Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Singlehood On Socioemotional Health, Alexa Garner

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

The Social Validity Of The Zones Of Regulation, Tracy Grass

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the social validity of the Zones of Regulation, specifically in terms of the constructs of acceptability, feasibility, and perceived effectiveness, in elementary school classrooms. Despite the popularity of this social-emotional learning (SEL) program, limited research has explored its social validity. To address this gap, a mixed-methods research design was used to gain a comprehensive understanding of teacher perceptions and experiences.

A total of 43 elementary teachers completed the Usage Rating Profile—Intervention Revised (URP-IR), and seven teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Abductive thematic analysis was used to integrate data and …

How Does Stress Impact Gastric Acid Production And Funcional Dyspepsia?, Umika Mittal

Mentorship Program 2025-2026

No abstract provided.

Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Across The United States, Srivathsan Vijaya Raghavan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While cervical cancer is not among the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the United States, it remains a significant concern due to its preventability through regular Pap smears and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. However, incidence rates are rising as screening participation among U.S. women declines. This quantitative study (N = 15714) explored cervical cancer screening behaviors by analyzing levels of community involvement and social functioning, guided by the socioecological model (SEM). The dependent variable was cervical cancer screening, while the independent variables were community involvement and social functioning. The study controlled for health insurance status, age, race, ethnicity, employment, education, …

Why Israel Failed To Anticipate The October 7 Attack: A Postmortem Analysis, Emily Helgeson

Honors

This project conducts an autopsy of Israel’s failure to anticipate Hamas’s surprise attack on October 7, 2023. Existing scholarship identifies multiple contributing factors for this intelligence failure, including flawed strategic assumptions (conceptzia), political dysfunction, organizational sexism, and overreliance on surveillance technology. While all these factors may have contributed to the failure, most studies either examine the causal impact of a single factor in isolation or treat multiple factors together as equally impactful. As a result, the literature has yet to identify the primary driver of the October 7 failure. To address this gap, this study adopts a postmortem approach, borrowed …

The Reason To The Rhythm: The Impact Of Music Training On Cognitive Development, Gretta Gebhard

Psychology Student Publications

Musical training is often associated with growth artistically, however its influence reaches beyond artistry into further advancement of cognitive development. This paper explores the extent of the benefits that learning to play an instrument can have on a child’s developing mind through various executive functioning, attention control, memory processing, and language based skills.

Is It Altruism Or Codependency? A Dive Into Our Relationships With Others, Livia Dietrich

Psychology Student Publications

Codependency is characterized by the tendency to put others’ needs ahead of your own. It can affect anyone; but is typically most common in mothers. This paper explores many reasons someone may fall into these patterns, such as low self-esteem or an abusive partner. Trends of relationships in one’s past, like their relationship with their parents, could also affect the likelihood of codependent tendencies. These examinations can help to identify what codependency looks like in order to repair relationships moving forward

Melody Of Wrath: A Retelling Of The Pied Piper, India Raye Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

Melody of Wrath is a young adult fairy tale retelling of the Pied Piper legend centered on fifteen-year-old antihero Magnus. Driven by grief and rage after the massacre of his people, Magnus wields music as dangerous magic to summon a plague of rats and exact revenge on a corrupt city. The novel follows his morally complex journey from vengeance through compromise to a final test inside a transformative mountain, where he confronts the cost of retribution and the uncertain possibility of redemption. Drawing on folktale scholarship, archetypal theory, and literary antiheroes such as Hamlet and Edmond Dantès, this project uses …

Integrating Traditional Samoan Music With School-Aged Children In Fostering Culturally Appropriate Behaviors Within The Framework Of Fa'afaletui And Multimodal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Stormi Rachelle Winscot

Theses and Dissertations

Fa’aSamoa, the cultural framework shaping Samoan values, relationships, and daily life, deeply informs educational experiences in American Samoa. Music, as both cultural expression and communal practice, offers a powerful lens through which student engagement can be understood. This exploratory study employed multimodal interpretative phenomenological analysis (MMIPA), guided by the Fa’afaletui framework, to examine how Samoan and Pacific Islander students responded in embodied ways to traditional Samoan, culturally adapted Western, and other Western (folk, classical, pop) music in classroom settings. Drawing on focus group interviews and systematic observations, the study centered students’ movement, vocal expression, rhythmic participation, and peer interaction as …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Telehealth Training For Parents Using “Help Is In Your Hands”: Joint Attention And Mands, Vivian Desiree Cortez Dominguez

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to compare the effects of remote parent training for parents of autistic children in Peru, ages 2-4 years old. Using the Spanish version of the digital program called “Help is in Your Hands” (Rogers & Stahmer, 2026; 3C Institute, 2026), three mothers were trained on how to support their child's ability to participate in joint attention and mand. Autism is a condition in which children present with challenges in engaging with others, such as sharing joint attention and using mands. Several evidence-based trainings target these difficulties. However, accessing these trainings can be expensive and time-consuming. In less-developed …

The Effect Of Background Music On Reading Comprehension, Erika Murry

Psychology Student Publications

This paper reviews recent findings by researchers surrounding the relationship between listening to background music and reading comprehension. Tempo, lyrics and mode are examined, as well as several confounding factors.

Quality Improvement Project: Improving The Clinical Teaching Experience Through Clinical Adjunct Orientation, Elissa Saunders

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Clinical adjunct nursing faculty often transition into academic roles without formal preparation, leading to role insecurity and high turnover rates that negatively impact student clinical experiences. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a structured orientation checklist to improve perceived clinical teaching competency among novice clinical adjunct faculty. The project aimed to standardize onboarding and support the transition from clinical practice to academia. A quantitative pre-post intervention design was used with a convenience sample of clinical adjunct faculty employed for less than one year at a rural university nursing program. The project was guided by Kotter’s …

The Invisible Fuel: How Corporate Affinity For Technology Drives Resilience, Rachel Gandy

Theses

This paper examines how Corporate Affinity to Technology (CAT) affects organizational resilience among U.S. managers. Based on survey data from 364 managers in the retail, finance, and healthcare industries, this research indicates that the degree of technology use in a firm does not relate to the firm’s level of broadband availability or technology intensity, but rather to the extent to which technology is woven into the fabric of skills development, organizational culture, and the decision-making process. High-CAT firms are resilient under stress; low-CAT firms are fragile, irrespective of the level of technology they have invested in. Recommendations for managers who …

Long Work Hours, Suboptimal Diabetes Management, And Differences By Sex And Race/Ethnicity, Nhanes (2011-2018), Tailisha Gonzalez, Margrethe Horlyck-Romanovsky, Terry T.-K. Huang, Sandra E. Echeverria

Publications and Research

In the United States (US), occupational segregation by sex and race/ethnicity can contribute to health disparities. Although work schedule characteristics have been previously linked to elevated cardiovascular risk, little is known about the effects on chronic disease management in women and minoritized workers. We examined the association between work hours and diabetes management among US workers, testing for differences by sex and race/ethnicity. We utilized 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data on working adults (age ≥20 years) with diagnosed diabetes (n = 1041). Suboptimal diabetes management was defined as HbA1c ≥7%. Work hours were categorized per WHO …

The Effects Anorexia Nervosa Has On Cognitive Function, Gracie Jensen

Psychology Student Publications

This paper examines the effects of anorexia nervosa on cognitive function and how it impacts children and adolescents' everyday lives. It highlights the importance of increased awareness and support for the individuals affected by the disorder.

Helping Others To Help Yourself: Effects Of Prosocial Behavior On Anxiety And Depression, Matheus Muniz Pereira Vargas

Psychology Student Publications

Helping others is a good way to help prevent psychological disorders. The literature reviewed here points towards a protective and mitigating effect on symptoms of anxiety and depression brought upon by prosocial behaviors. Prosocial behavior is associated with higher positive moods in participants with depression (Schacter & Margolin, 2019), it is negatively correlated with feelings of reported rates of depression, anxiety and isolation (Naclerio et al., 2026), and seems to have a protective effect against development and exacerbation of anxiety (Okuyucu et al., 2024). All of that indicates that encouraging these behaviors lead to more positive mental health outcomes without …

Effective Interventions On Gambling Disorder While Reducing Social Stigma, Kayla Tretter

Psychology Student Publications

This paper examine effective interventions on gambling disorder and how stigma can derail an individual's recovery. It specifically focuses on the integration of motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as treatments.

The Extent To Which Online Symptom Searching Predicts Health Anxiety Among Adults, Lakelyn Jonell

Psychology Student Publications

The internet has the potential to provide inaccurate, misleading and alarming information. Individuals may begin to hyper fixate on their symptoms and overall health when being provided with worse-case scenario answers. This experience can lead an individual to develop health anxiety, a condition characterized by excessive fear and worry due to a perceived threat to individuals health.

Cv: Carlene Sipma (Sociology), Carlene Sipma

Sociology Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Importance Of Mental Health Education In 5th Grade & Its Impact On Emotional Well-Being, Claudia K. De Jong

Masters Projects

Exploring The Importance of Mental Health Education in 5th Grade & Its Impact on Emotional Well-being

Abstract

Mental health challenges among youth continue to rise, with many mental health disorders emerging before adolescence, highlighting a critical gap in early prevention efforts. This study explores the importance of implementing structured mental health education in 5th grade as a proactive approach to supporting emotional development and reducing long-term behavioral risks. Grounded in research on developmental psychology and social-emotional learning (SEL), this project examines how early intervention can improve emotional regulation, help-seeking behaviors, and overall student well-being during a key transitional period. Using …

Does Music Education Improve Test Scores?, Claire Mclaughlin

Psychology Student Publications

Music programs are often among the first to be reduced when schools face budget constraints. Yet many educators believe that music education contributes to students’ broader academic success. This paper examines whether music education improves test scores? Drawing on longitudinal studies, quasi-experimental research, and correlational analyses, this paper explores the relationship between music training and academic performance, particularly in reading and mathematics. Research suggests that students who participate in music education often demonstrate improved executive functioning, academic competence, and standardized achievement scores. However, findings also indicate that the relationship is complex and influenced by factors such as instructional quality, socioeconomic …

Why Last-Minute Studying Fails, Ava Oberg

Psychology Student Publications

This paper discusses why last minute cramming is ineffective and can be detrimental if you are trying to remember the information long term. It highlights the benefits of spaced practices and retrieval -based Practices to improve your long term retention. This paper states that adopting more effective study strategies can improve your academic performance and help with long term retention.

The Role Of Broadband Access In Enhancing Organizational Resilience, Corporate Adaptability, And Performance, Rachel Gandy

Theses

This paper examines how Corporate Affinity to Technology (CAT) affects organizational resilience among U.S. managers. Based on survey data from 364 managers in the retail, finance, and healthcare industries, this research indicates that the degree of technology use in a firm does not relate to the firm’s level of broadband availability or technology intensity, but rather to the extent to which technology is woven into the fabric of skills development, organizational culture, and the decision-making process. High-CAT firms are resilient under stress; low-CAT firms are fragile, irrespective of the level of technology they have invested in. Recommendations for managers who …

Sustainability, Culture, And Higher Education: An Autoethnographic Sustainability Comparison Of The Sustainability Initiatives At The University Of Salzburg And Bowling Green State University, Madison Alt

Honors Projects

Human activity is already triggering damaging environmental tipping points (Lenton, 2020), emphasizing the need for sustainability in all aspects of development. Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) have the power and responsibility to contribute to a more sustainable world (Parr et al., 2022). Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio, United States, and the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) in Salzburg, Austria are two IHEs with multifaceted sustainability programs. While living and studying at BGSU and PLUS, I used autoethnography, a personal narrative approach, combined with public sustainability information to compare the sustainability initiatives at each university, and determine what …

The Rider (2026-04-20), Daniela Chapa-Reyes

The Rider Archives

Vol. 11, No. 27

Occupational Therapy In Adaptive Sports And Recreational Activities: Addressing Social Skills Deficits In Individuals With Disabilities, Deanna P. Pelfrey

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Adaptive recreation programs promote physical participation, confidence, and overall positive well-being; however, research indicates that social and communication challenges often persist when social skills are not intentionally taught (Crespo‑Eguílaz et al., 2024). Additionally, many community recreation settings lack consistent social skills programming to support meaningful social inclusion (Ristevski et al., 2024). This project aimed to address these gaps by integrating social skills instruction into adaptive recreation programming at a community-based recreational facility serving individuals with disabilities. The primary purpose of the project was to strengthen and enhance athletes’ social participation and success by embedding clear social skills modules into existing …

The Echo: April 20, 2026, Taylor University

2025-2026 (Volume 113)

No abstract provided.

Russian And Chinese Propaganda In The Modern Era: Two Case Studies Of Corrupt Nations, Matthew P. Clark

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This work is the culmination of my research for an Honors Thesis in Political Science. In the context of my unique definition of propaganda, I compare propaganda in both Russia and China. During the course of this work, I focus on cultural erasure and transformation, economic propaganda, the prevalence of Russian and Chinese state-controlled media to espouse propaganda, and specific quotations by both presidents Putin and Xi. My central contribution to the field of political science is a unique definition of propaganda and an analysis of two different works. The analysis entails a discussion of to what degree each leader …

Promoting Participation In Leisure Activities At The Center For Living And Learning, Katie Eison

OTD Capstone Projects

The Center for Living and Learning is a private nonprofit residential treatment facility on a 30-acre farm in Franklin, TN, housing adults who experience severe and persistent mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. The Center provides opportunities for leisure activities during the day; however, due to symptomology such as avolition, anhedonia, and social withdrawal, residents often struggle with participation in valued leisure activities. This doctoral capstone project aimed to promote participation in leisure activities, social participation, and community engagement. The Interest Checklist and Leisure Satisfaction Measure were administered to determine residents’ individual interests and satisfaction levels with leisure …

The Effects Of Visual Supports On The Acquisition Of Guitar Chords, Cole S. Jahna

Thesis Projects

There is a current literature gap in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and music-based leisure activities. This study utilized a multiple-probe design to evaluate the effects of visual supports on the guitar fretboard combined with behavioral skills training (BST) to teach correct strumming and finger placement of three guitar chords (i.e., E, C, and G) to a neurodivergent adult. By using a task analysis, the strum and each individual finger placement were scored as correct or incorrect during each chord trial. Three chords that were under 50% accuracy in baseline were selected for the intervention. The intervention was introduced sequentially to …