Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Therapist Knowledge, Attitudes Toward, And Experiences With Social Media Use In Treating Adolescent Females, Kristin Hess

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Recent research on social media use suggest that over 90% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 years use the Internet and 73% spend time on social networking sites (Cingel, Lauricella, Wartella, & Conway, 2013). This makes it increasingly important for therapists to be aware of the current social media applications, as well as the risks and benefits that may accompany use. Although there is much literature on the possible benefits and risks to social media use, there is minimal research on how therapists use this information to treat an adolescent population effectively. The present study utilized a cross-sectional web-survey design …

The Role And Implications Of Executive Functions On Learning And Performing Math In High School Algebra I Students, Heather Lynn Rickmers Tacovsky

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Current research is largely lacking in the areas of math, math learning deficits, and math-specific interventions. Even less available is research and interventions specific to high school learners. Some research addresses these areas with a specific focus on executive functions and how they may relate to student learning and performance. The present study sought to determine the relationship between three specific executive functions, Shift, Inhibit, and Working Memory, on learning and performance in math. Other executive functions, as measured by BRIEF rating scales and including Planning and Organization, Initiate, and Monitor, were also reviewed. Results of the present study found …

Self-Compassion, Body Image Dissatisfaction, And Negative Social Comparisons In Adolescents Utilizing Social Networking Sites, Brian Moran

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This quantitative survey study implemented a cross-sectional, correlational design. The present study explored the relationship between self-compassion, body image, and negative social comparisons in a sample consisting of adolescents who use social networking sites. Despite noteworthy limitations, this study elucidates the benefits associated with higher levels of self-compassion in adolescence. In line with previous studies, adolescents reported frequent use of social networking sites, primarily facilitated by smartphones. Although the constant accessibility of social networking sites via smartphones has been associated with negative outcomes, an important finding in this study was the lack of significant relationship between overall time spent on …

Assessing Outcomes: Evaluation Of A Social Competency Program For Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessie L. Kessler

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study examines the effectiveness of a Social Competency Program, implemented by a local agency specializing in autism diagnosis and treatment, with regard to the development of social skills among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. This study, conducted using archival data from a local community agency, used a within-subjects, repeated measures research design to determine if the Social Competency Program enhanced the overall social performance of enrolled participants, as measured by clinician-completed rating scales. The study also examined the relationship between program effectiveness and variables including age and gender. The results did not support the program’s ability …

Differences Between Trauma Experience, Perceived Stress, And Effort Testing In Patients With Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures And Epilepsy, Anthony Fatzinger Jr.

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The present study attempted to identify predictors that would differentiate psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) from epilepsy, examine individual strength of predictors, and, in a separate analysis, examine the relationship between perceived stress and effort testing. A common experience that differentiates PNES patients from epilepsy patients is a traumatic experience, specifically childhood sexual abuse. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scale has never been used to see if it differentiates PNES and epilepsy samples, despite its focus on abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. The ACE was combined with other previously researched predictors. Results of the logistical regression were insignificant and the model …

The Impact Of Treatment Beliefs, Caregiver Participation, And Treatment Adherence On Treatment Outcome In Childhood Mental Illness, Alexandra Gallagher

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

One in five children in the United States is diagnosed with a mental health disorder; however, not all of them receive the appropriate services (NAMI, 2015). When services are accessible, lack of engagement in treatment can contribute to high dropout and to limited treatment success (Staudt, 2007). In literature on adults, one well studied factor that contributes to participation and engagement in treatment is an individual’s treatment beliefs and expectations. In the case of children, however, it is important to consider not only their treatment beliefs and expectations, but also the beliefs and expectations of their primary caregivers, because they …

Therapists' Attitudes To Using Spiritual And Religious Interventions With Orthodox Jewish Clients, Schmuel Brachfeld

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Literature on Orthodox Jews and their needs in therapy is limited. However, research on approaching therapy with highly religious, or spiritual clients, shows that addressing R/S in therapy is highly recommended. Studies have shown that although acknowledging the importance of addressing R/S is important, therapists may be hesitant to bring it up with clients. Therapists’ attitudes have been shown to have impact not only if R/S is addressed in therapy, but also how and when it is addressed. One of the factors that impacts if therapists address R/S is therapists’ own religious identity and attitudes to R/S in general. This …

Raising A Child With A Disability: Coping Mechanisms And Support Needs, Noelle Cauda-Laufer

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Raising a child with a disability can affect parents, siblings, and family members in various ways and can be determined by the way in which a parent copes with and appraises the situation. The first goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between a parent’s coping mechanism (confrontive coping, distancing, self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, escape-avoidance, planful problem solving, and positive reappraisal) on his or her mental health or distress (depression, hopelessness, anxiety, and anger) when raising a child with a disability. The second goal was to investigate whether positive and adaptive coping would result in better …

An Analysis Of The Self-Disclosure Practices Of School-Based Mental Health Practitioners, Kristen Rudiger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The study presented in this document examined school-based mental health practitioners’ views regarding the use of self-disclosure (the sharing of personal information or thoughts with their clients) in their current practice. This study also collected school-based mental health practitioners’ opinions concerning their graduate-level training and other preparation related to the use of self-disclosure. Research questions investigated whether school-based mental health practitioners engaged in self-disclosure, whether participants viewed self-disclosure to be ethical, and if participants had utilized self-disclosure, did they believe their graduate-level training adequately prepared them to do so. Sixty-five school-based mental health practitioners, self-identifying as school psychologists, school counselors, …

Leadership And Subordinate Engagement: A Meta-Analytic Examination Of Its Mechanisms Using Self-Determination Theory, Henry Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although past research has suggested ineffective leadership to be the most common reason for low levels of employee engagement, little is known about the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. To address this gap in research, I tested a theoretical model based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) in which two focal mechanisms, leader-member exchange (LMX) and empowerment, functioned in sequential order to predict the relationship between Full Range Leadership and subordinate engagement. Results showed that transactional leadership had positive and negative indirect effects on engagement, suggesting that transactional leadership comprises a "double-edged sword" as a predictor of subordinate …

Cafeteria Culture: An Anthropological Approach To Lunchtime In A Central Florida Elementary School, Emily Herrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public school cafeterias are used by nearly 51 million children (ages 4-17) in the United States every day. With over 40% of the approximately 73 million children (ages 0-17) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), public school lunches carry resounding nutritional, social, and educational significance for their consumers. This fact, coupled with frequent media attention to school lunch food, notwithstanding, a notable lack of social scientific engagement with both students' perspectives and NSLP operators persists. Divided into two studies, this research utilizes ethnographic methods to explore students' lunchtime experiences within a Central Florida public elementary school cafeteria. Both …

An Assessment Of Trace Elements Distribution In Teeth Utilizing A Sample Group From Postclassic Lamanai: The Application Of La-Icp-Ms In Bioarchaeology And Forensics, Michelle Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trace element analysis of skeletal remains and teeth is a common research technique in biological and forensic anthropology. In particular, LA-ICP-MS has become a widely-accepted tool for analyzing and mapping the distribution of trace elements in teeth. Investigation into the relative spectral intensities and spatial distribution of thirteen trace isotopes (13C, 24Mg, 27Al, 31P, 44Ca, 47Ti, 52Cr, 55Mn, 56Fe, 66Zn, 88Sr, 138Ba, 208Pb) within teeth was undertaken using LA-ICP-MS. The total archaeological sample of teeth (N=26) was comprised of four tooth types (UCI, ULI, UPM1, and UPM2) and 18 individuals from a Postclassic Lamanai site. In preparation for analysis, teeth …

Visual Activity Schedules With Embedded Video Models To Teach Laundry Skills To Adults With Intellectual Disability, Charity G. Watson

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Research using visual activity schedules (VAS) with embedded video models (VM) has been effective to teach novel skills to children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). However, there is limited research using VAS/VM to teach adults with ID. The purpose of the current study was to determine if VAS/VM could be used as a self-instructional tool for adults with ID to increase independence in laundry skills. Results from the current study provide evidence that a functional relation exists when using VAS/VM to teach laundry skills to adults with ID. Two adults generalized the use of the VAS/VM to a novel …

Effects Of Power Cards On Conversational Skills For High Schoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Molly K. Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This study employed a multiple probe across settings design to evaluate the effectiveness of Power Cards, as they were originally designed by Gagnon (2001), on the conversational behaviors for two high school students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Data were collected on the percentage of conversational behaviors engaged in per session, as well as the number of times the participants accessed their Power Card during conversations, and the frequency of additional questions or comments made by the participants. Results of this study indicated that Power Cards improved conversational behaviors for both participants in their first setting. While covariation occurred across …

Effects Of Participant Controlled Video Prompting On Novel Tasks In A Vocational Setting For Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amanda M. Hogue

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching self-instructional skills to navigate to a mobile device to access video prompts to teach novel behaviors to two adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a vocational setting. This study used a multiple probe across conditions design to evaluate effectiveness. In baseline, the researcher directed the participants to complete a novel task and collected data on correct steps completed. In technology training the researcher used a system of least prompts procedure to teach participants to initiate the use of the mobile device, navigate to an app, navigate to …

The State House And The White House: Gubernatorial Rhetoric During The Obama Administration, Austin Peyton Trantham

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

What is the importance of political speechmaking? Do state governors discuss presidential priorities? This study addresses these questions by analyzing the contents of annual State of the State addresses given by governors from 2012 to 2014 during the presidency of Barack Obama. A descriptive paper provides evidence that governors primarily discuss employment and economic issues in their addresses, are discussing greater number of policy issues than in previous decades, and are delivering their address before the presidential State of the Union message. Examining health care and immigration policy in separate empirical papers, I theorize that contextual factors, including legislative partisanship, …

Voting As A (Mandatory) Duty: Citizen Attitudes, Political Engagement, And Party Outreach Under Compulsory Voting, Gabriela Sainati Rangel

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

Political participation is paramount to the well being of a democracy. Concerns over low turnout rates across the world have prompted a growing body of research on the potential for political institutions to foster electoral participation. Amongst those institutions, compulsory voting is found to have the largest and most robust impact on maximizing participation rates. Under this system, eligible citizens are required by law to go to the polls on election day, and are subject to penalties if they fail to do so. Beyond its positive impact on turnout, we know far less about what other aspects of the democratic …

How The Climate Of Opinion In States And Countries Influences Gay Rights, John Poe

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

This dissertation examines attitudes on same-sex marriage and how personal predispositions toward support and the climate of opinion interact to help create attitudes. Over the past few decades, support for gay rights has increased dramatically in the United States and many other countries around the world. I argue that, while the set of basic personal determinants of attitudes toward homosexuality and gay rights stays roughly the same, the impact of such determinants changes over time and space. The framework used in this dissertation draws on attitudinal and political psychology, political sociology and theories of contextual effects. I argue that over …

Observación Conductual De Las Interacciones Durante La Dolución De Problemas En Familia: Desarrollo Y Validación De Una Escala [Behavioral Observation Of Interactions During Family Problem Solving: Development And Validation Of A Scale], Jahaira Félix Fermín, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

La familia es el núcleo principal de socialización de los niños, ya que a través de las interacciones con sus padres y madres aprenden destrezas sociales e interpersonales. Existen pocos estudios sobre las interacciones durante la solución de problemas en familias y la mayoría de éstos se deriva de medidas de auto-informe. Se presenta el desarrollo y validación de una escala de observación para evaluar las interacciones entre padres e hijos y examinar la calidad de la solución de problemas en familia. Se evaluaron las estrategias de evasión, medidas de tiempo y la calidad de solución de problemas. Se encontró …

Do College Students Use Online Self-Help? A Survey Of Intentions And Use Of Mental Health Resources, Michael E. Levin, Krista Stocke, Benjamin G. Pierce, Crissa Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Online self-help may help increase the reach of mental health services for college students, but little research has examined students’ actual interest/use of these resources. An online survey of 389 college students examined intentions and use of online mental health resources as compared with other support options. Findings indicated the highest intentions/use of informal supports (e.g., parents, friends) for mental health problems and lowest intentions/use for online self-help. However, a subset of students showed a preference for online self-help over other forms of support. Participants were also more likely to request online self-help resources (21%) than in-person therapy resources (9%) …

The Lilead Survey: A National Study Of District-Level Library Supervisors: Roles, Responsibilities, Challenges, And Professional Development Needs, Ann Carlson Weeks, Jeffrey Discala, Diane L. Barlow, Sheri A. Massey, Christie Kodama, Rosemary Hall, Kelsey Jarrell, Leah Jacobs, Alexandra Moses, Rebecca Follman

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The school district library supervisor plays a pivotal role in supporting, advising, and providing professional development to building-level librarians; advocating for the program; providing leadership; and representing school library programs to stakeholders in the school system and the larger community. To gain a better understanding of supervisors' roles, responsibilities, demographics, and challenges, and to establish baseline data upon which further research can be built, the Lilead Project was initiated in 2011 at the University of Maryland with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In 2012 the project team conducted the Lilead Survey, a survey of supervisors nationwide. …

Social Health Insurance Coverage And Financial Protection Among Rural-To-Urban Internal Migrants In China: Evidence From A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study, Wen Chen, Qi Zhang, Andre M. N. Renzaho, Fangjing Zhou, Hui Zhang, Li Ling

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Migrants are a vulnerable population and could experience various challenges and barriers to accessing health insurance. Health insurance coverage protects migrants from financial loss related to illness and death. We assessed social health insurance (SHI) coverage and its financial protection effect among rural-to-urban internal migrants (IMs) in China.

METHODS: Data from the '2014 National Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey' were used. We categorised 170 904 rural-to-urban IMs according to their SHI status, namely uninsured by SHI, insured by the rural SHI scheme (new rural cooperative medical scheme (NCMS)) or the urban SHI schemes (urban employee-based basic medical insurance (UEBMI)/urban …

The Role Of Neighborhood Characteristics In Late Stage Melanoma Diagnosis Among Hispanic Men In California, Texas, And Florida, 1996-2012, Valerie M. Harvey, Clinton W. Enos, Jarvis T. Chen, Hadiza Galadima, Karl Eschbach

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background. Hispanics diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma are more likely to present at advanced stages but the reasons for this are unknown. We identify census tracts at high risk for late stage melanoma diagnosis (LSMD) and examine the contextual predictors of LSMD in California, Texas, and Florida. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study using geocoded state cancer registry data. Using hierarchical multilevel logistic regression models we estimated ORs and 95% confidence intervals for the impact of socioeconomic, Hispanic ethnic concentration, index of dissimilarity, and health resource availability measures on LSMD. Results. We identified 12,493 cases. In California, late …

A Comparative Study On Using Meta-Heuristic Algorithms For Road Maintenance Planning: Insights From Field Study In A Developing Country, Ali Gerami Matin, Reza Vatani Nezafat, Amir Golroo

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Optimized road maintenance planning seeks for solutions that can minimize the life-cycle cost of a road network and concurrently maximize pavement condition. Aiming at proposing an optimal set of road maintenance solutions, robust meta-heuristic algorithms are used in research. Two main optimization techniques are applied including single-objective and multi-objective optimization. Genetic algorithms (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and combination of genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization (GAPSO) as single-objective techniques are used, while the non-domination sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGAII) and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) which are sufficient for solving computationally complex large-size optimization problems as multi-objective techniques are …

Online Around The World: A Geographic Encyclopedia Of The Internet, Social Media, And Mobile Apps, Rob Tench

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Book review of Online Around the World: A Geographic Encyclopedia of the Internet, Social Media, and Mobile Apps (2017) Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO Ref ISBN 9781610697767.

Race In American Film: Voices And Visions That Shaped A Nation, Robert Tench

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Book review of Race in American Film: Voices and Visions That Shaped a Nation. (2017) Santa Barbara, Greenwood: ABC-CLIO, ISBN: 9780313398391.

Infinite Suburbia, Robert Tench

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

A review of the book "Infinite Suburbia," edited by Alan M. Berger, Joel Kotkin and Celina Balderas Guzmán, is presented.

"Yeah I'M A Girl. I Play Video Games.": Identity Work Of Collegiate Women Gamers, Emily Rosenbaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite accounting for almost half of the game playing population, women gamers are an underrepresented and excluded group within the gaming culture, both in regards to the advertising and production of video games. Prior research suggests that male gamers exclude women from gaming activities, question their legitimacy within the community, and create hostile environments for women both virtually in-game and in physical gaming spaces. As such, women gamers can be understood to hold a marginalized status with the gaming community. The current study looks to examine how women define themselves as "gamers" while negotiating this marginalized status. By adopting an …

Testing A Theory Of Sense Of Community And Community Responsibility In Organizations: An Empirical Assessment Of Predictive Capacity On Employee Well-Being And Organizational Citizenship., Neil Boyd, Branda Nowell

Faculty Journal Articles

This paper attempts to advance our understanding of the experience of community in organizational settings by empirically testing a theory of sense of community responsibility (SOC-R) in relation to traditional measures of sense of community [SOC] on outcomes of employee well-being and organizational citizenship. Findings support the notion that SOC is a better predictor of employee well-being while SOC-R more strongly predicts organizational citizenship behavior. The findings add new knowledge to the literature on the experience of community in organizations, and represent an important contribution to our understanding of the factors that drive employee action and well-being at work.

Syntactic Change And The Rise Of Transitivity, James Lavine

Faculty Journal Articles

This paper analyzes the historical divergence of predicates marked with old passive neuter -no/-to in Polish and Ukrainian. It is argued that the locus of change leading to the rise of the transitivity property involved a rearrangement of morphologically-eroded voice morphology. Despite the surface similarity of the Polish and Ukrainian constructions, their divergent distribution in the modern languages indicates that grammaticalization of the old passive morpheme proceeded along different pathways, implicating the internal structure of vP, and creating new accusative case-assigning possibilities.

Artykuł przedstawia analizę różnic w rozwoju form predykatów z wykładnikami strony biernej w rodzaju nijakim -no/-to w języku …