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Interrupting White Supremacy In Field Education: Experiences Of Microaggressions In Placement Settings, Anita Reinette Gooding, Gita Mehrotra

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

As social work’s signature pedagogy, field education socializes students into their professional roles as practitioners. However, for students and field instructors of color, racial microaggressions add another dimension to the practice experience. Utilizing findings from a qualitative study exploring the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) social work students and agency-based field instructors, this paper highlights experiences of microaggressions in field placement settings. Specifically, BIPOC students and field instructors described being tokenized in agencies, feeling invisible in placement settings, experiencing microaggressions from service users or students, and witnessing microaggressions. Experiences of microaggressions had emotional impacts, and affected …

Social Determinants Of Health And Parenting Self-Efficacy Among Mothers Of Preterm Infants, Susanne Klawetter, Blair W. Weikel, Kristi L. Roybal, Nazan Cetin, Mathew C, Uretsky, Stephanie L. Bourque, Anne Hall, Sunah S. Hwang, Madalynn Neu, Mauricio A. Palau, Multiple Additional Authors

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: To explore the relationships between social and environmental factors and parenting self-efficacy (PSE) among mothers of preterm infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) using a social determinants of health (SDoH) framework. Method: We analyzed data from a prospective cohort study that included 187 mother-infant dyads admitted to four NICUs in the Mountain West region between June 2017 and December 2019. We used multivariable linear regression models to assess the independent associations between maternal and infant characteristics and PSE. Results: Our final multiple linear regression model predicting the efficacy score including maternal race/ethnicity, age, insurance, employment status before …

The Influence Of Colorism On The Hair Experiences Of African American Female Adolescents, Lakindra Mitchell Dove

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article addresses the prevalence of colorism among the hair care narratives of African American female adolescents. Eleven interviews were conducted to explore the connection between hair and sense of self and self-esteem. During data collection and analysis, the theme surrounding colorism emerged, as many participants discussed its influence on hair, recalling traumatic hair and colorist experiences. This article focuses on the analysis of these narratives using the colorist-historical trauma framework. Three themes emerged: (1) colorist experiences; (2) perceptions of good hair; and (3) the influence of White beauty standards. These themes reflect how participants conceptualized the implications of colorism …

Stress, Coping, Social Support, And Marriage Satisfaction In Parents Of Children With Congenital Heart Defects, David Kropff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) are the most common type of birth defect in the United States. Children diagnosed with CHD require specialized intervention and a myriad of additional supports resulting in higher levels of stress for their parents. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of parental stress (parental distress, parent-child dysfunctional interaction, difficult child, and total parental stress), parental support (spouse/parenting partner relationship), and parental coping (maintaining social support, maintaining family integration, and understanding the healthcare situation) on marriage satisfaction among parents with children who have a CHD. Minuchin’s structural family theory was used to guide …

Detachment And Antagonism As Moderators Of Effects Of Psychosocial Stressors On Emotional Distress In Daily Life, Christina My Quach

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Psychological distress encompasses transdiagnostic symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anger, which all feature of emotional dysregulation and are often associated with interpersonal stressors. To understand these forms of distress as they occur in daily life, examination of both personality vulnerabilities and social situational context is needed. Interpersonal circumplex research and theory suggests human needs for agency and communion, and therefore others’ cold-dominant behavior is highly aversive and likely to cause psychosocial distress, but degree and type of distress (e.g., anxiety versus anger) may depend upon personality. Detachment and antagonism are the most interpersonal of the pathological personality traits (Southard et …

An Examination Of The Role Of Interpersonal Stressors And Attachment Style In Dissociative Experiences, Erin Verdi

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Dissociation is an involuntary stress response that has been linked to negative cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms. Interpersonal stressors are associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes above and beyond stressors that are not interpersonal in nature, and therefore may be relevant to dissociation. Additionally, attachment anxiety or avoidance (i.e., insecure attachment) may put individuals at risk for dissociation in response to social stressors and might moderate their responses. However, extant studies have yet to investigate the relationship between daily interpersonal stressors and dissociation in the context of attachment anxiety and avoidance longitudinally, despite evidence that dissociation and attachment …

Mental Health Impact Of Forced Marriages, Neha Batool

Theses and Dissertations

To address the mental health impact of forced marriage in the United States, this study examined the lived experiences of nine women who were forced to marry between the ages of 10 and 25. Semi structured interviews, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), and Feminist Standpoint theory were utilized to explore their experiences prior to, during, and after their forced marriage, with a particular focus on their psychological wellbeing, coping mechanisms, help seeking behaviors, barriers, and needs. A total of eight superordinate themes emerged that highlighted the role of gender socialization, intergenerational violence and trauma, and adverse childhood experiences in forced marriages, …

Latinx Immigrant Health And Well-Being In The United States: Examining Legal Status As A Social Determinant Of Health, Ayli Carrero Pinedo

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Much of the body of research on Latinx immigrant health has focused on border states or coastal shoreline regions and less is known about the health experiences of Latinx immigrants in the Midwest. Objective: Using a social determinants of health framework, the first aim of the study was to examine a model of Latinx immigrant health and to determine whether the relations from acculturation and enculturation to subjective health and well-being are partially or fully mediated by perceived discrimination and acculturative stress. The second aim was to investigate if and how legal status moderates the relations within the retained …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Youth Behavioral Health Training In Schools Across North Dakota, Elisa Laura Diederich

Theses and Dissertations

During the 2019 North Dakota legislative session (the 66th Legislative Assembly), Senate Bill 2149 was introduced to amend the North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) at Title 15.1 Elementary and Secondary Education, Chapter 07 School Districts, Section 34, which addresses behavioral health (including mental health) in an educational setting. This bill was enacted.The purpose of this flexible design qualitative study was to investigate experiences teachers, principals, and school counselors have had related to their students’ mental and behavioral health. Furthermore, this study investigated the perceptions North Dakota educators have had related to professional development on student behavioral health. Finally, this study …

Narratological Limitations Of Telling Trauma: A Case Study Of Lorena Bobbitt And Sexual Assault, Brittney Christy

Theses and Dissertations

There are many barriers that women face when they tell their stories of sexual assault, namely—that they will not be believed. A number of factors hinder believability, many of them related to the broader relationship that narrative plays in our lives. Narrative expectation, cultivated by the texts we consume, shapes what we find believable or “tellable” in the words of scholar Amy Shuman. Difficult narratives are often rendered “untellable” because they contain unfamiliar patterns or because they fall outside recognizable frameworks of understanding. Sexual assault narratives are rendered untellable for many reasons, including social misunderstanding of the problem and the …

Building Active Intersectional Allyship In Middle School Youth, Maura Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how an understanding of concepts of the framework of intersectionality may build resilience and increase ability for middle schoolers to learn to be active, effective allies for one another. Allyship is discussed as a necessary skill to learn and not a label one can self-select. A literature review is presented with a specific focus on intersectionality; trauma, resilience, and long-term impact of childhood trauma; and active allyship. These concepts are then framed through a social work lens, focusing on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. As human connection is critical for psychosocial health, this thesis then presents a …

Decentering From Distress In The Moment: A Brief Randomized Control Trial, Sheila Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

The utility of mindfulness techniques to regulate emotions and enhance distress tolerance is an area of expanding research interest. Decentering, a mindfulness mechanism believed to exert therapeutic influence, is the realization that thoughts, feelings, and reactions are transitory patterns of mental activity. Existing research indicates that decentering may occur through brief mindfulness interventions. Most studies concerning brief mindfulness induce a state of mindfulness prior to a task to examine its influence on dependent variables, such as cognitive or emotional outcomes after mindfulness. This study is novel and fills a gap in the literature regarding the utility of inducing state mindfulness …

Teacher Demoralization, Mental Health, And The Moderating Effect Of Shame Resilience, Chelsie Terez Hultz

Theses and Dissertations

The first purpose of this study was to extend the literature on teacher demoralization (Santoro, 2011) by providing the second attempt to measure the phenomenon done by Carlson-Jaquez (2016). Exploratory factor analysis was used to analyze construct validity of an original self-report instrument for the assessment of teacher demoralization analyzed as three sub-scale constructs: shame, lack of autonomy, and uncertainty. Data was collected from a population of K-12 educators in one mid-western public-school district. Participants completed a self-assessment survey shared via email and rated their level of agreement on twenty-one questions. Five demographic questions began the survey’s 26 questions. Data …

The Effect Of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offender Age, Motivation For Use, And Treatment Interest On Public Perceptions Of Offense And Treatment, Beth Catherine Kliethermes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to better understand factors that may influence public perceptions related to child sexual exploitation material offenders. Specifically, the current study aimed to examine the impact of offender age, motivation for use, and treatment seeking on public perceptions of the offense of child sexual exploitation material possession, as well as treatment implications. Furthermore, public perceptions regarding mandatory reporting of viewing and possessing child sexual exploitation material were explored. The study utilized a vignette in the style of a criminal case describing a situation in which a man is charged with possession of child sexual …

Test Of A Partial Sexual Minority Stress Model With Bisexual Adolescents, Marisa Mango

Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted on sexual minority stress for adolescents has contributed to bisexual invisibility by collectively sampling and analyzing data from lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations, despite recent studies acknowledging statistical differences between bisexual and lesbian/gay experiences (Conlin et al., 2017; Frost et al., 2015; Mason & Lewis, 2016; Mohr & Sarno, 2016). We examined the temporal relations within Meyers (2003) Sexual Minority Stress model of sexual minority processes related to proximal and distal stressors in a sample of 306 bisexual adolescents. They completed measures of sexual minority stress, LGB specific coping, anxiety, and depression. Using path analytic analyses, the findings …

An Examination Of Rural Help-Seeking Behaviors Related To Sexual Violence And Mental Health And Well-Being Outcomes, Dacia Kay Oberhelman

Theses and Dissertations

Those who experience sexual violence face numerous barriers in gaining access to resources. Additionally, choosing to seek help following an unwanted sexual experience is a difficult decision that is impacted by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The Theory of Planned Behavior addresses how these variables can help explain one’s intent to seek help following an unwanted sexual experience. Seeking help following an unwanted sexual experience has also been suggested to be increasingly difficult for those in rural communities due to additional barriers such as: fear of community and family backlash, lack of anonymity, fear of perpetrator(s) discovering services …

The Relationship Between Digit Ratio (2d:4d) And Muscular Fitness: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Brooke Pasanen

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Digit ratio (2D:4D), a marker of prenatal testosterone exposure, is a weak negative correlate of sports/athletic/fitness performance. While numerous studies have examined the relationship between 2D:4D and physical fitness, there has never been a comprehensive study that has synthesized studies examining relationships between 2D:4D and muscular fitness. Objectives: To systematically review and meta-analyze the relationship between 2D:4D and muscular fitness measured as handgrip strength (HGS). Methods: This study systematically searched five electronic databases, reference lists, topical systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and personal libraries in November 2020. Peer-reviewed, cross-sectional studies that reported Pearson’s correlation coefficients between objectively measured 2D:4D and HGS were …

Bridging The Transition Gap: Student Perceptions Of Middle To High School Transition Practices And School Connectedness, Amanda Quintus

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold: first, to understand perceptions of high school students regarding their transition from middle school into high school. Grounded theory research methods were used to construct theory from data obtained from the study. Secondly, the researcher wished to advocate for North Dakota high schools for implementing school-wide transition programs to bridge the transition gap during a period of pivotal importance in the lives of our students. A review of North Dakota Century Code 15.1 revealed no statute has been developed requiring North Dakota schools to implement school-wide programs or activities focusing on students transitioning …

Negative And Positive Attention Bias In Anhedonia And Anxious Arousal: Can Depression And Anxiety Be Distinguished By Patterns Of Engagement And Disengagement Bias?, Helen Sawaya

Theses and Dissertations

Negative and positive attention bias (AB) is the preferential allocation of attentional resources to negative and positive stimuli in the environment, respectively. AB has been studied in various clinical and non-clinical populations and the process has been linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety. Findings so far suggest that negative AB is a trait-based factor that predisposes individuals to anxiety and depression. Positive AB appears specific to a depressed state, yet findings generally remain mixed. Measures of AB have been recently critiqued for their poor psychometric properties. This study addresses three gaps in the literature to further our understanding of …

An Exploration Of Sexual Consent, Sexual Non-Consent, And Nonverbal Sexual Consent Communication Behaviors, Amongst Community Stakeholders., Brent Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual Consent is a central concept in the field sexual violence and sexual violence prevention (Beres, 2007). However, despite disproportional rates of sexual violence amongst LGBT+ community, currently our understanding sexual consent and its practice is primarily focused on heterosexual encounters of traditional college aged students (CDC, 2017, Muehlenhard, Humphreys, Jozkowski & Peterson, 2016). The current study utilized the Delphi method to develop a better understanding of sexual consent, sexual non-consent, and nonverbal sexual consent communication behaviors among two distinct groups: sexual researchers and men who have sex with men (MSM). Thirty-five panelists (13 researchers 22 MSM) completed one- three …

Transcriptomic And Pharmacological Characterization Of A Murine Line Harboring An Antidepressant-Insensitive Serotonin Transporter, Meghan Alicia Rodriquez

Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal depression is a complex mood disorder often treated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, which block the serotonin transporter (SERT) and alter synaptic serotonin concentrations. The serotonergic system is highly plastic and serotonin regulates the growth and maturation of neurons and signaling systems from conception through end of life. Notably, interference with serotonin levels during an SSRI sensitive window (SSW) of development in humans and rodents has been linked to neurovegetative effects which increase susceptibility for the manifestation of anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and can be persistent throughout life. We hypothesize the persistent behavioral perturbations resulting from acute …

Understanding Decision-Making Styles Of Part 135 Pilots In Remote Settings And Their Impact On Aviation Safety: A Qualitative Enquiry Of Alaskan Operational Environments, Dana Atkins

Theses and Dissertations

Aviation is a vital component of the State of Alaska’s transportation system. Air transportation is frequently the only means to move goods, services, and people across the state. Historically, air taxi and non-scheduled/charter air operators (14 C.F.R. Part 135) form the bulk of service providers in Alaska and have poor operational safety records through high rates of accidents. The problem is still prevalent despite numerous initiatives by the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce adverse safety events. Accident investigation reports have nominally attributed causal factors of these accidents to pilot error and at-risk behaviors such as violations. Extant research in aviation …

North Dakota Administrators' And Teachers' Perception On School Calendars: Academic And Social-Emotional Learning, Jacqueline Gaye Bye

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this qualitative flexible design research study was to discover if North Dakota should revise North Dakota PK-12 school calendar requirements for the academic and social-emotional development of students. Innovative reforms that might be beneficial in revising the North Dakota school calendar were researched. A literature review was completed which included relevant, and current (at the time of this study), research about school calendar revisions both nationally and internationally. This research may be a useful guideline of what would be an appropriate amount of time students should spend in school to benefit students both academically and socially-emotionally. Data …

Literacy Development In Early Intervention: Confidence And Knowledge Of Occupational Therapists, Roberta Carrlson

Theses and Dissertations

Literacy is an essential component of education and impacts learning potential through life. Development of literacy begins in infancy, and children who experience delays in their development are also at high risk of having delayed literacy development. Multiple programs have been designed to help at-risk children meet their developmental milestones and require literacy development to be explicitly addressed. One such program is Part C of the IDEA, also known as Early Intervention (EI). Occupational therapists (OTs) are one profession that supports families under this program. Occupational therapy academic standards do not require literacy development as part of the curriculum, nor …

Rural Mental Health Therapist’S Attitudes Toward Evidence Based Practice And Readiness For Change, Marc S. Dutch

Theses and Dissertations

Rural Mental Health Therapists (RHMTs) face unique obsticles such as having to cover vast distances and isolation. Additionally, RHMTs also struggle with access to continuing education, training, supervision and other resources. Consequently, long tenured RHMTs tend to be at a disadvantage to acquiring and maintaining their ability to practice from an Evidence- Based Practice (EBP) approach in their clinical treatment. This study aims to better understand what Behavior Change factors effect RHMTs attitudes toward practicing from an EBP approach, as well as individual characteristics. Participants were 81 RHMTs practicing in a mental health capacity in the USA. Results indicated that …

Giving Birth On Foreign Soil: A Phenomenological Study Of Somali Women Giving Birth In North Dakota And Minnesota, Tracy Jo Enger

Theses and Dissertations

Health disparities continue to exist in minority populations in the United States. People ofcolor have a higher incidence of negative birth outcomes; and view their experiences with less satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to explore what Somali Muslim have women have experienced during their labor and delivery in Minnesota and North Dakota. This research was conducted to improve our understanding of the needs of Somali women during labor and delivery in order to provide nursing care that is culturally sensitive. Phenomenological data was collected from personal interviews with Somali women who had given birth in North Dakota and …

An Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Collectivist Coping Styles Inventory Using An Adult American Indian Sample, Micah Louis Prairie Chicken

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the factors that emerged from the Collectivist Coping Styles (CCS) inventory using an exploratory factor analysis with an adult American Indian sample. The CCS inventory was originally developed using a sample of Taiwanese college students by an American-led research team and published in 2006. The CCS consists of 30 collectivist culture-specific coping items, among other indices (e.g., trauma resolution index). Coping has largely been theorized, and subsequently measured, from a White American individualist perspective. In response, a number of researchers with interests in non-White ways of being have begun broadening this area by examining coping from …

Participatory Action Research: Managing Smartphones In The Secondary Classroom, Andrea Simon

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores potential benefits and challenges associated with smartphone use amongst students in the high school classroom and policy considerations for the management of these devices. Managing student usage of smartphones in the classroom can be a complex challenge. Outside influences have infiltrated the learning space like never before, and student access to resources and distractions multiplies daily. Students need support and guidance in learning how to effectively manage their devices as they face life in the age of technology. Likewise, teachers need support in creating and applying effective policies and strategies to manage these devices in the classroom. …

Flight Training For Commercial Remote Pilots, Michael Walach

Theses and Dissertations

A remote pilot training program, part of an sUAS course, were studied to determine the effectiveness and portability of the training curriculum. Students in a university unmanned aircraft systems course were the subjects, and multiple data points were collected over the 15 week program. No differences were found in student performance on the metrics used to assess the students regardless of who the students had as a flight instructor. Males scored higher than females on prior flight experience upon entering the course; however, neither gender nor prior aviation experience were significant contributing factors in student success either academically (written tests) …

Characteristics Of School Success As Identified By School Leaders, Dave Wheeler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how school leaders in the state of North Dakota define success in their schools or districts without using test scores as a measurement. The information shared by these school leaders will be shared with other school leaders in North Dakota with the intent that test data becomes less of a driving force in schools and student engagement, while positive climate and culture become more emphasized for school and district leadership.

This study’s purpose was to diminish the emphasis on state assessment as a singular resource that defines success in schools. Communities, staff …