Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Missed Opportunity: The Relationship Between Language, Cognition, And Poverty In Early Childhood Among Bilingual Children, Saskia Barboza

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Human development is a continuous process with critical periods, and early childhood is part of that process, with internal changes prompted by external factors. An essential part of human development is language acquisition and cognitive skills which are shaped by heredity, brain structure, personal differences, social interaction, and socioeconomic background. In recent decades the exposure to multiple languages at home has been growing, causing differences between the language status (bilingual or monolingual) and the executive functions of developing children. Some previous studies have pointed out cognitive differences in bilingual children, while others have not. The present study observed three variables …

Understanding The Relationship Between Perceived Childhood Experiences And Relationship With God, Remaz Bahaa

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the relationship between perceived childhood experiences and one’s current relationship with God in an Egyptian Muslim sample. While such relationship has been researched in Western contexts, there is a notable gap in understanding these dynamics within Muslim Middle Eastern cultures. In this study, 180 participants, brought up in Muslim households, were given the following questionnaires: both versions of the Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) referring to the father and mother, Attachment to God Inventory (AGI), and Images of God (LAMBI Scale). The results presented the internal consistency of both the AGI and LAMBI scales with the …

The Experiences Of Christian Males' Attachment Style And Attachment Figure To God, Irene G. Insunza

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the present study was to describe the lived experience of attachment to God in Christian men, how men obtained a secure attachment, and what it means to their life. Attachment Theory explains the importance of attachment bonds formed in infancy between the parent and child. Surrogate attachment figures have gained support in studies, indicating mental representation in attachment to God can assist in developing secure attachment style. The participants consisted of 12 Christian males, ages 21 to 57, active in their faith, and experienced an attachment to God. Using a qualitative, phenomenological design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were …

The Preservation Of Ancient Wisdom In Dmt: A Literature Review, Miranda Cox

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Dance has a long and evocative history within humanity. This literature review explores the integration and impact dance has within religious and spiritual practices and how dance movement therapy can support these practices within a therapeutic model. Dance profoundly affects individuals during their healing journey and has impacted them through transcendental experiences. The review covers important topics regarding the therapeutic alliance and cultural humility, dance and the history of religion and spiritual practices, and the complications and benefits of religion and spirituality within a clinical therapeutic process. The intention is to explore how dance, religion, and spirituality can work …

Seeing Is Believing: Observing Trans Spirituality Through The Smith-Waite Tarot, Phoebe Santalla

MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture

In 1909 the Rider Company published the Smith-Waite Tarot deck which featured 78 illustrated cards by Pamela Colman Smith. With heavy use of appropriated and ambiguous symbology, the Smith-Waite deck became a meditation tool for realizing alternative realities. By observing the history of the deck, analyzing Smith’s approach to illustration, and retracing the counterculture occult explosion in the 1970s, this essay argues that the Smith-Waite deck is an object the reflects the queered body and self. The modern, trans-contentious, Western political climate creates an environment that obscures the fact that transgender people exist beyond the medicalization of their bodies. To …

Optimism And Spirituality On Burnout In Educators, Mackenzie Coats

Honors Program Projects

Burnout in educators can be attributed to high stress, increased demands, and a lack of resources, leading to high levels of turnover. Personal resources, such as optimism and spirituality, have been shown to individually have a negative correlation with burnout but have not been evaluated jointly to predict burnout in an educational setting. This research determines the relative contribution of optimism and spirituality to the three facets of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. An electronic survey consisting of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, and the Spirituality at Work Scale was completed by educators of …

Spirituality And Recovery From Addiction: Experiences Of Narcotics Anonymous Members, Elizabeth Romberger

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One of the most common treatment recommendations for addiction is to attend 12-step programs. In such, spirituality is considered a critical component to long-term recovery. This research project sought to better understand the relationship between experiencing a spiritual awakening and recovery from addiction within the Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) 12-step program. Using a post-positivist paradigm and the Cognitive- behaviorism theory, data gathered from interviews with 15 participants was transcribed and then coded. Online platforms that host 12 step recovery forums were used to reach interested participants with approved engagement material. Then snowball sampling was used - participants used their social network …

The Media’S Influence On Disordered Eating And Body Dysmorphia In Males And Females, Alexis Kotanidis, Jamie Vitrano

Molloy Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference

The media typically refers to various means of communication that reach or influence people widely. This includes television, radio, newspapers, magazines, social media platforms, websites, podcasts, and more. Essentially, it has many ways through which information is transmitted to a large audience. The media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion, especially with regard to disordered eating and body dysmorphia in both men and women. Disordered eating refers to a wide range of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not meet the criteria for a specific eating disorder diagnosis such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder. …

The Role Of Spirituality In The Lives Of Counselors: Reframing The Focus, Greg A. Meyer

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

The term spirituality is often hard to hear without prior, preconceived ideas and bias attached to it, and is often used interchangeably with other words, depending on one’s past and culture. The field of counselor education and supervision has also used the term in ambiguous ways, which has led to apprehension and a lack of clarity with which the term is taught and understood. This paper explains the historical focus of spirituality within the counselor education field, then redefines the focus towards the lives of counselors, but more specifically the lives of counseling students and the impact counselor educators might …

Building Bridges: A Student-Professor Dialogue About Spiritual Assumptions And Perspectives On Whiteness, Kyle N. Stueber, Andrea C. Walker

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

One day in May during a recent year, a conversation began that launched several years of ongoing dialogue. A graduate student, Kyle, reached out to a graduate counseling professor, Andrea, to discuss some concerns and anxieties he felt in some of his class discussions. What began as a conversation about racial diversity in the counseling setting evolved into an exploration of different ways of looking at the sociocultural context of race in the United States, a topic discovered to have political and theological underpinnings. As a result of the dialogue, we realized that specific preconceived labels identifying political, theological, denominational, …

Impact Of Parental Spirituality On Child Depression, Anxiety, And Ptsd After A Surgical Procedure, Ashlee M. Schendel

Honors Thesis

Higher levels of religiosity and spirituality (R/S) have been associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (Lucchetti, Koenig, & Lucchetti, 2021; Braam & Koenig, 2019). While it is unknown why the relationship exists, it may be a result of the social support obtained from attending a place of worship (Gwin et al., 2020). The relationship between anxiety and R/S is far more mixed, with studies having found both positive and negative correlations (Lucchetti, Koenig, & Lucchetti, 2021). It is theorized spirituality may be used to cope with anxiety both negatively (e.g., God hates me) and positively (e.g., God wants to …

Experiential-Based Research Depicting Humanistic Survival After Violent Victimization & Traumatization Exploring Human Resilience, Spirituality, Meditation & Expressive Writing, Sabrina Harris

Dissertations

Unattended trauma-induced stressors resulting from incidents of violent victimization can escalate into mental health challenges, including trauma-related and substance-abuse disorders, which most often co-occur in a debilitating manner. Therefore, it is essential to conduct ongoing exploratory research on cognitive-based approaches (e.g., spirituality), psychological adaptations (e.g., human resilience), and trauma-informed approaches (e.g., meditation, expressive writing), which serve to reduce or offset the adverse impact of trauma.

Twelve women who experienced victimization and traumatization but did not seek professional mental-health intervention were interviewed; six had been abused as children and eight as adults. Some did not contact or follow through with reports …

Psychology Of Altruism: A Phenomenological Study Of Christian Leaders, Joshua G. Belk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Altruism is fundamentally a part of Christianity, but this phenomenon has never been researched from the perspective of Christian leaders. More than simple kindness or generosity, altruism can be defined as actions and behaviors which place a person’s own interests subordinate to another’s. This qualitative study interviews 31 Christian leaders to establish an understanding of what altruism is in the context of Christian faith. The study found that Christian leaders’ experiences with altruism redefines what was previously known about the phenomenon and its role in our lives. Examining the Christian rationale of altruism provides a richer conception of altruism and …

At The Intersection Of Religion, Spirituality, And Clinical Psychology: A Conversation With Two Jewish Psychologists, Robert A. Demayo, David A. Levy

Psychology Division Scholarship

This article presents a dialogue between two Jewish psychologists who share their respective personal and professional journeys on how spirituality and religious affiliation impacts their work as clinicians. They address the following questions: How would you identify your cultural background with respect to your religious or spiritual history and identity? How do you manage the competing demands of respecting both individual cultural identity and group cultural identity? How did your early experiences with Judaism influence your professional practice? What were your earliest academic influences on the question of spirituality in psychology? How have religion and spirituality manifested in your clinical …

The Impact Of Social Media On Emerging Adults' Psychological Well-Being: Spirituality As A Protective Factor, Lori Dewald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Approximately 70% of emerging adults, individuals ages 18-29 years, report using social media daily. Emerging adulthood is a time of role transition and exploration; therefore, it is important to understand the role social media has on this population. Social media use in young adults has shown mixed results. The inconsistencies of the research center on the content of social media use and the impact it has on well-being. When social media is used to build relationships and increase social support increased well-being was noted. Conversely, when social media use resulted in social comparisons and negative feedback decreased well-being was reported. …

Religion And Spirituality In Psychotherapy: A Personal Bedrock Of Faith, Edward Shafranske

Psychology Division Scholarship

Personal beliefs and values conjoin with professional training to influence clinical practice. This article examines the role of religion and spirituality (R/S) through the lens of the author’s personal experiences and illustrates the confluence of faith, belief, identity, and practice in professional life. An autobiographical “glimpse” introduces the author’s formative experiences as a Roman Catholic and illustrates how religious narratives furnished conceptions of suffering, forgiveness, and transcendence that contributed to authentic hope for the client. Although often seemingly silent, R/S may influence psychotherapy practice. Clinical supervision provides a context to examine these personal factors.

Exploring The Spiritual Alliance Of Maintaining A 5-Acre Tropical Farm Through The Lens Of Occupational Engagement, Jose Rafols, Amy Wagenfeld

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Large-scale commercial farmers and small scale “hobby” farmers engage in growing crops for subsistence and survival for themselves, their families, communities, and beyond. Their reverence and passion for farming make them good stewards of both community and world population nourishment. We suggest there may be a collective physical, emotional, and spiritual draw to farming that is interwoven with occupational engagement. Through a personal narrative approach, we reflect on the meaning and the work-focused occupation of farming and specifically how spirituality may be a guiding force that supports engagement despite seemingly insurmountable environmental and personal hardships. With an increasing interest in …

Wellness & Mindfulness For Black Women: A Transformative Four-Day Retreat, Kimberly Peavler

Mindfulness Studies Theses

In a world fraught with systemic injustices, where the intersecting forces of racism and misogyny

weigh heavily on the lives of Black women, there is a growing need for spaces of empowerment,

healing, and self-discovery. This thesis embarks on a profound journey into the transformative

potential of a culturally grounded four-day mindfulness and well-being retreat by creating and

presenting an experience explicitly tailored for Black women. The retreat is meticulously

designed to resonate with Black women's cultural and spiritual backgrounds. It uniquely fuses

Kemetic Yoga™ practices, mindfulness techniques, and candid discussions to dismantle

systemic oppression. The retreat provides a sanctuary …

Empathy, Ethics, And Empowerment: Supervising The Transpersonal Therapist, John Elfers, Patty Hlava

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This grounded theory study addressed the question What model explains the essential qualities, skills, and competencies of an effective supervisory relationship for transpersonal therapists in training? It emerged out of a recognition that current training models for supervisors were not inclusive of competencies to address the needs of therapist trainees who are oriented toward a transpersonal approach to psychotherapy. The results of 22 interviews with trainees and supervisors surfaced a fundamental tension within the supervisory relationship in the distinction among the primary responsibility of the supervisor for ensuring client welfare, and encouraging supervisees to develop their personal therapeutic orientation and …

Fathers’ Perspectives On The Role Of Spirituality In Substance Misuse Disorder Treatment And Engaging With Their Children, Kendra Michelle Eubank

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

The father's role and the extent of involvement with his children have shifted over the past several decades. As a result, researchers have made considerable advances in understanding paternal influences on child development and families. However, one under-researched topic is how fathers' substance misuse, and the recovery process may influence father involvement and effective co-parenting, and specifically, how spirituality plays a role in that. In this qualitative study, fourteen participants participated in semi-structured interviews. The data revealed two main themes: 1) pillars of a spiritual awakening and 2) applying spirituality to healthy fatherhood engagement.

These findings led to four interpretations: …

Waldorf Education: New Perspectives On A Holistic Approach, Martyn Rawson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This article outlines some of the core ideas underlying the practices of Waldorf education as re-envisioned by an experienced practitioner, as a contribution to the discussion about the educational implications of transpersonal psychology. It outlines a pedagogical anthropology that takes the spiritual dimension into account. It distinguishes between the lived body, the emergent psyche and the agentic Self as the spiritual core of being in the person. Learning is explained as a transformative process that involves the changing relationships to one’s own body, to others and to the world through which potentialities become abilities. The aim of the transformative education …

Improving Spiritual Care Competency Among Intensive Care Unit Nurses: Promoting Holistic Patient Care Towards End-Of-Life, Joanne Nguyen, Dana Bagis

Nursing | Senior Theses

Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses play a crucial role in providing physiological stabilizing care in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, often marked by constant changes and variability in complex patients. Despite their specialization, the aspect of spiritual care tends to be overlooked, particularly in the context of end-of-life care. This is significant because previous studies have shown that a lack of spiritual care leads to poorer health outcomes, decreased coping, increased depression, and diminished quality of life for patients. This research proposal aims to investigate the spiritual care competency among ICU nurses who partake in spiritual care-based training, with the …

The Effect Of Email Communication On Professor-Student Rapport, Academic Self-Efficacy, Resiliency, Motivation, And Spirituality, David J. Heim

MSU Graduate Theses

Student retention and success rates are an increasing concern among collegiate administrators and educators. This study examined the influence of a college instructor’s email communications on professor-student rapport, student academic self-efficacy, resilience, motivation, and success. Researchers hypothesized that the student participants who received the encouraging email communications from their professor would demonstrate higher levels of professor-student rapport, higher levels of academic self-efficacy, resiliency, and success compared to the students who receive standard email communications from their professor. Five scales were utilized in this study including Professor-Student Rapport Scale, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30), Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES), …