A Study Of Alabama Educators' Perceptions Of Electronically Delivered Professional Development Modules, Joel Wayne Mccay

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover which technological delivery media (web-based, CD-ROM, PDF documents as downloadable files for print from the Internet) Alabama public school educators select most often for delivery of their own professional development, as learning modules, why they select them, and whether or not they prefer those modes of professional development to the more traditional modes previously experienced. There were 28 participants in this study.

The questionnaire which attempted to assess the role of the media for delivery of professional development learning modules was specifically designed for this research. Demographic information collected from the 28 …

The Political Roles Of Presidential Children: Kennedy Through Clinton, Tabitha Alissa Warters

Doctoral Dissertations

Many facets of the institution of the presidency warrant examination. Individual presidents, cabinets, staffs, and first ladies have all been studied in-depth, but one aspect of the presidency remains fundamentally unexplored: the political activities of presidential children.

Role analysis using case studies was the method of examination used. Role analysis was the method used in early studies on first ladies and is replicated in this study on presidential children. The basic assumption is that all presidential children from Kennedy through Clinton have performed political roles. By examining the repeated political activities of the 24 presidential children, five political roles were …

Tennessee 4-H Center Summer Residential Camping Programs: Settings For Positive Youth Development As Perceived By Youth Campers, Jill T. Martz

Doctoral Dissertations

Adults involved in residential camping for children claim that the camp experience enhances children’s development in a variety of ways but there is little empirical research to document their claims. The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of the impact of residential camping on youth campers. The relationship between attributes of life skills practiced and the contextual features of the camp environment was the primary area of examination. The demographic variables of grade and gender were also examined to determine if significant differences in program effects existed.

The study population included fourth through sixth grade youth attending …

The Evidence Does Not Lie: A Forensic Investigation Program To Bridge The Gaps Between Crime Scene Investigation And Forensic Science, Jacqueline Trinkle Fish

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a heightened pubic awareness of the importance of forensic science to crime scene investigation. This study examined current graduate programs in forensic science and criminal justice in the United States to determine if higher education provides curricula that meets the needs of crime scene investigators.

Using data collected from an online questionnaire, interviews, and a literature review, the researcher examined the perceptions of 51 crime scene investigators and practitioners affiliated with the National Forensic Academy at The University of Tennessee. The data gathered was used to identify and rank the skills most important for accurate processing and collection …

The Role Of Self- And Functional Congruity On Online Retail Patronage Behavior, Minsung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

Three research objectives were determined for this study. The first objective was to explore online store image using both qualitative and quantitative methods to compare traditional store image dimensions and online store image dimensions. The second objective was to explore the relationships among self-congruity, functional congruity, online retail patronage behavior, and the possible moderators between to two types of congruity and online retail patronage behavior. The last objective was to compare the observed relationships based on the second objective between two types of online retailers: General merchandise online retailers vs. Specialty online retailers.

To collect the data, in-depth interviews as …

Selected Perceptions Of Second Career Novice Teachers, Lucile Faulkner Maples

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the perceptions that second career novice teachers have about their preservice training and their preparedness for taking on the challenges of teaching during their first semester as “real” teachers. Through an increased understanding of novice teachers’ perceptions and experiences, teacher educators may be better equipped to structure preservice learning that is both relevant and meaningful for teacher education candidates.

Four second career novice teachers were involved in this study that spanned the first semester of teaching after their graduation from a fifteen-month alternative program. Qualitative methods of data collection …

Nutrition Education Intervention And Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes, Louise Patricia Grant

Doctoral Dissertations

The objectives of the current research were to assess the use and extent of nutrition intervention in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) substance abuse treatment (SAT) programs and to determine an association between nutrition intervention and SAT outcomes. The research was divided into three parts. A descriptive, single, cross­ sectional survey was developed and tested to measure associations with nutrition services and changes in Addiction Severity Index (ASI) domains. Nutrition services most likely to be offered included nutrition screening, nutrition assessment, nutrition education, drug­ nutrient interaction instruction, meal service, individualized supplemental feedings and physician-prescribed vitamin/mineral supplementation. Positive associations between individualized …

A Taxonomy Of Customer Dissatisfaction-Related Coping Tactics Based On Dissatisfaction-Related Goals, Andrew B. Artis

Doctoral Dissertations

Practitioners who want to strengthen their market position and avoid greater government regulation would benefit from research that helps them to effectively resolve the problems experienced by their customers. Unfortunately, research efforts to explore, understand, and ultimately predict the responses of dissatisfied customers have been sporadic and have failed to lead to a sustained program of research. This problem is due in part because classification and taxonomical issues have not been sufficiently resolved. Without a theoretically-supported method to categorize and differentiate the various ways that customers respond to dissatisfaction, research into this phenomenon will continue to be slow and erratic. …

An Analysis Of The End-Of-Life Choices Of Elderly Patients And Their Healthcare Providers At A Community Hospital In Tennessee, Elizabeth Harder Dobbins

Doctoral Dissertations

The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 was expected to popularize the use of advance directives (living wills and durable powers of attorney for healthcare (DPOA-HC)). Since the law was passed, researchers have found that the use of the documents has not increased as expected and that the documents, when present, were not always respected by healthcare providers.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the end-of-life choices of elderly patients and their healthcare providers in a community hospital setting. The subjects of this study were 160 patients, aged 65 years and older, who died in a community hospital in …

Bad Is A Central Player In Cell Death And Cell Cycle Regulation In Breast Cancer Cells, Romaine Ingrid Fernando

Doctoral Dissertations

BAD is a Central Player in Cell Death and Cell Cycle Regulation in Breast Cancer Cells

The estrogen, 17-b estradiol (E2) can stimulate proliferation or induce differentiation or death depending on the cell context. In MCF 7 cells, an estrogen receptor (ER) positive human breast cancer cell line, E₂ has been shown to stimulate cell proliferation and may have an anti-apoptotic effect. E₂ rapidly activates mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in mammalian cells in an ER dependent fashion. The mechanisms underlying and the physiological significance of the signaling through MAPK remain to be determined. This signal pathway may …

The Quality Of Black Legislative Life: Perceptions Of Black And White City Councilors At The Beginning Of The New Millennium, Gregory Glen Neddenriep

Doctoral Dissertations

Although scholars have become increasingly interested in the black legislative experience, they have largely overlooked black city councilors and the environment in which they serve. I utilize two nation-wide surveys to address this gap in the literature. I sent one survey to black city councilors in 2002 and the other to their white counterparts in 2003. The two instruments were similar in content and question wording so that I could compare the two groups in terms of their perceptions and personal profiles.

My data show that the two sets of councilors generally have similar backgrounds and profiles. However, their perceptions …

Nutrition Education Intervention And Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes, Louise Patricia Grant

Doctoral Dissertations

The objectives of the current research were to assess the use and extent of nutrition intervention in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) substance abuse treatment (SAT) programs and to determine an association between nutrition intervention and SAT outcomes. The research was divided into three parts. A descriptive, single, cross-sectional survey was developed and tested to measure associations with nutrition services and changes in Addiction Severity Index (ASI) domains. Nutrition services most likely to be offered included nutrition screening, nutrition assessment, nutrition education, drugnutrient interaction instruction, meal service, individualized supplemental feedings and physician-prescribed vitamin/mineral supplementation. Positive associations between individualized and group-nutrition …

Multicultural Initiatives At Aca Colleges, Cara Everett Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study, conducted in two phases, examined the extent and scope of multicultural initiatives at Appalachian College Association (ACA) colleges and the experiences of 15 students, faculty and staff members, and administrators at one predominantly white college in central Appalachian. In the first phase, data was gathered by surveys completed by a random sample of ACA faculty. The purpose of the survey was 1) to examine the extent and scope of multicultural initiatives at ACA schools, and 2) to select one ACA College where a qualitative study of multicultural initiatives could be conducted. The survey findings offer demographic and descriptive …

Forgiveness And Rumination: Their Relationship And Effects On Psychological And Physical Health, Kimberly A. Edmondson

Doctoral Dissertations

Forgiveness has recently become a popular focus of research in psychology. In addition to philosophical and theological explorations, psychologists have extended the study of forgiveness into physical and psychological health. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between forgiveness and rumination, as well as the associations among these two factors, health and acute physiological responses. Sixty females participated in a betrayal narrative as well as a rumination period. Two measures of state forgiveness, one measure of trait forgiveness, and two measures of trait rumination were used. Blood pressure and cortisol reactivity were assessed. State forgiveness was associated …

Online Atmospherics: An Investigation Of Feeling And Internet Purchase Intention, Kelly Price Rankin

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the online atmospheric cues of color and music and their impact upon feeling, attitude and purchase intention of consumers in the online environment. The research design was experimental and used data from a questionnaire. A pilot test of the instrument was conducted. The final questionnaire contained 39 items and a demographic section. A total of 200 questionnaires were collected. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Each group of 50 participants was exposed to a specific set of online atmospheric elements. The results indicated that Hypotheses 1, 3 and 4 were rejected while Hypotheses 2 …

Does Alliance Formation Between National Labor Unions And National Environmental Organizations Exist?, David Foster Steele

Doctoral Dissertations

Does alliance formation between national labor unions and national environmental organizations exist? Seven national labor unions and seven national environmental organizations that are representative of the two movements are selected for examination by this study to address this question. The project gathers and analyzes three types of data: documents on the web sites of the selected organizations, interviews with high ranked officials from many of the organizations examined and the hyperlinks or web links from each organization’s web page. An analysis of the document of the web sites and interviews with high ranking officials identifies three issues that national labor …

Mother-Loss: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experience Of Losing A Mother, Catherine Trayer Shafer

Doctoral Dissertations

The death of a mother can be devastating to a child. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experience of early maternal loss for adult women who were younger than 4 years old when their mothers died. This study focused on the phenomenon as it was perceived by these women and how the loss has impacted their lives across time. The theoretical frameworks used to guide this study were attachment theory, symbolic interaction theory and family stress midrange theory, and risk and resilience midrange theory. An adult women who has grown up without a mother indeed may …

The Effects Of Nursing Back Rub On Pain And Wound Cytokines And The Relationship Between Pre-Cabg Mood And Post-Cabg Wound Cytokines, Kathlene D. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

This study, guided by psychoneuroimmunology theory, examined the effects of a 10-minute nursing back rub in 20 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients on pain and four proinflammatory wound cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α). It also examined the relationships between the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the proinflammatory cytokines. A control group (n = 8) received time with the researcher, and an experimental group (n = 12) received a slow stroke effleurage back rub. All participants initially completed the POMS and after surgery, wound fluid was collected from the mediastinal chest tube before and after the intervention. Analysis …

Gender Differences In Adolescents With Disruptive Behavior Disorders: A Look At Self-Report, Projective, And Treatment Outcome Measures, Ashley Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations

The vast majority of research on disruptive behavior disorders has focused on all male or predominantly male samples. However, researchers have noticed a primary difference in the way boys and girls present symptoms of disruptive behavior disorders. This study examined gender differences in the description of and the psychological mechanisms underlying adolescent disruptive behavior disorders. Differences were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist, MMPI-A and Rorschach with a group of adolescents (N=61; 34 males and 27 females) in residential treatment who had a diagnosis including a disruptive behavior disorder. Measures were given upon admission and discharge from treatment.

The results …

Nursing Students' Assessment Ratings And Treatment Choices For Patients Experiencing Pain In A Case Vignette: Implications For Nursing Education, Crista Briggs

Doctoral Dissertations

Patients’ pain has not been adequately controlled due to inaccurate assessments, inadequate treatments, and inconsistent nursing care. The purpose of this study was to examine nursing students’ assessment ratings and treatment choices for patients experiencing pain in a case vignette. Data collected from junior nursing students (prior to formal classroom instruction) compared to senior nursing students (one year after initial instruction) provided implications for nursing education, as well as conclusions about the understanding of pain assessment among student participants. The sample consisted of 270 junior and senior nursing students from two schools of nursing in East Tennessee, representing 95 percent …

Criterion-Related Validity Of Big Five Adolescent Personality Traits, Amy Susannah Friday

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examined the correlation of academic performance of adolescents and the Big Five personality traits, as well as gender and age differences one and two years later. An archival sample of 542 6^th graders, 446 9^th graders and 341 12^th graders from the southeastern United States were used. All five of the Big Five personality traits were found to significantly correlate with GPA at all three grade levels except for Extraversion with 12^th graders. Correlations between personality and GPA were not statistically different for 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th grade males …

Keeping Quiet: Self-Silencing And Its Association With Relational And Individual Functioning Among Adolescent Romantic Couples, Melinda Schuessler Harper

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between self-silencing and aspects of relational and individual functioning among adolescent couple members involved in romantic relationships. Two hundred and eleven adolescent couples dating for a minimum of four weeks completed questionnaires assessing relationship satisfaction, self-silencing behaviors, sexual behaviors, global communication, and experiences of depressive symptomatology. Adolescent couples also participated in a videotaped conflictual interaction and rated perceptions of themselves and their partner on dimensions of frustration, conceding, sarcasm, and discomfort.

Data analyses addressed the effect of self-silencing on aspects of relational and individual functioning for both actor (the person …

Entering Public School Kindergarten: Family Attitudes And Expectations Affecting Young, Black, Working Class Mothers' School Involvement, Judith Collins Hiscock

Doctoral Dissertations

Parent involvement in schools has been a focus of educational improvement for many years. The belief that parent involvement can be the difference between schooling success and failure is shared by students, parents, society, school staff, and government. This belief is based on the American ideal “nuclear family” structure. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and expectations of the families of young, Black, working class mothers as they constructed their role as a parent of children in the public school and developed their definition of parent involvement. Participants for the study were the mothers, preschool teachers, …

Gender Issues In Mathematics Achievement In Tennessee: Does Rural School Locale Matter?, Theresa Mandzak Hopkins

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate achievement differences of middle school and high school students in Tennessee as well as high school mathematics course enrollment as related to gender, school locale, school location, and Socio-economic Status (SES). Using data accessed from the Tennessee Department of Education’s 2003 Report Card, median male and female mathematics scores from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) were used to examine middle school students’ achievement. Scores from the ACT Mathematics subtest were obtained from students completing the test during the 2002-2003 school year to explore achievement differences at the high school level. Finally, …

The Effect Of A Screening Instrument To Determine Teacher Effectiveness As Measured By Academic Gain Scores, David Eugene Loyd

Doctoral Dissertations

Schools and school districts are constantly faced with the task of screening and hiring potential teachers who will impact student achievement. The Knox County School System addressed this challenge by using a screening instrument called the Urban Teacher Perceiver, which was designed by The Gallup Organization. Tennessee used a statistical methodology entitled the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System to measure teacher effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any effect between a selected teacher-screening instrument and teacher effectiveness as measured by academic gain scores in mathematics, reading, and language. Also, the study examined the interaction …

The Dynamics Of Identity Development: Exploring The Relevance Of Separation-Individuation, Jennifer N. Engler

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study attempted to illuminate the patterns of relations between the processes of separation-individuation and identity development in a late adolescent, university sample. A total of 281 undergraduate volunteers participated in the study, each completing the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA), the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ), and a brief demographic survey. Results indicate that there are significant relations between these two processes and that those combinations of separation-individuation variables that are associated with more process in identity development may differ by the identity test under investigation. Utilizing a stepwise multiple regression, degree of identity exploration was found to …

A Validation Study On The Teamwork Receptiveness Inventory, Matthew E. Fearrington

Doctoral Dissertations

As the use of work teams has increased in American corporations during the last 30 years, much of the empirical research has focused upon the relationship between individual personality traits and job performance rather than on individual attitudes about working on team settings. This study attempted to establish the construct (convergence of indicators and discriminant validity) and criterion-related validity of an instrument designed to measure individual receptiveness to working in teams. Four hundred seventy-four undergraduate, first-year engineering students (over 80% were male) were asked to complete the Teamwork Receptiveness Inventory (TRI; Fearrington, 2001), the NEO-FFI (Costa and McCrae, 1992a), the …

Relationship Of College Students' Response Styles On The Strong Interest Inventory To Scores On The Beck Depression Inventory And The Career Thoughts Inventory, Martha C. Dagenhart

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among college students’ response styles on the Occupations section of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII), as indicated by the “Like,” “Dislike,” and “Indifferent” percent indexes, and their scores on the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) and the Beck Depression Inventory – Second Edition (BDI-II). The SII is a career interest inventory that measures a person’s level of interest across a wide range of areas including occupations and leisure activities. When presented with an item on the SII, an individual indicates whether he or she likes, dislikes, or is indifferent to that …

Pre-Service Teachers' Awareness Of Prosocial And Antisocial Behavior In Students With Disabilities, Olena Anatoliivna Kyselova

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if specific psychoeducational diagnosis influences pre-service teachers’ awareness of students’ prosocial and antisocial behaviors. The student diagnostic categories included (a) general education students, (b) students with behavior disorders, (c) students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and (d) students with learning disabilities or mild mental retardation.

Two experiments made up the current study. In both experiments, pre-service teachers were shown a video tape of middle school students in a classroom during a transition period engaged in different prosocial and antisocial behaviors. After viewing the tape, students were asked to write narrative descriptions of …

Justification Of Antisocial Behavior, Wiliam Robert Walton

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further the study of conditional reasoning (CR) methodology to study personality. The direction of the expansion was two fold. First was to increase the content area of the study of aggressive personality by developing justification mechanisms (JMs) for antisocial behaviors. Second, was to determine the feasibility of using different reasoning-based tasks to measure JMs. Thus the development of a CR based reading comprehension task to measure antisocial JMs was undertaken. This study represents the preliminary investigation of the viability of this measure.

The Conditional Reasoning Reading Comprehension test (CR2C) was administered to 833 …