Digital Commons Network^™

The Implications Of Moral Injury Among African American Females With A History Of Substance Abuse: A Preliminary Study, Jaimee Silvera Hartman

Theses and Dissertations

Moral injury is a concept that has been applied to the challenges facing veterans returning from combat due to the discrepancy between their moral values and the behaviors they engaged in due to war. In recovery women have expressed similar challenges due to the illicit behavior they engaged in while in their addiction as well as the prevalence of trauma that has impacted their transition into substance use. Thirteen female participants in treatment for substance abuse participated in this qualitative study. The majority of the women experienced a history of childhood and/or adult trauma that perpetuated their use of substances …

Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Case Study Focusing On Change Processes, Change Mechanisms, And Cultural Considerations, Hengameh Mahgerefteh

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative discovery-oriented case study sought to examine and describe change processes and change mechanisms related to successful treatment with Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy. The model of psychotherapy change by Brian Doss (2004) was utilized as a framework for this study, which included one couple who experienced marital distress at the outset of therapy and was categorized as “recovered” at the end of treatment. Cultural considerations were also emphasized in this study. Processes of change included, but were not limited to, vulnerability, unified detachment, and empathic joining. Some notable change mechanisms included increases in acceptance and decreases in negative behaviors. …

The Relationship Between Second-Generation Antipsychotic Medication Adherence And Negative Symptoms In First-Episode Schizophrenia, Elisha R. Agee

Theses and Dissertations

Adherence to psychotropic medication is a critical aspect of treatment for the management of psychotic disorders. While the literature on the need for medication adherence is extensive, little research has explored the relationship between the negative symptoms of psychosis and medication adherence. Since negative symptoms are enduring, stable, and strongly correlated with poor outcome, it is vitally important for research to explore the role of negative symptoms in regards to adherence to psychotropic medication. Given its potentially significant consequences for treatment interventions, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the exceedingly limited body of research exploring the relationship …

Conduct Disorder: A Critical Analysis Of The Literature And Implications For Adult Manifestation, Alyssa Saiz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to identify the most central risk factors associated with conduct disorder (CD), to delineate three possible developmental pathways of CD that may have predictive validity for adult manifestation of conduct problems, to identify prevention and intervention strategies, to make recommendations for future research directions, and discuss clinical implications of the developmental trajectories of CD. Extant literature was collected and thoroughly analyzed in order to identify risk factors and developmental trajectories of CD, as well as treatment recommendations. The three developmental pathways of CD include: adolescent-onset, childhood-onset with emotional and behavioral regulation problems, and …

Autism Spectrum Disorder And Using Yoga As An Intervention: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Jessica Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The present study is a critical analysis of literature regarding the utilization of yoga with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This dissertation will provide an overview and critically analyze the existing relevant literature on the utilization of yoga as an intervention for treating mental health conditions. Special attention will also be paid to the implementation of yoga in schools and classroom settings. Based on the existing literature, strengths as well as limitations will be discussed, and suggestions will be made for future research in this area. This dissertation will conclude with recommendations based on the existing literature, as well …

Teaching Style Preferences Of Educators: A Meta-Analysis, Lawrence E. Oslund

Theses and Dissertations

This study was initially planned to be a single study using the Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) by Conti (1978), surveying students and alumni of a four-year university. These plans were redirected to conducting a meta-analysis, utilizing 30 years of dissertations that utilized the PALS instrument. The motivation for this study was to determine if educators might be a collaborative resource to aid corporate trainers in developing a learner-centered training program. College instructors could become corporate consultants if they reinforced the learner-center approach. A learner-centered instructor would inquire and recognize the inconsistencies in the trainer's teacher-centered training materials. This …

Development Of The Athlete: A Resource Manual For Clinicians Working With Elite Adolescent Male Athletes, Kenneth D. Hartline

Theses and Dissertations

Over recent decades, adolescent athletic participation has grown in the United States. The rise in participation means that mental health clinicians who work with adolescents are likely increasingly coming in contact with young athletes facing issues directly related to sports. The issues facing adolescent athletes create additional challenges that should be addressed in treatment to improve overall psychological well-being and to promote healthy development. In order to best meet the general mental health needs of these clients, clinicians need to be aware of the unique stressors and issues they frequently face. A resource manual was created to guide clinicians working …

Authentic Leadership: Demonstration Of Authentic Leader Behavior From The Perspective Of High School Wrestling Coaches In Successful Wrestling Programs, Angel Rubio

Theses and Dissertations

Authentic leadership emphasizes the role of ethics and trust a leader displays and which can be a natural and inherent part of a leader’s behavior (Robbins & Judge, 2010). Leaders who are authentic know who they are, know what they believe in and value, and behave in a way that reinforces those values and beliefs openly and candidly (2010). Authenticity is inward-focused and reflects on the behaviors that a leader believes are virtuous and true, from which they project a self-perception that is consistent with their self-concept (Sosik & Cameron, 2010). Studies within the spectrum of sports have identified that …

Women Leaders In Healthcare: Going Beyond The Glass Ceiling, Cortney Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Between 2004 and 2014, healthcare jobs were among the fastest growing occupations in the U.S., adding 4.3 million positions and expected job growth of 30.3%. The majority of the healthcare workforce is overwhelmingly dominated by women. However, when it comes to leadership positions, especially executive and board levels, females are considerably underrepresented. Interestingly, though, women, more than men, are reported to demonstrate traits such as transparency, compassion, and support for teamwork, which would benefit organizations as they venture into the future of healthcare delivery. In recent years, women have made minimal entry into the highest ranks of managerial positions of …

Survey Says: An Analysis Of The Degree Of Impact Of The Beginning Teacher Support And Assessment Program On Classroom Practices, Kenney Shresia Deon Fontenot

Theses and Dissertations

Every year, thousands of teachers participate in California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program in order to complete the requirements needed to obtain a clear teaching credential. Within this program lie various facets of support that serve the needs of beginning teachers and aid them in transitioning from university theory to classroom practice. Despite the long-standing existence of the BTSA program and the changes that have taken place since its development in 1992, the need exists for closer analysis of the programs effect on teaching practices and student achievement. This quantitative study analyzes (a) the degree of impact on classroom …

Southern California Small Business Leaders And Emotional Intelligence: Exploring Perceptions Of Effect And Value In The Workplace, Steven P. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Although they represent 99.7% of all employers in the American domestic workforce, the annual failure rate of small businesses is alarming. Given this high failure rate, research is needed to better understand the characteristics of leaders who create and sustain success in small businesses. The two-part purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to (a) measure the emotional intelligence of small business leaders in Southern California and (b) explore the leaders’ perceptions of the effect and value of EI in the workplace. Following the collection of quantitative data using an online version of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence …

The Use Of Reflective Practices By Psychology Interns, Rachel Fried

Theses and Dissertations

Despite its importance, little is known about how psychologists are trained to reflect on their conduct of psychotherapy. These abilities are collectively known as reflective practice, which is considered a core competence within the field of psychology. This study examined the use of reflective practice by clinical, counseling, and school psychology interns and looked at how reflective practice is being facilitated by supervisors. The study examined the use of reflective practice in different clinical situations and obtained opinions about which reflective practices are believed to most impact clinical effectiveness. The study also examined barriers that may impede engagement in reflective …

Produce & Achieve: A Case Study Of Inner-City Education, Daryl A. Tate

Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts at narrowing the achievement gap, ethnicity-based disparities in achievement are an enduring and pervasive issue in American education. Holy Angels, a high achieving, African American, urban, elementary school in Chicago, Illinois offers a model for successful education of ethnic minority children. Despite coming from predominantly welfare supported, single-mother homes, located in crime ridden inner-city Chicago, during the period bounded by this study, Holy Angels’ students produced test scores among the highest in the nation. Previous research indicates that characteristics of schools that support academic achievement particularly among ethnic minority students are high teacher expectations, academic emphasis, and culturally …

Women Deans And Department Chairs In Medical Education: A Study Of Enabling And Inhibiting Factors Impacting Their Leadership Success, Katherine M. Ruger

Theses and Dissertations

Women are occupying leadership roles in medical education, yet are underrepresented in senior leadership positions. This qualitative study explored the enabling and inhibiting factors that select women deans and department chairs experienced throughout their career ascent. The qualitative research included eight women, both deans and department chairs, in medical education. The deans and department chairs participated in an interview where the primary data were obtained. Qualitative research methods were used to analyze the data, and the findings were presented in narrative format. The findings were consistent with the literature review and reviewed similarities in enabling and inhibiting factors experienced. The …

The Motivational Factors Of Higher Educated Iranian Immigrant Women: A Phenomenological Study Of Iranian Women And Influences On Academic Achievement And Work-Life Integration In The United States, Maryam Rostami

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study provides information on the experiences and perceptions of women who immigrated to the U.S. after the 1979 Iran Islamic Revolution to pursue higher education and professional careers. The study offers new understanding of strategies used to overcome obstacles in completing academic goals in the U.S., pursuing professional careers, and negotiating balance between home-life and career. The study focused on 3 research questions: 1. How did family expectations and Iranian culture influence Iranian women’s academic goals and family-life balance decisions? 2. What experiences (motivations and drives) shaped the life course of high-achieving Iranian women, and how did these …

Detection Of Traumatic Brain Injury With The Picture Memory Interference Test In College Students, Bryce Erich

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine potential effects of head-injury on individuals’ performance on the Picture Memory Interference Test (PMIT). This study examined differences in the performance of college-aged students with and without a history of head-injury on the PMIT. Data was drawn from an archival dataset of PMIT completions held at UCLA and analyzed with permission. From the total dataset of 12,227 completions, experimental groups were derived and separated based upon assumed severity of head-injury, based upon self-report data. Following exclusions, the final data sub-set for analysis consisted of 6,897 unique completions of the PMIT. Of these, …

Relationship Between Negative Social Reactions To Sexual Assault Disclosure And Mental Health Outcomes Of Ethnically Diverse Female Survivors, Dehnad Hakimi

Theses and Dissertations

Negative social reactions that sexual assault survivors receive upon disclosure have been correlated with psychological distress such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and problem drinking. However, the impact of ethnicity in the relationship between unsupportive reactions to assault disclosure and the psychological sequelae remains unclear. Using hierarchical linear regressions and a sample of 665 African-American, Latina, and Caucasian female adult sexual assault survivors, the present study examined the role of ethnicity in that relationship. The results suggest that ethnicity moderates the influence of negative disclosure reactions on psychological symptoms, however, the moderation impact was not similar across races and psychological …

Imagining A Constructionist Game-Based Pedagogical Model: Using Tabletop Role-Playing Game Creation To Enhance Literature Education In High School English Classes, Kip Glazer

Theses and Dissertations

In today's K-12 educational environment with the newly adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS), improving student literacy as a foundational skill to obtain success in all other subject areas is one of the most important goals. Unfortunately, many literature curricula suffer from a lack of innovative pedagogy despite the introduction of various educational technologies meant to aid student learning. This study focused on developing a new game-based constructionist pedagogical model for literature education using tabletop role-playing game creation. Using Shulman’s (1987) Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) that eventually evolved into Mishra and Kohler’s (2006) Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) as the …

Leveraging Growth Synergies In A Multi-Unit Business Through The Application Of A Multidimensional Organizational Design Augmented By Lateral Intergrative Mechanisms: A Phenomenological Case Study, Joel Bigley

Theses and Dissertations

The realization of growth synergies across products and services in a global multi-unit firm is a topic of discovery that has substantial implications for the profitability of multi-national corporations. A driver for the realization of this incompletely tapped potential is the influence of organizational design. The scholar comprehensively examines a singular case study in which a multidimensional organizational design is used to exploit growth synergies in a global multi-unit firm. For many firms, collaboration is connected to synergy realization, which is critical to growth in saturated and emerging markets. Cross-business unit strategy research has been largely focused on diversification rather …

Long Term Effects Of Foster Care On Social Relationships, Angela Hackworth-Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Ainsworth and Bowlby's Attachment Theory suggest that young children experience lasting effects of disconnection if separated from their primary caretaker. Foster children are legally removed from their primary caretakers, yet the effects of foster care on later social relationships of foster children is unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the perceptions of adult foster children, ages 18 years and over, who were placed into foster care under 5 years of age. The major challenge was to obtain qualifying participants, first, because this is an invisible population in the American culture and, secondly, these individuals are hesitant …

An Evaluation Of An Independent Study Program In Six Charter Alternative Schools, Carolyn Jun

Theses and Dissertations

Alternative education programs were designed to meet the needs of at-risk students who were not succeeding in a traditional classroom environment. This mixed-methods study examined a particular type of alternative education program—a secondary independent study program—in six charter alternative schools in Los Angeles County, California. The data included student records, field notes, and semi-structured interviews from 24 current students, their parents, and 12 teachers—selected by a stratified random sample of the population at the six sites. This study examined the participants’ perceptions of the purpose of the program, their motivations to be at an alternative school, change in GPA from …

A Study Of High-Performing At-Risk High School Students And Their Perceptions On Academic Success And Achievement, Charles H. Pak

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe the school factors experienced by students at an alternative high school with an independent study program and a 90% CASHEE passage rate and to identify those factors, if any, that students perceived as contributing to their improved academic performance. The school factors included: the nature and quality of the school learning environment, learning experiences, program interventions, and the independent study program. This study was guided by the following 5 research questions: 1. How do students who have been enrolled at SMHS for at least 1 year and who …

The Use Of Experiential Acceptance In Psychotherapy With Emerging Adults, Lauren Ford

Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is recognized as a growing developmental stage that varies within and across cultures. Existing research generally characterizes this period as one of identity exploration, instability, self-reflection, and optimism. For many in this cohort, life events that were once organized into a stable sequence such as entering the workforce, marriage, and having children are increasingly a highly individualized and somewhat unstructured trajectory. This lack of structure provides opportunities and potential challenges to those transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. To this end, experiential acceptance may be an important target skill for intervention in guiding emerging adults through this tumultuous period. …

Opening Doors: A Collective Case Study Of Integrating Technology In The Preschool Through 3rd Grade Classroom In A Developmentally Appropriate Way, Amy Louise Cox Cameron

Theses and Dissertations

Children today are growing up in a technology-saturated world and yet early childhood teachers do not typically include technology in their classrooms, or if they do, they include it inappropriately. The literature states that integrating technology in early education can yield many benefits, but many teachers of young children avoid using technology because they do not know how to incorporate it appropriately. This dissertation is an exploratory observational study of early childhood teachers (preschool through third grade) who integrate technology in their programs in developmentally appropriate ways. This study involved three classroom teachers who were identified as model teachers at …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For The Treatment Of Information Processing Biases Associated With Social Anxiety Disorder, Tejal Shah

Theses and Dissertations

The present research is a critical analysis of the psychology literature on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a treatment for individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). The primary purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing body of literature in the application of ACT for anxiety disorders generally, and for SAD more specifically, in order to examine the potential utility of ACT as a treatment for SAD. This includes critical analysis and synthesis of major themes in the literature pertinent to this area of inquiry. Furthermore, the study explores the connection between the individual …

Site Administrators' Perceptions Of Barriers And Enablers To Parent Involvement In Urban Title I Charter Schools, Jessica T. Boro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore site administrators perspectives of barriers and enablers to parent involvement in urban Title I charter middle schools, specifically related to communication, volunteering, and decision making. The study design allowed for in depth analysis of participants interview responses. A total of ten charter school site administrators participated in the semi-structured interviews that informed this study. The semi-structured interviews consisted of six interview questions and nine probing questions. The participant interview responses to the interview protocol were coded to highlight key words and statements to extract themes that informed the study findings. The …

A Human Resource Perspective On The Development Of Workforce Agility, Azuara Alejandro Virchez

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored workforce agility from a human resource perspective. This included its main determinants, such as adaptability, proactivity, resiliency, business orientation, and self-awareness; the interventions through which it is developed, such as performance management processes, training, and coaching; and finally the main challenges that organizations face when developing it, such as cultural context and the lack of strategic clarity. The empirical analysis provided several insights on the development of workforce agility. Although limited to a small sample, the study provided evidence supporting the need for future research on the definition of the characteristics of an agile workforce, the definition …

Prolonged Fatigue In Ukraine And The United States: Prevalence And Risk Factors, Fred Friedberg, Nathan L. Tintle, Jake Clark, Evelyn Bromet

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Background: Prolonged, severe, unalleviated fatigue may be disabling whether it occurs on its own or in conjunction with medical or psychiatric conditions. This paper compares the prevalence and correlates of prolonged fatigue in general population samples in Ukraine versus the US. Methods: Population surveys were conducted in 2002 in both Ukraine (Ukraine World Mental Health [WMH] Survey) and the US (National Comorbidity Survey-Replication; NCS-R). Both surveys administered the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0), which contained modules assessing: neurasthenia (prolonged fatigue); mood, anxiety, and alcohol/drug use disorders; chronic medical conditions; and demographic characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine …

Semantic Shift To Pragmatic Meaning In Shared Decision Making: Situation Theory Perspective, M. Canan, A. Sousa-Poza, S. F. Kovacic

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The way humans establish communication depends on the generation and conveyance of meaning. Linguistically, meaning in information is dependent on the meaning that is ascribed to signifiers in the context of the communication. These signifiers can include items such as words, phrases, signs, and symbols. Conveyance of meaning may, however, imprecise and prone to error. The meaning of information in communication may arise from a change in the context in which a signifier is placed (intrinsic), or a change in the paradigm with which the signifier and context are perceived (extrinsic). In simple situations, where paradigms are reconcilable, semantic shift …

Romania's Participation To The European Assessment Project Titled Hyunder, Multi-Criterial Analyses Of Salt Cavern Locations, Ioan Iordache, Dorin Schitea, Adriana Marinoiu, Mihaela Buga, Mihai Balan, Ioan Stefanescu, Adrian Gheorghe, Mihaela Iordache, Viviana Cigolotti (Ed.), Chiara Barchiesi (Ed.), Michela Chianella (Ed.)

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The scope of the work is to assess the potential, the actors and relevant business cases for large scale storage of renewable electricity by hydrogen underground storage in Romania. This presentation intends to provide a picture of the multi-criterial analyses of salt cavern locations in Romania.

The energy sector is facing with the necessity to store large energy quantities for short to long term in order to adapt to the increasingly intermittent renewable energy. The results of this presentation have originated from an ongoing European assessment project by the name of HyUnder (FCH JU, grant 303417) regarding utilization of salt …