Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between Sexual And Gender Minority Stress Exposure And Schizophrenia-Like Experiences In The South, Lillian A. Hammer

Dissertations

Background: Negative experiences related to one’s minority identity serve as stressors contributing to mental health concerns for those identifying as a sexual and/or gender minority (SGM). SGM groups have greater severity of some mental health symptoms than non-SGM individuals, yet it is poorly understood whether these findings extend to schizophrenia-like experiences (SLEs). SLEs are associated with significant distress and may indicate risk for the development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Associations between exposure to minority stress and SLEs are underexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing whether exposure to SGM-related minority stress was related to SLEs using ecological …

Familismo: Exploring A Culturally Sensitive Correlation Between Parentification And Relationship Satisfaction Amongst First Generation Mexican-American Adults Through An Attachment Theory Lens, Ana K. Perez

Dissertations

Parentification refers to the role reversal of children who take on adult responsibility to care for family members. This role is often filled by Mexican-American children as a result of immigration and assimilation. This study explored the relationship between parentification and adult romantic relationship satisfaction among first-generation Mexican-American adults, with particular attention to the moderating roles of attachment styles and perceived unfairness. While earlier research has linked parentification to mental health challenges, few studies have examined its long-term impact on intimate relationships, including relationship satisfaction and experiences of intimate partner violence. A total of 132 participants completed an online survey …

Combat And Beyond: Predictors Of Post-Traumatic Growth In War Zone Veterans, Gabriela Crucianu

Dissertations

Veterans returning from combat often face psychological challenges, but many also experience posttraumatic growth (PTG), which refers to positive changes that can emerge after trauma. This study explored whether coping strategies, personal characteristics, social support, and combat exposure were associated with PTG in a sample of 42 war zone veterans using quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants completed validated measures assessing combat exposure, coping strategies, social support, personal characteristics (e.g., optimism), and PTG. Regression analyses showed that combat exposure, coping strategies, and optimism were not significant predictors of overall PTG. However, combat exposure was associated with appreciation for life, a dimension …

"Please Put The Phone Down!": Self-Determination Theory Applied To Parental Social Media Mediation, Benjamin A. Dolowich

Dissertations

The majority of adolescents and young adults use social media (Chaddock, 2024; Coyne et al., 2013). Parents are faced with the challenge of considering the role social media may play in their children’s lives (Valkenburg et al., 2013). Using self-determination theory as a framework (Deci & Ryan, 2000), we investigated psychological needs as one mechanism connecting parental social media mediation strategies with well-being and emotional distress in a sample of young adults. Participants were 244 undergraduate students who completed online questionnaires. The results highlighted that controlling styles of parental social media mediation have an association with emotional distress. Psychological needs …

Increasing Self-Efficacy To Assist Intimate Partner Violence Victims Using Staff-Directed, Rosanina Carlotta Ketchum

Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a women’s health issue. IPV is underreported and a barrier to screening and referral service interventions is a lack of knowledge by health care workers. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental project was to determine if and to what extent the implementation of an evidence-based education session on IPV increased self-efficacy for addressing IPV and the frequency of documented IPV assessments and referrals by staff and volunteers working at a community health perinatal support ministry program in the Midwest. The theoretical frameworks for understanding the effect of IPV and how to increase self-efficacy were the …

Supporting Best Practice Standards In Clinical Simulation Through Community Collaboration: An Exploration Of Impacts On Nursing Student Clinical Competency, Lindsay N. Dubois

Dissertations

Authentic patient representation is essential for preparing nursing students to provide quality care. This need is significant for populations impacted by legislative restrictions to healthcare. Additionally, inconsistent approaches in clinical simulation can hinder teaching and learning of valuable content. Nurses have extensive experience in ethics and social justice advocacy to improve health outcomes. Community collaborations help nurses better support their patients and novice learner competency. In 2022, clinicians and faculty collaborated to improve gender-inclusive representation in undergraduate nursing curricula and to educate learners about local resources. This standardized patient experience, focused on the care of a transgender and non-binary identifying …

Medication Dosage Calculation: The Impact Of Simulation-Based Deliberate Practice On General Self-Efficacy In First-Quarter Nursing Students, Hasani Green

Dissertations

Medication dosage calculation (MDC) competency is essential for safe nursing practice. However, many prelicensure nursing students experience persistent numeracy deficits, anxiety, and inconsistent preparation, contributing to academic failure and potential patient harm. This Doctor of Nursing Practice project addressed the need for effective early instructional strategies by evaluating the impact of an MDC simulation-based learning through deliberate practice (SBL-DP) intervention on first-quarter Associate Degree in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing students’ General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) scores. Guided by Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, a quantitative, quasi-experimental one-group before-and-after design was used with a convenience sample of students enrolled in a …

Servingness In Solidarity: How Filipina/X/O American Student Organizations Cultivate Belonging, Clarissa Mae Lico Calimbas

Dissertations

Filipina/x/o American college students represent one of the largest Asian ethnic subgroups in the United States, yet their educational experiences remain underexamined within institutional research and higher education scholarship. Aggregated under the broader Asian American category, Filipina/x/o American students are rendered invisible by data practices that obscure the distinct colonial histories, socioeconomic realities, and identity negotiations. This qualitative study examined how Filipina/x/o American students at Pacific State University (PSU) describe their involvement in Filipina/x/o American Student Organizations (FASOs) and how that involvement shapes their sense of belonging, cultural identity development, and academic persistence. Guided by a critical race phenomenological framework …

A Mixed-Method Study To Determine The Relationships Between Academic Confidence, Anxiety And Success In College Physics I At A Small Midwestern University, Jason Fenske

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study is to examine the effect of a variety of factors on student success in College Physics I. These factors include the transfer of knowledge from both high school physics and prerequisite mathematics courses for use in physics as well as anxiety, academic confidence, physics confidence, and methods designed to address these. The experiment occurred in a medium-sized midwestern university in two different classrooms. The results of this experiment showed that there is a direct correlation between mathematics confidence and physics confidence and therefore between these and student success. The study found that students who …

The Ramifications Of Covid-19 On Young Adults With Ocd, Clare E. Mcintosh

Dissertations

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a profound event in modern history, contributing to significant disruptions on a societal and individual level. This period of time was marked by elevated uncertainty and fear among individuals. COVID-19 contributed to deterioration in not only physical health but also psychological well-being. One mental health condition frequently under-examined and saturated with misconceptions is obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition characterized by the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions. Intolerance of uncertainty is a core component of the condition, and the pandemic was riddled with unpredictability. The purpose of this study was to …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Protective And Compensatory Experiences, And Parenting Attitudes Among Fathers, Kylie Schmidt

Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood particularly between the ages of 0 and 17 years that negatively influence long-term health, relational functioning, and parenting practices (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026; Felitti et al., 1998; Merrick et al., 2019). Conversely, protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) have emerged as protective factors that foster resilience and possibly buffer against the adverse outcomes of ACEs (Narayan et al., 2018). As the existing research has greatly focused on mothers, little is known about how men’s early life experiences shape their parenting attitudes, particularly during the …

Examining The Impact Of Social Support On Academic Self-Efficacy In Black Doctoral Students In Psychology, Asia A. Hall

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between perceived social support and academic self-efficacy, or academic confidence, among Black doctoral students in psychology programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Grounded in self-efficacy theory, the study was designed to explore whether perceived social support was associated with and predictive of students’ academic confidence. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected using adapted versions of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Academic Self-Efficacy (ASE) scale. The sample consisted of 60 Black doctoral students enrolled in psychology programs at PWIs across the United States. Descriptive statistics indicated the …

Offline And Thriving: Understanding The Professional And Personal Lives Of Non-Social Media Users In A Digitally Dominant Era, Bhargava Mantena

Dissertations

Existing research has treated voluntary social media abstinence as the absence of users rather than as a condition worth study. This mixed-methods study examined its psychological and occupational correlates. Adults aged 21 to 65 reporting abstinence from all major platforms for six months or more completed three validated instruments measuring mental well-being, work engagement, and perceived social isolation; a purposive subsample of 12 took part in semi-structured interviews. The analysis set comprised 120 participants, below the 128 indicated by the a priori power analysis. Research Question 1 could not be tested as approved, because no active-user comparison group was recruited; …

Promoting The Bipartisan Dimension Of Political Leadership: A Study Of The Impact Of A Normative Intervention With Newly Elected Members Of Congress, Jaime M. Ruvalcaba

Dissertations

The U.S. political system is more polarized now than at any time in the past century, as evidenced by the rise of political incivility, legislative gridlock, and hyperpolarization. To date, most studies and efforts have focused on institutional strategies to explain, transform, and mitigate the challenges posed to the political environment. By contrast, little attention has been paid to the normative or values-based behaviors of leaders to either explain or influence political leadership in ways that positively impact the political environment. Fortunately, some organizational programs, like Harvard’s Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress, have taken a different tack, …

A Quantitative Exploration Of Public School Teachers’ Colorblind Racial Attitudes And Their Teaching Practices, Lindsey Dopheide

Dissertations

Teachers play a significant role in shaping student’s academic experiences, social development, and understanding of race and diversity within school settings. Because schools function as important sites of racial socialization, teachers’ beliefs about race may influence how they interpret student behavior, respond to inequities, select instructional practices, and engage with culturally diverse classrooms. One framework that has received increasing attention within psychological and educational research is colorblind racial ideology (CBRI) which reflects the minimization or denial of the continuing significance of race and racism in society. Colorblind racial ideology has been identified in prior literature as a dominant framework for …

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

Dissertations

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

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

Dissertations

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

The Impact Of Using History On Learning In Physics Laboratory Settings, Patrick W. Clouse

Dissertations

Integrating History of Science (HOS) into science courses has many benefits. Students demonstrate improved scientific content knowledge, develop their understanding of Nature of Science (NOS), and improve their attitudes towards science. However, barriers prevent instructors from effectively incorporating history into their teaching. The traditions and culture of science instruction, individual teacher attitudes and skills, existing institutional frameworks, and prevailing curricular materials all prevent HOS integration. Preservice teachers may never be exposed to HOS in their science or education courses, meaning they lack experience and knowledge surrounding the benefits of HOS. Therefore, alternative avenues for effective integration should be considered to …

Student Motivation In Writing, Technology Integration, And Middle Grade Pedagogy, Carol M. Edge

Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored how seventh-grade students experienced three-dimensional (3D) holographic technology during writing instruction. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Multimodality Theory, the study examined how students’ intrinsic motivation processes were influenced by immersive learning environments that incorporated multiple modes of communication. A qualitative case study design was employed with 15 seventh-grade students. Data were triangulated through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and artifact analysis.

Findings indicated that the 3D holographic environment supported students’ experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Students engaged with diverse modes of expression, including textual, visual, spatial, and gestural forms, which enhanced their …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Female Leaders In Public K-12 Schools In Georgia, Tyisha Davis

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the intersectionality of race and gender shapes the leadership experiences of African American women in public K–12 schools. Despite comprising a significant portion of the educator workforce, African American women remain underrepresented in school leadership positions nationally, warranting deeper examinations of their professional pathways and daily realities. This qualitative study employed interpretative phenomenological analysis, guided by an intersectional framework, to understand the lived experiences of 10 African American female educational leaders across K–12 settings in Georgia. Principals, assistant principals, instructional specialists, and a superintendent engaged in semi-structured interviews analyzed through …

Perceptions Of Family Involvement And Its Influence On High School Attendance: Voices Of Families And Mathematics Teachers, Amber Phillips

Dissertations

Chronic absenteeism continues to be a growing concern in high schools, particularly in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although family involvement has been widely studied in elementary and middle schools, less is known about how families and mathematics teachers experience school-based family involvement at the high school level. This qualitative case study explored those perspectives at a rural high school in Northwest Georgia. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with five families and five upper-level mathematics teachers, and a focus group was conducted with eight mathematics teachers. Interview and focus group transcripts were analyzed using structural and focused coding to …

Ai You Can Trust: Understanding The Role Of Structural Assurance And Situational Normality In The Use Of Generative Ai, Olushola Bunmi Abayomi

Dissertations

The rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has increased its use in productivity, content creation, and decision support; however, adoption depends on user trust, as GenAI performs tasks that are often associated with human judgment. Drawing on the Trust in Technology Model, this dissertation examines how structural assurance and situational normality influence Trust in GenAI, and how Trust in GenAI affects trusting intentions and users' willingness to depend on GenAI. Structural assurance and situational normality, captured through several factors, were modeled as antecedents of Trust in GenAI and, in turn, trusting intentions. The model was tested using survey-based experimental …

Identifying The Threshold: Using Regulatory Focus As A Predictor Of Ceo Adaptibility During Environmental Changes, George B. Constantine Iii

Dissertations

Building on research on CEO turnover and strategic leadership, this study examines how decision makers' regulatory focus shapes strategic decision-making and how this can contribute to performance decline, often resulting in CEO replacement. Drawing on regulatory focus theory, the study theorizes that measurable chronic regulatory focus attributes influence decision makers’ capacity to adapt to environmental change—conditions under which prior research suggests executives may become rigid and persist with established strategies. Despite its relevance for strategic adaptation, such chronic trait behavior has received limited attention in the current business literature. To address this gap, effectuation theory is integrated into a simulation-based …

Masculinity, Psychological Flexibility, And Machismo: An Initial Examination Of Relationships To Interpersonal Violence, Geraldine Granados Todd

Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a grave problem in many areas of the world. Latin American countries have some of the highest rates of IPV in the world. One factor potentially impacting these rates has been hypothesized to be traditional machismo. Machismo is a complex construct that has proven difficult to define. A substantial challenge lies in distinguishing the characteristics that are unique to machismo from broader masculine gender role norms. Additionally, machismo seems to have a more “positive” side to it, encompassing loyalty to family, honor, and responsibility. This has been coined caballerismo. Studies looking at the impact of …

Evalutating Self-Instructional Training Materials To Teach Caregiver Implementation Of A Reading Program, Ky'aria Moses

Dissertations

Approximately 69% of fourth grade students and 70% of eighth grade students performed below the proficient level on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment, highlighting ongoing gaps in early literacy skills (NAEP, 2024). Caregiver implementation of instructional reading strategies can positively impact children’s literacy development; however, training is often required to ensure fidelity. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (TYC), is an evidence-based Direct Instruction reading program designed for caregiver implementation, yet its written self-instructional Practice Guide may be insufficient for developing fluent instructional delivery. Research suggests that programmed instructional formats incorporating active …

Severity-Informed Analysis Of Staff-Worn Personal Protective Equipment Use In An Applied Behavior Analysis Clinical Setting, Trey Ximenez

Dissertations

Staff who provide care for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability experience high workplace injury rates, particularly in applied behavior analysis settings (Hardesty 2020; Hardesty et al., 2025; Romani et al., 2020). Despite these elevated risks, organizations lack evidence-based criteria for determining what protection to recommend to staff based on documented injury outcomes (Irwin Helvey et al. 2024). This study examined how staff injury characteristics are associated with staff-worn personal protective equipment (PPE) use in an inpatient neurobehavioral unit. A retrospective analysis of 1,998 staff injury incidents from 105 patients (2020-2024) tested whether injury severity, injury type relevance, …

Black Protection: Black Social Media Competency And Urban, Black Adolescents On Social Media, Taylor A. Williams

Dissertations

While urban, Black adolescents interact with racial identity content on social media, their identity is primarily shaped through offline experiences and later reflected or reinforced online. Through the concept of Black social media competency (B-SMC), this study examined the relationships between Black urban adolescents’ social media use, exposure to race-related content, and experiences navigating the digital environment. The study used a qualitative design, grounded in the phenomenological and ecological frameworks, with 21 adolescents recruited from two urban, Midwestern schools and programs to participate in semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in how the participants …

The Influence Of Shape Complexity And Exploratory Behavior On Grasping, Mckenzie Gunter

Dissertations

People can orient and configure their hands in many ways in order to grasp objects. The current study investigates how object shape and hand placement influence graspability of objects, and how experimentally imposed constraints on grasping type alter grasping behavior. In a recent study, Gunter and Hajnal (under review) found that the ratio of object curvature and maximal handspan is the variable that defines the affordance of graspability. The current study aims to extend these findings by employing a more precise measurement of finger placement in two experiments using 3D printed objects as stimuli. To capture varying complexities of object …

Vulnerability In The Dark Triad: Insecure Attachment And Relational Aggression In The Peer Relationships Of College Students, Summer Boggs

Dissertations

Research on relational aggression (i.e., a type of aggression in which the aggressor harms others by damaging their relationships, reputation, and/or feelings of social acceptance) with college students has identified several important correlates, including anxious and avoidant attachment styles. Moreover, the personality traits captured by the Vulnerable Dark Triad (VDT; i.e., borderline, the antisocial component of psychopathy, and vulnerable narcissism; Miller et al., 2010) have demonstrated positive relationships with both relational aggression and insecure attachment. This study examined the relationship between insecure attachment and relational aggression among college students (N = 560), testing VDT traits as partial mediators of …

Understanding The Impact Of Parenting, Self-Determination Theory, And Adverse Childhood Experiences On College Students, Melanie D. Prater

Dissertations

College students are at high risk for experiencing psychological distress which impacts their academic, mental, and physical well-being (Eskin et al., 2016; Reed‑Fitzke & Lucier‑Greer, 2020; Sharp & Theiler, 2018). The Self Determination Theory (SDT) serves as a suitable framework for investigating the impact of parental autonomy support (PAS) and parental psychological control (PPC) on college students’ well-being and distress. According to SDT, the satisfaction of three foundational needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) supports well-being, while thwarting of these needs may be associated with psychological distress and resilience (Costa et al., 2016; Lera & Abualkibash, 2022; Reed‑Fitzke & Lucier‑Greer, 2020; …