Digital Commons Network^™

Financial Stress Among Low- And Moderate-Income Latino Adults In California: The Role Of Price Pressures And Holiday Spending, Luisa Blanco, Philip Husband, Nataly Luna, Enrique Torres, Sara Weiss

School of Public Policy Working Papers

We examine financial stress among low- and moderate-income Latino adults in California during a period of elevated prices and the 2025 holiday season. Participants from the Mobile Financial Diary cohort (n = 69; 218 person-wave observations) completed four monthly surveys covering November 2025 through February 2026. We compare four measures of financial health, wellbeing, stress, and anxiety across income groups and analyze open-ended responses using the RADaR technique. Respondents below the sample median income had lower financial health and higher financial stress and anxiety, whereas perceived financial wellbeing did not differ significantly. Holiday stress was similar across groups, but lower-income …

Tribal Governance And Organizational Performance In Iraqi Government Organizations: The Mediating Role Of Employee Competency And The Moderating Role Of Merit-Based Management Systems, Roohallah Noori, Maryam Tehrani, Yousef Vakili, Ghasem Ali Rahimeh Fartoosi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Iraqi governmental organizations face a persistent governance crisis in which tribal affiliation - rather than merit – influences recruitment, promotion, and resource allocation decisions, yet the quantitative structural impact of this informal institutional logic on organizational performance remains underexamined. This study aims to examine the direct impact of tribal governance on organizational performance in Iraqi ministerial and governmental organizations, and to test the mediating role of HRM practices effectiveness and employee competency, and the moderating role of merit-based management systems in this relationship. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 414 managers and senior specialists across Iraqi governmental organizations, using …

Ecological And Public Health Consequences Of Sand Mining In Aquatic Ecosystems: A Systematic Review, Uduak Sylvanus Jacob, Isangedighi Asuquo Isangedighi, Olusola Abayomi Akangbe, Emmanuel Dami Omogbemi

Journal of Bioresource Management

The persistent exploitation of the aquatic ecosystem, driven by increasing demand for aquatic resources, including construction-grade sand, is evidenced by hydrological and geomorphological degradation of the aquatic ecosystem, with severe negative consequences on the fauna and flora communities. The rising global demand for sand and inefficient mining regulations have resulted in indiscriminate and illegal sand mining globally. However, developing an effective policy framework for sustained river sand mining requires local, regional, and global data (both qualitative and quantitative) on the status, drivers and implications of sand mining. This paper uses a systematic literature review approach to compile the ecological and …

Improving Provider Confidence In Suicide-Risk Screening Through Training On A Safe-T-Guided Pathway At Intake, Shukairo Mack Baker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Evidence supports structured suicide-prevention education, but inconsistent pathway use at outpatient intake prompted this quality improvement project to evaluate provider confidence. The aim was increased confidence after training on a Suicide Assessment Five-Step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) guided pathway. Donabedian's structure, process, and outcome model and the Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement change model guided implementation through one Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle. A single-group pre-test and post-test design involved seven clinicians at one hybrid outpatient behavioral health clinic. All available eligible staff (100%) completed a 2.5-hour training and both surveys. The Suicide Risk Assessment Confidence Scale was administered …

Spartan Daily, September 30, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 17

Stationary Roadside Evaluation Of A Dual Tof Lidar Prototype For Cyclist Overtaking Detection, Ahmad Syahir Syahiran Abu Bakar, Noramalina Abdullah

Platform: A Journal of Engineering (PAJE)

Close overtaking is a safety concern for cyclists, particularly on roads without dedicated cycling infrastructure. This paper presents a stationary roadside proof-of-concept evaluation of a bicycle-mounted proximity-monitoring prototype using two TF-Luna light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors operating on a time-of-flight (ToF) principle, an Arduino Uno microcontroller, a local display, and secure digital (SD) card logging. One sensor faced laterally toward passing traffic, and the second faced rear-approaching traffic. Six one-hour roadside sessions were conducted at three locations on the Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Campus during the morning and evening. Manual observation recorded 533 passing vehicles, while the dual-sensor event …

Digital Companions Or Relational Substitutes? Understanding The Use Of Generative Ai As Storytelling Companion Among Young Adults, Lail Queeny Nurfaizah, Syurawasti Muhiddin Ms

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Objectives. This study aims to explore the factors underlying the use of GenAI as a storytelling companion among young adults. Method. A qualitative approach was employed within an interpretivist paradigm, using an open-ended questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument. A total of 412 participants aged 19–33 years were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using data-driven thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework. Results. Two major themes emerged: Driving Factors and Barriers to Continuing Interaction. Each theme comprised four sub-themes organized around cognitive, affective, instrumental, and social dimensions, yielding 26 sub-themes in total. Driving factors were predominantly …

The Algorithmic Narcissus: Ai Validation And The Atrophy Of The 'Athletic' Social Self, Ilham Phalosa Reswara, Anggi Mayangsari

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Artificial intelligence systems designed around continuous affirmation and minimal friction are becoming increasingly prominent as social and relational partners in everyday life. This article examines how sustained interaction with such frictionless AI systems may reshape the developmental conditions under which social selfhood forms and is maintained. Drawing on Cooley's (1902) looking glass self, Kohut's (1971) concept of optimal frustration, and the developmental literature on social competence, the article argues that frictionless AI may distort the social mirror through which identity forms, remove the manageable frustration that appears necessary for psychological growth, weaken empathic capacity, and erode the social stakes that …

Penerapan Digital Parenting Untuk Menangani Dampak Negatif Bermain Gawai Terhadap Kemampuan Prososial Anak Usia Dini, Pria Dita Anis Wari, Muqowim Muqowim

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Implementing digital parenting is an alternative for parents to address the negative impacts of gadget use on the prosocial abilities of early childhood. This is particularly relevant for working mothers who have limited time to accompany their children's digital activities. This study aims to examine the perceptions of working mothers regarding the implementation of digital parenting as an effort to enhance the prosocial abilities of early childhood, the forms of implementation, and the dynamics experienced. This research is qualitative and phenomenological in nature. The subjects of the study consist of three working mothers with different professions and children aged 5-6 …

Sharing Toys, Sharing Talks, Sharing Thoughts: Siblings’ Role In Language Skills And Theory Of Mind In Children, Khansa Nabila Anjani, Ike Anggraika Kuntoro

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Background: Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states and is closely related to children’s prosocial behavior. Previous research has linked ToM to language skills and sibling factors; however, findings remain inconsistent. Siblings may function as early social partners who support language use and social–cognitive development, thereby influencing ToM. This study examined whether sibling presence moderates the relationship between language skills and ToM in children. Methods: Participants were 117 children aged 4–7 years from the Jabodetabek area, recruited using convenience sampling. A simple moderation analysis with bootstrapping was conducted. Results …

Gambaran Generasi Z Yang Kesepian Dalam Penggunaan Chat Ai Sebagai Pemenuhan Kebutuhan “Someone To Talk”, Ikhwanul Ihsan Armalid, Febty Zahra Arsiwi, Qisthi Fathiyyah, Ratri Mayzakky Afra Syahida

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

This study aims to understand the experiences of Generation Z individuals who experience loneliness in utilizing Chat AI to fulfill their need for someone to talk to within a socio-emotional context. The study employed a qualitative approach using a phenomenological method involving six Generation Z participants aged 18 to 25 who had used Chat AI for emotional sharing or venting. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The thematic analysis yielded six main themes: the dynamics of Generation Z social interactions, experiences of loneliness in social life, patterns of Chat AI usage, Chat AI as a …

Social And Physical Realities Of Aging In Northeast India: A Study Of Folk Societies, Kaushalendra Pratap Singh, Kanchan Devi

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

Population aging in Northeast India has emerged as a significant social concern in the context of rapid socioeconomic transformation and the gradual weakening of traditional family support systems. In the traditional folk societies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, older adults increasingly face challenges related to social isolation, inadequate care support, and limited access to healthcare services. The outmigration of younger generations for employment and education has further reduced family-based caregiving, whereas geographical remoteness and insufficient healthcare infrastructure continue to affect the physical well-being of elderly populations. This study examines the social and physical conditions of elderly people in Arunachal Pradesh …

Social Support Networks And Coping With Aging: A Mixed Methods Study Among Older Adults With Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) In Malaysia, Ummi Ainaa Selamat, Choo Wan Yuen, Noran Naqiah Hairi

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to have long-term impacts on mental health and social functioning, potentially hindering the development of supportive social networks later in life. Asia’s rapidly aging populations face complex social and healthcare challenges, highlighting the need to understand how early-life trauma influences older adults’ experiences and utilization of social support systems. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of social support as a significant protective factor, its complex dynamics in later life remain underexplored. This study aims to examine the association between ACEs and perceived social support among older adults in rural Malaysia, and to explore how …

Resilience In Aging: A Grounded Theory Study On How Older Japanese Adults Navigate Chronic Illness, Dominic Bryan S. San Jose

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

Japan’s population is one of the world’s oldest. As of 2025, over 29% of its citizens are 65 years old or older. Chronic illnesses like hypertension and diabetes are prevalent among the older population, presenting significant problems for the already stretched healthcare system. However, little is known about how older Japanese citizens actively manage chronic illness. Examining their actual experiences can help us comprehend the resilience of Japan’s elderly population on a deeper level. Using the Glaserian grounded theory approach, this study aimed to develop a theoretical framework that explains how resilience emerges in aging individuals within a Japanese sociocultural …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Older Adults With Osteoarthritis: A Qualitative Study Of Healthcare And Caregiving Practices In Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, Samiur Rahman Anadi, Arnika Jannat Mou

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

Many older adults are affected by osteoarthritis (OA), a common condition that causes pain, stiffness, and a loss of mobility. Given the increasing number of older adults in Bangladesh, it is critical to comprehend the unique requirements and challenges faced by older adults with OA, especially in underdeveloped areas with limited access to healthcare. Informal caregivers, typically family members, play a critical role in providing care for older adults with OA. However, they frequently lack support, training, and resources. There is a substantial knowledge gap regarding the complete scope of the needs and difficulties faced by older adults and their …

Embodiment, Ableism, And Age: A Qualitative Study On Gynecological Health Among Elderly Women With Disabilities In Rural Bangladesh, Anamul Hoque, Adiba Rahman, Chowdhury Anika Farah, Pranto Paul, Md Shahgahan Miah

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

In countries with LMIC status, women with disabilities often experience limited access to healthcare, and the reality is even worse, particularly for older women with disabilities. Systematic social and institutional processes, especially in many rural and low-resource contexts, render their bodies invisible and unworthy of care within reproductive and gynecological health systems. These people’s embodied experiences of aging and disability are often overlooked in dominant understandings of women’s health, which leads to gaps in care, recognition, and support. This study explores how rural elderly women with disabilities make sense of their gynecological health, and how experiences of aging, disability, gender, …

“Coming Of Age”: Strategy For Care Of Musculoskeletal Diseases Of Farmers In Damb’Ri Commune, Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province, Le Thi Ngoc Phuc

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

Musculoskeletal diseases are one of the most prevalent chronic diseases globally, including in Vietnam, which can cause complications that adversely impact health, reduce the quality of life, and even result in serious long- term consequences, as well as significant health and economic burdens. In Lam Dong province, environmental factors, climate change, the agricultural production environment, and prolonged exposure to chemicals have affected farmers’ health. The article describes the musculoskeletal disease strategy among farmers who practice mulberry cultivation in Damb’ri commune, Bao Loc city, Lam Dong province. All data were extracted from a study titled “Health seeking behavior of farmers at …

Gagasan Kode Etik Untuk Mantan Hakim Konstitusi: Perbandingan Dengan Federal Constitutional Court Jerman, Ryan Muthiara Wasti, Fitra Arsil, Aidul Fitriciada Azhari, Fatmawati Fatmawati

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

One aspect of evaluating the Constitutional Court, which has been in existence since 2003, is the issue of ethical compliance. Although a code of ethics for constitutional judges currently exists, it applies only to sitting constitutional judges. In reality, however, many former constitutional judges frequently act as parties in cases heard by the Constitutional Court. The author found that there are still former Constitutional Court judges who have served as parties—either as principals or as legal representatives. Although there is no explicit prohibition, the involvement of former constitutional judges in case proceedings raises the potential for conflicts of interest and …

Language For Learning: Examining Teacher Language In Reading Instruction, Madeleine Mejia, Amber Bechard

Journal of Research Initiatives

Teacher language plays a key role in literacy instruction because it shows what educators notice about students’ reading, how they interpret performance, and what they see as important for learning. However, common instructional phrases can sometimes reflect assumptions about what students know or can do or miss important parts of reading development. This article looks at teacher language as a way to reflect on these assumptions, especially when teaching students with dyslexia or those who are bilingual or multilingual. Using research on literacy development, teacher knowledge, classroom talk, and humanizing teaching, the article introduces the Language for Learning Tool. This …

Reframing Dissertation Committee Practice: A Student-Centered Conceptual Framework For Doctoral Education, Roberto Victor Rodríguez Rivera

Journal of Research Initiatives

Dissertation committees play a key role in shaping the direction, pace, and outcomes of doctoral study, but their function as a unified structure for guidance and judgment is not well understood. Although research covers supervision, examiner feedback, ethics, power, and dissertation examination, these topics are often studied separately. This article brings together both foundational and recent research to rethink dissertation committees as academic structures that adapt their support, oversight, ethical practices, and evaluation throughout the dissertation process. The article makes three main contributions: it clarifies how committee practice is conceptually fragmented, reviews research on supervision, feedback, ethics, and examination, and …

Awareness Of Digital Footprints And Its Implications For The Ethical Cyber Behavior Of Undergraduate Library And Information Science Students In Kwara State, Nigeria, Aderinola Ololade Dunmade, Akinade Adebowale Adewojo, Abdulwahab Olanrewaju Issa

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study examined the awareness of digital footprints and its implications for the ethical cyber behavior of undergraduate Library and Information Science (LIS) students in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study used a qualitative design and conducted semi-structured Zoom interviews with nine final-year LIS students from three universities representing federal, state, and private ownership in the state. Researchers purposively selected participants based on inclusion criteria, then transcribed and interpreted the interviews using reflexive thematic analysis, viewed through the lens of communication privacy management. The findings indicate that the students shared a broad familiarity with the idea of a digital footprint and …

From Silos To Systems In Higher Education: Doctoral Students’ Conceptualizations Of Faculty And Staff Collaboration In Academic Planning, Linda Wilson-Jones, Simone Elias

Journal of Research Initiatives

Collaboration is increasingly recognized as central to student success and institutional effectiveness in higher education. This qualitative study investigates doctoral students’ conceptualizations of faculty and staff collaboration in academic planning. Data were collected from 22 written responses in a doctoral-level program course. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021), five interrelated themes emerged: (1) holistic student support, (2) shared institutional vision and goal alignment, (3) complementary expertise and role interdependence, (4) communication as quality assurance, and (5) collaborative culture as an institutional asset. The findings indicate that collaboration functions as organizational infrastructure that aligns academic and administrative systems …

Confidence Intervals As A Quantcrit Method: Reframing Longitudinal Educational Data Through Estimation, Uncertainty, And Within-Group Analysis, Jamaal Young, Jemimah Young, Kristian Edosomwan

Journal of Research Initiatives

Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) calls researchers to reconsider not only what quantitative analyses report, but also how analytic choices reproduce or disrupt racialized ways of knowing. This methods-focused article develops confidence interval analysis as a practical statistical strategy within a QuantCrit methodological framework. Confidence intervals are not inherently critical or anti-racist. Their value for QuantCrit emerges from how researchers use estimation, uncertainty, comparison, visualization, and interpretation. We demonstrate this approach with National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Long-Term Trend mathematics data for Black students ages 9, 13, and 17 from 1978 to 2012. Rather than treating White performance as …

Grit, Mindset, And Academic Outcomes Among Nontraditional Online College Students, David W. Franklin, Heidi L. Andrade, Jason Bryer, Angela M. Lui

Journal of Research Initiatives

Grit and mindset have gained prominence in educational discourse; however, empirical evidence suggests they predict student success only minimally. Existing research on grit and mindset has several gaps, including insufficient focus on retention, online learners, and nontraditional student populations. The present study examines the relationships between grit, mindset, and academic outcomes among two samples of nontraditional students enrolled in online colleges. Utilizing survey data from the Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills (DAACS) project, the study analyzes responses from 9,276 predominantly nontraditional undergraduate students at two online institutions in the United States. Findings reveal that although grit, its two …

Bridging Policy And Practice: Leadership Strategies And Certification Reforms To Enhance Teacher Recruitment And K–6 Literacy In Alabama, Sherry Jackson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This literature review explores the intersection of teacher certification reform, district and state-level leadership, and early literacy outcomes in Alabama. It critically examines the shift toward competency-based certification models under the Alabama Literacy Act, highlighting both the promise and challenges of balancing rigor with equitable access to the teaching profession. The paper synthesizes research on leadership-driven strategies, such as mentorship programs, Grow Your Own pipelines, and financial incentives, that support teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in high-need districts. It also evaluates the role of state accountability systems and collaborative partnerships in sustaining reform implementation. While current reforms show potential for …

Removing Barringer: University Renaming Governance, Campus Racial Climate, And The Limits Of Symbolic Reform, Charletta H. Barringer-Brown, Daniel N. Brown

Journal of Research Initiatives

University renaming is often seen as either a necessary moral correction or a less significant symbolic reform. This article examines renaming as a matter of higher education governance. It analyzes the removal of Paul Brandon Barringer’s name from honorific spaces at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech through a qualitative documentary comparative case study. A contextual policy scan of the University of Richmond, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Oregon State University situates the two primary cases within a wider field of naming-governance design. Guided by critical toponymy, institutional theory, policy-decoupling scholarship, organizational-routines theory, and campus-racial-climate …

Living Between Lines: A Conceptual Paper For An Empirical Study Exploring The Impact Of Gendered Racial Socialization On Black Women In Emerging Adulthood, Danielle C. Hickman

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

Black women in emerging adulthood (ages 18–29) navigate the intersection of racial and gender socialization processes that are largely absent from mainstream developmental and psychological research. Existing scholarship often examines race and gender separately, thereby overlooking the compounded psychological effects experienced by Black emerging adult women (BEAW) as they negotiate cultural scripts such as the Strong Black Woman and Angry Black Woman. This conceptual paper outlines a research framework for an empirical study examining the relationship between gendered-racial socialization and psychological well-being among BEAW, and the extent to which cultural scripts moderate this relationship. Grounded in an integrated theoretical …

Digital Learning And Digital Literacy: Conceptual Distinctions, Theoretical Frameworks, And Educational Implications Across The Educational Continuum, Simone Elias, Linda Wilson-Jones, Richard Brutti

Journal of Research Initiatives

The terms digital learning and digital literacy recur frequently in educational policy and institutional discourse. Yet peer-reviewed scholarship shows they are conceptually distinct constructs operating at fundamentally different levels of analysis. This article examines the theoretical foundations, definitional genealogies, empirical interdependencies, and grade-band and postsecondary manifestations of both constructs across the full educational continuum, from kindergarten through Grade 12 and into undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education. Drawing on literature across leading educational technology journals, the article argues that digital learning constitutes a pedagogical modality, the structured, technology-mediated environment through which instruction is delivered.

In contrast, digital literacy is a multidimensional …

Oral History As A Tool For First-Year Student Success, Justin Willis, Saul Araujo

Journal of Research Initiatives

First-year college students often face significant challenges as they transition into higher education, particularly when balancing academic responsibilities with employment. Many students work out of financial necessity, which can increase stress, limit campus engagement, and negatively affect academic performance and well-being. This qualitative case study explores how oral history methods can support first-year college students as they adjust to the demands of balancing education and work. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Retention and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, the study examines how firsthand narratives from individuals who have navigated similar challenges can foster reflection, resilience, and practical skill development. The …

Lecturer-To-Lecturer Learning Model For Artificial Intelligence Adoption In African Universities: Opportunities And Challenges, Vincent C. Asogwa

Journal of Research Initiatives

Although artificial intelligence (AI) can transform teaching, research, and administrative processes, many African universities, including those in Eswatini and Nigeria, face challenges in implementing AI effectively because of inadequate infrastructure, lecturer skill gaps, and financial constraints. This study examines the opportunities and challenges associated with adopting the Lecturer-to-Lecturer Learning Model for AI in African universities. Grounded in social constructivism, the model emphasizes knowledge sharing through social interactions, which is particularly relevant in contexts where external resources are limited. The study employs content analysis of secondary data sources, including academic literature, institutional reports, and case studies on AI adoption in higher …