Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
File Type

Articles 61 - 90 of 3627

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Navigating Mixedness As A Multiracial Teacher, Casey S. Kraichoke May 2026

Navigating Mixedness As A Multiracial Teacher, Casey S. Kraichoke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study utilized Critical Multiracial Theory (MultiCrit) to construct a counternarrative that amplifies the voices of Multiracial teachers, focusing on the development of personal and teacher identity. Specifically, the study critically examines the trajectory of Multiethnic-Racial (ME-R) identity transformation following experiences teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in participants’ heritage Asian countries. Data were collected through one-time semi-structured virtual interviews with fifteen purposefully selected Asian-White Multiracial EFL teachers who had completed a one-year Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) within the past decade. Each participant also provided a written artifact to support the analysis. Participants reflected on …


The Line In The Sand: Visual Narratives Of Religious Trauma And Leaving Evangelicalism, Elizabeth Humphrey May 2026

The Line In The Sand: Visual Narratives Of Religious Trauma And Leaving Evangelicalism, Elizabeth Humphrey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Widespread abuse within religious institutions has challenged the assumption that religion inherently supports mental health, while rising rates of religious disaffiliation often cite trauma as a key factor. Individuals leaving harmful religious environments report a range of outcomes—from increased autonomy to emotional distress—yet research on post-disaffiliation experiences is limited. As the religious landscape of the U.S. shows decrease in religious affiliation, and stories of abuse and trauma circulate, the experience of leaving a religious community because of harm is a needed area for further inquiry. Using visual narrative inquiry, this qualitative research study explores the lived experiences of those who …


The Effects Of Vocational Self-Concept Crystallization And Career Choice On Crop Farming Apprenticeship Completers: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis, Stormy Zane Speaks May 2026

The Effects Of Vocational Self-Concept Crystallization And Career Choice On Crop Farming Apprenticeship Completers: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis, Stormy Zane Speaks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Across the United States, a farmer shortage threatens the future of food production as the population continues to grow. However, farming apprenticeship programs may be a solution to this crisis. This study addressed a gap in research regarding the career decision-making processes of farm apprenticeship completers. Specifically, this study sought to identify whether farm apprenticeship completion resulted in greater vocational self-concept crystallization as well as farming as a career choice. Due to the lack of research, an exploratory qualitative research design was most suitable for this study. Donald Super’s self-concept development theory was the theoretical framework. Self-concept development theory was …


Developmental Mathematics As A Potential Barrier To Degree Completion In Community Colleges, Cynthia Bernice Fletcher May 2026

Developmental Mathematics As A Potential Barrier To Degree Completion In Community Colleges, Cynthia Bernice Fletcher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Developmental mathematics is often seen as a barrier to student progression in community colleges, especially for students pursuing Associate of Science degrees requiring math coursework. This quantitative, ex post facto, non-experimental study examined how developmental mathematics factors predicted Associate of Science degree completion at a two-year community college in the West South-Central United States. Specifically, it assessed how academic performance in developmental mathematics, placement method, math pathway, and number of developmental math courses related to Associate of Science degree completion, as well as differences across student subgroups. Archival institutional data were used for first-time-in-college students across four cohorts: 2018, 2019, …


Hitler's Foreign Legions: Non-German Recruitment And Formations In The Waffen Ss, Jacob O'Bannon May 2026

Hitler's Foreign Legions: Non-German Recruitment And Formations In The Waffen Ss, Jacob O'Bannon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the Nazi regime, the armed bodyguard of the National Socialist Party the, the SS grew rapidly and eventually recruited foreign manpower. This thesis analyzes the rapid expansion of the SS as an armed military force and traces their forays into non-German states to recruit as the demands of World War II increased. The SS fielded thirty-eight divisions by the end of the war with hundreds of thousands of members not being from Germany. This rapid expansion, undertaken with soldiers from a variety of backgrounds, created a series of fractures between the ideological tenets of the SS and their practices. …


Learning At Lunch: A Qualitative Examination Of Lunchtime Discourse In Preschool Classrooms, Savanna Lynn Gragg May 2026

Learning At Lunch: A Qualitative Examination Of Lunchtime Discourse In Preschool Classrooms, Savanna Lynn Gragg

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined how preschool teachers understand and use mealtime as an opportunity for children’s learning and connection. The project explored teachers’ beliefs, observed mealtime practices, and used collaborative video reflection to examine how teachers’ perspectives and behaviors evolved over time. Over five weeks, mealtimes were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed alongside reflection sessions with the teacher. Using the Arkansas Child Development Early Learning Standards (CDELS) as a developmental lens, each mealtime interaction was coded for learning opportunities across domains such as language, literacy, social-emotional growth, and self-help skills. Findings indicated that as the teacher engaged in video-supported reflection, mealtime …


Integrating People And Technology: Exploring The Validation Of The King And Hughes Hrd, Technology Ethics, And Leadership Scale, Hannah King May 2026

Integrating People And Technology: Exploring The Validation Of The King And Hughes Hrd, Technology Ethics, And Leadership Scale, Hannah King

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

People and technologies have coexisted within organizations for centuries. In the wave of the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions, however, organizations must place an emphasis on ethically integrating new technologies, like artificial intelligence, alongside people in order to sustain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. A review of the literature identified a need for more research examining ethics in the use of technology by HRD professionals. The purpose of this descriptive research study was to assess the relationship between HRD activities, ethics, and technology and examine the influence that an organization’s code of ethics has on their integration. This study …


Understanding How Ai Chatbots Act As Gatekeepers When Recommending Destinations, Ayden Alexandra Carmack May 2026

Understanding How Ai Chatbots Act As Gatekeepers When Recommending Destinations, Ayden Alexandra Carmack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence chatbots become a primary tool for travel discovery, questions arise about whose destinations get recommended and how. This study examines how ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), and Google Gemini function as algorithmic gatekeepers in travel recommendations, drawing on gatekeeping theory, framing theory, and growing scholarship on AI bias in tourism. Using a content analysis of 135 AI-generated responses to 15 standardized travel prompts (45 per platform, each run three times) this study coded destination selection patterns, dominant narrative frames, and informational omissions across platforms. Results show that 88.9% of recommended destinations were classified as high-income nations, with Japan, …


Coloniality Disrupted: Critical Knowledge Interventions Shift Decolonial Attitudes Among White Americans Via Collective Responsibility & Moral Outrage, Mejdy Jabr May 2026

Coloniality Disrupted: Critical Knowledge Interventions Shift Decolonial Attitudes Among White Americans Via Collective Responsibility & Moral Outrage, Mejdy Jabr

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epistemologies of ignorance and critical knowledge dialectically shape how individuals psychologically and politically orient themselves within oppressive social systems. Across three studies, I investigated the psychological mechanisms through which critical-historical knowledge about Indigenous peoples relates to and causally shifts support for (or opposition to) decolonization among America’s foremost settler population, White Americans. Study 1 utilized an Indigenous history test to assess the relationship between critical knowledge and support for decolonization (i.e., decolonial policies and practices; DCPPs), finding that critical-historical knowledge is positively associated with DCPP support and that this relationship is mediated by collective responsibility. Studies 2 and 3 built …


“Menopause Is Universal, But No One Prepared Us”: An Inductive Thematic Analysis Of R/Menopause, Alissa Lauren Hardwick May 2026

“Menopause Is Universal, But No One Prepared Us”: An Inductive Thematic Analysis Of R/Menopause, Alissa Lauren Hardwick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Menopause is a universal biological transition, yet women’s lived experiences of its emotional, cognitive, relational, and healthcare dimensions remain comparatively underrepresented in research. Guided by critical feminist theory and feminist standpoint epistemology, this study examined how women in the r/Menopause online community described experiences of depression and anxiety during the menopausal transition, how they narrated healthcare encounters, and how they made sense of shifting identity and social value. By treating self-authored online narratives as situated forms of knowledge, the study aimed to illuminate how menopausal distress is interpreted and negotiated in everyday discourse. An inductive qualitative reflexive thematic analysis was …


From Classroom To Courtroom: How Educational Strains Shape Juvenile Delinquency, Hailey Elizabeth Houston May 2026

From Classroom To Courtroom: How Educational Strains Shape Juvenile Delinquency, Hailey Elizabeth Houston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Juvenile delinquency is a significant social issue with consequences that extend into adulthood and impact future success of youth. Although prior research has explored various factors that affect juvenile delinquency, notable gaps remain – notably a lack of literature on how educational strain effects juvenile delinquency with a focus on rural areas. This study addresses these gaps by examining the effects of educational strain, such as poor academic performance and lack of teacher support, on rural adolescents’ engagement in juvenile delinquency. Data for this study was obtained from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an online …


Lumbopelvic Kinematics And Muscular Co-Contractions In Walking Prior To And Immediately Following A Bout Of Prolonged Standing., Stephanie Cotariu May 2026

Lumbopelvic Kinematics And Muscular Co-Contractions In Walking Prior To And Immediately Following A Bout Of Prolonged Standing., Stephanie Cotariu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Prolonged standing is a common daily activity in a wide array of occupations, and approximately 44% of sample populations develop low back pain (LBP) during prolonged standing. Prolonged standing-induced LBP developers (“Pain Developers”) are three times more likely to develop clinical LBP and can therefore be considered a pre-clinical LBP population. Changes in typical gait have been observed in LBP patients, and walking has been hypothesized as being protective or preventive against LBP development. However, it is unknown whether Pain Developers exhibit similar kinematic adaptations to chronic LBP patients during common daily activities, such as walking. The exact muscular …


Understanding The Effects Of Adventure Therapy On Inner City Youths' Sense Of Relatedness, Nicolas Bellegarde May 2026

Understanding The Effects Of Adventure Therapy On Inner City Youths' Sense Of Relatedness, Nicolas Bellegarde

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adventure therapy is a creative, transtheoretical group-based model of counseling that utilizes kinesthetic activities coupled with metaphors and processing modalities, alongside experiences outdoors, to facilitate insight and motivate healthy communication between group members. Through intentional sequencing and guidance of activities, facilitators aim to improve participants' communication skills, group engagement, and ability to tolerate discomfort and risk while strategically solving problems. In addition, the integration of nature and the outdoors has been demonstrated to improve mental health and well-being, generating a sense of connectedness to the environment and to the group. Adolescence is a time of rapid developmental change characterized by …


How Consumer Awareness Of Sustainability And Labor Practices Shape Fast Fashion Purchase Intentions, Sydney Smith May 2026

How Consumer Awareness Of Sustainability And Labor Practices Shape Fast Fashion Purchase Intentions, Sydney Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how consumer awareness of sustainability issues and unethical labor practices influences fast fashion purchase intentions. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior and supported by the Symbolic Interaction Theory, the research explores how awareness, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and price sensitive shape consumer decision-making. A quantitative research design was employed using a self-administered online survey distributed via social media platforms. The final sample included 187 participants, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression. Findings revealed that although participants reported moderate to high levels of awareness, this awareness did not significantly …


The Biased Divide: Perceptions And Challenges Of Esports Within Universities, Alexzandra O'Neal May 2026

The Biased Divide: Perceptions And Challenges Of Esports Within Universities, Alexzandra O'Neal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how institutional framing and student motivations influence the development and perception of collegiate Esports programs within higher education. The research explores how Esports is positioned as either a legitimate academic and competitive pursuit or a low-priority extracurricular activity, and how these perceptions impact program growth and student experience. This non-traditional thesis is presented as a documentary film utilizing a qualitative, semi-structured interview methodology. Data were collected through interviews with students, faculty, and program leaders, focusing on a comparative analysis between University of Oklahoma and University of Arkansas. Findings indicate that institutional support and framing play a significant …


Does The Medium Make A Difference? A Quantitative Study Of Traditional Versus Social Media, Erin Elaine Bailey May 2026

Does The Medium Make A Difference? A Quantitative Study Of Traditional Versus Social Media, Erin Elaine Bailey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

People are changing why they use social media, what used to be a way to unwind and stay in touch with old friends is now being used for something much different. This study looks into how young adults (ages 18–25) perceive and retain information from social media compared to traditional media. As social media increasingly functions as both an entertainment and news source, the distinction between it and traditional journalism continues to diminish. Using a quota sample of 300 participants, data were collected through a Qualtrics survey measuring media engagement, usage, perceived credibility, and knowledge retention. Participants were exposed to …


Religion, Crime, And The Mediating Effects Of Social Control And Self-Control, Parker Bowman May 2026

Religion, Crime, And The Mediating Effects Of Social Control And Self-Control, Parker Bowman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Past research on the relationship between religion and crime has found the two variables have a significant negative correlation. Currently, there are two main mechanisms used to explain this relationship: social control and self-control. Social control theorists argue that participation in religious organizations decreases criminal behaviors by increasing social bonds. Self-control theorists argue that religious norms and values decrease criminal behavior by increasing an individual's self-control. While both mechanisms have been well supported by research, there remains the question of which is the stronger mediator of the religion-crime relationship. This study seeks to answer this question by comparing the effects …


Exploring Retention And Satisfaction Among Arkansas County-Level Cooperative Extension Employees: A Job Embeddedness Perspective, Rebecca M. Simon Dec 2025

Exploring Retention And Satisfaction Among Arkansas County-Level Cooperative Extension Employees: A Job Embeddedness Perspective, Rebecca M. Simon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This quantitative study investigated the retention of county-level employees within the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (CES) using Job Embeddedness Theory (JET) as the theoretical framework. The research aimed to describe levels of job embeddedness, job satisfaction, and intent to stay, and to examine the relationships among these variables. A census of 328 CES employees was conducted, yielding a 53% response rate. Data were collected through a validated online survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression. Results indicated high scores in organizational fit and sacrifice dimensions, while links to organization and community were comparatively lower. Age …


Work-Related Pathology At Tell El-Amarna: The Physical Cost Of Building A New Capital City In The New Kingdom, Egypt, Heidi Suzanne Davis Dec 2025

Work-Related Pathology At Tell El-Amarna: The Physical Cost Of Building A New Capital City In The New Kingdom, Egypt, Heidi Suzanne Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines patterns of work-related indicators of physical stress in a skeletal sample from the non-elite adult population of the South Tombs Cemetery (STC) of Amarna, Egypt. Assessing work-related pathology using an integrative model of physical stress, this study considers the interactions of demographic parameters of age, sex, and injury recurrence, along with archaeological and documentary data to provide a biocultural contextual approach to physical stress in this population. The STC sample is compared to other samples from Egyptian and Nubian sites as well as historical samples believed to be under high physical demands and stressful conditions. The STC …


A Journey And A Roadmap: Lessons Learned From Co-Creating An After-School Art Program With/For Newcomer Youth From Refugee Communities., Sally Anne Ball Dec 2025

A Journey And A Roadmap: Lessons Learned From Co-Creating An After-School Art Program With/For Newcomer Youth From Refugee Communities., Sally Anne Ball

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on my participation in a project developed in collaboration with a non-profit organization, Canopy NWA, with a goal to design and implement an after-school art program for newcomer youth from refugee communities that Canopy serves. This research inquiry is a self- study supported by observation, reflexive practice, and the use of a critical friend for mentorship, collaborative planning, group reflection, and co-developing and co-teaching curriculum. Through investigating my current teaching practices and my lack of experience teaching students from refugee communities, I set out to answer the following two questions: How will my art teaching practices develop, …


Essays On The Economics Of Farmland Valuation And Investment In U.S. Agriculture, Colson Tester Dec 2025

Essays On The Economics Of Farmland Valuation And Investment In U.S. Agriculture, Colson Tester

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents three empirical essays that collectively advance the understanding of farmland valuation in key U.S. agricultural regions, emphasizing the critical advantages of comprehensive, transaction-based data over traditional survey methods. Farmland represents a significant portion of agricultural wealth, and its accurate valuation is crucial for farmers, investors, and policymakers, influencing everything from credit access to investment strategies. Historically, research has often relied on subjective survey data, which can suffer from biases, inaccuracies, and insufficient granularity. This dissertation addresses these limitations by leveraging extensive datasets of arm’s-length farmland transactions, offering a more precise and market-driven perspective on land values. The …


Just Because They Can, Doesn’T Mean They Will: College Students’ Use And Non-Use Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Patrick Walter Mcclain Dec 2025

Just Because They Can, Doesn’T Mean They Will: College Students’ Use And Non-Use Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Patrick Walter Mcclain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College students engage in high levels of alcohol consumption, which can increase their risk of alcohol-related negative consequences. To address this, researchers developed Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies (APBS), which are actions that students can take before or while drinking to limit their alcohol use and/or reduce their likelihood of experiencing drinking harms. However, students’ APBS use could depend on their perceived usefulness of these strategies, whether they engage in high-risk drinking, or both. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate: (1) what percentage of students (a) perceive each APBS as useful and (b) implement the APBS they find useful, (2) …


Clarifying The Role Of Need For Uniqueness In Preferences For Conspiratorial Beliefs, Marie Altgilbers Dec 2025

Clarifying The Role Of Need For Uniqueness In Preferences For Conspiratorial Beliefs, Marie Altgilbers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Need for uniqueness has previously been identified as an individual difference predictor of conspiratorial beliefs, but has not been studied systematically. The current research investigated this relationship across 3 studies through the lens of uniqueness theory. Study 1 replicated previously reported associations and identified new moderators of this relationship. Study 2 experimentally tested the impact of receiving high uniqueness vs. high similarity feedback on conspiracy beliefs. This feedback did not impact conspiracy beliefs by itself, but interacted with cognitive processing preferences. Study 3 tested a manipulation of high vs. moderate uniqueness feedback on conspiracy beliefs. There were no effects of …


Emotion Regulation Flexibility And Well-Being In College Athletes In Aesthetic Sports, Kaitlyn D. Chamberlain Dec 2025

Emotion Regulation Flexibility And Well-Being In College Athletes In Aesthetic Sports, Kaitlyn D. Chamberlain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined emotion regulation flexibility and well-being (including psychological well-being, physical well-being, perceived sport performance and worth of sport participation) in athletes in aesthetic sports. This population experiences high environmental demands and constraints and thus low control over their environment. Collegiate athletes within aesthetic sports and female athletes experience specific social factors and demands that threaten their well-being, compared to those experienced by male athletes and athletes within non-aesthetic sports. Consistent with the transactional theory of stress and coping, individuals with less power to regulate their environment will require greater ability to regulate themselves in accordance with their changing …


High Test-Retest Reliability Of Nucleus Accumbens Activity During Reward Anticipation, Nathaniel Bouton Dec 2025

High Test-Retest Reliability Of Nucleus Accumbens Activity During Reward Anticipation, Nathaniel Bouton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has questioned the reliability of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI). The findings suggest poor test-retest reliability of FMRI measures across brain areas and tasks, and specifically in subcortical brain areas during reward-related tasks. Further, data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study showed low reliability and low stability of the fitted coefficients from whole-brain regression analyses of the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task. However, optimizing methods might improve reliability, for example: (1) acquiring single-band rather than multi-band FMRI sequences, (2) extracting raw activity rather than fitted coefficients, and (3) honing analyses to target brain areas during specific …


Balancing Act: Examining The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Burnout Within Graduate Medical Education Program Coordinators, Michael Conrad Dec 2025

Balancing Act: Examining The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Burnout Within Graduate Medical Education Program Coordinators, Michael Conrad

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experience of working as a graduate medical education (GME) program coordinator to determine how organizational culture impacts their burnout. The study was guided by the Job Demand-Resource Theory and the Conservation of Resources theory. When job demands outweigh job resources for an individual for a long period of time, it can result in burnout. Job resources can be used to buffer against demands and promote job growth, engagement, and learning. It is this concept which leads individuals to protect their resources when needed and to strive to develop new resources. Data was collected through …


Supporting At-Risk Students Through Alternative Education: A Case Study On Reintegration, Behavior, And Stakeholder Perceptions At Sharpie Academy, Bryan O'Neal Dec 2025

Supporting At-Risk Students Through Alternative Education: A Case Study On Reintegration, Behavior, And Stakeholder Perceptions At Sharpie Academy, Bryan O'Neal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a mixed-methods case study examining the effectiveness of Sharpie Academy, an alternative education program within the Chalkboard Champions School District. The study investigated three central research questions: (1) How does participation in the alternative learning environment at Sharpie Academy influence students' behavior upon reintegration into the traditional education setting? (2) What are the perceptions of parents, teachers, and community members regarding the program's outcomes? (3) How do these perceptions influence stakeholder support for the academy? Data was collected from 121 participants, including 43 students and 78 adult stakeholders, using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, surveys, and document analysis. …


Evaluating A Self-Guided Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook For Sexual Violence-Exposed College Students Using A Nonconcurrent, Multiple Baseline Design, Marley F. Fradley Dec 2025

Evaluating A Self-Guided Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook For Sexual Violence-Exposed College Students Using A Nonconcurrent, Multiple Baseline Design, Marley F. Fradley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College students endorse high rates of sexual violence victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Help-seeking behaviors in college students are low and may be impacted by limited financial resources, competing obligations, treatment-related stigma, and features of PTSD such as avoidance, fear, and shame. Novel opportunities for sexually victimized college students to engage with trauma-focused interventions are necessary to mitigate the biopsychosocial consequences of PTSD. In a nonconcurrent, multiple baseline trial of a self-guided cognitive behavioral workbook for PTSD, sexual violence-exposed college students (N = 6) completed a 3-, 4-, or 5-week baseline period and then utilized the study workbook for …


A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black International Graduate Students’ Experiences In Building A Sense Of Belonging And Community At A Predominantly White Southern University, Hilda Solange George Dec 2025

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black International Graduate Students’ Experiences In Building A Sense Of Belonging And Community At A Predominantly White Southern University, Hilda Solange George

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black international graduate students’ experiences navigating and developing a sense of belonging and community at higher educational institutions in the United States and particularly at predominantly white institutions have received minimal attention in scholarly inquiries, despite their cultural, intellectual, and financial contributions to host institutions and the country. To fill this gap in the existing literature, this hermeneutical phenomenological study aimed to gain a nuanced and in-depth understanding of Black international graduate students' perceptions of their sense of belonging and community at a predominantly white southern university (PWSU) in the United States. Guided by the research questions and the Black …


Elucidating Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying Depression-Related Differences In Executive Control Under Stress, Benjamin Swanson Dec 2025

Elucidating Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying Depression-Related Differences In Executive Control Under Stress, Benjamin Swanson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Executive control under stress has been shown to be a robust predictor of psychopathology, especially Major Depressive Disorder (i.e., depression). However, the underlying neural mechanisms that might explain this association have not been examined. To address this gap, both controls (n = 30) and individuals with current or past depression (n = 30) completed a modified Stroop task under fMRI. Behaviorally, we assessed both participants’ executive control performance and their subjective affect during the task. At the neural level, we examined brain regions related to both executive-related control (e.g., DLPFC) and executive-related affective processes (e.g., amygdala, striatum), as well as …