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Articles 2941 - 2970 of 5392

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Intergenerational Caregiver Loss And Successful Aging Opportunity Disruption Of Bulgarian Elderly, Daniel Georg Habermann Jan 2019

Intergenerational Caregiver Loss And Successful Aging Opportunity Disruption Of Bulgarian Elderly, Daniel Georg Habermann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Identified by European research as an aging crisis, vulnerabilities in the rural Bulgarian elderly population such as intergenerational caregiver loss, are sociohistorical consequences and barriers to successful aging. This transcultural study investigated the aging crisis in rural Bulgaria to create a contextual definition of successful aging and to address successful aging and the identification of challenges and barriers faced by social workers and elders to support successful aging. Guided by continuity theory in aging and contextualized by overarching ecological systems theory, the research questions examined Bulgarian social workers' perceptions and expectations of successful aging and barriers to it. A collaborative …


Political Control And Accountability In Ethiopian Rulemaking, Esayas Kassa Araya Jan 2019

Political Control And Accountability In Ethiopian Rulemaking, Esayas Kassa Araya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrative rules have played a central role in Ethiopian public administration since 1994 when the current constitution was adopted. However, if the formulation and implementation of the rules are not politically controlled, and proper accountability is not applied, these same rules could become threats instead of assurances of the rule of law and order. This case study explored what strategic controls and accountability measures are in place to regulate the rulemaking process. To inform the study, the political control of bureaucracy framework in general and the principal-agency model, in particular, were used. The central research question focused on strategies that …


Spousal Caregivers' Challenges When Caring For Their Loved Ones Battling Alzheimer's Disease, Patricia A. Light Jan 2019

Spousal Caregivers' Challenges When Caring For Their Loved Ones Battling Alzheimer's Disease, Patricia A. Light

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, the occurrence of Alzheimer's dementia is growing. This chronic illness is highly prevalent in the elderly population. Studies have advised that the elderly population is primarily affected by this chronic illness as age progresses. Aging may lead to mental or physical deterioration. This chronic illness can be extremely challenging for the spousal caregivers involved and the challenging decisions that must be made. There remains a crucial gap in the literature concerning the challenges experienced by spousal caregivers and how they cope with these factors daily. Specifically, there are no studies exploring the perceptions of spousal caregivers …


Strategies For Providing Loans To Small Businesses, Linda Faye Evans Jan 2019

Strategies For Providing Loans To Small Businesses, Linda Faye Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2007 and 2013, the number of loans banks provided to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) declined. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that senior bank lending officers used to improve lending to SMEs. The sample size consisted of 4 senior small business lending officers who have in lending for 5 or more year in Houston, Texas. The conceptual framework used was agency theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 senior bank lending officers from a bank in the Houston, Texas area, a review of documents from lending officers, and other artifacts …


Florida Political Appointees Usage Of Social Power Bases After Service First Initiative, Leland Francis Butcher Jan 2019

Florida Political Appointees Usage Of Social Power Bases After Service First Initiative, Leland Francis Butcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Florida reformed its civil service system with the passage of the Service First Initiative of 2001, resulting in a unique organizational setting by altering the employer-employee relationship, yet little academic research explored the power tactics used by politicians and political appointees in order to gain subordinate compliance in unique organizational environments. Using French and Raven’s bases of social power theory and Raven’s interpersonal power interaction model as the foundation, the primary purpose of this stratified cross-sectional study of politicians and political appointees in Florida was to explore whether certain demographic factors are predictors of the extent to which French and …


Implementing Aromatherapy For Falls Reduction In The Inpatient Hospice Population, Kimberly Kay Pistek Jan 2019

Implementing Aromatherapy For Falls Reduction In The Inpatient Hospice Population, Kimberly Kay Pistek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls among the elderly is a health concern affecting multiple patients annually. Hospice patients and those with multiple comorbidities are at the greatest risk of falling and sustaining injuries from falls. Aromatherapy has been used for reducing multiple symptoms as well as for decreasing falls. The practice-focused question explored whether an education program on using aromatherapy for fall prevention would increase knowledge of this intervention for an interdisciplinary group of hospice staff. The design was developed using Knowles's theory of andragogy and Bloom's taxonomy. Thirteen staff members from the same facility participated in the education program. The program was targeted …


A Quantitative Assessment Of Empathy After An Art Prime With Counseling Students, Annette Lisa Coletta Jan 2019

A Quantitative Assessment Of Empathy After An Art Prime With Counseling Students, Annette Lisa Coletta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empathy skills are necessary to form therapeutic relationships. Previous research showed that participating in the arts engaged similar neuropathways as those needed to produce empathy. The theoretical framework for this study was art therapy relational neuroscience. The purpose of this pretest, posttest quantitative research study, using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, was to examine if a single art session could effectively prime for empathy. Using nonprobability, convenience sampling method, 74 graduate counseling students completed online surveys. Four findings are of note: (a) a t-test showed a significant difference between mean values of pre-post test scores, (b) an independent groups t-test indicated …


The Relationship Between Methods Of Calculating The Ahi And Daytime Sleepiness, Severity Of Sleep Apnea, And Cpap Pressure Settings, Kathryn J. Kane Jan 2019

The Relationship Between Methods Of Calculating The Ahi And Daytime Sleepiness, Severity Of Sleep Apnea, And Cpap Pressure Settings, Kathryn J. Kane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sleep apnea impacts one's mental and physical health, and has social consequences which affect all of society. Not only is there is a weak correlation between the severity of sleep apnea and daytime sleepiness as reported on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), but there is also a weak correlation between the severity of sleep apnea and prescribed treatment as indicated by 95th percentile pressure on a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This poses difficulty for providers as well as patients throughout screening and treatment. The purpose of this study was to use a biopsychosocial approach to perform a within-subjects …


Financial Management Strategies Used To Market Investment Services To Retiring Military Personnel, Douglas Dwayne Scott Jan 2019

Financial Management Strategies Used To Market Investment Services To Retiring Military Personnel, Douglas Dwayne Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Marketing strategies relies on marketing campaigns that target a variety of clients based on demographics to increase profitability through financial planning services. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the marketing strategies financial managers of financial management branch offices used to market their investment services to retiring military personnel. The targeted population comprised 5 financial managers of financial management branch offices in the northeastern region of the United States and surrounding geographical areas who used successful strategies to market investment services to retiring military personnel. Blue ocean theory, which refers to untouched markets, provided the conceptual …


Psychological Effects Of Training In Martial Arts After Interpersonal Trauma, Alexandro Garcia Vargas Jan 2019

Psychological Effects Of Training In Martial Arts After Interpersonal Trauma, Alexandro Garcia Vargas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who experience a traumatic event may have an adverse emotional reaction that negatively impacts their quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the influence of training in the martial arts as an intervention in the treatment of interpersonal trauma. The biopsychosocial model provided the framework for the study. The research questions addressed the effects of training in the martial arts and the biological, psychological, and social functioning of individuals who had sustained a form of interpersonal trauma. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 9 participants. Data were analyzed using Moustakas's modified van …


Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Persons' Experiences With Counseling Assessments, Macie Stead Jan 2019

Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Persons' Experiences With Counseling Assessments, Macie Stead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselors sometimes use counseling assessments with transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) persons without understanding the experiences individuals have with those assessments. The American Counseling Association and the World Professional Association of Transgender Health identified that attention is needed with the practice of counseling assessments to ensure that helpful, ethical, and culturally sensitive services are available. The purpose of this study was to explore TGNC adults' experiences with counseling assessments. Gadamer's hermeneutics provided a framework to examine qualitative data as truth and validate the individuals' experiences with counseling assessments. Participants included 12 TGNC persons 18 years or older who had a …


Survey Of U.S. Undergraduate Self-Reported Opioid Diversion And Heroin Use, Motives, Sources, And Collective Efficacy As Mediating Factors, Mark Francis Plaushin Jan 2019

Survey Of U.S. Undergraduate Self-Reported Opioid Diversion And Heroin Use, Motives, Sources, And Collective Efficacy As Mediating Factors, Mark Francis Plaushin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Epic morbidity and mortality, and intractability make prescription opioid diversion a wicked problem. Meanwhile, college undergraduates are vulnerable to opioid misuse and its consequences. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess U.S. undergraduate students' opioid misuse and the relationship between mediating factors. The study's theoretical framework rested on Wakeland's et al. opioid system model and Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory. This study bridged the gap, measuring collective efficacy and testing its relationship to undergraduate decisions to regulate misuse. Thus, research questions focused on gauging the problem's scope and assessing relationships between factors that drive or potentially regulate …


Financial Investment Advisor Professional Arrogance And Performance, Cranla Warren Jan 2019

Financial Investment Advisor Professional Arrogance And Performance, Cranla Warren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Arrogance in the workplace is a growing area of interest within industrial-organizational psychology. Arrogant employees tend to lack positive interpersonal work relationships, act superior yet have a lower level of cognitive abilities, and have poorer job performance than their less arrogant counterparts, leading to challenging work relationships and overall impact on an organization's ability to meet its objectives. The present study examined professional arrogance measured by the Workplace Arrogance Scale (WARS), a 26 question survey, in relation to the objective outcome measure of a Financial Investment Advisor's (FIA) ranking on the firm's leader board based on total assets under management …


Valuation Of Ex-Offender Motivation For Participation In A Restorative Justice Praxis, Kenneth Lang Jan 2019

Valuation Of Ex-Offender Motivation For Participation In A Restorative Justice Praxis, Kenneth Lang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Restorative justice (RJ) is an emerging concept of justice in the American penal system that seeks equality for all stakeholders involved. While RJ is vastly under researched--especially concerning RJ and violent offenses--current studies have only focused on determining victims' motivations for participating in RJ. Determining and evaluating offender motivations for participating in RJ remains unexplored. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible motivations of criminal offenders and their willingness to participate in RJ. The social construction framework and the narrative policy framework were employed to understand the social context. A mixed-method approach was used that began with …


Juvenile Offender Risk Factors Associated With Participation In Diversion Programs And Recidivism, Latasha Lavette Allen Jan 2019

Juvenile Offender Risk Factors Associated With Participation In Diversion Programs And Recidivism, Latasha Lavette Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although reducing recidivism among juvenile offenders is an important goal of the criminal justice system and diversion programs are known to reduce recidivism, little is known about the risk factors associated with participation in diversion programs or recidivism. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the juvenile offender risk factors associated with participation in diversion programs and recidivism. Social learning theory was the theoretical framework. The key research questions focused on how juvenile offenders'€™ demographic characteristics, risk factors, and participation in different types of diversion programs were associated with recidivism. Archival data from a large juvenile justice agency …


Human Trafficking Crime Awareness Among Remote Communities In Central Vietnam, Ngoc Tb Nguyen Jan 2019

Human Trafficking Crime Awareness Among Remote Communities In Central Vietnam, Ngoc Tb Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking crime is rising globally at an alarming rate, and Vietnam is one of the nations with the highest prevalence of trafficking female victims for forced sex services and forced marriages. This study explored human trafficking awareness in remote communities of central Vietnam and the factors for young girls dropping out of school for work at an early age. The study also investigated the link between gender inequality and the child labor problem in these communities. There is no extant empirical research pertaining to human trafficking awareness in the remote communities of central Vietnam. This research fills this gap …


Race As A Predictor Of Recidivism Risk: An Epidemiological Analysis, Femi Folorunsho Jan 2019

Race As A Predictor Of Recidivism Risk: An Epidemiological Analysis, Femi Folorunsho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prisoner recidivism is a problem of great social importance, as recidivism represents a failure of the rehabilitative goal of incarceration. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of accurate estimates of race as a predictor of recidivism risk in the United States, after taking demographics and criminal variables into account. Applying the life-course theory of recidivism, the purpose of this archival, epidemiological study was to calculate whether recidivism risk varied based on race, across different seriousness levels of commitment offense and number of prior arrests, among a sample of male federal prisoners released from custody. A Cox proportional …


Evaluating U.S. Counterterrorism Policy On Domestic Terrorism Using The Global Terrorism Database, Colleen Michelle Kennedy Jan 2019

Evaluating U.S. Counterterrorism Policy On Domestic Terrorism Using The Global Terrorism Database, Colleen Michelle Kennedy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has a long history of domestic terrorism, yet U.S. counterterrorism policy has focused almost completely on the threat from international terrorism. The gap in the literature was the absence of an empirical evaluation of U.S. counterterrorism policy on domestic terrorism in general. The purpose of this quantitative study was to describe the impact of 21st century U.S. counterterrorism policy on incidence, lethality, and cost of domestic terrorism using data from the Global Terrorism Database. The multiple streams framework and the power elite theory were used. In this longitudinal trend study using secondary data analysis, domestic terrorism data …


Teachers' Characteristic And Exceptional Student Academic Learning Outcomes In Middle School, Brenda Ineca Johnson Jan 2019

Teachers' Characteristic And Exceptional Student Academic Learning Outcomes In Middle School, Brenda Ineca Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Federal mandates ensure that each and every child regardless of race, national origins, and socioeconomic status, is entitled to a high-quality education. Reports from the Department of Education have stated that over 80% of exceptional students receive their academic instructions within general education classrooms. There is limited research on exceptional students learning outcomes in general education classrooms with general education curriculum. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test the theory of self-determination that explains the impact of teacher characteristics (N = 85 educators) on the academic outcomes of exceptional students in the special and general education classrooms. Teacher …


Resilience Experiences Of Navy Wives During Midyear School Transitions Of A Child, Alicia Brengman Jan 2019

Resilience Experiences Of Navy Wives During Midyear School Transitions Of A Child, Alicia Brengman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social problem of school dropout is a well-researched issue that impacts students, schools, and the nation. The research problem of this study was how U.S. Navy wives experience resiliency during school transitions of their child(ren) midyear to a new school. The theoretical framework utilized for this study was resilience theory, as described by Rutter. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to gain insight into how U.S. Navy wives experience resilience when transitioning their students to a new school once the school year has begun. Semi structured interviews were conducted over the phone with 9 current wives of …


An Analysis Of Junior Enlisted Personnel Attrition In The U.S. Army, Posey Grier, Jr. Jan 2019

An Analysis Of Junior Enlisted Personnel Attrition In The U.S. Army, Posey Grier, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Junior enlisted personnel are the workforce of the U.S. Army and a recruiting pool for Warrant and Officer Candidate School training programs. Before fulfilling their initial obligation of 8 years, 25 to 30 percent of enlistees receive separation orders from the Army. Consequently, attrition in this group has created a substantial problem in maintaining a trained and ready Army. The purpose of this correlational study was to understand what factors contribute to unfilled service of enlisted personnel. Specifically, this study focused on the number of years of service before departure, the cause of the early separations, and the subcategories as …


Multivariate Relationships Of Binge Watching-Drinking-Eating With Depression, Anxiety, And Stress In College Students, Katina Letrice Clarke Jan 2019

Multivariate Relationships Of Binge Watching-Drinking-Eating With Depression, Anxiety, And Stress In College Students, Katina Letrice Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Binge eating and drinking have been studied with respect to stress, anxiety, and depression, but little is known about the emerging phenomenon of binge watching television programming. Guided by escape theory and the uses and gratification theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study addressed multivariate relations of binge drinking, binge eating, and binge watching with depression, anxiety, and stress among 102 college students ages 18 to 24. Multivariate canonical correlation results revealed that participants with low anxiety scores tended to have low scores on binge eating and drinking but high scores on binge watching. Participants with low stress scores and high anxiety …


Experiences Of African American Mothers Raising Gifted Children, Keisha Kavon Mcgill Jan 2019

Experiences Of African American Mothers Raising Gifted Children, Keisha Kavon Mcgill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Equality in educational access has long been an area of concern for U.S. educators, policy makers, and advocates. Congress issued a mandate in 1969 to identify the needs of gifted students and to ensure that those needs were being met. However, the needs of gifted minority students were not specifically addressed. Little is known about how African American mothers are affected by the demands of raising and advocating for their gifted child. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative inquiry was to explore the lived experiences of African American mothers raising gifted children. The theory of womanism was used to …


Firearm Risk Regression Analysis For Law Enforcement Officer Firearm Usage Utilizing Factors In The M-Pulse And Mmpi-2rf, Jesse Stout Jan 2019

Firearm Risk Regression Analysis For Law Enforcement Officer Firearm Usage Utilizing Factors In The M-Pulse And Mmpi-2rf, Jesse Stout

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine to what extent the 4 M-PULSE scale scores (interpersonal difficulties, unprofessional conduct, discharge of weapon, and inappropriate use of weapon) account for variance in the MMPI-2RF (aggression and antisocial) subscales scores. Archival data was provided by a private business that conducts these screenings for multiple law enforcement organizations (local and state). Law enforcement candidates (N = 127) were evaluated by a private business during the prehiring psychological screening process using the M-PULSE and MMPI-2RF to assess their risk factors for employment as law enforcement officers. Using Social Learning theory as the …


Female Leaders: Paths To Leadership In The Florida State Legislature, Heather Conaway Roberson Jan 2019

Female Leaders: Paths To Leadership In The Florida State Legislature, Heather Conaway Roberson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issues women face and the policies that benefit women can be neglected by policy makers without women serving in the state legislature, yet little is understood about how influencing factors, characteristics and experiences shape political aspirations among women at the state level. Using feminist identity theory and feminist standpoint theory as the foundation, the purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore how female leaders develop their nascent political ambition and engage in the path to public office. Data were collected through interviews with 8 women who held office in a state legislature from 2012 through 2017. Interview data …


Increasing Clergy's Knowledge Of Mental Illness, Confidence, And Willingness To Refer, Suzan Mae Davis Merritt Jan 2019

Increasing Clergy's Knowledge Of Mental Illness, Confidence, And Willingness To Refer, Suzan Mae Davis Merritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 43 million Americans suffer from mental illness annually with 40% seeking support from clergy (Polson & Rogers, 2007) who claim to be ineffectively prepared (Farrell & Goebert, 2008). This study investigated if mental health training administered to clergy would increase their knowledge of various mental disorders, alter their opinion regarding helpful resources, grow their self-confidence to help individuals experiencing mental health issues, and increase clergy's willingness to refer out. The theoretical basis for this research was attribution theory that attempts to explain social perceptions (Mannarini & Boffo, 2013) and the struggle individuals (i.e. clergy) have regarding the causation of …


The Coping Strategies Of Alpha-1 Deficient Patients And Their Family Caregivers, Nicolette Bruscino Jan 2019

The Coping Strategies Of Alpha-1 Deficient Patients And Their Family Caregivers, Nicolette Bruscino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, for which there is no cure, is one of the most lethal genetic diseases among the European White population. Early and proper diagnosis is challenging, as understanding how both alpha-1 antitrypsin deficient patients and their family caregivers cope with their related stressors on a daily basis. This qualitative phenomenological study incorporated the biopsychosocial approach, the Bowen family systems theory, and the family systems model of illness to examine the experiences of Alpha-1 patients and their family caregivers related to living with the disease and coping strategies. Participants were recruited with the assistance of a national organization that …


African American Men's Deaths In The U.S. And Perceptions Of Procedural Justice, Annette Woods Fields Jan 2019

African American Men's Deaths In The U.S. And Perceptions Of Procedural Justice, Annette Woods Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men between the ages of 18-35 years are increasingly likely to die during arrests by police under the purview of procedural practices. Using procedural justice and critical race theory as the foundation, the purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the statistical relationship between procedural justice, consent to police authority, and certain demographic characteristics including socioeconomic status and age in a large Metropolitan area in the southern United States. Survey data utilizing the Procedural Justice Inventory and Willingness to Submit to Police Authority Survey were collected from African American adult males (n = 69) and analyzed using …


Use Of Force: Perception Of Racial Minorities And Police Officers In Southeastern United States, William Henry Riter, Jr. Jan 2019

Use Of Force: Perception Of Racial Minorities And Police Officers In Southeastern United States, William Henry Riter, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The amount of force used by law enforcement officers has become a highly-charged topic, especially among racial minority citizens and the law enforcement community. While the use of force by police officers is permitted by law enforcement agencies and expected by citizens, the amount and type of force used can trigger or cause problems, such as distrust or loss of confidence for the police agency, if the public perceives the force to be unjustified. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the use of force by police officers and how to improve the relationship between racial minority citizens …


Relationship Between Novice Counselors' Supervisory Attachments And Boundary Practices And Perceptions, Glenda Hill Nanna Jan 2019

Relationship Between Novice Counselors' Supervisory Attachments And Boundary Practices And Perceptions, Glenda Hill Nanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Novice counselors may struggle to understand and follow ethical guidelines for boundary behaviors with clients. When counselors violate therapeutic boundaries, harmful consequences can result for clients and counselors. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the possible relationship between novice counselors' (NCs') attachment to supervisors and NCs' ethical perceptions and boundary practices. This study addressed the possible predictor variables of age, gender, relationship status, and practice setting. Bowlby's attachment theory provided the framework for the study. Survey data from 114 NCs were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear regression. Each regression analyzed predictors of age, gender, relationship …