Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item CULTURAL DEPENDENCE OF EMOTION-REGULATION STRATEGIES(2022) Hundal, Savreen; Fink, Edward L.; Waks, Leah; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Emotion-regulation strategies are attempts to impact emotions within oneself or others (McRae & Gross, 2020). Strategies such as mindfulness and reappraisal are associated with benefits to well-being and mental health. However, the influence of culture on mindfulness and reappraisal has not been established. Emotion-regulation strategies are culturally dependent. It is through cultural socialization that cultural values are transmitted. Cultural values give meaning to emotion and emotion-regulation strategies. This dissertation proposes a theoretical model in which (1) cultural values predict mindfulness and reappraisal emotion-regulation strategies, and (2) the effectiveness of both strategies is assessed using the emotional dimensions of valence, arousal, power, and surprise. Three pilot studies were conducted to test the validity of emotion-regulation instructional messaging, to create a negatively valenced emotion-eliciting video stimulus, and to assess the differences in mindfulness between American and Chinese students. For the main study, American and Chinese students completed an online experiment that tested the effects of emotion-regulation strategies. The findings suggest that emotion-regulation strategies differ both culturally and in their effects, either altering the emotions individuals feel (in the case of the reappraisal strategy) or the experience individuals associate with the emotions they feel (in the case of the mindfulness strategy). This study supports the need for further investigation into the relationship between cultural socialization’s impact on emotion-regulation strategies.Item DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF A MINDFULNESS FOCUSED NUTRITION PROMOTION PROGRAM TO BALANCE USDA SCHOOL NUTRITION GOALS WITH FOOD WASTE REDUCTION IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS(2019) Schachtner-Appel, Amy Elizabeth; Song, Hee-Jung; Nutrition; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Healthy school meals offer numerous benefits for elementary school students, but low produce intake and high rates of waste prevent students from experiencing these benefits. This research aimed to create a mindful and sustainable eating intervention to encourage reduced waste and increased produce intake during lunch. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods triangulation approach for formative research, creation of a behavioral model to design a theory based intervention, and pilot test of the resulting program using a quasi-experimental controlled design. Formative findings, gathered from 50 3rd-5th grade focus group participants, 15 in-depth interviews with school staff, and 9 cafeteria observations supported the use of social cognitive theory (SCT) to explain eating behaviors and emphasized the importance of involving student leaders and creating environmental reinforcements. Pilot intervention approaches included delivery of an education curriculum, dissemination of messages by student leaders, cafeteria environment changes, and creation of a food recovery program. Measurements included observation of kindergarten – 5th grade lunches at baseline and follow-up (n = 162) to estimate foods selected, consumed, and wasted, survey of 3rd – 5th grade students at baseline and follow-up (n = 169) to measure psychosocial changes related to mindful and sustainable eating, and periodic food waste audits (n = 8) to monitor school-level plate waste. Baseline results showed students consumed only 36-42% of vegetables selected and 64-67% of fruit selected. At follow-up, intervention students selected more produce than controls (1.09 vs. 0.64 servings of vegetables; 1.32 vs. 1.06 servings of fruit). Similarly, they consumed more produce (0.51 vs. 0.33 servings of vegetables; 0.94 vs. 0.70 servings of fruit) than controls. Intervention students trended toward reduced vegetable waste while maintaining selection, whereas controls decreased selection substantially. Intervention students experienced significant increase in self-efficacy to base lunch choices on body cues. Higher produce consumption and lower waste were predicted by improved intentions to eat healthfully. Overall, the program successfully improved intake and trends indicate potential to reduce waste. Findings support expansion of the program, with potential to improve nutritional status of students and reduce the environmental impact of school meals.Item Using Mindfulness to Reduce Occupational Stress and Burnout in Music Teachers: A Randomized Controlled Trial(2019) Varona, Dana Arbaugh; Hewitt, Michael P; Prichard, Stephanie; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on K-12 music educators' self-reported responses to occupational stress and burnout. Secondary purposes were (a) to explore the experiences of K-12 music educators who underwent a four-week web-based MBI; and (b) to determine if there were any potential relations between participants' demographic and descriptive data and their pretest levels of self-reported responses to occupational stress and burnout. Two hundred fifty in-service music teachers were randomly assigned to either the treatment or waitlist-control group. Treatment group participants (n = 90) underwent a four-week online MBI known as the Mindfulness Training for Music Educators (MTME). Waitlist-control group participants (n = 160) were not provided with any mindfulness training but were given full access to the MTME following completion of the study. All participants completed assessments of self-reported responses to occupational stress and burnout at pretest, midpoint, and posttest. Following completion of the MTME, treatment group participants provided data regarding their experiences with the MTME and its feasibility. Results of mixed effects regression suggested that treatment group participants reported significantly steeper decreases in responses to occupational stress and burnout than waitlist-control group participants. Cross-sectional analyses at pretest indicated that age, female gender, salary dissatisfaction, perceived lack of administrative support, and perceived lack of parental support were significant predictors of increased responses to occupational stress, while teaching secondary school, salary dissatisfaction, perceived lack of administrative support, and perceived lack of parental support were significant predictors of increased responses to burnout. For each additional extracurricular hour worked beyond the school day, there was small but significant decrease in burnout. During the intervention period, the treatment group participants experienced a variety of occupational stressors including managing students, major events, interpersonal conflict, scheduling issues, and illness. Participants primarily responded to occupational stress with emotion-focused coping strategies such as breathing and meditation. Overall, treatment group participants found the MTME to be feasible for reducing stress and burnout while working as a music teacher and would recommend it to a fellow music educator.Item Habits of Mind: A Case Study of Three Teachers' Experiences with a Mindfulness-Based Intervention(2016) Dunn, Molly; Croninger, Robert; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)K-12 teachers encounter numerous occupational stressors as part of their profession, and these stressors place them at risk of job-related stress and burnout (Maslach & Jackson, 1981; Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). Given the prevalence of stress and burnout among school personnel, concrete interventions designed to address the unique demands of teaching are necessary (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Jennings, Snowberg, Coccia, & Greenberg, 2011). This dissertation examined one mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) for teachers, Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE). The study employed a qualitative case study methodology; data sources included in-depth interviews, field observations of CARE, and analysis of documents such as the CARE Facilitator Manual and Participant Handbook. The current study investigated how participants perceived the MBI immediately after the completion of the intervention and how they utilized experiences from the intervention at a five-month follow-up point. This study reveals that participants identified immediate and longer-term benefits from participating in this MBI, with aspects of compassion, adaptability, and community emerging as important factors in MBI interventions for teachers. Subsequent follow-up interviews suggested that participants, to varying degrees, incorporated aspects of the intervention into their daily and professional lives. The study concludes with recommendations on how to strengthen MBIs as a professional development protocol and identifies areas for future research on how MBIs might influence teacher performance.Item Attachment Security, Mindfulness, and Psychotherapy: Testing a Mediational Model(2008-07-31) Ma, Yueher; Gelso, Charles J.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Previous research shows theoretical and/or empirical support for the relation between attachment security and adaptive functioning, between mindfulness and adaptive functioning, as well as between attachment security and mindfulness. Besides, mindfulness is considered to be theoretically similar to several constructs that has been identified as significant mediators in the relation between attachment security and positive life adaptations (e.g., reflective functioning, affect regulation strategies). The present study mainly examined whether mindfulness mediated the relation between attachment security and adaptive functioning in a clinical sample that consisted of students from a large mid-Atlantic university (N = 90, M (age)= 20.96, SD = 3.15). According to the participants' retrospective pre-therapy and current post-therapy self-report ratings, significant associations were discovered between attachment security and adaptive functioning, between mindfulness and adaptive functioning, as well as between attachment security and mindfulness before and after therapy. Also, the results supported the mediating role of mindfulness in the link between attachment security and adaptive functioning both prior and subsequent to therapy. Limitations of this study, directions for future research, and implications for clinical practice were discussed.