Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Masters-Level Counseling Students’ Awareness Of Council Of Accreditation Of Counseling And Related Educational Programs Accreditation, V. Paige Zeiger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the counseling profession continues to evolve and change, there is a growing need for more professional counselors who are appropriately trained. Research indicated that a high percentage of prospective and current counseling graduate students lacked awareness of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation prior to and following enrollment in a counseling graduate program; therefore, these students were not making fully informed decisions when selecting an appropriate graduate program that would prove beneficial to their professional goals. In this descriptive phenomenological inquiry, 7 master’s-level counseling students provided their lived experiences of searching for and …

Gender Equality And Equity Narratives Amongst Women In Nongovernmental Organizations, Barbara Etta Austin-Lucas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender equality and equity narratives of women members of registered nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been largely unexamined relative to their lived experiences in healthcare, education, socioeconomic status, and political participation. The purpose of this study was to explore the narratives of women members of registered NGOs located in the Northeastern United States. The gender equality and equity narratives of women in registered NGOs related to their experiences with healthcare, education, socioeconomic status, and political participation were explored. For this qualitative narrative research, the conceptual framework was the narrative policy framework theory, which explores how narratives influence public opinion, policy dialogue, …

A Phenomenological Study Of African American Youth Aging Out Of The Foster Care System, Wandra C. Blocker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 30,000 youth “age out” of the foster care system and enter independent living each year. Statistics indicate poverty, homelessness, unmet needs, and mental illness occur at higher rates for these youth than their non-foster care peers, and little research has been conducted regarding their experience. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of African American youth who have aged out of the foster care system and factors they attribute to their transitional outcomes. The attribution and emerging adulthood theories guided this study. Data were collected via interview from a sample …

Examining Personal And Organizational Factors Leading To Police Officers’ Underutilization Of Employee Assistance Programs, Michael David Leary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers routinely get exposed to stressful or traumatic events throughout the tenure of their careers, which can lead to a build-up of emotions and internal stress. Consequently, research has shown that police officers have a higher suicide rate than the general public. Previous studies demonstrated that the majority of police officers have little knowledge about their provided employee assistance programs (EAP), and fewer yet have used the programs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether a significant relationship existed between and among factors such as self-stigma of seeking help, social stigma of receiving psychological help, attitudes …

The Relationship Between Bullying And Fire Setting In Juveniles And Young Adults, Isabel Tada

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between bullying and firesetting in juveniles and young adults. Bullying is a worldwide phenomenon that has negative effects on children’s and adolescents’ social, interpersonal, and psychological well-being. The damage caused by fire setting results in a tremendous amount of financial loss, bodily injury, and death each year in the United States. This study was viewed through the lenses of attachment theory, reintegrative shaming theory, arousal- seeking behavioral theory, and functional analytic theory. The key research questions addressed whether there is a significant relationship between bullying victimization and fire setting behavior; …

Prejudice Of Mexican American Students Toward Recently Immigrated Mexican Students, Peter Valle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prejudice against people of Mexican descent has been a pernicious social problem in the United States. A gap in the literature exists concerning racial and or cultural biases that may exist between Mexican immigrant students and U.S.-born Mexican American students. The purpose of this qualitative and phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of newly immigrated Mexican students facing prejudice from U.S.-born students of Mexican descent in the classroom. Interviews were conducted with five immigrant college students from Mexico living in Texas, recruited through social media and snowballing. The theoretical foundation was Tajfel’s social identity theory and in-group versus …

Workplace Experiences Of Migrant Workers In Colorado, Lynann Holly Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMigrant workers often endure a variety of abuses in the workplace, including financial exploitation, exposure to toxins, isolation, and lack of access to health care. Although researchers have demonstrated that these circumstances exist for migrant workers in other parts of the world, there was a dearth of research on the lived experiences of migrant workers in Colorado. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to better understand the lived experiences of migrant workers in Colorado, who are a growing and impactful population in Colorado. The theoretical framework was Rawl’s social justice theory, which purports that no one group of …

Poststroke Depression And The Lived Experiences Of The Family Caregiver And Care Recipient Dyad, Tiffany Chere' Gurley-Nettles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPoststroke depression in stroke survivors is a more common occurrence than once believed as the survivor of stroke must contend with the loss of their former self and with residual physical, communicative, cognitive, and/or psychological changes. Family members who become informal caregivers, with minimal to no training in some cases, may experience stress from having to adjust to new family roles and responsibilities. Limited information is available on the lived experiences of the family caregiver and the survivor of stroke. The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the survivor or stroke with poststroke depression and …

Improving Staff Retention In Adolescent Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities, Tasha C. Moses

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHigh direct care staff (DCS) turnover in psychiatric residential treatment facilities presents significant organizational challenges. Insufficient DCS levels and high turnover rates can undermine an organization’s ability to provide quality care to residents who have acute psychiatric symptoms, maintain a safe environment, and achieve strategic goals. This case study was grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework and focused on the DCS retention challenges experienced by a psychiatric residential treatment facility in the southeastern United States. Sources of data included semi structured interviews with seven organizational leaders, a review of organizational archival records, and an academic literature review. Thematic content analysis …

Empathy And Risk For Compassion Fatigue Among Immigrant African Pastors In The United States, Paul Affar Meenu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The importance of caregiver empathy in positive client outcomes has been established in the literature. However, helping traumatized people has a potentially deleterious emotional effect on the helping professional, putting them at risk for compassion fatigue. The stress-process model provided the framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 138 immigrant African pastors in the United States. Compassion fatigue dimensions were measured by the Professional Quality of Life Scale, and empathy dimensions were measured by the Empathy Assessment Index. Results of multivariate canonical correlation analysis revealed that empathy predicts compassion fatigue susceptibility. Pastors who scored low on empathy subscales …

Exploring The Religious Motives Of The Boko Haram Terrorism In Nigeria, Andrew Abah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Boko Haram (BH) terrorism in Nigeria has persisted for over a decade, and the attacks continue to get more sophisticated, deadly, and well-coordinated with each passing year. Given the sect’s focus on religious institutions, especially churches and mosques considered not to be practicing the kind of Islam the BH expresses, the purpose of this dissertation was to explore the religious motivation that drives their terrorist activities. The primary research question that guided this qualitative study on the religious motivations, reconciliation of activities and beliefs, and perspectives regarding minimizing BH terrorism in Nigeria. The study’s theoretical framework was the frustration-aggression theory …

Effects Of Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, And Compassion Fatigue On Attrition Intention Of African American Mental Health Professionals, Kimberly A. Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe African American community tends to stigmatize mental health services and is underrepresented in both client and therapist populations. Retention of African American mental health professionals (MHPs) may mitigate distrust in these services, allowing more individuals to seek out counseling. The purpose of this nonexperimental survey study was to investigate if compassion fatigue, burnout, or compassion satisfaction can predict intended attrition rates in African American MHPs. Constructivist self-development theory was employed to predict both resiliency and the potential adverse effects of listening to client narratives of 99 African American MHPs with a variety of mental health credentials. Stepwise multiple regression …

The Successful Road Of Reentry After Conviction, Coretta Paula Butts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA problem exists for ex-convicts who are undergoing re-assimilation: their career options are limited once the label of ex-convict is applied to them. Labeling, which has created a gap between unsuccessful prisoner reentry and successful prisoner reentry, is a prevalent issue in the United States. Although research is available on the effects of labeling, limited information is available regarding the social effects labeling has on ex-convicts during their reentry process. The purpose of the study was to examine the current policies and procedures of Hillsborough County reentry programs in the state of Florida to investigate why they are failing to …

The Moderating Effect Of Self-Esteem On Servant Leadership And Job Outcomes In The Hospitality Industry, Marylouise Fitzgibbon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The hospitality industry has the highest level of turnover of any sector in the United States. Turnover intentions are impacted by an employee’s level of job satisfaction and their self-esteem. Research consistently shows that servant leadership is a highly effective leadership style in the hospitality industry, as it focuses on serving others and placing their needs first. However, it is unknown how the relationship between servant leadership, job satisfaction, and turnover intention is moderated by employee self-esteem in the hospitality industry. This quantitative study was aimed at answering that research question. Servant leadership theory and social exchange theory served as …

Exploring Formerly Incarcerated African American Males' Relationship With Their Children, Najjiyya Christine Arnold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore formerly incarcerated African American fathers’ perceptions on reestablishing relationships with their children. Prior to this study, little or no research had been conducted to examine how formerly incarcerated parents build relationships with their children. Data were collected through one-to-one, semi-structured interviews with 11 African American fathers 18 years and older who were formerly incarcerated and had one or more children under the age of 18 years while incarcerated. The theoretical frameworks for this study included Attachment Theory and African American Male Theory. These data were analyzed using the thematic analysis …

Secret Keeping And Subjective Well-Being In Nurses, Augustina Marie Frazier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies suggest that “secret-keeping,” the act of maintaining confidences or personal information, is a problem in the nursing population. Secret keeping may cause depression and anxiety, which might bring about isolation and reduce the ability to provide patient care. The purpose of this study was to address the gap in the literature concerning the relationship between secret-keeping and subjective well-being among early- and late-career nurses. Nurses are those who primarily work at the bedside and who supply the nursing labor force in health cares. I used Seligman's well-being theory to focus on the nurses’ happiness based on positive psychology. The …

Florida School Toolkit For K-12 Educators To Prevent Suicide, Scott Poland, Catherine Ivey

Faculty Books and Book Chapters

The Florida School Toolkit for K–12 Educators to Prevent Suicide (Florida S.T.E.P.S.) carefully follows the best practices model for suicide prevention released in 2019 by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and the Trevor Foundation. Scott Poland, Ed.D., served as a key advisor in the making of the model, which can be found on the AFSP website and at afsp.org /model-school-policy-on-suicide-prevention. Additionally, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the best practices model and components of a comprehensive suicide prevention program are …

Evaluating Water Quality Variation In The Vietnamese Mekong Delta Area Using Cluster And Discriminant Analysis, Giao Thanh Nguyen, Thi Hong Nhien Huynh

Applied Environmental Research

The study aims to assess spatial and temporal water quality variations in the upper reaches of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Thirty-one water monitoring samples of the two main rivers (Tien and Hau Rivers) and six canals flowing through An Giang Province were collected in thedry season (March) and the rainy season (September) from 2009 to 2019. Seven physicochemicalparameters were analyzed including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygendemand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), orthophosphate (P-PO43-), and coliforms. Water quality index (WQI), cluster analysis (CA), and discriminant analysis (DA) were applied to evaluate water quality, spatial and temporal variations, and seasonal …

Case Study Of Modular Pre-Cast Concrete On-Site Stormwater Detention System During Monsoon Season In Southeast Asia, Darren Y.S. Mah, Johnny O.K. Ngu, Rosmina A. Bustami, Frederik J. Putuhena

Applied Environmental Research

On-site stormwater detention system within a residential property is meant for an environmental protection device that temporarily stores stormwater within the property lot to mitigate flash flood, particularly during rainy seasons brought by the northeast monsoon. A field test was constructed in a house's car porch with a 4.40 m x 4.70 m x 0.45 m tank filled with precast-concrete modular units with an effective storage volume of 3.97 m3. The system received water from a 95 m2 house roof via 0.1 m diameter pipe, discharged water via 0.05 m diameter pipe. It had recorded six observed storm events coincided …

Ecosystem Service Value Of The Mixed Land Use Pattern In Asia: Thailand's Experience, Nararuk Boonyanam, Somskaow Bejranonda

Applied Environmental Research

The rapid increase in economic development and urbanisation along the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) of Thailand has accelerated the change in its ecosystem service value (ESV), leading to the demand for related analysis to ensure sustainable growth in the area. The aim of this study is to: (1) evaluate the land use change in Chonburi Province; the most urbanised city in the EEC of Thailand between 2006 and 2016, and (2) assess the land use change impact on ESV. Secondary data from land use maps for 2006 and 2016 was used to evaluate land use change and its impact on …

Effect Of Modified Septic Tank On Groundwater Quality Around Federal University Of Agriculture, Abeokuta, South-West Nigeria, Kofoworola Olatunde, Modupe Sarumi, Sadiq Abdulsalaam, Babatunde Bada, Funmilola Oyebanji

Applied Environmental Research

Groundwater forms a very important part of the water supply chain and its quality can be affected by improperly constructed septic tanks used by homeowners in peri-urban locations such as Abeokuta in recent times. Sixty groundwater samples collected from hand-dug wells ≤15m from septic tanks were analysed for physicochemical and bacteriological parameters using standard procedures. Results were integrated with multivariate and hydrogeochemical analyses to assess the effect improperly built septic tanks have on groundwater quality around the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. The range of values for the measured parameters include: pH (6.26 - 8.66), EC (83 - 1035 μS …

The Impact Of A Change In Leadership, Taylor Collins

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: Unmitigated stress in nursing results in moral distress, burnout, turnover and poor patient outcomes. Authentic leaders can improve the nurses’ work environment and satisfaction by improving communication and implementing supportive measures.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a change in executive leadership at BSW Grapevine Medical Center reduced nursing job stress as evidenced by improved nurse satisfaction, nurse retention, nurse engagement, patient satisfaction and care outcomes.

Conceptual Framework: Watson’s Theory of Human Caring

Design: This study is a quantitative, descriptive retrospective measurement of two points in time, before and after …

China-Africa Relations: The Northern Nigerian Textile Industry, Afolabi Toye

International Studies (MA) Theses

This project takes a critical look into China’s policy in Africa. The work assesses the significance and challenges of China-Africa cooperation focusing on Nigeria. The paper argued that analyzing the nexus between Beijing and Africa should not center on China’s investments and financial aid. Instead, it should reflect on the competitive hedge China enjoys through these investments in terms of direct access to each market sector of the African economy, and it impacts on local businesses. The study examines the impacts of China’s approach on the textile industry in Kano and Kaduna states in northern Nigeria, to provide an insight …

Climate Impacts Associated With Reduced Diet Diversity In Children Across Nineteen Countries, Meredith T. Niles, Benjamin F. Emery, Serge Wiltshire, Molly E. Brown, Brendan Fisher, Taylor H. Ricketts

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

It is widely anticipated that climate change will negatively affect both food security and diet diversity. Diet diversity is especially critical for children as it correlates with macro and micronutrient intake important for child development. Despite these anticipated links, little empirical evidence has demonstrated a relationship between diet diversity and climate change, especially across large datasets spanning multiple global regions and with more recent climate data. Here we use survey data from 19 countries and more than 107 000 children, coupled with 30 years of precipitation and temperature data, to explore the relationship of climate to child diet diversity while …

Dissociating Socioeconomic Influences On Maternal Language Input And Child Language Outcomes, Klaudia Kulawska

Honors Theses

Early language development is associated with children’s socioeconomic status (SES). Specifically, children from lower SES backgrounds, on average, exhibit slower language development compared to their peers from higher-SES backgrounds. Even though SES is a multidimensional construct, research often relies on a single dimension or a composite measure when studying child language development. In this article, I investigate four dimensions of SES, including maternal education, income-to-needs ratio, financial security, and neighborhood SES. Specifically, I examine whether the quantity and quality of maternal linguistic input mediates the relationships between dimensions of SES and child receptive language skills. Mothers and their 36-40 months …

Coaching Caregivers In Rural Communities On Naturalistic Strategies Via Telehealth, Stevie L. Ogburn

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Naturalistic strategies have been shown in research to promote expressive language in children by embedding opportunities for learning trials during routines and activities. Efforts to promote expressive language development are often focused on training caregivers in implementing naturalistic strategies in their child’s typical daily routine. Coaching is a consistently effective training practice to prepare family members to implement the naturalistic strategies. While coaching has been shown to be effective, the recommended time requirement could be a barrier for most caregivers. Caregivers living in geographically remote areas also face additional barriers, such as higher rates of poverty and less access to …

Pioneers Or Profiteers? Examining Pennsylvania's Cyber Charter Landscape Through The Lens Of Principal-Agent Theory, Greg Mayle

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Pennsylvania’s current cyber charter school landscape is often discussed as an area in which reform is needed, but political bickering and biased arguments have rendered meaningful change nonexistent. This research project seeks to resolve this logjam by examining the issue from a different perspective than that which has been utilized in many previous studies. By viewing the existing landscape through the lens of principal-agent theory, one can begin to understand the legislative intent behind the creation of cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania. Once this intent is known, assessment of actual outcomes becomes possible. This study collected data relating to academic …

Gaming And Culture: How Videogames Can Affect Global Players' Preception And Understanding Of Japan's History And Culture, Garrett Davies

Capstone Showcase

Video game developers have the ability to create synthetic worlds. These are places where players have the ability to immerse themselves within a culture presented to them by the creators. This allows a global audience to participate in the expression and learning of culture but that may come at a cost. Focusing on Japan, I want to dive into how culture is presenting within video games, why it is presented in such ways, and what that means for players' perception of the country through play.

Effects Of Training Set Size On Supervised Machine-Learning Land-Cover Classification Of Large-Area High-Resolution Remotely Sensed Data, Christopher A. Ramezan, Timothy A. Warner, Aaron E. Maxwell, Bradley S. Price

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The size of the training data set is a major determinant of classification accuracy. Neverthe- less, the collection of a large training data set for supervised classifiers can be a challenge, especially for studies covering a large area, which may be typical of many real-world applied projects. This work investigates how variations in training set size, ranging from a large sample size (n = 10,000) to a very small sample size (n = 40), affect the performance of six supervised machine-learning algo- rithms applied to classify large-area high-spatial-resolution (HR) (1–5 m) remotely sensed data within the context of a geographic …

A Qualitative Examination Of Student Threat Assessment In Nassau County, New York, Christopher J. Cleary

Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement agencies and school systems face the critically important task of preventing attacks of targeted school violence and providing safe environments for students, faculty, and staff. The tragic results of past school shooting incidents have caused law enforcement agencies to work collaboratively with educators to develop strategies to reduce violent attacks.

Numerous examples from previous school shooting incidents show that shooters exhibited certain warning signs before the attack, and those signs went unaddressed. The student threat assessment process was developed to help educators and law enforcement members recognize the warning signs and take preemptive action before violence occurs. Threat …