Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Trends In Cochlear Implant Recipients' Quality Of Life Score Over Time, Rebecca Civil

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study investigates changes in subjective health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among cochlear implant (CI) recipients over extended periods post-implantation. While existing literature primarily focuses on the initial or short-term improvements in QoL post-implantation compared to pre-implantation, this study looks into the stability and potential decline of QoL over time. Although the literature provides limited evidence on longitudinal trends in QoL among CI recipients over extended periods exceeding 12 months post-implantation, that limited evidence suggests a trend of decline in QoL scores, even as objective audiological measures tend to stay consistently high in the same population. Utilizing data from 25 …

“Neur-Aud-Diversity”: Young Adults With Adhd Are More Impulsive And Can Be Accurately Selected From Their Neurotypical Peers Using False Alarm Rates In Masked And Unmasked Auditory Tasks, Katelyn Hobbs

Dissertations, 2020-current

Objective diagnostic measures are desired for those with ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) to overcome current subjective measures. Listeners with ADHD are more impulsive than their neurotypical peers (those without a neurological disorder). Greater impulsivity can lead to lower thresholds on an informational masking task. It was hypothesized that people with ADHD would have lower thresholds on an informational masking task, however, no significant difference was found between the groups’ thresholds (t ₄₀=.49, p=.62, Cohen d=.16). A significant difference was found when comparing the initial false alarm rates from the long testing period with the final false alarm rates (p=.035, …

Wellbeing In The Caribbean: Exploring Wellness In Afro-Caribbean Populations, Lynnquell S. Gardiner

Dissertations, 2020-current

Research on Caribbean individuals’ mental health and wellness is scarce in the literature, especially for those residing in Caribbean regions. The purpose of these studies was to examine local definitions of wellness and explore the role of nature for Afro-Caribbean (AC) individuals who make up most of the Caribbean’s population. Using two popular wellness models, relevance of application was explored for use with AC women participants. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was further used to explore participants definitions of wellness, existing strengths, and challenges in maintaining balance as it relates to wellness. Family connection, rest, and being in nature were significant …

The Effect Of Dance Training On The Vor During The Video Head Impulse Test, Miranda Scalzo

Dissertations, 2020-current

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is essential to maintain clear vision during head movements and can be assessed through the head impulse paradigm (HIMP). The suppression head impulse paradigm (SHIMP) is used to quantify the ability to suppress the VOR. MacDougall et. al. (2016) demonstrated that SHIMP gain is decreased compared to HIMP gain values in healthy adults. Previous research has supported the idea that vestibular trained athletes, such as dancers, have an enhanced capability of suppressing the VOR than those without vestibular training. The objective of this study was to assess VOR suppression capabilities at increased velocities, similar to what …

Investigating The Direction Of Item Parameter Bias In The Presence Of Rapid Guessing, Sarah Alahmadi

Dissertations, 2020-current

Inadequate examinee test-taking effort is especially concerning when the results of low-stakes tests are used to inform high-stakes policy or psychometric decisions. Although abundant is the literature on the negative impact of low test-taking effort (e.g., Wise & DeMars, 2005) and ways to address it (e.g., Alahmadi & DeMars, 2024; Lau et al., 2009), integrating it into assessment practices has long been in a rudimentary stage. The findings presented in this dissertation serve as a clarion call for testing professionals to reinforce efforts that bridge research and practice. The current study investigated how rapid guessing (RG)—a form of non-effortful test-taking …

A Qualitative Lens For Exploring Ethical Reasoning: Developing The 8 Key Question Codebook, Yelisey Shapovalov

Dissertations, 2020-current

The Ethical Reasoning in Action program leveraged program assessment data to further promote student learning based on their effective educational framework for ethical reasoning: The Eight Key Question (8KQ) strategy. A cross-disciplinary team of five core researchers launched the first constructivist qualitative inquiry into students’ ethical reasoning process. The purpose was to comparatively describe essays of Low and High performing students. The basic qualitative design evolved over 19 months to create the 8KQ Codebook through an emergent, iterative, and conceptually sensitizing process. The 8KQ Codebook synthesized structural coding with a mix of theory-driven and data-driven codes across six research questions: …

The Complexities Of The Counselor Identity Amid Mental Health Crisis Response In Higher Education: An Examination Of Ethical And Moral Challenges, Burnout And Support, Shayna Finn

Dissertations, 2020-current

Supporting faculty and students in crisis response on higher education campuses is of growing importance in light of the rising mental health issues that students are experiencing. The focus of this dissertation is to gain an understanding of the experiences of counselor educators due to their unique identities: those of a counselor and educator. The format is a 3-style article dissertation with the first 2 articles being data driven (1 quantitative and 1 qualitative study) and the third article is a conceptual piece. Manuscript 1 focuses on moral injury and burnout for those who identify as a counselor in higher …

The Effect Of Listening Level On Listening Effort: A Pupillometry Study, Noelle Elizabeth Steele

Dissertations, 2020-current

Listening in adverse conditions such as in the presence of background noise or at a low intensity level can require additional listening effort. While the relationship between signal to noise ratio and listening effort has been reported previously, there is a gap in the literature on the effect of listening at different levels on listening effort. In the present study, five young, normal-hearing listeners were tested for speech understanding at two presentation levels (35 dB and 65 dB) under three signal to noise ratio conditions (0, -3, and -6 dB). Peak pupil dilation was measured using a Tobii T60 XL …

Magnitude Estimations Of Angular Motion: Test-Retest Reliability, Elizabeth C. Pahygiannis

Dissertations, 2020-current

Dizziness and imbalance are one of the most common complaints of people 65 years and older, as it affects 20-30% of this population and puts one at a higher risk of falling (Iwasaki & Yamasoba, 2015). Vestibular impairments are identified through measures of vestibular reflexes such as the VOR. However, the extent of impairment observed through the VOR may not correlate with the patient’s perceptions of their symptoms (Kobel et al., 2021).A large portion of patients with vestibular symptoms cannot be diagnosed with the testing that is currently available (Agrawal et al., 2009). Magnitude estimation is a psychophysics technique used …

Addressing Youth Mental Health Through School Counseling, Advocacy, And Student Voice, Elizabeth Dinwiddie

Dissertations, 2020-current

Youth mental health concerns, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, are a global public health concern. These concerns inevitably manifest in school settings, where K-12 youth are spending significant portions of their time. While schools, districts, and state and federal policies are working to expand mental health support in school settings, school counselors are still the most consistently/universally present mental health professionals in school settings across the United States. The combination of school counselor placement in school settings and training to identify and support youth mental health make them incredible assets in this work. Despite this, school counselors have historically managed inconsistent …

Assessing The Effects Of Emg Target Levels On Cvemp Thresholds, Melanie Johnson

Dissertations, 2020-current

Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) measure function of the saccule and inferior vestibular nerve by evoking inhibitory electromyogram (EMG) responses from the sternocleidomastoid muscle using short duration stimulation. Previous research has shown that cVEMP amplitude increases relative to EMG target level and latency remains constant, yet there is little to no research demonstrating the relationship between EMG target level and cVEMP threshold. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of EMG activation on cVEMP thresholds and assess whether patients who generate larger tonic EMG during cVEMP testing have lower cVEMP thresholds. cVEMPs were recorded in 20 …

Revolutionizing Counselor Education Through Cultural Humility: A Critical Examination Of Pedagogical Practices, Educators’ Experiences, And Determining Factors, Renee L. Haskins

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation addresses the need for counselor educators and supervisors to cultivate cultural humility to adequately prepare their students and supervisees for the complexities of working with diverse client populations. Emphasizing the ongoing need for self-reflection and the evaluation of biases within multicultural contexts, this series highlights the dynamic nature of competency development in counseling. Through an exploration of personal experiences and perspectives, counselors at all career stages are encouraged to engage in continuous growth, thereby enhancing their capacity to navigate diverse cultural landscapes and serve clients effectively. The first manuscript provides a conceptual exploration, focusing on the pedagogical approach …

Technology Leadership Influence On Intention To Use Ai-Based Early Alert Systems (Eas) At Higher Education Institutions (Heis), Tatjana Titareva

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to test quantitatively the potential influence of Technology Leadership (TL) in Higher Education (HE) and Technophobia on Intention to Use AI-based Early Alert Systems (EAS) at higher education institutions (HEIs) by faculty and administrative staff. This research was conducted collecting and analyzing data from a mid-size higher education institution (HEI) in southeast of the Unites States. The measurement instrument used previously validated measures of Technophobia, TL in HE and Intention to Use Technology. From statistically significant findings, though of weak strength, the results showed that an individual's role in HEI (faculty vs. administrative staff), …

“Neur-Aud-Diversity”: Assessing Adhd Through Speech-On-Speech Masking, Rebecca Hales

Dissertations, 2020-current

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an executive functioning disorder which can be difficult to diagnose. The current diagnosis process relies on observations and subjective reports, resulting in individuals being misdiagnosed or have delays in receiving a proper diagnosis. Differences in auditory processing have been observed between neurotypical (NT) and ADHD individuals via neurophysiological measures, so this study aims to see if those differences can be translated into objectively measurable differences in more cost-effective behavioral measures.

While seated in front of an array of speakers, NT and ADHD participants were asked to listen for verbal directions to complete a task …

Exploring The Intersection Of Mental Health, Self-Advocacy, And Sense Of Belonging Among Rural, First-Generation College Students, Sarah Johnson

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation delves into the intersections of social and cultural capital, self-advocacy, sense of belonging, and the experiences of mental health help-seeking among rural, first-generation college students. Rural, first-generation college students face unique challenges throughout their academic journey, this dissertation aims to contribute to the literature by examining the experiences and support mechanisms that are crucial for this population to be successful in higher education. This dissertation follows a triple-manuscript style, including a conceptual manuscript, quantitative manuscript, and a qualitative manuscript. The conceptual manuscript examined how college counselors can build contextual social and cultural capital among rural, first-generation college students …

Lived Experiences Of Korean Immigrant Women In The U.S., Jinok Lim

Dissertations, 2020-current

Korean immigrant women encounter distinct challenges during and after the immigration process, yet there is a noticeable scarcity of research focusing on this demographic. Immigration, often perceived as a traumatic experience, exerts a profound impact on various facets of immigrants' lives. Despite trauma's potential to yield diverse negative consequences, there exists acknowledgment of positive transformations following such experiences, commonly referred to as posttraumatic growth. This research endeavors to scrutinize the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth in Korean immigrant women. The initial investigation employs a quantitative approach to explore the correlation between immigration-related factors—such as age at immigration, English proficiency, acculturation level, …

Pedagogical Tools And Techniques For The Development Of Harmonic Audiation, Ensemble Intonation, And Textual Imagery Through The Choral Music Of Ola Gjeilo, Nikolaos Myrogiannis-Koukos

Dissertations, 2020-current

Aspiring and dedicated choral directors strive to program music that is not only valuable to the growth of their ensembles’ skills in music literacy and choral performance but also institutes opportunities for memorable and meaningful performing experiences. Research in choral pedagogy conducted within the past two decades suggests that choral music is considered pedagogically appropriate, regardless of the musical aptitude of the performers involved, when it showcases elements that are often summarized in three separate yet equally essential qualities: the simultaneous development of multiple technical aspects of singing and a sense of intonation, including the development of sight-singing skills, the …

The ‘Well-Rounded’ Artist: An Intersectionality Of Stage Presence, Artistry, And Entrepreneurship, Megan E. Zuhowski

Dissertations, 2020-current

Undergraduate voice students spend hours over their degree in coursework relevant to bettering their overall musicianship. Coursework in music history and music theory, coupled with applied lessons, allows students to develop the knowledge necessary for their future professions. While universities strive to equip students with advanced music proficiencies, as the landscapes of professional opportunities shift and morph into work in multiple genres of expertise, students may not receive the full scope of skills needed to be independent entrepreneurial designers.

The purpose of this DMA document is to explore the intersectionality of stage presence, artistry, and entrepreneurship through a course offering …

Using Recurrent Neural Networks To Predict Mastery Outcomes From Learning Journey Clickstream Data, Sean A. York

Dissertations, 2020-current

In this study, I use recurrent neural networks (RNN) and modern natural language processing techniques to analyze clickstream activity data from an automated, online, mastery learning platform called the Indiana University Plagiarism Tutorials and Tests (IPTAT). IPTAT offers learning materials and certification tests on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism, and has awarded over 1.17 million certificates since 2016. Learners may use or not use resources as they wish, but must pass a randomized test drawn from a large item pool to obtain a certificate. Most learners pass after one to seven test attempts, but some take as many as 50 randomized …

An Exploration Of The Value In Integrating Pre-Treatment Assessments Of Caregiver-Child Dyad Functioning, Emery Q. Brautigan

Dissertations, 2020-current

Parent child interactions constitute a wide variety of behaviors that have been linked to a variety of childhood outcomes. A variety of caregiver-child dyadic treatment modalities have arisen, such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Theraplay, that aim to improve the quality of parent child interaction. These modalities utilize pre-treatment semi-structured observational assessments to establish the current functioning of the caregiver-child dyad and inform treatment goals. PCIT utilizes the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System, Fourth Edition (DPICS-IV) and Theraplay utilizes the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM). Given the similar interests of these assessments in assessing the quality of parent-child interaction, a …

Cultivating Emotional Competencies In Therapists-In-Training, Tara Rajagopal

Dissertations, 2020-current

Emotions are central to the process of therapy. This is why it is important for therapists to possess emotional skills to work with their own and clients’ emotions to promote change. While therapeutic competencies have been well-researched, the emotional competencies of student therapists have received limited research attention. The present research aims to understand students’ beliefs regarding emotions in therapy and test strategies to train aspiring therapists’ emotional competencies. Students in a clinical and school psychology doctoral program participated in focus groups to explore their beliefs about emotions in therapy and their needs for emotional training. They also engaged in …

The Eastern Echo, May 9, 2024, Eastern Michigan University

EMU Student Newspaper: The Normal News & The Eastern Echo

No abstract provided.

A Case Study On The Effects Of Pregnancy On Expiratory Flow Limitation (Efl) And Operating Lung Volumes During Exercise, Hannah Young

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pregnancy on expiratory flow limitation (EFL) and operating lung volumes (end expiratory lung volume and end inspiratory lung volume; EELV and EILV) during exercise, with an exploratory aim to assess differences in the above measures between exercise modalities. EFL has been shown to occur in several other subgroups but has never been studied in pregnant individuals. We followed one 35-year-old pregnant subject throughout her pregnancy, completing exercise and pulmonary testing every other week from 8 weeks gestation to 38 weeks gestation, and once again ~8 weeks postpartum. Testing was …

Does Breaking Up Moderate Intensity Continuous Exercise Into Accumulated Bouts Improve Postprandial Metabolic Outcomes In Middle Aged And Older Adults?, Miranda Janis

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Due to the high incidence of CVD in older adults, low levels of habitual physical activity, and poor dietary habits, it is imperative to determine an effective minimal dose of exercise that is attainable to mitigate adverse postprandial (post-meal) responses. This study is the first to our knowledge to assess whether accumulated exercise to expend 25% of the calories consumed in a high-fat meal (HFM) of moderate intensity walking will lower postprandial triglycerides (TRG), glucose (GLU) and metabolic load index (MLI: summation of GLU and TRG), compared to continuous exercise, in middle-aged and older adults (OA). Methods: Ten OA (n=10, …

“But Because We Are Christian”: The Exploration Of Communication Frames And Identity Negotiation Among African Immigrants And Black Americans In A Multicultural Church, Hawa Diakite

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative thesis examines identity negotiation and communication frames used among African immigrants and Black Americans who attend a multicultural church. Exploring the intersection of identity, race, and faith among African immigrants and Black Americans is valuable towards understanding the dynamics of their relationship in the context of Christian communities in the United States. As African Christian immigrants navigate the complexities of racial realities in the United States, their faith can serve as a safe place that shapes their sense of self and community belonging. Similarly, many Black Americans historically have drawn upon their Christian faith as a place of …

Characterizing The Expression Of The Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Pathway In Injury And Post-Traumatic Fibrosis, Nicole Cubbage

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Following injury, tissue repair allows for the restoration of the architecture and function of the injured tissue, while tissue replacement is characterized by severely damaged or non-regenerable tissue that is repaired by the laying down of extensive connective tissue, also known as fibrosis. The fibrotic process should be arrested at its early stage to have the greatest impact on preventing or reversing associate sequelae and promoting the regeneration of normal tissue. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a metabolic product of cell membrane sphingolipids, has emerged as a pathway that may be involved in fibrosis. Most of S1P’s actions are mediated through the …

Look: An Examination Of The Clothing And Clothing Assemblages Of The Washington D.C. Punk Scene, Cedric Ansah

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Punk clothing has iterated and innovated on aspects of its own history as a subculture, it has been representative of yet another chapter in the long history of subculture and counterculture, and it has been indicative of the values of whatever geographical area or scene spawned it. Broadly, history has favored the representation of some geographical punk spaces over others. While Britain, New York, the Midwest-U.S., and California have all been observed and championed by punk scholarship as being unique chapters in punk history, other geographical spots, such as the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., have gone underrepresented by comparison in …

Unpacking My Dreadlocks: My Hair Matters Depending On Where I Go, Tia Jones

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Deliberation of the natural hair movement continues to be an evolving and ever-changing series of expressions and identity. Black folks represent and make sense of their hair by maintaining the standard to upkeep hair textures, sizes, styles, shapes, and colors, to develop social markers about their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and age. In this way, hair serves as an integral part of one’s identity, especially providing an opportunity to embrace one’s culture while promoting self-expression. This study seeks to answer the overarching question: “How is Black hair, specifically dreadlocks, portrayed to a non-West-Indian society and what is its connection to …

The Relationship Among Oral Contraceptive Use, Sleep, And Sexual Behavior, Sureyya Sanchez

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to discover if individuals taking oral contraceptives differed on measures of sleep and sexual behavior compared to those who are taking no form of birth control. Participants wore motion loggers every night for two-weeks, tracking their sleep, and filled out a questionnaire every morning inquiring about their sleep, sexual feelings, sexual behaviors, and affect from the day before. Research in this area of study is very sparse and results are conflicting, therefore I aimed to obtain comprehensive information to derive a basic understanding on if sexual behavior variables and sleep variables are in fact …

Shaping Tomorrow’S Ethical Leaders, Christina M. Secrist

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative research study sought to explore the essences of ethical leadership by reviewing existing theories and frameworks, the characteristics and behaviors of ethical leaders, the leadership styles that portray an ethical component, the motivations of ethical leaders, and the self-efficacy of emerging leaders when faced with challenging decisions of an ethical nature. A thorough literature review was completed in an effort to gain a better understanding of how research studies have defined ethical leadership over the last couple of decades. Transcendental phenomenological interviews were conducted with four self-identified ethical leaders across the industries of agricultural manufacturing, a global non-profit …