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The Rise And Resilience Of Women Of Color Executives In Nonprofit Organizations: A Phenomenological Study Of Systemic Barriers, Support Systems And Leadership Identity, Nicole Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of women of color executive leaders in nonprofit organizations, focusing on perceptions of systemic barriers, support systems, and leadership identity. Using a mixed-methods, phenomenological design, data were collected from 31 women of color (N = 31) through a Likert-type survey and from six women (n = 6) selected for semi-structured interviews.

Quantitative analysis revealed that perceived systemic barriers significantly predicted leadership identity (p = .013), while support systems did not. Further analysis uncovered a significant positive correlation between positional status and perceived support (r = .39, p = .050), indicating …

Psychometric Properties Of A New Acculturation Scale For Latinos/Hispanics, Alicia Goytizolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the newly developed Multi-Ethnic Acculturation Scale (MAS), a multidimensional instrument designed to assess behavioral and cognitive aspects of cultural adaptation among Hispanic/Latino individuals in the United States. A sample of 208 adults from diverse Hispanic backgrounds completed the MAS alongside two validated acculturation measures: the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a partially distinct but moderately correlated factor structure for both American and Latino cultural orientation subscales, supporting a bidimensional conceptualization of acculturation. Internal consistency was high across both subscales (Cronbach’s α > .90), …

Naming Abilities In Aging Monolinguals And Bilinguals: Longitudinal Analyses Of The Multilingual Naming Test, Kyara Y. Velez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Individuals who can speak more than one language may score lower than monolinguals on verbal naming tasks. The Multilingual Naming Task (MINT) is a 32-item assessment that is used at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in the USA. This study looks at the impact of monolingualism and bilingualism on language abilities over three years in three clinical groups (cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia), using the MINT as a measure. The results show that bilingual individuals perform worse on the MINT than monolinguals at each time point, after controlling for demographic factors; however, there is no difference between language …

The Observer & The Observed, Azarakhsh Shafieikadkani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis examines the concept of the gaze and its role in shaping identity, particularly in relation to marginalized genders, including women and non-binary individuals. Rooted in feminist and psychoanalytic theories, the research interrogates the power dynamics between the viewer and the viewed, exposing the ways in which patriarchal structures influence visual representation. Drawing from personal experiences of growing up in Iran and the complexities of immigration, the project critically engages with how societal norms manipulate identities and reinforce objectification. Through experimental photography, I distort and deconstruct the human form using materials such as hair gel on plexiglass and matte …

The Effect Of Political Ideology On The Persuasiveness Of Gainvs. Loss-Framed Climate Change Messages: Testing Competing Hypotheses, Sada Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Motivating climate change mitigation is a critical priority. This study examined how message framing (gain vs. loss) interacts with political ideology to influence persuasion. Two competing hypotheses were tested. The Regulatory Focus Fit Hypothesis predicted that liberals (promotion-oriented) would prefer gain-framed messages, while conservatives (prevention-oriented) would prefer loss-framed ones. The Differential Context Hypothesis predicted the opposite: liberals would respond better to loss frames due to alignment with threat-based media narratives, while conservatives would prefer gain frames due to lower reactance and perceived novelty. Messages were also tailored to match individual regulatory focus or the broader political context. Results did not …

The Meaning Of Spiritual Practices For Caregivers Of Children With Cancer In Thailand: A Heideggerian Phenomenological Study, Wipawee Ponkaew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Caring for children with cancer may bring short and long-term challenges to families due to added healthcare activities focused on the ill child or adolescent. Among available resources and support strategies, religiosity/ spirituality (R/S) have been increasingly identified as a source of comfort.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience and interpret the findings of spiritual practices for caregivers of children with cancer in Thailand. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants, with semi-structured interviews. Swanson’s Theory of Caring provided the theoretical underpinning of the study, and Deikelmann’s seven-stage process was adapted for …

The Changing Roles Of Elementary School Principals, Ernie Lozano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The role of the elementary school principal has changed throughout its history. The role has shifted from primarily a managerial role to an instructional leadership role, to the more current role of a multi-faceted operational leader. Recent events, from the Covid-19 pandemic to highly publicized school shootings, has added additional responsibilities to the current role of the principal. The current high-stakes accountability to ensure all students are learning has also added an increased amount of pressure on elementary school principals. The ability to effectively manage both the operational and instructional roles has created stress and anxiety on elementary school principals. …

Best Friends And Popular Peers As Sources Of Influence During Late Childhood And Early Adolescence, Mary Page James

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Across the transition into adolescence, changes in the child’s social world give rise to growing peer influence. As adult supervision declines and time with peers increases, children and adolescents become increasingly susceptible to influence from friends and popular peers. Unclear, however, is the relative magnitude of each and whether the scope of their influence varies across different domain behavior. Friends dominate private settings, where behaviors that promote reciprocity are particularly salient. Popular peers dominate public settings, where behaviors that promote hierarchy are particularly salient. The present study concerns the unique hypothesis that peer influence is domain specific, such that best …

Joy In Teaching: Examining Teachers’ Perceived Experiences Of Choice, Self-Efficacy, And Sense Of Belonging, Shellie Hennings-Donow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Teacher joy is a critical yet often overlooked factor influencing teacher retention, instructional effectiveness, and student outcomes. This study explores how teachers describe their experiences of joy in the workplace, focusing on the roles of choice, self-efficacy, and belonging. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Attribution Theory, this research examines the extent to which teachers’ perceived autonomy, competence, and relational support contribute to teachers’ professional fulfillment. Through qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this study captures the perceptions of educators across diverse school settings. Findings reveal that teachers experience the highest levels of joy when they have meaningful autonomy …

The Interaction Of Temporal And Structural Abstractions And Their Influence On Behavior, Ryan Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a crucial role in complex behaviors such as planning, decision-making, and adaptive problem-solving, which require integrating new information over time. Research has shown that information related to these behaviors is organized along a hierarchical rostro-caudal abstraction gradient in PFC, with abstract information represented in rostral (anterior) regions and concrete relationships in caudal (posterior) regions. Abstraction involves generalizing information by emphasizing broader concepts over specific details and can be understood more specifically by the context its applied to. However, past studies often confound different forms of abstraction, making it unclear how these different types of abstraction …

Is Infant Fear Related To An Increase In Maternal Stress?, Janairis F. Munoz-Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The impact of infant fear responses on mother stress throughout the first year of life was investigated in this study. Between six and fourteen months, thirty mother-infant pairs were examined at three different time intervals. Maternal responses from the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) and behavioral observations made during standardized lab tasks were used to evaluate infant fear. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure maternal stress at all time points, and behavioral stress was coded during the first session. The findings showed no overall significant correlation between the mother's subjective stress and the behavioral fear of her infant. …

Top Management Team Composition And Financial Reporting Quality: A Faultline Perspective, Tyler Ricco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This study examines whether faultlines within top management teams (TMT) influence financial reporting quality (FRQ). Faultlines reflect hypothetical divisions within a group based on team members’ unique demographic characteristics and experiences. Using a large sample of U.S. firms from 2003 to 2020, I construct a faultline measure based on executive gender, age, tenure, education, and board experience. I test whether faultlines negatively associate with FRQ, proxied by measures of restatements and accruals quality. I further investigate faultline type, based on the demographic (gender and age) and task-related (tenure, education, and board experience) components. The main results do not support the …

Personalized Persuasion In The Digital Age: A Data-Driven Approach To Effective Communication, Annye Braca

Doctoral

This thesis investigates the potential of Machine Learning (ML) to personalize persuasive marketing messages. It explores the identification of individuals receptive to specific persuasion techniques based on their psychometric profiles. By developing ML models that incorporate these profiles, the thesis aims to predict the impact of tailored messages and improve the effectiveness of marketing communication.

Pamphlet, Family Welfare Association Of America, 1943 May

Documents

Pamphlet, "Local And National Wartime Developments In The Family Welfare Field," Linton B. Swift, Family Welfare Association of America, 122 East 22nd Street, New York, N.Y., 1943 May.

“The Culture - I Wish It Were Less Intense And More Joyful And Full Of Life”: A Youth Participatory Action Study On Teen Mental Health And Wellness, Marna Wolak

Doctoral Dissertations

Studies indicate that a grave mental health crisis is disproportionately impacting female-identified youth. While school districts have made attempts to address this problem, those most impacted - young people - have frequently found their voices overlooked by adults seeking solutions. Therefore, this Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) study, grounded in humanizing and liberatory pedagogy, examines how high school-aged students in an urban school district understand and define their experiences with mental health challenges and suggest strategies and interventions for improved wellness. Two sets of research questions guide this study: 1) Primary questions: What are youth perspectives about how their mental …

The Effects Of Mindfulness On Chronic Pain In Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Sophie Parks

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions have become increasingly popular in recent years. Typically, mindfulness-based interventions and their effects on mental health and/or adult populations have been explored in the literature. Limited research has been completed looking at mindfulness’ impacts on other facets, including chronic pain symptoms. Additionally, some research has been conducted to analyze mindfulness and its effects on school aged children and their day-to-day functioning with promising results. In this systematic literature review, mindfulness interventions and their effects on children and adolescents who experience chronic pain were explored. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was …

Weaving A Tapestry Of Community Based Child Trafficking Interventions In High-Trafficking Incidence Areas In Ghana, Crispin Mbamba

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: This dissertation addresses the urgent issue of child trafficking in high-incidence areas of Ghana, where sociocultural, economic, and structural factors sustain and exacerbate this complex social challenge. The rationale for the study is grounded in the need for a holistic understanding of child trafficking beyond traditional justice-based approaches. The research emphasizes the necessity of community-led interventions informed by local cultural norms and protective values that have been largely unexplored in the Ghanaian context. Specifically, this dissertation applies an integrative approach, rooted in the Ubuntu philosophy, to explore community interdependence as a central component of sustainable anti-trafficking interventions.

Methods: …

Exploring Homeschooling Parents’ Conceptions Of Reading Motivation From A Self-Determination Theoretical Perspective, Harmony Petty

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how homeschooling parents (HPs) conceptualize the role of motivation in early reading development and how these conceptualizations inform how they design and implement their reading instruction. Given the importance of reading motivation for early literacy development, the decline in reading motivation over the early years, the lack of understanding how early literacy instructional practices affect young students’ reading motivation, and the paucity of research regarding home education, the researcher proposed that exploring HPs’ conceptualizations through the use of surveys, interviews, and home observations would allow for the compilation of a …

Climate Change In The Local News: The Role Of Community Characteristics In Shaping Themes And Diversity, Hyerim Jo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Despite widespread recognition of climate change and its localized impacts, research on how local media cover this topic remains limited. The first study of this dissertation analyzes 15,788 opinion articles published from 2013 to 2020 by 391 local newspapers in the United States to examine their volume, topics, and thematic emphases. Using automated text analysis methods, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Analysis of Topic Model Networks (ANTMN), the study identifies 11 topics and three overarching themes. Findings indicate that the volume, topics, and themes evolved over time, likely influenced by the severity of climate-induced hazards and political and socioeconomic …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Examining The Impact Of The First Step To Success/First Step Next Intervention: A Pbis Tier 2 Intervention For Pre-K - 3rd Grade Students, Shawna L. Belanger

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders often experience significant challenges that adversely affect their academic performance and overall well-being. Although the First Step to Success/First Step Next (FSS/FSN) intervention has been widely implemented as a PBIS Tier 2 intervention to support Pre-K to 3rd-grade students with challenging behaviors, research findings have been inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the literature on the intervention’s effectiveness across studies, focusing on both social-emotional behavioral outcomes and academic performance.

Using a comprehensive search strategy, studies meeting rigorous inclusion criteria were identified, and effect sizes (Hedges’s g) were calculated to …

Intention-Setting Among Recreational Psychedelic Users: Associated Acute Effects And Changes In Well-Being, Zi Ling Fiona Low

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Psychedelic intentions play an important role in shaping acute psychedelic experiences and influencing long-term outcomes. Limited existing literature suggests that different types of intentions are linked to acute experiences and outcomes in varying ways. However, data on the types of intentions set by recreational users remain scarce, and their effects lack clarity. This study investigates intention-setting practices among recreational psychedelic users, aiming to establish a taxonomy of intentions in naturalistic use contexts and clarify user perspectives on the impact of intention-setting. We also examine how domain-specific intentions correlate with acute psychedelic effects and changes in well-being. Finally, we test a …

Development And Validation Of The Mealtime Behaviors Self-Report Questionnaire, Taylor Rae Perry

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Disturbances in eating are a hallmark feature of eating disorders (EDs). However, these disturbances extend beyond dietary patterns, as clinicians have long observed aberrant mealtime behaviors in individuals with EDs. Despite these observations, research on aberrant mealtime behaviors has been limited to a small case study of individuals with anorexia nervosa. Clinically, however, individuals across all ED diagnoses appear to exhibit these behaviors. Notably, there is currently no existing measure designed to assess aberrant mealtime behaviors. Developing such an assessment could provide clinicians with valuable information to inform mealtime interventions. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the prevalence of …

Integration Of Theoretical Frameworks For Problematic Exercise: Toward A Comprehensive Model Of Maladaptive And Adaptive Exercise, Christina M. Sanzari

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Exercise can promote health and well-being, and yet a proportion of individuals who exercise develop a maladaptive relationship with physical activity. Problematic exercise is often associated with significant impairment and psychological distress, yet a consensus has not been reached regarding how problematic exercise should be conceptualized. The literature distinguishes between primary exercise dependence, or excessive exercise driven by its intrinsic reinforcement, and secondary exercise dependence, or excessive exercise driven by compensatory motivations related to weight and shape concerns. However, to date, little is known about the prevalence and nature of exercise dependence in the absence of eating pathology. This incongruity …

A Structurationally Informed View Of Emergency Medical Services Professionals’ Work-Related Communication And Behaviors While Off Duty, Susan J. Burnett

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Work-life interrelationships and boundaries are common areas of study in communication research. While some scholars maintain that the domains of work and personal lives and their boundaries are static and exist in designated times and spaces, others argue that domains are constructed around situated contexts and through the performance of situated activities that not only produce a time and place for the domain but call upon enactment of an identity appropriate for managing the domain and the boundaries around it. The people who work in emergency medical services (EMS), emergency medical services professionals (EMSPs) face special challenges in managing work-life …

Macroeconomics, State Action, Civic Trust, And Homicide: The Causes And Consequences Of Interpersonal Violence In Latin America, Guillermo Escano

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) represent 8 percent of the global population but about one-third of global homicides, yet interpersonal violence in the region receives limited attention in the English-language literature. This dissertation contains three distinct studies of the causes and consequences of crime and violence in LAC. The first study examines the predictive effects of inflation on robbery, burglary, and homicide rates in Argentina, which possesses one of the highest robbery rates worldwide and has endured high inflation – and, at times, hyperinflation – for years. I obtained annual crime data for 1973-2022 from the National Criminal Information …

Risk Factors For Executive Functioning Development In Preschool Children With Type 1 Diabetes, Victoria L. Ledsham

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Links between Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and decreased cognitive functioning in children are well documented, but research on executive functioning (EF) in this population is more limited. Multiple T1D-related risk factors (e.g., hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, glycemic variability, diabetic ketoacidosis) for EF have been established throughout the literature, but their individual effects have been difficult to determine given their interrelated nature. In result, cumulative risk has been proposed as a more robust predictor of EF differences in children with T1D. Moreover, despite the importance of early T1D onset as a risk factor for EF impairment, no studies have previously investigated EF in …

Hippocampal Insulin Exists! In Vivo Sampling Methods, Basal Concentrations, Recurrent Hypoglycemia, And Behavioral Extracellular Insulin Responses, Starlette R. Douglass

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Insulin has widespread actions within the brain, including energy homeostasis, modulation of feeding, and as a key component of memory processes. Further, brain insulin dysfunction correlates with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. To this point, measurement of hippocampal insulin has been limited. Determining in vivo hippocampal insulin levels both at a healthy baseline and after, e.g., induction of a disease state or in response to cognitive challenge, is essential to advance our understanding of both insulin's procognitive actions and to guide potential therapeutic interventions.

We first sought to establish a sampling technique for insulin within awake and moving rats …

First-Gen Latinx/Afro-Latinx And Complex: Keeping Resilient Responses On Shuffle, Tibisay I. Hernandez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative study examined the racialized experiences of first-generation Latinx and Afro-Latinx students in higher education. Fourteen participants engaged in pláticas, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to reflect on how their identities, race, and institutional dynamics shaped their collegiate journeys. The study examined how these students navigated both personal and institutional settings, revealing the emergence of tensions around belonging, authenticity, and cultural responsibility in everyday interactions. Using Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) alongside Multidimensional Identity Negotiation Theory (MINT) and Co-Cultural Communication Theory (CCCT), this study developed an emergent framework—the Resilient Response Model—to better understand how students respond to complex identity …

Understanding How County Governments Strategically Plan And Strategize Technology: A Multiple Case Study In New York State, Battulga Buyannemekh

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Embedded in the communities they serve, local governments increasingly leverage technology to modernize processes and operations to digitally transform public services and interactions with stakeholders to create and add value. Concomitantly, they must ensure that the use of technology does not threaten the rights and safety of individuals and organizations. Digital transformation requires alignment of technology with institutional, organizational, and environmental factors in addition to persistent innovations in technology, policy, and management. This balancing act hinges on governments’ capacity for strategic technology decision-making. As technology’s value propositions expand and local governments become more reliant on it, there is a growing …

Concurrent Parasympathetic Synchrony In Romantic Couples Exposed To Childhood Maltreatment Subtypes, Kate L. Senich

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Early responsive caregiving hones children’s physiological systems and subsequently supports social interactions (Feldman, 2007; Porges 2001; Steelman et al, 2002). Conversely, mis-attuned interactions with caregivers, such as exposure to maltreatment subtypes, might hinder social engagement capacities at both behavioral and biological levels (Kim & Cicchetti, 2004; Sheridan & McLaughlin et al., 2014). These early adverse influences endure across development and can affect behavioral and physiological interactions with romantic partners (Mayo et al., 2021; River et al., 2020; Zamir, 2022). Specifically, temporally coordinated patterns of physiological responses between partners (i.e., synchrony) are linked with important relationship behaviors, including conflict behaviors …