morality as peripherally influencing factors in the development of jazz but frequently disregards the impact of New Orleans’ atypical religious milieu and its influence on local culture. While recent research exists that studies the nuanced role of identity, phenomenology, and culture in shaping early jazz, the influence of New Orleans’ unusual form of morality and religion is subsequently ignored. Understanding the birth of jazz …

Experiences Of Middle School Principals With Accountability-Related Stress And Coping Skills, Gus T. Calbert

Dissertations

This exploratory qualitative study was focused on the impact of state and federal mandates on the role of middle school principals, specifically what increased responsibilities and major areas of stress middle school principals are experiencing; how any enhanced stress impacts these middle school principals, both professionally and personally; and what coping mechanisms principals use to handle the stress of any increased responsibilities.

The experiences and perceptions of 12 principals from one Midwestern state were captured through semi-structured interviews, and by having them complete Allison’s Coping Preference Scale. Their answers provide a deeper understanding of what it is like leading a …

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Alcohol Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Drinking Motives And Protective Behavioral Strategies, Hallie R. Jordan

Dissertations

The present study evaluated the sequentially mediating role of drinking motives (i.e. social, enhancement, coping, conformity) and alcohol protective behavioral strategy (PBSA) subtypes (i.e. serious harm reduction [SHR], stopping/limiting drinking [SLD], manner of drinking [MOD]) on the relationships posttraumatic stress symptoms had with hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences in college students. Participants were 492 (50.8% men) traditional age (i.e. 18 to 25 years old) college students reporting past 30 day alcohol consumption and the experience of at least one potentially traumatic event over their lifetime. Participants reported their gender and completed measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms, drinking motives, PBS …

Development Of An Instrument Measuring Existential Authenticity, Misty M. Richmond

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure existential authenticity in adults. Existential authenticity was defined as awareness of the existential givens in the human experience as defined by Irvin Yalom. This construct is theorized as the goal of existential psychotherapy, which is a meaning-centered psychotherapy aligned with the purpose of providing clients with the tools to cope with life's negativities and live a meaningful life. Many diagnostic conditions, including depression, psychological trauma, and anxiety, are conceptualized as amenable to the benefits of existential psychotherapy and the journey towards existential authenticity.

A Comparison Of Pain Perception Between Elderly African-Americans And Caucasians, Janice M. Johnson-Umezulike

Dissertations

This study explored the differences and similarities in pain perception reported in elderly African Americans and elderly Caucasian subjects by addressing the question of whether ethno-cultural background of clients affect their pain perception. The literature was reviewed in the areas of cultural influences on pain perception, the elderly and pain perception, the association of pain perception to past experiences, and the meaning of pain. The Gate Control Pain Theory emphasizing the role of psychological variables in pain perception and behavioral responses to pain was the basis of the theoretical framework (Melzack & Wall, 1965).

Meaning-In-Life, Depression And Suicide In Older Adults: A Comparative Survey Study, Diane M. Buchanan

Dissertations

This study compared meaning-in-life (MIL) and other related variables in two populations, those elderly who were and those who were not depressed. The model developed for this study assumed in older adults that spirituality, hope, health and social support variables are essential concepts within which MIL occurs. Furthermore, the absence of a clear MIL may contribute to the presence of depression, and depression is usually present in conjunction with thoughts of suicide. This study used a comparative survey design to examine relationships between spirituality, hope, health, social support, MIL, depression and suicide. The primary data collection method was quantitative, however, …

A Qualitative Study Of The Preparedness Of Novice Teachers To Teach Effectively In A Blended Learning Environment, Rachelle R. Lafave

Dissertations

Proponents of the effective use of blended learning argue that without technologyenhanced instruction, students graduate from high school missing the digital skills they need to be successful competitors in the labor market (Dickinson, 2018). Yet, authors of supporting work have established technology-enhanced instruction can have a negative effect on student achievement (Newman & Dickinson, 2017). Examined in this qualitative study was the preparedness of novice teachers to provide effective instruction in a blended learning environment, as researchers have found teacher self-efficacy is the number one predictor of instructional quality (Belanger, 2018; Conant, 2016; Künsting, Neuber, & Lipowsky, 2016). Self-efficacy is, …

Midwestern “Grow Your Own” Programs: A Viable Means To Teacher Recruitment And Retention?, Sandra Jean Humbyrd

Dissertations

In this study, an analysis of the perceptions of Career and Technical Education Pathways for the Teaching Profession teachers (pseudonym) and Homegrown Educators sponsors (pseudonym) in a Midwestern state on the success of grow your own programs regarding recruitment and retention rates of alumni teachers was conducted. This research resulted from reports throughout the nation concerning the shortage of teachers. An open-ended survey was utilized to gather perceptual data surrounding recruitment and retention, with a specific interest in high-needs areas and geographical location. Survey results showed there were no significant perceived differences between rural and urban districts in regard to …

Personality Type, Self-Efficacy, And Learning Style Preference: A Quantitative Study Of Ninth-Grade Students In Missouri, Katie Lee Mock

Dissertations

Personality types, learning style preferences, and self-efficacy domains of ninth-grade students in southwest Missouri were explored in this study. The study was conducted to shed light on needs assessments used to identify learner differences due to the rise of mixed-ability classrooms. Five selected schools participated in the study during the 2019-2020 school year. The Big Five Personality survey was used to identify the dominant personality type of each participant: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, or neuroticism. The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) was used to identify the dominant self-efficacy domain for each participant: academic, social, or emotional. The Thinking and Learning …

Psychological And Immunological Correlates Of Surviving Breast Cancer: Influence Of Children, Susan M. Bauer-Wu

Dissertations

Positive outcomes, such as greater meaning in life, have been identified in cancer survivors. A pilot study identified that presence or absence of children may be an important contributor to the observed high variances on measures of personal meaning, perceived stress, and psychological distress in breast cancer survivors; in addition, significant relationships among these variables were found. Based on pilot study findings and using an integration of existential, stress-coping, and psychoneuroimmunology perspectives, the purpose of this study was to identify differences between women with a history of breast cancer who have children and those who do not on measures of …

Social Support And Health Outcomes Associated With Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Ruby L. Wesley-Shadow

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the deleterious, psychosocial effects of the sickle cell disease process on children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. The problem involves the stressful nature of sickle cell disease (physically and psychologically) and the need to investigate the association between the moderating variables (social support) and the frequency of sickle cell crises.

Social Factors That Exacerbate Features Of Borderline Personality Disorder In Young Adult Women Between 25 And 35 Years Of Age Living In The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico, Erika M. Carrasquillo

Dissertations

The high prevalence of BPD hospitalizations, unsuccessful treatments, poor social awareness, suicide attempts and complete suicides were motivating forces for this research study. The aim was to uncover pertinent social factors that exacerbate BPD in the lives of individuals with this affliction and therefore find ways to combat this disease. Since most of the individuals affected by this disease are female, the present research was focused on uncovering factors that increased the likelihood of BPD factors in women between the ages of 25-35 years. Borderline personality disorder is often viewed as difficult to treat. However, recent research shows that BPD …

The Role Of Plasticity In Bumble Bee Responses To Environmental Variability, Matthew Austin

Dissertations

An aim of contemporary biology is elucidating the causes and consequences of phenotypic plasticity. Here, I approach this aim by exploring the eco-evolutionary dynamics of phenotypic plasticity and environmental variability in bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus), a congeneric clade of eusocial pollinating insects. Throughout their evolution, bumble bees have encountered spatiotemporal variability imposed by dynamic floral environments. Today, bumble bees additionally encounter spatiotemporal variability imposed by anthropogenic environmental change. In this dissertation, I explore how phenotypic plasticity affects how successfully bumble bees respond to environmental variability imposed by anthropogenic global change (Chapters 1 and 2) and their floral resources (Chapters …

Exclusionary Beliefs, Multicultural Ideology, Empathy, And Perceived Threat: A Comprehensive Model Of Anti-Immigrant Prejudice, Reigna El-Yashruti

Dissertations

Despite the increased movement of people across national borders, anti-immigrant sentiment continues to pose challenges to immigrant mental health and disrupt intergroup relations. In the USA, where over 14% of the population is comprised of foreign-born individuals, immigrants continue to face prejudice from both the public and political administration. Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT) explains this prejudice as stemming from the perception that the out-group poses a threat to the cultural purity, economic stability, or physical safety of the in-group. Traits that promote group exclusion, such as perceived group superiority (i.e. Right-Wing Authoritarianism; RWA, Social Dominance Orientation; SDO, cultural dominance; CD) …

Supporting Hope In Midlife Cancer Survivors: Intervention Workshop, Clare Marie Butt

Dissertations

Cancer patients lack information and support needed to make the transition to survivorship. This problem was addressed by testing a psycho-educational group intervention, the Mid-Life Directions Workshop, for its effect on hope and quality of life in midlife cancer survivors.

Engaging Middle School Emergent Bilinguals In Language Awareness: A Practitioner Researcher Study, Carol Lickenbrock

Dissertations

This practitioner research study (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009) traced the journey toward critical literacy of a group of seven emergent bilinguals and me, their teacher, over the course of a four-month unit on argument as part of our English for Speakers of Other Languages 3 (ESOL3) class. Many of these students, like many emergent bilinguals in the United States, had been disempowered because they had not had access to the academic texts of school. As part of this research, students worked with tools of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to analyze the interpersonal, ideational and textual metafunctions of argumentation in lessons …

Measuring The Impact Of Cognitive Behavioral Coaching With Nonverbal Immediacy On The Self-Efficacy Of Undergraduate Students In Stem Courses, Christopher Miller, Melissa Joy Benton

Dissertations

A quasi-experimental study explored whether the practice of cognitive behavioral coaching with an intentional focus on nonverbal immediacy has an impact on the self-efficacy of undergraduate students taking college-level STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses. A positive impact to self-efficacy for students who receive the coaching intervention was anticipated. The research took place at a public research university located in the Midwest. Subjects included students who were required to work with a success coach as a condition of their enrollment and/or financial aid eligibility. Information obtained included perception of nonverbal immediacy of the coaches and self-efficacy of the student, …

Explaining Relationships Between Stress And Resilience In Pharmacy Students, Rebecca Jones

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Stress is a growing issue on college campuses, and students in a professional pharmacy program may be at an even greater risk for associated problems. The purpose of this study was to gain information about resilience and its relationship with stress, high-risk behaviors, and grade point averages (GPAs) in students who just completed their first professional (P1) year of a pharmacy program. The research questions for this study were: 1) What is the relationship between levels of stress and level of resilience in these pharmacy students, 2) What is the relationship between high-risk behaviors and level of resilience?, and …

Utilizing Mindfulness-Based Exercises To Reduce Anxiety Severity Scores According To The Gad-7, Kelly Calhoun

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) affects thousands of Americans every year. Mindfulness, a practice of bringing oneself into the present moment, has been shown to impact anxiety symptoms positively.

Objective: This prospective observational correlational study utilized mindfulness-based exercises to help decrease anxiety severity according to the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) in an outpatient psychiatric practice.

Methods: Participants practiced mindfulness exercises for two months. The GAD-7 was completed three times to monitor symptom severity. Two participant satisfaction surveys were completed to determine whether participants felt the exercises were beneficial for decreasing their anxiety.

Results: A repeated measures ANOVA was used …

Bridging The Gap In Primary Care Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Ibd) Patients, Deanna Dial

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem. Patients in rural or medically underserved areas (MUAs) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have limited access to primary care preventative services, making them even less likely to obtain preventative care, placing them at even greater risk for adverse health outcomes.

Methods. A two-phase retrospective chart review utilizing a convenience sample of patients diagnosed with IBD from a privately-owned gastroenterology office to evaluate the effectiveness of increasing preventative screenings for IBD patients. The first review included 53 patients seen from January to April 2019. A preventative screening

evaluation tool (PSET) was developed based on literature recommendations, including the American …

Nurse Practitioner Student Confidence And Competence In Common Women's Health Diagnostic Procedures, Jessica Cowan

Dissertations

Problem: In areas with limited health resources, such as Guatemala, cost-effective and reliable methods for sexually transmitted infection and cervical cancer screenings are needed. The purpose of this Quality Improvement (QI) project was to develop standardized training in Vaginal Wet Mount (VWM) preparation and cervical cancer screening using Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) for Nurse Practitioner students who traveled to Guatemala for a week-long global immersion experience.

Methods: This was a QI project with a prospective descriptive design utilizing a purposive sample of 10 University of Missouri-St. Louis Nurse Practitioner students who traveled to Guatemala on medical mission trip …

Comparison Of Nursing Student Academic Achievement And Satisfaction Based On Face-To-Face Interaction Versus Distance Education In Teaching Therapeutic Crisis Management Techniques, Jennifer S. Graber

Dissertations

Nursing education today is very different with advances in science and technology. Nurse educators are using distance education in an effort to offer students the ability to practice varying skills in a safe non-threatening environment. This quasi-experimental, post-hoc causal comparative study had a two group post-test only design. There were two conditions: face-to-face classroom delivery of course content and distance education with online course content. The study was designed to compare effectiveness of distance education and face-to-face interaction through reviewing test grades and class grades. Additionally students were asked to rate their satisfaction of the different modalities.

Knowledge And Health Beliefs About Breast Cancer Screening Among Rural Palestinian Women: Pilot Study, Hanan Saca-Hazboun

Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer among women and the risk increases with age, with an estimated 1.67 million new cases in 2012 and a 25% incidence of all cancers in women in both developed and developing countries. It is the most frequent cause of cancer death in women in less developed regions (324,000 deaths, 14.3% of total), (Ferlay, Soerjomataram, Dikshit, Eser, Mathers, Rebelo, et al., 2015). Breast cancer is diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease in women who reside in the developing countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region (Jemal, Bray, Center, Ferlay, Ward, & Forman, …

Utilizing Wellness Champions As A Faith-Based Initiative For Mental Health Promotion, Tracy M. Webster Cooley

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: This program evaluation project evaluated the effectiveness of mental health training and support provided to wellness champions affiliated with a behavioral health organization. This project sought to gain a better understanding of how clergy and laypersons acting as wellness champions in predominately African-American faith-based organizations perceive they create an atmosphere to decrease stigma and increase mental health promotion and wellness when receiving education and training on mental health.

Methods: A descriptive project using a program evaluation design to evaluate the effectiveness of the training of 122 wellness champions from faith-based organizations received from a behavioral health organization …