Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Motivational Differences Among Older Marathon Runners And Their Injury Status, Marsha Renee Kaufman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the high occurrence of running-related injuries, master level runners, those aged 40 years and older, account for 50% of all marathon finishers. What is not known is the common motive sustaining participation, especially among this age demographic. The self-determination theory was the theoretical framework to support how behavior is regulated by the individual. The purpose of this quantitative research was to identify a difference in the motives (psychological, physical, social, and achievement) and their subcategorical motives (health orientation, weight concern, affiliation, recognition, psychological coping, life meaning, self-esteem, competition, and personal goals) via the Motivations of Marathoners Scales by master …

Understanding Caregiver Perceptions Of Attachment With Drug Exposed Foster Children, Sarah Elizabeth Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lacking a healthy attachment to a caregiver and having in-utero methamphetamine exposure have been linked to a variety of cognitive delays, developmental delays, and mental health issues throughout a person's lifespan. It is unknown if there is a relationship between in-utero methamphetamine exposure and the ability to build a healthy attachment to a caregiver. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to improve understanding of the perceptions of caregivers about attachment efforts for foster children under the age of 3, who have had in-utero methamphetamine exposure. This study was guided by attachment theory. Purposeful sampling was used to select …

Mothers' Parenting Discipline Style And Their Early Puberty Daughters' Engagement In High-Risk Behaviors, Yvette C. White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some early puberty girls engage in high-risk externalizing behaviors such as early sexual activity, delinquent behavior, and disruptive behaviors. Harsh parenting experienced by girls who develop early has been associated with delinquent and disruptive behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine predictive relationships between the style of parental discipline by mothers of early puberty girls and the likelihood and frequency of the girls' engagement in high-risk behaviors. Parenting style theory, including the authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive style of parenting, served as the theoretical foundation for the study. Survey data were collected from 28 mothers who identified …

Effects Of Police-Mental Health Collaborative Services On Calls, Arrests, And Emergency Hospitalizations, Sean Russel-Jacque Zauhar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the increasing amount of police calls involving persons experiencing a mental health crisis (PICs), agencies are looking for ways to reduce the overuse of emergency services and criminal confinement. Police-mental health collaborative (PMHC) programs were developed to utilize the expertise of both mental health and law enforcement practitioners to provide immediate linkage to psychiatric services in an effort to prevent unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice system. The theoretical framework for this study was built on the sequential intercept model (SIM) along with the theories of social network and social support. The SIM identifies 5 key points where PICs …

Multicase Historic Studies Of Innovative Work Behavior Among Intellectually Gifted Adults, Karen Denise Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

ABSTRACT

This qualitative research study was conducted to examine whether investing in innovation and gifted intelligence would improve America's economic well-being. The investment issue became a problem because educational researchers researched innovation as creativity rather than as productive behavior. Moreover, in the literature, adult giftedness was perceived as negative development rather than as alternate normative behavior. The purpose of this research study was to generate new knowledge about innovation and adult giftedness. WICS (wisdom, intelligence, creativity, synthesized) theory of intelligence provided the theoretical framework because intelligence is a measure of human productivity potential. The neuropsychological conceptual framework facilitated a cognitive …

The Impact Of Parental Support On The Health Behaviors Of Transgender Young Adults, Jill Hingston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Paralleling recent increased public awareness of transgender issues, gender nonconforming youth are coming out at increasingly earlier ages. It is important to understand the impact that family acceptance or family rejection has on the health outcomes of transgender young people, who are at increased risk of discrimination, prejudice, harassment, victimization, violence, and possible mental health issues and who are understudied. This understanding can be framed within the minority stress model and Carl Rogers' theory of self, which provide insight into how minority groups experience negative reactions from both society and an internalized sense of congruence. The purpose of this descriptive, …

The Lived Experiences Of Lesbian And Gay Clients Who Terminated Counseling Prematurely, Jaymie Vanmeter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to a lack of understanding lesbian and gay lived experiences in counseling, the counseling field is also lacking understanding of the lesbian and gay experiences in counseling that lead to premature termination. Without the knowledge of personal understanding of these experiences, it is difficult to also understand how to retain lesbian and gay clients, provide appropriate counselor training, and even explore cultural humility. The term cultural humility represents the implicit and explicit impact that culture has on the counselor and challenges assumptions made by the practitioner as well as assumptions about client culture (Fisher-Borne et al., 2015). The experiences …

Recruitment Strategies For A Sustainable Pipeline Of African American College Graduates As Civil Servants, Owen Wilbert Muldrow, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Government leaders have not been successful in their strategies for developing a pipeline of African American college students to address the absence of African American representation in civil service management positions. Increasing African American representation among civil service personnel may produce a government workforce that reflects American society, which may promote equitable and responsive solutions in serving public interests. The purpose of this qualitative modified Delphi study was to build consensus among a nationwide expert panel of government-affiliated talent managers as to strategies for creating a sustainable civil service pipeline of annual graduating classes of African American collegians. The research …

The Relationship Between Social Support And Resilience Among School Nurses, Kathryn Vargo Hsu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research exploring the relationship between social supports and resilience among hospital-based nurses and teachers has offered little to illuminate how school nurses identify and access social support and the impact it may have on their ability to manage ongoing daily stressors or develop resilience. The social networks and social support model suggest that access to social support may underscore the development of effective coping. This study explored the relationship between social supports as measured by a self-report questionnaire, and resilience as measured by the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). It was hypothesized that a positive correlation would exist between use of …

Caregiver Review Of Nonpharmacological Interventions For Behavioral Symptoms Associated With Dementia, Karla Chaney Ballew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and affects an individual’s overall cognitive function, including orientation, memory, and executive function. Most AD patients in the United States reside in residential care facilities or private homes under the care of individuals with little education on the challenges of the AD patient. Among the challenges faced by caregivers are behavioral and psychological symptoms related to dementia (BPSD). Education has been shown to improve caregivers’ treatment of BPSD in AD patients and to improve caregiver retention. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based education module guided by …

Peer Support And Academic Resiliency For Recently Relocated High School Student, Melanie Marie Kennebeck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Residential relocation requiring a change of school enrollment can negatively disrupt academic achievement, extracurricular participation, attendance, and ability to appropriately regulate emotions/behaviors. This disruption impacts military-affiliated students every 2 to 3 years. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively inform Student 2 Student’s (S2S’s) continued development and the Military Child Education Coalition’s (MCEC’s) pursuit of better serving newly relocated students. This will help the program to reach beyond good intentions and mitigate the perils of assuming that benefits occur without quantitative support. The three-factory model of Academic Resiliency was used as the theoretical framework guiding this study. Two American …

Female Sexual Abuse Survivors And The Therapeutic Relationship, Tracy J. Hollingworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood abuse can impact the survivors' life in many ways. Children learn various skills from their caregivers, such as the tools needed to develop and maintain healthy relationships. When a child is abused by their caregiver, there can be a drastic impact on how the child perceives the world, and the therapeutic relationship is important in the healing process. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored the lived experiences of therapists who work with adult women who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse to better understand the effects that childhood sexual abuse has on the therapeutic relationship. The theoretical base …

Examining The Utility Of The Hexaco-Pi-R For Predicting Positive And Negative Indicators Of Police Officer Performance, Angela Marie Ripley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Identifying behaviors that are either counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) or organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) may assist law enforcement agencies in selecting and aligning police officers for the various roles asked of them. The 6 dimensions of personality are not currently being used in law enforcement agencies to predict overall job performance of police officers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which the 6 personality dimensions as measured by the HEXACO Personality Inventory Revised (HEXACO-PI-R) predicted overall indicators (OCB and CWB) of police officer job performance. A sample of 51 police officers from a variety …

A Study Of Rural Nonprofit Board Communication And Collaboration, Angela-Janine C. Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study explored the perceptions, experiences, and significant internal communication and collaboration problem(s) faced by a rural nonprofit board of directors experiencing a growth transition. Specifically, this study addressed (a) how a rural nonprofit's board members perceived their communication and collaboration skills and practices, and (b) the training needed to improve board communication and collaboration policies and practices. Ten rural area study participants shared their experiences and made recommendations for board communication and collaboration training. Exploring the perceptions, understandings, and capacities of the rural nonprofit board members revealed how specific communication and collaboration policies and practices affected their organization's …

Race, Gender, And Attorney Representation As Predictors Of Private Probation Warrants, Subaricca Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Private probation companies were formed to provide supervision to low-risk offenders who committed misdemeanor charges by allowing offenders to reside in the community instead of being incarcerated. However, research has revealed that private probation agencies have become problematic because state and local governments have benefited financially by collecting court costs and probation supervision fees from indigent probationers who are unable to pay. Other researchers have revealed that gender, race, and attorney representation r impact whether a warrant would be issued for failure to pay court costs and supervisions fees. This study examined the predictive relationships between race, gender, attorney representation, …

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Perceptions Of Subcontracting Training Within The Department Of Defense, Thomas Wayne Krusemark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Veteran-owned small businesses that possess ratings as service-disabled companies (i.e., service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses [SDVOSB] are 1 of 5 socioeconomic small business contracting goals that U.S. government agencies seek to comply with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) set-aside goals. Little is known about collaborative strategies for improving training regarding single point of entry into Department of Defense (DOD) subcontracting. The research questions in this study focus on how veteran-owned small businesses pursue acquisition opportunities from training opportunities. Sabatier's advocacy coalition theory was used as the theoretical foundation for this study. This qualitative study was employed using 6 semistructured interviews of …

Factors Leading To Successful Asian American Women Leaders, Vishakha S. Naresh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although women have been progressing in the U.S labor force into supervisory and management positions, the number of Asian American women in leadership roles continues to be limited. There is support in the literature for research on factors associated with the leadership development of Asian American women. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the racial and gender experiences and perspectives of 7 Asian American women in U.S. health care organizations and how they developed into leaders. Feminist and sociocultural theories were applied to gain insight. Interviews were carried out to comprehend the manner in which gender …

Florida Adult Trauma Scorecard Methodology And Scene Transportation Choice, Patricia Maher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prehospital management of patients who are traumatically injured within the state of Florida starts with the use of the Florida Adult Trauma Scorecard Methodology. The scorecard methodology may indicate that a patient is a Trauma Alert based on applied physiological and other judgment criteria. However, patients may be transported via Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) without justified physiological needs. Rawls’ theory of justice posits that a fair and equal distribution of social resources is essential to public wellbeing. To evaluate this premise regarding prehospital trauma transports, archival 2015 data from the Florida Department of Health Trauma Registry was obtained. Using …

Psychological Relationship Between Acculturation And Caribbean Immigrants In The Northeast United States, Lisa Chamberlain- Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caribbean immigrants' challenges with acculturation following immigration to the United States, could result in acculturative stress, discrimination, stereotyping, and mental health issues. This study examined the relationship between cultural levels of interaction (LCI), acculturation orientation levels (AOLs), and acculturation levels (ALs) as well as examined the relationship between acculturative stress levels (ASLs), mental health problems, and discrimination/ stereotyping among Caribbean immigrants, age 25-54, in a northeast U.S. metro. Bourhis' interactive acculturation model was the theoretical foundation for this study. It was hypothesized that (a) there would be a relationship between LCI measured in language, food, religion, and education and AOL …

Service Delivery Agents' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Panhandling Policy In Virginia, Nancy Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Panhandling (also called begging and mendicancy) has been a problem for lawmakers. Although current crime control measures (based on the broken windows theory) have identified a perceived link between disorders (i.e., panhandling) and crime, previous attempts to ban panhandling were deemed unconstitutional. The purpose of this work was to investigate the impact of the latest attempt to curb panhandling in Hampton Roads, Virginia, known as the Public Education Campaign. This phenomenological inquiry examined the perceptions and work-related experiences of service delivery agents to explore the impact of the panhandling policy on panhandling and policy enforcement. Purposive sampling was used to …

Use Of Mobile Telephones: Experiences Of First Responders In Rural African Communities, James Harding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) usually participate in disaster response in rural African communities. Disasters in African communities are often characterized by huge fatalities, which are associated with a slow pace of response. The use of information and communication technology in disaster response is recognized as an effective conduit for enhancing response. Previous research indicates the efficacy of the use of mobile telephones in disaster response in advance countries. However, there remains a critical gap in the available literature on the experiences of EMTs with the use of mobile telephones in disaster response in rural African communities. The purpose of this …

Medical Marijuana Policy Conflicts Within The District Of Columbia Private Workplace, Robert B. Kennedy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The District of Colombia poses a unique challenge to private employers because the passage of a local medical marijuana policy was instituted in a federalized district that is obligated to abide by federal Schedule 1 narcotic laws. Using punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this case study was to understand how managers maintain compliance and address the conflict between different levels of government. Data were collected from interviews with 8 private industry hiring personnel who operate within the District of Columbia. These interviews were transcribed, inductively coded using a 2 cycle coding procedure, and then subjected to …

Self-Efficacy And Leadership Commitment During Lean Strategy Deployment, Angela Deloise Pearson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lean strategy deployment (LSD) provides a means to create lasting value at reduced cost; yet most LSD efforts fail to attain sustainable improvements. The current study sought to gain an understanding of how leaders in oral healthcare manufacturing setting in the northeastern region of the United States can apply self-efficacy and leadership commitment during an LSD. Using Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy this qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences and perceptions of 15 mid-to-senior level managers, concerning the use of self-efficacy and leadership commitment during a lean strategy deployment (LSD). The key findings resulted in 10 emergent themes. The top …

Parental Perspectives Of Permanency Planning And Staffing Barriers In Child Welfare, Linda S. Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caseworker turnover in child welfare agencies has been a problem for many years. The turnover negatively impacts the agency, and the staff left behind by their departing peers, and continuity of services provided to clients. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore parental experiences with child welfare staff turnover to determine how clients perceived that turnover impacted their child welfare case. The research questions for this study focused on (a) how clients perceived that child welfare turnover impacted their case and (b) how the turnover impacted their case plan and (c) recommendations for child welfare to enhance …

Exploring Social Worker Knowledge, Conceptualization, And Use Of Cultural Humility In Hospice, Shelby L. Schiller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This capstone project examined social workers’ knowledge, values, and beliefs as related to the concept of cultural humility to determine how hospice care professionals treat patients’ cultural preferences and traditions with respect and sensitivity at the end of life; as such practices have the ability to improve the hospice experience. Research questions addressed in the study (a) how social workers in Nevada define cultural humility in the context of hospice social work practice, (b) the values or principles hospice social workers in Nevada consider most important in providing culturally appropriate care to hospice patients, and (c) the ways hospice social …

Strategies Employed By High School Social Workers To Help Young Mothers Remain In High School, Rosetta Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Strategies Employed by High School Social Workers to Help Young Mothers Remain in High School

by

Rosetta Stephens

MSW, Monmouth University, 2014

BA, Kean University, 2005

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillments

of Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Social Work

Walden University

November 2019

The focus of this study was to explore the ways high school social workers employ 6 evidence-based strategies to foster academic persistence among young mothers currently enrolled in high school. High school social workers are often tasked with helping young mothers overcome the challenges associated with motherhood. It is necessary for social workers to assess …

Repercussions Of The Mechanistic Dehumanization Of Muslim Americans, Resilience, And Sustainable Communities, Melvin Walters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of research on the relationship between dehumanization of minority religious groups and affiliation with terrorism, which suggests a need to consider the consequences of dehumanization perceptions beyond promoting aggression. This qualitative case study addresses whether dehumanization embedded in public policies influences Muslim Americans 18 to 25 years of age, native and nonnative, to engage in homegrown terrorism. Using Schneider and Ingram’s social constructions of target populations as the foundation, research questions focused on how perceptions of mechanistic dehumanization in policy design influence homegrown terrorism among Muslim- American adults. Data were acquired through archival data that included …

Exploring The Challenges Non-Clinical Departments Encounter During Eden Alternative Implementation, Keith George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommends new guidelines that shift healthcare delivery in nursing homes and long-term care facilities from an institutional model to a person-centered care model. Although clinical outcomes are measured and tracked, there was limited literature about the challenges non-clinical departments face in a nursing facility during implementation of a person-centered model. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the challenges non-clinical staff experience while transitioning to an Eden Alternative philosophy, a person-centered care model. The theoretical foundation of this study relied upon Bressers' Contextual Interaction Theory. The research questions for this study …

The Relationship Between Recidivism And Inpatient Treatment For Co-Occurring Disorders Among African American Male Ex-Offenders, Henshaw D. Mbosowo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism continues to be a major problem in the United States criminal justice system and yet, there is minimal research that addresses recidivism among African American male ex-offenders with co-occurring disorders who are on probation and or parole under community supervision and trying to gain access or reentry into the community. This quantitative study was to examine the relationship between co-occurring disorders and incidence of recidivism among African American male ex-offenders who have been hospitalized and treated for mental illness at some point in their lives. Also, considering that the inpatient treatment or hospitalization of offenders and ex-offenders with serious …

Race As A Predictor Of Recidivism Risk: An Epidemiological Analysis, Femi Folorunsho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prisoner recidivism is a problem of great social importance, as recidivism represents a failure of the rehabilitative goal of incarceration. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of accurate estimates of race as a predictor of recidivism risk in the United States, after taking demographics and criminal variables into account. Applying the life-course theory of recidivism, the purpose of this archival, epidemiological study was to calculate whether recidivism risk varied based on race, across different seriousness levels of commitment offense and number of prior arrests, among a sample of male federal prisoners released from custody. A Cox proportional …