Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Monte Carlo Study Of The Efficacy Of The Mantel-Haenszel Method At Detecting Item Bias, Macy Daulton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Mantel-Haenszel (MH) method is a statistical method used for differential item functioning analysis. Previous differential item functioning (DIF) research of the MH method focused on Type I error rates and statistical power. Not yet studied in the literature is whether excessive numbers of biased items may cause the MH method to fail to identify biased items. The proposed study employed a Monte Carlo design to determine the extent of bias in the match items necessary for the MH method to fail to identify a biased item. Results showed that the threshold was greater than was hypothesized, requiring nearly all …

“I’M Anywhere In The Country That Has A National Park”: Seasonal National Park Service Employee Organizational Identification Targets, Rachel Taylor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizational Identification research is well established and explores the concept of individual oneness to a larger human collective yet often focuses on traditional types of work. Seasonal work carried out by National Park Service (NPS) employees is a non-traditional form of work entirely dependent on the organization's needs in a particular season, typically summer. Literature regarding seasonal work often focuses on types of hospitality organizations, rather than the NPS. This study sought to understand how the unique situation of seasonal workers may have influenced their identification with multiple organizational targets. Through qualitative interviews with 12 individuals who have been seasonal …

No. 87: Mythologies Of Mixed Migration And The Southern Route, Jonathan Crush, Zack Ahmed

Southern African Migration Programme

In Africa, various international organizations have promoted “mixed migration” as a new governance challenge requiring innovative policy responses. The narrative, which has been repurposed from discussions on African migration to Europe to include intra-African movements, positions migration flows as primarily irregular, organized and driven by smugglers, and requiring tight control by states. This report shows that textual and cartographic representations of the so-called Southern Route are a form of cartopolitics, constructing migration as a permanent flow of irregular migrants from a singular origin toward a common destination. By portraying migration as solely a function of smuggling and coercion, the Southern …

Associations Between Observance Of Orthodox Jewish Mourning Rituals And The Psychological Processes Of Meaning Making And Religious Coping Following Loss: A Quantitative Study, Kayla Reich M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

While grief is a deeply individualized experience, research suggests that some coping mechanisms—such as meaning making—promote healthier psychological adjustment. Jewish mourning rituals may support meaning making, yet few studies have quantitatively examined this relationship. The present study investigated the association between observance of early Jewish mourning stages (i.e., aninut, levayah, and shiva) and both meaning making and adaptive religious coping. A sample of 60 Orthodox Jewish adults who had experienced the loss of a first-degree relative between one and five years prior to the start of the study completed measures of mourning observance, meaning making, and Jewish religious coping. Results …

The Impact Of Coral Degradation On Coastal Communities In Southeast Asia, Paige Smith

Ballard Brief

Coral reefs across the globe are in decline, but reefs in Southeast Asia are among some of the most threatened in the world. Climate change, triggered by fossil fuel emissions, raises sea water temperatures and lowers the ocean’s pH, contributing to coral bleaching and inhibiting coral growth. Local threats also particularly affect reefs in Southeast Asia, such as destructive fishing techniques and marine and inland sources of pollution. Coastal communities in Southeast Asia are especially vulnerable to the degradation of coral reefs due to economic reliance on these reefs and their proximity to them. Declining coral reefs can damage the …

Lack Of Integration Between Western Medicine And Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) For Treating Adults In America, Kaylee Burrill

Ballard Brief

There is a lack of integration between Western Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for treating adults in America. Communication barriers, differing approaches to healthcare, and skepticism coupled with a lack of education prevent integration. As a result, patients suffer financial burdens, are unsatisfied with incomplete and insufficient care, and the US healthcare system becomes more fragmented. Integrative medicine provides a holistic, patient centered, evidence-based solution by combining the safest and most effective practices of Western medicine and CAM in a coordinated way. Kaiser Permanente By Kaylee Burrill Published Winter 2025 Special thanks to Mason Scholes for editing and …

Child Malnutrition In Argentina, Brooklyn Richins

Ballard Brief

Children in Argentina are experiencing an increase in child malnutrition rates. These children are at a higher risk for such conditions due to the lower levels of income and education, as well as the harsh climate and geographic isolation, resulting in a greater reliance on highly-processed imported foods. Malnutrition in childhood results in negative health outcomes throughout one’s life, as well as lower academic achievement. Additionally, this increases the likelihood of their children experiencing malnutrition, thus continuing the cycle. Currently, efforts to mitigate child malnutrition are focused on providing mothers with education on nutrition, supplying children with supplements, and connecting …

Inadequate Healthcare In Pacific Islands, Brook Vaitohi

Ballard Brief

The high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), vulnerability to communicable diseases, and limited access to healthcare in rural areas pressure healthcare systems in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Due to healthcare worker shortages, resource deficits, and economic constraints, the quality of PICT healthcare systems is considered insufficient concerning key criteria for adequate healthcare, namely effectiveness, accessibility, and safety. This inadequacy leads to both higher mortality and morbidity, contributing to preventable deaths, delayed diagnoses, ineffective treatments, and poor management of disease for Pacific Islanders. While PICTs have recognized the inadequacy of their healthcare systems, treatment gaps persist and prevent progress.

Evaluating Distractions Of Undergraduate Students During Guided And Unguided Study Sessions, Roni Peleg

Masters Theses

In this study, we explore an intervention strategy aimed at decreasing distractions while studying. The participant was a third-year undergraduate psychology student with a concentration in neuroscience who did not have a personal structured study system. The researcher measured the percent of intervals in which a distraction occurred using interval recording during baseline and intervention phases. During the intervention phase, the participant was introduced to the productivity method referred to as the Pomodoro Ⓡ Technique. Using a reversal design, data were analyzed based on levels of distraction during baseline and intervention phases. The goal of this study was to evaluate …

Implementing Skill Based Treatment Within A Classroom Setting For Students With Autism: A Systematic Replication In An Alternative School Based Setting, Hayley Getz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of implementing the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) and Skill Based Treatment (SBT) in an alternative classroom setting with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is much existing research that supports both in a clinical setting, however the school setting is lacking in research. The goal of this study was to teach three students with ASD who engage in challenging behaviors an appropriate way to communicate their needs, how to tolerate the removal of a preferred toy or activity, and to follow educational instructions instead of …

Criminal Justice Update - January 2025, Mia Agudelo

Criminal Justice Updates

The Criminal Justice Update is a monthly newsletter created by the Adams County Bar Foundation Fellow providing updates in criminal justice policy coming from Pennsylvania's courts and legislature as well as the US Supreme Court.

Contents:

• Updates from PA Governor's Office (no updates this month)
• Updates from the PA Legislature (no updates this month)
• Updates from the Courts
• U.S. Supreme Court: Criminal Law & Procedure
• PA Supreme Court: Criminal Law & Procedure
• PA Superior Court: Criminal Law & Procedure

Perspectives Of Disabled Angelenos, Brianne Gilbert

StudyLA Reports

StudyLA’s Angeleno Poll is the largest general social survey of any metropolitan area in urban America.

For more than a decade, the Angeleno Poll has provided an important overview of quality-of-life perceptions, economic concerns, overall life satisfaction, and opinions on various civic issues, capturing trends over demography, geography, and time. Since 2014, more than 24,000 residents have completed the survey, resulting in thousands of hours of meaningful conversations about the future of the region

Newsletter, Wku Staff Senate

Staff Council

Newsletter created by WKU Staff Council to report on work accomplished.

The 1920s Klan, More Than Just The South: A Historiographical And Pedagogical Assessment, Nicolas Soucy

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay..............................3

II. Primary Source Documents.........16

III. Textbook Critique.........................28

IV. Textbook Rewrite.........................31

Childhood Trauma And The Emergence Of Precognitive Abilities: A Correlational Study, Kirsten Cameron, Jenny Wade

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This study addresses the scientific tendency to misattribute the higher levels of belief in extra-sensory perception (ESP) of adult survivors of childhood trauma to cognitive errors when they may be a result of actual experience with ESP. Dissociative tendencies may contribute to precognition, which would be an adaptive skill for children living in unpredictable and traumatic environments. This study investigated the correlation between self-reported childhood abuse and neglect and precognitive abilities in 227 adults. The participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, comprising subscales measuring emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and physical and emotional neglect, and completed four online tasks measuring …

Emergency Shift To Remote Cbt: Clinicians’ Evolving Experiences, Angela Flanagan M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote health services have surged in popularity. This study focuses on the initial experiences of CBT psychologists previously untrained in telehealth during the emergency shift to remote therapy, and how these attitudes and experiences have evolved over the last four years. Participants included nine licensed clinical psychologists previously untrained in remote therapy who were practicing CBT treatment for at least two years before the pandemic. This phenomenological qualitative research design involved semi-structured interviews with these nine psychologists. The analysis revealed three main interpretive themes: (1) Experiences Related to the Human Factor, (2) Experiences …

Addressing Physical Space Needs Of Neurodivergent Students, Mary Francis

Research & Publications

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Sleepiness, Dopamine, And Food Impulsivity, Rae Mears, Katherine Blaire, Maria Duque, Dayton Keffer, Sofia Taylor, Ally Tingen

Research and Creativity Symposium

This research investigates the role of sleepiness and dopamine function (measured by spontaneous eye blink rate; sEBR), in impulsive action toward food stimuli. Analysis of Go/NoGo performance suggests that participants were more impulsive toward food stimuli compared to non-food stimuli. In addition, there was a curvilinear relationship between sleepiness and high calorie NoGo accuracy, where those who were moderately sleepy tended to be most impulsive. sEBR did not correlate to either sleepiness or Go/NoGo performance.

Understanding The Nexus Between Food Insecurity And School Readiness: A Comprehensive Analysis In Ghana, Michael Atuahene Djan, Emmanuel Yeboah, Isaac Sarfo, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, Abraham Okrah, Desmond Nii Ayitey Mettle-Nunoo, Ben Emunah Aikins, Asante Vincent Antwi, Clement Issaka Anaba, Clement Kwang

School of Global Integrative Studies: Faculty Publications

This study delves into the multifaceted challenges of food insecurity and its profound impact on school readiness among children in Ghana. Utilizing data from the Ghana Statistical Service and the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis, and employing ArcGIS for spatial analysis, the research maps high food insecurity areas and overlays population density to prioritize interventions. Findings reveal a stark concentration of food insecurity in northern Ghana, worsened by adverse weather conditions, underscoring the urgency for targeted interventions. The study highlights how food insecurity extends beyond nutritional deficits, affecting socio-economic structures and family dynamics. Children in food-insecure households face significant …

Debating Member-Checks Of Exceptional Human Experiences, James Houran, Everton De Oliveira Maraldi, Beth M. Houran

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This integrative essay reflects on member-checking and engaged research approaches in the study of exceptional human experiences (EHEs)—subjective accounts that often challenge conventional views of consciousness and physical reality. Member-checking, or inviting research participants to review data or interpretations, can improve credibility by aligning research with their lived experience. While benefits include transparency and insight, risks include confirmatory bias, emotional distress, power asymmetries, and logistical complexity. The evolving nature of EHEs further complicates participant validation. We therefore advocate a six-level "fit-for-purpose" system to balance rigor with ethical care and responsiveness. We also explore digital, asynchronous, and AI-assisted strategies to enhance …

The Filipino Experience Of Kutob: Understanding Culturally-Informed Hyper-Intuition, Carl Lorenz Gaston Cervantes

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Kutob is a Filipino concept that usually refers to a sense of what may happen. It is often experienced as an omen of negative events. Despite its apparent ubiquity in everyday conversations, there is a lack of sincere academic reflection surrounding the topic of kutob. Relying on foreign (that is, western) approaches and frameworks to understand this concept may only limit it to certain categories of psychological thought. In this paper, I use the lens of indigenous psychology—in particular, Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology)—to identify the nuances and contexts of kutob. I show how kutob is a function of the dynamic …

Integral And Transpersonal Education, Heidi Fraser Hageman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

N/A

Teaching In The Transpersonal Paradigm, Christopher M. Bache

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article explores the transpersonal dynamics of teaching by presenting two core themes of The Living Classroom: 1) the synchronicities and energetic resonances that radiated invisibly around me as my spiritual practice deepened over time and 2) the “learning fields” that surround well-taught courses—fields of collective consciousness that can trigger new insights and powerful transformations in our students.

Process-Oriented: A Creative Approach To Transformative Learning, Dorit Netzer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

In this intrinsic case study, the author explores the value of creative expression as a process-oriented approach to transformative learning through her experience of designing and facilitating a graduate art-therapy studio workshop. The author grounds her teaching in a humanistic view of creativity and transpersonal, transformative learning theories pertaining to expressive ways of knowing. Excerpts from one group of students’ responses to the course in terms of its impact on their personal-professional identity were grouped under four major themes: Purposeful Encounter; Authenticity; Expressive Mediums for Self-Care; and Shared Discovery. Conclusions from this case may be relevant to other educational settings …

Millennium School: An Experiment In Transpersonal Education For Early Adolescents, Jenny Wade

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article describes the design, curriculum, culture, and values of an experiment in transpersonal education for young adolescents, the Millennium middle school in San Francisco, CA. The overarching design of the school was to help children exiting the latency period of child development, who exhibit the rudiments of Wade’s Authentic consciousness or Maslow’s Self-actualization motive stage, consolidate that level rather than losing it, as the vast majority do, because of social pressures that make earlier stages of development more adaptable in most contemporary societies. Early adolescence is a time when peer pressure, individuation from the family, and puberty are strong …

Book Review "Processing Reality: Finding Meaning In Death, Psychedelics And Sobriety," By John H. Buchanan, Christopher M. Aanstoos

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

N/A

Transpersonal Education: A Glimmer Of Light To Compulsory Education?, Scott Buckler, Harriett Moore

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Arguably transpersonal education is still in its infancy in relation to defining the area and from this, implementing into practice. While broad themes exist, such themes tend to apply to graduate or postgraduate education. The purpose of this article is to revisit definitions of transpersonal education in relation to compulsory schooling (elementary school through to the end of secondary school). From this, a series of principles and practices have been identified and presented to educators and students for validation purposes. Although a range of transpersonal practices are discussed, the implementation of a martial art inspired ‘Mindful Movement Program’ is introduced …

Teaching For Transpersonal Learning, Paul F. Cunningham

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article addresses the “why,” “what,” and “how” of teaching for transpersonal learning. Why transpersonal education is relevant for addressing modern social problems and the global ecological crisis, what it is like to teach for transpersonal learning, and how transpersonal learning becomes transformative are discussed. Three promising options in technology and consciousness studies for transpersonal learning—transpersonal media, multistate studies, and entheogenic education—are described and the challenges of introducing transpersonal education into academic settings and assessing educational (student) learning outcomes are reviewed. The relevance of Mezirow’s Transformation Theory to transpersonal educational psychology, with special attention to ecological perspective transformation, is then …

How Widely Are Near-Death Experiences Recognized In Indian Society And Health Care? A Preliminary Survey, Jimmy Mathew, Sreelakshmi Rajeev, Jerry Paul, Subramnia Iyer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Patients who have had near-death experiences are often profoundly changed by the event, and they and their families can find these phenomena bewildering or even distubing. Despite this, awareness of near-death experiences appears to be minimal among health care providers in India. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 individuals who attend patients at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi, Kerala, India, and with 100 physicians at the same institution. Acquaintance with the phenomenon of near-death experiences was found to be quite low among both samples—lower than rates seen in Western societies. Almost half of the physicians who …

Creative Practice As A Form Of Stress Coping: Psychological And Physiological Mechanisms, Clare Foster

Psychology Honors Papers

The primary purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between perceived stress, cortisol levels, and a creative flow state. A creative flow state is a state in which a person is so engrossed in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; time is irrelevant and seems to pass quickly and the activity holds all attention without distraction or interruption. The primary hypothesis in this study was that regular engagement with flow inducing activities counteracts an increased level of stress as the school semester progresses. Eight participants were recruited and given a preliminary survey where they were …