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Influence Of Friendship On Motivation And Academic Achievement, Anna Dechant Nov 2011

Influence Of Friendship On Motivation And Academic Achievement, Anna Dechant

Master's Theses

Research has shown that friendship, along with motivation, can impact the cognitive development and academic achievement of students in varying ways. As a result of the increase in attention nationwide on student achievement and the positive outcomes that result from academic success, knowing the influences of age, friendship quality, various aspects of friendship, and motivation on academic achievement can only serve to enhance student achievement outcomes, and therefore success in adulthood. The present study examined the variables of age, grade level, and friendship quality, including specific aspects such as conflict and closeness, length of friendship, and time spent with friends, …


Motive Strength As A Predictor Of Goal Importance, Jeffrey Dohm Nov 2011

Motive Strength As A Predictor Of Goal Importance, Jeffrey Dohm

Master's Theses

The present study sought to examine whether motivation as measured by 16 motives the Reiss Profile of Fundamental Goals and Motivation Sensitivities could predict the relative importance of goals as measured by the Aspiration Index. Five motive goal relationships were targeted as being prime candidates, Status – Popularity, Social Contact – Affiliation, Romance – Hedonism, Acceptance – Conformity, and Idealism – Community Feeling. 101 undergraduate students were administered both surveys. The results indicated that motivation did predict goal importance in all but one motive and goal pair. In addition, multiple regression analysis indicated motivation predicted goal importance for nine of …


Test Performance And Study Breaks, Lori Mcginley Nov 2011

Test Performance And Study Breaks, Lori Mcginley

Master's Theses

As the culture of American education changes, recess time is declining in favor of instruction time. An important question, however, is whether this shift is truly going to yield the best learning outcomes. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of taking a break, both mental and physical, on test performance. Seventy college students were tested on their learning of a list of phobias that they had studied in one of three conditions: no break, mental break, and physical break. It was predicted that participants would perform better on a subsequent memory task when a break …


Alarm-Calling And Response Behaviors Of The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog In Kansas, Lloyd W. Towers Iii Nov 2011

Alarm-Calling And Response Behaviors Of The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog In Kansas, Lloyd W. Towers Iii

Master's Theses

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) use alarm calls to warn offspring and other kin of predatory threats. Dialects occur when vocalizations contain consistent differences among populations not isolated by geographic barriers. The Gunnison’s prairie dog (C. gunnisoni) has dialects in its alarm calls. The objectives of my study were to: (1) assess if the black-tailed prairie dog (C. ludovicianus) responded differently to alarm calls from other colonies than it did to alarm calls from its own colony, and (2) detect dialects, if they existed, in the alarm calls of the black-tailed prairie dog. The study included 8 black-tailed prairie dog colonies …


Sitting Bull And Geronimo: A Comparison Of Their Military And Religious Leadership, Gary Joseph Younger Nov 2011

Sitting Bull And Geronimo: A Comparison Of Their Military And Religious Leadership, Gary Joseph Younger

Master's Theses

In the history of the American West, hundreds of books have been written about Indian Leaders. Two of the most famous leaders are Sitting Bull and Geronimo. However, every history looks at them as individuals and never compares the military and religious aspects of the two men. Both Sitting Bull and Geronimo fought against the westward expansion of the United States to protect their people’s way of life. Each leaders’ religious views influenced their decisions. While Sitting Bull felt that Wakan Tanka chose him to lead his people, Geronimo believed that his Power wanted him to continue his quest for …


Mammalian Fauna From The Fullerton Gravel Pit (Ogallala Group, Late Miocene), Morton County, Kansas, Michael Anthony Calvello Jul 2011

Mammalian Fauna From The Fullerton Gravel Pit (Ogallala Group, Late Miocene), Morton County, Kansas, Michael Anthony Calvello

Master's Theses

The Fullerton Gravel Pit, Morton County, Kansas is one of many sites in western Kansas at which the Ogallala Group crops out. The Ogallala Group was deposited primarily by streams flowing from the Rocky Mountains. Evidence of water transport is observable at the Fullerton Gravel Pit through the presence of allochthonous clasts, cross-bedding, pebble alignment, and fossil breakage and subsequent rounding. Fluvial mechanisms also played an important role in the distribution of fossil material. When the fossils from the Fullerton Gravel Pit are placed in Voorhies Groups, it appears that a majority of them were removed from suspension gradually and …


Differences In Students' Motivation To Attend College: Large Versus Small High Schools, Brittney Horyna Jul 2011

Differences In Students' Motivation To Attend College: Large Versus Small High Schools, Brittney Horyna

Master's Theses

The current study examined the relationship between the variables: school size, motivation, and college attendance to determine if the size of a student’s high school, along with his/her motivational tendencies, influenced the student’s choice to pursue a college education. Additionally, it was hypothesized that college students who had attended smaller high schools (enrollment of < 500) would exhibit motivational tendencies more characteristic of being intrinsically motivated, while college students who had attended larger high schools (enrollment = 500+) would be more extrinsically motivated. Data was gathered from college students attending a small mid-west university (N=266) using a brief demographics survey as well as Vallerand et al.’s (1992) Academic Motivation Scale. Results of a factorial MANOVA revealed a significant main effect for sex on the motivational subscales: extrinsic motivation- identified (MMale= 5.80, MFemale= 6.16), extrinsic motivation- external regulation (MMale= 5.94, MFemale= 6.24), and motivation (MMale= 1.89, MFemale= 1.43). Additional follow-up analyses utilizing Pearson Correlations indicated the existence of significant, positive, linear relationships between approximate number of senior classmates and the following subscales: intrinsic motivation- towards accomplishment, extrinsic motivation- identified, and extrinsic motivation- introjected. Furthermore, these results indicated a significant relationship between approximate high school enrollment and intrinsic motivation- towards accomplishment and a marginally significant relationship between approximate number of senior classmates and extrinsic motivation- external regulation. Results will be discussed in light of previous research and literature regarding secondary educational institutions, the various types of motivation, and their impact on students’ academic performance.


Private Versus Public Schools: A Comparison Of The Percentage Of Third- And Fifth-Grade Students Who Meet Kansas State Proficiency Standards In Reading And Mathematics, Kyle D. Carlin Jul 2011

Private Versus Public Schools: A Comparison Of The Percentage Of Third- And Fifth-Grade Students Who Meet Kansas State Proficiency Standards In Reading And Mathematics, Kyle D. Carlin

Master's Theses

The present study examined the relationship between school sector and academic achievement as measured by the mathematics and reading portions of the Kansas State Assessments. Archival data were used to obtain the percent of third-grade and fifth-grade students who were proficient in mathematics and reading for 919 schools (813 public, 106 private) across Kansas. The data were analyzed to identify extraneous variables that affect academic achievement and to determine if attending private or public schools resulted in higher academic achievement. Results indicate that, after extraneous variables are statistically controlled for, students who attend public schools achieve equal to or higher …


Grief Support Groups: Preference For Online Vs. Face To Face, Kris S. Fox Jul 2011

Grief Support Groups: Preference For Online Vs. Face To Face, Kris S. Fox

Master's Theses

Grief is a reaction to loss and will be experienced to some degree by everyone in his or her life. For most, this is a brief process lasting a few weeks or months, after which they regain their focus and return to their normal lives. For a percentage of the population, however, it is more difficult to return to normal life functions. The grieving process can further diminish low social support and social support networks. However, generally providing the opportunity to talk about their feelings is sufficient to help most work through their grief without therapy (Burke, Eakes, and Hainsworth, …


Effects Of Fatigue On The Balance Error Scoring System For Concussion Testing In Healthy And Previous Concussed Participants, Jason M. Graham Jul 2011

Effects Of Fatigue On The Balance Error Scoring System For Concussion Testing In Healthy And Previous Concussed Participants, Jason M. Graham

Master's Theses

There has been a recent increase in the attention of concussions in the media and research world. One of the major factors that contribute to injuries including concussion is fatigue. This study has been designed to allow athletic trainers to decipher whether a potential balance insufficiency in an acutely concussed athlete is due to fatigue or the side affects of the concussion on postural stability. The study examined 30 college-aged athletes from a multitude of sports who had either sustained a concussion or never had a concussion. Participants were randomly grouped into one of three groups: non-concussed control group, non-concussed …


Accelerated Reader: The Relation To Age Of Entry Into Formal Education, Tiffani Long Jul 2011

Accelerated Reader: The Relation To Age Of Entry Into Formal Education, Tiffani Long

Master's Theses

The current study examined the relationship between ages of entry into formal education and the effects it had on participation in the Accelerated Reader program. More specifically, the variables being compared were: the child’s age in months, gender, average number of AR points accumulated, the number of quizzes passed, and finally the number of quizzes taken. It was hypothesized that those children who are younger than their peers are going to earn fewer points than their older peers. Additionally, a gender difference was also hypothesized, predicting that female students would earn more points than their male classmates. Data was gathered …


The Effects Of Creativity On Mood Enhancement Caused By Laughter Therapy, Jennifer Clark Jul 2011

The Effects Of Creativity On Mood Enhancement Caused By Laughter Therapy, Jennifer Clark

Master's Theses

This study was conducted to examine the mood-enhancing benefits of Judy Young’s Laughter Therapy and the facilitative effects of high levels of creativity on changes in mood. This program aims to teach participants purposeful laughter so that they may ‘turn on’ genuine laughter at will. Two hour exposure to Laughter Therapy revealed increases in Positive Affect (PA) and decreases in Negative Affect (NA). The full three-week program was conducted with a control group with consenting employees at a school district. The control group included beneficial components of the Laughter Therapy program (i.e. light cardiovascular exercise, diaphragmatic breathing, and social interaction) …


The Social Perceptions Of The Highly Intelligent, Robert J. Fossum Jul 2011

The Social Perceptions Of The Highly Intelligent, Robert J. Fossum

Master's Theses

Mass media is portraying highly intelligent people as having noticeable deficits in their social skills. Shows such as The Big Bang Theory are very popular and watched by millions. This suggests that the population has a perception of intelligent individuals being odd and not having many friends. This study looks at how perceived intelligence affects the likeableness of an individual. The perception of intelligence was raised or lowered according to the grade level of the words used in several descriptive paragraphs. Non-verbal cues were eliminated by using written paragraphs rather than individuals speaking. It was expected that perceived intelligence would …


Spatial Analysis Of A Bioterrorist Attack On Four Major United States Cities Using An Aerosolized Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Kathryn Prinslow May 2011

Spatial Analysis Of A Bioterrorist Attack On Four Major United States Cities Using An Aerosolized Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Kathryn Prinslow

Master's Theses

Before the attack on September 11,2001, the United States was very vulnerable to a biological attack. Since then, those responsible for the security of the United States Homeland Security have become more aware of the country's vulnerability. Biological agents have the potential to give small groups of people unprecedented power to terrorize, as indicate by the "Amerithrax" attack in 2001, and of all of these agents, none have more potential for destruction than Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF). This research uses one of the deadliest viruses that have not been eradicated to identify the number of fatalities in an outbreak affecting …


Media Convergence At The High School Level: Why Should High School Journalism Classes Use Technology Currently Used By Professional Publications?, Kristine L. Dekat May 2011

Media Convergence At The High School Level: Why Should High School Journalism Classes Use Technology Currently Used By Professional Publications?, Kristine L. Dekat

Master's Theses

The digitization of media organizations has brought about changes in both the organization and the practices of journalism, which have resulted in a change in how the news is made. Media convergence has required news organizations to combine online media, broadcast news, and print media to create news stories. This thesis will examine why convergence has become necessary for professional publications and how they are converging. The research includes original research gathered from surveying journalism schools to understand how colleges are preparing students for careers in the professional media. High school journalism programs were also surveyed to identify how high …


An Allosaurus From The Morrison Formation (Late Jurassic) Of Converse County, Wyoming, Dennis D. Roth May 2011

An Allosaurus From The Morrison Formation (Late Jurassic) Of Converse County, Wyoming, Dennis D. Roth

Master's Theses

I describe a partial skeleton of a theropod from the Later Jurassic Morrison Formation of Converse County, Wyoming. Collected material included 17 vertebrae, three ribs, two associated left metatarsals and an incomplete ilium of an Allosaurus in a gray silty-mudstone containing conchostraca. Several vertebrae are deformed with transverse processes broken and pressed against the neural spine, or twisted transverse processes from lateral or dorso-venteral compression. The material has evidence of erosion prior to deposition, as well as during postfossilization. I propose the deformation of the vertebrae is due to a demineralization of the bones. The flattened surfaces appear to have …


Geoenabling A Rural Community Through Web Gis: A Case Study Of The City Of Hays, Ellis County Kansas, Eamonn W. Coveney May 2011

Geoenabling A Rural Community Through Web Gis: A Case Study Of The City Of Hays, Ellis County Kansas, Eamonn W. Coveney

Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to describe the internet GIS implementation in the City of Hays and Ellis County, Kansas, then compare it to examples of implementation from other similar communities. Geospatial resources were consolidated from both agencies and used to develop two web mapping applications for employee and public access. Both mapping applications were developed on the ArcGIS Server platform using the .NET Web Application Developer Framework. In addition, a HTML website was developed to accommodate common data requests and an online map repository. The implementation approach of the City of Hays and Ellis County is similar to …


Exploring The Sleeping Experiences Of Shiftwork Nurses, Patricia A. Doty May 2011

Exploring The Sleeping Experiences Of Shiftwork Nurses, Patricia A. Doty

Master's Theses

Shiftwork scheduling in nursing can lead to diminished health status, quality of life and job dissatisfaction, and it can contribute significantly to decreases in the quality of patient care. In light of the current nursing shortage, and the increasing need for healthcare professionals and services in the coming years, it is imperative that nursing administrators focus on identifying and implementing interventions that counteract the deleterious effects of shiftwork now. This investigation was conducted to explore the sleeping experiences of shiftwork nurses. A convenience sample of 69 (N = 69) licensed nurses working day shift, evenings, nights and rotating shifts at …


Exposure To Mortality And Its Effects On Teen Drinking, Amber Jones May 2011

Exposure To Mortality And Its Effects On Teen Drinking, Amber Jones

Master's Theses

The topic of teen drinking is popular because it has been persistent over time and does not appear to be diminishing in today’s society. Alcohol consumption among adolescents is a major health concern for our adolescents today (Kosterman, Hawkins, Guo, Catalon, & Abbott, 2000). Besides being associated with poor health conditions (Puddey, Rakic, Dimmitt, & Beilin, 1999), adolescent drinking is also correlated with risks such as poor school performance, violence/criminal behavior, and other self-harming behaviors (Mason & Windle, 2002). Aside from these alcohol related risks, there is a higher risk of poor decision making including that of drinking and driving. …


Breeding Habitat Structure And Use By Kansas-Occurring Black Rail, Stephanie A. Kane May 2011

Breeding Habitat Structure And Use By Kansas-Occurring Black Rail, Stephanie A. Kane

Master's Theses

Two subspecies of Black Rail Laterallus jamaicenis occur in the United States, and neither has been studied extensively. Of the two, the Eastern subspecies L. j. jamaicenis has a larger range, but has been studied to a lesser degree than the California subspecies (L. j. coturniculus Eastern Black Rail are known to breed at several locations in Kansas, but as in other inland populations, precisely where these individuals overwinter is unknown. Additionally, little information is available on characteristics of breeding habitat for inland Eastern Black Rail populations, and few studies have investigated the effect of habitat management techniques on these …


Effects Of Prescribed Burning On Grassland Nesting Birds On Conservation Reserve Program Areas In Gove County, Kansas, Justin Vern Hamilton May 2011

Effects Of Prescribed Burning On Grassland Nesting Birds On Conservation Reserve Program Areas In Gove County, Kansas, Justin Vern Hamilton

Master's Theses

Great Plains grasslands were once one of the largest ecosystems in North America. However, farming, ranching, urban development, widespread fire suppression, and numerous other factors have created a great loss of this habitat in central North America. Organisms that depend on that habitat, such as grassland nesting birds, also have declined. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which was established in 1985, paid landowners to remove land with highly erodible soils from production and plant it with perennial vegetation. Increases in CRP acreages brought about increases in numbers of several bird species that were in decline before the program existed. Prescribed …


A Survey Of Speech-Language Pathologists' Attitudes Toward The 3:1 Service Delivery Model, Whitney Hubert May 2011

A Survey Of Speech-Language Pathologists' Attitudes Toward The 3:1 Service Delivery Model, Whitney Hubert

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of SLPs who are currently using the 3:1 service delivery model. The 3:1 Model consists of services being directly administered for three out of the four weeks of a month and indirect services provided during the fourth week. An internet-based questionnaire was completed by 90 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to obtain their perspectives regarding the 3:1 Model. In general, 45% of the SLPs reported using the 3:1 Model with all of their clients and 86% preferred the 3:1 Model over other models (block scheduling, traditional model). The SLPs noted …


The Mammals And Paleoindian Artifact From The Feaster Sand Pit, Late Pleistocene (Wisconsin)-Early Holocene, Of Cowley County (Southeastern), Kansas, Miranda L. Lucas May 2011

The Mammals And Paleoindian Artifact From The Feaster Sand Pit, Late Pleistocene (Wisconsin)-Early Holocene, Of Cowley County (Southeastern), Kansas, Miranda L. Lucas

Master's Theses

Over 100 fossil remains of late Pleistocene (Wisconsin)-early Holocene mammals, including one modified by paleoindians into an arrow shaft straightener were recovered from the Feaster sand pit in the southwestern part of Cowley County, Kansas. Taxa identified to species include Procyon lotor (Linnaeus), Mammut americanum (Kerr), Mammuthus columbi (Falconer), Mammuthus jeffersonii (Osborn), Equus scotti (Gidley), Equus conversidens (Owen), Camelops hesternus (Leidy), Antilocapra americana (Ord), and Bison antiquus (Ledy). The Feaster sand pit is thought to be late Pleistocene (Wisconsin) to early Holocene in age due to the high co-occurrence of mammals that are similar to the taxa of known late …


Heber Doust Curtis And The Island Universe Theory, Hyrum Austin Somers May 2011

Heber Doust Curtis And The Island Universe Theory, Hyrum Austin Somers

Master's Theses

The beginning of the twentieth century was a time a great change and development within American astronomy. The period is rife with astronomers, both men and women, who advanced the discipline. However, few historians have looked at the lives of these astronomers. When an astronomer is chosen for closer study, they tend to be one who contributed to the astronomical discipline with a significant discovery. Unfortunately, those astronomers whose careers did not climax with discovery have a tendency to be forgotten by historians, even though their lives and research have affected our modern understanding. This thesis looks at one such …


Conflict And Satisfaction In Romantic Relationships, Meghan Moland May 2011

Conflict And Satisfaction In Romantic Relationships, Meghan Moland

Master's Theses

Past research regarding the link between conflict resolution styles and marital satisfaction have been consistent; each partner's level of relationship satisfaction is positively related to the frequency with which both partners use constructive strategies to resolve conflict (such as agreement, compromise, and humor) and negatively related to the frequency with which each partner uses destructive strategies to resolve conflict (such as conflict engagement, withdrawal, and defensiveness) (Kurdek, 1995). The purpose of this research was to examine the links between conflict and satisfaction in romantic relationships that are one or more years in duration. Six self-report indices (the Relationship Assessment Scale …