Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Helpers In Divided Times: The Psychological Experience Of Care Providers In The Ongoing Social Movement In Hong Kong, A Community Engagement Project, Sofia Lee

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This community engagement project highlights the psychological experience of care providers from Hong Kong in the ongoing social movement. While the largest-scale Hong Kong social movement since June 2019 has led to an unprecedented mental health crisis, little is known about the psychological narratives of its affected communities, including care providers. The literature review first introduces the historical context of Hong Kong, as well as the relationship between social movements and internal experiences using the Movement Cycle framework. It then discusses the concept of political trauma, challenges for care providers, and the importance of an embodied approach in community-based work. …

A Critical Approach To Resilience And The Need For Community: Anti-Oppressive Music Therapy At A Homeless Shelter During Covid-19, Corrine Mina

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected death and infection rates of racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, immigrants and refugees, and those experiencing poverty, amplifying the racial, socio-economic, and systemic inequalities that already existed in the United States of America. People experiencing homelessness often do not have the privilege to shelter-in-place or work from home; the same goes for essential workers who must work in-person to provide social services. This community engagement project challenges the notion of individual resilience through the lens of critical race theory and a systems approach to oppression observed in an emergency homeless shelter serving …

Shape-Shifting Anew: A Covid-19 Come-Unity Engagement Project Co-Created By An International Student Collective, Kaeleigh De Silva

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

COVID-19’s looming hold over the global landscape compounds already established stressors facing international students studying in the U.S. Now, more than ever, there needs to be intentional and innovative research approaches to meet the growing needs of this overlooked population. Thus, a virtual expressive arts-based performative inquiry of reciprocity and collaboration was developed to support international students in the midst of the pandemic. This arts-based participatory action research was built in three stages: phase one consisted of a devising process where international students could build a performance collectively, phase two invited members of the wider expressive therapies study body to …

The Weight Of Trauma: Exploring A New Method In Dance/Movement Therapy For Trauma Processing With Adolescents, Xavia Hawkins

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This author developed a movement-based trauma informed method that implemented symbolic play with sandbag weights with light and dark colored scarves, with adolescents at the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, MA. This thesis was developed to observe how adolescents prioritize the magnitude of their trauma experiences to serve as additional insight towards treatment planning. Over a four-week process, participants created artistic responses to the trauma they identified most prevalent and engaged in symbolic play with different mediums in order to ultimately choose which prop felt most representative to how they viewed their trauma. This movement-based study supports …

Group Curriculum Combining Expressive Arts Therapy & Rainbowdance: A Literature Review, Holly Olson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis presents a 10-week curriculum for a short-term expressive arts therapy group for children ages 6-7 (grades 1 & 2). The curriculum is unique in that it combines the dance/movement therapy program of Rainbowdance with expressive arts therapy. The targeted population sub-group for this proposed curriculum is children whose caregivers, teachers, or guidance counselors have expressed concerns about isolation and/or a lack of social skills. The purpose of this proposed curriculum is to develop the social skills essential for making friends and building relationships. More specifically, group members will gain skills in building a sense of community, sharing, taking …

"It's The Way You Sing It": Translating Music Therapy For Isolated Older Adults Affected By Covid-19 To The Television Screen, Eunice Wong

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The current Covid-19 pandemic has increased the likelihood of loneliness and social isolation among older adults due to the restrictions on movement and visitations in care facilities. Loneliness and social isolation have consistently been identified as risk factors for poor mental and physical health in older people. Meanwhile, a growing number of older adults are utilizing technological resources to enhance their interpersonal relationships and overall quality of life. In the winter of 2020/2021, an innovative music therapy-informed television program was designed and produced for isolated older adults in need of mental and emotional support. This project, produced jointly by a …

Beyond Pathology: A Critical Review Of The Literature On Black Female Sexuality, Twerk, And Dmt, Patricka James

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis uses a dance/movement therapy investigative and critical lens to examine the controversial twerking phenomenon. This literature review investigates twerk’s historical, embodied, and hyperlocal cultural settings as it relates to the stigmatized sexuality of U.S. Black women, the history and effects of oversexualizing Black female sexuality that influences twerk’s negative review, the dance/movement therapy field’s cultural movement bias, and dance/movement therapy's potential as a therapeutic intervention for Black women. Racial and sexual socialization of Black female sexuality is found to be attributed to twerk’s negative review and its existence as an embodied form of resistance and liberation. In examining …

Dance/Movement Therapy: A Treatment Option For Postpartum Depression, Olivia Mandracchia

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnancy and motherhood are associated with many expectations, guidelines and stressors. To some, these factors have no impact while to others these factors can contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression. When discussing pregnancy, one may already have a history of depression while others may start to experience symptoms during their pregnancy journey. Unfortunately, many of these women will experience these symptoms (shortly) after delivery as well. These women will be diagnosed with Postpartum Depression (PPD).

Using these ideas, this literature review explores and addresses how Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) can be beneficial to those who suffer from depression. Unfortunately, there …

Fostering Attachment In Romantic Relationships Through Creative Art Therapies, Mary Hachey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Attachment theory examines the infant/caregiver’s relationship by the attachment style they develop in the first years of life. Over time, these same attachment styles affect adult romantic relationships. Bowlby defines four infant/children attachment styles as securely attached, anxious-ambivalent-insecurely attached, avoidant-insecurely attached, and disorganized-disoriented-insecurely attached. These four styles transferred into three main types for adults: secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant. A couple’s relationship can become affected by personal values, behaviors, environmental situations, attachment styles, and beyond. This literature review discusses how couples behave, relate, and interact with one another based on their attachment styles and it also gives critical details on how …

Exploring Post-Genocide Chinese-Indonesian Identity From The Perspective Of The Secondary Witness: Dance/Movement Therapy Approach, Iyit Benusia

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The Chinese-Indonesian population is a bicultural and biethnic population with an extensive history of racism and discrimination in Indonesia since the colonial era. This situation has caused confusion on their ethnic-racial identity. Ethnic-racial identity is a social construct that defined one's sense of self within society. The lack of sense of self may negatively impact one's perception towards self and others. This project addresses this issue by identifying the current Chinese-Indonesian ethnic-racial identity from the perspective of the secondary witness to the genocide event happening in 1998. The paper will evaluate how the 1998 genocide event has impacted the Chinese-Indonesians' …

The Effect Of Architecture And Design On Mental Health And Implications For Open Art Studios, Alyssa Chappe

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this literature review I will discuss the history of architecture and design in the mental health field. I investigate what has been studied on how different aspects of design, such as safety and security, noise and external stressors, space and interior layout, nature, lighting and atmosphere, art, community, and the therapeutic milieu all impacts mental health. With the understanding of these aspects, I explore the importance of and how to utilize purpose-built design in open art studio spaces. Incorporating elements such as natural lighting, open floor plans, private and open community spaces, artwork, safety procedures, and nature/views of nature, …

Mind-Body Trauma And Interoception: Reintegrating Into The Body Through Dance/Movement Therapy, Elisha Lloyd

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review will provide an argument for the integration of dance/movement therapy (DMT) into neuropsychological spaces for the treatment of trauma, dysregulation, and mental health challenges. Reflecting on the United States of America’s dualistic foundation of body and mind in both medical and psychological spaces, I will build an understanding of the nervous system’s bidirectionality and its implications. Neurobiological research has shown that we can gain as much understanding of ourselves from our bodies as we can from our brains; they are interconnected. The theories provided will show that the path to trauma resolution and healing must incorporate a …

Queer Embodiment And Semiotics: Reclamation In Lgbtq+ Adult Community By Designing And Wearing Temporary Tattoos, Sara Bonnick

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper presents a new approach that centers on supporting and bringing forth the embodied narratives of LGBTQ+ adults through designing and wearing temporary tattoos. The researcher synthesizes literature in regards to notable historical symbols of queer visibility, tattooing as a social work adjacent practice, and previous interventions that have been conducted with the LGBTQ+ community. The researcher also provides a focus on how temporary tattoos have been utilized in past expressive art therapy methods. The majority of preexisting research within the intersections of queerness, tattoos, and art therapy techniques are often rooted in themes related to self-perception, community connection, …

How The Expressive Therapies Continuum Informs Intermodal Transfers, Erin M.L. Little

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Expressive arts therapy (ExAT) is a therapeutic approach that incorporates visual art, music, drama, and dance/movement into the counseling environment. An essential element in ExAT practice is the intermodal transfer, an intentional shift between arts modalities to enhance clients’ understanding and realization. Currently, no theoretical guidelines for intermodal transfers exist in the field of ExAT. In search of a theoretical structure, the author of this Capstone Thesis proposed that the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) informed intermodal transfers. Predominantly presented as an art therapy approach, the ETC originally intended to include all expressive therapies. Yet, there is minimal recent literature that …

Unmaking Racism Through Expressive Arts Therapy With Black American Women: A Literature Review, Sharon Cropper

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

This literature review investigates mental health awareness concerning social fears that Black Americans experience in public spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, this research aims to explore the daily encounters of the stressful societal realities and sociohistorical context of Black American women. Unfortunately, there is insufficient data about how social phobia disorder impacts the emotional well-being of the Black population. Therefore, this paper takes a deeper introspect on what triggers racial and social anxiety disorders among Black Americans in public spaces. It focuses mainly on the mental health experiences and self-perception of Black American women. In addition, the …

A Place To Keep The Chaos: Using Expressive Arts To Mitigate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Disaster Recovery, Julie Grebenau

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this capstone thesis, the author reviews current holistic research and methods around treating and understanding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), using expressive arts therapy (ExAT) as a framework. The nature of a natural disaster is complex, in that it is both a process and an event. With ExAT’s emphasis on process, it is an appropriate approach to trauma as a result of natural disasters. The population focus is on earthquake survivors, specific to their early recovery, including traumatic stress and PTSD related to the event. I then apply research based on trauma and expressive arts therapy to this population, concluding …

Examining The Efficacy Of Providing Writing Prompt Choices And Performance Feedback: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Josh Circe

Theses - ALL

Research has indicated that the majority of students in the United States are not able to write at the proficient level (Persky et al., 2003). Prior research has demonstrated that performance feedback interventions successfully lead to students’ gains in writing fluency (Hier & Eckert, 2014; Hier & Eckert, 2016; Truckenmiller et al., 2014), and that providing students with academic choices benefits their academic performance (Dickerson & Creedon, 1981; Steinman 2017). The goal of this study was to examine the combined and isolated effects of two academic interventions (i.e., providing writing prompt choices and performance feedback) on third-grade students’ writing performance. …

The Influence Of Self-Compassion On Perceived Stress Reactivity, Emily C. Helminen

Theses - ALL

Contemplative psychological traits (e.g., mindfulness and self-compassion) have become a popular area of research in recent years, often in the context of their influence on stress (Creswell & Lindsay, 2014). One promising subset of contemplative science research demonstrates that higher levels of contemplative traits are associated with decreased physiological stress reactivity during psychosocial stress induction. This is important due to the negative health outcomes that are associated with persistently heightened stress reactivity. Research investigating self-compassion has demonstrated that higher levels of trait self-compassion are associated with lower levels of stress reactivity (Breines et al., 2015; Luo et al., 2018). Currently, …

The Association Between Experiences Of Relational Injustice And Psychological Distress In People With Marginalized Sexual Orientation And Gender Identities, Khoi Nguyen Anh Le

Theses - ALL

The current study explored correlations between experiences of relational injustice with psychological distress in people with marginalized sexual orientation and gender identity (MSOGI). Based on the Contextual Therapy theory, it was hypothesized that experiences of relational injustice are associated with psychological distress of people with MSOGI. Also, people with both marginalized identities were assumed to have greater distress than people with only one marginalized identity. Data were collected from clients self-identifying as MSOGI at the Syracuse University Couple and Family Therapy Center. Both self-reported and standardized instruments, including the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) and Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI-18), were used …

Essays On Population And Housing Market In South Korea, Dahae Choo

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation studies important social topics in South Korea. The first two chapters evaluate the effects of a pronatalist policy introduced by local governments in South Korea, a country with one of the lowest fertility rates worldwide. In the first chapter, possible selection into marriage is highlighted considering the low out-of-wedlock births in the country. Also, the policy effects are examined in two different dimensions: changes in the probability of having a child and the time-to-child delivery. The second chapter estimates two important key variables to address the effectiveness of this program. First is the unconditional distribution of the reservation …

Toward A Public Relations Theory Of Integration, Kelly Coolican Gaggin

Dissertations - ALL

Health and human service nonprofit organizations provide a multitude of support services to marginalized and underserved populations in the United States and abroad. Public relations and communications professionals are often focused on supporting goals that are directly tied to the organization which are also strongly tied to revenue seeking through increasing awareness of mission and need for financial contribution. This qualitative constructivist grounded theory study explores the extent to which public relations and communications roles can impact the integration of service populations into their communities.Through interviews with 13 refugee aid organization staff and 11 refugees, primary barriers to integration, including …

The Political Economy Of Preferential Trade Agreements, Ross Castner Jestrab

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation is comprised of three chapters on preferential trade agreements (PTAs). The first two chapters examine why countries sign PTAs with other countries, while the final chapter studies the effect of PTAs on imports.

The first chapter provides direct empirical evidence that PTAs are consistent with the terms-of-trade theory. In other words, PTAs internalize the temptation to increase tariffs when countries possess importer market power. Using PTAs that occur between 2001-2015, I study the formation of PTAs and the structure of first year PTA tariff cuts. I first show the likelihood of a PTA increases when both countries have …

Judicial Deference To Administrative Statutory Interpretation In The Modern American Administrative State, Rachel Marie Macmaster

Dissertations - ALL

The American administrative state of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is defined by deference by federal courts to administrative agencies. The political science and (especially) legal literatures have long discussed how federal courts defer to agencies, but little attention has been dedicated to how to identify deference and why courts defer. This dissertation redefines deference, a term that has been topic of extensive discussion in the last forty years but that was missing a key feature: the intent of the deferrers. Using administrative courts as the proxy for agencies at large, this dissertation suggests three reasons why judges may defer. …

Three Essays On Climate Change Adaptation In Rural African Communities, Hannah Patnaik

Dissertations - ALL

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of the present era, bringing new risks and exacerbating existing vulnerabilities across the world. While there is a broad recognition that solutions around climate change will require coordination and support across borders and governments, a large body of scholarship has focused on the local-level realities of climate change and the disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable populations. The climate vulnerable poor do not have the privilege of waiting for global policy and commitment to emission reduction targets. They need planned and proactive adaptation support to build resilience to the changing climate and …

Tests Of Sample-Recovery Models Of Cued Recall, Jack Harvey Wilson

Dissertations - ALL

Sample-recovery models are a predominant class of episodic memory models that seek to explain why sometimes the representation of an experienced event is not retrieved or retrieved incorrectly. In these models, a correct retrieval occurs if the correct target item was sampled among the alternative studied item, then recovered correctly. In cued recall, participants output the representation of a single experienced event, a target, given a presented test stimulus and some defined relationship between the stimulus and the target. This relationship depends on the kind of cued recall and can rely on either studied or pre-experimental relationships. Sample-recovery models of …

The Conditional Mode Estimator Of Technical Efficiency: Theory And Application To Nyc Public Schools, Yi Yang

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation studies the properties of the conditional mode estimator of stochastic frontier models and applies it to measure technical inefficiency. It consists of two chapters. The first chapter analyzes the conditional mode estimator’s closed-form expressions, convergence, near-minimax optimality when interpreted using Lasso, and selection rules. The second chapter applies the true fixed effect stochastic frontier model (Greene, 2005a,b) to analyze the persistent and transient technical inefficiencies of 425 NYC public middle schools for cohorts of students that graduated between 2014 to 2016.

Fostering Resiliency During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Mindfulness And Compassion Training, Jess Okanya Patel

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought tremendous and abrupt challenges to various aspects of our daily lives, from school and work to interpersonal relationships. Given the high rates of stress and anxiety brought on by COVID-19, solutions to help ease uncertainty are warranted. This study is intended to provide support, from research on neuroscience, collected from scholarly peer reviewed journals, for the contention that compassion practice may be a potent strategy to reduce caregiver burnout and buffer the adverse mental health impacts of COVID-19 related threats. This study examines mindfulness and compassion, as well as attending to their interrelatedness, so …

Mindfulness As A Personal Strategy To Combat The Negative Effects Of The Attention Economy, Alison Magee

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This paper argues the importance of a personal mindfulness practice as an antidote to the concerning effects of the attention economy. Modern technology is becoming more powerful every day and is giving individuals access to an unprecedented amount of information at the touch of a button. Many technology companies are profiting from gaining and selling the attention of their customers and are contributing to the attention economy. These very technologies have been shown to hijack the attention of consumers and keep them in an addictive feedback loop. Early research suggests mindfulness practices may be an effective strategy for strengthening attention …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Healthcare Provider Burnout During Covid-19, Natasha Johnson

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Healthcare providers are subject to unique stress as part of their job in a helping profession and regularly suffer the effects of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Mindfulness-based interventions have been demonstrated to be effective in reducing burnout and addressing the impacts of secondary traumatic stress, however the current COVID-19 pandemic poses a new, more debilitating type of stress to healthcare providers. This paper seeks to examine the existing evidence on the effects of mindfulness in reducing burnout and secondary traumatic stress, incorporate new evidence on the unique stress of COVID-19, and determine if mindfulness interventions remain effective. It also …

Exploring Our Grief: Mindfulness Guide For Survivors Of Suicide Loss, Elaine Y. Ramos-Rodriguez

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Suicide is one of today’s major health issues. Survivors of suicide loss (SOSL) suffer major and very peculiar adversities in their grieving process. It is important to address the needs of this population as a way to prevent suicide. In fact, it is imperative for this population to take part in activities that promote resiliency and healing after experiencing the loss of a loved one by suicide (postvention). This paper mainly argues that SOSLs are a population poised to benefit from mindfulness practices. A dearth of information exists concerning this particular population and the possible benefits of mindfulness practices for …