One of the main goals of research in clinical psychology is to enhance the understanding and conceptualization of psychopathology. As such, it is essential that the model used to classify mental illness be as valid as possible. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev; DSM-IV-TR, American Psychiatric Association, 2000) provides the current model of psychopathology. However, there has been growing dissatisfaction with the current version of the DSM and there is an increasing view that the DSM taxonomy is scientifically unsound (Brown & Barlow, 2005; Watson & Clark, 2006; Widiger & Samuel, 2005). Quantitative structural models of psychopathology (e.g., Internalizing/Externalizing; Krueger, 1999) have provided an alternative to the DSM model and have greatly advanced the conceptualization of psychopathology. Although these models represent a significant improvement they still have several limitations. First, they exclude many of the "severe" disorders (e.g., psychotic disorders). Second, the placement of some disorders (e.g., OCD and PTSD) in the model has not been consistent. Finally, they are based on categorical diagnoses, which are less valid and reliable than dimensional alternatives (Markon, Chmielewski, & Miller, 2011). Thus, the use of categorical diagnosis as the foundation for empirical models of psychopathology likely results in suboptimal models. Moreover, it has been argued that many diagnoses are excessively heterogeneous, suggesting that analyzing the symptoms that underlie the disorders could result in more fine-grained models that more closely "carves nature at its joints." The current study addresses the limitations of current quantitative models to create an expanded model of psychopathology that likely has increased validity. Structural analyses were conducted at both the syndromal level (to serve as a proxy for dimensional versions of DSM diagnosis) and the symptom level in a large patient sample using both self-report and interview data. A three-factor model, containing Internalizing, Externalizing, and Psychoticism/Oddity dimensions emerged across both sets of analyses The emergence of this model at both the syndromal and symptom level provides strong evidence that a third higher order Psychoticism/Oddity dimension is necessary for a more complete model of psychopathology. The association of these dimensions with normal personality traits and other external correlates also was examined and implications for the conceptualization of psychopathology are discussed.

A significant number of Liberian ex-militants are unemployed and underemployed despite the job skills, formal education, and entrepreneurial training they received as participants in the Formal Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program that was established to reintegrate combatants into civilian society at the end of the two civil wars in Liberia in 2003. The purpose of this study was to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the vocational training offered by the DDR program. Informed by the theories of Human Capital, Peace Building, and Bronfrenbrenner, the research questions for this study assessed the benefits of the educational component of DDR. A phenomenological study design was employed with a purposeful sample of ex-militant participants that included 12 ex-militants and a focus group of 6-ex-militants drawn from the 12 who completed vocational training at the Monrovia Vocational Training Center in Monrovia (MVTC). All data were inductively coded and analyzed using a constant comparative method. Data analysis uncovered five textural themes: motivation for disarmament, hope to rebuild lives through vocational training, dissatisfaction with reintegration, perception of reintegration, and perception of future combat participation. Findings support human capital, peace building, and ecological systems theories in that ex-militants perceived the benefit of education in their transition to peacetime endeavor, but consider themselves only partially reintegrated since all consider themselves unemployed with no means to survive economically. This study is significant because it provides recommendations to policymakers on how such a program can improve the vocational training offered and provide follow-up life-skills counseling.

Age, salary, family status, and health status are reported to be linked to high deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollment for pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans. There has been little research on HDHP enrollment post-ACA. This study quantitatively examined the demographic variables and attitude toward risk that contribute to enrollment in a HDHP that conforms to the ACA minimum essential coverage standards. Risk taking was measured by the Domain Specific Risk Taking Scale. Other independent variables were participant age, annual salary, employee status, enrollment tier, and gender. There were 144 participants recruited from the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform who participated in the research survey. The results of binary logistic regression analysis indicated that age and the presence of children on coverage predict HDHP enrollment. Older employees and employees with at least 1 child on coverage are less likely to enroll in a HDHP. As almost 40% of adults in the United States are covered under a HDHP and this number is expected to increase, it is important to determine the factors related to HDHP enrollment. By identifying the factors related to HDHP enrollment, better educational materials may be developed for employees related to the complex and often confusing insurance decision-making process thus supporting positive social change in the health insurance industry.

Previous research has indicated that vascular disease, trauma, and cancer lead to amputations and that 1.7 million Americans are living with an amputation. The social problem of this study is that amputees have limited places to obtain social support. Alderfer's Existence, Relatedness, and Growth Theory provided the foundation for this research. The current study examined the following questions. First, does type of social support impact amputee perceived social support satisfaction? Second, does type of social support impact life satisfaction? Survey methodology was used following attendance at either peer-to-peer or group support. A purposeful sample of 184 participants were assessed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. ANOVA first showed that peer participants reported significantly greater perceived social support satisfaction than group. Second, ANOVA showed that participants in peer support groups reported greater life satisfaction than group. These data assist anyone concerned with helping amputees make support decisions based on the amputees' specific needs. From these findings, future research utilizing other forms of social support for amputees can be generated and expanded.

Some small business owners are unaware of the possible long-term benefits of engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR). A business undertaking CSR can benefit from long-term financial benefits. Hotel businesses can benefit from developing long-term relationship with visitors and higher occupancy rates. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to examine the potential influence of family-owned hotel owners' attitudes towards CSR and star ratings on hotel occupancy rates. The study's population comprised owners of family-owned hotels within Yanqing Zhen, Yanqing County, in Beijing, China. Bowen's formulation of CSR constituted the theoretical framework. Independent variables were hotels owners' attitudes towards CSR and the star ratings of their properties; the dependent variable was hotel occupancy rate. Data were collected using a web-based, Likert-scale survey, which was administered to 583 hotel owners and then analyzed using multiple linear regression modeling. Owners' attitudes towards CSR and their hotels' star ratings were positively related. Each independent variable also significantly predicted occupancy rates p = .000 for owner attitudes and p = .016 for star ratings. The coefficient for interaction influence between star rating and owners' attitudes was not statistically significant (p =.641). With better understanding of the potential benefits from addressing CSR, small hotel owners could increase hotel occupancy rates and improve their image and reputation as well as their employees' engagement, resulting in potential positive social change. Local governments can also develop more informative CSR-related guidelines and policies that benefit local Chinese communities.

Underbanking, or use of alternative financial services such as payday lenders rather than traditional banks, is a practice that has substantial financial and social harm. Given that literature and prior research shows that immigrants face unique cultural barriers to financial assimilation, the current study examines how immigrant status influences one’s odds of being underbanked. Using the June 2015 Underbanking Supplement to the Current Population Survey, immigrants are delineated by first- and second-generation status, as well by the development status of their country of origin, and their relationship to underbanking is examined through a series of logistic regression analyses. Results indicate that first-generation immigrants from developing countries continue to face substantial barriers to full financial assimilation, while those from developed countries share similar outcomes as citizens. Second-generation immigrants whose parents are from developing countries, however, have lower odds to be underbanked, showing that generational progress is occurring. Implications of this analyses are that future research should not assume immigrants all share one monolithic experience in the context of economic integration.

The aim of this Master's Thesis is the study of frequency of contraargumentative connectors in Spanish, based on the quantitative analysis of these cohesive devices in argumentative texts. The theoretical part follows and draws from the works of renowned Spanish linguists and introduces the reader to the issue of discourse markers. Thus, different proposals for its definition and classification are taken in consideration, then are described the fundamental characteristics of the contraargumentative connectors. These are examined later in the practical part. Divided into chapters it offers focus on the quantitative analysis of the connectors in three corpuses which are comprised of judgments, academic writings and editorials. For greater clarity, analyses are accompanied by graphs and frequency tables. A Czech summary is added at the end of this investigation.

Airports contribute about 5% of the gross domestic product and employ over 7 million people in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the strategies that airport managers need to increase nonaeronautical revenue. A generic strategy does not exist to assist airport operators in generating operating income. Aeronautical revenue does not always provide sufficient funding for airport operations and existing research does not consistently provide effective strategies for all airports to generate revenue. The sample for this qualitative multiple case study consisted of 3 small commercial airport managers in the southeastern North Carolina coastal region. The conceptual framework for this study was built upon general systems theory. The data were collected using semistructured interviews and review of company documents. Transcript review and member checking were used to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness. Through methodological triangulation of the data sources, 3 emergent themes were uncovered during a qualitative data analysis: types of nonaeronautical sources of revenue, strategies for measurement of success, and size and location of the airport. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing insight into strategies that contribute to sustainability at small airports. Existing and aspiring small airport managers may apply the findings to contribute to the success of the communities in which their airports reside and the local economies in which they operate.

Natural disasters expose the fact that poverty, race, gender, and other indicators of social disadvantage are linked to the population of citizens who struggle the most to recover after a disaster, yet these factors are not accounted for in public policy that guides decision making related to federal assistance to residents affected by a disaster. This study used neural networks as a research strategy to determine whether the current policies under the Stafford Act related to assistance comply with Congressional intent and law that uses a formula for assistance distribution, and whether human factors such as culture, measured as residing in a non-white zip code according to Census tract data, are considered in decision making regarding assistance. Data from FEMA related to the recovery from Hurricane Irene in 2011 were used as the basis for the model. The neural network analysis of this study indicated that federal assistance decisions after the Hurricane Irene event tended to focus on the adjusted property value and actual dollar value of losses as the determining factor in decisions. Focusing on the actual dollar value of losses is consistent with the formulaic approach codified in public law, but this approach overshadows important human factors such as living in a primarily non-white zip code and the availability of temporary housing. This study underscores the notion that the public policy works the way it is intended, but it fails to accommodate human and social factors. As a consequence, the existing policy is legally equitable, but it is not necessarily morally fair to those impacted by disasters. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations to federal policy makers to more equitably structure recovery efforts in alignment with the human environment of communities rather than a primary focus on cost and value of real property.

With many individuals experiencing multimorbidity, individuals are being prescribed more medications. Although there are benefits to taking medications to manage symptoms and treat disease processes, there are also risks to taking multiple medications. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore participants' understanding of the risks associated with practicing polypharmacy. Game theory, credibility theory, and belief bias were the conceptual frameworks used to explain how individuals experienced their care and being prescribed 5 or more medications. Eight participants residing in subsidized housing in a small Midwest city, who were taking 5 or more medications volunteered to take part in semi-structured interviews answering a series of 10 questions. Phenomenological analysis was used to organize the data and to assist with the development of themes regarding the nature of the participants' lived experiences. According to study findings, 7 out of 8 participants stated that they trusted their providers and that their providers used a more directive approach to prescribing medications instead of offering choices to the participants. In addition, participants lacked knowledge of the risks associated with taking all medications collectively, indicating that more education is needed for individuals. Results of the study may be used in both provider training and patient training to stimulate social change that may improve provider patient communication, increase understanding of provider patient interactions, elicit positive patient outcomes by providing knowledge of awareness, communication, and interaction styles, which play a role in patient outcomes.