Digital Commons Network^™

Children With Asd And Their Experience Of Friendship And Co-Occupation, Joshua Eric Line

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study set out to answer four questions regarding the friendships of children with ASD: 1) what elements of friendship are most important, 2) what elements of friendship are most common, 3) do these elements change with peer exposure, and 4) how do these children experience co-occupations? Phenomenological methods were used to analyze interviews of three children with ASD (age 10). Literature review included discussion of definitions of friendship, and definitions of co-occupation, as relevant to the study. Identified themes include the lunchroom as a social context, reciprocity through co-occupations, trust, keeping friends means being a good friend, engagement in …

Examination Of Racial Bias On The Mmpi-2 Restructured Form Among African Americans And Caucasians, Willie Floyd Mcbride Iii

Online Theses and Dissertations

Although it is widely known that the link between ethnicity and psychopathology is undeniable, there still remains ambiguity concerning the possibility of racial bias on measures assessing psychopathology. The current study examined the extent to which the MMPI-2-RF is affected by racial bias. Using a sample of 1017 college students, the current study examined whether ethnicity acted as a moderating variable in the MMPI-2-RF's ability to predict conceptually relevant criteria for African Americans as it does for Caucasians. Step-down hierarchical linear regression test were implemented to determine the presence of prediction bias and whether there were indications of slope and …

A Case Study Of Two Rural Elementary Schools: What Are The Identified Characteristics That Make School A Outperform School B In Reading?, Emily Taylor Finley Levey

Online Theses and Dissertations

The research objective was to gain a greater understanding of schools in rural Kentucky communities. Through interviews and surveys the investigator studied two schools with a similar populations facing many of the same obstacles, such as, a low socioeconomic status. The 2007-2008 Kentucky Performance Report stated that School A had an Academic Index of 105.7 in the area of reading and that School B had an Academic Index of 82.4.

Through the research, the investigator expected to better identify the gaps between lower performing and higher performing elementary schools in the region. My research question was, A Case study of …

Perceptions Of Athletic Training Services Of Japanese Collegiate Student Athletes, Jun Matsuno

Online Theses and Dissertations

Context: Athletic training is an international field. Athletes' perception or satisfaction of the services is important to improve and maintain the quality of athletic training services. This concept is important inside and outside of the United States. Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate the perception that Japanese collegiate athletes have in regard to athletic training services. Design: An online survey was conducted to student athletes in one Japanese University that provides athletic training services to selected intercollegiate sports teams by BOC certified athletic trainers. Setting: Japanese collegiate athletic training environment. Patients or Other Participants: A total of …

Police Deception: A Survey Of Eku Students, Jason Anthony Nicholson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Police deception has been both good and bad for society. Deceptive interrogation is an effective method of gaining confessions and convictions. It is also dangerous in that it raises the potential for false confessions, damages police-citizen relationships, damages case strength, and encourages lying in other aspects of policing. The purpose of the study was to gauge the opinions of students regarding deceptive interrogation by police. A survey was administered to a purposive sample of undergraduates at Eastern Kentucky University. The survey asked questions regarding the students' level of approval toward different scenarios of police deception. It also asked some …

The Relationship Between Teacher Efficacy And Use Of Data To Inform Instruction In Two Turnaround Middle Schools, Peggy Conrad Petrilli

Online Theses and Dissertations

Schools across our county must ensure that an increasing percentage of students meet state-specified proficiency standards for the schools to be rated as making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The longer a school fails to make AYP, the more severe are the corrective actions that must be undertaken.

This study looks at two turnaround middle schools in the western United States, which were determined to be among the lowest-performing five percent in their state. The turnaround model adopted by this school district is the transformational model of school turnaround. This model requires replacing at least 50% of the staff and principal, …

The Sensory Processing Patterns And Activity Choices Of A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mixed-Methods Case Study, Valerie Miller

Online Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that up to 95% of children with autism spectrum disorder experience sensory processing problems. Minimal research is available on the relationship between specific sensory processing patterns, activity preference and behavior patterns in children. It is hypothesized that if children participate in play activities that support their sensory needs, they will experience less behavioral problems, more self-regulating behavior and a higher quality of life. This mixed-methods case study examines how a child with autism spectrum disorder participates in activities and looks at if those activities support sensory needs, thus reinforcing self-regulatory behaviors.

A Bridge Program's Effect On Non-College Ready Student Veterans, Brett Eugene Morris

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether a bridge program designed to remediate academic deficiencies for a cohort of student veterans has any bearing on their post-secondary success and persistence. Specifically, this study examined the Veterans Bridge to College Success (VBCS) pilot program at Eastern Kentucky University, which provides an admission pathway for student veterans with low ACT or SAT test scores, no test scores, or marginal high school or college GPAs. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative analyses to determine whether student veterans with known academic deficiencies prior to enrollment would persist and perform at similar rates as their academically proficient …

Risk To Public Safety Posed By Adjudicated Delinquent Juvenile Sex Offenders: Do They Really Need To Register, Donna Susan Mynatt

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined sexual and non-sexual recidivism among a sample of delinquent juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs) following commitment to a state juvenile correctional agency. Both juvenile and adult recidivism rates were studied. The results showed a low rate of sexual recidivism and a high rate of non-sexual recidivism across a 4-year follow-up period past age18. Logistic and linear regression identified 4 significant predictor variables of non-sexual recidivism. JSOs that were non-white, un-related to the victim in the initial offense, or used another location for the initial offense other than their own home, were significantly more likely to commit non-sexual recidivism. …

The Effects Of Trust On Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis, Matthew Vincent Petrella

Online Theses and Dissertations

This meta-analysis examined the relationship between trust and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB). Trust has been studied extensively in the literature, and three referents of trust have been identified: interpersonal, organizational, and overall. OCB have also been studied extensively from a wide variety of perspectives. Dirks and Ferrin (2002) meta-analyzed the relationship between these two variables, and they found significant relationships between 1) interpersonal trust and OCB and 2) organizational trust and OCB. The purpose of the present research was to update the literature on these relationships. Twenty-three studies were found that measured the relationship between at least one of the …

Breeding Biology Of Chuck-Will's-Widows: Incubation, Brooding, And Provisioning Behavior And Characteristics Of Nest Sites, Ryan Sean O'Connor

Online Theses and Dissertations

Chuck-will's-widows (Antrostomus carolinensis) are cryptically colored grounding-nesting nightars that breed throughout much of the eastern United States, primarily in mixed-forest habitat. Because of their cryptic plumage and nocturnal habits, little is known about their behavior, particularly their breeding and nesting behavior. Thus, my objectives were to: (1) quantify patterns of incubation behavior (e.g., on bouts vs. off bouts) and the respective roles of males and females, (2) quantify the brooding and provisioning behavior of males and females, and, (3) compare the characteristics of nest sites and randomly selected unused sites to determine those features important in nest site selection.

My …

The Effectiveness Of An Emergency And Defensive Driving Techniques Course Component: Analyzing Student Response To Searching, Identifying, Predicting, Deciding And Executing Skills, Christopher Bradley Millard

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of an Emergency and Defensive Driving Techniques Course by measuring the students' visual and perceptual skills. The final analysis involved 117 students who participated in Eastern Kentucky University's (EKU) Traffic Safety (TRS) 233. Records were obtained through the Traffic Safety Institute and contained no identifying information. Records obtained included a generic unique identification number, gender, pre-test scores and post-test scores.

Expectation Vs. Perspective: A Personal Experience Of Completing Transition From High School To Community, Katherine Steinman

Online Theses and Dissertations

A challenging transition occurs when students with intellectual disabilities leave high school, yet there is little data in the literature covering this period of secondary transition. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perspectives of a young adult with an intellectual disability who completed the secondary transition process, his parent, and a vocational specialist. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview with each of the three participants about their experiences during the secondary transition. Three themes emerged from the data, including "I had no expectations": Expectations of the parent and transition plan; "He can do all those …

Kentucky Sro Programs: An Examination Of Impact On Reported Criminal Violations And Board Violations, William John Sullivan

Online Theses and Dissertations

School violence has become a focal point throughout the United States, sparked by violent mass killings at schools throughout the nation. In response to these horrific attacks, school officials, law enforcement, parents, and others have taken measures to improve school safety. One of the most substantial efforts includes the utilization of specially trained police officers (SROs) in our schools. Currently, there are approximately 230 SROs assigned to Kentucky schools (KASRO, 2013) and an estimated 20,000 SROs nationally (Myrstol, 2010). Regardless of the importance of maintaining safe schools and an environment that is conducive to learning, relatively little research has been …

Population Distribution And Abundance Of The Blackfin Sucker (Thoburnia Atripinnis) In The Upper Barren River System, Kentucky And Tennessee., Cory Daniel Stringfield

Online Theses and Dissertations

The blackfin sucker (Thoburnia atripinnis) is a relatively small species of fish (~155mm) endemic to the headwaters of the Barren River System (UBR) in Kentucky and Tennessee. Due to its isolated distribution and relatively small geographic inhabitance, the blackfin sucker is considered a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in Kentucky by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. In addition, it is included in Tennessee's list of rare wildlife as a Species of Special Concern. This study focused on determining the distribution and abundance of the blackfin sucker in those tributaries that comprise the UBR system, as well …

The Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion: Occupational Hazard Or Preventable Tragedy; A Look At State-Corporate Crime, Cassandra Tate

Online Theses and Dissertations

Corporate crimes, defined as "illegal and harmful acts committed by officer and employees of corporations to promote corporate interests," have a greater impact on society than many street crimes. Corporate crime includes a range of white-collar crimes that affect employees and consumers. White-collar and corporate crimes are often ignored by the media unless there is involvement in some high profile scandal. There tends to be a paucity of research associated with coal industry related corporate crimes. This includes personal and death related events in the coal mining industry. This was evident in the 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch …

The Relationship Between Kentucky High School Principals' Leadership Behaviors And Student Outcomes, Carolyn Camille Towns

Online Theses and Dissertations

Educational leadership and its effects on student achievement have been topics of increasing interest over the past four decades. This quantitative study researched the effects of the duties and responsibilities of high school principals on ACT scores and graduation rates. Independent variables include socioeconomic status and five of the seven standards from the Principal Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PPGES): Instructional Leadership, School Climate, Human Resources Management, Organizational Management, and Communication and Community Relations. Teacher responses for the 2011 Kentucky TELL Survey on the school level were utilized to rate the effectiveness of high school principals on each of the …

Can The Triarchic Model Differentiate Between Psychopathy And Antisocial Personality Disorder?, Tina Dilem Wall

Online Theses and Dissertations

Although Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) represents the closest diagnostic equivalent to psychopathy in the DSM-IV, it has long been recognized as failing to capture the full range of the construct. The current study examined the degree to which boldness, a trait domain within the triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy (Patrick et al., 2009) that captures fearlessness, dominance, and low stress reactivity, represents a distinct difference between psychopathy and APD. Utilizing a sample of 108 male prison inmates, the current study examined the extent to which boldness, relative to meanness and disinhibition (indexed by the Triarchic Psychopathy measure; Patrick, 2010), accounted for …

Winter Behavior And Ecology Of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis): Home Ranges, Habitat Use, And Effect Of Weather On Foraging Behavior, Todd J. Weinkam

Online Theses and Dissertations

Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are widespread across eastern North America, but populations appear to be susceptible to extreme winter weather. Declines in population following cold winters in states like Kentucky suggest the need to better understand winter-specific habitat requirements and behavioral responses to inclement weather. My objectives were to 1) describe the size and habitat composition of the home ranges of wintering bluebirds, and 2) examine the effects of weather (i.e., temperature, wind speed, and snow presence) on habitat occupancy, group size, and foraging behavior. My study was conducted at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, …

Assessment Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Pathogens Responsible For Causing Bovine Mastitis In Kentucky, Erica Denise West

Online Theses and Dissertations

Bovine mastitis is most significant disease seen in dairy farms worldwide, resulting in the largest profit loss of any other disease affecting dairy cows. The aim of this thesis was to determine the predominant species responsible for bovine mastitis in a subset of ten Kentucky dairy herds, and to assess the presence of antibiotic resistance in these pathogens. In this study, 308 milk samples were obtained from cow's selected based on their recent somatic cell count. Samples positive for growth were identified using the gram stain and various biochemical tests. After identification, resistance to 11 antimicrobial agents was assessed using …

The Impact Of Personality, Mindfulness, And Symptoms On Response To Brief Meditation, Miranda Westbrook

Online Theses and Dissertations

Mindful awareness is described as: (1) awareness "in the moment"; (2) that involves acceptance/non-judgment; and (3) is intentional (Kabat-Zinn, 1984). This awareness has gained popularity for use in therapeutic settings, based on consistent findings that mindfulness-based interventions have a beneficial effect on psychological and physical functioning (Baer, 2003; Grossman, et al., 2004). However, the factors that predict the extent to which one may enter into and benefit from an inducted mindful state have not been thoroughly investigated. The current study sought to investigate such factors, including personality characteristics, psychological symptoms, and dispositional mindfulness.

The Effect Of A Student Support Services Program On Academic Success At An Appalachian Comprehensive University, Ryan Martin Wilson

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of the NOVA program, a Students Support Services program at Eastern Kentucky University, on academic success for first-generation and low-income college students. An archival database was used to identify differences in the level of academic success among first-year students in the NOVA program from fall-to-fall of their freshmen year compared to non-NOVA students of comparable backgrounds. Additionally, a survey was administered to identify which services provided by NOVA as rated by participating students predict academic success. Results showed that NOVA students have higher cumulative GPAs, retention rates, and percentage of credits earned. Analyses of the …

Examining The Role Of Race, Gender, And Class In African-American Police Perceptions In Rural Kentucky, Paul Maxwell Blackhurst

Online Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has consistently demonstrated the role of race in understanding racial and ethnic differences in perceptions of the police. This research has overwhelmingly shown that Blacks and Latinos hold lower levels of trust and confidence in the police than do Whites and other racial minorities. The increased skepticism of the police expressed by minority citizens is commonly associated with racial profiling and documented racial disparities in police behavior. Although policing research has empirically demonstrated the influence of race on perceptions of the police, few studies have explored police perceptions from a rural context. By employing the Citizen's Attitudes Towards …

Wintering White-Throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia Albicollis): Home Ranges, Aggression And Corticosterone, Marissa Ann Buschow

Online Theses and Dissertations

White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) are songbirds that spend the non-breeding season in southeastern North America, where they form philopatric territorial flocks. Flocks exhibit dominance hierarchies, with dominance rank associated with an individual's age and prior residence in the territory. Although social behaviors within flocks are well studied, few studies have described winter home ranges. I tagged white-throated sparrows (n = 12) in Madison County, Kentucky, with 0.9-g radio transmitters during the winter of 2010-2011. Locations were entered into ArcGIS and home range sizes were estimated with 50% and 95% kernel analysis for individuals with at least five locations. Mean core …

Increasing Automaticity, Sara Burns

Online Theses and Dissertations

Automaticity is defined as the process of developing fluency in mathematics and the ability to answer a basic math problem routinely. Automaticity is one of the most important skills that a student can possess in mathematics. While there are many ways that an educator can implement strategies to increase automaticity in the classroom, the purpose of this study was to determine which of these methods of implementation is more effective: requiring students to practice automaticity three times per week or requiring students to practice automaticity five times per week.

The Impact Of Orientation Programming On Student Success Outcomes At A Rural Community College, James M. Davis

Online Theses and Dissertations

Economic and fiscal challenges, increased public scrutiny, and calls for accountability from stakeholders necessitate that community colleges work diligently to improve student success outcomes. Programs, services, and initiatives need to be developed and implemented that will increase student retention. Orientation is an important intervention service that can help new students to acclimate and make a more successful transition to college. There is a need to study programs that increase student success, and new student orientation programs have demonstrated their promise in reducing student attrition. This quantitative study examined a first year new student orientation program at a rural community college …

Gaussian Amicable Pairs, Ranthony Ashley Clark

Online Theses and Dissertations

Amicable pairs are two integers where the sum of the proper divisors of one is the other and vice versa. Since the Gaussian integers have many of the properties of the regular integers, we sought to discover whether there exist any pairs of Gaussian integers with the same property. It turns out that they do exist. In fact, some of the normal amicable pairs carry over as Gaussian amicable pairs. Also discovered are pairs that have a complex part.

"It's Like We Were Being Watched ... Like There Were Only 3 Walls, And Not A Fourth Wall": Manifestations Of Metafiction In Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Caleb Randall Dempsey-Richardson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Despite the extensive collection of works related to both Joss Whedon and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, relatively little critical attention has so far dealt with the subject of metafiction. This study aims to make use of narratological analyses as well as drawing upon relevant theorists (e.g., Patricia Waugh, Fredric Jameson) to illustrate the various different ways Whedon has consciously constructed metafiction as an integral part of his most influential television series. Additionally, the project also endeavors to show how textual self-consciousness can be housed outside of the tradition space of the diegesis in favor of a paratextual element instead. …

Factors Influencing College Attendance Of Appalachian Kentucky Students Participating In A Federal Educational Talent Search Program, William Bowling

Online Theses and Dissertations

Post-secondary education is quickly becoming a requirement for many growing careers. Because of this, an increased focused on post-secondary enrollment and attainment has been seen in the education community, particularly in the K-12 systems. To that end a large number of programs and organizations have begun to provide assistance to these students in the form of academic advising, college coaching, and personal enrichment. Since the enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, there has been a burgeoning population of such programs like the TRIO family.

The purpose of this study was three-fold. The first objective was to determine the …

Relationships Between Teacher Perceptions Of Principal Leadership And Student Achievement In Kentucky Appalachian High Schools, James I. Dantic

Online Theses and Dissertations

High Schools located in Kentucky's rural Appalachian region have historically performed below average on national and state assessment instruments. These schools are located in a geographically isolated region with high unemployment, almost stagnant population growth and limited economic resources. Principals of these Kentucky Appalachian Schools are charged with raising student achievement and ensuring college and career readiness for all students in this challenging environment.

This correlational research examines principal leadership as determined by teacher responses on Kentucky's 2011 TELL survey and its relationship with student achievement as defined by school level performance on 2011 ACT and gains in student performance …