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Mathematical Concepts And Coding Theory In Kumārasambhavam Of Kālidāsa, Bhuvaneswari K

Theses and Dissertations

Kālidāsa, a renowned Sanskrit poet and playwright from ancient India, is known for his profound understanding and depiction of various aspects of human life, nature, and the universe in his works. While his writings primarily revolve around themes of love, romance, and human emotions, there are several instances where he incorporates mathematical concepts and astronomical references.

His meticulous usage of such abstractions and symbolism adds depth and richness to his poetry. These elements serve as tools to enhance the imagery and aesthetics of his literary works, reflecting the interplay between art and science in ancient Indian culture. These subtle allusions …

The Negative Impacts Of Parentification On Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Reilly Reid Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

While child abuse, maltreatment, and neglect are clear examples of the most maladaptive types of parent-child interactions (Borchet et al., 2022), there is considerable evidence for the damaging nature of parentification in terms of youth outcomes and parental/familial dysfunction. The research literature contains numerous studies related to parentification, but there is little research overtly demonstrating the systemic effects of parentification (Peris et al., 2008). It is imperative that researchers and clinicians learn more about the mechanisms involved in the parentification process. Therefore, this systematic review analyzed the research literature centered on both parentification and adolescent populations. This study assessed various …

Associations Between Coping Style And Perceptions Of Web-Delivered Physical Activity Messages Among Women In Midlife With Cardiovascular Health Risks, Kristen Pasko

Theses and Dissertations

Midlife women are at unique risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and benefit from increasing physical activity (PA). Many PA interventions involve social support, though fail to address related processes such as social comparison. Desire for specific types of social support and comparison may represent emotion-focused versus problem-solving coping, though little is known about women’s preferences for/responses to these coping opportunities. The present study examined women’s selections of PA content in a digital environment. Over 7 days, women in midlife ≥1 CVD risk factor (N = 60, MAge = 50.70, SD = 5.89) wore a PA monitor and visited a proprietary …

Key Factors In Internship Selection: A Survey Study Of Non-Doctoral School Psychology Interns, Haley Erickson Hand

Theses and Dissertations

There is currently a national shortage of school psychologists (National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), 2021c). This shortage has created a job market that favors the job seeker, meaning employers must find ways to actively attract potential candidates to hire enough professionals to meet the needs of their students. However, there is little research on the factors that school psychologist practitioners consider when choosing a district to work in. This research study examined what factors non-doctoral-level school psychologist interns consider when deciding which district to intern in. Likewise, it examined what an ideal working environment looks like for non-doctoral interns. …

Why Take Ap? Access To High School Advanced Placement Courses Long-Term Impact On Career/Workplace Opportunities, Gina Marie Frasca

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to understand the long-term impact of providing access and equity to highly rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) coursework to underserved and/or underrepresented high school students, and its long-term impacts on career. Using a qualitative approach, this study explored the experiences and opportunities of 6 graduates from a rural public high school in New Jersey with open access to AP courses who are now in a career/workplace environment. All six graduates took at least one AP course while in high school, graduated between 2010 and 2016, and had two or more potential barriers to opportunity while attending high school …

Resisting Exploitation: A Study Of Karen Joyce Warren’S Ecofeminist Ethic In The Selected Indian Movies, Kogila S

Theses and Dissertations

According to Warren, “The exploitation of nature and animals is justified by feminising them; the exploitation of women is justified by naturalising them” (EPWP 27). Women and nature have the same right to live independently. They are not meant for exploitation. However, patriarchy has long exploited them.

The changes are happening only in the ratio, not in the act of controlling. This research aims to study the undervalued state of women and others in nature concerning Warren's eight features of ecofeminist ethic in Indian movies, namely Harish Ram L's Thumbaa (2019), Amit Masurkar’s Sherni (2021), and Rathindran Prasad R’s Boomika …

Psychotherapy Utilization And Outcomes Of Military Veteran-College Students And Student-Rotc Members Compared To Similar Nonmilitary College Students, Jacob Michael Christian Goetz

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines current trends of university counseling center (UCC) utilization among Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students and student-military Veterans, compared to their nonmilitary-minded peers at a large, private, western university. Given likely differences in the lived experiences between these three populations, research is needed to provide insight on the treatment needs of military-minded students. We examine counseling center data for ROTC (n = 88), Veteran (n = 93), and nonmilitary-minded (n = 16,268) students who presented for counseling services from 2014-2021. A matched sample was obtained from the dataset for some of the analyses. The three groups are …

Effects Of Educational Leadership Behaviors And Additional Factors On Teacher Morale, Brittany S. Samaniego

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated the impact of leadership behaviors and additional factors on teacher morale across seven schools from three Arkansas school districts. The study utilized the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) and Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO) as measurement tools to explore various leadership practices and factors that contributed to or hindered teacher morale. Among the leadership practices assessed by the LPI, Enable Others to Act emerged as the majority of positively influential across the four elementary and middle schools, while Model the Way was favored among the three high schools. These practices underscored their potential to empower teachers and revealed …

Long Distance Relationships: Connections Supporting Rural Science Teachers, Tracy Marie Poulsen

Theses and Dissertations

Research regarding the social professional networks among rural educators is sparse but indicates that rural educators have few supportive connections with other educators. Programs designed to increase the social networks of rural educators use characteristics of similarities in school assignments and geographic distances to place educators into groups for professional development and support, but rarely use technology extensively as a tool to overcome barriers of time, distance, and cost. In one intervention designed in part to increase the professional connections between rural science teachers, Technology Mediated Lesson Study (TMLS) was implemented in a group of rural science teachers. The before …

An Applied Mental Health Course And Student Well-Being, Alison Nicole Anglen

Theses and Dissertations

Addressing mental health concerns and promoting well-being is imperative for university students to function optimally and to succeed academically. The demand for mental health care is exceeding the capacity of traditional counseling center resources at universities, suggesting the need for innovative interventions that can serve a broader scope of students. There is emerging evidence suggesting that mental health can be addressed, and well-being improved through psychoeducation and applied skills taught in classroom settings. Objectives: To examine a Mental Health and Well-Being course at a large, private religious university and its relationship to students’ well-being. This will be measured by assessing …

High School Sport Participation: Effects On Students' Grit And Resilience, Rory Kekoa-Israel Waldman

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a time of transition, growth, and identity exploration. Often this great time for growth is accompanied with an increase in stressors that can be detrimental to success and health, without the necessary coping mechanisms. It is a period of life where resilience and grit are extremely important. A post-traumatic growth definition for resilience allows for the possibility of a steeling effect, in which the resilience of an adolescent can grow and develop. Sport provides an ideal environment for the development of both grit and resilience by providing a safe environment for adversity to occur without detrimental consequences. In …

Takiri Ake Nga Haeata: Lighting A Path To Increased Indigenous Leadership In Aotearoa, Kaylee Ihimaera

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the underrepresentation of indigenous Māori people in leadership positions and pursues the need to develop a Māori leadership framework aimed at empowering the next generation of indigenous people. Several frameworks have attempted to exhibit Māori leadership dynamics, each offering unique insights into the cultural and relational aspects of Māori leadership. However, existing frameworks often exhibit limitations in fully encapsulating the breadth of Māori leadership values and practices, necessitating the development of a comprehensive Māori leadership model independent of Western frameworks. Through an extensive review of existing literature and engaging with Māori experts, I synthesized key insights to …

Sex Influences Of Age Of Onset And Duration Of Illness On Patterns Of Cortical Thickness In Individuals With Schizophrenia, Rachael Olivia Slate

Theses and Dissertations

Given that the manifestation of schizophrenia varies by sex, it is hypothesized that the interaction between diagnosis and sex significantly influences brain structure and is believed to be a crucial factor in understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia. While much is known about cortical thickness mapping of the condition, there is currently no work that has assessed how changes to the cortical mantle relate to important clinical features of schizophrenia that vary by sex, such as age of illness onset (AOO) or duration of illness (DOI). This study utilized a sex-wise approach to examining cortical thickness alterations in men and women …

Examining School Belonging And Academic Resilience Among Biliterate And Multilingual High School Students, Keila Moreno Navarrete

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of students in the United States identify as Hispanic or Latino/a. These students enter American classrooms from varying backgrounds with diverse talents. Many of these students are proficient in at least two languages. Unfortunately, Hispanic students are underrepresented in gifted and talented programs, nationwide. The present study contributes to the limited empirical research on talented, biliterate, Hispanic, first-generation, and second-generation immigrant students by investigating strength-based factors (i.e., academic resilience, biliteracy, and school belonging) using both quantitative and qualitative evidence. Quantitative data from 30 bilingual Hispanic high school students were collected through an online survey with items measuring …

Noncontingent Reinforcement: A Functional Versus Nonfuctional Approach To Reducing Disruptive Behavior And Increasing Academic Engagement Across Socially Maintained Functions, Mariah Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

According to the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS; 2022) three notable discipline problems reported by public schools including acts of disrespect toward teachers, verbal abuse towards teachers, and widespread disorder in classrooms has been consistently increasing over the last decade (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR), a function-based treatment, is a key focus of this study. NCR involves the systematic delivery of reinforcers, such as attention and escape, independent of the student's behavior. It has a long history of demonstrating statistically significant reductions in problem behaviors within multiple settings, including schools (Carr et al., 2009). The …

A Systematic Review Of Implementation Fidelity Interventions For School-Based Behavior Supports In Special Education Settings, Paige C. Mesui

Theses and Dissertations

Problem behavior has been increasing in classrooms and has significantly contributed to teacher burnout. Students in special education settings have been found to demonstrate problem behaviors more than their general education peers. Schools have a responsibility to implement evidence-based behavioral support to assist students with their behavioral needs, decrease problem behavior, and increase desired behavior in the classroom. There is a relationship between the level of implementation fidelity and the effectiveness of an intervention. If there are not high levels of fidelity, the results are not expected to mimic what has been found in the research. The purpose of this …

The Role Of Language In Identity And Mediating Connection For Fijian College Students, Grace Taito Tora

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the role of language in constructing identity and promoting belonging for seventeen Fijian college students at one U.S. based university in the Pacific Rim. Focus group interviews were analyzed for how students described the role that language played in constructing student identity and mediating connection. Analysis was grounded in post-structural perspectives of identity alongside vā – the Oceanic notion that encompasses identity and belonging. Students described themes of native language proficiency in reinforcing kinship relationships and in participating in cultural traditions and practices. They also expressed other ways of maintaining vā without proficiency in their native languages. …

The Moderating Effect Of Organizational Identification And Supervisor’S Organizational Embodiment On Unethical Pro- Organizational Behavior, Taylor Morgan Flinn

Theses and Dissertations

Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) are behaviors that are illegal/immoral but are engaged in with the intention of benefiting their organization. The present study sought to investigate the moderating relationships of organizational identification (OI) and supervisor’s organizational embodiment (SOE), with work engagement as a predictor. The results revealed that there was a weak correlation between work engagement and UPB as well as SOE and UPB. Both OI and SOE did not moderate the relationship between work engagement and UPB. The current study contributed to the literature on predictors of UPB, as work engagement has rarely been used as a predictor of …

Student Stress In Animal Science, Jayden Lynn Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Anecdotally, college students have high levels of stress when compared to the rest of the population. There have been many studies that support this idea in programs outside of animal science, but with the shift in animal science from students that have prior livestock experience to those that do not, it is important to acknowledge how this shift impacts the student population. By evaluating courses in animal science, and how they impact student stress it is possible to determine if the present-day curriculum causes any additional stress on students that have less prior experience. In the United States, a majority …

Parent-Child Interaction And Developing Resilience In Young Children, Seungok Yum

Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood is an especially important period to develop resilience due to social, academic, and emotional benefits for later development. Previous studies pointed out the importance of parent-child interactions, by showing that parental warmth and support can enhance resilience in children by increasing children’s self-esteem and self-regulation. In contrast, hostile parent-child interactions were revealed as risk factors to hinder developing resilience by increasing children’s internalizing symptoms and behavioral difficulties. This study included 85 young children aged 4 to 5 years and 85 parents recruited from the community. Parents completed the Parent Behavior Inventory (PBI) to provide details about two parent-child …

Constructing The Other: Unveiling The Exotic, Barbaric And Parodied Archetypes In Western Discourse, Alexandra Goitia Goitia

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis builds upon Edward Said’s seminal work, "Orientalism," to explore the complex dynamics of "Otherness" in Western thought across various contexts. Said’s theory elucidates how the West has historically constructed a distorted image of the East to justify colonial dominance, framing the East as a mere extension of Western fantasies and fears. This study expands Said’s framework by applying it to a diverse range of texts beyond the Muslim world, examining how Western narratives perpetuate the Exotic, Barbaric, and Parodied Other. The first part of the thesis juxtaposes Hernán Cortés’s "Cartas de relación" with Netflix’s "Marco Polo," illustrating how …

Facets Of Neuroticism As Predictors Of Heart Rate Variability And Psychological Distress, Mikel Cressman

Theses and Dissertations

Heart rate variability (HRV) and personality are related to both physical and mental health outcomes. Previous research has found a relationship between neuroticism and distress while the findings on the relationship between neuroticism and HRV are mixed. Studying the facets of neuroticism may provide a more nuanced view of the effects of personality on HRV and distress. Previous research has suggested that the vulnerability facet of neuroticism appears to be uniquely related to the cardiovascular response to stress. This study's first hypothesis is that individuals with higher scores on the vulnerability facet will have lower heart rate variability. The second …

From Viral Rumors To Fact-Checked Information: The Influence Of Social Media Platforms And Fact-Checking Organizations On Public Trust During The Covid-19 Crisis, Chinyere Linda Agbasiere

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic not only disseminated a viral health threat worldwide but highlighted the rapid spread of misinformation, commonly called an "infodemic." This study investigates the influence of social media and fact-checking organizations in shaping public trust and information consumption during the pandemic. Utilizing a mixed-method approach of surveys and interviews, I analyzed 9 interviews. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and Owen's (1984) principles of recurrence, repetition, and forcefulness, and three main themes were developed inductively. The findings reveal that while social media was a primary source of information, it also served as a …

Effects Of Delay On Short-And Long-Term False Memories For Semantic And Phonological Lists, Ece Yuksel

Theses and Dissertations

The Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm was developed to investigate false memory using lists of words related to an associated, non-present lure. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in memory errors for semantic and phonological lists across delays using the DRM paradigm. Previous studies have shown that the higher rates of false memories for semantic than phonological lists typically seen at longer delays is reversed for very short delays (McBride et al., 2019). Delays of 750 ms, 60 s, 90 s, and 2 min, were included to examine the false memory error rates in semantic and phonological …

A Wrong Made Right: A Qualitative Cross-Case Comparison Study Examining Program Influences On College Readiness, Persistence, And Student Success Outcomes At A Predominantly White University And Historically Black College, Richard Harper

Theses and Dissertations

The increase of underprepared students entering college decreases persistence and graduation rates at postsecondary institutions, ultimately declining degree attainment and social mobility of American citizens (U.S. Department of Education, 2016, McGuire, 2018). ACT, Inc. (2017) data suggests that overwhelming percentages of high school graduates are academically underprepared and are not college-ready. Moreover, an overwhelming number of academically underprepared students come from historically underrepresented populations. To help increase access and college readiness among these populations, specialized programs and services must be implemented to ensure these students are successful at the college level. The Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy is a …

Investigating The Role Of Betrayal Blindness Between High Betrayal Trauma And Dating Violence Among Young Mothers Maltreated As Children, Lauren Catherine Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Young mothers experience greater rates of dating violence (DV) victimization and perpetration compared to their non-parenting, female peers as well as older mothers (Joly & Connolly, 2016). Child maltreatment is a salient predictor of DV victimization and perpetration (Li et al., 2019; Murphy et al., 2020). According to Betrayal Trauma Theory (BTT), child maltreatment perpetrated by a close loved one, such as a parent or primary caregiver, is defined as a high betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1996). Young mothers who experienced a high betrayal trauma may endorse betrayal blindness as a way to cope with abuse from their caregiver (Freyd & …

Exclusion Disguised As Access: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Postsecondary Disability Service Websites, Lavonne Ciezadlo Kopca

Theses and Dissertations

College students with disabilities are an overlooked minority population. However, they comprise an ever-increasing student population in postsecondary institutions. Yet students with disabilities do not persist or graduate at rates similar to their able-bodied peers. People with disabilities have historically been viewed as a low-status group and have been excluded from various social, educational, and economic benefits of citizenship. This study used a critical theoretical lens of social dominance theory to explore ways that higher education may be complicit in perpetuating discrimination and inequities through policies or discourse found in the content of student disability and diversity office websites. Key …

Unveiling Trends, Terminology, And Teaching Competencies Of Blended Courses In Higher Education, Jennifer Lynn Ramsey

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has been written in a three-article journal-ready format and centers on competencies for blended teaching in higher education. I use the PRISMA process and thematic coding to analyze 34 articles from 2002 to 2022, highlighting strategic combination, learner-centered approaches, and additional support. I also use the Google Search API and content analysis to suggest that blended, digital, and flexible may be post-secondary institutions' most frequently used terminology to describe contexts incorporating online and in-person components. I also gather qualitative data from interviews with faculty to highlight the context and nuances surrounding blended teaching competencies, including creative innovation, technology …

Precrastination As A Form Of Intention Offloading: A Test Of The Clear Hypothesis, Ryan Jun Seong Liew

Theses and Dissertations

Precrastination has recently been studied due to its counter-intuitive nature. Precrastination is characterized by completing a task sooner rather than later at the expense of effort. VonderHaar et al. (2019) proposed the CLEAR hypothesis to describe the purpose of precrastination behaviors. The CLEAR hypothesis suggests that precrastination is a type of cognitive offloading behavior that clears one’s mental “to-do list”, leaving more cognitive resources for other tasks. Thus, if the CLEAR hypothesis is accurate, precrastination and other offloading strategies may be related. The current study was designed to test this prediction. My study sought to clarify the underlying mechanisms that …

Social-Ecological Determinants Of Affective States Among College Students: A Cross-Cultural Ecological Momentary Assessment Study, Abhishek Aggarwal

Theses and Dissertations

Background: College students experience a complex and diverse array of stressors during their college life, making them vulnerable to severe mental health issues. Momentary affective states are linked to major mental health disorders and overall well-being; however, the current social-ecological model of affect lacks a temporal dimension, failing to account for within-person dynamics of affective states over time. This study disentangles the complex temporal dynamics among the momentary, multilevel social-ecological factors and affective states in the real-world setting of college students across the United States (US) and India. However, establishing invariance of the affect model across time, people, and cultures …