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Trust in Automation Causing Automation Complacency in Relation to General Aviation: A Quantitative Study
No full textThis quantitative causal-comparative study examined whether a relationship exists between Trust in Automation (TIA) and the potential for automation complacency in general aviation between pilots flying automated and non-automated aircraft as single pilots, while controlling for pilot generation. Autonomation can lead to automation complacency through overreliance and trust in the automation. Automation complacency may cause pilots to lose situational awareness and be surprised by automation surprises, leading to detrimental outcomes. Although automation complacency has long challenged commercial pilots, resulting in significant research on this issue, little research has focused on this issue in general aviation. The limited research is due to the gradual integration of automation in general aviation aircraft, influenced by the fleet’s age and high costs. However, with many general aviation aircraft now equipped with automation, studying automation complacency in this sector is essential. Therefore, a quantitative study was conducted through a voluntary online survey via Qualtrics Core-XM© of general aviation pilots flying automated and non-automated aircraft as single pilots. The survey used the Adapted Propensity to Trust Technology Scale (APPT) and the Automation-Induced Complacency Potential-Revised Scale (AICP-R). Data from 2,132 qualified participants—exceeding the minimum sample size of 250—were analyzed using one-way Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) in IBM SPSS©. The analysis indicated no significant relationships when controlling for pilot generation. However, since a substantial gap exists in the literature about automation in general aviation, this study helps to fill that gap. It offers future researchers additional evidence to explore automation within general aviation
Evaluation of Handgrip Strength as a Surrogate Measure For Athletic Performance Metrics and Lower-Body Strength in High School Boys Basketball Players
No full textThis quantitative correlational study examined relationships between bilateral handgrip strength (HGS) and athletic performance metrics, including vertical jump height, barbell squat one-repetition maximum (1RM), sprint speed, agility, and upper-body muscular endurance (push-up repetitions), in adolescent male basketball players. The study also evaluated whether inter-limb strength asymmetry was associated with the athletic performance outcomes.
29 male athletes aged 14-18 years participated in the research that included handgrip strength, vertical jump, lane agility drill, shuttle run, ¾-court sprint, push-up repetitions, and 1RM barbell squat. Statistical analyses were conducted using Jeffreys’s Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) and included Pearson product-moment correlations, Shapiro-Wilk assumption testing, and one-sample t-tests.
Results indicated that HGS was moderately and significantly correlated with lower-body strength (1RM squat), while HGS and inter-limb asymmetry were not significantly associated with vertical jump, push-up repetitions, sprint speed, or lane agility.
These findings suggest that HGS may function as a practical, field-based indicator of maximal strength capacity in adolescent basketball athletes, but it does not reliably predict explosive, agility-based, or endurance-related performance. This clarifies the role of HGS in athlete monitoring and supports its use as one component within broader, sport-specific assessment batteries consistent with the Youth Physical Development Model and Long-Term Athlete Development framework
Unseen but Felt: Exploring the Emotional and Developmental Impacts of Father Absence on the Lives of African American Daughters
No full textThis phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of African American daughters who grew up with absent fathers, examining how this experience influenced development, relationships, identity formation, and resilience. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, six central themes emerged: (1) father-daughter relationship, (2) emotional and psychological impact, (3) identity and development, (4) social and relational outcomes, (5) decision-making and achievement, and (6) resilience and adaptation. Each theme was interpreted through the lens of attachment and social learning theories with a biblical worldview. The findings revealed that father absence often left emotional and developmental wounds in the lives of the participants. The findings also demonstrated that with purposeful decision-making and active support systems, paternally absent women developed resilience, determination, and the will to excel. This study offered insights that can be helpful for health and human service professionals, educators, social workers, and church leaders. Most importantly, it provides space for African American daughters of paternal absence to share their stories on their own terms, without fear or judgment
The Power of International Relations in Local Communities: An Institutional Theory Case Study Examining the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 11 in Four Virginia Communities
No full textBy pursuing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, communities across Virginia may be losing their unique, local characteristics. This study investigates whether communities in Virginia have been implementing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. Guided by institutional theory, this study explores the research questions: What effect do global isomorphic pressures of SDG 11 have on local institutional integration of urban planning regarding community connectivity, land use, and open green public spaces? How do local planning documents and institutional actors frame, adopt, or resist global isomorphic pressures of SDG 11 in relation to community connectivity, land use, and open green public spaces? How do qualitative institutional narratives help explain or contextualize quantitative variation in SDG 11 implementation across communities? Using an integrative mixed-method case study, this study evaluates four Virginia communities: Dale City, Kilmarnock, Marion, and Midlothian. Dale City showed the strongest alignment with SDG 11. Midlothian also demonstrated strong integration, while Marion reflected a more moderate alignment. Kilmarnock, however, displayed only partial integration. Communities with more pronounced isomorphic influences tended to demonstrate greater community connectivity, diversified land use, and expanded open green public spaces. The study contributes to institutional theory by introducing three new concepts: Hybrid Isomorphism, Reverse Isomorphism, and Isomorphic Drift. This study introduces the Rothenbach Institutional Integration Framework (RIIF), a formal model explaining how global sustainability norms are interpreted, adapted, or resisted within local governance institutions
Understanding K-12 Public High School Teachers’ Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Phenomenological Study
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand high school teachers\u27 perceptions of artificial intelligence in education (AIEd) in a K-12 public school district in the northeastern U.S. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which provided insights into how teachers’ beliefs about their technology capabilities likely influence their motivation and decisions to integrate AI into the educational process to enhance teaching and learning. The central research question was, “How do K-12 public high school teachers perceive the integration of artificial intelligence in education”? The problem was studied using the qualitative research methodology, transcendental phenomenology. The study was conducted in a school district in the northeastern U.S. Participants were full-time, tenured male and female public high school teachers with at least four years of teaching experience, holding a master\u27s degree, and between the ages of 25 and 75. The data collection methods used to study the problem were in-depth individual interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts. To analyze and synthesize the collected data into a coherent body of findings, the researcher employed Moustakas’ Modified van Kaam thematic analysis method. The five major themes that emerged from the data analysis were: awareness and understanding of AI, beliefs about AI’s role in teaching and learning, teacher AI self-efficacy, ethical and practical concerns, and AI integration. The study found that K-12 public high school teachers hold varied perceptions of the integration of AI in education. While they recognize AI as a transformative tool, their actual use of it was tempered by apprehension, ethical and practical concerns, access to meaningful professional development, and varying levels of confidence
Human Trafficking: A Phenomenological Analysis of Indiana Law Enforcement Human Trafficking Training Effectiveness
No full textHuman trafficking is a rapidly growing, pervasive issue that threatens the fundamental human rights of every man, woman, and child across the globe. Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative illicit organized crime businesses in the world, and as the fueled demand for cheap labor, services, and commercial sex continues to reach stifling rates, law enforcement organizations are desperately seeking to identify ways to effectively combat this critical issue. Today’s advanced technology and transport systems have enabled human traffickers to expand operations to every country, including the United States. Although every state in the United States is affected, reliable statistics are unavailable because the covertness of the crimes and victims lead to inaccurate and incomplete data. Law enforcement organizations urgently seek ways to combat human trafficking more effectively. Officer training includes comprehensive human trafficking courses that aim to equip officers with the skills they need. The problem is that more data are needed to evaluate training effectiveness. This qualitative study served to investigate officers’ perceptions of the efficacy of human trafficking training. Through interviews, the study assessed the amount and adequacy of training in complement with officers’ perceptions of their own effectiveness in combatting trafficking and recommended improvements. The results showed that training ranged from inadequate and stale to adequate at a basic level, that officers were divided in their feelings of personal preparedness to handle human trafficking cases, and that officers agreed that gender differences exist in the way male and female officers handle human trafficking cases
Post-Pandemic Social Distance: A Qualitative Study of Communication Barriers in Post-Pandemic Education
No full textThis qualitative study investigates communication barriers in post-pandemic rural K-12 education, emphasizing how the shift from traditional classrooms to COVID-19 virtual environments altered interactions among teachers, students, parents, and administrators. The literature review draws on transactional distance theory and computer-mediated communication, supported by related theories addressing digital inequality, communicative noise, and classroom norm breakdowns. Research questions focus on (1) differences between pre- and post-pandemic education, (2) comparative quality of virtual versus face-to-face learning, and (3) whether teachers feel supported by administration and the board of education. Methods include a qualitative case study of five rural Oklahoma districts (C, 2A, 3A, 5A, 6A). Participants provided open-ended Qualtrics responses analyzed using Creswell’s six-step process. Results show persistent challenges: increased teacher-student communication distance, reduced administrative clarity, and unequal tech access. Districts investing in instructional resources improved outcomes. Implications highlight policies enhancing digital infrastructure, educator training, and communication strategies
A Phenomenological Study of African American Clergy Premarital Financial Counseling Practices
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study was to explore how African American clergy members described their experience of providing premarital financial counseling to engaged couples. Research indicates that financial issues are a significant source of conflict for couples and rank among the leading causes of divorce (Scott et al., 2013; Hawkins et al., 2012). Numerous studies also reflect couples\u27 perceptions of counseling interventions, including their participation and benefits. However, the literature is limited concerning the perspectives of clergy who offer premarital financial counseling (Halley et al., 2011). Given the influence of money on relationships and the biblical role and responsibility of clergy in supporting couples during marriage preparation, it was vital to understand the clergy\u27s viewpoints on this issue. The central question was: How do clergy help couples understand the role of money in their lives and align their financial values and practices during premarital counseling to promote a successful marriage? A biblical worldview and Gottman’s (1994) cascade model of marital conflict and dissolution provided the theoretical framework for exploring this study. The main premise of this model is to help couples recognize how negative communication patterns can influence the trajectory and development of their marital relationships. The study gathered data through semi-structured interviews with 12 African American clergy members and analyzed the data using thematic analysis
Actual Innocence in Virginia: Why the Requirements for a Successful Writ Must Remain Limited
No full textBenjamin Franklin once said, “It is better a hundred guilty persons should escape than one innocent person should suffer.” To achieve this goal, the Commonwealth of Virginia has implemented a system through which a falsely convicted person is given another opportunity to prove his innocence: writs of actual innocence. A writ of actual innocence provides a second chance to a person wrongfully convicted of a crime. It can allow a “murderer” to prove his innocence and expunge his record after falling short of convincing a judge or jury at trial. Virginia has strict requirements for those seeking writs of actual innocence based on either nonbiological or biological evidence. These requirements are primarily located in Virginia Code Sections 19.2-327.3 and 19.2-327.11.
Through case examples and statistics, this Comment explains not only why actual innocence is important, but why the requirements should remain strict. This Comment focuses on the history of actual innocence statutes in Virginia, including amendments to the statutes and statistics on the numbers filed and granted each year. It walks through the elements that must be met and provides examples of each. Over the last twenty years, amendments have been added that have loosened the requirements that petitioners must meet in order to have their petition granted.
When a writ of actual innocence is granted, it shows that the criminal justice system is not perfect. Sometimes innocent persons are convicted of crimes they did not commit and sometimes that leads to imprisonment for years, sometimes lifetimes. Writs of actual innocence are hard to obtain because society does not want criminals to falsely claim innocence and be released back into society with the opportunity to recommit heinous crimes. Thus, if one element is not met, the writ is dismissed. However, writs should not be impossible to obtain because there are rare cases where an innocent person is wrongfully convicted of a crime. Writs provide a second chance for the convicted person and a second chance for the court to find and correct an error. For these reasons, writs of actual innocence are vital to a society that believes the words of Benjamin Franklin. Second chances can be great. Second chances can change lives. But second chances should not be thrown around arbitrarily. With this in mind, this Comment seeks to address why these writs should remain strict and why future amendments should not loosen the requirements already in place
Africa\u27s Global Influence
No full textThis thesis believes in the design and production of an interactive kids\u27 coloring book on Africa\u27s extensive influence on world cultures, history, economies, and artistic heritage. In a bid to reverse centuries of misrepresentation and large-scale miseducation regarding Africa within early childhood textbooks, this work aims to design an interactive, kid-friendly guide that informs young readers about the central role Africa plays in today\u27s world. Informed by thorough literature review and referencing case studies of successful education and culture intervention, the proposal positions Africa\u27s global reach, spanning from its precolonial trading networks, philosophic structures, diaspora contributions, art heritage, and cultural exchange. Grounded in participatory research methodologies and African culture-centered image narratives, the project will result in a robustly illustrated coloring book that will be capable of being utilized in promoting cultural literacy, inclusiveness, and awe. In addition to plugging educational gaps, the proposed deliverables further aspire to assist teachers, careers, and institutions in providing complex cultural information in simple, creative terms. This thesis is part of other efforts to decolonize education and reframe how Africa is represented to the youth in African as well as global contexts