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The Relationship Between Visual Attention And Prospective Memory, Noelle L. Brown Jan 2011

The Relationship Between Visual Attention And Prospective Memory, Noelle L. Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study examined the role of attention in prospective memory. Prospective memory refers to the ability to form an intention to do something in the future, such as email a colleague, and additionally remembering to do so at the appropriate moment. Theories of prospective memory retrieval suggest that attention is required to complete an intention. However, the exact role of attention and whether it is always required remains unclear. One challenge in examining the allocation of attentional resources in prospective memory is that a direct measure of these resources does not exist. The current study attempted to address this …


Essays On The Economics Of Crime, Duha T. Altindag Jan 2011

Essays On The Economics Of Crime, Duha T. Altindag

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation includes three essays on the application of economics to various aspects of crime and criminal activity. The research presented in this dissertation points out a cause and a consequence of crime as well as the possible influence of a law on criminal activity. The first chapter provides an introduction to the ways that economic reasoning can be used to analyze criminal activity. The second chapter examines individuals' gun carrying activity in the presence of concealed weapon laws. The results suggest that allowing law-abiding individuals to carry concealed handguns is more likely to reduce crime than to increase it. …


Differences Across Racial Groups In Caregiver Ratings Of Symptoms In Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cindy Terlonge Graham Jan 2011

Differences Across Racial Groups In Caregiver Ratings Of Symptoms In Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cindy Terlonge Graham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A great deal of attention from local, federal, and international communities has been focused on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). As the prevalence of these disorders rise, researchers continue to investigate various unanswered questions. The goal of this study was to examine the differences across racial/ethnic groups in caregiver ratings of symptoms of children diagnosed with ASDs. Results from such research will help determine whether cultural background can influence the recognition of behaviors indicative of an ASD. Culturally-sensitive clinical practice stemming from the significant findings of this research project can help to reduce the age at which minority children are diagnosed. …


When The Saints Go Marching In: An Ethnography Of Volunteer Tourism In Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Jennifer Lea Erdely Jan 2011

When The Saints Go Marching In: An Ethnography Of Volunteer Tourism In Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Jennifer Lea Erdely

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This original study examines a new phenomenon in New Orleans tourism. Since Hurricane Katrina hit in late August 2005, droves of individuals and groups have come to New Orleans to help rebuild the city. Through conducting fifty interviews with these individuals from 2008-2009, the author traces the steps of volunteer tourists in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. This study investigates the experiences of volunteer tourists. Additionally, the author immersed herself with volunteer tourism groups to experience volunteering and the groups herself. Through careful inspection of original interviews with volunteer tourists, the author discovers how the volunteer tourists contribute to the city …


The Long-Term Effect Of A Brief Motivational Alcohol Intervention For Heavy Drinking Mandated College Students, Meredith Ashley Terlecki Jan 2011

The Long-Term Effect Of A Brief Motivational Alcohol Intervention For Heavy Drinking Mandated College Students, Meredith Ashley Terlecki

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study evaluated the long-term impact of a brief motivational intervention (BMI) among college undergraduates mandated to treatment relative to heavy drinking volunteer students. Participants (N = 225; 61% male) were randomized to a BMI (n = 115) or a control group (n = 110). Alcohol consumption (drinks per week, drinking frequency, typical drinks, peak drinks), alcohol-related problems, and readiness to change (RTC) were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. BMI participants significantly decreased drinks per week (treatment, M change = 7.33; control, M change = 3.60), typical drinks (treatment, M change = 1.46; control, …


Application Of Counter-Stereotype Strategy For National Image Management: A Comparative Study Of U.S. And South Korean College Students' National Stereotypes Of China, Hyunmee Kang Jan 2011

Application Of Counter-Stereotype Strategy For National Image Management: A Comparative Study Of U.S. And South Korean College Students' National Stereotypes Of China, Hyunmee Kang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study sought to explore the applicability of national stereotypes for implicit stereotype by measuring reaction times (RTs). Also, the study intended to suggest a more effective national image management in overseas practices by demonstrating the effect of counter-stereotype strategy on country-of-origin (COO) effect. A focus of the study was on China and Chinese people for national stereotypes and Chinese corporations and products made in China for the COO effect, considering unfavorable national images of China in news media and negative impressions on products made in China. The study compared national stereotypes of China and Chinese people and COO effect …


Growth After The Storm: Cognitive Processing And Social Support As Mediators Of The Relation Between Religious Coping And Posttraumatic Growth In Hurricane-Affected Women, Julia Vigna Bosson Jan 2011

Growth After The Storm: Cognitive Processing And Social Support As Mediators Of The Relation Between Religious Coping And Posttraumatic Growth In Hurricane-Affected Women, Julia Vigna Bosson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although many studies have detailed the maladies imposed by Hurricane Katrina, little work has examined potential benefits gleaned in the wake of the storm. Posttraumatic growth, a construct receiving increased attention in the literature, describes personal betterment or development following a traumatic event in areas such as perceived changes in self, a changed sense of relations with others, and a changed philosophy of life. Researchers have demonstrated a relation between posttraumatic growth and varying factors, including religious coping. The current study established a relation between religious coping and posttraumatic growth in a sample of hurricane-exposed women in Southeastern Louisiana and …


Investigating The Validity Of Scores Obtained With The Home And Family Questionnaire And Their Reliability With Scores Obtained With The Home Observation For The Measurement Of The Environment-Middle Childhood, Holly Marie Bell Jan 2011

Investigating The Validity Of Scores Obtained With The Home And Family Questionnaire And Their Reliability With Scores Obtained With The Home Observation For The Measurement Of The Environment-Middle Childhood, Holly Marie Bell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study of home environments and their relationships to child outcomes has become common practice among researchers of child development. As such, having a reliable instrument for measuring home environments that is also cost and time efficient is of primary interest to researchers. The most widely used instrument for measuring home environments is the Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME) developed by Caldwell and Bradley in 1984. Use of the HOME is prevalent among researchers, yet it is costly to implement both in time and in money. An alternative tool for home environment measurement is the Home and Family …


Rights, Needs, And The Creation Of Ethical Community, Natalie Susan Gaines Jan 2011

Rights, Needs, And The Creation Of Ethical Community, Natalie Susan Gaines

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite a half-century of dominance by the rights discourse, the supremacy of rights in theories of human obligation has recently come under attack from political theorists. Though scholars have questioned the ability of rights to explain satisfactorily the responsibility we have for the well-being of others, there are few viable alternatives offered. In this dissertation, I argue that a theory of needs provides a better explanation of the intellectual and moral foundations of obligation. Human need is deeply rooted in subjective potentiality, but studies in human psychology have also provided an increasingly universal picture of the needs human beings experience. …


An Analysis Of The Methodological And Human Error Within Momentary Time Sampling Data Collection, Joslyn Cynkus Mintz Jan 2011

An Analysis Of The Methodological And Human Error Within Momentary Time Sampling Data Collection, Joslyn Cynkus Mintz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Teachers often serve as data collectors for the problem behavior of referred students in their classrooms; yet, the accuracy of teacher data collection has rarely been directly assessed. Momentary time sampling (MTS) may be a potentially useful option for teacher data collection because it does not require continuous monitoring, but rather requires the teacher to score the occurrence or non-occurrence of targeted behaviors at given instances. Research has shown that the smaller the interval between observations, the less methodological error will be introduced into MTS. However, the use of short-interval windows requires additional effort on the part of the teacher, …


The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity, Disordered Eating And Body Image Among Chinese And Caucasian Students, Lauren E. Baillie Jan 2011

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity, Disordered Eating And Body Image Among Chinese And Caucasian Students, Lauren E. Baillie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is generally believed that Western culture’s emphasis on thinness is responsible for the presence of eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction. However, Asians living in Western societies who are more acculturated to Western values have shown fewer body image and eating problems than their less acculturated Asian peers, while those who are highly acculturated to their native culture may be at increased risk for eating disorder symptoms. In this study, Chinese and Caucasian students attending United States universities completed measures of body image, body esteem, disordered eating and ethnic identity in the language of their choice (English or Simplified …


An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of An Early Truancy Intervention For Reducing Chronic Absenteeism Amongst At-Risk Students Through The Use Of Regression Discontinuity Analysis, Johanna M. Thomas Jan 2011

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of An Early Truancy Intervention For Reducing Chronic Absenteeism Amongst At-Risk Students Through The Use Of Regression Discontinuity Analysis, Johanna M. Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Truancy is a major social problem affecting students, families, schools, and communities in the United States and is associated with low academic achievement, grade retention, and dropout. Truancy is also correlated with other adverse life outcomes including delinquency, substance abuse, and incarceration. Social work best practices literature suggests that truancy interventions should take place before habitual chronic truancy becomes a problem. There are few truancy preventions for elementary-age students that have been empirically assessed. Thus, this study examined the effectiveness of the Truancy Assessment and Service Centers intensive case management intervention for elementary-aged students (N = 700) using a quasi-experimental …


Comorbid Psychopathology In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders - Cut-Off Scores For The Autism Specturm Disorders-Comorbidity For Children (Asd-Cc), Ryan Thomas Thorson Jan 2011

Comorbid Psychopathology In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders - Cut-Off Scores For The Autism Specturm Disorders-Comorbidity For Children (Asd-Cc), Ryan Thomas Thorson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Once considered rare, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are increasingly becoming viewed as common disorders. Prevalence rates of ASD have increased drastically in recent years. Recent studies suggest comorbid psychopathology within ASD to be more common than previously thought. Though these deficits exist, specific instruments to diagnose psychopathology in this population do not yet exist. This highlights the underlying need for instruments to identify psychopathology in individuals with ASD. The aim of this study was to establish cut-off scores for the Autism Spectrum Disorder – Comorbidity for Children, an instrument designed to assess for comorbid psychopathology within individuals with ASD.


An Agent-Based Simulation Model For Business Reopenings In New Orleans Post Hurricane Katrina, Helbert Arenas Jan 2011

An Agent-Based Simulation Model For Business Reopenings In New Orleans Post Hurricane Katrina, Helbert Arenas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The empirical study of business responses to disasters is relatively scarce, despite that they are a fundamental part of the cities, providing services, jobs and, taxes that are essential for urban sustainability. This dissertation develops an agent-based simulation model to represent and understand the businesses reopening process in a dynamic environment in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The objectives are two-fold: 1) To identify the main reopening predictors involved and estimate their relative importance through time, using an empirical data set collected from another study; 2) To represent the business reopening process through a computer simulation model, using the parameters …


Effects Of Mindfulness On Body Image, Affect, And Smoking In Women, Claire E. Adams Jan 2011

Effects Of Mindfulness On Body Image, Affect, And Smoking In Women, Claire E. Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent research has shown that body image stimuli increase negative affect and smoking urges among female smokers. Mindfulness (paying attention to present-moment experience with an attitude of nonjudgmental acceptance) may be a useful technique to minimize the influence of body image issues on negative affect, smoking urges, and smoking behavior. The present study investigated whether mindfulness can influence the way female college smokers respond to a body image challenge. The study used a 2 x 2 factorial design with body image challenge (trying on a bathing suit vs. observing a purse) crossed with instructions (mindfulness vs. silence). Female smokers (n …


The American Counter-Monumental Tradition: Renegotiating Memory And The Evolution Of American Sacred Space, Ryan Erik Mcgeough Jan 2011

The American Counter-Monumental Tradition: Renegotiating Memory And The Evolution Of American Sacred Space, Ryan Erik Mcgeough

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores U.S. monuments as contested sites where marginalized groups who have been either omitted or villianized in the original monument at a site have sought to gain inclusion and have their narratives of the past articulated on U.S. sacred sites. My project expands on academic literature on German counter-monuments and links American counter-monuments to this field of study. Following my analysis of three German counter-monuments, this project explores three American counter-monuments: Chicago’s Haymarket Square, “Liberty Place” in New Orleans, and the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington D.C., which offer examples of struggles over public memory on issues of …


The Baby And Infant Screen For Children With Autism Traits: A Proposed Critical Item Algorithm, Santino Vincent Lovullo Jan 2011

The Baby And Infant Screen For Children With Autism Traits: A Proposed Critical Item Algorithm, Santino Vincent Lovullo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since its first description, the definition of autism has varied as a function of emphases on particular defining features, changes to the age of onset, and confusion with other disorders. However, a recurring theme has been the importance of social impairments with evidence that specific social symptoms, such as joint attention deficits, are predictive of autism within the first or second year of life. In addition to the core domains of impairment, autism is associated with various medical conditions, intellectual disability, comorbid psychopathology, and problem behavior. This is alarming considering that there may be a true increase in the disorder’s …


Using Curriculum-Based Measures To Predict Math Performance On A Statewide Assessment, Keri F. Menesses Jan 2011

Using Curriculum-Based Measures To Predict Math Performance On A Statewide Assessment, Keri F. Menesses

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One hundred forty-six students in third, fourth, and fifth grades completed two types of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) math probes, math computation and math concepts/ applications, in the winter and spring. The relationship between scores on the math probes and scores on the math portion of the Louisiana statewide assessments were analyzed by computing correlation coefficients and conducting multiple regression analyses. Both types of probes were significantly correlated with test outcomes, yet the concepts/applications probes were stronger predictors of test performance. The diagnostic accuracy of the probes was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, which established cut scores that …


Monetary Policy Shocks: Analyzing The Quasi-Narrative Approach, Daniel Matthew Groft Jan 2011

Monetary Policy Shocks: Analyzing The Quasi-Narrative Approach, Daniel Matthew Groft

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation empirically identifies exogenous changes in monetary policy and estimates their effects on the economy. The framework is the Romer and Romer (2004) quasi-narrative approach to identifying exogenous changes in monetary policy. The first essay replicates the Romer-Romer (RR) “quasi-narrative” measure of shocks and updates them with Greenbook forecasts to 2003. A key result is the quasi-narrative approach is robust to updates and corrections for serial correlation. An alternative, independently formed measure of the intended funds rate from Thornton (2005) is compared to the RR measure. The measures are highly correlated and display slight differences concerning the timing of …


Essays On The Random Parameters Logit Model, Tong Zeng Jan 2011

Essays On The Random Parameters Logit Model, Tong Zeng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research uses quasi-Monte Carlo sampling experiments to examine the properties of pretest and positive-part Stein-like estimators in the random parameters logit (RPL) model based on the Lagrange Multiplier (LM), likelihood ratio (LR) and Wald tests. First, we explore the properties of quasi-random numbers, which are generated by the Halton sequence, in estimating the random parameters logit model. We show that increases in the number of Halton draws influence the efficiency of the RPL model estimators only slightly. The maximum simulated likelihood estimator is consistent and it is not necessary to increase the number of Halton draws when the sample …