Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Predictors Of Recidivism For Offenders With Substance Use Disorders, Yvonne Cheeks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRecidivism is a substantial problem in the United States due to the number of paroles/probationers reoffending. The U.S. prison system has become the new asylum and a revolving door for individuals, which is even more true for those with substance use disorders (SUDs). Once these individuals leave prison, they are likely to end up reoffending at some point in the future due to substance use/abuse (i.e., committing crimes to support substance use, selling substances, etc.). Scholarly literature lacked studies examining the predictors of recidivism for offenders with SUD in North Carolina. . The purpose of this quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional study …

Volunteer Motivation Of Individuals In Rural Pacific Northwest, Lenea Kindred Pierzchanowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Volunteering is a selfless social action in which an individual chooses to participate through personal motivations. These actions of public service are a combination of need-based vacancies within organizations and unpaid compensation for filling those needs. The purpose of this research was to identify motivational attributes of individuals who volunteer in the identified rural area using one-on-one semi-structured interviews through the lens of the volunteer process model, in addition to the social identity, ecological, and social capital theories. The 15 participants for this study were over the age of 18, fluently spoke and read English, and had been a volunteer …

Impact Of Gender Of The Offender On Perceptions And Criminal Sentencing Of Child Sexual Abuse Cases In Puerto Rico, Sigrid Enid Vázquez-Tirado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The gender of the adult offender may influence perceptions and criminal sentencing of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases in Puerto Rico. Extralegal factors such as culture and stereotypes may impact how CSA crimes are perceived and handled. The traumagenic dynamic model and the focal concerns theory of sentencing provided the theoretical frameworks for the study. Data were gathered by convenience sampling. To measure perceptions and sentencing decisions, 525 participants were asked to read a hypothetical case of CSA by a teacher with a minor student. Point-biserial correlational analyses were used to assess the influence of the independent variable (sex of …

Relationship Between Religious Beliefs And Systems, Educational Levels, And Victim Blaming, Frances Runyon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault and victim blaming are a severe problem. Being sexually assaulted increases the risk of physical and mental health issues for the victims. When the victims are blamed for being sexually assaulted, their physical and mental health issues increase substantially. Many victims do not seek help or support services because of the fear of being blamed. People believe in a just world, and blame the victims because it is more difficult to accept that bad things happen to good people. When people admit that bad things can happen to good people, they acknowledge that these things can happen to …

Psychological Coercion Among Trafficked Sex Workers: A Grounded Study Approach, Rebecca Ann Laurento

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMillions of individuals have become involved in human sex trafficking (HST) each year. This study involved an exploration of how these individuals became victims to psychological coercion and their experiences with HST. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to add to the current literature and provide a foundation for future researchers. Given the lack of literature on this topic, professional practitioners may not understand this problem or know how to support these victims of HST. The gap in literature this study addressed pertained to the processes and dynamics of psychological coercion for individuals involved with HST. Oppression …

Neurodiversity And Workplace Social Capital Effects On Employee Attitudes And Intentions, Alice Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neurodivergent employees have higher turnover rates than their neurotypical peers, andmuch remains unknown about how to improve their workplace experience. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships between neurodiversity and workplace social capital on job satisfaction and turnover intent. Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) informed the study design. Working adults (N = 1,243) in the United States recruited using convenience sampling and MTurk participated through an anonymous online survey. Data analysis was conducted using three-way ANOVA and mediation. Significant three-way interactions were found between gender, job classification, and likelihood of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) …

Workplace Stress And Workplace Well-Being Among African American Corporate Men And Women, Scott Rose-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many African Americans experience high levels of stress in their work environment, which can result in job dissatisfaction, intentions to leave, and greater levels of stress-related consequences. The purpose of this correlational quantitative research study was to examine the relationship between workplace stress and workplace well-being among African American corporate employees in the United States as well as whether gender moderated the relationship between workplace stress and workplace well-being within this population. Michie’s model of stress at work guided this study. Data were collected using the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool, Cox, Thirlaway, Gotts, and Cox’s General …

A Sense Of Hope: Parents Treating Their Epileptic Child With Cannabidiol, Jennifer Nguyen Potage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition in the world. Of those affected, about 30% are treatment-resistant, making it difficult for symptom relief. Children are also among those affected by epilepsy, and the unpredictable epileptic symptoms often induce stress, anxiety, confusion, depression for the parents/caretakers. Furthermore, epilepsy is a condition that can impair cognitive abilities, social interaction, and physical ailments. Antiepileptic drugs are the common medical treatment for epileptic symptoms. However, parents have often reported minimal positive change, ineffectiveness, and negative side effects that included nausea, fatigue, rash, insomnia, change in personality, cognitive impairment, and diarrhea. A review of the …

The Effect Of Victim’S Responses To Coercive Sexual Harassment On Bystander Intentions And Moral Perceptions, Inna M. Learn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female graduate students are targets of coercive sexual harassment (SH) three times more than female undergraduates; 67.8% of their harassers were university faculty. While SH victims expected peer support, peers often socially rejected female victims of coercive SH. Gray and Wegner’s theory of dyadic morality and Bowes-Sperry and O’Leary-Kelly’s bystander response model guided this quantitative study to examine the effect of victim response on helping intentions by peers. After reading the same vignette that described coercive SH, 207 student participants read one of four randomly assigned victim’s responses: victim did nothing, directly confronted the professor during the incident, sought peer …

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions Of Public School Violent Intruder Drills, Kati Oakes Pusey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public schools in the United States are increasingly implementing violent intruder drills in response to school shootings; however, the impact these drills have on the well-being of preservice teachers is not fully understood. A lack of knowledge also exists as to how intruder drills contribute to preservice teachers’ motivation to enter the profession. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of preservice teachers who have participated in violent intruder trainings and drills. Using prospect theory as the framework, the key research questions addressed preservice teachers’ perceptions of violent intruder incidents and drills as well as their …

Experiences Of College Freshmen Women Who Eat In A Social Environment, Kylie Cowens Blodgett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social cognitive theory suggests that social surroundings influence health behaviors, and social modeling literature supports that eating behaviors are influenced by social norms. Eating decisions are especially vulnerable to social influence during the transition to college, although current interventions do not address social influence in the context of the eating environment itself or consider how men and women may experience this environment differently. This generic qualitative study explored how freshmen women perceived their experiences eating in a cafeteria setting. The research questions investigated freshmen women’s perceptions about social influence on self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations, and modeling of normative information …

The Impact Of Perceived Stress, Happiness, And Religiosity On Political Orientation, Bryant Daniels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing stress levels over the past 30 years have reached an all-time high, which has also correlated with an increase in medical insurance costs due to the adverse effects on life expectancy, obesity rates, and non-communicable disease deaths. An additional social problem affecting the U.S. is a 20-year increase in political dichotomy. Research has shown a distinction between liberals and conservatives on a variety of characteristics ranging from sleep patterns, disgust, personality, and even cleanliness. This current study used two other characteristics that correlate with both stress and political orientation, and they are happiness and religiosity. The purpose of this …

The Meaning Of Work And Self-Sufficiency For Rural Work- Eligible Adults, Janneice Mitcheam-Eatmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the implementation of government programs created to ensure access to job training and education assistance for rural residents, which encourage and support their efforts to change their life trajectory, many rural residents remain unemployed and unable to move beyond poverty. Most research on job training focuses on program effectiveness or epidemiological trends; however, the voices of rural residents' descriptions of their relationship to work and self-sufficiency are missing from the literature. This IPA study explored the meaning of work and self-sufficiency for rural, work-eligible adults using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) as the theoretical framework. I used a combination …

Strategies African American Stepfathers Use To Build Positive Relationships With Their Stepdaughters, Shauntele Peynado-Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have shown that strained relationships between stepfathers and their stepchildren contribute to family dysfunction and stress. As the number of blended families in the United States continues to rise, it is important to determine how stepparents develop positive relationships with their stepchildren. The purpose of this study was to determine what strategies African American stepfathers use to develop positive, supporting relationships with their school aged stepdaughters. Family systems theory guided this research. The generic qualitative approach was used to conduct the study. Purposeful sampling resulted in data being collected from 7 participants using semi structured interviews. Colaizzi's 7-step method …

Online Social Support And Biopsychosocial Implications For Bariatric Patients, Jamie Kathryn Schofell-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has grown to epidemic proportions in the United States with approximately 40% of women and 30% of men having a body mass index greater than 35. Bariatric surgery is an effective form of weight loss. However, weight regain is a problem, with 50% of persons undergoing bariatric surgery experiencing a weight regain of 5% within 2 years of surgery and only 40% maintaining a loss of 30% or more long-term. Potential biological, psychological, and social issues can negatively impact the long-term success of weight management for many bariatric surgery patients. Research is significantly limited within this area and it …

Wrongful Conviction: Using Lived Experience To Explore Errors In Juror Cognition, Danielle Nicole Schulte Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWrongful conviction is a pressing legal and social justice issue that requires scholarly attention in the United States. The role of jurors in the criminal justice system has been empirically investigated and debated for many decades as researchers attempt to understand the juror decision-making process and how jurors contribute to wrongful conviction. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore how errors in juror cognition during decision-making led to juror reliance on narrative construction and commonsense reasoning rather than legal and judicial instruction in wrongful conviction cases. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 jurors who served on a criminal …

Court Intervention And Recurrence Of Child Maltreatment, Steven Wayne Luke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of child maltreatment recurrence is both complex and pervasive, affecting nearly every nationality and culture worldwide. The current body of research consistently contains reports of a gap due to the lack of input from the families served that may be resolved through the application of intergroup contact theory. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of an attorney representing parents in child maltreatment intervention predicted lower recurrence in child maltreatment as opposed to when those attorneys are absent from the process. While much of the practice of social work is based on ecological systems …

Exploring Cybersecurity Awareness And Training Strategies To Protect Information Systems And Data, Michael Hanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective security education, training, and awareness (SETA) programs contribute to compromises of organizational information systems and data. Inappropriate actions from users due to ineffective SETA programs may result in legal consequences, fines, reputational damage, adverse impacts on national security, and criminal acts. Grounded in social cognitive theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies hospitality organizational information technology (IT) leaders utilized to implement SETA successfully. The participants were organizational IT leaders from four organizations in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Data collection was performed using telephone and video teleconference interviews with organizational IT leaders (n = 6) …

Exploring Gender Dysphoria Among Active-Duty Transgender Service Members In A Right-To-Serve-Openly Military, Ralph Ogburn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Defense’s June 2016 directive-type memorandum 16-005 permitting transgender service members to serve openly in the U.S. military disqualifies transgender personnel with a history of gender dysphoria from serving in the military unless a licensed medical doctor certifies that they have been free from significant distress for 18 months. Research has illuminated the prevalence of gender dysphoria among military veteran transgender members due to their military experiences, but not in active-duty military. Informed by role theory and minority stress theory, the purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis study was to explore role conflict and stress in the …

Perceived Islamophobia And Psychological Distress Among Muslim Immigrants In Canada: The Moderating Role Of Group Identification, Riffat Ali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study with moderation was to examine the

differing moderating roles of centrality and in-group superiority in the relationship

between perceived Islamophobia and psychological distress. Perceived Islamophobia,

group centrality, in-group superiority, and psychological distress were measured using

Perceived Islamophobia Scale, the shorter version of the Identity Centrality Scale ,

Perceived In-Group Superiority Scale , and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. In this

study, a convenience sample (N = 113) of Muslim males and females above 18 years old

was used. An online survey tool, SurveyMonkey, was used to collect data from Muslim

immigrants living in …

The Lived Experiences Of Online Therapists Maintaining Ethical Boundaries, Talia Singer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The provision of counselling and psychotherapy using technology, also referred to as telecounselling or e-therapy, is a burgeoning area of mental health care that has garnered much enthusiasm. Many professional health organizations have developed ethical guidelines to specifically address this unique style of treatment. Skepticism remains in the area of applying standards into practice. Ethical guidelines are meant to be broad principles that can be applied to a range of unique practice experiences. The problems is that these principles have been developed over a century of practice-based experiences and designed to address situations that the clinician faces when their client …

Attitudes And Beliefs Related To Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infection In Swingers Who Do Not Use Condoms, Deborah Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) affects the public as a hidden epidemic of contagious disease with significant economic and health impacts. There are 110 million living with STI in the United States, with 20 million new infections annually. Condom use can reduce STI, but some people have sex without condoms, with risk for contracting or transmitting STI increasing when a person is in the same sexual network. Swingers are a growing sexual network and are a group at high risk of developing and spreading STI. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to develop an understanding of the attitudes and …

Qualities That Promote Male Friendship, Troy Alan Akins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The psychological, physical, and social circumstances surrounding the relationship between friends can be detrimental, especially in males. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the qualities that can be used to promote friendship among adult men ages 30 to 35 in the Northeastern Wyoming area. The theoretical framework for the study was Miller’s relational cultural theory. Data were collected from 11 semistructured interviews with men ages 30 to 35. Data were transcribed and analyzed to identify themes. Participants reported that they rely on acts of justice and fairness as well as established understanding to have clarity in friendship, …

Need To Belong, Fear Of Missing Out, And Social Media Use: Predictors Of Perceived Social Rejection, Linda K. Perna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decline in mental health among U.S. college students is a significant concern. Research suggests that social media use may contribute to this decline. Heavy reliance on social media has been linked to feelings of loneliness and disconnection, psychological distress, and a fear of missing out on rewarding social experiences, which may ultimately trigger feelings of social rejection. Using a foundation of need to belong theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine individual differences in the need to belong, fear of missing out, and social media use as predictors of emotional and behavioral reactions to ambiguous social …

Self-Efficacy And Health Perceptions, A Survey Of American Indian Obesity, Kristina L. Babbitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compared to other ethnicities, American Indians have higher rates of obesity and are disproportionately diagnosed with comorbid diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. While genetic, behavioral, and social risk factors contribute to health disparities and disease, the concept of self-efficacy, an element of Bandura’s social cognitive theory, influences the ability to overcome barriers and reduce risk. When combined with the health belief model, this theory also provides the foundation for understanding perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about disease. Yet, research in these areas is limited for American Indians. Therefore, the purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was …

Black American Millennials Coping With The Myth Of A Post-Racist Society, Edward Charles Hinton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For generations, Black Americans depended on religious coping strategies to counter the impact of racism; the idea of giving the problem to God was shown to alleviate powerlessness and racism-related stress among pre-Millennial generations of Black Americans. However, the shift to an allegedly post-racist society has complicated recognition of racism and the coping process for Black American Millennials (BAMs). The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether BAMs and pre-Millennials perceive racism as an ongoing problem and whether generation (i.e., pre-Millennial Blacks and BAMs) moderates the effectiveness of religious coping strategies to mitigate racism-related stress. The theory of …

Experience Of Academic Motivation Among Disadvantaged High School Graduates, Jamaal Anthony Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Impoverished students face obstacles that influence academic achievement and motivation. These young people are disadvantaged by their circumstances and are at risk for missing opportunities that could prepare them for meaningful careers and improved quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a deeper understanding of academic motivation in academic scholarship students who attended disadvantaged schools. Social identity theory provided the theoretical framework for a narrative analysis of the experience of academic motivation, academic achievement, and social identity. Five female and 4 male college students were interviewed. The thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: motivated by overcoming …

Rural Counselors’ Use Of Technology To Address Professional Isolation, Jacqueline Dale Grantland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRural counselors experience high levels of stress and burnout because of increased job demands, a lack of professional resources, and professional isolation in rural community practice. Technology can be a useful tool for counselors to maintain connectivity and access resources not readily available. However, a gap in the literature exists on rural counselors’ experience with technology to remediate professional isolation. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological framework with an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was to explore licensed professional counselors’ experiences with using technology to address professional isolation in rural community practice. The inclusion criteria included the counselors having 2 years …

Compassion Fatigue And Police Use Of Force, Amanda K. Devan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue is a natural response to caring, where burnout and exhaustion result from helping professions which includes police officers. Exposure to trauma and stress increases the risk of developing compassion fatigue in helper professions and may have negative implications on overall mental health and physical well-being. However, not much is known about the behavioral effects of compassion fatigue among police officers during use-of-force incidents. The purpose of this study was to examine whether compassion fatigue in police officers is predictive of use-of- force incidents. The theoretical foundation was Figley’s theory of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Survey data were …

Battered Women's Help-Seeking In The Rural Southwestern United States, Celina Gerese Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many victims of domestic violence who seek help are never able to break the cycle of abuse. Many studies address the stages and types of domestic violence, but few focus on successful recovery from abuse. The purpose of this study was to fill the gap in the literature concerning battered women's help-seeking processes in rural southwestern United States. The specific focus was on how victims and survivors of intimate partner violence seek help for domestic violence issues and whether their help-seeking processes determine successful recovery from domestic violence situations. This study was a qualitative case study based on symbolic interactionism …