Digital Commons Network^™

Responding To The Association Of Secondhand Tobacco Smoke And Mental Illness: A Systematic Review, Pooja Bhattarai, Bassema Abu-Farsakh, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure represents a significant yet often overlooked public health challenge affecting over a billion people globally (World Health Organization 2021). Individuals exposed to SHS exposure inhale over 7,000 chemicals, including nicotine and other toxic substances, which adversely impact physical health (Carreras et al., 2019; Nadhiroh et al., 2020; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024). However, growing evidence suggests SHS exposure may increase the likelihood of poor mental health outcomes (Van der Eijk & Woh 2023, Zeng et al., 2016) Addressing SHS exposure not only requires acknowledging its impact but also respecting the …

2025 December 4 - From My Notepads Newsletter, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University, Brian Noland

From My Notepads: A Newsletter from President Brian Noland

No abstract provided.

Psychological Variables That Best Predict Health Related Behaviors In College Students, Arianna Gamaggio

Honors Theses

The present study examined which psychological factors best predicted health behaviors in college students. The psychological factors that were addressed included anxiety, depression, grit, and psychological flexibility. The health behaviors were examined by using a composite variable that included sleep, diet, and exercise. A total of 265 students participated in the study, but only 174 (μ age = 21) met the criteria for inclusion. Participants completed validated self-report measures such as the GAD- 7 (anxiety), PHQ-9 (depression), Short Grit Scale, Psy-Flex-6 (psychological flexibility), as well as health behavior assessments that measured eating behaviors, sleeping, and exercise habits. Correlational analyses indicated …

Characteristics Of Unintentional Injuries In Young Children In Low Socioeconomic Status Families, Annabelle Pederson

Honors Theses

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among young children in the United States, with low-income families being at higher risk. This study examined seven weeks of prospective injury data from 89 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in a Head Start program participating in a randomized controlled trial of a modified home safety intervention. Caregivers completed weekly interviews reporting the injury type, location, severity, pain, and caregiver in charge. Slips, trips, and falls were the most common injuries that occurred, with most occurring in the primary caregiver’s home. Mothers were the supervising adults in over half of the incidents. …

The Divided Self: Gothic Duality In Literature, Sarah Anna Meeks

Masters Theses

Gothic literature of the nineteenth century is haunting due to its frequent use of ghosts and monsters. However, the true terror lies in a deeper horror, one that is more intimate and destabilizing– a fright that leaps out of the text, looking into the heart of the reader: the fractured mind of the self torn between reality and repression, haunted by its own, newly manifested internal disunity rather than external monsters. The characters of Gothic fiction are typically caught in a psychological turmoil. They battle with split morals between duty and desire, morality and madness, and science and spirituality. Specifically, …

Spectator 2025-12-04, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

A Concept Analysis Of Entrenched Toxic Cultures In Nursing Academia, Becky Good, Kristen Kirby, Karen J. Foli

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Introduction: Toxic cultures in nursing academia are environments characterized by incivility, bullying, and harassment, all concepts well defined in the literature (Beckmann et al., 2013; Clark, 2013; Fry & Schmer, 2021). While some toxic cultures can be addressed with targeted interventions, others are more widespread, established, and difficult to dismantle (Beitz & Beckmann, 2023; Clark & Ritter, 2018; Coates, 2024; Goldberg et al., 2013; Olsen et al., 2020). Specific data are scarce; however, as negative behaviors persist and intensify, we believe the unexplored phenomenon of entrenched toxic culture (ETC) emerges.

Purpose: This concept analysis aims to define ETCs in nursing …

Interdisciplinary Debriefing After Critical Events: The Impact On Burnout And Teamwork, Shannon Souther, Eunyoung Lee, Milena Staykova

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Healthcare workers are frequently exposed to critical events, which can lead to emotional stress and burnout. Burnout can significantly impact the healthcare system and healthcare workers on a physical, mental, and emotional level, which can lead to a higher level of turnover. One strategy to reduce burnout is to introduce interdisciplinary debriefing (IDD) after critical events. Debriefing may decrease burnout among healthcare workers and increase teamwork, reducing turnover intent. However, there is limited research to demonstrate a relationship between IDD, burnout, and teamwork.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the impact that IDD after critical events has on teamwork and …

Capacity Building For Mental Health Of Older Persons: A Participatory Action Research, Theresa Aragones Guino-O, Zorinna Macahis Luague, Uenavil Anne Empaces Junio, Evalyn Elardo Abalos

Biennial Convention (CONV)

There is a projected increase in the older population worldwide by 2050. This creates disconcerting implications in Philippine society, where a trend of elderly persons living alone and with minimal resources to meet their health maintenance and treatment needs is observed. These important concerns relate to mental health and need to be addressed through research-based interventions that are effective and sustainable. The aim of the study was to assess, implement, and evaluate socially and culturally acceptable interventions for the mental health of older persons together with the participants residing in Barangay Calindagan, Dumaguete City, Philippines. Participatory action research was chosen …

Workplace Incivility And Its Impact On Vulnerability And Well-Being Of Nursing Faculty In Japan, Miwako Hoshi, Namiko Kawamura, Takumi Yoshino, Melissa Dyo

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Research Design: This research was a non-experimental descriptive study.

Subjects: A convenience sampling method was employed in this study, resulting in a total of 455 nursing faculty across Japan. The participants consisted of 52 males (10.4%) and 341 females (68.1%) with a mean age of 47.2 years (SD = 9.68). Regarding their academic positions, 94 were professors (18.8%), 68 were associate professors (13.6%), 82 were (senior) assistant professors (16.4%), 113 were (junior) assistant professors (22.6%), and 41 were research associates (8.2%).

Instruments: The survey form with open-ended questions to explore the experiences of workplace incivility such as faculty-to-faculty and …

Opening Brief For Plaintiff-Appellant Jacob Julick, Aryssa Harris, Cameron Tong, Madeline H. Meth

Faculty Scholarship

For ten days in the middle of winter, officers at the Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP) confined Jacob Julick in freezing cells, dressed only in paper boxers, and without access to hygiene products, a shower, cleaning products, bedding, or shoes. The reason? Mistaken retribution in response to a recent assault on an officer in which Julick was not involved.

When Julick reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, Defendant Officer Jason Denny mocked him, telling him to “kill [him]self and do them the favor.” Shortly after, Julick was moved from his first solitary cell to a strip cage where he was handcuffed, shackled, and …

The Effects Of Perceived Stress On First Responders' Job Performance While Moderating For Self-Efficacy, Diane Craig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress in the workplace results in substantial economic losses for U.S. organizations. The effects of perceived stress on reducing the job performance of first responders continue to be a concern for administrators in emergency response management. Grounded in self-efficacy theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the moderating effects of self efficacy on the relationship between perceived stress and job performance among U.S. first responders. The sample comprised 78 men and 65 women (N = 143) from professional response agencies in the United States. They completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Endicott Work Productivity Scale, and the …

Strategies Leaders Use To Reduce Voluntary Attrition Among Employees With Access To Wellness Programs, Cara Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Voluntary employee attrition presents ongoing challenges for organizational leaders, particularly among employees whose workplace needs and preferences are unmet. The problem is that many leaders lack effective strategies to mitigate voluntary attrition, which negatively impacts productivity, morale, and overall organizational performance. Grounded in the job demands–resources model and wellness climate theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore strategies leaders used to reduce voluntary employee attrition among employees who have access to workplace wellness programs. The participants were six organizational leaders from mid-sized and public-sector organizations who successfully mitigated voluntary attrition. Data were collected through semistructured …

Spartan Daily, December 4, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 42

Beyond The Grade: Validity In Global Virtual Team Peer Evaluation, Maria Randazzo-Davis, Phd., Christopher Nelson , Phd., Hillary Nelson, Graduate Student

International Journal for Business Education

This study examines how peer evaluation functions in global virtual teams, a setting that reflects the collaborative demands of contemporary international business education. The authors tested whether peer evaluation subscales, total peer-report score, and various indicators of team diversity predict team performance, assessed by instructors in a sample of 2,012 students from 445 X-Culture teams. The variables that were good predictors of team performance included the quality of team communication, work ethic, technical competence, generation of ideas, peer engagement, and peer writing skills. Less predictive of performance were leadership and effort ratings. In addition, students' self-ratings (i.e., peer ratings) were, …

Exploring The Academic Self-Advocacy Experiences Of African American Female College Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Temetric Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Despite available resources for students with disabilities, AA female college students with ADHD continue to experience academic challenges that threaten their graduation goals. Students with ADHD are not graduating at the same level as their non-ADHD peers, which may often be due to inefficient academic self-advocacy skills that can address intersectional oppression. College students with ADHD often face academic challenges that contribute to lower graduation rates compared to their non-ADHD peers. African American women similarly experience lower graduation rates compared to their white peers. When combined, these intersecting factors highlight the compounded barriers African American female college students with ADHD …

Edenic Themes Of Creation And Exile In The Book Of Jonah And Their Impact On Evangelical Exegesis, Christopher R. Walker

Masters Theses

This thesis examines how the Book of Jonah uses imagery drawn from the Garden of Eden and how these themes shape the way evangelicals read the book. Rather than treating Jonah as a simple moral tale, the study argues that the narrative is intentionally crafted to further highlight Jonah’s disobedience and the book's theological claims, using Edenic imagery. Chapter One considers the question of “Why did Jonah run to Tarshish”? After considering the intertextual links, it appears that Jonah ran specifically to Tarshish for its Eden-like possibilities. Chapter Two focuses on the non-human agents in the book. The wind, ship, …

Exploring The Relationship Between Loneliness And Real-Time Measurements Of Gsr And Hrv During Concept Mapping, And Cortisol And Oxytocin Levels, Jangwon Seo

Masters Theses

This study attempts to explore loneliness among college students from a bio-physio-psycho-social perspective, and it utilizes real-time physiological measurements (GSR and HRV) and biomarkers (cortisol and oxytocin) in conjunction with psychosocial assessments. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, which involve concept mapping exercises, with the aim of comprehending the full nature of how loneliness interacts with physiological and psychological processes. At Time 1 (T1) we found significant positive correlations between loneliness and elevated GSR levels, which is indicative of increased sympathetic arousal (r = .35, p < .01). Additionally, there were significant negative correlations between loneliness and mean RR intervals in HRV that indicated autonomic dysregulation featured by increased sympathetic activities as well as reduced parasympathetic functions (r = -.28, p < .05). However, at Time 2 (T2), these correlations were not significant indicating possible temporal fluctuations due to adaptive responses or extraneous variables such social support systems or coping mechanisms. The qualitative data from concept mapping enriched the analysis by providing deeper insights into the cognitive and emotional processes underlying loneliness. Despite limitations like demographic skewness, funding constraints, logistical challenges, etc., this, therefore, highlights the need for multidimensional investigations of psychological phenomena. This has implications for future research as well as clinical practice, which could include using these integrative measures to develop holistic interventions for mental health disorders.

Job-Related Factors Affecting Special Education Teachers In The Pk-12 Classrooms Technology Proficiency: A Predictive Correlational Study, Kreshonya Porter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to determine if a linear combination of job-related factors could predict special education teachers’ technology proficiency. The study is critical because teachers’ technology proficiency in a special education setting directly impacts students’ inclusivity, engagement, productivity, and achievements in the classroom. This study adds to the literature regarding special education teachers’ technology proficiency by examining specific job-related factors (experience, educational level, amount of technology-related professional development training, frequency of technology use, specialty, and job placement). The participants for this study were drawn from the population of special education teachers employed in pre-K through …

Determining The Efficacy Of A Digital Small-Group Formatted Spiritual Care Program In Increasing Ministry Volunteer Resiliency And Retention At Groundwire, Andrew J. Ondo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project examined the efficacy of biblically informed, trauma-aware, peer-to-peer spiritual care systems within the solely digital ministry context of Groundwire. The study addressed the growing need for effective pastoral care in digitally mediated environments, where formation and fragmentation occur simultaneously and traditional leadership structures are often absent. The purpose was to design, implement, and evaluate a protocol that could cultivate the core concepts of resilience, intentionality, and wisdom among participants, reinforcing both practical resilience and retention. An action-oriented, primarily qualitative methodology was utilized. The final sample population consisted of eleven Groundwire participants engaged in peer-to-peer care on Discord, with …

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Perspectives On Social-Emotional Learning As A Tool For Mitigating Poverty, Violence, And Trauma In Urban High Schools Of West Tennessee, Schevonda G. Hunt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand teachers' perspectives on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) as a mitigating factor for poverty, violence, and trauma for high school students in West Tennessee. At this stage in the research, SEL implementation was generally defined as the strategies and practices teachers used to integrate cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of learning to address the unique challenges faced by students in high-stress urban environments. The theory guiding this study was the social cognitive theory, which emphasized the reciprocal interaction between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors in learning and development. The central research question was …

Examining The Relationship Between Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (Tbri®), Placement Stability, And The Voluntary Placement Disruption Of Minor Children In Substitute Caregiving Environments, Kelsey Tiernan-Coleman Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Placement stability is associated with positive outcomes for minors in substitute caregiving environments. Numerous variables are related to placement stability, but there is a paucity of data highlighting specific interventions that improve placement stability. Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)® has been studied extensively in child welfare populations, with promising results, including improved caregiver-child attachment and decreased child internalizing and externalizing behavior, psychiatric symptomology, and caregiver burnout and stress. However, TBRI® has not been studied exclusively in relation to placement stability. This mixed-methods design study examined the relationship between TBRI®, including the degree and timing of exposure, placement stability, and voluntary placement …

Substance Use Disorders, Trauma, And Women: A Phenomenological Study, Crystal E. H. Stephenson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Substance use disorders (SUDs) do not discriminate who or how they impact individuals, families, or communities. Women impacted by SUDs face challenges such as lack of transportation, minimal family support, some of the women were triggered by co-ed groups, and childcare needs are just a few categories that prevent them from adhering to and engaging in treatment. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of eight women with substance use disorders and trauma. The participants were interviewed using a semi-structured guide that covered areas of their lives impacted by substance use disorders and trauma. Data was analyzed using methods …

A Phenomenological Study: The Self-Efficacious Experiences Of Mid-Level Black Female Administrators At Public Colleges And Universities In Virginia, Alexis Bacote Archer Alarcón

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the self-efficacious experiences for mid-level Black female administrators at public colleges and universities in Virginia. Self-efficacious experiences were generally defined as a person’s belief in their ability to perform well in their role as a leader. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy served as the theoretical framework for answering the study's central question: What are the self-efficacious experiences of mid-level Black female administrators at public colleges and universities in Virginia? A transcendental phenomenological design using three core processes, epoche ́, transcendental-phenomenological reduction, …

A Causal-Comparative Study On The Impact Of Digital Learning Competency Professional Development And Socioeconomic Status On Teacher Digital Self-Efficacy, Sabrina C. Steigelman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy, participation in digital learning professional development, and the socioeconomic status of schools. A causal-comparative design was used to investigate how these variables influenced teacher self-efficacy in implementing digital learning strategies aligned with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards. The sample included K-12 educators from public schools across North Carolina, representing both low and mid- socioeconomic school settings. Data were collected through a Qualtrics survey, which included the Technology Integration Confidence Scale Version 3 (TICS V.3) and a demographic questionnaire. A two-way ANOVA was …

Rural Policing In Northern Wisconsin: Will Small-Town Police Officers Stay At Their Current Agency Until Retirement Based On Age And Community Size, Thomas J. Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the plans of small-town northern Wisconsin police officers to remain at their current agency until retirement, based on age and community size. The hypothesis was that older officers who had been with an agency for a longer period would stay until retirement, while younger officers would be more likely to leave. Younger officers tend to have less buy-in to the community and possibly fewer ties to a specific community. Officers who are older or have been with an agency for a long time have a greater investment in the agency and the community. The study results showed …

Unreliable Landmarks Disrupt Egocentric Navigation In Desktop Virtual Environments, Rory Baxter, Alastair Smith

School of Psychology

Navigation relies on the integration of both allocentric (world-centred) and egocentric (navigator-centred) spatial cues. An influential real-world navigational task dissociated allocentric place learning from egocentric path integration, highlighting the decline in allocentric cue use associated with cognitive ageing. This report describes a novel computer-based replication of this task, designed as a remote test of navigational ability, that also addresses potential confounds in the original task, including tighter control of spatial cue competition. In Experiment 1a, participants learned a location signalled either by landmark cues in the absence of a stable starting position (Allocentric), distance and direction from the starting position …

Many Elementary Students Lack Opportunities To Develop Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving And Other Essential 21st-Century Skills., Raeanne Sika

Masters Projects

Abstract

Many elementary students have limited opportunities to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills essential for 21st-century learning. Traditional teacher-centered approaches often prioritize memorization over inquiry, leaving young learners underprepared for complex, authentic tasks. Project-based learning (PBL) offers a research-supported alternative, yet teachers often face barriers such as limited preparation, time, and resources.

This project provides a practical solution through a comprehensive professional development (PD) program and PBL implementation toolkit designed for early elementary educators. Grounded in constructivist and social learning theories, the project includes a multi-session PD series, planning templates, instructional supports, and a complete first-grade PBL unit …

Effective Strategies Hawaiian Food Truck Owners Use To Sustain Their Businesses, Eric J. Harring

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Food trucks are popular choices for consumers seeking diverse cuisines and unique dining experiences, but running a successful food truck business presents significant challenges, including fluctuating customer preferences, regulatory hurdles, and intense competition. Addressing these obstacles is crucial for food truck owners to ensure the long-term viability of their enterprises. Grounded in contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to explore the strategies employed by food truck owners to overcome these challenges and foster sustainable growth. The participants were six business owners of Hawaiian food trucks who sustained their businesses for at least three years. …

Introduction To The Special Issue, “Forgiveness Education Around The World: Considerations, Benefits, And Approaches”, Suzanne Freedman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.