Digital Commons Network^™

The Weightless Machine, Justin David Stone

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Weightless Machine is an original novel by Justin David Stone written to satisfy the Thesis requirements of a Master's in Fine Arts from the Bilingual Department of Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Systems Engineering Approach To Solve Drug Violence Problem, Jagadish Thimiri Mallikarjan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The War on Drugs has caused cartel related violence to increase, creating a challenge for socio-political stability in Mexico. Currently, the U.S. government focuses on law enforcement measures to interdict drugs in the cartel supply lines.The basics of supply-and-demand and system dynamics approach provided a conceptual framework to understand and capture the features of interdiction in illegal drug markets, and provided important insights to solve the drug violence problem.

The Run, Jose A. Valdez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Thesis is a fiction story about Mexican Americans involved in drug smuggling in the US

A Phenomenological Study Of East African Refugee Mothers' Experiences Of Trauma And How It Affects Parenting, Binh Hoa Pham

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is a growing population of refugees around the world. Refugees experience a multitude of stressors—war trauma, chaotic and unsettling displacement(s), and resettlement stressors. African and Middle Eastern refugees are the fastest growing refugee population. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (2014) report estimates that by the end of 2014, there will be 59.5 million displaced people around the world. Refugee women and children are disproportionately victims of war and civil conflict. Research on the experience of refugee women and children is minimal in refugee studies, specifically how refugee mothers’ experiences of war affect parenting. The …

Leading By Design: Physicians In Training And Leadership Awareness, Meridithe Anne Mendelsohn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Patient-centered care requires robust physician leadership in all aspects of healthcare in order to lead organizations to this ideal.Programs in Graduate Medical Education provide inconsistent and limited exposure to formal leadership development experiences for physicians in their final year of residency training.Literature addressing leadership training for residents focuses on the scarcity of effective programs that deliver adequate training and provide measurable outcomes.The purpose of this study was to explore how chief medical and surgical residents develop leadership awareness and experience training in leadership and engage chief residents, faculty mentors, and program administrators in a collaborative process, developing a leadership training …

Designing For Online Collaborations And Local Environmental Action In Citizen Science: A Multiple Case Study, Ruth Kermish-Allen

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Traditional citizen science projects have been based on the scientific community’s need to gather vast quantities of high quality data, neglecting to ask what the project participants get in return. How can participants be seen more as collaborative partners in citizen science projects? Online communities for citizen science are expanding rapidly, giving participants the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, from monitoring invasive species to identifying far-off galaxies. These communities can bring together the virtual and physical worlds in new ways that are egalitarian, collaborative, applied, localized and globalized to solve real environmental problems. There are …

The Impact Of Values Clarification And Expression Of Beliefs On Dysfunctional Leadership Among Church Lay Leaders, John F. Cosgrove

Dissertations

Problem

Leaders face challenges from within themselves and from others. Dysfunctions within the leader and with their group can lessen leadership effectiveness. It appears some leaders manage these dysfunctions better than others. More needs to be understood about how these dysfunctions are best mediated and some have suggested clarification of values and beliefs can do that.

Method

This study followed a quantitative correlational research design. Data were obtained using surveys that 84 participants completed on line. Participants were selected from current lay leaders and former lay leaders of not more than three years past from Christ United Methodist Church of …

Gender Differences In Initiation Into Methamphetamine Use In A Mexico-U.S. Border City, Amir Gerardo Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE: The literature indicates that there are gender differences in drug use patterns but there is minimal information available on initiation into methamphetamine (meth) use by gender, especially on the border region. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, Cd. Juarez and Tijuana have been described as being in a potential state of a meth outbreak due to drug trafficking, substance abuse, migration, violence, and poverty. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are to describe current methamphetamine users in Cd. Juarez and their drug using behaviors and identify gender differences in their socio-demographic characteristics, initiation into meth use, recent …

A Theology Of Missional Leadership In The Book Of Revelation, Gyeongchun Choi

Dissertations

Problem

Leadership styles and the attendant behavior of mission practitioners and church administrators too often demonstrate leadership attitudes and practices that reflect cultural norms while violating biblical norms. There is both historical and contemporary evidence of a predictable migration from leadership as service to leadership as control—such as autocracy, coercion, self-ascendancy, and dominance. These problems are found in leadership practices primarily informed by cultural norms apart from God’s Word. These norms vary widely and may even be practiced within the faith community thus violating biblical principles. This reality creates an urgent need for the application of biblical principles that transcend …

Is Torture Ever Justified? The Influence Of Group Membership, Interrogation Approach, And Success On Attributions Of Interrogator Behavior And Perceived Acceptability Of Torture, Julia Labianca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of these three experiments was to determine what factors affect Americans' attitudes toward torture and the interrogators who engage in torture. Using theories of intergroup bias, fundamental attribution error, and cognitive dissonance, the three experiments investigated how people make behavioral attributions for an interrogator, as well as how people perceive the acceptability, ethicalness, effectiveness, and procedural justice of the technique used. Four variables were manipulated: group membership of the interrogator and detainee, outcome of the interrogation, and type of interrogation tactic used. It was expected that people would make attributional and attitudinal judgments in a manner that preserved …

Am I Another Statistic?: A Phenomenological Study Of Border Region At-Risk Latina/O Youth, Virginia Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As diversity continues to increase in the United States, schools are facing an enormous challenge of educating youth to function effectively in our democracy. With the growing Latina/o population, it is essential that schools accommodate to the needs of what will be the largest ethnic or race minority. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to analyze and study past at-risk students' unique predicament and determine two factors of failure; encouragement by failure and discouragement by failure. The study focused on understanding the role of failure as a main contributor in the decision making of Latina/o at-risk students dropping …

Educational Use Of Social Media: Exploring Science And Engineering College Students' Perceptions About Utilizing Facebook To Enhance The Learning Of Physics, Angel Salvador Marquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative investigation is to explore a group of science and engineering students' perceptions about utilizing Facebook to enhance the learning of physics. Particularly, a survey composed of multiple choice and open-ended questions was employed as to obtain participantsâ?? reactions on a proposed scenario where Facebook is utilized in an Introductory Classical Mechanics course as the medium to manage the following academic activities throughout the semester: examinations, class preparations, study guides, homework assignments, lab preparations, creating group studies, and class participation dynamics. Out of the 120 potential candidates, 106 of them accepted to voluntarily participate in this …

The Relationship Between Leaders' Emotional Intelligence And Employees' Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Job-Related Affective Well-Being At Andrews University, Robert L. Overstreet

Dissertations

Problem

Research has been conducted linking high levels of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in leaders with organizational success. However, the link between leaders’ EI levels and workplace climate (as evidenced by employees’ Job-related Affective Well-being [JAW] and Organizational Citizenship Behavior [OCB] levels) has not been adequately understood. This study sought to improve the understanding of how employee affective well-being and citizenship behaviors are related to leaders’ EI, with additional consideration given to how the gender of those leaders may affect that relationship.

Method

A quantitative correlational research method has been chosen as an appropriate method for the research study in which …

The Effects Of Learning About Black History On Racial Identity, Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, And Depression Among Low-Income African American Male Youth, Quentin L. Stubbins

Dissertations

Problem

The literature is clear that African American youth receive a shallow account from parents and schools about Black history. More importantly, African American male youth from low-income families rarely receive information about Black history. Youth today watch television for entertainment and through watching television learn about new facts and information. African American youth watch more television than any other ethnic group. The media has a long history of portraying African Americans in a negative light. The negative media portrayals of African Americans have impacted their racial identity, self-esteem, self-efficacy and their mental health. No research has been done on …

Examining The Spanish Maysi-2 Translation Among Mexican Americans, Yolanda Denise Ochoa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Due to the increasing Latino population in the U.S., Spanish translations of mental health screening tools are needed to better serve Latinos, particularly those in juvenile justice settings. Screening tools are measures that flag mental health symptoms and indicate if further evaluation is needed. The most widely screening tool used in juvenile justice settings that has been translated into Spanish is the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2 (MAYSI-2). To date, research has focused only on the English version of the MAYSI-2. The present study examined the equivalence of the Spanish translation of the MAYSI-2 to its English version in 18- …

Examining The Role Of Threat Processing In Memory Consolidation And Prejudice Formation, Stephanie Marie Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Memory is a flexible system that integrates new incoming information into existing memory representations (Stickgold & Walker, 2007). Through sleep and over time, memories become stable via consolidation processes (Payne, Stickgold, Swanberg & Kensinger, 2008). Prejudice formation can occur through the consolidation of stereotype schemas. In a previous study Latino participants learned positive and negative trait information about in-group and out-group members (Enge, Lupo & Zárate, 2015). At test, participants responded more quickly to out-group targets paired with negative traits than in-group pairings with these traits. Findings indicate that participants also responded more quickly to in-group targets paired with positive …

A Semantically-Enabled Trust Model For Collaborative Environments, Joaquin Andres Reyna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The World Wide Web has revolutionized the way we find, exchange, reuse and integrate information at a rate inconceivable only a generation ago; but for all its perks it has one big weakness: trusting that the information retrieved is accurate. Web technologies and applications allows anyone to share information. This work aims to assist humans (and eventually autonomous agents) in the task of trusting Web resources, a very important step when reusing information found on the Web. In this research, we propose a new algorithm to tackle the challenge of assigning trust to Web resources. Our algorithm is inspired on …

Clinician Perspectives On Community Reentry For Mentally Ill Offenders In New York, Lauren C. Meath

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The prevalence of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) in prisons has risen in recent years. While incarcerated, individuals with SMI face many challenges, such as difficulties with peers and staff, and potential exacerbation of mental health symptoms. These difficulties do not subside when reentering their communities upon release. These individuals encounter unique challenges upon release, such as facing the difficult task of finding mental health services and other resources, housing, and health insurance. This study aimed to gather the perspectives of clinicians who worked for the Office of Mental Health in New York State regarding community reentry for inmates …

Medication Assisted Treatment And The Three Legged Stool: Medical Providers, Chemical Dependency Professionals, And Clients, Steven Matt Magrath

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Opioid dependence has reached epidemic levels in the United States and around the world. With the increased prescribing of opioid pharmaceuticals and the influx of inexpensive heroin, the health care cost to society has topped $72.5 billion annually (Murphy et al., 2016). Opioid overdose deaths have now surpassed motor vehicle deaths and have tripled since 1990. In some age groups opioid overdose is the leading cause of death. This study seeks to analyze the only field that directly treats this primary brain disease: medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence. The three primary participants in this partnership include: (a) doctors and …

An Analysis Of Psychologist Postdoctoral Psychopharmacology Training Materials For Critiques Of Neurobiological Hypotheses Of Depression's Etiology, Critical Analyses Of The Dsm's Rigor, And For Consumer/Survivor/Ex-Patient Content., Chris William Nicholas Rowe

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is widespread agreement that neurobiology plays a role in psychological distress and that psychiatric diagnosis and associated psychopharmacological interventions can be helpful. However, there are also unresolved issues surrounding the limits of empirical support for current diagnostic criteria, shortcomings in neurobiological explanations of psychopathology, and unanswered questions about the mechanism, safety, and efficacy of psychiatric medications. This has implications for treatment errors which can precipitate negative socio-economic and health consequences, particularly for vulnerable groups like the Consumer/Survivor/Ex-Patient (c/s/x) population. It is for these reasons that the training psychologists receive to prescribe should, in addition to integrating the critiques of …

Bind, Tether, And Transcend: Achieving Integration Through Extra-Therapeutic Dance, Megan M. Kain

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experience of achieving integration through the fine art form of dance, using a phenomenological method coupled with narrative and arts-based research. Research material illustrating the various manifestations of integration will be derived from interviews of ten professional dancers representing the non-dominant cultural discourse. Through the application of theoretical underpinnings of somatic psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, psychoneuroimmunology, and relational psychotherapy, this qualitative research seeks to articulate the esoteric healing forces derived from creative movement that fortifies self and fosters resilience within individuals. While dance might constitute an effective processing and coping mechanism …

Frequencies Between Serial Killer Typology And Theorized Etiological Factors., Leryn R. Messori

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examined the association between serial killer typologies and previously proposed etiological factors within serial killer case histories. Stratified sampling based on race and gender was used to identify thirty-six serial killers for this study. The percentage of serial killers within each race and gender category included in the study was taken from current serial killer demographic statistics between 1950 and 2010. Detailed data was gathered about each case, including past experiences and details of their crimes using publicly available primary and secondary source material. Etiological factors identified for this study include military experience, alcohol use, drug use, whether …

The Mutual Interaction Of Online And Offline Identities In Massively Multiplayer Online Communities: A Study Of Eve Online Players, Matthew J. Ponsford

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study was conducted to examine the ways that individuals experience massively multiplayer online games, and the interaction between online and offline identities. Ten members of the EVE Online community were interviewed about their experiences of the boundaries and crossovers between offline self and online character. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for consistent themes. Themes drawn from the data fell into three over- arching categories: the Appeal of EVE, or the player motivations and qualities of the game environment that influence player investment; Self/Character Interaction, describing the ways in which online and offline identities interact; and Moral Dilemmas, …

The Stress-Buffering Model Of Social Support In Post-Acute Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Emily Anna Pearce

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Currently, 3.2-5.3 million Americans (1.1-1.7%) live with long-term disability resulting from acquired brain injury (ABI). Despite two to three million more being treated yearly for milder injuries and released without further services, those with enduring problems often require ongoing rehabilitation and support. The immediate and long-term costs of ABI are substantial, as are the burdens associated with lifelong sequelae. A clear understanding of prognostic indicators—only some of which have been identified—could assist in reducing these costs and burdens. Social support, which has been linked with physical health and function in populations across the world, is one likely indicator. Family stress, …

An Exploration Of The Experience Of Female Same-Sex Marriage, Melissa Rose Mulick

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In June 2015 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage. While same-sex marriage had previously been legalized in individual states, this ruling effectively increased the population of women legally married to other women. A review of research historically conducted on female same-sex relationships indicated that they were often fraught with heteronormative assumptions and biases, leaving the conclusions questionable at best. This dissertation used Amedeo Giorgi’s (2009) qualitative methodology of Descriptive Phenomenology in order to explore the essence of the experience of female same-sex marriage. Ten cisgender women who were legally married …

African American Women In Leadership Positions: A Qualitative Study, Carl Harrison Jr.

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In today’s society, an accurate representation of female minority leadership is needed. This study explored the (a) leadership development of African American women, (b) means and hindrances that African American women leaders met on their pathway to success, and (c) role of resilience among African American women. The current research was guided by the Smith (2010) study; Smith completed research on this subject matter using African American males. The current research used women rather than men but maintained the same methodology. The Consensual Qualitative Research Method (CQR; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997; Hill et al., 2005) was used to analyze …

Mapping Decisions Of Reporting Asset Misappropriation Within An Accounting Department Using Behavioral, Cognitive, And Cultural Traits, Nora Alaniz Bouqayes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The problem of global fraud continues to be pandemic with the cost to organizations exceeding $3.9 trillion of lost revenues every year. Accounting research is slowly embracing the behavioral science research and has expanded limited literature addressing the traits of fraud perpetrators. This study begins to examine behavioral, cognitive, and cultural traits of reporters of fraud in accounting departments. This study narrows the area of interest to asset misappropriation as part of the Occupational Fraud and Abuse Classification System created by the Association of Fraud Examiners. An initial instrument to measure traits is developed and used to map decision paths …

Matilde Ros Leaves The Jungle, Susana Beatriz Camacho Vivar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

When Matilde defies her mother and abandons her privileged life in a South American capital to fight for environmental justice in the Amazon jungle, she never imagines her journey will bring her right back to where she started. As she insists on freeing herself, four other women around her do the same, defining their freedom when class, gender and race may still get to tell them who they are.

Teacher's Sense Of Self Efficacy And Grit And Its Relationship To Student Achievement, Dino M. Coronado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Darling-Hammond (2006) stated that "one of the most damaging myths prevailing in American education is the notion that good teachers are born and not made" (p. xi). On the other hand, if there is a need to improve the education system in the United States, there must be a conscientious effort to identify, recruit, select, and develop quality people to become teachers-there needs to be an emphasis on "quality people."

The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine the relationship between a high school teacher's grit and sense of self-efficacy and the Houston Independent School District's teacher's Educator Value-Added …

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of The Faculty Teaching Role: Values, Intention, And Practice, Robin Dankovich

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research is a mixed methods investigation of the faculty teaching role through the exploration of values, intentions and practice of college professors. To compliment the research questions the literature review explores the forces shaping the professoriate over time, contemporary context of higher education, values, and conceptions of teaching. To frame the discussion Argyris and Schön’s (1974) theory of espoused values and values in use is coupled with the codification of human strengths offered by positive psychology.

The results of the study indicate that all faculty espoused values focused on love of learning, honesty, fairness and judgement. Those interviewed provided …