Psychology Commons^™

The Experience Of Being Unsheltered In Atlanta, Ikeranda Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, it is estimated that millions of adults are homeless. Some individuals choose not to use homeless shelters or are ineligible for their use. Researchers have indicated that many unsheltered homeless are men over the age of 45 years. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences with social services providers among unsheltered men. Understanding the social networks of unsheltered homeless and the use of spirituality or faith as a resource for coping was also examined, as a significant gap exists in the research on unsheltered homeless. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 …

Identifying Supportive Education Practices For College Students With Psychological Disabilities, Lekeia Shari Sears

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with psychological disabilities who enter the post-secondary environment can struggle without proper support services. Faculty and staff members typically interact with their students as much as or more than any other post-secondary personnel. This project study explored faculty and staff members' knowledge of supportive education programs and their feelings about engaging/helping these students. Guided by Bandura's self-efficacy theory for faculty and Rogers' humanistic approach to education, which supports the need for faculty involvement and training, this study explored whether faculty and staff members feel effective in addressing these issues with students. A qualitative case study design was employed to …

The Relationship Between Stress, Coping Strategies, And Social Support Among Single Mothers, Nikitra Yvette Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have neglected to focus on understanding the relationships between stress, coping, and social support among single mothers versus mothers who are not single. Knowledge regarding how single mothers' lives are affected by stress, social support, and coping is important, and such information can help readers better understand how effectively single mothers raise children compared with mothers who are not single. A convenience sample of 173 mothers completed this study. Participants in this study consisted of mothers who were (a) raising at least one child ages 18 and under who lives in the home and (b) who were between the …

Outcomes Of Aggression Replacement Training For U.S. Adolescents In Residential Facilities, Coral Ann Ondrus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A National Survey indicated that 1.6 million adolescents in the U.S. were arrested in 2010 and 1.5 million in 2011 for erratic aggressive behaviors, thus showing a decline from the 2.18 million adolescent arrests in 2007. Residential facilities in the state of Pennsylvania offer a group intervention called Aggression Replacement Training (ART) to help adjudicated adolescents regain control of erratic behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which level of group participation in ART and certain demographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, family socioeconomic status, parental involvement, and education) predict decreased aggression and increased anger control …

Self-Evaluative Salience And Motivational Salience As Predictors Of Depressive Affect And Appearance Based Rejection Sensitivity., Mandana Toosi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the psychological effects of appearance schemas have been studied in the general population, we know little about the relation of these schemas to appearance-based rejection sensitivity. This study examined the relations among predictive variables of appearance-invested self-schemas (self-evaluative salience [SES] and motivational salience [MS]), appearance-based rejection sensitivity, and depressive affect. Self-discrepancy theory was used to theorize that when individuals experience discrepancies with self, conflict arises in self-schemas, and that this conflict relates to an increase in depressive affect and appearance-based rejection sensitivity. The sample consisted of 131 adult female college students participating in a continuing education program. Multiple regression …

Master's Students' Self-Assessment Of Competency In Grief Education And Training In Cacrep-Accredited Counseling Programs, Jane Earline Wood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counseling can promote positive outcomes for grieving clients by addressing personal loss and helping the client process their grief. However, a lack of understanding on the part of counselors of how people grieve may result in negative client outcomes such as psychological stress, poor health, or an increased risk of depression. Education and training in grief counseling can improve counselors' problem recognition and skills in treatment planning. The purpose of this study was to examine whether Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) master's degree counseling students view themselves as having been adequately trained in grief theories …

Using The Wais-Iv To Detect Malingering, Thomas E. Bybee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study used subtests of the WAIS-IV to detect evidence of malingering. Developing reliable tests for malingering could significantly reduce costs paid to malingering individuals. A within-group known-group design was used. There were 3 known-group conditions. The first group (G1) was instructed to take the tests honestly. The second group (G2) was asked to fake a cognitive disability while taking the tests. The third group (G3) took the tests while undergoing the cold-pressor method (hand immersed in cold water) of inducing pain. Analysis of variance was performed. That analysis appeared to have significant differences; post hock Bonferroni testing was done. …

Environmental Leadership: Exploring Environmental Dissonance Involving Natural Resource Consumption And Ecosystem Degradation, Thomas L. Tochterman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the corporate world, communities, and individuals become more globalized and demands on natural resources increase, a new emphasis on environmental leadership including a new pragmatic environmental ethos is needed to meet certain basic human needs of future generations. The research problem addressed in this study was the lack of knowledge concerning how environmental cognitive dissonance influences consumption practices related to inefficient resource utilization and ecosystem degradation. The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the breadth and depth of environmental cognitive dissonance among visitors to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The research questions addressed …

Personality Characteristics And Relationship Satisfaction Of Individuals Who Attended The Preparaciã³N De Novios Weekend Workshop, Rosalba Mada

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research is limited and inconsistent when identifying basic constructs that improve relationship satisfaction; there is also limited research on marriage education efforts that address effects of premarital programs on relationship satisfaction and how they are influenced by personality. Research questions in this study explored the relationship between personality characteristics and relationship satisfaction and the relationship among personality characteristics and affective communication, role orientation, problem-solving communication, aggression, family history of distress, time together, disagreement about finances, and sexual dissatisfaction, as measured with the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (5th ed.) and Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised. The family systems theory provided the theoretical foundation. …

A Comparison Of Resilience And Performance Among Returning Veterans Of The Wars In Afghanistan And Iraq, Roy T'Comas Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Helping individuals develop, foster, and maintain resilience skills is particularly important with Service members as they face multiple deployments and the stress caused by long periods of separations from home and support systems. These separations and prolonged time spent in dangerous environments with the possibility of death and injury can make soldiers more susceptible to stressors that might affect their morale and ability to perform necessary duties required in combat. This study used a quantitative research method approach to better understand how resilience influences performance outcomes among combat veterans. The study was comprised of 76 participants that have served at …

Stereotype Threat And Work Attitudes Of Older Workers, Cheryl A. Countryman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Despite an aging U. S. workforce, age discrimination at work remains an issue. Researchers have found that beliefs about the aging process affect workers' performance and attitudes. There is little research available examining this phenomenon from the perception of older workers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of 7 workers aged 55 and older regarding ageism through the theoretical framework of stereotype threat theory. Research questions focused on identifying age-related stereotypes held by the participants, the influence of those stereotypes on perceptions of aging, perception of the impact of aging on job …

The Psychological Impact Of Distal Combat On Veterans, Candrick C. Darkashade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers and military organizations have defined military conflicts as being fought in two principal combat environments, namely, close proximity, or the proximal combat environment, and distant proximity, or the distal combat environment. This study used Gal and Jones's psychological model of combat stress as the theoretical framework. The study also used Merriam's generic interpretative qualitative research method, including open-ended interviewing and document review, to obtain data. The study used inductive thematic analysis to analyze the narratives of 10 distal combat veterans who were recruited for the study. The research questions were designed to identify the characteristics of distal combat and …

Exploring Women's Lived Experiences And Expectations With In-Patient Maternity Care Within The U.S. Military Healthcare System, Michelle Ashley Recame

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Satisfaction with in-patient maternity care within the Military Healthcare System (MHS) continues to score significantly below national benchmarks when compared to civilian hospitals and doctors. Lack of independent, qualitative research in this area has left the MHS with few answers as to why patients are satisfied, but still unhappy, with specific aspects of care. Discrepancy theory was used in conjunction with grounded theory as the foundation and framework for understanding the expectations and experiences of women who have given birth in the MHS within the past year. Using grounded theory and a hermeneutical approach to interview participants, qualitative data were …

Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness, And Personal Growth Initiative Among Postpartum Women, Tamar Mary Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior research on maternal postpartum care, the transition to motherhood, pelvic floor dysfunction, and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) has revealed that postpartum women are often denied the basic information, instruction, and preventive strategies necessary for optimal postbirth rehabilitation and psychological well-being. Employing a dual framework of self-determination theory and personal growth initiative (PGI) theory, this quantitative study utilized a cross-sectional design to investigate if autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction predicted PGI in postpartum women. Differences in autonomy, competence, relatedness, and PGI between PFMT practicing and nonpracticing postpartum women were also examined. A web-based survey method was employed to collect …

Faculty Career-Enhancing Training Opportunity Effects On Perceived Organizational Support, Job Satisfaction, And Organizational Commitment, Laura Pateri Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that organizations outside of academia that provide career-enhancing training opportunities have employees with greater levels of perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment than do organizations without such training. Increasingly, colleges and universities are looking to attract and retain the most talented individuals; providing opportunities for growth through career-enhancing training opportunities may be one way to do so. This study examined whether or not faculty at institutions providing career-enhancing training opportunities showed a similar positive relationship between perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment as have employees at organizations outside of academia; this study also …

Diminishing Stigma Sentiments In Individuals With Depression: Sociopsychological Predictors Of Deflecting And Challenging Coping Orientations, Jennifer Marie Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who suffer from depression can be stigmatized by labeling and resort to negative stigma coping orientations such as secrecy and withdrawal, resulting in internalized self-stigma. Self-stigma can have negative effects such as low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, isolation, and feeling like a failure. Guided by modified labeling theory, the purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature on predictors of two orientations (challenging and deflecting) of positive stigma coping. Challenging stigma involves taking action, and deflecting is a cognitive strategy; both are used to positively cope with the stigma of mental illness. Predictors included symptom severity, …

The Effect Of Media Literacy Training On The Self-Esteem And Body-Satisfaction Among Fifth Grade Girls, Holly Mathews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Repeated exposure to media images that portray women as sex objects can have negative long-term effects on self-esteem beginning in preadolescence. Negative effects include decreased feelings of competence, increased focus on appearance, increased body dissatisfaction, and limited achievement in domains not related to appearance. There is a gap in the literature examining if media literacy training can mitigate the negative effects of exposure to sexualized media content. Festinger's social comparison theory and Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development provided the framework for this study. A quasi-experimental pre-post-test design was used to examine the interaction of media literacy training and time of …

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: The Lived Experience Of Extended Family Reconciliation, Sheryl Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have documented the increasing role of grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren; however, few have studied extended family reconciliation after grandparents assumed their primary care. This study explored the reconciliation experiences of 12 grandparents who were primary caretakers of their grandchildren. Using Moustakas's phenomenological research approach, the participants were interviewed about their experiences of the relationship triad (grandparent-grandchild, grandparent-adult child, parent-child). Attachment theory and family systems theory were the conceptual frameworks to explore the central research question, which addressed the meaning of extended family reconciliation for grandparents who become primary caregivers of grandchildren. Using NVivo, the interview data …

A Case Study: Parents' Views Of The Program Everlasting Peace, Meshonda Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile crime among females is on the rise in the United States and is currently at an all-time high. Girls who are at risk for committing juvenile crime are at greater risk than boys for experiencing sexual trauma and exploitation as well as depression. Additionally, adolescent females have a higher rate of status-offense reoffending than do adolescent males. Using Kubeka's conceptualization of trauma theory, the purpose of this case study was to determine whether Everlasting Peace (EP), an evidence-based counseling program in Georgia, successfully provided gender-specific treatment for female juvenile offenders. Data were collected through interviews with 20 parent/guardian of …

Perceived Behavioral Control, Stress, Body Image, And Exercise Intentions In Overweight African American Women, Heidi L. Paruch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A disproportionate number of African American women are at risk for illness and mortality due to obesity. The aim of this study was to explore perceived behavioral control (PBC), stress, body image, and exercise intentions (EI) using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the primary theoretical framework. The TPB is a leading model in health research to predict behavioral intentions, yet its application to the general female African American population is lacking. Seventy-nine African American women were sampled utilizing a cross-sectional, online survey method. A series of bivariate correlations tested the relationships among PBC, stress, body image, age, and …

Evaluating Positive Psychology Curriculum Among Nontraditional Students In A Foundational Course, Ruth Hilton Rhodes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive psychology emphasizes growth, adaptive functioning, and human potential. The present study contributes to this literature by examining the impact of exposure to a positive psychology curriculum among nontraditional students taking foundational courses in a career college. Mixed methods were utilized to assess changes in student well-being and goal setting quantitatively through pre- and post-tests of the Authentic Happiness Survey and the Satisfaction with Life Scale as well as identifying emergent themes from qualitative analysis of student reflections and written assignments over a 9-week term. Twenty-five students participated in foundational courses, which placed an emphasis on positive psychology. Paired samples …

School Community Members' Perceptions Regarding Lgbt-Based Bullying, Harassment, And Violence, Steven W. Street

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Tennessee, a majority of students who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) do not feel safe due to bullying and harassment that is targeted toward them by their peers. Schools, such as MTS school (a pseudonym), are not required to specify protection for LGBT students, causing the LGBT bullying to continue without being reported and resulting in higher absences, lower achievement, greater mental health issues, and in some cases, suicidal ideation among LGBT students. Through confidential personal interviews that were transcribed and coded, this case study's purpose was to better understand how MTS adult stakeholders perceive (a) …

Examining How Knowledge Managers Facilitate The Process Of Knowledge Creation In Organizations, Dean Allen Call

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was how knowledge managers facilitated the process of knowledge creation. Researchers identified this area as important because it begins to fill the literature gap in the dynamics surrounding knowledge creation. Using 4 research questions developed from the theory of dynamic organizational knowledge creation, the study investigated how knowledge managers facilitated and supported knowledge creation, promoted knowledge formation, and accounted for knowledge gaps. The theory was selected to provide a framework and an analytical perspective on the process of knowledge creation. A qualitative research design was used to learn from a sample of 12 Chief …

Evaluating The Implications Of Parental Mental Illness For Children Using An Ecological Perspective, Jessica Elizabeth-Rose Carroll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have extensively studied the experiences and potential consequences of being a child whose parent has a mental illness (COPMI). However, there is no consensus on the best way to support these children, in general or in schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of parental mental illness on children by using an ecological approach. Researchers have used ecological theory to illustrate the importance of internal characteristics, skills, and supports for children to enhance resiliency. This study looked at whether COPMI differed significantly from the children of parents of parents with no current or past …

Teen Dating Violence: Co-Occurrence With Bullying Among African American Teens In South Florida, Rosemarie Hemmings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence and bullying are major public health concerns but are preventable. Both dating violence and bullying occur within similar social context and the prevalence of teen dating violence was highest for African American teens as reported on the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Social learning theory provides a foundation for understanding and changing behavior related to dating violence victimization and bully victimization. The research questions focused on relationships between bully and teen dating violence victimization when controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, substance abuse, age, and age of first sexual intercourse. Additionally, the potential mediating variable of spending time …

Informational Efficiency And The Reaction To Terrorism: A Financial Perspective, Nicholas Roland

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to measure the message terror organizations hope to convey using the financial markets as a proxy of measurement to determine patterns within the marketplace and the effects on the terrorists’ ability to deliver a desired message due to the increased use of digital devices and access to instantaneous news, seen over the past decade. Using death count, geographic location, and event type, this study identified 109 attacks between 1985 and 2015 to be analyzed against 5 market indices and 5 securities. Measuring the effects within a 10-day sample window from the time of the …

The Study Of The Adverse Effects Of Childhood Maltreatment, Katie A. Kennie

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the link between the presence of childhood trauma and adult criminal behavior. In this study, four distinct categories of childhood trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) were examined. In addition, this study conducts a comparative analysis of the United States crime rate with that of Switzerland and Japan. This study examines and compares the policies utilized in ensuring the protection of child welfare. The ultimate goal is to provide research which may build a foundation that will assist in creating and improving policies which will ensure a child's psychological health.

Supervisor Expectations, Event Reporting, And Patient Safety Perceptions: Exploring Potential Moderators And Mediators, Claudia Hernandez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Given the high number of errors and negative events committed within medical settings, the emphasis on patient safety culture is becoming more prevalent. Despite this effort, underreporting has been and continues to be an issue in this area. Some research has shown a link between underreporting and lack of management responsiveness, but more work is necessary to identify reasons for underreporting and potential mitigating solutions. The objective of the present research is to answer questions regarding the impact supervisors have on staff’s patient safety perceptions and event reporting, through the use of archival survey data collected with the AHRQ Hospital …

Exploring Attachment Behaviors In Urban Mothers And Their Infants, Brooke G. Rusoff

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Infants enter this world relying on caregivers to nurture and protect them. Through this reliance, infants develop an attachment to their caregivers, thus setting the stage for how a child comes to view the world and the people in it. This study sought to further explore attachment behaviors through observation of a voluntary parent education course offered through the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County. Data were collected three times over the course of the nine week program on four mother-infant dyads. Across the three mothers who were present for at least two observations, negative behaviors decreased between the first …

Identity Development, Social Support, And Motherhood, Dayanara Rosado

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Adolescent pregnancy creates challenges for this minority population in balancing their motherhood identity with continuing to develop their identity at the adolescent stage, which presents a social problem today. The intent of this thesis is to explore the relationship between identity, adjustment, and social support among college students who were adolescent mothers. The following surveys: Personal Network Matrix (PNM), The Identity Distress Scale (IDS), and The Dimension of Identity Development Scale (DIDS), were administered through the UCF SONA system. Participants were divided into three groups: mothers who had their first child as a teenager (teen mothers; n = 6), mothers …