Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Grief In Adults Whose Sibling Died During Childhood: A Qualitative Study, Amanda Marie Mccarthy

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This retrospective, phenomenological study investigated how bereaved siblings believe the death of their brother impacted their development. Through semi-structured interviews, five adults whose brother died during their adolescence discussed how their grief changed over time and the factors that influenced changes in grief. Participants experienced periods of lack of acceptance, independence and isolation, and finding contentment. Factors that influenced changes in grief include sibling’s cause of death, family reaction, establishment of a support network, remembering the deceased, and milestones and dates. These findings provide a glimpse into how grief changes over time in the context of development. Furthermore, the results …

Pandemic Related Housing Assistance, December 2020, Iryna V. Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Erica Henrichsen

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The COVID-19 disease has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Over 85 million worldwide confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in a single year (2020) with more than 1.8 million of those cases resulting in death. The United States reported over 20 million confirmed cases in 2020 with over 300,000 deaths. This is a public health crisis that has resulted in widespread government response including event cancellations/prohibitions, stay-at-homes orders, the closure of nonessential businesses, and more. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio declared a state of emergency on 3/9/2020 immediately following the first case reported in the state. On 3/13/2020, President …

Economic Vitality Index: Mapping Ohio's 88 Counties, Matthew Ellerbrock, Courtney Whitman, Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Along with the unimaginable death of hundreds of thousands, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic hardship for many more millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of businesses, large and small. After experiencing the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, we are now faced with an unprecedented contraction in modern times as workers see their hours reduced – or jobs eliminated – and businesses scale down operations or close their doors altogether. As part of its effort to aid in responding to Ohio’s economic downturn resulting from the pandemic, the Center for Economic Development (Center) is tracking the overall economic …

The Impact Of Social Media Use On Social Comparison And Body Images Of Young Adult Males, Tresa Lynn Hildreth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the rise of social networking sites, young people are utilizing social platforms as an on-going avenue for comparison, specifically with regard to body image. Although issues of body image are often attributed to females, males struggle to live up to societal ideals of what a man should look like. This study highlights the body image comparisons that exist with young men and provides insight into the detrimental impact and consequences these comparisons can have on young men as they grow into adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social media use and body image …

Overall Level Of Marital Satisfaction In Christian Individuals Based On Marital Setting And Ethnicity, Rafael Dejesus Acosta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research on marital satisfaction has been limited to Caucasian couples in a middle and upper socioeconomic status. Because values differ throughout ethnicities, and religious commitment rather than personal satisfaction contributes to higher levels of marital satisfaction, understanding these values and differences may help developers in the field of couple relationship education programs strengthen their approach to helping Christian couples develop skills that contribute to marital satisfaction. The purpose of this research is to examine if marital setting, ethnicity and Couple Relationship Education (CRE) and Marriage Relationship Education (MRE) affect marital satisfaction in Christian couples. The participants in this study will …

Organizational Strategies To Promote Nurse Resilience In The Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Setting: An Integrative Review, Marcia A. Depolo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nurses practicing in acute care hospital environments are exposed to constant stressors from a variety of sources. Workplace stress can lead to unhealthy coping behaviors, illness, and burnout, with intent to leave the organization or the nursing profession altogether. Resilience-building strategies can be employed to foster coping, improve nurse wellbeing, increase job satisfaction, promote retention, and enhance quality patient outcomes. This integrative review provides a synthesis of scholarly publications on nursing resilience from January 2014 through October 2020. Themes to promote nursing resilience occurred at three levels: personal or individual, unit or group, and organizational. This paper will provide a …

The Relationship Of Religiosity To Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth In Law Enforcement Officers, H. Bradford William Kingsriter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study’s primary purpose was to examine how a law enforcement officer’s (LEO’s) religiosity might predict their production of vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG). There has been limited research regarding religiosity and VPTG within law enforcement (LE). This study sought to expand the knowledge base regarding LEOs, religiosity, and VPTG. Eighty-eight law enforcement officers from an Upper Midwest state completed the survey. The current study utilized the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory–Expanded (PTGI-X) to assess for VPTG and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) to evaluate individual religiosity. This study was informed by the theory of posttraumatic growth (PTG) (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). …

The Purpose Of This Study Is: With Adult Children Of Alcoholics (Acoa); Do Psychoeducational Group Sessions Have An Impact On Relationship Satisfaction?, Paula Marie Wheaton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Objective: The research's emphasis is Adult Children of Alcoholics [ACOA] and psychoeducational group sessions. Can psychoeducational group sessions be an effective treatment to heal the psychological effects of ACOAs, with the focus on relationship satisfaction? Psychoeducation groups lead to healing for ACOAs and can be an element in facilitating ACOAs having low relationship satisfaction. There was a gap in the research regarding psychoeducational groups' use in improving relationship satisfaction in ACOAs. Method: A quantitative research study using a between and a within-group design applied with the psychoeducational group sessions. Participants will take the CAST survey and qualify with a score …

Latino Pastors And Their Spouses' Marital Satisfaction And Its Predicting Factors, Tanya Paniagua

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Latino population in the United States has been the primary driver of demographic growth in the country (Flores, 2017). With this increasing shift in America, it is important to investigate the unique strains on clergy families among Latino pastors as evidence suggests stress is a threat to marital satisfaction and its longevity (Randall & Bodenmann, 2009). Very little literature on marital dynamics has focused on Latino pastors; thus, a need exists for more research in examining how cultural values and acculturation impact marital satisfaction while considering the relationship between marital satisfaction and selected variables: affection, sexual satisfaction, communication, burnout, …

The Effect Of Solo-Masturbation And Moral Disapproval On The Relationship Between Internet Pornography Use, Religious Struggles, Sexual Shame, And Depression: A Moderated Mediation Model, Ken Derance Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recently, the topics of Internet pornography use and masturbation have received increased attention among researchers, even though there is a cultural reluctance to discuss the common sexual behavior. This reticence is particularly true for religious and moral communities that have stigmatized the behavior and have historically viewed masturbation as taboo and morally offensive. Similarly, many religious groups morally disapprove of sexually explicit media. Despite morally disapproving of viewing pornography, the nearly universal availability of Internet pornography has resulted in an unprecedented increase in religious individuals viewing Internet pornography. Researchers have found a connection between the moral incongruence associated with Internet …

The Impact Of A Christian Accommodated Mindfulness Protocol On Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Spiritual Well-Being, And Attachment To God, Tonya Thompson Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Best practices require those who work in the counseling field to ensure sensitivity to cultural norms and preferences among clients. While considering appropriate therapeutic interventions and treatment protocols, it is imperative that counselors remain aware of the personal beliefs of their clients. Thus, accommodating treatments to incorporate clients’ religious preferences seeks to enhance the effectiveness and provide the greatest benefit to each client as an individual. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a Christian accommodated mindfulness (CAM) protocol in a Christian sample and provide further evidence of the impact of Christian accommodated mindfulness protocol by …

Self-Induced Moral Injuries, Sexual Shame, And Well-Being: The Moderating Role Of Self-Forgiveness, Teresa Lynn Phillips-Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-induced moral injuries caused by compulsive sexual behavior can result in experiences of sexual shame. Shame is a pervasive experience of unworthiness, and it can become a significant obstacle to life and relationship satisfaction because it leads to negative cognitions and isolating behaviors. Self-induced moral injuries occur when a person's wrongdoing challenges their worldview and spiritual beliefs. Moral injuries impact the individual's affect, cognition, and behavioral responses to morally traumatic events. Individuals who morally injure themselves and others struggle to take responsibility, make cognitive and behavioral changes, and forgive themselves. Several research studies have examined the impact of shame on …

My Spouse Is Amazing Like Me: The Association Between Homogamy For Narcissism And Relationship Satisfaction, Kerry Anne Marsh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study’s purpose was to better understand how narcissistic admiration and rivalry relate to relationship satisfaction and to investigate the satisfaction found in homogamous versus heterogamous narcissistic relationships. The study explored relationship satisfaction of married participants (N = 764), as moderated by their partner’s perceived level and subtype of narcissism. It also examined direct correlations between participant narcissistic admiration and rivalry and relationship satisfaction, as well as correlations between participant and perceived partner narcissism scores. An exploratory study about how relationship length moderates the association between narcissism and relationship satisfaction was also conducted. This quantitative study featured a cross-sectional online …

Influence Of Genetic Counselor Personal Or Family Medical History On Genetic Counseling Specialization And Practice, Kaitlyn K. Amos Ms

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

A personal or family medical history inherently becomes part of a genetic counselor’s life story. Yet the degree to which a counselor’s experience influences his or her specialty choice and their psychosocial practice is unexplored. A medical diagnosis may foster a counselor’s capacity for greater empathy, understanding and rapport-building self-disclosure. Conversely, it could lead to interruptive countertransference, compassion fatigue, and eventually burnout. However, research has not specifically investigated this intersection. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the impact of a genetic counselor’s personal or family medical history on his or her choice of practice area, as well …

Latinos In Massachusetts: Afro-Latinos, Trevor Mattos, Phillip Granberry, Quito Swan

Gastón Institute Publications

Afro-Latinx communities are critical stakeholders in Black and Latinx demographic groups, and they also make up a critical fabric of Boston, Massachusetts and the United States politically, economically and culturally. The Afro-Latinx experience sheds light on the critical intersections of race, ethnicity, culture, economics, gender, and class in not only America, but in Afro-Latinx Diasporas across the Americas and the world. Afro-Latinx individuals and institutions often face racism within broader Latinx communities and White America and are often stigmatized by their non-Latino Black counterparts. At the same time, there is a strong tradition of Afro-Latinx political advocacy, cross cultural movements …

Frontmatter (Volume 40, Issue 10), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Predicting Personality Type From Writing Style, Tanay Gottigundala

Master's Theses

The study of personality types gained traction in the early 20th century, when Carl Jung's theory of psychological types attempted to categorize individual differences into the first modern personality typology. Iterating on Jung's theories, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tried to categorize each individual into one of sixteen types, with the theory that an individual's personality type manifests in virtually all aspects of their life. This study explores the relationship between an individual's MBTI type and various aspects of their writing style. Using a MBTI-labeled dataset of user posts on a personality forum, three ensemble classifiers were created to predict …

Employee Engagement As A Shared Responsibility: A Study Of Engagement Strategies Employed By Legal Assistants, Thomas A. Steele

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify strategies used by legal assistants to engage, stay engaged, and reengage, when appropriate, in their work, in particular when common organizational efforts fall short or do not exist. Constructivism and job demands-resources (JD-R) were the primary frameworks for understanding and analyzing the phenomenon of developing engagement strategies.

Qualitative data were drawn through semi-structured interviews with 16 legal assistants. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Trustworthiness and validity were enhanced by using multiple respondents and allowing each to review the transcripts for accuracy, fairness, and clarity. The transcriptions were then analyzed for themes. …

Examining Pathogenesis And Preventatives In Spontaneous And Staphylococcus-Induced Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis In Broilers, Nnamdi Simon Ekesi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis is the most important cause of lameness in broilers. This is important to poultry production, as it poses animal welfare issues, and causes a significant loss in revenue. The remediation of this disease requires the study of its etiology with fitting models and evaluating preventatives. The research reported herein covers genomic virulence analysis of BCO isolates, mainly Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli retrieved from lame birds. We found that S. aureus isolates were closest to chicken strains in Europe but may have been in the Arkansas area for a decade. Phylogenomics suggest our S. aureus is …

Newsroom Convergence In A College Journalism School: Are Students Prepared For A Job?, Travis Feltner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to examine the current state of broadcast journalism education at the college level. It will also ask if college broadcast journalism students are receiving sufficient education and experience in their university newsrooms to get a job after graduation. The study surveyed professional television news directors from the 210 Designated Market Areas (DMA) in the United States. Most respondents agreed to some extent that converged college newsrooms better prepare students for a job as prior research suggested. However, it does not appear that those same applicants would be preferred over ones with traditional broadcast journalism education. The survey …

The Effects Of Multiple Stressors On Stream Communities: The Convergence Of Drought, Nutrient Pollution, And Invasive Species, Robert Joseph Fournier Iii

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater systems experience multi-faceted degradation from a variety of ecological and environmental stressors. Three common stressors in these systems, drought, nutrient pollution, and invasive species, have wide-ranging effects on stream population- community- and ecosystem dynamics. We have a broad understanding of how each of these stressors works to influence stream systems independently. However, we still know relatively little about if, and how, these stressors might interact when they co-occur. Though drought is a natural part of many stream systems, all three of these stressors can be exacerbated or facilitated by anthropogenic actions. Accordingly, as human population and resource use continue …

The Effects Of Implementing The National Guard Tuition Assistance Program On Accessing Higher Education Funds For Arkansas National Guardsmen At The University Of Arkansas, Erika Gamboa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas National Guard Tuition Assistance (NGTA) program was created to recruit and retain Arkansas National Guardsmen by providing college funding regardless of Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test scores. The funding provided up to 100% of tuition costs at any Arkansas public college or university and was effective between Fall 2017 to Fall 2019. The approval process included collaboration between the Arkansas National Guard Education Office, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, and the institution of higher education Guardsmen attended.

The study focused on the effects the NGTA had on Guardsmen who attended the University of Arkansas during …

Baby Boomers In Technology-Rich Environments: Using Piaac To Study The Association Of Workplace Learning With Technology Competency, Julie M. Galliart

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A skill gap in Problem Solving in Technology-Rich Environments (PS-TRE) between U.S. Baby Boomers and younger generations has been documented in previous studies using the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Survey of Adult Skills (Rampey et al., 2016). Bringing this generation of workers up to speed in this competency area is important because older workers are a growing segment of the U.S. workforce with 13 million employees expected to be age 65 or older by 2024 (Toossi & Torpey, 2017). Workplace learning may be a solution, but few studies in adult learning document outcomes of training …

Impacts Of Postharvest Temperature Exposure Profiles On Rice Physicochemical Properties, Seth Graham-Acquaah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heated-air drying followed by tempering (HAT) is effective for increasing rough-rice drying rates without compromising head rice yield (HRY). However, heat exposure could affect rice end-use properties. Hypothesizing that the total amount of heat exposure incurred by rice during heated-air drying determines the trend and magnitude of changes in end-use properties, this dissertation sought to 1) characterize the effects of drying and tempering regimen on changes in end-use properties, 2) derive an index to quantify and compare the amount of heat exposure that rice kernels incur during active drying and, 3) relate values of this index to changes in rice …

A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Biofuels, Teresa Cristina Garcia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Brazil has the largest sugarcane acreage in the world (FAOSTAT, 2020) and is the world leader in the production of sugarcane-based ethanol (Sousa Junior et al., 2017). Due to the technical experience in the production of biofuels and the availability of sugarcane straw and bagasse, the country has a great potential to commercially produce second-generation ethanol (E2G) (Nyko et. al., 2010). In 2017, Brazil enacted a new National Biofuels Policy, called RenovaBio, to expand the production and use of biofuels in the country. This dissertation combines three essays that explore biofuels law and policy with a special focus on Brazil. …

Optimizing Immersive Technology Condition For Measuring Consumer Perception And Acceptance Of Food Products, Shady Afrin Jeesan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid advancement of immersive technologies is paving the way toward a new era in sensory and consumer science by enabling consumers to experience tasting of food samples in different environments, thus generating more realistic perception. However, little attention has been paid to developing a standardized and optimized methodology for conducting such sensory testing in an immersive environment. A variety of factors related to sensory testing in an immersive environment may significantly modulate consumer perception and acceptance of foods. Therefore, this thesis study aimed to optimize protocols related to sensory testing using immersive technology. In this thesis study, participants were asked …

Legislating Social Inclusion: Social Interaction And Perceptions Of Middle Level Students Toward Those With Disabilities, Deidre Necol Whitehead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recognition of the need for students with disabilities to receive free and appropriate education was brought to the forefront with the passage of Public Law 93 – 112, Rehabilitation Act in 1973. In 1975 Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted requiring all schools to develop and provide a free, appropriate public education for all children and youth with disabilities in the regular classroom to ensure an appropriate education. However, mandating inclusion in classrooms does not ensure social interaction, which is an integral part of learning, especially for early adolescents.

This dissertation uses the Chedoke-McMaster …

Effects Of Long-Term Variation In Temperature On Reproductive Phenology In A Population Of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Paul Pleiman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between multiple temperature variables, to include annual and pre-lay date temperatures with first-egg and mean first-egg lay dates of the eastern bluebird at the Warner Parks in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Data is collected by citizen scientists for the Eastern Bluebird Nesting Box Project while visiting artificial nest boxes throughout the park and recording observations made during the breeding season. Temperature data is retrieved from the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering’s Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) Climate Group, based at Oregon State University. The analyses showed no correlation between annual or pre-lay …

Lowering Language Learner Anxiety: The Impact Of Collaborative-Dynamic Assessment In The Intermediate University Spanish Classroom, Lynda Mcclellan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a new framework for the application of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (SCT) in the second language (L2) classroom called Collaborative-Dynamic Assessment (C-DA). C-DA is a melding of Collaborative Learning (CL), Dynamic Assessment (DA), and Group Evaluation (GE) in all aspects of L2 instruction and assessment. A study was conducted with 64 university students in an intermediate Spanish classroom to determine if the application of C-DA would lower Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA). Horwitz’ (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered to the participants at the beginning of the course and then again at the end of …

Optimization Of In-Vessel Food Waste Composting: Enzyme Activity And Microbial Dynamics, Ayawovi Selom Ametepe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A series of greenhouse-based, rotary-drum bioreactor experiments was designed to study microbial dynamics and enzyme activity during optimization of food waste composting. This work aims to optimize food waste composting by defining the best food waste-to-bulking agent proportion controlling conditions and by evaluating the food waste composting process when inoculated by a bacterial inoculant product compared to uninoculated compost. Three experiments were run in total. The two first experiments were conducted for 48 days with sampling at each step of composting, while the third experiment last 50 days and included one extra sampling date. In the first experiment, 50:50, 65:35 …