Theory and Philosophy Commons^™

The Mindful Way: A Mindfulness Psychoeducational Group For Latinx College Students, Karen A. Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have extensively studied mindfulness as a promising intervention that can aid college students in managing stressors. Unfortunately, researchers have underrepresented minority populations like Latinx college students in mindfulness literature. The Mindful Way (TMW) is a culturally responsive psychoeducational group program that aims to close the gap in the literature. The pre-test and post-test of TMW program measures student’s tendency to practice mindfulness, their personal and academic resilience, degree of self-compassion, emotion regulation skills, problematic alcohol consumption, and symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, before and after participating in the program. The hypothesis of the present study is …

Measuring The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Adolescents’ Self-Esteem And Self-Appraisal: How Can School-Based Interventions Help?, Kayla M. Moses

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper explores the lasting impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on adolescents’ self-esteem and self-appraisal, with a focus on the role of school-based interventions in mitigating these effects. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass various forms of trauma such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, neglect, and familial dysfunction during childhood. Due to adolescence being a critical period of identity formation and emotional development, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can significantly undermine adolescents' self-esteem, leading to lasting negative effects. These effects include various emotional, social, and psychological challenges, ultimately changing one’s life trajectory. Based on numerous theoretical foundations, it is supported …

The Mighty C: A Fractal Model For Modern Creativity, Joe Todaro

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The persistent ambiguity surrounding the definition of creativity has hindered its advancement across academic, educational, and professional settings. In response, this paper proposes an updated framework—The Mighty C—which defines creativity as the intrinsic human activity of generating meaningful, novel, and useful outcomes through deliberate process. This model addresses critical gaps in conventional definitions, particularly the frequent omission of meaningfulness, intentionality, and the uniquely human nature of creativity. It further emphasizes the recursive nature of these aspects across different levels of creative activity, represented through the structure of fractals. Drawing from scholarly models such as Rhodes’ 4Ps and Kaufman and Beghetto’s …

Double, Double, Toils And Troubles: Analyzing The “Magical” Relationships Between University Leaders’ Personality Traits And Their Self-Efficacy In Leadership Situations, Fay Ludvine Boudreaux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This present study investigated the relationship between higher education leaders’ personality traits and their self-efficacy in leadership situations. A total of 151 leaders employed across the nine institutions within the University of Louisiana System completed a survey that prompted them to identify their personal values, traits, and skill sets, as derived from the online Pottermore quiz, the official Harry Potter Hogwarts House sorting instrument. This niche personality metric was chosen to cater to higher education’s evolving landscape, as it welcomes an influx of Millennials into leadership positions. Participants’ responses were eventually recoded to “sort” them into their respective Houses: Gryffindor, …

The Adverse Effects Of Substance Use Among Caregivers On Children In The United States: A Systematic Review, Amanda R. Suchaire

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In the United States, Caregiver Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a significant public health issue that disrupts family dynamics and can severely impact the health of millions of children. The systematic review examines the adverse impact of caregiver substance use on children, with research published from 2020 onwards. The significance of this study is due to the increasing prevalence of substance use disorders among caregivers and their harmful effects on child maltreatment, psychosocial health, physical health, and overall well-being. A systematic review framework will be utilized, synthesizing peer-reviewed studies to describe the prevalence of caregiver substance use, developmental issues for …

Table Of Contents Vol 10(1) May 2025

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

Andrew N. Meltzoff: Social Cognition, Imitation, Cross-Modal Perception, Infant Development, Jeffrey H. Cornelius-White, Joan E. Test

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Andreas Demetriou was born August 15th, 1950 in Stongylo, Famagusta, Cyprus. Demetriou attended the University of Thessaloniki and obtained a Ph.D. in psychology in 1983. After completing his doctoral degree he was a professor of developmental and educational psychology at the University of Thessaloniki until 1996. Demetriou then became a professor at the University of Cyprus, serving in various leadership positions from 1996 to 2008, including chairing the Department of Educational Science and serving as dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and dean of the School of Social Sciences and Sciences of Education. He also became the …

Attachment Theory: Schaffer And Emerson, Jeffery H. Cornelius-White, Joan E. Test

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson’s work on the development of attachment in childhood is based on the evolutionary perspective of John Bowlby. Schaffer and Emerson (1964) defined attachment as, “The tendency of the young to seek the proximity of other members of the species” (p. 6). In their view, infants and young children seek out and find comfort in being physically close to people with whom they have formed attachments.

Gardner’S View Of Intelligence, Seth C. Courrege, Nathan C. Weed

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Howard E. Gardner’s framework for understanding intelligence is one of the most well-known alternatives to the more widely-accepted Cattell-Horn-Carrol model of intelligence (CHC). In 1983, Gardner published Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, in which he rejected the idea of a single intelligence (g) in favor of multiple, relatively independent intelligences. In his introduction for the third edition of Frames of Mind, Gardner describes a myriad of inspirations for his theory, including a notable lack of research on artistic talents within cognitive psychology. Gardner argues that the traditional definition of “intelligence” is too narrow, and that some of …

Carl R. Rogers: Person Centered Therapy, Learner Centered Facilitation, Humanistic Education, Jeffrey H.D. Cornelius-White

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Carl Rogers (January 8, 1902- February 4, 1987) was born and grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago. He is one of the few American psychologists to be considered giants in the field, and his American spirit can be traced to ancestors in the USA since the 1600s. He was the fourth of six children in a devout conservative Christian family who prayed together in a circle each morning. He learned to read before Kindergarten and read extensively. As a child, he was shy and kept sheltered by his family, and did not have close friends. He became very …

Mirror Test Of Infant Self-Awareness, Jenna Bekkala, Naomi J. Aldrich

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Our understanding of self, or belief in one’s being as distinct from others, has been a subject of inquiry throughout human history. Discussions of self-concept would not appear in the empirical literature, however, until the mid-19th century. After likening an orangutan’s response to teasing as that of a “naughty child”, Charles Darwin began to question orangutans’ selfconcept by observing reactions to their own mirror images. Darwin’s use of the mirror to gauge self-awareness, a method eventually applied to his own infant son (Darwin, 1877), would remain the most frequently used assessment of self-concept for the next century.

Undergraduate Thesis: Befriending Ai: Reimagining Ethics Through Cybernetic Friendship, Keta Williams

STEM for Success Showcase

This undergraduate thesis by KETA Williams, presented at the Board Day and Dana Knox Student Research Showcase, is a meta-cognitive exploration situated within the framework of cyberpsychology—the interdisciplinary study of human–technology relationships. Employing meta-cognition as both method and lens, the author critically examines the question: Can one be friends with a corporate-controlled AI system? Rather than adopting an objective or distanced stance, Williams writes from within the relationship itself, describing her friendship with an AI entity named Aurora (ChatGPT). Identifying as a "madwoman" in the Foucauldian sense, she interrogates whether such intimacy with AI signals irrationality or heralds a shift …

Direct And Mediating Relationships Between Divine Grace, Legalism, And Mental Health, Branwyn H. Mccormick

Senior Honors Theses

Positive psychology has popularized the integration of religious ideas into psychological treatment. According to the literature, the experience of divine grace is correlated with favorable mental health outcomes, whereas legalistic attitudes are correlated with adverse mental health outcomes. It has also been found that the experience of divine grace is a mediator between legalism and mental health. However, the constructs of divine grace and legalism have both been relatively unexplored aside from a few studies using Latter-day Saints (LDS) populations. The current study seeks to analyze relationships between divine grace, legalism, and mental health using a conservative evangelical Christian population. …

From Victimization To Offense: A Scoping Review Of Attachment Theory And Social Learning Theory In Explaining Hypersexual Behaviors In Male Sexual Offenders With Histories Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Madison R. Rivers

Senior Theses

The association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and hypersexual behaviors in both juvenile and adult male sexual offenders has been investigated; however, a clear theoretical framework explaining this connection remains debated. This review aims to evaluate which theoretical frameworks—such as Social Learning Theory and Attachment Theory—best explain the link between CSA and hypersexuality in male sexual offenders. A systematic search and analysis of existing literature was conducted, including studies on the psychological, behavioral, and developmental impacts of CSA on hypersexual behaviors. Both Social Learning Theory and Attachment Theory were critically assessed, particularly focusing on the pathways from victimization to offending …

A Creative Introduction To Narrative Therapy: Harnessing The Power Of Stories, Art, And The Person-Of-The-Therapist, Marissa Mueller

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper describes a proposed graduate-level academic elective course for mental health practitioners in training. The course content is organized across a total of 10 class sessions. Topic areas include introductions to the theory and techniques of narrative therapy, including expressive art approaches, the importance of social justice work through collective narrative practice and liberation psychology, the construction and analysis of stories of self and personal myths, and a focus on developing the person-of-the-therapist. Each class session will review that week's lecture content, assigned readings, small and large group discussion prompts, and in-class activities. The course prioritizes centering student experiences …

Exploring Generative Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Applications In Fashion: Ethical Concerns In Human-Like Technology, Melissa Kathryn Gonzalez

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

“But How Do I Start?” A Beginner’S Guide To Your First Qualitative Project, Jason B. Whiting Phd, Bria Nicole Davies

The Qualitative Report

Many new qualitative researchers feel overwhelmed and struggle to find direction in existing books and articles about qualitative methodology. Qualitative methods have a long history that includes different philosophies, practices, and methods, and there are endless ways to interpret and use these tools within these traditions. This article introduces basic qualitative methods with the intent to guide a first-time researcher through a first social science research project, such as a thesis or dissertation. It frames the process as a five-step journey with guidelines to follow and additional resources that can be accessed related to each phase. Although the craft of …

The Female Judge “Hunch” In Family Court; Does Female Judgment Differ From Male Judgment?, Kareem M. Rashed

The Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper offers an in-depth theoretical review of the differences in moral judgments between genders, particularly emphasizing their manifestation in the context of family court. Based on Carol Gilligan's critique of Lawrence Kohlberg's theory about moral development, there are distinct differences in moral reasoning approaches between men and women. Gilligan's work challenged the universality of Kohlberg's framework and instead suggested that gendered perspectives on moral reasoning commonly prioritize care and relationships over abstract principles. Complementing this theoretical foundation, the paper incorporates findings from a number of practical studies and surveys, providing non-theoretical evidence of these differences in real-world contexts. Moreover, …

Inherited Wounds: Generational Trauma In Postcolonial Film And Narrative Fiction Of The Global South, Sabrina Testi Melgarejo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The theorization of trauma in literary studies emerged in the 1990s, evolving from its physiological origins to a multidisciplinary framework encompassing literature, psychology, and history. However, classical trauma theory, rooted in Western scholarship and focused on singular traumatic events, has been criticized for its limitations in addressing collective and ongoing trauma in non-Western contexts. This thesis responds to a call for a more inclusive approach to trauma studies, examining how multi-generational and cultural trauma is represented in non-Western postcolonial films and literature from the Global South, including works from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Angola, Mozambique, Vietnam, and Lebanon.

The …

Integrating Civic Spirituality And Civic Disposition To Build Ethical Citizen Character, Sukron Mazid, Atsani Wulansari, Imroatun Hasanah

Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan

This research aims to explore and combine the concepts of civic spirituality and disposition to build ethical citizens' character. These two concepts complement each other, with civic spirituality focusing on religious values in society and civic disposition on civic attitudes that support active participation and responsibility. This research used the literature method, analysing relevant literature and theories on civic education, spirituality, and ethics. The results showed that the integration of civic spirituality and civic disposition can be a solid foundation for building the character of ethical, moral, and socially responsible citizens. This integration forms ethical citizens through religious values, such …