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Articles 4381 - 4410 of 5392

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Emergency Room Utilization Of Participants With Mental Health Conditions Enrolled In Health Home Services, Amanda Duff Jan 2016

Emergency Room Utilization Of Participants With Mental Health Conditions Enrolled In Health Home Services, Amanda Duff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large numbers of individuals utilize the ER each year for mental health reasons. The health home agency in this study was designed under the Affordable Care Act with the intention of increasing patient self-management thus decreasing high-cost service utilization. The effectiveness of health homes in reducing mental health-related ER visits has remained unexplored. In this study, the relationship between participation in this program and ER utilization was examined, using the theoretical framework of the Health Belief Model. The sample of 128 health home participants with documented mental health conditions was selected using systematic random sampling. A one-way, repeated-measures t-test and …

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Consequences Of The Niger Delta Amnesty Program Implementation On Nigeria's Upstream Petroleum Industry, Chisomaga Ihediohanma Ezeocha Jan 2016

Consequences Of The Niger Delta Amnesty Program Implementation On Nigeria's Upstream Petroleum Industry, Chisomaga Ihediohanma Ezeocha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Niger Delta militancy ravaged the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector between 2004-2009, bringing it to a standstill. In response, the Nigerian state adopted an amnesty policy―a globally recognized tool for conflict resolution and peacebuilding―to protect the sector and the economy from collapse. Little is known, however, about the unintended consequences of the amnesty implementation for the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector. Thus, the purpose of this study was to fill this gap in the research literature on the Niger Delta amnesty program. Polarity management was the conceptual framework applied; relative deprivation and polarities of democracy constituted the theoretical foundation for this …

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Identifying Future Effective Foster Parent Characteristics: Using The Casey Foster Family Assessment, Jennifer Grimes-Vawters Jan 2016

Identifying Future Effective Foster Parent Characteristics: Using The Casey Foster Family Assessment, Jennifer Grimes-Vawters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, Washoe County Department of Social Services in Nevada, licensed only 50 of 400 parents who applied to foster children. Lack of long-term effective foster parents creates instability within the system. Significant concern over increased numbers of children entering foster care and a decreased number of qualified foster care applicants continues. The Casey Foster Family Assessment (CFFA), a comprehensive assessment of key traits of effective foster parents may further enhance the fostering application process. The identified CFFA subscales most predictive of future foster parent effectiveness, may help WCDSS more effectively identify applicants likely to provide long-term stable homes for …

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Exploring Strategies To Gain Frontline Employee Buy-In During Change Initiatives In Manufacturing, Charles James Iv Jan 2016

Exploring Strategies To Gain Frontline Employee Buy-In During Change Initiatives In Manufacturing, Charles James Iv

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high failure rates of change initiatives threaten the sustainability of commercial printing operations. The focus of this qualitative multicase study was to research the strategies commercial printing managers use to succeed in gaining frontline employee buy-in during change initiatives to improve productivity and profitability in a manufacturing environment. The participants included four commercial printing managers from the Midwestern United States. Each manager had implemented successful change initiatives in the past 2 years and maintained profitability of the business for 12 months before the study. McGregor's (1960) Theory Y served as the basis for the conceptual framework. Data collection included …

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Impact Of Distance, Diagnosis, And Demographics On Attendance For Rural Outpatient Treatment, Trey Howard Jensen Jan 2016

Impact Of Distance, Diagnosis, And Demographics On Attendance For Rural Outpatient Treatment, Trey Howard Jensen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Missed psychotherapy appointments inhibit mental health treatment, limit the availability of treatment to those waiting for care, and reduce clinician revenue. Previous research has revealed that the factors that predict missed appointments vary depending on the geographic location in which that research is conducted. There is not a complete understanding of the characteristics of people who miss appointments in a rural context. This study used information from 281 client records to examine the predictive relationships among missed appointments and the distance traveled to the clinic, mental health diagnosis, age, and gender at a rural outpatient mental health clinic. The purpose …

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The Effect Of Media Literacy Training On The Self-Esteem And Body-Satisfaction Among Fifth Grade Girls, Holly Mathews Jan 2016

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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Privacy Concerns Regarding The Use Of Biometrics In Trusted Traveler Programs, Shari Merlano Jan 2016

Privacy Concerns Regarding The Use Of Biometrics In Trusted Traveler Programs, Shari Merlano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the objectives of the U.S. government is to balance the individual’s right to privacy and national security interests. Trusted Traveler programs create a risk-based security model where the traveling public is categorized into low or high risk. There are, however, some privacy concerns related to the acceptance of the use of biometric technology in the adoption of expedited security screening procedures in commercial airports. The theoretical construct of this case study of the TSA Pre-Check Program is based on Ajzen and Fischbein’s theory of reasoned action, specifically through Davis’ technology acceptance model. The purpose of this case study …

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Economic Policy Implications Of Port Concession In Nigeria, Chiedu Bertram Ndubisi Jan 2016

Economic Policy Implications Of Port Concession In Nigeria, Chiedu Bertram Ndubisi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research on privatization has focused on its effect on output, profitability, investment, and efficiency at the level of the firm, neglecting the economic growth and other impacts. Nigeria's port privatization through concession in 2006 covered virtually all the ports in the economy. However, the few studies on the subject neither factored in the complexity that characterize the multiple port system nor controlled for alternative explanations of the changes in the economy. This correlational study tested the property rights theory by investigating whether the changes in production efficiency at the ports following privatization are good predictors of economic growth in …

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Referral And Treatment Settings For Pregnant Women, Linda D. O'Daniel Jan 2016

Referral And Treatment Settings For Pregnant Women, Linda D. O'Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women is a significant public health issue. The purpose of this study was to assess drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women and the setting in which they sought service or treatment to determine whether U.S. census regions and race data could predict the type of addiction service or treatment that pregnant addicts chose. The theories of self-efficacy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and rational emotive behavioral therapy were used as the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions were used to examine whether there was a relationship between the source of addiction treatment referral …

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Understanding The Influence Of Human Emotions In Organizations: The Emotional Extent Effects, Lambert Ikechi Ofoegbu Jan 2016

Understanding The Influence Of Human Emotions In Organizations: The Emotional Extent Effects, Lambert Ikechi Ofoegbu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional disengagement of employees may cause poor organizational performance, while emotional commitment of employees may enhance organizational performance. Informed by the theory of psychological ownership in organizations, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how employee emotional interactions in the workplace related to organizational performance within 3 multinational companies in Nigeria. The 3 selected companies represented the 3 industrial sectors in Nigeria were financial, construction, and oil and gas. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 24 participants with a minimum of 5 years' experience in their respective organizations. Data analysis included transcription, coding, and querying, which produced …

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A Policy Analysis Of California Veterans Treatment Court Legislation, Larisa Elisabeth Owen Jan 2016

A Policy Analysis Of California Veterans Treatment Court Legislation, Larisa Elisabeth Owen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) and agencies that work with veterans experiencing posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders have been unable to provide evidence-based treatment that includes veterans' families in recovery and treatment. This limitation has resulted in treatment gaps that appear to have had an adverse impact on veterans and their families. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to examine the formulation of AB 2371, a 2012 legislative amendment to California code PC 1170.9, and evaluate whether lawmakers considered family-oriented treatment in passing the amendment. Schneider and Ingram's theory of social construction of target populations constituted the theoretical …

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Penalty Enhancement Laws And The Reporting Of Patient Assaults On Emergency Department Nurses, Thomas Runkle Jan 2016

Penalty Enhancement Laws And The Reporting Of Patient Assaults On Emergency Department Nurses, Thomas Runkle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assaults on emergency department nurses by patients are higher than any other occupation in the private sector. Professional nursing organizations have lobbied for penalty enhancement laws that increase the categorization of assaulting a nurse on duty from a misdemeanor to a felony. As of 2015, 32 states have implemented these laws. Yet, low assault reporting rates by nurses remains a problem, and little is known about whether penalty enhancements improved reporting rates. The purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the impact of penalty enhancement laws on self-reporting of assault on emergency department nurses in 6 Mid-Atlantic cities. Constructs …

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Airline Pilots In Recovery From Alcoholism: A Quantitative Study Of Cognitive Change, Heather Christina Hamilton Jan 2016

Airline Pilots In Recovery From Alcoholism: A Quantitative Study Of Cognitive Change, Heather Christina Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In order to perform their duties, airline pilots must have no clinical diagnosis of mental illness or any substance use disorder. However, provisions have been in place since the 1970s that provide for a return to work for airline pilots with alcohol problems. To date, over 5,000 airline pilots have undergone rehabilitation for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and successfully returned to work. An important gap in the literature remains with regard to what extent improvements in cognitive performance may be experienced by airline pilots who complete treatment and to what extent age influences the amount of change. This study examined …

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The Impact Of The Sentinel Initiative And Faers Surveillance System On Consumer Safety, Sonia Batra Jan 2016

The Impact Of The Sentinel Initiative And Faers Surveillance System On Consumer Safety, Sonia Batra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to monitor adverse events resulting from pharmaceutical drug use. However, this system has limitations such as not allowing real-time data collection. To address these limitations, the FDA launched the Sentinel Initiative in 2008. This comparative case study was conducted to describe perceptions of investigating the efficacy of the Sentinel Initiative compared with the FAERS. The study was based on the theory of preemption as it emphasized the need for efficient means for providing unquestionable proof that consumers suffered adverse drug effects. The sample included interivews …

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Differentiated Instruction, Teacher Immediacy, And Students' Mathematic Success, Katherine Ann Albanese-Benevento Jan 2016

Differentiated Instruction, Teacher Immediacy, And Students' Mathematic Success, Katherine Ann Albanese-Benevento

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated the role of both arts-integrated instruction (art activities as part of math instruction) and teacher immediacy (teacher caring behaviors) levels on students' math achievement. Although students from low socio-economic culturally diverse school districts have shown improvement in academic test scores, their scores are still significantly lower than scores of students from other school districts. Research has shown that when there is an increase in teacher immediacy, students' academic success increases. Despite this known correlation, there is a lack of literature on the ways that arts integration, combined with teacher immediacy, can affect academic success. Constructivist theories, experiential …

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High Wire, No Net: Emergence From Generational Poverty Without Higher Education, Corey Alan Caugherty Jan 2016

High Wire, No Net: Emergence From Generational Poverty Without Higher Education, Corey Alan Caugherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing literature indicates that education is vital to overcoming poverty, yet educational prospects for those in persistent, generational poverty (GP) are often limited. This qualitative phenomenological study centered on the emergence from GP of individuals without formal education beyond 12th grade or a high school equivalency certificate, and explored how those who have done it perceived their experiences. Rutter's resilience theory was the conceptual framework for examining this phenomenon and its challenges and processes. A sample of five adult participants from the United States were recruited using a snowball method, completed a screening survey, and then participated in in-depth interviews. …

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Law Enforcement Employees' Experiences Of Skillful Recognition By Leaders, Dimitra Patterson Cornelius Jan 2016

Law Enforcement Employees' Experiences Of Skillful Recognition By Leaders, Dimitra Patterson Cornelius

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The performance of public agency employees and their management teams have long been subject to critical comments and public doubt. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of police leaders and staff with regard to skillful recognition of excellent performance within the profession. Twenty law enforcement employees, including leaders, sworn officers, and nonuniformed civilian employees in southwestern North Carolina, consented to in-depth, semistructured interviews concerning their lived experiences. Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory was the conceptual framework for this study. A modified van Kaam analysis resulted in the identification of 5 significant, but broad, themes. The themes …

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Adult Development Of Positive Personality Traits Through Character Formation Mentoring, Robert Mark Colborn Jan 2016

Adult Development Of Positive Personality Traits Through Character Formation Mentoring, Robert Mark Colborn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive psychologists have published hundreds of empirical studies correlating positive personality traits with improved outcomes in mental health, physical health, academic and career success, resilience, relationships, and personal happiness. But there remains a dearth of research on the emergence and development of positive personality traits. This grounded theory, qualitative research sought to discover whether positive personality traits can be developed in adult mentoring relationships. Sixteen participants responded in structured interviews about the benefits of their mentoring experiences, and in addition to performing coding analysis as described by Strauss and Corbin (1990), the researcher also compared the answers to Peterson and …

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An Exploration Of Exposure To Music In High School Males In Appalachian Ohio, Cassandra Mcdonald Jan 2016

An Exploration Of Exposure To Music In High School Males In Appalachian Ohio, Cassandra Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with increasing availability of alternative educational systems, individual learning plans, and vocational schools, the high school dropout rate among males is still rising. High school dropouts have a negative effect on a community because their chances of being employed and contributing to the community are reduced. The theoretical frameworks of multiple intelligences, self-efficacy, and developmental constructivism were used to conduct a hermeneutical phenomenological study of the lived experiences of a specific population of male youth in rural Ohio who decided to return to school and complete the requirements for a high school diploma or GED after being exposed to …

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The Leadership Experiences Of Immigrant Nigerian Women In New York City, Osinachi Muoka Jan 2016

The Leadership Experiences Of Immigrant Nigerian Women In New York City, Osinachi Muoka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigerian women face numerous cultural difficulties in their quest to attain leadership positions in Nigeria, a developing country. They are often overlooked in favor of men due to politics, religious beliefs, education, and bias in gender roles. When Nigerian women emigrate to a new country, the challenges are even greater. Although several United States policies impact the ability of a female immigrant to attain a leadership position 'the Equal Pay Act, Affirmative Action, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act' little research has examined the challenges that affect their quest to attain leadership positions in the United States. This study explored …

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Perceived Impact Of Prevention And Relationship Enhancement Program (Prep) On Marital Satisfaction, Angel Shantella Pierce Jan 2016

Perceived Impact Of Prevention And Relationship Enhancement Program (Prep) On Marital Satisfaction, Angel Shantella Pierce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Married couples often face serious issues that require them to make difficult decisions in their relationships. Many couples turn to marital counseling as a means to improve the marriage. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the experiences of heterosexual married individuals who participated in the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and how they felt their participation had influenced their perceived satisfaction in their marriages. The theoretical framework that guided this study was social exchange theory, which is a basis for thinking about the influence individuals have on each other in personal relationships. The research …

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A Phenomenological Investigation Of Leader Development And Mindfulness Meditation, Denise A. Frizzell, Stephanie Hoon, David K. Banner Jan 2016

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Leader Development And Mindfulness Meditation, Denise A. Frizzell, Stephanie Hoon, David K. Banner

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Regardless of the gap between the demands of the global work environment and the maturity of leaders, minimal research exists on the trend of the practice of mindfulness meditation and the developmental experiences of leaders. Consequently, scholars have little understanding of how an increasing number of leaders experience mindfulness meditation. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceived impact mindfulness meditation had on leader development for 20 manager-leaders who had a regular (at least 3 days a week) mindfulness meditation practice. The primary recruitment strategy included outreach to potential participants affiliated with professionally oriented mindfulness groups on LinkedIn. …

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Terrorist Experts’ Perceptions Of How The Internet Has Shaped International Terrorism, Samuel F. Wilson Ii, Teresa M. Lao Ph.D., Ernesto Escobedo Dr. Jan 2016

Terrorist Experts’ Perceptions Of How The Internet Has Shaped International Terrorism, Samuel F. Wilson Ii, Teresa M. Lao Ph.D., Ernesto Escobedo Dr.

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The use of the Internet by terrorists has greatly contributed to international terrorism. The Internet is a main strategic communication asset for terrorists who use online message boards and chat rooms to share information, coordinate attacks, spread propaganda, raise money, and recruit. The Internet gives terrorists a medium to legitimize, propagate, and intimidate citizens to their cause. Their strategies are based on careful analysis of human communications; thus, messages are adapted and carefully delivered to appeal to people who may need something to believe in. This study bridged the gap in knowledge by exploring, understanding, and explaining the perceptions of …

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Mindful Fitness: Guidelines For Prenatal Practice, Kimberlee Bethany Bonura Jan 2016

Mindful Fitness: Guidelines For Prenatal Practice, Kimberlee Bethany Bonura

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Mindfulness exercise practices offer a form of physical activity which is uniquely suited to support both psychological and physical health during pregnancy. Mindfulness exercise practices, which include yoga, qi gong, tai chi, and martial art forms such as kung fu, karate, and tae kwon do, combine physical activity with deliberate breathing exercises and focused attentional strategies. The purpose of this article is to review the various forms of mindfulness exercise and outline basic guidelines for mindfulness exercise training during pregnancy.

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Law Enforcement Officers' Experiences Of Exposure To Trauma, Michelle B. Nirenberg, Robyn Trippany-Simmons, Tiffany C. Rush-Wilson Jan 2016

Law Enforcement Officers' Experiences Of Exposure To Trauma, Michelle B. Nirenberg, Robyn Trippany-Simmons, Tiffany C. Rush-Wilson

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Violent, traumatic, and stressful work situations are common for law enforcement officers (LEOs). LEOs are susceptible to stressful situations that impact their emotions and have the ability to affect job performance. This phenomenological study focused on identification of how traumatic incidents affected 10 LEOs from 2 rural law enforcement agencies from a rural community in the southeastern United States. Participants were interviewed regarding the experience of how encountering or witnessing traumatic events impacted their emotions during and after the incident, coping mechanisms they implemented, views on seeking mental health treatment, and importance of peer support. Findings indicated that LEOs expressed …

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Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness, And Personal Growth Initiative Among Postpartum Women, Tamar Mary Boyd Jan 2016

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Mental Health And Adolescent Depression, Christine Ann Breuer Jan 2016

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Mental Health And Adolescent Depression, Christine Ann Breuer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents have a high rate of untreated mental health issues, specifically related to depression. Current literature does not indicate the impact of teachers' attitudes toward mental health on their decisions to refer students for services. This study provides understanding specifically, how teachers' beliefs about mental health, as well as their age, gender, ethnicity, years of education, and years of teaching, were analyzed to determine the impact each these characteristics had on the decision to refer a student for services. 92 high school teachers participated in this quantitative study by completing a survey measuring their attitudes of mental health, and then …

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After-School Activities Policy And The Atlanta Fulton Public Library System, Vincent Chukumah Jan 2016

After-School Activities Policy And The Atlanta Fulton Public Library System, Vincent Chukumah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public libraries are evolving from their traditional role as promoters of literacy to a new role as providers of community resources, including after-school activities for teenagers. A policy mandate for such activities appears to be lacking though, which might impact negatively their effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to get a better understanding of the existing policy and implementation mechanisms of after-school activities offered by the Atlanta Fulton Library System in Georgia to at-risk teenaged patrons. Moore's theory of innovation and public value provided the theoretical framework for the study. An embedded case study research design was used to …

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Associations Between Adolescent Perceptions Of Parental Interactions And Adolescent Sexual Behaviors, Shakesha (Shai) Fairley Jan 2016

Associations Between Adolescent Perceptions Of Parental Interactions And Adolescent Sexual Behaviors, Shakesha (Shai) Fairley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual risk behaviors among U.S. adolescents is a major public health concern. Adolescents are contracting sexually transmitted diseases at alarming rates. The purpose of this research was to identify factors related to parent-child interactions that influence adolescent sexual behaviors. A combination of attachment theory and family systems theory was used to help explain how adolescent sexual choices (age of sexual debut, use of birth control, use of condoms, multiple sex partners in a 12-month period) are affected by the perceived quality of parent-child interactions (maternal/parental closeness, monitoring, communication, and involvement). Archival data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics National …

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Lived Experiences Of Exonerated Individuals 1 Year Or Longer After Release, Claudette M. Grooms Jan 2016

Lived Experiences Of Exonerated Individuals 1 Year Or Longer After Release, Claudette M. Grooms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of information related to the postprison experiences of exonerated individuals is frequently found in reports by journalists, or based on the findings of scholars on systematic factors that contribute to wrongful incarcerations. There is a lack of social science research on the unexplored meanings and essence of the postprison lived experiences of exonerees exclusively from their perspectives. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the postprison lived experiences of exonerated individuals, 1 year or longer after their prison release. The conceptual framework was guided by Tajfel's social identity theory and Becker's social reaction theory. …

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