Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Behind The Curtain: A Literature Review Of Personal And Ecological Risk Factors And Current Multi-Level Interventions For Performing Artists, Christopher A. Robles

Social Work Theses

Performing artists experience psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, burnout, and substance use disorders, at rates significantly exceeding those of the general population. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (EST) and the Person-in-Environment (PIE) perspective, this structured literature review synthesizes research published between 2010 and 2026 to examine individual personality traits, environmental stressors across meso- and macro-systems, and existing multi-level mental health interventions for performing artists. Findings reveal that while traits such as high openness to experience, sensory processing sensitivity, and perfectionism foster artistic expression, they also heighten vulnerability to occupational stressors, financial precarity, social isolation, and venue-based substance exposure. Current …

A Multi-Case Qualitative Study Exploring Counseling Skills Courses For The Presence Of The Practice Of Counselor Reflexivity, Timothy Marlin Olsen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Counselor reflexivity is an integral component of the skill set and professional identity of the effective counselor. However, counseling skills and methods courses often do not include the teaching of this practice within their curriculum of valuable counseling techniques. Further, there also exists a gap in scholarly counseling literature about counselor reflexivity. Through this qualitative multi-case study of five counseling skills/counseling methods courses I sought to discover if counselor educators understood and subsequently taught this practice which seems to be underrepresented in such courses. First, through a review of supporting literature my study revealed no clear delineation of counselor reflexivity …

Exploring The Impact Of Social Identity-Based Support Groups On Students' Sense Of Belonging In Higher Education, Jasmine D. Patel

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Students who hold marginalized social identities report experiencing a lower sense of belonging at their institutions of higher education than their peers. A low sense of belonging has in turn been linked to lower academic performance, lower scores on mental health and well-being measures, and lower rates of degree completion. Utilizing a mixed method approach, this researcher examines the experiences of students who participated in a social identity-based support group intervention intended to improve the sense of belonging of students who hold marginalized social identities. Eight university students participated in the support group intervention over the course of one academic …

“It Brought A Lot Of Underlying Insecurity To The Foreground”: An Exploratory Investigation Into The Challenges Of Polyamory, Alexander K. Tatum, Sharon M. Flicker, Jessi Schroeder

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Previous research has demonstrated that people in polyamorous relationships report equivalent or better relationship quality compared to people in monogamous relationships. Yet, like any relationship, polyamorous relationships are accompanied by challenges, which may be compounded by the challenges associated with being a member of a stigmatized minority group. The purpose of the present study was to better understand challenges commonly experienced by a community sample of people engaged in polyamorous relationships. Sixty-three participants residing in the U.S. (M_age = 34.7 years; 82.5% White, 49.2% women, and 46% bisexual) completed an anonymous, open-ended survey. Six themes were identified through a …

Comorbidity Between Ptsd And Eds: Occurrence, Mutual Facilitation, And Integrated Treatment, Ava Avolio

Modern Psychological Studies

This article reviews literature related to comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders (ED). Meta-analysis estimates that about one in five people who present with PTSD are also diagnosed with a comorbid eating disorder and about one in four people who present with an eating disorder are diagnosed with comorbid PTSD. However, despite the widespread occurrence, an integrated evidence-based treatment has yet to be established. Preliminary research proposes multiple theories for comorbidity rates. Some propose stress-induced glutamatergic dysfunction may facilitate both disorders, while others contend disordered eating behaviors are maladaptive coping mechanisms for negative affect. Regardless of the underlying …

Parenting For Autonomy: New Insights Into Warmth, Leniency, And Emotion Regulation, Elizabeth O. Arroyo, Ana Paula M. Constantino, Dolly P. Rojo

Modern Psychological Studies

Past parenting research has focused on Maccoby and Martin's (1983) two parenting qualities, Warmth and Demandingness. We know that these can affect several children's outcomes, including academic achievements (e.g., Pinquart, 2016) and self-esteem (Pinquart & Gerke, 2019). Still, we know less about the impacts of parental qualities on children’s autonomy, and even less about the impact that qualities of more modern parenting styles (e.g., emphasis on promotion of emotional regulation skills) might have on children’s outcomes. Our study explores the associations of parent’s Warmth, Demandingness, leniency, and promotion of emotional regulation skills on children’s autonomy. We predicted that parental Warmth, …

Development And Validation Of The Ipip-Ocean: A Hierarchical Facet-Level Measure Of The Big Five, Caleb Niccum

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study focused on developing a mid-range, hierarchical, five-factor, 20-facet personality inventory (the IPIP-OCEAN) composed of 100 items drawn from both the IPIP-NEO-300 and the Abridged Big Five Circumplex. Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the factor structure. Depression and anxiety, measured with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, were used to further validate the measure through discriminant and convergent validity by examining whether the domains and facets of the IPIP-OCEAN produced findings consistent with those reported for similar scales in prior depression and anxiety research. Numerous factor analyses were conducted on the IPIP-OCEAN dataset (N = 1,058), and a …

Reward-Based Gamification: Evaluating Game Mechanics That Promote The Implementation Of Personal Device Security Measures, Leah Lynne Branstetter

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Many everyday computer users lack the cybersecurity knowledge and motivation necessary to secure their personal devices. To better understand these barriers, we conducted an initial study with nine participants who were asked to complete simple laptop security tasks, such as reviewing firewall settings. We found two primary challenges: participants were unfamiliar with basic security features, and many expressed low motivation to engage in security practices even after learning about them. To address the motivational barrier, we developed a beginner-friendly cybersecurity game designed to reward users for completing real device security tasks. We compared this reward-based game to a version of …

From Physical Correlation To Emotional Connection: The Role Of Passive Haptics On Empathy In Virtual Reality, Jemely Robles

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Virtual reality is increasingly explored as a tool for cultivating empathy, and haptic feedback as a tool for enhancing immersion. This paper investigates the effects of combining the two.  Fifty-two participants experienced a custom-built VR scene in which a character was shown packing up a room. Participants were assigned to either a haptic condition, receiving passive haptic feedback corresponding to the character's actions, or a non-haptic control condition that did not receive any haptic input. Trait empathy was measured beforehand, and state empathy and engagement were measured after the experience. Thematic analysis was conducted on post-study interviews, and headset recordings …

An Experimental Investigation On The Influence Of Emotion On Craving And Alcohol Consumption Among Women, Melissa C. Rothstein

Open Access Dissertations

A burgeoning literature suggests that alcohol use, rates of binge drinking, rates of alcohol use disorder, and experiences of alcohol-related consequences are increasing among women in comparison to men (Adams et al., 2022; Baraona et al., 1991; Peltier et al., 2019; White, 2020). As such, alcohol use among women is a growing public health concern, but historically, most existing research, including interventions, has focused on men (Agabio et al., 2017; Holzhauer et al., 2020; Maxwell et al., 2022; Verplaetse et al., 2021; White, 2020). Although there is a large literature on the role of negative emotion in alcohol use (Austin …

My Autobiography Of Listening: A Worksheet, David Keck

C. Listening for One’s Own Voice

This 1-page worksheet provides a framework for exploring the ways in which a person's experiences shape their listening habits and capacities. It helps users answer the question, "How did I come to listen this way?"

Teachers' Perceptions Of Proactive And Reactive Behavior Management Strategies, Anna Wilzbach

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to expand the praise literature by examining K-12 teachers’ preferences for proactive behavior management strategies (e.g., praise, acknowledgement, rewards). In addition, teachers’ opinions on the efficacy of proactive strategies were assessed to see if efficacy of strategies decreased as grade level increased. Teacher opinions of efficacy and preferences for proactive strategies and reprimand were collected through the Teacher Praise and Reprimand Preference Survey (TPRPS). A total of 93 teachers from rural and suburban school districts completed the TPRPS survey. Results indicated as grade level increased, teachers found praise less effective for managing student appropriate …

The Language Of Vulnerable Narcissism: Linguistic And Thematic Patterns Among College Students, Bradly Mcginnis

Dissertations and Theses

Narcissistic personality disorder, as currently described within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), emphasizes grandiose narcissistic traits, such as a need for admiration and an inflated sense of self-importance. However, the current conceptualization of narcissistic personality disorder within the DSM-5-TR does not explicitly include vulnerable narcissistic traits. Vulnerable narcissistic traits may also be mistaken for depressive symptoms due to similarities in their presentation. The present study used a mixed-methods approach to examine linguistic differences among these constructs and explore whether patterns in language could help disentangle their overlap. Quantitative analyses examined differences in linguistic features, including …

From The Classroom To The Workplace: The Role Of Internships In Shaping Student Values, Jasmine Williams

Honors College Theses

A significant degree of research on workplace values has been conducted to better understand how employees are motivated in the hopes of reducing turnover. There also exists a significant body of literature on how internships impact career outcome and can effectively prepare students for the workforce. However, previous studies have not explored the differences between students who have completed internships in comparison to those who have not. The goal of this research is to determine whether internships create a significant impact on students’ workplace values (e.g. intrinsic, extrinsic, altruistic, and social) when compared to students who have not completed an …

Cracking The Code Of Ai Autonomy: Examining The Role Of Challenge And Hindrance Appraisals And Ai Literacy In Task Satisfaction, Rujuta Parekar

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

AI is constantly evolving and being rapidly integrated into the workplace. Limited research has examined how this integration is affecting employee outcomes, and particularly the impacts of whether employees are expected or mandated to use AI for their work. The present study utilized the challenge-hindrance framework to examine the effect of autonomy in using AI on task satisfaction through challenge and hindrance appraisal among working adults. Since the ability to understand and use AI can influence how individuals perceive it, the moderating effect of AI literacy on the hypothesized research model is also examined. A multi-wave research design was used …

Bilingualsim In The Workplace: How Work Attitudes Influence Burnout And Turnover Intentions, Andrea Del Aguila

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Understanding whether language status functions as a risk or protective factor for employee well-being and retention is essential for developing organizational policies that support workers from varied demographic backgrounds. This study examined how work attitudes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work engagement are seen among bilingual and monolingual workers and how these outcomes relate to employee burnout and turnover intentions. An outside researcher from Talent Metrics Consulting collected data via an online survey utilizing previously validated measures of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, burnout, work engagement, and turnover intentions. Participants were recruited through online advertising and social sampling obtaining …

From Recruitment To Breach: The Impact Of Employment-At-Will On Psychological Contracts, Krystal N. Porlles

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Employment-at-will is the default legal framework governing most private-sector employment relationships in the United States, yet little research has examined how explicit employment-at-will language influences applicants’ psychological expectations before organizational entry. Drawing on signaling theory and psychological contract theory, the present study investigated whether the inclusion of an employment-at-will statement in a job advertisement affected relational psychological contract development, anticipated job insecurity, organizational attractiveness, perceptions of psychological contract breach, emotional reactions, and withdrawal intentions. Undergraduate students (N = 253) were recruited through the University of Central Florida’s SONA research participation system. After data screening, the final analytic sample consisted of …

Appendices A, B, C, D, & E For "In Their Own Words: Qualitative And Quantitative Analyses Of What Students, Staff, And Faculty Say About Vertical Transfer", Alexandra W. Logue, Vita Rabinowitz, Kerstin Gentsch, David Wutchiett, Barbara Condliffe, Sophia Sutcliffe, Yoshiko Oka, Stephanie Abbeyquaye, Rhina Torres, Nayeon Yoo, Kyle Du

Publications and Research

Deposited here are the Appendices (A, B, C, D, & E) for an article to be published in 2026 in Journal of Postsecondary and Student Success. The abstract of this article is:

This research analyzed higher education constituencies’ statements about vertical transfer (student transfer from community to bachelor’s colleges). Data consisted of both focus group excerpts involving dozens of students, staff, and faculty, and of answers to open-ended survey questions completed by thousands of students and faculty. Results were generally consistent using both qualitative (topic identification) and quantitative (bigram frequency and sentiment analysis) analyses. The results were also compared …

“What Is In Vogue?” A Critical Study Of Photography, Psychology, And Power In Vogue Magazine, Hannah Eve Osinoff

MA Theses

Capitalizing on our obsession with beauty and power, this thesis examines, through psychological and art-historical lenses, how Vogue’s use of photography increased the public’s fascination with elitist culture. Using archives and secondary sources, this thesis aims to prove that photography was so powerful that it compelled readers to covet what they did not have. Accordingly, Vogue serves as a key example of how photography informed cultural perceptions of beauty and class. Ultimately, photography has and continues to impact fashion and media, as exemplified by Vogue’s early dominance of this medium and the resulting change in culture.

Gaining Voice, Creating Opportunity: An Exploration Of Non-Native English-Speaking Students’ Sources Of Self-Efficacy In U.S. College Public Speaking Classrooms, Desiree M M Flores-Molina

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This qualitative dissertation explores the sources of public speaking self-efficacy among non-native English-speaking international students enrolled in U.S. college public speaking courses. The study applies Bandura's social cognitive theory to examine how students describe the experiences that shape their confidence and perceived ability to succeed, with attention to mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological and affective states. It also considers how classroom practices and instructor support contribute to or constrain students' confidence.

Data were collected through semi-structured student interviews, guided reflection artifacts connected to major speech assignments, and key-informant interviews with public speaking instructors. Thematic analysis was used …

The Amanah Project: A Pilot Educational Intervention Addressing Intimate Partner Violence In Muslim Communities In The United States, Tamara Makki

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study is a two-part manuscript dissertation that addresses the need for culturally and faith-based responsive interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) within the Muslim community in the United States (U.S). The first manuscript is a conceptual and literature-based paper that examines IPV within the Muslim community in the U.S. and explores the intersection of religion, culture, patriarchy, and systemic barriers influencing survivors’ help-seeking experiences. Particular attention is given to issues of accessibility, including the limited availability of culturally and religiously responsive IPV services for Muslim survivors. This manuscript argues for the development of culturally responsive, faith-integrated approaches that improve …

Understanding The Progression Of Borderline Personality Disorder During Adolescence: A Clinical Case Study, Anjali Chandak, Megha Sadashiv, Bhawna Sharma, Bhargav Mulpuru

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) often emerges during adolescence, but remains relatively understudied in this population. This case report explores the sociobiological factors shaping symptom expression in an adolescent girl. Longitudinal clinical evaluation revealed hallmark features, including affective instability, identity disturbance, interpersonal relations, and self-harming behaviour. Early attachment disruptions, emotional regulation difficulties, and heightened sensitivity to relational stressors were identified as key developmental risk factors. Diagnostic and therapeutic considerations are presented, highlighting the need for prompt, developmentally informed, and evidence-based interventions. The case further emphasises how prognosis and chronicity may be significantly influenced by an adopting developmental approach, providing insight into …

State Social Benefit Schemes For Women In Continuity Of Psychiatric Care: A Case Report, Mathumitha A, Kishor M. Manohar Rao Professor

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Mental health disorders are a major global public health challenge. The disorders affect over a billion people worldwide, while depressive and bipolar spectrum disorders also contribute substantially to disability and reduced quality of life. According to the World Health Organization, major depression alone affects more than 300 million people globally and is considered a leading cause of years lived with disability. Beyond clinical morbidity, mental illnesses exert a profound economic impact, with depression and anxiety accounting for an estimated USD 1 trillion annually in lost productivity worldwide, while the overall global economic burden of mental disorders is projected to reach …

Careless Responding: Testing The Theory Of Vigilance, Rusty Wilson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Careless responding (CR) has been identified as a threat to the psychometric integrity of cognitive and non-cognitive tests, with much of the current research focusing on the identification and removal of carelessness from dataset. While this research has proved fruitful in improving data quality, there has been a recent push to move towards preventing carelessness as opposed to post-hoc removal, which harms statistical power. However, the most common prevention strategy to prevent carelessness (pre-survey warnings) has shown equivocal effects. Additionally, the literature lacks an agreed upon theory to explain why carelessness occurs. To address these gaps I introduce theory from …

Toward Evidence-Based Disposition Assessment In Counselor Education: Advocating For Established Measures And Evaluating The Psychometric Properties Of The Pdca-Ra, Laura Rendon Finnell

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Professional dispositions are recognized as an essential component of counselor competence and are now explicitly included within accreditation standards. However, questions remain regarding how these characteristics should assessed in ways that are fair, systematic, and supported by empirical evidence. This two-manuscript dissertation focused on professional disposition assessment in counselor education. The first manuscript provides a conceptual examination of professional dispositions, counselor competence, and gatekeeping responsibilities while reviewing established disposition assessment instruments in counselor education. The manuscript advocates for the use of established disposition measures rather than relying solely on locally developed assessment procedures. The second manuscript presents an empirical evaluation …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Treatment Integrity Instrument For Elementary School Classrooms - Observer Report: Preliminary Evidence For Construct And Discriminative Validity, Cristian J. Rivera Nales

Theses and Dissertations

Treatment integrity is the degree to which a program and its practices are delivered as intended. Treatment integrity measures are critical for evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based programs (EBPs) in effectiveness research, but few are designed for research conducted in community settings, such as schools. The Treatment Integrity Instrument for Elementary School Classrooms – Observer Report (TIES-O) is an observational measure used to assess the treatment integrity of teachers implementing EBPs in their classrooms. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the TIES-O, which captures Adherence (frequency and thoroughness of delivery) Competence (skillfulness of delivery), and Differentiation (the extent to …

Psychological Richness From Shared Experiences In Romantic Relationships: The Moderating Role Of Attachment, Sae Y. Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological richness, defined by experiences that are novel, complex, and perspective changing, has been proposed as a third dimension of the good life alongside satisfaction and meaning. Although prior work has focused on richness at the life level, romantic relationships may be an important context in which psychologically rich experiences occur. In Study 1, a correlational study, adult attachment was associated with psychological richness in life, such that secure attachment was positively related to psychological richness, whereas anxious and avoidant attachment were negatively associated. Informed by the results of this study, I designed Study 2 to be a 4-day daily …

Comorbid Psychosis In The General Population, Mariam Sankoh

Theses and Dissertations

Psychosis is a complex psychiatric phenotype characterized by substantial heterogeneity in symptom presentation, psychosis diagnosis, comorbidity patterns, and genetic architecture across diverse populations in the general population. Despite advances in psychiatric epidemiology and genomics, important gaps remain in understanding how psychosis symptoms and psychosis-related diagnoses manifest across racial and ethnic groups and how evolutionary genomic factors may contribute to disease risk and cross-ancestry genetic prediction. This dissertation, Characterizing Comorbidity in Psychosis in the General Population, integrates epidemiological, psychometric, and evolutionary genetic approaches to examine psychosis across diverse populations.

Aim 1 examined racial and ethnic differences in psychosis comorbidity patterns …

Internalizing Symptoms In Lgbtq+ Young Adults: Understanding The Roles Of Social Support And Resilience To Social Stigma, Chloe M. Sobolewski

Theses and Dissertations

LGBTQ+ young adults are at increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes including internalizing symptoms. The current study seeks to better incorporate strengths when modeling internalizing symptoms outcomes in LGBTQ+ young adults. The present study is secondary analysis of data collected as part of a three-wave longitudinal study. LGBTQ+ young adults (N = 250) completed baseline questionnaires assessing resilience to social stigma, types of perceived social support (i.e., family, friend, significant other), and internalizing symptoms. Moderation models were not practically or statistically significant; however, covariates (i.e., age, socioeconomic standing, and childhood basic needs) stood out in their significant contribution in …

Examining Youth Ethnic Identity And Parental Familismo As Protective Factors Against Bicultural Stress And Internalizing Symptoms In Latino Youth, Daniella Olivares

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by increased vulnerability to mental health challenges. For Latino adolescents living in the U.S., experiences of bicultural stress may heighten the risk for adverse mental health outcomes. However, cultural strengths–such as youth ethnic identity and parental familismo–may serve as protective factors. The current study examined whether youth ethnic identity and parental familismo moderated the relationship between bicultural stress and internalizing symptoms among a diverse sample of Latino youth in central Virginia. Latino adolescents (n = 60) completed measures assessing bicultural stress, ethnic identity, and internalizing symptoms, while parents (n = 60) reported on …