Digital Commons Network^™

Capturing Diverse Adolescents’ Social Contexts: The Development Of An Ethnic-Racial Microaffirmations Scale For Peer Interactions, Maria Radulescu

Dissertations

The development of a strong and positive sense of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) has been identified as an asset for ethnically and racially marginalized adolescents. Peer interactions during the adolescent years can support ERI development. In particular, a subtle micro-level form of peer support—microaffirmations—may be protective for ERI processes. However, the field of microaffirmations is very small, and there is no scale that captures adolescents’ experiences of ethnic-racial microaffirmations from their peers. The current study developed an ethnic-racial peer microaffirmations scale based on extant literature and feedback from 4 focus groups with 22 sophomore high school students. Findings indicated that 5 …

“What’S Happening In The Gulf Of Maine?”: Middle School Students’ Engagement In Climate Science Through Data Visual Representation And Reflections, Grace Ocular

Dissertations

This study examined how middle school students engaged with science concepts while working with data visualizations during a field trip learning experience. Fifty-one teams of 2–4 students from 35 schools participating in the LabVenture program were video- and audio-recorded. Students completed two activities: one using a frequency table of marine species illustrating threats to Maine’s lobster population, and another using maps depicting changes in Gulf of Maine sea surface temperature. After each activity, students annotated the visualization, discussed their claims, and recorded short reflections. Transcripts were coded for science-related talk, and annotations and gestures were also analyzed. Findings indicate that …

"I'M Not Having Fun Anymore": A Qualitative Analysis Of Gender And Harassment In Bars And Clubs, Phoebe Marie Jackson

Dissertations

Sexual harassment, while often spoken about in hushed tones or ignored altogether, happens frequently and often loudly. 66 percent of women who have experienced sexual harassment report that the harassment took place in a public space, such as work, school, or on the street (Kearl, 2018). Harassment is not discreet, but rather normalized, and those who experience it are expected to brush it off or take it in their stride. However, such harassment and subsequent dehumanization has a deteriorating effect on the mental well-being of those affected (Graham et. al., 2016). This study aims to hone in on the effect …

Systematic Review Examining How Black Youth In The United States Cope With Stressful And Traumatic Experiences, Marcus Aaron Flax

Dissertations

Coping is an important behavioral skillset that youth use to emotionally regulate after experiencing stress or trauma. Research has repeatedly highlighted the stressors that Black youth experience, often finding that Black youth face higher levels of stress and trauma than their White peers. However, there has been a lack of research in understanding how Black youth cope with these higher levels of stress. This systematic review includes 72 studies (N = 16,205 participants) examining the frequency and effectiveness of coping strategies used by Black youth in response to a trauma or stressor, along with the associations between utilized coping strategies …

Voices Of Chinese American Emerging Adults: Complex Racial Identities, Family Dynamics, And Mental Health Experiences, Maxwell Lou Xu

Dissertations

Although Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial minority group in the United States, they remain significantly underrepresented in mental health research. Furthermore, research on Asian American mental health often aggregates the experiences of different Asian ethnic groups, creating a limited understanding of how distinct ethnic groups may differ in their mental health experiences. This interview study with Chinese American emerging adults ages 18–25 from varied family contexts (single-race, multiracial, and adoptive households) examines how members of this population make sense of the relationships between their identity, family, and mental health. This thesis posits that Chinese Americans' nuanced experiences—particularly around …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Gaslighting In The Workplace, Lauren Flanagan

Dissertations

The topic of gaslighting has gained increasing traction over the last several years. People have begun researching it in real-world settings such as relationships, politics, and the workplace. Furthermore, researchers have looked at the effects it has on the victim. However, there has been limited research on how one might react to an instance of gaslighting. This study examines how the victim’s race and the perpetrator’s position of power influence third parties’ recommendations on how to handle a scenario of workplace gaslighting. Psychology 101 students (N = 154) were randomly assigned to a 2 (race of victim: white vs black) …

In-Person Versus Peer-Coordinated Virtual Health Coaching For Metabolic And Behavioral Outcomes In Women In Sober Living Facilities, Craig R. Witt

Dissertations

Background: Women in early recovery from substance use disorder often face metabolic health vulnerabilities, yet physical health behaviors are frequently under-emphasized in sober living settings. Feasible and accessible wellness strategies are needed to support both behavioral and metabolic health in this population.

Purpose: To compare the effects of professionally delivered in-person health coaching versus peer-coordinated virtual health coaching on metabolic outcomes and health-promoting behaviors among women in sober living facilities.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 32 women enrolled in a 12-week group-based health coaching program focused on nutrition, physical activity, and stress management; 18 completed post-intervention assessments (in-person: n = …

Protein Ingestion And High-Intensity Resistance Training Decrease Respiratory Exchange Ratio Following Exercise In Females Across Various Body Compositions., Lynnsey Bowling

Dissertations

Metabolic dysfunction is associated with excess adipose tissue and interventions to elicit improvements to body composition could combat these health consequences. Acute nutritional and exercise strategies have the potential to shift metabolic processes toward those favoring fat oxidation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) and pre-exercise protein (PRO) ingestion on post-exercise respiratory exchange ratio (RER) in lean (LN) and overweight (OW) females. Twenty recreationally-active females (LN: n =10; OW: n = 10) completed two experimental sessions, consisting of HIRT and two acute nutritional interventions: PRO and placebo (PLA). RER was analyzed …

Astaxanthin Supplementation Does Not Significantly Alter Cognitive Performance Following Mental Fatigue In Females, Gavin A. Barker

Dissertations

Mental fatigue (MF) is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity, often characterized by impairments to cognitive performance. Astaxanthin (AX) is a naturally occurring antioxidant that can cross the blood-brain barrier and may preserve cognition when presented with a MF challenge. As yet, no studies have yet been conducted in an all-female cohort. This is the first study to investigate 4-weeks of AX supplementation on markers of cognitive performance (reaction time (RT), speed, and responses correct per second (RCS), visual analog scale of mental exertion (VAS-E)) following acute MF. Twenty-five recreationally active female subjects (AX: n …

The Impact Of University Engagement On Psychosocial Factors Among Division I Female Student-Athletes, Ashley A. Cook

Dissertations

Background: Female student-athletes navigate unique psychosocial challenges balancing academics and athletics, yet limited research has explored the impact of university engagement on their social and emotional well-being. This study examines the impact of university engagement on sense of social fit (SSF), nonspecific psychological distress (NPD), and loneliness among Division I female student-athletes.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among female student-athletes (n = 111) from eight sports at a mid-sized NCAA Division I university in the Southern U.S. Participants completed validated measures using the SSF scale, UCLA Loneliness scale, and Kessler-6 Psychological Distress scale. An exploratory factor analysis was performed …

Self-Awareness And Self-Efficacy In The Novice Professional Phase Of Marriage And Family Therapists After Person Of The Therapist Training, A Comparative Survey, Rubio Betsabé

Dissertations

The study focuses on examining the influence of person-of-the-therapist or self-of-the-therapist training on therapists’ self-reports of self-awareness (as a conscious awareness of one’s internal states and interactions with others) and self-efficacy (perceived beliefs in personal capabilities to perform in ways that give control over events that affect their lives) at the novice professional stage of their career. The study will examine the experiences reported by mental health providers actively providing clinical care by utilizing a survey design focusing on person of the therapist connecting through alumni lists and online solicitation. This research adds to the current literature by using a …

What Works In Telehealth Play Therapy? An Appreciative Heuristic Inquiry, Veronica Ann Ball

Dissertations

With the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States in March 2020 (World Health Organization, 2020), professional counselors providing traditional in-person play therapy found themselves in a quandary regarding the delivery of services during a global pandemic (Evans, 2022; Mitchell, 2020; Whaibeh et al., 2020). Online counseling proffered a means to prevent the disruption of services, respond to the need for emerging counseling services, and comply with social restrictions (Evans, 2022). Prior to the pandemic, telehealth play therapy was used sparingly (Haslam & Harris, 2011; Smith et al., 2021), and many child-serving mental health professionals lacked training …

What About The Children? An Exploration Of Family Counselors' Play Therapy Training And Preparedness To Integrate Children Into Family Counseling, Patricia J. Walker Monical

Dissertations

Children are an important part of families, yet family counselor education programs often do not incorporate training for including children in family counseling. At some point in their careers, family counselors and therapists will encounter clients who have children 3–12 years old. The problem is that since these professionals often receive little to no training in play therapy and thus do not typically include young children in family therapy, these younger family members are often overlooked. Research has confirmed that, due to a lack of sufficient training and supervision in play therapy, many family therapists report feeling unprepared to work …

Alienation On Campus: Students, Agency, And A 'Praxis Of Possibility', Julia R. Allison

Dissertations

In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the idea of alienation took hold across the United States as a way of explaining feelings of disconnection, powerlessness, and meaninglessness that seemed to be pervading American society. This was no less true on college and university campuses, where students engaged in protest over both government action and inaction and a new youth counterculture took root. What led to alienation’s prominence as a social phenomenon is a matter of some debate, as are the causes of its precipitous decline in the early 70s. However, after an extended silence more recent decades have seen something …

Patient Violence In The Emergency Department : The Potential Role Of Endogenous And Exogenous Factors, Laura Baker Graham

Dissertations

Patient Violence against nurses is a widespread problem resulting in both emotional and physical injury to the nurse. Emergency Department (ED) nurses are at an increased risk due to the volume and variety of the patients they serve, and the general chaotic environment of the ED; however, little research has been done examining the characteristics of patients who offend and the physical environment of the ED where the event happened. The aim of this three-article dissertation was to develop a more thorough understanding of the personal attributes (endogenous) of the individual patient and external (exogenous) factors of the emergency department …

Learning Paradigms For Rhythm Detection And Generation Using Mathematical Models, Biophysical And Artificial Neural Networks, Prianka Bose

Dissertations

Humans possess an inherent ability to recognize evenly-spaced rhythms, known as isochronous rhythms, owing to the brain's predisposition to entrain to external auditory stimuli with regular temporal intervals. The central focus of this research is to understand how the brain learns and retains rhythmic time intervals in the context of music. This dissertation studies rhythm detection and generation through mathematical models, biophysical networks, and artificial neural networks, addressing both isochronous and non-isochronous patterns.

A primary focus of the thesis is on isochronous rhythms. In particular, given a perturbation to an isochronous rhythm such as a tempo change or phase shift …

Crowd-Sourced Learning For Computer Graphics Applications, Yunhao Zhang

Dissertations

Computer Graphics (CG) revolves around virtual content creation using computational methods, spanning applications from games to visual effects. Typically, the creation of CG content is led by expert practitioners who guide computational algorithms towards satisfactory results. Thus, creating CG content often requires manual iterations encompassing algorithm design, parameter tuning, and aesthetic feedback. This work investigates how to leverage crowd-sourcing to streamline such creation processes, focusing on animation and simulation. In animation, a novel crowd-sourcing framework is proposed for combat animation, enabling users to analyze motion similarities, and retrieve matching motions using novel crowd-sourced motion features. Such features enable quantifying previously …

Representation Of Alaskan Native People In Nonprofit Leadership, Vanessa Smith

Dissertations

The nonprofit sector faces a significant issue: the underrepresentation of the communities it aims to serve, including Alaska Native communities. This research investigates the likely causes of this underrepresentation and explores potential solutions. It includes nine qualitative interviews with a majority of Alaskan Native leaders and consultations with other non-Native nonprofit leaders who have extensive experience in Alaska's nonprofit organizations.

This study arose from firsthand experience in an Anchorage, Alaska nonprofit, where the lack of Alaska Native representation in leadership roles within an organization meant to serve the Alaska Native community was evident. The research aimed to understand how well …

Beyond Average Effects In Education Research Syntheses: Explaining Heterogeneity Of Concept Mapping Research In Science Education Through Meta-Regression Modeling, Aaron Wenger

Dissertations

Contemporary education research seeks causal inferences in order to guide policy and practice. Often well-controlled quasi-experimental and experimental designs are used as they are very useful for supporting and contextualizing causal inferences. Nevertheless, individual studies, even high-quality, resource-intensive randomized controlled trials, are not able to establish generalized claims. Because primary studies vary over dozens of variables (e.g., grade, subject, duration) simply conducting additional primary studies cannot change this. Furthermore, the informal assessments of primary studies common in literature reviews are unable to resolve certain challenges (e.g., publication bias) that are described in the emerging field of meta-research. These challenges require …

Rethinking Safe Nurse Staffing In The Post-Covid Icu: A Comparative Analysis Of The Nurse-To-Patient Ratio And Mixed Model Approach For State Policies, Emilie A. Maxie

Dissertations

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) led to an unprecedented surge in ICU admission, increasing the nurse-to-patient ratios and intensifying stress on ICU nurses. This prompted many nurses to leave bedside care, exacerbating the ongoing nursing shortage and creating unsafe working conditions. Fourteen states have enacted safe nurse staffing policies. California implemented a mandated nurse-to-patient ratio, while Massachusetts adopted a mixed model for ICUs that involves a ratio, nurse committees, and workload tools. In post-COVID, this raises the question of which state policy approach is more effective in retaining ICU nursing staff. Literature suggests a mixed policy may be more effective.

A Phenomenological Study To Determine How Expert Avid Teachers Use Collaboration To Strengthen Student Metacognition And Student Self-Efficacy And Determine When It Occurs, Megan Hernandez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine how expert AVID teachers from the California Central Valley describe the use of collaboration to strengthen student metacognition and self-efficacy and how they describe the evidence that indicates metacognition and self-efficacy are occurring.

Methodology: Five Central California school districts were chosen to conduct the phenomenological study on expert AVID teachers. One to two AVID teachers from each of the five school districts were chosen in the study for eight participants. The expert AVID teachers were chosen for having at least five years of experience teaching AVID and being up to …

Discovering The Process Of Reasonable Academic Accommodations For Pre-Licensure Nursing Students With Learning Disabilities, Amy Yarbrough

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the process by which nursing faculty make reasonable academic accommodations for students with learning disabilities in the classroom setting. Nursing students with identified learning disabilities require academic accommodations to facilitate their success. The process of reasonable academic accommodations for nursing students with learning disabilities has not been examined within nursing education literature. Clarification is necessary regarding this process to promote student success and inclusive learning environments within nursing education. Constructivist grounded theory methods as described by Charmaz (2014) guided data collection and analysis. The accommodation processes with categories were identified. The emergent …

Examining Teachers’ Experiences In Fostering Social-Emotional Learning After Returning To In-Person Instruction In The Midst Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rosario Grajeda

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study examines how middle school teachers in Riverside County, California, support the social-emotional learning (SEL) needs of students as students returned to in-person instruction after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This qualitative study explores how Riverside County middle school teachers addressed students' social and emotional needs upon returning to in-person learning after COVID-19. Twelve teachers from local public middle schools (grades 6-8) participated in semi-structured interviews, answering ten questions. Data from interviews and artifacts were transcribed and analyzed using NVIVO software to identify recurring themes related to the study questions. Findings: The shared experiences of participants and …

A Latent Profile Analysis Of High-Risk Children's Problematic Sexual Behavior, Claudia Campbell

Dissertations

As research and intervention regarding children’s problematic sexual behavior (PSB) have broadly defined PSB, including all forms of developmentally atypical sexual behavior and all potential etiological factors, limited work to date has identified subtypes or unique patterns of PSB. The aim of the current study was to examine the presence of unique patterns of PSB and etiological factors among high-risk children utilizing latent profile analysis (LPA) based on children’s self-focused PSB, interpersonal PSB (IPSB), maltreatment factors, co-occurring symptoms, adaptive functioning, and family functioning. The present study included 689 8-year-old children (50.1% male, 50.2% Black) with potential PSB and their caregivers …

Faculty And Staff Pay Satisfaction And The Impact On Organizational Commitment And Retention, Jennifer Hennings

Dissertations

This mixed-method study explored the relationships between pay satisfaction, organizational commitment, retention, and seniority among faculty and staff at a private, four-year institution in the Midwest. The research investigated how satisfaction with a compensation program influences organizational commitment and turnover intentions. The researcher used a quantitative method to study the impact of pay satisfaction on organizational commitment and turnover intention. Additionally, a quantitative method explored relationships between seniority and turnover intention. Findings revealed positive relationships between pay satisfaction and organizational commitment, along with pay satisfaction and turnover intention. Findings also revealed positive relationships between seniority, measured as years of service, …

Prostate Cancer Screening Survey Among African-American And Their Partners, Angela James

Dissertations

The purpose of this translational research project was to survey adult African-Americans and their partners to explore inhibitors and facilitators to PC screening.

Circadian Body Temperature And Activation Rhythms And The Well-Being Of Independent Older Women, Diana J. Mason

Dissertations

This study examined changes in the circadian parameters of body temperature and activation and their relationship to the well-being of the older woman.

Nurse Educators' Perceptions Regarding Faculty Participation In University Governance, Janet J. Gross

Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify nurse educators' perceptions of faculty participation in university governance

Nurse Delegation Decision Making: Impact On Nurse Job Satisfaction, Lynn Carol Parsons

Dissertations

The purpose of this experimental study was to ascertain if a structured educational intervention (versus a mimic intervention) was followed by a statistically significant increase in nurse delegation decision making knowledge and nurse job satisfaction.

Reducing The Use Of Multiple Restraints In The Psychiatric Emergency Department, Juliet Nneka Udo

Dissertations

The purpose of the quantitative quality-improvement project was to implement the interprofessional collaborative practice model (ICPM) education program for providers, as an evidence-based intervention in reducing the use of multiple restraints in the psychiatric emergency department.