Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Refugee Stereotyping Among Law Enforcement Officers In The States Of Michigan And Texas And Its Potential Effects On Refugee Policy, Darryl Hawthorne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the November 2015 Paris, France terror attacks when a terrorist posed as a refugee, the United States and other Western countries increased their concern regarding the flow of refugees into their countries. The United States admitted more than 84,000 refugees into the country from September 2015 through October 2016. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and comprehend the lived experiences of law enforcement officers from the states of Michigan and Texas and their attitudes and behaviors toward refugees in their state. The main research questions addressed the lived experiences of law enforcement officers in the states …

Factors Contributing To Burnout Levels Among Public Sector Rehabilitation Counselors, Monica Elizabeth Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout has led to turnover and poor counselor performance within public sector rehabilitation. Scholarly literature on burnout among mental health counselors and school counselors are abundant. However, few researchers have compiled studies to evaluate burnout among rehabilitation counselors. No research could be found that examined the relationships among job demand, control, support, and burnout among public sector rehabilitation counselors. The Job Demand Control- Support (JDC-S) model indicates that stress from work is developed based on work demands, perceptions of control, and the perceived support that is received. The purpose of this research study was to determine the extent of the …

Positive Deviance Behaviors And Definition In Nursing, Stacy L. January

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The concept of positive deviance (PD) has not been studied in the context of nursing. Grounded in narrative inquiry and combined with vocabularies of motive and symbolic interactionism, the purpose of this study was to explore whether PD behaviors existed in nursing, and if so, to develop an operational definition of PD for nursing. The research question addressed what PD behaviors, if any, were present in nurses’ workplace stories. Using posted flyers, eight participants either self-selected or were selected by snowball method to participate. Interviews were conducted in locations decided on by each participant. Interview data were obtained, transcribed, then …

Effectiveness Of The Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Of The Tulalip Tribe, Marie Frances Natrall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native American women have been historically disadvantaged as victims of domestic violence. These hardships were primarily due to a policy that limited Native American tribes’ criminal jurisdiction over non-Native individuals on Native American reservations. This policy changed with the passage of the Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ) in 2013. This qualitative case study employed the social construction of target populations conceptual framework to explore the experiences of tribal officials and judicial officers of the Tulalip tribe. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 9 key informants selected through purposeful sampling on the basis of their role within the Tulalip …

Professional Identity Development In Blended Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students, Lindsay Nolan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As online graduate programs gain popularity, it has become more important to understand how students enrolled in these programs develop their professional identities. Researchers have demonstrated that there are both benefits and drawbacks to participation in blended learning programs (which incorporate in person and online instruction). It is not known how students enrolled in blended clinical psychology PhD programs experience the in-person portion of these programs and what their experiences mean for their professional identity development. This study examined the perceived impact of one part of an online clinical psychology doctoral program, the in-person classroom experiences, on the professional identity …

Characteristics Of Cause Of Death, Victim, Crime, Offender, And Familial Relationship, William J. Reilly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Broad personality or global traits are unlikely to assist in solving capital crimes, so forensic psychologists have begun to focus on characteristics of the crime to create differentiating profiles. The purpose of this study was to determine if offender and victim characteristics and method of murder could provide cluster profiles differentiating familial relationship between offender and victim. Guided by classical conditioning theory and social learning theory, an archival database of 147 capital offenders responsible for 506 victims was analyzed. Cluster analysis yielded 3 distinct profiles. Compared to other clusters, Cluster 1 offenders tended to be Black and unfamiliar with their …

Understanding The Impact Of Choice Claims In Health Policy Among Veteran Patients, Stacie Marie Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The patient-as-consumer has emerged as a narrative in the government health care system that cares for beneficiary veteran patients, elevating the phenomenon of choice in health care legislation and administration. The problem of the submerged state of a health policy was the issue examined within the context of access to health care and what patients experience when choice is present. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations of beneficiary veteran patients to choose a preventive care option, a seasonal flu shot, at a private sector retail pharmacy rather than at their government health care provider, with the …

A Canonical Correlation Analysis Of Self-Compassion, Life Balance, And Burnout In Counselors, Sarah Vanessa Silva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The counseling profession seeks to support and enrich the quality of life of the general public by providing effective clinical services. Many counselors struggle with practicing self-care regularly, increasing the risk of burnout. When counselors provide services while experiencing burnout, they risk harming clients being served. The conservation of resources theory suggests that there is an increased risk of maladaptive coping and burnout when there is a decrease in resources used to protect someone from experiencing stress. A quantitative survey research study using a nonprobability convenience sampling was used to explore the relationship between counselor burnout, life balance, and self-compassion …

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 …

Predictive Factors Of Drug Court Completion For Female Participants, Shannon Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women comprise one of the fastest growing populations of the criminal justice system, yet little research exists concerning the success of these women completing a coed pretrial drug court diversion program. Trauma theory was applied to inform the variables in this quantitative correlational study. The predictive nature of age, educational level, marital status, violent criminal history, and mental health problems for women were examined in relation to completion of a coed pretrial drug court diversion program. A convenience sample from secondary, archival data was obtained from a criminal justice agency in Washington, DC. The dataset included women who participated in …

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 …

The Role Of Online Support For Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Patients And Survivors, Bevin J. Nixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of thyroid cancer diagnosis has risen, and researchers' findings point to improved diagnostic testing and overdiagnosis as well as increases in actual incidences as the reasons behind this rise. With improved treatments and testing methods, the number of thyroid cancer survivors has also increased. Thyroid cancer presents challenges to coping and can cause significant stress in an individual's life. More specifically, anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) creates complicated challenges for patients and survivors. The problem is patients need support during diagnosis and treatment when adjusting to their 'new normal' and may be reaching to Internet based social support groups …

Access And Use Of E-Government Public Services Amongst Older Adults, Ryshell Flowers-Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of trust in technology, personal preference, and perceived inability to use online services are possible reasons for lagged adaptation to electronic government (e-government) among older adults in the United States. Although e-government policies promote, or require, that many public services be provided electronically, it is unclear whether older adults are able, or willing, to access such services. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study was to gain insight from older adults (e.g., "individuals who are 65 years or older") about their ability and willingness to access e-government services in a mid-Atlantic County. The framework for this research was Roger's …

Book Review - The Latino American: Psychodynamic Perspectives On Culture And Mental Health Issues, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

Understanding and working with culturally diverse populations is an important component of counseling and allied helping professions. Many professionals receive some training as a part of their graduate programs on multiculturalism, but this is only the beginning and typically scratches the surface. From this point, professionals are expected to continue their awareness and learning about the needs and issues of the people they serve; for some this includes expanding their understanding of ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse individuals. Professionals wanting to better understand the experience, perspectives, and mental health concerns of Latino Americans may find this edited book informative and …

Exploring How Emdr Social Workers In Eastern Canada Experience Vicarious Trauma, Ashley Amara Spinney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers are increasingly using eye movement, desensitization, and reprocessing (EMDR) to help clients recover from trauma. Little is known about how social workers who work with traumatic client material while using EMDR as their main psychotherapeutic modality experience vicarious trauma. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experience of vicarious trauma among social workers in Eastern Canada who used EMDR in their practice with clients. Constructivist self-development theory was the framework that informed this study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 7 EMDR social work participants who were selected using purposive sampling. Participants were required …

Recidivism Differences And Measures Of Predictability For Federally Convicted Child Pornographers, Ricardo J. Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in research on the effectiveness of mandatory-€minimum sentences on the recidivism rates of federal child pornography offenders, resulting in policy that may be ineffective and costly. Relevant research can further understanding of criminogenic behavior that results in the exploitation of children and aid future policy making decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between federal sentencing and federal child pornographer recidivism. Central to this study is the research question of whether there exists a statistically significant difference between the likelihood of recidivism in 2 child pornographer cohorts that receive different …

The Moderating Influence Of Social Media On The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Police And Community Violence Among African American Men, Herman Charles Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males experience homicides significantly higher than other groups throughout the United States. More African Americans are victims of violence, especially deadly violence, compared to any other racial or ethnic group. While research has been conducted on the association between perceptions of police and violence among African American men ages 18 to 44, no research exists on whether social media use moderates this association among African American men ages 18 to 44. This quantitative, cross-sectional study included 45 African American men. The Past Feelings and Act of Violence (PFAV) instrument, the Perceptions of Police (POP), and the Social Media …

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 …

Automatic Misogyny Detection In Social Media: A Survey, John Cardiff, Elena Shushkevich

Conference Papers

This article presents a survey of automated misogyny identification techniques in social media, especially in Twitter. This problem is urgent because of the high speed at which messages on social platforms grow and the widespread use of offensive language (including misogynistic language) in them. In this article we survey approaches proposed in the literature to solve the problem of misogynistic message recognition. These include classical machine learning models like Sup-port Vector Machine, Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression and ensembles of different classical machine learning models and deep neural networks such as Long Short-term memory and Convolutional Neural Networks. We consider results …

Classification Of Schoolchildren On Professional Trajectories Using Experience Of Successful Specialists, John Cardiff, Elena Shushkevich, Svetoslav Zverev, Mikhail Alexandrov, Angels Catena, Dmitry Srefanovskiy

Conference Papers

In the paper, we propose a new approach to vocational guidance of schoolchildren based on classification of pupil wishes between given professional trajectories, which are presented by profiles of successful professionals. Both wishes and profiles are replies in free text form on a questionnaire proposed by skilled psychologists. Such an approach avoids the well-known deficiencies of traditional methods including binary questioning, talks about concrete professions, and interviews with school psychologists. We use the simple terms selection for preprocessing and the traditional method of voting for classification. The mentioned procedures are discussed and the proposed approach is preliminary checked on invited …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Safety Regarding School Shootings, Megan Olive

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a result of high media attention surrounding school shootings in recent years, it may appear that American public schools are becoming dangerous places (Schildkraut & Elsass, 2016; Elsass, Schildkraut, & Stafford, 2016; Toppo, 2013). Though schools remain to be one of the safest locations for children, various safety measures are discussed and implemented in schools to combat this perceived problem and ensure the safety of school campuses. Discussions of best safety practices spikes directly following a school shooting event from relevant parties, such as school administration, law enforcement agencies, parents, and students, (Crawford & Burns, 2015; Chrusciel, Wolfe, Hansen, …

Human-Wildlife Conflict And Coexistence In A More-Than-Human World: A Multiple Case Study Exploring The Human-Elephant-Conservation Nexus In Namibia And Sri Lanka, Cynthia Castaldo-Walsh

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative multiple case study explored human-elephant conflict-coexistence relationships and issues of conservation in Namibia (Damaraland) and Sri Lanka (Wasgamuwa) from a posthumanist, multispecies perspective. Within each region, conflict between humans and elephants is considered high, elephants are considered endangered and are of high conservation priority, the human population has grown significantly, and community-based organizations are implementing holistic approaches to increase positive relations between humans and elephants. This study was guided by research questions that explored the current landscape of the human-elephant-conservation nexus within each region, the shared histories between humans and elephants over time, and the value in utilizing …

The Great Recession: A Meta-Analysis Informed By Conflict Theory, Joshua J. Discipio

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study was directed at understanding the sociology of the economic conflict better known as the Great Recession as interpreted through the lens of theoretical perspectives consistent with conflict resolution and elucidated the role traditionally important social variables, such as gender, power and identity, played in pioneering the fertile breeding grounds from which the 2007-2009 global financial crisis would eventually emerge. In progressing through the meta-ethnographic approach to qualitative meta-analysis developed by Noblit and Hare (1988), qualitative analysis software was implemented to elicit the formal procurement of prospective thematic concepts grounded in the findings of nominated original studies so to …

Post-Decisional Conflict In Selecting Cancer Treatments: Perception Of Information Disclosure May Influence Decisional Conflict, Decisional Regret, And Self-Acceptance In Bereaved Parents Of Children With Cancer, Danielle De Santis Sperandeo

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to establish a connection, if any, between perceptions of information disclosure about medical treatment and decisional conflict in bereaved parents of children with cancer. Decisional regret was an important theme in this exploration because decisional conflict strongly aligns with the propensity to mentally redo past events, thereby forming counterfactual alternatives to reality. People generate counterfactuals to hypothesize a more favorable outcome subsequent to a negative event or the death of a child as applicable to this study. A secondary objective was to investigate the potential influence of counterfactual processing and regret on the construct of self-acceptance: a …

Multiple Paths To Self-Sufficiency: A Phenomenological Study Of South Florida Refugees’ Lived Experience, Regina Bernadin

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The United States resettles more refugees within its borders than any other country. The federal government and its partners measure success by determining if the refugee has achieved self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency is achieved when a refugee becomes employed shortly after arrival. With a resettlement program that is almost forty years-old and unprecedented budget cuts, refugees themselves can aid in redefining the goals of the program. Using the theories of Human Needs and Social Identity to analyze the data, the aim of this study was to address the following questions: “What is the lived experience of refugees seeking self-sufficiency?” and “How do …

The Political Animal: The Animal Rights Movement And Public Policy, Dorothy Jean Simnett

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Social movements are consequences of social conflict. This project examines the conflicting and contentious efforts of animal rights activists at changing public policy and it evaluates the successes and failures of the animal rights movement. Animal rights activists’ challenges concerning animal rights, animal welfare and animal protection, combined with divergences from the special interest consortiums compounded by societal norms will all be addressed here. Furthermore, none of this has been previously addressed in the field of Conflict Resolution. This project highlights the challenges that animal rights advocates encounter when attempting to safeguard animal protective measures. The power struggle between animal …

Conflict Dynamics And Opportunities For Second-Generation Family Businesswomen In Saudi Arabia: A Phenomenological Research Study, Basmah Sulaiman Alzamil

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of second-generation Saudi Arabian females working in their family businesses, in order to reach conclusions and make recommendations to improve the dynamics and outcomes of conflict experienced now and in the future. Research here analyzed the lived experiences of twenty-two second-generation Saudi Arabian females who work in a family business, inquiring about their perceptions of female roles within the Saudi Arabian business world, their lived experiences of conflicts in their family businesses, and their understandings about best management and resolution of such conflicts.

This pioneering study’s findings about …

Architecture, Emotion, And Conflict Resolution: The Power Of Space In Developing Or Obstructing Human Identity, Peren Sabuncu

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

A grounded meta-analysis study was conducted to explore underlying hidden agendas in the design and proposed use of architectural spaces. The introduction of architecture as a discipline into the field of conflict resolution adds a new definition of conflict. It comprises the concepts of architecture in emotion, emotion in conflict, and follows through to show that architecture is tied to conflict, not only through the classical assumption of built environments, but more through the underlying emotions felt by individuals experiencing the spaces. How does architecture influence conflict? How do spaces affect emotions? How do these emotions trigger conflict? Data was …

A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Impact Of The Media On The Opioid Crisis, Mark Haskins

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the systematic shift in the decades-old ‘war on drugs’ from its roots in criminality to what is now viewed as a public health crisis due in part to the media framing of the crisis and perhaps, more importantly, a shift in the socioeconomic status of current drug users. This research utilized a qualitative content analysis approach to examine print news media articles from the top producers of print news in the United States. Through a content analysis methodology, these articles were examined, and several patterns emerged, and the themes explored further. Some of the more critical themes …

Intragroup Conflict Among Caribbean Students In Higher Education While Engaging In Group Work, Martha Cilla Des Vignes

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of Caribbean students in higher education who experience intragroup conflict as they engage in group work. The site for this study was the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the participants were nine Caribbean students studying at the higher education level in the Republic who experienced intragroup conflict while engaging in group work. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to gain insight into the phenomenon and the key theories forming the theoretical framework were interpersonal theory, group development theory and intragroup conflict theory. The following …