Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Of Academic Integration To College Persistence For Female Military-Affiliated Students, Terezia A. Dean

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

While the field of female military-affiliated student-specific research is growing, understanding the compounding challenges of these dynamic students through their different identities is necessary to support them in their academic endeavors. This quantitative study examined the relationship between academic integration and college persistence for female military-affiliated students at a four-year research institution. This study intended to understand the relationship between pre-entry attributes of female military-affiliated students and the likelihood of stop out and dropout. Having data from a diverse population of ages, branches, and ethnicities paints a picture detailing the many pre-entry attributes than can decrease the likelihood of persistence. …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience Through The Eyes Of Transition, Andrew J. Dies

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study focuses on the role that Adverse Childhood Experiences play in the lives of today’s college students and how Protective Factors can be integrated and enhanced to increase a student’s level of Resilience. This descriptive, causal-comparative quantitative study looked at participants’ levels of Resilience, what Adverse Childhood Experiences they entered college with, and what role Protective Factors played in mitigating the impacts of those Adverse Childhood Experiences on the levels of Resilience. Results indicated older students scored a higher Resilience score than their younger counterparts. Goal efficacy had the strongest effect on Resilience levels, while planning and goal efficacy …

Acute Effects Of Trunk Stretching On Aortic Arterial Stiffness And Central And Peripheral Blood Pressure In Middle-Aged Older Adults, Kylee West

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Physical activity may alter the trajectory of age-related arterial stiffening, which is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Trunk stretching has reduced arterial stiffness (AS) in young males, but its effect in middle-aged to older adults is unclear. This study examined the effects of passively assisted trunk stretching (PATS) on aortic arterial stiffness and central and peripheral blood pressure in middle-aged to older adults. METHODS: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and Augmentation Index normalized to a heart rate of 75 beats per minute (AIx75) were measured in 28 middle-aged to older adults (14M/14F; 72 ± 7 years; 28.5 …

Sense Of Belonging On A Consolidated Campus: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Student Perceptions, Amy D. Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the extent to which a subset of students who matriculated post-consolidation at the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University felt they belong at their institution. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study used a survey to examine general feelings of belonging and the influencing factors for belonging while presenting individual narratives collected from semi-structured interviews for eight students’ experiences. The data collected in this study revealed that significant differences exist in critical factors of sense of belonging based on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity. Additionally, data showed the importance of academic, social, and campus-community belonging …

“My Ob/Gyn Has The Worst Bedside Manner…” A Qualitative Analysis Of Patient-Provider Communication And Mental Health Outcomes Of Women In Rural Georgia, Tobi F. Oloyede

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite technological advances in medicine and public health innovations, maternal mortality in the United States remains significantly higher than in other developed countries. Specifically, Georgia ranks as the second worst place to give birth in the country. Maternal mental health conditions are common, manageable complications that can happen at any point during pregnancy, childbirth, or in the first year following delivery, with 1 in 5 women affected. Unfortunately, 75% of women who experience MMH symptoms are left untreated.

This study focuses on patient-provider communication through the birthing experiences of women who have been pregnant in Georgia to examine how their …

Factors Associated With Physical Activity Intent Among Adults With Multiple Sclerosis, Biebele Okpeahior

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. Although research has highlighted the benefits of physical activity in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), they are still more likely to live an inactive lifestyle. There are limited studies that examine the relationship between physical activity and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) among the MS population. This study aimed to explore the factors that associate with physical activity intent of adults with MS utilizing the constructs of the TPB. Methods. This study utilized a cross-sectional online survey done via a social media platform. There were 326 respondents to the survey and ultimately 249 surveys that met the criteria …

The Metanarratives Of The Fourth Industrial Revolution And The Collective Cognitive Dissonance Of Metamodernist Discursive Formation, John R. Lewis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My artworks explore the impacts of the technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which began in the early 21^st Century, upon global society and the human psyche. My works are instantiated by multi-year research in the areas of social psychology, cognitive dissonance, computer evolution and artificial intelligence. My body of work portrays a cautionary sensibility regards new technologies such as robotics, quantum supercomputing, Artificial Intelligence, commercial space travel and nanotechnology. In addition, my artwork attempts to increase awareness of the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance.

The perceptions and cognitions of artistic viewers relate directly to the psychological phenomenon of cognitive …

Can Gratitude Lists Mitigate Burnout In First-Year College Students?, Catherine Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In recent years there has been a significant uptick in people expressing feelings of being burnt out. Many studies have looked at burnout in other students, such as college athletes, but none have looked at the true freshman first-year student. This study applied this intervention to a group of first-year college students to examine the impact of making gratitude lists on feelings of burnout. When comparing a control group that did not engage in gratitude list making, there was no statistically significant difference in feelings of burnout. However, correlation analyses revealed connections between gratitude and burnout variables that may lay …

Factors Associated With Patient Portal Utilization, Preventive Services Utilization, And Health Promoting Behaviors Among Adults In The United States, Elizabeth Ayangunna

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Nearly 60% of adults in the United States are estimated to have one or more chronic conditions, necessitating strategies to improve the health status of persons with chronic disease. Given that health information technology (HIT) is considered highly valuable for superior disease management, it is imperative to examine how HIT use can improve health behaviors, which can in turn improve health status. This study aimed to examine if there was an association between patient portal utilization and the use of preventive services & health-promoting behaviors. Also, this study examined the influence of self-efficacy on preventive health behaviors among adults …

Racial Differences In Depression Indicators Before And After 2008 Financial Crisis In A Sample Of Older Adults, Angelina E. Jackson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine patterns of mental health outcomes in older Black and White adults after the national 2008 financial crisis. The data was acquired from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a publicly available dataset. This longitudinal study has obtained data from a representative sample of approximately 20,000 older adults in America, aged 55 and older. The hypotheses were (1) rates of mental health indicators related to symptoms of depression will increase after the 2008 financial crisis and (2) that increase will be significantly higher in Black respondents compared to White respondents. The analysis …

Ruptures In Indentures In Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter Of Maladies And Unaccustomed Earth, Prabal D. Gupta

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Jhumpa Lahiri (1967) is one of the prominent American writers of Bengali descent, contributing mainly to diaspora literature to depict the nuanced aspects of Bengalis in their immigrant lives. Lahiri’s stories in Interpreter of Maladies (1999) and Unaccustomed Earth (2008) illustrate the challenges of the Bengali diaspora due to their indentured identity, which I have used to refer to the Bengali people’s culturally-rooted identity. This study investigates how the diaspora’s native cultural identity fluctuates in connection with the host culture. The research renders a reconfigured image of “home” because the concept of home changes for these people after migration in …

Aging Under Erasure, Pamela H. Reynolds

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Aging is a multifaceted journey that is different for everyone. It is a fluid process; there is no one predictable moment or age when a particular experience takes place. For that reason, the series “Aging Under Erasure” encompasses a myriad of subjects to emphasize and illustrate the diversity and complexity of the process. My work visualizes the feelings, observations, and realities of aging in an attempt to create understanding, alter perceptions, and contemplate the universality of change. The works are inspired by personal experience, dialogical practice, and academic research. Using paper and/or traditional and unusual mosaic materials and techniques, the …

"Why Do You Keep Alone?:" Isolated Women In The Plays Of Shakespeare, Alexus Litchfield

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The works of William Shakespeare have been well explored, but there is a lack of criticism that examines how the depiction of women is shaped by the genre of the play. Linda Bamber is one of the few critics who have explored this connection between gender and genre. However, while she focuses on the plays’ psychological dynamics, I examine the social dynamics between characters in my study of gender and genre. I suggest that, in both tragedy and comedy, isolation is a strong marker of unhappiness for Shakespeare’s female characters. Examining three tragedies, I find that Lady Macbeth, Goneril, Regan, …

Sana Sana: Unlearning Generational Expectation Through Performance, Jalen R. Ash

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is an exploration of identity as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) body traversing through the generational histories of my family and the struggle of cultural loss to our assimilation of Whiteness. Through the multi-faceted medium of performance, my work uses physical and mental spaces of self and technology to understand how the body functions as a screen. Our bodies house projections of generational expectations that have trickled down from the past into the present. These projections shape our own unique identities along with the personal experiences we gather as we move through the various spaces of …

Effect Of Training Modality On Intention To Exercise Among Law Enforcement Cadets Post Academy, Nicholas Hunt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Police academies are typically the first formalized job-task-oriented exercise training for law enforcement officers (LEOs). Research has demonstrated that cadets are at higher risk of injury during the academy. Physical training (PT) is a critical component of LEO academy efforts to build occupational skills to meet job demands. Although research is beginning to investigate the efficacy of different training modalities, more research is needed to understand the impact of academy training load and modality on occupational readiness and interest in maintaining exercise behaviors post-academy. PURPOSE: to investigate the relationships between different physical training modalities and intention to continue physical training …

The Examination Of The Attitudes And Stigma Toward Mental Health Services Held By Black College Student-Athletes And College Nonathletes, Tony Spencer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of the current study was to examine the differences in attitudes and stigma toward mental health services between Black college student-athletes and college nonathletes. The secondary purpose of the study was to examine any gender difference in attitudes and stigma toward mental health services between Black college student-athletes and college nonathletes. A Mann-Whitney U statistical analysis was used to compare participant results from the three stigma toward mental health services survey measurements (Komiya et al., 2000; Vogel et al., 2006; Vogel et al., 2009). The current study hoped to further advance the literature examining the attitudes and …

Constructing (Un)Situated Women: Situated Knowledges In Arundhati Roy's The God Of Small Things (1997) And Balli K. Jaswal's Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows (2017), Necole T. Deloach

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis applies Donna Haraway’s concept of “situated knowledges” to postcolonial feminist novels such as Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Balli K. Jaswal’s Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows in order to illustrate why there needs to be a new framework for analyzing literary postcolonial women. Despite the applicability of Donna Haraway’s “situated knowledges” to postcolonial feminist literary studies, there has been little research published that analyzes not just the intersection of “situated knowledges” and postcolonial feminist literature, but also the problems that occur when Western scholars approach postcolonial texts without completely acknowledging their own worldview. I argue …

The Effect Of Weekly Training Load On Match Result In American Professional Soccer, Cameron M. Horsfall

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: During a professional soccer season, training load (TL) will fluctuate due to the need to prepare for the next competition. Based on the technical staff’s daily and weekly evaluation, TL will be adjusted as they prepare the team and maximize individual performance and achieve a favorable result. Therefore, the programming of each match week (MW) TL may promote a favorable result. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine variation in daily GPS-derived TL variables based on match result using the Match Day Minus (MD-) system. This study provides descriptive TL data yet to be reported in …

A Paradox Of Fact And Fiction: Cultivating The 'Literary Imagination' Through Quiet Rebellion, Eden A. Evans

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The dissertation explores the problems that patterned and processed teaching and learning poses for implementing principles of critical pedagogy in English Literature courses. I apply multiple theoretical frameworks including literary theory, critical theory and post-humanism to place my own experiences amidst the on-going conversations about standardization and democracy. I draw upon the work of educational theorists such as Maxine Greene, Martha Nussbaum, Louise Rosenblatt, and Mary Aswell Doll to explore the ways that literature can enrich students’ lives and society, and Geneva Gay and Lisa Delpit to explore how cultural bias regarding linguistics can function when teaching literature and language …

Art As Ritual: The Realm Between Identities, Haley Scarboro

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ritualism is everywhere in the world and something that everyone takes part in, whether we acknowledge it or not. Rituals can be as simple as a morning routine or as monumental as memorializing a loved one. The works in this thesis are within the covenant of southern witchcraft and how it comes together in Ritual Art. Through documentation, memory-fueled found objects, and time-based installation I consider how growing up in Georgia and being a practicing witch played a role in my identity formation. Rituals are vital to the identities themselves and the history they hold. Symbolism plays a major role …

Effects Of Occupational Tasks And Personal Protective Equipment On Static And Functional Balance Among Career Firefighters, Petra Kis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal injuries are commonly incurred on the fireground among firefighters. Most injuries are attributable to overexertion, fall, jump, slip, and trip mechanisms. These injuries may be caused by many factors, including the independent and collective effects of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and the fatigue induced by performing occupational tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PPE and fire suppression tasks on static and functional balance among firefighters. METHODS: 32 healthy male career structural firefighters (Age: 31.8±9.5 yr) volunteered for this study. Static and Functional Balance Tests (FBT) were performed in …

The Relationship Between Chronotypes And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Law Enforcement Officers, Alyssa N. Fail

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Much of the data associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors and circadian rhythms are done on shift workers; due to their line of work typically causing circadian disruption and sleep loss (Loef et al., 2019). Previous research incorporating chronotype and its influence on shift work has been explored; however, there is limited research focusing on law enforcement officers. Additionally, no known research has investigated the effect of chronotype on CVD risk factors among law enforcement officers. The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular disease risk factors in law enforcement officers and their relationship with chronotypes. This cross-sectional …

Examining The Nexus Of Housing Instability And Neighborhood Within New York City (Nyc), Benjamin Boateng

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Housing instability within the New York City (NYC) area significantly affects the community's well-being. As a robust and growing city, many families in the low-income bracket face the challenge of spending a significant portion of their monthly income toward housing costs (rent, utilities, insurance). With families spending 50% (extreme housing burden) and more of their monthly income to stay in their housing units, various disparities have presented themselves within the housing context.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, families within NYC have struggled to maintain their housing stock. Policy and community-based actions are needed to reduce the burden …

Implicit Beliefs About Anxiety And The Relationship With Competitive Anxiety Intensity And Direction, Luca M. Ziegler

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

During the Fall of 2021, 45% of male and 72% of female student-athletes reported overwhelming anxiety at least once a month (NCAA, 2021). In addition to affecting an individual’s well-being, anxiety may negatively impact athletic performance (Edwards & Hardy, 1996). To better understand the impact of anxiety on athletic performance and develop effective interventions, both the intensity and direction of symptoms experienced must be considered. Incremental beliefs have been shown to be related to desirable performance outcomes and increased well-being in various populations (Danthony et al., 2020; Dweck, 2008), and may provide an effective intervention to interpret anxiety as more …

Evaluating Blood Pressure And Hypertension Awareness In Municipal Workers In The Southeast Us, Kayden R. Mcalvin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to describe municipal workers’ blood pressure (BP) status and awareness; the secondary purpose was to examine the association between BP misconception and department. Municipal employees in a southeastern rural community (n=75) were asked to participate in a 15-minute survey, including the BASIS Hypertension Awareness survey, and blood pressure measurements to determine hypertension risk. Results show a significant difference in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between police with a higher DBP of 87.64 ± 10.9 mm Hg and fire departments 78.98 ± 11.1 mm Hg (p=0.005), a significant difference in DBP between city hall/public works …

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Of First-Year University Students, Kylie A. Roberts

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The early college years represent a specific period in a student’s life that is crucial for their development. Approximately one in three college students meet the criteria for a mental health problem (Eisenberg et al., 2013). Universities have unique opportunities for identifying risk and delivering prevention or intervention strategies to students in need. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with First-Year University students’ help-seeking behaviors for university-based mental health services. H₁: There will be group differences between gender and race/ethnicity on help-seeking behaviors, knowledge barriers of services or providers and perceived stigma. H_{2 …}

Maternal & Spiritual Healing In J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories, Emily Pittman Hoste

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

After World War II, spiritual and emotional healing was needed in America, despite a dependence upon materialism and conspicuous consumption for success. J.D. Salinger’s short-story cycle, Nine Stories (1953), explores what loss and trauma look like from all sides of war—mother, child, soldier, lover—all are harmed by war. Nine Stories emphasizes the need for nationwide spiritual healing and suggests that mothers offer the necessary antidote to consumeristic America. In fact, eight of Salinger’s Nine Stories employ one of three types of mothers: the self-serving and ineffectual mother; the spiritual, often surrogate maternal guide; and the ideal mother. While the ineffectual …

Views Of Asexuality And Transgender Individuals: The Role Of Religious Beliefs, Allison Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Asexuality is a lifelong, continuous lack of sexual attraction or the inability to feel sexual attraction. Asexuality is a naturally occurring sexual orientation thought to be present in 0.4-1.1% of the American population. However, asexuality is still relatively unknown by the general population and understudied by scientific researchers. Even less known is how religious individuals view asexuality. According to the 2020 US census, around 70% of American adults identify as Christian. The current study examined how degree of religiousness related to feelings toward sexuality and asexual individuals. Main hypotheses included: religious fundamentalism would predict negative attitudes toward asexual and transgender …

Conceal Reveal, Jacquelyn A. Bolton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is rooted in the human condition expressed through the materiality of textile and fiber arts and its connection to spirituality. The human condition, as I understand it, is the state of being a person complete with a mind, body, and spirit. This includes all the experiences a person encounters in life—birth, growth, aging, conflict, love, loss, grief, injury, relationships, trauma, rejection, joy, acceptance, and so on. The human condition answers the question: What does it mean to be a person? We are in flux. This ever-changing aspect of “being” is captured in the inherent qualities that are found …

Assessing The Influence Of Gender Equity In The Us State Legislatures On Prenatal Healthcare Utilization, Prachi Joshi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Prenatal care is crucial for achieving public health and primary healthcare objectives. It is one of the goals of Healthy People 2030, which is the US federal initiative to improve the health and well-being of people nationwide. Unfortunately, despite the lofty goals, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries. In 2020, the maternal mortality rate in the US was 24 deaths per 100,000 live births, more than three times the rate in most high-income countries. What is concerning is that it is getting worse. Seven hundred women die of pregnancy-related complications. Among them, black and …