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Intuitive Understanding Of Time And Space At The Age Of Four, Josephine Barry-Davis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the central hypothesis that “children by the age of four years construct accurate and lasting conceptions o f time (past, present, future) and space (near and far away).” In order to test this hypothesis the researcher relied on qualitative research guidelines developed and published in recent years to address social science and educational research issues. The research design is especially applicable to young children where the researcher assumes the role of participant observer. In order to control for the context of the research, the children were observed for time and space cognitive …

Improving Special Education Teachers' Use Of Data-Based Instruction, Steven D. Goodman

Dissertations

The data-based decision model involves frequent measures of student performance (i.e., 2 - 5 times per week), frequent analysis of performance data (weekly or bi-weekly), and the application of decision rules. In the first study, we surveyed 406 special education teachers state-wide. Results of the survey suggest that the databased decision model is not generally practiced by special educators in the field. Just over one quarter of the respondents report to assessing student performance frequently enough to qualify as using the model. Only 10% of respondents indicate that they generally graph student performance. Additionally, less than 23% of respondents who …

Correlates Of Health And Success Among Psychology Graduate Students: Stress, Distress, Coping, Well Being, And Social Support, Nancy G. Nelson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study was designed to examine factors associated with academic success among graduate students i n clinical psychology. Success was defined as higher GPA's, higher scores on the G R E (total, verbal and quantitative) and the acquisition of a "special commendation" from psychology faculty members. After a careful review of the literature, it was hypothesized that graduate students in clinical psychology who were more successful would be likely to have lower resting heart rates and lower blood pressure, and to report less stress, less distress, higher levels of social support , use of more " positive" and fewer " …

Effects Of Methylphenidate On The Sensitivity To Reinforcement In Children Diagnosed With Adhd: An Application Of Matching Law, Laura Kay Murray

Masters Theses

This experiment evaluated the effects of methylphenidate on sensitivity to reinforcement of children diagnosed with ADHD using matching law.

Four children (2 males and 2 females) between the ages of 6 and 10 who were previously diagnosed with ADHD completed easy math problems to earn tokens under four different variable-interval (VI) schedules of reinforcement presented in random order. The rate of completed math problems was plotted against the mean frequency of obtained reinforcers at each schedule value in tokens per minute. The data were fit to the following single-rate hyperbolic equation (Herrnstein, 1970): R = kr/r+r₀.

Results show …

A Three-Choice Drug Discrimination Procedure Differentiates The Stimulus Effects Of D-Amphetamine And Mdma, Amy K. Goodwin

Masters Theses

(±)-3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces effects in humans that are reportedly similar to those of CNS stimulants. However, drug discrimination studies in nonhumans have yielded inconsistent results regarding the similarities between MDMA and d-amphetamine. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate d-amphetamine, MDMA, and saline in a three-lever drug discrimination procedure. In addition, differential outcomes were employed during drug discrimination training with eight of the rats but this did not appear to facilitate the acquisition of the discrimination. Cocaine (0.25-10.0 mg/kg) produced dose dependent increases in d-amphetamine-appropriate responding with complete substitution at the highest dose administered. LSD (0.02-0.16 mg/kg), produced dose …

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Swallowing Dysfunctions : Semg Cognitive Training As An Adjunct To Conventional Therapy, Vicky T. Nguyen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study compared surface electromyography (sEMG) cognitive training to conventional myofunctional therapy in controlling a swallowing dysfunction, commonly referred to as "tongue thrust". Nasal airway resistance (NAR) was assessed on every subject, to rule out mechanical obstruction that would prevent proper function. The scope of this investigation composed of evaluating baseline activity and dry swallowing patterns. Subjects were distributed to one of three treatment groups: sEMG cognitive training, conventional myofunctional therapy, and control, based on the degree of NAR (normal, mild, or moderate). Initial sEMG recordings were then taken on subjects that clinically demonstrated a tongue thrust habit to confirm …

Relationships Between Gender, Personal, And Collective Self-Esteem, And Feminist Identity, Lesley E. Johnson

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationships Among Racial Attitude, Racial Preference And Academic Performance In African American Children, Alberta D. Jones

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

In this study, the racial attitude, racial preference, and academic performance were examined. The purpose of the study was to determine if relationships existed between racial attitude and racial preference, racial attitude and academic performance, and racial preference, and racial preference and academic performance. Racial attitude and racial preference were measured using the Children's Racial Attitude and Racial Preference Test developed by Maxine L. Clark (1996). Teachers provided individual grades in math and reading to determine each child's academic performance. There were 56 African American first-graders from a predominately Black elementary school in this study. The results revealed a statistically …

Alcohol Consumption Among African American College Students: Implications For Rehabilitation, Zenia Ward

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the alcohol consumption and stress factors related to alcohol use among 1,475 African American college students attending three different historically black colleges and universities. The Assessment Questionnaire of Behavior Patterns and Stress in College Students was used in this research. Results indicated no significant gender differences in the frequency of alcohol use. However, considerable gender differences were found in getting high or drunk. Only slight differences in alcohol consumption were found for age. Data analyses revealed significant stress factors related to incidences of getting high and gender, particularly for males. Implications for university and rehabilitation professionals are …

The Perception And Analysis Of Authentic Graphical Elements : An Empirical Study Of Perceptual Skills And Analytical Tasks That Affect Graphicacy, Derek G. Borman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this study, the idea that authenticity should be integral to graphicacy research was advanced. That is, graphicacy researchers should use graphical stimuli that most closely approximate graphs as they might be encountered in the real world (i.e., in text books, newspapers, journals, etc.). It was contended that because of the lack of task authenticity and experimental control inherent in past studies of the analytical tasks and perceptual skills underlying graph reading, there was a need for further study of these issues. To this end, a 24-item graphicacy test was devised, such that key graphical elements and specifiers were more …

The Dna Sequence From A Cloned 15 Kilobase Fragment Of The Chlamydomonas Acidophila Mitochondrial Genome And Rna Transcript Production In Response To Cadmium, Scott A. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydomonas acidophila is a unicellular green alga of the order Chlamydomonadales. Our research efforts were allied along two lines: (1) Characterization of the C. acidophila mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and (2) Elucidation of any molecular events responsible for C. acidophila's heavy metal tolerance. The mitochondrial genomes of the protists have been underrepresented in the sequence databases. Among the protists, the alga genera Chlamydomonas shows a reduced mtDNA content with a highly rearranged gene structure. It was decided to sequence C. acidophila's mtDNA to further elucidate the evolutionary paths among the Chlamydomonads and add to the protist sequence database. A 15 kb …

The Development Of The Metacognitive Elements Of Study Scale, Tiffney Jo Yeager

Theses and Dissertations

Current theories suggest that metacognitive skills are an important aspect of effective studying. However, few learning and study questionnaires assess the metacognitive components of studying and those that do often assume that certain strategies are more appropriate than others, regardless of the person or the task. The questionnaire developed in this research was designed to measure the metacognitive elements of study strategies, regardless of the type of strategies used. This questionnaire should provide additional information regarding a person's metacognitive skills, beyond what is assessed by other measures of studying ability.

The new questionnaire (Metacognitive Elements of Study Scale; MESS) was …

Perceptions Of American Indian Students Of Their Experiences And Factors Related To Retention In Selected Institutions Of Higher Education, Donald R. Day

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of American Indian students regarding higher education and to examine factors that contribute to or create obstacles to their retention and graduation. The sample of American Indian students was selected from five Upper Midwest institutions of higher education and was stratified by age and by gender. A total of 100 students participated in the study, with 20 from each institution representing equal numbers of traditional age females (18–24 years of age), traditional age males, females older than average (25 years of age or older), and males older than average.

All …

Pregnancy-Related Hypertension In North Dakota: Incidence, Outcomes, And Nursing Care Practices, Karen S. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

Preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension complicate 6 to 7% of all pregnancies in the United States with the incidence varying among different regions, counties, and states. For improved perinatal outcomes in high-risk pregnancies there must be adequate care given in a timely and appropriate manner. Very little has been written on the incidence and trends in rural America and even less is known about incidence and trends in the rural Native American population. It is unknown how effective small rural hospitals are in the nursing care of the hypertensive pregnant women they encounter.

This project was an epidemiological retrospective cohort study …

The Lived Experience Of Graduate Nursing Students In Distance Education, Nancy L. Mosbaek

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lived experience of graduate nursing students enrolled in an interactive television course offered through distance education. Areas of focus were the technology of distance education, instructional strategies, the learning community, and communication. The qualitative research methods of interviewing, observation, and artifact/documentation review were employed. Students reported returning to school for both personal and professional reasons; self-satisfaction was most frequently mentioned. The need to work in a changing health care system was the major professional reason given. Due to multiple role responsibilities which made the participants time- and place-bound, distance education was reported to be the only …

Interpersonal Aspects Of Attribution And Emotion, Chris L. Treadwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In Weiner's attributional perspective on emotion, recipients appraise outcomes in terms of three attributional dimensions--locus, controllability, and stability. The specific pattern of inferred attributions determines the nature of the resulting emotional experience. Weiner further claims that a sender's own emotion may serve as a precipitating event for a receiver's resulting attributions and emotions. Parkinson critiques the notion that there are inflexible or unique links among senders' emotions, the attributions conveyed by senders' emotions, and the resulting attributions or emotions aroused in recipients. Parkinson implies instead that the nature of the interpersonal relationship between senders and receivers, independent of attributional inferences, …

The Effects Of Gender And Behavior On Elementary Teachers' Attributional Assumptions About Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Lisa Rollins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Questionnaires compromised of (a) a description of a child (either male or female) exhibiting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors (either predominately hyperactive/impulsive or predominately inattentive) and (b) 13 questions about the description were completed by 562 regular elementary education teachers in the state of Utah. The questions, which offered teachers a range of responses on a 5 point Likert scale, were designed to assess the extent to which the gender and behaviors of the child described affected the extent to which teachers were able to identify the child as being representative of a child with ADHD, teachers' attributional assumptions …

A Model Of Freshman Use Of Microcomputers Related To Intellectual And Social Development, Daniel R. Judd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between freshmen's use of microcomputers and their social and intellectual development in a university environment. A review of related literature describes the theoretical foundation of this research and identifies questionnaire items for measuring the critical variables of microcomputer use and student development. To conduct the study, data obtained from 400 freshman students prior to entering Utah State University (USU) in the fall of 1996 were compared to data collected from the same students during Spring Quarter of 1997. Correlational analysis was used to study changes in freshman students' use of …

Stress, Stress Utilization, And Creativity, Lisa M. Kobe

Student Work

This study investigated the effects of stress on creative problem solving. It was predicted that individuals in a stressful condition would perform worse on creative problem solving tasks than individuals in a relaxed condition and worse than individuals in a stressful condition where they successfully coped with the incident. It was also predicted that when in a stressful experience, individuals who are able to acknowledge and to advantageously use the information obtained from a stressful situation (high stress utilization) would perform better on creative problem solving tasks than individuals who are not able to acknowledge and use this information (low …

Video Games And Teen Violence: Is It Related?, Lynn Marlene Tomaro

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

A research study was conducted involving parents feedback on whether they felt video games were related to teen violence. Despite technologies efforts to promote computer and video games in a positive mode by focusing on forms such as "developing important skills as concentration and problem-solving in children", the violent acts contained in these games are downplayed and basically defended by the makers of the games.

Teen violence has escalated in the past several years with the school shootings being in the forefront. The mention of video games and lack of parental supervision has become the focus of this violent behavior, …

The Efficacy Of Treatments For Childhood Depression: An Integrative Review, Kurt David Michael

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prevalence estimates of child depression are substantial and morbidity leads to an increased risk of recurrence during adolescence and adulthood. Further, early-onset depression is associated with a number of negative outcomes including: poor physical health, social and interpersonal impairments, academic problems, substance abuse, future maladjustment, and suicidal behavior. In light of the prevalence, persistence, and negative outcomes associated with depression in children and adolescents, several treatments ranging from psychosocial to pharmacological interventions have been developed and evaluated. However, the overall efficacy of treatments remains equivocal because the majority of existing reviews of the child and adolescent depression treatment literature are …

The Relationship Between Parental Employment Stability And Child Outcome Measures, Thomas Michael Wolfe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study investigated the relationship between mothers', fathers', and parents' employment stability and five child cognitive and social outcome measures. A total of 179 children who attended Head Start between 1991 and 1995 participated in the study with their parents. Child outcomes were examined to determine if they varied as a function of employment stability categories. Children of parents possessing stable employment histories had significantly higher Woodcock-Johnson broad knowledge cluster scores than children of parents possessing unstable employment histories. Child outcomes generally did not vary as a function of employment stability categories. Number of employment changes was used to …

Estimating R2 Shrinkage In Multiple Regression: A Comparison Of Different Analytical Methods, Ping Yin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effectiveness of various analytical methods used for estimating R² shrinkage in multiple regression analysis. Two categories of analytical formulae were identified: estimators of the population squared multiple correlation coefficient (ρ²), and estimators of the population cross-validity coefficient (ρ_c²). To avoid possible confounding factors that might be associated with a real data set such as data nonnormality, lack of precise population parameters, different degrees of multicollinearity among the predictor variables, and so forth, the Monte Carlo method was used to simulate multivariate normal sample data, with prespecified population parameters such as …

Latin American Immigrants' Perceptions Of Discrimination And Acquisition Of English As A Second Language As A Result Of Using A Community Social Support Center, Holly Mcfarland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The associations between Latin American immigrants' use of a community social support center and perceived discrimination and language acquisition were investigated. All variables were measured by respondents' self-reports on a questionnaire designed to obtain demographic data as well as describe the needs of the Latin American community in rural Northern Utah. Chi-square analyses indicated a statistically significant association between use of the center and acquisition of English as a second language. No relationship was found between use of the center and perceived discrimination. The results of this study provide valuable demographic data as well as describe some of the experiences …

The Impact Of The Ideal Thin Body Image On Women, Nicole Hawkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers and clinicians have postulated that the thin-ideal image portrayed in the media leads to body dissatisfaction and negative self-appraisals among women; however, there is little research that has directly examined the effects of these images on women. The purpose of this research investigation was to experimentally examine the effects of exposure to the thin-ideal on women's affect, self-esteem, body satisfaction, and level of internalization of the thin body image. This study also assessed how the thin-ideal image differentially impacted women with a diagnosed eating disorder. College women (N = 145) were randomly exposed to photographs from popular magazines …

Effects Of Perceived Sugar Or Chocolate Intake On Self-Reported Food Cravings, Mood States, And Food Intake: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study, Lara J. Schultz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many dieters and compulsive overeaters report that sugar and chocolate are the most commonly craved foods. Further, many individuals have proclaimed themselves to be "addicted" to sugar or chocolate. It remains unclear, however, what factors lead to report of specific food addictions. A number of researchers have suggested that highly repetitive consumption of sugar and chocolate may result from various physiological processes (e.g., neurochemical imbalances, glucose/insulin malfunctioning). However, there is also considerable evidence that psychosocial factors (i.e., expectancies, classical, and operant conditioning) play the major role in the development and maintenance of excessive sugar/chocolate intake. Empirical studies examining factors that …

Navajo Adolescent Pregnancy: Identifying Ecocultural Factors Among Adolescent Mothers And Their Infants, Jessiline Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the adaptational responses and ecocultural niche of the Navajo adolescent mother from her perspective provides a richness of information about a little-studied population. The overall purpose of this study was to explore the ecocultural factors determined to be significant in the decision of a Navajo adolescent mother to remain in high school or drop out of high school. Thirty Navajo adolescent mothers recruited from two small reservation towns in eastern Arizona participated in the study. Navajo adolescent mothers in the study participated in a one and one half hour semistructured accommodations interview, and completed a Family Resource Scale and …

A Community Wide Study Of The Hospice Referral Process, Jarilyn K. Gess

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to understand the decision making process when seeking hospice care. The objectives were to identify the decision maker for the patient when seeking hospice care, why they were seeking hospice care, who initiated the referral, if the decision maker was aware they can self refer to hospice care, and the benefits of hospice care for the patient and family.

The study is a qualitative and quantitative descriptive study utilizing a telephone survey design as described by Dillman (1978). One hundred patients who had been referred to Hospice of the Red River Valley (HRRV) …

The Effects Of Thought Suppression On Later Recall Of Valenced, Self-Referenced Adjectives, Danial S. Sturgill

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of thought suppression on later recall of valenced material. According to Wegner's (1994) theory of ironic mental processes, effortful attempts at thought suppression result in an increased accessibility of the to-be-suppressed thought under conditions of high cognitive load. Participants (N = 180) received an induced-sadness manipulation before being asked to concentrate on associations between visual images (either a white bear or an brown rabbit) and 28 adjectives (14 positively-valenced, 14 negatively-valenced). After a five minute period of suppressing thoughts of one of the visual images, participants were asked to remember as many of the 28 …

"Billy Yank" On The Northern Plains: The Lives Of Union Soldiers On The Minnesota-Dakota Frontier From The Great Sioux Uprising To 1866, Darrin F. Boehm

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will tell the generally forgotten story of the Civil War era soldiers on the Minnesota-Dakota frontier who fought in the Great Sioux Uprising from 1862 to 1865. It will also compare the frontier soldiers’ campaign experience with the experiences of Bell Irvin Wiley’s Civil War ‘'Billy Yanks.”

This thesis covers enlistment procedures, food, clothing, shelter, discipline, disease, boredom, combat, the “galvanized” Yankees, the Dakota landscape, and the role of the cavalry. This story of the frontier soldiers’ expeditions against the Sioux on the northern plains is told using direct quotations from frontier soldiers’ diaries and manuscripts, along with …