Digital Commons Network^™

Interpersonal Physiology: Assessing Interpersonal Relationships Through Physiology, Richard Vincent Palumbo

Open Access Dissertations

Interpersonal physiology is the study of relationships between people’s physiological activates during social interactions. Converging evidence indicates that interdependencies develop between peoples’ autonomic systems, and can be indicative of psychosocial constructs such as empathy and attachment. These interdependencies, often referred to as physiological linkage, are theorized to be key components of social process. Research in the area is limited however, and there is little consensus for best practices. The mechanisms involved in the emergence of linkage, terminology, and methodology and statistics have not been adequately addressed. This dissertation aimed to systematically address these issues through four manuscripts. The first addresses …

Middle School Students’ Perceptions Of Enjoyment In Physical Education And Its Relationship To Participation In Physical Activity Outside The School, Shima Younes-Alhourani

Open Access Dissertations

For many years, the status of physical education (PE) in public schools in Palestine as well as other countries was jeopardized. However, the decline of engagement in PE and the reduction and/or elimination of PE programs in the US and other countries including Palestine, along with the increased obesity and sedentary behaviors among children, have motivated governments in countries like Canada, the United States and England to take action (Cairney et al., 2007; & Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, 2007). Students in the United States and other countries, including Palestine, tend to demonstrate negative attitudes toward physical education (PE) at …

Bridging The Soft-Skill Gap From Education To Employment Through Internships, Kim Stack Washor

Open Access Dissertations

Employers express a growing concern that recent college graduates do not possess the necessary soft-skills to transition into entry level positions seamlessly. Educators are asked by employers and policy makers to provide instruction which would develop student skills in both the “hard” (academic and technical) and “soft” (personality traits and habits) skills required to be workplace-ready. The research study was designed to understand the degree to which internships enhance student soft-skill development, specifically in the areas of communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking. Researcher-designed pre-post retrospective surveys were administered to students and one to corresponding supervisors to measure change in …

Latino Academic Resilience: Stories Of High Achieving Middle School Ells And The Teachers And Families That Help Them Succeed, Marcela Astudillo

Open Access Dissertations

A general definition of resilience is an ability to thrive and succeed in a variety of areas related to our lives despite adversities we may face. The more specific term referred to as "academic resilience" deals with achieving academic success despite difficulties within an academic setting. Evidence shows that one of the demographic groups that experiences many challenges within academic settings and therefore who often struggle with academic success are English Language Learners. As compared to the regular education population of native speakers of English, ELLs have much higher high school dropout rates and have an overall more difficult time …

Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A Clinical Beliefs Questionnaire For Licensed Psychologists, Joseph F. Meyer Iii

Open Access Dissertations

In recent decades, a specific class of dubious clinical practices has been labeled pseudoscientific and highlighted as a growing area of concern in psychology. Experts have identified numerous examples of pseudoscientific treatments, which are troubling for various ethical reasons. In light of the absence of research investigating the nature of professional beliefs and knowledge associated with scientifically substantiated and unsubstantiated clinical interventions, the primary objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire (viz., the Clinical Attitudes and Knowledge Questionnaire, or CAKQ) to appraise specific clinical knowledge domains and attitudes toward science among licensed, doctoral-level practitioners of clinical psychology. This …

Examining Health Professional Students’ Attitudes On Interprofessional Education, Suzanne Carr

Open Access Dissertations

There is a growing need for healthcare teams to effectively collaborate and communicate to improve patient outcomes. The need to improve patient care has been well established and cited by the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee on Quality Health Care in America landmark report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System (IOM, 1999; Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 2000). Health educational programs are known to be a gateway to changing behaviors of health professionals to impact practice and direct patient care. Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been identified as a viable mechanism to increase the collaboration and communication of health …

Insomnia And Identity: The Discursive Function Of Sleeplessness In Modernist Literature, Sarah Kingston

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examines the topic of insomnia in British and American modernist literature, focusing primarily on the ways in which the condition of insomnia and the identity category of the “insomniac” intersect with other aspects of subjectivity, such as gender, occupation, race, and social class. Through examining insomnia from a narratological perspective, using fictional, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and medical literature, I discuss the discursive function of both this disorder and identity category during the Modernist period. It also explores the relationship between insomnia and Modernism itself, regarding both the discursive production of knowledge of insomnia and the insomniac during this …

Three Essays On Co-Management In A Fishery, Mihoko Tegawa

Open Access Dissertations

Co-management has been recognized as an important scheme in successfully governing common-pool resources (Ostrom, 1990, 2002). Contrary to Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons (1968) or Olson’s Logic of Collective Action (1965), empirical research has found many long-lasting self-governing communities through extensive case studies (Baland & Platteau, 1996; Ostrom, 1990; Wade, 1989). This is no exception in fishery (Pinkerton, 1994). Fishery cooperatives, where fishermen collectively manage the fishery, have been garnering much attention from both regulators and academics (Costello, 2012; Deacon, 2012; Townsend, Shotton, & Uchida, 2008). In fact, Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery in US has implemented a sector management system, …

Exploring The Experiences Of Adolescents Participating In Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy, Francine Rose Bianca Pingitore

Open Access Dissertations

Given the number of adolescents who present with mental health issues, it is important to explore the best treatment options for this population. Group psychotherapy has been described in the literature as the ideal choice for adolescents who engage in mental health treatment. It is considered a “natural” fit, as adolescents are focused on their peer group during this developmental period. There has been an abundance of research examining behavioral oriented group psychotherapy with adolescents suggesting positive clinical benefits and outcomes. However, process oriented group psychotherapy research with adolescents has been lacking. In particular, the “voice” and perspectives of adolescents …

Unconscious States: A Novel, Rachel May

Open Access Dissertations

Unconscious States tells the story of three sisters in a rural New England town and aims to explore the class, racial, and agricultural tensions in central Massachusetts while addressing issues of addiction, the choices that three women face in making their lives, and a family’s struggle to sustain themselves after a devastating accident severely injures the oldest of the Roe sisters, Mary. The novel integrates the choices of educated women today—between scholarship, family, and work—and the racist underbelly, subtle but pervasive, in a New England town like Bolton, as well as the financial burdens that all families face in a …

Price Reframing: Role Of Price Familiarity In Consumer Choice, Miri Chung

Open Access Dissertations

A framing strategies that marketers widely employ in pricing is a Pennies-a-Day (PAD) strategy. This decomposes the total price in order to frame it into a smaller, more palatable daily amounts. To date, several theoretical perspectives were investigated in an attempt to identify mediators of PAD effectiveness: perceived triviality, perceived benefits, and the feeling of being misled.

Interestingly, despite evidence suggesting consumer response to PAD pricing is more complex, the extant literature has not investigated moderators of PAD effectiveness. Based on studies in information processing, the current study suggests that consumers' price familiarity could act in a moderating role on …

Parental Psychological Control And Emotion Dysregulation Among Anxious Children: A Transactional Model, Monica M. Nanda

Open Access Dissertations

Existing research and theories have consistently highlighted the role of emotion regulation deficits and parental psychological control in the occurrence of childhood anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to continue to examine these relationships using observational methods amongst a clinically anxious sample. Additionally, the present study aimed to identify the direction of effects between parental psychological control and emotion dysregulation by examining whether there is a discernible sequence of parent and child behaviors forming a pattern of interaction between parents and their anxious children. This was completed using microanalytic coding methods to observe parental psychological control and …

Expanding The Foundation For Population-Based Anxiety Management Interventions, Jessica Lipschittz

Open Access Dissertations

Anxiety is the most prevalent mental illness and treatments are effective but underutilized. Failure to design treatments that proactively reach individuals at varying levels of readiness may be one driver of under-utilization. The Transtheoretical Model of behavior change (TTM) offers a framework for designing treatments tailored to readiness to engage in exposure, the process of gradually approaching feared stimuli and the central behavioral component of evidence-based anxiety treatments. This study sought to develop the essential building blocks for applying the TTM to anxiety by developing a set of measures of core TTM constructs (Stage of Change, Decisional Balance, Self-efficacy, and …

Perceived Life Satisfaction Of Expatriate Students Attending International Schools, Brynheld Martinez Zavras

Open Access Dissertations

The primary goal of the present study was to investigate overall and domain-based life satisfaction of expatriate students attending international schools compared to students who attend international schools in their home country. The present study included 114 students from eleven international schools located across nine European countries. Participants completed measures concerning demographic information and the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). Statistical analyses revealed levels of life satisfaction to be in the positive range for all students. Results indicated that domain-based and overall life satisfaction, as measured by the MSLSS, was similar for males and females. No significant differences were …

Off The Hip: A Thermodynamics Of The Cool, Rebecca Kanost

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation asserts that the cool’s significance in 20th-century American culture exceeds that assigned to it by current critiques. It assays a rhetorical model which describes coolness as stillness in behavior that surprises witnesses, given the assumptions they make about the still person and context for his or her behavior. Such stillness agitates witnesses’ normative assumptions about all those in the rhetorical situation, including assumptions about affect, gender, race, class and sexuality. Agitation may also lead to conjecture about what mindset could produce cool behavior. To test this model I investigate representations of coolness in James Baldwin’s short story, “Going …

The Association Between School Climate And School Discipline Policies And Practices In Rhode Island Public Schools, Anna G. Lubiner

Open Access Dissertations

Exclusionary discipline practices have been associated with a range of negative student outcomes, both academic and behavioral, as well as a higher likelihood of later school drop-out and involvement in the juvenile justice system. Alternatively, more positive school climate has been associated with a variety of favorable student outcomes including higher levels of academic achievement and fewer behavioral infractions. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between school climate and exclusionary discipline practices and policies in the Rhode Island public elementary and secondary schools. More specifically the study sought to investigate the association between teacher and student …

The Stigma Of Obesity: Examining The Relationship Between Bmi And The Treatment Of Pain In Surgery Patients, Dennis H. Sewchuk Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

There is a growing epidemic of obesity in the United States and a corresponding increase in the number of morbidly obese patients receiving healthcare. Despite the increasing focus and research on obesity over the years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has continued to worsen. A stigma against obesity exists in the general public including among healthcare professionals. Attitudes and bias of healthcare professionals against obesity can negatively affect judgment and choices related to the enactment of care, affecting both the quality of healthcare delivered and patient outcomes. Studies have shown that stigmatization against groups of patients such …

Perspectives On Hope Of Hospice And Palliative Care Nurses, Katherine Margaret Paquette

Open Access Dissertations

Fostering hope for clients experiencing end of life is an essential component of Hospice and Palliative Care nursing practice. There is a limited repertoire of literature that describes the perspectives on hope held by Hospice and Palliative Care nurses. The purpose of this doctoral research study was to describe the perspectives on hope of Hospice and Palliative Care nurses who work in one Hospice and Palliative Care organization in the northeast. The specific research questions that guided this inquiry included: How do Hospice and Palliative Care nurses describe the concept of hope? In what ways do the nurses think that …

Prescription Stimulant Misuse And Adhd Symptomatology Among College Students In Iceland, Bergljot Gyda Gudmundsdottir

Open Access Dissertations

As growing numbers of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) pursue postsecondary education, the availability of psychostimulant medications on college campuses has steadily increased. Although a large body of research has documented that misuse of prescription stimulant medication is a prevalent problem on American college campuses, few studies have been conducted beyond the United States. Iceland, closely followed by the United States, has the highest stimulant medication prescription rates in the world; however, no systematic efforts have been made to investigate to what extent these medications are being misused within the Icelandic college student population. Therefore, the purpose of …

Hidden Cost Of Conflict: An Interdisciplinary Examination Between Family Law, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Justice, And Work Productivity For Employed Adults, Lisa M. Burton

Open Access Dissertations

There is limited understanding of the experience of adults going through the court system to obtain a divorce. Linking the legal process of divorce for employed adults to workplace productivity has not been researched. The method of adjudication of divorce has not been linked to health or occupational outcomes. Results could have compelling implications for corporate work/life programs and public policy. Individuals experiencing heavy demands by either family responsibilities or work demands are at risk for poor mental and physical health outcomes. The role the legal system plays in the variability of stress reactions is unknown. Interdisciplinary knowledge may be …

Influence Of Sociocultural Factors On The Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Among College Students In Costa Rica, Derby Munoz-Rojas

Open Access Dissertations

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide public health issue affecting millions of people, adolescents and young adults are disproportionally affected. IPV is a complex problem primarily because it is influenced by a web of risks and protective factors, which interact and shape the experiences of each person. However, the exact nature of these interactions is not well understood, particularly among adolescents and young adults and in cultures where gender norms are rapidly changing and less IPV research has been conducted, such as in Costa Rica. Specifically, little is known about the effect of sociocultural factors on the experiences …

Perceived Caring Climate, Empathy, And Student Social Behavior In High School Bands, Susana M. Lalama

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore connections among perceived caring climate, empathy, and student social behaviors in high school bands. Nine high school band directors, along with their students, from Miami-Dade County Public Schools voluntarily participated in the study (N = 203 students, N = 9 schools). Participants completed an electronic questionnaire for variables of caring climate, cognitive empathy, affective empathy, positive social behaviors, negative social behaviors, and victimization. Demographic information for both students and teachers were also collected, along with school and band information. Two multiple linear regressions were performed and results showed that cognitive empathy predicted …

Examining The Association Between Variability In Classroom Interaction Quality And Problem Behavior In Head Start Children, Veronica A. Fernandez

Open Access Dissertations

The present study examined the role of variability in observed classroom interaction quality (as assessed by the CLASS) in a sample of Head Start children (N = 965 children, within 54 classrooms and across 8 centers). First, the psychometric properties of the typically used classroom quality mean scores were examined to test whether the levels (mean differences) and rank ordering (reliability) of the scores varied across activity settings (Free Play, Whole Group, Small Group, Meals or Routines/Transitions). Then, variability scores were calculated for each of the three classroom quality domains to examine the unique association between variability in classroom interaction …

Examining Predictors Of U.S. Student Intent To Study Abroad From A Communication Perspective, Jasmine R. Phillips

Open Access Dissertations

This study of American undergraduate students explored the communication factors that contribute to their decisions regarding participation in study abroad programs. The theoretical framework proposed that several communication constructs were related to intent to study abroad. Specifically, intercultural communication competence (ICC), and social influence via face-to-face and computer-mediated communication, were proposed to affect intent to study abroad. Hypotheses generated in this research were grounded in literature on the above constructs and guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). Previous literature found that intercultural attitudes such as openness to other cultures and diversity, ethnocentrism, and intercultural …

Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, Social Status, And Well-Being Among English Language Proficient Immigrants, Darren R. Bernal

Open Access Dissertations

The effects of social status on well-being are pervasive (American Psychological Association Task Force on Socioeconomic Status, 2006; Marmot, 2004). Social status has been proposed to play a role (Berry, 1987; Padilla & Perez, 2003) in the complex association between both acculturation and acculturative stress and psychological well-being (Koneru, 2007). Subjective Social Status is a promising method of measuring social status (Adler, 2013) that has not been examined in regard to immigrants’ well-being. In an attempt to fill this gap in the literature, this study explored questions about immigrants’ well-being as they acculturate to and deal with acculturative stressors in …

Use Of A Dvd-Based Strength Training Program By Breast Cancer Survivors In The Home Setting, Ashley Falcon

Open Access Dissertations

Background: Breast cancer (BCa) is the most common type of cancer diagnosed among women in the United States. Advances in cancer detection and treatment have led to improved survival, and focus has shifted towards addressing the adverse physiological and psychological effects associated with BCa and its treatments. Evidence supports regular physical activity (PA) as an effective means of managing the negative side effects of BCa treatments and improving health-related quality of life (QOL). Strength training is of particular importance for BCa survivors who experience treatment-related functional limitations. Despite this fact, PA levels among BCa survivors are below those recommended for …

The Effects Of Vocabulary Instruction On Bilingual Students' Lexico-Semantic Acquisition In English-Medium Contexts: A Systematic Analysis, Alain Bengochea

Open Access Dissertations

This systematic review provides a comprehensive analysis of the empirical literature on the effectiveness of vocabulary instructional methods for English language learners (ELLs) in prekindergarten through 6th grade settings. Thus, a central goal of this study is to appraise the available research on vocabulary learning and assess intervention studies’ levels of evidence for effectiveness in order to make a critical assessment of the variables that are currently represented in the field. Specifically, the research questions guiding this systematic review are: (1) How do intervention studies developing L2 word-meaning acquisition with ELLs in pre-kindergarten through 6th grade settings vary in their …

Illusionism: Making The Problem Of Hallucinations Disappear, Rami El Ali

Open Access Dissertations

My dissertation contributes to a central and ongoing debate in the philosophy of perception concerning the fundamental nature of perceptual states. Such states include cases like seeing, hearing, or tasting, as well as cases of merely seeming to see, hear, or taste. A central question concerning these states arises in light of misperceptual phenomena. While a commonsensical picture of perceptual states construes them as simply relating us to the external and mind independent world’s objects, some misperceptual cases suggest that these states fall short of such world contact. The result is that perceptual states are either thought to fundamentally consist …

Pioneering African American Teachers Of Singing, Carl Franklin Du Pont Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this essay is to identify the first African American teachers to join the faculties of prestigious predominately white institutions in the 1960s and 1970s. In order to accomplish this, sources on African American musicians were examined, university archivists were consulted, and interviews were conducted. While many singing teachers helped pave the way, Sylvia Olden Lee, Willis Patterson, and Camilla Williams were found to be the first African American voice teachers to establish themselves as instructors in the highest-ranked vocal programs of the United States; as such, the focus of this essay is on those three pedagogues. The …

Patient Safety Culture, Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction: Impact On Nurse-Sensitive Patient Outcomes, Debbie Anglade

Open Access Dissertations

Improved patient safety has been one of the most critical issues facing the healthcare industry. The 1999 IOM report To Err Is Human stated avoidable medical errors contributed to 44,000 to 98,000 deaths in the United States. Current estimates are now between 210,000 and 440,000 patients annually. This study aimed: To examine the relationships between: a) inpatient nursing units’ patient safety culture (PSC), b) nurse compassion fatigue (CF), c) nurse compassion satisfaction (CS), and d) the impact on nurse-sensitive patient outcomes. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model guided this quantitative descriptive correlational design, which used primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected …