Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Counseling System Documentation And The Relationship Between Treatment Plans And Client Outcomes, Moraima N. Frangiosa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a method for evaluating counseling services delivered to patients during treatment. The evaluation of the study required the use of methods that are repeatable and effective that would allow a clinic to continue using them over time to grow a database of valuable information about counseling and patient outcomes. The new database would allow the clinic to change counseling methods and approaches of delivery to promote organizational change. The evidence-based practice (EBP) for counseling therapy would encourage the connection between public administration and public policy in the health care system. Public …

Parenting A Child With Autism: Predictors Of Parental Self-Efficacy, Robert Milton Guy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the rate of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases, so too does the number of parents learning to cope with their child’s disability and its effects on their own health, well-being, and parental self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which subjective social status, parental social supports, and fatigue were factors predicting parental self-efficacy in parents of children diagnosed with ASD residing in the state of Oregon. Bandura’s social cognitive theory was used to frame this study. The sample for this study consisted of 120 parents of children diagnosed with ASD …

Licensure Decisions Among South Carolina Counselors With Master’S Degrees, Stephanie Rhodenia Jamison-Void

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLicensure has many benefits to master’s level counselors, including higher wages, legal recognition, and third-party reimbursements, however many professional counselors do not pursue licensure. South Carolina graduates of a master’s level counseling program are not required to obtain licensure in order to provide counseling services. This qualitative comparative case study was conducted to capture why some counseling graduates choose to pursue licensure and others do not based on the experiences, knowledge, skills, and abilities counseling graduates in transition in South Carolina. The research was informed by social cognitive career theory and social learning for career decision making. Participants included four …

Exploring African American Women’S Transition From High School To A Postsecondary Setting, Keniesha Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American women encounter obstacles that diminish the effectiveness of mental health treatment received through postsecondary school-based service. Consequently, there is a reduction in the population’s socioeconomic outcomes. The purpose of the study was to increase awareness of the mental health treatment experience of African American women and identify strategies that would be helpful to prepare African American women for the postsecondary setting. Black feminist theory was used to guide the research questions for the study, which examined the experiences of African American female students and identified strategies used by certified school social workers, that African American women thought prepared …

Black Mothers’ Birthing Center Experiences And Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices, Natashia King-Conner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The persistence of racial disparities in breastfeeding is associated with a range of interconnected factors, such as historical, cultural, social, social, and psychological. The current gap in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among Black mothers and White mothers has led to rising concerns in the United States. A basic qualitative approach was used to conceptualize the multidimensional constructs of the social–ecological model to investigate the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and community-level structures and existing policies in birthing centers that inadvertently harbor biases that impede care for Black mothers. Data were gathered through purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews with 10 Black mothers …

The Occupational Experiences Of Social Workers In Corrections, Lissette Lucero Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers who practice in corrections settings are faced with dilemmas, burnout, contrasting values between their profession and organization, and a lack of educational training. However, because of the small percentage of social workers that practice in the correctional setting, there is a gap in knowledge of the occupational experiences of these social workers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the occupational experiences of social workers in corrections using Niklas Luhmann’s system theory, which suggests that the world includes a system and its environment. Data were collected through phone interviews with 10 to 15 master’s level social …

California’S Prisoner Rehabilitation Effort: Ex-Lifers’ Perceptions On Achieving Sustainable Social Reintegration, Kimberly L. Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prisoners sentenced to a life term in California’s state prisons are being found suitable for parole at record-high rates. Although macro-level policy guides California’s prisoner rehabilitation process, a specific policy does not exist to guide the rehabilitation of the lifer population. Research shows a compelling relationship between public safety resulting from reduced recidivism and an inmate’s participation in rehabilitative programming during incarceration. There is a gap in the literature about ex-lifers and their ability to achieve sustainable social reintegration upon release from incarceration. Ostrom’s institutional analysis and development framework guided this study’s examination of the gap in literature and the …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Using The Flipped Classroom Model In Inclusive High Schools, Legrand Ouabo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe flipped classroom model is expanding rapidly in school districts across the United States and abroad. In a flipped classroom, students complete hands-on collaborative activities in class and watch instructional videos at home. This relatively new method has been tentatively linked to improved learning outcomes, especially for struggling students. However, there is limited literature on how teachers perceive the flipped classroom in inclusive settings. The purpose of this study was to fill that gap by exploring high school teachers’ perceptions to better understand how the flipped classroom model supports students in inclusive settings. The framework for this study was the …

Socially Constructed Journalism And Lone Wolf Terrorists - A New York City Experience, Adrienne Pascal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractJournalistic reporting normalized radical lone wolf terrorist activities compromising public and national safety. The purpose of this research was to explore news reports of four radical lone wolf events that occurred in New York City (NYC) between 2010 and 2017 to identify political slant toward societal normalization of radical lone wolf behavior. The framework of this phenomenological study was Borum’s four-stage pathway mindset model of terrorism combined with Berger and Luckmann’s social construction theory. The central research question addressed how socially constructed journalism stories of lone wolf terrorist events in NYC aligned with liberal to conservative political newsprint continuums. Data …

Motivation To Persevere Among Nontraditional Black Online College Students, Alice Ginwright Sapp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited research on grit among nontraditional online adult learners, especially focusing on male and female Black college students who are adult online learners, including those who are older than 40. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to examine possible between-group differences in motivation to persevere, as defined by grit, among nontraditional-age Black online college students. The theoretical framework for this study was life-span development theory and the grit motivational factor model. A sample of 138 Black male and female online, nontraditional-age college students completed an online survey. Demographic information was collected, and scores from the Short …

Executive Coaches’ Perspectives On Leadership Role Identity Construction In Aspiring Female Leaders, Candice St. Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current efforts to develop and promote women to senior-level positions in organizations remain insufficient. Many leadership development programs are not designed to help women develop a sense of leader identity and self-efficacy. Executive coaching is a process to develop leaders that is customizable for individuals to address their specific needs and goals. A phenomenological study was conducted to gain insight into the lived experiences of executive coaches to discern their strategies and practices for working with women who aspire to attain senior leadership roles. Ten executive coaches working with aspiring women leaders as part of a Network of Executive Women …

Effects Of Video Self-Modeling On Prosocial Behaviors Among Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis Of Single-Case Research, Nisveta Velic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children has significantly increased since it was first identified in the 1930s. This increase has been attributed to the changes in the reporting practices within the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. To address this increase, many treatments have emerged, including video self-modeling (VSM). VSM has demonstrated efficacy as an intervention in treating a variety of ASD symptoms, ranging from communication deficits to maladaptive behaviors. VSM uses edited video clips that allow a child to watch him or herself successfully performing the targeted skill. To classify VSM as evidence-based …

Intimate Partner Violence: Effects Of Emotional Abuse In Women, Judith Marie Watiti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEstimates by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics point to over 30% of women being victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) yearly. Severity and frequency of violence in childhood have been shown in several studies to predict adult interpersonal violence. Research has shown that emotional abuse predicts other forms of abuse, thus identifying it as a potential causal link to IPV. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether emotional abuse mediates the relationship between history of childhood abuse and IPV. Social learning theory served as the theoretical framework for the study, in which 182 adult female participants from …

Understanding The Predictive Value Of Personality Traits And Executive Functioning In Emotional Intelligence, Isa C. Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) identifies numerous areas within life that are impacted by the development of higher EI, including school performance, work performance, parenting, relationship patterns, and more. The implications of EI appear to be far-reaching, yet the understanding of how EI develops in an individual continues to be vague and unclear. The purpose of this quantitative study was to account for the roles that personality factors and executive functions play in EI. By incorporating personality trait theory and executive function theory, a survey was designed and disseminated online resulting in 89 completed surveys of participants between the …

Child Abuse Reporting By Mandated Reporters In Schools, Kliche Adebanjo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child maltreatment has proven to be a mainstream issue in the United States, with millions of children being referred to state welfare systems for investigation or alternative response intervention. Research has identified mandated reporters as being responsible for reporting the majority of these cases. Amongst those identified as mandated reporters, education personnel refer the greatest number of children for suspicion of child abuse or neglect, partly because of their ongoing contact daily; however, many of the cases they report are unsubstantiated. Past research findings have concluded that mandated reporters in schools lacked proper child abuse training. The purpose of this …

The Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Depression Among Lebanese Young Adults, Noor Alassadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a serious mental disorder that impacts the individual and community. It has social, economic, emotional, and physical outcomes. Many psychological studies found that testing and identifying the relationship between attachment styles and depression could help understand the development of depression. Existing literature also indicated that cultural norms could influence the relationship between attachment styles and major depression. The purpose of this quantitative survey study, grounded in bioecological theory, was to test the relationship between attachment styles and major depressive disorder among 69 young adults in a homogeneous Lebanese culture. Data were collected using the Revised Adult Attachment Scale, …

Foster Parents’ Experience Of Placement Disruptions For Youths In Foster Care, Deyettea Kim Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Placement disruptions for youths placed in foster care have been the focus of multiple studies due to the negative and long-lasting impacts on these vulnerable youths. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of placement disruptions from the foster parent’s perspective to gain further understanding of potential causes of placement disruptions and what may be helpful to prevent them. The study was based on the lens of attachment theory. Data were collected from interviews with six participants recruited on social media who were licensed in the State of Washington for at least 1 year …

Service Members’ Perspectives On Veteran Homelessness In Maryland And Virginia, Olasunkanmi G. Amosu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness among military veterans (HAMV) is a protracted problem. In November 2009, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pledged to end the issue, but almost 12 years later, HAMV persists despite various solutions proposed. In January 2020, 37,252 veterans were reported as experiencing homelessness in the United States. The creation of previous solutions did not include the perspectives of service members. The purpose of this study was to bridge this gap in knowledge by discovering the views of service members on why veteran colleagues experience homelessness. The theoretical framework for this study was Allport’s trait theory. A qualitative case study …

The Glass Ceiling: Effects Of Motivation And Morale On Women In Emergency Management, Becky Bernat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large emergency management organizations are organizations in which women are known to be hindered from becoming leaders. However, the effects that lack of opportunities for advancement has on women’s motivation and workplace attitude have not been thoroughly addressed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of women working at a large emergency management organization, specifically how perceptions of the glass ceiling affected their motivation and attitude in the workplace. The research questions were focused on gender limitations in career advancement, motivational factors, including extrinsic and intrinsic, and the morale of women who had experiences with gender …

Hospice Social Workers In The Death With Dignity Process, Lisa M. Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospice social workers are in an ethical conundrum due to the contrast between honoring clients’ self-determined life closure and hospice organization prescribed non-participation in requests for physician-assisted death. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Association and the International Hospice and Palliative Care Association have issued position statements that the hospice philosophy of care is to provide comfort and reduce suffering, not to hasten death. Social workers are bound by a code of ethics to honor patient choice in end-of-life decisions. This generic qualitative study gives voice to hospice social workers in the Pacific Northwest regarding their motivations and responses to …

The Relationship Between External Influences And State Education Policy Processes, Jessica Chrystal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Political agendas and political attention often change based on media attention and business influence, ultimately impacting policies. Elementary and secondary education policies have evolved to improve academic rigor and increase global competitiveness. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were established based on state-level elementary and secondary education student needs. The purpose of this quantitative content analysis was to explore how external factors influenced state-level policy actors during the formulation and implementation of one state’s CCSS. All policies follow the policy process, which often includes various actors influencing various phases. Agenda-setting and political embeddedness are two critical components in the policy process …

The Connection Between Pain, Perceived Disability, Emotional/Behavioral Problems, And Treatment Satisfaction, Penny Renee Drake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With more than 100 million Americans living in chronic pain (CP), there is a growing need for better and more effective pain management strategies. CP can result from an injury, disease, or an emotional or psychological issue. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study using a multiple linear regression procedure was to determine if CP patients’ perception of their disability as measured by the Personality Assessment Screener (PAS) and their emotional and/or behavioral problems as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index predict their satisfaction with their pain management regimen as measured by the researcher-produced instrument Survey of Satisfaction with Pain …

Workplace Spirituality, Organizational Ethics, And Conscious Leadership, Tasha Dufrene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem of organizational ethics was addressed by examining the relationship between organizational ethics, workplace spirituality, and conscious leadership as a catalyst for positive social change. Spiritual leadership theory and social learning theory provided the theoretical frameworks for this study. Both theories provided a theoretical understanding of how learned social behaviors and leadership have an impact on organizational culture. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to understand the relationship between workplace spirituality, organizational ethics, and conscious leadership. It is important to understand the relationship between workplace spirituality, organizational ethics, and conscious leadership because the negative effects of low …

Parental Involvement And Academic Achievement Of Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Marie Myrlene Dupont-Krommie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have persistently encountered academic difficulties resulting from their struggles to cope with educational standard rules hindering their academic achievement. Parental involvement significantly provides an optimistic effect on students' academic achievement; however, there is sparse literature that focuses on the effect of parental involvement on the academic achievement of children with ADHD. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the involvement of parents of children diagnosed with ADHD through their academic life, explore those parents' perceptions of themselves as contributors in their children's academic lives, report their views as influential participants in …

Exploring The Customization Of Lean Six Sigma For Adoption In Public Organizations, Jeffrey Allen Farrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lean Six Sigma is a hybrid process improvement strategy employed to increase quality, speed, and efficiency in business processes. However, over 60% of organizations that attempt to adopt Lean Six Sigma fail, leading to a loss of resources and reluctance to engage in future improvement efforts. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to understand how leaders customize Lean Six Sigma for organizational factors found in public agencies in the United States. This study was framed first by a definition of Lean Six Sigma that distinguished four separate elements and then the contingency theory of organizations. Semistructured …

The Impact Of Medicaid Expansion On Private Behavioral Health Organizations, Syreeta Mae Garner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Communities prosper when the mental health needs of community members are met, but unaddressed mental health problems can contribute to enormous social and economic cost. Behavioral health resources are integral to the successful mitigation of adverse implications associated with mental illness. This qualitative case study was conducted to determine if Medicaid expansion has provided benefits for individuals with behavioral health needs and if behavioral health providers have been able to continue to provide quality services, despite the increase in referrals. The organization identified for this study is located in the southeastern United States and is known for providing not only …

Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards In Washington, Wade W. Gough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal government created the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program in 2007 to keep terrorists from weaponizing hazardous chemicals. The CFATS program did this by targeting high-risk chemical facilities and adding additional regulations, but this has added an additional burden on the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) that could negatively impact their capacity to prepare and collaborate to prevent chemical disasters. The present study was conducted to evaluate the CFATS program from the perspective of LEPCs to fill an existing gap in the literature. The study was conducted using the theoretical frameworks of contingency theory of organizations by Donaldson, …

The Power Of Exogenous Variables In Predicting West Nile Virus In South Carolina, Christopher Lee Glaze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the availability of medical data, environmental surveillance tools, and heightened public awareness, West Nile Virus (WNv) remains a global health hazard. Reliable methods for predicting WNv outbreaks remain elusive, and environmental health managers must take preventive actions without the benefit of simple predictive tools. The purpose of this ex post facto research was to examine the accuracy and timeliness of exogenous data in predicting outbreaks of WNv in South Carolina. Decision theory, the CYNEFIN construct, and systems theory provided the theoretical framework for this study, allowing the researcher to broaden traditional decision theory concepts with powerful system-level precepts. Using …

Influence Of Parenting Style On Frequency Of Alcohol Consumption By Jewish Male And Female Emerging Adults, Thomas Gross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The health hazards associated with young adults’ frequency of alcohol consumption have been well documented. It has been shown that 40.1% of emerging adults have been involved in binge drinking (i.e., consumption of more than five drinks in a row). The current prevalence rates of alcohol use among young male and female adults are 19% and 26%, respectively. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of perceived parenting style (i.e., permissive, authoritarian, or authoritative/flexible) on the self-reported frequency of alcohol consumption of 138 U.S. Jewish male and female college students ages 19 to 27 years. The …

Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Americorps Program Participants, Dean Michael Hindenlang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AmeriCorps, a voluntary public service program founded in 1993, has largely consisted of a nonminority middle-class group, generally 20 to 29 years old, who had the financial assistance of family while serving. African American participants may be experiencing AmeriCorps-based programs differently, in areas such as financial solvency, job readiness skills, and the ability to begin or return to college. This qualitative study was designed to reveal the perceptions and experiences of African American participants who have completed AmeriCorps service in a Midwest metropolis. Using the lens of critical race theory, which explored African American Corps members through a historical position …