<p> Behavior management is becoming overwhelming in today's educational system. Many teachers are struggling to keep their students engaged in their classrooms. The goal of this study was to show educators that incorporating vigorous exercise on a daily basis for a short amount of time (fifteen minutes) has the potential to reduce common off-task behaviors, such as students laying heads down, talking off-task, and being out of their seat. Quantitative data was collected by comparing before and after number of off-task behaviors for each week of the study. Qualitative data was collected through a survey that the students completed. During my study, I found my students' off-task behaviors did not decrease significantly with the implementation of vigorous physical activity. The quantitative data actually showed an increase in the total number of off-task behaviors. Qualitative data resulted in students rating their behavior as improved after implementation of physical exercise. Further research in this area is needed because off-task behavior in a classroom reduces time spent with instruction and learning. Educators today need to discover new techniques that will engage students throughout the school day. Enabling students to work towards being a more focused learner will only improve their overall school experience. </p><p>

<p> This dissertation informed by qualitative intrinsic case study investigated instructor expert classroom behavior at the Department of Defense Joint Military Intelligence Training Center. Expert classroom behavior has been investigated in K-12 and higher education situations, but never in a Department of Defense adult training and education environment. This study adds to the body of work closing this critical literature gap. Learners in all environments form judgments of educator credibility based on demonstrated expert classroom behavior, which impacts learning. Learners who believe in the credibility of their educator are known to pay increased attention, apply extra effort, and achieve increased levels of learning. This study used a previously developed 75-item classroom expert behavior checklist with participant data analysis revealing three themes; Joint Military Intelligence Training Center instructors exhibit expert classroom behavior, the checklist requires modification for adult training and education environment application, and determined effort is required to ensure instructor awareness of expert behavior and the consequences to themselves, the learning institution, and learners when not demonstrated. It could be argued in no other environment is demonstration of expert classroom behavior more important than at the Joint Military Intelligence Training Center responsible for training Department of Defense Intelligence Analysts who conduct all source analysis and provide information informing national security-level decision-making. </p><p>

<p> This research replicated Dunlap, dePerczel, Clarke, Wilson, Wright, and White&rsquo;s (1994) single-subject ABAB reversal design using choice/no choice conditions with a 3 year-old Native American boy exposed to trauma. The IV consisted of the child being able to select books to be read during story time vs. no choice. The dependent variables consisted of 2 target behaviors impeding his learning in his Head Start classroom: disruptive and aggressive behaviors. Rate of Behavior 1 during Baseline 2 was 10% higher than during Intervention 1, and considerably higher than Baseline 1. During Intervention 2, rate of Behavior 1 was 10% lower than during Baseline 2, but 24% higher than Baseline 1. Therefore, Behavior 1 responded as expected to the 3 final experimental phases, but was unexpectedly low during Baseline 1 due to uncontrollable, extraneous environmental variables. Rate of Behavior 2 during Intervention 1 was 57% lower than during Baseline 1. During Baseline 2, rate of Behavior 2 was 50% higher than Intervention 1. During Intervention 2, rate of Behavior 2 was 43% below Baseline 1 but 40% higher than Baseline 2. Because occurrence rates for Behavior 2 were low, often 0-3 per session, minor changes in occurrences inflated change percentages. In essence, Behavior 2 improved substantially between Baseline 1 and Intervention 1, then remained stable at low rates across the remaining study phases. During Intervention 2, half the sessions had 0 occurrence rates for Behavior 2, spiking in the final 2 sessions due to an uncontrollable extraneous variable. Overall results appear promising. Future research, with greater observation times and control of extraneous variables, is needed to fully demonstrate intervention effectiveness with young Native American children exposed to trauma. </p><p>

<p> Untreated depression among older American adults has serious consequences. Individuals experiencing symptoms of depression, as well as those providing care to these older adults, habitually overlook symptoms or dismiss them as normal in this age group. Strategies are urgently needed to overcome this practice. In the study presented here, this researcher provides analyzed content regarding caregiver responses to focused interview questions about recognizing symptoms of depression in the older adults for whom they care and how to engage those with depression in treatment. The researcher considered this analysis within the framework of mental health literacy and knowledge brokering. Outcomes are presented in terms of how to improve components of mental health literacy, specifically regarding geriatric depression, among caregivers for older adults. Participants in this case study were volunteers in one of three identified categories providing care to older adults: Professional, paraprofessional, and nonprofessional. The sample size consisted of four participants in each category, with 12 participants in total. Participants demonstrated a baseline level of mental health literacy regarding geriatric depression. Based on corresponding implications, the researcher suggests which components of caregiver mental health literacy are sound, as well as areas where interventions could be used to improve caregiver mental health literacy.</p><p>

<p> The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between a history of abuse and exposure to unwanted sexual materials and solicitation online. Specifically, this study assessed the association between an abuse or trauma history and experiences of online solicitation among youth. Also, analysis included examining whether males or females with a history of abuse had higher rates of online exploitation. Archival data from the Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS) 1, conducted in the year 2000, and YISS 2, conducted in the year 2005, were analyzed to determine if there was an association a trauma or abuse history and sexual solicitation online. For YISS-1, from a total sample of 1,501 youth, there were 119 youth who reported online sexual solicitation in the past year and 12 who identified a history of sexual abuse in the past year. For YISS-2, from a total sample size of 1,500, there were 105 youth who reported online sexual solicitation in the past year and 20 who identified a history of sexual abuse in the past year. Analysis of this data indicated an association between abuse history and sexual solicitation online. In both samples, children who reported a history of sexual abuse were more likely to report online sexual solicitation (x</p><p>2(1) = 18.96, p &lt; 0.001;x</p><p>2(1) = 57.34, p &lt; 0.001). Although statistically significant, both ofthese associations were weak (&phiv; = 0.113, p &lt; .001; &phiv; = 0.196, p =&lt; .001). Due to the small sample size of youth who reported a history of abuse and the results should be interpreted with caution. In addition, for both years 2000 and 2005, there were no significant differences found between male and female youth with a reported abuse history and their sexual solicitation online (x</p><p>2(1) = 0.78, p = .38; x</p><p>2(1) = 2.40, p = .12). It isimportant for professionals to learn if a history of abuse will carry over into an online world and potentially re-traumatize young individuals. This information would have implications for how the mental health community develops intervention strategies and education programs.</p>

<p> Limited research on creativity in delinquents concluded they were generally not creative, and delinquents who <i>were</i> creative tended to express creativity in the domains of crime and violence. None of this research examined creativity in delinquents with testing validated to measure both the divergent-exploratory and convergent-integrative thinking processes, now considered essential and interdependent elements of creative thinking. Further, no studies empirically examined creative products for violent and criminal content. The present study used archival data from an adapted Evaluation of Potential Creativity (EPoC) to analyze the creative potential of adolescents in a juvenile detention center relative to a reference group of adolescents in the general population. The adapted EPoC assessed creative potential in the graphic and verbal domains of divergent-exploratory thinking and the graphic domain of convergent-integrative thinking. Drawings from the adapted EPoC were also analyzed for presence and level of unsolicited violent content. </p><p> Delinquents demonstrated lower levels of creativity than adolescents of the general population in the graphic domain of both divergent-exploratory and convergent-integrative thinking. However, there was no difference in level of creativity between delinquents and adolescents of the general population in the verbal domain of divergent-exploratory thinking. In addition, delinquency did not moderate the relationship between creativity and production of unsolicited violent content in drawings; high levels of creativity in both delinquents and adolescents of the general population were associated with the production of high levels of unsolicited violent content in drawings. </p><p> The finding of no difference in levels of verbal creativity between delinquents and adolescents of the general population may suggest both groups share a common deficiency in verbal creativity due to environmental and pedagogic factors; specifically, an art bias equating creativity with graphic but not verbal creativity, and a teacher preference for students oriented toward the visual arts. The finding associating high levels of creativity with high levels of unsolicited violent content in drawings for both delinquents and adolescents of the general population may be related to the observed tendency of all creative adolescents to draw a greater volume of content overall, indicating drawing violent content is commonplace and disassociated from delinquency.</p>

<p> Wellness is enough of a vital concern in the United States that as of 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted to encourage employers to adopt evidence-based workplace wellness programs. Although it is believed that these wellness programs will decrease both chronic disease and healthcare costs, participation has been minimal. Existing research has identified the positive impact of both the individual&rsquo;s role and the use of technology in wellness planning. This inquiry used an action research case study design to explore how theory-driven web-based wellness planning impacted study participants&rsquo; decisions, actions, and perceptions about wellness. The researcher created a free, open access, proprietary web-based wellness planning tool based on stages of change and integral theory. Over the 4-month period of this study, the web site had 307 visitors and 29 registered users, 12 of whom also were employees of technology companies and were recruited to take part in the case study. Web site observation, the wellness-planning tool, and individual interviews served as the primary sources of data. Analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, the findings demonstrated that this web-based planning tool increased the users&rsquo; wellness awareness and may impact their intention to make improvements. Although the tool had a positive impact on users&rsquo; wellness planning skills and enhanced their understanding of wellness, most users continued to overemphasize physical wellness and underemphasize spirit and community, as represented by the lower quadrants of integral theory. Interviews further revealed that there may be an interest for employers to expand workplace wellness (WPW) program offerings, involve employees in program design, and expand WPW activities, with the intention of increasing self-care of both employees and their family members. These findings are limited to the participants and conditions of this research but warrant further study with more participants spanning a longer time period to determine whether changes may be generalizable and sustainable.</p>

<p> Treatment of addictive processes is one of the specialties of clinical psychology. Practitioners hone their skills to relieve the suffering and ill affects of substance use. This dissertation explored sugar use, as an addictive process, through the lens of emotional regulation, addressing the research question: What is the lived experience of emotional regulation through sugar addiction? The study specifically excluded treatment. </p><p> Review of literature revealed ways to treat, supplement, or kick the sugar habit, examined sugar addiction qualifiers by comparing them to neural correlates of other drug dependencies, and provided recovering food and sugar addicts&rsquo; insights into America&rsquo;s food supply and the harmful deceptions perpetuated by its food industry. The Food Addiction Institute&rsquo;s library maintains over 2,700 peer reviewed articles. </p><p> The study employed a phenomenological research method to look at six co-participants&rsquo; lived experience&mdash;idiographically, to determine what characteristics and themes are unique to each co-participant, and nomothetically, to determine what universally characterizes the whole group. </p><p> Co-participant entry into the study required meeting the thresholds for the Yale Food Addiction Scale, abbreviated version. Interview transcripts provided a rich data base for analysis. Idiographic essential descriptions were used to create a narrative for each co-participant. The nomothetic aggregate used common denominators to create a universal picture of the whole group. </p><p> This study aimed for a greater understanding of the interdependent nature of sugar and emotions. What might a sugar addicted population express that facilitates recovery and emotional regulation? Due to its qualitative approach to data acquisition the research was personal and explored beyond the surface to obtain a unique and individualized story, yet was able to identify a picture common to the whole group. </p><p> The lived experience revealed that envy, deprivation, fear of sugar&rsquo;s control, and lack of support from authority figures contributed to an inability to get enough of comfort foods or to stop overconsumption, and contributed to feelings of guilt, shame, and loss. Co-participants expressed excitement and gratitude that someone was interested in this topic.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine psychological effects, including internalizing and externalizing behaviors, among Latino adolescents. Secondary data were utilized from the California Health Survey administered in 2011&ndash;2012. Internalizing behaviors include feelings of depression, hopelessness, nervousness, restlessness, worthlessness, and feeling that everything is an effort. Externalizing behaviors include drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Findings in the study suggested a significant relationship between U.S. citizenship and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Findings of this study also suggested significant relationships between external and internal behaviors. Additionally, the results showed significance in receiving psychological-emotional counseling.</p>

<p> Children diagnosed with ASD and their parents often find themselves in difficult situations concerning their child's behavior while in public, and the responses from the public are usually negative (Chambres, Auxiette, Vansingle, &amp; Sandrine, 2008). The purpose of this study was to describe responses towards a child with ASD having a tantrum. We evaluated how knowing the child's diagnosis, understanding of the behavioral characteristics of ASD, and dispositional empathy related to the responses towards the tantrum. The findings from this study suggest that while it is helpful to disclose an ASD diagnosis, it is not necessarily more helpful to explain the characteristics and nature of ASD in order to elicit an empathic response from others. Revealing that the child was diagnosed with ASD leads to more empathic responses regarding the child and mother. The level of dispositional empathic concern and perspective taking an individual had correlated with their responses to the child and mother's behavior in the tantrum situation.</p>