Digital Commons Network^™

"Aren't You Old Enough To Know Better?": Judgments Surrounding Infidelity As A Function Of Age And Gender, Josephine Kirby

Theses and Dissertations

Relationships are often deeply affected by infidelity on several indicators such as marital satisfaction, forgiveness, and relationship longevity. With older adults often stereotyped as being asexual and women often being judged more harshly due to a sexual double standard, how do people perceive these groups in the context of infidelity? The purpose of my study was to investigate whether perceptions and judgments surrounding infidelity are affected by the age and gender of the person who committed infidelity. Using an experimental vignette method, participants were randomly assigned one version of a hypothetical couples’ counseling intake assessment form that, in part, described …

Rhetoric Of Realignment: An Analysis Of Trump's 2024 Campaign Rhetoric, David Valadez

Theses and Dissertations

When political coalitions include groups with opposing policy goals, leaders face a challenge: satisfying all constituencies without making commitments that alienate essential supporters. The present study examines strategic ambiguity in the form of deliberately vague political messaging as a tool for managing this challenge. Combining rhetorical analysis with selectorate theory, which explains how leaders achieve and maintain power through reward distribution, the research analyzes Donald Trump’s 2024 Republican National Convention acceptance speech, focusing on immigration rhetoric.

The analysis reveals that Trump’s ambiguity was selective rather than habitual. On immigration, where tech/corporate interests wanting skilled workers clashed with nationalist groups demanding …

Staff Attitudes Toward Ai Adoption At A Private Research University, Ashley C. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the limited research on university staff attitudes toward artificial intelligence use and adoption. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) research framework, the General Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS), and quantitative survey methodology, the study examines the attitudes of higher education staff toward AI, specifically examining whether demographic or professional characteristics are factors. The findings indicate that staff had moderately negative attitudes toward AI while also expressing some concerns. The results suggest that more resources and support for AI are needed for staff to address concerns. It also suggests that construct-level analysis …

Reconciliation, Draper Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis exhibition, Reconciliation, examines how memory, loss, and lived experience shape personal identity over time. Through sculptural works composed of cast, blown, and hot-sculpted glass combined with mixed media, the exhibition explores the pressures that life events place upon individuals and the ways those pressures persist, transform, and become integrated into the self. The work considers identity not as a fixed state but as a continual process of negotiation between past experiences, present circumstances, and future possibilities.

Central to the project is the material analogy between glass and human experience. Glass, a material formed under extreme heat and pressure …

First- And Second-Generation Immigrant Emerging Adults’ Career Aspirations, Laura A. Botros

Theses and Dissertations

Despite first- and second-generation immigrants making up 19.6% of the U.S. workforce (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024), research exploring their career aspirations is scarce. Studies show that individuals’ cultural backgrounds significantly shape first- and second-generation immigrants' career aspirations, values, and professional goals (Kao, 2004; Polenova et al., 2017). The purpose of the study is to examine how first- and second-generation immigrant emerging adults' cultural backgrounds inform their career aspirations. I utilized a qualitative approach by asking participants about their cultural background, career aspirations, and what influenced their career aspirations. Interviews and a cognitive map activity were conducted to investigate …

The Effects Of A Work-Strengths Affirmation Intervention On Death Anxiety: Meaning And Self-Esteem As Mediators, Begüm Orhan

Theses and Dissertations

Death anxiety is a transdiagnostic construct and a universally experienced existential fear that has been linked to a wide range of psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, and impaired well-being. Despite its widespread impact, empirical research on targeted interventions for death anxiety remains limited. The present study aimed to address this gap by developing and evaluating an online, single-session, theory-based (i.e., Terror Management Theory, positive psychology) intervention focused on affirming personal strengths in the context of one's work. The intervention was designed to target work-strengths (i.e., leadership, adaptability)—an intersection of positive and vocational psychology.

College students from a large Midwestern university …

The Impact Of Teachers’ Roles As Boundary Crossers And Boundary Objects In Post- Covid Composition Instruction, Tammie Marie Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers’ perceptions of rapid technology integration and its influence on composition instruction and cognitive load in physical, digital, and hybrid spaces. Grounded in theories of boundary crossing and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the study conceptualized teachers as both boundary crossers, navigating instructional spaces, and boundary objects, serving as the support tools for their students’ transitions into digital composition. Data were collected from five ELA teachers in a rural school district through surveys, individual interviews, and questionnaires, and analyzed using a two-phase coding process. Findings indicate that teachers perceived …

Determining Knowledge Gaps In Natural Disaster Preparedness: An Exploratory Analysis Of Socioeconomic Variables And Response Quality, Michelle S. Repass

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines potential knowledge gaps in natural disaster preparedness across socioeconomic groups in Lee County, Alabama and identifies communication barriers affecting response behavior through the lens of the knowledge gap hypothesis. Survey data from 20 residents were analyzed using an objective socioeconomic status (OSES) score based on household income and highest level of education. Results indicate that while most respondents reported access to weather alerts and favorable behavioral responses that align with current guidelines from the National Weather Service, gaps are present in comprehension, response timing, and engagement in risky behavior that could delay protective action. Findings suggest …

Machine Learning For Predicting Prosthetic Limb Movements, Jessica Alexandra Cegarra Arraiz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops and evaluates a deep learning-based prediction model capable of identifying intended limb movement from surfaced electromyography (sEMG) signals using sequence learning techniques. sEMG signals change over time due to multiple factors such as muscle fatigue or user variability. Traditional prosthetics control methods rely on static feature extraction, ignoring how signals change over time, thereby limiting their ability to capture the temporal changes of muscle activity. As a result, these approaches often lead to poor accuracy, robustness, and generalization. Limited experimental validation has been conducted on sequence-based machine learning approaches using temporal sEMG data from publicly available datasets …

Representation In Black Media And How It Affects Generational Mental Health, Amiya Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This article examines how negative media portrayals of Black Americans have harmed their mental health. It traces the impact of persistent stereotypes and the lack of recognition for Black achievements in the media. Each chapter explores how media—from social media to movies—reinforces outdated stereotypes originating in the antebellum era and discusses how Black Americans have challenged these narratives to assert their identity. The article also highlights positive shifts in representation within the media industry, as well as research on how racial discrimination and media depictions influence the mental health and self-esteem of Black adolescents.

Reframing Sexual Assault And Intimate Partner Violence Through A Maternal And Child Health Lens: Implications For Integrated Prevention, Policy, And Practice, Daija C. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault and intimate partner violence remain persistent public health concerns in the United States, with significant consequences for individual health, family stability, and population well-being. Although these forms of violence are frequently addressed through criminal justice and behavioral health frameworks, less attention has been given to their implications within maternal and child health, where relational dynamics, life course development, and intergenerational outcomes are central. This study reframed SA and IPV as core MCH issues to examine how integrated, systems-based approaches can strengthen prevention efforts. A structured literature review and systematic synthesis of peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2026 …

Unmasked And Unprotected: An Autistic Poet's Journey Of Imperfect Confession, Cynthia Short

Theses and Dissertations

Cynthia Short’s thesis analyzes the consumption and contortion of neurodivergent experience across the clinical, personal, and artistic stages. Combining intersectional memoir with clinical research, traditional poetics, and spoken word experience, she weaves a first-person narrative of consumption and redefinition by systems that did not understand her. Yet, she argues that imperfect confession -done without self-knowledge, resources, or proper self-worth to resist consumption – still has its place. Her collection of twenty-nine self-authored poems serves as a testament to the growth her imperfect confession allowed, outlining her struggles with identity, clinical experimentation and economic survival in a world not meant for …

Evaluation Of Valley Healthcare System Inc. School-Based Health Clinic/Center At Dorothy I. Heights Elementary School In Columbus, Georgia, Nakia Ford

Theses and Dissertations

School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are an important strategy for addressing health disparities and improving educational outcomes among underserved students. In Columbus, Georgia, barriers such as limited insurance, transportation challenges, and provider shortages contribute to unmet health needs, which are linked to increased absenteeism. To address these issues, Valley Healthcare System, Inc. (VHCS) implemented a School-Based Health Clinic (SBHC) at Dorothy I. Heights Elementary School. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the SBHC in improving student attendance outcomes. A quasi-experimental, difference-in-differences design compared Dorothy I. Heights Elementary School (treatment group) before and after SBHC implementation (2021–2022 and 2022–2023) with a similar …

An Analysis Of Factors At A Private Liberal Arts College That Affect Student-Athlete Sense Of Belonging, Tamija Shrell Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the factors affecting student-athletes sense of belonging at a private liberal arts college using Strayhorn’s Sense of Belonging Framework. The research used a mixed method approach and combined quantitative survey data from 112 undergraduate students with qualitative interviews from seven faculty members to analyze variations in academic readiness, institutional support and a sense of belonging. Despite that fact that non-athletes reported being significantly more academically prepared, quantitative data indicated that there was no statically significant difference in the overall sense of belonging between student-athletes and non-athletes. There was also a negative correlation between a sense of belonging …

Child Maltreatment Risk Identification In Complex Caregiving Environments: A Public Health Review Of Split-Custody And Multi-Household Family Contexts, Makenzie Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Child maltreatment remains a significant public health concern with lifelong consequences for children's health, development, and well-being. As children's caregiving environments become increasingly diverse through split-custody arrangements, blended families, kinship care, and other multi-household contexts, recognizing and assessing child safety concerns may become more complex. Although these family structures are not inherently associated with maltreatment, the distribution of caregiving responsibilities and information across multiple households may complicate child maltreatment risk identification.

This capstone presents a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature examining child maltreatment risk identification within complex caregiving environments. The review synthesized evidence related to caregiving environments, caregiver relationships, child …

(Re) Imagining Workplace Mindfulness, Jarica D. Garner

Theses and Dissertations

School counselors are First-Responders as the role and responsibilities continue to increase and the needs of the school community changes. Diversity has notably increased within the last century in school settings. While, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has shed light on the gaping and persistent inequities faced by marginalized school communities, the heightened racial crisis of 2020 serves as an additional impact to the students within vulnerable communities. School counselors are expected to support students in navigating the impact that these crises bring. The demand for school closure forced students to shift to online platforms. The intersection of the …

A Mixed-Methods Case Study Exploring Peer Online Course Review And Equity Outcomes At A California Community College, Mark C. Malonzo

Theses and Dissertations

This single-case mixed-methods study examined how faculty participation in the Peer Online Course Review (POCR) process influenced course design practices and equity-focused learning experiences in asynchronous online courses at Jay College. Institutional data indicated persistent equity gaps, with BIPOC students, particularly Black, American Indian, and Pacific Islander students, experiencing lower success and completion rates in online courses.

The quantitative strand analyzed pre- and post-POCR student success metrics using existing institutional data. The qualitative strand drew on structured faculty interviews to examine changes in instructional practices, accessibility, and equity-minded pedagogy following participation in POCR. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately …

Why We Stayed, Why We Left: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Hispanic/Latino Child Welfare Professionals’ Experiences Of Organizational And Safety Culture, Cynthia Franco

Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study examines the lived experiences of Hispanic/Latino child welfare professionals who were formerly employed at a large urban public child welfare agency. Despite the growing representation of Hispanic/Latino children and families in child welfare systems and the strong vocational commitment of Hispanic/Latino professionals, this group remains underrepresented in the workforce and experiences notable patterns of early attrition. Grounded in safety science and psychological safety frameworks, this study explores how organizational culture, leadership practices, and identity-related dynamics shape professional meaning-making, well-being, and decisions to remain in or leave the field.

Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and …

In Their Own Words: Why First-Generation Minority Students Take On Leadership Roles At Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Suzette Ramsundar Ed.D

Theses and Dissertations

While there is an abundance of research on student leadership and how it impacts student retention (Tinto, 1987 and Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005), it is typically from the university's perspective. This phenomenological study, however, investigated the experiences and perceptions of first-generation minority students who commuted to campus and pursued leadership roles at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Utilizing phenomenological methodology, this research examined the lived experiences of eight student leaders to understand how they made meaning of their leadership engagement.

Student leaders in this study shared the details of the significant challenges they navigated, including financial pressures, commuting demands, cultural barriers, and …

Prescriptive Behaviors: Tracking The Social Impact Of Film Portrayals Of Black Men, Garfield Ronald Benjamin

Theses and Dissertations

Cinematic and televisual media express the thoughts and emotions of people and cultures with the potential of unifying people through the social realities that are created around the visuals, narratives, and on-screen interpersonal interactions. Through media like film, television, and short-form online video, people interact with others in ways that, because of barriers like physical distance and/or social structures, they may not be able to in real life. The images, sounds, and stories depict their own realities, which are consumed, interpreted, and understood by viewers and can inform their perceptions and interpersonal interactions. Stuart Hall, Jamaican-British, cultural theorist, and political …

Applying Groupthink To Digital Spaces: The Rise Of Online Conspiracy Theory Networks, Lily Karen Schow

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the transformation of political paranoia and collective decision-making in the United States from the twentieth century to the digital age. Building on Richard Hofstadter’s concept of the “paranoid style” and Irving Janis’s theory of groupthink, it argues that the dynamics of conspiratorial thinking and collective misjudgment have not disappeared but have been reconfigured by digital communication systems. While Hofstadter identified paranoia as a recurring rhetorical mode and Janis analyzed groupthink as a pathology of small, cohesive decision-making groups, this study contends that both frameworks require adaptation to account for contemporary digital environments. The analysis traces how historical …

Sm Providers’ Perspectives On Treating Selective Mutism In Children With Autism, Brooke M. Koeppel

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that selective mutism (SM) and autism frequently co-occur, yet there remains limited empirical research examining treatment practices for youth presenting with both conditions. The presence of co-occurring SM and autism has important implications for intervention planning and implementation, particularly in light of differences in communication, rigidity, and social engagement commonly observed in autistic youth. Accordingly, the present study examined how frequently SM providers treat youth with co-occurring SM and autism, the treatment strategies they endorse using, and whether providers modify or adapt interventions to better meet the needs of this population. SM providers reported on their clinical exposure …

The Cyclical Pattern Of Despair And Hope: T.S. Eliot’S Comedia, Danielle Russo

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how T.S. Eliot is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy throughout his collection of poetry, which in turn creates his own version of the Comedia. Through this thesis, there is an exploration of three stages: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. By following the road map to paradise just as Dante did before him, Eliot creates a journey from the depths of hell provided by the end of the Great war towards the garden of paradise prior to the start of the Second World War, exploring themes of paralysis, terror, experience without meaning, and hope. Using excerpts across his span …

Understanding Self And Others: Exploring The Relationship Between Maladaptive Personality Traits And Theory Of Mind, Christian Dellavella

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and maladaptive personality traits is a poorly understood but critical intersection between cognitive and clinical psychology. While some research has suggested certain personality characteristics may elevate ToM ability, others may contribute to deficits that lead to negative health outcomes and poor social functioning. Understanding how variability in the population’s ideological disposition affects our capacity to comprehend others’ perspectives and emotions is key to grasping the intricacies of social interactions. As the fields of clinical psychology and psychiatry begin to reclassify their diagnostic systems, it is critical to evaluate how novel conceptualizations of personality …

The Interplay Of Narcissism And Power Dynamics In Close Friendships, Joana Calderon

Theses and Dissertations

Close friendships are fundamental to our well-being and provide a unique context for analyzing perceptions of power and control. This experimental study investigated how individuals high in narcissistic admiration and rivalry would react to power experiences within their best friendships. Participants (N = 94 undergraduate students; 66 females; Mage = 19.18, SD = 1.84 years) were randomly assigned to either a high or low power condition via a recall task. Dependent measures included positive and negative mood, and perceptions of one’s own and friend’s agentic, communal, and narcissistic traits. Results indicated that narcissistic admiration significantly predicted greater positive mood and …

Media Exposure To Collective Trauma And Resilience Among College Students: The Role Of Coping Strategies, Tourika Alam

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to collective traumatic events through media has become increasingly common, particularly among college students who frequently engage with digital and social media platforms. Prior research has shown that repeated exposure to traumatic media content can contribute to psychological distress, but less is known about how such exposure relates to resilience and coping processes. The present study examined the relationship between media exposure to collective trauma and resilience among college students, as well as whether coping strategies mediated this relationship. Participants included 63 undergraduate and graduate students recruited through a university participant pool and social media platforms. Participants completed an …

Leading For Wholeness: Black Girlhood, Morrison And Hurston, And The Epistemology Of Flourishing In Independent Schools, Kamaya Prince Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how Black girls in US independent schools experience Zora Neale Hurston’s, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, alongside the larger, traditional literary canon taught within high school English classrooms as texts that can shape their sense of self. In this project, wholeness is defined through a tripartite framework consisting of three interconnected parts: Self (a deepened sense of identity and ways of knowing), Community (experiences of belonging, safety, mentoring, and joy), and Purpose (the development of values, meaning, and a sense of connection both to the community and self). These aspects are …

A Hero’S Horizon Of Mirrors: Dovette, Deve, Dovrà, William James Kerrane

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines James Joyce’s Ulysses as a modern transformation of the Ulysses myth through the philosophical framework of Ernst Cassirer’s theory of symbolic forms and W.B. Stanford’s historical study of the Ulysses tradition. While Stanford demonstrates how the figure of Ulysses has been continually reinterpreted across literary history—from Homer’s cunning hero to Dante’s transgressive explorer and the restless modern figures of the nineteenth century— this study argues that Joyce’s Ulysses represents a uniquely philosophical adaptation of the myth in which heroic identity becomes a function of symbolic consciousness rather than physical action. Drawing on Cassirer’s philosophy, which defines myth, …

A Survey On School Psychologists’ Knowledge, Practices, And Attitudes For Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Supports For Social-Emotional Learning, Kaitlyn Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Social-emotional and behavioral difficulties are among the most common impairments for childhood and adolescence. These challenges negatively affect school outcomes for students, often leading to absenteeism, higher dropout rates, grade retention, and lower grades. The importance of providing school-based social-emotional interventions cannot be overstated. Using a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework is a way to proactively identify students in need, monitor their progress, and continuously improve their individualized interventions to support their growth. The current study used an electronic survey to understand school psychologists’ knowledge, practices, and attitudes towards implementing a MTSS framework for social-emotional learning (SEL). Further, school …

Examining Positive Psychology Components In Cbt For Adolescent Depression: A Manual-Level Content Analysis, Isabel Bingham Mixter

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent depression is prevalent, recurrent, and associated with substantial functional impairment, yet variability in treatment response suggests that existing interventions may differ in how therapeutic processes are emphasized. The present study examined the extent to which positive psychology–consistent components, operationalized using the PERMA framework (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment), are embedded within empirically supported cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) manuals for adolescent depression and whether variation in this content corresponds to differences in treatment outcomes. Rather than analyzing individual participants, the unit of analysis was the treatment manual. Seven manualized CBT protocols for adolescents aged approximately 12–17 years were identified …