Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Dating Experiences Of Biracial Women, Camela Callaway-Higgins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Census data highlight swiftly changing demographics in the United States with over 9 million people self-identifying as multiracial. Scholars agree that the multiracial population has been historically understudied, and that this population may have differing experiences from the majority and other minorities. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the dating experiences of women who self-identify as Latina and Caucasian. This study was grounded in literature pertaining to the unique experiences of multiracial individuals, with emphasis on biracial relationship experiences, family influence on biracial identity and experiences, and the history of biracial identity theory development. …

Strategies Required For Complying With North American Free Trade Agreement, Daniel Arthur Chavez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of U.S. small home textile business owners to comply with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) regulations can have adverse business outcomes. Small U.S. textile owners must comply with NAFTA regulations to sustain business operations. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore strategies small home textile owners use to comply with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) regulations when trading with Mexico. The participants were four owners of SMEs located in the greater New York City area who use successful strategies to export to Mexico. The data were …

The Predictive Relationship Between Probation/Parole Officer Factors And Recidivism Rates Among Female Offenders, Crystal Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this quantitative, longitudinal, correlational study was to examine if probation officers’ (POs) knowledge of the post release needs of the female offender, their use of positive feedback with the offender, and their supportive relationship with offender were significantly predictive of recidivism at 3 years post release in a sample of 363 female offenders under probation/parole in the state of Michigan between 2011–2014. The study was guided by the PO as coach theory. Data obtained from archival data sets from the Probation/Parole Officer Interactions with Women Offenders, Michigan, 2011–2014 study were utilized in the study. One binomial logistic …

Social Workers' Perspectives Of Depression In Baby Boomers Born Between 1946 And 1955, Karen Cohen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAs the leading-edge baby boomer (L-E boomer) cohort continues to age, demands of mental health services in treating diagnosed depression in this cohort are increasing. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) are the most likely social workers to provide services to L-E boomers diagnosed with depression. LCSWs were the chosen participants for this generic qualitative study to gain knowledge of their perspectives of working with L-E boomers diagnosed with depression. Grounded in generational theory, this study used a generic qualitative approach allowing for nonrestrictive measures for capturing the data. NVIVO assisted in coding the data and identification of common themes, words, …

Adult Day Care Staff Education To Improve Communication And Behavioral Management Skills, Kathy Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIneffective communication and behavioral management skills are quality and safety issues that were identified at a local adult day care facility in the Southwest United States. Administrators at the facility identified a knowledge gap in communication and behavior management techniques for patients with cognitive impairment. An educational program, with a PowerPoint presentation and verbal feedback as key components, was developed and used to address the identified gap in practice related to individuals with cognitive impairments at the facility. The adult learning theory and the plan-do-study-act model provided supportive frameworks for program development and staff education. The project question explored whether …

Impact Of Diversity Trainings On Commitment And Exploration Of Ethnic Identity, Donna Louise Dockery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased attention continues to be given to diversity and social justice in the field of psychology. With the increased attention, training has been seen as the primary method of changing behaviors and biases. To date, literature on the effectiveness of workplace diversity training on organizational and employee outcomes was lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of diversity trainings on the commitment and exploration of ethnic identity of nonminority individuals in the workplace. The theoretical foundation was Helm’s theory of White racial identity, which was used to examine the various ways identification with White culture influences …

Primary Care Physicians’ Attitudes, Beliefs, And Actions Toward Geriatric Treatment, Andrea Renee Holzner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the United States, an estimated 49.2 million older adults seek specialized geriatric medical treatment from a primary care physician (PCP). Due to a nationwide geriatrician deficit resulting from significant aging population growth, PCPs now manage specialized geriatric issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive assessments, and physiological impairments, such as Parkinson’s, due to non-normative aging. Although PCPs may take geriatric courses, geriatric specialization is beyond a normative primary care medical practice. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore primary care physician attitudes, beliefs, and actions, toward geriatrics and to expand the understanding of primary care physicians’ geriatric …

Positive Perceptions Of Mentoring Influences On African American Male Public High School Students, Jazzmea Houghton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many African American males face challenges due to historical and current negative viewpoints of this population. However, urban communities also play a vital role in the obstacles encountered, which impacts this population’s well-being. The purpose of this project was to gain knowledge from mentors on how a mentoring program positively affected the cognitions, behaviors, and academic progress of African American, male, public high school students residing in urban communities and effective ways mentorships foster resilience. This qualitative research study used a cognitive behavioral theoretical framework and a resilience theory conceptual framework, and narrative semistructured interviews were conducted. The mentors’ positive …

Barriers To The Hiring Of Women For The Independent School Headship, Kelley King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite over a century of activism to increase gender equality, inequalities persist across U.S. employment sectors, including in independent K-12 schools, which are predominately staffed by women yet led by men. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to understand the perceptions of six female heads of school and six female search consultants regarding the barriers that women face in being hired for the head of school position in independent K-12 schools. Most researchers studying gender equality have focused solely on the perspectives of female leaders, although executive search consultants are important arbiters in the search and hiring …

Using Chess As An Intervention To Improve Executive Functioning Among Youth, Anandita Oberoi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth represent a vulnerable segment of the population and may have underdeveloped levels of executive functioning (EF), which is important in both daily life and is shown to have far-reaching effects. This research study aimed to decipher if lessons in the game of chess could be used as an efficacious intervention for accelerating EF development in youth. The three research questions focused on determining whether there was a difference in the chosen indices of EF before and after a 14-session chess intervention. The theoretical framework used for this study was Piaget’s cognitive development theory. This quantitative, single group pretest–posttest design …

Exploring Factors That Prepare Nigeria Police Officers For Performance Improvement, Lanre Ogunlowo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers in Lagos State, Nigeria lack information on how to prepare for performance improvement that may enhance their knowledge on the requisite skills needed to protect lives and property. The purpose of the study was to understand this problem, and the central research question for the study was used to address how police officers may enhance their knowledge on the requisite skills necessary to protect lives and property in Lagos State, Nigeria. This qualitative exploratory case study used human competence model as extension of behavioral engineering system and recruited 15 participants. Yin’s five steps of (a) data compilation, (b) …

Black Citizens Experiences And Interactions With Police In Coffee County, Brittany Nicole Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Media attention directed towards the relationship between law enforcement officers and communities of color has increased in recent years, specifically regarding the treatment of African Americans. In some cases, contact between police and African Americans had resulted in excessive and unjustified use of force. These types of occurrences have resulted in a divide between African Americans and police officers. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to understand African Americans’ experiences and interactions with police in communities with less-than-optimal working relations in Coffee County, Georgia. The theoretical framework for this study is the normative sponsorship theory. Data were collected …

African American Males’ Unemployment And Their Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Level: A Correlational Examination Of An Exceptional People, Devin J. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males possess the highest unemployment rates compared to all racial and gender demographics in America, which has persisted since the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics began measuring unemployment. Consequently, African American males are more likely to live in poverty and less likely to own businesses. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental correlational study was to ascertain relationships and predictions between African American males’ unemployment and their entrepreneurial self-efficacy level. The theoretical frameworks of this study employed the critical race theory, institutional/systemic racism, and the entrepreneurial self-efficacy theory. Accordingly, using random, convivence, and snowball sampling, 558 African American …

The Impact Of Far-Right Groups On The Lives Of Latinas/Os In Gwinnett County Georgia, Collins Uhuangho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe research problem that this study sought to address was the effects of far-right groups on the lives of Latinas/os. The research problem is important as far-right groups can spread racism- and violence-related propaganda and assault, insult, and racially discriminate against minorities and immigrants, which likely negatively impacts the lives of the victimized individuals. The purpose of the study was to explore how the Latina/o population living in the County are impacted by far-right groups in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The main research question was: To what extent are Latinas/os living in Gwinnett County, Georgia, affected by the presence of racism- …

Predictors Of Community Physicians’ Digital Information Retrieval At Point Of Care, Jumana Antoun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efficient digital information retrieval at the point of care is essential for better health care delivery. The problem is the lack of knowledge about the community physician’s digital information retrieval at the point of care. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of the community physicians’ digital information retrieval at the point of care in eight Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean and whether a set of factors predicted the digital information retrieval. This study was guided by the Smith model that links professional digital practices to professional competencies, digital literacy, and technological affordances. The descriptive research …

Reentry Services For Individuals Wrongfully Convicted And Exonerated, Karlene Patsy Blackman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite research summarizing the causes of wrongful convictions, there are limited works on factors influencing exonerees’ reintegration into society. Although reentry services are provided to ex-offenders, the problem is that reentry services are not provided to individuals who are wrongfully convicted and exonerated. This study used state harm as a theoretical foundation. The general qualitative study determined if support or reentry services, if any, would have enhanced or increased the chances of a successful transition into society for individuals wrongfully convicted and exonerated. Specifically, it was an investigation of how a lack of reentry services associated with life, employment, shelter, …

Nurse Perspectives Of Trauma-Informed Care, Lee Ann Blazejewski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is growing interest in trauma-informed nursing methods to better respond to the needs of patients with histories of adverse childhood experiences and other traumatic events. Recent advances in the understanding of how trauma can negatively affect long-term health outcomes have fostered a shift towards trauma-informed care as a method to decrease patient retraumatization in nursing practice. With the implementation of trauma-informed care in many areas of healthcare and public health, several challenges have been exposed. The purpose of this study was to examine nurses’ lived experience of implementing trauma-informed care into nursing practice for the care of patients with …

Parent Practices In Homeschooling Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Demonstrate Problem Behaviors, Cymantha Jewel Channey-White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere is a gap in literature regarding parent practices in homeschooling children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who demonstrate problem behaviors during instructional sessions. Research literature showed that children with ASD demonstrate problem behaviors during instructional sessions in educational environments. The problem is a gap in the literature regarding how parents who homeschool their students with ASD address the same behaviors. The conceptual framework—social learning theory. The research questions were focused on parent practices of managing problem behavior during homeschool instructional sessions and the support they received. Qualitative research was used to explore the experiences of homeschool parent practices in …

Experiences Of Public-Private Partnership Concession Uncertainties In The Federal Capital Territory Administration Of Nigeria, Chigbo Rowland Chikelu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Structuring successful public-private partnership (P3) concession contracts is a problem for both the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of Nigeria and private concessionaires that partner with the government to finance the delivery of public goods in the territory. Researchers have estimated the percentage of P3 concession failures in Nigeria to be between 50% and 60%. The purpose of this study is to explore concessionaires’ lived experiences involving P3 concession uncertainties, opportunities, and barriers while they partner with the FCTA of Nigeria to deliver public goods. The key research question examined the meaning of P3 concession uncertainty to concessionaires with the …

Camp Quest Leader Perspectives On Virtual Summer Camps Options During Pandemics, Timothy James Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summer overnight camping, a noteworthy childhood leadership growth opportunity, has suffered greatly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Camp Quest, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides federated support services and governance to 12 independent nationwide camping organizations, was forced to cancel all of its in-person sessions. Hence, they now face an existential crisis that perhaps virtual camping sessions (i.e., camping activities performed remotely and online using computer equipment) can mitigate. Accordingly, this generic qualitative professional administrative study sought to understand and describe the perspectives of the camping leaders related to their experiences with virtual camping so that their mission …

The Pre-School Teacher Experience Of Social Skills For Early Education Success, Cheryl Dorsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Pre-school is foundational to future academic success, and social skills have been recognized as a critical component of that foundation. How pre-school teachers facilitate social skills development is an area requiring further study. The purpose of this research was to describe the experience of social skills development from the perspective of early educators. Attachment and social learning theories were used as theoretical frameworks to explore how early education teachers describe the social skills for early education success in young children and how early education teachers facilitate the development of important social skills. This study used a generic, qualitative design …

The Role Of The Public During The Decision-Making Process In Preparation For And In Response To A Pandemic, Ludmila M. Flores

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany advances have been made in technology and medicine; however, humanity remains vulnerable to existing, emerging, and re-emerging infectious diseases that have a profound negative impact on our society. This study investigated how individuals balance socioeconomics, demographics, and religious views with their actual behavior in response to public health guidelines during an epidemic/pandemic. The participants' perceptions and experiences of a practical problem, how the public was asked to respond, and how the public ultimately responded to public health guidelines were explored. The theoretical model for the study, the polarity of democracy model, has been explored as a possible decision-making tool …

Post-9/11 Women Veterans' Experiences Transitioning Into The Civilian Workforce, Qwynn Anna Galloway-Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-9/11 veterans’ transitional challenges have become an important topic in veteran studies. However, there was a gap in the literature regarding post-9/11 women veterans’ transitions into the civilian workforce. This interpretative phenomenological analysis explored the lived experiences, challenges, and perceptions of eight post-9/11 women veterans (four enlisted and four commissioned officers) who had transitioned from the military into the civilian workforce within the last 5 years. The study was guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory. Data from transcribed participant interviews were coded and analyzed for emergent themes. The superordinate themes included navigating the career transition, exploring identity shifts, accessibility and use …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In The Forensic Population, Amanda Joanne George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are overrepresented in the forensic population, but there is a lack of research explaining this phenomenon. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to investigate if higher levels of ADHD symptoms result in higher levels of criminal thinking or reasoning and whether gender influences levels of criminal thinking when controlling for levels of ADHD symptoms. Lastly, this study was designed to determine if higher levels of ADHD symptoms correlate with higher numbers of incarcerations across the general adult population. Gestalt versus feature intensive processing theory was used in this study to better …

Familial Challenges Of Women Emergency Managers For No-Notice Activations, Linda Josephine Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women employed as emergency response personnel have faced familial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goals of this research were to identify the perceived underlying causes of work-life conflict for women serving in emergency response roles and how such work-life conflict can be addressed. In-depth interviews were used to collect data in this qualitative research study. The snowball method was used to recruit the nine study participants; inclusion criteria focused on a distinct group of emergency response professionals. Transcription analysis was applied to the data collected from the interviews. Thematic analysis uncovered five themes from the data: (a) more women …

Novice Secondary Teachers’ Perceived Efficacy And Projected Responses To Bullying Behaviors, Jennifer L. Greineder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was a quantitative exploration of the relationship between novice secondary teachers’ perceived levels of self-efficacy and their projected responses to specific bullying behaviors. The theoretical foundation was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The relationship between novice teachers’ perceived levels of self-efficacy, their reported ability to recognize different types of bullying behaviors, their responses to these bullying behaviors, and importance of a mentoring program were explored in this quantitative study. The sample was a convenience sample consisting of 159 teachers in different school settings in Pennsylvania. Vignettes about different types of bullying behaviors were presented to the participants. Likert scale questions …

Nontransferability Of The Skills And Qualifications Among The Caribbean Diaspora In Toronto, Canada, Carla Lucia Ibanzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

About 35% of the Canadian labor market is made up of highly skilled immigrants, yet they have the highest unemployment rates. This study filled a gap in knowledge related to reasons Caribbean credentials are not more widely recognized and accepted in Canada and why their skills and qualifications are nontransferable. The purpose of this qualitive research was to identify the barriers to the successful integration of Caribbean immigrants into the Canadian job market and to obtain strategies to remove them. The theoretical framework that underpinned this study was Rawls Social Justice theory. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with …

Evaluating The Role Of Health Care In Mexico In Undocumented Immigration To The United States, Abdul Ganiyu Mohammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undocumented immigration has been a major social and political problem for the United States with an estimated 11 million immigrants living presently in an undocumented status. In Mexico, 73% of the population live below the poverty line and face challenges in meeting basic needs let alone purchasing private health insurance. In May 2003, the government of Mexico established the Segura Popular (popular healthcare) to extend health insurance to underinsured and uninsured communities to address healthcare access inequities. In depth phenomenological interviews were used to explore the lived experiences of formerly undocumented Mexican immigrants living in Hidalgo County, Texas, regarding the …

The Relationship Between Distress Intolerance, Emotional Dysregulation, And Social Networking Site Addiction, Matthew Nozaki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of social networking sites (SNSs) continues to increase. SNS addiction refers to the maladaptive behaviors associated with addiction and the use of SNSs. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between emotional dysregulation and SNS addiction as well as investigate the association between distress intolerance and SNS addiction through emotional dysregulation. The social cognitive theory served as the theoretical framework. A total of 210 individuals completed an anonymous online survey through Qualtrics, which consisted of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), and the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS). Linear regression was …

U.S. Southeastern Child Welfare Workers’ Challenges In Serving The Haitian Population, Cleane St Eloi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Haitian population has dramatically increased in the United States. Haitians face many challenges related to acculturation and adaptation, including discrimination, limited knowledge of the legal system, socioeconomic issues, and other environmental stressors that may impact family functioning. As a result of these challenges, Haitian families are at increased risk of being involved in the child welfare system. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the challenges child welfare workers face when working with the Haitian population, with a focus on workers’ understanding and perception of these challenges. Ecological systems theory was used to highlight environmental stressors …