Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Collaborative Models Of Care In The Appalachian Region Of Tennessee: Examining Relationships Between Level Of Collaboration, Clinic Characteristics, And Barriers To Collaboration, Jeffrey Ellison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research have shown that there are significant advantages to maintaining close communicative and collaborative relationships between primary care and behavioral health providers. Fiscal, structural, and systemic barriers, however, often restrict the degree to which such interprofessional collaboration can occur. In the present study the authors examined relationships between primary care clinics in the Appalachian region’s characteristics (i.e., clinic type, rurality, and clinic size), barriers (i.e., fiscal, structural, and systemic) reported to using increased collaboration, and the level of collaboration used at a particular clinic.

For the present study 136 surveys were completed by providers working in primary care …

Impulsivity, Venturesomeness, And Pride: Potential Moderators Of The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma, Substance Use, And Physical Aggression, Joshua P. Hatfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Impulsivity, venturesomeness, and pride variables were examined as potential moderators of the associations between childhood trauma and physical aggression, alcohol use and physical aggression, and drug use and physical aggression. Participants (n = 457) were college students recruited from a university in the Southeast. It was hypothesized that childhood trauma, alcohol use, and drug use would be associated with increased scores of physical aggression. In addition, it was hypothesized that impulsivity, venturesomeness, authentic pride, and hubristic pride would moderate these relationships. Linear, multivariate hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine these variables as potential moderators. Hypotheses concerning hubristic pride as …

Utilizing Visual Attention And Inclination To Facilitate Brain-Computer Interface Design In An Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Sample, David B. Ryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals who suffer from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have a loss of motor control and possibly the loss of speech. A brain-computer interface (BCI) provides a means for communication through nonmuscular control. Visual BCIs have shown the highest potential when compared to other modalities; nonetheless, visual attention concepts are largely ignored during the development of BCI paradigms. Additionally, individual performance differences and personal preference are not considered in paradigm development. The traditional method to discover the best paradigm for the individual user is trial and error. Visual attention research and personal preference provide the building blocks and guidelines to develop …

The Phenomenon Of Abstract Cognition Among Scholastic Chess Participants: A Case Study, Brent C. Laws

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of abstract cognition among a purposive sample of 5 secondary scholastic chess club participants. The case study enabled the researcher to explore the faculties of abstract cognition among students of contrasting skills and abilities in playing chess. The study also allowed for the consideration of potential visual-spatial, logical, academic, social competency and life benefits of chess play. Through analysis of interviews, chess simulations, blindfold chess play, and narration of chess lines and sequences, the investigator was able to extract meaning and code schemata into a holistic understanding of the phenomenon of …

Against The Grain : The Challenges Of Black Discourse Within Intercollegiate Policy Debate., Tiffany Yvonne Dillard-Knox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research uses the speech community model of analysis to illustrate how language is used to determine inclusion into and exclusion from Debate. This has been done by examining the use of four Black discourse types in Intercollegiate Policy Debate: signifying, call and response, tonal semantics, and narrative sequencing to show the ways in which current debate practices (un)intentionally exclude Blacks. Upon examination, one can see that there is educational value to the methods used by majority of the Black student population within Debate. In addition to being a tool of empowerment for this student population, these students can also …

Surviving The Death Of A Sibling : A Phenomenological Study Of Childhood Bereavement., Edith Crumb Gunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The loss of a sibling can be devastating to children, especially for children ages 7-12, who are at a critical juncture in their development. The loss can impede their development if their bereavement is not effectively addressed. For this reason, this dissertation evaluated four theoretical frameworks to provide a foundation for bereavement support for children: Assumptive World Theory, Dual Process Model, Meaning Reconstruction Theory, and Tasks of Mourning. Developmental theories and considerations were explored to gain knowledge of children’s levels of understanding, processing, and coping. Method: This study utilized a sample of five children ages 7-12 who had survived the …

Unnatural Pedagogy : A Computational Analysis Of Children's Learning To Learn From Other People., Baxter S. Eaves 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infants rely on others for much of what they learn. People are a ready source of quick information, but people produce data differently than the world. Data from a person are a result of that person's knowledgeability and intentions. People may produce inaccurate or misleading data. On the other hand, if a person is knowledgeable about the world and intends to teach, that person may produce data that are more useful than simply accurate data: data that are pedagogical. This idea that people have special innate methods for efficient information transfer lies at the heart of recent proposals regarding what …

A Magical Country : Stories From Appalachia., James Eric Leary 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fairy tales and other forms of fantastic literature have fascinated children and adults for generations. The scholarship on these types of works indicate that many find their folkloric origins in oral storytelling, and those roots may be quite ancient. However, some of the earliest examples of recorded literature capture stories of magic and fantasy. The interplay between the oral and literary form remains a significant area of study and development for folk literature, and new artistic productions, termed variants in the scholarship, continue to appear frequently in contemporary American culture. The criticism and creative work presented here add to the …

Eating In Opposition: Strategies Of Resistance Through Food In The Lives Of Rural Andean And Appalachian Mountain Women, Veronica A. Limeberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines ways in which rural mountain women of Andean Peru and southern Appalachia use their lived histories and food knowledge in ways that counter Cartesian epistemologies regarding national and international food systems. Using women’s fiction and cookbooks, this thesis examines how voice and narrative reclaim women’s spaces within food landscapes. Further, this thesis examines women’s non-profits and grassroots organizations to illustrate the ways in which rural mountain women expand upon their lived histories in ways that contribute to tangible solutions to poverty and hunger in rural mountainous communities. The primary objective of this thesis is to recover rural …

Therapeutic Camps And Their Impact On The Family Of Children With Special Health Care Needs: A Mixed Method Study, Brandi Lindsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with a chronic illness or disability can encounter many difficulties throughout their lifetimes. Respite care through therapeutic summer day camps is a service used to relieve the physical and mental strains placed on caregivers while also creating unique opportunities to benefit the child. There are gaps in the literature surrounding therapeutic camps and their benefit for the family and their ability to manage the child’s special health care need. The purpose of this study is to determine how respite care in the form of a therapeutic summer day camp for children with special needs impacts a family’s ability to …

Handling Authenticity: A Discourse Analysis Of Interviews With Signs-Following Preachers, Chelsie M. Dubay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Geographic Channel’s miniseries “Snake Salvation” resurrected a vested interest with the heavily documented practices of signs-following believers in central Appalachia. The current body of scholarship surrounding these congregations focuses mostly on oral history narratives and explanations of religious fundamentalism; a critical analysis of the discourse shared by these congregation members is noticeably absent.

This thesis explores selected interviews with George Hensley, Andrew Hamblin, Jamie Coots, and Alfred Ball through the interdisciplinary application of discourse analysis paired with social disclosure theory to unveil the underlying struggles with power and personal beliefs expressed by each pastor. The research performed throughout …

Rethinking The Development Of The Automobile Industry In China, Chen Gu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Governmental industrial policies have significant influence on industrial performance. Many developing countries that lack capital and a good technology base use foreign direct investment (FDI)-dependent governmental policies to induce multinational corporations (MNCs) to invest in their indigenous immature industries. In this article, the Chinese automotive industry, which is regulated directly under the Chinese central government, is used to illustrate the interactions between the complex FDI-dependent governmental policies and the industrial development of developing countries. According to changes in Chinese automotive industry policy, the Chinese auto industry’s development process is divided into four phases: extremely passive FDI-dependent policy phase, partial strategic …

Power Of Equality Myths: A Transdisciplinary Study Examining The Influence Of Equality Policy On Teaching And Learning, Jennifer Gutiérrez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been steady interest in the ideology of equity in schooling practices reflected in the written artifacts of the United States, especially in the last thirty years. However, equality-laden language is often used without definition or critical examination. The assumed meaning of equality terminology is problematic--especially for classroom teachers who are directly held accountable for the practice of equality policy. This inquiry critically evaluates the multiple implications of this common-sense usage of language related to issues of equality, equity, sameness, and even democracy. Using the combined methodologies of educational criticism, critical discourse analysis, and self-ethnography, this transdisciplinary investigation describes, …

Maternal Perception Of Child Body Weight And Physical Activity Behavior Patterns: Interactions With Gender And Ethnic Minority Status Of Preschool Children, Kayla F. Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood overweight and obesity is a complex disease that requires early identification and intervention. Little research has investigated the influence of maternal perception of child body weight on reported child physical activity behaviors and importance to change these behaviors. Using parent survey and child body mass index (BMI) data, the current study evaluated the difference between maternal perception of child weight status and reported physical activity and sedentary behavior levels amongst preschool-aged children. Reported child physical activity and sedentary behavior levels were not significantly different depending on maternal misperception. A significant interaction, however, between maternal perception of child body weight …

Sleep-Related Arousal And Spontaneous Movement Properties In Methadone-Exposed Neonates: A Videographic Assessment On The First Or Second Postnatal Night, Hira Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prenatal substance exposure such as alcohol, nicotine, and opiates is known to modulate autonomic regulatory function during sleep, and to decrease arousability and spontaneous movements (SM). SM during sleep may reflect a protective mechanism for immature patterns of arousals. Neurodevelopmental compromise in sleep and arousal systems may underlie sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk in which infants expire during sleep. Previous studies from our laboratory found abnormal patterns of neonatal arousal, sleep fragmentation, and deficits in sleep-related SM in infants with prenatal alcohol exposure. In this study, prenatal exposure to methadone was hypothesized to disrupt the development of sleep and …

Mental Health Referral In Primary Care: Influence Of A Screening Instrument And A Brief Educational Intervention, Michael T. Miesner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although less than half of all patients with mental disorders seek mental health treatment per se, approximately 80% of all people will visit their primary care physician (PCPs) within a year (Strosahl, 1998). However, it is not well understood how to best handle patients presenting with mental health issues in primary care practices. The purpose of this project was to implement an intervention involving a screening measure for anxiety and mood disorders in a primary care setting to increase the volume of anxiety and mood disorder screening, to increase the accuracy of disorder detection, and to also enhance PCPs patterns …

An Examination Of Risk And Protective Factors For Suicidal Behavior In A Low-Income, Underserved Primary Care Sample, Kristin L. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicidal behavior, including ideation and attempts, is a significant public health problem. Due to the complexity of suicidal behavior, it is necessary to consider an array of factors that could serve as risk and protective factors. Previous research has shown that deficits in social problemsolving ability are associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts; conversely, problem solving strengths are associated with reduced risk. This dissertation project, consisting of 3 individual manuscripts, was designed to explore the relationship between social problemsolving ability and suicidal behavior in low-income primary care patients. Furthermore, additional constructs including health related quality of life, …

Addressing Self-Reported Depression, Anxiety, And Stress In College Students Via Web-Based Self-Compassionate Journaling, Jessica Rose Williamson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression, anxiety, and stress in the college undergraduate population have been steadily rising over the past decade. Trait self-compassion has been shown to be significantly and negatively related to perceptions of stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Research has indicated that self-compassion inductions are effective in increasing state self-compassion. In general, selfcompassion inductions are designed to be easily self-administered. Current research on Internetbased interventions indicates that self-administered therapeutic techniques are effective in reducing self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress. The goal of the current study was to compare the effects of self-compassionate journaling, narrative journaling, and a true control group …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Suicidal Behaviors In Primary Care Patients: Conditional Indirect Effects Via Interpersonal Needs And Depressive Symptoms, Catherine Rowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is a public health problem and complex relationships exist between intrapersonal suicide risk factors and interpersonal risk factors. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) may interact with difficulties with interpersonal relationships and psychopathology. We examined thwarted interpersonal needs and depressive symptoms as potential mediators on the association between HRQL and suicidal behaviors. It was hypothesized that thwarted interpersonal needs would mediate the association between HRQL and suicidal behavior, and that this mediating effect would be dependent on the moderating effect of depressive symptoms. It was hypothesized that thwarted interpersonal needs and then depressive symptoms would sequentially mediate the association between …

Prostate Cancer And Psa Testing: Implications Of Provider-Patient Communication And Shared- Decision Making On National Screening Recommendations, Michelle C. Reece

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The national recommendations for use of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer screening have been modified over the years as scientific evidence emerged. Current screening recommendations discourage widespread PSA screening for men at low to average risk, but provide specific guidelines for shared-decision making between men and their health providers about the benefits and risks of PSA testing. This study was an examination of relationships between men’s assessment of the quality of their care and communication with their health providers, the extent to which providers engage men in recommended discussions about PSA testing, and factors associated with …

Debtor's Empowerment: Muhammad Yunus And The Rhetoric Of Microfinance, Kaleb W. Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the rhetoric of Muhammad Yunus as an articulation of a new governing logic, one that reconstitutes the concept of poverty and binds the poor to the apparatus of global capitalism through a new logic of micro-enterprise. Working within a Foucauldian critical framework informed by the rhetorical scholarship of Ronald W. Greene and Joshua Hanan, the argument proceeds by first paying careful attention to Yunus' work as constitutive of a new grid of intelligibility through which to view the poor and then demonstrating the application of this reformed discourse on "creditworthiness" in articulating a novel regime of commensuration. …

Studying Eye Gaze Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders In Interaction With A Social Robot, Huanghao Feng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) experience deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication skills including motor control, emotional facial expressions, and eye gaze attention. In this thesis, we focus on studying the feasibility and effectiveness of using a social robot, called NAO, at modeling and improving the social responses and behaviors of children with autism. In our investigation, we designed and developed two protocols to fulfill this mission. Since eye contact and gaze responses are important non-verbal cues in human's social communication and as the majority of individuals with ASD have difficulties regulating their gaze responses, in this thesis we …

Primary Schooling As Protective And Endangering: The Case Of Education In War-Affected Gulu District, Sarah Gates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The changing nature of armed conflict in the 21^st century, marked by indiscriminate targeting of civilians, poses severe challenges for the continuation of teaching and learning in war-affected countries. Conflict may affect schooling directly through attacks on students, teachers, and schools, as well as indirectly by affecting individuals' livelihoods, the state's capacity to deliver services, and refugee flows. Further, schools may reflect conflict and violence through oppressive or divisive linguistic policies or curricula, the use of corporal punishment, and sexual violence against students. However, the existing empirical research on the nexus between education and conflict, by focusing on indicators …

"I Came To America, Crying": Rebuilding A Life, Redefining The Self—Ethiopian Women Refugees In Denver (Colorado) (2012–2013), Barbara Guglielminotti Valetta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the challenges faced by Ethiopian women in the Denver community to reach harmony within their new social and cultural space and to examine what they feel they have lost and gained in their self-identity as a result of their immigration. Refugees face a multitude of dilemmas when they are compelled to relocate from their home countries to a new, foreign-host society. Ethiopian refugees have been arriving in the US since the 1970s and feel the uprootedness of being away from their homeland. Being uprooted is losing one’s culture and ways of life. …

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome And Neuropsychological Dysfunction: Understanding The Impact Of Obesity, Chelsea A. Hilsendager

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is the largest risk factor for the development of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), which is a common sleep-related breathing disorder that is associated with cognitive dysfunction. A growing body of literature suggests that obesity is related to negative neuropsychological outcomes independent of other health problems known to impact cognitive functioning (e.g., type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of obesity on the cognitive functioning of individuals with OSAS. Specifically, this study aimed to examine whether or not differences existed between obese and non-obese persons with OSAS on a battery of …

Behind The Doors Of White Supremacy, Catlyn Kenna Keenan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What is the relationship between religious belief and acts of violence and terrorism? The American white supremacy movements of the Ku Klux Klan and Christian Identity are deeply rooted in Protestant Christianity and are also responsible for some of the gravest acts of violence on American soil. The intersection between religious belief and terrorist action illuminates the interplay between religion and acts of violence.

This study firstly provides a history of the ideology of Christian Identity with specific attention to the ways in which committing violence is rationalized and understood as redemptive. Secondly, this study identifies six characteristics of a …

Longitudinal Perspective Of Participation In A Double Blind Placebo Surgery Trial, Jessica Kuhne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurological disorder that causes both motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms in individuals. Overall, PD impacts the physical, emotional and social functioning in the lives of those impacted by the disorder. In 2001, Freed et al. investigated the effects of fetal tissue transplantation in participants with PD by conducting a double-blind sham-controlled surgery trial. The quality of life (QoL) study was conducted concurrently by McRae et al. (2004) in order to determine whether QoL improved in participants in the transplant group compared to the sham group after the one-year period of the double-blind. …

We Can Lie About How We Met: Msm Identity On Geo-Social Networking Applications, Levi Lindsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Location-based applications (geo-social applications) gained popularity in 2010, for individuals to meet others around them with similar interests. These applications have become extremely popular within the MSM community (men who have sex with men) but have had limited success for other communities. Geo-social networking apps offer a unique opportunity for individuals to present their identities in a limited manner in order to meet other users. This research looks at how such identities are experienced, performed, and assembled digitally and why. Using a qualitative approach, I conducted 10 in-depth interviews with users of the geo-social networking application, Grindr, regarding how they …

Self-Esteem, Spirituality, And Acculturation And The Relationship With Depression In Latinos, Fernando M. Avila

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relationship between acculturation, self-esteem, spirituality and its association with depression in a community sample of Latinos. Previous research with Latinos has identified these factors as potentially being correlated with depression and with quality of life. The weight that these three variables can have on depression may be profound. Self-esteem and spirituality have been identified as protective factors that may assist individuals with depression by enhancing an individual's sense of worth. Acculturation is a construct that has been shown to influence Latinos in various ways. These variables have been established as predictors …

Taking Clinical Judgment Out Of The Equation : A Call For The Standardization Of Mci Diagnostic Criteria And Construction Of A Model To Predict Conversion To Dementia., Adam Tyler Gerstenecker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment have evolved considerably since their inception, they remain varied and able to be interpreted and implemented in different ways depending on the judgment of the clinician. Because of this issue, a wide range of incidence, prevalence, and conversion rates are found in the research literature. Using data collected from 400 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, limitations inherent in current mild cognitive impairment diagnostic criteria were addressed. First, using Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative diagnostic criteria, an equation was constructed to predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia by analyzing the predictive …