Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

College Counseling Center Treatment Outcomes: A Comparison Of Student Athletes And General Population Students, Mariah M. Bullock

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Several college students experience psychological distress and access college counseling center services every year. A subgroup of this population, collegiate student-athletes, experience unique stressors and protective factors but are less likely to engage in those same services. Mental health research on this subpopulation is still sparse and yields mixed findings, particularly treatment outcome research. Objective: This study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes of student-athletes and general population students. Method: Participants were 10,566 college students (ages 18-26) from 139 universities in the United States that obtained routine psychological treatment at their college counseling center. Approximately 55% of the sample …

Digital Forensics Tools Integration, Alexander D. Kim

Theses and Dissertations

As technology has become pervasive in our lives we record our daily activities both intentionally and unintentionally. Because of this, the amount of potential evidence found on digital media is staggering. Investigators have had to adapt and change their methods of conducting investigations to address the data volume. Digital forensics examiners current process consists of performing string searches to identify potential evidentiary items. Items of interest must then go through association, target comparison, and event reconstruction processes. These are manual and time consuming tasks for an examiner. This thesis presents a user interface that combines both the string searching capabilities …

The Polite Abuser: Using Politeness Theory To Examine Emotional Abuse, Cimmiaron Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few decades more and more cultural attention has been paid to intimate partner violence, especially emotional abuse. Follingstad, Rutledge, Berg, Hause, and Polek (1990) established that emotional abuse fell into six distinct categories, however, little attention had been paid to how abusers can utilize polite communication to hurt their partner. Equally, Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory (1987) had never been applied to problematic communication (Austin, 1990). This study aimed to understand how polite communication can be used as a form of emotional abuse. In-depth, semi structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants who self-identified as having been …

Perceptions Of Outreach, Theory, And Practice At Centers For Teaching And Learning, Samantha Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) and how they are perceived by the instructors and employees who work in higher education. CTLs focus on accessing and assessing faculty and staff while creating programs and research which offers insight into the faculty, instructional, and organizational needs of an institution. The needs that CTLs focus on include the professional, educational, instructional, and, sometimes, personal development of employees. Yet, the theories and practices which drive the research of educational development—specifically CTLs—are fragmented due to the interdisciplinary nature, vast scope, and practical-focus of directors and researchers.

This study builds upon previous …

A Resistance In Red: Ideographs In The Handmaid's Tale, Jessica Marie Wozniak

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the first season of the television show The Handmaid’s Tale, in order to better understand why the program has resonated in this historical moment to the extent that political activists use costumes from the show in their protests. I applied McGee’s (1980) ideograph theory in combination with a feminist lens to identify and explore five prominent symbols in the show. One ideograph in particular, , is especially dynamic in that it transforms from a marker of oppression to one of solidarity. I argue that the ideographs, which are highly gendered and mainly visual in nature, give The …

Behavioral Antecedents Of Fuel Efficiency, James A. Cotton

Theses and Dissertations

The US Department of Defense is the largest institutional petroleum consumer in the world. In addition to the financial cost of petroleum-based fuels, the US DoD generates more CO₂-equivalent greenhouse gases than the entirety of modern, industrialized nations like Sweden and Norway. Other dangers and externalities arise from the fuels supply chain, like toxin risks to fuel handlers, and human costs to transport fuel in-theater. Within the DoD, the USAF alone often rivals or exceeds the consumption of all other services combined. While the USAF prefers technical, hardware-based solutions to problems, and has given increasing attention to logistical …

Roli I Diplomacisë Së Kosovës Për Njohjen Ndërkombëtare Të Saj, Anduena Zeka

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë punim do të paraqes rolin e diplomacisë së Kosovës në njohjen ndërkombëtare në politikën e jashtme të shtetit dhe ka për qëllim të shtjelloj këtë temë. Në fillim do të paraqites kuptimin e diplomacisë publike në përgjithësi dhe do shtjellohet se përse ajo është e rëndësishme në politikën e jashtme të një vendi. Pastaj do të paraqes veprimtarin dhe rolin e diplomacisë së Kosovës për njohjen ndërkombëtare. Diplomacia publike përdoret për të bindur opinionin ndërkombëtar për vendimet që merr një qeveri e një shteti. Ekziston një nevojë e domosdoshme për të komunikuar me aktorët jo shtetërorë ose joqeveritarë …

Widows Of Civilian Victims Of War In Kosovo, Albonita Aliu

Theses and Dissertations

Drejtësia tranzicionale në vendet e dala nga lufta nënkupton edhe kompensime për të mbijetuarit e luftës, por jo të gjitha vendet ofrojnë këtë lloj të ndihmës. Kompensimi për kategoritë e viktimave civile të luftës së vitit 1998-1999 në Kosovë është mjeti më i zakonshëm i drejtësisë. Nënat vetushqyese/bashkëshortet e viktimave civile janë trashëgimtaret e para në radhë, me Rregulloret/Ligjet që mbulojnë kategoritë e dala nga lufta në Kosovë, për kompensimet e formës materiale. Ato,nënat vetushqyese/bashkëshortet e viktimave civile të luftës, paraqesin pjesën e margjinalizuar të shoqërisë kosovare të pasluftës, pasi që ishin pjesë e dhunës strukturore të ushtruar nga pushteti …

Mult-Spectral Imaging Of Vegetation With A Diffractive Plenoptic Camera, Tristan R. Naranjo

Theses and Dissertations

Snapshot multi-spectral sensors allow for object detection based on its spectrum for remote sensing applications in air or space. By making these types of sensors more compact and lightweight, it allows drones to dwell longer on targets or the reduction of transport costs for satellites. To address this need, I designed and built a diffractive plenoptic camera (DPC) which utilized a Fresnel zone plate and a light field camera in order to detect vegetation via a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). This thesis derives design equations by relating DPC system parameters to its expected performance and evaluates its multi-spectral performance. …

Examining The Impact Of Illicit Drug Use On Prescribed Psychotropic Medication Adherence, Lauren Natalie Stroker

Theses and Dissertations

The ever-increasing rates of prescription drug utilization in the United States, coupled with the high rates of non-adherence to psychotropic medications by patients, makes this area of research an increasingly important field of study. Previous studies have elucidated the critical factor medication adherence plays in the effectiveness of treatment and overall clinical outcomes for patients and the deleterious effect of non-adherence; one of them being substance (ab)use. The present study was conducted in an effort to add to the existing literature examining medication nonadherence and substance use. The current study looked to expand the research examining the relationship between substance …

Feminine Gender Identification And Mother-Daughter Connectedness As Predictors And Sociocultural Buffers Against Adult Sexual Victimization In Latinas And Caucasians, Erika A. Pobee-Mensah

Theses and Dissertations

The growing body of literature on childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has highlighted increased risk for adult re-victimization and transgenerational sexual abuse such that children of adult women with CSA histories are at increased risk for being sexually abused. Despite these research trends, there is less research specific to victimization risk and transgenerational sexual abuse. Furthermore, there is limited information on ethnic/racial differences in these trends, particularly regarding Latinas. Despite research suggesting an over-representation of reported CSA among Latina children, there are apparent disparities suggesting underreporting of sexual victimization among Latinas in adulthood. The present study examines interactional effects of sociocultural …

Health Risk Perceptions Regarding Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) And Secondhand Exposure Behaviors Among U.S. Student Military Veterans, Katie Alexandra Bartley

Theses and Dissertations

Student veterans are at high risk for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use and for exposing others to secondhand vape. This study examined student veterans’ health risk perceptions of ENDS use and their association with implementing vaping restrictions in their homes and vehicles. The study included 256 veterans who were 18 years of age or older, were attending higher education in the United States, and who endorsed being a current smoker (n = 105; 41%), a current ENDS user (n = 79; 30.9%), or a current dual user (n = 72; 28.1%). The sample included 187 men (Mage = 31.73), …

Small-Town Living: Do Illinois Universities Understand The Rural College Student?, Erik Andrew Dalmasso

Theses and Dissertations

Rural students are confronted with unique challenges when considering postsecondary choices. According to McShane and Smarick (2018), scholarship on this overarching issue is limited, as it is “often shunted to specialized journals that have not been able to integrate findings into the broader education policy conversation” (p. 1). Rural students, and to a broader extent, rural education have little voice in the postsecondary pathways that have been created within higher education (Goldman, 2019). Recruitment of rural students, financial aid policy, remediation/developmental programming, state and federal postsecondary legislation have largely treated rural students in tandem with their urban and suburban peers, …

Mediation Among Maladaptive Perfectionism, Maladaptive Emotion Regulation, And Distress, Jennifer L. Woodrum

Theses and Dissertations

Perfectionism is a personality trait characterized by high standards for performance (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990) and a striving for flawlessness (Flett & Hewitt, 2002). Maladaptive perfectionism, which has to do with self-critical thoughts (Dunkley, Zuroff, & Blankstein, 2003) and feelings of falling short of high standards (Slaney, Rice, & Ashby, 2002), is often associated with maladaptive strategies of emotion regulation (Aldea & Rice, 2006; Dunkley et al., 2003; Rudolph, Flett, & Hewitt, 2007). Additionally, research has shown that general use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies mediates the relation between maladaptive perfectionism and distress (Aldea & Rice, 2006; Di …

Mediation Among Childhood Sexual Abuse, Self-Objectification, And Risk Recognition, Michelle Maria Coventry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA), self-objectification, and risk recognition in a sample of freshman, college women. Self-objectification was expected to interfere with the ability to readily identify risk (risk appraisal) and respond effectively (risk response), particularly for survivors of CSA. Participants were 335 freshman women ages 18 to 25, with 47.8% reporting a history of CSA. Participants completed an online survey that assessed demographics, abuse history, and indicators of self-objectification (body surveillance, body shame, and appearance anxiety). Participants also completed a task to assess risk recognition which included reading …

“There’S Something That I Want You To Know ”: An Analysis Of Coming Out Videos In Relation To Community Building And Co-Cultural Theory, Franklin J. Kimmell

Theses and Dissertations

There has been no previous research analyzing coming out videos published to YouTube

by content creators in relation to discourse dependency, online community building, and co- cultural theory. Galvin’s (2006) discourse dependent communication has been used in family communication research to examine how non-normative families have to use communication to prove their identity as a family unit. Orbe’s (1998) co-cultural theory is used to study interactions between members of the dominant culture and members of co-cultures, specifically looking at the strategic ways in which members of co-cultures communicate with dominant group

members. In this study, I aimed to analyze how …

“Where Words Fail, Music Speaks ”: Emotion Regulation Strategies Using Music When Experiencing Sadness, Kendall M. Ladd

Theses and Dissertations

Past literature has suggested that individuals use the emotion regulation strategies of

catharsis, emotional support, understanding emotions, and mood congruency when deciding to listen to sad music when feeling sad (Friedman et al., 2012; Garrido & Schubert, 2013; Sedikides, 1992; Taylor & Friedman, 2015; van Goethem & Sloboda, 2011). This thesis sought to confirm this by comparing these four strategies to revival, another emotion regulation strategy that uses happy music instead of sad music.

The final sample of participants consisted of 122 undergraduate and graduate students at a Midwestern university. Participants completed questionnaires designed to measure how they typically regulate …

Transformimi I Gazetave Ditore Në Kosovë Në Epokën Digjitale, Nga Viti 1999 Deri 2019, Fatime Lumi

Theses and Dissertations

Mediat tradicionale gjatë dy dekadave të fundit kanë qenë në vazhdimësi në proces të transformimit të tyre, me qëllim të përshtatjes me mjedisin e ri që është krijuar si rezultat i zhvillimit të teknologjisë dhe internetit. Avancimi i shpejtë i teknologjisë digjitale dhe internetit është katalizatorë i transformimit të shumë industrive mediale në botë, por me theks të veçantë i industrisë së gazetave të shtypura, duke ndikuar kështu në transformimin e rolit, përmbajtjes dhe formës së tyre. Mirëpo, ky transformim ka ardhur edhe si rezultat i krizës që ka pësuar industria e gazetave ditore në botë por edhe në Kosovë. …

A Study Of Grit In The Crossfit Population, Cierra Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise has extensively shown to provide both physical and mental health benefits. CrossFit is one type of exercise program, and although the workouts can be strenuous, it has continued to increase in popularity since its inception in 2001. Grit has been defined as “unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger” (Merriam-Webster.com, 2019, definition of grit [entry 1 of 2], para. 4). Duckworth et al. (2007) developed a valid and reliable 12-item measure of grit – the Grit Scale. Duckworth and Quinn (2009) later adapted the original Grit Scale (Grit-O) to be a briefer and more efficient version, which …

Medication Non-Compliance: Compliance To Psychotropic Medications Within Community Mental Health, Emily Depetro

Theses and Dissertations

According to the American Psychological Association (2019), approximately 25% of the adult US population has a mental illness. The cost to individuals as well as the United States government is significant, as it has been found that approximately 100-300 billion dollars spent annually are attributed to medication non-compliance (Iuga & McGuire, 2014). There has been significant research completed with regards to medication non-compliance within specific populations including individuals afflicted with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. However, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding psychotropic medication non-compliance in the general mental health outpatient population, as well as with regards to …

Attitudes About Date Rape: Context And Consent, Hannah Mae Strom

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault, and date rape specifically, is a prevalent problem among college students. Many factors influence students’ attitudes about these situations such as the closeness of the relationship and alcohol consumed at the time of the incident. These same factors similarly influence attitudes about reporting an assault. The development of mobile proximity-based dating applications (dating apps) has added a new, and largely under-researched, factor of influence to attitudes about perceptions of sexual consent. The current study used vignettes to examine college students’ perceptions of sexual consent and attitudes about reporting in a date rape scenario. The vignettes varied to explore …

Women’S Health: The Impact Of Child Abuse On Healthcare Utilization, Brianna Mae Brandon

Theses and Dissertations

Research has consistently shown the negative consequences associated with child abuse. Specifically, those with a history of child abuse are more likely to suffer from psychological disorders and physiological diseases than those who do not have a history of abuse. Additionally, the literature has indicated that child physical abuse and child sexual abuse can lead to both healthcare under-utilization and over-utilization. However, limited research has explored mediating factors that influence the relationship between childhood abuse, physical health outcomes and healthcare utilization. Therefore, this study will evaluate the influence of revictimization and posttraumatic stress on the relationship between childhood abuse and …

Convergent Validity Of Baseline Concussion Measures, Shannon N. Dugan

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine convergent validity of similar domains in two commonly used neurocognitive assessments for concussion, the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool-5 (SCAT-5) and the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). The SCAT-5 and ImPACT will be described in great detail in the background review and only noted in the methods section of this paper. Baseline performance on these measures was analyzed from a sample of approximately 747 college athletes. Individual performance in the same neurocognitive domain was compared for consistency across SCAT-5 and ImPACT tests. Domains included immediate and delayed verbal memory, as well …

Predicting The Course Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In A Memory Disorder Clinic Sample, Amanda Denny

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The present study examines a number of psychosocial and medical risk factors for dementia and their association with the outcome of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a memory disorder clinic sample. Method: Twelve years of archival cognitive testing data from 125 East Central Florida Memory Disorder Clinic patients was utilized. Participants were included in this study if they were diagnosed with MCI following initial cognitive testing and then re-evaluated and diagnosed with either stable MCI, dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (AD) or mixed dementia (dementia of the Alzheimer’s type and vascular dementia), or cognition within normal limits. Patients’ medical …

Valued Living And Fibromyalgia, Sean Elizabeth Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has attempted to identify links between trauma and chronic illness, specifically, Fibromyalgia (FM). Due to the lack of understanding of the etiology of FM and the high reports of trauma and stress and FM, many have theorized there is a connection. There is minimal literature on an individual’s perception of their FM and their willingness to engage in value based behavior. The idea of value based behavior is founded on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the mindfulness strategies meant to increase psychological flexibility and living a life according to one’s values. The current research evaluated patients with FM …

Media And Technology Use Education In Pediatric Primary Care, Greta Jayne Hilbrands

Theses and Dissertations

Youth media and technology use is growing at rapid rates and is quickly becoming a necessary tool for effective functioning in the modern world. However, such use has been shown to result in negative consequences for children and adolescents, including impaired executive functioning, increased violence and aggression, and physical and psychological health problems. As such, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that all pediatric providers educate parents about healthy media and technology practices for children and families. The present study sought to examine the proportion of parents who receive media/technology education from their child’s providers, the rates of compliance …

Analysis Of The Primary And Global Factors Of The 16pf To Evaluate Individual Traits The General Population Can Predict As They Relate To The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp), Brittany Allison Haage

Theses and Dissertations

Miller (2000) developed the Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP), which was derived from a formula comparing obtained and self-predicted scores from the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF)’s 21 scales. While this measure creates one score speaking to the accuracy in self-prediction of a participant across all the traits, this present study was developed in order to examine each of the 21 traits individually. This includes the 16 primary factors and the 5 global factors. Archival data from 609 participants was analyzed through 5 Pearson correlational analyses. One of the correlational analyses was performed on the total sample of 609 …

The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp): Predicting Low, Medium, Or High Sapp Scores From The 16pf Primary And Global Factors, Cayleigh Katherine Reeder

Theses and Dissertations

To measure a person’s self-knowledge, Miller (2000) created the Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP), a measure derived by comparing subjects’ obtained and self-predicted scores across the 21 scales of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). Most recently, DiLullo (2018) assessed which of the 21 16PF primary and global factors would best predict subjects’ SAPP scores, allowing for the derivation of SAPP scores directly from the existing 16PF factors. Due to the significant variability found across the results in DiLullo’s study, this study adjusted the methodology to encourage greater consistency across samples. To do so, categorical SAPP scores were utilized …

Finding Bias: Impact Of Professional Attire And Occupation Status On Compliance With Medical Advice From Female Health Care Providers, Jordan Alexandra Weber

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to expand upon previous findings from research that suggested a provocative self-presentation harms women in high-, but not low-, status jobs. In previous research, the target was presented in explicitly sexy and inappropriate clothing for a work environment, compared to more conservative clothing. In the current study, only minor changes in clothing were utilized to classify the outfit as provocative or conservative. This produced a more covert provocative target as the differences were minimal. Participants were randomly assigned to four different groups and were presented with an image of a women in either provocative or conservative …

Attitudes And Risk Perceptions Of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) Use Among Adults With Mental Health Disorders, Alexis Leeann Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The rates of tobacco use among U.S. adults have been steadily decreasing over the past few years; however, the decline in smoking has been replaced with an increase in the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). ENDS are battery operated devices which involve the heating of an “e-liquid” to produce a vapor or aerosol which is then inhaled by the user, and are often referred to as “vapes, e-cigs, e-cigarettes, and vaporizers.” Individuals with mental health disorders smoke combustible cigarettes and use ENDS products at disproportionately higher rates than the general population. To date, research has not examined the …