Browsing by Author "Eakman, Aaron, committee member"
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Item Open Access Analytical injustice league: understanding statistical manipulation of student retention data using modification methods of missing values(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Long, Sarah E., author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee memberMissing values that fail to be appropriately accounted for may lead to reduced statistical power, biased estimators, reduced representativeness of the sample, and incorrect interpretations and conclusions (Gorelick, 2006). The current study provided an ontological perspective of data manipulation by explaining how statistical results can fundamentally change depending on specific data modification methods. This has consequential implications, specifically in higher education, that depend on quantifiable methodologies to substantiate practices through evidence based policy making (Gillborn et al., 2018; Sindhi et al., 2019). The results of the current study exposed how examining patterns of data missingness can have critical implications on student retention initiatives including intervention programs, identification of high-risk students, and funding opportunities for support programs. It is imperative for both data scientists and data stakeholders to be critically aware of what data they collect, report, and utilize from the variable selection to statistical methodologies.Item Open Access Development of a process model with dementia specific strategies to optimize quality of life for long term care residents(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Hoesly, Beth, author; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Lynham, Susan A., committee memberWith a thorough review of 156 studies encapsulated in a special issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) on occupational therapy services for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) (Padilla, 2011), there was no commonly shared rationale or approach for occupational therapists working with this population. This study's purpose was to further the Lived Environment Life Quality (LELQ) Model and complement it with the creation of a process model by engaging in a theory building process. To do so, the study sought to understand how expert occupational therapists' conceptualizations of their work align with the three occupational therapy process domains of assessment, intervention, and outcomes. Several key themes that emerged from this qualitative research process include functioning of the facility, being an occupational therapy detective and problem solver, education, prevention, occupational engagement, occupational performance, and personal factors. Results also indicated that the expert occupational therapists' conceptualizations aligned with concepts embedded in the LELQ Model as well as with the three occupational therapy process domains. The themes and the alignment with the LELQ Model facilitated the development of the process model. Overall, findings suggested that there is a shared rationale for the occupational therapy process in long term care (LTC) facilities when working with persons with dementia. Furthermore, these findings guide the clinical reasoning of occupational therapists as they plan the specific actions or approaches that they take from initiation through termination of services. However, further research is needed in order to confirm, revise, and implement the process model in practice.Item Open Access Factors associated with college students' perceived stress(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Brough, Kate, author; Atler, Karen, advisor; Fisher, Anne, committee member; Lacy, Michael, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee memberStress is a significant problem for college students that can lead to poor academic performance, anxiety, depression, and other serious health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between college students' perceived stress and their daily experiences of pleasure, productivity, and restoration. College students from a Mountain state university (n = 187) completed an online survey that included the Perceived Stress Scale and the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity, and Restoration Profile. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between variables. The amount of pleasure, productivity, and restoration students experienced from their day were each negatively correlated to their total levels of perceived stress, although only weakly (r = -0.15 to -0.25). Regression analysis revealed that of the three experiences, the amount of pleasure students experienced explained the largest amount of the variance in perceived stress; but, it was a weak predictor, explaining only 3% of the variance independently. Implications for students, professionals working with students, and future research are discussed.Item Open Access Functional competence and emotional well-being for long term care residents with dementia: confirming a conceptual practice model through action research(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Metcalfe, Amy, author; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Lynham, Susan A., committee memberLong term care facilities often lack support for residents' quality of life. The Lived Environment and Life Quality Model (LELQ) is an empirically derived conceptual model on the effects of the lived environment on three quality of life indicators: daily time use, functional competence and emotional well-being, for long term care residents' with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This study's purpose was to further the LELQ Model by engaging in a theory building process. To do so, the study sought to understand how expert occupational therapists' conceptualizations of their work align with the LELQ concepts: functional competence and emotional well-being. Six expert practitioners engaged in two individual interviews, and three focus groups. Through qualitative data analysis, we found that in general, expert practitioners' conceptualizations aligned and confirmed the LELQ Model domains functional competence and emotional well-being, and the connections they have to other concepts described in the model. In addition to confirmation, the participants elaborated on aspects of the model and identified potential gaps for implementation of the model in practice. Several ideas were highlighted as a result of this study including: the importance of the social environment support for use of retained capacities and emotional well-being, the addition of optimal health and personhood to the model and reimbursement as a barrier to application of the model in practice. The LELQ Model has been shown to be relevant and useful for practitioners however, further research is needed in order to revise and implement the LELQ Model in practice.Item Open Access Life after caregiving: understanding everyday resilience in the context of the bereavement phase of the caregiver journey(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Seidle, Julie Silver, author; Sample, Pat, advisor; Atler, Karen, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Fruhauf, Christine A., committee memberDementia is a progressive illness that results in cognitive decline for aging adults requiring increased assistance with everyday life as symptoms worsen over time. An illness that is found largely in older adults, dementia rates are rising with the aging population. Dementia often is considered one of the most challenging illnesses for caregivers, given its progressive nature and the individual's subsequent, increased, and complex care needs. Much of the daily care for individuals with dementia is carried out by family members including spouses. Due to the ever-changing complexity of dementia care, spousal dementia caregivers (SDCs) are at an increased risk for negative health and well-being impacts, compared to their non-caregiving cohorts. The caregiving trajectory for SDCs inevitably includes the loss of the spouse, which ushers in one of the most difficult and disruptive role transitions experienced during the life course. The caregiver journey, however, does not necessarily end when the individual with dementia dies, but begins the final bereavement phase of the caregiver journey. This dissertation examines the experience of SDCs and the role of resilience during the bereavement phase of the caregiver journey. I conducted a phenomenological study to increase our understanding of the everyday lived experience of resilience for SDCs during the bereavement phase of the caregiver journey. I also completed a phenomenographical study to capture how SDCs conceptualized their experience during the bereavement phase of the caregiver journey. I offer key takeaways from the studies, then discuss my research approach and recommendations for future research and practice addressing resilience and dementia caregiving. I end this dissertation by situating my work within Occupational Science and Rehabilitation Science.Item Open Access Occupational therapy and time use of people with dementia in long term care facilities: confirming a conceptual practice model(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Lampe, Jenna L., author; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Lynham, Susan A., committee memberThis study aimed to further develop a dementia-specific, occupational therapy conceptual model, the Lived Environment Life Quality (LELQ) Model, by asking: how do expert occupational therapists understand and promote positive time use patterns of residents with dementia in long term care facilities? Although occupational therapists are well-situated to promote such patterns for residents with dementia, time use has not been a focus of practice. Using an action research approach, six occupational therapists were chosen through selective sampling of extreme cases. Data were collected via twelve 90-minute interviews and six focus groups. Data analysis included coding, peer review, matrix and thematic analysis, and reflexive journaling. Overall, participants confirmed time use as represented by the LELQ Model as valid. While time use patterns were implicit in their practices, they viewed every moment as a possible moment of engagement and residents as if wearing a quilt with colorful squares symbolizing potential for meaningful daily time use. Participants also recognized that workers in dementia care can sometimes view residents with dementia through a pessimistic lens akin to a gray and stifling quilt, one symbolizing lack of potential for positive time use and leading to staff alienation and negative spiraling of residents' quality of life. Conclusions are that the LELQ Model is a valid conceptual practice model tool for promoting a focus on time use patterns as a vital quality of life indicator. Further, focusing on occupational engagement across the day can be seen as the core of occupational therapy philosophy, a means to avoid occupational deprivation, and a moral obligation of occupational therapists.Item Open Access Participation in SOS Outreach: a positive youth development program(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Keigley, Meghan Ann, author; Coatsworth, J. Douglas, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee memberAdolescence can be a time burdened by physical, emotional and social developmental challenges. However, many extracurricular programs now focus on fostering Positive Youth Development (PYD) with a primary goal of helping youth develop positive life skills and positive trajectories. Many of these programs emphasize providing youth with opportunities to develop positive self-identities and life skills that they can apply to other areas of their lives. Studies have demonstrated positive outcomes of these programs, but have also shown that youth participation is key for gaining these benefits. Many youth drop out of these programs before they are able to fully realize the benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine whether various personal, logistic, and experiential factors predict to continued participation in a Colorado-based PYD program. Eighty-eight adolescent, ages 9 - 17 completed surveys following participation in a winter-long program that incorporates positive youth development into snowsport activities. Youth reported on barriers to participation, developmental experiences, self-defining activities, and parental encouragement to participate in the program. Results indicated that demands of the program and parental encouragement for identity exploration were significantly related to participant retention. Additionally, negative developmental experiences, but not positive developmental experiences within the program were significant predictors of participant retention while program specific self-defining activities were not. Finally, self-defining activities did not moderate the relationship between logistical issues and participant retention.Item Open Access Postdoctoral fellows’ attitudes toward immigration and undocumented students’ pursuit of higher education: a mixed methods study(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Jach, Elizabeth A., author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Johnson, Jen, committee member; Gupta, Kalpana, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee memberPrevious research has demonstrated that certain attributes are associated with greater support of undocumented immigrants and undocumented students. While higher education has examined the attitudes and attributes of students, faculty, and staff regarding their opinions of undocumented students' pursuit of higher education, there is a gap in the literature when it comes to considering the opinions of postdoctoral fellows (postdocs). As the most highly trained group within the academic pipeline, postdoctoral fellows are increasing in number while tenure track positions are declining in the United States. Postdocs will become leaders inside and outside academia. How the academy has (or has not) socialized this group matters for the future of the academy and beyond. Furthermore, attributes associated with greater support of undocumented immigrants and undocumented students constitute attributes and experiences of many postdoctoral fellows. This transformative convergent mixed methods study uses a four-article approach to examine postdoctoral fellows' attitudes toward immigration and undocumented students' pursuit of higher education. The study employs Deaux's (2006) model for the social psychological study of immigration and the conceptual frames of Whiteness and allyship. This study involves four key components, including a literature review, a quantitative study, a qualitative study, and a mixed methods discussion. The first component of the dissertation serves as a review to critically examine previous literature on opinions of undocumented immigrants in the United States as well as undocumented students' access to higher education (Jach, 2019). The review considers the context of the current political climate and interrogates going beyond raising consciousness toward liberatory praxis (Freire, 2007). The second component of the study uses data from the General Social Survey (GSS) to examine respondents' attributes potentially associated with views of immigration. Specifically, the study conducted a preliminary analysis of whether respondents' attributes, including holding a possible postdoctoral position, predicted views of immigration, and whether immigrants should have the same education as Americans. Results suggested that a combination of respondents' attributes predicted these views, and that being a non-White, a non-U.S. citizen, and having a graduate degree each increased the odds that respondents would support undocumented immigrants and/or immigrant education. The third component of the study used qualitative methods to interview postdoctoral fellows about their views of undocumented students' pursuit of higher education and how they can support undocumented students. Participants were recruited through the National Postdoctoral Association, and eligibility requirements included having completed a doctoral degree, current employment as a postdoctoral fellow, self-identifying as White, having citizenship in the United States, and agreeing that undocumented students should be supported. Findings suggested that postdocs with a personal or professional connection exhibited greater support toward undocumented students. Participants articulated strategies for how to support undocumented students as an ally and expressed a need for adult education on how to exhibit such support. The final chapter and fourth component of the dissertation used a mixed methods approach to examine quantitative and qualitative findings. The convergence and divergence of results were considered using Deaux's (2006) model for the social psychological study of immigration. The closing chapter also considers implications for practice and future research.Item Open Access The associations among meaningfulness, leisure activity and cognitive functioning in adulthood(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Hatt, Cassandra Rae, author; Bielak, Allison, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Diehl, Manfred, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberThere is considerable research that has shown that individuals who engage in more social, physical, and cognitive leisure activities have higher cognitive ability and performance across older adulthood (Bielak et al., 2012; Hertzog et al., 2008). However, some studies have failed to report significant associations between leisure activity engagement and cognitive functioning (Hambrick et al., 1999; Parisi, 2010). Differences in findings in the activity literature have been discussed as resulting from differences in methodological designs and inconsistency in the measurement of constructs (Bielak, 2010; Bielak & Gow, 2022). One important area of interest involves research on the psychological and contextual modifiers that influence the activity-cognition relationship. This dissertation examined the relationships between activity engagement, meaningfulness and cognition using both cross-sectional (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) research designs. Eighty-one individuals aged 45- 90 years old (Mage = 61.26 years, SD = 12.18) who participated in the Recording Everyday Activities and Cognition using Tablets (REACT) study at Colorado State University were used for analysis. In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed on each latent construct using the following baseline assessments: Victoria Longitudinal Study Activity Questionnaire (VLS-AQ); Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS); and seven standardized cognitive tasks administered using paper/pencil and computerized formats. Mediation analysis was then performed using structural equation modeling to test multiple mediation pathways linking baseline activity and meaningfulness to cognition. The results revealed a significant direct effect of meaningfulness on activity but failed to associate either meaningfulness or activity with cognitive performance at baseline. In the short-term longitudinal analysis (Study 2), day-to-day fluctuations in activity and meaningfulness were examined using a form of ecological momentary assessment across 14-days of tablet testing. Multilevel modeling analysis allowed for within and between-person level effects to be tested in models predicting performance across three cognitive tasks (Symbol Search Task (SST), Location Dot Memory (LDM), Flip-Back Task (FBT). Study 2 results showed significant between and within-person effects of daily meaningfulness and daily activity on cognition, particularly for the SST, a measure of visual-processing speed, and for LDM, a measure of working memory. Contrary to hypothetical predictions however, the direction of the between effects were unanticipated. For meaningfulness factor 2 (MF2) and activity, negative between-person effects and positive within-person effects emerged, although for meaningfulness factor 1 (MF1) positive between-person effects were significant, but the within-person effects were nonsignificant. Similar trends emerged for LDM; there were significant negative between-person and significant positive within-person effects for MF2 and activity, but no significant effects were found for FBT performance. Unexpected within-person level effects demonstrated that associations between meaningfulness, activity and cognition functioned differently at the group (i.e., between-person level) than at the individual (i.e., within-person level). Demonstrating that on days when individuals engaged more frequently in socially meaningful activities, or had higher daily activity levels, there was a counterintuitive effect on same-day cognition. Consideration of the psychological context of engagement is a crucial aspect in understanding the activity-cognition relationship, however further investigation of the social, physical, and cognitive aspects of the everyday environment that promote cognitive health is warranted. Although no cross-sectional support for the activity-cognition relationship was gained through Study 1, the findings revealed that subjective meaning for activity-related experiences is an important precursor associated with the selection and evaluation of leisure activity engagement. At the daily level, Study 2 showed support for the activity-cognition relationship, showing that fluctuations in daily activity and meaningfulness predicted cognitive performance at both the within and between-person level. The implications for prevention research could aid in development of personalized lifestyle and behavioral management programs that target daily lifestyle and promote engagement in personally meaningful leisure activities.Item Open Access The effects of sleep extension on physical and cognitive performance in AROTC cadets(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Wedderburn, J'Michael, author; Broussard, Josiane, advisor; Lipsey, Tiffany, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Brager, Allison, committee memberCollege students and military personnel have limited sleep opportunities; Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets belong to both groups. Thus, cadets are at a heightened risk of insufficient sleep. Sleep loss can have deleterious effects on physical and cognitive health (Halson et al., 2014). In military professions, these impairments have potentially fatal consequences, as decreased performance will result in diminished operational readiness. Recent evidence suggests that sleep extension is a valid intervention to increase sleep duration (Bonnar et al., 2018). Thus, we aim to identify if sleep extension improves performance in chronically sleep-deprived ROTC cadets. This study examines the impact of 1-week of sleep extension on physical and cognitive performance in Army ROTC cadets. We recruited 16 healthy, active male and female participants aged 18-35 from Colorado State University's ROTC program. Participants were equipped with Actiwatches and completed daily sleep questionnaires and diaries during the habitual and sleep extension periods. Sleep extension was achieved by asking participants to spend 10 hours in bed to increase sleep by at least 1 hour per night. Cadets then completed a series of physical and cognitive tests to measure performance on tactically relevant tasks. The physical testing consisted of a vertical jump, 3-repetition maximal hexagon deadlift, 300-meter shuttle, and a 1-mile run; and cognitive test consisted of a psychomotor vigilance test, the Purdue pegboard test Tiffin (1948), the STROOP color-word test Jensen (1965), and a simulated shooting exercise. Wilcoxon Signed rank-test and two samples paired t-test statistical analysis compared baseline, physical, and cognitive testing data to post-intervention testing data. Cognitive and physical testing occurred after 1-week of habitual sleep and 1-week of sleep extension. The mean objective Total Sleep Time (TST) was 6.07 ± 0.15 hours during the baseline period and 7.03 ± 0.17 hours during the sleep extension period (P=<0.0001). The mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) rating was outside of normal limits at 10.47 ± 1.16 during the habitual sleep period; it decreased to fall within the normal limits during the sleep extension period at 7.10 ± 0.79 (P <0.005) (Shattuck & Matsangas. 2014). There were statistically significant differences found on 2 of the 4 Purdue pegboard tests and deadlift performance from habitual sleep to the sleep extension period. The mean hands and assembly scores significantly improved (P = 0.038 and P=0.003, respectively). Performance on the 3-repetition maximal hexagon deadlift increased significantly during the habitual sleep period and sleep extension period (p = .007). The limited sleep opportunities ROTC cadets encounter have negative implications on physical and cognitive performance; based on our findings in the current study, it is plausible that sleep was not extended to an adequate duration to elicit cognitive and physical performance improvements in all of the tested cognitive and physical measure. Thus, more research is needed to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and sleep quality and their effect on cognitive and physical performance in tactical population.Item Open Access The theoretical development and empirical testing of the measure of job crafting (MJC)(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Dvorak, Kyla J., author; Byrne, Zinta, advisor; Cleveland, Jeanette, committee member; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee memberThis study outlines the construction, development, and initial testing of a theoretically-based measure of job crafting. The resulting measure reflects three dimensions of job crafting behaviors - task, relational, and cognitive crafting, as hypothesized by theory. Based on two samples of Subject Matter Experts and two developmental samples, the results found in this study establish initial content, internal structure, and construct validity evidence for the Measure of Job Crafting. The measure also demonstrated high reliability of scores across samples. This measure will be a useful tool in future research about job crafting, including whether crafting predicts meaningfulness in work.Item Open Access Theoretical antecedents and positive employee work experiences of job crafting(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Holcombe, Kyla J., author; Byrne, Zinta, advisor; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Kraiger, Kurt, committee memberAlthough there have been recent advances in the conceptualization of job crafting (e.g., Berg, Dutton, & Wrzesniewski, 2013; Leana, Appelbaum, & Shevchuk, 2009) and in mapping its nomological network (Berg, Dutton & Wrzesniewski, 2007; Demerouti & Bakker, 2014; Petrou, 2013), the theory of job crafting remains limited. Specifically, job crafting theory fails to recognize important theoretical antecedents of job crafting behavior, including individual, work context, and leadership factors that serve as sources of motivation for employee job crafting. Furthermore, the theory does not explain the complex interrelationship of job crafting and traditional work design (Hackman & Oldham, 1976; Humphrey, Nahrgang, & Morgeson, 2007), even though job crafting is said to complement and supplement traditional work design to influence employee work experiences (Berg et al., 2013). Through this study, I expand job crafting theory to not only rely on a needs-based approach to motivation (Berg et al., 2013; Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001), but to also apply cognitive, trait/dispositional, behavioral, and work design approaches to understand why employees are motivated to craft in their work roles. Study hypotheses were investigated using a sample of working adults and their colleagues (N = 120 employee-colleague dyads), both of whom provided information about individual, leader, and work characteristics, as well as ratings of job crafting behaviors, work attitudes, motivation, and adaptive performance. Results show individual factors (i.e., proactivity and learning orientation), work design factors (i.e., task and social characteristics), and leader factors (empowerment and trust) all significantly relate to job crafting and should be conceptualized as theoretical precursors to job crafting. Additionally, job crafting and work design factors predict positive employee work experiences. Specifically, task characteristics and job crafting explain significant variance in employees’ intrinsic motivation; task and social characteristics explain significant variability in person-organization fit; and as a final indicator of positive work experiences, employee adaptive performance is significantly related to knowledge characteristics. The findings of this study advance job crafting and work design theories and provide practical recommendations for facilitating positive work experiences through both job crafting and work design efforts.Item Open Access Trauma, symptomology, and meaning in life: a comparison between clinical samples and healthy controls(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Barenz, Jennifer Diane, author; Steger, Michael, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee memberResearch has shown that people who report living meaningful lives are better able to cope with trauma, integrate the past, present, and future into a guiding narrative, and report higher levels of self-esteem and life-satisfaction (Baumeister et al., 2013). Most research to date has examined meaning in life among psychologically healthy individuals, with a very limited number of studies examining meaning in life among psychologically disordered individuals. The current study seeks to address this gap in the literature by comparing levels of meaning in life between a sample of individuals diagnosed with eating disorders and OCD (n=101) and comparing it with data from a nationally representative control group (n=2014). This study also examined how meaning in life related to symptom severity and trauma history within the clinical sample and proposed that presence of meaning may moderate the relationship between trauma history and symptom severity. Results revealed significant differences between the clinical and control group in levels of both presence of meaning and search for meaning. However, meaning in life did not significantly relate to symptom severity or trauma history in this sample. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.Item Open Access What children do on the playground: a Rasch analysis approach to measurement on the playground(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Grady, Patricia, author; Bundy, Anita, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Hepburn, Susan, committee memberGiven the many benefits of play and children's right to play, as established by the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), researchers interested in play have designed a multitude of interventions that aim to support children's engagement in this primary occupation. The school playground is a natural context for these play interventions. Because of the play deficits often associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), many interventions target these populations. However, review of current literature suggests that researchers are limited by the lack of measurement tools to quantitatively analyze what children do together during a playground session. In this study, I present a Rasch analysis-based measure of what children do on the playground. In this measure, the playground session itself is the unit of analysis – this allows play promoters to compare playground sessions before and after an intervention, under different weather conditions, or with different groups of children. This measure was developed based on observation data collected in the context of a larger study aimed to promote playground play for children with ASD and ID. Through Rasch analysis, I demonstrate preliminary validity and reliability of data collected using this observation-based instrument. The findings of this study suggest that observation-based playground measurement tools can effectively quantify play and non-play sophistication.