Digital Commons Network^™

Distinguishing Beliefs About Social Inequality: Associations Among Dimensions Of Critical Consciousness, Lauren M. Alvis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Critical consciousness researchers posit that critical reflection, which refers to a critical awareness of structural inequalities between socially constructed groups and external political efficacy beliefs (i.e., perceptions of government responsiveness) are important precursors to effective political action (Diemer et al., 2016; Watts, Diemer, & Voight, 2011). However, little is known about emerging adults’ views of social inequality and political change regarding specific marginalized groups. There are different forms of social inequality and the extent to which individuals experience these inequities is partially determined by multiple sociodemographic characteristics including race/ethnicity, sex, sexual-orientation, and gender identity (Hurst et al., 2016). Identifying potential …

Jurors' Perceptions Of Preschoolers And Younger School Aged Children's Memory Errors, Emily Margaret Deming

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine jurors’ perceptions of different types of memory errors in the context of a child recalling information about alleged maltreatment. Additionally, this study assessed whether developmental differences in memory errors affect jurors’ perceptions of the child, the external influences that may be affecting the child, and the defendant. Participants (N=372) were randomly assigned to one of eight vignettes that contained three different memory errors (major reconstructive memory error, minor reconstructive memory error, source monitoring error) or a control condition (no memory error), as well as two age groups (4-year-old child and …

The Perception Of Management Support For Patient Safety After The Implementation Of A System Change, Janice M. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Problem Statement Leadership scores on the AHRQ Hospital Patient Safety Culture Survey at a 268 bed teaching, acute care, nonprofit, non-governmental hospital in the South Atlantic Region of the United states have been decreasing for the past seven years. In those years there has been no plan to improve the scores. Safety scores published for this facility on public websites are mediocre or poor.

Theoretical Framework The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) conceptual model for rapid cycle improvement served as a foundation for the project. The model supported the project well with a plan, do (test the plan), study (analyze the results), act …

Adolescent Residential Mobility: Behavioral Outcomes And The Moderating Role Of The Mother-Adolescent Relationship, Sloane B. Glover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prior research has noted unfavorable associations between residential mobility (RM) and youth outcomes. However, little work has considered the mother-adolescent relationship as a moderator of the suggested associations. The purpose of the current study was to examine the internalizing, externalizing, and delinquent behaviors of adolescents (M_age=15.6, SD=0.77) following a move in comparison to adolescents who did not move. Frequency of moves was considered and adolescents were identified as either stable (0 moves), low mobility (1-2 moves), or high mobility (>2 moves) within a 6 year period. Mother-adolescent closeness and parental monitoring were examined as potential …

Evaluating The Impact Of An Intervention To Promote Empathy For Patients With Substance Use Disorder In A Rural Emergency Department, Theresa Poling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background

Negative attitudes of health professionals towards patients with SUD are common and contribute to suboptimal health care for this marginalized group of patients (Van-Boekel, Brouwers, Van-Weeghel & Garretson, 2013).

Objectives

Promoting empathy in the Emergency Department (ED) has the potential to increase nursing staff’s awareness of their attitudes and perceptions toward patients with SUD, thereby decreasing the stigma associated with addiction and improving patient care and patient outcomes. The rationale for implementing this project was to evaluate a tool to promote empathy. This tool was developed by the student researcher based on a literature search and analysis.

Design

This …

Framing Effects On Fear Of Terrorism And Willingness To Sacrifice Civil Liberties, Ellory Ruth Dabbs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research was to determine whether differences in the way the media frames an act of violence leads to different reactions by consumers. In particular, it was hypothesized that the ideology and race of the perpetrator would lead to differences in perceptions of whether or not the attack was terrorism. A vignette-style experiment was performed using respondents recruited via MTurk. Four versions of the vignette were evenly distributed to 441 respondents, changing whether the frame contained a photo, the ideology, and the name of the perpetrator. Using measures of fear from this data it was then investigated …

Sediment Provenance Study Of The Lower Hamilton Group: An Analysis Of The Organic-Rich Facies And Its Depositional History, Luke Patrick Fritz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently, insufficient geological models exist to explain the variability and distribution of TOC in the Marcellus Shale, within the Hamilton Group. TOC is one of the several limiting factors for natural gas production within the Marcellus Shale basin. One possible explanation for the low TOC regions is that detrital dilution was variable across the basin, with different sediment sources contributing detritus to low TOC areas, compared to surrounding regions with higher TOC. This hypothesis is tested by analyzing the source composition of inorganic detritus, using elemental and mineralogical proxies, with two cores in the Hamilton Group. The Armstrong #1 core …

Bridging The Gap: Utilizing Socratic Inquiry Facilitation In Cross-Cultural Communication And Conflict Exploration, Mikaela G. Zimmerman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to explore the possibilities for improving governmental relations (local, national, and international) using microcosms of cross-cultural dialogues facilitated with Socratic Inquiry methodology and their potential to project situational similarities into more formal political conversation. Using twenty-five recorded dialogues from The Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Public Diplomacy (World in Conversation), I have broadly observed the role of Socratic Inquiry facilitation in cross-cultural dialogues whose content varies across a span of contentious social topics. By generally accounting for a range of relevant social factors such as gender, body language, conversational tools, and proxies for empathy, …

Appalachian Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia Non Use Of Services, Kristina M. Childers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this current study was to explain factors most strongly associated with Caregiver (CG) of Person with Dementia (PWD) non-use of formal and informal services in Appalachia.

Methods: A correlational explanatory design using validated self-report surveys was used to explain the association of the substructed Andersen’s Behavioral Model for Health Services Use in Appalachian CG non-use of formal and informal services. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests considering eight independent variables in total from each research question, using a sample of 43 CG/CR dyads.

Results: The analyses of four research questions …

Bargaining For Security: The Rise Of The Pension And Social Insurance Program Of The United Steelworkers Of America, 1941-1960, Henry Edward Himes Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation charts the United Steelworkers of America’s (USWA) quest to win long term welfare security for its members from 1941 to 1960. The study focuses on external and internal events and issues that led the union to seek pensions and social insurance at the bargaining table in 1949, and ultimately, to enhance their private security at the bargaining table throughout the 1950s. Although labor’s ability to influence the passage of national health care was greatly curtailed by a rise in conservative politics during World War II and the immediate postwar era, issues beyond politics also played a role in …

Three Essays On The Economics Of Public Libraries, Amir Borges Ferreira Neto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores empirical issues concerning public libraries in the United States. In particular, it analyzes the direct and indirect effects to and from public libraries, on different issues such as charitable donations, labor market outcomes, institutions and technical efficiency. Chapter 1 discusses the economics of public libraries and its relevance. In addition, it provides an outline of the dissertation and its main contribution to the literature. Chapter 2, analyzes the determinants of donations to public libraries testing the crowding effect from government funding of public libraries. I find suggestive results of a crowd in effect with an inverted U …

Examining The Impact Of Treatment Fidelity On Client Outcomes In A Statewide Implementation Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Mira D H Snider

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Clinician treatment fidelity, consisting of treatment adherence and clinician competence, is commonly assessed during the implementation of evidence-based treatments to ensure that clinicians are delivering care according to an intended service model. Although resources are often expended in fidelity measurement, associations between fidelity and client outcomes has not been well established in the psychotherapy literature. The relationship between clinician fidelity and treatment outcomes was investigated in a longitudinal sample of clinicians (n = 17) and parent-child dyads (n = 32) following a statewide implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Observer-rated measures of adherence and coaching competence collected from early …

Material Disease: Agency And Illness In Early American Literature, Mariah Crilley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Material Disease: Agency and Illness in Early American Literature argues that diseases shaped bodies of literature. Drawing on new materialism, disability studies, and the medical humanities, this dissertation argues that diseases were material and literary agents that transformed not only individual bodies and lives but also cultures, history, and even literature. In each chapter, I explore how one disease impacted a particular genre or paradigm: syphilis and the natural history, smallpox and the body politic, yellow fever and the novel, dysentery and sensibility, and malaria and narratives of Western expansion. By emphasizing disease’s material and literary agency, by conjoining the …

Probability Discounting Of Lewis And Fischer 344 Rats: Strain Comparisons At Baseline And Following Acute Administration Of D-Amphetamine, Jenny E. Ozga

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Risky choice can be defined as choice for a larger, uncertain reinforcer over a smaller, certain reinforcer when choosing the smaller alternative maximizes reinforcement. Risky choice is studied using various procedures in the animal laboratory; one such procedure is called probability discounting. There are many variables that contribute to risky decision-making, including biological and pharmacological determinants. The present study assessed both of these variables by evaluating dose-response effects of d-amphetamine on risky choice of Lewis (LEW) and Fischer 344 (F344) rats. The probability-discounting procedure included discrete-trials choices between one food pellet delivered 100% of the time and three food …

Factors Related To Collaborative Willingness In Surrogate Decision-Making Situations From The West Virginia Post., Rachael Spalding

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

If a patient becomes unable to adequately express preferences for medical care, another individual called a “surrogate” may be consulted to make treatment decisions. Surrogates may be asked to indicate patient preferences on the Physician Order for Scope of Treatment (POST), a new type of advance directive completed with patients who are estimated to have less than one year left to live. Research from the shared decision-making literature indicates that collaboration can be a valuable means of enhancing patient satisfaction with their decisions. The current study examined how certain psychological and demographic variables predicted the extent to which participants desired …

Psychological Trauma And Resilience Of Police Officers Involved In An Ambush: An Exploratory Study, Erin A. Teaff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Law enforcement officers are widely recognized as having one of the most dangerous and stressful occupations, which can lead to lasting physical and psychological impacts. While research has examined the psychological trauma and resilience experienced by police officers, there have been very few research studies involving ambushes. Due to the continued risk of ambushes on police officers, gaining insight into the trauma and resilience of officers during these types of situations would be beneficial in providing psychologists with information to aid in their treatment officers involved in an ambush and similar unprovoked attacks. The primary aim of this study was …

Does Emotional Distress Tolerance Predict Fear Responding In A Heights-Fearful Sample?, Amber Lynn Billingsley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emotional distress tolerance—or the ability to withstand negative emotional states—is considered a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. Although it is theorized to play an important role in anxiety, research aiming to delineate the relationship between anxiety and emotional distress tolerance is lacking. The current study tested whether an individual’s self-reported emotional distress tolerance predicted avoidance in the presence of feared stimuli using a heights-fearful sample. Moreover, the study tested whether emotional distress tolerance predicted other relevant in-the-moment fear responses, such as peak anxiety, anxious cognitions, and bodily sensations while in a heights scenario. Participants (N = 85) completed a …

Marcel Tabuteau’S System Of Phrasing Applied To The Primary Themes In Carl Maria Von Weber’S Second Clarinet Concerto, Christopher Charles Bowmaster

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research document provides a biographical sketch of Marcel Tabuteau’s life beginning with his childhood and extending to his retirement from the Philadelphia Orchestra and Curtis Institute of Music. The sketch provides a thorough timeline explaining how each colleague, teacher, student, and ensemble influenced his phrasing system.

Following a series of handwritten notes completed by Tabuteau in his native language in chapter two, application of the system to Carl Maria von Weber’s Second Clarinet Concerto takes place in chapters three to six. The four portions of the system used are the Interrogative/Affirmative/More-Affirmative, Note Grouping, Up and Down Gestures, and Phrasing …

Identity Formation Of Adolescents Who Are Homeschooled: Mothers' Perceptions, Peggy Joan Mcqueen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Homeschooling is a growing educational choice with very little research about the psycho-social outcomes associated with the process. This qualitative study sought to examine the potential facilitative benefit of homeschooling upon the formation of identity. The participants were 26 mothers of homeschooled adolescents in Pennsylvania. Parent responses were examined using thematic analysis. Constituent aspects of parental motivation and methodology were investigated to assess the presence of elements facilitative in the process of identity formation as identified by Erik Erikson (1959, 1963). In examining methods used in homeschooling, it was found that the mothers in this study are providing the support …

The Potential Promises And Pitfalls Of Using Local Norms For Gifted Identification, Marla S. Hartman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Who are the gifted? This question has plagued the field since its inception. Historically, gifted education has been predicated on the values of the Caucasian, upper- to middle-class majority. As a result, underrepresentation of students from economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse families have been well documented in the literature and continues to this day. Some scholars have suggested the use of expanded definitions of giftedness to increase participation of students from underrepresented segments of the population. This study used regression and hierarchical linear models to predict the proportion of students identified across various thresholds focusing on how definitions impacted differential …

Use Of Reflective Practices To Improve Self-Awareness In Youth Sport Coaches, Stephanie R. Mcwilliams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation, I explore the use of reflective practice among a group of youth sport coaches. More specifically, reflective practice as facilitated through use of videos and repeated interviews, with the intent to inspire greater awareness, malleability, and positive behavior change is presented. To synthesize this research, the following topics: coaching identity and the role of the coach, coach education and its misalignment with the goals of youth coaches, counseling as a means of mentoring, self-awareness and reflection, and behavior change, are discussed. In the current coach education literature, there is a gap in the types of education volunteer …

Artifacts Of Imagination, Rachel Emily Simpson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

My MFA thesis and supporting exhibition focus on works ranging from video and sculpture to installation. The work has evolved from an intimate spiritual dialogue and interaction with the terrestrial world. This personal narrative is a jumping off point to pursue more universal themes and ideas of layering of information, shared versus collective perceptions and creating systems of understanding. Many of the processes involved in this exhibition contain some form of collage. The use of these various collage techniques furthers the idea of complexity in perception and expression and the many layers of experience. I will explain how the creation …

Mindfulness For Musicians: Bringing Sport Psychology And Mindfulness-Based Therapies To The Practice Room And The Concert Stage, Lauretta M. Werner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to the profession’s competitive nature, time-consuming demands, and frequent evaluations, many musicians experience debilitating music performance anxiety, hypercritical thoughts, and/or avoidance of specific performance situations. To cope with these experiences, musicians can cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness is purposefully and non-judgmentally paying attention to the present moment, developing awareness of emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations, and acknowledging the reality of one’s experience. “Mindfulness for Musicians: Bringing sport psychology and mindfulness-based therapies to the practice room and the concert stage” discusses how cultivating mindfulness helps musicians cope with intense emotions, such as panic or fear, and explores how cultivating mindfulness helps musicians …

Resurgence Of Academic Responses, Catherine Louise Stephens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resurgence is the recurrence of a previously reinforced response after a more recently reinforced response is placed on extinction. Resurgence may explain the recurrence of socially appropriate behavior, including academic responding, but this had not yet been empirically demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine if resurgence would occur when a participant solved quadratic equations using multiple methods. Each participant was taught two methods of solving quadratic equations across experimental phases, followed by a phase in which neither method resulted in the correct solution. In the first phase, only simple factoring was reinforced. In the second phase, only …

The Dirt Of Development: Nature's Role In Social-Emotional Development And Parent-Child Connectedness, Hayley Johanna Lindsey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between nature connectedness, parent-child connectedness, and the development of prosocial behavior. Nature connectedness pertains to the strong emotional affinity towards the natural environment and is linked with happiness, stress reduction, and good health. Prosocial behavior refers to actions or behaviors done with the intent to help others. This study consisted of 467 parent-informants that gathered information on the parent’s nature connectedness, the child’s nature connectedness, the parent-child connectedness, and the child prosocial behavior. Gaps in the literature were addressed by analyzing the role that parent nature connectedness has in predicting child …

Shame And Guilt: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Raika Sadeghein

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past few decades, we have witnessed a growing body of literature on emotions in the consumer behavior domain. Emotions are defined as “mental states of readiness that arise from appraisals of events or one’s own thoughts” (Bagozzi, Gopinath, & Nyer, 1999, p. 184). Marketers have examined the role of emotions as stimuli, mediators, moderators, and responses to the environment. The broad topic of emotions includes subtopics such as impact of emotions on consumption, attitudes, and behavioral intentions, emotional responses to market stimuli, and the impact of emotions on cognition. However, although the study of emotions is pivotal to …

The Impact Of Student Facilitation On Student Engagement In Asynchronous Online Discussion, Robin Bowen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lack of engagement in asynchronous online discussion is a common issue due to insufficient participation, disinterest in discussion, superficial discussion, and the influence of peer behaviors. The purpose of this study was to enhance student engagement in asynchronous online discussion by using student-led discussion and peer assessment. A mixed methods design was utilized in this study to offset quantitative and qualitative research weaknesses and to draw on the strengths of both (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2008). The control group participated in the discussion managed by the instructor, who posted weekly discussion questions to a class discussion board and facilitated the …

Elucidating A Common Mechanism Of Proteasome Impairment In Neurodegenerative Disease And Its Pharmacological Intervention, Tiffany Ann Thibaudeau

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Proteostasis is maintained by several systems in the cell including the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), chaperones, chaperone-mediated autophagy, and macroautophagy. The UPS is the principle route for the degradation of intracellular misfolded, damaged, or unneeded cellular proteins and has a critical role essential every cell process, including: cell cycle progression, transcriptional regulation, genome integrity, apoptosis, immune responses, and neuronal plasticity. When the efficiency of protein degradation is perturbed, misfolded and damaged protein aggregates can accumulate to toxic levels and cause neuronal dysfunction, which may underlie many neurodegenerative diseases. It is widely appreciated that soluble oligomers of misfolded proteins (e.g. Aβ, Alzheimer’s; …

Listening For The Cosmic Other: Postcolonial Approaches To Music In The Space Age, Paige Zalman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As government programs such as NASA and SETI seek signs of intelligent life in space and privately-funded programs such as SpaceX finalize plans to colonize Mars in the coming decades, representations of space and extraterrestrial life in American culture have become increasingly relevant. Focusing on Jóhann Jóhannsson’s musical score for Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction film Arrival (2016), Terry Riley’s Sun Rings (2002) for string quartet, chorus, and recorded space sounds, and former International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield’s “Songs about Space” Spotify playlist, my research problematizes the ways in which composers, musicians, and even astronauts depict alterity through music and reinforce …

Living Tangent, Cornelius Alexander Hugo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A living tangent is how I am known by many and how I have lived my life for some time. I think in tangents and my life and art seem to evolve through them. Everything I make is connected by multiple thoughts or tangent lines that run from something as simple as the color red, to the idea that I believe communism has invaded my family’s homeland. This then leads to the recollection of childhood games, taught to me by my family in Venezuela and the importance these games played in my psychological development and in my presence as an …