Digital Commons Network^™

Domestic Violence Rights Movement In Tanzania: An Exploration, Flora Peter Myamba

Dissertations

In Tanzania, the involvement of a social movement to addressing domestic violence is fairly recent (early 1990s) (Green, 1999; Hirsch, 2003; Michau, 2002; TAMWA, 1999). As has historically been the case in most African countries, domestic violence has remained largely invisible, being considered a normal custom, practice and tradition (Green, 1999; The New York Times, 2005; TAMWA, 1999). Efforts to address it have been regarded as shameful and pointless (TGNP, 1993). Indeed, cultural mores remain very contentious with regard to the activities of the Tanzanian domestic violence rights movement (DVRM). It is this conflict between the movement's efforts to educate …

The Robustness Of Confidence Intervals For The Mean Of Delta Distribution, Mathew Anthony Cantos Rosales

Dissertations

The delta distribution is a mixture of a lognormal distribution and a distribution degenerate at zero. Interval estimators of the mean of delta distribution were proposed and examined under full assumption of the model. In this dissertation, robustness of these estimators is studied by comparing coverage properties when the data are contaminated. Simulation models have been considered to accommodate two types of contaminants: (1) data from lognormal distribution with higher level of skewness and (2) data from similar skewed distribution such as gamma, Weibull or Birnbaum-Saunders distributions with the same mean and variance as the original lognormal distribution. In addition, …

Counselor Trainees' Perceptions Of Their Personal Growth: A Qualitative Inquiry, Ericka L. Souders

Dissertations

Over the past decade there has been increased discussion in the counselor education literature regarding the personal limitations and/or impairments of counselors that may hinder their abilities to provide competent services. Although counseling ethical codes and standards of practice suggest competent counselors are those who demonstrate both professional and personal skills and counselor educators have explored numerous training methods to promote such development, the concern about impaired counselors remains. There is minimal information in the literature that describes how counselors in training develop personal attitudes, skills, and characteristics that may prevent their impairment and facilitate their competency with their clientele. …

Climate In Catholic Schools: A Comparative Study Of Three Types Of Organizational Structures, Andra Zommers

Dissertations

This study inquired into American Catholic schools' organizational structures and their relationship with school climate through use of the national data from Schools and Staffing Survey 2003-04 by the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. The study focused on the statistical assessment of Catholic school teachers' perceptions of climate within three organizational structures. Another aspect of the research was the principals' perception of climate within each of the organizational structures. Last, the study investigated whether teachers' and principals' perceptions of climate differed.

A weighted one-way ANOVA was run to investigate whether the type of Catholic school could …

From Birth To Death Of Cool, Brandon Theriault

Honors Theses

I first heard the music of Miles when I would visit my uncle in his surburban neighborhood outside Detroit. He celebrates Miles's entire discography, a value I do not share, but we do agree on when Miles was truly "kickin' it": 1965-1974. The "adolescence and early manhood of cool" always grabbed me with its transitioning attitude and sea of creative performers assembled by Davis. His whole career is teeming with innovative ideas and outstanding sidemen, but my obsequious writ will favor the years he "kicked it".

Low-Level Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In The Waters Of Michigan, Lisa M. Anderson

Dissertations

The results of this research are the product of a two year study funded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality with monies from the Clean Michigan Initiative. Low-level (part per billion range) pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the waters of Michigan were investigated. Five rivers in the State were sampled; including the Clinton, Grand, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, and Saginaw. Groundwater samples were obtained from two shallow municipal water wells also; one on the Grand River and one on the Kalamazoo River. The wells were sampled to determine if PPCPs in the river water were being drawn in by …

Acceptability Of Interventions To Staff In Long-Term Care Settings For Older Adults: Comparing Ratings And Hierarchical Selection, Jonathan C. Baker

Dissertations

Older adults and their caregivers generally prefer behavioral interventions over medications in treatment acceptability studies (Osterkamp, Mathews, Burgio, & Hardin, 1997). However, previous acceptability studies have primarily examined ratings, which did not force the responder to select between treatment options. Additionally, recent advances in behavioral treatment technologies (Carr & LeBlanc, 2003) and pharmacotherapy (Schneider, 1999) warrant revisiting treatment acceptability for older adults. The present investigation examined treatment acceptability of behavioral, pharmacological, and sensory interventions using a treatment acceptability rating scale, treatment selections, and direct report of treatments used in a six-month window. Fifty-six staff from nursing homes in the Mid-West …

Middle School Teacher And Parent Perceptions Of Parental Involvement, Brandon Graham

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study research was to examine the perceptions of teachers and parents towards current parental involvement factors in a suburban junior high school located in the Midwest United States. Such perceptions were compiled by means of surveys based on Dr. Joyce Epstein's Framework of the Six Dimensions of Parental Involvement: (a) parenting, (b) communication, (c) volunteering, (d) learning at home, (e) decision-making, (f) and collaborating with the community (Epstein, 1995). The subjects were N=36 seventh and eighth grade teachers, and N=344 parents of students. The descriptive statistical analysis did show a difference between teachers and parents …

Investigating The Effects Of Observer Presence And Feedback On Individuals' Work-Related Behavior, Angela R. Lebbon

Dissertations

Direct observation procedures have been widely used by applied behavior analysts to examine the effects of various interventions, however, recent research examining the effects of the observer's presence on behavior has found that participants behave in ways that are not representative of their behavior in the absence of an observer. Furthermore, recent research has demonstrated that both reactivity and habituation are idiosyncratic and it remains unclear which variables mediate reactive effects with individuals. Researchers have discussed the necessity of identifying and measuring reactive effects in order to discover variables (e.g., discriminative stimulus properties) that may mediate reactive effects. Previous research …

Novanet Online Curricula And The Course Completion Of Alternative High School Students, Margaret Elizabeth Munger

Dissertations

Studies on alternative schools have previously been qualitative in nature and provided information on the characteristics of a quality alternative school. Quantitative research in the area of alternative education has been limited. Previous research involving NovaNET Online Curriculum has centered on credit recovery, remediation and a small amount has been conducted on student use of the system. Currently, many alternative schools are using NovaNET or other online curricula to assist students move towards graduation without the possibility of losing credit due to poor attendance. The system is being marketed as a means for students to earn additional credits and progress …

Comparing The Accuracy Of Performing Digital And Paper Checklists Using A Feedback Package During Normal Workload Conditions In Simulated Flight, William Gene Rantz

Dissertations

This study examined whether pilots completed airplane digital or paper checklists more accurately when they received post-flight graphic and verbal feedback. Participants were 6 college student pilots with instrument rating. The task consisted of flying flight patterns using a Frasca 241 Flight Training Device which emulates a Cirrus SR20 aircraft. The main dependent variable was the number of checklist items completed correctly per flight. An alternating treatment, multiple baseline design across pairs with reversal, was used. During baseline, the average percent of correctly completed items per flight varied considerably across participants, ranging from 13% to 57% for traditional paper checklists …

Effects Of Age And Promotion In The Use Of Psychological Resources Of Promoted Employees, Janet M. Thorne-Chan

Dissertations

There is little research on the personal experiences of employees as they make a career transition due to promotion. The purpose of this study was to examine how newly promoted employees use their psychological resources to cope with transition. The Career Transition Inventory (CTI) was administered to 32 hairstylists from 14 different salons in the Midwest. The five scales of the CTI (Readiness, Confidence, Control, Support, and Independence) were used to identify how psychological resources were used by promoted employees. The CTI scales were compared to the variables of Age and Promotion since these variables are mentioned in the literature …

Making Sense Of Roles And Responsibilities: A Socialization Study Of College And University Music Department Chairs, Jason Robert Werkema

Dissertations

Department chairs have received considerable attention in higher education literature due to the many challenges associated with their mid-level administrative position. Those who accept the department chair position report limited preparation, little or no formal training, increased stress, and overall difficulty functioning in their numerous roles. The troubled experience of many who have served as department chairs was the central problem driving this research.

The music discipline is particularly complex when compared to other academic disciplines because of its unique characteristics and challenges. The purpose of the current study was to understand and describe the process by which music department …

Key Challenges Facing Student Athletes And Connections To Their Choice Of Major, Kimberlee J. Henrion

Dissertations

This study examines the reasons student athletes choose their major and the challenges they face creating a successful student identity, and ultimately graduating with degrees of value to them. A survey was created utilizing themes from previous studies, and distributed at one Midwestern Division I university. Questions regarding time management, academic conflicts, health issues, service usage, selection of major, career aspirations, and perceptions of identity, following Arthur Chickering's theory of College Student Development were asked.

Results show the majority of the 171 student athlete respondents indicated few conflicts with time management (e.g., they generally have time to complete class work), …

Good Death: A Community Conversation, Jasmine Lake

Honors Theses

No abstract available. Playbill.

The Financing And Reform Of The United States Healthcare System, Sarah Georgeau Bernheisel

Honors Theses

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately forty-five million people in the United States, including nearly nine million children, were without health insurance in 2007 ("Fast Stats A to Z" 1). Additionally, in 2007, nearly 30% of young adults, ages 18-24, in the United States were uninsured ("Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage" 22). Sadly, none of these figures includes the countless individuals who have insufficient healthcare coverage caused by their high out-of pocket costs compared to their wages.

The Worth Of A Comfortable Shoe, Kristina Mellinger

Honors Theses

The topic that I have chosen allows me to research not only the health concerns for wearing high heels (which was my original intent), but also the psychological, cultural, and historical aspects of wearing high heels and even shoes in general. This has allowed me to have endless possibilities during my research. I have learned many interesting facts about the history of shoes, and I find myself reading into the wee hours of the night just to learn more. My interest in this topic is derived from my own experience of wearing uncomfortably high heels. When I wear these ridiculous …

Implications For Nursing Involvement In Health Care Reform: An International Comparison, Erin Mccuen

Honors Theses

In this paper, a comparison of two countries' approaches to deliver healthcare services to their people and the practice of professional nursing will be presented. The report is based on a study abroad course where data were gathered about the two countries and included a ten day tour of Slovakia meeting many healthcare leaders and nursing students. A pictorial presentation of this report is attached (See Appendix) as evidence of the comparisons between the two health care systems. The United States of America and the Republic of Slovakia are two countries that have particularly interesting healthcare delivery and nursing practice …

The Language Facilitation Training System: Vocal Verbal Behavior, Maija Graudins

Honors Theses

The Language Facilitation Training System (LFTS) is a subsystem of the Behavioral Research Supervisory System (BRSS). Both of these are contained within BATS, which is the Behavior Analysis Training System. These systems were developed by Dr. Richard Malott in one of the Behavior Analysis programs at Western Michigan University.

Developing A Standardized Checklist Curriculum To Improve Checklist Performance Under Normal Workload Flight Operations, Jared K. Neterer

Honors Theses

Checklists are a fundamental element to a safe and secure flight environment. Checklists are designed to aid pilots while performing crucial tasks during predetermined flight segments. However, checklists are of little use if procedures are not followed. Basic skills on how to properly use a checklist need to be trained to proficiency with novice pilots to ensure continuous and proper use.

Drug Use And Abuse By People With Autism, Todd A. Merritt

Honors Theses

A developmental disability that is as prevalent as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is in society should have an extensive background of research, and this appears to be lacking, specifically concerning the issue of substance use and abuse. This article is a review of the current literature on drug use and abuse by people with Autism. Although some relevant studies have been conducted, no review of this literature has been done. Topics of interest include the prevalence of use and abuse of licit and illicit substances (e.g., ethanol, cigarettes, marijuana, and cocaine), common drug-related problems, and targeted prevention and treatment strategies.