Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On Positive Habit Formation And Individual Well-Being: A Literature Review, Lori Barnes

2024 Student Academic Showcase

Mindfulness practices have been recognized as an important tool for cultivating positive habits and enhancing overall well-being. This literature review begins with a brief overview of what mindfulness practices are and explores a wide range of research demonstrating the effectiveness of mindfulness practices on personal growth and well-being. Furthermore, various aspects of well-being, including mental health, stress reduction, emotional regulation, and physical health are examined in relation to mindfulness practices. Additionally, this review discusses the use of technology applications to facilitate mindfulness practices and explores the utility of mindful practices during high stress times such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Comparison Of Japanese And American Tattoos, Zachary Martin

2024 Student Academic Showcase

In the Japanese culture, tattoos began as a form of punishment for criminals, while tattoos in the American culture began as a display of one’s title as sailor. Throughout time, tattoos in Japan became more synonymous with pride and loyalty, albeit still being primarily used by criminals and members of Japanese gangs. In American cultures, tattoos shifted from a sailor's declaration and pride towards a personal statement by the individual wearing the tattoo. This presentation investigates the similarities and differences in Japanese and American tattoos through their uses in history and present day, as well as the symbolisms and meanings …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Personality, Mandy Galli

2024 Student Academic Showcase

The current project is a proposal for a study that will help clarify the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and assess how achievement motivation relates to TEI. Participants will be adults recruited from social media and the Lindenwood Participant Pool. Variables will be measured through questionnaires on Qualtrics. Correlational analyses will be conducted to assess the relationship between personality traits and TEI as well as the relationship between achievement motivation and TEI. Additionally, t-tests will be conducted to evaluate the relationship between TEI and both exposure to childhood discussions of emotion and current …

Language Acquisition: Which Factors Make It Easier To Learn Another Language?, Johanna Gref

2024 Student Academic Showcase

My presentation looks at factors influencing second language acquisition and whether they facilitate or hinder the learning process. I will begin by reviewing language acquisition theories applicable to infants and toddlers, providing a foundational understanding. As a key factor, I will examine age of acquisition in relation to successful second language acquisition. The role of intelligence on second language acquisition will also be discussed. Additionally, I will investigate whether certain languages are inherently easier to learn based on syntax, vocabulary, and one’s native language. My discussion will extend to examining the ease of acquiring multiple languages after acquiring a second …

Understanding The Relationship Between Choice Of Pet And Priorities In An Intimate Relationship - A Research Proposal, Kaitlyn Guthrie

2024 Student Academic Showcase

This proposed research study aims to see if an individual’s choice of pet reflect the things that they value most in an intimate relationship. Pets have become more popular over the years, and a common theme for choosing a pet is whether or not the animal will be a good fit for the individual’s lifestyle. Since dogs are known to be social and affectionate creatures, I believe that individuals who have pet dogs may require more physical affection and a sense of togetherness in an intimate relationship in order to feel satisfied. I believe that individuals who own cats, though …

An Exploration Of Companion Robots, Annelyse Lockhart

2024 Student Academic Showcase

Japan and the United States have a drastically different view towards artificial intelligence and smart machines. Within my project, I did an exploratory analysis of robotics within the United States and Japan, and posed the question as to why Japan has substantially more robotics within their day-to-day life. I took an in-depth look at Japanese robotics that do not exist within the United States, as well as explored the biases behind smart machines in both cultures. Judging Category: Exploratory

Evaluating The Impact Of Cyber Seniors On The Mental Health And Connection Of College Students, Paige Julius

2024 Student Academic Showcase

Mental health issues on college campuses have reached an all-time high. Intergenerational programs that facilitate interactions between aging adults and college students are a promising strategy to improve mental health of college students. This project evaluates the impact of an intergenerational technology program called Cyber Seniors at Lindenwood University. The mixed method evaluation analyzes changes in overall perceived wellness and social connectedness of college students. To date many studies have looked at the impact of intergenerational programs on seniors, but few have focused on college students. Results show a statistically significant improvement in overall perceived wellness and the subscale of …

Bridging The Gap: Determinants Of Consumers’ Willingness To Pay For Environmentally Friendly Packages Of Leafy Greens, Carissa Dieli, Anushree Priyadarshini, Robert Ludgate, Lorraine Foley

Articles

Government and corporate policies have mandated a reduction in plastic packaging to combat issues of waste and climate change. This move towards sustainable packaging alternatives in the fresh food sector will increase costs for consumers. Much of the present research finds consumers are willing to pay more for sustainability, but their willingness to pay (WTP) does not align with real-world purchases, representing an attitude–behaviour gap. To combat this gap, it is posited that consumers’ current purchasing- and sustainability-related behaviours will meaningfully correlate with their WTP and bridge the attitude–behaviour gap. This research used an online survey (n = 476) to …

Strategies To Decrease Separation Rates Among Highly Skilled Manufacturing Employees To Gain A Competitive Advantage, Rebecca J. Mileham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Company leaders have a decreased competitive advantage when losing their highly skilled manufacturing employees due to separation from the company. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies aeronautical leaders used to decrease separation rates among highly skilled manufacturing employees to gain a competitive advantage. The participants comprised eight frontline managers in southern California with 2 years or more experience using strategies to decrease separation in their organization. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in four themes: pay and promotion; benefits and feedback; treatment from …

The Effect Of Skin Tone Inclusive Dermatology Education On Diagnostic Accuracy And Self-Confidence In Graduate Nursing Students, Kaylyn Bourne, Laura Gray

DNP Projects

Abstract

BACKGROUND: People with skin of color face worse health outcomes than their light-skinned peers. According to the literature, graduate nursing programs lack skin tone inclusive curricular content (Shue-McGuffin & Powers, 2022). This contributes to disproportionate racial and ethnic health disparities. Skin tone inclusive online dermatology modules have been shown to improve diagnostic accuracy and self-confidence among medical students and residents in primary care specialties (Trinh et al., 2021; Salava & Salmela, 2022; Wang et al., 2020). Similar models may be an effective approach for graduate nursing students as they prepare to evaluate skin disease across the skin tone …

Nontraditional Community College Students In Nursing: Perceptions Personified, Helene P. Seibert

Dissertations

Nontraditional students in nursing have been the topic of multiple research studies to gain insight into their perceptions regarding retention. This mixed methods study, using Jeffreys' Student Perception Appraisal-Revised (SPA-R, 2007a) takes the quantitative findings a step further by using a qualitative approach to generate findings that extend the value of that instrument by exploring the details pertaining to each of the environmental items using focus groups and individual interviews with community college nursing students, just prior to graduation. One hundred seven associate degree nursing students in their last semester at three Midwestern community colleges were surveyed with the SPA-R …

Examining Confidence In Scientific Literacy Amongst General Biology And General Chemistry Students, Amy Sullivan

Honors Theses

Scientific literacy is a term used to describe a person’s ability to understand scientific concepts, read and write those concepts, and link those concepts to situations outside of the classroom in order to make informed decisions in their daily lives. This research paper details a study observing how scientific literacy confidence varies among general biology and chemistry students at the University of Mississippi. The goal of this research is to determine if students in general biology and chemistry classes will have similar self-reported confidence in their science literacy. This research took place at the University of Mississippi amongst Biology 160/161 …

Building Equitable Mental Health Care For Latino Children: Perspectives From Providers And Communities, Francisco Banda, Greeshma James, Karina Vasudeva, Michelle Franklin, Andrea Thoumi, Rushina Cholera

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background: The current pediatric mental health crisis has disproportionately impacted Latino youth in the United States (US), as demonstrated by their elevated risks of depression, substance use disorder, and anxiety. Despite this, research suggests Latino youth receive inequitable mental health services.

Objective: To understand best practices, challenges, and priorities in providing accessible and equitable mental health care for Latino youth from the perspectives of front-line mental health providers and Latino community members.

Methods: A bicultural, bilingual researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 participants with expertise in Latino mental health. Topics included barriers and facilitators to mental health care access and …

“Middle Schoolers Are Just This Special Kind Of Human Being”: Middle School Teacher Perspectives On Creating Hope For Their Students And Themselves, Sheeba Jacob

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety and depression have increased for adolescent youth, particularly since the pandemic. For certain students, this anxiety and depression connects to trauma because of inequity and bias in schools. This qualitative study examined successful urban middle school teachers and their perspectives on conditions they created for hope in their classrooms and ways they created hope for themselves. Eight middle school teachers who taught humanities shared their insights through semi-structured interviews. Findings aligned with pedagogical practices the teachers used that centered hope and voice for students: culturally responsive practices, relational practices, and justice-oriented practices. These specific teachers cared deeply about their …

The Convergence Of Ikigai And Design Thinking: Crafting A Purposeful Framework, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Sustainable Machine Intelligence Journal

In an era where innovation is not just about solving problems but also about enhancing human experiences and fostering personal fulfillment, the convergence of Ikigai principles with Design Thinking methodology offers a promising avenue for holistic problem-solving and innovation. This paper explores the intersection of Ikigai—a Japanese concept representing one's reason for being—and Design Thinking—a human-centered approach to innovation. We propose a conceptual framework, termed Ikigai-Driven Design (IDD), which integrates the principles of Ikigai with the stages of Design Thinking. IDD comprises five main stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test, each combining elements of Ikigai and Design Thinking to …

Patient Characteristics Of, And Remedial Interventions For, Complaints And Medico-Legal Claims Against Doctors: A Rapid Review Of The Literature, Timothy J Schultz, Michael Zhou, Jodi Gray, Jackie Roseleur, Richard Clark, Dylan A Mordaunt, Peter D Hibbert, Georgie Haysom, Michael Wright

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: It is uncertain if patient's characteristics are associated with complaints and claims against doctors. Additionally, evidence for the effectiveness of remedial interventions on rates of complaints and claims against doctors has not been synthesised.

METHODS: We conducted a rapid review of recent literature to answer: Question 1 "What are the common characteristics and circumstances of patients who are most likely to complain or bring a claim about the care they have received from a doctor?" and Question 2 "What initiatives or interventions have been shown to be effective at reducing complaints and claims about the care patients have received …

Improving A Graduate-Level Health Care Informatics Epidemiology Course: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach, Michelle Crozier

Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository

Peer review of assignments encourages social cohesion among students, promotes a better understanding of course material, and develops soft skills. In the most recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) report, employers are most commonly seeking recent graduates who demonstrate the ability to problem solve and who effectively work on a team (Gray, 2024). Peer review assignments can help students practice these skills. Teaching students to provide quality feedback on peer assignments also allows instructors more direct student engagement opportunities since grading time is reduced (Hattie, 2022). This technique can be adopted for courses in any discipline and provides …

Teacher And Counselor Perceptions Of Implementing Service-Learning At A U.S. Virgin Islands School District, Hester Zaethar Philbert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ and counselors’ perceptions of the challenges of implementing service learning with fidelity to best practices consistently in a school district in the U.S. Virgin Islands and to identify resources necessary to support the implementation of best practices in service learning. With only 21% of high school graduates in the Virgin Islands advancing to higher education, understanding and addressing challenges in implementing service-learning is important for enhancing student outcomes. The study, guided by Dewey’s theory of experiential education and Kolb’s theory of service learning, used semistructured interviews to gather data from …

Thriving As Educators: A Study On Cultivating Joy And Longevity In Teaching, Stephanie Anne Wilkinson Witt

Theses and Dissertations

This instrumental case study explored the phenomenon of long-term teachers of a school district in the Western United States who continue to enjoy teaching. They were asked about their well-being at work, using the elements of the PERMA theory of well-being--positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments--and how those impacted their enjoyment and their choice to continue teaching. The case consisted of seven teachers who each had at least 10 years of experience teaching. Each participant was interviewed about what they do to enjoy and continue teaching. Through analysis, clear strategies and actionable steps that teachers can take to continue …

Efficacy Of Patient Education And Duloxetine, Alone And In Combination, For Patients With Multisystem Functional Somatic Disorder: Study Protocol For The Edulox Trial, Cecilia Pihl Jespersen, Heidi Frølund Pedersen, Maria Kleinstäuber, Per Fink, Kaare Bro Wellnitz, Eva Ørnbøl, Andreas Schröder, Johanne Liv Agger, Lene Vase, Nanna Brix Finnerup, Lise Kirstine Gormsen

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Multisystem functional somatic disorder is characterized by specific patterns of persistent physical symptoms with a complex biopsychosocial etiology. The disorder can lead to disability and personal suffering. Current treatment options require specialized settings, therefore patients often wait a long time to receive specific treatment.

Patient education is considered important in most treatment programs, but has only been investigated sparsely as a stand-alone treatment. Pharmacological treatment is limited to tricyclic antidepressants in low doses with not antidepressant properties. Duloxetine has been found effective in single organ functional disorders. As a treatment for multisystem functional somatic disorder, duloxetine could reduce symptoms …

Co-Designing With First-Generation Transfer Students, Randi Petrauskas Harris

Dissertations and Theses

Roughly 80% of community college students indicate that they intend to transfer to a four-year institution, 30% of those students eventually transfer, and 13% of those students persist to graduate with a baccalaureate degree. There has been previous research on transfer students and on first generation students, but the intersection of first-generation transfer students is under-reported. Prior research indicates that sense of belonging is an important factor in student persistence to graduation for transfer students. Higher education institutions, specifically four-year public institutions, are positioned to support first-generation transfer student sense of belonging by fostering a "transfer receptive culture." Recognizing that …

Stigma And Its Implications For Dementia In South Africa: A Multi-Stakeholder Exploratory Study, R Jacobs, M Schneider, N Farina, Toit P Du, S Evans-Lacko

Peninsula Medical School

Stigma and discrimination in relation to dementia has a range of implications for people living with dementia and their families worldwide, including help-seeking, quality of life, social rejection and isolation. Few studies consider the perceptions and stigma towards dementia from multiple perspectives, such as people living with dementia, carers, general public and health-care workers. South Africa has limited evidence on the stigmatisation of people living with dementia, with responses to people living with dementia being driven by poor understanding of the condition, cultural beliefs about causes and social interaction problems associated with memory and cognitive impairment. This study explored the …

Effects Of A Mentorship Program On High Need College Students: Reflections From Mentors And Mentees, Stephen Miske, Olusegun Sogunro

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

On average, the college graduation rates for minority and/or high-need students are generally low. To address this situation, a Mid-Atlantic Consortium recently secured a grant to improve 4-year graduation rates of high-need students (i.e., new first-time students and transfer students who qualify as low-income students, first-generation college students, adult students, and/or students of color) by 20% over each selected college’s baseline. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of students and faculty mentors toward accomplishing this goal. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically. Some of the effects identified in this study included enhanced academic …

Leadership Tools To Support The Transformational Leadership Style, Emily P. Haire, Dr. Catherine E. Barrett, Dr. Ashley C. Johnson, Dr. Bradley Mills

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

The lives of many have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Dumulescu & Mutiu, 2021). In higher education, students, professors, instructional aids, and other school staff were sent home from institutions to protect health and safety. There became an immediate need for clear, straightforward leadership to guide and lead higher education students and professionals through these unprecedented times, and amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, transformational leaders have been effective in changing the world of higher education institutions. This paper will explore the findings of effective leadership styles for individuals after going through a global pandemic.

Choice Overload, Erin Powers, Jiuquing Cheng

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Research has previously hypothesized that increasing the number of choices would increase intrinsic motivation, satisfaction, and control throughout the decision-making process. However, large bodies of research has been discovering that when people experience choice overload they feel confused and dissatisfied with their choices because they don't feel like they've sought out and found the best choice. Results from choice overload research have found that increasing the assortment size of choices, added time pressure, and the risks of making a decision all negatively consumer choice.

Traumatic Brain Injury And Public Stigma: The Effect Of Perceived Responsibility, Mackenzie Grenko

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

A known 5.3 million Americans are currently disabled by traumatic brain injury (TBI; NCIPC, 2016). Perceived responsibility can alter public attitudes toward those with TBI, resulting in challenges such as stigma. Weiner’s Attribution Theory (1993) has yet to be applied to those with brain injury despite evidence that perceived responsibility negatively impacted public attitudes (Linden et al., 2007; Redpath et al., 2010). Further, It is unclear within the literature what characteristics of the injury (e.g., safety equipment uses, job-related) impact public stigma. Therefore, the aim of this study is to expand on previous research regarding TBI and perceptions of responsibility …

Red Vs. Blue: Identifying Demands Among Faculty And Graduate Students, Mackenzie Grenko, Kieran Luedke, Tenzin Kalsang, Helen C. Harton

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Recently enacted legislation and political climate may contribute to faculty dissatisfaction. For instance, 87% of faculty in Florida would not recommend faculty jobs in their state because of recent laws affecting higher education (e.g., DEI funding restrictions in institutions; Zahneis & June 2023). Those in Democratic states may also be impacted (e.g., White males feeling discriminated against; Isom Scott, 2018). These political climates related to higher education may also impact graduate students and contribute to their stress. In this study, we examined to what extent being in a “red,” “purple,” or “blue” state (e.g., conservative, moderate/centrist, or liberal) related to …

The Good Is The Enemy Of The Great: How America’S Anti-Trafficking Legislation Should Be Reevaluated To Reach Its Full Potential, Foster Willie

LSU Law Journal for Social Justice & Policy

No abstract provided.

More Than A Year: The Need To Extend The Civil Statute Of Limitations For Sex Crimes Cases In Louisiana, Julia Aucoin

LSU Law Journal for Social Justice & Policy

No abstract provided.

From Missouri To Angola (Prison): The Need For Increased Protections For Incarcerated Juveniles Under Federal Law, Hunter Nasato

LSU Law Journal for Social Justice & Policy

No abstract provided.