Masters Theses

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Adult Learning in the Workplace: A Conceptualization and Model of the Corporate University
Barley, Karen L. III (Virginia Tech, 1998-04-16)
By exploring the historical development and current state of the corporate university through literature reviews, case study analyses, and interviews with corporate university practitioners, this study conceptualizes the corporate university. The shortage of knowledgeable workers in technical areas and rapid advances in technology have energized adult learning in the United States. In response to these changes and needs, many corporations have incorporated formal learning programs into their organizations. As conceptualized in this study, the corporate university is Corporate America's vehicle for providing learning programs to their workers with the goal of developing and maintaining a highly skilled, knowledgeable, and adaptable workforce that contributes to organizational performance. Through an historical development and conceptualization based on interviews with corporate university practitioners and case study analyses, this study also examines the strengths and weaknesses of the corporate university. The corporate university does, in fact, provide a useful and innovative way to reach a portion of the adult learning population. Moreover, the corporate university provides learning initiatives that are related to the adult's current and future role in the workplace. In this way, the learning opportunities provided by the corporate university make the knowledge relevant and accessible to the adult learner. However, the corporate university is not founded on adult learning principles and is chartered to consider corporate success rather than individual development. This purpose endangers the corporate university in that it has the potential to exploit the American workforce by forcing undesired learning opportunities. This study identifies a basic component, partnership, that helps many corporate universities avoid employee exploitation and provide learning opportunities that have meaning to both the individual learners and the organization. The partnership component is foregrounded in a model for program development that is presented in this construct for future and current corporate university planners. The model is not tested in this thesis; however, it has been reviewed and endorsed by a panel of corporate university experts. Provided that partnership is considered and integrated into the approach, this study concludes that the corporate university, as a conceptual and an interactive model, is a useful vehicle for reaching the adult learner and for preparing and maintaining an American workforce able to manage change and remain competitive.
Economic Strain and Remarried Couples: Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling of the Indirect Effects of Financial Conflict on Economic Strain and Marital Outcomes
Carrese, Domenica Holzle (Virginia Tech, 2020-06-02)
Remarriages account for about one third of all marriages in the United States, however the research on remarried couple outcomes is limited, particularly with regard to finances and financial conflict. The family economic stress model theorizes that economic hardship promotes economic strain, which in turn promotes emotional distress and conflict patterns that have negative impacts on relationship satisfaction and relationship stability. This study used secondary cross-sectional dyadic data to conduct an actor-partner interdependence path analysis of 158 remarried couples to examine the direct and indirect effects of each spouse's perception of economic strain on their own marital satisfaction and stability, as well as on their spouse's marital satisfaction and stability, with financial conflict as an intermediary variable. Tests for indirect effects indicated that financial conflict strongly influences the relationship between economic strain and the marital outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and stability); none of the direct paths between economic strain and the marital outcomes were significant when accounting for financial conflict as a mechanism. Results indicated that, in the context of a remarriage, a person's perception of how much they have conflict about finances is a key mechanism that explains the association between that person's perception of economic strain and their marital satisfaction and stability, regardless of household income and marriage length. Clinicians who lack specific training in financial management but work with remarried couples experiencing economic strain and financial conflict may still be able to intervene effectively to improve relationship quality by helping spouses reduce interpersonal conflict.
The Effects of Out-of-Home Placement on the School Engagement of Maltreated Children
Reichard, Kasey Danielle (Virginia Tech, 2019-06-11)
Children in the child welfare system face a multitude of challenges following maltreatment. These children frequently go on to report poor outcomes in many facets of their life, including education. It is thought that children who are removed from their home following maltreatment and placed in out-of-home placement (OHP), experience even more challenges due to their removal from their home and environment. The literature surrounding maltreated children's educational outcomes suggest that these children struggle in school when compared to children who have not experienced maltreatment. However, literature surrounding the educational outcomes of maltreated children who experience OHP, versus maltreated children who do not experience OHP, tend to collectively present with mixed results. The purpose of this study was to isolate the effect of OHP on the educational outcome of, school engagement, to get a clearer picture of how OHP affects the educational outcomes of maltreated children. This study utilized data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II) with a total sample of 1,490 children. Propensity score matching was employed to isolate the effect of OHP on school engagement. The results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in the school engagement of maltreated children who experience OHP, when compared to the school engagement on maltreated children who remain in-home. Direction for future research, and clinical implications are addressed.
The Experience of Being Partnered With a Couples Therapist: A Qualitative Inquiry
Miller, Christine Marie (Virginia Tech, 2018-06-21)
This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experience of being in a romantic relationship with a couples therapist. Fourteen spouses participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive phenomenology and themes were identified through meaning units. A majority of spouses experienced ambiguity on whether aspects of their couple relationship were influenced by their therapist partner’s profession or their therapist partner’s personality. Aspects of the therapist partner’s career did spillover into the couple’s relationship, such as limited time spent together, finances, confidentiality, and their therapist partner’s relationship expertise. Spouses talked about the benefits of their therapist partner’s expertise to their couple relationship, such as their therapist partner’s advice and relational skills. At the same time that spouses wanted their therapist partner’s expertise to be present in the couple relationship, spouses also did not want their therapist partner to be their therapist. Nevertheless, spouses felt pride and protectiveness of their therapist partner’s profession. Spouses helped their therapist partner by supporting, listening, and encouraging their partner’s profession. Clinical implications and directions of future research were addressed.
Exploring Sibling Relationships in Latino/a/x Immigrant Families
Almeyda, Patricia Christina (Virginia Tech, 2021-01-15)
Siblings are the longest lasting relationships most individuals may experience in their life. What makes sibling relationships unique is the overlap of both shared and unshared experiences. While there is limited research on the mechanisms behind sibling relationships in general, research on Latino/a/x sibling relationships is even more limited. The limited research on Latino/a/x siblings from immigrant families has found they have an impact on each other's cultural adaptations. The current study explored the influence of the acculturation cultural adaptation processes to the U.S. and how this adaptation may impact Latino/a/x sibling relationships. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were conducted with eight sibling dyads (N = 8) and dyadic analysis methods from Tkachuk et al. (2019) were used to analyze the qualitative data. The findings suggest that the sibling relationship is influenced by parental and cultural expectations, unique experiences pertaining to growing up (e.g., sibling positionality), and their shared experiences of growing up in the United States (i.e., shared cultural navigation). Findings regarding the importance of family are congruent with current literature on Latino/a/x immigrant families and a new finding that emerged related to the validation of younger siblings on the experiences of the older siblings. Clinical implications suggest clinicians familiarizing themselves with cross-cultural sibling relationships and the benefits of having siblings in therapy. Limitations and recommendations for future study are discussed.
Exploring the Impact of Work-Related Traumatic Stress on Law Enforcement Couples
Campbell, Avery Renee (Virginia Tech, 2020-07-23)
Studies exploring the impact of work-related traumatic stress on law enforcement couples are limited. Such studies suggest that when work-related traumatic stress impacts law enforcement professionals, their spouses may experience secondary traumatic stress and serve in a supportive role following trauma exposure. Grounded in secondary traumatic stress theory, this study explored the impact of work-related traumatic stress on law enforcement couples. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were conducted with law enforcement couples (N = 7) using transcendental phenomenology. Three themes emerged within the data that captured the essence of law enforcement couple experiences of work-related traumatic stress: (1) the stressful nature of the law enforcement profession, (2) the impact of work-related traumatic stress on the couple relationship, and (3) resilient couple characteristics. The impact of work-related traumatic stress manifested in couple's communication, role responsibilities and parenting, and commitment to the relationship and the profession. Whereas the impact of work-related traumatic events differed for the law enforcement professional and their spouse based on the type of traumatic event, overall work-related traumatic stress led couples to engage in a meaning making process and activation of resilient couple coping characteristics. Given the significant impact that work-related traumatic stress has on the law enforcement couple dyad, couples therapy interventions are needed for law enforcement professionals and their spouses.
Gender Role Reversal: Civilian Husbands of United States Military Servicewomen Defining Masculinity as Tied-Migrant Workers
Dowling, Laura Emily (Virginia Tech, 2020-06-02)
Employment of male spouses of female service members in the United States military (i.e., civilian husbands of servicewomen) is frequently affected when they geographically relocate due to their wives' military service. Because of persisting societal norms for husbands as primary breadwinners in marriages and the majority of military couples being comprised of male service members married to female civilian spouses, civilian husbands of servicewomen may experience a gender role reversal in their identity as a spouse and as a provider within their relationships and military culture. This qualitative study examined the experiences of civilian husbands of servicewomen in their positions as tied-migrant workers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 civilian husbands who experienced at least one geographic relocation due to their wife's military service. Descriptive phenomenological analysis was used to discover the essence of participants' experiences. Themes around defining masculinity, being a minority in the military, and being a non-traditional gender provider in a tied-migrant worker role emerged. Participants expanded their masculine identities to include performing traditionally feminine tasks as well as placing value on egalitarianism in their spousal relationships when they experience barriers to breadwinning. Limitations (e.g., predominantly White and exclusively heterosexual sample, potential biases in recruitment and analysis, no explicit exploration of how gender role reversal and mental health intersect) and directions for future research to resolve limitations and expand on the current study are presented. Clinical recommendations for psychotherapists are provided with an emphasis on using emotionally focused therapy with couples consisting of civilian husbands and servicewomen.
The Grieving Process of Opioid Overdose Bereaved Parents in Maryland
Sterling, Pamela Beth (Virginia Tech, 2020-07-31)
In recent years, the opioid epidemic in the United States has garnered attention on a federal and local level due to the increasing number of fatal overdoses. This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents who have an adult child who has passed away from an opioid overdose. This study used the Double ABC-X model of family stress theory. Bonadaptation versus maladaptation of each parent was discussed across a multitude dimensions. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with six parents living in the state of Maryland who each had an adult child, age 18+, die from an opioid overdose 2 or more years prior to the study. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes that emerged were as follows: the grieving process, support vs. stigma, experiences with state and local services, parental guilt, shame, and unanswered questions, coping mechanisms, and post-mortem life changes. While overall adaptation levels varied among participants, all participants reported positive and negative outcomes related to their experience of grief and loss. Implications for clinical practice and intervention are discussed. Researchers also make recommendations for future research.
I Had My Senior Year Taken From Me: Understanding Emerging Adults' Coping Strategies while Transitioning to College during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Begley, Caroline (Virginia Tech, 2023-05-15)
Times of transition are laden with ambiguity, and the move from high school to college has an additional component of role changes to add to this uncertainty. In the spring and summer of 2020, this transition was disrupted by the changes brought on by the pandemic, affecting social norms, routines, and overall mental health outcomes. For professionals such as counselors and advisors to be able to provide specialized support, it is important to understand emerging adults' experiences at this time and to identify factors that helped them cope with this transition. Understanding the development of coping strategies has direct implications for both therapy and clinical practice which can work together to provide a higher quality of care for the people affected by the stress of major life transitions. In this study, I used a mixed-methods design to understand the experience of emerging adults who graduated high school during the pandemic, and the relation between tolerance for ambiguity and coping strategies, resilience, and psychological impact.
I Lost My Family: Grief, Loss, and Identity Formation of Adopted and Fostered American Indian Individuals
Simpson, Jessica Erin (Virginia Tech, 2020-06-19)
American Indian individuals, families, and communities have experienced historical waves of separation from relocation to boarding schools to systematic child removal. Fostered and adopted American Indian individuals experience numerous losses that can lead to poor mental and physical health outcomes. Studies addressing American Indian experiences of grief, loss, and identity development are scarce and are limited to small samples utilizing qualitative methods. Grounded in identity theory and ambiguous loss theory, this mixed method study addressed a gap in the literature by exploring experiences of grief, loss, and identity formation following foster care and adoption of American Indian individuals. Secondary data from the Experiences of Adopted and Fostered Individuals Project were used to compare the experiences of grief and the impact of adoption on identity for American Indian (n = 129) and White individuals (n = 166). A chi-square test revealed the relationship between race and grief was statistically significant, X^2(1, n = 295) = 6.23, p < .01, with American Indian participants more likely to report experiencing grief. The extent to which participants who were adopted perceived adoption affected their identity was also significantly higher for American Indian participants (M = 4.31, SD = .99) than their White peers (M = 3.82, SD = 1.23), t(268) = -3.48, p ≤ 001.Thematic analysis was used to examine open-ended survey data, which revealed four themes: (1) loss, which describes the types of losses American Indian fostered and adopted individuals reported experiencing, (2) identity, which describes challenges and meaning making associated with identity formation (3) risk factors, which describes factors that may create challenges to processing grief, loss, and identity formation, and (4) protective factors, which describes factors that may be helpful in managing challenges associated with grief, loss, and identity formation. The findings suggest an explicit connection between loss, grief, and identity formation for adopted and fostered American Indian individuals, as well as specific outcomes and resiliency factors.
Individual and Partner Exercise Status and Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Ratliff, Kathryn Georgette (Virginia Tech, 2022-06-01)
The present study used a linear mixed model analytic approach to assess the association between a combined respondent and spousal exercise score and cognitive outcomes of older adult respondents drawn from a nationally representative dataset, The Health and Retirement Study. Informed by the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC), the present study sought to understand the role of both an individual and their spouse's aerobic physical activity in an individual's cognitive outcomes and trajectories. Utilizing longitudinal survey data collected across twelve years (N=3,189), the combined exercise status of a married couple was found to be a significant predictor of cognitive outcomes; when an interaction between time and couple exercise status was included in the model, this was also found to be a significant predictor of four specific cognitive outcomes. The highest cognitive benefit was identified among individuals where both they and their partner participated in the recommended amount of aerobic physical activity, suggesting an additive effect. These findings and their implications are discussed further.
The Lived Experience of Couples Navigating Borderline Personality Disorder: A Dyadic Interpretative Phenomenological Study
O'Leary, Abigail Margaret (Virginia Tech, 2022-06-01)
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with distress in and dissolution of romantic relationships. BPD is a relational disorder. The complex interaction between BPD and romantic relationships continues to warrant further attention, as decreased BPD symptoms are associated with increased relational effectiveness. The current study was one of the first qualitative studies that used dyadic data to examine the experience and impact of BPD on couples' relationships. Semi-structured conjoint interviews were conducted with couples with a partner with BPD (N = 10) using interpretative phenomenology. This study provides a rich understanding of the experiences of couples with BPD by exploring not only how BPD impacts couples' romantic relationships, but how couples cope with BPD. Although BPD was experienced as a relational stressor, couples utilized resources to buffer against the impact of BPD in their relationship. Three superordinate themes emerged from the data that illustrate the couple experience of navigating BPD: (a) the individual lived experience of BPD, (b) the shared experience of BPD as a relational stressor, and (c) adaptive dyadic coping in the context of BPD. Dyadic coping and shared externalization emerged as key factors in adaptive couple functioning in the context of BPD. The lived experiences of these couples provide therapists and other couples with an increased understanding of the resources and skills that support successful dyadic coping with BPD.
Millennials and Generation Z: Men's Perspectives on Hashtag Feminism
Kosar, Sophia Anneliese (Virginia Tech, 2021-01-27)
As the U.S. experiences widespread critical examination on gender and patriarchy, it is important for family therapists to learn how men perceive their masculinity amidst this critical discourse. In contemporary politics, feminist activism is largely conducted through social media and hashtag activism and is often called "hashtag feminism." The feminist hashtags #MeToo, #HeForShe, and #HowIWillChange are well-known symbols of the modern feminist movement. Despite the large role that men and masculinity play in the construction of patriarchy, there is currently little research on how hashtag feminism influences men's perceptions of their own role in gender politics. This interpretive phenomenological study explored how Millennial and Generation Z men perceive the hashtag feminist movement. It also aimed to capture how these men experienced and perceived their masculinity as it related to contemporary gender politics. We conducted interviews with 12 social media-using Millennial and Generation Z men about their experiences of masculinity and hashtag feminism. We found that men's views on hashtag feminism and gender inequality were contradictory and overlapping, changing in response to different contexts. Additionally, findings indicated that participants did not see hashtag feminism as representative of the feminist movement as a whole. Results suggested that features of online activist discourse deterred men from engaging in hashtag feminism. Lastly, results suggested that Millennial and Generation Z men want cultural norms of masculinity to change to integrate the pro-social aspects of traditional masculinity with non-traditional qualities of empathy, emotionality, relationality, and vulnerability. Study discussion reviews clinical implications and research recommendations.
Parent-Child Dyadic Experiences Living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) during Emerging Adulthood
Farchtchi, Masumeh Auguste (Virginia Tech, 2020-05-08)
Chronic illness and invisible disability are impactful contexts during emerging adulthood and the launching stage of the family life cycle (Beatty, 2011; Capelle, Visser, and Vosman, 2016; Young et al., 2010). The parent-child relationship is important to both developmental and health outcomes in families coping with chronic illness during emerging adulthood (Crandell, Sandelowski, Leeman, Haville, and Knafle, 2018; Fenton, Ferries, Ko, Javalkar, and Hooper, 2015; Waldboth, Patch, Mahrer-Imhaf, and Metcalfe, 2016). While informed clinical competency in counseling families experiencing disablement is a diversity-affirmative ethical imperative among psychotherapists (Mona et al., 2017), little is known in family therapy about how parents and emerging adult children experience launching with chronic illness. This qualitative study explored the parent-child dyadic experience of living with a chronic illness called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) during emerging adulthood. Seven dyads of parents and their emerging adult children with POTS were interviewed. Data analysis of in-depth interviews using Moustakas's (1994) transcendental phenomenology uncovered eight thematic clusters of meaning in the shared lived experience of POTS at the launching stage of the family life cycle. Clinical implications for family therapists were explored using Rolland's family system-illness (FSI) model of medical family therapy. Study limitations and future directions for further research were discussed.
The Perspective of Polyamorous Relationships from Heterosexual Polyamorous Women
Hendrickson, Kalyn Marie (Virginia Tech, 2020-04-06)
This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experience of polyamory from the perspective of heterosexual polyamorous women through a mononormative framework. Interpretive phenomenology was used because it gives participants the opportunity to express this phenomenon on their own terms. This study focused on understanding the experience of heterosexual polyamorous women in the following areas: (1) understanding the decision to participate in polyamorous relationships, (2) exploring the boundaries heterosexual women use to regulate and maintain multiple relationships, and (3) giving these women the opportunity to refute assumptions and stereotypes associated with identifying themselves as polyamorous. Eight women whom identified as heterosexual and polyamorous participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Data form these interviews were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Open coding and in-vivo coding were used to organize similar experiences into concepts that were then organized into themes and subthemes that emerged from the data. From this study, researchers gained insight into how polyamorous heterosexual woman make meaning of this phenomenon and offer recommendations for clinical professionals to use when working with this population.
Programs on Paper: An Examination of Virginia's Service Delivery Area Job Training Partnership Act Title II-A Job Training Plans
Evans, Gwynnen Stokes (Virginia Tech, 1997-04-17)
A key purpose of federal job training policy is to ensure that the workforce has the skills necessary to obtain and retain gainful employment. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare key elements of Virginia’s fourteen service delivery area (SDA) plans in order to determine how they would deliver programs to achieve the stated purpose of JTPA Title II-A, which targets disadvantaged adults. In addition, the plans were evaluated as to their potential to guide successful program implementation. The plans were reviewed to describe and analyze who is trained, how they are trained, and what objectives the plans establish. The plans were ranked as to their fulfillment of eight criteria drawn from JTPA studies on successful program strategies and from education program planning literature. Though the plans provided basic descriptions of SDA efforts to train disadvantaged adults, they did not reflect full use of successful strategies or education program planning techniques, especially in the areas of linking training to the local labor market and using overall evaluation. The SDAs did not use the plans to distinguish their local level activities, opting most often to meet minimal compliance with plan guidelines as to the information provided. The individual being trained is underrepresented in most of the plans. A few plans did meet many of the criteria and demonstrated how these strategies and planning tools can be reflected at this early stage of program implementation. The plan preparation guidelines themselves were found to be a factor in the limitations of the plans. Changes in policy requiring plans to better detail their programs could enhance their effectiveness as planning tools.
The Relationship Between Pre-Deployment Experiences of Interpersonal Violence and Moral Injury: The Moderating Role of Social Support
Chavez, Megan Rose (Virginia Tech, 2019-02-08)
Initial research on moral injury has shown the construct to be associated with many negative mental health outcomes such as depression, suicidal ideation, reduced sense of belonging, anxiety, anger, and spiritual distress. In addition, moral injury among service members has also been shown to be related to experiences of interpersonal violence occurring pre-deployment. Given that social support has consistently been found to play a key role in moderating the relationship between experiences of interpersonal violence and stress and trauma related symptoms and disorders, this study will be the first to explore the relationship between experiences of interpersonal violence and moral injury, and the moderating role of social support. This study will use stepwise regression analysis to examine secondary data collected from 935 U.S. military personnel primarily from the Army National Guard.
Seizing the Circumstances: Adult Reflections on Parental Deportation
Taschman, Katrina Margarita (Virginia Tech, 2018-06-20)
Currently there are 4.5 million U.S.-born children with at least one undocumented parent who are at risk of being deported (Passel and Cohn, 2011). The sudden loss caused by parental deportation destabilizes families and causes emotional distress, conduct issues, and academic decline in children (Dreby, 2012). Given the negative impact that deportation has on children and the recent increase of immigration efforts under the current administration (Cervantes, Ullrich, and Matthews, 2018), this study aimed to explore the long-term impacts of deportation on Latino children. This study used an interpretive phenomenological approach and retrospective interviews to gain understanding of how adults who experienced parental deportation as children made meaning of their experiences over time. Ten Latino adults who had a parent deported when they were between the ages of 7 and 17 were interviewed in depth about their parent's deportation, the long-term impact on their families and childhood, and how they made sense of those experiences as adults. Findings suggest that adults who have had a parent deported during childhood experienced long-term loss throughout their childhood, noticed their parent's absence more as they got older, and felt a lack of guidance while growing up. While some participants reported depression, anxiety or misconduct in childhood, positive beliefs about the experience emerged from the data that demonstrated resiliency. Implications for clinical practice and intervention are discussed. Researchers also make recommendations for future research.
Womanhood is Finally Unbound: The Impact of Disaffiliation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Identity and Womanhood
Janes, Emily Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2020-05-11)
Research suggests that disaffiliation from a religious organization brings a myriad of positive and negative consequences to those who choose to disaffiliate. This is the first study to examine the specific impact of disaffiliation on how women who have disaffiliated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints conceptualize womanhood. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 women who voluntarily chose to disaffiliate from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenology, informed by hybrid identity theory. Findings suggest that women who disaffiliate from the church undergo an intense and painful identity reconstruction where they create a hybrid identity that includes their Mormon identity and other identities they have chosen to embody. Findings outline the limitations participants felt as women in the church, the pain and mourning experienced throughout the disaffiliation process, and the empowerment and expansion of their self-concept of womanhood felt post-disaffiliation. Limitations of this study, future research, and clinical implications are discussed.

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