Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Professional’S Perspectives For Supporting Alternatives To Drug Culture For Adolescents, Emily L. Davis

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This study aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the perspective’s professionals have around providing adolescents using substances with an alternative to drug culture. For this study, a semi-structured interview was conducted as the method of collecting phenomenological data. To capture a broad understanding of professional’s viewpoints and understanding of drug culture, professions across the area of mental health support in both the school and community-based setting were considered. In total, three school-based professionals and four community-based professionals participated in the research. Professionals ranged from school counselors, school administrators, mental health professionals, community-based substance use therapists, and health educators. The …

Program Evaluation Of The James Madison University School Psychology Students Of Color Succeeding Mentoring Program, Sa'mone Moore

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The James Madison University (JMU) School Psychology Program created the Students of Color Succeeding in Psychology (SoCS) Mentoring Program during the summer of 2022 with the help of school psychology professors and four racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) school psychology graduate students. The SoCS Mentoring Program was created to develop a mentoring relationship between current REM JMU school psychology graduate students and REM JMU school psychology alumni who were practicing school psychologists. The program hoped to provide mentoring to create community and professional relationships while also providing space for REM students and practitioners to converse about experiences that may occur …

Facilitating Parental Scaffolding Of Joint Book Reading With Toddlers, Tiffany Pempek Rahl

Dissertations, 2020-current

Developmental research confirms the importance of early parental language input for building children’s vocabulary and language skills (Hart & Risley, 1995). While reading with a caregiver is a common way for language input to occur, the approaches parents utilize often fail to capitalize on techniques for improving language and pre-literacy skills (Huebner & Meltzoff, 2005). The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of embedding tips for scaffolding parent reading strategies into a children’s book. Thirty-eight parent-child dyads participated in a 2-week intervention. Families were randomly assigned to receive either a book with embedded tips (experimental condition) or …

Antiracism In Higher Education: An Integrated Psychological Perspective, Rhea E. Nesbitt

Dissertations, 2020-current

Antiracism is a complicated and important term with prominent, influential voices claiming that systemic equity and the reconfiguration of white identity are the central solutions to eradicating American racism. Within the profound sociocultural effects of the existing antiracist rhetoric, there is vagueness, conflict, and incoherence. Language serves as a fundamental aspect of human experience, facilitating individual meaning-making and comprehension. Effective communication hinges on the ability to articulate subjective experiences and justifications clearly, a challenge evident in discussions surrounding antiracism. Despite advocating for antiracism as crucial and unending work, scholars recognize significant hurdles, including unclear responsibilities for implementation and entrenched structures …

Factors That Help And Hinder Experience Of Reflective Functioning In An Attachment-Based Intervention: An Enhanced Critical Incident Technique Analysis Of Parents’ Experiences, Shelly-Ann Peart James

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study explored parents’ experiences as it relates to their capacity to think about their child’s thinking and feeling, Parental Reflective Functioning (PRF), an attachment theory construct. PRF was explored in the context of an attachment-based intervention, the Secure Child Program (SCP), that focuses on children and their families. Parents’ voices were centered in this study through the employment of narrative research methodology, specifically, the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique. Participants consisted of seven parents within the SCP. A semi-structured interview developed for the study was informed by extant measures of PRF. Findings indicate helping and hindering categories with the vast …

Training A Behavior Technician In The Implementation Of The System Of Least Prompts Using Behavioral Skills Training, Clara Wincheski

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to extend the literature base on behavioral skills training (BST) to detail its effects in assisting a behavior technician (BT) in acquisition of the skills necessary to implement a response prompting procedure, system of least prompts (SLP). This inquiry was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the effects of BST on the acquisition of SLP across three behaviors of a BT? and (2) Does the BT accept this intervention as socially significant, and tangentially, does a Board Certified Behavior Analyst also find it to be socially significant within the context of …

Leading With Joy: Lessons From The Literature, Jennifer A. Keach, Jenne M. Klotz, Galen J. Talis

Libraries

This article provides an introduction for library leaders at all levels to support equitable conditions for joy in the workplace, as well as for anyone who wants to develop their personal practice of joy through lessons discovered in popular, academic, and professional writing and multimedia. Joy has a place in contemporary libraries’ conversations about burnout, vocational awe, and care. The article begins with a guide to the annotated bibliography which explores five themes: defining joy, finding individual joy, work and organizational joy, empowering change with joy, and joy-adjacent emotions. The thematic guide may be read alone or used as an …

Local Is Possible: An Analysis Of Hma Localization Efforts And A Proposed Pathway For Future Projects, Mark Wilkinson Ph.D., Lisa Mueller-Dormann, Camilla Roberti, Lene Rasmussen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This paper aims to address the relevance of localization in humanitarian mine action (HMA), delineating principles, challenges, and advocating for increased attention. Drawing upon evidence from localization initiatives from DanChurchAid (DCA) and Danish Refugee Council (DRC) programming, we list tenets we believe should guide future project design and development. Contrary to the perception that localization offers limited value in mine action, this paper argues that applying it to HMA projects is both urgent and highly beneficial. As discussions on localization in the humanitarian sphere progress, so too should the implementation of localized approaches in HMA, driven by the evolving landscape …

Angola: Hidden Danger, Sean Sutton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Lucala-2 is a small village located in the northern part of Angola, with 750 residents situated by a bridge crossing the Lucala river. This area gained strategic importance during the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), particularly due to the Lucala bridge, which served as a critical crossing point. Throughout the war, minefields were strategically laid at all four corners of the bridge, illustrating the extensive use of landmines that has continued to impact Angola. These mines remain a harrowing legacy, contributing to ongoing casualties and significantly hindering development efforts long after the war's conclusion. The community explained how they have been …

Navigating The Unintended Consequences Of Language, Imagery, And Meaning Has Never Been More Difficult Or More Important, Jon Brown

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Words matter. The imagery we use matters. When we tell the wrong story (or the right story in the wrong way), it damages us as organizations, damages us as a sector, and, most importantly of all, causes distant but lasting harm to the very communities we exist to serve and of which we are a part of. Let’s be clear: we at Mines Advisory Group (MAG) are certainly as guilty as the rest of the sector in getting things wrong, but we are putting steps in place to try to get it right.

The world has moved on from the …

What Can Artificial Intelligence Offer Humanitarian Mine Action?, Russell Gasser Ph.D.

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Would you walk on land declared safe by an unproven technology, developed by enthusiastic proponents who do not have long experience in the world of mine action? What if the system for locating hazards will be tested in only one or two trials, even though the type of machine learning system they are using is known to sometimes give false but completely plausible results (so-called hallucinations1)? Furthermore, in the proposed machine-learning system there will be no audit trail for analysis if a serious error occurs, and no way of knowing for sure how to prevent its repetition.

There is dangerously …

Preventing Arms Diversion In Wartime Ukraine: A Brief Overview, Olena Kryzhanivska Ph.D.

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ukraine has entered its third year defending against Russia’s full-scale invasion, and despite emerging as one of the largest importers of weapons, it manages to prevent their major diversion. Experts evaluate the current arms control and weapons and ammunition management efforts by Ukraine and its allies with cautious optimism. Although obtaining detailed information about the intricacies of weaponry management in Ukraine is challenging, open sources allow us to glimpse some of the current measures taken during wartime. This article presents a brief overview of Ukraine's counter-diversion efforts and those of its partners, encompassing monitoring and control of international military aid, …

The Prioritization Of Survey Through Open-Source Research In Ukraine, Anda Riza, Andro Mathewson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With the increasing quantity of available and relevant open-source information online, the mine action sector is well poised to take advantage of its accessibility for conducting research, analysis, and investigations. In current conflicts, such as in Ukraine and Yemen, online sources are a rich repository of information which can be leveraged for survey and clearance operations. Humanitarian mine clearance actors can harness this vast quantity of information to map conflicts and their effects, including the location of landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). In turn, this can be used to help prioritize survey efforts, especially in contexts where …

Securing Land To Contribute To Food Systems: Preliminary Findings On Humanitarian Mine Action Cumulative Effects On Food Security In Lebanon, Riccardo Labianco Ph.D., Myriam Rabbath

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In a country or region affected by explosive ordnance (EO), the related contamination and, when present, humanitarian mine action (HMA), should be considered as part of the country’s food systems. Accordingly, understanding the cumulative effects of HMA on food security can be better appreciated by considering the whole food system and how local citizens view the impact of contamination. Through a preliminary series of community-level interviews in southern and northeast Lebanon from August to September 2023, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) started a research project on the impact of EO contamination on people’s ability to produce and procure adequate food and …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 28.2, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

Studying The Effects Of Aging On Ammunition Under Water, Nicole Neitzey, Colin King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The world’s oceans and waterways contain untold amounts of munitions, whether dumped or fired, and the sometimes-harsh underwater environment can make their clearance difficult. Yet we are approaching a time when we will have to face the reality of removing them to continue enjoying the planet’s most abundant natural resource. Much of the ammunition in areas from the Baltic Sea to the rivers of Cambodia to the Gulf of Mexico has been immersed for decades, subject to a variety of underwater influences. Many studies have examined the impacts of degrading explosives on the surrounding environment, but few look at what …

Enhancing Community Engagement: Perspectives From Researchers, Community Members, And Service Providers, Anne-Marie O'Brien, Elyssa Wood

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: Compare and contrast perspectives from Research Team Members (RT), Community Members (CM) and Service Providers/Others (SP/O) about barriers and facilitators to community engagement and participation in health research.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey study with a convenience sample of adults who lived and/or worked in the Commonwealth of Virginia was conducted between May and July 2022. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were conducted to identify similarities and differences across the three stakeholder groups.

Results: A total of 303 participants were involved in this study. In general RTs, CMs and SP/Os were similar in their responses to perceived barriers and …

Describing Trends In Virginia's Dentist And Dental Hygienist Workforce: Challenges And Opportunities, Shillpa Naavaal, Yetty Shobo, Barbara Hodgdon

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: Regular assessment of the dental workforce is essential to improve the population's oral health. This analysis aimed to understand the trends in the distribution of dentists and dental hygienists (DHs) in Virginia.

Methods: Annual survey data (2013-2022) of dentists and DHs from the Virginia Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center was used to examine the trends in provider distribution by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geography across Virginia.

Results: In 2022, there were 5,720 dentists and 5,290 DH licensees in Virginia. In the dentist workforce, there was a high representation of those aged ≥60 years (23%), males (58%), …

Broad-Area-Search Of New Construction Using Time Series Analysis Of Landsat And Sentinel-2 Data, Xiaojing Tang, Madison G. Barrett, Kangjoon Cho, Kelsee H. Bratley, Katelyn Tarrio, Yingtong Zhang, Hanfeng Gu, Peter Rasmussen, Marc Bosch, Curtis E. Woodcock

Faculty Scholarship

New construction activities can alter surface albedo and structure, which then affect surface temperature and roughness, and hence have a significant impact on urban climate. Construction activity is also an important indicator of human development and movement and is of high interest to the intelligence community. A new approach for Broad-Area-Search of New Construction activities (BASC) by combining time series analysis and rule-based filters using Landsat data was developed and tested in five selected cities (Boston, Shanghai, Sa ̃o Paulo, Dubai, and Ho Chi Minh City). The algorithm transforms Landsat images into fractions of a set of four endmembers using …

Breaking Through: Dispelling Outdated Student Research Notions, Lara Sapp, Liana Bayne, Liz Chenevey, Valerie Linsinbigler

Libraries

In a rapidly changing digital environment, how can we help guide students toward credible information? In this session, we'll explore outdated research tips from the stigma around online sources, like Wikipedia, to biases around web domains, like .orgs versus .coms. Join us for a dynamic discussion to dispel these (and more!) student research pitfalls and collectively craft new approaches to empower our students in today's information landscape.

[Re]Thinking Digital Infrastructure: Centering Humans In Integrated Systems Work, Mark Lane, Bodeene Amyot Cairdeas, Rebecca B. French, Jody Condit Fagan

Libraries

In this talk, librarians and archivists from an academic library will discuss establishing and cultivating a Digital Infrastructure Working Group (DIWG). The DIWG was born out of a need to create interoperability between metadata, preservation, discovery, and access systems for archival materials, and demanded a radical rethinking of prior organizational approaches to digital asset curation, including leveraging available APIs and vendor contracted system development. Learn how team members approached technological work by centering each other’s well-being and intentionally making visible the often-invisible human labor invested in developing and maintaining digital infrastructure. We will share how the DIWG challenged organizational silos, …

Effects Of Background Music Characteristics On Working Memory Capacity, Rachel S. Tan

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The use of background music as a distractor can either enhance or hinder task performance depending on how various characteristics of the music influence participants’ arousal. However, existing studies on this topic lack direct manipulation of the physical characteristics of the music, instead using different musical excerpts. The lack of direct manipulation introduces confounding musical variables present in the musical stimuli. This research project examined how specific attributes of background music influence working memory by playing digitally manipulated musical stimuli while participants completed the Sternberg Digit Span task, a standard measure of working memory and processing speed. The test stimuli …

Small Business Recovery And Innovation After The Covid-19 Crisis: Moderated Mediation Involving Leadership Styles And Leader Data Usage, Jalal Maqableh

Dissertations, 2020-current

The small business sector is considered the backbone of the US economy. It is the largest source of new jobs and the main factor in stimulating economic growth. This study was performed to help provide a better understanding of the small business sector's performance during the COVID-19 crisis. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of crisis leadership and entrepreneurial leadership styles in the US small business sector during crisis times, and whether these styles would affect recovery and innovation. The retrospective, cross-sectional design of this study consisted of three phases, Pre-COVID, During-COVID, and Post-COVID. Each of …

Philanthropy In The Helping Profession: An Overview And Introductory Workshop Intended To Support Counselors And Counselors In Training, Matthew Higgins

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Many new counseling professionals enter the field with a deep understanding of the therapeutic relationship but lack knowledge of the financial realities that sustain counseling services. Traditional training prioritizes building rapport with clients, leaving a gap in understanding the business side of the helping profession. As the demand for therapy increases, particularly in the United States, it's crucial for counselors to explore innovative solutions to sustain the field in the long term. Integrating education on philanthropic support into counselor training offers a creative approach that would fall in line with the ACA Code of Ethics. While more research needs to …

An Exploration Of The Potential Impacts Of Philosophical Idealism On Psychotherapeutic Practice, Ian Richard

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This study presents a review of the modern ontologies available regarding the nature of the universe and identifies Bernardo Kastrup’s formulation of idealism as a leading model. Idealism theorizes that consciousness is the basis of reality, as opposed to physical objects. The implications of Kastrup’s idealism on psychotherapeutic practice are considered, including conflicts with the medical model, synergies with the contextual model, and suggestions for approaches that align with the findings of idealism.

Proposal & Plan For A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Teen Self-Esteem And Body Image Group, Emily Flaherty

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This document serves as a proposal and plan for a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Teen Self-Esteem and Body Image Group. Negative body image, disordered eating and low self-esteem are some common struggles of adolescence, this is largely attributed to societal standards of thinness and weight stigma (Levinson et al., 2024). Although it is common, it is not often spoken about which leaves teens feeling isolated with their negative thoughts and limiting self-beliefs. This group will serve as intervention to help teens build self-esteem, prevent or intervene with disordered eating habits, and improve their body satisfaction. The document will begin with …

Assessing Multiracial Experiences In Counseling: The Multiracial Life Story Interview, Kylie Mirabella

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Multiracial individuals face unique challenges, including denial or invalidation of racial identity, sensitized perception of discriminatory experiences, and monoracial cultural biases. These challenges may lead to race-related adverse mental health outcomes, prompting need for culturally responsive clinical mental health counseling. This paper introduces a tool called the Multiracial Life Story Interview, adapted from Dr. Dan P. McAdams’ Life Story Interview, based on findings from current multiracial counseling literature. This interview is aimed to promote multiracial client exploration of racial identity, counselor evaluation of racist incidents and/or discriminatory experiences, and overall multicultural competency.

Counselor Educator Attitudes And Beliefs Toward Psychedelics And Pat, Kimberly Hughes

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The psychedelic renaissance of the past two decades has introduced a new era of acceptability of and curiosity in historically maligned psychedelic compounds. With increasing positive evidence-based support, psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) are being embraced as legitimate psychotherapeutic mechanisms. The uptick in interest, acceptability, and use means that encountering psychedelics in the counseling room is not a question of if but when. As leaders within the field and educators of future generations of clinicians, counselor educators are uniquely poised to influence the field’s relationship with psychedelics. While no current studies have explicitly examined the attitudes and beliefs of counselor …

Losing It: Anti-Fat Bias And Implications For Counselors, Kate Bailey

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Anti-fat bias and stigma can be pervasive in the United States and can impact almost every aspect of culture in the U.S. Counselors are likely not exempt from holding anti-fat bias. Yet, anti-fat bias is often overlooked as an issue worthy of attention in a profession dedicated to advocacy. Anti-fat bias can negatively affect larger-bodied clients in the counselor/client relationship when counselors are unaware of the anti-fat bias that they hold. Using a framework of liberatory consciousness (awareness, analysis, action, and accountability) counselors may reduce the harm caused in the counselor/client relationship regarding anti-fat bias.

Let’S Get Creative: Using Creative Arts Interventions To Address Trauma Experiences, Ashley Oginz-Wilson

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Trauma as a theme in counseling work is something that mental health clinicians are commonly exposed to. While there are standard practices and therapeutic modalities to address trauma in counseling, it is important to maintain flexibility as a clinician to best meet the individual needs of the client. This literature review explores ways to embrace creative counseling interventions in support of clients with trauma experiences. Creative counseling interventions could include art, music, dance and movement, nature, humor, drama, and play. The premise of such interventions is that they offer clients a new way to express their feelings, memories, stories, etc. …