Digital Commons Network^™

How Hospital Environmental Managers Learn Compliance: A Learning Process Model, Victoria Anne Jas

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Recent national media coverage of hospital mismanagement of hazardous materialsand waste has brought the practices of all hospitals into public scrutiny. Many people are amazed to learn that there is no national training or accreditation program for environmental management in hospitals. Hospitals are held to the same standards for hazardous materials management as are corporations in the industrial sector. Rural hospitals are particularly challenged because they have few resources. Overall, small hospitals need much improvement, but there are also examples of where individuals have done exemplary innovative work in improving environmental management. In this study I investigated the challenge rural …

Seeing Shifts: Ecologists' Lived Experiences Of Climate Change In Mountains Of The American West, Kimberly Ford Langmaid

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores the lived experiences of field ecologists who research the effects of global climate change on mountain species and ecosystems in the American West. The purpose is to generate narrative descriptions of ecologists’ experiences in order to communicate about both the scientific ecology and human ecology of climate change. Twenty prominent field ecologists participated in this study. Interviews with ecologists were transcribed and analyzed using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology. Eight experiential themes emerged through the process of data analysis, and these themes provide the structure for presenting narratives of ecologists’ experiences. The eight themes are: thinking ecologically, the …

An Examination Of Environmental Collective Identity Development Across Three Life-Stages: The Contribution Of Social Public Experiences At Zoos, John Robert Fraser

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This research breaks ground toward a revised theory of how collective environmental identity is associated with pro-environmental behaviors. My research comprises three activities that examined the experiences of three groups of people who claim zoo visiting as an important part of their life-story. The three studied groups were; conservation biologists who describe zoo experiences as having significant formative role in their childhood development of environmental values; parents who prioritize zoo visits as an important cultural experiences for their children; and a active zoo volunteers. This research also investigated whether the group experiences these participants had at zoos contributed to the …

A Search For Meaning: The Family’S Response To Serious Mental Illness, Katherine Marie Burrelsman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

It is a commonly held belief that it is inherent in human nature to strive for coherence and meaning in the midst of adversity. Whether this is short or long term, for immediate or prolonged functioning, we all strive to put experiences within events into a framework that enables us to develop a sense of order leading to acceptance and resolution. Therefore, each individual within a family system may develop a hypothesis in order to make a modicum of sense of what can appear to be an impossible situation. The participants involved in this study were individuals with relatives suffering …

Identity Development Of Latino Gay Men, Manuel Montoya Tajon

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Much has been written on gay identity development and ethnic identity, but research conducted that examines the cross-section of both identities is very limited. Several theories have been proposed which detail gay and lesbian identity development, which involve a conversion of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behavior from a dominant heterosexual culture to those of the minority gay and lesbian culture. Likewise, ethnic identity models propose similar stage sequential processes and conversion from a dominant Anglo culture to those of a minority ethnic culture. Both the ethnic and gay identity development models function and are based on two dichotomous variables (e.g., …

Contextual Leadership: The Social Construction Of Leadership In A Comprehensive Healthcare System, Mark J. Moir

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Healthcare is a complex and dynamic environment containing a plurality of social forces and perspectives that shape the organizational culture and the nature of the leadership. As leadership is a social phenomenon, it is important to understand the complex social processes that mediate our perceptions and that in turn influence processes of leader attribution. The central purpose of this study has been to illuminate the nature of culturally specific processes that emerge within a specific organizational setting and that fuel leader attribution and the social construction of leadership. Accordingly, this qualitative study has developed a Grounded Theory utilizing Situational Analysis …

Holographic Leadership: Leading As A Way Of Being, Janet L. Byars

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Holographic Leadership integrates values-based leadership into an understanding of an energetic holographic world. It is a world where the unseen is the primary influencer, where the smaller is more powerful (Bohm, 1994). I will synthesize many diverse ideas into an exploratory theory that will suggest new insights into sustainable leadership. I will propose a new model of practice from which to work. I suggest that it is through an internal state of physiological coherence and psychological balance that a leader can truly learn to “hold steady” (Heifetz, 1994), creating an intentional holding environment, a coherent group dynamic, which draws forth …

The Leader's Experience Of Relational Leadership: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Leadership As Friendship, Deborah A. Fredericks

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There are many ways to lead others, all of which involve a relationship among parties. However, the heartbeat of leadership may be a leader's relational sensibility. This research explored the leader's experience of relational leadership and the extent to which the metaphor of leadership as friendship described its qualities. It also explored whether actual friendship between leaders and followers was possible with this form of leadership. The topic of relational leadership was approached through a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology to explore the lived experiences of six women leaders. Their experience of relational leadership and the degree to which the metaphor of …

Making The Value Of Development Visible: A Sequential Mixed Methodology Study Of The Integral Impact Of Post-Classroom Leader And Leadership Development, Laura Curnutt Santana

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In a time of increasing complexity, many organizations invest in leadership development programs to prepare those who will assume the role of leader. Although many studies have evaluated programs’ impact, the questions remain: does development happen in leadership development program? If so, what kind of development? And what is the participant’s experience of personal or organizational impact? The purpose of this sequential mixed methodology study is to address these three questions utilizing an online follow-through platform as a lens on 248 participants in the Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership Development Program (LDP) who reported completing their LDP goals. Those who …

An Analysis Of The Current United States And State Of Washington's Mental Health Policies Serving Children And Families, Maile M. Bay

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Due to continued fragmentation and gaps in mental health services and the increase in the prevalence of mental health problems for children, youth, and their families, these populations remain underserved. In 2003, the federal New Freedom Commission (Commission) responded by publishing policies to address these concerns. As directed in 2005, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded planning incentive grants to states to transform their delivery of care.

The study reviewed the federal policy, specifically the recommendations of the Commission’s Subcommittee on Children and Families, and Washington State’s policy and implementation actions of its five-year SAMHSA incentive …

Prohibiting The Death Penalty For The Rape Of A Child While Overlooking Wrongful Execution: Kennedy V. Louisiana, Kelly J. Minor

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

[Introduction To] Medicating Children: Adhd And Pediatric Mental Health, Rick Mayes, Catherine Bagwell, Jennifer L. Erkulwater

Bookshelf

Why and how did ADHD become the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder among children and adolescents, as well as one of the most controversial? Stimulant medication had been used to treat excessively hyperactive children since the 1950s. And the behaviors that today might lead to an ADHD diagnosis had been observed since the early 1930s as “organic drivenness,” and then by various other names throughout the decades.

The authors argue that a unique alignment of social and economic trends and incentives converged in the early 1990s with greater scientific knowledge to make ADHD the most prevalent pediatric mental disorder. New …

Toward Social Search: From Explicit To Implicit Collaboration To Predict Users' Interests, Luca Longo, Stephen Barrett

Conference papers

Inspection methods and cheap self-reporting procedures have been significantly employed in the field of Human- Computer Interaction for assessing the usability of interfaces, systems and technologies. However, there is a tendency to overlook aspects related to the context and features of the users during the usability assessment process. This research introduces the concept of mental workload as an aid to enhance usability measurement. A user-study has been designed and executed in the context of human-web interaction. The aim was to investigate the relationship between the perception of usability of three popular web-sites, and the mental workload imposed by a set …

Disorders Of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Borderline Personality Disorder: A Vignette Study Exploring Clinicians' Diagnostic Perceptions, Awen Knowles

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that some individuals who suffer invasive, early childhood trauma develop significant character pathology, and may meet the criteria for both Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Trauma researchers have proposed a new diagnostic category for these individuals, called Disorders of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS), also known as Complex PTSD. The present study compared clinicians' symptom ratings for two case vignettes to determine if DESNOS was a better description of the cases than PTSD, BPD, or comorbid PTSD/BPD. Additionally, potential sex bias in diagnosis was examined by manipulating the sex of the client in …

Professional Psychology Training Programs: Program Interventions And Prediction Of Doctoral Student Stress And Life Satisfaction, Crista Montgomery

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing literature on professional training and practice of psychology advocates that psychologists must be educated on risks and effects of impairment and the importance of self-care. Despite the general recognition of the importance of these issues, they have not been incorporated into training standards such as the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines and Principles of Accreditation (2007). In order to assess the approaches that programs currently adopt to address impairment and self-care, this study extended and updated previous research. A large sample of students (n = 591) enrolled in APA accredited doctoral training programs in professional psychology completed surveys …

2009 January, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for January of 2009.

Impact Of Immuno-Adjuvants On Anti-Lymphoma Vaccine Efficacy, Hongtao Li

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives . In the process of designing vaccines, the inclusion of adjuvants becomes increasingly important, especially tumor-associated plasmid DNA and its expressing peptide idiotypic (Id) regions of immunoglobulin, which have relatively weak immunogenicity. Here, we report on the CpG1826 and Phytol-based adjuvant PHIS-01, and their efficacies on DNA and recombinant protein vaccines against lymphoma models 2C3 and A20. Our objective of this study is to test and evaluate the efficacy in augmenting the immune responses and protecting the mice against the tumor growth. Methods . We explored two main immunization routes, intra-splenic and intra-peritoneal for 2C3 and A20 model respectively. …

Parental Identity Confusion And Restructuring Upon Disclosure Of An Offspring's Non -Heterosexual Identity, Christopher R. Smith

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current research is a qualitative study in which semi-structured interviews were used to explore parental reactions to an offspring's declaration of a non-heterosexual identity. The purpose of this research was to develop a further understanding of what parents experience when a son or daughter identifies as lesbian or gay. Participants were 10 parents involved with Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Grounded theory was used to explore the data and further develop a model of parental reactions and transformations when learning that an offspring identifies as lesbian or gay. Overarching themes included: Acceptance and Activism, Parental Reactions, Needing …

The Effect Of Religious Orientation On The Relationship Between Masculine Ideology And Closeness, Keith Karl Buhr

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationships among three variables: masculine ideology, religious orientation, and closeness in the closest cross-sex relationships of a male college student population. A behavioral measure of closeness was used to unearth other potential avenues than self-disclosure for demonstrating closeness in relationships, as well as examining how beliefs about being a man and one's religious beliefs may contribute or hinder closeness in these relationships. Analyses included an examination of a mediating and moderating model for predicting closeness in men's cross-sex relationships. Participants for this study included 332 male college students from two mid-size Midwestern universities. Participants completed online …

The Identity Intersection Experiences Of Lesbian And Gay Indiana Residents Who Are Part Of An Organized Faith Group, Valerie M. Weck

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The identity intersection experiences of Indiana residents who identify as lesbian or gay and who are part of an organized faith group were explored through survey data and interviews. The quantitative results indicated that category of gay identity development could be predicted based on affirmation from faith group, while internalized homophobia did not significantly contribute to accuracy of prediction. Qualitative themes which emerged included: (a) Essentiality of Sexuality and Religiosity, (b) Variability of Identity Integration, (c) Evolvement of Identity, (d) Influence of Social and/or Political Climate, (e) Influence of Family and/or Partner, (f) Influence of Faith Group, and (g) Positive …

Transition Programs In Freshman Centers: Best Practice When Addressing The Transition From Middle School To High School, Timothy W. Smith

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Establishing effective transition programs for students entering high school is an ongoing process. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore best practices transition programs employ to aid student's success. The participants in this study were six administrators chosen from a population of administrators at 60 central Indiana high schools. The administrators in this study were interviewed to determine what their schools were currently doing to ensure successful student transition from the middle school to high school. Each face-to-face interview was tape recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed to determine practices that influenced their perceived success. Grounded theory, with the …

A Test Of Ajzen’S Theory Of Planned Behavior: Predicting Students’ Intentions Toward Joining An Army Rotc Program, Jason Hornberg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Young adults' expressed interest toward joining The Unites States Armed Forces has been decreasing since the 1990's. This downward trend has negatively influenced the recruitment of enlisted soldiers into the military as well as the enrollment of young adults into officer production programs like the Reserve Officer Training Course (ROTC). In an attempt to understand and overcome the effects of this trend, behavioral scientists have begun using behavioral theories to predict young adults' intention toward joining the military. One theory that has been frequently used to predict intention and behavior is Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. Ajzen' s theory of …

Understanding The Pendejo Phenomenon In Puerto Rico: An Example Of Culture -Specific Therapy, Miriam Biascoechea-Pereda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the current literature calls for generally increased attention to culture-specific influences in therapeutic settings, much more needs to be known regarding specific groups. Accordingly, this exploratory phenomenological study addressed the lack of awareness of the pendejo construct and its perceived threat as a stigmatizing attribute among indigenous Puerto Ricans. Since this phenomenon is believed to jeopardize self-other relationships including therapeutic relationships, the purpose of the study was to describe the pendejo concept as a cultural dimension of Puerto Rican psychology. The research focus included participants' personal and collective experiences of the pendejo construct, with attention directed to how this …

Palestinian Refugee Women Of Jabaliya Camp, Occupied Gaza Strip: Everyday Acts Of Resistance And Avenues Of Empowerment, Sharon French Wallace

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The lives of Palestinian refugee women are complex and layered, embedded in the constraints and dictates of a patriarchal class system within a conservative culture that has been shaped by resistance to the Israeli military occupation since 1948. Over six decades of Israeli military occupation, ongoing national resistance, poverty and a maledominated society are a few of the forces that continue to shape the lives of refugee women today. The Israeli occupation has obstructed the development of a viable Palestinian economy and legal institutions that could serve as a framework for attaining women’s rights. In addition, Palestinian women, especially refugee …

A Descriptive Study Of The Diet And Physical Activity Practices Of Overweight And Obese College Students Enrolled In A Weight Loss Program, Laura Brooke Walters

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The effect of weight gain on college students may lead to physical and emotional problems that could continue into adulthood. Identifying behavioral, demographic, and psychological factors that impact college student’s weight status could aid in developing programs to help reduce weight and prevent weight gain in overweight and obese college students. This study evaluated the dietary habits, physical activity, and psychosocial characteristics of college students entering a university-sponsored weight loss program. Results suggest that the majority of participants have experienced weight gain in the past year and none have experienced weight loss. The student’s diets tended to include less than …

An Interaction Between Risk Perceptipton And Trust In Response To Food Safety Events Across Products And Regions, And Their Implicaitons For Agribusiness Firms, Jonathan D. Shepherd

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Food safety events receive substantial media coverage and can create devastating economics losses for agribusiness firms. It is unclear what factors influence consumers’ purchasing decisions before or after a food safety event occurs. The objectives of this study is to identify these factors that influence purchasing decisions, determine how consumers respond to hypothetical food safety events, and compare these findings across different products and geographical regions. The data for this research was obtained from two surveys. One survey concerned fresh produce while the second focused on meat products. The SPARTA model, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, is used …

Nutrient And Medication Intake Of Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Cristina Elizabeth Hiten

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The incidence of autism continues to rise with no cure or understanding of the cause of the disorder. Approximately one in 150 children will be diagnosed with an (ASD) Autism Spectrum Disorder although recent prevalence data suggest one in 91. The objective of the study is to assess medicinal intake regarding prescription and nonprescription medications of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and its affect on their nutritional status compared to age, and sex matched healthy children. The study included families of children with autism in which they completed questionnaires and 24‐hour recalls. There were 26 children used within the questionnaire …

Analysis Of Esl Teacher Endorsement Effects On English Language Learners' Student Achievement And English Language Acquisition, Anna Marie Tracy

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past twenty years, classrooms throughout the United States have becomes more ethnically and linguistically diverse with the influx of immigrant residents. The impact of this demographic change has directly affected the makeup of the mainstream classroom. One response to this rapid growth in diversity demographics has been the requirement of additional teacher preparation for instruction of English language learners.

The study focuses on the impact of English as a Second Language endorsement (ESL) on the English language acquisition and academic achievement of elementary English language learners (ELL) over a two year period in a large mountain west urbansuburban …

The Culture Connection: Testing A Model Of African American Attitudes Toward Mental Health Service Utilization, Andrea Michelle Smith

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to combine the factors previously determined to be related to African American help seeking into a single path model and, using structural equation modeling (SEM), determine the relative influence of each factor in the attitudes toward seeking mental health services (see Figure 2.2) among a community sample of African American adults from several metropolitan areas in the US. As such, SEM was utilized to compare the relative fit of two opposing models within this sample, one where a path from economic barriers to help-seeking attitudes was estimated freely and one where that path …

Political Piety: Evangelicals And The American Revolution In South Carolina And Georgia, David E. Hollingsworth

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The study of southern evangelicals during the late colonial and revolutionary eras of American history has focused primarily on the social antagonisms that separated evangelicals from southern elites and has concluded that the rapid growth of post-war evangelicalism came as a result of evangelical acquiescence to southern gentry mores. Most study of southern evangelicals has concentrated on the upper South missing important developments in the Deep South which contradict historical assumptions of Separate triumph and the subsequent subversion of radical evangelicalism by evangelical leaders eager for societal acceptance. Evangelicals were not a monolithic movement. Key doctrines, primarily the need for …