Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Psychoeducational Program In Postpartum Support Groups, Marina Pesserl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Postpartum Depression (PPD) affects 15% of women after childbirth. Its etiology includes psychoneuroimmunologic factors with long-lasting postpartum stressors that lead to allostatic overload. Using mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for PPD has not yet been studied. Addressing this literature gap, the potential benefits of including an 8-week MBSR component based on Beck's theory of PPD at support groups were examined in this phenomenological study based on a sample of 10 women and 2 group facilitators. Purposes of the study included describing the experience of PPD and the MBSR program, identifying the stage of behavioral change of the participants, and describing the …

Learned Helplessness And Depression: Comparison Of Skilled Nursing And Assisted Living Facilities, Paul Lynn Susic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research with geriatric populations suggests high levels of clinical depression and greater financial and psychological costs of treatment in long-term care facilities with more restrictive care. Research on learned helplessness, a construct separate from depression, suggests learned helplessness and perceived control are useful theories for the study of elder depression, but the relationship between depression and learned helplessness in this population is not clear. This cross-sectional quantitative study examined the relationship between depression and learned helplessness by comparing residents over age 65 in less restrictive assisted living (n =42) versus those in more restrictive skilled nursing facilities (n =63). Data …

Correlation Between Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Personality, Fear Of Success, And Self-Defeating Behaviors Of Performing Artists, Albert C. Bramante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is substantial evidence that self-defeating behaviors appear regularly among populations considered psychologically stable. While there has been abundant research on self-esteem, self-efficacy, personality traits, and fear of success as independent constructs, little is known regarding the combined effect of these constructs on the self-defeating behaviors of performing artists. Examining self-defeating behaviors among performing artists is significant because this population is susceptible to self-sabotaging behaviors, underscoring the need to understand their behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine whether self-esteem, self-efficacy, personality, and fear of success predicted self-defeating behaviors among performing artists. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and …

An Examination Of Social Support, Contentment With Life And Time Spent In An Assisted Living Setting., Rebecca Esliker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policies at assisted living facilities should be designed to develop high quality social relationships among older persons that could increase the contentment of the residents. Despite the broad consensus on this mission, the role of social support in the perceived contentment of assisted living facility residents has not been adequately explored. Using social network theory as the framework for this study, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether (a) perceived level of social support was related to perceived level of contentment with life among assisted living facility residents, (b) the length of time spent in the facility …

The Relationship Between Social Intelligence And Hearing Loss, Deborah Finken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an exploration of adults with long-term hearing loss (LTHL) and how it may relate to social intelligence (SI) proficiency. The outcome of this study was intended to illuminate a gap in the literature, namely, the manner in which those with long-term LTHL were able to understand social situations and communicate with others when auditory comprehension was limited. A quantitative nonexperimental method was used that provided the Tromso Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS) to a group of 66 adults with LTHL who were diagnosed with hearing loss as children, as well as a group of 70 adults with no …

Challenges Of Child Trauma On Adoptive Families' Social And Emotional System, Jacqueline Yvonne Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adoption-focused psychoeducation is deemed essential in maintaining the permanency of traumatized children within a new family unit. However, adoptive parents of traumatized children struggle to find training to address their unique concerns. Guided by the lens of psychodynamic theory, the purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by adoptive families of traumatized children. Special focus was placed on the social and emotional relationships of the adoptive parents of traumatized children, to identify the realistic expectations towards attachment from the families' perspectives. Fifteen families were randomly selected to participate in this study from a group of 30 parents …

Military Enlistment: The Motivations Of Former Military Personnel Coming From Single-Parent Homes, Jada Amber Philips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine how the single-parent home environment, together with other demographic attributes like socioeconomic status, influenced young adults' decisions to enlist in the military. Adolescents transitioning into adulthood are often faced with the choices of what to do after high school, such as whether or not to join the military. Previous studies on youth enlistment in the military do not address in-depth the question of why they enlist or their motivating factors. Interviews via face-to-face, over the phone or via Skype, were conducted with 9 participants between the ages of 25-35 years who were …

Parental Perceptions Of The Diagnostic Process For Autism Spectrum Disorder In British Columbia, Ramen Kaur Saggu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the incidence of autism had reached a prevalence rate of 1 out of every 68 children. This increase means that more families have experienced the difficult Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic process. Although research on parental perspectives of the ASD diagnostic process is almost 2 decades old, to date, there have been no studies conducted in Canada comparing parental experiences between the private and government-funded assessment routes. Research in general has shown that parents are generally dissatisfied with the ASD diagnosis process. The theoretical foundation for this study is …

Predictor Variables Of Online Sports Problem Gambling By College Fraternity Members, Matt Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quantitative study identified predictor variables of online sports problem gambling, as measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) among fraternity students at major college universities. The data were composed of 125 college fraternity students from ages 18 to 25 years of age. The average SOGS score was 1.776 with a standard deviation of 1.93. A SOGS score of 5 or greater indicates a probable problem gambler. The study used the Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) pathways model to determine how fraternity students could become problem gamblers. A stepwise regression model was run in SPSS using multiple independent variables taken …

Port Security: The Terrorist Naval Mine/Underwater Improvised Explosive Device Threat, Peter Von Bleichert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Terrorist naval mines/underwater improvised explosive devices (M/UWIEDs) are a threat to U.S. maritime ports, and could cause economic damage, panic, and mass casualties. The purpose of this case study was to examine this threat and propose reforms that improve port security management. The study aligned with the mission area analysis objective of identifying and assessing potential terrorist threats in order to preempt and prevent attacks. Von Bertalanffy's general systems theory was the framework for research questions, which focused on improvements in port security management to mitigate the threat of terrorist M/UWIEDs. Data collection included a document content analysis of open …

Employees' Perceived Effectiveness Of Outsourcing Department Of Defense Functions, Theresa J. Corzine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Department of Defense spends billions of dollars annually on outsourcing functions to private contracted companies without knowing if their actions are effective. Guided by Feigenbaum, Henig, and Hamnett's theory of privatization and President Eisenhower's warnings of the impending military-industrial complex, the intent of this grounded theory study was to develop relevant theory regarding how the Department of Defense might accomplish missions through outsourcing during current and future fiscal constraints. This study sought to understand the perceived effectiveness of outsourcing Department of Defense functions through the perspectives of 2 employment groups directly affected by such outsourcing: federal employees …

Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Illness Perceptions Among Individuals With Fibromyalgia, Susan D. Fay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Illness Perceptions among Individuals with Fibromyalgia

by

Susan D. Fay

MS, Drexel University, 1994

BS, Metropolitan State University of Denver, 1983

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Psychology

Walden University

February 2015

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse and neglect, are a significant social health problem. Exposure to ACEs can place a child at a high risk for developing different diseases or illnesses in adulthood, including fibromyalgia. The purpose of this study was to determine if exposure to ACEs, moderated by perceived social support and/or …

Gender, Instructional Method, And Graduate Social Science Students' Motivation And Learning Strategies, Mae Lynn Spahr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the current study was to learn how gender and learning method affect motivation and learning strategies in psychology, counseling, and social work graduate students. The variables of gender, learning method, motivation, and learning strategies are used by the self-regulation model to learning and the theory of independent learning to measure a student's academic success. Increasing the knowledge of these variables will be of interest to academic institutions and to the field of educational psychology because little is known about their interaction. The study's design was factorial quasi-experimental; it used a cross sectional survey consisting of a 2 …

Attitudes Of Returning Citizens In Government-Managed Post-Release Programming, Zachary D'Jon Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly 700,000 prisoners return to communities annually, and approximately two-thirds are rearrested within 3 years of release. The cyclic pattern of recidivism presents risks to both returning offenders and the communities that accept them. Reentry research tends to include the voice and experiences of juveniles, community members, and service providers, and narrowly focuses on the socioeconomic conditions of adult ex-offender populations pre- and post-release. Few researchers have explored the attitudes of those returning citizens or the perceived impact on treatment success, as related to employment-based, post-release reintegration programs. This study investigated the attitudes of 32 participants of Project Empowerment, the …

Biopsychosocial Factors That Discriminate Between White Collar Offenders And Business Professionals, Susan Lynn Zukowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

White collar crime is pervasive with a larger financial impact to society than violent or street crime, yet it has been understudied. Violent and street offender research has moved beyond the examination of motive and opportunity to study personality, demographics, sociological influences, and psychological influences on development and criminal behavior; however, the bulk of white collar offender research has focused on greed as a motivator and organizational opportunity. Legislative efforts have attempted to curtail white collar crime, but incidents of crime continue to rise, resulting in a continued need to understand white collar offenders and the influences on offender behavior. …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Women With Spinal Cord Injury Who Undergo Urinary Diversion Surgery, Sukhpinder K. Dhillon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), bladder management is of primary importance. As an activity of daily living (ADL), it affects community integration and quality of life (QOL). Women with SCI have neurogenic bladders that require self-catheterization, but they are unable to catheterize the native urethra, thus making bladder management physically and emotionally challenging. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of women with SCI who undergo urinary diversion surgery for bladder management. Qualitative data were collected using semistructured interviews from 10 women with SCI after urinary diversion surgery for bladder management. Qualitative Nvivo analysis of interview data …

The Correlation Between Virtual Communication And Employee Engagement, Ryan Nathaniel Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers' ability to engage virtual employees (those in different geographic locations) is a determining factor of employee productivity and commitment to an organization. Since 2005, the number of U.S.-based virtual employees increased; however, research regarding virtual communication and employee engagement is limited. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine if a significant correlation exists between employee engagement (the dependent variable) and the quantity and perceived quality of virtual management communication (the independent variables). The research question assessed the correlation among the quantity of time managers spend communicating with virtual employees, quality of virtual communication, and employee engagement. Homans's …

The Correlation Between A Pastor's Job Experience And Church Servant Leadership Practices, Beth Ann Fylstra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Churches contribute both indirectly and directly to community economic development and social transformation. Some researchers cite lack of leadership as a factor in Christian churches in the United States experiencing declining attendance, with many churches closing. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a senior pastor's past and current church leadership experience affects servant leadership practices in the pastor's current church. Servant leadership theory was this quantitative, correlational study's theoretical framework. Five research questions focused on a pastor's past and present church leadership experience and how it affects the servant leadership practices within the organization's …

Employee Perception Of The Value Of Customer Focus Training In Public Transportation, Michael L. Dawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of service-oriented jobs has increased locally and nationally, and organizations are spending millions of dollars to train front-line employees to maintain customer satisfaction and compete in the service industry. Despite the financial investments of these training programs, little research has investigated the holistic effectiveness of customer-focused training (CFT) programs. Researchers found positive relationships between the constructs under investigation and reported that when CFT programs are delivered on a consistent basis with leadership support, they help build a service-oriented culture. The purpose of this case study was to investigate employee perceptions of CFT and relationships between performance, engagement, and …

Mental Health Worker Retention At African American And Caucasian-Owned Mental Health Agencies, Natikca Oliver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine which factor(s), including job satisfaction, employee-employer relationship, organizational climate, and ethnicity predict retention of mental health professionals employed by African American and Caucasian privately owned mental health agencies. Due to high turnover in the private sector in mental health in central Virginia, many agencies are closing after 5 years of business. The importance of this study was to determine which factor(s) can assist in reducing turnover in the mental health field and to determine which factor(s) assist in maintaining mental health professionals in order for the agency to remain operable. The variables …

Affect Intensity As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Transformational Leadership, Robert Taylor Schaefer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have reported mixed findings on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership, leading many to suspect the presence of moderating variables. This study was conducted to address the problem by analyzing the moderating effect that affect intensity may have upon this relationship. Based on a theoretical framework consisting of ability-based EI and the full-range theory of leadership, it was hypothesized that EI would be positively correlated with transformational leadership. In addition, based upon the arousal regulation theory of affect, it was hypothesized that affect intensity would be a statistically significant moderator of that relationship. A convenience sample …

Mental Health Disorders As Predictors Of Relapse In Previously Detoxified Individuals, Toni Lee Simonson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have shown a relationship between mental health disorders and alcohol dependence. However, only 5-10% of individuals with substance use problems co-occurring with mental health problems are correctly identified. The purpose of this research was to identify predictors of relapse using three different instruments of varying complexity: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Modified Mini Screen (MMS), and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III). Researchers have found that using alcohol produces relief, similar to a pharmacological intervention, from troublesome mental health symptoms that individuals experience. Considering this association, the self-medication hypothesis was the conceptual lens used for the study as …

Borderline Personality Disorder: The Frequency Of Disclosure And The Choice To Disclose, Laci Marie Rumpza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The goals of this study were threefold: (1) to identify what percentage of psychologists and clinical social workers disclose the diagnostic label BPD to their patients, (2) to identify factors that influence disclosure, and (3) to gather data about the choice to disclose or not to disclose. The MUM effect was used as the theoretical framework. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design including an online survey was used during the first phase. A total of 125 psychologists and 45 social workers participated in the Phase 1 of the study. The majority of participants stated that they either always or usually …

Minorities' Perception Of The Comprehensive Emergency Management Model Of Distributing Of Information, Lawrence Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to receive critical and timely information from emergency management professionals (EMPs) may lead to the loss of life during disasters and emergencies. Recent research and government reports have indicated that there may be communication failures between EMPs and minority community members, though little is known about how minority communities perceive EMP communication efforts. The central research questions and purpose of this study were designed to explore the experiences of minority community members in receiving and interpreting disaster-related communications from EMPs. Data for this phenomenological study were acquired through-in-depth interviews with 13 African Americans (7 males and 6 females) located …

Are Associations Between Parenting Style And Academic Achievement Moderated By Ethnicity And Individualism-Collectivism?, Thiago L. De Oliveira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have long been concerned in documenting the nature of associations between parenting styles and academic achievement in adolescents. Social learning theory has shown how domains such as individualism, collectivism, and ethnicity are associated with parent behavior. Research suggests compatibility between individualism and authoritative parenting and collectivism with authoritarian parenting styles, which could have critical implications in the relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement. Despite the robust research on parenting styles, no research has investigated the moderating roles of individualism and collectivism. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the associations between parenting style and academic achievement …

Toward A Therapeutic Use Of Spirituality Among Individuals With Mild To Moderate Intellectual Disabilities, Tony Terrell Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Toward a Therapeutic Use of Spirituality among Individuals with Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

by

Tony Terrell Lee

MS, William Carey University, 2005

BS, University of Southern Mississippi, 1992

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Clinical Psychology

Walden University

May 2015

Research has shown that community employment, different levels of independent living, and advocacy groups are factors that influence self-esteem in individuals with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID). One gap in the literature is whether there is a correlation between spirituality and self-esteem in individuals with mild to …

Law Enforcement Officer Performance, Education, And Risk For Suicide, April James Mccommon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police suicide has been a largely under-researched topic with a small number of quantitative studies- that limit the exploration of potential causals models in the literature. This restricts current scholarly explanations behind officer suicide, furtheradding barriers to adequate prevention and detection. This study was focused on possible explanations behind police suicide, using Zhang's strain theory of suicide and Joiner's interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide to explain the variables used in the model. Using a moderation model, the research question asked to what extent an officer's education level affects the relationship between levels of police officer misconduct and risk for suicide. This …

Examining The Lived Experiences Of Child Welfare Workers, Rebecca Merle Dameron-Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of a homogeneous group of frontline child welfare workers in Los Angeles, CA. Data were collected using recorded in-depth, open ended interviews with 10 participants. Critical incident technique was used to collect data on specific incidents. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical framework used. Five themes emerged during the analyses which are the main findings of this study: (1) Organizational factors contributed to the challenges and stress of the job, (2) participants shared a belief that management did not value them, (3) participants' morale and workloads were adversely affected …

Decision Making And Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Assessment/Diagnosis: A Phenomenographic Study, Kristen Davies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior to the 1990s, bipolar disorder, a behavioral disorder characterized by severe mood fluctuations, was not considered an suitable diagnosis for children. However, in recent decades, an increase in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) diagnosis has occurred in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of licensed mental health clinicians regarding their decision-making processes used during assessment and diagnosis of PBD. This phenomenographic study utilized individual, semi-structured interviews to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of 14 licensed clinicians in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who assess and diagnose PBD. Data were collected with …

Exploring Potential Associations With The Presidential Discretionary Power Of Fema Funds Dispensation, Matthew Thomas Eagles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

US presidential approval of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding has been the subject of much research that largely has been inconclusive or contradictor as it relates to whether funds may have been distributed in a biased way through the use of presidential discretionary power. The purpose of this study was to explore if or to what degree US presidents acted in a potentially biased manner with the approval of FEMA approvals during election years in election battleground states. This study was an exploration of whether there was presidential political favoritism in approving FEMA funding from 1996-2012. The theoretical constructs …