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Lag Time Between Parental First Concerns About Development And Entry Into Early Intervention: Impact Of Child/Family Factors, First Concerns, And Symptom Presentation, Jennifer S. Beighley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts an individual’s ability to relate to and communicate with others. Although children often do not receive a diagnosis until age 4-5 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014), parents typically recognize developmental problems by age 2 years (Chawarska et al., 2007), and often in the first year of life (Kishore & Basu, 2011). However, these early concerns do not always translate into appropriate or timely steps to access care. Few studies have examined factors relating to the time lag that exists between early concerns and action. Because early intervention …

An Evaluation Of The Utility Of Reading Curriculum-Based Measurement As Progress Monitoring Tools And Predictors Of Comprehension, Haley Elizabeth York

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Many American students struggle with reading, particularly in the area of comprehension. As such, early identification of reading difficulties, use of evidenced-based interventions, and monitoring of student reading progress over time is essential. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a technically adequate, efficient tool whose features and design make it a good candidate for early identification and progress monitoring purposes, especially within a response to intervention framework. However, there is still some uncertainty regarding the utility of reading CBM as progress monitoring tools. Specifically, the literature has suggested that variability in the difficulty of CBM materials may influence how well these tools …

Mobile Homes: Class, Space And Race In Idealized Landscapes Of Home, Annemarie Michele Galeucia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the connections between public perceptions and regulation of mobile homes, and how this connection in turn represents and regulates the bodies residing within them. Applying various qualitative methods in participant and media research, I explored the material and social/symbolic aspects of mobile homes in and around East Baton Rouge Parish, LA, as well as media (primarily news) discussing mobile homes across the United States. I sought to explore these in relation to the normative and ideal expressions and image of the American home and its relationship to idealized American landscapes. Dialectics of mobility/rootedness and physical and social …

Re-Examining And Redefining The Concepts Of Community, Justice, And Masculinity In The Works Of René Depestre, Carlos Fuentes, And Ernest Gaines, Jacqueline Nicole Zimmer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In La Communauté desoeuvrée (1983) French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy describes how a community is creating by bringing its members together under a collective identity. The invention of myths, such as the myth of racial superiority and the mythic revolutionary community, functions to sustain the hegemonic dominance wielded in Haiti by the United States and later by François Duvalier, the Porfiriato and its aftermath in Mexico, and white society in the United States Deep South. These myths often engender policies founded in the inhospitable treatment of those who are deemed lesser or ‘other’. Nancy’s conception of being singular plural posits that …

Silent Suffering: A Phenomenological Study Of African American Women Facing Infertility & Lessons Learned For Work-Life Balance, Kimberley Faye Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although African American women represent the largest female demographic in the workforce (NABCP, 2014) and have the highest rates of infertility (Chandra, Copen & Stephen, 2013), their career and life experiences remain underrepresented in scholarship. Framed through the critical lens of Intersectionality, this phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of 11 African American women as they struggled with infertility and the competing demands of work and family life. The two major themes that emerged were: (1) silent suffering, and (2) lack of sensitivity and support in the workplace. The subthemes that supported silent suffering included: (1) emotional distress and …

Assessment & Management Of Pressure Injuries For The Interprofessional Team (3rd Ed.), Registered Nurses' Association Of Ontario

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

The purpose of this guideline is to present evidence-based recommendations that apply to the decisions and best practices of interprofessional teams working to assess and manage existing pressure injuries in people 18 years of age and above.

The guideline focuses on the core competencies and the evidence-based strategies that members of interprofessional teams require to assess and treat people with existing pressure injuries.

We've designed this guideline to help nurses and their interprofessional teams become more comfortable, confident and competent when caring for people with existing pressure injuries. It is intended for use in all domains of health care and …

Programmed Shifts In Reward Quality And Quantity: A Planned Positive And Negative Contrast Analysis, Michael Schafer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted in an attempt to occasion both positive and negative contrast effects. The primary purpose was to occasion both decrements and increases in responding following planned shifts in quality or magnitude of reinforcement. Participants were children ages 7 to 16 years who were receiving therapy using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and had a prior diagnosis of autism. In Experiment I, changes in responding were measured following manipulations of reinforcer quality. Results indicated response patterns consistent with negative contrast effects following shifts from high quality to low quality reinforcers, and positive contrast effects following shifts from low quality …

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Lived Experiences Of Childcare Providers Employed At Non-Accredited Childcare Centers Serving Low Income Families, Chantel M. Ellis Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of childcare providers employed at non-accredited childcare centers serving low income families. This study examined childcare providers and the environment in which they worked. The study sought to obtain an in-depth understanding of the day-to-day experiences, behaviors, perspectives, and attitudes of the participants. Participants were selected based on three factors: 1) Participant must be at least 18 years of age. 2) Participants must be employed full-time (at least 40 hours per week) at a non-accredited childcare center serving low income families 3) Participants must have at least …

Websites Vs. Apps: A Comparison Of Consumer Acceptance Of Apparel Mass-Customization Across Channels, Yuli Liang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

After 20 years of industrial practice, consumers now can shop for mass-customized apparel in various channels including websites and smart device applications (apps). Online apparel mass-customization (OAMC), which provides platforms and convenience for customers to communicate with retailers effectively, provides retailers with a growing opportunity in today’s evolving omni-channel environment. Meanwhile, product value and experiential value delivered to consumers will help increase customer satisfaction and lower the return rate. However, little is known about consumers’ beliefs, attitudes, and purchase intentions of mass-customized apparels when using different channels. Two studies were intended to fill the research gap. Study 1 is an …

Glass Ceilings And Bottomless Floors: Black Women's Experiences In Education Reform Leadership, Alicia Danielle Nance

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent social commentary, articles, and research studies are increasingly discussing the ways in which urban education reform, which is overwhelmingly white and female, is failing communities of color in the United States by continuing to reify systems of oppression and inequity. As the faces of urban public school students in the United States become more African American and Latino, the faces of leadership in the U.S.’s urban schools should begin to reflect similar demographic changes. This study, to address the current gap in research literature, critically examines the narratives of Black women educational leaders who serve students in a mid-sized …

Visionary Sociology In Action, Luke Castle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation are to provide research that will further facilitate an understanding of two matters of sociological interest: public sociology and video ethnography. In order to achieve this overall objective, a video ethnographic case study was conducted with eight undergraduates at an elite southern university. The students in the study self-filmed week-to week thoughts, feelings, and experiences to provide a methodical comparison of past and current literature of the lifestyles students construct while on campus. A qualitative approach, such as the video diary protocol established for this dissertation, is unlike most research protocols because informants (in this …

Chemical Communication: The Effects Of Stress-Induced Apocrine Sweat On Human Perceptions And Interactions, Laura Caitlyn Hatcher

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In times of stress, humans secrete a type of sweat (apocrine sweat) that they do not secrete at any other time. This sweat has been previously shown to influence others who are exposed to it. The current project seeks to explore how apocrine sweat influences the people who are exposed to it. Using the framework of Emotional Contagion Theory, two studies were conducted to assess the effects of stress-induced apocrine sweat on human perceptions and interactions. Study 1 saw participants exposed to either thermoregulatory sweat or apocrine sweat before watching a short, fear-inducing video. Participants then reported their levels of …

Principals' Beliefs And Attitudes About Social And Emotional Learning: A Grounded Theory Study, Kimberly Y. Jones

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Principals are the gatekeepers of their school environment. Therefore, their beliefs and attitudes about social and emotional learning (SEL) will influence their staff, students and parents. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore school principals’ beliefs and attitudes about SEL. Researchers have focused on SEL’s success as it relates to academic achievement, but little is known about the adults’ roles in effective SEL integration. Findings from this study may inform how administrators (e.g., school system superintendents) structure training for principals to acquire skills in influencing and integrating programs into the overall school climate. The findings may also …

Succession In Family Owned Businesses: The Influence Of Succession Planning And Demographic Characteristics On Succession Success, Steven Thomas Perret

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence selected aspects of succession planning and selected demographic characteristics had on the level of success in the succession of family owned businesses (FOB¡¯s) in south Louisiana. To achieve this, the researcher designed a survey instrument to collect data. A total of 61 FOB¡¯s responded indicating they completed succession; however, only 23 or (38%) completed a planned succession to the next generation. An important finding was that having a high quality succession plan had a positive influence on the perceptions of family owned business owners and managers. Another important finding …

Black Girl Magic: How Black Women Administrators Navigate The Intersection Of Race And Gender In Workspace Silos At Predominantly White Institutions, Allison Michelle Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In choosing to look at the impact of white racially homogeneous work environments, if any, in relation to Black women higher education administrators, this research was grounded in Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought. Utilizing Black Feminist Thought, rooted in intersectionality, provided a sturdy foundation for one interested in conducting research specific to Black women, whether the discourse is race, gender, and/or any other intersecting identities. Black Feminist Thought conveys the message that Black women have similar yet different experiences from White women and similar yet different experiences from Black men, while simultaneously having shared yet different experiences than other …

Object Affordances Potentiate Responses But Do Not Guide Attentional Prioritization, Yusuke Yamani, Atsunori Ariga, Yuki Yamada

Psychology Faculty Publications

Handled objects automatically activate afforded responses. The current experiment examined whether objects that afford a response are also prioritized for attentional processing in visual search. Targets were pictures of coffee cups with handles oriented either to the right or the left. Subjects searched for a target, a right-handled vs. left -handled coffee cup, among a varying number of distractor cups oriented in the opposite direction. Responses were faster when the direction of target handle and the key press were spatially matched than mismatched (stimulus -response compatibility (SRC) effect), but object affordance did not moderate slopes of the search functions, indicating …

Neural Responses To Maternal Praise And Criticism: Relationship To Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In High-Risk Adolescent Girls, Robin L. Aupperle, Amanda S. Morris, Jennifer S. Silk, Michael M. Criss, Matt R. Judah, Sally G. Eagleton, Namik Kirlic, Jennifer Byrd-Craven, Raquel Phillips, Ruben P. Alvarez

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: The parent-child relationship may be an important factor in the development of adolescent depressive and anxious symptoms. In adults, depressive symptoms relate to increased amygdala and attenuated prefrontal activation to maternal criticism. The current pilot study examined how depressive and anxiety symptoms in a high-risk adolescent population relate to neural responses to maternal feedback. Given previous research relating oxytocin to maternal behavior, we conducted exploratory analyses using oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotype.

Methods: Eighteen females (ages 12-16) listened to maternal praise, neutral, and critical statements during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants completed the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and the Screen …

An Ideal-Type Through Innovation Diffusion: Recording The Construction History Of Football Stadiums In The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Fbs), Patrick Michael Tutka

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dr. John Bale (1984) argued sport scholars need to examine whether innovation diffusion occurred in sport. Rogers (1962, 2003) argued innovation diffusion process involves the following: 1) an innovation; 2) an available communication system(s); and occurs 3) over time; and 4) among members of a social system (p. 11). This project also adds geography as suggested by Bale (1984) and Hagerstrand (1952, 1953) to the study of innovation diffusion. The purpose of the current project is to examine whether innovation diffusion exists within the strong social system of college football. The study involves the collection of data on college football …

Physical Activity Promotion From The Social Cognitive Theory Perspective: An Examination Of Mobile Fitness Apps, Steven L. Maberry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study has expanded the scientific understanding of physical activity motivation through the use of smartphone mobile technology. With the emergent popularity of social media, software developers have begun incorporating components of social media into mobile fitness apps, which allow users to easily engage with peer support networks to obtain motivation for continued participation. Grounded in Bandura’s (1977) social cognitive theory, the study has also extended the physical activity knowledge base related to self-efficacy and peer and family support systems.

Four hundred sixty-seven adults (mean age: 35.8 years) completed an online survey, the results of which were used to …

Effects Of Premature Birth And/Or Low Birthweight On Developmental Outcomes, Rachel L. Goldin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Advances in neonatal technology have improved survival rates of children born at lower and lower birthweight and after fewer and fewer weeks of gestation. However, these children are at increased risk of experiencing developmental delays. As weeks of gestation and birthweight decrease, the risk of developmental impairment and severity increases. Yet to be determined is whether premature birth and low birthweight (LBW) effect development differentially, and if the combined, have an additive effect on developmental outcomes. The first part of this study aimed to examine the independent effects of preterm birth and LBW in children at risk for developmental delays. …

Rights For Resilience: Food Sovereignty, Power, And Resilience In Development Practice, Marygold Walsh-Dilley, Wendy Wolford, James Mccarthy

Geography

Even as resilience thinking becomes evermore popular as part of strategic programming among development and humanitarian organizations, uncertainty about how to define, operationalize, measure, and evaluate resilience for development goals prevails. As a result, many organizations and institutions have undertaken individual, collective, and simultaneous efforts toward clarification and definition. This has opened up a unique opportunity for a rethinking of development practices. The emergent consensus about what resilience means within development practice will have important consequences both for development practitioners and the communities inwhich they work. Incorporating resilience thinking into development practice has the potential to radically transform this arena …

Psychological And Environmental Predictors Of Test Anxiety: A Structural Equation Model, Meredith Taylor Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Test anxiety is a construct that includes cognitive, physiological, and behavioral symptoms occurring in response to anxiety prior to, during, or following examinations. The current literature on test anxiety has evaluated a number of possible predictors, including demographic variables, academic indicators, and self-perceptions. The movement toward school accountability and higher academic expectations of students has increased the severity of consequences occurring as a result of poor academic achievement. Thus, test anxiety is a critical concern that may impact student academic success. The current study evaluated a structural equation model to determine the strength of associations between trait anxiety, academic achievement, …

(Re)Writing History In Maryse Condé, Femi Euba, And Reinaldo Arenas, Lázara Bolton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This comparative study asserts the centrality of spirituality to literature that explores life in the African Diaspora. Specifically, it emphasizes the importance of spirituality both to the authors and to the lives of their characters in the novels Victoire, les saveurs et les mots (2006) by the Guadeloupian author Maryse Condé, Camwood at Crossroads (2007) by Nigerian author Femi Euba, and El color del verano (1991) by Cuban author Reinaldo Arenas. A close reading of the three novels shows that they are representative of autohistoría literary works, which represent the spirituality of the writer, as well as the people written …

The Application Of Prophetic Pragmatism: The Intersection Of The Theologically-Based Education Of The Black Church Leader, The Black Church, The Community, And Social Action, Errol K. Domingue

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study addressed how the academy (specifically theologically-based higher education), the Black Church, and typically oppressed communities can act as a coalition that produces positive social change. This is an investigation of the training and education that ministerial leaders receive in theologically-based institutions of higher education, how that training and education affects the philosophy and activities of the local church, and ultimately how those connections translate to advocacy and activity for social change. Benjamin Mays’ career in the academy and the church is shown as the type of socially conscious leader that is necessary for social change. Cornel West’s prophetic …

The Effect Of Teacher Beliefs And Self-Efficacy On Environmental Education Program Implementation, Ashley Wilson Mullens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study describes the development and initial validation of a tool to measure teachers’ beliefs about environmental education (EE), perceptions about their own self-efficacy in implementing EE in their classroom, perceptions about the support they receive in regards to implementing EE in their classroom, the perceived motivators towards EE, and the perceived barriers towards EE. This instrument was then utilized to measure these five constructs and compare results between participants and non-participants of a school-based environmental education program. All respondents had positive beliefs about environmental education. Participants and non-participants did differentiate between their perceptions of self-efficacy, support, and motivators, suggesting …

The Political Imagination Of Cormac Mccarthy, Drew Kennedy Thompson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a study in literature and politics and proceeds by tracing out the major political themes of McCarthy’s body of fiction and analyzing them toward their logical conclusions. The critical approach in this narrative-based anthropology looks at man first in profound isolation and then progresses through his novels in sequence, in an increasingly social context. McCarthy’s later fiction displays an increasingly affirmative view of the sacredness of human life and of the basic impulse toward community in even the most unreflective of characters; an essential characteristic of humans. To call any of McCarthy’s works a “political novel” would …

Promoting Literacy Development In The Early Childhood Classroom: An Evaluation Of Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Instruction, Elise Catherine Mciver

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research has consistently demonstrated that literacy skills are associated with a host of benefits that are both substantial and long lasting. Given the implications of reading skill development, efforts to understand the most effective methods of teaching students how to read are consequential. Fortunately, substantial research has been conducted on this topic and has subsequently highlighted two essential building blocks of a balanced literacy framework: phonemic awareness and phonics. The current literature on the reading acquisition process shows that if students are to benefit from phonics instruction, they must have a certain level of phonemic awareness proficiency. The question remains, …

Perceived Barriers To Autism Spectrum Disorder Services, Lindsey Willis Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder with hallmark symptoms that can be severely impairing to both the individual and the overall family dynamic. The path to diagnostic and therapy services is often lengthy and complex. Despite various state and federal efforts to improve service access, disparities remain evident across ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic lines with caregivers reporting financial, cultural, geographic, and practical (e.g., transportation, scheduling) barriers. For those able to access treatment, several interventions have been proven efficacious in addressing ASD symptoms, problem behaviors, and adaptive skills deficits. Other often-used interventions include those without established merit for …

The Influence Of Selected Academic And Demographic Characteristics On The Success Of First-Year Students Enrolled In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Scelitta F. Bond

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of the study was to determine the influence of selected demographic and academic characteristics on success in nursing education among first year baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in a private college in the Southern region of the United States. The participants in the study were 102 baccalaureate students admitted to the nursing program in Fall, 2013. For the purpose of the study, success was defined as a grade of C or higher in two clinical nursing courses in the first year of the nursing program. Academic and demographic criteria were examined and compared using means, standard deviations, Independent …

Participation In Active And Passive Music Interventions By Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias: Effects On Agitation, Robert J. Prattini

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ability of music to produce calming effects on us is well documented, and its use is becoming an increasingly accepted intervention with populations displaying agitated and disruptive behaviors, such as people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other dementias. One reason for its widespread use is because research has demonstrated music’s efficacy in reducing agitation, and consequently disruptive behaviors, in those with AD. Prior studies on music’s effects on agitation in older people with AD have utilized either recorded music used passively, or active sessions with a music therapist or musicians, but none have compared the effects of each type …