Psychology Commons^™

Perspectives Of Corporate Instructional Design Experts On Effectiveness, Personal Traits And Attributes, And Technology, Thomas A. Gant

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological descriptive study explored corporate instructional design experts' perspectives on effectiveness, personal traits and attributes, and technology that enhance their expertise. Three central themes emerged: "Mastering Instructional Design: The Journey of Continuous Learning and Skill Development," highlighting the importance of mentorship, lifelong learning, and professional development; "Accessing Instructional Design Expertise Through Individual Strengths," emphasizing adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy; and "Navigating Technological Integration and Innovation in Instructional Design," showcasing the transformative role of tools such as virtual reality, learning management systems, and authoring software. Semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom with 10 corporate instructional designers with at least 10 years …

The Demand For Educational Functions Of Study Tour Products: From Students’ Perspectives, Yaqi Yu, Azizan Marzuki

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Few academic studies have comprehensively examined the actual demands of students regarding the educational function of study tours. This paper develops a demand index system based on three dimensions: cognitive, affective, and behavioral demands. A questionnaire survey was administered to 397 students. Initially, student demands were categorized using the Kano model. Subsequently, the “dependence” and “expectancy” characteristics were analyzed through the dissatisfaction index (DI) and satisfaction index (SI). The impact of fulfilling each demand on dissatisfaction and satisfaction levels was then determined. The results indicated that among the three dimensions, there were 7 must-be demands, 6 one-dimensional demands, 8 attractive …

The Boston Metco Program: Recent Alumni Experiences And Educational Equity, Maya Hernandez

Honors Theses

This project focuses on contemporary school integration practices by examining, in particular, the Boston METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity Inc) program and the experiences of its recent alumni. The METCO program, the United States’ longest-running voluntary school desegregation program, was created in 1966 to give students of color from the city of Boston better educational opportunities by busing them to the surrounding suburbs for school. To this day, it is a program meant to expand educational opportunities, increase diversity, and reduce racial isolation, by permitting students from Boston to attend public schools beyond district lines, in the suburbs. My …

Nothing Short Of Superheroic: A Quantitative Study Of Lifetime Exposure To Superhero Comic Book Media As A Predictor Of Attitudes Towards Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Michael Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the relationship between lifetime exposure to superhero comic book media and attitudes toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Drawing on theories of identity formation—transitional objects, parasocial relationships, and cultivation theory—it investigated whether engagement with superhero narratives predicted DEI attitudes. Using quantitative methods, data from 499 U.S. adults were collected via Qualtrics. Two instruments were used: the Lifetime Superhero Comic Book Media Exposure Scale (LSES) and the Intolerant Schema Measure (ISM), which assessed prejudice across race, gender, sexuality, class, age, and religion. Multiple linear regression revealed that superhero media exposure significantly predicted ISM scores (B = 0.118, …

Intersectional Opportunities For Drama Therapy And Counseling, Erica Craig-Mann

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the intersectional possibilities between the fields of drama therapy and mental health counseling through the lens of transformative learning theory. Specifically, the research sought to understand the lived experiences of professionals trained in both disciplines to identify how these fields might mutually inform, strengthen, and enhance one another through collaboration and/or dual training. Data were collected through a qualitative online survey and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: (a) Theoretical and Practical Overlaps and Distinctions; (b) Drama Therapy-Informed Counseling: Embodiment, Creativity, and Experiential Practice; (c) Counseling-Informed Drama Therapy: Frameworks for Practice, …

Creating A General Psychology Curriculum That Embeds Humane Education, Kristina Marie Pham

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Academic freedom is under attack in the United States, hindering the ability of educators to develop critical thinking skills in students to prepare them for their roles as participating members of a democracy. The inquiry that informed the curriculum development is as follows: How to embed Humane Education and Participatory Action Research into a General Psychology class? The theoretical framework of Humane Education was the basis for utilizing the principles of Participatory Action Research in the General Psychology curriculum co-created with rural community college students. The Backward Design Model was chosen because the curriculum was created using an existing General …

Mental Heath Experiences Of Transracial Adoptees Of The Global Majority (Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color - Bipoc)., Phebe Brako

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of transracial adoptees of the global majority (BIPOC), focusing on their bicultural identity integration and its impact on mental health. During semi-structured interviews, nine participants shared their stories of navigating cultural and racial dynamics as adoptees in predominantly White adoptive families and communities. The findings revealed six core themes: (1) the Quest for Bicultural Identity Formation, (2) Cultural Integration and Adaptation, (3) Navigating Racial and Cultural Tensions, (4) the Role of Family in Cultural Integration, (5) the Importance of Community and Support Systems, and (6) Mental Health and Therapeutic Experiences, addressing …

Theories Of Child Development & Theories Of Religious And Spiritual Development (Rsd) In Children, Marjorie Lindner Gunnoe

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This essay introduces readers to the foundational theories of child development and the ways in which these theories have been applied or extended to children’s religious and spiritual development (RSD). By “foundational theories,” I mean the theories introduced in the opening chapters of developmental textbooks. This essay is not a theological critique of psychological theories (for this, see Gunnoe, 2022), nor a “state of the field” review of RSD (for this, see Boyatzis, 2023). Rather, it is a primer on the broad theoretical approaches that scaffold contemporary research on RSD.

The Effect Of Need For Closure, Gender Essentialism, And Contact On Transphobia, Jacob E. Vargas

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using a motivated social cognition framework, this study explores whether there is an indirect effect of need for closure on transphobia via gender essentialism and whether this relationship is moderated by transgender contact. Data were collected from an undergraduate sample of 405 cisgender participants (n_men = 159, n_women = 246). A simple mediation and a moderated mediation were used to examine the hypothesized relationships, controlling for participant gender. Results reinforced the positive correlation between gender essentialism and transphobia and the negative correlation between transgender contact and transphobia. However, the mediation and moderation hypotheses were not supported. Need …

(In)Attention To Attractive Brand Alternatives, Danielle J. Brick, Veronica L. Thomas

Marketing Faculty Publications

Understanding how consumers maintain their brand relationships has important implications for marketers as committed consumers contribute significant value to firms. In the present research, we propose and test one such way consumers protect their brand relationships, namely through attentional avoidance of attractive alternative partners. Across multiple studies, we find support for our theory that committed consumers avoid attending to alternative brand partners by recalling less about and spending less time focused on attractive alternatives. We further find that this inattention occurs because consumers view the competing brand as a threat to the consumer’s current relationship. In addition, we investigate a …

Investigating The Effect Of Ai Use Disclosure And Identity On Faculty Evaluation, Nchimunya Mwiinga

Honors Program Theses

This study examines how professors' disclosure of artificial intelligence (AI) use affects student evaluations and whether these effects vary by professor ethnicity and gender. Participants reviewed identical course materials attributed to professors varying in gender and ethnicity (Asian, Black, Hispanic), with half explicitly disclosing AI use in material preparation. Results revealed that professors who disclosed AI use received significantly lower ratings across all evaluation dimensions. Furthermore, ethnicity interacted significantly with disclosure—Asian professors experienced the most substantial negative impact, Hispanic professors showed moderate negative effects, and Black professors demonstrated minimal differences between disclosure conditions. No significant gender effects were observed. These …

Encouraging Selection Of Effective Learning Strategies, Kaya Easley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

College students have difficulty selecting effective learning strategies, often due to their perceptions of cost and value of these strategies. The goal of the present study was to examine ways to increase students’ perceptions of value to outweigh their perceptions of cost to help them select an effective learning strategy (generation). Students were randomly assigned to one of five conditions in an additive design: no treatment control, experience comparing generation to a less effective learning strategy, experience plus information about its application to one’s life, experience and application plus evidence of the effectiveness of generation, or experience, application, and evidence, …

Behavior Or Diagnosis? Comparing Explicit And Implicit Biases Of School-Based Professionals Towards Adhd And Asd, Vincent Rutherford

Pomona Senior Theses

Previous research shows bias against people with ADHD and ASD both in and outside of the classroom and demonstrates that access to a diagnosis impacts educator’s beliefs about a child. ADHD and ASD have a high level of diagnostic co-occurrence, as well as symptom overlap beneath the clinical threshold. The current study uses a vignette-length description of a student, an explicit bias questionnaire, and an Implicit Association Test to assess the relationship between implicit and explicit bias, as well as how educator bias is impacted by the diagnosis they have access to. Results suggest no statistically significant differences between explicit …

Sealing The Deal: A Case Study Of A Private, Southeastern, Regional College’S Student Onboarding Practices, Alicia R. Gaston, Kristen Meyer, Tyler Ogden, Jennifer Perkinson, Casey Yocum Michaels

Doctor of Education Capstones

Each year, higher education institutions offer support to new, incoming students through an onboarding process that requires dedication and collaboration across multiple departments. Offering streamlined guidance and clear communication throughout the onboarding process is essential to ensure incoming students understand action steps without becoming overwhelmed with new terminology, processes, and environments. This explanatory case study is set to understand the current communication practices and technology use across onboarding departments at Brightside College – also referred to as Brightside or BC (pseudonym). The research team aimed to understand Brightside's onboarding staff's perspective of current processes and practices. With emphasis on the …

Birds Of A Feather: Peace And Conflict Founders Milton Schwebel And Luella Buros, Janet Carlson

Buros Center: Professional Staff Publications

Milton Schwebel, peace psychology pioneer, described Luella Buros as “a pillar of strength, her principles uneroded by age or economic well-being, her determination to struggle against social evils undiminished” (1992, p. 4). At age 90, Buros had just become the founding contributor to Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. Schwebel was its founding editor. In announcing the gift, he emphasized Buros’s steadfast commitment to pursuing peace, while recognizing her artistic accomplishments and her collaboration with her husband, Oscar, in establishing the renowned Mental Measurements Yearbook series (Buros, 1968; Buros, 1978; Carlson, 2023). She later provided funds to support …

Spanish-Speaking Interpreters’ Perspectives: How Latinx Immigrant Caregivers Navigate The Special Education Process, Lizeth B. Tomas Flores

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The study examined the experiences of Spanish-speaking interpreters working with Latinx immigrant caregivers during the special education process, their perspectives on how caregivers and the IEP professional committee members participate in the process, aiming to gain a better understanding of how Latinx immigrant families navigate the special education process. Interpreters play a crucial role in the special education process for families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as they facilitate the transmission of information between caregivers and special education teams. Interviews were conducted with six special education interpreters in a southwestern suburban school district in the United States. A qualitative …

The Impact Of Whiteness Among Black College Students' Racial Identity, La'quida Reneé Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Although the impact of racism is well-documented in both conceptual and empirical research on the experiences of Black college students, some scholars have pointed out that many of the negative, race-based experiences these students face on college campuses extend beyond overt acts of racism (e.g., individual racism, institutional racism; Gusa, 2010; Hargons et al., 2022; Ingram & Wallace, 2019; Le et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2011; Tyler et al., 2022). Whiteness has been identified as an overt factor shaping the lived experiences of Black individuals (Leonardo, 2009; Matias, 2016; Tyler et al., 2022) and is, therefore, believed to impact …

We Know The Odds Aren't Ever In Our Favor: Toward An Understanding Of White Privilege Deprivation Amongst Black Individuals And The Initial Validation Of The White Privilege Deprivation Scale, Jennifer Burris

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Social science scholarship acknowledges that disparities affecting Black people in the United States are rooted in historical race-based oppression (Black & Stone, 2005; Borell, Barnes, & McCreanor, 2018; Harrell, 2000; Mills, 1997). Yet little is understood about the ways Black people psychologically experience being denied the social privileges conferred upon Whites (i.e., White privilege). The belief that White privilege exists, along with the perceptions that Black people as a group are systematically deprived of benefits conferred upon Whites, could expose Black people to negative psychological and psychosocial experiences. As such, White privilege deprivation (the belief one is denied the social …

From Street Codes To School Codes: Transformative Educational Intervention For Gang Affiliated Student. An Active Research Study, Alexandra Saldivar

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Gang-affiliated youth face significant challenges in educational and community settings, often resulting in lower graduation rates, limited career opportunities, and an increased risk for behavioral problems. While gang activity on school campuses has increased in recent years, there is limited research and little effort specifically tailored to meet the needs of this vulnerable population. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the WhyTry intervention, a resilience-focused program designed for at-risk populations, modified with additional counseling and a gang-intervention emphasis to address the unique challenges gang-affiliated students face. The study explores whether the modified WhyTry program can improve academic performance, …

The Emotional Burden Of Teaching: Understanding And Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress In Middle School Teachers, Lisa Marie Lazansky-Roach

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) has been extensively documented in helping professions such as healthcare and social work, but its impact on teachers, particularly middle school educators in high-need, low-income districts, remains underexplored. This three-manuscript dissertation examines the prevalence, predictors, and support of STS in this population.

The first study uses a quantitative survey to measure STS severity among 6th–8th grade teachers to assess how it relates to demographic characteristics, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, and teaching experience. Results indicate that a substantial proportion of teachers experience moderate to severe STS, with race emerging as a significant predictor. The second study analyzes …

Race Into The Future: Counselor Educators' Experiences Training With An Antiracist Pedagogy, Darita Rose Grays

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role of counselor educators in incorporating an antiracist pedagogy to prepare counselors-in-training to work as culturally competent counselors with all clients, with emphasis on marginalized groups. The research examines the lived experiences of counselor educators, focusing on how their personal and professional journeys influence their approach to integrating antiracist teaching strategies in counselor education programs. It highlights the critical need to address and acknowledge racism within counselor training while emphasizing the importance of developing an antiracist identity among both educators and trainees. The study further explores the potential of antiracist pedagogy in fostering a more inclusive, …

Path Analysis Of Person, Socio-Cognitive, Environmental Factors On International Counseling Students’ Researcher Development, Priyanka Jha

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Counseling and counselor education programs consider researcher development as a core component of professional development, preparing students and scholars to contribute to knowledge and evidence-based practices in the field. Despite this importance, researcher development remains understudied, especially for international graduate students in counseling and counselor education programs. Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory framework, this dissertation quantitively examined the impact of person, socio-cognitive, and environmental factors on researcher development for international graduate students. This study was correlational in nature and adopted a cross-sectional survey design. The sample for the current study was 85 international graduate students or recent graduate …

Teachers’ Perspectives On Behavioral Classroom Expectations Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Jennifer E. Brewer

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was that adolescents with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) were failing in general education courses. The purpose was to investigate how teachers’ perceptions and biases influenced EBD students. Participants included five teachers (two special education teachers and three general education teachers) from each of Grades 6, 7, and 8 recruited from social media. The study was guided by the case study research design, and the interview instrument was the Indepth Interview Protocol. Data analysis was guided by a coding system that facilitated searching the interview responses for themes.

Research Question 1 queried about forms …

40 Years Passing By In (A) “Heartbeat”, Christopher Janney

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This article outlines the forty-year history go Christopher Janney’s iconic performance work “HeartBeat.” Trained as an architect and jazz musician, Janney combines these two disciplines to create large interactive light/sound installations and performances. On the one hand, he attempts to make architecture more like music, more “alive” using real-time sensing devices as on his “Harmonic Convergence” installation on the Miami International Airport. On the other hand, he attempts to make music more like architecture, more physical more visual. In his “HeartBeat” performance, a dancer wears a heartbeat device that amplifies his/her heartbeat in “real time.” Over this pulse, live musicians …

Yoga Sūtra Book Four And The Yogabindu, Christopher Key Chapple

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

Four themes from the fourth pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra are examined here: karma (IV:2-13), individuality (IV:16), humility (IV:20-22), and freedom (IV:29-34). Affirmations and variant interpretations of these four are provided from Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu, most likely composed a century or two later.

Collective Karma: From The Yogasūtra To Taylor Swift, Zoë Slatoff

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

The Indian knowledge traditions speak at length about karma, which is divided into three categories—accumulated (saṃcita), ripe (prārabdha), and future (kriyamāṇa). While much is said about our individual karma and how it affects our repeated reincarnation in cyclic existence, how does this affect others and how do others affect us? In other words, as this paper explores, what is our reciprocal and collective karma?

Painting Liberation: A Visual Ontology Of The Interplay Of Mind And Consciousness In Book Four Of The Yoga Sūtras, Melissa Townsend

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This presentation explores how artistic practice can illuminate philosophical questions about the nature of mind, consciousness, and liberation as articulated in Book Four of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Through a series of paintings that visually translate these sūtras, I propose that art offers a unique, experiential means of engaging with the complex relationship between citta (mind) and puruṣa (consciousness).

The paintings function as a form of “visual ontology,” inviting viewers to engage with abstract philosophical concepts in a sensory, tangible way. By depicting the interplay between the mutable processes of the mind and the unchanging awareness of consciousness, these …

How Marriage And Family Therapy Graduate Programs Awaken, Develop, And Teach Clinical Intuition: A Hermeneutic Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Jessica Fountas

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This research explored how marriage and family therapy graduate programs awaken, develop, and teach clinical intuition. Using criterion-based sampling and snowball sampling, six licensed marriage and family therapists participated in a two-step hermeneutic phenomenological study consisting of individual semistructured interviews and a follow-up focus group. Requirements for participation were licensed marriage and family therapists who were in clinical practice, had experienced the phenomenon of clinical intuition and awakening of clinical intuition, and used clinical intuition in therapy with clients and in systemic supervision with supervisees. The research findings highlighted 14 themes: Reflection of the Experience of Clinical Intuition; Bodily Knowing, …

A Pedagogy Of Self: A Critical Autoethnography Evaluating The Self And The Lessons Of Exposure, Experience, Action, And Inaction, Jeremy Grisham

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation is a critical autoethnography, which evaluates a lifetime of experience through the lens of an educational theory in critical pedagogy, and two psychological theories in liberation psychology and feminist therapy. These theoretical frameworks will help me evaluate how the lessons of my life have acted in both oppressive ways, and ways in which I have supported and benefited from systemic oppression. This research demonstrates that the existence of my own diagnosed psychopathologies, which have provided symptomatic pressures, have ultimately stemmed from systemic pressures, even those systems of which I have inherently benefited. Through this research, I conclude that …

Cultivating Empathy: A Content Analysis Of Empathic Themes In Best-Selling Children's Books, Elnaz J. Afousi

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the presence and nature of empathic content in best-selling children’s picture books, with a focus on developmental relevance for preschool-aged readers. Using a modified version of the iEPIC empathy coding system, 10 titles from the New York Times best-seller list were analyzed to assess the frequency and complexity of three empathy-related constructs: Emotion or State Description (ESD), Exploring Emotion or State (EES), and Empathic Understanding or Concern (EUC). Results indicate that while all books contained some empathy-related content, ESD3 (self-reflective emotional descriptions) and EUC2/EUC4 (understanding and helping others) were most prevalent, suggesting an emphasis on both intrapersonal …