Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Marketing And Branding For Counseling Interns And Residents In Private Practice, Madeline Grove

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

For interns and residents in mental health counseling beginning their careers in a private practice setting, building a full-time caseload of clients is challenging. The process of marketing and branding outpatient psychotherapy services is not generally covered in clinical training programs, leading to a gap in practical knowledge upon departure from higher education. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of behavioral health disorders have increased, leading to a sense of urgency to providing care for communities in need. Effective marketing and branding of services allows for clinicians to work with populations they are most well suited to serve, and potentially allows …

Aggression In Session: Defining, Conceptualizing, And Treating Aggression, Tyler A. Greenough

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Within the counseling profession, there is a great deal of interaction with aggression affecting both clients and the systems affecting clients. Therefore, it is vital that counselors be adequately prepared to work with various presentations of aggressive behavior. Aggression is defined, categorized based on common historical delineations, and summarized from a multi-axis continuum perspective. Contextual factors are considered such as the role of hormones, neurotransmitters, varying substances, and a wide range of diagnoses. Aggression is then conceptualized from a functional lens and explored based upon a need fulfillment model. Treatment practices such as building self-esteem, increasing emotional regulation, and developing …

Frameworks Used To Measure The Societal Influences & Effectiveness Of Impact Investing, Mya E. Baptiste

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The purpose of this thesis is to learn how capital generates positive returns for society through impact investing. I address the different forms of impact investments along the spectrum and examples of companies that are grouped into each category. Afterward, I highlight the various pre-existing frameworks being used by the industry to properly measure their social returns and then provide insight into my personal experience working with Citigroup, Inc. Impact Fund. This paper includes an empirical study to address my hypothesis that companies who invest in producing social returns receive a positive impact on their financials. It was concluded that …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Analyzing The Validity Of Self-Reports Of Emotional Responding Using An Electronic Device, Tiffany E. Shiflet

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The assessment of internal behaviors such as thoughts, feelings, or physiological symptoms not seen by the naked eye are often assessed with indirect measures such as self-reports and questionnaires given the lack of accessibility and observations by outside observers. The self-management of human behaviors, including internal events, carries socially valid implications for an individual’s quality of life, including children and individuals with neurological, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. This study aimed to address the following question: are there valid measurement procedures (e.g., collecting data on physiological responses) to analyze the correspondence between self-reports of emotional states and observable and measurable overt …

Writing While Black: African American Vernacular English (Aave) And Perceived Writing Performance, Jaylin N. Nesbitt

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the education system, there have historically been inequities that have severely disadvantaged Black students academically. One area in which these inequities surface is on writing assessments in the form of lower scores. I argue that because the U.S. education system is centered around Standard American English (SAE), it disadvantages those from different linguistic backgrounds, specifically Black students, as they are most likely to be speakers of African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Although there are theoretical justifications for this, past literature has not empirically tied inequities on writing assessments to Black students’ use of AAVE. The current study used Natural …

“But For Those Of Us Who Live Here”: Performance Of Work And Community By Women Employed In Rural, Predominantly White, Small-Town Schools, Telena M. Turner

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Rural, small towns are incredibly complex cultural centers. Although rural places are consistently portrayed as unchanging, the operation of cultural and identity within these locations is consistently on the move. Using reflexive interviewing, poetic transcription, autoethnographic writing, this project (re)presents poems on community and identity from five women employed in schools in rural, mostly White, small towns in the Central Appalachian region. Analyzing the poems through concepts in performance studies and work on space and place, this project positions movement and change at the center of small towns and examines how notions of rural place and community are performed through …

Links Between Peer Relationships And Social Anxiety Across Adolescence: The Moderating Effects Of Interpersonal Competence, Self-Worth, And Gender, Emily N. Shah

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Links between interpersonal relationships and psychological functioning have been well established in the literature. Specifically, during adolescence, success or distress in peer relationships may have distinct effects on psychological functioning, especially with regard to the development of later social anxiety. The present study aims to examine the ways in which different adolescent peer relationships (i.e., close friendship quality and social acceptance) can predict later social anxiety development. Further, the study considers how different developmental stages of adolescence may impact these relationships, in addition to considering possible conditional effects of interpersonal competence, self-worth, and gender. Early adolescents (age 14) and late …

The Effects Of Cannabis On Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, And Cognition In Young Adults, Catharine Trice

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Cannabis legalization is increasing steadily in the United States, coinciding with an increase in recreational use and THC potency. Chronic cannabis use is associated with altered sleep structure and mild cognitive deficits in learning and memory compared to non-users. Researchers have found evidence that chronic administration of THC disrupts circadian signaling on the molecular level (Lafaye et al., 2019), while others propose that chronic cannabis use may act as a signaling cue for rhythmicity (Whitehurst et al., 2015). This conceptual replication of Whitehurst’s study investigates the effects of chronic cannabis use on sleep, circadian rhythm, and cognitive performance of young …

Yet It Was Good Of You To Share In My Troubles: An Autoethnographic Study Of A Mother-Daughter Relationship Experienced Through A Wounded Body, Kathleen Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis is an embodied autoethnography that examines my experiences of accepting and coming-to-terms with my relationship with my mother through my chronic illness. Utilizing creative vignettes and short personal stories, throughout this autoethnographic thesis project I shine light to my lived experiences as a daughter in a Catholic household, diagnosed with chronic illness in adulthood. I use narrative theorizing to understand how the stories I tell in this thesis create meaning in my relationship with my mother. Through personal narratives I explore themes of autonomy and connection within a mother-daughter relationship, illness narratives and illness as a turning point, …

An Examination Of Working Memory In Subtle And Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kara Eversole

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is abnormal cognitive decline that may be indicative of an insidious process such as dementia. Individuals with MCI are largely independent in their daily functioning but are at risk of further decline. To more deeply understand the working memory deficits associated with age-related cognitive decline, Lamar and colleagues developed a working memory task with no discontinuation rule: the Backwards Digit Task (BDT). Prior BDT research has demonstrated that individuals with mild cognitive impairment have lower overall scores on this task, and that different subtypes of MCI are more prone to certain errors. Research has not been …

The Effects Of Cannabidiol Isolate On Menstrual-Related Symptoms, Morgan L. Ferretti

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The current study aimed to examine the potential effects of CBD isolate for alleviating menstrual-related symptoms (MRS). Participants (N = 33, M_AGE = 20.50, M_BMI = 23.02)were assigned randomly to two open-label dosing groups (160mg, n = 17; 320mg, n = 16) and completed monthly surveys for four months that included MRS-related measures. We examined differences in MRS and related outcomes between baseline and three months of CBD administration. Results revealed reductions in MRS, irritability, anxiety, global impression, stress, and subjective severity scores with a small effect when comparing baseline to all three months of CBD administration. …

Can Agency And Communion Mediate The Relationship Between Nature Connectedness And Pro-Environmental Behavior Intentions?, Juno Wild

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The state of our current environment is rapidly declining due to human activity. Therefore, it is imperative to understand ways to promote pro-environmental behavior and what variables may explain this behavior. Previous studies have found that nature connectedness may be one way to increase pro-environmental behaviors and that one’s levels of masculinity and femininity may also affect not only how connected to nature one is, but also how often one may engage in sustainable behaviors. However, to date researchers have not examined the effect of agency and communion, values which every person has regardless of gender, on the relationship between …

A Comparative Analysis Of Montpelier's, Monticello's, And Mount Vernon's Collaborative Effort With Their Descendant Communities, Rachel Gregor

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Historical homes and plantation sites focus interpretation on the life and legacy of the white owners of the property and the architectural and decorative elements of the home. In order to tell the whole-truth history of these sites, there must be an active discussion regarding the lives of the enslaved population, especially since the enslaved individuals were the reason the white owner was able to be successful. While very little written historical records exist for enslaved communities in comparison to those that survive for the white plantation owner, the surviving documentation, when coupled with archaeological evidence and especially the oral …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Stimulus Presentation Order In Receptive Identification Skills Training, Jazmin Mack

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Receptive identification skills are typically taught using match to sample procedures. This can be done through the process of having a learner match an auditory sample and a visual stimulus from an array of multiple comparison stimuli over several trials. Research has evaluated the effectiveness of various stimuli presentation orders when teaching receptive identification skills with differing recommendations across studies. This thesis aimed to compare the effectiveness of sample first and comparison first presentation orders when teaching receptive identification skills using an adapted alternating treatments design. This study was conducted with two non-verbal early childhood learners. The experimenter tested pictures …

An Analysis Of Behavior Management Strategies Used Within Parent-Child Interaction Therapy To Facilitate Verbalizations By Children With Developmental Disabilities, Megan Barnes

Masters Theses, 2020-current

We examined the effects of the procedures recommended for interventions using the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) protocols on child verbalizations. The effects of the procedures of Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) were examined in a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design. Two seven-year-old participants with developmental disabilities and language delay experienced a baseline condition followed by two experimental conditions during a free play environment. A range of child toys were rotated systematically throughout the study. The total number of therapist-child interactions remained consistent across all experimental conditions. The experimenter received bug-in-the-ear feedback about her use of the therapy components in order to …

Rapid Response Behavior Before And During The Pandemic, Katarina E. Schaefer

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Different levels of examinee motivation pose a validity threat to the interpretation of test scores. This problem is heightened in low-stakes, remote testing environments. Though some ways exist to gauge average motivation throughout testing, less ways exist to gauge motivation fluctuations throughout a single test. One of those ways is through response times. Specifically, rapid response behavior occurs when examinees quickly answer an item without reading or engaging with the item. At James Madison University (JMU), students participating in campus-wide Assessment Days typically experienced an in-person, proctored Assessment Day. However, that changed during the pandemic. During the pandemic, examinees participated …

Cycles Of Domination And Resistance: A Performance Autoethnography Of A Black Woman At A Pwi, Savannah Brown

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis is a performance autoethnography that examines and unpacks my experiences as a Black woman who attends a predominantly white institution. Through narratives, letters, and photos, I reveal and analyze the ways in which I navigate both systems of domination and resistance between my interactions with spaces, people, discourses, and objects. As I use Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, and performance studies as my theoretical underpinnings, I can understand how my Black, female body is situated and contested within the institution that I refer to as Everywhere University. While this project shows my experiences with concepts such as racism, whiteness, …

Effectiveness Of Pictorial Preference Assessments For Children With Disabilities, Emma Oliver

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Pictorial stimulus preference assessments are a valuable resource for practitioners to determine stimuli that may function as reinforcers to aid in possible behavior change plans or skill acquisition objectives. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of electronic pictorial stimulus preference assessments (EP-MSWO) compared to a tangible stimulus preference assessment (T-MSWO) for children. This study includes two participants, aged 2 and 9, and involved in in-home behavioral services. Participants reached level two of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) prior to the study being implemented. Participants were exposed to a pre-matching skills …

Developing Your Personal Leadership Philosophy, Rebecca B. French

Faculty Scholarship

Do you know who you are as a leader? Self-awareness has been described as the "most important capability for leaders to develop" (George et al., 2007), and research shows that it is positively correlated with leadership effectiveness and team performance (Carden et al., 2021). Developing a personal leadership philosophy that describes your unique strengths, beliefs, and behaviors as a leader can help you achieve clarity, consistency, and confidence in your role. In this presentation, you will discover how having a personal leadership philosophy can help you get clear on how you want to show up as a leader, focus on …

Same-Gender Pathways To Parenthood, Sydney T. Inger

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

LGBTQ+ individuals and couples who want children negotiate systemic inequalities in the United States of America. This literature review surveys America’s confusing legal map and the gaps in its enduring scholarly theories. The paper then examines the challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals and couples confront in working through the common pathways—same-gender adoption and fostering, in vitro fertilization, and surrogacy—to become parents. Dispersing information on the pathways will be a positive step towards breaking down the inequities for those in the LGBTQ+ community who want to start a family.

To Walk The Earth In Safety 21st Edition (Cy2021), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

The United States is committed to reducing these threats worldwide and is the leading financial supporter of CWD, providing more than $4.2 billion in assistance to more than 100 countries since 1993. This makes the United States the world’s single largest financial supporter of CWD. The Department of State, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) work together with foreign governments, private companies, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to reduce excess SA/LW and conventional munitions stockpiles (including MANPADS), implement best practices for PSSM at conventional weapons storage sites, and carry out HMA programs.

In 2021, …

The Flowerings Project: A Library In Transformation, Jody Condit Fagan, Joanne V. Gabbin, Bethany Nowviskie, Lauren K. Alleyne, Aaron Noland

Libraries

This final report from the JMU Libraries and Furious Flower Poetry Center to the Mellon Foundation describes in detail the activities undertaken as part of a 2020-2021 planning grant, “Furious Flowerings: Developing a Partnership Model for Digital Library Support of a Living Center for Black Poetry,” funded by the Mellon Foundation. The grant explored and developed a partnership model for integrated library support of a living, academic center for the arts with archival, scholarly, digital, educational, and performance components. Nine key areas were addressed, including three overarching areas: development of cultural competencies, exploring how an exemplar project can be used …

Jmu Libraries Magazine, Jenne M. Klotz, Kristen S. Shuyler, Emily D. Blake

Libraries

This magazine describes highlights from the JMU Libraries from 2020-2021.

Furious Flowerings: Digital Infrastructure, Mark Lane, Bodeene Amyot

Libraries

Presentation to JMU Libraries and Furious Flower Poetry Center.

Scholarly Communications Strategies, Mark Lane, Howard S. Carrier, Liz Thompson

Libraries

Poster presented at JMU Faculty Welcome.