Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 270

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Creating Positive Learning Environments In Early Childhood Using Teacher-Generated Prosocial Lessons, Callum B. Johnston, Teresa K. Herzog, Crystal R. Hill-Chapman, Caitlin Siney, Ashley Fergusson Jul 2019

Creating Positive Learning Environments In Early Childhood Using Teacher-Generated Prosocial Lessons, Callum B. Johnston, Teresa K. Herzog, Crystal R. Hill-Chapman, Caitlin Siney, Ashley Fergusson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

A primary motivation for people to behave as they do is the need to belong socially to a group and to have relevance. A positive learning environment for young students is created when students are recognized and accepted by their peers and their teachers, and studies reveal that in such environments, students perform better academically and tend to have fewer behavioral issues. These environments may also act as a buffer against school dropout rates. This study examined whether teaching prosocial lessons to first-grade students in the southeastern United States would create positive learning environments for children who otherwise may not …


Job Transitioning Experiences Of Blue-Collar Employees After Federal Downsizing, Eduardo Hurtado May 2019

Job Transitioning Experiences Of Blue-Collar Employees After Federal Downsizing, Eduardo Hurtado

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Downsizing, realignment, and closure of military bases have forced many low-skilled, blue-collar federal employees into involuntary job loss and job transition. The impact of involuntary job loss on blue-collar workers has been linked to stress and other adverse psychological effects. There is gap in the literature regarding the lived experiences of federal blue-collar employees following downsizing of military bases. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study was to examine lived experiences of job loss and job transition for federal blue-collar employees following downsizing of military bases. Schlossberg’s transition theory provided a conceptual framework for the study. Ten ex-federal blue-collar …


Outcomes Of The Boss Classroom Management Program Among Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Mick Needham, Peter Ross, Karen Slonski, Steven Wells, Andrew W. Wood Mar 2019

Outcomes Of The Boss Classroom Management Program Among Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Mick Needham, Peter Ross, Karen Slonski, Steven Wells, Andrew W. Wood

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

There is a current and growing need for evidence-based practices aimed at improving the social skills of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Despite an abundance of research on strategies to improve the social skills of young children with ID, there is limited research on interventions aimed at improving prosocial behaviors of adults with ID. A behavioral skills training approach was used to teach frontline, direct support professionals (DSPs) to implement a classroom management strategy called the Behavioral Opportunities for Social Skills (BOSS) program with adults with ID who lived in the community. The results showed that DSPs’ delivery of behavior-specific …


Perceived Child Regard, Parenting Stress, And Depressive Symptoms Of Nonresidential And Residential Stepmothers, Lenee Nicole Kehnt, Magy Martin, Don Martin Jan 2019

Perceived Child Regard, Parenting Stress, And Depressive Symptoms Of Nonresidential And Residential Stepmothers, Lenee Nicole Kehnt, Magy Martin, Don Martin

School of Psychology Publications

An analysis of covariance was used to determine whether differences existed between nonresidential and residential stepmothers regarding parental stress, perceived parental regard, and depressive symptoms. The participants selected for the study were both nonresidential and residential stepmothers, 18 years and older. Participants completed a web-based survey that administered three different instruments: The Perceived Child Regard Questionnaire, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised. A total sample size of 94 nonresidential stepmothers and 79 residential stepmothers completed the survey. Results indicated no significant differences in parental stress and depressive symptoms due to custody status. However, there …


The Relationship Between Positive Academic And Behavior Support Services: School Failure Prevention Plan, Tu`Jaim M. Berry Jan 2019

The Relationship Between Positive Academic And Behavior Support Services: School Failure Prevention Plan, Tu`Jaim M. Berry

School of Psychology Publications

Urban middle school students experience poor self-efficacy and poor attitudes toward school climates after being retained. Previous research has indicated that grade-level retention in primary and secondary education might cause long-term achievement gaps, school failure, and high school dropout rates. However, current research has yet to examine relationships between archival data retrieved on retained middle school students’ achievement outcomes and perceptions of school climate. The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to assess the relationships between retained middle school students’ self-efficacy as measured by the School Climate Survey and their performance outcomes as measured by PowerSchool®. Bandura’s theory of …


Faith-Based Support For Alzheimer's Family Caregivers In Madison County, Alabama, Meredith Lewis Jan 2019

Faith-Based Support For Alzheimer's Family Caregivers In Madison County, Alabama, Meredith Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer's disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, is incurable. Because of the extensive long-term care required for patients with Alzheimer's, the typical caregiver is often a middle-aged family member with his or her own health problems. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which there was a difference in the perception of quality of life between Alzheimer's family caregivers who receive tangible faith-based support compared to the Alzheimer's family caregivers who receive no social support. The theoretical basis was social support theory, which suggests that support buffers stress. The …


The Relationship Between Positive Academic And Behavior Support Services: School Failure Prevention Plan, Tu`Jaim M. Berry Jan 2019

The Relationship Between Positive Academic And Behavior Support Services: School Failure Prevention Plan, Tu`Jaim M. Berry

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Urban middle school students experience poor self-efficacy and poor attitudes toward school climates after being retained. Previous research has indicated that grade-level retention in primary and secondary education might cause long-term achievement gaps, school failure, and high school dropout rates. However, current research has yet to examine relationships between archival data retrieved on retained middle school students’ achievement outcomes and perceptions of school climate. The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to assess the relationships between retained middle school students’ self-efficacy as measured by the School Climate Survey and their performance outcomes as measured by PowerSchool®. Bandura’s theory of …


Public Service Announcements To Promote Physical Activity, Jennifer Erickson, Jay Greiner Jan 2019

Public Service Announcements To Promote Physical Activity, Jennifer Erickson, Jay Greiner

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The World Health Organization promotes physical activity (PA) as important for successful maintenance of health, but many individuals are inactive. Despite the potential for public service announcements (PSAs) to communicate health information and promote behavior change, no previous research on developing video PSAs to promote PA was found. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine how video PSAs designed for public health campaigns affect future levels of intention to engage in PA. The PSAs assessed perceived effectiveness of message foci and the impact of stage of change readiness. They were developed specifically for this study using the model …


Perceived Child Regard, Parenting Stress, And Depressive Symptoms Of Nonresidential And Residential Stepmothers, Lenee Nicole Kehnt, Magy Martin, Don Martin Jan 2019

Perceived Child Regard, Parenting Stress, And Depressive Symptoms Of Nonresidential And Residential Stepmothers, Lenee Nicole Kehnt, Magy Martin, Don Martin

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

An analysis of covariance was used to determine whether differences existed between nonresidential and residential stepmothers regarding parental stress, perceived parental regard, and depressive symptoms. The participants selected for the study were both nonresidential and residential stepmothers, 18 years and older. Participants completed a web-based survey that administered three different instruments: The Perceived Child Regard Questionnaire, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised. A total sample size of 94 nonresidential stepmothers and 79 residential stepmothers completed the survey. Results indicated no significant differences in parental stress and depressive symptoms due to custody status. However, there …


The Impact Of Critical Incident Team Training On Arrest And Diversion Rates, Richard Wayne Foss Jan 2019

The Impact Of Critical Incident Team Training On Arrest And Diversion Rates, Richard Wayne Foss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Critical Incident Team (CIT) training program equips police officers with knowledge regarding mental illness and practical skills for effectively interacting with a mentally ill suspect. In addition to improving officer and suspect safety by decreasing the number of violent encounters between police and the mentally ill, CIT goals include reducing the number of mentally ill individuals who are arrested and providing them with assistance through community resources. However, there is a lack of empirical research on whether CIT training decreases arrest rates and increases diversion rates for mentally ill subjects. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure …


Cultural Distance, Acculturative Stress, Social Support, And Psychological Adaptation Of International Students, Ariel Mitchell Ladum Jan 2019

Cultural Distance, Acculturative Stress, Social Support, And Psychological Adaptation Of International Students, Ariel Mitchell Ladum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

International students experience stress and adaptation difficulties as they study in a new culture. This study examined how cultural distance, acculturative stress, and social support interacted to influence positive and negative emotional responses among international students in the northern part of Cyprus. Acculturation models and the stress-buffering hypothesis served as theoretical frameworks. The 2 research questions involved understanding whether international students experienced more negative emotional responses compared to students from the home culture and whether social support moderated acculturative stress and reactions to being in the northern part of Cyprus. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine differences …


The Relationship Between Acculturation, Body Dissatisfaction, Anxiety, And Depression In Latino Males, Ana Eugenia Varay Jan 2019

The Relationship Between Acculturation, Body Dissatisfaction, Anxiety, And Depression In Latino Males, Ana Eugenia Varay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Western culture has set unrealistic norms for physical appearance which can lead individuals to be dissatisfied with their bodies. Extensive research on body dissatisfaction and its psychological implications reveals this problem has increased in men, with the added dimension of acculturation. The level of acculturation and its relationship to body dissatisfaction in Latino men need further exploration because this population is projected to double by 2050. The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between the different levels of acculturation, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, and depression among Latino men. Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory is applicable to this study …


Bullying And Resilience In Elementary School Children And Mitigating Pro-Social Behaviors, Suzette A. Bean Jan 2019

Bullying And Resilience In Elementary School Children And Mitigating Pro-Social Behaviors, Suzette A. Bean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between bullying behaviors, as measured by the Personal Experiences Checklist (PECK), and resilience, as measured by the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS), as well as whether the prosocial behaviors of controling anger, solving problems, and cooperating with others during activities mitigated the effects of bullying behaviors. A relationship between bullying behaviors and resiliency in children has been shown in past research. The theoretical framework for this study was social learning theory. The foundation of social learning theory is that children learned behaviors by imitating the behaviors of others. …


Training Satisfaction Of Behavioral Health Providers Treating Older Adult Substance Use, Claudia Lpc Crosse-Wynn Jan 2019

Training Satisfaction Of Behavioral Health Providers Treating Older Adult Substance Use, Claudia Lpc Crosse-Wynn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance use disorders among the baby boomer generation are steadily increasing, but knowledge and training satisfaction regarding older adult substance use disorders among behavioral health providers (BHPs) has not been explored. Using the Kirkpatrick evaluation model, this quantitative study involved an examination of the knowledge and training satisfaction of four behavioral provider groups: addiction counselors, licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists/social workers, and psychologists. Each participant (N = 154) completed a demographic questionnaire, satisfaction questionnaire, and the Alcohol and Older Adult Questionnaire to measure knowledge level on older adult substance use disorders. The results showed that licensed professional counselors …


The Effect Of Early Childhood Abuse On Educational Attainment, Onzie Luke Jan 2019

The Effect Of Early Childhood Abuse On Educational Attainment, Onzie Luke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature regarding survivors of child abuse and their capacity to continue their educational pursuits beyond high school. Thus, this study explored the lived experience of self-identified abuse survivors who were enrolled in higher education. The theoretical bases for this study included Bandura'€™s social cognitive theory, Rotter'€™s theory of locus of control and Heider'€™s and Weiner'€™s theory of attribution. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 15 survivors of child abuse enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an online or brick and mortar university. The interviews were then …


Social Networks And Sense Of Community Effects On Psychological Distress Among Community X Residents, Marci A. Salone Jan 2019

Social Networks And Sense Of Community Effects On Psychological Distress Among Community X Residents, Marci A. Salone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A certain community within the southern region of Texas has consistently been linked to escalating poverty, high crime rates, low educational achievement, and poor physical and mental health. For the purpose of this research, this community will be referred to as Community X. Although some researchers have found that sense of community and supportive social networks are associated with healthy mental and physical functioning, others have suggested that in a debilitated community social networks can facilitate psychological distress and a strong sense of community is difficult to develop. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study …


Caribbean Students' Experience Of Readiness For The Secondary Education Certificate Exam, Cleon Pauline Athill Jan 2019

Caribbean Students' Experience Of Readiness For The Secondary Education Certificate Exam, Cleon Pauline Athill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While there is general agreement about its importance, the construct of educational readiness is nebulous with much debate about what constitutes readiness. Readiness has been found to be a multidimensional psychological construct from a psychometric perspective. However, there is a growing awareness that this psychometric focus is lopsided, and that readiness does not only reside in the child. Further, there is an accompanying appreciation that readiness research may need to focus more on the subjective experience of individuals within the context of their environment. This phenomenological study, using Bronfenbrenner's social-ecological model, explored how Antigua and Barbudan students experienced readiness as …


Self-Injurious Behavior And Social Media Use By Adolescents, Victoria Lynn Fye Jan 2019

Self-Injurious Behavior And Social Media Use By Adolescents, Victoria Lynn Fye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a surprising dearth of research related to the phenomenon of self-injurious behavior/nonsuicidal self-injury (SIB/NSSI), such as cutting. Research conducted on SIB has revealed that this maladaptive behavior is more common among adolescents than other populations. The act of posting SIB on social media deserves research attention, as it seems to contradict what had previously been considered a very private behavior. The goal of this qualitative case study was to better understand why adolescents engage in SIB as well as investigate why they post these behaviors on social media. Merton's theory of social strain and anomie, which focuses on …


Resilience And Healthy Adult Relationships Post-Childhood Maltreatment, Nicole Sharie Jackson Jan 2019

Resilience And Healthy Adult Relationships Post-Childhood Maltreatment, Nicole Sharie Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of resilience and protective factors (PFs) in the life of women who have experienced childhood maltreatment (CHM). A further purpose was to understand how women who faced CHM develop resilience, and how the proper use or misuse of PFs later affected their adult relationships, whether intimate, social, or familial. Resiliency theory was the theoretical foundation that informed the study. A qualitative methodology with an interpretative phenomenological analysis design was used in this study. Participants included 7 women who were recruited through social media support groups for adult survivors of child …


Foster Care System Effectiveness In Assisting Young Adults' Transition To College, Vivienne Mitchell Jan 2019

Foster Care System Effectiveness In Assisting Young Adults' Transition To College, Vivienne Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggests that the relatively low rates of former foster youth enrolling in and graduating from a postsecondary institution may be related to lack of foster care system support. This study examined whether perceived support from the foster care system was related to the postsecondary enrollment and academic performance of former foster youth, and whether males and females differed in perceived support from the foster care system. Forty-five former foster youth aged 18-24 years who had transitioned from a southeastern state completed a measure of social support and reported whether they had attended a postsecondary institution and, if so, their …


A Narrative Study Focusing On Survivors Of Forced Labor Trafficking, Taras Nk Raggio Jan 2019

A Narrative Study Focusing On Survivors Of Forced Labor Trafficking, Taras Nk Raggio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout history, the media's rendering of slavery depicts vulnerable groups caught in a network of trafficking looking for a better life. Scholars of trafficking cite challenges in understanding the health care needs of domestic forced labor trafficking survivors in the United States. Seminal trafficking findings have shown that variations of trafficking affect the survivors' health after surviving trafficking. Therefore, in this qualitative, narrative inquiry I sought to understand how 8 survivors of forced labor trafficking, ages 25 years and older, described their health following trafficking beyond 5 years. The theory of social constructionism constituted the theoretical foundation, and the salutogenic …


Stress And Burnout: Empathy, Engagement, And Retention In Healthcare Support Staff, Burnette Vidal Jan 2019

Stress And Burnout: Empathy, Engagement, And Retention In Healthcare Support Staff, Burnette Vidal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on stress and burnout and their influence on empathy, engagement, and retention, in healthcare support staff is scarce in the literature. The theoretical framework for this study was the conservation of resources (COR) theory which claims that when people are stressed, emotionally exhausted, and experiencing burnout, they protect and preserve their physical and mental resources from becoming depleted by reducing their effort and withdrawing from work. The key research question was: Does burnout mediate the relationship between stress and empathy, engagement, and turnover intentions in healthcare support staff working in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)? This quantitative, non-experimental, …


Courtroom Psychology During Criminal Trials And Its Therapeutic Role On Victims And Offenders, Tierra Wilson Jan 2019

Courtroom Psychology During Criminal Trials And Its Therapeutic Role On Victims And Offenders, Tierra Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the legal and mental health fields little is known about the therapeutic impact of courtroom psychology during criminal trials. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the inter-relating factors of law and psychology throughout criminal trials as experienced by lawyers and psychologists. Research questions explored the influence of courtroom psychology on criminal trial proceedings and challenges as experienced by both criminal trial attorneys in presenting mental health evidence, and by psychologists when testifying during criminal trials. Further exploration focused on the significance of courtroom psychology, and how lawyers and psychologists perceived courtroom psychology impacting justice for victims …


Police Culture And Perceived Service Value: Officer Perspectives On Psychological Services Utilization, Kymberli Copeland Barker Jan 2019

Police Culture And Perceived Service Value: Officer Perspectives On Psychological Services Utilization, Kymberli Copeland Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a noted discrepancy between police psychological services offered and services utilized. It is important to understand reasons for underutilization when creating services for officers. The purpose of this study was providing empirical evidence from the officers-perspectives to answer this question. The conceptual foundation was officers may refuse participation due to police culture. The conceptual framework was represented in research questions focused on officers- perspectives regarding psychological services provided by psychologists without law enforcement (LE) experience. The participants were employed law enforcement officers (LEOs) from regions across the United States. Officer participation from all 50 states was targeted to …


Negative Appraisal Correlation To Ptsd Symptoms Among Law Enforcement Officers, Ginger Lee Jenkins Jan 2019

Negative Appraisal Correlation To Ptsd Symptoms Among Law Enforcement Officers, Ginger Lee Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers are exposed to traumatic events through their daily work responsibilities. Traumatic events have increased within recent decades and can have long-term and critical outcomes on officers such as health concerns, long-term psychological issues, social impairment, and work performance. Thus, this quantitative study was conducted to explore negative appraisals of cumulative traumatic events and their relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in law enforcement officers. Based on the theoretical framework for the study, Ehlers and Clark's cognitive model, negative appraisals involve how an individual interprets a situation, negative appraisals of traumatic events lead to maladaptive behavior and …


Parent Perceptions Of Biofeedback Treatment Effectiveness For Pediatric Migraine, Andrea Grando Weber Jan 2019

Parent Perceptions Of Biofeedback Treatment Effectiveness For Pediatric Migraine, Andrea Grando Weber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gate control theory posits the idea that the brain and spinal cord have the ability to control the perception of pain sensation throughout the body. Biofeedback provides a proven way to teach a person how they may control their heart rate, breathing, and skin temperature. Through this process, individuals learn to lessen their migraine frequency and intensity. There are no studies to date that have measured the effectiveness of biofeedback in conjunction with medication for migraines in children despite established evidence of success in adults. In this study, an online format via SurveyMonkey was used to document the perceptions of …


The Psychological Impact Of Testosterone Replacement Therapy In Middle-Aged Men, Gregory E. Coles Sr. Jan 2019

The Psychological Impact Of Testosterone Replacement Therapy In Middle-Aged Men, Gregory E. Coles Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decreased testosterone levels (hypogonadism) in middle-aged men (aged 45-64) has been associated with increased levels of depression. Studies have suggested that increases in anxiety and/or attention problems may also be associated with hypogonadism but have not provided empirical evidence to support these suggestions. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine depression, anxiety, and attention problems in middle-aged men using a psychological self-report inventory. The theoretical model used in this study was the biomedical model, which combined pharmacological treatment with psychological self-report inventories to determine if there was an association or relationship between the testosterone levels in men and …


Personality And Military Service As Predictors Of Separation And Divorce In Americans, Jamie Buehler Jan 2019

Personality And Military Service As Predictors Of Separation And Divorce In Americans, Jamie Buehler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Divorce is a persistent problem resulting in mental anguish in the divorcing parties as well as children who may be involved. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental correlational study was to determine whether personality traits and military service predict the tendency of married individuals to separate or divorce. The framework for this study was Erikson's 8 stages of psychosocial development. The research questions addressed whether personality traits (as measured by the HEXACO-60), service in the military, gender, age, and number of children predict the tendency to separate or divorce in 89 participants. Findings from multiple regression analysis indicated that scores …


Clinicians' Attitudes Toward Sex Offender Treatment, Vallerie Hancock Jan 2019

Clinicians' Attitudes Toward Sex Offender Treatment, Vallerie Hancock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinician attitudes toward a client have a significant influence on outcomes for that client's treatment. Exploring the attitudes of clinicians toward sex offenders can provide additional insights into methods to improve treatments for this population. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to examine the attitudes of clinical professionals who work with sex offenders to identify the specific ways that these attitudes influenced professional behaviors and client interactions. Grounded theory was used to move beyond a general description of the issue to formulate a theory regarding clinician work with sex offenders and its implications. The sample comprised 10 …


Strategies For Increasing Self-Efficacy In Long-Term Welfare Recipients, Crystal Mcclure Jan 2019

Strategies For Increasing Self-Efficacy In Long-Term Welfare Recipients, Crystal Mcclure

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the imposition of lifetime limitations on an individual's ability to receive cash assistance, there is a group of long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients that have approached the lifetime limitation without becoming gainfully employed. Many long term TANF recipients report low levels of self-efficacy which inhibits their ability to successfully transition off welfare and into the workforce. However, most welfare-to-work programs do not address the emotional or psychological well-being of their clients, instead they focus on job placement and job readiness skills. The purpose of this sequential–exploratory mixed methods study is to identify the primary barriers to …