Digital Commons Network^™

A Cooking Skills Intervention For Long-Term Weight Loss In Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Rationale And Design For A Randomized Trial., Lauren T. Ptomey, Jessica C. Danon, Delwyn Catley, Richard A. Washburn, Amy Bodde, Francisco J. Diaz, Brian C. Helsel, Anna M. Rice, Joseph R. Sherman, Madison Koester, Walker S. Mckinney Ph.D., Joseph E. Donnelly

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Young adults with intellectual disability (ID) are an underserved population with a high prevalence of obesity, obesity-related health conditions, and reduced ability to complete instrumental and basic activities of daily living (I/ADLs). After leaving the structured environment of public school, many young adults with ID spend more time at home or in day programs, begin living more independently, or enter the workforce. These transitions may increase reliance on fast or processed foods and reduce opportunities for physical activity, contributing to accelerated weight gain. Previous research has demonstrated clinically meaningful short- and long-term weight loss (18-24 months) in adults with mild-to-moderate …

Improving Juror Comprehension: The Impact Of Simplified Instructions And Defendant Conduct Severity On Damage Awards, Alivia Mae Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Jurors in civil trials make judgments regarding liability and damages, often relying on jury instructions that are legally challenging to understand. Prior research indicates jurors frequently misunderstand standard instructions, which can contribute to legally inappropriate decisions influenced by factors such as the reprehensibility of the defendant’s conduct. The present study examined whether simplifying jury instructions would improve mock jurors’ comprehension and reduce the influence of defendant conduct on damage award decisions. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, participants received either standard or simplified jury instructions within the context of a mock civil negligence case involving either lower or …

The Effects Of Deepfake Education On Detection Ability And Media Trust, Richard Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

The proliferation of AI-generated media, particularly deepfakes, has generated growing concerns regarding misinformation, media authenticity, and public trust in digital communication. This study investigates how education about deepfakes influences the ability to detect deepfake and genuine videos as well as trust in media institutions. Drawing on Inoculation Theory, media literacy research, and sociological perspectives on misinformation and trust, this research examines whether educational materials about deepfakes enhance detection abilities while simultaneously reducing trust in media. A between-subjects experimental design was employed, with 220 undergraduate participants randomly assigned to either an educational treatment condition or a control condition. Pretest measures assessed …

Exploring The Effects Of Anti-Lgbtq+ Legislation On The School Ecosystem Based On The Perspectives And Experiences Of Public School Teachers, Kamryn Holtz

Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to qualitatively explore queer and LGBTQ+ allied k-12 teachers’ perceptions and experiences related to recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. As health disparities among queer youth worsen due to changes in the sociopolitical climate and political sphere (Chokus-Bradley et al., 2022; Kline et al., 2022), teachers have a unique opportunity to support queer students through their roles and relationships within schools. Researchers contextualized the affirming intervention strategies teachers utilized through the Systems View of School Climate (Rudasill et al., 2018). Through semi-structured interviews, participants shared how the legislative changes have impacted strategies they use to support queer students, as …

Intragroup Marginalization, Multiracial Identity Development, And Subjective Well-Being: A Qualitative Analysis, Anna Kim Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

To date, there is little research on the relationship between multiracial identity, marginalization, and well-being, particularly research investigating whether identity can have a positive impact on well-being. The current study used live, semi-structured interviews and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to aggregate the narratives of nine multiracial participants to explore their lived experiences of intragroup marginalization, multiracial identity development and integration, and well-being. Within the frames of the Intersectional Model of Multiracial Identity and Social Identity Model, five superordinate themes emerged across participants: (1) early racial meaning-making and internalized tension; (2) developing and negotiating a multiracial identity; (3) seeking and constructing …

Dual Credit In North Dakota: High School Administrators’ Perceptions And Experiences, Kayla Marie O'Toole

Theses and Dissertations

Dual credit opportunities continue to expand across North Dakota, providing high school students with opportunities to earn college credit while completing high school coursework. Despite this growth, participation in dual credit varies among high schools across the state. The purpose of this study was to examine high school administrators’ perceptions and experiences regarding dual credit programming in North Dakota. The study was guided by the following research question: What perceptions about dual credit exist among high school administrators, and what are their experiences?This study used a survey-based research approach to collect data from high school administrators throughout North Dakota. It …

Body-Scanning, Mindset, And Mindfulness: An Investigation And Augmentation Of A Relaxation Practice, Nathaniel Joseph Pagel

Theses and Dissertations

Meditation-related practices impact a variety of psychological outcomes. However, as new methods emerge, investigations of novel practices are crucial to promoting effective interventions. This study centrally tests the potential for non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) to improve scores on measures related to anxiety and cognitive performance, and the potential augmentation of NSDR through unilateral cathodal tDCS of the left-DLPFC (i.e., F3). A preregistered design was used to test if NSDR improves scores on measures related to cognitive performance, mediation states, anxiety, if scores from the Learned Helplessness Scale and the Growth Mindset Scale moderate the relationship between the experimental condition and …

Cultural Identification And Preferences In Treatment For American Indian Adults With Substance Use Disorder, Megan Kay Saboo

Theses and Dissertations

Substance use disorders occur at a disproportionately higher rate for American Indian adults in the United States, yet there is a limited understanding of how those in the recovery process perceive their American Indian culture as a meaningful component of their treatment. This study intended to address this gap in the research and to assist with tribal efforts in treating substance use disorder among a small sample of American Indian adults enrolled in a Northern Plains tribe by assessing cultural identification and the importance, contribution, and incorporation of cultural traditions, practices, and ways of living into the recovery process. Results …

The Joint Effect Of Bilingualism And Sleep On Executive Functions Among Children And Adolescents With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Yirou Jiang

Doctoral Dissertations

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that significantly impacts cognitive and behavioral functions, leading challenges for individuals across the lifespan. While extensive research has been conducted to understand the connection between executive functioning (EF) and ADHD, research findings related to the contributing factors of bilingualism and sleep still remains inconsistent (Bialystok et al., 2017). Investigating the joint effect between bilingualism and sleep on EF among children and adolescents with ADHD may help further clarify the connection between EF, language, and sleep, and facilitate the development of interventions from the perspective of these protective factors. EF encompasses cognitive processes …

Healthcare Experiences Of Latinx Genderqueer And Nonbinary Young Adults, Sabrina Jessica Ortiz

Doctoral Dissertations

Latinx genderqueer and nonbinary young adults experience intersecting forms of marginalization that can shape their interactions with healthcare systems and impact their mental health. This qualitative study aimed to explore the healthcare experiences of Latinx genderqueer and nonbinary young adults and to better understand how these experiences relate to mental health and wellbeing. Using semi-structured interviews, the study examined participants’ experiences navigating healthcare settings. Participants included ten Latinx genderqueer and nonbinary young adults assigned female at birth (AFAB), between the ages of 21 and 29, who had accessed healthcare services in the United States within the past year. Interviews were …

Responsible & Ethical Ai Use: From Principles To Practice, Ila Lama

Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute Publications

This presentation explores responsible and ethical artificial intelligence through a practical framework centered on five core principles: fairness, transparency, accountability, privacy, and safety. It examines how ethical challenges surrounding AI are emerging across educational, organizational, creative, and societal contexts, including concerns related to bias, privacy, academic integrity, AI-generated content, and responsible decision-making. The presentation also introduces the Trust Cycle as a practical approach for moving from awareness and reflection to safe experimentation, feedback, and transformation, encouraging participants to critically evaluate AI use while maintaining human judgment, accountability, and trust.

Two Essays On Designing Conversational Agents: Varying Level Of Mimicry And Personality–Brand Congruence, Sama Ashouri

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Across two essays, this dissertation demonstrates that mimicry and personality shape consumers’ perceptions of chatbot intelligence, creativity, and fit, with downstream effects on recommendation acceptance that depend on factors such as mimicry intensity, brand familiarity.

Essay1: Mimicry, a central aspect of human interaction, is increasingly being examined in human–AI communication, particularly with chatbots. While prior research shows mimicry can build rapport, trust, and engagement, it has often been treated as a binary factor, overlooking how different levels may influence user perceptions. This research proposes and tests a dual-mediation framework in which different levels of chatbot mimicry affects recommendation acceptance through …

Becoming An Educator: A Narrative Inquiry Into The First-Year Journeys Of Community College Career-Switching Cte Faculty, Alisha Ferrington

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in community colleges increasingly depend on career-switching instructors, professionals who transition from industry to teaching with substantial technical expertise but limited formal pedagogical preparation. Despite their growing presence in the community college workforce, the lived experiences of first-year career-switching CTE faculty remain underexplored, particularly regarding how the transition shapes professional identity, instructional practice, and institutional belonging.

This qualitative study employed narrative inquiry to examine the first-year teaching experiences of seven career-switching CTE instructors at community and technical colleges in the Gulf South region of the United States. Guided by transformative learning theory, communities of …

Structure Meets Context: A Simulation Study Of Centralized And Decentralized Decision-Making In Complex Environments, Murat Balci

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The question of when to centralize or decentralize decision-making authority is a foundational problem in organizational theory and management science. Yet existing research often favors decentralized structures, frequently treating them as universally superior, and provides limited guidance on when centralization may be more effective. Leaning toward decentralization without thoroughly exploring options leaves organizational designers without clear direction under varying environmental conditions. This study addresses that gap by developing and applying a simulation-based framework to evaluate the context-dependent effectiveness of centralized and decentralized decision-making structures.

Drawing on contingency theory and decision science, the study conceptualizes environmental complexity along two dimensions: dynamism …

A Qualitative Study Of Immigration Trauma, Posttraumatic Growth, And The College Experience Among Mena Immigrant Students, Braa A. Elkhidir

Dissertations

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant students who are seeking to earn a higher education in the United States have to navigate acculturative stressors and systemic barriers. Prior research has focused primarily on the challenges MENA immigrant students experience without deeply exploring how these students adapt and grow. The focus in this qualitative study was to understand how MENA immigrant college students experience and make meaning of their academic journeys. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the academic experiences of seven MENA immigrant college students in the United States and assess how acculturative stressors, personal strengths, coping strategies, and …

The Relationship Between Depression And Cognitive Proficiency Index Across Biological Sex, Angela N. Ferdinardo

Dissertations

Depression is a widely studied mood disorder, and understanding its effect on cognitive functioning has become an important area of research. While research has examined relationships among depression, working memory, and cognitive deficits, limited research has explored depressive symptoms and cognitive proficiency across biological sex. Depression manifests similarly in men and women, though men are more likely to experience irritability, impulsivity, and anger, while women tend to experience sadness, stress, and sleep disturbances (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2023). Women are also more likely to seek treatment and cope differently than men. This study examined the relationship between depression and cognitive proficiency …

Association Between Stress Mindset, Psychological Symptoms, And Psychosocial Risk In Liver Transplant Patients, Sarah Kay Brill

Dissertations

Psychosocial functioning is a central component of liver transplant evaluation, yet less is known about how cognitive factors, such as stress mindset, relate to transplant readiness. The present study examined the association between stress mindset and psychosocial risk, as well as its relationship with depressive symptoms, anxiety, and perceived stress among patients undergoing liver transplant evaluation. Patients included 62 adults completing standard pre-transplant assessment measures, including the Stress Mindset Measure–Specific (SMM-S), Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that stress mindset was …

Seeing The Unspoken: A Pilot Eye-Tracking Study Of Moral Injury Among Veterans, Eva M. Valdez

Dissertations

This pilot study examined associations between self-reported moral distress, state distress, combat exposure, deployment history, and maximum pupil reactivity among veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Participants viewed neutral and morally relevant images while pupil responses were recorded using eye-tracking technology. Self-report measures included moral distress severity, exposure to potentially morally injurious events, Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) ratings, total deployments, number of combat deployments, and Combat Exposure Scale scores. Maximum pupil reactivity was calculated by subtracting the mean z-scored maximum pupil response during neutral image presentations from the mean z-scored maximum pupil response during morally relevant image presentations. This variable …

The Legacy Of Trauma: Exploring The Effect Of Generational Stress On Gut Health And Mental Well-Being In Black Women, Jocelynn Jones

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how generational trauma and chronic stress may relate to gut health and mood outcomes among Black women. Using a literature review design, this work brings together research on intergenerational trauma, gendered racism, Superwoman Schema, weathering, allostatic load, mood disorders, reproductive health disparities, and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The central argument is that depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, reproductive vulnerability, and healthcare mistrust should not be understood as fully separate concerns when they may be shaped by shared stress conditions. The proposed integrated model does not claim that trauma directly causes gut dysbiosis or mood disorders. Instead, it suggests …

Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez

Dissertations

This literature review examined gang involvement among young Black men in the United States and explored the factors that contribute to joining gangs and the consequences that may follow. The first chapter provides a brief history of gang involvement in Black communities and introduces Erikson’s development model, self-determination theory, and the minorities’ diminished returns as the three theoretical frameworks. The second chapter discusses common challenges faced by young Black men who are currently involved in gangs or are at risk of joining. The chapter explores issues such as life expectancy after gang involvement, adverse childhood experiences, mental health concerns, and …

Intergenerational Trauma And Grief Among The Latine Community: Proposed Interventions And Treatment Considerations, Alexandra M. Johnson

Dissertations

The intersectionality of bereavement, trauma, and culture has many clinical considerations, including the impact on individuals and families. Traumatic events can impact an individual directly, collectively, and intergenerationally. The Latine community is one of the largest cultural groups in the United States, and mental health treatment often includes several cultural considerations. This critical literature review examined how the Latine community has been impacted by intergenerational trauma, specifically through experiences of grief and loss, to inform clinical focus, case conceptualization, and identify gaps in the literature. The first chapter provides a brief history of the intersectionality of intergenerational trauma and bereavement, …

The Influence Of Leadership On Leader Retention, Ruiwei Li

Dissertations

Prior research provided limited insight into how mid-to-senior leaders experienced and interpreted leadership in relation to retention. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored how mid-to-senior leaders in a U.S. retail organization experienced and interpreted upper management leadership in relation to their retention decisions. Five leaders with at least four years of tenure participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Each account was analyzed idiographically before patterns of convergence, variation, and divergence were examined across cases. Findings showed that willingness to remain reflected continued internal growth and meaningful influence, supportive leadership that affirmed personal value while preserving agency, and relational and cultural …

Personalization And Generalization In Machine Learning For Affective Ai, Rajesh Titung

Theses

Human emotional communication involves subtle, low-intensity, and context-dependent expressions influenced by sociocultural and interpersonal factors. Their inherent ambiguity and variability create heterogeneous data distributions, making affective phenomena difficult to model in naturalistic settings where expressions differ from exaggerated affect behaviors in acted environments. Affective AI faces the fundamental challenge of balancing personalization, which captures individual nuances, with generalization, which ensures robustness of affective AI systems across individuals. Traditional centralized models emphasizing generalization often fail to capture fine-grained expressive heterogeneity, while fully personalized models improve system performance for individuals but lack transferability and robustness. The central task is thus to develop …

Physiological, Cognitive, Behavioral, And Perceptual Contributors To Falls Risk Across Middle And Older Adulthood, Jacquelyn Moxey

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Falls are multifactorial events influenced by physiological, cognitive, behavioral, and perceptual factors. Although falls prevention research has traditionally focused on older adults and objectively measured physical impairments, less is known about how cognitive performance, physical activity, and perceptions of ability collectively contribute to falls risk vulnerability across middle and older adulthood. This dissertation examined these relationships through three complementary studies.

Study 1 examined associations between cognitive screening performance and physiological falls risk in 315 community-dwelling older adults. Lower global cognitive performance was associated with greater physiological falls risk. Performance on items reflecting attention and visuospatial/executive function demonstrated the strongest domain-level …

Exploring The Experiences Of Women In Mental Health Therapy After The Occurrence Of Perinatal Loss, Courtney Allison Nishnick

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Perinatal loss encompasses losses of pregnancies at any gestational age, as well as deaths occurring within one year post-birth. In the United States, around 40 thousand stillbirths and infant deaths occur every year (Ely & Driscoll, 2025; Gregory et al., 2025), with about 23 million miscarriages also occurring annually worldwide (Quenby et al., 2021). Perinatal loss experiences lead to distressing mental health symptoms not limited to anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and grief (Crockett et al., 2019; Wamser & Ferro, 2025). While there is extensive research on perinatal loss as it pertains to medical context, there is minimal research relating to …

Exploring Literacy Preparedness And Academic Experiences Of First-Year Community College Students, Alexandra Ranieri

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Community colleges enroll students with diverse levels of academic preparation, yet placement into college-level coursework often relies heavily on high school grade point average (GPA), which may not fully reflect students' literacy preparedness. Although research has linked literacy proficiency to academic success, little is known about how first-year community college students experience literacy preparedness during the transition to college. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the literacy preparedness of first-year community college students and explore how their reading abilities aligned with their early academic experiences. Guided by the Reading Systems Framework (Perfetti & Stafura, 2014), the …

Motivation And Constraints In Recreation Participation Among Children And Adults With Disabilities, Monica Klock

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigated how motivation and constraints relate to participation in outdoor and community recreation among children with disabilities and adults who are blind or visually impaired. Although outdoor recreation is associated with important physical, psychological, and social benefits, people with disabilities continue to participate at lower rates than their peers without disabilities, and prior work shows that barriers extend well beyond physical access to include structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal constraints. Drawing on the Constraint–Negotiation Model (CNM) and social cognitive theory, this dissertation addressed gaps in multivariate research and life-course perspectives by examining whether and how motivations, perceived constraints, and …

Naturalistic Classroom And Home Practices To Support Executive Function And Self-Regulation Of Typically Developing Preschool Children Between The Ages Of 3-5 Years Old: A Mixed Method Study, Michelle Ann Burek

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) are foundational developmental processes supporting young children’s participation in play, learning, social relationships, and everyday occupations. Although important to school readiness, social competence, health, and well-being, these skills are often examined in structured settings rather than the natural environments in which children develop. Guided by ecological, developmental, and occupational therapy perspectives, this dissertation examined EF and SR within children’s everyday participation and explored caregiver and teacher roles in supporting these processes.

This dissertation consists of three interconnected studies. The first was a systematic review of peer-based interventions to improve social participation among children and …

Counselors’ Training Needs In Effectively Engaging With Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Elif Bor

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

As public and scientific interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) continues to grow, counselors are increasingly encountering clients who are exploring or engaging in psychedelic use for therapeutic purposes. Such encounters introduce new ethical, clinical, and professional considerations. Counselors must develop an informed understanding of psychedelics and their effects, recognize the emotional and cognitive processes that may emerge during psychedelic experiences, and be prepared to respond to potential risks or adverse reactions (Aicher et al., 2025). They also need to competently answer client questions, assess risk and suitability, facilitate the integration of psychedelic experiences, and collaborate with medical and other professionals …

Examining The Relationships Between Apathy Subdomains, Heart Rate Variability And Cognitive Performance, Yasmin Bahai Nabulsi

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Apathy, defined as a reduction in motivation and goal-directed behavior, is a multidimensional neuropsychiatric syndrome encompassing behavioral, executive, and emotional components. Although heart rate variability (HRV) has been linked to depression and executive functioning, its relationship with apathy remains unexplored. The present study examined associations between apathy subtypes, resting HRV, HR and HRV reactivity, and cognitive performance. A sample of 116 healthy young adults completed self-reported measures of apathy, depression, fatigue, reward sensitivity, and attentional control. Electrocardiography (ECG) was used to assess resting HRV, followed by continuous recording during cognitive tasks, which included the Digit Span Test and a verbal …