Digital Commons Network^™

Testing The Effectiveness Of Brief Psychoeducation To Improve Parent Problem Recognition, Caroline M. Segal

Open Access Dissertations

A significant discrepancy exists between the rate of mental health problems in children and adolescents and their engagement in mental health services. A major contributor to this problem is poor mental health literacy among parents. Parents are typically responsible for identifying mental health issues in their children, but studies show that they struggle with problem recognition. The current study is the first randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of an intervention to increase parents’ recognition skills of children’s mental health problems. Participants included 298 participants recruited from community and online settings. Participants ranged in age from 24 to 58 …

Text Driving, Senior Mobility And Automated Sidewalk Assessment, Sanaz Motamedi

Open Access Dissertations

In modern society, quality of life is greatly impacted by human mobility. The lifestyles and abilities of each age group creates different risks and challenges associated with mobility. This research investigated the mobility challenges facing different generations and abilities.

The first part of this research focused on the effect of mobility technology on younger generations by exploring the impact of hand-held and hands-free texting on driving safety. A questionnaire and a driving simulator experiment were conducted to investigate the impact of text driving on drivers’ performance. Conclusions regarding the impacts of different forms of texting, text complexity, and response mode …

"You Will Hold This Book In Your Hands": The Novel And Corporeality In The New Media Ecology, Jason Shrontz

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examines the relationship between the print novel and new media. It argues that this relationship is productive; that is, it locates the novel and new media within a tense, but symbiotic relationship. This requires an understanding of media relations that is ecological, rather than competitive. More precise, this dissertation investigates ways that the novel incorporates new media. The word “incorporate” refers both to embodiment and physical union. This dissertation asks: when the novel and new media are coupled, what is produced?

It answers this question through the close critical reading of four novels: The Zero by Jess Walter, …

Metadata And Relational Architecture: Advancing Arrangement, Agency, And Access With New Methodology, Jenna Morton-Aiken

Open Access Dissertations

Traditional archival information infrastructure is problematic because it limits the arrangement and description of any artifact to a single interpretation by a single archivist. This approach of one authority defining artifacts lacks mechanisms to effectively convey the rich and complex discourse in which artifacts were originally composed. While researchers have begun to develop feminist methodologies for working with archives after they have been formed, there has not been much attention paid to developing practical methodologies for creating and sustaining a more fluid and multi-voiced archival infrastructure that is also able to overcome traditionally isolating elements such as physical distance. In …

Relationship And Power Dynamics In Women's Same Sex Abusive Couples, April D. Trotman

Open Access Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread occurrence in the United States, particularly in women’s same sex relationships. Unfortunately, beyond preliminary data on prevalence rates, little is known about how the power dynamics in women's same sex IPV compares to that of heterosexual couples. The purpose of the current study is to describe the types of abuse women experience in same sex relationships, illustrate the role of power and control over the course of an abusive relationship, and demonstrate the extent to which abuse changes over time within a relationship and during a woman's subsequent relationships. Using qualitative methods, twelve …

A Study Of Chinese Consumer Preferences For Sustainably Farmed Seafood, Chao Zou

Open Access Dissertations

Sustainable seafood programs have developed and evolved for approximately two decades as a market-based mechanism to complement the traditional “command and control” fishery management scheme. In some cases, they have successfully incentivized fishmen/fish farmers around the world to implement more environmentally sustainable production practices. It is not a perfect system capable of solving every fishery management issue immediately, but it is unequivocally one of the most promising mechanisms to slow down the degradation of wild fishery stocks or reduce environmental impacts from aquaculture, while improving the resilience of coastal fishery communities. As wild fishery stocks continue to decline, aquaculture production …

The Blame Game: The Effect Of Recommendation Context On Product Outcome Attributions, Stephanie L. Jacobsen

Open Access Dissertations

Written online communications between consumers have emerged to play an important role in the consumer decision-making process (Cheung and Lee 2012). Though electronic word of mouth (eWOM) has been studied widely, less is known about how reviews and, more specifically, product recommendations, affect attribution of credit or blame for a post purchase outcome. Attribution is important because it can affect repurchase behavior, loyalty, and word of mouth. Therefore, this dissertation experimentally examines how recommendation context affects attribution of credit or blame to consumers, reviewers, and retailers. It tests the thesis that context factors that are independent of the product recommendation …

School Professionals’ Knowledge And Attitudes About Child Mental Health: Child Diagnosis, Gender, And Ethnicity, Uchenna J. Jones

Open Access Dissertations

Among the many children with mental health needs, few actually receive mental health services. The children who do receive services are often initially referred by teachers (Sciutto, Terjesen, & Frank, 2000). However, the potential influences of child characteristics, like symptoms, gender, ethnicity, and school professionals’ attitudes on such referral decisions are not well understood. While the existing literature suggests that the students who are most often referred for services present with externalizing problems and are male, there has been little investigation regarding student race or ethnicity and teacher or school personnel referrals for mental health services. The present study used …

Challenging And Supportive Factors Encountered By Underrepresented Minority Doctoral Students In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Tessy Tatiana Pumaccahua

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the supportive and challenging factors underrepresented minority students encounter in an academic setting as they obtain doctoral degrees in STEM disciplines. The study also explored the impact of students’ multiple social identities on their educational experiences, as well as the recommendations these students would provide to incoming doctoral students of color in STEM. Participants in this study consisted of 12 self-identified students from underrepresented minority backgrounds enrolled in STEM doctoral degree programs at predominately White institutions in the U.S.. Qualitative methods were utilized in this study. Specifically, the data was obtained …

Architectures Of Captivity: Imagining Freedom In Antebellum America, Rachel Boccio

Open Access Dissertations

Architectures of Captivity is a study of the literary construction of freedom through the paradoxical image of captivity. This project deals primarily with literature of the antebellum age, a critical moment in the historical genealogy of American freedom. A major supposition of the project is that the fundamental beliefs we hold about freedom—as citizens of the United States, as inheritors of the liberal traditions of the West, as sympathizers of democratic movements worldwide—were formed at the moment this dissertation interrogates. From the period’s discourses of Romanticism and liberalism and through the rise of the modern nation-state there materialized the fantastical …

Assessing Reading Grade Level Of Online Mental Health Materials: Practical And Methodological Considerations, Dorothy D. Skierkowski

Open Access Dissertations

The Internet can be conceptualized as a useful tool for providing people with a vast array of mental health information at the click of a button. Despite this plethora of available knowledge, oftentimes the information that is presented on popular physical and mental health websites is written for an audience with a reading grade level higher than the national 6^th-8^th grade average. Although the CDC has developed guidelines for developing online patient health materials that account for disparities in health literacy across various socio-demographic groups, adherence to these guidelines is largely poor and minimally monitored. This discrepancy …

Encouraging Energy Efficiancy: Pricing, Education, And Framing, Carrie A. Gill

Open Access Dissertations

The US residential sector consumed over 20 quadrillion Btu of energy in 2015, costing households billions of dollars in energy bills in addition to negative environmental and health externalities from conventional energy generation. Reducing energy consumption and promoting energy efficiency are critical for controlling costs, minimizing negative environmental impacts, and ensuring security of energy supply. Regulators and policy makers rely on a suite of strategies to promote energy efficiency and conservation. These strategies vary in degree of control over individual freedom of choice, effectiveness and impact, and political and practical feasibility. In this dissertation, I investigate the effects of three …

Exploring Ways To Enhance Teens' Participation In Social Media Interventions: A Formative Research Study, Hailee K. Dunn

Open Access Dissertations

Social networking sites (SNSs) now serve as a primary form of socialization for adolescents. A growing body of research indicates that permissive drinking norms exist on online just as they do offline increasing teens’ risk for underage drinking and other risk behaviors. However, limited research exists on how to address this growing public health problem. The purpose of the present study was to conduct a formative investigation on how to create substance prevention interventions that address adolescents’ exposure to normative displays of substance use on SNSs. Thirty-three adolescents in grades nine through twelve were recruited from various school- and community-based …

Gender's Role In Abolitionist Pedagogy: A Fictionalized Autoethnography, Shelby A. Shaw

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore the role of gender in prison-based abolitionist pedagogy. In order to achieve this objective, the following research questions framed this study:

(1) How did institutional gatekeepers influence my experience with gender’s role in prison-based abolitionist pedagogy?

(2) In my experiences within the cultures of different prison facilities and programs what role did gender play in prison-based abolitionist pedagogy?

(3) What role did gender play in my overall experience with prison-based abolitionist pedagogy?

Using autoethnographic methods, my firsthand experience as a prison educator and researcher comprised the primary data for this study. …

Investigating The Influence Of Word Properties On Vocabulary Outcomes Of At-Risk Kindergarteners, Chelsea A. Tucker

Open Access Dissertations

Direct and early vocabulary instruction is particularly important for children with low levels of vocabulary knowledge as they are at risk for later reading difficulties (Biemiller & Slonim, 2001). It is recommended that, through direct and systematic instruction, these children be exposed to and learn what Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2013) regard as Tier 2 vocabulary words, a subset of approximately 7,000 word families. Given that the words in this grouping differ widely across various word properties yet are taught using relatively fixed strategies, research inquiry surrounding word difficulty is warranted. Within the context of a Kindergarten vocabulary intervention study, …

Extending Ttm-Based Quantitative Predictions To Hiv Prevention Among Msm, Bing Chen

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to extend the Testing Theory-based Quantitative Predictions approach (TTQP) using the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) to condom use behavior in a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM). The TTQP approach employs the theory to generate effect size predictions, then the observed effect sizes can be calculated and compared to the predicted effect sizes.

The effect size predictions in this study were made: 1) based on the omega squared reported in previous TTQP studies of other health behavior changes (e.g., smoking cessation); 2) based on theoretical considerations; and 3) calculated …

Doorways To Being: Modernism And 'Lived' Architectures, Amy A. Foley

Open Access Dissertations

Situated in recent scholarship on interiors and architecture in modernist fiction, "Doorways to Being" explores ways in which the modernist novel proposes a phenomenological engagement with the material environment, specifically the body in relation to transitional architectures. The study of thresholds in select modern fiction seeks to answer the essential question of how and why we move in the constructed world from the perspective of phenomenology and cultural studies. This comparative and interdisciplinary dissertation demonstrates how modernist fiction reestablishes the primacy of the sensed physical world in the spirit of Maurice Merleau-Ponty. The introduction theorizes the threshold or doorway as …

Measuring The Creativity Of Architecture Students, Pamela Watters

Open Access Dissertations

Creativity research is an underdeveloped area of educational psychology, particularly in higher education. For example, few studies have examined the validity of product creativity assessment at this level. Research examining creativity and the combination of cognitive, personality, and motivational aptitudes in higher education is lacking. This study explored the creativity of freshmen students’ final projects in a studio architecture class. The study used a systems theoretical framework supporting the idea that creativity occurs within an interaction of the environment and the individual. The study used correlation and regression to examine the relationship between creativity and individual aptitudes which can be …

Pathways To Substance Use And Sexual Risk Behavior Among College Students With Adhd Symptomatology, Danielle R. Oster

Open Access Dissertations

While growing numbers of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology are pursuing postsecondary education, there is a dearth of information concerning the social functioning of these students. ADHD symptomatology has been strongly linked with risk behaviors that contribute to chronic health problems, including substance use and risky sexual behavior, resulting in twice the health care costs for these students in the United States. Despite such critical findings, specific pathways between ADHD and substance use and sexual risk, have not been identified. A large body of literature has demonstrated that individuals with ADHD are at greater risk for developing …

Investigating Lgbtq Advocacy Efforts Among Heterosexual Parent Allies, Amanda Elizabeth Ramirez

Open Access Dissertations

Parent advocates play a key role in creating and promoting a supportive and accepting environment for their LGBTQ children (Bouris et al., 2010; Ryan, 2009). However, a limited number of research studies have investigated the development of parent advocates and allies within the LGBTQ community (Broad, 2011; Munin & Speight, 2010; Saltzberg, 2009; Vernaglia, 1999). Further, these studies have not specifically explored the ways in which individual, family, and community level experiences may influence the development and experiences of parent advocates. The present study utilized an ecological-transactional framework to investigate the advocacy experiences of parents of LGBTQ youth. 12 parent …

The Factor Structure Of Resilience And The Relationship Between Resiliance And Physical Activity, Zachary J. Kunicki

Open Access Dissertations

It is not too difficult to get an individual to start a physical activity program. It is incredibly difficult to get an individual to maintain a physical activity program over time. All of life’s major and minor inconveniences can become a barrier to performing physical activity, and thus lead to sedentary behavior. The construct of resilience, defined as positively adapting to adverse circumstances, may be helpful in the maintenance of physical activity. However, resilience as a construct is not entirely understood in the current literature. Some theorists suggest resilience is a single construct, while other theorists suggest that resilience is …

Differential Effects Of State Shame And Self-Affirmation On Reactive Aggression, Melissa Marcotte

Open Access Dissertations

Reactive aggression is retaliatory behavior in response to a transgression from another, especially when self-control is compromised through cognitive exhaustion. This defensive reaction is especially pronounced when the transgression is made public, increasing the intensity of the status-threat experienced, but research is mixed on whether this is due to the experience of shame or damage to self-esteem. Self-affirmation has been used in a variety of studies to reduce defensiveness and increase prosocial behavior, but there have been no studies to explore the effects of self-affirmation on reactive aggression in non-clinical populations. Drawing from an undergraduate college student population (N=101), the …

Investigation Of Health Risk Patterns Across Sexual And Gender Minority Identities, Loren Andrew Bauerband

Open Access Dissertations

The Minority Stress Model posits gender and sexual minorities experience stigma-related stressors, that increase their risk for poor mental and physical health. Historically, these groups have been considered one “community” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer: LGBTQ), with similar experiences including: shared social groups and deviation from gender norms (e.g. gender roles and expression, and relationships). As research into the experiences of LGBTQ individuals increases, evidence supports people with different sexual orientations (e.g. lesbian/gay vs. bisexual) and gender experiences (e.g. cisgender vs. transgender) within the community are diverse, and should not be researched as one population. By researching each gender and …

Stress, Coping, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Health And Cortisol In Premature Infants, At Age 23, Joyce Ellen Hickey

Open Access Dissertations

Little is known about the psychobiological processes of adults, at age 23 who were born prematurely. Compared to infants born at term, premature infants face additional obstacles of immature body systems, more neonatal stress and are at risk for developmental delay and possible parental overprotective patterns. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease theory asserts that early prenatal and neonatal stress disturbs hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, which in the long run, affects later health and behavior. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to examine neonatal stress of prematurity on coping, emotional intelligence, physiological responses, developmental milestones and emotional health …

Impact Of Multicultural Ethnic Identity On Emerging Adult Alcohol And Marijuana Use, Emilie B. Joseph

Open Access Dissertations

Adults identifying with two or more races represent about 7% of the U.S. populations (Pew Research Study, 2015). Multiracial individuals are a growing population within the United States with unique needs and experiences that are represented to a limited degree within substance use literature. However, existing research has demonstrated that multiracial individuals are at an increased risk for adverse substance use outcomes that remain largely unexplored (Unger, 2012). While existing literature has explored the impact factors like ethnic identity, neighborhood risk and drug beliefs and attitudes amongst monoracial youth and young adults, limited extensions have been made to their multiracial …

Identity, Awareness, Action: A Study Of White Anti-Racist Faculty Praxis At Two Predominantly White Institutions, David Brian Hayes

Open Access Dissertations

Despite decades of research into the racial construct known as whiteness (e.g., Roediger, 1991; Frankenberg, 1993; Leonardo, 2002), as well as on white privilege and racism within predominantly white institutions (PWIs) (e.g., Harper & Hurtado, 2007), little research exists exploring the work of white faculty who confront racism in teaching, research, or service. In this study, I applied a Critical White Studies (Delgado & Stefancic, 1997) analytical frame to a Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2006) study of white anti-racist faculty in two predominantly white institutions within a state higher education system. The study used interviews with 11 white faculty members …

Undergraduate Student Perspectives On Electronic Portfolio Assessment In College Composition Courses, Bridget Fullerton

Open Access Dissertations

Though Linda Adler-Kassner and Peggy O’Neill claim that ethical writing assessment models "must be designed and built collaboratively, with careful attention to the values and passions of all involved, through a process that provides access to all," college students have not typically been included in scholarly conversations about writing and assessment (Reframing Writing Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning 2010). In response, this dissertation privileges the perspectives of 18 college students at a mid-sized university from different majors and at varying levels of a vertical writing curriculum (100, 200, 300, and 400) to examine their experiences with a common writing …

Exploring The Perceptions Of Nursing Students’ Self-Confidence In The Acute Care Setting, Jennifer Irene Fuvich

Open Access Dissertations

The challenge of translating knowledge learned in the classroom into real life situations for students has been an issue in nursing education for many years. Very few research studies have been conducted that address what factors positively and negatively affect nursing students’ self-confidence in the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of nursing students’ self-confidence in the acute care setting and the factors that enhanced or inhibited their self-confidence. The specific research questions that guided this study were: What are the perceptions of nursing students’ self-confidence in the acute care clinical setting? What factors …

A Description Of Approachable Nurses: The Voice Of The Hospitalized Child, Bethany J. Coia

Open Access Dissertations

In 1989, international attention was drawn to the rights of children in a treaty signed by representatives of 190 nations at The Convention on the Rights of the Child. A major emphasis of the treaty was on the rights of all children to be heard across a wide range of contexts. Numerous researchers have been funded to describe and enhance the voice of the child in many settings, albeit few have focused on the child in a hospital setting. Nurse researchers who have begun to investigate the experience of children during hospitalization have identified some of the positive and negative …

Agency In Eating Disorders: American Literary And Visual Memoirs Of Anorexia And Bulimia, Jenny Platz

Open Access Dissertations

In my dissertation I examine the representation of self-creation through anorexia and bulimia in memoiristic narratives, blogs, and YouTube videos in contemporary American culture. I argue that the highly crafted characterizations and structures of the anorexic and bulimic memoirs and blogs implement the disorders into temporary tools of self-care that grant the subjects agency through their pursuits of maturation and identity creation and cannot be simplified into mere warnings and retellings of the dangers of the eating disorders. I am locating my research in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century to encompass the emergence of eating disorder memoirs, Ana …