Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond The Participation Gap: Exploring How Affinity Groups Make Outdoor Recreation More Accessible And Inclusive For Underserved Communities, Jaclyn Fox Rushing

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Outdoor recreation is associated with numerous health and wellness benefits for participants. Yet, there has been a long-term underrepresentation of underserved communities in outdoor recreation (i.e., people of color, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities). This phenomenon has spurred substantial research since the 1970s, which has characterized the problem well and identified many of the underlying reasons. In recent years, there have been widespread efforts to increase relevance, diversity, equity, and inclusion (RDEI) in outdoor recreation and public land management, however participation among underserved communities remain relatively unchanged despite an increasingly diverse American public. This study seeks to move beyond describing …

The Impact Of Treatment Dosage On Cognitive-Linguistic Outcomes Of Patients With Aphasia: An Investigation Of Three Service Delivery Models, Adele J. Derendinger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study addresses the gap in literature by directly comparing the effectiveness of Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programs (ICAPs) and modified ICAPs (mICAPs) to usual care service delivery models for people with aphasia. Through a prospective study design, cognitive-linguistic function change scores across different service delivery models were examined. The findings reveal significant within-group improvements in cognitive-linguistic function for participants in ICAPs, with some improvement seen in mICAPs and usual care conditions. Intensive models demonstrated greater improvement compared to non-intensive usual care models, particularly evident in the Western Aphasia Battery – Revised and the Boston Naming Test – Second Edition. …

Sweetbriar: I Wound To Heal, Megan Foster

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This work questions the societal disconnect between the readiness of human emotion and the restraint with which we discuss it. As the well-to-do ladies of the Victorian era would gather flowers to create tussie-mussies and nosegays to adorn themselves and send messages, the pieces of the MFA thesis exhibition Sweetbriar: I Wound to Heal divulge intense realities through the palatability and presentability of a flower’s beauty. The flowers in this work (as with Victorian Flower Language) act as signifiers for greater emotional concepts. Harebells for grief. Peonies for shame. Gorse for anger. Each flower/emotion in this exhibition is connected directly …

Exploring Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies And Solutions Of International Students In Academic Environments With Consideration To Communication Accommodation Theory, Wendy K. Yeboah

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ABSTRACT

Yeboah, Wendy, M.A., Spring 2024 Communication Studies

Exploring Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies and Solutions of International Students in Academic Environments with Consideration to Communication Accommodation

Chairperson: Dr. Greg Larson

This study, exploring the communication challenges of international students within academic spaces may be particularly helpful due to the constant interaction that happens within the academic space. Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) was used as a guiding framework to ask eleven international students what their communication challenges are and subsequently what are the communication strategies they use to help alleviate these challenges. Analyses were conducted thematically, and international students' responses on what …

Esop Shocks: Employee Ownership And Employment Stability In Public Firms During The Covid-19 Crisis, Richard Taylor Lennox

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Did employee ownership preserve jobs and firm-level skill retention during the COVID-19 pandemic? In the United States, employee ownership (EO) primarily takes the form of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Using a longitudinal dataset composed of Department of Labor Form 5500 – CompuStat Fundamentals matched data from 2010-2022, this thesis examines the relationship between ESOPs and employment stability during the COVID pandemic for a large sample of public firms in the US. A fixed effects specification, controlling for a vector of firm characteristics and the national employment-to-population ratio, suggests that ESOPs had an employment-cushioning effect in public firms during the …

Turbulence Resistant Schools: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Educational Leadership In Central And Eastern Europe, Sofia Reis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The expanding complexity and increasing disruptions of our world affects schools. During both stable and unstable times, successful educational leaders support their schools’ ability to accomplish their core mission: student learning and development. Using a qualitative approach, this research explored experiences of educational leaders who established schools in Central and Eastern Europe during the post-Soviet era and continue leading them to this day. The central question was: What is the lived experience of successful assertive educational leaders as they navigate extreme turbulence? In this study, leadership is understood as a collegial activity determined by the context where it is embedded, …

Resilience, Adaptability, And Transformation: School Principal’S Response To Critical Events, Justine Jean Alberts

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

School principals face critical events as part of their professional roles. These critical events can profoundly impact their ability to lead, which is why this phenomenological study explored the central question, how do principals experience critical events that include perceived trauma? Using Moustakas’ (1994) process of transcendental phenomenological analysis, this research investigated the multifaceted emotional, professional, and personal responses of these educational leaders, revealing the complexities and consequences of their experiences. Semistructured interviews with fourteen current and former principals provided rich, in-depth qualitative data that captured the essence of their experiences. Findings indicated that principals often transition from their day-to-day …

From Recreation To Occupation: Exploring Access To The Outdoors, Eleanor R. Hall

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Questions of access and allocation are growing more pressing in today’s society as elements such as economic inequality, amenity migration and climate change create resource scarcity and complicate access to the outdoors. Whether it is apportioning the Colorado river, accessing busy National Parks, or owning land in an expensive mountain town, there are ample examples across the American West of the challenges posed when there are not enough resources to meet demand. At a time when natural resources are starting to feel more limited, allocation, ownership and access become increasingly important. For my Master’s Portfolio I reported three stories that …

The Influence Of Intensive Treatment In A Cohort Model On Psychosocial Well-Being Of Patients With Aphasia: An Investigation Of Patients’ Quality Of Life Across Three Service Delivery Models, Helena Riley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aphasia, a common communication disorder following a stroke, significantly impacts psychosocial wellbeing and quality of life. Despite advancements in rehabilitation frameworks, traditional impairment-based interventions prevail, leaving gaps in addressing holistic needs. This study aims to compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) between intensive comprehensive aphasia programs (ICAP), modified ICAPs (mICAPs) and individual usual care (UC) service delivery models for aphasia intervention. Eighteen participants with aphasia were broadly recruited for this study. Each completed a series of PROMs pre-and post-treatment examining psychosocial wellbeing, communicative participation, and health related quality of life. Results indicate that intensive programs show potential for greater gains in …

Impact Of Emotion Regulation On Prospective Memory, Hannes Heppner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Prospective memory necessitates the deliberate formation and timely execution of preplanned intentions. The degree of cognitive demand required is thought to be lower for focal compared to non-focal prospective memory cues. While negatively evocative focal cues have been shown to improve prospective memory performance, it is unclear if and to what extent the cognitive reappraisal of negative emotion impacts prospective memory performance. Cognitive reappraisal is often utilized to help individuals effortfully attenuate negative emotions and reduces the chronic burden on cognitive resources. In the present study, we hypothesized that more effective cognitive reappraisal is associated with better prospective memory performance. …

Niipáitapiiyssin: How Blackfeet Ways Of Knowing Impact Identity And Well-Being, Mikalen Running Fisher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis explores the vital role of history, traditional knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, artifacts, and language in shaping the identity and well-being of Indigenous communities. It emphasizes how these components are vital for the survival and growth of Indigenous cultures. Using the Blackfoot Confederacy as a case study, the research highlights the significance of these elements in maintaining cultural continuity and resilience. The analysis is grounded in literature authored from an Indigenous perspective, ensuring an authentic representation of the values and insights inherent in these communities. This work aims to bridge existing gaps in the literature by demonstrating the profound …

Ai-Powered Educational Tools And Their Effect On Student Motivation In Online Learning Environments: A Preliminary Study, Caitlin M. Byers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis investigates the impact of an AI-powered educational tool on high school student motivation in asynchronous online courses using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to examine perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness. A pilot study involving 129 students utilized an AI-powered automated feedback (AF) writing review tool. Data was collected using the Autonomy and Competence in Technology Adoption (ACTA) Questionnaire and teacher communications. Findings indicate that AI tools can enhance perceived competence through immediate, personalized feedback. Still, the effectiveness is significantly influenced by the level of teacher communication, underscoring the need for a blended approach in online learning environments. Limitations include a …

Defining Lgbtqia2+ Specialized Substance Use Treatment Services From A Client-Informed Approach, Chonghui (Gabriella) Ji

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: This study explored the concept of specialized substance use treatment services among a sample of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2+) individuals: their definition, perceived barriers to receiving these services, and ways of improving such services. Having direct input from past and potential treatment-seeking LGBTQIA2+ individuals could help to deepen our understanding of how to meet the unique treatment needs of these populations.

Method: Data were collected from 219 LGBTQIA2+ individuals within the United States through an online and anonymous survey. Inclusion criteria for participation were self-identifying as LGBTQIA2+, being 18 years of …

The Negative Experience Of Involution As Perceived By College Instructors In Inner Mongolia In China, Guanqun Zhang

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Under the backdrop of high-quality development in China, college instructors are crucial for higher education institutions to achieve their high-quality goals. To motivate college instructors, these institutions have increased the requirements for professional titles. However, how instructors experience their workplace directly influences the outcomes. The proposal of this research was based on the reality that college instructors are considered difficult to motivate. Some are even referred to as lying flat, a term describing those who are unmotivated or disengaged.

Using a qualitative approach, this research explored how the increased perception of involution affects college instructors, with the central question: How …

A Narrative Map Of Fort Missoula: Silence, Stillness And Death In Living Cultural Memory, Daniel A. Goldhamer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Fort Missoula is a rare site of history, memory, and narrative. This project seeks to trace the complex web of identities and relationalities at the Fort through a narrative map: a method that combines site-based ethnography and qualitative storytelling relying on first-person perspective. This methodological framework reveals that Fort Missoula’s distinct character lies in its role as a living archive of cultural memory, accessible through the past, present, and future narratives of its places and spaces. Engaging with the theories of Foucault (1972), de Certeau (1984), and Low (2017), the narrative map of Fort Missoula is a work that investigates …

“Real Collaboration Is Empowering:” Facilitators, Barriers, And Benefits Of A Community-School Partnership In An Indigenous Community, Amy Elizabeth Violante

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Culturally responsive community-school partnerships can help support students' well-being, and the facilitators, barriers, and benefits of community-school partnerships in Indigenous communities may be unique due to historic and contemporary sociopolitical influences. The aims of the current study were to explore facilitators, barriers, and benefits of community-school partnerships in Indigenous communities in order to better support student well-being. Project SELA is an existing partnership between a community and school on a reservation, and individuals who have been part of this project participated in the current study. Ten participants shared their experiences and perspectives of community-school partnerships in Indigenous communities through semi-structured …

Traditional Chinese Medicine And The Argument For Future Application In The United States, Kylie Nicole Frohlich

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Working Landscapes, Sage C. Sutcliffe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

“We’Re Left Picking Up The Pieces:” Use Of Grief Interventions In Rural Schools Since Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Lynn Rotzal

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Research has indicated that individuals who have died from the COVID-19 virus will likely leave behind several grieving family members. For every person who dies of COVID-19, it was estimated that they would leave behind 2.2 children and 4.1 grandchildren (Albuquerque & Santos, 2021). The death of a parent or other loved one is often noted as one of the most potentially traumatic experiences for a child. During the COVID-19 pandemic, death became more prominent in hundreds of thousands of children’s lives, having a profound effect on the child, as well as on their family and surrounding community (Griese et …

The Other Identity Politics: Political Turning Points And Political Identity Development In College-Going Emerging Adults, Kaetlyn Jeanette Cordingley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period, especially for identity– the development of our sense of who we are internally and relative to others. This research sought to investigate one understudied aspect of identity development: political identity. Five questions guided this research: first, is political identity related to broader identity development? Second, does political identity development differ based on political ideology (liberal, moderate, conservative)? Third, do individuals’ self-identified political turning point events differ based on political ideology? Fourth, how is political identity development related to political turning point narratives? Fifth, how does meaning making interact with political identity development and …

Minimizing Toxicity And Maximizing Social Connection In Collegiate Esports Teams, Julia Kay Tonne

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ABSTRACT

Tonne, Julia, M.A., Spring 2024 Communication Studies

Minimizing Toxicity and Maximizing Social Connection in Collegiate Esports Teams

Chairperson: Dr. Joel Iverson

Given possible benefits of social connection, the researcher analyzes how participation in the University of Montana’s Esports team influences students’ feelings of connection and their well-being. Participating in online gaming is associated with the risk of interacting with toxic behavior, especially for women and other minorities. The researcher further explores how toxic situations relate to feelings of social connection and well-being. Positive themes discovered include increased feelings of social connection for students in the program, experiences of social …

Foreign Expert: A Memoir Manuscript, Jenny L. Rowe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This is a full memoir manuscript that I wrote for my MFA thesis, which is tentatively titled Foreign Expert. In this manuscript, we follow myself as narrator as I struggle to adapt to life in Beijing (prior to the pandemic) while also recovering from a recent divorce. The man I’d been married to for five years back in Iowa had become violently mentally ill, and though I’d been fortunate enough to remove myself from him, I quickly learned that being a foreign expert in China—my residential visa title—required more work than basic survival. By the end of my two years …

Uncontrolled Burn: The Worker Well-Being Of Wildland Firefighters, Luke Santore

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The available evidence indicates that wildland firefighters (WLFFs) are experiencing a well-being crisis. This study aims to assess predictors of both worker well-being and social and emotional loneliness among WLFFs.

Methods: An adapted version of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Worker Well-Being Questionnaire, along with the De Jong Gierveld Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (De Jong Gierveld & Van Tilburg, 2010) was distributed between May and October of 2023. Nine ordinary least square linear regression models were estimated to test the impact of demographic and employment variables on well-being in the sample of 95 …

An Endemic Issue: Malawi's Struggle To Prevent Childhood Malaria, Hailey A. Smalley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Malaria is one of the most prolific diseases in the world, generating hundreds of millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths a year. In 2021, the World Health Organization initiated preliminary trials for the first malaria vaccine in three countries, including Malawi. This project explores the impact of the malaria vaccine on community perspectives and health outcomes related to malaria , describes ongoing challenges that health workers face when disseminating the vaccine, and explains how Malawi’s experience implementing the malaria vaccine reflects larger trends in international aid.

Menopause In The Public Sphere: The Consciousness-Raising Practices Of Technical And Experiential Experts, Emma J. Murdock

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Menopause is frequently discussed through a biomedical lens, which stresses technical language and knowledge, yet emerging in popular culture is experiential experts sharing how they feel about menopause. This paper analyses Michelle Obama's podcast episode titled “What Your Mother Never Told You” (2022) featuring Dr. Sharon Malone, a medical doctor and menopause experiential expert. Using consciousness-raising and the spheres of argumentation, I analyze how the experiential and technical experts of the podcast address and speak about menopause. This paper aims to question how consciousness-raising can reconstruct the understanding of menopause through an experiential-centric lens by placing personal testimony and experiences …

No Worries, It’S Fine, Lexie E. Loader

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In my MFA exhibition, no worries, it’s fine, I depict seemingly mundane objects and places in my paintings to explore underlying themes of the bittersweet. They contain both painful memories and sweet moments, and their complexity gives them authenticity. To only explore the one would be dishonest, as the bitter and the sweet are forever intertwined.

Bittersweet is tied to longing…longing for someone you love when they are not present, for better circumstances while accepting where you are. Longing can propel us forward, one step at a time. It gives us the hope that when we experience pain, the pendulum …

A Sport Coach's Role In Motivating Athletes, Tarek Farouk

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Athlete motivation, sport psychology, and coaching are intricately connected through the purpose of increasing athletic performance, persistence, and overall success. As mentors, sport coaches play an integral role in affecting an athlete’s motivation by tending to their psychological needs to perform optimally. This paper explores how coaches can leverage visualization, verbal encouragement, mental imagery, and goal setting as ways to enhance athlete motivation and improve performance. By integrating these techniques, coaches can create a supportive and motivating environment that fosters both physical and psychological development in athletes. The paper also examines the principles of sport psychology, emphasizing the importance of …

Nurture Through Nature – The Impact Of The Environment On Prospective Memory, Emily Catherine Hicks

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There is a need for brief, accessible interventions to improve cognitive functioning, including prospective memory. Previous research has found that exposure to nature is linked to benefits for cognition and mood, including improved executive function, working memory, creativity, attention, and mood. However, there is a dearth of literature exploring the relationship between nature exposure and prospective memory. Additionally, benefits for cognition and mood have been observed with direct nature exposure and indirect exposure through videos and images. The present study sought to evaluate the impact of natural setting versus urban setting video exposure on prospective memory, creativity, hope, and affect. …

Weaving The Web: Faculty’S Multilayered Approach To Problems Of Professional Competence (Ppc), Sabina Ramilievna Sabyrkulova

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) programs, doctoral students assume five primary professional roles: counseling, teaching, supervision, research, and leadership/advocacy. Counselor educators bear the responsibility of assessing doctoral students’ professional development in these roles, encompassing professional dispositions and competence. This study explores how counselor educators in CES programs experience and address problems of professional competence (PPC) among doctoral students. Given the limited research on this topic, a constructivist grounded theory approach was employed. The study involved eight counselor educators from CACREP-accredited CES doctoral programs. Data collection included semi-structured interviews conducted in two rounds, followed by member checks. Data analysis followed …

Shaping Outdoor Recreation In Protected Areas: Insights From Factors Influencing Brazilian Protected Area Professionals, Renata Burlamaqui Bradford

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The growing demand for outdoor recreation (OR) in protected areas has led to positive and negative impacts on natural and social environments. As stewards of these areas, protected area professionals (PAPs) are responsible for planning and managing this complexity, and yet we know little about the factors influencing their decisions and actions. This study fills this gap by examining how psychological and organizational aspects influence PAPs’ decisions and behavioral intentions toward OR in protected areas. Insights come from the PAPs working at the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Brazilian federal agency. ICMBio’s evolving approach toward OR provides …