Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Adversity, Resilience, Mental Health, And Well-Being In First-Year Student-Athletes: A Mixed Methods Intervention Study, Parker Leap

Dissertations, 2020-current

Research indicates that student-athletes face unique stressors as they transition to college. Resilience programming has been shown to have mental health benefits with the general college student population; however, few studies have examined efficacy of resilience programming with college-student athletes during their transition to college. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a novel, culturally-resonant, NCAA grant-funded resilience course on scores of resilience, student athlete mental health, and sport well-being. This study also sought to assess the feasibility of this course and explore participants’ subjective experiences. A mixed methods intervention research design was utilized and included …

Coaching In Differential Attention And Pride Skills During Child Directed Interactions For Siblings Of Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Ava Sardoni

Dissertations, 2020-current

Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) are an increasingly-common presentation that is often associated with significant behavioral and relational challenges. NDDs can impact multiple areas of functioning including social, academic, and adaptive functioning. As NDDs are developmental disorders in nature, they are often lifelong conditions that require intensive treatments and adaptations throughout the lifespan. One of the most important predictors of success and fulfillment for a child with an NDD is the support from the family system.

Siblings of a child with an NDD are often neglected from the conversation of supports and treatments for children with NDDs. However, challenging behaviors often associated …

Investigating The Specific Links Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Vulnerability To Suicide: A Mixed Methods Study, Priyata Thapa

Dissertations, 2020-current

Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the U.S. and it is imperative to improve prevention efforts (CDC, 2021). Previous research has demonstrated a strong association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and suicide risk (e.g. Felitti et al., 1998; Hughes et al., 2017), and the need for deeper understanding of these associations utilizing developmental and relational perspectives (e.g. Angelakis et al., 2019; Hjelmeland and Knizek, 2020). This study investigated the associations between ACEs, interpersonal learning history in early attachment relationships, and suicidality using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB; Benjamin, 1979) …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study, Bryan A. Pecoraro

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted youth experiencing homelessness (YEH). During the coronavirus outbreak, millions of people’s health worldwide was negatively affected. In addition to poor physical health, society’s mental health was affected by political discourse, viral mitigation factors, social distancing, and distrust of both the media and government. Decades of research with those experiencing homelessness suggest that the housing insecure suffer from a litany of poor outcomes. Their physical and mental health are negatively affected by traumas and illnesses suffered prior to, and during, their transience. This study takes a phenomenological …

Children’S Experiences Of Parental Death, “Lost But Still Remembered”, Nour Salem

Dissertations, 2020-current

Parental death is prevalent during childhood, and the emotional, social, and behavioral effects on children’s development are well-documented. Although there is extensive literature on grief in children, most studies on children’s grief have obtained data about children’s experiences though collateral interviews with parents or caregivers, from adults who lost a parent as a child, or through quantitative measures with children and caregivers. Few studies have implemented a qualitative exploration of parental death by asking bereaved children. The objective of the current study was to involve parentally bereaved children in responding to the research question, “what is it like to lose …

The Lived Experience Of Counseling Students In Natural Disaster, Amy M. Sirocky-Meck

Dissertations, 2020-current

After natural disaster, survivors may experience moderate to severe signs and symptoms of emotional distress which may subside or worsen as time passes (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022). Adults pursuing higher education when natural disaster strikes experience an additional array of unique issues which may exacerbate symptoms of emotional distress (Wilkinson et al.,2013). To create and improve curricular and co-curricular structures that meet the needs of their students, educators in many health and mental health disciplines can draw from a variety of quantitative and qualitative studies, particularly those focused on how their disciplines’ students navigate the experience …

A Novel Examination Of None-Of-The-Above As It Influences Examinee Item Responses, Kathryn N. Thompson

Dissertations, 2020-current

It is imperative to collect validity evidence prior to interpreting and using test scores. During the process of collecting validity evidence, test developers should consider whether test scores are contaminated by sources of extraneous information. This is referred to as construct irrelevant variance, or the “degree to which test scores are affected by processes that are extraneous to the test’s intended purpose” (AERA et al., 2014, p. 12). One possible source of construct irrelevant variance is violating item-writing guidelines, such as to “avoid the use of none-of-the-above” in multiple-choice items (Rodriguez, 2016, p. 268).

Numerous studies have been conducted with …

Developing And Establishing Validity Evidence For A Measure Of Situational Leadership In An Outdoor Leadership Context, Guy B. Debrun

Dissertations, 2020-current

Discussions of what it means to be an effective outdoor leader are common in outdoor education literature (Smith & Penny, 2010). Research has identified core competencies, conceptual frameworks, and course curricula for effective leadership. However, the criteria upon which judgements are made about leaders lack clarity (Smith & Penny, 2010). Furthermore, very little is documented, and few evaluation instruments exist to evaluate outdoor leader effectiveness (Phipps et al., 2005). The lack of instruments is problematic for four reasons: (1) it hampers efforts to create recognized outdoor leader certifications, (2) it impedes efforts to demonstrate the value of outdoor leadership program …

Affectionately Attached: The Impact Of Attachment Styles On Sexual Self-Concept Among Adults Who Identify As Lgbtgeqiap+, Karli M. Fleitas

Dissertations, 2020-current

The aim of this quantitative research study was to investigate the interplay between attachment orientation and subscales of sexual self-concept among an exclusively LGBTGEQIAP+ adult sample. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to examine attachment anxiety and avoidance with four subscales of sexual self-concept including, sexual motivation, sexual satisfaction, sexual consciousness, and sexual monitoring. The purpose of this study was two-fold—to compare findings with non-LGBTGEQIAP+ samples and provide new data. The relationships between attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious and avoidant attachment) and sexual motivation and satisfaction were compared to prior findings in the literature. Each test was statistically significant and negatively …

Activist, Entrepreneur, Leader: The Influence Of Social Justice Advocacy And Entrepreneurial Orientation On Leader Self-Efficacy, Kathleen Q. Johnson

Dissertations, 2020-current

This quantitative study examined individual entrepreneurial orientation and social justice advocacy as antecedents to leader self-efficacy in the complex and dynamic context of the opioid epidemic. Throughout history, leaders have emerged in response to societal challenges; leadership is not restricted to the boundaries of hierarchical, administrative, bureaucratic organizational frameworks. Complexity leadership theory and its recognition of leadership in complex adaptive systems provides an overarching framing. Five characteristics of individual entrepreneurial orientation were incorporated: risk-taking, innovativeness, perseverance, passion and proactiveness (Santos et al., 2020). Social advocacy activity was measured using the social issues advocacy scale (Nilsson et al., 2011). The dependent …

Calm-Mo: An Integrative Tool For Psychological Mindfulness, Charles L. Miller

Dissertations, 2020-current

Henriques has developed a “Unified Theory” that consists of eight key ideas he argues can effectively frame both the science of psychology and the practice of psychotherapy. CALM-MO, the eighth of these ideas, offers an integrative, principled approach to psychological mindfulness. CALM-MO is an acronym that encapsulates the process of cultivating a “calm” meta-cognitive observer that embodies the attitudes of curiosity, acceptance, loving compassion, and motivation toward valued states of being. Henriques posits that the idea consolidates key elements from across the various schools of thought to bring together essential therapeutic principles geared toward seeking and maintaining well-being. As such, …

Strategies And Methods Of Training Teacher Emotional Competence, Christina D. Beaton

Dissertations, 2020-current

Teaching is an emotional endeavor. That is why teachers must be equipped with skills to manage their emotions as well as emotions of their students. The present research investigates a strategies and methods for a model of training teacher emotional competency. Elementary school teachers (N=78) were asked about their perception of the importance of emotional competencies including emotional self-awareness, emotion regulation, effective emotional expression, identifying and responding to students’ emotions, promoting a positive emotional climate in the classroom, using emotions to promote learning, skills to promote student emotional competence, and skills to maintain teacher well-being. They also reported how often …

Impact Of Parental Substance Misuse On Attachment In Young Adults: A Qualitative Approach, Susan E. Hardman

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study examined the impact of parental substance misuse on young adult development and relationships by interviewing young adults about their experience being raised by a parent who misused substances. A qualitative design based on constructivist grounded theory and informed by constructs from attachment theory was used. Participants consisted of 10 young adults, ages 18-26, who endorsed being raised by a parent who misused substances. The interview questions developed for the study were informed by a measure of adult attachment. Analysis of the data included identification of emergent categories/themes as well as a priori constructs from attachment theory (safe haven, …

Equitable Counselor Education: Promoting A Sense Of Belonging In Master's Counseling Students, Jessica E. Mastrangelo

Dissertations, 2020-current

The discrepancies in racial and ethnic demographics between counselors, counselor educators, and the clients they seek to serve are prominent (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2018). Mental health counseling and the field of psychology have a traditionally Eurocentric value system that has positioned the White population to benefit from services and to become clinicians. As such, the centering of the White experience has perpetuated a lack of diversity in the field. As the demographics of the United States population continues to diversify, counseling needs to produce a greater number of racially and ethnically minoritized counselors …

Operationalizing The Gift Of Love (Gol) In Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (Irt): An Examination Of The Role Of Meaning Reconstruction In Therapeutic Change., Eliza Stucker-Rozovsky

Dissertations, 2020-current

Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT) (Benjamin, 2003/2006) is an integrative, principles-based treatment approach and theory of psychopathology that conceptualizes the motivating factor that underlies personality psychopathology as the gift of love (GOL). That is, copy processes are learned and maintained to achieve psychic proximity to the important people and their internalized representations (IPIRs) that were the original teachers. Relinquishing this gift of love allows a person to re-orient their life towards uncovering and living by their own individually held meanings that will then define how they relate to themselves and their world. Spirituality and religion have historically helped individuals make meaning …

Black Girl Magic: The Endurance Of Enslaved Mothers’ Lessons, Briana G. Gaines

Dissertations, 2020-current

Intergenerational trauma involves a traumatic event that began years prior to the current generation and has impacted the ways in which individuals cope with and heal from trauma. Intergenerational trauma can negatively impact families and individuals as a result of unresolved emotions and thoughts about a traumatic event. Motherhood has always been an important role for Black women (Green, 1990) and although all women face challenges in their role as mothers, Black women are faced with unique tasks that their White counterparts are not. Black women are often the transmitter of culture to their children and frequently set the example …

Delivery Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy In A Telehealth Format: Reducing Disruptive Behaviors In Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Emily D. Pogue

Dissertations, 2020-current

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in childhood have been associated with disruptive behaviors and attentional problems that may worsen over time and are often experienced as challenging for those in caregiving roles. Parents of children with TBI may evoke negative interactions to manage their child’s behavior through reliance on ineffective parenting practices. This results in increasingly maladaptive parent-child interactions that maintain or worsen problem behaviors of the child and further disrupt family functioning. Despite the importance of family functioning on child post-injury outcomes, the availability of family-based treatments for children with TBI is extremely limited. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an …

Promoting Attainment: Examining The Impact Of Institutional Expenditure Patterns On Graduation Rates, Matthew Lovesky

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study explored how university expenditures differently impact attainment of enrolled students at regional public universities in the United States. Research of this nature is vital with an increasing number of professions requiring a postsecondary education and the unmistakable personal, social, and economic benefits of postsecondary attainment. The purpose of this study was to add to the expenditure literature by focusing strictly on regional public universities, who tend to be more understudied and undervalued compared to the more affluent and prestigious 4-year institutions (McClure et al., 2020). Two separate hierarchical/sequential multiple regression analyses using block-wise entry were utilized to examine …

Exploring The Role Of Defense Styles In The Relationship Between Childhood Adversity And Vicarious Trauma, Stewart Nafziger

Dissertations, 2020-current

The National Council for Behavioral Health (2013) estimated that the majority of clients in public behavioral healthcare settings have experienced trauma. Providing high quality mental health services to clients who suffer from traumatic stress can take a toll on the professional (Trippany et al., 2004). Vicarious trauma is a unique form of traumatic stress that results from treating clients who suffer from traumatic stress (McCann & Pearlman, 1990). It has been recognized by the American Counseling Association (2011) as an occupation hazard. Yet, not all professionals who treat clients suffering from traumatic stress develop it. There is a lack of …

The Use Of Complex-Structure Items In Multistage Testing, Paulius Satkus

Dissertations, 2020-current

When developing tests, measurement experts may prefer simple-structure items because they measure one trait, which simplifies scoring and scoring interpretation. Conversely, complex-structure items may be preferred to reflect the complexity of multidimensional constructs. The current study sought to address the gap in the literature of multi-stage testing by conducting a simulation study with a hypothetical two-stage adaptive test with a purpose of comparing the performance of simple and complex structure items. The findings suggest that with a longer test (60 items), the two types of items performed similarly with respect to bias and RMSE of the trait estimates. For the …

Nature And Its Place In Professional Counseling: A Qualitative Study Of Expert Views, Experiences, And Future Plans, Matthew V. Bukowski

Dissertations, 2020-current

Recent publications and initiatives within professional counseling indicate a growing interest in the connections between human wellness and the natural world. Despite consistent growth of this trend between the years 2000 and 2021, there has been little dialogue within the profession about the ethical, ideological, and social justice implications of integrating nature therapy with professional counseling and counselor education. This study investigated the views, experiences, and future plans of 10 counselor educators who integrate nature therapy into their professional roles and developed two major themes and 12 subthemes that encapsulate their responses. Participants in the study overall shared a desire …

Experiencing The Pull And Push: Influences On Independent Contractor Motivation And Job Satisfaction, Andrew D. Miller

Dissertations, 2020-current

Over the past few decades, the number of individuals engaging in non-standard employment has been increasing. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines the motivation and job satisfaction of independent contractors, the largest form of these alternative work arrangements. Specifically, I examine how the rationale for workers entering contracting work arrangements affect in-role contractor motivation and job satisfaction. Based on a sample of N = 241 adjunct instructors from two universities, I find that the positive relationship between those entering contracting because the work offers autonomy, flexibility and the ability to pursue personally interesting work (pull factors) and their …

An Exploration Of Knowledge Type And Firm Performance: A Study In The Mlb, Adam E. Lindberg

Dissertations, 2020-current

There is both theoretical and empirical support for the idea that firm-specific knowledge (FSK) has a greater effect on sustained competitive advantage than general knowledge (GK). However, empirical support suffers from several practical and methodological challenges which suggest that the relationships between FSK, GK, and firm performance are even more nuanced than previously considered. Multilevel modeling techniques (polynomial regression and latent growth modeling) were implemented to test these effects on both short- and long-term performance among MLB teams between 2015-2019. Although the results of the hypothesis tests and post-hoc analyses were largely non-significant, they do provide some information that furthers …

Reimagining Racism: It's More Than Black & White, Morgan E. Gunter

Dissertations, 2020-current

Human beings have a set of core needs and inalienable rights. Implicit to such needs and rights are concepts of potential – to become what we are able to become – and dignity – to be regarded and treated as equal. Clearly, these aspirational tenets are still not realizable for many of our fellow beings, both locally and globally. For example, from the standpoint of this dissertation, racial injustice (e.g., racism, hate crimes, discriminatory laws and policies, genocide) has – historically and currently – led to transgenerational trauma and otherizing within communities that are marginalized at multiple levels of analysis. …

Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review And Analysis Through The Lens Of The Unified Theory, Paulihna S. Cechak

Dissertations, 2020-current

Abstract

In the field of psychology, there are many different ways to understand or make sense of a phenomenon. Researchers, theorists, or practitioners can approach topics via many different paradigms or schools of thought that guide their general understanding, programs of research or approach to therapeutic practice. Although this diversity of analysis affords some strength in terms of allowing many perspectives, it also brings with it a serious problem of fragmentation. With the countless theories and paradigms, we lack a shared language and meta-theoretical framework that assimilates and integrates the various bodies of knowledge and perspectives into a coherent frame …

Exploring Coaches’ Perceptions Of The Role Of Trauma In Sport Success, Elizabeth Sanborn

Dissertations, 2020-current

Recent research examining the antecedents to success in elite sport have led to claims that trauma is necessary to reach the highest levels of sport. Researchers have utilized theories of post-traumatic growth, stress-related growth, and related terms to elucidate the relationship between trauma and sport success, but have been inconsistent in how they define trauma and growth. The purpose of this study was to explore coaches’ perceptions regarding the relationship between trauma and sport success and how their perceptions may influence their coaching behaviors. An interpretivist phenomenological analysis framework was utilized for the study design and analysis. Ten NCAA Division …

Healing Attachment Wounds: Drama Therapy Within An Interpersonal Theoretical Frame As A Group Treatment Modality, Julia Dobner-Pereira

Dissertations, 2020-current

Drama Therapy is an active and experiential form of psychotherapy that is useful for group and individual therapy with a variety of populations (Dintino & Johnston, 1996; Emunah, 1999; Johnson, 2009; Landy, 1996, 2009; Sajnani, 2010). Often, there is ample work within the therapy process on understanding and shifting interpersonal patterns. Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (Benjamin, 2006; 2018) offers a set of organizing principles emphasizing how early relationship patterns are copied in present relationships with self and other in order to conceptualize and guide treatment, focusing on in-session processes (Critchfield & Benjamin, 2006). The potential for integrating Drama Therapy and interpersonal …

Virtual Manhood Acts Within Social Networks: The Enactment Of Toxic Masculinity On Reddit, Christian D. Haase

Dissertations, 2020-current

Toxic masculinity (TM) has emerged as a label for the western hegemonic masculine ideal, which is generally defined by the pressure for boys and men to be aggressive and dominant, restrict emotional expression, and marginalize women and others that do not adhere to these values (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005; Kupers, 2005). This phenomenon increases the risk for male identified individuals to engage in general acts of bigotry, especially gender-based violence (APA, 2018; Baugher & Gazmararian, 2015; FBI, 2007; Feder, Levant, & Dean, 2010). A contemporary touchpoint associated with proliferating TM ideologies is participation in online anonymous “toxic technoculture” social network …

Does Coding Method Matter? An Examination Of Propensity Score Methods When The Treatment Group Is Larger Than The Comparison Group, Beth A. Perkins

Dissertations, 2020-current

In educational contexts, students often self-select into specific interventions (e.g., courses, majors, extracurricular programming). When students self-select into an intervention, systematic group differences may impact the validity of inferences made regarding the effect of the intervention. Propensity score methods are commonly used to reduce selection bias in estimates of treatment effects. In educational contexts, often a larger number of students receive a treatment than not. However, recommendations regarding the application of propensity score methods when the treatment group is larger than the comparison group have not been empirically examined. The current study examined the recommendation to recode the treatment and …

Analysis Of Alumni Giving Based On Student Activity Involvement: Multivariate Logistic Regression Modeling, Michael Speight

Dissertations, 2020-current

Little research has uncovered clear results on why post-secondary alumni give or which alumni might be more inclined to give. The most significant predictor of future giving for alumni to their alma mater is past giving (Okunade and Justice, 1991). This creates an unfortunate situation for today’s post-secondary leader, where they need to be more reliant on fundraising results to overcome budget shortfalls while knowing their fundraising staffs only have the ability to determine the likelihood of an alumni to give through meeting with them. This problem is only more exacerbated for public post-secondary leader, who has dealt with dwindling …