Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Questioning Youth Services In Urban Homeless Shelters, Rajahm Sellers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeless shelter administrators provide shelter, food, and other basic needs to the homeless population. Because policies, environments, and services adhere to the general population, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth suffer when homeless shelter administrators do not address specific needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of homeless shelter administrators and bridge the gap in knowledge about the policies and environments that impact the homeless LGBTQ youth community. The theoretical framework for this study was Tajfel and Turner's theory of social identity. Research questions included significant differences between developed shelter policies and environments based …

African American Christian Senior Pastor's Beliefs About Mental Health Treatment, Trinaa L. Copeland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the African American community, the Black Church and its clergy have served as gatekeepers to formal mental health treatment. Little is known about the beliefs of African American Christian senior pastors about mental health treatment and their personal views influencing their counsel to congregants seeking support through the church. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of African American Christian senior pastors in relation to how they understand mental health treatment and provide it to their congregants. The research questions explored three areas: (a) the senior pastors' experiences in rendering mental health treatment, (b) the senior pastors' personal …

African American Males' Perceptions Of The Police, Shawanda S. Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males are more likely than any of race of males to report unreasonable and unnecessary negative experiences with law enforcement officers. They may describe these experiences as unjustified due to the level of force used. In some cases, excessive force used by police has resulted in the death of African American males. Due to unresolved issues between African American males and police officers dating back to the slavery era, there is a deep historical division between these groups. Among African American males, the percentage of individuals who express distrust toward police officers tends to be higher than in …

Burnout Among Child Welfare Social Workers In Louisiana, Kimberly Marie Bainguel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout among child welfare social workers negatively affects social workers and the social welfare system. The purpose of this action research study was to explore what child welfare social workers do to alleviate burnout. The practice-focused research questions for this study center on two elements: (a) the experiences of burnout among child welfare social workers employed by the Department of Family and Children services in the southeastern region of the United States and (b) the social work practices used to alleviate burnout. The conceptual framework for this study was the Maslach theory on burnout. Action research study procedures were used …

Recent Parolees Participating In An Adult Basic Education And Work Skills Program, Charles Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The issue addressed in this study was the increasing number of prisoners in U.S. prisons and the related issue of recidivism after release. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of 8 formerly incarcerated adults. The conceptual foundation of this study was based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development and transformational learning. The research question for this study inquired about how released prisoners perceive their educational experiences in the MTM program. Participants were selected among adults who were incarcerated for at least 12 months and living in the …

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Perceived Meaning In Work, Denise Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted correlational studies on transformational leadership and perceived meaning in work; however, researchers have not used an experimental design to examine the relationship between transformational leadership and perceived meaning in work. The purpose of this study was to determine whether reading information on transformational leadership, which focused on charisma and individualized consideration, influenced participants' hypothetical judgment of perceived meaning in work. The quantitative study included a 2 x 2 between-subjects design in which information on the independent variables of charisma and individualized consideration was manipulated in a description of a hypothetical leader. The dependent variable was the hypothetical …

Success Factors For Power Project Development Businesses In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kodjo Galevissi Afidegnon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the financing gap in the sub-Saharan Africa power sector, private investors struggle to capitalize on the opportunity because of the high failure rate of power project development companies. Using the conceptual framework of the behavioral finance theory, this multiple case study was conducted to explore the strategies used by executives of 4 companies in sub-Saharan Africa who successfully developed power projects within the last 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of government and institutions' websites. Yin's 5-phased cycle for analyzing case studies provided the guidelines for data analysis. Three themes emerged from data analysis: …

Acculturative Stress And Adaptability Levels Between Documented Versus Undocumented Hispanic College Students, Philippe Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic students often suffer from acculturative stress as they adapt to U.S. college environments; however, few scholars have examined the acculturative stress relationship among undocumented versus documented Hispanic college students. In this quantitative, correlational study design, adaptation levels related to acculturative stress between both statuses were examined. The theoretical foundations of this study are based on the social cognitive career theory. This investigation focused on determining how adaptation levels predict Hispanic college students' acculturative stress and whether this realtionship differ between documented and undocumented college students. The I-Adapt measure was used to measure participants' level of adaptability and the social, …

On Blasphemy: Immigrant Muslim Leaders In America, Angela Ewing

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some Muslim immigrants in the United States have difficulty reconciling American free speech rights with the blasphemy component of Islamic law, which often requires death for those who criticize Islam. Little academic literature addresses reconciliation of Islamic beliefs with the Constitutional right to free speech or information on Muslim political participation regarding free speech. Using policy feedback theory as the foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Muslim immigrants who practice Islam in a free speech society. Data were collected from a sample of 10 immigrant Muslim imams, scholars, and community leaders in Virginia …

Resiliency Of Students Who Failed The State Of Texas Assessments Of Academic Readiness Exam, Tetaime Sherie Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate former high school students' resilience following the administration of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam based on the comparison of male and female students who passed the STAAR exam the first time and those who failed it at least 2 times. This study fills a gap in the literature by offering additional data and increased knowledge about the relationship of resiliency to school performance. A total of 133 adults aged 18-29 years who had been enrolled in 3 high schools in a large metropolitan area in Texas were …

Sextortion: Psychological Effects Experienced And Seeking Help And Reporting Among Emerging Adults, Tonya Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sextortion is a phenomenon that has made an impact on the digital technology domain. Sexting is a transmission of sensual messages or performances, provocation, and schemes exhibited through an array of sexual behaviors. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the psychological effects experienced of sextortion and to uncover the willingness to seek help and report the incident to authorities. Arnett's emerging adulthood theory provided the framework for this study. The sample consisted of N = 27 responders between 18-24 years of age who have engaged in sexting behaviors and may or may not have experienced sextortion. Simple …

Florida Political Appointees Usage Of Social Power Bases After Service First Initiative, Leland Francis Butcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Florida reformed its civil service system with the passage of the Service First Initiative of 2001, resulting in a unique organizational setting by altering the employer-employee relationship, yet little academic research explored the power tactics used by politicians and political appointees in order to gain subordinate compliance in unique organizational environments. Using French and Raven’s bases of social power theory and Raven’s interpersonal power interaction model as the foundation, the primary purpose of this stratified cross-sectional study of politicians and political appointees in Florida was to explore whether certain demographic factors are predictors of the extent to which French and …

Strong Black Women, Depression, And The Pentecostal Church, Dawn E. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a global health concern and among the top two causes of disability

and disease. African-Americans often seek help from the Black church, but

Pentecostal churches may fail to provide effective support due to doctrinal beliefs.

African-American women with depression struggle due to psychosocial implications

of the diagnosis. This research study used social constructionism and the

biopsychosocial model of health to explore the lived experiences of African-

American women suffering from self-reported depression while attending

Pentecostal churches in the Northeast United States. Fourteen women, ages

20 to 76, participated in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Data obtained

from the semistructured, …

Psychiatric Medical Care And Safe Housing For Mentally Ill Homeless, Georgann Easley Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the deinstitutionalization movement, many mentally ill individuals have left asylum treatment centers and have had no safe housing. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the attitudes and opinions of homeless, mentally ill people regarding the community resources they consume and how they perceive and navigate those resources. The research questions focused on homeless, mentally ill individuals' shared experiences accessing health care, psychiatric care, and housing services as well as, barriers that impacted homeless, mentally ill individuals' use of these services, and their needs to address these barriers. Data were collected using face to face, …

Incentive Size Alignment With Accountable Care Organization Performance, Kristie D. Racca

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Changes to the country's health care political landscape in 2012 resulted in the development of federal programs aimed at containing costs and improving the quality of care delivered. Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) emerged linking performance to rewards. Guided by Conrad's value-based performance incentive theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between financial incentive size and ACO performance measures. The research questions examined the predictive relationship of incentive size and acute care readmission rates, emergency department (ED) visits, and per capita spending of the ACO Medicare Shared Savings Program population. The study …

Dsm-5, Asperger's Syndrome Diagnosis, And Mothers' Experiences With Mental Health Services, Pamela G. Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mothers who have children with a previous Asperger's syndrome diagnosis had to go through a process to maintain or obtain services for their child when the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5) removed the diagnosis. Prior to and since the release of the DSM-5 in 2013, there has been an expression of concern in the literature about how this diagnostic change would affect services for children with a previous Asperger's syndrome diagnosis. Current research has not sufficiently explored the experiences mothers have had with this process. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study …

Second Language Recall In Methods Of Learning, Maria Garza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This dissertation examined the relationship between the acquisition and recall of English language vocabulary. This study explored 2 different learning recall strategies to determine which approach was the quickest or more efficient way to remember vocabulary words. Previous researchers had focused on learning a second language phonetically and had not explored different instructional strategies to study the most useful or quickest way to learn a second language for adults. However, there remains an important gap in the current research regarding how to present different methods of instruction to acquire a new second language more rapidly. The purpose of this study …

Implementing Aromatherapy For Falls Reduction In The Inpatient Hospice Population, Kimberly Kay Pistek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls among the elderly is a health concern affecting multiple patients annually. Hospice patients and those with multiple comorbidities are at the greatest risk of falling and sustaining injuries from falls. Aromatherapy has been used for reducing multiple symptoms as well as for decreasing falls. The practice-focused question explored whether an education program on using aromatherapy for fall prevention would increase knowledge of this intervention for an interdisciplinary group of hospice staff. The design was developed using Knowles's theory of andragogy and Bloom's taxonomy. Thirteen staff members from the same facility participated in the education program. The program was targeted …

Influence Of Trial By Media On The Criminal Justice System In India, V.V.L.N. Sastry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Media exercises incredible influence on the public; in India media appears to interfere with court proceedings. The purpose of this mixed-methods quasi-experimental study was to explore the effect of media trials on the Indian criminal justice system and to examine the relationship between court verdicts and media trials in India. The narrative policy framework was used to guide the study. Qualitative data were gathered from a variety of sources, including the court cases and the related verdicts reported by the media as media trials from 2005 to 2015. Subsequently, interviews were also conducted to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data were …

The Effects Of Expressive Writing On Emotional Intelligence In College Undergraduates, Elizabeth Harrington Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attending college is often so stressful that as many as 40% of students leave without earning a degree. Many students desert during their first and second years of study. Emotional intelligence has been associated with effective coping skills, student achievement, and psychological well-being. The act of expressing emotions through writing has been shown to engage many capabilities associated with emotional intelligence. Few studies have examined the effects of expressive writing on emotional intelligence. The theory of emotion regulation provided theoretical framework. The purpose of this quantitative experimental study was to examine the effects of expressive writing on emotional intelligence and …

Cultural Health Beliefs And Influenza Vaccination Among Caribbean-Born Students, Dona S. Walcott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This purpose of this quantitative study was to examine health beliefs among Caribbean-born university students regarding acceptance or rejection of influenza vaccination among populations at institutions of higher education. In addition, acculturation was addressed as a factor affecting cultural health beliefs. A survey was completed by 98 students enrolled at Florida International University during the spring 2018 semester. Linear regression was used to analyze whether cultural health beliefs and acculturation were predictive of beliefs about influenza vaccination and beliefs about perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. The study findings showed cultural health beliefs of the students were statistically significant predictors of …

Veteran Anger Dysregulation: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Help-Seeking Through Social Media, Deanna Bishop-Deaton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In combat, anger becomes a new baseline and is promoted by peers as an acceptable means of militaristic motivation and coping with the atrocities of war. Unable to reconcile anger upon returning home, some veterans are forced to seek help via nontraditional paths. This interpretative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of male combat veterans who struggled with anger dysregulation issues and sought help from veteran peers on social media. Research questions were developed using the modal model of emotion as a guide for emotional dysregulation. Interviewed participants were invited to share lived experience of anger dysregulation, what help-seeking meant, …

Support Services From Prison To Home: Reentry Programs In A Western State, Bridget Burden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People released from incarceration are not equipped to deal with the challenges of transitioning back into society. Previous research on reentry suggests that correctional institutions may fail to adequately prepare inmates to transition to community life at the time of release, and little research addresses the perspectives of incarcerated people who have experienced reentry. Using social justice theory and the institutional analysis and development framework as guides, the purpose of this ethnographic study of reentry programs in a western state was to (a) determine how well they meet the needs of ex-offenders receiving reentry services, (b) identify best practices if …

The Effect Of Community Evaluators On The Selection Of Entry-Level Police Officers, Eric Hutchison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a method of building relationships with the public, some police forces have integrated community members into the candidate assessment and selection process. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the effect of integrating community evaluators as a new method in the assessment and selection process for police officers in a city police force. Media richness theory and general mental ability were used as a framework, and archival data from a large Midwest department of public safety were collected by filing two public records requests. Data from 2,510 police candidates were included. Quantitative data analysis was conducted …

Understanding The Lived Experience In Women With Psoriatic Disease Utilizing Alternative Interventions, Lisa Liimatainen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psoriatic disease (PD) is an autoimmune disease that affects millions of women and currently has no cure. Examining the lived experience of women with PD who choose to treat their disease with alternative methods may allow for deeper understanding of how mental health professionals can support their choices. Using phenomenology, this study looked at the experiences of these women through theories of self-efficacy and self-in-relation theory, theories that empower and speak to women. The participants consisted of women who reported a diagnosis of PD, who reported they had abstained from pharmaceutical interventions for at least the previous six months. The …

Parent Stress Adaptation Among Caregivers Of Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Victoria M. Ambrus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was a nonexperimental correlational study that took a strengths-based approach and utilized family systems theories to examine parenting stress, as measured by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and posttraumatic growth (PTG), as measured by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the relationship between the two constructs. The study was conducted with a national sample of 136 maternal caregivers of transition-age youth on the autism spectrum (ASD), ages 14 to 22 years, recruited through social media, flyers, and referrals. Participants were primarily biological mothers (83.9%), White (87.5%), and resided in the South (68.4%); the mean age of the adolescent with …

The Effect Of Self-Esteem, Bullying, And Harassment On Nurse Turnover Intention, Joyce Richelle Arand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Currently there is a high rate of registered nurse (RN) turnover due in part to bullying and harassment among peers; which fosters lower quality nursing care, jeopardizes patient safety, and increases healthcare costs. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between inpatient nurses' individual self-esteem and reported bullying and harassment with their intent to leave their job. Two theories were used to provide structure to this work: cognitive experimental self theory and oppressed group theory. Data were collected using the Negative Acts Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Turnover Intentions Measure. All RNs in …

Influence Of Implicit-Bias Training On The Cultural Competency Of Police Officers, Marvin Whitfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly publicized media events involving African American men and the use of deadly force by police officers have occurred between 2013 and 2014. These events have emphasized the need to examine the influence of implicit bias training on police officers' decision-making processes. During the past two decades, Community Oriented Policing Services has invested several billion dollars in training programs designed to eliminate racial bias within the law enforcement community. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how implicit-bias training influences the decision-making processes of police officers. More specifically, this study examined the perceptions of police officers regarding the …

Increasing Daily Exercise Adherence In Women By Examining Motivational Factors, Victoria Wozniak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women ages 20–39 years old have seen the most dramatic increase in obesity levels in the United States over the last 2 decades. Researchers have indicated the need for studies to increase motivation in women to promote daily exercise. There is a gap in the literature about what motivational factors are most effective with increasing exercise in daily life. Using the transtheoretical model of change (TM) as the grounding theory, this study measured daily exercise adherence. A selective sampling of women ages 20–39 years old in the United States were recruited to complete an online survey. The online survey included …

Juvenile Correctional Officers' Job Satisfaction, Retention, And Quality Of Supervision, Lalita Nicole Appling-Plummer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile Correctional officers are important to the function of secure facilities because they maintain constant contact with offenders. This quantitative study sought to determine why turnover rates continue to rise and offered insight into retaining officers. This study utilized Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory as the foundation for explaining relationships between the variables: quality supervision and intent to stay and job satisfaction, job search, and job embeddedness of juvenile correctional officers across the United States. Survey data were collected from 247 juvenile correctional officers using a web-based survey containing 5 scales including Quality of Supervision and Intent to Stay, …