<p> The goal of this study is to explore the effects of mindfulness on smoking behavior and craving including nicotine dependence, nicotine withdrawal, and smoking cessation. Adults with more than ten years of chronic smoking and current smoking of five or more cigarettes daily were recruited for the study. Utilizing both a qualitative and quantitative research design, this study was experimental in nature with an interrupted time-series design using both within- and between -subjects comparisons. Ten smokers were recruited. All participants participated in a semi-structured telephone interview as well as completed the following assessment measures: the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) to assess smoking related behavior including physiological and behavioral symptoms; the Mood and Physical Symptoms Scale (MPSS) to assess withdrawal symptoms; the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) to assess for mindful awareness of what was happening in the present moment; and the Smoking Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ) to assess participants' experience of, feelings about, and awareness of their smoking habit. Participants were assessed at three intervals; pre- intervention, immediately post- intervention, and two weeks post- intervention. It was hypothesized that the use of mindfulness practices would prove to be effective in decreasing nicotine withdrawal symptoms and nicotine dependence through increased mindful awareness indicating that mindfulness interventions are a viable treatment option for individuals wishing to quit smoking. Using a general linear model for repeated measures within the following covariates (age and years smoking) and factors (gender, marital status, and use of log book) there was no statistically significant difference in between-subjects and within-subjects results, however, a paired t-test on number of cigarettes smoked before and after the study revealed a significant reduction. Qualitative analysis also revealed that the use of mindfulness effectively reduced urges to smoke, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, frequency of smoking, and smoking related behaviors. Qualitative results further revealed that the mindfulness practice reduced stress, increased sense of calm and of peace, and increased mindful awareness and presence in participants' day to day lives.</p>

<p> This production thesis examines home and homelessness through various psychological lenses including depth psychology, trauma theory, and art therapy. It explores how creating a personal shrine can help an individual process emotional homelessness. It offers an example of how one might experience a psychological transformation using the creation of a shrine as a safe container and transitional object to connect with unconscious aspects of one&rsquo;s personal story and examine some of the psychological elements therein. The author&rsquo;s investigation of emotional homelessness and its resolution includes his own experiences of engagement with the imaginal realm and he provides an example of a three-dimensional imaginal visual tool to advance understanding of home.</p>

<p> Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) is an acceptance and change-based treatment protocol that includes parent participation, and has been shown to be effective with emotionally dysregulated, suicidal, and self-injurious adolescents (Mehlum et al., 2014, 2016) who often show high rates of treatment utilization and subsequent dropout (Groves, Backer, van den Bosch, &amp; Miller, 2012). Despite its demonstrated effectiveness and despite parents&rsquo; active role in treatment, there is limited treatment acceptability data for DBT-A, and even less investigation into the parent perspective. Pretreatment expectancies and preferences are two common factors associated with treatment acceptability that have been shown to influence treatment participation, adherence, and outcomes that can inform methods for enhancing evidence-based treatments, yet remain underinvestigated (Nock &amp; Kazdin, 2001; Wymbs et al., 2015). The primary goal of the current study was to assess parent pretreatment expectancies and preferences prior to entering an outpatient DBT-A program with their adolescents. Twenty-three parents completed two self-report assessment measures just prior to starting treatment: The Parent Expectancies for Treatment Scale (PETS; Nock &amp; Kazdin, 2001), and the Parent Preferences for Treatment form developed for this study to assess preferences for eight alternative treatment delivery formats. Results showed that parents had moderately high overall expectancies for DBT-A (<i> M</i> = 97.78, <i>SD</i> = 9.03). Subscale analyses indicated high parent expectancies for its credibility (Credibility, <i>M</i> = 52.09, <i>SD</i> = 5.44), moderately high expectancies for child improvement (Child Improvement, <i>M</i> = 23.43, <i> SD</i> = 3.49), and moderate expectancies for parent involvement (Parent Involvement, <i>M</i> = 22.17, <i>SD</i> = 2.98). Highest rated expectancies were related to the credibility of DBT-A as a valuable, worthwhile treatment and the large role of parent involvement in treatment. The four most preferred alternative format options were to add weekly skills training for individual families, weekly individual parenting skills sessions, weekly parent-only support groups, and weekly parent therapy sessions. The two least preferred format options involved partially or fully separating parent and teens in multifamily skills group. This study provides preliminary support for the use of assessing parents&rsquo; pretreatment expectancies and preferences for DBT-A as an initial step toward understanding the treatment attitudes and desires of parents with teens referred to DBT-A. Clinical implications for the utility of these findings in clinical practice and future research are discussed.</p>

<p> As bullying was eventually labeled an adult problem, research refocused from the child&rsquo;s playground to the adult playground&mdash;the workplace. Schoolyard bullies likely grow into workplace bullies when actions are encouraged or ignored. Though workplace bullying (WPB) research has been conducted in the field of general academia little has been done to study bullying in higher education. In addition to the lack of literature, bullying behaviors have been difficult to define and measure. As a result, narrow operational definitions of WPB have been commonplace. Therefore, WPB has gone largely underreported and targets have been fundamentally underrepresented.</p><p> The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study focused on two areas. One focus was to determine whether faculty to faculty WPB across disciplines in higher education impacted organizational trust and commitment in one private, faith-based university in the southeastern United States. The second focus was on the faculty&rsquo;s perceptions of bullying behaviors.</p><p> From the findings it was concluded: (a) targets of WPB exhibited lower organizational trust following the bullying incident, (b) targets of WPB committed to the organization the same following the bullying incident, (c) targets of WPB exhibited lower job satisfaction, (d) targets of WPB perceived bullying behaviors that were grouped into five themes, and (e) targets experienced effects of WPB that were grouped into four themes.</p><p> Implications for practice include recommendations for researchers, leaders and faculty members in higher education, and policy-makers. The study concludes with specific recommendations for further research.</p>

<p> <b>Objective:</b> Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) is the leading recommended treatment for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children with ASD are at a substantially higher risk for developing symptoms associated with additional psychopathology compared to typically developing children. Currently, little is known about the utility of EIBI on symptoms of additional psychopathology. This study aimed to assess if EIBI would serve as a preventative treatment for the development of symptoms associated with additional psychopathology in a sample of young children with ASD. <b> Method:</b> This study was part of a larger multicenter, 2-year, two-arm randomized clinical trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of Project DATA [Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism] Toddler Model, an inclusive based EIBI for young child with ASD, as compared to Services as Usual (SAU). Fifty-one children between the ages of 20 and 35 months with an Autism Spectrum Disorder were assessed at pretreatment and approximately a year into service. Children&rsquo;s intellectual ability, level of ASD symptoms, and emotional and behavioral symptoms were assessed at both assessment points. <b>Results: </b> Groups were equivalent on all dependent variables at pretreatment. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) did not reveal an overall treatment effect when groups were compared simultaneously across level of ASD symptoms, intellectual functioning, and emotional and behavior symptoms. Univariate analyses demonstrated that EIBI resulted in significantly higher child intellectual functioning compared to SAU at post. No significant differences for level of ASD symptoms or emotional or behavioral symptoms indicative of additional psychopathology were revealed between groups at post. <b> Conclusion:</b> EIBI appears to influence child intellectual functioning, but may not have an effect on other important areas of child well-being. The utility of EIBI for children with ASD and additional psychopathology is discussed. More research is needed to identify the impact EIBI has on children with ASD. Particular focus should be given to symptoms of additional psychopathology and emerging treatments for children with ASD.</p>

<p> Mate Poaching is one strategy used for attracting a mate. Under principles of evolutionary theory, mating strategies are driven by inter-sexual selection and intra-sexual competition creating Sex specificity in the way strategies succeed or fail. The relatively recent emergence of the Internet raises questions about its interaction with evolutionary mechanisms that people use to attract a mate. The purpose of this study was to identify whether or not Mate Poaching exists within virtual Social Networking Sites (SNS), and whether or not poaching tactics used in a Face-to-Face Environment are still considered effective in a Virtual one. This study asked whether there was an association between the environment of Mate Poaching and the Sex of a poacher in three environments (Face-to-Face, Virtual, and Blended); the study also asks whether there is a significant interaction between the environment and Sex of a poacher on the Perceived Efficacy of three Mate Poaching tactics (Enhancing Physical Appearance, Demonstrating Resources, and Humor). The study consisted of a mixed design: Part one was a causal-comparative design answered with a modified Anonymous Romantic Attraction Survey (ARAS). Part two was an experimental design, randomly assigning participants to rate the Perceived Efficacy of 42 tactics from the Expanded Acts and Tactics from Schmitt and Buss (2001). The convenience sample (N=233) was drawn from adults 18 years or older who have had at least one romantic relationship in their lifetime, and were residents of the United States. The sample, consisting of 71 males and 162 females, was 84.1% heterosexual, and split evenly on marital status; ages ranged from 18 to 78, with a mean age of 40. Data were analyzed for part one with six chi-square tests of association, and part two with three two-way factorial ANOVAs. Part one found a significant association between Sex and Environment for &ldquo;Have you ever poached?&rdquo; in the Face-to-Face and Blended Environments. The Virtual Environment and all three (Face-to-Face, Virtual and Blended) Environments for &ldquo;Have you frequently poached?&rdquo; did not find a significant association with Sex. Part two found no significant interactions between Sex and environment on the Perceived Efficacy of the three tactics; there was a main effect of Sex on both Enhancing Physical Appearance and Demonstrating Resources, further confirming previous literature. There was no main effect of Sex or environment on the tactic of Humor, consistent with mixed results around this construct in the literature.</p>

<p> Secondary traumatic stress is the physiological reaction to vicarious traumatization. Public child welfare workers are exposed daily to the traumas of child maltreatment from neglect to death. Unlike other first responders, child welfare workers have continued exposure to the trauma of child maltreatment with every report, change in placement, and discussion. Rural child welfare workers have an added burden of issues common to both the children and families they serve, and to themselves as members of their communities: isolation, social proximity, dual relationships, remoteness, and fewer resources. In an effort to identify the experiences of secondary traumatic stress in rural child welfare workers in this study, eight child welfare workers were individually interviewed from two separate, remote, rural communities. Using semi-structured, open-ended questions, discussions of their experiences produced a wealth of data that was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings gave discovery that rural child welfare workers do experience secondary traumatic stress, and included symptoms such as: depression, frustration, exhaustion, sleeplessness, crying, hypervigilance, avoidance, guilt, loss of appetite, and more. Many of these symptoms were exacerbated by the characteristics of the remote, rural community as there were few outlets and venues for discussing and debriefing in privacy. Conclusions were rural child welfare agencies need to engage in providing trauma informed training and support to their workers, and include secondary trauma as part of their culture in supervision and management. Finally, several new resources are discussed which are available to agencies and staff from national child welfare institutes, agencies, and online publications.</p>

<p> The purpose of the present study was to test the Emotional Stability dimension of the Big Five factors of personality traits theory to predict or explain a relationship with Employee Organizational Commitment, when the relationship between Emotional Stability (ES) and Employee Organizational Commitment (EOC) was moderated by Gender and AgeGroup. Public domain secondary data from the General Social Survey were used in the study. The three age groups under investigation were Millennials, Generation X, and the Boomer generation. A hierarchical linear multiple regression model was applied to test the hypotheses. The statement of the omnibus null hypothesis (H₀) was that the Emotional Stability dimension of the Big Five factor model of personality traits theory did not have the ability to predict EOC. Main hypotheses stated that there was not a statistically significant relationship between the moderated independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV). Results of the full model showed that the theory-testing null hypothesis (H₀) was not supported (<i>p</i> &lt; .05), and the Boomer generation contributed most to the DV (Beta = -.511). Recommendations were made for future research.</p>

<p> Identifying students who may require additional assistance and coaching based on their self-concept score will also allow community colleges to provide additional support services for those students. If there is a difference in self-concept among students in a Mississippi community college, leaders might be able to use self-concept as a way of building additional services that help students improve their self-concept and subsequently reduce attrition. </p>

<p> A fundamental question in Complexity Science is how numerous dynamic processes coordinate with each other on multiple levels of description to form a complex whole&mdash;a multiscale coordinative structure (e.g. a community of interacting people, organs, cells, molecules etc.). This dissertation includes a series of empirical, theoretical and methodological studies of rhythmic coordination between multiple agents to uncover dynamic principles underlying multiscale coordinative structures. First, a new experimental paradigm was developed for studying coordination at multiple levels of description in intermediate-sized (<i>N</i> = 8) ensembles of humans. Based on this paradigm, coordination dynamics in 15 ensembles was examined experimentally, where the diversity of subjects&rsquo; movement frequency was manipulated to induce different grouping behavior. Phase coordination between subjects was found to be metastable with inphase and antiphase tendencies. Higher frequency diversity led to segregation between frequency groups, reduced intragroup coordination, and dispersion of dyadic phase relations (i.e. relations at different levels of description). Subsequently, a model was developed, successfully capturing these observations. The model reconciles the Kuramoto and the extended Haken-Kelso-Bunz model (for large- and small-scale coordination respectively) by adding the second-order coupling from the latter to the former. The second order coupling is indispensable in capturing experimental observations and connects behavioral complexity (i.e. multistability) of coordinative structures across scales. Both the experimental and theoretical studies revealed multiagent metastable coordination as a powerful mechanism for generating complex spatiotemporal patterns. Coexistence of multiple phase relations gives rise to many topologically distinct metastable patterns with different degrees of complexity. Finally, a new data-analytic tool was developed to quantify complex metastable patterns based on their topological features. The recurrence of topological features revealed important structures and transitions in high-dimensional dynamic patterns that eluded its non-topological counterparts. Taken together, the work has paved the way for a deeper understanding of multiscale coordinative structures.</p><p>