Browsing by Author "Richards, Tracy, committee member"
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Item Open Access First generation college students: predicting academic success and retention(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Parsons, Molly, author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Rickard, Kathy, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Thayer, Paul, committee memberThis study sought to better understand the experiences and challenges faced by first generation college students in their first year on campus and what factors predicted academic success and retention for these students. Specifically, this study investigated the impact of demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, family income, and college major), prior academic preparation (high school index) and psychosocial factors (grit, social adjustment, homesickness, financial concern, and institutional commitment) on cumulative first year GPA and retention from the first to second year of college for first generation students. Participants included 3,956 first year college students at a public research university, 950 of which were first generation students. First generation was a significant predictor of both first year GPA and first to second year retention. Specifically, first generations students were more likely to have lower first year GPAs and were less likely to be retained. Minority status was negatively related to retention from the first to second year in first generation students but not in the overall sample. Although, high school index was the strongest predictor of both first year GPA and first to second year retention for all students in the sample, grit, social adjustment, gender and whether or not the student was a STEM major, also significantly impacted first year GPA for first all students. Institutional commitment, financial concern and homesickness were found to be significantly predictive of first to second year retention in all students. There was also a significant interaction between homesickness and generational status for first year GPA.Item Open Access Hospice care: nurses' experience and perception of older adult patients' experiences(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Aeling, Jennifer, author; Chavez, Ernest, advisor; Fruhauf, Christine, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee memberThe current study sought to understand the experience of hospice nursing staff with hospice and the differences they perceived in caring for older adult patients who utilize hospice for longer and shorter periods. This study also sought to understand older adult patients' experience of hospice services and if length of hospice stays had an effect on the patients' end-of-life experience, as perceived by hospice nursing staff. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to extract themes and subthemes from 10 interviews conducted with hospice nursing staff. Major themes include nursing staff reporting a positive view of hospice, but also being aware of a perceived stigma against hospice among both older adults and their family members. Another major theme identified was how older adults' perception of hospice changes based on length of use, with longer use leading to more positive views of hospice. Participants discussed aspects that affect length of stay and how longer hospice stays are more positive than shorter. The last two major themes were participants believing more education about hospice is needed and a frustration with the Medicare reimbursement process of hospice. Content analysis was also utilized to extract two noteworthy concepts that did not fit within the guidelines of IPA. These noteworthy concepts were extracted from a comparison of two older adult deaths, one that used hospice for a short period (less than two weeks) and another for a long period (more than four weeks). When comparing these stories, it became evident that longer hospice stays had more aspects of a 'good' death and tended to utilize more services provided by hospice. These themes and noteworthy concepts suggest hospice nursing staff believe longer hospice stays are more positive, hospice nursing staff view hospice more positively than older adult patients, and more education may lead to longer hospice stays.Item Open Access How do personality, life events, and gender interact to affect college adjustment?(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Christensen, Elizabeth, author; Rosén, Lee, advisor; Amell, Jim, committee member; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee memberResearch has suggested that people who are high in certain dispositional personality traits like Extraversion, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience are better able to adapt to the stress that comes with the transition into college. Conversely, persons low in Emotional Stability (Neuroticism) have been shown to demonstrate poor social and emotional development, higher rates of anxiety and depression in college, and steeper attrition rates. As a college diploma has become the springboard for success in our society, resiliency research has begun to focus on how negative life events may affect the ability for young adults to transition from high school to college life. This study examined the relationship of the Big Five personality variables and college adjustment using Life Events and gender as moderators. Participants consisted of 301 undergraduate psychology students currently attending a large western university. The results from hierarchical regression analyses showed that while Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Emotional Stability individually significantly accounted for a significant amount of the variance in college adjustment there was no evidence to support the presence of either a two or three-way interaction between these traits, gender and life events. The three-way interaction found between gender, Life Events and Openness to Experience, however, significantly improved predictions regarding college adjustment. Implications for research and practice are considered.Item Open Access Implementing evidence-based practice for dual diagnosis: what education do addiction counseling credentials require?(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Aponte, Rebecca A., author; Chavez, Ernest, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Rosén, Lee A., committee memberSubstance misuse is a leading cause of death in the United States that disproportionately affects the mentally ill and receives inadequate resources for research and treatment. Prior studies have indicated the majority of individuals with serious mental illness also meet criteria for at least one substance use disorder, and individuals dually diagnosed with these conditions experience significantly poorer outcomes. Despite this, treatment facilities have generally failed to adopt Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment [IDDT], an evidence-based modality of treatment for the dually diagnosed population. Practitioners of addiction treatment are rarely required to be licensed health professionals, and the credentialing requirements for addiction counselors vary widely by state. This paper utilizes a mixed-method approach to examine the state-by-state variation in required formal education for addiction counselor credentials with particular focus on coursework related to treating the dual diagnosis population. A directed content analysis of the requirements by state was conducted, followed by a multiple linear regression comparing requirements of addiction counselor education and the ratio of substance use facilities providing a minimal interventions for dual diagnosis. The results indicated no connection between addiction counselor education and likelihood of availability of dual diagnosis treatment within a given state's treatment facilities. However, significant variation with regard to credentialing was found between states. These issues are presented within the context of the history of addiction treatment in the United States. Implications for policy are discussed, and recommendations for the evolution of the field are made.Item Open Access Outcomes for trans students living in open housing(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Wilson, Haley Lynette, author; Miller, Lisa, advisor; Johnson, Jen, advisor; Hudgens, Anne, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee memberTrans students have significantly varied campus climate experiences compared to cisgender heterosexual peers (Dugan, Kusel, & Simounet, 2012). This study focuses on the function of Open Housing, a gender non-specific housing option for trans individuals, on perceived outcomes. Residents of open housing participated in a brief demographic and satisfaction survey (N=10), and an interview regarding community outcomes (N=3). The participants were coded into LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ to determine identity-specific results. The data revealed a high population of first-generation students, transfer students, non-traditional students, and students with disabilities. Free response survey answers and interviews described five key themes including: (1) Community, (2) Relation to Others – interpersonal skill building and multicultural awareness, (3) Environment, (4) Self Development – identity awareness and positive self-regard, and (5) Authenticity. Responses indicate a lack of choice for trans students in choosing safety and validation of living in this Residential Learning Community, over other residential options. Participants demonstrated significant positive interpersonal and intrapersonal outcomes, and subsequent protective factors from living in the community, although causal or within-group analysis continues to be an opportunity for future research.Item Open Access Predicting adjustment to college: the role of protective factors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Olivas, Nicole, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Gingerich, Karla, advisor; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee memberA number of empirical studies have assessed successful college adjustment despite prior adversity, in order to understand how individuals who have experienced adversity adjust. In contrast to existent research, the present study aims to evaluate the general adjustment process during the first semester of college, while controlling for prior adversity, to determine which factors serve to enhance the likelihood of successful adjustment to the college environment. In addition, minimal research has been conducted on gender differences in protective factors. The present study aims to further understand whether a difference exists between men and women in protective factors associated with successful college adjustment. This study found that higher levels of self-esteem significantly predicted positive social adjustment to the college environment. Higher levels of self-esteem, quality education, and greater coping skills significantly predicted positive emotional adjustment. Further, greater levels of intelligence and quality education significantly predicted positive academic adjustment. Comparisons between men and women regarding different protective factors revealed that men reported a higher self-perception of personal talent than women. These findings have implications for designing effective orientation and transition programs that foster successful adjustment in first-year college students.Item Open Access Predicting college adjustment and retention: the role of protective factors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Olivas, Nicole, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Gingerich, Karla, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee memberThe goal of the present study was to investigate which protective factors contribute to college success, as defined by social, emotional, and academic adjustment. Further, the study aimed to assess whether college adjustment in the first semester predicts academic success, retention, and college satisfaction after two years. In particular, the study assessed how males and females compare regarding the association of protective factors and college adjustment outcomes. One-hundred-sixteen participants completed the study, which included completing a set of surveys at three time points. This study found that individual, familial, and community protective factors predicted successful college adjustment at the beginning and end of the first semester of the first year in college. These findings suggest that qualities within the individual, family, and community support initial college adjustment and adjustment over time. The study found that adjustment at the end of first semester did not predict retention, GPA, or satisfaction with the college experience at the end of second year. It is possible that adjustment during the first semester has less of an impact on long-term success than originally thought. Finally, males and females appeared to have similar adjustment outcomes during the first two years of college. Although males reported greater personal talent, self-esteem, and coping self-efficacy than females, there were no gender differences in adjustment outcomes, which supports the gender similarities hypothesis. Future research should assess whether differences in college adjustment outcomes exist between first-generation and non-first-generation students.Item Open Access The impact of adhering to masculine norms on the relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Nepute, Jeff, author; Dik, Bryan, advisor; Swaim, Randall, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Miller, Lisa, committee memberJob satisfaction (JS) has been shown to significantly predict life satisfaction (LS) across a large array of research (Tait, Padgett, & Baldwin, 1989), though the strength of the relationship varies (Steiner & Truxillo, 1987). Authors have suggested the difference in the strength of the relationship across studies may be due to the presence of moderators (Rain, Lane, & Steiner, 1991), particularly an individual's level of work importance (Lent & Brown, 2008). Unfortunately, the research on the moderating impact of work importance uses measures which lack sufficient validity and reliability evidence about their scores (Steiner & Truxillo, 1987). Steiner and Truxillo (1987) suggested Kanungo's ( 1982) Work Importance Questionnaire and Job Importance Questionnaire as a specific measure which would address this concern, though adherence to traditional masculine norms may also tap into the construct of work importance. Individuals who adhere to traditional masculine norms of the dominant culture in the U.S. often place even greater emphasis on their work role (Mahalik et al., 2003). The past literature on adherence to masculine norms has generally focused solely on negative outcomes (Kiselica & Englar-Carlson, 2010) and often samples including only mainly White, heterosexual men (Parent & Smiler, 2012). The current study explores the impact of potential moderators on the relationship between job and life satisfaction, examines how this relationship may vary across categories of identity, evaluates potential positive outcomes of adherence to masculine norms, and analyzes how adherence to masculine norms may vary across categories of identity. An online survey was given to 290 U.S. adults, working at least part time, about job satisfaction, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, job and work importance, and adherence to masculine norms. The results showed job satisfaction to predict life satisfaction, though did not find any significant moderating effect of any measure of work importance (work importance, job importance, primacy of work). The model explaining the largest amount of variance (45%) suggested that job satisfaction may have an indirect effect on life satisfaction, through positive and negative affect. The above results did not vary by gender (job satisfaction predicting life satisfaction, no significant moderators, mediation model). With regard to adherence to masculine norms, there were no relationship detected between positive outcomes and adherence. While the current sample did not have sufficient numbers to examine how adherence to masculine norms may vary by ethnicity and sexual orientation, differences between men and women were examined. Men showed significantly higher adherence to masculine norms, as well as higher adherence to specific norms of power over women, the use of violence, and frequently changing sexual partners. The results suggest the need for more complex models and statistical methods, using outside raters, selecting methods that can test causality, and intentionally selecting higher numbers of ethnic and sexual minorities. With regard to clinical implications, the study suggests the need to address values around help-seeking, focusing on strengths for adherence to masculine norms, and addressing barriers within therapy and barriers towards entering therapy for individuals with high self-reliance.Item Open Access The problems of mental causation and pluralist alternatives(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Hoffmann, Stephanie Lee, author; MacKenzie, Matthew, advisor; Kasser, Jeffrey, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee memberThe mental causation literature tends towards certain presuppositions, including the tacit endorsement of physicalism, causal closure, and reductionism. Insofar as justification for these philosophical positions is offered at all, it is typically claimed that they are grounded in actual scientific practice. However, there are good reasons to believe that actual science does not support these philosophical positions. In this work, I consider some reasons to deny physicalism and causal closure, and critically present and evaluate pluralistic alternatives to reductionism. In light of this discussion, the problem of mental causation takes on an interesting and promising new form.Item Open Access The role of protective factors in the experience of posttraumatic growth for individuals who report childhood abuse and neglect(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Mohr, Danielle S., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Dik, Bryan J., committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee memberMany individuals experience stressful life events in childhood. Historically, attention has been paid to the ways in which these early experiences contribute to later maladjustment. Recently, however, increasing attention has been paid to how many, if not most, individuals who experience early childhood adversity demonstrate good adjustment and report personal growth from surviving these stressful experiences. Deriving benefit in the face of adversity has been termed “posttraumatic growth." This study investigated the relationship between posttraumatic growth and childhood experiences of abuse and neglect. A primary focus of this investigation was on what protective factors, serving as buffers against the negative consequences of trauma, moderated the relationship between childhood experiences of abuse and neglect and posttraumatic growth. This study found that while Acceptance, Positive Reframing and Emotional Support all significantly predicted Posttraumatic Growth, only Prosocial Adults and overall endorsement of social and emotional resources moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and posttraumatic growth. These findings have implications for designing effective interventions that foster growth and thriving in individuals who report a history of maltreatment.Item Open Access Young adults' marital attitudes and intentions: the role of parental conflict, divorce and gender(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Christensen, Elizabeth J., author; Rosén, Lee, advisor; Chavez, Ernie, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee memberPrevious research has documented the importance of measuring personal and collective attitudes toward marriage and personal intentions to marry. The results of this study add to the literature by helping to further underscore the important relationship between marital attitudes and intentions, and the early childhood experiences of young adults. These results suggest that parental conflict is a better predictor of intentions and attitudes toward marriage than either gender or parental divorce. High to moderate levels of parental conflict were more strongly associated with increased fears/doubts about marriage and lowered intent to marry and high parental conflict was more strongly linked to holding more negative attitudes toward marriage in young adults. The results further underscore the importance of considering the long-term effects that experiencing moderate to high levels of parental conflict as a child may have on shaping negative attitudes. Contrary to expectations, women did not hold more positive attitudes toward marriage in general, nor, did they endorse stronger desires to marry. Results indicated that men are more likely to hold more negative attitudes toward marriage than women. Compared with students whose parents are not divorced, adult children of divorce (ACOD) reported significantly higher levels of conflict in their homes while growing up. These results have important implications for practitioners, particularly those who specialize in premarital counseling.