Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Women's Access To Professional Positions In Hospital Foundations, Bettina Kohlbrenner

Master's Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which professional women in hospital foundations perceive career barriers in their organizations-particularly whether women in mid-level management perceive greater barriers to their career advancement than do women in senior-level management. The researcher also strove to identify the barriers identified in the literature review that women felt were the most significant in their organizations.

A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to 204 women in 113 hospital foundations in California. The subjects were selected from the membership directory of the Association of Philanthropy. The questionnaire was designed to collect three types of …

Gender Within Genre: Perspectives On The Southern Hunting Tradition, J. Andrew Cocke

Theses & Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Willingness Of College Faculty To Make Accommodations For Students With Learning Disabilities, Christine Ritter

Theses & Honors Papers

A survey questionnaire was sent to forty-nine full time faculty members in the fall of 1996. Thirty-nine {80%) faculty members at a small four year, predominantly liberal arts college in central Virginia, responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaire was concerned with providing instructional accommodations, assignment accommodations, examination accommodations, and academic policy accommodations for students who have learning disabilities. Data were analyzed using t-tests and a one way analysis of variance. The variables included were gender, professional position, interaction with students who have learning disabilities, total years teaching at the college level, and whether or not the faculty member has taken …

Chemical Communication In House Mice (Mus Musculus): Can They Recognize Gender From The Anogenital, Harderian Gland Or Mouth/Nose Odor?, Dawn Michele Andrews

Dissertations and Theses

Identifying the sensory systems animals employ to communicate chemically and the function of the chemical signals facilitates further understanding of chemical communication. Increased knowledge of how animals use the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in order to interpret the meaning of body odors will aid in developing a more detailed organization of chemosensory pathways. The message that each body odor contains can change from species to species.

The purpose of this thesis was to study three previously untested body odors in house mice (M. musculus) for their role in gender recognition of conspecifics. These odors are the anogenital (feces, …

Instructional Strategies Promoting Academic Success In Inclusive Settings At The Elementary School Level, Deborah L. White

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the instructional strategies that promote academic success in inclusive settings at the elementary school ·level. This study also attempted to investigate the most effective instructional strategies perceived by regular education teachers and special education teachers. Seventy-eight subjects from the elementary school level, including thirty- nine (n=39) regular education teachers and thirty-nine (n=39) special education teachers, participated in this study. A survey research design, with a self-developed questionnaire, was used to collect data. Approximately thirty-three percent (33.33%) of the questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed through qualitative and quantitative statistics . The …

A Comparison Of Assessment Practices Between General And Special Education Teachers, Richard Lee Orr, Jr.

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the types of assessment formats that are being used in classrooms today,; (b) if a significant difference exists between general education and special education teachers' choices of assessment formats,; and, (c) if teachers' assessment training background correlated with the number or type of assessment formats chosen. One hundred thirty two middle school general and special education teachers from the state of Virginia were surveyed with a 22-item survey to determine how often each teacher used certain assessment formats in their classrooms.

Results showed that these teachers use a variety of assessment …

Relationships Between Selected Environmental Characteristics, Neighborhood Type, And School Achievement, Franklin Titus Iii

Student Work

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if neighborhood and school type help to predict 4th and 6th grade academic achievement above and beyond traditional socioeconomic status (SES) indices. A second purpose was to determine whether the findings of environmental effects research for smaller-size cities differ from studies which investigate larger urban centers. The study also sought to identify potential ways neighborhoods could be meaningfully classified in ways that might aid future research, and the possible presence of schools that succeed despite a profile that says they should not. Achievement test results of schools (N=61) from two Midwest …

Communication Apprehension And Exercise Adherence: An Exploratory Study, Janette Thomas Carr

Student Work

This thesis explored whether adhering to an exercise program could significantly predict an individual’s level of communication apprehension (CA). The project expands the study o f CA by analyzing a potentially new treatment option for alleviating this fear of communication. Specifically, it asked if an individual’s level o f exercise adherence (EA) - as measured by the four components of intensity, frequency, duration, and longevity - could significantly predict an individual’s level CA in each o f the four contexts - interpersonal conversations, group discussion, meetings and public speaking - and overall. Five research questions were posited (one for each …

Interparental Conflict, Family Environment And Perceived Interpersonal Conflicts Among Late Adolescents, Harry Durell Johnson

Student Work

The characteristics of interpersonal conflict within the family system during adolescence may be influenced not only by the attempts of adolescent's to individuate from their parents, but also by the environment in which this individuation process occurs. Family systems that are characterized by decreased family cohesion and increased interparental conflict may inadvertently provide environments that foster increases in conflict among its members. How these environmental factors are associated with the quantitative and qualitative aspects of conflict is an important question which is addressed in this study. The relationship between the family system environment (i.e., family cohesion and interparental conflict), participant's …

Cultural Value Orientations As An Antecedent To The Formation Of International Interfirm Relationships: The Developmentof Cultural Value Dimensions In A Business Context, Susan Forquer Gupta

Doctoral Dissertations

With the importance of international interfirm relationships increasing, it becomes critical to understand the antecedents and consequences of relationship formation. Difficulty in relationships occur when firms with differing cultural value orientations attempt to engage in exchange. Culture affects the international firm in several ways: 1) difficulty in establishing a single organizational culture when a firm is comprised of multi-national employees; 2) difficulty in serving the market when cultural differences exist in the consumer; and 3) difficulty in establishing interfirm relationships across cultural boundaries. Individually, these problems are difficult to resolve, combined they can lead to failure. The first two have …

Troubling Gender : Transgression And Postmodern Fiction, Kristi Larkin Havens

Doctoral Dissertations

From the violation of the incest taboo in Acker's Blood and Guts in High School to Pynchon's coprophiliac scene in Gravity's Rainbow, from Ballard's eroticization of the automobile in Crash to the ritualized rape and castration of Evelyn in Carter's The Passion of New Eve, transgression is central to much postmodern fiction. Such transgression has been read as a drama of liberation, wherein natural desires are vindicated and unnatural restraints are rejected. However, postmodern critiques of natural desire demand that we reevaluate the traditional notion of liberation and explore its reliance on conceptions of transgression that rely on models of …

Mein Kampf, Raul Marrero

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

An Organizational Study Of The Christian Woman's Exchange Hermann-Grima Historic House, Mark Gerald Rubin

Arts Administration Master's Reports

An organizational analysis of the Christian Woman's Exchange and the Hermann-Grima Historic House with an emphasis on the organizational history, organizational structure, programming, and funding. Includes organizational goals and objectives, an internship description with an impact analysis, and recommendations for the future.

The Effects Of Interactive Television As A Medium Of Instruction On The Attitudes Of Developmental Mathematics Students, Patricia N. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of interactive television as a medium of instruction on the mathematics attitudes of developmental community college students as measured by the Fennema–Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scale. Specifically the study attempted to determine if the mathematics attitudes of developmental elementary algebra students so taught differed from the attitudes of students taught in the traditional classroom. In addition, the study identified some teaching methods utilized in the traditional developmental elementary algebra classroom that differed from the teaching methods utilized in the interactive (ITV) elementary algebra classroom. The subjects (n=21) were students enrolled in …

Cognitive Certainty : Trust And Betrayal In Interpersonal Relationships, Laurie L. Couch

Doctoral Dissertations

Past research has demonstrated the undeniable link between trust and betrayal. The present research assessed the ways in which cognitive certainty is associated with perceptions of negative relational information, especially betrayal. First, results from studies 1 and 2 supported the hypothesis that betrayal is a construct that is perceived with graded structure, meaning that events belong to the betrayal category to a greater or lesser extent. In other words, there is some degree of certainty associated with the categorization of examples, and it tends to be related to perceptions of seriousness/threat to the relationship. Dispositional trust was also related to …

Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: An Examination Of The Antecedents Of Behavior Among Air Force Members At Work, Mark S. Laudenslager

Theses and Dissertations

A questionnaire was randomly distributed to members of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB, OH, with 307 returned. The survey was designed to test the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model developed by Icek Ajzen, and the organizational theory of planned behavior (OTPB) model explored in this research effort. Validation and measurement of the TPB in relation to an organizational setting was accomplished, with the organizational theory of planned behavior (OTPB) developed. The behaviors and intentions individuals have towards recycling, energy conservation, and carpooling were examined, with the demographic variables of gender, age, and education also investigated. …

An Exploratory Study Of Perceived Freedom In Leisure Between Hiv Positive Individuals And Persons With Aids, Heather Hayes

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived freedom in leisure between HIV positive individuals and persons with AIDS. Sub-problems included:

1. Determining the perceived leisure competence of HIV positive individuals and persons with AIDS.
2. Determining the perceived leisure control of HIV positive individuals and persons with AIDS.
3. Determining the leisure needs of HIV positive individuals and persons with AIDS.
4. Determining the depth of involvement in leisure experiences of HIV positive individuals and persons with AIDS.

1. What is the difference in perceived leisure competence between HIV positive individuals and persons with AIDS?
2. What …

Pattern Recognition System Using Artificial Neural Networks And Wavelets For Taxonomic Identifications, Martin Thao Do

Masters Theses

This research focuses on the development of a pattern classification system that is capable of identifying spiders to genus and species. This system attempts to emulate the eyes and expertise of arachnologists. It takes as input images of epygina, representative of a genus or species of spider, encodes it by means of a Daubechies 4 wavelet transform, and uses a fast and efficient cascade correlation artificial neural network to identify specimens of that genus or species. If the samples are chosen well then the system is able to perform accurate identification of members of the specified genus or species. In …

The Effect Of A Puppet Presentation To Teenagers On Attitudes And Family Communication Regarding Organ Donation, Rebecca Venable Ferguson

Masters Theses

In this quasi-experimental design study an intervention of an interactive puppet program (Kids on the Block) was used to examine the effect it has on initiating and stimulating conversation about organ donation within families. It was also used to see if attitudes and knowledge of organ donation could be modified. The sample population was from driver's education classes in five high schools in Knox County, Tennessee (4 public; 1 private religious). A total of 314 students between the ages of 15 and 17 (n_control = 145; n_experimental = 169) participated. A pre- and posttest were administered with the …

The Life And Sport Experiences Of Former Collegiate Women's Basketball Players, Ann Catherine Bertucci

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the life and sport experiences of former collegiate women's basketball players, with a particular emphasis on exploring initial athletic experiences and the factors associated with continued sport involvement. An overview of the development of women's sport in the United States, with a specific focus on women's basketball, was presented. Additionally, brief discussions of sport socialization, gender role stereotyping, and homophobia were provided. Five former collegiate women's basketball players who had played at NCAA Division I, II, or III institutions and who were under 30 years of age were interviewed using qualitative research …

Gender Consciousness, Patriarchy And The Indian Women’S Movement, Aparna Thomas

Masters Theses

The women's movement has a long history in India. There exists an active women's movement in India today. Furthermore, there also exists a strong legal environment to protect women's rights. However, the social status of the majority of Indian women remains unchanged. In other words, the women's movement has failed to change the social status of Indian women.

This thesis examines the Indian women's movement historically from the nineteenth century to the present to explain why it has not had a greater impact on changing the social status of Indian women.

I argue that the lack of change in the …

Solitas: An Evaluation Of A Non-Government Organization's Approach To Gender Needs In Latin America, Tara J. Vette

Masters Theses

This study is an evaluation of a project conducted by a non-government organization working with single women in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The focus of the evaluation was how Solitas, a non-government organization project approached gender-specific needs of the women. More specifically this study will ascertain if the skills learned by the women were sustainable, the amount of participation in decision making for the project and if the skills taught by the organization led to the participants organizing independently.

This evaluation was conducted by examining the organization's own reports concerning the progress of the project and the organization's gender policy. In …

An Analysis Of The Transactional Distance In Asynchronous Telecourses At A Community College Using The Group Embedded Figures Test, Roger J. Brenner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Asynchronous distance education telecourses are the technological version of traditional correspondence courses. Students in asynchronous telecourses receive videos and printed material but they may not have any contact with the instructor or other students. This study analyzed the academic performance of 154 Southwest Virginia Community College students enrolled in 27 different telecourses during one semester. The purpose of this study was to determine if students' cognitive styles impacted their achievement in distance education courses. Students were given the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) which categorized the students as field dependent or field independent. A field dependent's cognitive style is one …

Limitations Of Student Expression On Evangelical Christian College Campuses, David W. Tilley

Doctoral Dissertations

The rights of students to express themselves freely on state university campuses have been debated and affirmed, in most cases, by American federal courts. The issues are not so clear-cut, however, when the discussion shifts to expressive rights for students on private college campuses. The purpose of this study was to examine student expression in one segment of American higher education, evangelical Christian colleges, and explore the ways in which this expression is limited on these campuses.

The study consisted of students, faculty, staff, and administrators at three evangelical Christian colleges. Data were collected from twenty-two individual and focus group …

The Relationship Between Children's Self-Esteem And Parenting Styles In Taiwan, Yi-Ju Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between children's self-esteem and authoritarian parenting style in Taiwan. A secondary purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that Taiwanese children tended to underrate their performance and competence. This study also investigated the significance of gender and grade level (age) in the pattern of self-esteem of Taiwanese children.

Two hundred and eighty fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, their mothers, and teachers were administered the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC), Parental Attitude Research Instrument (PARI), and Teacher Rating Scale of Child's Actual Behavior (TRSCAB). A MANOVA, followed by …

Portraits Of Experiences : An In-Depth Interview Study Of American-Women In Secondary School Administration, Eloise M. Webb

Doctoral Dissertations

This is a qualitative study on the career path experiences of five African- American female secondary school administrators. A review of literature on the history of education in America revealed that history has been unkind to African-American women by omitting them from the existing literature on women in school administration. The purpose of this study is to begin to fill that void. Five African-American female secondary public school administrators were asked to share their career path stories of experiences. The interview was selected as the data gathering instrument.

The text of the stories were analyzed for common threads which were …

Presidential Agendas And Supreme Court Performance : An Analysis Of The Nixon And Reagan Justices, John Wilson Wells

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which the Supreme Court may be described as legitimate in a democratic society. Unlike the other two branches of the federal government, the Judiciary does not answer to the electorate. In order for an institution such as the Court to be considered legitimate, therefore, there must be some link between elections and the policy output of the justices. This project began by discussing the policy agendas of two recent presidents, Nixon and Reagan, and then assessing the levels of compliance demonstrated by their respective blocs of justices. In the case of both presidents, their …

Retail Service Quality : A Measurement Assessment And Exploration Of Customer And Sales Personnel Perceptions, Scarlett Wesley

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to replicate the Retail Service Quality scale (Dabholkar et al., 1996) using customer respondents and to determine whether or not the Retail Service Quality scale could be used to assess retail sales personnel's perception of retail service quality as well. To achieve this objective, data was collected and analyzed under the same conditions as the original study. The results of the data analysis provide evidence that the Retail Service Quality scale is a useful measurement in assessing service quality in retail organizations for both customers and sales personnel.

This study was also developed to explore service …

It Ain't All About The Books : Building Community-Based Literacy Education Programs, Connie L. White

Doctoral Dissertations

What is community-based literacy education, and how is it practiced? How are the students, the teachers, the community-based organization and the community as a whole impacted by this approach to literacy education? What factors are important in creating and sustaining community-based literacy education?

To answer those research questions, this study examines a community-based literacy education program in Eastern Kentucky. The data collection involved participant observation as well as work with a participatory research group within the organization in order to identify examples of community-based literacy work, and the students, staff and volunteers most active in those efforts. Sources of data …

Entrepreneur Value Orientations And Characteristics Effect On Choice Of Organization Strategies And Resulting Successful Performance In Auto Glass Replacement Firms, Jeffrey Ray Bruehl

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation extends research in entrepreneurial characteristics, values held by entrepreneurs, organizational strategies selected by the entrepreneurs, and resulting firm success. Entrepreneurship and small business management literature are used to develop a conceptual basis for the study. Values, which guide human behavior, are included, as are organizational process variables such as strategies. The setting for the study is the automotive glass replacement industry in the southeastern United States. Hypotheses and research questions are derived from the literature in entrepreneurship, strategy, psychology, and sociology. A framework is developed consisting of: (1) values, demographic, and psychological characteristics of the entrepreneur, (2) generic …