Digital Commons Network^™

Altered Sensory Processing And Pain In Youth With Sickle Cell Disease: Risk Factors And Moderators, Julia Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience recurrent pain and increased risk for chronic pain. Neuropathic pain, characterized by alterations to the central and/or peripheral nervous systems, is not well understood among youth with SCD. Based on our current understanding of pain systems and existing literature on pain in SCD, this study aimed to elucidate psychosocial correlates of altered sensory processing (ASP) and neuropathic pain, determine biomedical risk factors contributing to the development of ASP among youth with SCD, and identify how sensory processing and biopsychosocial factors collectively influence pain experiences by assessing two plausible models. Methods: Thirty-five youth …

Sexual Quality Of Life In Sexual And Gender Minority Women After Cancer, Heather Schneider Miles

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual quality of life (SQoL) is a critical aspect of well-being, encompassing physical, emotional, and social dimensions. For sexual and gender minority women (SGMW)—lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer—cancer presents unique challenges. This dissertation examined the relationships between cancer treatment symptoms, social support, and communication with the cancer care team (CCT) on SQoL among SGMW survivors of breast, gynecological, and colorectal cancers. Quantitative data from 37 participants were collected using PROMIS® measures, assessing demographics, treatment history, post-treatment symptoms, perceived social support, and communication with the CCT. Additionally, in-depth interviews with five participants provided qualitative insights into their experiences and the meaning …

Students Speak: A Qualitative Examination Of The Intersection Of Identity And Sexual Violence In A University Setting, Danika M. Charles

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence remains a public health concern in the United States. Much of the research has focused on gender-binary individuals, despite the heightened vulnerability of Black, transgender, and nonbinary (BTN) individuals due to societal stigma and discrimination. Campus climate surveys have been recommended by the Obama Administration to address sexual violence, though they often underrepresent BTN students, failing to capture their unique experiences. This study aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the intersection of gender and racial identities, using an intersectional stigma framework to explore the prevalence and impact of sexual violence on BTN students and advocate for …

They See Themselves In The Lesson: Leveraging Students’ Scientific And Cultural Insights Through The Cultural Biohealth Synergy Science Curriculum [Se Ven A Sí Mismos En La Lección: Aprovechando Los Conocimientos Científicos Y Culturales De Los Estudiantes A Través Del Currículo De Ciencias De Sinergia De Bio Salud Cultural], Miriam M. Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the global crisis of type 2 diabetes prevalence, this dissertation investigated the impact of a culturally sustaining, health-centric science curriculum contextualized in type 2 diabetes. Using a case study methodology, it explored how the curriculum shaped math and science preservice teachers’ (PSTs) perceptions of science and how it can be taught and how prepared they felt to design and implement culturally sustaining, health-centric lessons. Four themes that emerged across both cases included: 1) connecting health, nutrition, everyday science, and culturally sustaining pedagogy through the CBSS curriculum, 2) connecting science to health and wellness concepts through the CBSS …

Two Essays On Corporate Finance. The Impact Of Ceo Cultural Heritage And Corporate Decision Making, Md Showaib Rahman Sarker

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays that investigate the effect of CEOs’ cultural heritage on corporate decision-making. In the first essay, I examine the impact of CEOs’ cultural heritage on corporate social responsibility (CSR). I present empirical evidence that CEOs originating from countries with high power distance, more uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation have high CSR scores, while those from individualistic and indulgent cultures have low CSR scores. This effect lasts up to three generations before it disappears due to acculturation. These results are robust to using propensity score matching, entropy balancing, and Oster’s test to address endogeneity and selection …

The Effect Of Advertising On Consumer Self-Improvement Motivation: When And How Advertising Motivates Consumers, Suwakitti Amornpan

Theses and Dissertations

In today's modern world, advertising permeates nearly every facet of consumers’ daily lives, from billboards over city streets to posts seamlessly integrated into social media feeds. The current research identifies a positive unintended consequence of advertising on consumer behavior: increased consumer self-improvement motivation. Across four studies, I find that exposure to mass (vs. luxury) advertising increases consumer motivation to engage in self-improvement. Specifically, I argue that because advertisements for mass (vs. luxury) products prime attainable (vs. unattainable) consumption goals, they increase consumer confidence in their ability to achieve their consumption goals (i.e., they enhance self-efficacy perceptions). This, in turn, puts …

From Motivation To Hinderance: Unveiling Resigned Employees’ Entrepreneurial Intentions And Actions, Shuaijun Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

The phenomenon known as the 'Great Resignation' witnessed a record number of employee resignations since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports indicate that approximately 32% of those who resigned during this period transitioned to entrepreneurship. This thesis explores the relationship between resignation and entrepreneurial actions through the lens of creativity. It expands the typology of resignation beyond a simple dichotomy of voluntary and involuntary into four categories: Genius group (voluntarily resigns with high creativity), Traditional group (voluntarily resigns with low creativity), Forced group (involuntarily resigns with high creativity), and Trapped group (involuntarily resigns with low creativity). Previous research suggests …

Psychosocial Impact Of Assistive Technology On Veterans With Disabilities In Higher Education, Maricela Rosales

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine the psychosocial impact of assistive technology (AT) on veterans with disabilities in higher education. A current problem is that there is a research and knowledge gap in the AT needs of student veterans with disabilities living in South Texas, as well as in the psychosocial impact that AT for everyday life activities has on the quality of life of student veterans with disabilities who live with functional limitations. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine the psychosocial impact variables with participants from higher education institutions via online and in-person surveys. …

Licensed Professional Counselors In Texas: The Role Of Stigma In Seeking Counseling Services, Raquel C. Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The literature on stigma has revealed this attribute as a deterrent to seeking mental health services. This study encompassed an investigation of the impact of self-stigma and public stigma on the intentions to seek mental health services of Texas Licensed Professional Counselors. A survey was sent via email, social media platforms associated with Licensed Professional Counselors, and snowball sampling to recruit participants. The participants (N = 99) completed self-report measures about self-stigma, public stigma, social desirability characteristics, and attitudes towards seeking mental health help. The results indicated that neither self-stigma nor public stigma was a deterrent to seeking mental health …

Lexical Access In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation, Nadia Sabeh Ayon

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Emergent research indicates that women carrying the FMR1 premutation (FXpm) may encounter difficulties in language skills, including increased dysfluencies, a reduction in the quantity and diversity of words produced, and increased word retrieval errors with age (Sterling et al., 2013; Bredin-Oja et al., 2021). Objectives: The present study aims to assess semantic and phonological lexical access skills in FXpm women as well as to examine the impact of cognitive load (time pressure) on lexical access.

Methods: Forty-two FXpm women and 25 control women, aged 26-65 years (M=46.22, age-matched: p=.115), participated. The Network Production Task (Oomen & Postma, 2001), featuring …

Using Youth Participatory Action Research To Scale Up Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) In The Southern United States, Mariajose Jhamira Paton

Theses and Dissertations

The recently launched initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE), provides a targeted plan to end HIV in the United States (US) by 2030, and prioritizes key demographic groups and geographic areas that are disproportionately burdened by HIV. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, especially Black and Latiné youth (SGMBLY), are a key population for EHE as they have experienced the largest increase in new HIV rates in recent decades. States identified by EHE are disproportionately located in the Southern US, where increasing the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV has been a challenge. Though proven effective, youth participatory action …

Collegiate Student-Athlete Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexa Jenny Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Exercise imposes a physiological stressor on the body which is amplified as training intensifies. Collegiate fall-sport student-athletes return after summer break (off-season) and have approximately two weeks of training (preseason) with coaching staff before competition begins. The 2020 fall season was preceded by a five-month period away from campus due to the timing of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This also meant all commercial gyms and training facilities were closed, and student-athletes were forced to train with the resources they had at home. Upon return to campus, significant changes were made to practice and competition structures in attempt to …

Examining Risk Factors For Early-Onset Breast Cancer, Jennifer Grace Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: There have been great advancements in screening and in the identifying of risk factors associated with breast cancer, however, there is a lack of information of these factors in women with breast cancer occurring under the age of 45, known as early-onset breast cancer (EOBC). EOBC is often found at later stages, negatively impacting young women’s careers, family planning, and mental health. Additionally, because of the health disparities that exist within the U.S. health care system, women belonging to racial and ethnic groups, specifically young Black women, tend to have poorer outcomes and higher mortality rates of EOBC …

Trust In Governance System (Tgs) In The Hotel Context: Scale Development And Validation, Swechchha Subedi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conceptualize trust in governance systems (TGS) within the hotel context, develop a scale to measure it, and validate its effects on hotel investment decisions. The study focused on the perspectives of hotel leadership which includes the owners, operators, and investors in the United States. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, exploratory sequential research design. Initially, the governance system within the hotel industry was conceptualized, and trust in governance was defined. The scale development phase involved generating items and dimensions through literature review, expert review, and pilot testing. The final scale included multiple dimensions …

Initial Evaluation Of A Peer Supervision Program For Health Service Psychology Doctoral Students, William Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical supervision has long been utilized as the primary method of clinical training and evaluation for health service psychology doctoral students. Despite the central role that supervision has played and continues to play in the training of psychologists, little scholarly attention has been given to identifying effective methods for fostering competency in providing supervision. The lack of research in this area is concerning, given the accumulating evidence that negative supervision experiences, such as ineffective or inadequate supervision, are reported by a substantial proportion of trainees (21-92% across studies). Moreover, these experiences are associated with important proximal and distal training outcomes, …

Sleep Quality And Quantity Assessment Among African American Survivors Of Lung Cancer With And Without Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd), Amanda Rae Myhren Dyer

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Improving the quality of life of survivors of early-stage lung cancer (NSCLC, Stages I - IIIa) requires attention to persistent, burdensome symptoms, including sleep disturbances. While research exists regarding sleep quality, sleep quantity, and sleep disturbances in cancer survivors, minimal research targets this minority survivor population. The purpose of this study was to measure and assess sleep quality, sleep quantity, and sleep disturbances among African American survivors of lung cancer. Based on the Symptom Management Theory, our comprehensive assessment focuses on a racial minority group and multiple diagnostic groups (COPD vs. No COPD). Methods: This two-group, cross-sectional, descriptive study …

Understanding Stressors, Coping Strategies, And Physical Activity Among African American Women Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Asia Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological stress is a normal part of the human experience and can be adaptive in certain contexts. However, chronic, cumulative, or uncontrollable stressors, such as those associated with living in poverty or being a member of a marginalized group, contribute to pervasive inequities among African American women including lower rates of physical activity. Given the social and political forces that continue to shape inequities, and which have exacerbated Covid-19’s impact on African Americans, it is important to gain a better understanding of how this population is experiencing and coping with current stressors, many of which are embedded within the social …

Exploring The Impact Of Neonatal Transport On The Health Of Black Preterm Infants And Psychosocial Challenges Faced By Parents In Relation To Social Determinants Of Socioeconomic And Racial Inequities, Karen Faye Warren

Theses and Dissertations

Neonatal transport is a unique aspect of preterm birth. This descriptive, exploratory dissertation study used a multiple-case study design, and mixed methods approach to describe the trajectory of Black preterm outborn infants and their mothers from birth, through transport to a referral center through NICU hospitalization until discharge, for a detailed analysis of each case. The specific aims were 1) Describe each infant's transport trajectory, including baseline characteristics of the community hospital of birth (size, level of care, birthing resources), transport characteristics (mode, distance, personnel), and infant health from birth to arrival of regional referral neonatal intensive care unit; 2) …

“Finally Somebody Wants To Hear Us”: Soviet Women And Political Violence In Svetlana Alexievich’S Narratives, Liubov Kartashova

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the emotional and social impact of significant Soviet historical events, including World War II, the Soviet-Afghan War, and the Chornobyl disaster, on collective memory. Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarusian Nobel Prize laureate, employs a polyphonic narrative technique to challenge official histories of these events and foreground the voices of ordinary people, particularly women. Focusing on her works – The Unwomanly Face of War, Zinky Boys, and Chernobyl Prayer – the study delves into the gendered experiences and narratives of women involved in these events. Integrating feminist scholarship on international relations and security, this research analyzes women’s roles in …

Therapeutic Potentials Of The Gut-Brain-Microbiota Axis For Prevention And Treatment Of Motivational Deficits In Ecohiv Infected Rats, Mason T. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

People living with HIV begin to experience gastrointestinal disturbances as early as 6 months after initial infection. Regardless of adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the gut microbiome of people living with HIV maintains a state of dysbiosis throughout the rest of their lives, providing potential for a novel target for improving the lives of those living with HIV. The present study investigated the impact EcoHIV and cocaine have on the gut microbiome of F344/N rats. Fecal samples were collected from 20 female and 20 male animals at baseline, following self-administration of cocaine, and following inoculation with EcoHIV or Saline. …

Nonverbal Iq Test Performance In Preschool-Age Children With Varying Language, Sandra Danelle Irvin

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the impact of two types of factors on IQ test performance in children with variation in language ability. The two types of factors studied here are: a) test characteristics (i.e., complexity of test directions) and test-taker characteristics (i.e., language ability). Method – Four participants, ages 4-7, completed norm referenced assessments for language and intelligence. Results – Descriptive results suggest no discernable trends between performance on language assessments and nonverbal IQ measures. The results demonstrated a discernable negative trend between performance on nonverbal IQ measures and linguistic complexity of instructions. Implications – While the …

An Examination Of Self-Identity In Relation To Smoking And Vaping In South Carolina, Jaron Hoani King

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND

This dissertation examines self-identity in the context of smoking and vaping among adults in South Carolina (SC) using data from the 2023 SC Adult Tobacco Survey (n=1370). The conceptual model created to guide this dissertation is called the “Smoker and Vaper Behavior-Identity Model” and draws constructs from theoretical frameworks in health behavior and social identity theories. Behavior was defined as lifetime and past 30 day cigarette or e-cigarette use. Self-identity was defined by asking respondents with a history of cigarette or e-cigarette use “Do you consider yourself a smoker/vaper”, respectively.

METHODS

First, this study assesses the prevalence of mismatching …

Association Of Hiv Status And Other Minoritized Identities With Psychiatric Diagnoses Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals In The All Of Us Research Program, Fanghui Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people, whose gender identities or expressions differ from the sex assigned at birth, are disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes, including various psychiatric diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, stress, and substance use disorders. The Gender Minority Stress Model emphasizes that TGD people face both proximal stressors at a personal/individual level (e.g., internalized stigma) and distal stressors at a societal level (e.g., discrimination) due to their minority status, which largely contributes to their increased risk of psychiatric diagnoses. Despite these health disparities, there is a paucity of gender identity data collected in large population-based health …

Evaluation Of Mechanism Of Action And Toxicity Of Novel Psychoactive Substances (Nps) Identified As Cannabinomimetics, Robert Michael Sears

Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRA), also referred to as synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), pose a significant public health risk, create an undue burden on local emergency departments, and present significant challenges for law enforcement officers and forensic laboratories. SCs are a diverse group of compounds sold with the intent to illicit psychoactive responses like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component in marijuana. Since their initial detection in 2004, illicit use of SCs has grown in popularity. Recognizing the dangers of SC use, the Drug Enforcement Agency has moved to schedule the analytes routinely identified in street drugs. Despite these efforts, the …

How Passion Functions In Sport Applicant Attraction: A Biometric Approach, Jiayao Qi

Theses and Dissertations

Passion has been extensively researched from the perspective of athletes, entrepreneurs, and employees. In this dissertation, the researcher conducted an in-depth investigation of the way passion functions in sport job attraction. The two-stage experimental design combines the pioneer biometric methodology with qualitative inquiry, and 25 job seekers selected from a larger sample participated in the biometric lab. Results indicate that the interplay between cognitive and affective appraisals is critical in explaining sport job seekers’ highly individualistic and discriminative attraction toward work opportunities in sport. In particular, sports job seekers foster work passion through their multiple identifications with sport (playing history, …

Investigating The Mediating Effect Of Social Support In Team Sport Participation On Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes, Olivia Schmitke

Theses and Dissertations

Peer and non-familial adult supportive relationships are a critical part of healthy adolescent development, positively influencing psychological, behavioral, and social domains (e.g., Panza et. al., 2020). Extracurricular sports activities are a source of peer (e.g., teammates) and adult (e.g., coaches) relationships and are associated with favorable impacts on mental health which may be an impactful protective factor given the rise of mental health crisis in youth today. The present study aimed to clarify the relationship mechanisms underlying the benefits of sports participation by examining and effecting social support has on mental health outcomes in adolescents engaged in sports. In doing …

Reimagining Utopia In Post-Utopian China: Chinese Science Fiction And The Reinvention Of Cultural Tradition, Dan Luo

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the end of China’s socialist dream in the late 1970s, utopian expressions about the nation’s rise and progress have continued to emerge in official and popular imaginaries. These expressions find an outlet in the newly popularized sci-fi genre, and especially in literary experiments that evoke cultural resources ranging from premodern and early modern historical and literary records of scientific achievements to figures, tropes, and myths in classical tales, vernacular novels, and ethnic traditions. These experiments at times validate and support, and at times challenge and subvert the nationalist, progressive, and utopian narratives of the state. This dissertation investigates the …

Examining Risk Factors For Early-Onset Breast Cancer, Jennifer Grace Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: There have been great advancements in screening and in the identifying of risk factors associated with breast cancer, however, there is a lack of information of these factors in women with breast cancer occurring under the age of 45, known as early-onset breast cancer (EOBC). EOBC is often found at later stages, negatively impacting young women’s careers, family planning, and mental health. Additionally, because of the health disparities that exist within the U.S. health care system, women belonging to racial and ethnic groups, specifically young Black women, tend to have poorer outcomes and higher mortality rates of EOBC compared …

"Ain’T No Slump...I Just Ain’T Hittin’": Investigating Psychological Momentum And Loss Aversion In Major League Baseball, Josephine Matalone

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the history of America’s pastime, it has long been concluded among fans, athletes, and coaches alike that momentum is a key element necessary should one want to win when it counts. However, this issue of “hot hand” existence in the context of baseball has been largely glazed over since the canon of literature on the topic was initiated, and even more so has the concept of a “cold hand.” This study seeks to make a novel contribution by exploring streaks in professional baseball. Using 10-years’ worth of regular season MLB data between 2012 and 2021, a comparative analysis of …

Developing A Behavior-Based Measure Of Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, Amanda Lynn Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Students benefit from close, supportive relationships with their teachers. When students feel supported by their teachers, they tend to perform more strongly on social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes compared to peers whose relationships with their teachers are conflictual or strained. Emerging evidence suggests that the quality of these relationships may be improved through interventions that increase teachers’ relationship-building behaviors. Yet, the field lacks a measure that explores teacher-student relationship quality by examining the frequency of the specific relationship-building behaviors that may be subject to intervention. The current study aims to address this problem by developing and pilot testing a …