Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Pouring From An Empty Cup: A Qualitative Exploration Of Early-Career School Social Workers' Lived Experiences With Secondary Trauma, Chatelah D. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how early-career school social workers in public schools in Georgia described their lived experiences of secondary trauma. This study examined the contextual elements that contributed to secondary trauma. The findings may inform training for school districts to improve climate and culture, develop learning workshops, and create supportive systems for early-career social workers exposed to student traumas. Theories guiding this study included Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and Bruce Biddle’s role theory. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory addresses the levels of influence on mental and physical wellness and their impact on human development. It …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of People Experiencing Prolonged Unforgiveness In Connection To Christian Psychology, Josephine Agbons Fleming

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore Christian women's experiences and understanding of prolonged unforgiveness from the perspective of people living with prolonged unforgiveness. Harboring unforgiveness leads to unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and increased bitterness. It also leads to negative emotional experiences and physical and psychological concerns. A previous study encountered a transparent narrative that it is not good to harbor bitterness toward others. Some researchers have explored the outcomes of unforgiveness that involve empirical analysis. Other studies have described the nature of unforgiveness and its effects without explaining what unforgiveness does to people if it is prolonged and strategies …

The Cultivation And Harvesting Of Parasocial Relationships For Evangelism: An Exploratory Multiple Case Study Of Pastors’ Use Of Video On Social Media, Larry D. Witzel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The digital transformation of society has resulted in people living much of their lives online. Some believe the command of Jesus to “go into all the world” necessarily includes entering the digital realm for evangelistic purposes, particularly as the effectiveness of traditional evangelistic methods has declined. This research explored the communication techniques used for digital outreach by seven pastors on social media to cultivate parasocial relationships and the calls to action they used to harvest these relationships evangelistically. This qualitative multiple case study analyzed public video communication and other social media, comparing these pastors’ online ministry with the known techniques …

The Impact Of Church Members On Single Parents In Residential Family Care Systems, Vanessa M. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper discusses the value of grace and its significance for making positive, lasting change. The researcher initially hypothesized that accountability alone was the sole catalyst for transformation (van Manen, 1990; Williams, 2008). The researcher conducted 30-minute interviews of seven single mothers with a minimum of 2 years residence in one or more Residential Family Care (RFC) programs, identifying them with pseudonyms for the purpose of protecting their identities. Each interview transcript was then evaluated for key repeated themes and phrases. While accountability did indeed play a significant role in the women’s change processes, the researcher found that grace, facilitated …

Transformative Teaching: Enhancing Spiritual Growth In The I'M A Part Church Through Prison Ministry Program Insights, Arlen K. Parham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research project strived to equip the leadership of small churches with the tools to improve spiritual maturity among church members by utilizing a holistic, evidence-based curriculum developed with transformative teaching from prison ministry insights. The goal is to bring an evidence-based prison curriculum from a correctional setting and implement it in a church setting to improve spiritual maturity. The congregants of the I’m A Part Church agreed to be a test model. The curriculum will advance the church’s mission to invest in others by creating a vetted transformative teaching program. The addition of the transformative teaching curriculum is geared …

Holistic Wellness In The Workplace, Tiffany Youngberg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a significant disconnect between the eight dimensions of wellness with employees and the workforce. Near the turn of the 20th century, there has been more focus on wellness in the workplace to increase productivity, with more of a push around the 1990s to improve health. Unfortunately, current research still has significant gaps. Most wellness programs focus on physical health, which does not address all wellness needs, as there are eight dimensions of wellness for working-age adults. Even holistic wellness programs are missing some crucial aspects; they focus on limited components of wellness with a heavy focus on physical …

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself: Examining The Lived Experience Of Christians Of Color Engaged In Advocacy, Monique Victoria Barber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of Christians of Color (COC) engaged in advocacy work within the counseling profession. The study was guided by the allies integrative model, which asserts that God is the author of all truth, and that theology and psychology offer ways to understand His truth within human limitations. This framework provided a lens to examine how COC navigate their faith and racialized identity in advocacy. Seven licensed counselors participated in semistructured interviews, and their corresponding narratives were analyzed using thematic coding. Findings highlight the ways in which COC counselors …

Correctional Officer Stress: The Effects Of Supervising Mentally Ill Inmates, Samuel T. Akers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The work of correctional officers goes unnoticed and unappreciated even though the job is one of the most stressful and dangerous in the United States and worldwide (Pittaro, 2017). Correctional officers work with a population that has proven their propensity to commit offenses against others, such as assaults, rapes, and murders. Officers are on constant alert for threatened or realized personal attacks. Witnessing daily violence and mayhem causes work stress and adversity experienced by no other occupation, yet correctional officers’ occupation lacks research concerning stress on officers and how that stress negatively affects inmate supervision (Lambert et al., 2018). Without …

Lgb Sexual Minorities And Parental Disclosure, Robyn D. Brian

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, collective case study is to explore how sexual minorities are making parental disclosure decisions in the United States. The theories guiding this study are Minority Stress Theory with theorist Illan Meyer, as well as Family Systems Theory with Murray Bowen, as they explain the relationship between sexual minority stress experienced by sexual minorities while looking at how that impacts the entire family unit during the disclosure process. Data was collected with semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results found that one’s future plans and next steps in life were the motivating factor for sexual …

Raised Military: A Phenomenological Study On Military Upbringing And Recommended Military Parental Practices, Hannah L. Reed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military children face unique opportunities and challenges associated with their upbringing. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual effects of study participants who experienced a military upbringing and uses their insights to recommend the most effective parenting practices military parents might employ to provide optimal support for their child’s development. The research participants were individuals between 18 to 40 years of age who were raised in a military home in which at least one parent served active duty for a minimum of 20 years and relocated a minimum of three times between birth and 18 …

The Relationship Of Christian Spirituality And Sustained Recovery From Trauma-Related Substance Addiction, Carol Beatrice Bradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation contains information regarding research that has been done on integrating spirituality into addiction recovery and trauma recovery. Research shows a strong relationship between addiction and trauma experiences and that when recovery counselors integrate spirituality into recovery the chances of relapse decrease. There is a need for additional research and education for recovery counselors and the support systems that help people to recover from addiction. This can help lead people to a life with purpose to prevent further addiction, relapse, overdose, and death. There has been some research that shows that integrating Christianity into recovery can help increase the …

A Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Nazarene Compassionate Ministries' Holistic Model Of Education, Phillip Jason Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to assess the effectiveness of the holistic model of Christian education in the development and preparedness of ministerial leadership roles as used by the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries’ child sponsorship program (NCMCSP) in Armenia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Philippines. According to Moustakas (1994), transcendental phenomenology research seeks to understand human experiences (Moustakas, 1994). The participants in this study were delimited to graduates who experienced the NCMCSP from 2000 to 2020 and actively serving in ministerial leadership to assess their perceptions of the NCMCSP’s effectiveness in educating and preparing them for …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Effects Of Religion On The Perception Of Economic Inequality, Vituli Musukuma

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines how beliefs, practices, and affiliations affect how individuals perceive economic inequality and their redistributive preferences. Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and a sample of 1,622 respondents, binary logistic regression models were applied to explore these relationships. The findings reveal that religious practices, particularly prayer frequency, are the most consistent predictors of perceptions of inequality. Individuals who pray daily or weekly are significantly less likely to perceive high economic inequality compared to infrequent or non-prayers. In contrast, religious affiliation, including specific denominations such as Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish, and doctrinal beliefs like belief in the …

The Decline Of Civil Discourse On Facebook: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Comment Sections Of News Organizations' Facebook Pages, Cameron Lawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explores the role of Facebook’s comment sections in the decline of civil discourse, examining how the platform’s design influences user behaviors and contributes to increased incivility. Through a qualitative content analysis of 3,030 comments from 12 national and regional news organizations’ posts on both Facebook and their website, the research identifies key structural elements such as engagement-drive algorithms and broader reaction options that amplify uncivil behavior. The study also introduces three prevalent persona types in online discourse—the passionate partisan, the agitator, and the cynical joker. Each of these contributes to the dynamics of incivility in different ways. Grounded …

Which Virtues Are 'The' Virtues? A Rank-Ordered Analysis Of Virtues In Leadership, Maegan L. Winegar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current research study was conducted from an Aristotelian and Christian understanding of virtue within leadership. Nineteen virtues were identified in the literature review and discussed as essential for living a life of eudaimonia or flourishing. Within the literature review, a gap was identified in the discrepancy between how the general public conceptualizes virtue and how philosophers, psychologists, and theologists understand virtue. Additionally, scientific research in leadership is inconsistent in the operationalization of virtue, which limits the ability to research virtues in leadership validly and reliably. Therefore, this study provided the general public with an online survey of 19 virtues …

An Exploration Of Factors Impacting Child Welfare Professional Burnout: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Jeffrey L. Nitz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Child welfare professionals (CWPs) have challenging and stressful jobs that routinely expose them to the traumatic narratives of children and other individuals. As a result of this, and when added to the reality that CWPs have a significantly higher average of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) compared to the general population, the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout and high turnover rates is substantial. This non-experimental quantitative survey study of 212 direct service CWPs from both public and private agencies sought to examine the relationship of ACE scores to burnout, and whether secondary traumatic stress plays a mediating role in …

Using Trade Books To Thematically Teach Civil Rights Issues, Alyssa Whitford, Timothy Lintner, Caroline Sheffield

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This semester-long project examined the use of social studies trade books to thematically teach the civic contributions of three individuals who served as change agents in the United States during the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Two were African American men, Robert Smalls and Frederick Douglass, who took civic action to address racial discrimination faced by the Black community following the U.S. Civil War. The other was Ida B. Wells who challenged social inequities and injustices within her community. Throughout this project, sixth-grade students read selected trade books, examined primary sources, completed graphic organizers, and crafted writing …

Enhancing Animal Shelter Operations With Time Series And Machine Learning, Sakava L. Kiv, Donald L. Anderson, Shivam Negi, Jacquelyn Cheun

SMU Data Science Review

Enhancing animal shelter operations through machine learning involves employing a variety of advanced techniques aimed at increasing efficiency, promoting animal welfare, and optimizing resource allocation. This paper explores predictive analytics for adoption rates using regression models to estimate the likelihood of adoption based on historical data, encompassing variables such as breed, health status, and previous adoption trends. Additionally, classification algorithms are utilized to categorize animals by adoption probability, facilitating better resources and marketing prioritization. Clustering algorithms are employed to group animals according to behavior patterns and/or physical health, enabling tailored medical care and enrichment activities that improve their mental and …

Investigating The Spatial Distribution Of Food Insecurity And Its Associated Factors Across Mississippi Counties, Elizabeth C. Swindell, Riley Morgan, Dylan Barker, Ruaa Al Juboori

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: Mississippi has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the United States, with many counties experiencing significant disparities in access to healthy food. Therefore, understanding the spatial distribution of these disparities is essential for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the spatial distribution of food insecurity and its associated social and health factors across Mississippi counties to identify areas in need of intervention.

Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted using publicly available datasets to examine food insecurity and its associated factors at the county level. Pearson correlations and bivariate Moran’s I were used to …

Psychological Treatment Behind The Walls:Insights From The Inside, Rogelio Serrano

Psychology Division Scholarship

Repeated eras of mass incarceration, criminalization of marginalized communities, and substance use policies have created a revolving door of justice involved populations. The ever-increasing prison population has repeatedly become the largest contingency of mental health clientele for an overburdened mental health system. Those who work with formerly incarcerated individuals in the community often don’t know the unique set of challenges faced by practitioners within the system. Increased understanding and coordination of care can offer opportunities for sustained recovery and reduced levels of recidivism. In this presentation participants will learn about the unique insights on mental health treatment that can be …

Death Anxiety And Risk-Taking For Decisions Affecting The Self And Others, Luis Martinez Mejia

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

This thesis examined the interplay between situational factors (i.e., level of risk, personal relevance) and internal traits (i.e., death anxiety, trait anxiety) on risk-taking during decision making. Specifically, participants had to decide whether to undergo (or have a family member undergo) a risky, but potentially life-extending surgery. Death anxiety, but not trait anxiety, was associated with risk-taking in this task. Those higher in death anxiety were significantly less likely to choose surgery for themselves, but significantly more likely to choose surgery for a family member. These findings show that death anxiety is linked with greater risk-aversion for life-and-death decisions affecting …

Votes In The Balance: A Statistical Analysis Of Voting Behavior In The 2016 Presidential Election, Evan M. Carter

Harding Undergraduate Research Conference

The 2016 Presidential Election was unprecedented in its results. The predicted winner, Hillary Clinton, ended up winning the popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College count to Donald Trump. I examine voting for the winner, Donald Trump, and what factors caused people to vote for him or for another candidate. Although there are several factors that go into how people vote, I analyze demographic, geographic, and ideological predictors for why people voted the way they did. To do this, I will run a regression model on my dataset. Since my dependent variable is dichotomous, meaning there are only two …

29. Dragaganza 2025 [Poster, October 27, 2024], Eugene Vander Leest Ev

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Poster showcasing the Drag-a-ganza event which took place on October 27, 2024.

Retrieving Information: An Analogy, Joshua Levine

Library Staff Online Writings

A major part of being an effective legal information professional is knowing where to look at the beginning of your search. In this profession, you typically have a wide range of information resources at your fingertips. Mastering those resources, and being able to make an educated guess about where something might be found, are vital in this field.

From Novice To Navigator: Research Discipline Skeletons For Liaison Librarians, Jenn Monnin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

These slides are from a presentation to the Academic Librarians' Caucus of the Medical Library Association covering the Research Discipline Skeletons, a multidisciplinary tool developed by the author during their MLIS practicum. The presentation discussed the need for the Skeletons as a tool, the history behind it's creation, an example Skeleton in the field of Athletic Training, how to build a Skeleton, and other considerations.

For a blank Research Discipline Skeleton template you may use as well as another example, please see this citation:

Monnin, Jenn, "Research Discipline Skeletons: the Librarian’s Bridge to Subject Knowledge" (2020). Faculty & Staff Scholarship …

We Are Our Brains: Disembodied Brain Films In 1950s Cold War America, David P. Pierson

Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Books

Personified Body Parts in Cinema, Literature, and Visual Culture investigates the power of personifying body parts in cinema, television, visual culture, literature, erotica, folklore, and mystique.

Culturally, socially, and poetically exposing hidden aspects and subtleties of human existentialism, this book vigorously questions and problematizes numerous artistic, aesthetic, technological, naïve, and macabre manipulations of body parts for various purposes. A diverse team of authors explore how scribing human traits to limbs, eyes, brains, genitalia, hearts, and other inner organs is grotesque and aesthetic, repealing and appealing, intimidating and intimate, rude and enjoyable, material and spiritual, surprising and mundane. Personified organs are …

Tony And The Grand Historic Concrete Highway, Gabriel Sullivan

KU Inspires! Undergraduate Research Day

Poster presented at the KU Inspires Conference, Thursday, April 17, 2025.

A Different Perspective: Maslow’S Hierarchy & Information Literacy, Brian W. Keith, Amy Odwarka

All Faculty Scholarship

This presentation offers an innovative conceptual framework for intellectual freedom drawn from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The adapted system positions information literacy in a progressive journey tied to a student's academic growth, evolving from basic participation to advanced knowledge creation and intellectual independence. With this guide, libraries can structure information literacy supports based on the progression of student needs, some of which are foundational to success in library instruction settings. Universities can evaluate whether their supports—through libraries, technology, and academic services—are meeting students' needs at each level, ultimately guiding them toward becoming confident, independent researchers and scholars.

36. Protest 2025. Protest At Applied Engineering Building 1 [Article], University Of Northern Iowa

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Citation: Klinkhammer, B. (2025, April 9). Students make their voice heard at Applied Engineering building opening. Northern Iowan, 2.

This article is a description of a recent protest at the new Applied Engineering Building. Well over 100 UNI students, Cedar Falls High School students, and the Cedar Valley came together to protest Kim Reynolds appearance for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Kim Reynolds failed to appear to give a speech and to help cut the ribbon. I think that in itself is so powerful, to know that she didn't show up because people showed up to protest against someone so …

Perfectionism And Academic Burnout In High-Achieving Undergraduate Students, Hannah Belle Faiman, Gabrielle Strouse

School of Education Faculty Publications

This study examined the relationship between perfectionism and academic burnout, as well as how each construct varies among honors (n = 120), high-achieving non-honors (n = 180), and typical (n = 196) undergraduate students at a mid-sized university in the United States. Results indicated the presence of group differences in perfectionism type: honors students were largely characterized as maladaptive perfectionists; high-achieving non-honors students mostly as maladaptive or non-perfectionists; and the majority of typical students as non-perfectionists. In addition, analyses revealed significant differences in academic burnout by perfectionism type, with adaptive perfectionists exhibiting higher levels of burnout than …