Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Self-Imposed Barriers On African Americans Successes, Pennie L. Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers and economists have argued that the economic and social stagnation of African Americans is the result of their lack of self-confidence, initiative, and commitment toward their own advancement. This qualitative study examined whether historical conditioning and personal experiences have created a hypersensitivity in this population to events triggering behaviors that mirror the success fearing personality when seeking social, economic, and political advancement. It used Zuckerman and Allison's fear of success scale to identify the range of success fearing in 30 African American men and women aged 35 years or more; this group was also interviewed regarding their lived experiences …

The Emotional Impact On Elderly Spouses Who Placed Their Loved Ones In Long-Term, Barbara Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aging may bring mental and/or physical decline. There may come a point when a loved

one needs long-term care in a nursing home. The purpose of this phenomenological study

was to examine the community dwelling spouses' emotional state. A study was

conducted with 10 individuals (5 men and 5 women) who had a spouse in long-term

nursing care. Inclusion criteria was to be at least 65-years old, have been married at least

30 years, and reside alone in his or her own home. The social emotional selectivity theory

and the construct of boundary ambiguity were applied to view the epoch. …

Massage Therapy Effects On Pain And Distress/Anxiety In Breast Cancer Patients, Tanya Brigitte Buchrieser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pain and distress/anxiety are likely to result from breast cancer and/or the medical treatment associated with this illness. Breast cancer researchers have focused on massage therapy and its influence on pain and distress in breast cancer patients; however, these research efforts were limited by small sample sizes, homogeneous populations, and small to medium effect sizes. This study explores the effectiveness of massage therapy for decreasing pain and distress in a larger, heterogeneous population of breast cancer patients and across all durations and frequencies of treatment by pooling the findings of former studies. The gate control theory which relates to the …

Reasons For Living And Self-Reported Suicidal Behavior Among A Sample Of U.S. Army Personnel, Deborah Elaine Willis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicidal Behavior in the U.S. Army is a problem that persists despite significant efforts to promote help-seeking behaviors and the investment of millions of dollars to develop resilience-building interventions. Evidence-based literature supports the use of reasons for living as a protective factor against suicidal behavior in clinical and nonclinical samples, yet it has rarely been studied in an active duty (AD) Army population. This study examined the relationship between self-reported reasons for living and self-reported suicidal behavior, to determine if high levels of reasons for living correlated with low risk of suicidal behavior, over and above demographics, depression, stressful life …

A Comparative Analysis Of Mississippi Rural Schools' Abstinence-Only And Abstinence Plus Programs, Alonzo Jeffrey Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The predominately rural state of Mississippi responded to high teenage pregnancy rates by enacting a 2011 law requiring school districts to choose between an abstinence-only and an abstinence-plus program for their high schools. However, there is limited extant research on Mississippi's sex education policies, creating a research gap that inhibits developing successful programs to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. There is specifically a need to compare the two types of allowed programs with a focus on rural areas. This study compared programs by examining students' abstinent sexual attitudes, social norms, self-efficacy, sexual abstinence behaviors, and perceived effectiveness of sexual education and …

Adult Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction Among Men Who Experienced Childhood Abuse, Selisha Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiences of childhood physical and sexual abuse among men have not been sufficiently studied because many men are not forthcoming about experiences of abuse. This abuse is linked to aggressive behaviors, difficulty developing and maintaining close relationships, and various psychological disorders. Current research has not fully examined relationships between childhood abuse, adult attachment, and levels of relationship satisfaction among men. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to evaluate the relationship between adult attachment as measured by the Relationship Scales Questionnaire and relationship satisfaction as measured by the Couples Satisfaction Index among men abused during childhood. Bowlby's theory of …

Bereavement And Parents Who Have Experienced The Sudden Death Of A Child, Thomas Brian Fulbrook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In studies, grief due to the loss of a child is recognized as a complex process, one whose trajectory is influenced by a variety of factors. One factor, the age of the child at the time of death, may be an important influence in the trajectory of grief. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of loss for 15 bereaved mothers and fathers whose children suddenly died between the ages of 2 and 12 years. This age range was selected to explore bereavement in parents of young and preteen children because they may feel a …

Resonating Personality Types For Couples: An Enneagram Application For Predicting Marital Satisfaction, Douglas George Carpenter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce. Researchers have attempted to identify factors that help marriages endure by studying personality, attachment styles, and gender. However, few researchers have examined how dyadic interactions of personality types and attachment types influence marital satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of enneagram personality types on marital satisfaction within 3 groups of attachment types: couples who (a) both demonstrate a secure attachment style, (b) contain one member who demonstrates an insecure attachment style and the other who demonstrates a secure attachment style, and (c) both demonstrate …

Media Literacy Education Exposure Related To Self-Esteem, Body Esteem, And Sociocultural Ideals In College Students And Graduates, Tammy Stargardt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of eating disorders (ED) in the United States has increased while the media consistently presents thinner representations of the body. Scholars have found media to negatively influence factors associated with the development of EDs. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional survey design study was to explore relationships between exposure levels to MLE and self-esteem, body esteem, and the internalization societal appearance ideals. Participants included undergraduate students or recent graduates majoring in either communications or an alternative major with comparatively less MLE curriculum. The Body Esteem Scale, Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-3, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Surveys were …

The Correlation Among Personality Characteristics, Stress, And Coping Of Caregivers Of Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Natasha O'Connor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research on the coping strategies of direct support professional caregivers working with the intellectually disabled (ID) and developmentally disabled (DD). The study was guided by Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) theory of the transactional model of stress and coping. The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a correlation among the independent variables of coping and personality characteristics with stress as the dependent variable. A convenience sample of 69 professional caregivers was used. Data were collected using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, NEO-FFI-3, and a demographic questionnaire. A correlational analysis was conducted …

Hiv Stigma Within Religious Communities In Rural India, Krutarth J. Vyas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of HIV/AIDS-related stigma within religious communities in rural Gujarat, India. This study used the hidden distress model of HIV stigma and the HIV peer education model as conceptual frameworks to examine a rural population sample of 100 participants. Regression analysis was conducted to test if school education had a moderating effect on the relationship between illness as punishment for sin (IPS) and HIV stigma. Religiosity was tested for mediating effects on the relationship between early religious involvement (ERI) and HIV stigma. The results of this study indicated that single unemployed men …

Examining The Relationships Among Vicarious Trauma, Health Behaviors, And Maladaptive Coping, Stephanie Louise Waitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vicarious trauma can impact anyone working with a traumatized person. The constructivist self-development theory asserts that vicarious trauma can negatively distort how the helper thinks about the world and can cause increased stress. Researchers have explored stress and coping models and have studied how increased stress can negatively impact coping and health behaviors. However, researchers have not explored how vicarious trauma, coping, and health behaviors are related. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships among vicarious trauma, health behaviors (healthy eating, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and risky drinking), and maladaptive coping. The study sample consisted of …

Implications Of Maternal Perpetrated Interparent Violence For The Behavior Of Female Adolescents: A Phenomenological Study, Georgette Merlena Percy Hinds

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interparent violence (IPV) is a global family issue. Witnessing IPV confuses children and adolescents about the parental relationship. Adolescent females often perceived fathers as strong and depend on them for safety, security, and support. It is unclear how witnessing maternal perpetrated IPV (MPIPV) affects adolescent females' socialization and development, the perception they have of their fathers, and the meaning they ascribe to father abuse. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to contribute to the literature, provide an understanding of MPIPV implications for adolescent females' social development, and bring more awareness to the lived experiences of witnessing MPIPV. Social learning, …

Perception Of Anal Hpv Infection By Hiv-Positive Men Practicing Male-Male-Sex, Philecia Simone Mullings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a preventable, sexually transmitted infection whose prevalence has been rising dramatically among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States since 2008. The HPV infection rate for MSM is rising even faster for MSM who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and for those who have developed acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is not clear whether MSM in general and MSM with HIV have the knowledge necessary to prevent infection of themselves and their partners. This phenomenological study explored the knowledge, health perceptions, attitudes, and norms of the community of …

The Effect Of Healing Touch Therapy For Youth Diagnosed With Reactive Attachment Disorder, Kelli Stiles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD), a disorder marked by a severe disruption in developmental attachment, is most often diagnosed in youth who have received substandard or negligent care from their primary caregiver. Such youth have increased risk of behavioral and emotional issues as well as future relationship problems; they generally do not respond to traditional evidence-based practices of therapy. The present study examined the use of the biofield energy practice of Healing Touch (HT) as a viable therapeutic option for improved quality of life for youth diagnosed with RAD. A quantitative, quasi-experimental research study using secondary data was conducted. Eligible participants …

South-Asian American And Asian-Indian Americans Parents: Children's Education And Parental Participation, Sahil Ashwin Shah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental participation supports students' academic success and increases positive peer interactions. Prior to the 1980s, parental participation was viewed as a unidimensional construct; however, it has since been understood as a multidimensional one. Studies from Epstein have demonstrated that culture, community, and family structures are some of the many factors that affect parental participation. In addition, Huntsinger and Jose have demonstrated that Asian-American parents participate in their children's education differently than do European Americans, yet research has not examined the specificities of South-Asian Americans' (SAAs) and Asian-Indian Americans' (AIAs) parental involvement. There are 6 recognized methods that parents can use …

Adhd And Multiple Intelligences: Does A Pattern Exist?, Kathleen Mettler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has typically been treated with a deficits-based response while most research has ignored any intelligence differences between the subtypes, despite differing symptomology. This quantitative study explored whether or not a distinct pattern of intelligences existed within each of the subtypes or presentations of ADHD: inattentive (IT), hyperactive (HT), and combined (CT). Using Gardner's multiple intelligences theory, data were collected via an online, self-administered survey from a sample of 132 participants, over 18 years of age, with IT, HT, and CT ADHD. The goal was to identify the most predominant of 8 different strengths or intelligences. …

Retention Rates Of Puerto Rican Women In Treatment For Substance Abuse And Mental Health Issues, Eva Millan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individual factors may impact the retention rate of Puerto Rican women in treatment for mental health and substance abuse-related issues. The purpose of this research was to examine the demographic factors that may contribute to the low retention rate of Puerto Rican women in treatment for mental health and substance abuse. The theory of reasoned action was implicit in the intervention. Data were collected from 120 Puerto Rican women enrolled in an addiction center. The following demographic factors were chosen from prior treatment records: age at first chemical abuse, whether the participant was a child of an alcoholic, level of …

Risk Factors Associated With Depression And Anxiety In Older Adults Of Mexican Origin, Raquel Estrada Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adults of Mexican origin are often underserved, especially those residing in nursing homes. Their number has increased in the past 4 years. There is a gap in the research literature on Hispanic elders, specifically those of Mexican origin, residing in nursing homes along the Texas-Mexico border. Because Texas has one of the fastest growing populations of Mexican elders, it is important to better understand this population. This nonexperimental study evaluated the relationship among risk factors' such as gender, marital status, family support, activities of daily living (ADLs) and participation in nursing home activities. These relationships were evaluated with a …

Social Skills Comparison Of Online And Traditional High School Students, Jo Shaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online education has evolved over the last 18 years as technology continues to advance. Starting at age 5, children are able to forego traditional classrooms and begin attending school from a computer in their homes. Research has not identified significant academic differences between traditional and online schools; however, there is limited research on differences in social competency in these settings. Bandura's social learning theory was used as a framework to compare social competency skills in traditional (n = 113) and online (n = 28) high school students living in Pennsylvania using the Social Skills Inventory (SSI). Participants were recruited using …

Bystander Effect Of Workplace Bullying, Perceived Organizational Support, And Work Engagement, Monica May Christianson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace environments and the dynamics that exist within them affect everyone involved, especially coworkers. Although research has investigated how workplace bullying impacts its victims and the organization, little research has examined the effects of workplace bullying from the role of the bystander. Fewer have investigated how Perceived of Organizational Support (POS) may affect the employee's work engagement of those witnesses. The goal of this quantitative study was to determine the effect of POS on work engagement in the employees who witness workplace bullying. An online survey was used with the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, (NAQ-R), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and …

The Impact Of Peer-Mediated Video Modeling On The Mathematics Achievement Of High School Students, Keriann Currlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant percentage of US students are not reaching expected proficiency on mathematics content. As a response, educators have been urged to use more evidence-based practices; however, due to the lack of readily available strategies, these efforts have been thwarted. In related fields, video modeling (VM) has been successful in teaching behavioral skills through edited video clips that allow target populations to observe models successfully performing featured tasks. Stemming from Bandura's social learning theory, the intent of VM is to increase the frequency of the modeled behavior through observational learning. Despite the many studies that have shown success with VM, …

Educators' Perceptions Of High-Stakes Testing In Low And High Poverty Schools, Natasha Marie Domond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the development and implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, educators have received pressure from local, state, and federal policyholders for students to achieve academically and for schools to make adequate yearly progress to avoid state and federal sanctions. The purpose of this study was to examine educators' perceptions of the effects of high-stakes testing and the accountability policies in high poverty and low poverty schools. The theoretical frameworks were conservation of resources theory, jobs demands-resources model, and job autonomy and control theory. Research questions focused on understanding educators' perception of high-stakes testing regarding curricula, …

The Impact Of Crisis Alleviation Lessons And Methods Program On Injuries In Healthcare, Andra Lynn Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Crisis Alleviation Lessons and Methods -© (CALM), as a behavioral crisis management program, was effective in reducing patient and healthcare professional injuries in a long-term residential care setting. This research was needed due to the lack of peer-reviewed scholarly literature on the effectiveness of behavioral crisis management programs, especially on programs using both nonphysical and physical de-escalation techniques, such as CALM. An auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) time series analysis was performed to examine the effect the implementation of the CALM program (independent variable) had on the rate of injuries to …

The Effects Of Buddhist Psychological Practices On The Mental Health And Social Attitudes Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual People, Jessica Lynn Fritzges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This non-experimental, quantitative study explored the effects of the Buddhist-derived practices of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations on the wellness of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people. LGB people are at higher risk of mental illness and increased social isolation due to minority stress; Buddhist-derived mindfulness practices mediate these effects in other groups. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model of stress and coping was the theoretical model explaining how positive cognitive appraisal induced by meditation can mediate effects of stress. This study examined whether mental health scores on the Emotional Symptoms Checklist (ESC), social attitudes measured on the Unjust World Views Scale, …

An Examination Of The Differential Impact Of University/College Research Emphasis On Levels Of Counselors' Resilience, Erica Ann Handon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor resilience is the ability to transform adversity into growth opportunities that become part of the professional's identity and the core values of a counselor. However, researchers have yet to identify why some counselors exhibit higher levels of resilience while others exhibit less. Counselor resilience can be learned and nurtured at any point of an individual's development. The purpose of this study was to examine how differences within the foundational edification of a research-embedded curriculum impact a counselor's level of resilience. Participants included practicing counselors who received their counseling degrees from a 2014 U.S News and World Report (USNWR) Nationally …

Impact Of Pretreatment Self-Perceived Quality Of Life On Chronic Pain Patients, Michelle Laird

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers and practitioners have developed new treatment options for chronic pain management based on biopsychosocial models of pain known as interdisciplinary pain management programs (IPMP), which involve interdisciplinary care that integrates physical treatment with emotional, environmental, behavioral, and cognitive interventions. Despite literature documenting the effectiveness of IPMPs, patients find it difficult to obtain authorization for these programs from third party insurance payers. The purpose of this quantitative causal comparative study was to explore whether a patient's perceived quality of life after injury but prior to treatment will affect his or her success in an IPMP. This study was based in …

Perceptions Of Empty Nest Mothers From Diverse Socioeconomic Backgrounds With Boomerang Kids, Banning Kent Lary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, a growing number of young people are failing to launch into self-sufficiency, a characteristic of adulthood recognized by most cultural groups. These "boomerang children" return home and interrupt the life course development of their "empty nest" mothers who must suspend plans for self-development. How mothers from different socioeconomic backgrounds cope with this countertransitional phenomenon while preparing their children for successful relaunch is not well known. Elder's life course paradigm provided the theoretical framework for this phenomenological study. Perceptions were collected from an ethnically diverse group of 23 empty nest mothers with 30 boomerang children and seven …

A Comparison Of Dominant Intellectual Strengths And Learning Styles In College Freshmen, Jessica Mioduszewski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Remediation has become a compensatory way for an increasing number of students to attend college. The problem addressed in this study was whether student intellectual strengths and learning style preferences were, in part, related to placement or enrollment in remediation courses. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess whether a particular learning style or dominant intellectual strength was characteristic of freshmen enrolled in remediation courses compared to freshmen not enrolled in remediation courses. This study filled a gap in the literature as no studies have analyzed the combination of learning style preferences with dominant intellectual strengths in an …

Perceptions Of Leadership: Impact Of Leadership Style And Gender On Employee Motivation, Kristin Marquette Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers suggest that individuals in Corporate America have stereotypes about the ways in which men and women lead. They also have found that a leader's style and gender can impact employees' job satisfaction, performance, and engagement. However, researchers have provided little empirical evidence about the specific relationship of leadership style and gender on employee motivation. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of leadership style, as measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), and a leader's gender on employee motivation, as measured by the Work Preference Inventory (WPI). Because it was assumed that small organizations would …