Digital Commons Network^™

A Woman’S Wilderness: Fostering Mental Well-Being Through Sensory Stimulation In The Outdoors, Anah Gaynes

Theses and Dissertations

The female experience with nature is unique (Nurse, G. A., Benfield, J., Bell, P. A., 2010). This provokes the question explored in this study: “What sensory interactions impact women’s mental well-being in nature-based therapy programs?” This study invited participants of nature-based retreats held at 4 Winds Farm in Glenwood Springs, Colorado or Summit Sisters at Cal-Wood Education Center in Jamestown, Colorado. Findings indicate that women’s positive emotions are significantly impacted by their sensory experiences. It also revealed a fascination with trees and the importance of tactile experiences. For landscape architects this brings about a new challenge in designing for the …

Investigating Teacher Cognition Of Teaching Spatial Thinking Among Middle And High School Stem Teachers: A Knowledge, Belief, And Attitude Perspective, Jonathan Grant Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial thinking is a critical cognitive ability that supports learning and problem solving across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Despite extensive research highlighting the importance of spatial thinking in STEM achievement and career success, limited research has examined STEM teachers’ cognition of spatial thinking or developed instruments to measure it. The purpose of this study was to investigate middle and high school STEM teachers’ cognition of spatial thinking, including their perceived pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of spatial thinking, self-efficacy beliefs about teaching spatial thinking, and attitudes toward spatial thinking as a critical component of STEM learning and achievement. …

A Research-Informed Wellness Guide For Creating A Culture Of Educator Wellness And Retention In Schools, Anthony L. Herbert

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition in high-poverty K–12 schools continues to undermine instructional continuity, organizational stability, and educational equity. While compensation and accountability pressures contribute to turnover, emerging research identifies workload intensity, emotional exhaustion, and the absence of systemic wellness supports as central drivers of burnout and departure decisions. The purpose of this capstone project is to develop a research-informed wellness guide designed to assist site-based leaders in embedding educator wellness within school systems as a strategic approach to improving teacher retention. This study addresses the question: What leadership strategies and school-level practices does the research recommend for creating supportive, wellness-centered environments in …

Our Home Away From Home? A Transnational Intersectional Exploration Of Colorism And Group Identity Among Black Surinamese Dutch People, Ashley Melcherts

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I explore the influence of colorism on Black Surinamese Dutch group identity formation. Through a transnational intersectional lens rooted in Black feminism, I examine the role of colorism in the formation of group identity of Black Surinamese Dutch people. I also examine gendered aspects of colorism. Data for this dissertation come from virtual and face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews I conducted with 25 Black Surinamese diaspora members in the Netherlands, one Black Surinamese diaspora member in Spain, and one Black Surinamese diaspora member in the United States. Interviews reveal how Black Surinamese Dutch people negotiate colorism coming from …

Comparison Of Degree Attainment Between Traditional And Nontraditional Community College Transfer Students From The Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, Diann Mills Nichols

Theses and Dissertations

Nontraditional students have been part of higher education for over a century, yet their enrollment has increased substantially in recent decades and is expected to continue rising. Many return to college to gain credentials and skills needed for career advancement or reentry into the workforce. Despite their growing presence, nontraditional students remain less likely than traditional students to complete a degree within six years, often due to competing responsibilities such as work, family obligations, and financial strain. The purpose of this study was to compare nontraditional community college students who transferred to four-year institutions with their traditional counterparts in terms …

The Lived Experiences Of Mississippi School Leaders Addressing Food Insecurity In Their Schools, Krista Vowell Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

Title of Study: The lived experiences of Mississippi school leaders addressing food insecurity in their schools Pages in Study 135 Candidate for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Food insecurity among children in the United States remains a significant concern for educational leaders. Researchers have consistently found a relationship between food insecurity and diminished student academic outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine how school leaders and teachers in schools in Mississippi describe their lived experiences responding to students dealing with food insecurity. The research study included semi-structured interviews with 12 principals and teacher leaders from four …

The Effects Of Experiential Learning On Engineering Self-Efficacy: A Study Of The Impact Of Inperson And Virtual Internships, Co-Ops, And Research Experiences, Sunny Bharat Patel

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationship between participation in Engineering Learning Experiences (ELEs) and engineering self-efficacy, with particular attention to differences among ELE types (internships, cooperative education, and undergraduate research) and delivery modalities (in-person versus hybrid/virtual). Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study sought to better understand how work-related experiential formats influence students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in engineering tasks and professional contexts. As engineering programs and industry increasingly adopt flexible and technology-mediated environments, examining how these experiences shape beliefs about engineering capability is both timely and necessary. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative analyses compared self-efficacy outcomes across students …

Improving And Supporting Flight Instructor’S Decisions For First Solo, Isabella Piasecki

Theses and Dissertations

Flight instructors have the burden of determining when a student is ready for their first solo flight, and many have expressed uncertainty over their own decision-making skills during this phase of a student’s training. Prior studies have examined flight instructors’ pre-solo decisions in other countries, but no such study has been conducted with American flight instructors. For this study, current flight instructors with multiple prior endorsements for a student pilot’s first solo were interviewed to identify the more abstract concepts they use to guide their decision. Qualitative themes were identified from their experiences. Using this information, a checklist was developed …

Attentional Prioritization And Refreshing As Pathways To Long-Term Memory Formation, Pouria Rahgosha

Theses and Dissertations

Attention regulates which information in working memory becomes stabilized in long-term memory. Two candidate mechanisms are attentional prioritization and attentional refreshing. Although both reliably benefit working memory, their contribution to long-term memory remains unclear. Two experiments examined this issue using an associative memory paradigm in which participants encoded image-keypress pairs, maintained them under varying conditions, and completed both working memory and unexpected cued-recall tests. Experiment 1 manipulated refreshing indirectly by varying attentional load during maintenance, whereas Experiment 2 contrasted implicit and explicitly cued refreshing. Across both experiments, prioritization consistently improved working memory performance. However, prioritization benefited long-term memory only when …

Exploring Teacher Efficacy:Teaching Practices And Strategies To Enhance Student Success, Terilyn Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Through interviews with a diverse group of educators across grade levels and subject areas, the researcher explored teachers’ lived experiences focused on their instructional efficacy and teaching practices influencing student success. Guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, the purpose of the study was to examine how teachers’ beliefs in their instructional capabilities shaped their classroom practices. The researcher analyzed participants’ narratives using a thematic analysis approach to identify recurring patterns and themes related to instructional practice, professional beliefs, and classroom experiences. Participants represented varying years of teaching experience, content areas, and school contexts, providing a comprehensive perspective on instructional efficacy across …

Intersection Of Food Insecurity And Housing Among Veterans And Disabled Adults, Julie Anne Stepp

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how housing tenure is associated with food insecurity (FI) among veterans and adults with disabilities, utilizing the housing-food insecurity nexus framework. Previous research documents elevated FI among veterans and individuals with disabilities, yet few studies assess housing tenure as a mechanism connecting these statuses to food hardship. Using data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey Adult Sample (n=32,629), logistic regression models estimate the independent and interactive effects of renting, veteran status, and disability status on FI. Results suggest renters have significantly higher odds of FI than homeowners, even after adjusting for poverty status, SNAP participation, and …

Inclusion On The Margins: Exploring Multicultural Education In Predominantly White Areas, Suparna Bagchi

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

At a time when the Western world is facing major sociocultural and geopolitical turbulence through far-right and anti-immigration protests, it has become even more important to practise multicultural education. This is particularly pertinent in unique topographies that remain predominantly White, despite experiencing an increase in their global majority populations. This article is based on a doctoral study that explored teachers’, parents, and students’ experiences and understanding of multiculturalism in mainstream primary schools in an under-researched geographical location in southwest England. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with adult participants, students’ classroom activities, field notes, and classroom and corridor displays. This …

Cultivating Confidence And A Habitus Of Ex Corde Prayer Among The Baptized, Abigail Reynolds

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Reynolds, Abigail C. “Cultivating Confidence and a Habitus of Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized: Encouraging Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized as Part of Diaconal Soul Care.” M.A. thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2026. 77 pp.

Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions abound with encouragement to pray, describing prayer as communication between children and their heavenly Father. Yet, for many parishioners in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, praying ex corde prayers aloud with other Christians (family or friends) causes anxiety and is not a common practice. This thesis examines the Lutheran teaching that prayer is based in baptismal identity as God’s child and …

Uncovering Neurodevelopmental Risk In A Pediatric Intestinal Failure Population, Lindsay R. Groh, Jennifer V. Schurman, Bri Schuler, William O. San Pablo Jr, Dana M. Bakula

Research Showcase

Introduction: Intestinal failure (IF) is the need for total parenteral nutrition (TPN; nutrition through an IV) for longer than 60 days due to intestinal disease, surgical intervention, or dysfunction. Children with IF are at increased risk for developmental and mental/behavioral health concerns, due to anesthesia and prolonged hospitalizations during sensitive developmental periods, interruptions to the brain-gut axis, and exposure to medical trauma. However, psychosocial research on this population is limited and the prevalence of developmental and mental/behavioral health conditions in children with IF is unknown. We sought to assess the prevalence of developmental, mental, and behavioral health concerns in children …

Hegel, A Re-Examination,, J N Findlay

Hannah Arendt Marginalia - All

New York, Humanities Press, 1964 [©1958]

Call # : B2948 .F47 1964

Contains marginalia, underlining and marginal lining PDF Information : 33 Pages, 13.1 MB

The Making Of An Extremist: How Do We Become Someone Else’S Nightmare?, María Paula Morales

The Confluence

This article explores how ordinary people can be pulled into extremist movements and what psychological forces drive that process. It looks at three perspectives: social identity theory, which explains how group belonging shapes behavior, identity development, which shows how people searching for meaning may find it in extremist causes; and social neuroscience, which connects radicalization to brain activity linked to fear, loyalty, and moral judgement. Together, these approaches show that radicalization is not simply about ideology but about identity, emotion, and belonging. By understanding these dynamics, we can find better ways to prevent extremism and promote healthier, more inclusive communities.

Satire And Sentiment: Dickensian Characterization In Hard Times, Helen R. Ball

The Confluence

Readers of Charles Dickens both celebrate and criticize his characters, who are paramount among the quintessential aspects of his writing. His industrial novel Hard Times bears particularly the weight of such criticism in its portrayal of Stephen Blackpool, one of the Coketown factory Hands. Scholars have complained that Blackpool exemplifies, in too boring or didactic a manner, the typical virtues of the Victorian era, such as saintliness, humility, and long-suffering (Spector 365), and that his character lacks the necessary traits to compel and inspire readers.

Such a critique has prompted the following research and analysis. Using formalist observation of diction …

Hammurabi’S Laws: Ancient Traditions Of Violence, Aaron Secrist

The Confluence

The tradition of enforcing private property through violence is truly ancient, and goes back thousands of years to the first civilizations. There exists a prevailing attitude that contemporary culture is more “civilized” than the first organized societies – and while it’s true in some ways, our laws are still remarkably similar to those practiced in antiquity. In the following essay, I analyze the Law Code of Hammurabi and examine its parallels to the way laws function today. First, I will provide context for the technological advances that made the first city-states possible, then give a cultural and economic overview of …

From Your Pov: Using Narrative-Focused Methodology To Study Psychological Correlates Of Sexual Health Behaviors, Zoë E. Sweaney, Stephanie Afful

The Confluence

How far would you go (or not go) to protect yourself from risky sexual behaviors? Additionally, what influence does our gender identity and socialization have on these decisions? In the current series of studies, a story-driven safe-sex behavioral assessment was developed and administered to participants to assess the relationships amongst psychological indices, personal values, and sexual health. This research confirms the validity of an instrument that queries sensitive data while controlling for social desirability concerns. The applications of this research are especially pertinent to improving upon interpersonal communication, sexual health education, and women’s sexual health advocacy.

Modeling Psychological And Demographic Predictors Of Analog Astronaut Mission Participation, Christian Yeara Herrero, Frányerson R. López Ochoa, Mackenzie Thomas, Phoebe Fleshman

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

As plans accelerate to send humans into orbit and to other celestial bodies, whether to lunar outposts, Mars bases, or commercial space stations, it becomes increasingly important to understand how to maintain healthy, cohesive, and productive crews in confined, isolated environments. A practical way to study human adaptation to these conditions is through analog astronaut missions on Earth. Although imperfect, these facilities provide the closest Earth-based simulation of space mission conditions. Currently, over ten analog research centers are operating worldwide, including NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) and the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) habitats. Selecting and recruiting …

Toward A Corporeal Materialism. Response To Reviewers, Banu Bargu

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Literature In Dider Eribon’S Returning To Reims: An Emancipatory Review, Noa De Kievit

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

This paper examines Didier Eribon’s Returning to Reims (2009) as a model for understanding how literary and autobiographical writing can enact ''the politics of literature.'' While Eribon is widely recognized as a sociologist, his “autosociobiography”—tracing his trajectory from a working-class upbringing to an academic career alongside his coming out—blends personal narrative and sociological insight to illuminate structural inequalities and social marginalization. Reading the text through Jacques Rancière’s concept of the politics of literature, I argue that Eribon simultaneously expands the scope of what is visible, sayable, and thinkable, while reflecting critically on the interpretive authority he exercises. Building on Caroline …

Resilience Otherwise: Ambivalence, Care, And The Cultural Politics Of Endurance Under Neoliberal Capitalism, Vered Ben David

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

Over the past two decades, resilience has emerged as a central cultural keyword circulating across psychology, public policy, education, labor, and popular culture. Frequently celebrated as a marker of strength and adaptability, resilience has also become entangled with neoliberal forms of governance that relocate responsibility for managing insecurity onto individuals and communities. This analysis offers a critical cultural account of resilience as an ambivalent formation that operates simultaneously as a lived capacity for adaptation and as a normative demand that responsibilizes subjects under conditions of structural precarity. Drawing on scholarship in developmental psychology, political economy, and critical cultural theory, the …

A Comparison Of Patients’ And Orthodontists’ Preferences For Pain Management During Orthodontic Treatment, Sara Schutte Dds, Bhavna Shroff Dds, Al M. Best Phd, Steven Lindauer Dds

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Antecedents And Outcomes Of Servant Leadership: Implications For The Salesforce, James Deconinck, Andrew Carnes, Julie Johnson-Busbin

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Predictors Of Depression And Anxiety In Thai Stroke Caregivers, Chanatip Tongyonk, Sorawit Wainipitapong, Chavit Tunvirachaisakul, Aurauma Chutinet, Michael Maes, Thitiporn Supasitthumrong

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Caregivers of stroke survivors often face significant psychological challenges, yet limited research in Thailand has explored how patient and caregiver characteristics jointly influence caregiver mental health outcomes.

Objective: To identify characteristics of ischemic stroke patients and their caregivers that may predict distress, sadness, and anxiety symptoms in the caregivers.

Method: To measure caregivers' burden, stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Zarit Burden Interview (22-item ZBI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were utilized. To define a multi-step mediation model, we used partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Result: 97 stroke patients and their …

From Early Adversity To Adult Health: Quality-Of-Life Consequences In A Mental Illness In Saudi Arabia, Rawan Saad Alghamdi, Ahmad A. Mirza, Ibrahim Fae Asiri, Fatemah Samir Alghamdi, Nawaf Abdulaziz Alharthi, Shaymaa A. Abdalal, Iman K. Ramadan

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: Childhood trauma (CT) is prevalent among bipolar disorder (BD) patients and exacerbates clinical outcomes, which may impact the quality of life (QoL). This study explores the prevalence of CT and its association with QoL among BD patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted among adults with BD during the euthymic phase. Sample size was estimated using a single-proportion approach (target n=141), and participants recruited by convenience sampling of eligible outpatients. CT was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and QoL using the the Brief Quality of Life in Bipolar Disorder (Brief QoL.BD). Results: The CT prevalence was …

Impact Of Treatment On The Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Children With Cancer In Saudi Arabia, Fayzah Hussain Alhussain, Amany Anwar Saeed Alabdullah

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: The impact of cancer on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is considerable, particularly for children undergoing oncological treatment. While research has addressed HRQOL in childhood cancer survivors, less attention has been given to those actively undergoing treatment, including in Saudi Arabia. This systematic review aimed to address this gap by quantitatively evaluating studies reporting on the HRQOL of children in Saudi Arabia during their active cancer treatment phase. We also compare these findings with studies from around the world, emphasising demographic, medical and parental predictors of HRQOL. Methods: A comprehensive search of relevant databases (MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, PsycINFO and …

Effects Of A Basketball Match On Heart Rate Variability In Collegiate Intramural Players, Unobatsha Mbaiwa

Master's Theses

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a standard non-invasive physiological marker used to asses the autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and cardiovascular adaptability. HRV reflects the natural variations in time between successive heartbeats (R-R intervals), which come as a result of the interaction between sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017). Higher HRV compared to an individual's baseline is normally considered an indicator of greater parasympathetic (rest/digest) influence and more effective physiological recovery, whereas lower HRV relative to baseline is associated with sympathetic (fight/flight) dominance, fatigue, and increased physiological strain. Since the standardized HRV measurement criteria were …

The Political Economy Of Fashion Sustainability Regulation, Meital Peleg Mizrachi, Rachel Chambers

UC Law Business Journal

The global fashion industry is one of the world’s most polluting and exploitative sectors, emitting more greenhouse gases than all international flights and maritime shipping combined, driving extensive water contamination and waste, and relying on labor conditions that remain chronically unsafe and underpaid. Regulation has attempted to respond, but with limited success. Existing sustainability oversight—ranging from import bans and human rights due diligence statutes to environmental taxes and voluntary industry frameworks—remains fragmented and unevenly enforced, shaped by geopolitical tensions, protectionist agendas, and shifting policy priorities. This Article reviews the rapidly evolving landscape of fashion sustainability regulation over the past decade …