Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How States Can Design Better Economic Development Incentives, Timothy J. Bartik

Reports

No abstract provided.

Closing The Gap Between Pastoral Responsibility And Mental Health Preparedness, Robert Lee Lytle Jr

Masters Theses

Faith communities increasingly encounter significant mental health needs among congregants, yet many pastors and ministry leaders remain underprepared to respond effectively within their pastoral scope. This Dissertation-in-Praxis addressed the persistent gap between the growing prevalence of mental health challenges in faith-based contexts and the limited leadership preparedness required to provide informed, ethical, and integrated pastoral care. This researcher defined the theological, organizational, and contextual dimensions of the problem, identifying stigma, insufficient pastoral training, and fragmented referral practices as primary contributors to the divide between responsibility and preparedness. Grounded in interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of spirituality, leadership, and mental health, …

Florence City Council Ordinance To Create The Position Of City Historian, Eddie Frost

Correspondence

Florence, Alabama city ordinance that establishes the position of city historian.

Name Of Florence & Ferdinand Sannoner Surveyor Correspondence To Cesare Pavone, 2.1.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Ceasare Pavone of Milan, Italy concerning the name of Florence, Alabama, the 175th anniversary of the city, and the early Italian surveyor of Florence, Alabama Ferdinand Sannoner.

For further information on Florence, Alabama's origins view the Founding of Florence Historical Marker.

William L. Mcdonald's Theological Training, Correspondence From Pres. E.B. Norton To Col. John C. Lawrence, 5.22.1951, E. B. Norton

Correspondence

Correspondence from E. B. Norton, President of Florence State Teachers College, regarding the then Second Lieutenant William Lindsey McDonald to Colonel John O. Lawrence, Commanding Officer of the Alabama Military District.

Within the letter, Norton details McDonald's service as a pastor of the Margerum Charge of the Methodist Church in Florence, Alabama and his intentions of enrolling in Emory University's Theological Seminary the next fall. He then requests McDonald's release from active duty to pursue seminar education.

The Impact Of Active Killer Defense Training Preparations And The Church, Michael Edward Howell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory (GT) study was to develop and understand the training and prevention tactics used in defending the church against active killer violence. Exploring the Routine Activity Theory (RAT) developed by Cohen and Felson (1979) in relation to active killer violence aimed to contribute significantly to building a more robust understanding of related problems associated with active killer violence in the world today in terms of a motivated offender, suitable target, and a lack of a capable guardian. The central phenomenon of this GT study focused on the understanding of the lethal threat from active killer …

Exploring Potential Psychological, Behavioral, And Physiological Predictors Of Human Flourishing In Division 1 Athletes: Toward A More Comprehensive Mental Health Screening, Derek Aaron Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has created numerous task forces and guidelines to address the rise in mental health challenges faced by student-athletes. However, these efforts have largely focused on identifying psychopathology rather than promoting flourishing. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive utility of self-report and objective measures of human flourishing among NCAA Division I student-athletes at initial screening (i.e., preparticipation exam). This retrospective, cross-sectional, correlational study analyzed archival data from 92 student-athletes from 13 different sports. Measures included the Secure Flourishing Index (SFI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ), and Power …

Law Enforcement Perceptions Of An Integrated Co-Responder Model: A Qualitative Case Study At The Jefferson County Sheriff’S Office, Austin D. Schwent

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Law enforcement personnel often serve as first responders to behavioral health crises, yet limited research has examined agency-based co-responder models staffed by embedded mental health professionals. This descriptive, non-evaluative, site-specific generic qualitative case study examined commissioned personnel’s descriptions of the benefits and challenges of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response and Mitigation Unit (CRMU) and perceived operational differences from external partnership models. The anonymous PowerDMS questionnaire served as the primary participant-derived source and produced 91 routing-item responses and 528 nonblank narrative response units; three organizational artifacts supplied procedural, historical, and structural evidence concerning the bounded case. The researcher manually …

Examining How The Frequency Of Artificial Intelligence Use In The Workplace Relates To Employee Self-Efficacy And Job Satisfaction, Dalton R. Vail

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Artificial intelligence is a prominent topic in society. Its adoption in the healthcare sector has occurred rapidly. Nonetheless, much existing research focuses on clinical healthcare professionals, thereby overlooking those in non-clinical roles. Non-clinical roles make up a small portion of the healthcare industry, but they account for a large share of burnout in the field. This quantitative study aimed to explore the relationships among artificial intelligence, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy. It posited that these variables are interconnected concerning artificial intelligence in a non-clinical context. Furthermore, the study sought to determine whether job satisfaction and self-efficacy are influenced by how often …

A Multiple Case Study: Servant Leadership And Ethical Practices In Ethically Complex Organizational Environments, Gregory Antoine Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how organizational leaders applied servant leadership to inform ethical practices within ethically complex organizational environments. Guided by a constructivist paradigm and Greenleaf’s servant leadership theory, the study examined leaders’ experiences navigating ethical challenges while balancing organizational demands with ethical responsibility. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with organizational participants and document analysis across three organizational cases. Methodological triangulation, member checking, reflexive journaling, and an audit trail enhanced the credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability of the findings. Analysis revealed six interconnected themes: servant leadership, ethical leadership, organizational culture, leader development, …

Examining The Barriers Of Youth Homelessness And Its Impact On The Utilization Of Mental Health Care Services, Layla A. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper examines the barriers of youth homelessness and its impact on the utilization of mental health services for this demographic. Youth experiencing homelessness encounter many barriers including but not limited to mental health concerns, social obstacles, and street victimization. Understanding how homelessness impacts the access and utilization of mental health services among youth experiencing homelessness is important. Overall, the literature discusses significant findings, gaps in research, and suggestions for future research. Increased knowledge of how homeless youth access mental health care services and the barriers will help to increase awareness to help decrease barriers. The purpose of this quantitative …

A Self-Efficacy Study Of Sibshop Programs On Family Systems: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Milisa R. Fowler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to investigate how sibling support workshops SIBSHOPs influence families, with special attention to self-efficacy of participating families. SIBSHOPs were developed to support siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by providing a platform to exchange and share their thoughts, learn new things, and develop coping strategies. This study examines the experiences of participants and their families in SIBSHOPs to understand how the workshops affect family dynamics, sibling relationships, and individual self-efficacy. Through interviews and thematic analysis, the study examines the perceived effectiveness of SIBSHOPs in enhancing participants’ self-efficacy within the context …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Gun Violence On Psychological Functioning And Perceived Psychosocial Supports In St. Louis’S Marginalized And Underserved Communities, Desirae Mecole Martinez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies gun violence as a leading public health concern in the United States. Marginalized and underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by poverty and crime, including firearm violence. Gun violence exposure has been linked to complex trauma, anxiety, substance use disorders, and depression. St. Louis, Missouri, has one of the highest rates of gun violence and mortality in the nation; however, research lacks an understanding of the psychological toll. Limited phenomenological research has examined how adults residing in marginalized and underserved communities experience gun violence exposure psychologically and perceive psychosocial supports. This study …

Decoding Officer Wellness: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of The Decision-Making Processes In Law Enforcement Administrations And Government Partnerships, Erik Lee Peffer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe how law enforcement administrators in Orange County, California, in collaboration with the governments they serve, make decisions regarding the development, implementation, and evaluation of officer wellness programs. Lewin's Change Theory guided the study and framed the movement from unfreezing to changing to refreezing. Ten administrators participated in semi-structured interviews. Each administrator had at least five years of experience and held decision-making authority over officer wellness initiatives. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. Screening and demographic questionnaires, field notes, and member checking were also used to support …

How Veterans With Ptsd Experience Symptom Improvement From Social Support, Patti "Lori" Beisner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social support is a concept that is simple to grasp, yet subjective in nature and difficult to describe. Current research abounds reporting the positive impact of social support upon veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, few studies describe the phenomenon of social support for combat veterans, which they attribute to PTSD symptom improvement. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in research by exploring the lived experiences of veterans who have improved symptoms that they attribute to support they have received. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight combat veterans who self-reported PTSD symptom improvement due to …

Unlocking Flow: Revealing The Blueprint For Peak Experiences Among Surgeons, Maximilian H. Pollack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Flow supports optimal performance and well-being, yet surgical research has treated it as a static, intrapersonal state, leaving its interpersonal and organizational conditions poorly understood. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore how surgeons experience flow in the operating room and to identify the conditions and strategies participants described as supporting flow access. Guided by Csikszentmihalyi’s (1990) flow theory, McQueen et al.’s (2025) multifaceted framework, and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), purposive and snowball sampling recruited 20 surgeons across nine specialties (12–49 years, M = 33.95) for semi-structured interviews. Analysis followed Englander and Morley’s (2023) five-step …

Minority Domestic Violence Victims And The Criminal Justice System, Jasmine Nicle Shelton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study used a qualitative approach to develop an understanding of lived experiences of minority domestic violence victims. The six open-ended questions were designed for the participants to describe their experiences when interacting with law enforcement, the court system, and victim support services. African American and Hispanic participants between the ages of 18 and 55 were recruited from domestic abuse treatment or support facilities and social media outreach. Potential participants completed an eligibility screening to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. Interviews were conducted with 13 African American and Hispanic participants until data saturation was reached, indicating that …

Funding And Quality In Metropolitan Vs. Non-Metropolitan Head Start Programs, Kelly Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative survey study examined how Head Start program location and perceived funding levels were associated with perceived classroom quality and perceived teacher-child interactions. The study addressed three research questions: how funding distribution between metropolitan and non-metropolitan programs related to perceived classroom quality; how perceived funding levels related to teacher-child interactions; and whether perceived funding, classroom quality, and teacher-child interactions were significantly related across program settings. Head Start programs support children from low-income families through federal, local, and community resources. Because resources may vary by location, this study compared perceived funding, classroom quality, and teacher-child interactions across metropolitan and non-metropolitan …

The Human Side Of Healing: A Qualitative Study Of The Holistic Benefits When Integrating Dog Training Into Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Recovery, Michelle J. Nordstrom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Introduction: Posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly prevalent among Servicemembers and veterans. Many of those with PTSD also struggle with moral injury and co-occurring health complications. This combination results in poor outcomes with current evidence-based practices. However, a series of recent studies examined the efficacy of a service dog training program (SDTP) which demonstrated improvements in symptoms.

Methods: A privatized archival dataset of redacted transcripts was used. The interviews were collected during a broader mixed methods study and maintained for a phenomenological, thematic analysis. There were 119 transcripts from 84 of the original 117 participants who engaged …

A Phenomenological Study: Life During The Pandemic As An Adolescent In Hidalgo County, Texas, And Life Today, Melissa Guevara-Pérez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of adolescents during a critical part of social, emotional, and identity development. Although previous research has noted the immediate effects of the pandemic on adolescents, limited research has examined the long-term impact on individuals who experienced the pandemic during adolescence and are now transitioning into adulthood. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Hispanic young adults who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic as adolescents and to understand how those experiences influenced their social and personal development as they transitioned into adulthood. Participants included 10 Hispanic young adults who …

Burnout And Job Performance Among Working Mothers: The Moderating Roles Of Servant Leadership And Perceived Organizational Support, Claudia Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Working mothers frequently navigate competing work and family demands that increase vulnerability to burnout and may affect job performance. Despite these challenges, working mothers remain underrepresented in organizational research examining burnout and performance outcomes. Limited studies have explored how perceived organizational support (POS) and servant leadership influence the burnout-performance relationship across the individual dimensions of burnout. This quantitative correlational study examined the relationships between burnout and job performance among working mothers in the United States and tested whether POS and servant leadership moderated these relationships individually and jointly. The sample included 86 full-time working mothers recruited through convenience and snowball …

Cisgender Women With Autism And Their Experiences In Psychotherapy: A Phenomenological Study, Lillian Katherine Gray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has underrepresented cisgender women with autism, and there are limited and inadequate resources and services. Cisgender women with autism experience unique challenges which connect to mental health challenges. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of cisgender women with level one autism; specifically, their experiences related to camouflaging, reasons for seeking psychotherapy, and the therapeutic relationship with their mental health care provider. Participant criteria included being a cisgender woman diagnosed with level one autism, who camouflage, and attended psychotherapy as an adult. Procedures included an online screening survey and semi-structured interviews. I used …

Equipping Church Leaders As Mediators: Implementing And Evaluating Conflict Mediation Training In A Multicultural Church, Komie T. Bumpers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The social, political, ideological, and racial divides that lead to conflict and shape today's culture are the same issues that plague American evangelical churches. While faith traditions can bring people together, cultural issues can divide them. Despite the centrality of conflict in congregational life, many theological seminaries do not provide comprehensive conflict mediation training as a core component of pastoral and leadership formation, resulting in a deficit in preparedness. The purpose of this research was to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive conflict mediation training program for multicultural church leaders that equips them to effectively navigate ongoing interpersonal, doctrinal, political, …

Beyond Cultural Competence: Measuring And Developing Cultural Intelligence In Christian Organizations, Ronald Phillip Lugo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cultural intelligence has emerged as a critical competency for cross-cultural ministry (Livermore, 2009). However, most churches and Christian organizations lack formal training to develop this capacity (Otaigbe, 2016). Tran (2009) notes that culture can be viewed as values, norms, institutions, and/or artifacts, all of which are difficult to define and understand. Churches today are increasingly intentionally designed to be multicultural (Berquist, 2018). Christian organizations face a challenge in communicating with individuals from diverse cultures. How do churches and Christian organizations prepare to reach and disciple effectively? This study addressed this strategic need by developing a cultural intelligence training specifically for …

Examining Emotion Regulation And The Link Between Childhood Adversity And Secondary Trauma In First Responders, Maci Lenora Harmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

First responders are routinely exposed to traumatic events in the course of their professional duties, placing them at increased risk for secondary traumatic stress (STS). However, psychological responses to occupational trauma exposure vary considerably across individuals. Developmental research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may contribute to long-term alterations in emotional functioning and stress responsivity, potentially increasing vulnerability to later trauma-related symptoms. Emotion regulation (ER) has been identified as a transdiagnostic process associated with trauma-related stress. Furthermore, ER may function as a pathway linking early adversity to occupational stress outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional correlational mediation study was …

Blue Economy, Climate Risk, And Fisherfolks: An Inquiry Into The State Narrative Of Blue Economy And Right Of Fisherfolks, S.Mohammed Irshad Smi

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The blue economy is an extension of finance capital into the coast and is a larger frontier expansion project. This capital is confronted with climate risks as well. The blue economy creates new economic zones, which fall into a risk zone in which output and productivity deplete over time. The blue economy projects conflict with the declining fisheries resources, which puts the fishing community's life at risk. The policies that promote the blue economy often neglect the resource-dependent communities across the coastal areas.

Valuation Methods And Their Relevance In Achieving Marine Protected Areas Targets: A Systematic Review, Jacob Ankamah, Stephen Hynes, Daragh O'Leary

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The prolific human-induced pressures on marine ecosystems leading to negative externalities such as beach erosion, biodiversity loss, and climate change are matters of global concern. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have emerged as a tool to conserve marine biodiversity and support human livelihoods. This paper reviews the global research landscape, the evolution of concepts and the relevance of valuation techniques related to the assessment of the contribution of MPAs to societal welfare. The review indicates that less than 3% of the wider MPA literature explores the economic valuation of MPA designation. Of those, there is an obvious preference for non-market-based methods …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment In A Rural County: Perceptions From Local Service Providers, Jennifer Cantu

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Though the prevalence of mental health issues is similar in rural and urban areas, it has been found that those living in rural areas experience significant disparities related to mental health treatment. This qualitative study examined how professionals’ perceptions of barriers to mental health is a rural county in Texas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with service providers across health, social service, and community settings. A thematic analysis of the data found that the county experienced a shortage of mental health providers, limited transportation, high out-of-pocket costs, gaps in insurance, and inconsistent broadband access, which could limit the effectiveness of telehealth. …

Adult Sexual Grooming Needs Its Own Model: A Critical Conceptual Analysis, Christin M. Aletky

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Adult sexual grooming (ASG) is understudied, conceptually ambiguous, and often conflated with child sexual grooming (CSG). Existing models rely heavily on child-centered frameworks, limiting the field’s ability to recognize the adult-specific dynamics of manipulation, coercive control, and institutional vulnerability. This paper examines the limitations of current definitions and argues that ASG requires its own conceptual foundation. Drawing on the literature, the paper highlights three core distinctions between ASG and CSG: the erosion of meaningful consent in adult contexts, the relational ambiguity inherent in roles such as mentor, pastor, supervisor, or professor, and the influence of rigid power structures that legitimize …

Beyond Screening In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Domain-Standardized, Measure-Flexible Framework For Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment, Etiane Navarro

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder in which cognitive, behavioral, language, and social-cognitive changes may occur across clinical phenotypes, including the ALS-frontotemporal spectrum. Neuropsychological assessment is important for characterizing nonmotor manifestations and identifying changes relevant to autonomy, everyday functioning, and clinical management. This systematic review examined literature identified through APA PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and supplementary searching to characterize neuropsychological domains, measures, phenotype-related findings, and disease-specific limitations relevant to comprehensive assessment. Two hundred records underwent title and abstract screening, 150 reports were reviewed in full text, and 61 resources were retained for synthesis. ALS-specific screening instruments, including …