Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Study Of Public Awareness About The Threat Of Earthquakes, Mike Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Noticeably absent from the existing literature was a correlation study which would have gauged individual awareness for earthquakes. The literature search provided one quantifiable narrative that correlated college education with awareness about earthquakes; the study found that college graduates scored higher points on the awareness test for earthquakes than their counterparts who had no college education. The research question for this study examined the possible correlations between personal characteristics and awareness about earthquakes. A survey was developed and used to find hypothesized correlations between public awareness and a number of variables such as age, gender, education, income, and professional leadership. …

Undergraduate Education Value: A Comparative Analysis Of China And The United States, Alexandra Allman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the international higher education community there is not a system nor gold standard to identify the value of higher education institutions (HEIs). For the current research, the definition of value was determined through quantitative methods considering utility and cost. The research problem underscored the importance of valuing undergraduate education in the United States and China, from a comparative perspective. A credible link was established that provided evidence to preserve the value indicator as an international standard within the HEI community. The study's purpose was to define the value of undergraduate education and create an international standard through a comparative …

The Obligation Of Law Enforcement Agencies To The Mental Health Of Their Officers, Michael Ballard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The extent of law enforcement agencies’ responsibility to address their officers’ mental health needs is unclear, despite the availability of resources and suggested guidelines. This research applied the theory of planned behavior to police officers’ willingness to seek mental health assistance from their agencies, examining the responses of 104 law enforcement officers in Utah and Idaho from four agencies. The results of this quantitative study provide evidence that law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to the mental health of their officers. Officers in general recognized the value of mental health services for others; however, they were not likely to seek …

Strategies Worker-Owned Cooperatives Use To Remain Profitable During Economic Downturns, Termaine Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New managers of worker-owned cooperatives who fail to adapt to changing conditions can threaten the organization’s viability. Some new managers of worker-owned cooperatives may lack the strategies they need to maintain consistent employment levels during economic downturns. Grounded in the expected utility theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by managers of worker-owned cooperatives to maintain consistent employment levels during sustained periods of low revenue. Participants comprised seven managers of worker-owned cooperatives with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the Midwest of the United States managing cooperatives during sustained periods of …

Diversifying Funding Streams For A Nonprofit Behavioral Health Organization, Danielle Hurt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business sustainability is essential for any nonprofit organization. Revenue diversification can play a key role in business sustainability. In this case study, the revenue diversification practices and challenges of an international, behavioral health, nonprofit organization based out of the western United States were examined. The organization provides training, support, and resources in an experiential modality of behavioral health treatment for clients worldwide. Data collection processes consisted of a review of current revenue diversification literature, semistructured interviews with three senior-level leaders in the organization, and a review of select organizational documents. The Baldrige Excellence Framework for Healthcare provided a proven framework …

Depression And Time Spent On Facebook Predicting Facebook Usage And Social Support, Donald W. Kincaid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media is a medium of communication worldwide, but it is not clear whether there is a relationship between depression and the use of social media. The purpose of this research was to explore this possible relationship. The stress generation hypothesis of depression (SGHD) states that people with depression encounter higher rates of stress than their nondepressed counterparts. In the context of social media, people with depressive symptoms may use social media in ways that increase their stress and worsen their depressive symptoms. To test this hypothesis, this study was designed to determine whether a higher level of maladaptive Facebook …

Young Adults' Perceptions Of Recreational Marijuana Usage: A Phenomenological Investigation, Dr. Eric Franklin Prince

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractYoung adults as a whole are not making informed decisions about recreational marijuana usage. A lack of information about recreational marijuana usage is being circulated through advertising causing young adults to have false perceptions on the subject matter. Many young adults perceive marijuana as non-harmful in its totality, which contributes adverse side effects to their health. Young adult lived experiences were explored in the current study to discover, if they currently have a comprehensive understanding on the psychological and physiological outcomes associated with recreational marijuana use. The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of young adults …

Assisted Living Transitions: Experiences Of Family Members Of Older African American Women, Carol A. Shaw Burns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLong-term care, also known as aging services, is evolving to meet the needs of the aging population in the United States, which is increasingly ethnically and racially diverse. The objective of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand how immediate family members experienced the transition of older African American women as they moved into assisted living facilities. Black feminist theory provided a theoretical framework. Narrative interview data were collected from four adult children family caregivers who facilitated the move. Three themes emerged from the content analysis: (a) Transition is not planned in advance and does not happen until a …

Experiences Of Social Workers In Outpatient Treatment With Young Mothers, Carla Rae Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young mothers suffering with opioid addiction are not a central emphasis of present-day treatment approaches. This research project explored perspectives of social workers who counsel young mothers suffering with opioid addiction. A qualitative research approach focused on systems theory and was designed to tell the story of individual experiences. Semi-structured questions were asked to a focus group consisting of six master’s level social workers to develop explanations and a better understanding of the problem. Systems Theory was the constant premise discussed throughout the focus group. Themes identified by the focus groups that directly impact this group of women were services, …

Challenges To Successful Health Care Transition Among Hiv Positive Youth With Perinatal Acquisition, Tyler Andrew Termeer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To ensure stability in the continuum of health care for HIV-positive youth with perinatal acquisition, there is a need for a successful transition from pediatric to adult primary care. However, there are a growing number of perinatally infected HIV-positive young persons remaining in pediatric care beyond the age of 21. Using Mohr’s program theory and a phenomenological approach, the lived experiences of Ohio HIV clinicians were examined to determine why many perinatally infected HIV-positive youths are remaining in pediatric care beyond the age of 21. Audio recorded video interviews via SKYPE were conducted with 12 participants, transcribed, underwent thematic analysis, …

Importance Of Childhood Maltreatment On Borderline Personality In Adults: Meta-Analysis, Lisa Nicole Trentacosti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood maltreatment (CM) is a risk factor for later psychopathology specifically Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). CM has been found to negatively affect social, emotional, and psychological development as well as the ability to foster and sustain interpersonal relationships throughout all stages of life. There are evidence-based interventions for different kinds of CM including Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), Alternatives for Families - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT), relaxation training, and social skills training. The current study is a meta-analysis of published research into CM as it contributes to BPD in adults and is designed to examine the effect size of childhood …

Challenges, Practices, And Preferences Of Postsecondary Accessibility Service Providers In Alberta When Implementing Accommodations For Invisible Disabilities, Tara-Jean M. Wenc

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the last few decades have seen an improvement in postsecondary opportunities for students with invisible disabilities in Alberta, service providers at postsecondary institutions continue to struggle to ensure they provide reasonable accommodations in a timely manner. Research questions explored the current practices and challenges of postsecondary accessibility services providers in Alberta, Canada, and their preferences for verification documentation for students requesting accommodations for invisible disabilities. The conceptual framework was based upon the medical and social models of disability, as well as the emerging justice theory of disability. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with 13 participants. A constant comparative …

Witnessed Intimate Partner Abuse And Later Perpetration: The Maternal Attachment Influence, Kendra Lee Wiechart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Witnessing intimate partner abuse (IPA) as a child is linked to later perpetration as an adult. Questions remain regarding why some men who witnessed abuse go on to perpetrate, while others do not. The influence maternal attachment has on IPA perpetration after witnessed IPA has not been thoroughly researched. Maternal attachment is a complex variable grounded in attachment theory and may explain why some men fail to relate to their victimized mothers. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence maternal attachment has on men who witnessed IPA as a child and later perpetrated IPA as an adult. …

How Federal Mortgage Programs Affect Homeownership Outcomes Of Low-Income Households, Lawanda Alexia Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous laws and policies have been enacted to aid economic recovery and housing growth after the 2008 housing

crisis in the United States; however, concern remains that low-income families interested in homeownership are in poor

housing situations due to inadequate access to federal homeownership policies and program information. The purpose of

this quantitative study was to analyze the relationship between the variables of income, race, and access to federal

mortgage program policy information and dependent variable HEC on homeownership outcomes for aggregate years

2007 to 2018. Using a quasi-experimental design, the chi-square test of independence was used to test N …

Canadian Policymaker Experiences On Reducing Syndemic Stigma For Hiv And Substance Use Disorder, Nickolas James Cherwinski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People living with HIV (PLWH) and substance use disorder (SUD) experience highly stigmatized lives fraught by influences such as criminal law and stigmatizing public policies. Despite free access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and mental health services for all Canadian citizens, suboptimal adherence to ART and administratively cumbersome mental health interventions still exist. Many researchers have found the health services for both HIV and SUD to be dynamic, costly, and difficult to maintain; as such, the purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge gap related to the policy implications of syndemic stigma experienced by PLWH and SUD in Canada. …

Differences In Attitudes Among Therapists In Suburban Versus Urban Settings Regarding Evidence-Based Treatments, Bennie Lamont Kyle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPrevious research has indicated that evidence-based treatments have proven effective in clinical trials. However, the transfer of desired outcomes from research settings to practice settings reflects a gap in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether differences exist between the attitudes of therapists who work in suburban versus urban settings and who do and not use evidence-based treatments in their attitudes toward evidence-based treatments and perceptions of treatment characteristics. The theoretical framework for this study was the theory of planned behavior. This quantitative study used the evidence-based practice attitude scale to assess therapist attitudes toward …

Social Work Practice With Children Identified As Having Disabilities In Elementary School, Tamara Cindy Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers provide services and resources for children with disabilities and protect their rights. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics provides the school social workers’ responsibilities to clients in the promotion of well-being. The present research involved identifying the school social workers’ role in ensuring a conducive learning environment for students with disabilities. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory was used in this study to investigate the person-in-environment experiences of school social workers within an elementary class setting. Data consisted of six school social workers’ responses to semi-structured questions obtained in one-on-one interviews conducted via the Zoom web-based …

Eye Gaze Technology For Nonverbal Students With Cortical Visual Impairment, Hannah Sykes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem that this study addressed was eye gaze technology for nonverbal students with cortical visual impairment (CVI). There are no studies examining educators’ viewpoints on the usefulness of eye gaze technology for communication and language development of nonverbal students with CVI. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore what educators think about the usefulness of eye gaze technology on communication and language development for nonverbal students with CVI. The conceptual framework applied to this basic qualitative study was based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and John Dewey’s pragmatism theory. The …

Niger Delta Stakeholders’ Expectations Of Iocs’ Peacebuilding Programs: A Multiple Case Study, Sylvester Ikechukwu Ugwuanyi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Scholars within the business and peace literature domain identified a knowledge gap in the understanding of community stakeholders’ views and expectations about the specific strategies that support corporate peacebuilding in conflict-ridden host communities. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study is to gain a deeper understanding of host community stakeholders’ expectations of international oil companies’ (IOCs’) peacebuilding programs within the Niger Delta. To address the research problem and purpose of the study, qualitative data were collected from multiple sources of evidence including semistructured interviews with eight community stakeholders, archival data, and reflective journaling notes. This study was framed by …

Electoral Justice Traits Of Youth-Led Election Violence In Nairobi’S Informal Settlements, Gezahegn Kebede Gebrehana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth residing in Kenya’s informal urban settlements commonly engage in election-related violence, yet little is known about why this occurs. This study explored the triggers for the escalation of such violence in informal settlements, which has been characteristic of almost all elections held since the introduction of the multiparty system in 1991. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand lived experiences of young adults and community leaders who lived in one of Nairobi’s informal settlements who had witnessed the level of youth violence in the city. A conceptual foundation related to electoral justice that manifests in different …

African American, Sexual Minority Women Pursuing Resilience Following Childhood Sexual Abuse, Kastina Diane Hayes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In any form, child abuse is traumatic, and the effects can leave the individual psychologically scarred. Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a specific, worldwide problem that affects individuals of all ethnicities; however, CSA is most prevalent among African Americans in the United States. The adverse effects of CSA warrant proper coping strategies. Though negative coping strategies are innate, positive coping strategies are more beneficial. Sexual minorities are individuals whose sexual orientation or gender identity deviates from the majority of the population (i.e., heterosexuals). Sexual minority women (SMW) with histories of CSA face many tribulations and hardships. Resiliency is a form …

Optimizing The Use Of Normative Data In Dementia Diagnostic Evaluations, Laurie Holler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cognitive tests are typically scored and interpreted using an appropriate normative reference group, often similar age individuals with similar levels of education. Psychometric testing theory presupposes that demographic correction is always beneficial, supporting the ubiquitous use of age and education correction in clinical practice. In the context of dementia, however, there is some evidence suggesting that demographic correction (specifically age correction) may reduce the sensitivity of cognitive tests to age-related cognitive decline. It was hypothesized that age correction would reduce the utility of cognitive tests for detecting cognitive change in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to …

Implementation Of Universal Basic Education Program In The North-Central Region Of Nigeria, Kazeem Oladimeji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Government reports document that the North-Central region of Nigeria has experienced increased negative ineffectiveness of preschool education policy implementation. At the same time, other data suggest that key stakeholders' contribution is missing in the preschool education policy formulation and implementation processes. However, much less is known regarding specific key stakeholders’ perceptions that could help reverse this trend. Grounded in the advocacy coalition framework and appreciative inquiry, narrowing this knowledge gap was the purpose of this study. The research question focused on key stakeholders’ perceptions that could increase full participation and facilitate the establishment of more quality preschools in the region. …

An Evaluation Analysis On Public-Private Partnership Of Road Development By The State Of Virginia, Cavine Chavi-Ann Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The unremitting nature of road infrastructural development and the strain of internal budgetary issues have pushed many governmental agencies to seek the non-traditional procurement methods of a public-private partnership to satisfy their ongoing needs. Researchers have examined many regions that have used this non-traditional procurement type of public-private partnership to meet their infrastructural needs while facing budgetary issues. I reviewed the state of Virginia's usage of this non-traditional procurement method as an alternative method to traditional procurement to foster their road infrastructural developmental needs. The state of Virginia has used Public-private partnerships to bridge the current gap of the state’s …

Bridging Psychological Distance In Construal Of Climate Change Consequences Through Intergenerational Dialogue, David Ryan Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As climate and environmental scientists work to address the practical challenges presented by global climate change, researchers examining environmental attitudes have obtained inconsistent outcomes in efforts to increase awareness and engagement with the topic to increase support for proenvironmental policies. Using construal level theory as the central framework, the purpose of this study was to examine whether construal level of long-term consequences of climate change (the dependent variable), assessed indirectly using the Environmental Attitudes Inventory scale, can be reduced by priming an individual to think of a temporally distal but socially proximal target (specifically, a genetic descendant) while engaging in …

Perceptions Of Community College Success Seminar Faculty Regarding First-Year Student Persistence, Ikpobari Dumletam Senewo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Persistence of first-year, full-time students toward graduation at U.S. community colleges poses concerns for administrators, faculty, and policymakers. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of faculty members teaching a college success seminar at an urban multicampus community college on what impedes or supports the persistence of these students through the first year. Tinto’s student departure and Astin’s student involvement theories served as the framework. Using a basic qualitative approach, interviews with 10 faculty members at a multicampus community college were analyzed using Creswell’s 6-step data analysis strategy. Findings suggested that sense of belonging, early connection to …

Relationship Between Organizational Trust, Communication, And Team Performance Within Virtual Teams, Cornelius Thomas Session

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Virtual teams have become a cost-saving strategy for global collaboration and training, but trust and communication failures decrease overall performance. Business leaders who fail to understand the relationship between organizational trust, communication, and team performance undermine global virtual teams’ full potential. Grounded in the life cycle of virtual teams’ theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between organizational trust, communication, and team performance within virtual teams in the information technology (IT) industry. Data were collected from survey responses of 48 virtual IT business leaders who work in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The results …

Supervision Needs For Social Workers Providing Home-Based Treatment For Children And Families, Magda Demerritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers providing home-based therapy services for children and families face challenges that make it difficult to provide efficient and effective treatment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the supervision needs of social workers who provide treatment using the home-based service delivery model. The leader-member exchange theory was used to guide the study. Data were collected from a focus group meeting with 10 master’s-level social workers in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Findings from coding and thematic analysis revealed that participants’ needs involved being educated on the value of the home-based model, receiving support and guidance related to their …

Faculty Experiences Of Social Media Implementation In Online Classrooms, Ashley Lynn George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media has become an integral part of the education process, with educators incorporating social media platforms both actively and passively within the learning environment. Yet, the implementation and usefulness of social media in the online learning environment as an educational assistance tool have not been adequately investigated. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the incorporation of social media into the online learning environment is experienced by university faculty and if their experiences of use or required changes in pedagogy for implementation are affecting their ability or desire to implement the new technology. Individual virtual interviews …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Within Risk-Needs-Responsivity In Treatment Of Sex Offending Psychopaths, Delita Gourdine Welch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Debate exists that supports the integration of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) within risk-needs-responsivity (RNR) in treatment when managing the behaviors in diagnosed sex-offending psychopaths. Although sex offending psychopaths are challenging, they are not immune to managing their behavior and maintaining a positive lifestyle and they can benefit if they can be retained in treatment. Guided by the cognitive behavioral theory, the purpose of this study was to examine how therapists manage the behaviors of diagnosed sex-offending psychopaths when integrating CBT within RNR. Therapists in practice who integrate CBT within RNR with sex offending psychopaths, answered questions about several aspects of CBT …