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Master's Theses

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Perspectives Of Trauma Among Licensed Trauma Therapists: A Concept Mapping Study, Sean W. Bullock Sep 2026

Perspectives Of Trauma Among Licensed Trauma Therapists: A Concept Mapping Study, Sean W. Bullock

Master's Theses

To address gaps between research and psychotherapeutic intervention for trauma and trauma-related issues, the current study elicited and analyzed the perspectives of licensed trauma therapists via a concept mapping process. A literature review was conducted to explore the history and limitations of trauma’s current medical use as outlined by Criterion A of posttraumatic stress disorder in the DSM-5-TR. To answer the research question regarding how practitioners understand trauma, the researcher recruited licensed trauma therapists (n = 17) to participate in concept mapping. Participants generated 126 unique statements, which they then sorted based on similarity and rated individually on importance. Hierarchical …


State Medicaid Expansion And Mental Health In The Poorest States: Examining Differences In States That Expanded Medicaid Compared To Those Which Did Not, Steven Kyle Yates Aug 2026

State Medicaid Expansion And Mental Health In The Poorest States: Examining Differences In States That Expanded Medicaid Compared To Those Which Did Not, Steven Kyle Yates

Master's Theses

Medicaid expansion is a contentious issue in U. S. political debates, especially regarding its impact on public health outcomes. The Republican Party often shows hesitation to support government funding initiatives, citing concerns about creating dependency on entitlement programs like Medicaid. As a result, state legislatures have significant authority to shape their Medicaid programs, including setting eligibility requirements and defining the scope of benefits and services. In this study, I examine disparities in mental health indicators between economically disadvantaged states that expanded Medicaid and those that did not expand Medicaid. The dependent variables include medical costs, measured by how often individuals …


The Relationship Between Imposter Syndrome And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Moderating Role Of Gender, Sakina I. Read Jul 2026

The Relationship Between Imposter Syndrome And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Moderating Role Of Gender, Sakina I. Read

Master's Theses

Prior research consistently shows that imposter syndrome is associated with a wide variety of negative psychological and work-related outcomes such as stress, burnout, and lower job satisfaction. However, other research suggests that individuals with higher levels of imposter syndrome may engage in compensatory behaviors such as increased effort and discretionary helping for impression management purposes. Additionally, research has found that women tend to report higher levels of imposter syndrome and higher engagement in organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) than men, suggesting a gender difference in both variables. The present study sought to examine the relationship between imposter syndrome and OCBs and …


Pubertal Timing, Physical Activity, And Internalizing Symptoms In Adolescent Girls, Kirby Knapp Jun 2026

Pubertal Timing, Physical Activity, And Internalizing Symptoms In Adolescent Girls, Kirby Knapp

Master's Theses

Puberty brings marked changes in physical appearance, biological functioning, psychological well-being, and behavior, making it one of the most pivotal transitions in adolescence. Those who experience puberty earlier than their same-aged peers are at an elevated risk of psychological disorders and physical inactivity. Research shows that there are links between physical activity and psychological disorders, yet few have examined the directional relations between physical activity and internalizing symptoms or whether a certain amount of physical activity is necessary to prevent internalizing symptoms. Therefore, the current study examined (1) the directional relations between internalizing symptoms and physical activity, (2) the degree …


Marriage Trafficking Of Minority Ethnic Women And Girls In North And South Vietnam: Traditional Dowries And Bride Price As A Subterfuge For Human Trafficking, Nikita Tran May 2026

Marriage Trafficking Of Minority Ethnic Women And Girls In North And South Vietnam: Traditional Dowries And Bride Price As A Subterfuge For Human Trafficking, Nikita Tran

Master's Theses

This is a qualitative capstone project that examines marriage trafficking affecting minority ethnic communities in North and South Vietnam. Through a qualitative descriptive research, the significant findings include: (a) girls and women from ethnic minority groups are the most vulnerable to marriage trafficking, (b) marriage trafficking was most prevalent in the mountainous, rural regions of north Vietnam, (c) dowries are used and significantly impact the marriage proposals, (d) most girls and women are marriage trafficked to China, (e) the challenges of staying and leaving a marriage trafficking situation are complex, including leaving their children and facing social stigma, (f) the …


Self-Efficacy In Juvenile Probation Officers: An Examination Of Training, Eva K. Ott Hill Dec 2025

Self-Efficacy In Juvenile Probation Officers: An Examination Of Training, Eva K. Ott Hill

Master's Theses

The role of juvenile probation officers (JPO) has significantly changed in the past two decades. Rather than a focus on compliance, juvenile probation officers are tasked with using evidence-based practices focused on rehabilitation. Training is a key tool as it equips juvenile probation officers with the skills they need to implement new evidence-based practices and programs. Juvenile probation officers’ confidence in their ability to complete their changing job tasks should increase when they receive training. The current study examines how training impacts perceived self-efficacy among juvenile probation officers in Connecticut. The study seeks to understand what aspects of training impact …


The Potential Co-Occurrence Of Perfectionism, Food Insecurity, And Gpa With Orthorexia Nervosa Risk, Samantha Kay Gould Nov 2025

The Potential Co-Occurrence Of Perfectionism, Food Insecurity, And Gpa With Orthorexia Nervosa Risk, Samantha Kay Gould

Master's Theses

There are indeterminate risk, prevalence, and correlation data on orthorexia nervosa (ON) as shown by current literature on disordered eating (Rodgers et al., 2021). As a roughly defined disordered eating pattern, ON may be better understood after identifying associations among other attributes in a college student sample (Abdullah et al., 2020; Mavrandrea & Gonidakis, 2023; Parra-Fernández, 2019; Rogowska et al., 2021). A cooccurrence and influence of perfectionism, food insecurity, and grade point average (GPA) with ON risk was hypothesized since current literature suggests college students exhibit each of these characteristics independently (Abdullah et al., 2020; Ambwani et al., 2019; Caferoglu …


Is There An Association Between Food Literacy And Diet Quality In Young Adult College Men?, Morgan Claire Mayeux Aug 2025

Is There An Association Between Food Literacy And Diet Quality In Young Adult College Men?, Morgan Claire Mayeux

Master's Theses

Food literacy skills can improve dietary intake in young adults as it provides them with the tools they need to make healthier food-related decisions. The benefits of improving food literacy includes the reduction in the risk of prevalent, preventable dietrelated diseases such as obesity, T2DM, heart disease, and other chronic diseases that plague the Unites States today. Previous literature reports primarily on college female samples. Because a large proportion of the samples in the available studies are female, the current literature may not reflect young adult men’s food literacy and its comparison to their overall diet quality. The purpose of …


Replicating Vignoles Et Al. Results On Multidimensional Self-Construal: Comparing The United States, East Asia, Southeast Asia, And Latin America, Jon Lorenz A. Lim Jul 2025

Replicating Vignoles Et Al. Results On Multidimensional Self-Construal: Comparing The United States, East Asia, Southeast Asia, And Latin America, Jon Lorenz A. Lim

Master's Theses

Contemporary research on self-construal indicates that people define and perceive themselves either as independent or interdependent. Self-construal scales have become the most common method to quantitatively measure both types of self-construal across the United States, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Multidimensional measures of the self tend to be more accurate in defining the self than earlier dichotomous scales. In general, European Americans and Latin Americans perceived themselves as independent and East and Southeast Asians as interdependent. In the current study, undergraduate European American, East Asian American, Southeast Asian American, and Latin American students from San Jose State University …


The Impact Of Child And Parent Trauma Exposure On A School-Based Trauma-Focused Child Intervention, Andrea Donis Jun 2025

The Impact Of Child And Parent Trauma Exposure On A School-Based Trauma-Focused Child Intervention, Andrea Donis

Master's Theses

National statistics demonstrate that vast majority of Latine youth living in low-income neighborhoods in the United States experience on-going trauma exposure throughout their life. However, most trauma-focused therapies were designed without considering the impact that experiencing new trauma exposure during treatment may have on treatment effectiveness, limiting our understanding of the potential attenuation caused by new traumatic experiences. In addition, most youth research has focused on the impact of child trauma exposure, with little attention given to the impact of parental trauma exposure on child treatment outcomes despite the salient role that parents play in child development. In particular, little …


Leveraging Data Science For Resilience: Improving Trauma-Informed Care Practice For Adverse Childhood Experience With Ai & Data Science Application, Mohmmad Arif Shaik Jan 2025

Leveraging Data Science For Resilience: Improving Trauma-Informed Care Practice For Adverse Childhood Experience With Ai & Data Science Application, Mohmmad Arif Shaik

Master's Theses

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have long-lasting effects on physical health, mental well-being, education, and socioeconomic outcomes. Resilient Georgia (RG), a statewide initiative, seeks to address ACEs through trauma-informed care and data-driven strategies. However, challenges in data collection, analysis, and tracking set back the effectiveness of these efforts. This study explores the role of data science and interactive visualization tools in improving outcomes for individuals and communities affected by ACEs. A key focus of this research is the development of a data science management application designed to enhance data collection and improve real-time decision-making. The application features interactive dashboards that allow …


Queer Futurity Needs Queer Grief: An Analysis Of The U.S. Public Response To Queer Loss, Jordan Nicole Mckinnon Sep 2024

Queer Futurity Needs Queer Grief: An Analysis Of The U.S. Public Response To Queer Loss, Jordan Nicole Mckinnon

Master's Theses

Grief is an inevitable part of the human experience. However, communities, especially those where a majority of members have disprivileged identities, experience disenfranchised grief, or grief that is not openly acknowledged, socially accepted, or publicly mourned. Members of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, plus other identities not encompassed in the acronym) community, and their allies can experience a type of disenfranchised grief known as queer grief. I argue that everyone, not just allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, should recognize and publicly acknowledge queer grief, because if queer lives lost are not recognized as worthy …


Assessment Of Mediterranean Diet Adherence Using The Kidmed Diet 2.0 Tool: College Student Questionnaire, Nakia Cyrice Hilton Aug 2024

Assessment Of Mediterranean Diet Adherence Using The Kidmed Diet 2.0 Tool: College Student Questionnaire, Nakia Cyrice Hilton

Master's Theses

The Mediterranean Diet has garnered increasing popularity due to its multifaceted health benefits. The MedDiet enhances well-being across all age groups, emphasizing high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and whole grains and moderate fish, poultry, and dairy intake. Recent research underscores the significant impact of Mediterranean diet adherence on college students' physical and mental health. The diet's emphasis on nutrient-dense foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants supports cognitive function, which is pivotal for academic performance. Moreover, the abundant presence of healthy fats, particularly from olive oil and fatty fish, may contribute to improved mood regulation, potentially …


Adherence To Mediterranean Diet Principles In Minority College Students, Bridgette Lorraine Barbre Aug 2024

Adherence To Mediterranean Diet Principles In Minority College Students, Bridgette Lorraine Barbre

Master's Theses

Every year, millions of young adults attend college. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists heart disease and diabetes as the top health concerns for minority Americans. African American and Hispanic/Latino communities could see a reduction in illness risk by promoting physical activity and healthy eating habits such as the Mediterranean Diet. Research indicates that young adults may benefit significantly from taking charge of their eating habits at the crucial point in their transition from high school to college. By determining the dietary patterns of minority college students, as related to the Mediterranean diet principles, this study intends …


"We'll Handle Our Business": How Immigrant Perceptions Of Police And Police Legitmacy Influence Legal Cynicism And The Mobilization Of Law, Patricia Espiritu Advincula Aug 2024

"We'll Handle Our Business": How Immigrant Perceptions Of Police And Police Legitmacy Influence Legal Cynicism And The Mobilization Of Law, Patricia Espiritu Advincula

Master's Theses

Using a qualitative, exploratory approach, semi-structured interviews with first-generation and second-generation immigrants residing in San José, CA who were victimized by a crime were conducted to explore immigrant perspectives of the criminal justice system and the law. The guiding research questions of this study are: (1) what influences immigrants to report crimes and what are the barriers to crime reporting? and (2) what are immigrant perceptions/attitudes of local law enforcement? A total of 39 semi-structured interviews were thematically coded to understand immigrant experiences with police officers and how these perceptions of local law enforcement influence the mobilization of law and …


Beyond ‘Manning Up’: The Impact Of Hegemonic Masculinity & Gender Norms On Mental Health Help-Seeking Among College Men, Joslyn Barragan Aug 2024

Beyond ‘Manning Up’: The Impact Of Hegemonic Masculinity & Gender Norms On Mental Health Help-Seeking Among College Men, Joslyn Barragan

Master's Theses

This narrative inquiry study was conducted to explore college men's conceptualization of masculinity and gender norms and their relationship with mental health-related help-seeking behaviors. Through semi-structured interviews with seven men, I gathered their perceptions of mental health support and the obstacles they encountered in accessing it. Drawing from Connell's conceptualization of masculinities, this study locates their narratives within the broader framework of societal expectations, highlighting the complexities of men's attitudes and behaviors toward mental health counseling. Ultimately, five critical narratives were discovered: a) Initial models of masculinity emerge through socialization; b) Men encounter barriers to mental health care from all …


Human Trafficking: Foreign National Adolescent Survivors In The United States, A Call To Expand Otip Eligibility Letters, Ailleene L. Maldonado May 2024

Human Trafficking: Foreign National Adolescent Survivors In The United States, A Call To Expand Otip Eligibility Letters, Ailleene L. Maldonado

Master's Theses

The Office of Trafficking in Persons grants child eligibility letters to foreign national minors who have been confirmed victims of trafficking. These OTIP Eligibility Letters provide recipients with public benefits to the same extent as a refugee but do not grant protection from removal or pathways towards legal permanent residence. Additionally, many OTIP recipients have unaccompanied minor status in the United States. In order to capture the experience of OTIP recipients, this research explores existing literature on trafficking trauma and migration stressors/ trauma. Additionally, this research identifies international and national legal frameworks to define trafficking and acknowledge the responsibility that …


Housing As A Determinant Of Health: Exploring The Role Of Housing And Homelessness Organizations In Increasing Access To Resources And Overcoming Barriers To Adequate And Healthy Homes, Jennifer C. Martin May 2024

Housing As A Determinant Of Health: Exploring The Role Of Housing And Homelessness Organizations In Increasing Access To Resources And Overcoming Barriers To Adequate And Healthy Homes, Jennifer C. Martin

Master's Theses

Across the United States, there are a multitude of barriers that stand in the way of obtaining adequate housing and additional resources that can assist with accessing housing. These barriers disproportionately impact low-income individuals and communities (Gold, 2016), and further contribute to inequity by negatively impacting the health of these individuals and communities (Swope & Hernández, 2019; Taylor, 2018). The current study explores housing organizations’ potential role in overcoming these barriers by focusing on the work of one housing organization in the Greater New Haven and Fairfield Counties of Connecticut: New Reach. 17 participants enrolled in New Reach programs were …


Building Software At Scale: Understanding Productivity As A Product Of Software Engineering Intrinsic Factors, Gauthier Ingende Wa Boway Apr 2024

Building Software At Scale: Understanding Productivity As A Product Of Software Engineering Intrinsic Factors, Gauthier Ingende Wa Boway

Master's Theses

During our education at KSU, we have learned about various factors that affect productivity such as schedule, budget, and risks, but those are often controlled outside of what we could learn as software engineering principles, patterns, or practices. On top of that, other off-work factors such as health conditions, emotional distress, or political climate, just to name a few, could drastically affect the productivity of a software engineering team. We see a demarcation between those factors that affect productivity in software engineering but are not inherent to the discipline itself, which we call resistance factors, and the factors that are …


Exploring And Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Greeley’S Mental Health Co-Responder Program And “Squad 1”, Mikelle Angiuli Aug 2023

Exploring And Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Greeley’S Mental Health Co-Responder Program And “Squad 1”, Mikelle Angiuli

Master's Theses

Law enforcement officers are often the de facto emergency response for mental health crises despite having little to no mental health training. With nearly 20% of U.S. adults reporting experiencing a mental illness and recent police reform movements bringing attention to alternative policing practices and policies, there is arguably a need for comprehensive mental health treatment and emergency response in the U.S. (Mental Health America, n.d.). The cities of Greeley and Evans, Colorado have implemented a mental health co-responder program that involves individual mental health clinicians and a mental health ambulance, Squad 1, responding alongside police on mental health calls …


The Right People In The Wrong System: Examining The Tension Between Nonprofit Individuals And Organizational Structure, Erin Vong May 2023

The Right People In The Wrong System: Examining The Tension Between Nonprofit Individuals And Organizational Structure, Erin Vong

Master's Theses

Nonprofit organizations pursue missions of social good while still operating within the confines of systems of oppression, creating a tension between organizational values and operational success. Previous research focuses on the micro-level role of individuals and the macro-level role of ideologies that create these tensions for nonprofit workers in these spaces. Through a qualitative case study, this thesis seeks to uncover the meso-level role of organizational structures in the experiences of nonprofit workers. The research questions that guided this case study were (a) How does one organization present equitable working conditions for its staff? (b) How do staff at this …


Teachers’ Perceptions Of Ells By Racial Identity: A Pilot Study, Ha Tran Jan 2023

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Ells By Racial Identity: A Pilot Study, Ha Tran

Master's Theses

ABSTRACTAs racial and political tensions grow within the United States, it is not uncommon for negative teacher perceptions of English Language Learners (ELLs) to be documented in educational research. This observed phenomenon is especially worrisome for three reasons: (1) teachers’ perceptions of their students are known to affect their pedagogy, (2) teacher perception and pedagogy influences student outcomes, and (3) the ELL population continues to be the quickest growing subset within the American public-school student body. While extensive, previous research has not attempted to compare teacher perceptions of ELLs across varying racial identity groups of ELLs. Thus, this pilot study …


Central Americans At A Crossroads: Asylum Seekers’ Testimonios Of Mental Health After Detention And Family Separation, Corie E. Schwabenland Garcia Dec 2022

Central Americans At A Crossroads: Asylum Seekers’ Testimonios Of Mental Health After Detention And Family Separation, Corie E. Schwabenland Garcia

Master's Theses

Though Central American asylum seekers are presently hypervisible in the U.S. consciousness, this population continues to be inadequately understood or cared for. Discussion of this population often presents them as a helpless and damaged population, in need of saving, fixing, or shelter -- beyond their trauma, they cease to exist. This qualitative study utilizes first-person testimonio methodology to understand the psychological experiences of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States, the stressors they face, and the mental health support that can and should be provided to them. Their stories speak to a space of sociopolitical precarity in the …


Ncaa Di Assistant Coaches' Understanding Of Mental Performance And Mental Health Services, Heather Hill Aug 2022

Ncaa Di Assistant Coaches' Understanding Of Mental Performance And Mental Health Services, Heather Hill

Master's Theses

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has acknowledged the importance of providing student-athletes with psychological services throughout their athletic careers (NCAA, n.d.). Two vital services for student-athletes are mental performance services that are focused on sport-related issues and mental health services that are centered around personal issues (Sudano & Miles, 2017). Previous literature around mental performance and mental health services has not distinguished between them, making it difficult to understand key stakeholders’ perceptions and knowledge of both mental performance and mental health services. Assistant coaches play an important role in NCAA athletic departments and spend substantial amounts of time connecting …


Relationship Among Department Satisfaction, Training, And Police Behavior, Matthew Garvin Jul 2022

Relationship Among Department Satisfaction, Training, And Police Behavior, Matthew Garvin

Master's Theses

The call for police reform has been sparked by incidents involving the shooting and killing of individuals by the police. Public and political scrutiny of police behavior and procedures has created a social identity of “Us Versus Them” mentality among police officers. Proactive policing strategies have diminished in response to the heightened scrutiny of police procedures and behavior, in turn, initiating a reduction in police protection and an increase in crime. While research has identified the importance of police presence, the literature does not yet answer questions regarding factors which influence police proactivity. To address the gap in understanding, this …


Psychosocial Maturity And Alcohol Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Skyler Hoover Jun 2022

Psychosocial Maturity And Alcohol Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Skyler Hoover

Master's Theses

The present study evaluated the mediating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategies on the relationship between temperance, responsibility, perspective (i.e., the facets of psychosocial maturity) and alcohol use outcomes. Potential invariant paths among graduate and undergraduate students were also explored. All participants were undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Southern Mississippi aged 18 to 25. Participants reported demographic information and completed measures of temperance, responsibility, perspective, alcohol use, and alcohol consequences. Results indicated the full mediation model showed poor fit the data; greater temperance predicted greater alcohol protective behavioral strategy use, greater responsibility and perspective predicted less alcohol …


Legislative Language For Success, Sanjana Gundala Jun 2022

Legislative Language For Success, Sanjana Gundala

Master's Theses

Legislative committee meetings are an integral part of the lawmaking process for local and state bills. The testimony presented during these meetings is a large factor in the outcome of the proposed bill. This research uses Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning techniques to analyze testimonies from California Legislative committee meetings from 2015-2016 in order to identify what aspects of a testimony makes it successful. A testimony is considered successful if the alignment of the testimony matches the bill outcome (alignment is "For" and the bill passes or alignment is "Against" and the bill fails). The process of finding what …


The Impacts Of Cooperative Learning In Classrooms On Student Social Skills, Joseph Larson May 2022

The Impacts Of Cooperative Learning In Classrooms On Student Social Skills, Joseph Larson

Master's Theses

This mixed-methods action research study investigates potential effects of cooperative learning strategies on observed and self-reported student social skills in a fourth grade classroom. Baseline data is collected at a time when the classroom is predominantly whole-group and is then compared to ensuing data collected during and after cooperative learning interventions. Opportunities for students to work in interdependent partnerships and small groups ramps up gradually and culminates in a 3-week period which includes 3 different jigsaw-style lesson activities. Data suggests that students who are unaccustomed to working with peers may struggle to exhibit required social skills that make cooperative learning …


Familial Weight And Diet Talk's Relationship To Weight Satisfaction And Life Satisfaction, Jasmine Gilbert May 2022

Familial Weight And Diet Talk's Relationship To Weight Satisfaction And Life Satisfaction, Jasmine Gilbert

Master's Theses

Today, body weight can be a sensitive topic, and a person’s insecurities and sensitivity to this topic may be rooted in their childhood experiences. Because of the sensitive nature of the weight issue, investigating early life experiences around familial weight and diet talk of young adults will provide information about their current feelings regarding weight satisfaction. Establishing the sources of this talk beyond that of parents and whether they affect later life and weight satisfaction has yet to be determined.

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an association between familial weight and diet talk, its …


Examining The Association Between Fictive Kin Care, Parental Attachment And Emotional Distress In College Students, Roxanne Watts May 2022

Examining The Association Between Fictive Kin Care, Parental Attachment And Emotional Distress In College Students, Roxanne Watts

Master's Theses

Having a supportive and secure relationship with parents can predict less emotional distress in college students. In addition to parental support, many families leverage fictive kin caregivers to provide support. This is especially true in communities of racial and ethnic minorities. The present study investigated the association between fictive kin care, parental relationships, and emotional distress in college students. One hundred fourteen (N = 114) college students completed measures that assessed parental and fictive-kin relationships, social support, and emotional distress. A COVID-19 pandemic-related distress measure was also administered. Three hypotheses were tested. First, it was hypothesized that fictive kin …