Digital Commons Network^™

Can Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Improve Core Features Of Autism? Findings From A Comparison Of Pcit For Children With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder, Robin C. Han

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although there is a small yet growing body of evidence supporting Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) as an effective treatment for disruptive behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Scudder et al., 2019), further study is warranted, particularly with more robust methodology (e.g., larger sample sizes, comparison groups). Furthermore, preliminary studies have demonstrated improvements in symptoms of autism following the completion of PCIT, including improvements in frequency of child verbalizations (Hansen & Shillingsburg, 2016), caregiver report of social skills and social responsiveness (Zlomke et al., 2017), time spent in pretend toy play (Lieneman et al., 2019), and shared positive affect …

Decision-Making Involvement, Social Support For Healthy Behaviors, And Nutritional Adherence In Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis, Jennifer Kelleher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Adolescents with cystic fibrosis (awCF) exhibit suboptimal adherence to dietary and enzyme recommendations despite the fact that eating a high calorie diet with enzymes significantly improves lung functioning. Furthermore, during adolescence teens and their caregivers begin to negotiate treatment responsibility, shifting treatment tasks to the youth. As such, it is important to understand which aspects of the complex decision-making process (e.g., expressing an opinion, asking for information from parents/adults, making joint decisions with parents) relate to better dietary adherence in adolescents with CF and how parents can best support these healthy behaviors. Thus, this study aimed to identify how …

Effects Of Nonexamples On Concept Formation, Catherine Louise Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Concept formation is affected by the examples and nonexamples provided during training, but the degree to which examples and nonexamples should differ is unknown. Two experiments compared concept formation when different kinds of nonexamples were used during training. Both experiments included a within-subject comparison of concept formation following three training conditions: a) nonexamples that were more similar to the examples, b) nonexamples that are less similar to the examples, and c) no nonexamples. Arbitrary concepts were trained in Experiment 1 and concepts akin to those that could be taught in a classroom were trained in Experiment 2. Before and after …

Is Care In The Air?: A Crisis Ethics Case Study Of American Airlines’ Communication During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lily V. Hicks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research proposes a qualitative case study of American Airlines’ communication during the first month of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Data from the airline’s press releases along with its tweets and a sample of organizational responses to those tweets are offered for proposed analysis using the lenses of Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the Applied Model of Care Considerations, and the body of crisis literature on audience coping and emotions during crises. This in-depth look at a unique communication phenomenon will be a fundamental step in examining how airline communication exhibits ethics or lack thereof and is related to people’s emotions …

Wild And Wonderful: How Both A Local And National Newspaper Framed West Virginia Leading Up To The 2016 Election, Emily Grace Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the 2016 Presidential election, journalists from all over the country flocked to West Virginia to try to understand the draw to then-candidate Donald Trump. There is a well-documented history of outsiders flooding the state and its surrounding Appalachian states to attempt to make sense of the current political situation, all while operating off of stereotypes and preconceived notions about the people of the Mountain State. This study aims to determine how stereotyping and the concept of framing or othering — when in-groups create out-groups — were used by a local West Virginia paper, as well as a national newspaper …

Does A Brief Mindfulness Induction Change Delay Discounting In Individuals With High Levels Of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms?, Cierra B. Edwards

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness characterized by obsessions and compulsions that cause significant distress and/or functional impairment. Delay discounting, the decline in value of a reward with the delay of its receipt, is linked to a range of maladaptive behaviors and mental disorders. Increased delay discounting is related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), reflecting that compulsive behaviors that aim to counteract obsessive thoughts are viewed as uncontrollable by the sufferer. We aimed to experimentally reduce delay discounting in individuals with high levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms through a brief mindfulness induction. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to receive either a …

A Case Study Investigating Therapy Methods Used By Speech Language Pathologists Working With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Julia Byers Van Volkenburg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was an in-depth examination of the experiences of five speech language pathologists (SLPs) working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) during language therapy sessions. This case study aimed to better understand the various therapy techniques being used by the SLPs through interviews and a reflective journal kept by the researcher. It also sought to examine the ways those therapy techniques may have included creative dramatics. Through thematic analysis, major and minor themes emerged from the interviews. The main theme of the study was the importance of individualizing therapy for students with ASD. Individualizing therapy was supported by …

A Short Film That Addresses Substance Use Disorders In Rural Communities And Strategies In Prevention And Treatment Of Addiction, Sarah R. Poteracki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research paper and accompanying video (link to the short film is here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1etDnUmEvkOds8J0EKnq1gnFO79-GggjY) offer insight into the current state of research collaboration surrounding substance use disorders in West Virginia. This professional project explores the importance of collaboration both in a research and clinical setting and in the social realm. The film was shown at the 2nd annual meeting for the Appalachian Node of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network on February 25, 2021. I interviewed 14 researchers and experts from a diverse range of disciplines who shared insights and strategies in the prevention and treatment of …

Observational Measurement Of Attachment In Toddlers With Disruptive Behavior Using The Strange Situation Procedure And Attachment Q-Set, Corey C. Lieneman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Child-caregiver attachment is an important factor in healthy child development and is often targeted by early intervention programs. To assess the efficacy of these interventions, attachment must be accurately measured across the toddler years in populations referred for treatment of externalizing behavior problems. The Strange Situation Procedure (SSP; Ainsworth et al., 1978) and Attachment Q-Set (AQS; Waters, 1987) are empirically-validated measures of child-caregiver attachment, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Previous research has reached mixed conclusions on relations between the observer-report AQS and SSP, depending on sample and study characteristics, and a review of the literature did not produce any …

Student Attitudes Towards Parent Involvement And Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act Of 1974, Michael Louis Paolini

Education

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ attitudes related to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), their perceptions of parent over-involvement (POI), and the relationships thereof. A brief overview of privacy laws and FERPA are discussed. Legal cases that involve FERPA, past research of parent involvement and millennials are also explored. This study surveyed undergraduate students currently enrolled at a large public research university in the Upper Midwest (n = 537). The data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics. Despite a reported lack of interest in FERPA, students generally reported an awareness and understanding …

Feminist Mentorship: Women Leading Men In Counselor Education, Erin Rachel Hagen

Education

This Interpretative Phenomenological Study was initiated to explore the lived experiences of mentorship pairs in counselor education doctoral studies. The research question guiding this study was: what are the qualities of the mentoring relationship between female, cisgender, feminist-oriented counselor education mentors and their male cisgender traditionally-oriented doctoral counselor education mentees? This pair was identified for exploration by noting a gap in mentorship literature that recognizes the unique relational qualities and mentorship outcomes with cross-gender pairs, and the specific influence of feminist orientation on male mentees and the mentorship process. Cross-gender mentorship is addressed in literature but dominantly refers to men …

Professional Identity Development: Perceptions Of African American Female Counselor Educators' Success In Ph.D. Completion At Predominately White Institutions, Kelsey Symone Wilson

Education

Qualitative research is scant on success factors of professional identity development for female African American counselor educators, specifically those who graduated from CACREP-accredited counselor education and supervision programs at predominately White institutions (PWIs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of female African American counselor educators who attended a CACREP-accredited counselor education and supervision program at a (PWI). This study focused on the phenomenon of success factors of professional identity development to doctoral degree completion. This study examined the lived experiences of 10 female African American counselor educators to gain a better understanding of how …

Comparing The Content And Pedagogical Knowledge Of Alternatively And Traditionally Certified Agricultural Educators, Kristi Marie Tonnessen

Education

The purpose of this research study is to determine and describe in-service SBAE teachers’ perceived Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and challenges with non-content related classroom material. In general, PCK is the point where knowledge of teaching meets agricultural content knowledge. With the rising number of alternatively certified agricultural educators across the country, it is important to examine PCK in both traditionally and alternatively certified teachers as well as the differences between the two. Since successful classroom management is crucial to teacher retention, it is necessary to look at the differences in difficulty of implementation of various strategies. Agricultural education is …

Developing A Measure Of Need To Matter, Kay Marie Hopkins

Education

In higher education research, staff is an overlooked group – especially staff that support academic areas of the university, such as advising, finance, IT, athletic academics, and libraries. Though institutions could not operate without these people, those individuals may feel like they do not matter to their work peers, department, institution, or profession. Mattering is feeling like you have significant existence in the world (Elliott, Kao, & Grant, 2004; Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). Mattering is currently measured with self-report instruments that measure the perception of mattering. Knowing if staff feel like they matter is a critical measurement. It is only …

Does Mattering Really Matter To Graduate Students?, Jodi Colleen Ost

Education

As graduate student attrition hovers around 50%, scholars are beginning to study what is leading to these high attrition rates (Wao, 2010). As there has been little theoretical work done on graduate student retention, a review of the literature related to undergraduate student engagement and retention provides a starting point for developing theories of graduate student engagement and retention. One theory of undergraduate student engagement and retention relates to feelings of mattering. Mattering is a sense that other people care about you as it involves facets of feeling important to others, being noticed by others, that others are proud of …

"Cause You Don't Really Need A Teacher To Learn Stuff": Theorizing A ‘Lanes Of Learning' Model Of Informal, Self-Directed Learning, Kyle Robert Vareberg

Communication

The goal of this dissertation was to explore how self-directed learners assess their learning in informal contexts. Self-directed learners experience high intrinsic motivation and learner control, so studying these learners’ experiences provides valuable insights into learning. I pose four questions: 1) How do self-directed learners in informal contexts satisfy their need for a) autonomy, b) relatedness, c) competence, and d) prioritize the satisfaction of these needs? 2) How do self-directed learners in informal contexts self-regulate their learning? 3) What affordances are perceived by informal learners during self-directed learning? 4) What relationships exist between the satisfaction of learners’ basic needs, self-regulation, …

Disaggregating Chevron, Lawrence B. Solum

Faculty Scholarship

Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. is widely regarded as the most important administrative law decision in the history of the United States. The scholarly literature is vast and defies summary or cataloging. Moreover, Chevron is contested and criticized, defended and derided, lauded and lamented—the source of “angst and rancor” in the words of Professor Kristin E. Hickman and R. David Hahn in their article, Categorizing Chevron. One might think that when it comes to Chevron, there is “no new thing under the sun,” but in fact, Chevron is still full of surprises. When we turn …

Comparative Analysis Of Interface Usability For Cybersecurity Applications, Wyly West Andrews

Computer Science

In cybersecurity, understanding the technologies and the best ways to interface with them is paramount for staying ahead of growing cyberthreats. Developers of cybersecurity software will benefit greatly from a greater understanding of how users prefer to interact with cybersecurity technology. In the modern world, two primary interface methods are currently used: the command-line interface (CLI) and the graphical user interface (GUI). This study is a survey and introspective into what benefits and drawbacks that each method has when in the hands of users who do not have a comprehensive background in cybersecurity. Untrained individuals showed proficiency when working with …

Perspectives Of Interactions With Healthcare Providers Among Patients Who Are Blind, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Allyson S. Hughes, Osvaldo F. Morera, Ashley S. Bangert, Angela H. Frederick

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Healthcare providers’ (HCPs) stereotypes about the incompetence of blind and low-vision patients may lead them to patronize blind patients, over-focus on impairments, and neglect the presenting problem. The content of perceived HCP stereotypes about blind patients in the clinical setting was examined from the patient perspective with seven focus groups, including a total of 42 individual participants. Most participants reported an interaction when their HCPs treated them as if they were incompetent, and discussed how perceived evaluations of their warmth and competence impacted whether their HCPs trusted and respected them. Participants also discussed their evaluations of their HCPs’ warmth and …

Gendered Use Of Language In Facebook Status Updates Among Jordanian And American Youths: A Sociopragmatic Study, Ashraf Wenas Al Sad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study examines the types of speech acts of Facebook status updates that are posted by Jordanian and American youth. The participants were from Yarmouk University which is located in northern Jordan and from West Virginia University which is located in the US. The data was elicited from 50 American males, 50 American females, 50 Jordanian males, and 50 Jordanian females. Searle’s taxonomy was used to do the content analysis of the data. Searle’s taxonomy and additional speech acts were found: directive, expressive, assertive, God’s invocation, humor, and quotation. The findings of the study indicate that the religious and cultural …

A Translational Analysis Of Renewal Following Dro With Human Subjects, Kacey R. Finch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Renewal is a type of behavioral relapse that is dependent on changes in contextual stimuli in the environment. The current study investigated ABA renewal of responding that had been previously reduced by a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure. ABA renewal refers to the context associated with three phases of behavioral treatment; Context A is present during baseline, Context B is present during treatment, and the post-treatment context returns to Context A (i.e., renewal test). Undergraduate college students participated in a Zoom video call during which they responded by clicking the mouse on a rectangle in a computer program …

A Systematic Method For Measuring Gentrification Using Building Permits Data: A Washington D.C Case Study, Andey Fomil

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gentrification can significantly alter the socioeconomic, demographic, and commercial aspects of a city. It is a complex process that transforms the characteristics of entire neighborhoods, modifying not only the observable physical aspects, but also the community structure. Traditional quantitative gentrification measurement approaches assess the process through analysis of Census demographic indicators coupled with field visit analysis of the physical built environment. This study proposes a new gentrification measuring approach that combines traditional Census indicators with a new indicator in the form of City Building Permits. Two GIS spatial analysis techniques are utilized to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the …

An Examination Of The Start Now Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Based Intervention Plus A Behavioral Level System On Male Inmate Misbehavior, Aggressive Behavior, And Mental Health, Victoria Disciullo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the START NOW program + behavioral level system (BLS) in a self-contained therapeutic community (SCTC) on inmate misbehavior at a correctional facility in a southern state. The SCTC includes the START NOW manualized mental health treatment, recreation groups, process groups as needed, and additional positive reinforcement to target inmate prosocial behavior (i.e., level system to obtain privileges). Inmate data was evaluated at 3-months pre-START NOW intervention and 3-months post-START NOW intervention to determine if there were differences in the number of referrals to mental health services for misbehavior, write-ups …

Self-Efficacy, Trait Mindfulness, And Self-Compassion As Predictors Of Risk Of Substance Use Relapse, Jonathan Nauser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research has demonstrated relationships among mindfulness, self-efficacy, and substance use relapse. Contrasting research has found mindfulness and self-efficacy are not consistently negatively associated with substance use relapse demonstrating a need for further research. An additional factor that has been found to associated with substance use is self-compassion; however, it has yet to be examined in relation to the process of relapse. The current study assessed self-efficacy, self-compassion, and mindfulness and their associations with substance use relapse, with the aim of predicting relapse risk. Higher levels of relapse risk were found to be negatively associated with self-efficacy, trait mindfulness, and …

Examining Therapeutic Ultrasound Manufacturer Brands, Models, And Common Treatment Parameters Amongst Clinically Practicing Athletic Trainers, Christopher James Dimino

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Context: Textbook parameters for thermal ultrasound are based on research using the Omnisound 3000 unit. No study has been performed to observe common brands of ultrasound (US) units available to athletic trainers (ATs), or the US parameters they commonly use. Objective: Determine commonly reported US units and heating parameters used by ATs. Design: Digital survey. Setting: Online survey database – Qualtrics. Participants: 21 responding ATs (mean 12.5 ±10.6 years ATC) Results: Chattanooga brand is the most available brand US unit by respondents. Respondent parameters tended to reach 1 and 2°C heating thresholds, but mostly failed to achieve 4°C threshold. Parameters …

The Effects Of Kinesio Tape On Neck Disability And Pain, Rebekah Elizabeth Zerbe

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Kinesio® Tape is a proposed treatment to improve neck disability due to its advertised benefits such as decompression of tissue, facilitation of muscles, and improvement in range of motion.1–5 While the advertised benefits appear promising and applicable for the treatment of neck pain, scientific evidence on its effectiveness is limited. The purpose of this study was to determine if Kinesio® Tape could alleviate neck pain and improve cervical range of motion on a mask-wearing population. Thirty adults with neck pain participated in the study. Active cervical range of motion and pain were recorded before and after application of Kinesio® tape …

How Intake Of High Fructose Corn Syrup Relates To Reported Ibs Symptoms During Times Of Stress, Twiss Brittany Nicole

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

The dual purpose was to find whether a relationship exists between high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) intake and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, and if there are differences in intake of HFCS beverages during varying stress periods, measured through Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10). We recruited twenty-eight university students (89% female, 11% male). Participants average experienced gastrointestinal symptoms did not meet criteria for IBS. There was not a significant correlation found between the amount of HFCS-55 intake and reported IBS symptoms, r=.040, p=.717. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to evaluate the null hypothesis that there …

The Key To Solving Agency Lock-In: Prepublication Regulatory Discussions (Pre Reg), Gwendolyn Savitz

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

Most legally binding administrative rules emerge from the notice-and-comment process, which explicitly requires the agency to consider input from the general public. However, by the time the opportunity for public input occurs, the agency is already substantially locked into its chosen approach and cannot act on new information in the comments. This is true even though its chosen approach was decided upon with input from only those the agency routinely deals with. This process entrenches already established interests and prevents those without existing agency connections from meaningfully contributing earlier in the process.

This problem could be solved by holding public …

Qualitative Study Of Collaboration Between Independent Reading Specialists And Elementary Classroom Teachers, Lindsay Lee Hawbaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The failure of educators to meet the needs of elementary students who require separated, differentiated, and intensive reading interventions (Tier 3) has been attributed to the scarcity of administrative resources and a lack of effective collaboration between reading specialists and classroom teachers. Experts opine that common barriers to effective collegial collaboration between institutional reading specialists, who are employed by the school, and classroom teachers include: an unsupportive school culture, the classroom teachers’ fear of losing pedagogical autonomy, the absence of mutual trust and interdependence between the reading specialists and their students’ classroom teachers, and the inability of reading specialists …

The Effect Of Servant Leadership On Nonprofit Workplace Conflict, Lorena M. Freeborough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Workplace conflict depletes nonprofit organizations of valuable time and energy. Organizations spend millions of dollars because of the financial and human cost of unresolved interpersonal conflict in the workplace that stem from ineffective leadership behaviors. A leader’s ineffective behaviors have been linked to the organizational pressures that can cause and spread counterproductive workplace behavior, which results in interpersonal conflict and great financial cost. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the relationship between servant leadership behaviors and interpersonal workplace conflict in nonprofit organizational settings in the United States. Specifically, the intended goal of this research was to …