Effects of the multisensory environment on stress in college and graduate students, 2024
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of dissertations written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate Occupational Therapy program. The holdings are primarily bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree.
During the fall 2022 semester (in instances where the requisite waivers were received from consenting student authors), the Monmouth University Library, together with the University's Graduate School and School of Education, began providing open access to select full-text digital versions of current theses and dissertations through links to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global website in the Library's Online Public Access Catalog. Links to these open access digital publications can also be found in the "External Documents" section under any conforming titles that are listed among the holdings itemized in the collection inventory for this finding aid.
Dates
- Creation: 2024
Creator
- Hsu, Elizabeth (1997- ) (Author, Person)
- Garcia, Andrea (Thesis advisor, Person)
- Halliwell, Nicole (1987- ) (Thesis advisor, Person)
- Patro, John (1985- ) (Thesis advisor, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.
Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (732-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.
Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.
Patrons must sign a completed Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to obtain access to the collection. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.
Extent
1 Items (print book) : 52 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
College and graduate students have been facing increasing stress levels in recent years, highlighting a need for stress management tools to help combat rising stress. A potential tool to examine is the multisensory environment (MSE), a room providing customizable sensory inputs, which has been shown in literature to be able to reduce feelings of stress. The project aimed to explore the effects of the MSE on self-reported perceived stress levels in college and graduate students and explore how their MSE experience compared to their usual stress management methods. The project utilized a concurrent mixed-methods design with a quantitative component and qualitative approach in the phenomenological tradition of Moustakas, and overall one-group pretest-posttest research design. Four participants, all current students at a local private university, were included in the project. Data was collected using a demographic form, pre- and post-test surveys, and a recorded semi-structured interview. Quantitative findings found a significant decrease in self-reported stress levels after using the MSE. Qualitative findings found that the MSE may potentially provide users with the impression that they can influence and impact their stress levels. Overall, participants believed that the MSE had a positive impact on stress relief and was more effective than other stress management techniques. The results of this project may contribute to existing research on the MSE as a stress management intervention and help address the literature gap regarding the MSE’s use with college and graduate student populations.
Partial Contents
Introduction - Methods - Results - Discussion and analysis -- Conclusion -- References -- Appendices.
Repository Details
Part of the Monmouth University Library Archives Repository
Monmouth University Library
400 Cedar Avenue
West Long Branch New Jersey 07764 United States
732-923-4526