Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Forgiveness Through Theologically Informed Education: Lessons From Judaism, Yitzhak Ben Yair, Sarel Ohayon, Natti Ronel, Suzanne Freedman

Faculty Publications

Education serves as the primary line of defense against crime and other psychological difficulties. Children exposed to adversity and emotional challenges may be susceptible to various risks, potentially leading to criminal activities. Forgiveness has been demonstrated as a healing influence in the lives of individuals who have experienced hurt and accumulated negative emotions due to life events. Understanding forgiveness from a young age, in both theory and practice, may facilitate improved relationships and psychological well-being. This article underscores the significance of forgiveness education, advocating for a culturally and theologically sensitive approach. In this article we will offer an example of …

Achieving Destination Sustainability: How Tourist-To-Tourist Interaction Quality Affects Tourist Loyalty?, Junli Gao, Fang Meng Ph.D., Weifeng Guo, Baomin Lin

Faculty Publications

Although tourist-to-tourist interaction (TTI) has been identified as an essential element in tourist experiences, the effect of TTI quality on tourist loyalty, and the mechanism underlying this effect is scarcely discussed in the literature. Based on the self-determination theory, this study aims to examine whether and how TTI quality influences tourist loyalty, representing a significant means to achieve destination sustainability. More specifically, this study tested a moderated mediation model in which basic psychological needs satisfaction mediated the relationship between TTI quality and tourist loyalty, while sociability moderated the link between TTI quality and basic psychological needs satisfaction. A survey research …

Brain-Hand Function Relationships Based On Level Of Grasp Function In Chronic Left-Hemisphere Stroke, Elizabeth Rizor

Faculty Publications

Background and Objective

The biomarkers of hand function may differ based on level of motor impairment after stroke. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between resting state functional connectivity (RsFC) and unimanual contralesional hand function after stroke and whether brain-behavior relationships differ based on level of grasp function.

Methods

Sixty-two individuals with chronic, left-hemisphere stroke were separated into three functional levels based on Box and Blocks Test performance with the contralesional hand: Low (moved 0 blocks), Moderate (moved >0% but < 90% of blocks relative to the ipsilesional hand), and High (moved ≥90% of blocks relative to the ipsilesional hand).

Results

RsFC in the ipsilesional and interhemispheric motor networks was reduced in the Low group compared …

Long-Range White Matter Fibres And Post-Stroke Verbal And Non-Verbal Cognition, Rebecca W. Roth, Deena Schwen Blackett, Ezequiel Gleichgerrcht, Janina Wilmskoetter, Chris Rorden, Roger Newman-Norlund, Souvik Sen, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Natalie Busby, Leonardo Bonilha

Faculty Publications

Among stroke survivors, linguistic and non-linguistic impairments exhibit substantial inter-individual variability. Stroke lesion volume and location do not sufficiently explain outcomes, and the neural mechanisms underlying the severity of aphasia or non-verbal cognitive deficits remain inadequately understood. Converging evidence supports the idea that white matter is particularly susceptible to ischaemic injury, and long-range fibres are commonly associated with verbal and non-verbal function. Here, we investigated the relationship among post-stroke aphasia severity, cognition, and white matter integrity. Eighty-seven individuals in the chronic stage of stroke underwent diffusion MRI and behavioural testing, including language and cognitive measures. We used whole-brain structural connectomes …

Youth's Political Identity And Fertility Desires, Heather M. Rackin, Christina M. Gibson-Davis

Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examines the association between political identity and young adults' fertility desires from 1989 to 2019. Background: Understanding the factors that shape fertility preferences is important because these preferences are the critical bridge between social forces and fertility. Identity is a theorized, but understudied, predictor of fertility desires. The increasing salience of political identity suggests that the association between political identity and fertility desires has strengthened over time. Method: Data come from the 1989–2019 waves of Monitoring the Future, a nationally representative study of 12th graders (N = 67,557). Regression models examined how political identity (measured by Republican …

A Comparative Study Of Hpv Vaccine Acceptability Across Global North And South Countries: Usa And Kenya, Robert Nyaga, Prince Adu Gyamfi

Faculty Publications

This study examined the HPV vaccine landscape in Kenya and the USA with

a focus on if differences exist in the perceptions of HPV knowledge, vaccine

attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and vaccine

intention among students across country and gender. It also provides useful

findings that can inform the design of persuasive health messages to promote

the uptake of HPV vaccines among college students in Kenya and the USA.

The study used surveys to recruit 1,033 participants (511 Kenyan and 522 USA

students). The two-way MANOVA analysis revealed that the multivariate

main effects showed no significant differences for gender, …

“Trying To Remain Calm…But I Do Reach My Limit Sometimes”: An Exploration Of The Meaning Of Gentle Parenting, Anne E. Pezalla, Alice J. Davidson

Faculty Publications

Raising young children has always been hard, but evidence suggests that it may be getting harder. The isolation of the pandemic, the pressures to fulfill exacting parenting standards, and the explosion of “expert” parenting advice on social media have fueled the rise of “gentle parenting,” an approach that pivots away from older, discipline-heavy parenting typologies and which promises the development of happier, healthier children. Despite the popularity of gentle parenting, it has received no empirical scrutiny. The current study represents the first systematic investigation of what gentle parenting entails. Data were gathered from a sample (N = 100) of parents …

Navigating Challenges In Community-Based Research Aimed At Ending The Hiv Epidemic Among Black Womens., J. Richelle Joe, Shan-Estelle Brown, Andrea Dunn

Faculty Publications

Our interdisciplinary team initiated a community-based participatory research project aimed at dismantling the gendered racism faced by Black women in healthcare settings that makes them vulnerable to HIV and other health conditions. During the data collection phase of the project, we encountered multiple challenges with the recruitment and enrollment of Black women in the study as well as with an influx of fraudulent responses that slowed down the research process. In this article, we discuss our research methodology followed by details of the challenges we faced and the processes we used to navigate those challenges.

Exploring The Role Of Disciplinary Knowledge In Students' Covariational Reasoning During Graphical Interpretation, Nigar Altindis, Kathleen A. Bowe, Brock Couch, Christopher F. Bauer, Melissa L. Aikens

Faculty Publications

Background: This study investigates undergraduate STEM students’ interpretation of quantities and quantitative relationships on graphical representations in biology (population growth) and chemistry (titration) contexts. Interviews (n = 15) were conducted to explore the interplay between students’ covariational reasoning skills and their use of disciplinary knowledge to form mental images during graphical interpretation.

Results: Our findings suggest that disciplinary knowledge plays an important role in students’ ability to interpret scientific graphs. Interviews revealed that using disciplinary knowledge to form mental images of represented quantities may enhance students’ covariational reasoning abilities, while lacking it may hinder more sophisticated covariational reasoning. Detailed descriptions …

Culturally Relevant Music Remedies For At-Risk Students, José Valentino Ruiz-Resto, Chris Shelton

Faculty Publications

This article presents a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the impact of social media on mental health. With the rapid growth and widespread adoption of social media platforms, concerns regarding their potential influence on individuals' psychological well-being have emerged. Drawing from a diverse range of studies, this review explores the various dimensions through which social media can affect mental health, including self-esteem, body image, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and addictive behaviors. The findings reveal both positive and negative outcomes, highlighting the complex relationship between social media use and mental health. Additionally, this article discusses the underlying mechanisms and potential …

Teaching Fairness In Preschool: Evaluating The Steps In An Anti-Bias Education, Sharon Carnahan, Courtney Trohn, Cora Burkley, Diane Terorde Doyle

Faculty Publications

How do young children learn how to talk about ethical concepts, such as fairness and equity? The current research assesses the effects of philosophy-based anti-bias lessons aimed at three to five -year-olds in a laboratory preschool and explores the relationship between socioemotional skills, language development, and understanding of ethical concepts. The constructivist curriculum was grounded in storybook lessons with corresponding activities. In a pre-post test design, we interviewed children before and after lessons in fairness education that included book reading, related games, and philosophical discussions. We found that children showed a significant increase in comprehension of equity related terms and …

Understanding The Retrospective And Current Health Care Needs And Service Experiences Of Adult Survivors Of Minor Sex Trafficking, Amelia Wagner, Sarah Lockwood, Amy Farrell, Carlos Cuevas, Jennifer E. O'Brien, Rebecca Pfeffer, Jaclyn Kolnik, Alisa Lincoln

Faculty Publications

Minor sex trafficking is an urgent public health problem, but we lack data about how such experiences impact health and health care access. Utilizing data collected from in-depth interviews with 35 adult survivors of minor sex trafficking across the U.S. we explored the physical and psychological healthcare access and healthcare experiences of adult survivors of minor sex trafficking. Negative healthcare experiences before, during, and following sex trafficking foster a lack of trust and confidence in healthcare systems as adults. Recommendations are provided to help overcome barriers to meeting healthcare needs and improving health care experiences for survivors of minor sex …

Understanding The Retrospective And Current Health Care Needs And Service Experiences Of Adult Survivors Of Minor Sex Trafficking, Amelia Wagner, Sarah Lockwood, Amy Farrell, Carlos Cuevas, Jennifer E. O'Brien, Rebecca Pfeffer, Jaclyn Kolnik, Alisa Lincoln

Faculty Publications

Minor sex trafficking is an urgent public health problem, but we lack data about how such experiences impact health and health care access. Utilizing data collected from in-depth interviews with 35 adult survivors of minor sex trafficking across the U.S. we explored the physical and psychological healthcare access and healthcare experiences of adult survivors of minor sex trafficking. Negative healthcare experiences before, during, and following sex trafficking foster a lack of trust and confidence in healthcare systems as adults. Recommendations are provided to help overcome barriers to meeting healthcare needs and improving health care experiences for survivors of minor sex …

Love Of Creation: Exploring Diversity And Commonality Among Religious And Philosophical Traditions, Tim Lomas, Brendan W. Case, Matthew T. Lee, Jayanti Basu, Lindsie Bear, Richard G. Cowden, Yudit Kornberg Greenberg, Tayyab Rashid, Tyler J. Vanderweele

Faculty Publications

Love is widely recognized as one of the most important, desired, and consequential aspects of the human condition, and thus has rightly been the focus of much academic attention. However, this interest has tended to concentrate on specific forms of love—especially romantic and familial forms—to the exclusion of others. One such overlooked form is love of “creation”—of the world and the wider cosmos in which human beings find themselves. Throughout history and across cultures, this kind of love has been developed and articulated by religious and philosophical traditions in diverse ways. This article showcases a selection of ten such traditions, …

Black And Latiné Parents' Perspectives On Supporting Their Children's Emotional And Physical Health, Daniel K. Cooper, Jayxa K. Alonzo, Tracey Goldson, Isabel R. Jordan, Fatima Jatoi, Isabella Mallozzi, Francesca Lupini

Faculty Publications

Informed by integrative models of cultural resilience, the purpose of this study was to (a) explore how parents are promoting their children's emotional and physical health, with a focus on race and ethnic-racial socialization strategies, and (b) identify the barriers and challenges parents are experiencing in supporting their children's health. Ethnically racially matched qualitative interviews were conducted with 33 parents (82% women, 64% Black, 36% Latiné). Results of thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: (a) Strategies for Promoting Children's Physical and Emotional Health, (b) Challenges Promoting Children's Physical and Emotional Health, and (c) Impact of Racism on Parenting and Children's …

It's Time To Make Important Upgrades To Our Mediation Curriculum, John Lande

Faculty Publications

In the past five decades, mediation practice and teaching have grown in size and sophistication. Inevitably, some ideas that made sense early in this development need revision and updating to reflect evolving realities and improved understandings. This is a moment deserving reflection about what faculty should teach about mediation, especially in light of the NextGen bar exam and changes in various states’ licensing regimes.

This article suggests various upgrades of our mediation instruction. Change is hard but can be worth the effort. The article includes numerous specific suggestions and links to handy resources that faculty can incorporate in their courses …

Hd-Tdcs Over Left Supplementary Motor Area Differentially Modulated Neural Correlates Of Motor Planning For Speech Vs. Limb Movement, Fatemeh Tabari, Celeste Patron, Hope Cryer, Karim Johari

Faculty Publications

The supplementary motor area (SMA) is implicated in planning, execution, and control of speech production and limb movement. The SMA is among putative generators of pre-movement EEG activity which is thought to be neural markers of motor planning. In neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, abnormal pre-movement neural activity within the SMA has been reported during speech production and limb movement. Therefore, this region can be a potential target for non-invasive brain stimulation for both speech and limb movement. The present study took an initial step in examining the application of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the left …

Transcription Decisions Of Conjoined Independent Clauses Are Equitable Across Dialects But Impact Measurement Outcomes, Janna B. Oetting, Tahmineh Maleki

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Transcription of conjoined independent clauses within language samples varies across professionals. Some transcribe these clauses as two separate utterances, whereas others conjoin them within a single utterance. As an inquiry into equitable practice, we examined rates of conjoined independent clauses produced by children and the impact of separating these clauses within utterances on measures of mean length of utterance (MLU) by a child’s English dialect, clinical status, and age. Method: The data were archival and included 246 language samples from children classified by their dialect (African American English or Southern White English) and clinical status (developmental language disorder [DLD] …

A Longitudinal Evaluation Of Personalized Intrinsic Network Topography And Cognitive Decline In Parkinson's Disease, Renxi Li, Vincent Pozorski, Kevin Dabbs, Maureen Haebig, Christopher R. Cox, Colleen Pletcher, Alexandra Wey, Amy Barzgari, Frances Theisen, Ozioma Okonkwo, Catherine L. Gallagher

Faculty Publications

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) offers insight into how synchrony within and between brain networks is altered in disease states. Individual and disease-related variability in intrinsic connectivity networks may influence our interpretation of R-fMRI data. We used a personalized approach designed to account for individual variation in the spatial location of correlation maxima to evaluate R-fMRI differences between Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who showed cognitive decline, those who remained cognitively stable and cognitively stable controls. We compared fMRI data from these participant groups, studied at baseline and 18 months later, using both network-based statistics (NBS) and calculations of …

A Systematic Review On The Path To Inclusive And Sustainable Energy Transitions, Oluwafemi Awolesi, Corinne A. Salter, Margaret Reams

Faculty Publications

This paper surveys the energy literature and systematically reviews the path to an inclusive and sustainable energy transition by exploring factors that drive the current energy transitions, countries with advanced energy transition programs, and the roles of energy literacy and justice in energy transition. Utilizing an exhaustive literature search from 2001 to 2023 via the Scopus database, the study identifies strong policy frameworks, technological advancements, economic incentives, and international collaborations as pivotal factors in successful energy transitions. Case studies from the Nordic countries, Germany, and Poland highlight diverse approaches and significant progress, revealing valuable lessons for global application. Although energy …

A (Dynamic) Investigation Of Stereotypes, Belief-Updating, And Behavior, Katherine Coffman, Maria Paola Ugalde Araya, Basit Zafar

Faculty Publications

Using a controlled experiment, we study the dynamic effects of feedback on decision-making across verbal skills and math. Before feedback, men are more optimistic about their performance and more willing to compete than women, especially in math. While feedback shifts individuals' beliefs and behavior, we see substantial persistence of gender gaps 1 week later. This is particularly true among individuals who receive negative feedback. Our results are not well-explained by motivated reasoning; in fact, negative feedback is more likely to be recalled than positive feedback. Overall, our results highlight the challenges involved in overcoming gender gaps in dynamic settings.

Presidential Stories Of Fear: Focusing Congressional Climate Change Mitigation Attention In The United States, Holly L. Peterson, Chad Zanocco

Faculty Publications

Do presidential climate change narratives increase related congressional attention in the United States? Narrative theory says since narratives leverage cognitive heuristics, they should focus policy-making attention in institutions more efficiently than non-narrative statements. This study identifies and tests climate change statements and narratives, including those focused on solutions, or “stories of hope,” and those focused on problems and victims, “stories of fear,” for relationships with congressional attention using time series analysis. Findings suggest a relationship between narrative and hearings, but not for non-narrative statements and hearings. Furthermore, while narratives are related to hearings generally, stories of fear have larger effects, …

Reading Colonial Transitions: Archival Evidence And The Archaeology Of Indigenous Action In Nineteenth-Century California, Lee M. Panich, Gustavo Flores, Michael Wilcox, Monica V. Arellano

Faculty Publications

Archaeologists in North America and elsewhere are increasingly examining long-term Indigenous presence across multiple colonial systems, despite lingering conceptual and methodological challenges. We examine this issue in California, where archaeologists and others have traditionally overlooked Native persistence in the years between the official closing of the region's Franciscan missions in the 1830s and the onset of US settler colonialism in the late 1840s. In particular, we advocate for the judicious use of the documentary record to ask new questions of Indigenous life during this short but critical period, when many Native Californians were freed from the missions and sought new …

Children’S Reading Of Visuals In Informational Picturebooks And Biographies, Sunah Chung

Faculty Publications

Visuals in picturebooks play an important role in supporting children’s reading comprehension and literacy development. This qualitative case study analyzes three American families’ shared reading practices at home by analyzing their online surveys for family literacy environments, reading logs for a month, mother interviews, and video observation of their shared reading at home. The analysis of the collected data categorizes children’s responses to visuals into three major themes: reflecting personal preferences and thoughts on visuals, interpreting visuals based on prior knowledge, and misreading visuals that interfere with understanding content. The discussion focuses on the roles of visuals in informational picturebooks …

Psychometric Properties Of The Modified Parenting Attitudes Measure Among African American Adolescents In Public Housing, Melissa L. Villodas, Andrew Foell, Lisa C. Smith, Mansoo Yu, Henrika Mccoy, Yibin Yang, Ngozi V. Enelamah, Margaret Lombe, Von Nebbitt

Faculty Publications

Valid and reliable measurements reflecting how perceived maternal and paternal parenting practices are similar, different, complementary, or additive in studying youth outcomes are critical for building knowledge on supportive parenting practices for African American youth living in public housing. We examined the psychometric properties of the Parental Attitudes Measure (PAM) which focuses on youths’ attitudes on parenting practices. Data was collected from the perspective of 660 African American youth living in urban public housing across three cities in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region in the United States. Youth reported on their attitudes about maternal and paternal caregivers. Reliability was determined …

Psychometric Properties Of The Modified Parenting Attitudes Measure Among African American Adolescents In Public Housing, Melissa L. Villodas, Andrew Foell, Lisa C. Smith, Mansoo Yu, Henrika Mccoy, Yibin Yang, Ngozi V. Enelamah, Margaret Lombe, Von Nebbitt

Faculty Publications

Valid and reliable measurements reflecting how perceived maternal and paternal parenting practices are similar, different, complementary, or additive in studying youth outcomes are critical for building knowledge on supportive parenting practices for African American youth living in public housing. We examined the psychometric properties of the Parental Attitudes Measure (PAM) which focuses on youths’ attitudes on parenting practices. Data was collected from the perspective of 660 African American youth living in urban public housing across three cities in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region in the United States. Youth reported on their attitudes about maternal and paternal caregivers. Reliability was determined …

Short- And Medium-Term Impacts Of Small-Scale Vegetable Support On Food Security: Evidence From Syria, Ghassan Baliki, Melodie Al Daccache, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Tilman Brück

Faculty Publications

Small-scale agricultural and horticultural interventions play a critical role in improving nutrition and food security of vulnerable households in peaceful settings. However, scant rigorous evidence exists on the impacts and sustainability of such interventions in conflict settings. In this paper, we address this knowledge gap by analyzing the short- and medium-term impacts of a small-scale vegetable input support program involving asset transfers on food security and diets in war-time Syria. We use longitudinal panel household survey data from a quasi-experimental study collected at three rounds: before, one year, and two years after the horticultural intervention ended. We use propensity score …

Effects Of Single-Session Practice Structure On Motor Skill Acquisition And Alpha And Beta Eeg Oscillations, Aubrey Porter, Ronald Victor Croce, Wayne Smith

Faculty Publications

Background: Although it is known that practicing a motor skill updates the associated internal model, it is still unclear as to how cortical oscillations linked with the motor skill change under differing practice schedules. The current study investigated α- and β-power changes associated with motor skill acquisition. Objectives: Firstly, we investigated the behavioral effects of practice on motor learning and retention during repetitive (RP) and variable (VP) practice schedules on an anticipation timing task. Secondly, we investigated changes in cortical α (10 - 13 Hz) and β (15 - 30 Hz) event-related synchronization and desynchronization (ERS/ERD) under RP and VP …

Effects Of Single-Session Practice Structure On Motor Skill Acquisition And Alpha And Beta Eeg Oscillations, Aubrey Porter, Ronald Victor Croce, Wayne Smith

Faculty Publications

Background: Although it is known that practicing a motor skill updates the associated internal model, it is still unclear as to how cortical oscillations linked with the motor skill change under differing practice schedules. The current study investigated α- and β-power changes associated with motor skill acquisition. Objectives: Firstly, we investigated the behavioral effects of practice on motor learning and retention during repetitive (RP) and variable (VP) practice schedules on an anticipation timing task. Secondly, we investigated changes in cortical α (10 - 13 Hz) and β (15 - 30 Hz) event-related synchronization and desynchronization (ERS/ERD) under RP and VP …

Correction: Self-Administered Mindfulness Interventions Reduce Stress In A Large, Randomized Controlled Multi-Site Study, Alessandro Sparacio, Hans Ijzerman, Ivan Ropovik, Filippo Giorgini, Christoph Spiessens, Bert N. Uchino, Joshua Landvatter, Tracey Tacana, Sandra J. Diller, Jaye L. Derrick, Joahana Segundo, Jace D. Pierce, Tenzin Urgyen

Faculty Publications

Correction to: Nature Human Behaviourhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01907-7, published online 11 June 2024. In the version of the article initially published, affiliation 28 included the wrong city and has now been amended to read “Pennsylvania Western University California, California, PA, USA”. Affiliation 31 included the wrong state and has now been corrected to read “Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Glendale Community College, Glendale, AZ, USA”. In the “Simulation of the sequential Bayesian design” section of the Methods, “20” has been corrected to “720” in the text “…(translating to a minimum 420 and maximum 720 participants per condition)” and “0.526” has been corrected …