Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Determinants Of Psychosis: An Examination Of Loneliness, Stress, Discrimination, And Neighborhood Cohesion In Psychotic Disorders, Alexandria Selloni

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined social determinants in individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders in a large, diverse, sample from the NIH-sponsored All of Us Research Program. Participants completed self-report measures of loneliness, perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and neighborhood social cohesion. Analyses showed that individuals with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder experience significantly more feelings of loneliness, stress, everyday discrimination, and poorer neighborhood social cohesion compared to individuals without any diagnosis of a mental disorder as well as compared to individuals who may have other mental disorders other than psychosis. We further examined racial difference among individuals with psychotic disorders and found …

Motherhood In Crisis: A Qualitative Study Of First-Time Mothers Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Tamzin M. Baker

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore the psychological impact of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) on a first-time mother’s identity. What effects does life-threatening illness have on the development of maternal identity and connection? This question was explored with a sample of six mothers via semi-structured interview and self-report measure with the aim to shed light on a scarcely studied phenomenon that is predicted to affect a greater number of mothers in the future. These research questions were explored through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009) resulting in group experiential themes and three theoretical constructs: (1) a …

Character Strengths In Applied Behavior Analysis And The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study, Michael G. Johansen

Dissertations and Theses

Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have continued to rise. Individuals diagnosed with ASD may display a range of deficits in social communication, behaviors, and symptoms that limit everyday functioning. Among the treatments for ASD, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is typically the earliest and longest intervention individuals with ASD are exposed to. Concerns have been raised over ABA being a compliance-based therapy which potentially produces prompt reliance, reinforcement dependency, and a lack of intrinsic motivation. In an attempt to address these concerns, this study aimed to assess the potential benefits of including the concept of character strengths from the field …

Policing With A Double-Edged Sword: The Associations Between Neighborhood Deprivation, Coping & Substance Use Among Black & Latiné Families, Neil M. Allicock

Dissertations and Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated systemic racial inequities among Black and Latiné communities, increasing daily stressors such as exposure to violence, racial discrimination, and negative perceptions of the police. Social constraints from quarantining and social distancing have weakened community relationships that previously provided relief from these stressors. Persistent poverty and racial discrimination further strain community ties and challenge the well-being of marginalized communities. Negative experiences with the police are unique stressors for Black and Latiné youth, potentially increasing their risk for substance use. The erosion of community ties may heighten psychological stress and lead to less adaptive coping methods, such …

Mentalized Affectivity Among Adolescents In Wilderness Therapy: An Initial Exploration, William Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Mentalized affectivity (MA) blends emotion regulation and mentalization in a single construct that underlies psychopathology and is a target of psychotherapeutic intervention as a mechanism of change. Little research has investigated MA’s role in psychopathology and treatment for adolescents. Change in MA has yet to be investigated. Wilderness therapy is a non-traditional treatment model for “hard-to-reach” adolescents; its mechanisms of change have not been robustly researched. This study aims to investigate change in adolescents’ MA capacities over the course of wilderness therapy, in order to explore the role of MA components (Identifying, Processing, Expressing) in adolescent psychopathology; the relation between …

Comparing Perceptions Of Continued Presence Of The Deceased And Unidentified Sensed Presence Experiences In A Non-Clinical Sample Of Paranormal Experients, Scarlet Sidwell

Dissertations and Theses

Research on individuals' paranormal experiences, particularly sensed presence experiences, has predominantly focused on bereavement contexts (Kamp et al., 2020; Evrard et al., 2021). However, less is understood about the similarities and distinctions between perceived presence of the deceased and unfamiliar sensory perceptions of presence. The present study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the phenomenology of individuals' sensory experiences of presence within two distinct domains: perceptions of the continued presence of the deceased (PCPDs) and unidentified sensed presence experiences (USPEs). The current study utilized data from a sample of paranormal believers and experients to test the hypotheses that …

Mentalized Affectivity And Its Role In Acculturative Adjustment And Well-Being, Bassem Barada

Dissertations and Theses

Immigration is a phenomenon that occurs on a global scale and continues to grow in prevalence to our present day. Therefore, acculturation remains an essential area of interest for the mental health field. Specifically, assessment of identification with either one’s ethnic culture or the dominant culture remains a robust way to capture acculturative adjustment (Chance, 2015). More recently, emotion regulation has emerged as an important construct in understanding wellbeing. Mentalized affectivity (MA) is an insight-based regulatory process that highlights the importance of understanding current emotional distress in the context of one’s past history (Jurist, 2005). The three dimensions of emotion …

Adult Play And Its Relations To The Working Alliance And Psychosocial Dysfunction In Short-Term Psychotherapy, Charlotte B. Gendron

Dissertations and Theses

The importance of play in child development is well-documented: the capacity to play is associated with psychological health, and the cognitive and affective processes involved in play, such as fantasy, symbolism, narrative organization, divergent thinking, and affective expression, relate to areas of adaptive functioning. Research also illustrates that the inability to play is associated with adverse experiences in children, and that play therapy can facilitate the development of play and subsequent psychological health. In addition to its relation to psychological health, the capacity to play in childhood is inextricably linked to the infant-caregiver relationship. There is less literature on what …

The Mental Health Of Southeast Asian American Lgbtqia+ Adults, Phetsamone P. Phoummavong

Dissertations and Theses

The current study examines the prevalence of and relationship between mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among a sample of Southeast Asian Americans (age: M = 26.6, SD = 4.0) who self-identified as sexual and gender minorities (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, nonbinary, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and plus [LGBTQIA+]) (n = 41). Our national online survey was co-developed with a partnering community-based organization (CBO), Mekong NYC, and was disseminated through Southeast Asian American and/or LGBTQIA+ serving CBOs, university-affiliated organizations, and relevant affinity groups.

Results indicate that participants in our sample who identified as female, …

Crj 63 - An Introuction To The Criminal Justice System, Grace Trotman

Open Educational Resources

This course provides a study of the elements that comprise the criminal justice system: the police, courts, and corrections. Attention is given to civil liberties issues, which involve the procedural due process rights of criminally accused persons. Students undertake an intellectual journey through the criminal justice system to fortify their knowledge of the law and protections guaranteed under the Bill of Rights as they apply to the agencies that comprise the criminal justice system.

The Pleasure In Cruelty Is The Point: Reflections On The Souls Of White Jokes, Jessie Daniels

Publications and Research

"The Pleasure in Cruelty is the Point: Reflections on The Souls of White Jokes,"

Book review of The Souls of White Jokes: How Racist Humor Fuels White Supremacy. Stanford University Press, 2022, by Raúl Pérez, Reviewed by Jessie Daniels. Paperback ISBN: 9781503632332

To be published in:

Identities: Global Stuies in Culture and Power

Making Sense Of The Space Between: A Qualitative Study Of Therapist’S Experience And Use Of Therapeutic Enactments, Paul Ballantyne Lafreniere

Dissertations and Theses

This study sought to examine a particular category of technical challenge in therapy: enactments. Enactments, broadly defined, are moments or stretches of time in therapy where both the patient and therapist cannot put their conflicts into words, and instead act them out within the therapeutic milieu. These phenomena frequently elicit shame and guilt on the part of the therapist, and can prove detrimental to treatment. Equally, however, investigation of these moments within treatment can be of considerable clinical utility. In this qualitative phenomenological study, 6 therapists were interviewed about their experiences working with enactments in clinical practice. The strategies which …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Psychodynamic Therapist's Experiences When Working With Parents In Child And Adolescent Psychotherapy, Marie-Clair Siegman

Dissertations and Theses

A Qualitative Exploration of Psychodynamic Therapist's Experiences of Working with Parents in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy.

By

Clair Siegman, MA

Advisor: Steve Tuber, PhD

The aim of this study was to identify how therapists incorporate parent-work into their practices and explore the experiences related to this. The literature on engaging parents during child treatment suggests that it is a central to improving outcomes. Research about the treatment alliance that develops between the therapist and parent is limited, especially when considering the therapist perspective. Literature within the psychodynamic and psychoanalytic fields, suggests therapists have a hesitance to working with parents either …

Belonging In The Psychic Nowhere: Racial Trauma, Racial Melancholia And Related Mental Health Outcomes Amongst South Asian Immigrants In The Us, Anusha M. Kumar

Dissertations and Theses

South Asian immigrants have experienced a nuanced immigration history in the US while straddling the Black-White racial binary. Despite their growing presence, research on South Asian mental health is relatively limited and often subsumed under the broader category of "Asian Americans," which obscures unique experiences due to the model minority myth and leads to a paucity of targeted studies, particularly in the U.S. Mental health outcomes, specifically depression, self-harm and disordered eating behaviors are prevalent within this community, and are exacerbated after large-scale sociopolitical events due to increased discrimination. Limited studies examine the intersection of racism and mental health outcomes …

Oer About Open Access: A Brief Assessment, Jill Cirasella

Publications and Research

This report provides an overview of the Open Access collection curated for the Scholarly Communication Notebook (SCN) Hub on OER Commons, as well as an assessment of the existing body of open educational resources (OER) about open access (OA).

Oer Syllabus Political Science 63, Grace Trotman

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

When ‘Non-Instructional’ Librarians Teach: Navigating Faculty Status And Teaching Portfolios, Cailean Cooney, Wanett I. Clyde, Kel R. Karpinski, Junior R. Tidal, Nanette Johnson

Publications and Research

This article shares individual and collective experiences from five faculty ranked librarians with roles outside of formal instruction who are employed at an academic institution in the United States, and their approach to developing and embracing a teacher identity in the context of their professional trajectory. The article explores how the authors prepared to be evaluated against traditional classroom teaching for promotion by forming a cohort-based group to support “noninstructional” librarians to create a teaching portfolio, and how they approached teaching from liminal and, at times, tenuous positions and career stages. Authors conclude that the process challenged and expanded their …

Green Is The New Black: Exploring How A Philosophical Approach To The Fashion Industry Will Reduce Its Environmental Impact, Darion A. Gibbs

Student Theses and Dissertations

The fashion industry is the third largest contributor to pollution globally, behind only oil and agriculture. It also accounts for one-fifth of the plastic produced annually. Despite its impact, it is hard to trace accountability. For example, mega-retailers often outsource production to developing countries, without strong structures of accountability for their environmental impact. In addition, companies often claim to be environmentally sustainable, but it is easy to inflate the truth, and entities designed to protect consumers have limited enforcement. In this context, who should be held responsible for the fashion industry’s contribution to climate change?

In response, this thesis delves …

Ceo Narcissism: An Unconventional Approach To Understanding The Importance Of Further Research, Melissa Goldsmith

Student Theses and Dissertations

CEOs are in a unique position of power and can significantly change an organization's overall work culture, global financial standing, policies/governance, and reputation. As such, the CEO must exemplify good stewardship, implement sound strategies to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, consider different perspectives, and maintain respect for others' skill sets and expertise. For decades, corporations have focused on this ideal picture of leadership. It is essential to understand how the leadership traits once venerated have changed to include the darker side of a CEO's personality, specifically, the embodiment of narcissistic traits that prove detrimental to the organization's performance …

Wave-Ing Away Stereotypes: The Rise Of Black Surfers, John J. Schilling Iii

Capstones

This article examines the growing prominence of Black surfers with a specific focus on Lou Harris of the Black Surfing Association East Coast Chapter in Rockaway Beach, New York. While the sport remains white male-dominated, a 2022 report from the Surf Industry Members Association and ActionWatch show that surfing has experienced a surge in diversity over the last decade with an increase in the number of Black surfers, female surfers and other surfers of color nationwide. In exploring this phenomenon, this article includes the historical background of Black people’s connection to the sport, dating back to enslaved Africans’ complicated interactions …

Understanding And Navigating Asylum In Nyc, Divya Murthy

Capstones

Between September 2022 and December 2023, I worked with the community of grassroots volunteers and organizations in New York helping alleviate the impact of the asylum-seeker crisis in the city. My work is a combination of reporting on the crisis through articles, video and audio as well as an application of engagement journalism techniques, like callouts, joining community groups and sustained conversations with community members.

Link: https://medium.com/@divyamurthy/understanding-and-navigating-asylum-in-nyc-646ab96d0ac1

Hoops Recruitment: Can Nyc Regain Glory Days With “Theprogramnyc”?, Christian I. Nazario

Capstones

TheProgramNYC is looking to revitalize the Basketball scene in New York City. Founders Jared Effron and Griffin Taylor grew up together as friends and saw the failures of the New York Knicks in the nineties. Effron and Taylor made it there goal to train the youth in order to recreate thew New York Basketball scene.The article details some history of New York City Basketball.

New York’S Unclear Evacuation Plans Have Rockaway Feeling Abandoned, Michael Matteo

Capstones

This project examines the emergency messaging New York City provides in event of a major coastal storm and mandated evacuation. In the Rockaways, a part of NYC hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy, some members of the community find the information lacking and feel there's no real plan to evacuate them in an emergency. This growing rift between what the community feels it needs and what the city provides is interrogated, especially as climate change increases the risk of another life-altering storm coming to New York City.

Link to capstone project: https://medium.com/@michael.matteo00/new-yorks-unclear-evacuation-plans-have-rockaway-feeling-abandoned-d652bb060c91

The Matriarchs Of Ecuavoley Femenino, Mariana Martinez

Capstones

At Cancha Chavelita (Chavelita Court) in the Bronx, New York, generations of Ecuadorean women have come together to play ecuavoley, a male-dominated sport from Ecuador. Ironically, the court however happens to also be one of the few run by a woman, Chavelita herself. As the women embrace the sport, they’ve become more than just teammates on the court. The capstone project also documents the history of ecuavoley femenino (female ecuavoley) in Ecuador with an in-depth podcast featuring Mercedes (Meche) Mena, a professional ecuavoley player. A third component of the project also explores the rise of ecuavoley femenino on the internet …

Short Documentary: "Masha, Where Is Your Home?", Anastasiia Bilous

Capstones

Life post-invasion and we are on a happiness search – Post-war life – and we are on a happiness search.

Anna and Masha, a 31-year-old mother and her very mobile 3-year-old daughter left their beloved Ukraine 30 days after the Russian invasion with one goal — protect Masha (and if possible, also her childhood). They left their whole world, grandparets, extended family, a vast social network of friends, former classmates and colleagues – carrying only two napsacks and a suitcase. Fortunately they have an American sponsor in Florida, who at 70 years of age might be an opportunistic lech. Iinternationally …

Postpartum Depression Speaks Out: Encouraging The Creation And/Or Improvement Of Postpartum Depression Resources Through First-Person Audio Interviews., Zakiyyah N. Woods

Capstones

For my practicum I conducted audio interviews with mothers with a history of postpartum depression and shared portions of their stories on an online platform. The goal: for community leaders to hear the stories and become inspired to create or improve postpartum depression resources for their community-at-large. Also, for families dealing with postpartum depression to feel less alone through hearing the voices of others who have gone through the same as themselves and become encouraged to speak up and seek help from resources that are available to them.

La Historia De Felix: Qué Ha Pasado Con Los Migrantes Del Roosevelt Hotel, Eduardo A. Gonzalez Quintero

Capstones

During the last week of July, a large group of migrants from Central and South America and Africa arrived at the Roosevelt Hotel to apply for a place in New York City's asylum system.

The scene was, in a way, dystopian: hundreds of people lying or leaning against each other, trying to rest from their exhausting journeys and covering themselves from the relentless New York summer sun, in front of dozens of photographers and reporters looking for the perfect shot and the perfect interview for their stories.

These testimonies, published in multiple outlets, showed that despite the big social, political, …

The Cost Of The Crunch: Ethical Chocolate In New York City, Rachel J. Goldman

Capstones

Within the past few years since the Supreme Court ruled in favor Big Chocolate companies, awareness about the ethical problems with industrial chocolate continue to penetrate public consciousness. There is a rise in boutique chocolate manufacturing around New York City, but how viable is it for every New Yorker?

The Cost of the Crunch: Ethical Chocolate in New York City | by Rachel Goldman | Dec, 2023 | Medium

The Pima County Jail In A “State Of Full-Blown Crisis”: Inmate Deaths Four Times The National Average, Natalie Robbins

Capstones

Last year, 12 inmates died in custody at the Pima County Jail in Tucson, Arizona. With a 10-year average jail population of 1,827, that is a per capita rate of 656.8 deaths per 100,000 inmates.

According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the 2019 national local jail mortality rate was 167 deaths for every 100,000 inmates, making the Pima County Jail’s 2022 per capita death rate nearly four times as high as the national average in 2019.

In a December 2022 memo to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos wrote …

Gun Violence In The Deadly Mississippi Delta, Gerard L. Edic

Capstones

The Mississippi Delta boasts some of the nation's highest rates of fatal shootings yet it often is not included in the national narrative of gun violence. This piece looks at the costs of gun violence in one Mississippi Delta county, Leflore. It incorporates my own anecdotal experience, having covered homicides when I worked for the local paper, as well as interviews with residents and a sociologist who wrote a book assessing the cost of fatal shootings.