Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Length Of Stay, Social Support, And Sex Differences In Recovery, Elizabeth K. Garrity

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The Oxford House model is an expanding network of sober-living houses that aid individuals struggling with substance use disorders. Research exploring sober-living environments can be essential in understanding the factors that relate to sustained addiction recovery. This study examined whether sex differences were present within the relationship between perceived social support and recovery outcomes, to which no significant results were found. These findings contributed to existing research that seeks to understand whether gendered differences exist in recovery outcomes. This study also investigated whether length of stay within a recovery home mediated the relationship between perceived social support and one’s recovery …

Mental Health And Well-Being Of Survivors Of Torture As They Seek Asylum, Samantha L. Nau

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore experiences of asylum seekers, who are also sruvivors of torture, as they go through the immigration process. Using semi-structured interviews, this study examined how mental health and well-being are impacted by post-migration stressors associated with the process of seeking asylum and by perceptions of the sociopolitical climate in the United States. Six asylum seekers who have received services from the Marjorie Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture were interviewed. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted to explore how participants make meaning of their experiences and to identify themes that were shared across participants. Findings from …

Can We Help You With Your Bootstraps? How First-Generation Graduate Students Can Use Relationships To Transform Universities, Brianna N. Mabie

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

As a result of the abundance of literature on first-generation undergraduate students, several support programs and resources have been developed to assist this population throughout their undergraduate career. However, graduate school can pose a whole new set of challenges for first-generation graduate students, which can result in poor outcomes (Martinez et al., 2009; Wilcox et al., 2021). It is therefore necessary to increase attention on first-generation graduate students. An explanatory-sequential mixed method research design, with an intersectional lens, was used to answer how first-generation graduate students rely on university relationships to be well and what institutional barriers exist to achieving …

First-Generation College Students’ Sense Of Belonging During Covid-19, Yesenia Garcia

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCSs) make up one-third of all college students in the U.S. (Whitley et al., 2018). Yet, retention of FGCSs continues to fall behind that of their non-first-generation peers (Act, Research and Policy, 2012; Cataldi et al., 2018). Understanding FGCSs’ sense of belonging, and its predictors, is a key component to helping promote retention. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought many shifts and adaptations to education that impacted the overall college experience for students (Burki, 2020). This adaptation strained opportunities for social engagement, which deterred students’ abilities to feel a sense of belonging at their institution. The …

The Effects Of Chronic Stress On Predictors Of Academic Learning, Gabriel Mcnair

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Executive functioning, goal orientations, and intrinsic motivation in education have shown to predict outcomes in academic learning. Research has shown that for students in chronically stressed environments, the development of all three may be influenced by their ecological contexts. The current study examines how chronic stress at the systems level impacts the development of adaptive learning approaches, specifically mastery goal orientation and intrinsic motivation, among diverse youth. Further, this study seeks to examine the role of executive functioning in the relationship between systemic stress—a conceptualization of chronic stress at the systems level—and mastery goal orientation and intrinsic motivation.

The study …

The Institutional Challenges Of A Quantified Self Study: An Attempt To Ascertain How Data Collected From A Mobile Device Can Be An Indicator Of Personal Mental Health Over Time, Julian Lazaras

University Honors Theses

The adoption of an application of new technology always comes with a bias, this is never more true for the case of human behavioral analytics within higher education. While movements such as the quantified self movement make strides to reinterpret the realm of data analytics, psychology, and computer science, there are inevitably limitations to the adoption and application of such approaches within the standard realm of research. Herein is presented a case where an effort to evaluate the prospect of use of mobile phone data as secondary indicators of personal mental health through the lens of data analysis was put …

Neverland Theory: An Introduction To A Childish-Positive Framework, Daniel M. Gardner

University Honors Theses

Proposes, defines, and defends the beginnings of an original theoretical approach (Neverland Theory) which advocates for the revitalization of psychotherapy through embracing and incorporating more of the "Childish" in clinical practice. Three formal aspects of Childishness are proposed and briefly defined. A literature review of three existing psychotherapies which effectively incorporate the proposed Childish aspects are highlighted and shown to be effective and efficacious. It is argued that prioritization of these aspects contributes to treatment outcome in a way which goes beyond what can be empirically evidenced.

The Impact Of Emotional Sounds On Arousal And Task Performance, Brian Wu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In times of emotional arousal, it is hypothesized that neural processes are triggered to “heighten” our senses to better respond to threatening stimuli. Some studies have tested this by exposing participants to emotional sounds to determine their impacts on visual acuity but have found mixed results. Previous studies have not investigated interactions between arousal induced by emotional sounds and visual acuity. Participants (N = 42) performed an orientation detection task while presented in silence or with sounds that varied in valence. Results displayed comparable accuracy across conditions but significantly faster response times during the presentation of negative sounds on the …

Exploring Cultural, Health, And Technology Intersections: A Focus On Migrant Experiences, Merna Mina, Sahij Gill

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

Despite the plethora of theories and frameworks addressing culture, health, and technology adoption, there remains a notable absence of a unifying theory that comprehensively encompasses all three aspects, particularly concerning newcomers. The Health Belief Model, for example, underscores individual perceptions and attitudes toward health yet fails to consider the intricate interplay between cultural factors and technology adoption among immigrant populations. The Healthy Immigrant Effect, which posits that immigrants often exhibit better health outcomes than native-born individuals, does not mention the role of technology on health outcomes. Acculturation theories, while shedding light on the adaptation process, often fall short of explaining …

Making Sentencing Meaningful: How Victims Find Justice In The Sentencing Process, Melissa Handford

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This article examines the role of victims in the criminal justice system, and how victims find justice through the sentencing process. It examines the role that providing a victim impact statement, receiving information about typical sentencing practices, and restorative or traditional sentencing play in how victims perceive justice in sentencing. Quantitative analyses were conducted analyzing the aforementioned variables and their relationship to participant perceptions of sentence effectiveness, anger, sentence harshness, and happiness, as well as their propensity to obedience. Qualitative analyses were conducted to better understand the reasoning behind victim perceptions and preferences in relation to restorative and traditional sentencing …

Exploring The Relationship Between Organized Sports Participation And Alcohol Experimentation In Children Aged 9 And 10, Kristina Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children experimenting with alcohol is a phenomenon that has been occurring for decades, with the assumption that most children begin to experiment during adolescence. Research has addressed children over the age of 12 in numerous studies; however, little research has been directed at children between the ages of 9 and 10. In this study, the relationship between alcohol experimentation and sports participation was explored in children between the ages of 9 and 10 years old through a social learning theory lens. The study sample consisted of children aged 9-10 from across the country participating in the ABCD study. Many factors …

Mean Affect Moderates The Association Between Affect Variability And Mental Health, Brooke N. Jenkins, Lydia Q. Ong, Anthony D. Ong, Hee Youn (Helen) Lee, Julia K. Boehm

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Increasing evidence suggests that within-person variation in affect is a dimension distinct from mean levels along which individuals can be characterized. This study investigated affect variability’s association with concurrent and longitudinal mental health and how mean affect levels moderate these associations. The mental health outcomes of depression, panic disorder, self-rated mental health, and mental health professional visits from the second and third waves of the Midlife in the United States Study were used for cross-sectional (n = 1,676) and longitudinal outcomes (n = 1,271), respectively. These participants took part in the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE II), …

Implicit Biases And Attitudes On Decision Making Among Child Protection Workers, Demetria Turnage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial disproportionality remains a historical issue in child welfare systems. It was important for this research to focus on characteristics, professional qualifications, and racial attitudes of those in child welfare decision-making roles to examine how they contributed to racism. To address the gap in the literature, the relationship between years of experience, race/ethnicity, risk of harm, advocacy, racial attitudes, and decision-making among child protection were examined to develop a greater understanding of the ongoing issues and development of reforming the child welfare decision-making process to capture racism among child protection workers. Increasing equality in the child welfare system will benefit …

The Extent That Self-Compassion And Well-Being Predict Burnout In Online Clinical Psychology Phd Students, Tiffany Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online clinical psychology doctoral students simultaneously experience stressful environments while managing school and life. These stressful experiences can lead to burnout. The concepts of self-compassion and well-being are intertwined with success and burnout. Previous research has indicated that burnout is likely to occur; however, a lack of research has identified specific factors that collectively predict burnout in online clinical psychology doctoral students. Thus, a gap in the current literature regarding burnout using these variables and within clinical psychology PhD students remains to be addressed. This quantitative study investigated the impact of self-compassion and well-being on burnout levels among online clinical …

The Psychological Significance Of Cultural And Religious Values Among The Arab Population, Michel Sherif Mikhail

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Values, which are the guiding principles and beliefs of our lives, have an influence over one’s psychological health. This study aims to investigate how Schwartz’s four higher-order values (conservation, openness to change, self-transcendence, and self-enhancement) and religious values influence psychological health among the Arab population. Methods: A total of 1,023 respondent from nine Arab countries aged 18 to 71 filled an online survey with measures of the following constructs: Schwartz’s four higher-order values (Portrait Value Questionnaire-21), religious values (Sahin’s Index of Islamic Moral Values), and general psychological health (General Health Questionnaire-28). Results: Two models of multiple regression were …

Understanding The Relationship Between Perceived Childhood Experiences And Relationship With God, Remaz Bahaa

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the relationship between perceived childhood experiences and one’s current relationship with God in an Egyptian Muslim sample. While such relationship has been researched in Western contexts, there is a notable gap in understanding these dynamics within Muslim Middle Eastern cultures. In this study, 180 participants, brought up in Muslim households, were given the following questionnaires: both versions of the Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) referring to the father and mother, Attachment to God Inventory (AGI), and Images of God (LAMBI Scale). The results presented the internal consistency of both the AGI and LAMBI scales with the …

History Of Suicidal Behavior And Clozapine Prescribing Among People With Schizophrenia In China: A Cohort Study, Yi Yin, Chen Lin, Lijing Wei, Jinghui Tong, Junchao Huang, Baopeng Tian, Shuping Tan, Zhiren Wang, Fude Yang, Yongsheng Tong, Song Chen, L Elliot Hong, Yunlong Tan

Student and Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Clozapine is an off-label drug used in most countries to prevent suicide in individuals with schizophrenia. However, few studies have reported real-world prescription practices. This study aimed to explore the association between a history of suicidal behavior and clozapine prescribing during eight weeks of hospitalization for individuals with early-stage schizophrenia.

METHODS: This observational cohort study used routine health data collected from a mental health hospital in Beijing, China. The study included 1057 inpatients who had schizophrenia onset within 3 years. History of suicidal behavior was coded from reviewing medical notes according to the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Information …

Building Climate Resilience: How Climate Groups Can Channel Anxiety And Grief Into Action, Martin J. Lemke

University Honors Theses

As the impacts of climate change increasingly stress the ecological and social systems of the planet there is also a greater incidence of psychological struggles related to climate instability. Climate change is a significant source of psychological distress for many individuals, often manifesting as climate anxiety and grief. This thesis explores research and therapeutic experience that has been generated as the discipline of psychology seeks to meet this rising challenge. In particular, the fields of ecopsychology, psychodynamic therapy, existential psychology and Indigenous knowledge contributed the majority of the insight to the conclusions drawn along with contributions from potentially applicable emotions …

Tsunami Exposure And Mental Health Consequences: Protective Role Of Cultural Coping Strategies, Thulitha Wickrama, Michael J. Merten, K. A.S. Wickrama, Amanda Terrell

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

There is a knowledge gap regarding the link between disaster exposure and adolescent mental health problems in developing countries. This study examines the case of Sri Lanka to investigate (a) the immediate and long-term mental health impact of the 2004 tsunami disaster on adolescents and (b) the potential moderating effects of unique cultural and family practices that prevail in Sri Lanka. This study used a random sample of 160 adolescents (ages 12–19) and their mothers who were exposed to the tsunami disaster while living in a southern Sri Lankan village and provided prospective data immediately after the disaster (2005) and …

Examining The Relations Between Number Of Opportunities To Self-Monitor And Self-Monitoring On-Task Or Accuracy In Children, Alison Ruby

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Difficulties in academic achievement have been linked to adverse outcomes such as increased problem behavior and delays in development (Hinshaw, 1992). Early education should include training to self-monitor, as self-monitoring can improve academic performance and has a wide range of uses (Harris et al., 2005). Previous literature typically uses frequent self-monitoring opportunities ranging from every 30 seconds to 1 minute. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the number of self-monitoring opportunities when self-monitoring on-task behavior and self-monitoring accuracy of task completion, on-task behavior, disruptions, and accuracy of self-monitoring (types of errors) and determine the preferences …

The Winding Path: Reflections On Preparing For A Career In Neuropsychology, Derek Mckay Phd

Journal of Neuropsychology and Behavioral Processes

Career decision-making can be a complicated process, particularly for Psychology majors who often find many areas of the discipline interesting. Students are often confronted with questions such as, “what do I really want to do?”, and “how much future education will I need to achieve my goals?” Moreover, there are often many uncertainties regarding how to take specific steps toward a particular professional direction in Psychology. In this article, neuropsychologist and university professor Derek McKay shares a unique perspective on his own process of finding his way toward a career as a neuropsychologist. He addresses a number of important steps …

An Epigenetically Driven Relationship Between Parental Ptsd And Inflammatory Disease In Offspring: A Proposal, Emma Griffith, Kevin P. Kaut

Journal of Neuropsychology and Behavioral Processes

Could a combat veteran's horrific experiences in early-2000s Afghanistan have a direct, biological impact on his or her now-adult daughter's risk of a heart attack later in her life? This concept would have been unapologetically mocked a mere twenty years ago, and it has only been in the past decade that the new field of epigenetics has revealed a distinct possibility for this event to actually take place—for parents' experiences to profoundly influence the biology of their children. The major objective of this research project is to argue for the legitimacy of this theoretical phenomenon by discussing the latest data …

Phototaxis In The Terrestrial Isopod: A Mechanism For Investigating Invertebrate Learning And Memory, Christopher Buzzelli, Jessica Kent, Chelsea Pawlak, Kevin P. Kaut

Journal of Neuropsychology and Behavioral Processes

Isopods readily explore new environments and typically prefer contexts with lower levels of illumination (i.e., negative phototaxis). In the first of two behavioral experiments reported here, the ability of isopods to discriminate between light and dark nesting regions was confirmed, although evidence suggests an initial ‘instinctive’ draw toward a darker context. Extending these findings to experiment 2, isopods were trained against their negatively phototaxic tendency and had to exit a darkened start chamber in order to locate nesting material in a brighter chamber. Within-session improvements in latency to enter the nesting region were noted across training trials, coupled with evidence …

Concussion Severity And Generalized Anxiety In Professional Ice Hockey Players, Edward Louis Yerage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions occur annually in the United States, and 42 million concussions occur annually worldwide, making concussions one of the most frequent injuries among all athletes at all levels. Research in detecting the relationship between generalized anxiety and concussions in ice hockey players from all professional ranks was lacking. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether professional ice hockey players experienced a form of generalized anxiety when they returned to play following a severe concussion. The intolerance of uncertainty model detailed anxiety regarding fear and anticipation of the unknown or future uncertainty …

Mexican American Men Who Have Sex With Men: Cultural Factors And Substance Use, Michael L. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown substance use affects sexual minority communities disproportionately. Studies have shown when individuals are part of ethnic or sexual minority groups, negative attitudes and risk behaviors that can lead to substance use are experienced at a greater scale compared to their majority counterparts. There have not been significant investigations regarding relationships between cultural values and sexual and ethnic minority subpopulations within the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify relationships between religion, family structure, traditional gender roles, and substance use in terms of Mexican American men who have sex with men (MAMSM) populations. This …

"Me? Be A Coach?" A Grounded Theory Investigation Of Coach Identity Among Managers Who Coach, Sara Mary Cannon

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

In the 21st century, organizational expectations of managers have shifted away from traditional command-and-control toward a model of facilitating employee development (Ibarra & Scoular, 2019). Modern managers are expected to be good coaches, even though the coaching discipline is growing faster than it can be regulated (Garvin, 2013; Sherman & Freas, 2004). This research investigated the lived experiences of managers who coach and their emergent concept of identity through the lens of manager as instrument. I utilized a constructivist grounded theory approach to generate insights about coach identity experiences of managers who coach. This perspective and methodology provided an opportunity …

Prison Social Organization: Applying Social Psychology To Explain Racial Grouping In Prison, Siobhan Wynn

University Honors Theses

Since the creation of the United States, minorities have been controlled through various laws and practices such as slavery, Black Codes, Vagrancy Laws, and Jim Crow Laws. While these laws have been abolished, minorities in the United States are still being controlled in various areas such as the criminal justice system. This thesis will examine how certain codes in prisons have controlled Adults in Custody (AICs), in addition to examining two theories: Uncertain Identity Theory and Intergroup Threat Theory to help explain the social psychological functions of how and why racial grouping in prisons happen.

Repetitive Thinking, Social Connectedness, And Distressing Sexual Experiences In Autistic And Non-Autistic Students: Examining Social-Cognitive Risk Factors And Mental Health During The College Transition, Erin Elizabeth Mckenney

Theses and Dissertations

The prevention and treatment of mental health concerns are consistently named among autistic adults’ highest clinical and research priorities. While several theories have been proposed to explain the high prevalence of depression and anxiety in autistic populations, virtually no longitudinal research has evaluated causal mechanisms. The first study in this dissertation aims to explore how known contributors to depression and anxiety identified by general population research – namely, rumination, dissatisfaction with social connectedness, and distressing sexual experiences – relate to the development of internalizing symptoms in autistic individuals during the transition to college. The second study explores potential contributors to …

Universally Accessible: An Investigation Of College Accommodations For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The United States And Netherlands, Mikayla "Mak" Pennington

Global Honors Theses

With the global prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increasing in post-secondary institutions, such as colleges and universities, having accessibility to accommodations becomes important to ensure ASD undergraduate students’ success. Many colleges and universities are required to provide accommodations for students with disabilities, yet often students with ASD find the accommodations given do not meet their individual needs or believe they would not benefit from the accommodations the disability support officers (DSOs) provide. Moreover, studies found that students in their first year of college find college more challenging due to the transition from secondary to post-secondary education. Programs to …

El Big Model Como Herramienta De Análisis Y Diagnóstico, Martín Van Houtte, Damián Fraustro

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

El Big Model (o Gran Modelo) es un modelo teórico que busca describir la estructura de una partida de rol, abstrayendo tipos de prioridades estéticas (las Agendas Creativas) y cuatro niveles de análisis (el Contrato Social, la Exploración, las Técnicas y la Efemera) en el que se enmarcan y a los que afectan esas prioridades. Proponemos que el modelo provee herramientas conceptuales que permiten identificar más fácilmente problemas en las partidas, y así facilitan una posible solución; también son útiles para identificar oportunidades para satisfacer la Agenda Creativa del grupo y obtener un mayor disfrute (o Recompensa) del acto de …