Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Genetics And Alcohol Interventions In Youth, Zoe E. Neale

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among youth, and risky alcohol use is associated with harmful consequences such as accidents, academic consequences, and physical and emotional health problems. Alcohol use disorders are approximately 50% heritable, yet most efforts to prevent and intervene upon youth alcohol use focus only on environmental factors. Furthermore, current prevention and intervention programs tend to have modest effects and are not uniformly effective for all individuals. Gene-by-intervention (GxI) studies offer an opportunity to expand current understanding of interventions by examining whether underlying genetic risk may contribute to differential program effects. Much of the current GxI …

Grief, Loss, And Climate Change: Validation Of A Solastalgia Scale, Claire Luce

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change has been identified as a defining issue of this century (United Nations, n.d.). Climate change impacts human wellbeing including mental health. While much research has focused on the way that the effects of climate change cause increases in common mental disorders, mental health is not just the absence of these disorders (World Health Organization, 2014). Non-pathologized mental health responses to climate change, such as the grief and loss that results from climate change impacts, are a growing consideration for researchers. Solastalgia, or the distress experienced in the absence of the solace once provided by the environment in the …

A Psychometric Evaluation Of The Best In Class Adherence And Competence Scale, Katrina A. Markowicz

Theses and Dissertations

It is critical to utilize treatment integrity instruments to support the evaluation of evidence-based programs in early classroom contexts. However, in the early childhood field, guidelines for collecting treatment integrity data are underdeveloped. Consequently, most treatment integrity instruments employed in the field solely assess adherence, vary in design features and have little psychometric evidence supporting their use. As such, this represents a gap in the field that might slow efforts to implement evidence-based programs. The current study examines the score reliability and validity of an observational treatment integrity instrument (The BEST in CLASS Adherence and Competence Scale [BiCACS]; Sutherland et …

Using Deep Learning-Based Framework For Child Speech Emotion Recognition, Gerald N. Onwujekwe

Theses and Dissertations

Biological languages of the body through which human emotion can be detected abound including heart rate, facial expressions, movement of the eyelids and dilation of the eyes, body postures, skin conductance, and even the speech we make. Speech emotion recognition research started some three decades ago, and the popular Interspeech Emotion Challenge has helped to propagate this research area. However, most speech recognition research is focused on adults and there is very little research on child speech. This dissertation is a description of the development and evaluation of a child speech emotion recognition framework. The higher-level components of the framework …

Psychological Sense Of Community Among Older Adults In Puerto Rico Two Years After Hurricane María, Thomas D. Buckley

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico in 2017 and resulted in adverse long-term outcomes. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) may serve as a protective factor against the effects of Hurricane María for older adults in Puerto Rico. Using a three-paper format, this dissertation draws on a resilience framework and theories of PSOC and the Ecological Theory of Aging to examine the role of PSOC among older adults in Puerto Rico two years after Hurricane María.

Paper one is a scoping review of the concept of PSOC in research with community dwelling older adults. I begin by presenting findings on study characteristics …

The Contribution Of African American Parents’ Stem Racial Socialization And Support To Adolescent Academic Outcomes, Rachel J. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, African Americans have experienced various inequalities in education that have long contributed to overall educational attainment gaps within the African American community (St. Mary, Calhoun, Tejada, & Jenson, 2018). Thus, African American parents are tasked with instilling messages of racial pride into their children and providing educational support that serve as protective factors against racial discrimination in education (Koch, Lundh, & Harris, 2019). Theoretical frameworks provide a basis of understanding how parent socialization contributes to African American educational outcomes, specifically noting the role of parents’ beliefs and values in dictating mechanisms of value transfer (e.g., buying toys or learning …

Associations Between Social Determinants Of Health And Chlamydia Infections Among Georgia Counties, Bre'auna K. Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia is a growing public health concern that disproportionately impacts southern states. While social determinants of health are not direct causes of chlamydia infections, studies have found that these determinants do influence infections by creating environments that promote or hinder health seeking behaviors, as well as exposure to risk factors. Guided by the Social Ecological Model of Public Health and the Healthy People 2030 Social Determinants of Health Conceptual Framework, this dissertation study aimed to examine the associations between social determinants of health and chlamydia infections among Georgia counties. This study employed a correlational research design. Aggregate-level secondary data for …

Functional Limitations And Well-Being Throughout The Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Role Of Sleep, Claire M. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Functional limitations represent individuals’ difficulty with completing essential activities of daily living, such as sitting, stooping, and walking. Though functional limitations have been linked to lower well-being outcomes, less is known about potential protective factors for well-being in the experience of functional limitations. The present study used archival data from the MIDUS Refresher study to evaluate how sleep and salient aspects of identity may alter the association between the experience of functional limitations and well-being. In particular, this study had two central aims: to examine the associations between functional limitations, life satisfaction, and affect and detect how aspects of identity …

Mobile-Based Contingency Management To Promote Daily Self-Monitoring Of Pain Severity And Related Measures In An Online Sample Of Individuals With Chronic Pain, Kathryn Polak`

Theses and Dissertations

Between 11% and 40% of the US population experience chronic pain. One promising pain management solution is remote self-monitoring. Unfortunately, low rates of adherence have impeded the use of remote self-monitoring among chronic pain patients. One robust strategy for improving adherence is contingency management (CM). This project pilot tested a fully-automated CM app (DynamiCare Rewards) programmed with an escalating variable-ratio reinforcement schedule for promoting daily self-monitoring of pain symptom severity, related variables (e.g., sleep), and prescription opioid use over a 28-day period in a sample of individuals with chronic pain. A pilot RCT compared participants randomized to CM (n …

Best Practices For Non-Profit Organizations Using Human-Animal Interaction As An Intervention With At-Risk Youth, Jai Oni Sly

Theses and Dissertations

Non-profit organizations and community programs work with at-risk youth to teach social-emotional skills like empathy, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. This research aimed to examine best practices for community programs that use human-animal interaction as an intervention for at-risk youth. Specifically, the phenomenological study aimed to review the successful strategies that community programs when working with the at-risk youth population. The challenges faced and how these type of community programs measure their success were also important purposes of these research. Participants shared successful strategies, how success is measured as well as challenges and recommendations for other community programs that work with the …

A Contemporary Study On The Impact Of Regulations On Business Performance, Brian C. Mulligan

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines Nobel Prize Laureate Hayek's ominous warning that economic liberty in the U.S. is at risk, due to regulations, of becoming an unplanned administrative state. The research seeks to understand the effects of regulations on business performance and how to right-size them for a healthy business environment. These objectives are accomplished with two papers: (1) a macro cross-discipline literature review and call for research on the impact of regulations on business performance, and (2) a qualitative grounded theory study from interviews from elite business executives on their perspectives on the impact of regulations on business performance. The findings …

Can The Circular Economy Concretize Sustainability? A Construal Level Approach To Encourage Sustainable Consumption., Jolie Gutentag

Theses and Dissertations

Despite a growing awareness and understanding of the impact our lifestyles have on the environment, most people have not adequately changed their consumption patterns. One possibility for the disconnect is the perceived abstractness of sustainability. Drawing on construal level theory, this research proposes that framing environmental sustainability as circularity, using the principles of the circular economy, reduces the perceived abstractness of sustainability. Four studies investigate the effects of circular framing on sustainable consumption behavior, including the moderating role of consumers’ chronic level of construal, an innate mindset reflecting a tendency to view information more concretely or abstractly. Findings provide initial …

Steps Towards New Public Management, Case Study Municipality Of Pristina, Fitim Topanica

Theses and Dissertations

Menaxhimi i administratës publike në shumicën e vendeve në zhvillim po ndryshon me shpejtësi përmes proceseve të reformave në lidhje me ofrimin e shërbimeve publike dhe stimulimin e rritjes ekonomike. Menaxhimi i ri publik i referohet një sërë reformash që kanë arritur të ripërcaktojnë rrënjësisht natyrën e organizatave të sektorit publik. Duke qenë të frymëzuar nga një ideologji e gjerë menaxhimi, reformat kanë sjellë ide rreth organizatave “reale” - d.m.th. të kesh identitet të qartë dhe unik, të jesh në gjendje të planifikosh dhe të zbatosh vendime racionale, dhe të kesh kufij të përcaktuar mirë dhe struktura hierarkike.

Menaxhimi i …

Terrorizmi Dhe E Drejta Ndërkombëtare, Alma Vuniqi

Theses and Dissertations

Aktet terroriste janë veprime kriminale dhe rrjedhimisht, janë pjesë e tagrit të sistemit të drejtësisë penale. Standardet e të drejtave të njeriut do të zbatohen pavarësisht nëse një incident i caktuar konsiderohet si akt terrorist apo një vepër tjetër që hyn në kategorinë e krimeve të rënda.

Terrorizmi konsiston në kryerjen e një krimi nga një individ, një grup apo nga një shtet. Terrorizmi përdoret për të ngjallure te njerëzit një ndjenjë frike e cila në shumë raste është shumë më e madhe se pasojat e vërteta të aktit. Këto akte kane dy shënjestra, popullsinë ose dikasteret e rëndësishme të …

Tërheqja E Presidentit Amerikan Donald Trump Nga Marrëveshja Bërthamore Me Iranin, Drin Hoxha

Theses and Dissertations

Ky punim ka për synim të analizojë tërheqjen e Presidentit amerikan Donald Trump nga Marrëveshja Bërthamore e Iranit, në mënyrë që të kuptohen dhe cilësohen arsyet prapa këtij vendimi të papritur por me shumë ndikim në politikën e jashtme amerikane si dhe botërore. Për ta bërë këtë, autori provon ta vërtetojë hipotezën se Presidenti Trump është tërhequr nga kjo marrëveshje për arsye të historisë së hidhur SHBA-Iran si dhe besimeve dhe qëndrimeve të tija personale e politike. Në pjesën e parë të këtij punimi, është paraqitur problematika e detyrës, objektivi kryesor dhe ato specifike, pyetja hulumtuese dhe hipoteza, si dhe …

“Intervista E Suksesshme Në Mediat E Shkruara Në Kosovë Dhe Aftësia E Intervistuesit”, Kujtesë Berisha

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë punim do të ofrojë vlerësime profesionale se çfarë është intervista.

Gjatë kësaj teme të diplomës do të kuptoni më shumë rreth historisë së gazetave në Kosovë. Cilat ishin gazetat e para në Kosovë, sa lexoheshin ato dhe sa lexohen sot.

Të gjitha këto duke u bazuar në shtypin periodik shqiptar gjatë viteve 2000-2005.

Në veçanti do të shfletohen arkivat e gazetave “Koha Ditore”, “Epoka e re”, “Zëri. Të cilat cilësohen si gazetat më të lexuara në Kosovë.

Do të ketë një krahasim të vogël mes gazetave dikur dhe gazetave të ditëve të sotme.

Gjithashtu do të intervistohen gazetarët …

Support For Students With Disabilities: How Awareness And Accommodations Differ Across Faculty Members Within The Postsecondary Context, Toby Tomlinson Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This case study sought to determine the most salient needs of higher education faculty who instruct and accommodate students with disabilities (SWDs). Therefore, the faculty were analyzed as a community in a university setting. Currently, the accommodations that faculty provide for SWDs vary from institution to institution. Additionally, certain variables, such as faculty’s years with the university, budget, size, and location of the institution impact the level of support provided and what specific accommodations SWDs receive.The purpose of this qualitative case study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the current level of knowledge that faculty obtain for accommodating SWDs. …

Exploring Academic Leadership In Higher Education Through The Lens Of Leader-To-Member Exchange (Lmx) Theory, Dequies A. Lanier

Theses and Dissertations

A phenomenological study focused on Exploring Academic Leadership in Higher Education Through The Lens of Leader-to-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, Dequies A. Lanier, 2020: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: communication, leadership development, higher education, leader-member exchange, organizational leadership This applied dissertation was designed to explore the communication between higher education leaders and faculty at the department level in the United States at a southeastern higher education institution. The study sought to explore (a) the communication relationship between leaders and followers; (b) commitment to the organization; and (c) suggested communication …

Response Interruption And Redirection (Rird) As A Treatment For Vocal Stereotypy In Children Who Are Dually Diagnosed With Autism And Down Syndrome, Stacy Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals who are dually diagnosed with Down Syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently engage in vocal stereotypy that can interfere with learning, impede socially appropriate behavior, and disrupt others. Response interruption and redirection (RIRD) is an intervention that blocks and redirects stereotypy to reduce behavior. Studies on RIRD, while varied in their overall approach, have overwhelmingly been shown to be effective in clinical settings for children with ASD. There are few studies that have evaluated this procedure in more natural settings and with other diagnoses. Given that ASD is prevalent in those with DS and that stereotypy is …

Community Attitudes Towards Juvenile Sex Offenders And Registration In Virginia, Paige Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The collateral consequences and harmful effects of juvenile sex offender registration and restrictions has been the forefront of conversation surrounding sex offender legislation in the United States. The literature available has consistently shown that juveniles profoundly differ from adults in significant areas such as decision making, cognitive capability, judgment, and overall development. The literature has also consistently shown that juvenile sex offenders are amenable to treatment, have considerably low recidivism rates, and are unlikely to offend into their adulthood. Despite this, and even though the juvenile justice system prioritizes rehabilitation over punitive measures, juvenile sex offenders are commonly subjected to …

Emergence Of The Connectivist Leadership Paradigm: A Grounded Theory Study In The Asia Region, Frederique Covington Corbett

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, grounded theory study focused on the exploration of leadership arising within the Asia region. While enduring leadership qualities like strength, humility, resolve, and trust have been foundational in leadership practice globally, scholars have demonstrated that leadership does not exist in absolute terms; it is shaped by the values of local culture, which set expectations for leadership behaviors. This study explored the conceptualization of a more collective and connected form of leadership in the context of a region leading the world with highly networked digital social practices. The question the study explored was, if, and to what extent, leaders …

Japanese American Internment Experience And The Impact On Parent-Child Relationships, Jazmine Miyoshi Miyake

Theses and Dissertations

During World War II and after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the United States confined 120,000Japanese Americans in internment camps. The current study examined the incarceration of Japanese American citizens and its effect on parenting across generations. Specifically, the study examined parent-child relationships and the possible emergence of the relationship-directed parenting orientation across generations within this specific population. In order to examine the research objectives, the proposed qualitative research study utilized archived interview data. The interviews were conducted with participants of Japanese American descent who were incarcerated in camps during World War II and/or their family members. A hermeneutic phenomenological …

Therapists' Perspectives On Aiding Individuals To Maintain Social Connection While Struggling With Health Concerns, Shari Howington-Carlin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore therapists’ perspectives on aiding individuals to maintain social connection while struggling with health concerns. Social relationships support physical and psychological well-being, yet individuals struggling with physical or mental health issues often have difficulty maintaining their relationships. Therapists, as health professionals, often discuss physical as well as emotional health concerns with their patients, including components of physiological and psychological heath care. Emerging neuroscience is aiding in understanding how research in this field supports early intervention for health outcomes around healthy social and family relationships during chronic disease or illness onset.The researcher conducted a phenomenological …

Educational Equity In Independent Schools: A Phenomenographic Study Of School-Wide Equity Practices, Barriers, And Leadership Behaviors Necessary To Achieve Diversity, Inclusion, And Cultural Competence, Christopher Gerard Lemieux

Theses and Dissertations

Independent schools are facing equity changes that had long been avoided, consequently, schools are now faced with adopting equity practices designed to produce equitable outcomes. Equity practices adopted have not been realized without corresponding leadership behaviors necessary to change cultural norms as well as overcoming associative barriers. This study explored how Heads of school in Southern California described the school-wide equity practices they utilized, barriers encountered, and the leadership behaviors that were necessary for achieving diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence at their school. This study used a phenomenographic design and included 11 Heads of school identified as having exemplary school-wide …

Development Of A Resource Manual For Working With Latino Parolees, Abner Flores

Theses and Dissertations

The standard psychological treatment available for Latino men who are newly released from prison has remained unchanged for over thirty years and focuses on decreasing recidivism through cognitive-behavioral interventions by managing and decreasing law-breaking behaviors. However, clinical experience with inmates suggests that personal experiences, cultural values, and intergenerational trauma along with the long-term impact of poverty, gang ties, and repeated incarceration will all influence post-release behavior. Understanding these areas could help draw out protective factors and innate resiliency, therefore informing treatment and helping newly released inmates from becoming repeat offenders. In this dissertation, I developed a resource manual for service …

An Exploration Of Successful Housing Outcomes After Homelessness: An Experience Captured Through The Lens Of U.S. Veterans, Janice Filer

Theses and Dissertations

Homelessness is experienced by veterans at a higher percentage than nonveterans. Veterans represent eight percent of the homeless population (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2019). Also, the mortality rate of younger homeless veterans is higher than non-homeless veterans (Schinka et al., 2018). Veterans experience the lack of affordable housing, the lack of affordable health care, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and a lack of family or social support (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 2018). The purpose of this qualitative research study was to interview prior homeless veterans from Gulf War Era I (1990 - 2001) and/or Gulf …

Serving Culturally And Linguistic Students Identified With A Communication Disability In The K-12 Educational Environments, Lashell Dauterman

Theses and Dissertations

As more and more students enter public schools with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds that require services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, facilitators must be more sensitive to the needs, especially in the area of communication. Augmentative and alternative communication devices and other assistive technology are required by law to be utilized with individuals identified as disabled. However, due to the challenges that exist in properly identifying and implementing intervention plans for children who require services as English language learners and special education, communication needs are often misidentified or not provided. Another issue that exists is the lack …

The Buffering Effects Of Resilience On Alcohol Use: A Phenotypic And Genotypic Investigation, Shannon Cusack

Theses and Dissertations

The college years encompass a time of vulnerability for problematic alcohol use/alcohol use disorder (AUD) and exposure to traumatic events (TE), which is a transdiagnostic risk factor for AUD, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and comorbid AUD-PTSD. However, not all who experience a TE develop these disorders, highlighting the need to identify factors that impact post-trauma outcomes. Resilience has been shown to be associated with lower alcohol consumption and related problems following TE, though the buffering effects of resilience on alcohol use have not yet been examined. Further, twin studies demonstrate that resilience is moderately heritable, but further research is needed …

First-Year Retention At Virginia Commonwealth University: Understanding Student Departure And The Potential Impact Of Academic Advising, Ben Plache

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines first-year enrollment at Virginia Commonwealth University to determine what factors are associated with an increased likelihood of a student not being retained, and for which of these factors there is evidence that academic advising is an effective intervention. A survey of common retention models identified six factors associated with retention likelihood: student background prior to enrollment (“pre-enrollment factors”), financial support, institutional support, institutional performance, institutional engagement, and student intention. Prior research has shown that academic advising is an effective intervention for two of these factors: institutional performance and institutional support.

The significance of these factors was tested …

Beyond Black Or White: An Examination Of Intersectional Identities, Blame Attribution, And Sexual Violence, Ashlynn D. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

While there may be more discussions of sexual violence than there have been in previous years, cases continually arise where the responsibility of those who have been assaulted is called into question (Alaggia & Wang, 2020). Secondary victimization, or victim blaming, is partially responsible for the continued misattribution of responsibility to survivors. These perspectives minimize the experiences of survivors, which dissuades individuals from the reporting of perpetrators. The current study aimed to evaluate whether particular intersecting identities influenced perceptions of responsibility, in a hypothetical scenario depicting an assault. The race, gender identity, as well as perceptions of respectability of the …