Digital Commons Network^™

Parents’ Perspectives On Trajectories Of Well-Being For Immigrant Youth From Central America., Tatiana Londoño, Lauren E. Gulbas, Luis H. Zayas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explored the trajectories of well-being among immigrant youth in the United States using an ecodevelopmental and posttraumatic growth perspective. Immigrant youth were from the Northern Triangle of Central America and had recently been released from immigration family detention in the United States. Through time-ordered matrix thematic analysis of interviews with 15 mothers at baseline and follow-up (N = 30 interviews), the research revealed a complex landscape of challenges and adaptations during resettlement. While initial adverse emotional outcomes were common, these tended to improve over time as families gained stability in the United States. Family structure emerged as …

“Full And Equal Access”: A Socio-Ecological Model Of Healthcare Ableism Experienced By The Blind And The Low Vision Community, Rebecca Fischbein, Rachel Conrad Bracken, Allyson S. Hughes, Rayyan Bhutta, Nazanin M. Heydarian

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

In 2023, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) designated people with disabilities as a population experiencing health disparities, citing “a wide and varying range of health conditions leading to poorer health and shorter lifespan” and “discrimination, inequality and exclusionary structural practices” contributing to pervasive health inequities. As blindness and low vision (BLV) become increasingly common due to an aging population coupled with higher rates of type 2 diabetes, more people who are BLV will require quality care. Yet, people who are BLV face many barriers to care, including healthcare provider and staff (HCP) ableism. In this chapter, we propose a …

Socioeconomic Influences On Doula Access And Perceived Care Quality Among Black Women Experiencing Severe Maternal Morbidity, Deborah Esene

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

Black women experience disproportionately high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, making it essential to examine access to and the perceived impact of doula support. This study examines whether socioeconomic status influences access to and the perceived benefits of doula support among Black women who experienced severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Researchers surveyed Black women ages 18-49 who had a live birth within the past two years and experienced SMM. Participants were recruited and completed an online survey in late 2020. Key variables included income, education, doula use, and perceived quality of prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care. Among 188 participants, 12.2% …

Personal Narratives Of Young Adults With Epilepsy: Exploring The Transition To Adulthood Amidst Stigma And Disclosure Fears, Kirby-Estar Gilene Laguerre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Navigating the transition to adulthood presents unique challenges for young adults with epilepsy, particularly concerning stigma and the fear of disease disclosure. While significant social difficulties, such as increased unemployment rates and decreased relationship satisfaction, are prevalent among individuals with epilepsy, current transition programs often fail to address these psychological and social aspects that are vital for an independent adult life. Instead, the majority of the attention for young adults transitioning into adulthood is focused on the shift to adult-oriented healthcare systems. Consequently, there is a critical need for research that goes beyond a healthcare focus and explores the social …

Cultural Perceptions And Willingness Or Reluctance To Use Ai Chatbots For Emotional Support By International African Students In Higher Educational Institutions In The United States, Zakariah Issah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for emotional support underscores the need to understand how cultural perceptions shape their adoption among international African students in higher education institutions in the United States. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Social Stigma Theory, this qualitative study explored the perceptions, motivations, and barriers influencing the use of AI chatbots for emotional support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 undergraduate and graduate students from 10 African countries. The findings reveal that participants viewed AI chatbots as conditional and situational sources of emotional support rather than replacements for human relationships. Convenience, …

Influences Of Response Rate And Distribution On Accuracy Estimates: The Value Of Replications Based On Analytic Approach, Olivia Brianne Harvey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate observational data are essential for drawing correct conclusions about behavioral phenomena and ensuring the replicability of research findings. Accuracy is the extent to which an observer’s recorded responses correspond with true values (i.e., the actual occurrence of behavioral events). Correspondence is quantified using one of several percentage-based algorithms. However, these accuracy estimates may be influenced by characteristics of the data, such as response rate and response distribution, as well as the algorithm used to calculate them. The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate how response rate, response distribution, and the algorithm used to evaluate accuracy influences estimates. Across …

Effect Of Yoga On Non-Invasive Measures Of Cardiovascular Functioning And Health, Alexis Nicole Thrower

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been the number one cause of death worldwide and within the United States (US) for decades. Effective and practical prevention modalities are needed to reduce the burden of this often-preventable condition. Physical activity is an effective and modifiable behavior for CVD risk management; however, only one in four adults meet current physical activity guidelines. Some types of yoga, including vinyasa yoga, are a form of physical activity, and vinyasa yoga efficiently incorporates moderate-intensity aerobic activity, muscular-strengthening movements, and flexibility components. Yet, minimal rigorous research evaluates yoga’s effects on health. The purpose of this dissertation is …

Romantic Narrative In Three Early Piano Cycles By Robert Schumann: Papillons, Op. 2; Fantasiestücke, Op. 12; And Kinderszenen, Op. 15, Lingqing Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research project compares Romantic instrumental narrative in Robert Schumann’s Papillons, Op. 2; Fantasiestücke, Op. 12; and Kinderszenen, Op. 15, with particular attention to how pianists communicate cyclic continuity in performance. In this study, narrative continuity refers to relationships formed across ordered short pieces through contrast, interruption, return, literary association, fantasy, memory, tonal and motivic recall, and the shaping of sound and time. Comparative score analysis shows that Schumann creates a distinct form of continuity in each cycle. In Papillons, he creates a public, ballroom-based form through masquerade, waltz-like dance, abrupt entrances, interruption, and the gradual dissolution of the social …

"If I Knew Then What I Know Now": Analyzing Online Narratives Of Regretful Parents, Marina Binti Mohd Hamdan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This exploratory study seeks to understand the extent to which parenthood affects individual self-actualization by identifying the trade-offs, compromises, and sacrifices that parents make within the context of family life. Using a thematic analysis of 221 archived posts from the Reddit community r/regretfulparents, this study examines how social pressures surrounding parenthood may be related to experiences of parental regret. Specifically, it identifies two domains: pressures to be parents, including social norms, familial coercion, and interpersonal conflict, and pressures of parenting, including issues of labor, number of children, and challenging children. Across these domains, this study explores how tensions between personal …

A Survey Of Disability-Inclusive K-12 Public School Music Programs In The United States Where Best Buddies Friendship Programs Have Been Established, Geena Louise Jeffries Mattox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the presence and structural characteristics of disability-inclusive band, orchestra, and choir programs serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in K-12 public schools across the United States that implement the Best Buddies School Friendship Program. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is defined as group of chronic, lifelong conditions that originate before age 22, affecting physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. Despite federal legislation, peer reviewed scholarship specifically addressing access to performance-based music ensembles for students with IDDs remain comparatively limited. Employing a survey distributed nationwide within a defined population of schools implementing Best Buddies Programs, administered via …

Self-Leadership And Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence: A Single-Case Study, Patrik Garren

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this single-case qualitative project is to uncover how self-leadership’s behavioral and cognitive strategies influence perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI adoption. While existing literature acknowledges that there is an association between self-leadership, technology’s perceived usefulness and ease of use, as well as comfort with AI preparedness and its professional impact, there is limited research on how self-leadership shapes perceptions of AI and AI adoption in real-life contexts. To fill this gap in contemporary literature, this project analyzes qualitative semi-structured interviews with 25 healthcare professionals involved in the implementation of ‘AI Model 1’ at their mid-sized United …

Manipulating Unit Price During Alternative Reinforcement Schedule Thinning In A Concurrent- Schedules Arrangement, Katherine A. Cucinotta

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reinforcement schedule thinning, a critical component when addressing target behavior using differential reinforcement of alternative behavior schedules, aims to decrease alternative reinforcement rates while maintaining suppression of a target response (Davis et al., 2023; Hagopian et al., 2011). When multiple response options are available, manipulating the relative unit price across options alters the relative efficiency with which reinforcement is obtained and can shift responding toward an alternative behavior. Thus, altering the relative unit price can be a beneficial tactic when reinforcement for a target behavior cannot be withheld. Using concurrent-schedule arrangements, two experiments evaluated the conditions under which target response …

The Bleeding Edge Of Misogyny: How Gender-Based Harassment And Infrastructural Neglect Shape Menstrual Distress, Mackenzie J. Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite growing attention to menstrual health, organizational research has largely overlooked how workplace conditions shape menstrual experiences. Dominant perspectives frame menstruation as an individual issue that negatively affects work, neglecting how features of the work environment – such as gender-based harassment and access to menstrual-related infrastructure – contribute to menstrual distress. Addressing this gap, this dissertation adopts a bidirectional perspective, examining how social and material workplace conditions shape menstrual distress, defined as the extent to which menstrual symptoms interfere with daily functioning. Drawing on the transactional model of stress and objectification theory, I hypothesized that gender-based harassment would predict menstrual …

The Effect Of Innovative Value Proposition On Buyer Reactions: The Moderating Roles Of Price Orientation And Perceived Risk, Chad Stuttz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Value propositions are essential to the success of personal selling in the Business-to-Business (B2B) context. While earlier studies have offered valuable insights into the roles of value propositions in driving B2B sales, they have often regarded value propositions as uniform. In this dissertation, I argue that value propositions vary in their levels of innovativeness. The dissertation introduces the concept of innovative value proposition (IVP) and proposes that IVP indicates greater future growth potential to buyers, leading to more favorable reactions such as responsiveness and willingness to engage than less innovative ones. Additionally, the dissertation explores the moderating effects of buyer …

Examining Moral Susceptibility In Ai Vs. Human-Assisted Decision-Making, Seth James Fogle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly integrated into decision-making contexts, yet their influence on ethical judgment remains unclear. This study examines whether advice from an AI advisor, compared to a human advisor, affects moral susceptibility in a consumer decision-making scenario. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design (advisor type × price condition), this research tests whether personal agency, perceived objectivity, and diffusion of responsibility operate as psychological mechanisms underlying ethical decision-making.

Results indicate that advisor type did not significantly influence moral susceptibility, nor did it significantly affect the proposed mediators. Additionally, the price condition did not moderate these relationships. …

Bridging The Gap: An Innovative Life Skills And Job Readiness Initiative For Those Facing And/Or Experiencing Homelessness, Alyssa Rae Lester

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Homelessness disrupts occupational functioning across all domains of daily life, yet individuals in transitional housing frequently lack access to structured life skills programming tailored to their current level of functioning. This doctoral capstone project developed, implemented, and evaluated a life skills and job-readiness curriculum at the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness West Run transitional housing facility in Morgantown, West Virginia. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model of Human Development and the Bridging the Transition from Homeless to Housed framework, the curriculum addressed four domains: personal development, household management, financial literacy, and vocational readiness. A mixed-methods design combined a structured staff …

Social Media Addiction And Its Influence On The Physical Social Interactions Among West Virginia University Students, Blessing Ochom Omaleko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Social Media Addiction and its Influence on the Physical Social Interactions Among West Virginia University Students

Blessing O. Omaleko

This qualitative study investigated social media addiction and its perceived influence on face-to-face interactions among 14 West Virginia University students using an open-ended qualitative survey. Grounded in Griffiths' (2013) behavioral addiction components, salience, mood modification, conflict, and relapse, the data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Findings revealed that while students characterized their social media use as a habit rather than an addiction, their descriptions aligned with multiple addiction components. Students consistently valued in-person interactions over online …

The Dual-Factor Model (Dfm) Of Mental Among Appalachian Youth, Mawyah Adel Bashatah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Adolescent mental health is a critical public health concern, particularly in rural Appalachian communities where rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use exceed national averages and access to mental health resources remain severely limited. Traditional mental health frameworks rely predominantly on the identification and reduction of psychopathological symptoms, neglecting the independent contributions of positive well-being to adolescent risk and resilience. The Dual-Factor Model (DFM) of mental health offers a more comprehensive alternative by simultaneously assessing subjective well-being (SWB) and psychopathology, classifying individuals into four distinct groups: Complete mental health, Vulnerable, Symptomatic but content, and Troubled. Despite the DFM’s growing …

“Black Students Matter”: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Student Experiences At A Predominately White Institution In Appalachia During The Dual Pandemic Of Covid-19 And Systemic Anti-Black Racism, Toni Owens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the spread of COVID-19 escalated into a global pandemic in 2020, simultaneously, the nationwide media in the United States (U.S.) highlighted coverage of the country’s ongoing incidents of longstanding systemic anti-Black racism in America, another pandemic. In the Summer of 2020, a collective of Black students at West Virginia University (WVU) signed and publicly submitted a petition to the university’s leadership with a list of demands to address their needs as they were further exacerbated by the dual pandemic. This study is guided by the question, “What are the lived experiences of Black Students at West Virginia University during …

Bridging The Sensory Gap With Occupational Therapy: Program Development For Sensory Integration In Inpatient Rehabilitation For Adults With Central Nervous System Injuries, Callie Marie Honaker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives: This project aimed to identify sensory processing deficits in adults with central nervous system injuries and to inform the development of sensory-informed program components in an inpatient rehabilitation setting. Participants: A total of 76 adults admitted with diagnoses including cerebrovascular accident, brain injury, and spinal cord injury were included. Methods: A structured sensory screening and mental health questionnaire were administered and compared to prescreening admission documentation and PHQ-9 scores. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses were conducted. Results: Sensory impairments were highly prevalent, with participants demonstrating an average of three impairments across the sensory domains. Proprioceptive, tactile, and visual deficits …

Effects Of Fluency-Based And Percentage-Based Mastery Criteria On Learning, Maintenance, Application, And Learner Experience In Behavior-Analytic Skill Acquisition, Marisela Alicia Aguilar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In behavior analysis, staff are often trained to percentage-based criteria to demonstrate that they have mastered a skill. However, percentage-based mastery criteria may not result in long-term maintenance of the skill. In other areas of instruction, fluency criteria resulted in multiple positive outcomes such as maintenance, endurance, and application of the skill beyond the training context, but these outcomes have not yet been widely demonstrated in the context of teaching behavior support plan (BSP) content and implementation. Across two experiments, we attempted to evaluate the extent to which training individuals to a fluency-based or percentage-based criterion resulted in maintenance and …

Operationalizations Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health Prediction, Sarah Josephine Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been consistently linked to suboptimal health outcomes and behaviors across the lifespan. As such, there has been widespread adoption of measures like the 10-item cumulative ACEs count measure developed by Felitti and colleagues (1998) across research literature and clinical practice. However, this measure was not developed with consideration of optimal psychometric properties and thus consists of several limitations that inhibit understanding of the specific dimensions of adversity that influence health outcomes. This 3-study dissertation focused on different measurement and statistical techniques to better understand the associations between ACEs and health. In study 1, …

Framing Addiction In The Age Of Vaping: A Journalism-Focused Reporting Toolkit, Jessica L. Riley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project addresses a critical gap in journalism practice: the lack of accessible, evidence-based guidance for reporting on addiction. Particularly as it relates to nicotine, tobacco and vaping. Journalists play a key role in shaping public understanding of substance use, yet existing resources often focus on opioids, lack specificity, or fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving nicotine products and scientific research. As a result, reporters may struggle with inconsistent terminology, unclear risk communication and the potential for unintentionally stigmatizing language.

Grounded in media effects theory, health communication and stigma research, this project examines how journalistic language and framing influence …

Success Coaching And Conditional Admit Student Success, Zachery Oliver Thayer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Student success is a matter of critical importance to institutions of higher education, and to students. Colleges and universities exist in a current context of decreasing supply of potential students as a result of an impending demographic cliff and, therefore, increased competition for those remaining students, all while many institutions have become more tuition-dependent. This creates an incentive to decrease selectivity in order to meet enrollment goals as well as to focus university resources on student success measures that impact retention.  Some institutions have decreased selectivity to the point of admitting students conditionally or provisionally, even if those students do …

Taxpayers Willingness To Use Ai Conversational Tools, Nessrine Mesto-Assaad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the rapid emergence of Artificial Intelligence Conversational Tools (AICTs), such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, and their widespread use, the need to understand users’ acceptance of this emerging technology has increased. Prior research has investigated users’ acceptance of AICTs in hospitality, tourism, e-commerce, and retail industries. However, users’ acceptance of the use of AICTs for tax information remains relatively underexplored in the tax context. Therefore, this study investigates taxpayers’ willingness to accept and use AICTs for tax-related questions when e-filing their tax returns. Drawing on the Artificial Intelligence Device Use and Acceptance (AIDUA) model as a research framework, this …

Multi-Omics Analysis Of Immune-Metabolic Adaptation To Direct-Fed Microbial Supplementation In Newly Weaned Beef Steers, Adekunle Odunayo Ajiboye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Immune and metabolic disruption during weaning represents a major challenge to health and productivity in beef cattle. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that supplementation with multi-strain direct-fed microbials (DFMs) modulates immune regulation and metabolic pathways associated with adaptation to weaning stress. To address this, whole-blood transcriptomics and plasma metabolomics were used to evaluate molecular and metabolic responses in newly weaned beef steers during the receiving period. Transcriptomic analysis identified differential expressions of genes associated with immune signaling and inflammatory regulation, indicating modulation of immune-related pathways without changes in growth performance. Metabolomic analysis revealed alterations in circulating metabolites related to amino …

More Than A Man: An Ethnomusicological Survey Of The Folklore Of John Henry And Resource Guide For “More Than A Man” By Shanyse Strickland, Clayton R. Heath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

“John Henry” exists as an enduring folk legend in the United States of America, representing the confluence of the Reconstruction Era, the economic utility of Appalachia and the Westward expansion of industry which left it behind. Though based on historical events, Henry’s fictional representation has diverted and evolved in music and other media from its inception in the oral tradition to the modern age. Through this progression, shared symbols have circulated, gathering embedded meanings and associating the folklore with specific communities. Henry’s representational identity has been signaled with the creation and distribution of each version of his story, both complicating …

White Lies Of Time: Temporal Racialization In 19th-20th Century American Literature, Yu Uchida

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

By examining mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century American literary texts, this dissertation project aims to theorize the ways in which whiteness relies on conceptualizations of time to hegemonize non-white subjects and prescribe their historical representations. Because whiteness is dynamic in its emergence and effects and ubiquitous in sociopolitical and cultural realms, this dissertation holistically turns to white, Black, and Indigenous writers to delineate how whiteness functions throughout the period and how racialized subjects negotiate it. Portraying the nation’s history as lived experience rather than objectified knowledge, the racialized authors I examine undermine the concept of linear progressive time that subtends structural …

Community Resilience Drives Change, Andrew Thomas Solt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The opioid crisis has impacted many Americans. From 1999 to 2023, approximately 800,000 people have died due to opioid overdose (CDC, 2025). What began as overprescriptions of painkillers has quickly evolved into a complex social health issue that is now further worsened by stronger synthetic drugs like fentanyl. Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (synthetic opioids that are very similar chemically to fentanyl) are often found in illegal drug supplies and in counterfeit pills (CDC, 2025). Thus, individuals who might have been initially overprescribed painkillers might now be pushed towards illegally produced drugs that are significantly more potent than what they were …

Community Resilience Drives Change, Claudia Rose Dilima

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The opioid crisis has impacted many Americans. From 1999 to 2023, approximately 800,000 people have died due to opioid overdose (CDC, 2025). What began as overprescription of painkillers has evolved into a complex social health issue that is now worsened by stronger synthetic drugs like fentanyl. Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (synthetic opioids that are very similar chemically to fentanyl) are often found in illegal drug supplies and in counterfeit pills (CDC, 2025). Thus, individuals who might have been initially overprescribed painkillers might now be pushed toward illegally produced drugs that are significantly more potent than what they were originally prescribed. …