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A Grounded Theoretic Analysis Of College Students’ Attitudes Regarding Indoor Plants And Pets As Moderators Of Daily Stressors, Lydia Dill

Honors Projects

This study explores college students' attitudes toward indoor plants and pets, and how this may impact college students’ experience with stress. Through in-depth interviews and grounded theory methodology, three key themes emerged: Plant Ownership as a Method of Establishing Structure, Plants as Ornamentation, and Pets as a Source of Comfort. Plant ownership helps students create routines and emotional stability, while plants also enhance living spaces aesthetically. Pets provide emotional support, offering companionship and support, particularly during academic pressures. The study builds on previous research by examining both indoor plants and pets together, highlighting how each fulfills unique emotional, psychological, and …

A Comparison Of Vestibular Function In Young Adult Musicians And Non-Musician Peers, Alexandria W. Greene, Ashley G. Flagge, Nicholas S. Stanley

Ashley Flagge Publications

Purpose: The majority of college-level musicians exceed the daily recommended noise dose level during instrumental practices and performances, although less than one-third report wearing hearing protection while playing their instruments. Although the hazardous effects of music on the auditory system have been established, even in young adult musicians still early in their musical careers, the effects of music on the vestibular system are still unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine vestibular/balance differences between young adult musicians and non-musicians to determine the effects of music exposure on the vestibular system.

Method: Young adult participants aged 18-27 years …

Psychologists’ Diagnostic Decision Making In Adhd And Autism In Children, Donna Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decision-making experiences of psychologists who diagnose children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and high-functioning autism referred to as autism spectrum disorder - level 1 (ASD-1) when symptoms of either one or both are present in children were explored in this hermeneutic phenomenological study. These two common neurodevelopmental disorders share characteristics and symptoms that could lead to diagnostic confusion. There has been an absence of research on psychologists’ experiences with diagnostic decision making since the publications of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5. Exploration of psychologists’ diagnostic decision-making processes can aid in providing early intervention and accurate …

Perceptions Of Parents And Guardians Regarding Home-To-School Involvement, Brie Merritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was the decline in home-to-school partnerships within a local, public, and ethnically diverse middle school (DMS) in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ perspectives on the decline in home-to-school partnerships at a DMS. Using Epstein’s six types of family involvement as a guide, a qualitative, exploratory design was used, with data collected through semi structured interviews with 12 Black mothers of eighth-grade students from DMS in the 2022–2023 school year. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis revealed the following four themes: communication satisfaction, parent-school engagement, …

Employees Working From Home During Covid-19 And Potential Mental Health Challenges, Jena Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in employees working from home (WFH), raising concerns regarding the mental health experiences of remote workers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of WFH on employee’s mental health, focusing on how the WFH model has affected the emotional health of remote workers. The lived experiences of 9 WFH employees 22 years and older who worked from home during the pandemic were explored via Zoom semistructured interviews. The framework of the study was Cognitive Evaluation Theory. Content analysis of the data was conducted to code and identify categories …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Secondary Teacher Turnover In The Western Caribbean, Sasha-Gaye Padara Belnavis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Western Caribbean country, the problem was the high rate of teacher turnover in rural secondary schools in Grades 7-11. The gap in practice was that it is not known what factors contribute to high secondary teacher turnover and what supports may be needed to address the high teacher attrition rate in secondary schools in the study district. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore secondary teachers’ perceptions of the factors contributing to teacher turnover and recommendations for reducing teacher turnover in a rural region of a country in the Caribbean. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory …

Exploring Successful Employee Retention Strategies In The Distribution Warehouse Industry, Meriam Sunday

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low employee engagement often leads to employee dissatisfaction, reduced morale, and employee turnover. Frontline distribution warehouse managers who struggle to engage employees risk retention challenges. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore employee engagement strategies frontline distribution warehouse managers use to increase retention. The participants were six frontline distribution warehouse managers who had successfully implemented employee engagement strategies and increased employee retention. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, public websites, public documents, current and archival. Using thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) effective leadership and …

Strategies Large Multinational Organizational Leaders Use To Retain And Motivate Employees To Increase Work Output, Dayten Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee retention and motivation are critical to improving business outcomes. Business owners are concerned with retention because high turnover can negatively impact work output, productivity, and overall company performance, making it a key focus for improving long-term success. Grounded in the leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to identify and explore effective strategies that some large multinational organizational leaders in San Antonio, Texas use to retain and motivate employees to increase work output. Participants were four senior executives from large multinational corporations. Data were collected via semistructured interviews and a review of publicly available …

How Sexual Assault Survivors Perceive Their Experiences With Victim Advocates, Stephanie Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Programs incorporating sexual assault victim advocates have become a prominent resource in assisting survivors gain access to necessary services to aid in their recovery. Although these efforts provide needed support to survivors, the programs are developed without the input of the survivors. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the relationship between victim advocates and survivors from the perspective of the survivor. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 sexual assault survivors regarding how they perceived their relationship with their advocates, what they experienced as helpful or not helpful in that relationship, and what they thought might improve that relationship. Thematic analysis was …

Clinical Practice Guideline: Shared Decision Making For Patients With Mental Health Disorders, Karen Rose Grant-Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary This project was a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for practitioners who deliver healthcare services to patients living with mental health disorders. The practice problem addressed by this CPG was lack of mental health patient inclusion in terms of determining treatment plans of care. In back-to-back patient satisfaction surveys, patients indicated they would like to have more say in their treatment plans. The practice problem was important to increase patient input in clinical decision-making practices of practitioners. The project question was: Does evidence support development of a CPG for mental health patient-centered input regarding treatment plans of care that was …

Staff Education Program To Reduce Medication Noncompliance In Patients Diagnosed With Schizophrenia, Patience Madu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication noncompliance is a significant challenge in managing schizophrenia, a chronic and severe mental health disorder characterized by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and impaired functioning. Schizophrenia presents both positive symptoms, which involve exaggerated thoughts or behaviors, and negative symptoms, which reflect a lack of normal mental activity. Consistent medication management is important for stabilizing this condition. However, research shows that many patients with schizophrenia struggle with medication adherence. In this executive summary, I outline the staff education program I designed to equip mental health nurses with skills, knowledge, and strategies to address medication noncompliance. The practice-focused question …

Strategies Physicians Use To Develop Leadership Skills, Judy Ann Ducsik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some physicians are not adequately prepared to develop the leadership skills necessary to drive effective transformation in the healthcare environment. The lack of strategies to develop these skills is a concern for both physicians and healthcare leaders, as physicians are critical stakeholders in leading healthcare transformation. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies physician leaders use to develop leadership skills to lead effective transformation in the healthcare environment. The participants included six physician leaders affiliated or employed with a leadership role in a healthcare organization in the United States. Data …

Predictors Of Mortality In African Americans With Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Dementias, Latrice Camille Noonan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia (ADRD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. There is a need to identify the link between modifiable risk factors and the association with ADRD mortality. This study addresses the disproportionately high burden of ADRD among African Americans, aiming to inform targeted prevention strategies and promote health equity. In this study, the longitudinal relationship between ADRD mortality and the presences of diabetes, smoking, and obesity among older African Americans residing in the United States was examined, while controlling for age, gender, education, and socioeconomic status. The biopsychosocial model served as the theoretical framework for this study. The …

Perceptions Of Parents And Guardians Regarding Home-To-School Involvement, Brie Merritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was the decline in home-to-school partnerships within a local, public, and ethnically diverse middle school (DMS) in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ perspectives on the decline in home-to-school partnerships at a DMS. Using Epstein’s six types of family involvement as a guide, a qualitative, exploratory design was used, with data collected through semi structured interviews with 12 Black mothers of eighth-grade students from DMS in the 2022–2023 school year. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis revealed the following four themes: communication satisfaction, parent-school engagement, …

Exploring Successful Employee Retention Strategies In The Distribution Warehouse Industry, Meriam Sunday

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low employee engagement often leads to employee dissatisfaction, reduced morale, and employee turnover. Frontline distribution warehouse managers who struggle to engage employees risk retention challenges. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore employee engagement strategies frontline distribution warehouse managers use to increase retention. The participants were six frontline distribution warehouse managers who had successfully implemented employee engagement strategies and increased employee retention. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, public websites, public documents, current and archival. Using thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) effective leadership and …

Perceptions Of Parents And Guardians Regarding Home-To-School Involvement, Brie Merritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was the decline in home-to-school partnerships within a local, public, and ethnically diverse middle school (DMS) in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ perspectives on the decline in home-to-school partnerships at a DMS. Using Epstein’s six types of family involvement as a guide, a qualitative, exploratory design was used, with data collected through semi structured interviews with 12 Black mothers of eighth-grade students from DMS in the 2022–2023 school year. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis revealed the following four themes: communication satisfaction, parent-school engagement, …

Employees Working From Home During Covid-19 And Potential Mental Health Challenges, Jena Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in employees working from home (WFH), raising concerns regarding the mental health experiences of remote workers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of WFH on employee’s mental health, focusing on how the WFH model has affected the emotional health of remote workers. The lived experiences of 9 WFH employees 22 years and older who worked from home during the pandemic were explored via Zoom semistructured interviews. The framework of the study was Cognitive Evaluation Theory. Content analysis of the data was conducted to code and identify categories …

Exploring Successful Employee Retention Strategies In The Distribution Warehouse Industry, Meriam Sunday

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low employee engagement often leads to employee dissatisfaction, reduced morale, and employee turnover. Frontline distribution warehouse managers who struggle to engage employees risk retention challenges. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore employee engagement strategies frontline distribution warehouse managers use to increase retention. The participants were six frontline distribution warehouse managers who had successfully implemented employee engagement strategies and increased employee retention. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, public websites, public documents, current and archival. Using thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) effective leadership and …

Redesigning The Hospital Environment To Improve Restfulness, Caellagh D Catley, Kayla Paynter, Kendall Jackson, Ashley Huggins, Jenny Ji, Sai Anusha Sanka, Michelle Simkins, Thomas M Maddox, Patrick G Lyons

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Hospital wards are often not conducive to patient sleep, negatively affecting patient health and experience.

OBJECTIVES: To assess determinants of in-hospital restfulness and to design and test rest-promoting interventions on the wards in partnership with clinicians, staff, and patients.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This rapid-sequential mixed-methods quality improvement study was performed at a large urban academic hospital in St Louis, Missouri, from May 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, with follow-up through hospitalization. Mixed-methods activities involved purposively selected hospitalized adults on the wards, nurses, hospitalists, and hospital staff. Interventions included all adult hospitalizations on the study wards.

INTERVENTIONS: Sequential …

Neuroanatomical Variability And Substance Use Initiation In Late Childhood And Early Adolescence, Alex P Miller, David A A Baranger, Sarah E Paul, Hugh Garavan, Scott Mackey, Susan F Tapert, Kimberly H Leblanc, Arpana Agrawal, Ryan Bogdan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: The extent to which neuroanatomical variability associated with early substance involvement, which is associated with subsequent risk for substance use disorder development, reflects preexisting risk and/or consequences of substance exposure remains poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE: To examine neuroanatomical features associated with early substance use initiation and to what extent associations may reflect preexisting vulnerability.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cohort study using data from baseline through 3-year follow-up assessments of the ongoing longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Children aged 9 to 11 years at baseline were recruited from 22 sites across the US between June 1, 2016, and October 15, …

Time Travelling With Ron Chenail, Sally St. George, Dan Wulff, And David Denborough: An Interview About Connecting Histories Of Family Therapy, Narrative Therapy And Qualitative Research, David Denborough

The Qualitative Report

Dear Readers, we have a question for you: Do you know about the origins and history of the journals you decide to submit your manuscripts to for publication? We are most pleased to present to you an interview with the three Co-Editors-in-Chief of TQR (Ron Chenail, Sally St. George, and Dan Wulff) and David Denborough of the Dulwich Centre delving into the origins of TQR in the early 1990s. The roots of TQR were intertwined with family therapy authors and practitioners (Tom Andersen, Michael White, and many others) and that continues today. We think that you will find these historical …

Effectiveness Of Eucalyptus For Pain Management: An Integrative Review, Taylor Stone, Jennifer Tran

Master's Projects

This integrative review examines eucalyptus essential oil effectiveness for pain, particularly as an alternative to opioids. An extensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases, including Joanna Briggs Institue, Cochrane, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus, focusing on studies examining eucalyptus oil’s analgesic properties, along with its effectiveness when used alone or in conjunction with complementary therapies like massage and acupuncture. Analysis identified three key themes: (1) the effectiveness of eucalyptus oil in pain reduction across various acute and chronic pain conditions, (2) its role in potentially reducing reliance on pharmaceutical pain relief, and (3) its capacity to enhance the effectiveness of …

Submit Yourself: Religious Beliefs, Gender Roles, Self-Control, And Alcohol Use’S Influence On Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence, Carina J. Pawlak

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Religious beliefs bear a great significance in many individuals’ lives, as they shape our personal belief systems and affect our relationships with others. Limited research has explored the relationship between religion and intimate partner violence (IPV), an increasingly prevalent issue that persists in our society. The traditional values, such as male gender roles associated with patriarchal societies and traditional religious beliefs, may magnify the prevalence of IPV perpetration. Other variables that may be associated with positive attitudes toward IPV include self-control, alcohol intake, and belief in divine control. This analysis used preliminary data from the Crime, Health, and Intimate Partner …

Systemic Administration Of A Site-Targeted Complement Inhibitor Attenuates Chronic Stress-Induced Social Behavior Deficits And Neuroinflammation In Mice, Amit Kumar Madeshiya, Brandi Quintanilla, Carl Whitehead, Stephen Tomlinson, Anilkumar Pillai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic stress, a risk factor for many neuropsychiatric conditions, causes dysregulation in the immune system in both humans and animal models. Additionally, inflammation and synapse loss have been associated with deficits in social behavior. The complement system, a key player of innate immunity, has been linked to social behavior impairments caused by chronic stress. However, it is not known whether complement inhibition can help prevent neuroinflammation and behavioral deficits caused by chronic stress. In this study, we investigated the potential of a site-targeted complement inhibitor to ameliorate chronic stress-induced changes in social behavior and inflammatory markers in the prefrontal cortex …

Dark Tetrad Personality And Earnings Management: The Moderating Effect Of Corporate Reputation, Alan Diógenes Góis, Gerlando Augusto Sampaio Franco De Lima, Márcia Martins Mendes De Luca, Giorgio Gotti

School of Accountancy Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating effect of corporate reputation on the relationship between the Dark Tetrad personality and earnings management.

Method: Two approaches were adopted: one archival and one experimental. In the archival approach, 434 firms (2,645 observations) headquartered in the US were analyzed, covering the period 2010-2017. Earnings management was proxied by accruals quality, reputation was proxied by the score on the ranking of the World’s Most Admired Companies, and Dark Tetrad personality was based on CEO speech and ‘Big Five’ personality analysis. In the experimental approach, we used a 2x2 between-subjects design …

Negation As Cue During Semantic Learning, David Aaron Heath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Word learning begins by mapping novel words to referents in the world. Over time, this mapping becomes a reliable semantic representation with semantic relationships to other words. A major contributor to the strength of semantic relationships is context. We explored the extent to which purely linguistic context can influence semantic relationships. We used an artificial language learning task combined with the visual world paradigm to assess the degree of coactivation between yoked items. Participants learned novel words for familiar images in yoked pairs. We manipulated the linguistic context during training trials by presenting the novel words with a negation or …

Space Of Resilience: Architecture, Communication, And Immersive Experience In “St Sebastian: Plague Memory”, Mathew Emmett

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper examines St Sebastian: Plague Memory, a multi-channel audiovisual installation that redefines architecture through sensory and immersive media. Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project unfolds in two phases: first, transforming the interior of the Museo dell’Arte Classica in Rome into an experiential environment that fosters resilience and communal healing, and later evolving into a façade projection for La Notte dei Musei. ¹ Drawing on Mallgrave’s (2013) concept of the body as a neurological experience, the installation transcends traditional physical boundaries, establishing a dynamic spatial framework shaped by embodied interactions. By positioning installations as a form of architecture, this …

Connecting Lighthouses To Spiritual Tourism: The Case Of The Hellenic Lighthouse Network, Polyxeni Moira, Paraskevi Kakaroucha

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Lighthouses operate as carriers of cultural value and encapsulate universal connotations. They are harmoniously integrated in unspoilt landscapes, some of which are considered dystopian. Their delicate albeit resilient structure, settled within dynamic geophysical fields, elicits philosophical quests and metaphysical concerns. Lighthouses are connected to narratives of heroism, solitude, self-efficacy and lunacy, with altruistic keepers and divine or supernatural entities starring in plenty of them. Moreover, lighthouses have been associated with religious facilities and rituals for many centuries. Therefore, they attract people pursuing transformative experiences away from mass tourism locations and could unsurprisingly be included in alternative spiritual tourism itineraries.

Greek …

Impact Analysis Of Religious Events: Medjugorje As A Pilgrimage Destination, Igor Stamenkovic, Ivan Dodig, Dajana Vukojević

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Medjugorje is one of the most well-known and attractive pilgrimage sites for Roman Catholics. The phenomenon of Medjugorje is linked to the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to six children, which, according to the children’s claims, began in June 1981, after which this town has become one of the most visited destinations in the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tens of thousands of pilgrims attend the International Youth Festival “Mladifest”, a religious gathering that has been going on for more than thirty years. The purpose of this paper is to research and explain how this religious event impacts a …

Dante’S Pilgrimage: Transformation As A ‘Web Of Belief’, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In Dante’s allegorical pilgrimage to hell and back, he travels through three stages of transformation that are illustrated in his paradigmatic example of identity transformation; namely, Dante’s Divine Comedy. As a pilgrim, he starts out in a state of ‘unease’ (or ‘sin’). Next, there is a ‘solution’ to his psychological disarray, which results in the religious experience of joy. William James has persuasively argued that these are the common features of all religious experiences (1901). Dante is in a stage of his life when he can no longer be reached by argument. This state of mind is described, by the …