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Articles 4651 - 4680 of 6380

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Industrial Voluntary Consensus Standards – A Process Under Threat, Joel Blumenthal Jan 2018

Industrial Voluntary Consensus Standards – A Process Under Threat, Joel Blumenthal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The world relies heavily on industrial voluntary consensus standards to serve public interests through the development of uniform and harmonized social and economic procedures. The research problem focused on generating suggestions for improving collaborative practices between U.S.-based accredited and unaccredited standards development organizations that create voluntary consensus standards. The research centered on assessing the level of consensus among experts regarding what actions may be conducive to improving collaborative practices through the lenses of stakeholder and institutional theory. This modified 3-round qualitative Delphi study began with open-ended questions in Round 1 and progressed towards consensus in Rounds 2 and 3 using …

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Review Of Child-Custody Standards And Its Effects On Children Of Cohabitating And Non-Cohabitating Fathers, Jermaine Rahsaan Jackson Jan 2018

Review Of Child-Custody Standards And Its Effects On Children Of Cohabitating And Non-Cohabitating Fathers, Jermaine Rahsaan Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The involvement of fathers in the daily activities of their children has proven to be a substantial factor in nurturing children's speech and language development, fine motor skills development, gross motor skills development, social and emotional development, and cognitive development. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate fathers and the time spent involved in the daily activities of their children. Guided by Rawls's social contract theory, the research question sought to determine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between the living arrangements (cohabitating and non-cohabitating) of fathers and the time spent involved in the daily activities of …

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Age, Gender, Income, And Social Support As Predictors Of Single Parent Resiliency, Ebonnie Leavern Simmons-Hall Jan 2018

Age, Gender, Income, And Social Support As Predictors Of Single Parent Resiliency, Ebonnie Leavern Simmons-Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly 50% of children younger than 18 years will be raised by a single parent at some point prior to adulthood. Of developed countries, the United States currently has the highest percentage of single parents. Although much research has examined factors that contribute toward the negative outcomes of single parents, few studies have focused on factors that contribute toward positive outcomes for single parents. Using the strength-based construct of resiliency as a theoretical framework, this study examined whether gender, age, income, and perceived familial social support individually or in linear combination could predict resiliency in single parents. This study involved …

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Elements Of Expatriate Adjustment In Host Country Organizations, Denise Suzanne Schickel Jan 2018

Elements Of Expatriate Adjustment In Host Country Organizations, Denise Suzanne Schickel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globalization and international business increasingly require the services of skilled expatriates in overseas offices. Over the past 50 years, numerous studies have focused on various factors affecting expatriate adjustment, primarily through quantitative research, reaching no conclusions on what factors in cross-cultural training would guarantee expatriate success. Expatriate failure has high personal and organizational costs. The purpose of this study was to use the qualitative methodology of narrative inquiry to investigate the adjustment, transition, and repatriation experience as a holistic process. Two theoretical constructions, Bandura's social learning theory, applied to the learning process in an international assignment, and social identity theory, …

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Women's Perceptions Of Flourishing Through Quilting As A Leisure Activity, Cathy Lynn Ferrarese Jan 2018

Women's Perceptions Of Flourishing Through Quilting As A Leisure Activity, Cathy Lynn Ferrarese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Quilting is a self-chosen leisure activity for millions of women in the United States. Previous research on quilting suggested that quilting is influenced by the emotional state of the quilter. However, the emotional experiences generated during quilting have not been fully explored. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore quilters' perceptions of what quilting as a leisure activity does to enhance their well-being and increase flourishing. Positive psychology well-being theory was the theoretical foundation for the study. Semistructured interviews with 12 adult women who quilt as a leisure activity were the basis of the narrative inquiry. Data …

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Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Time On Skin Cancer Protective Behaviors, Abbie Goldbas Jan 2018

Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Time On Skin Cancer Protective Behaviors, Abbie Goldbas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Skin cancer incidence is increasing while the rates of other cancers is declining. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether health self-efficacy predicted skin cancer protective behaviors. The theory of health self-efficacy provided the framework for the study. Secondary data were collected from the 2008 and 2014 Health Information National Trends Surveys. The study sample included women 18-34 years of age because this population is especially vulnerable to skin cancer. Results of logistic regression analyses indicated that higher levels of health self-efficacy predicted greater sunscreen use, but higher health self-efficacy levels did not predict avoidance of tanning …

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Moderating Effect Of Job Level On Work-To-Family Conflict And Job Attitudes, Shanu Loganathan Jan 2018

Moderating Effect Of Job Level On Work-To-Family Conflict And Job Attitudes, Shanu Loganathan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has shown the likelihood of work-to-family conflict in employees' struggle to manage work, family, and personal life, however, work-to-family conflict remained unexamined in employees' job attitudes at different job levels. Previous studies highlighted that employees at higher job level experience greater work-to-family conflict than employees at lower job level. The purpose of the study was to examine the moderating effects of job level (supervisory or managerial and nonsupervisory or nonmanagerial) on the relationships between work-to-family conflict and job attitudes (job satisfaction, work engagement, organizational commitment, and turnover intention). In this quantitative study, the theoretical framework included conflict theory …

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Countering Expansion And Organization Of Terrorism In Cyberspace, Sunday Oludare Ogunlana Jan 2018

Countering Expansion And Organization Of Terrorism In Cyberspace, Sunday Oludare Ogunlana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Terrorists use cyberspace and social media technology to create fear and spread violent ideologies, which pose a significant threat to public security. Researchers have documented the importance of the application of law and regulation in dealing with the criminal activities perpetrated through the aid of computers in cyberspace. Using routine activity theory, this study assessed the effectiveness of technological approaches to mitigating the expansion and organization of terrorism in cyberspace. The study aligned with the purpose area analysis objective of classifying and assessing potential terrorist threats to preempt and mitigate the attacks. Data collection included document content analysis of the …

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Perceptions Of Obese African American Women Regarding Altering Traditional Soul Food Preparation, Patricia Young Jan 2018

Perceptions Of Obese African American Women Regarding Altering Traditional Soul Food Preparation, Patricia Young

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The obesity epidemic continues to be a major concern in the United States. The World Health Organization reported that 1.4 billion adults were either obese or overweight African American (AA) women have the highest incidence of obesity worldwide. A qualitative descriptive study was used to explore the perceptions of obese AA women about altering how they prepare soul food to make it healthier. The empowerment model and the health belief model were used to frame this study. Data were collected using a nonprobability purposeful sampling strategy. The sample for this study consisted of four focus groups with six to seven …

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Hardiness, Adult Attachment Style, And Burnout In Nurses, Kristy A. Negri Jan 2018

Hardiness, Adult Attachment Style, And Burnout In Nurses, Kristy A. Negri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current nursing shortage is a pressing crisis that is expected to worsen over time. A key reason nurses leave nursing is burnout. The purpose of this study was to investigate personality hardiness and adult attachment style in relation to the development of burnout in licensed professional nurses. Hardiness theory and attachment theory indicated that each provided protection against burnout, but no research has been conducted to examine both factors in relation to burnout in nurses. Research Question 1 asked if there was a relationship between attachment style and total hardiness score; Research Question 2 asked if there was a …

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The Effects Of Academic Parent Teacher Teams On Latino Student Achievement, Barbara Dee Bench Jan 2018

The Effects Of Academic Parent Teacher Teams On Latino Student Achievement, Barbara Dee Bench

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decades of research have noted the importance of parent involvement in students' academic success. Less is known about parent engagement models that aim to increase Latino students' reading achievement. This project study examined the effectiveness of a 2-year parent engagement program implemented to address poor reading achievement of Latino elementary school students in a small urban district. The purpose of this study was to determine disparities in student scores between those parents who participated in the program and those parents who did not participate. The research questions examined parent engagement levels in comparison to increased summative reading scores. Based on …

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Stress In Rural North Georgia Policing, Robert C. Mason Jan 2018

Stress In Rural North Georgia Policing, Robert C. Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many operational and organizational stressors in policing. This study was designed to gain a better understanding of what causes police officers in a rural southern state mental and physical stress and to determine how best to assist officers when they are dealing with stress. The purpose of this study was to determine whether organizational or operational issues cause more stress among police officers in a rural southern state. Qualitative research methods and the phenomenological approach to obtain data from participants who have experienced job-related stressors were used. The social construct theory, a theory of knowledge in sociology, was …

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Substandard Rental Housing In The Promise Zone Of A Mid-Sized U.S. City, Ruth Elizabeth Metzger Jan 2018

Substandard Rental Housing In The Promise Zone Of A Mid-Sized U.S. City, Ruth Elizabeth Metzger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A persistent gap exists between established federal, state, and local standards for housing habitability and the condition of rental housing. The condition persists despite local code enforcement mechanisms, leaving significant potential to improve housing. Such housing can have adverse impacts on people's physical and mental health, economic stability, education, crime, community development, and municipal budgets. The purpose of this case study was to identify factors that create and perpetuate the problem, make it difficult to resolve, and to identify policy actions with the potential to help mitigate it. Rational choice theory and public choice theory formed the framework to analyze …

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Investigating The Nigerian Leadership Capability And Its Impact In Development And Society, James E. Conable Nweke Jan 2018

Investigating The Nigerian Leadership Capability And Its Impact In Development And Society, James E. Conable Nweke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite Nigeria's abundance of human and natural resources, after 57 years of independence, most Nigerians live in absolute poverty. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the extent to which the Nigerian leadership exercised leadership capability. The primary research question investigated leadership actions that facilitated or undermined development and good governance objectives. This study adopted critical thinking leadership framework, as developed by the author. The primary data used in this study came from Afrobarometer surveys, round 4, 5, and combined data round 6, which is an updated version of independent surveys administered between 1999 and 2016. Also, data …

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Factors That Encourage Unethical Practices By Organizational Leaders In Nigeria, Ebenezer Bankole Odole Jan 2018

Factors That Encourage Unethical Practices By Organizational Leaders In Nigeria, Ebenezer Bankole Odole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underlying concern for this research was the increasing numbers of reported culpability of organizational leaders' involvement in unethical practices, and the lack of previous literature on organizational factors that encourage unethical practices by organizational leaders in Nigeria. The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of the factors that encourage unethical practices by organizational leaders in Nigeria despite having ethical leadership skills and knowledge. This study was grounded in the framework of moral development theory by Lawrence Kohlberg, also known as the cognitive developmental theory of moralization. Data were gathered from document reviews from public library …

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Perceptions Of Reasonable Use Of Force By Probation Officers And Civilians, Timothy Loranzy Sowards Jan 2018

Perceptions Of Reasonable Use Of Force By Probation Officers And Civilians, Timothy Loranzy Sowards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little academic research that examines whether there are differences between the ways probation officers and community members perceive the use of force on juvenile offenders. Failure to understand the differences in these perceptions negatively affected a probation department in California, which failed to address public concerns regarding the use of force in the juvenile hall, which resulted in a consent decree and a costly financial settlement. Using socialization theory as the foundation, the purpose of this study was to understand if there is a statistically significant difference between probation officers and civilians regarding their perceptions of use of …

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Reducing High-Risk Young Adult Offenders' Attrition From Reentry Programs, Rosema Jackielyn Taylor Jan 2018

Reducing High-Risk Young Adult Offenders' Attrition From Reentry Programs, Rosema Jackielyn Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reentry programs have been demonstrated to reduce recidivism. These same programs experience high attrition rates that degrade effectiveness and reduce capacity. Recidivism rates are reported as over 77% after 5 years from release which negatively impact society, victims and the released offenders. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to examine recently released offenders' insights regarding attrition from reentry programs to provide program administrators with themes that may be useful in addressing attrition. Social learning theory was used to frame the study. Audio recordings were collected during semistructured interviews with 21 reentry program participants. The recordings were transcribed and …

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Teacher Assessments Of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports, Gequana Thomas Jan 2018

Teacher Assessments Of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports, Gequana Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Discipline is of increasing concern to school stakeholders in districts around the world. It is especially concerning in a district of a southern U.S. state, where a zero tolerance policy calls for the removal of disruptive students from the classroom. Students, teachers, administrators, and other district officials may benefit from effective implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a positive discipline program that includes educators using data for instructional and discipline decision making. In the local district, little is known about the teachers' opinions regarding the PBIS implementation. The purpose of this project study was to gain insight on …

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Social Inclusion Outcomes For An Organization's Adolescent Parent Intervention, Anayra Ivette Tua Jan 2018

Social Inclusion Outcomes For An Organization's Adolescent Parent Intervention, Anayra Ivette Tua

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study institution is a non-profit organization with a model developed from the continuous implementation of needs assessments of the families of adolescent parents in Puerto Rico, with the purpose of increasing their social inclusion potential. Addressing social exclusion and stigmatization of adolescent parents is vital because it generates a dual benefit for social interactions and growth. The social inclusion concept used and further elaborated for adolescent mothers is described by researchers as the level of access to engaging with institutions and societal relationships. This program evaluation was developed to understand the outcomes and effectiveness of the organization's social inclusion …

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Media Framing Of Refugees In The United States And Canada, Janine Allwright Jan 2018

Media Framing Of Refugees In The United States And Canada, Janine Allwright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The ongoing war in Syria and the subsequent refugee crisis has brought the need for refugee resettlement to the forefront of policy debates. Canada and the United States display stark differences in the outcome of their refugee policies. Canada continues to welcome Syrian refugees, whereas the United States has become less willing to engage in resettlement. The purpose of this study was to use Entman's conceptualization of framing theory to compare media framing of refugees in Canada and the United States to deliver insight into the different policy outcomes. Data were acquired through a content analysis of 850 newspaper articles …

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Effect Of Early Exposure To Technology On Student Satisfaction With Online Education, Mohamed Boudalia Jan 2018

Effect Of Early Exposure To Technology On Student Satisfaction With Online Education, Mohamed Boudalia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. student enrollment in online classes in the higher education sector has grown rapidly since 2001. Researchers have found that student satisfaction often leads to higher student retention, yet more research was needed to understand reasons for student satisfaction with online education. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between students' early exposure to technology (i.e., before college) and their satisfaction with online education in college. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology were the theoretical framework. A convenience sample of 103 participants from the population of online students at colleges and universities in …

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Perceptions Of First-Time Antiguan And Barbudan Mothers Towards Breastfeeding And Weaning, Janelle Dion Charles-Williams Jan 2018

Perceptions Of First-Time Antiguan And Barbudan Mothers Towards Breastfeeding And Weaning, Janelle Dion Charles-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antigua and Barbuda, in the eastern Caribbean, is one of several countries with exclusive low breastfeeding rates and premature weaning. Researchers have demonstrated that babies exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life are better protected from childhood diseases and experience a better quality of life into adulthood, while early weaning is associated with morbidity and mortality. However, at 6 weeks postpartum, only 30% of Antiguan and Barbudan mothers are exclusively breastfeeding. Researchers have explained why mothers in general cease exclusive breastfeeding prematurely: insufficiency of breast milk, returning to paid employment, lack of social support; but an explanation specific …

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Improving Recruitment And Retention Of Volunteer Firefighters, Jason Decremer Jan 2018

Improving Recruitment And Retention Of Volunteer Firefighters, Jason Decremer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of active volunteer firefighters has been steadily dropping in the state of Connecticut for several years. At the same time, the number of public service calls for fire departments has been on the rise. This problem impacts fire protection and municipalities that rely on volunteer fire departments. The purpose of this narrative study was to explore why volunteer firefighter numbers have been declining, the extent to which recruitment and retention programs are used in volunteer fire departments, and how these programs contribute to a fire department's ability to recruit members. Perry's public service motivation model provided the theoretical …

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The Predictive Nature Of Vicarious Trauma In School Counselors, Connie J. Honsinger Jan 2018

The Predictive Nature Of Vicarious Trauma In School Counselors, Connie J. Honsinger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past decade, the counseling profession has begun to recognize the impact of vicarious trauma on counselors who provide services to individuals who have experienced trauma. The constructivist self-development theory asserts that interpersonal frameworks can determine healthy versus unhealthy coping styles and impact a counselor's susceptibility to vicarious trauma. Researchers have explored vicarious trauma in a number of professions such as mental health counseling and social work however they have not examined potential risk factors specific to school counseling. The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate variables associated with vicarious trauma in school counselors. The research focused …

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Managing Supply Chain Disruptions In Nigerian Seaport Companies, Henry Oguche Jan 2018

Managing Supply Chain Disruptions In Nigerian Seaport Companies, Henry Oguche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, seaport companies have lost significant revenue since 2000 because of supply chain disruptions. If not mitigated, supply chain disruptions at Nigerian seaports will significantly affect organizational output and profitability. The purpose of this research was to explore strategies some seaport business leaders use to mitigate supply chain disruptions in Lagos, Nigeria. Supply chain management theory was the conceptual framework for this single case study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 participants from a Nigerian seaport company tbat adopted successful strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions and review of company documents for methodological triangulation. Using thematic analysis, …

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Exploring Satisfaction And Retention Strategies For Generation Y Customers, Edmund Ehichioya Otaigbe Jan 2018

Exploring Satisfaction And Retention Strategies For Generation Y Customers, Edmund Ehichioya Otaigbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Firms in the service industry have experienced a 15-30% drop in customer satisfaction ratings and an estimated $10 billion annually due to the unpredictable tendencies of one of the most significant and fastest growing consumer segments in the marketplace, Generation Y customers. The distinctive behavior of this sizeable generational cohort may be reshaping the business landscape of the 21st century regarding how consumers will relate to service providers in the future. Using the theory of customer satisfaction management system, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the customer satisfaction strategies that business leaders in southern Nigeria use …

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Perspectives Of Racism Among Offenders Post Incarceration, Anna Phillips Jan 2018

Perspectives Of Racism Among Offenders Post Incarceration, Anna Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial segregation in California prisons is a primary means of maintaining control and safety for inmates and correctional staff, yet little is understood about how racial segregation in prison impacts reentry of offenders into the community. The research question examined in this study focused on how living in the racial segregation of a California State prison, for 2 years or more might influence African-American, White, and Latino men's ability to interact with other races in a culturally diverse community upon release. Using Donald Clemmer's theory of prisonization as the foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the …

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The Sexual Identity Development Of Gay Men In China, Stephen Pijanowski Jan 2018

The Sexual Identity Development Of Gay Men In China, Stephen Pijanowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited research describes the impact of ethnic groups and mores, especially those of Asian ethnicities, on the development of a global queering theory of sexual-identity development. The purpose of this grounded-theory study was to investigate the sexual-identity development of homosexuals in a non-Western collectivist culture and the extent of influence Western gay expatriates have on Chinese gay males' sexual-identity development. Five identity-development models served as the theoretical foundations of this study: Cass, Troiden, McCarn and Fassinger, D'Augelli, Gock, and the conceptual theory of global queering. NVivo aided in data organization, while coding and analysis were applied to the data. Individual, …

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The Role Of Distance In Army Family Use Of Military-Provided Supports, Jessica Louise Thompson Jan 2018

The Role Of Distance In Army Family Use Of Military-Provided Supports, Jessica Louise Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As military troops continue to deploy post September 11, 2001, limited literature indicates it is important to study the effects of the deployment on the military personnel and their families. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine whether the physical distance between home and military-provided supports plays a role in whether Army families use such supports, and whether the use of these supports effects their coping strategies during the deployment process. Hobfoll's conservation of resources theory served as the framework for this study. Three hundred and two Army spouses, 44% active duty spouses, 33.8% Army National Guard spouses, …

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The Effect Of Gender And Narcotic Or Stimulant Abuse On Drug-Related Locus Of Control, Yolanda Rene Travis Jan 2018

The Effect Of Gender And Narcotic Or Stimulant Abuse On Drug-Related Locus Of Control, Yolanda Rene Travis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance use disorders cause significant neurological damage, cognitive impairment, and maladaptive behaviors that negatively affect a person's quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect gender and primary drugs have on locus of control. Generalized expectancy theory helped to explain the behavior of patients diagnosed with substance use disorders and their inability to control ongoing drug use. The research question focused on to what extent drug-related locus of control scores differ by primary drug (narcotic vs. stimulant), gender (male vs. female), and their interaction. Data measuring locus of control from 553 participants provided a subset …

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