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Mental Health Professionals' Attitude And Perception Of Their Role In Tackling Substance Abuse And Related Disorders In Nigeria, Olubusayo Ruth Akinola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health professionals (MHPs) play a pivotal role in enhancing treatment outcomes for drug-using populations and minimizing their harm to the public. In response to a gap in the literature, this study sought to (a) assess MHPs' attitudes about the use and abuse of substances and their perception of their role in tackling substance abuse and related disorders in Nigeria, (b) identify predictors of perception, and (c) explore regional variations in attitude. Based on the validated drug and drug users' problems perception questionnaire and the substance abuse attitude survey, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in a randomized sample of 292 …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Women With Spinal Cord Injury Who Undergo Urinary Diversion Surgery, Sukhpinder K. Dhillon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), bladder management is of primary importance. As an activity of daily living (ADL), it affects community integration and quality of life (QOL). Women with SCI have neurogenic bladders that require self-catheterization, but they are unable to catheterize the native urethra, thus making bladder management physically and emotionally challenging. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of women with SCI who undergo urinary diversion surgery for bladder management. Qualitative data were collected using semistructured interviews from 10 women with SCI after urinary diversion surgery for bladder management. Qualitative Nvivo analysis of interview data …

Affect Intensity As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Transformational Leadership, Robert Taylor Schaefer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have reported mixed findings on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership, leading many to suspect the presence of moderating variables. This study was conducted to address the problem by analyzing the moderating effect that affect intensity may have upon this relationship. Based on a theoretical framework consisting of ability-based EI and the full-range theory of leadership, it was hypothesized that EI would be positively correlated with transformational leadership. In addition, based upon the arousal regulation theory of affect, it was hypothesized that affect intensity would be a statistically significant moderator of that relationship. A convenience sample …

Mental Health Disorders As Predictors Of Relapse In Previously Detoxified Individuals, Toni Lee Simonson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have shown a relationship between mental health disorders and alcohol dependence. However, only 5-10% of individuals with substance use problems co-occurring with mental health problems are correctly identified. The purpose of this research was to identify predictors of relapse using three different instruments of varying complexity: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Modified Mini Screen (MMS), and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III). Researchers have found that using alcohol produces relief, similar to a pharmacological intervention, from troublesome mental health symptoms that individuals experience. Considering this association, the self-medication hypothesis was the conceptual lens used for the study as …

Reform Through A Student Lens: The Experience Of Latino A Students In An International Baccalaureate Diploma Program In Chicago, Sandra Arreguin

Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of Latinos participating in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in Chicago. Phenomenological interview techniques were used to explore the experiences and perceptions of Latino students in IB. By looking at Latino/a students separately the study captured the strengths, challenges, and needs unique to this group, which will inform the future of this rapidly growing curriculum reform effort.

Decision Making Of Building Level Administrators And Their Perceptions On Groupthink, Julie Ann Flitcraft

Dissertations

This research study examined how groupthink affects educational decision making for building level administrators by identifying the most prominent symptoms of groupthink and by exposing the characteristics that create an increase of vulnerability to groupthink.

Participants for this study included building level administrators of 25 public high schools in a Midwest suburban county. These volunteers completed a three part survey which addressed the central research questions for the study:

1) What perceptions do current building level administrators have about the shared system of belief within their institution?

2) Among the administrators that believe they were hired because they share the …

Elementary (K-5) Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction, Christopher Maddox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical method used by classroom teachers to enhance student learning. Researchers have described how students benefit from differentiated lessons, but have not explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of differentiation and student success. This gap is problematic because teachers' instruction directly affects student achievement. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how elementary (K-5) teachers define, familiarize, use, and perceive differentiation. The conceptual framework was rooted from a synthesis of ideas found in current refereed literature, and the educational concepts and constructionist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Purposeful sampling identified 12 participants for …

A Case Study Of Blue-Collar Worker Retirement Investment Decisions, Mark Eldridge Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The finances of blue-collar workers were the most acutely impacted as these workers lost their jobs during the Great Recession of 2007 through 2009. The literature revealed a minimal understanding of how blue-collar workers allocated funds for their retirement, and what their investments might be when they invested. To address this problem, the current qualitative study addressed (a) how blue-collar workers chose to invest or not invest for retirement and (b) how blue-collar workers diversified their portfolio if they chose to invest. Theoretical foundations of the study were based on regret theory and prospect theory. A nonrandom purposeful sample of …

A Phenomenological Study Of Female Gender Inequality In The Defense Industry, Erica Helaine Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite advances made during the women's movement, gender inequality is a problem for women seeking leadership opportunities within the U.S. Defense Industry today. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of civilian females who had experienced gender inequality obstacles in their professional advancement opportunities within the U.S. Defense Industry. The mommy track framework, defined as the family/work imbalance; the gatekeeper framework; and the institutional sexism framework were used to guide this study. The research questions focused on how these women perceived both internal and external barriers to their professional advancement in the U.S. Defense Industry. A …

Notices

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

No abstract provided.

Norms Of Cultivation, Kevin Melchionne

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

In this paper I identify a new group of aesthetic norms, which I call norms of cultivation. Judgments of taste are often accompanied by forecasts or expectations about future aesthetic satisfaction. When we find something beautiful, we expect to find it beautiful in the future. Forecasting is at play in all sorts of aesthetically motivated behavior. Yet psychologists have observed an unreliability in such forecasts. As a result of forecasting error, what we take as our taste can be an unreliable guide in our aesthetic lives. Compensating for the unreliability of taste are norms of cultivation, implicit rules for engaging …

An Exploration Of Burnout In Individuals With Type D Personality, Carla A. Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are numerous physical and mental health implications associated with burnout and Type D personality (TDP). TDP is defined by the presence of specific levels of both negative affectivity and social inhibition. The purpose of this research was to examine the severity and prevalence of burnout in working adults with TDP in comparison to those without TDP. Social cognitive theory was the theoretical foundation for this study. Online surveys were used to gather responses to the Type D Scale-14 (DS14), the standard for measure for assessing TDP, and the Burnout Measure, Short Version (BMS) from 333 participants. Quantitative analyses included …

Co-Location, Co-Location, Co-Location: Land Use And Housing Priorities Reimagined, Lee Anne Fennell

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

No abstract provided.

The Death Of Rules And Standards, Anthony Casey, Anthony Niblett

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

Scholars have examined the lawmakers’ choice between rules and standards for decades. This Article, however, explores the possibility of a new form of law that renders that choice unnecessary. Advances in technology (such as big data and artificial intelligence) will give rise to this new form—the microdirective—which will provide the benefits of both rules and standards without the costs of either.

Lawmakers will be able to use predictive and communication technologies to enact complex legislative goals that are translated by machines into a vast catalog of simple commands for all possible scenarios. When an individual citizen faces a legal choice, …

Individual And Organizational Influences On Fire Research Use By Fire Managers And Decision Makers In The Bureau Of Land Management, National Park Service And U.S. Forest Service, Vita Wright

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Federal interagency fire policy mandates that fire management plans and programs are based on a foundation of science and that science be transferred to managers in a timely manner. Ultimately, scientists and managers are collectively responsible for ensuring relevant research is developed, transferred and integrated into management. This study used social science theory and methods to understand perspectives about research by fire and fuels specialists and decision makers in the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and United States Forest Service. Applying the Technology Acceptance Model, these included beliefs about research usefulness, beliefs about the ease of using research, …

Does Financial Literacy Contribute To Food Security?, Katherine Grace Carman, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Food insecurity, not having consistent access to adequate food for active, healthy lives for all household members is most common among low income households. However, income alone is not sufficient to explain who experiences food insecurity. This study investigates the relationship between financial literacy and food security. We find that low income households who exhibit financial literacy are less likely to experience food insecurity.

Improving Mechanical And Neuromuscular Deficits Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Audrey Rose Campbell Elias

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite consistent resolution of knee laxity and return to physical activity following ACL reconstruction, a growing body of evidence implicates impaired weight acceptance strategies as frequent primary drivers in a host of poor long-term outcomes. Most egregiously, the majority of the people with ACL reconstruction will show radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis within 15 years of surgery. Abnormal compression of the knee joint due to impaired knee flexion during weight acceptance is exacerbated by a tendency toward concomitant co-contraction of the knee musculature. Despite a plethora of proposed training paradigms, performance deficits after ACL reconstruction prove particularly resistant to enduring …

Social Impact Of Traumatic Brain Injury In Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study With A Focus On Rural Adolescents, Brandon Jared Rennie

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a serious public health concern in the United States. The least studied populations are those at the highest risk to sustain a TBI, specifically, youth, and especially those living in rural areas. Despite the documented negative impact on social outcomes and relative importance of social functioning in youth, research is sparse with regard to how various injury and non-injury factors interact to influence social outcomes and how best to assess this population for intervention planning and monitoring. Participants are four adolescents who have had TBIs of mild or moderate severity and their mothers (three …

An Investigation Of Domestic Tourists' Loyalty To A Nature-Based Tourist Setting From A Relational And Transactional Perspective At The Victoria Falls World Heritage Site, Jane Musole Kwenye

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

It is a common belief that Zambian citizens would prefer to vacation in other countries rather than visiting their own natural tourist settings. The primary goal of this study was to understand how to foster loyal relationships between Zambian domestic tourists and a natural setting by investigating factors that influence domestic tourists' loyalty to the Victoria Falls World Heritage site. Destination loyalty was the central concept employed in this study and was examined from both a relational and transactional perspective. Place attachment constituted the relational variable, while satisfaction, service quality and perceived value were the transactional variables.

The Power Of Critical Reflection: Exploring The Impact Of Rhetorical Stories On Metacognition In First-Year Composition Courses, Amy Elizabeth Ratto Parks

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract

Video Prompts For Self-Regulated Learning: Metacognition And Reflection Activity, Janet Sedgley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study explored video metacognitive prompts as a method of engaging students in self-regulated learning. The study was completed in the naturalistic setting of fully online learning. Such learning environments imply a distance between faculty and students that makes student self-direction vital to success. However students are only infrequently practicing self-regulated learning skills.

An Empirical Investigation Of The Buddhist Concept Of "Not-Self", Christian Herwitz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

All individuals have notions about how they would likely approach themselves under times of stress, as well as the ways which would be most helpful to them. The present study investigated four broad ways of approaching the self under stressful circumstances: self-esteem, self-control, self-compassion, and not-self. Not-self, a concept based in Buddhist philosophy, is novel to a Western population, and was the primary focus. In order to comprehensively examine the concept, data were collected from 168 undergraduates on responses to stressful circumstances: by bolstering self-esteem, engaging in self-control behaviors, engendering a sense of self-compassion, or accepting/letting go thoughts, feelings, wants, …

Trait Hope As A Moderator Of The Effects Of Hassles And Uplifts On Depressive Symtpoms In College Students, Leslie C. Croot

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Major Depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States and has been studied for decades. Research suggests that daily hassles may increase the likelihood of depressive symptoms while daily uplifts may help protect against depressive symptoms (Mayberry & Graham, 2001). Snyder's hope theory (Snyder et al., 1991) provides an avenue for understanding how hope can protect against symptoms of depression. Hope, hassles, uplifts, and depressive symptoms were assessed at three time points with one-month intervals in a sample of 186 undergraduate students via self-report measures. Results, analyzed using a Generalized Estimating Equation, were threefold: there was (1) …

Stages Of Change Theory Applied To Self-Critical Thinking And Fear Of Compassion: A Brief Psycho-Educational Intervention, Meghan Theresa Gill

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Self-critical thinking has been identified as a trans-diagnostic feature of several forms of psychopathology, including depression, and anxiety (Gilbert & Proctor 2006). Recent research has found that developing self-compassion skills reduces symptoms of distress and correlates with beneficial outcomes (Barnard & Curry, 2011). Unfortunately, it also appears that some who experience high levels of self-criticism also experience a fear of compassion (i.e., a resistance to soothing and care when directed toward the self or when received from others). Fear of compassion has been identified as a barrier to engagement in, and efficacy of psychological treatment (Gilbert, McEwan, Matos, & Rivis, …

A Measure Development Study For Youth Trauma Exposure And Developmental Trauma Disorder, Molly Kathleen Mcdonald

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Childhood trauma research and assessment are limited in addressing complex trauma. Specifically, current childhood trauma exposure measures are limited in the types of trauma queried, the ability to assess for frequency of trauma incidents, and the possibility of reporting on symptoms from multiple traumas (Hawkins & Radcliffe, 2006). Another problem with current childhood trauma practices is related to diagnosis. Most children who experience complex trauma are not diagnosed with PTSD; separation anxiety disorder and oppositional defiant disorder are most commonly diagnosed (Cook et al., 2005). Emotional and behavioral difficulties associated with complex trauma in childhood may be better captured by …

Contrasting Two Prophylactic Dysphagia Interventions For Patients With Head And Neck Cancer Treated With Radiotherpy With Or Without Adjunctive Chemotherapy, Laurie Slovarp

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) suffer from dysphagia caused by organ preserving regimens of radiation therapy with or without adjunctive chemotherapy. Prior research has shown a benefit of prophylactic dysphagia intervention; however, prior studies vary in terms of timing, dosage, and types of treatments prescribed. Additionally, compliance to prophylactic swallowing exercises (PSEs) has been poor and anecdotal evidence points towards swallowing pain as a cause of poor compliance. This prospective study investigated exercise compliance, oral intake, self-perceived swallowing function, swallowing-related quality of life, and swallowing-related pain for patients who received two different types of prophylactic swallowing interventions. …

Wilderness And Epistemic Wildness, John T. Stanfield

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The traditional concept of wilderness was a product of the time out of which it came. Times have changed. The social context of conservation, how humans affect nature, and scientific understanding of how ecosystems function have all shifted in ways that make the wilderness idea problematic. The values that people found in wilderness are still relevant, however. It is the way that they are tied together in the concept of wilderness that has become a problem.

I propose a revised concept of wilderness that meets the concerns of critics of wilderness, and accounts for the tension between the wild and …

The Tower Of Hanoi In Dynamic Creative Problem Solving, Lia Harrington

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Creativity and emotions are well-studied constructs, and there is much work on their interrelations. However the empirical application of dynamical systems analysis to them is still relatively rare. For these reasons, a study was conducted on the dynamics and interrelationships of creativity, emotion, and psychopathology using state space grids (SSG) in 33 young adult participants assessed for autism spectrum and negative schizotypy traits, using a computerized Tower of Hanoi (ToH) creative problem-solving task. An overview of the dual importance of convergent and divergent thinking styles to creativity is provided as a context for the experiment. The hypothesis that participants with …

Blended Framework: Bill Mckibben's Use Of Melodrama And Comedy In Environmental Rhetoric, Megan E. Cullinan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the last five years, as climate change became less abstract and more noticeable, conversations surrounding the issues have begun to change. In the past, solutions to climate change were framed in terms of how individuals can made a difference—and yet, no significant changes have occurred. Research shows that the main contributors to climate change are the fossil fuel industry, as both extraction and consumption of fossil fuel products are irresponsible and unsustainable. Thus, it is important for climate change conflict to leave the personal sphere and become more prominent as a political controversy.

Bill McKibben’s blended framing of climate …

A 'Paradox Of Expression': Bertolt Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt In Performance, Cohen L. Ambrose Mr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.