Browsing by Author "Lay, Kathy"
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Item Applied Educational Neuroscience in Elementary Classrooms: a Grounded Theory Study(2018-11) Dennis, Sheila R.; Lay, Kathy; Adamek, Margaret; Brown, James; Draucker, Claire; Glassburn, SusanEducational neuroscience (EN) is a transdisciplinary convergence of neurosciences, education, and psychology that has gained international momentum. Its purpose is to advance the application of neurosciences in P-12 education as a way to improve the design of instructional environments and practices that support the multidimensional social, affective, and cognitive learning needs of students. The potential integration of EN practices into school settings affects educators and school social workers who promote positive school climates and address barriers to learning. Despite the ascension of scholarly discourse proposing the integration of neuroscience knowledge with education practices, a shared conceptual framework remains elusive for the emergent discipline, and the translation of EN into education practices is unexamined. A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted to investigate the emerging conceptualization of EN practices and implications for promoting a positive classroom climate. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with two administrators, three teachers, and 48 students as well as four classroom observations from three different fourth and fifth grade classrooms in a US Midwest city. The data analyses generated a conceptual model that revealed how EN practices unfolded in the classroom to facilitate the co-creation of a positive classroom climate. The data indicated that a humanistic organizational structure facilitated the EN practice implementation, and the teacher’s regulatory state was central to the application process. Five themes emerged that characterized EN practices: teaching neuroanatomy, reflecting on emotions, selfregulating, adapting classroom boundaries, and honoring the whole student. Interactions resulting from these practices aligned with four established climate dimensions: teaching and learning, structure of the learning environment, safety, and relationships. The resulting classroom climate contributed to students’ resiliency, as observed by reduced office referrals, readiness to learn, empowered decision-making, greater empathy, and enhanced social connectedness. Findings from this study support a conceptual model for the application of EN practices in elementary classrooms and align with existing research that suggests positive climates promote healthy development, social-emotional learning, and academic success. The results of this study will inform future translational EN inquiry as well as educators and school social workers who seek to co-create positive classroom climates using transdisciplinary EN practices.Item Cognitive and Affective Empathy as Indirect Paths Between Heterogeneous Depression Symptoms on Default Mode and Salience Network Connectivity in Adolescents(Springer, 2023) Winters, Drew E.; Pruitt, Patrick J.; Gambin, Malgorzata; Fukui, Sadaaki; Cyders, Melissa A.; Pierce, Barbara J.; Lay, Kathy; Damoiseaux, Jessica S.; School of Social WorkDepression amongst adolescents is a prevalent disorder consisting of heterogeneous emotional and functional symptoms-often involving impairments in social domains such as empathy. Cognitive and affective components of empathy as well as their associated neural networks (default mode network for cognitive empathy and salience network for affective empathy) are affected by depression. Depression commonly onsets during adolescence, a critical period for brain development underlying empathy. However, the available research in this area conceptualizes depression as a homogenous construct, and thereby miss to represent the full spectrum of symptoms. The present study aims to extend previous literature by testing whether cognitive and affective empathy indirectly account for associations between brain network connectivity and heterogeneous depression symptoms in adolescents. Heterogeneous functional and emotional symptoms of depression were measured using the child depression inventory. Our results indicate that cognitive empathy mediates the association between default mode network functional connectivity and emotional symptoms of depression. More specifically, that adolescents with a stronger positive association between the default mode network and cognitive empathy show lower emotional depression symptoms. This finding highlights the importance of cognitive empathy in the relationship between brain function and depression symptoms, which may be an important consideration for existing models of depression in adolescents.Item An evaluation of the impact of an intercultural service learning experience on the development of transcultural self-efficacy of nursing students(2014-11-06) Schmidt, Lynn Marie; McNelis, Angela; Dreifuerst, Kristina Thomas; Horton-Deutsch, Sara; Lay, KathyThe increase in diverse populations with unique, culturally specific needs, along with the lack of diverse healthcare providers to deliver culturally competent care, has escalated the need for non-diverse practitioners to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to deliver culturally competent care. Culturally competent care cannot be offered to patients unless nurses understand how cultural values, attitudes, and beliefs impact patients' response to care. Nurses must develop cultural competence to accurately access, develop, and implement effective nursing interventions. The purpose of this exploratory, quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest study was to explore the impact of an intercultural service learning experience (domestic or international) on pre-licensure nursing students' perceived development of transcultural self-efficacy. A convenience sample of senior semester nursing students enrolled in a private, faith-based, baccalaureate degree nursing program in the Midwest United States completed the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool (TSET), Cultural Competence Clinical Evaluation Tool-Student Version (CCCET-SV), and reflective journals. All students were immersed in an intercultural service learning experience. Eighteen students traveled domestically and 38 traveled internationally. The data revealed that there was not a statistical difference in TSET scores based on location of the intercultural experience. However, there was a statistically significant difference from pretest to posttest for perceived Cognitive, Practical, and Affective dimensions of transcultural self-efficacy, in change scores (pretest to posttest), and pretest to posttest for pre-licensure BSN students’ perceived clinical competence behaviors (culturally sensitive and professionally appropriate attitudes, values, and beliefs) following an intercultural service learning experience.Item Exploring BSW educators' experiences of working with under-prepared students(2015-04-20) Richardson, Robert F., II; Lay, Kathy; Adamek, Margaret E.; Vernon, Robert; McGuire, Lisa E.; Merrill, Henry S.Little is known about the perspectives of social work educators who work with under-prepared students in baccalaureate social work (BSW) programs. Educators across fields believe that students are increasingly under-prepared to be successful in higher education, and social work programs face greater numbers of under-prepared students seeking BSW degrees. Although an increasing amount of research offers strategies for matriculating, retaining, and teaching under-prepared students, these strategies are often presented without the contextual experiences faced by the educators who work with under-prepared students on a day-to-day basis. The following research seeks to begin to fill that gap. The researcher interviewed 11 participants and used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to uncover the essential experiential elements of working with under-prepared BSW students and to reveal the meaning that social work educators create within these experiences. Analysis resulted in four overlapping themes including understanding under-preparation as social injustice, questioning what it means to be a social work educator, recalling compelling moments, and demonstrating care in and out of the classroom. These results suggest that social work programs and educators can more explicitly recognize how working with under-prepared students mirrors traditional social work practice, and discuss how this mirrored process might affect both educators and students. Based on these results, the meaning of advancing social justice for under-prepared students, the conflicting roles that educators often adopt with under-prepared students, and the influence of external forces on educators' work all deserve further research.Item From testing the water to riding the waves : new master of social work graduates' journey from student to professional(2015-07-23) Larimer, Susan; Lay, Kathy; Adamek, Margaret E.; Bennett, Robert B.; Draucker, Claire Burke; Khaja, KhadijaEvery year, more than 200 schools of social work graduate thousands of Master of Social Work (MSW) students. These graduates enter the world of work and continue on their journey toward becoming professional social workers. Surprisingly, very little is known in social work about the transition from student to professional, especially for MSW graduates. Related literature in nursing and education is reviewed in order to have a foundational knowledge of the transition process for similar professionals. The research questions for this study were: (a) What is the process of transition from student to employee like for new MSW graduates? (b) What are the factors that influence this transition during the first 18 months for MSW graduates? and (c) Are there critical junctures in the processes of transitioning from being a student through the first 18 months of MSW employment that are related to satisfaction and/or professional growth? This dissertation used qualitative, constructivist grounded theory methodology in order to study this relatively unknown subject. The conceptual model that emerged in this study is called Riding the Waves, and illustrates the transition process for new graduates learning to become a professional social worker. There are five stages of this model: Testing the Waters, Jumping In, Sinking or Swimming, Treading Water, and Riding the Waves. In Testing the Waters, critical issues of finding a job, negotiating a salary and licensure are salient. In Jumping In, new graduates experience orientation, examine preparedness from school and encounter the real world of work as opposed to their expectations. In Sinking or Swimming, new graduates negotiate not knowing, supervision, dealing with emotions and difficult work situations. In Treading Water, new graduates explore finding a balance between self-care and compassion fatigue and articulate job and compassion satisfaction. In the last stage, Riding the Waves, new graduates are more stable, gain confidence, find their voice and discuss what is ahead for them. Implications for social work students, educators, and employers are discussed including better preparing students for the transition, improving orientation and supervision, and providing the support that these new professionals require and deserve.Item The Intersections of Military Family Culture and Black Family Culture: Challenges and Benefits of Being a Black Daughter in a Military Family(2019-09) Evans, Pinkie Irene; Lay, Kathy; Draucker, Claire; Adamek, Margaret E.; Thigpen, Jeffry W.Research on military families has increased since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; however, the research focuses on military families is general with little specific information on Black families within the military. Given the known general impact of race, this is a critical gap in the research into military families. This qualitative descriptive study explores the life of Black daughters in military families by examining the challenges and benefits of growing up as a Black daughter in a military family. There were three primary research questions asked of the participants about their experiences: 1) What challenges did you experience growing up in a military family; 2) What benefits did you experience growing up in a military family; and, 3) Do you believe that being Black affected the challenges and benefits you experienced? If so, in what way(s)? The participants also answered two additional questions of importance to social workers and health practitioners who work with military families: 1) What advice would you give to social workers who work with military families?; and, 2) What advice would you have for the military to help families address the challenges you have mentioned? The answers to the primary research questions are reviewed through the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI), models of systems theory, mettle, adaptability, and transformability. Consideration of the “Strong Black Woman” perspective is also examined. A look at the roles that women play as well as roles imposed on women by others is explored. Implications for social workers, health practitioners, and schools of social work are discussed, inclusive of military family culture and the importance of cultural competence in considering the intersections of a person’s life: racial identity in addition to military implications.Item Network Functional Connectivity Underlying Dissociable Cognitive and Affective Components of Empathy in Adolescence(Elsevier, 2021) Winters, Drew E.; Pruitt, Patrick J.; Fukui, Sadaaki; Cyders, Melissa A.; Pierce, Barbara J.; Lay, Kathy; Damoiseaux, Jessica S.Empathy, the capacity to understand and share others' emotions, can occur through cognitive and affective components. These components are different conceptually, behaviorally, and in the brain. Neuroimaging task-based research in adolescents and adults document that cognitive empathy associates with the default mode and frontoparietal networks, whereas regions of the salience network underlie affective empathy. However, cognitive empathy is slower to mature than affective empathy and the extant literature reveals considerable developmental differences between adolescent and adult brains within and between these three networks. We extend previous work by examining empathy's association with functional connectivity within and between these networks in adolescents. Participants (n = 84, aged 13-17; 46.4% female) underwent resting state fMRI and completed self-report measures (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) for empathy as part of a larger Nathan-Kline Institute study. Regression analyses revealed adolescents reporting higher cognitive empathy had higher within DMN connectivity. Post hoc analysis revealed cognitive empathy's association within DMN connectivity is independent of affective empathy or empathy in general; and this association is driven by positive pairwise connections between the bilateral angular gyri and medial prefrontal cortex. These results suggest introspective cognitive processes related to the DMN are specifically important for cognitive empathy in adolescence.Item A Phenomenology of Transgenderism as a Valued Life Experience Among Transgender Adults in the Midwestern United States(2014-02-25) Burdge, Barb J.; Lay, Kathy; Adamek, Margaret E.; Vernon, Robert, 1947-; Gardner, Carol BrooksThis study is a hermeneutic phenomenology of transgenderism as it is valued and appreciated by adults who self-identify along the transgender spectrum. As a population-at-risk due to a social environment reliant on a dualistic notion of gender, transgender people are of particular concern to social workers, who are charged with identifying and building on client strengths. Yet the preponderance of the academic literature has reinforced a negative, problematic, or even pathological view of transgenderism. The literature also has tended to focus narrowly on transsexualism, leaving a gap in our knowledge of other forms of transgenderism. The present study—grounded primarily in the philosophy and methodology of Heideggerian phenomenology, but also drawing on Gadamerian hermeneutics—sought to understand the lived experience of transgenderism as it is appreciated by a range of transgender adults. A purposive sample of fifteen self-identified transgender adults who reported appreciating being transgender was recruited using snowball sampling across three Midwestern states. Each participated in an individual, open-ended interview designed to tap their lived experience with transgenderism as a valued aspect of life. Transcribed interview data were analyzed using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological processes as suggested by various researchers in nursing, social work, and other disciplines. The results of this study suggest that intimate connections (with one’s self, with others, and with a larger purpose) constitute the essence of the lived experience of appreciating one’s transgenderism. These findings help prepare social workers to recognize the strengths of the transgender population and to engage in culturally competent practice. In addition, this research offers new knowledge for improving social work curricular content on transgenderism and for justifying trans-inclusive social policies. The study also contributes to the overall research literature on transgenderism and qualitative methods.Item Predictors of Acceptance: Exploring Healthcare-Related Master's-Level Social Workers' Attitudes on Alcohol Use Disorder, Opioid Use Disorder, and Medication-Assisted Treatment(2022-08) Bartholomew, Joseph Brooks; Carlson, Joan M.; Lay, Kathy; Agley, Jon; Crabb, David; Kim, Hea-WonHeavy alcohol consumption and opioid overdose rates continue to increase in the United States (U.S.). Social workers provide approximately 70% of the behavioral healthcare in the U.S. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved medications with psychosocial interventions to provide a comprehensive approach to recovery for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). However, stigmatized attitudes toward individuals with AUD, OUD, and MAT limit MAT’s use. Guided by critical social theory, this study explores factors that predict master’s-level social workers’ (MSWs) attitudes toward AUD and OUD and, by extension, factors that predict their acceptance of MAT. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified MSWs from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio (N = 140) having more favorable statistically significant (p < 0.001) attitudes toward individuals with AUD than those with OUD. Multiple regression models used age, gender identity, political ideology, years working in addiction (tenure), social work licensure, and 12-step facilitation beliefs to predict AUD and OUD attitudes, with AUD and OUD attitudes included in the regression models for MAT acceptance. Increased years working in addiction (tenure) was a statistically significant predictor in elevating attitudes toward individuals with AUD (p < 0.05) and OUD (p < 0.01). A more liberal political ideology (p < 0.001), increased years working in addiction (tenure) (p < 0.05), and more favorable attitudes toward individuals with AUD and OUD (p < 0.001) were statistically significant predictors in MAT acceptance. These results warrant increasing MSWs’ education on addiction and research on factors that impact their acceptance of MAT. Increasing MSWs’ education on addiction may lower stigmatized attitudes toward individuals with AUD and OUD and increase MAT acceptance. MSWs’ increased acceptance of MAT could improve patient health outcomes.Item RACIAL DISPARITIES IN SELF REPORTED HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION. DOES PRIMARY CARE MATTER?(2012-10-29) Deka, Ankita; Adamek, Margaret E.; Pike, Cathy K.; Lay, Kathy; Wright, Eric R.; Vernon, Robert, 1947-A significant body of literature has accumulated in the last decade that provides evidence of the growing health care disparities among racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The literature suggests that Black adults share a disproportionate burden in death, disability, and disease. In 2002, the Institute of Medicine report, Unequal Treatment, showed that racial-ethnic disparities in health cannot be entirely attributed to problems of health care access, clinical performance, or patients’ personal characteristics. Many studies have shown that institutional and individual level discrimination that Blacks face in the health care system impacts their health status. This study used secondary data analysis to examine how primary care experience impacts self-reported health status and health care utilization among Black adults. Data were from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) implemented by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Specifically, MEPS Panel 10 (2005-2006) and Panel 11 (2006-2007) data were used in the analyses. The final sample comprised of N=15,295 respondents ages 18 and over. Logistic regression analyses were carried out using Stata Statistical Software, version 11. The study results reflect the disparities among Blacks and Whites on self-reported health and health care utilization. Blacks were 15% less likely to report good health status compared to Whites and had 0.11 less expected office-based doctor visits. Respondents who had better primary care experience had 0.05 times higher expected office-based doctor visits than respondents who did not have good primary care experience. Health care Social Workers should advocate for structural changes in health policy that will take into account the historical marginalization and contemporary inequities that continue to encompass the lives of many Black Americans.