Digital Commons Network^™

A Lack Of Cultural Diversity In Leadership In Multinational Corporations, Amelia Smalls

Liberty University Research Week

Organizations increasingly rely on culturally diverse teams to support global collaboration and innovation. However, many organizations continue to struggle to translate workforce diversity into improved communication, team cohesion, and performance outcomes. This study examines how leadership behaviors influence communication dynamics and relational processes within culturally diverse teams in multinational organizational environments. Guided by transformational leadership theory, servant leadership theory, and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory, the research explores how leadership practices shape communication clarity, team cohesion, and organizational effectiveness. A qualitative research design supported by descriptive survey data was employed. Data was collected from 33 professionals working in multinational organizational contexts …

Mental Health Consequences Of Climate-Related Hazards: A Us Case Study., Perseverance Nothando, Fadzai Nyarugwe, Wuraola Awosan

Liberty University Research Week

Background: The planet has warmed considerably over the past four decades, leading to more extreme weather events like floods, fires, and hurricanes. In the U.S., the number of climate-related disasters has surged, affecting approximately 1.7 billion people between 2010 and 2020. Projections suggest that by 2050, the U.S. population impacted by climate-related disasters could double, with a quarter of the population affected annually. Research indicates that 25% to 50% of people exposed to extreme weather events are susceptible to negative mental health consequences, such as anxiety and PTSD. This underscores the urgent need to address the psychological impact of climate …

Barriers To Breastfeeding In Marginalized Communities In The U.S, Naa Komley Commey, Wuraola Awosan

Liberty University Research Week

Background: Breastfeeding is widely recognized as the optimal method of infant nutrition, offering numerous health benefits for both mothers and infants. Breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates in the U.S. vary significantly based on factors such as age, income, education, and race, because marginalized communities encounter various barriers that hinder breastfeeding success. Addressing these barriers is crucial for promoting breastfeeding as a public health imperative. This study aims to investigate the primary barriers to breastfeeding in marginalized populations in the U.S.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases were searched using predetermined search terms for literature published between 2020 and 2025. The …

Mapping The Barriers: A Socioecological Scoping Review Of Healthcare Access Among International Students In The United States, Oyebolu Aderinola Akinkugbe, Akuchinyere Titus-Okpanachi, Oluwatosin Marylyn Oduneye

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Joy Under The Sun: Ecclesiastes And Existential Positive-Psychology, Alexander Lee, Clayton Hess

Liberty University Research Week

Christian counselors can benefit from theological research into effective counseling theory and practice. Biblical wisdom literature has been long overlooked as an effective tool in biblically-informed counseling. Biblical wisdom parallels recent trends in positive-psychology toward emphasizing holistic human flourishing (Hawkins, 2026). Further, interpretations of Ecclesiastes can parallel existentialism, with similar emphases on coherence and meaning-making (Keefer, 2019). In Lee’s (2012) discussion of Ecclesiastes, flourishing is pinpointed in qohelet’s treatment of joy. Lee develops a theology of enjoyment based on qohelet’s diagnosis of the human condition, his description of humanity’s position in relationship with God, and his meditation on injustice. In …

Instructors’ Lived Experiences Of Using Authentic Assessments In College Calculus Courses Across The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Christy Kains

Liberty University Research Week

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructors with authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States. The theory guiding this study was Astin’s student involvement theory, which provided a framework to study the involvement of students in higher education. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of instructors who utilize authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States? This study used a qualitative design following the transcendental phenomenological approach of Moustakas. The sample included 12 instructors from two-year and four-year colleges in …

Vicarious Trauma And Compassion Fatigue Among Counselors Serving Law Enforcement Populations, Makayla Thompson

Liberty University Research Week

Approximately 98% of clinical therapists report treating clients who have experienced at least one traumatic event (Bride, 2007). Research has established associations between clinical work with trauma-affected populations and increased vulnerability to vicarious trauma (VT) and compassion fatigue (CF) among counselors (Armes et al., 2020; Rayne et al., 2020). VT refers to cumulative and enduring changes in a clinician’s cognitive schemas resulting from sustained empathic engagement with clients’ traumatic experiences (McCann & Pearlman, 1990). CF describes emotional and physical exhaustion that diminishes a clinician’s capacity for empathy and compassion, often understood as the cost of caring for those suffering (Figley, …

Exploring The Impact Of Emotion Focused Therapy As A Model For Meeting Men’S Emotional Needs, Emily Hendricks

Liberty University Research Week

In Western culture, masculinity standards have created an overall negative perception of help-seeking and mental healthcare treatment for many men. Although help-seeking is becoming a well-researched category of men's mental health treatment maintenance research is limited. Additionally, there are few models of care that have been developed specifically for male populations that honor their inherent values and perception of masculinity. This theoretical proposal will highlight Emotion Focused Therapy as a possible framework for men's care due to its' evidence-based use with couples and families and focus on emotional intelligence and regulation. Emotion Focused Therapy should be researched with men specifically, …

Executive Succession And Organizational Stability In Community Health Centers: A Theory-Integrated Framework, Jisa Kusanthan, Timothy Sumarsono

Liberty University Research Week

Leadership transitions are difficult for organizations to manage. This is especially true for Community Health Centers (CHCs). The departure of a long-tenured leader can have a host of secondary effects on the culture, employee morale, and employee retention. This study explores the effects of a CHC leader on the organization's stability and proposes practical steps that CHCs can take to implement effective succession planning. A theory-integrated framework is used to apply Schein's Organizational Culture Theory, Social Identity Theory, and Institutional Theory to better understand the effects of a CHC leader on the organization's cultural foundation. A three-phase succession process is …

Systematic Review On Tertiary Policies And Programs For Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence In The U.S. (2020-2024), Brittany Carman, Haley Gebhard, Krista Coipel, Raymond Suonyir

Liberty University Research Week

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the United States, yet tertiary interventions supporting survivors remain understudied compared to primary and secondary prevention efforts. This systematic review identifies and evaluates existing tertiary prevention programs and policies addressing IPV in the U.S., focusing on their effectiveness in reducing IPV-related fatalities and promoting survivor recovery, safety, independence, and long-term stability.

Methods: This study systematically reviewed literature published January 2020-December 2024 across five leading journals using the Scopus database. From 861 initial results, 24 articles met inclusion criteria following PRISMA guidelines.

Results: Interventions clustered …

“Be Early, Be Loud, Wear Red”: An Ethnographic Study Of The Performance Of Liberty University Football Fan Identity And Boundaries, Cathryn Thomas

Liberty University Research Week

Social identity theory explains how college sports fandom can shape both social and personal identities, particularly through the formation of in-groups and out-groups based on identification with a team and opposition to rivals. Sports fans often communicate and behave in ways that signal their membership in the in-group while simultaneously distinguishing or excluding out-group members. This study examines how Liberty University football fans perform these in-group behaviors and how they mark boundaries with out-group members. Through observations made during a Liberty University Homecoming football game, the study deepens understanding of how sports fans construct belonging and unbelonging, and how these …

How Enneagram Types And Communication Styles Influence Political Party Affiliation, Hadley Hunt

Liberty University Research Week

The purpose of this research is to explore how political party affiliation is associated with personality differences, as shown through Enneagram types. This study will use a quantitative survey method. Data will be collected using a survey through Qualtrics. Participants will be asked to disclose their Enneagram type and political party affiliation. This research is needed to better understand how personality traits influence political identity. It is relevant because political conversations are becoming more polarized, and understanding communication differences could potentially reduce misunderstanding and conflict. This research helps communication scholars understand the connection of personality and ideology shape communication styles.

Reframing Treatment For Binge Eating Disorder: Integrating Physical, Psychological, Behavioral And Spiritual Domains To Improve Treatment Outcomes, Lily Carone

Liberty University Research Week

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder and is frequently treated using interventions designed for Bulimia Nervosa (BN and Anorexia Nervosa (AN). In fact, many programs treat clients with BED, BN, and AN in the same milieu with similar interventions. As a result, specific clinical issues are not addressed, so many clients with BED exit treatment prematurely with little to no improvement in symptoms. Traditionally, interventions for BED have been universally prescribed and include food exposure to decrease binges and cognitive behavioral therapy to improve negative self-image without addressing other important aspects of BED such as weight-related …

Perceived Coaching-Based Leadership As A Predictor Of Employee Communication Quality, Rachel Gaines

Liberty University Research Week

Effective workplace communication plays a critical role in employee engagement, collaboration, and overall organizational effectiveness. Leadership behaviors significantly influence communication climates; however, limited research has examined how coaching-based leadership specifically predicts the quality of employee communication. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine whether perceived coaching-based leadership predicts the quality of employee communication in organizational settings. Coaching-based leadership emphasizes behaviors such as reflective thinking, developmental feedback, and supportive guidance, which may foster communication environments characterized by clarity, openness, and constructive feedback. Data will be collected from approximately 100–150 working adults across sectors, including healthcare, education, and nonprofit …

The War On War: Desensitization's Effects On Society's Moral Fabric, Chelsea E. Johnson, Andrew J. Cudden

The Penguin Review

In an era of constant connectivity, violence is no longer distant or intermittent. Wars, political repression, mass shootings, and humanitarian crises now unfold in real time, shared instantly through twenty-four-hour news cycles and social media. Never before has global suffering been so visible. Yet this unprecedented access has failed to produce sustained moral urgency or collective responsibility. Instead, violence becomes increasingly utilised as fleeting content–viewed, shared, and then displaced by the next trending event. This paradox raises a pressing ethical question: how can a world more informed of suffering become so morally disengaged from it?

Ethical Discernment In Virtual Supervision: Implications For Supervisory Practice, Joshua Freeman

Liberty University Research Week

As counselor supervision increasingly occurs in virtual settings, supervisors must attend not only to ethical standards and professional judgment, but also to how technology reshapes communication, relational dynamics, and ethical interpretation. Virtual environments alter the conditions under which supervisory presence, power, and meaning-making are experienced, introducing new ethical complexities, especially when addressing values, spirituality, and religious worldviews in clinical work. This presentation advances a conceptual framework positioning ethical discernment as a primary mediating process in virtual supervision. Drawing from the Discrimination Model of supervision and professional ethical standards, the framework integrates supervision theory, ethical decision-making, spirituality, and worldview considerations within …

Transforming Patient Safety And Care Practices Through Interprofessional Education, Kaleena Ramirez, Claudia C. Tamara, Jennifer Sells, Karen Clatt, Banan Abuharb, Mary Coolbaugh-Murphy, Iris Culwell, Anca Fumurescu, Mary Gust, Lori Simmons, Delores Whiteing, Annie Koenig, Sara Martinez, Wilton Muriithi, Shaun T. Caldwell, Susan Lee, Mary Sizemore, Kimberly Ann H. Krumwiede

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

As healthcare increasingly relies on interdisciplinary teams to deliver safe and effective care, the development of interprofessional collaboration competencies among students in health care professions has become an educational priority. In response, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions integrated a longitudinal interprofessional education curriculum to foster collaborative practice readiness and prepare students for team-based interdisciplinary environments that ensure safe and patient-centered care. The curriculum was guided by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative 2016 and 2023 core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice, reinforced with the Real Colors® Personality Instrument and Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance …

Comparison Of Levels Of Bmi, Stress, And Depression Of Women During The Prenatal Period Relative To Their Activity Levels, Kalayna King

Create@State

This study aimed to analyze the relationships between activity levels, Body Mass Index (BMI), stress levels, and depression symptoms in obese pregnant women in Arkansas. Two separate exercise intervention studies were combined in this analysis to ultimately give a sample size of 293 pregnant women who were randomized into standard of care group (control) and an exercise group (experimental) (n = 115 and n = 178, respectively). Women in the control groups were instructed to independently continue to follow the physical activity guidelines recommended by their gynecologist, whereas the experimental groups participated in a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise …

Student Perspectives On The Selection And Suitability Of Emotional Support Animals, Ella G. Speer

Create@State

Emotional support animals (ESA) are classified as any species of animal that provides cognitive and emotional benefits for individuals struggling with mental health impairments (Ferrell, Crowley 2021, p. 561). Emotional support animals differ from service and therapy animals because there are no restrictions regarding the specie selection if the owner perceives their benefits (Ferrell, Crowley 2021, p. 561). Relaxed regulations on the specie of emotional support animals allow individuals the opportunity to choose any animal based on their perceived benefits (Pettable Staff, Fleming 2024). Recently, universities have implemented an emotional support animal policy to protect students who live on campus …

Who Will Grow Our Food In The Future? Factors Influencing A-State Agricultural Student’S Intentions To Enter Production Agriculture, Kamana Kafle

Create@State

The future of agriculture depends on what motivates today’s student to pursue careers in production agriculture. This study identifies key drivers of career intention among College of Agricultural students at A-State using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior framework. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The model explained a substantial 74.2% of the variance in agricultural career intention. Results revealed that Career Planning was the strongest positive predictor, followed by Attitude Towards Agriculture and Perceived Value. Interestingly, factors such as Perceived Behavioral Control, Subjective Norms, and access to Facilities …

The Silent Trigger Theory: A Predictive Behavioral Safety Framework, Yazeed Almutairi

Liberty University Research Week

This theoretical study introduces The Silent Trigger Theory, a predictive behavioral safety framework designed to identify early, often overlooked human signals that precede safety incidents. Despite advances in established safety approaches such as Behavior-Based Safety (BBS), Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), and ISO 45001 management systems, incidents continue to occur in environments where procedures, audits, and controls are fully implemented. This gap suggests a limitation in current models’ ability to capture subtle behavioral warning signs, particularly silence, emotional withdrawal, and ambiguous communication.

The Silent Trigger Theory addresses this gap through the STARC framework (Shift, Traceable, Ambiguity, Risk Link, Corrective Loop) …

A Scoping Review: The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Resilience, And Wellness For First Responders With Work Related Trauma, Gary Oliver

Liberty University Research Week

This study reviewed research that explores the relationship between mindfulness, resilience, and wellness for First Responders with work related trauma. Mindfulness has a basis firmly rooted in Buddhist psychology, and shares similar conceptual tenets with Greek philosophy, existentialism, transcendentalism, and humanism which all center around the consciousness of attention and awareness. Resilience has a variety of interpretations within the literature and is understood as a dynamic process accounting for environmental and psychosocial factors that help people survive, grow, and thrive despite adversity. Wellness, though not concretely defined, is similar to overall health which is defined by the World Health Organization …

Ai-Augmented Music And Emotion Processing: Exploring Whole-Brain Integration In Counseling Sessions, Janita Daggy, Patricia Mcglothlin

Liberty University Research Week

This study explores how AI-adaptive music applications might support emotional awareness and self-regulation when used during counseling sessions. While creative arts interventions have long been recognized for engaging emotion-related brain processes, and AI technologies show promise in providing adaptive, real-time feedback, little research has examined how these approaches work together in actual counseling practice. The study introduces the Neuro–AI–Creative Integration Framework (NACIF) to guide this exploration. Thirty participants will attend five counseling sessions that incorporate AI music applications responsive to their emotional and physiological states, along with therapist-facilitated reflection on their emotional and bodily experiences. The study will measure changes …

Interprofessional Education Development In An Oncology-Focused Healthcare Institution, Mary Sizemore, Michael Morris, Mohamed Ait Aiss, Gregory Botz, Jolyn Taylor, Joshua Kuban, Diane C. Bodurka

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: Despite growing recognition of the value of interprofessional education (IPE), most IPE work has focused on undergraduate learners, leaving a critical gap in postgraduate and clinical environments. This report describes a phase 1, formative, pre-implementation quality improvement (QI) initiative to establish an institution-wide IPE program at an oncology center without a traditional medical school.

Methods: We used a developmental, multiphase mixed methods design integrating 3 inputs: (1) Virtual Interprofessional Teaching and Learning (VITAL) faculty-development feedback, (2) IPE Steering Committee feedback, and (3) simulation evaluation used as an applied context (not the sole focus). Surveys were administered to VITAL participants, …

Increasing On-Task Behavior Using Reward Systems, Sarah Becker, Danielle M. Kovach

Psychology Research Conference

This study intended to examine the effectiveness of a reward system on on-task writing behavior. This single-subject study utilized momentary time sampling to gather data, and data was displayed using an ABAB design that alternated between baseline and intervention periods. The intervention used was the visitation the co-investigator's cat. Overall, there was an increase in on-task writing behavior during the intervention periods.

Evaluating A Virtual Reality-Based Physical Activity Intervention For Nicotine Vaping Cessation: Pilot Study Findings, Ryan X. Gallagher, Lucas S. Wittenburg, Sweta Banjara, Sampada Tuladhar, Matthew Mitnick, Bethany Raiff

Psychology Research Conference

Nicotine use remains a globally significant contributor to preventable illness and premature death. the prevalence of vaping has witnessed a significant increase in recent years, especially among youth in the United States, with a considerable rise from individuals who previously did not smoke. Although vaping is a relatively new method for tobacco use, research is starting to accumulate on its negative health effects, including obstructing airways, increasing heart rate, increasing systolic and diastolic blood pressure, exacerbating symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and decreasing lung function. Vaping cessation continues to be a primary public health initiative, and to date, little …

Infertility And Mental Health, Laynie Pugmire

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Fatherhood Redefined: How Paternity Leave Shapes Relationships, Olivia Flores

Family Perspectives

Paternity leave remains limited in the United States, with relatively few fathers granted paid time off following the birth of a child. This literature review examines how paternity leave shapes marital relationships by influencing parental mental health and couple communication during the transition to parenthood. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, the paper synthesizes evidence indicating that fathers’ use of paternity leave is associated with higher marital satisfaction and greater relationship stability. These benefits are largely mediated by improvements in both maternal and paternal mental health, as paternity leave reduces role overload, stress, and symptoms of anxiety and depression for both partners. …

Academic And Mental Health Outcomes In Homeschoolers, Emily Higham

Family Perspectives

Homeschooling—education conducted outside traditional school settings and typically led by parents—has grown substantially in the United States, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. As participation has increased, greater attention has been directed toward understanding its implications for children’s development. This literature review examines associations between homeschooling, mental health, and academic outcomes. Existing research suggests that homeschooled children generally demonstrate positive socioemotional functioning, including lower levels of internalizing behaviors such as anxiety and depression and fewer externalizing behaviors such as aggression compared to traditionally schooled peers. These outcomes may be supported by increased parental involvement, stronger family relationships, reduced exposure to bullying, …

The World Needs More Resilient Kids, Kara Driggs

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.