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The Gothic Tradition In Southern Local Color Fiction, Lucia Ann Stretcher Sigmar

Doctoral Dissertations

The American local color movement, roughly spanning the end of the Civil War to the turn of the century, attempted to preserve traditional regional lifestyles which were in danger of disappearing entirely in a rapidly expanding, increasingly hegemonic society. Historically, local color fiction has been dismissed as too narrowly focused, too nostalgically charged, too stylistically detailed, too lacking in "literary" merit, too quaint, too insignificant to warrant serious, critical investigation. Critics have typically regarded the movement as a subdivision of regionalism, and have privileged the fiction's characteristic adherence to realistic detail (dialect, folklore, character types, and regional setting) above all …

The Relationship Among Parenting Styles, Home Environments, And Children's Curiosity, Amy Baldwin Crockett

Doctoral Dissertations

In this research, the relationships of parenting styles, attitudes, and child-rearing environments with children's curiosity, the relationships of parenting styles and attitudes with child-rearing environments, and the indirect relationships of parenting styles and attitudes with children's curiosity through child-rearing environments were explored. Seventy-four parent-child dyads were recruited from area day care centers. Oldest children between 3 and 6 years old were studied. Parents were administered a demographic information questionnaire, the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory--Revised (HOME), and the Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). Children were administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised (PPVT-R), the Complexity Task, the Preference for …

Fathers, Sons, And Health : Relationships Between Fathers' And Sons' Health Habits And Perspectives, Barbara J. Smith

Masters Theses

In this study Dorethea Orem's Self-Care Framework was used to explore the relationships between how a father takes care of his own health (self-care agency) and the health of his son (dependent-care agency), and how his adolescent son takes care of his health. This descriptive study focused on the relationship between the health habits and attitudes of fathers and the health habits and attitudes of their adolescent sons. A convenience sample of adolescent males and their male parents was used. The adolescent males were in grades 10 and 11, from four public high schools in one county in a southeastern …

The Effect Of Risk-Taking Behavior On Personal Fraud Victimization, Judy Allene Van Wyk

Masters Theses

This is a study of risk-taking behavior and personal fraud victimization. Victimology theory is extended to fraud victims, a type of crime victim that has been largely ignored. The effects of risk-taking behavior on vulnerability to fraud are analyzed. It is predicted that the greater a person's willingness to take financial risks the greater the likelihood that he or she will be a victim of fraud. In contrast to these "risky people", prudent people, those who take few risks with their money and who try to manage their finances carefully, will be less likely to be victims of personal fraud. …

Assessment Of Role Modeling And/Or Mentoring Programs In The Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, Troy A. Breitmann

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of mentoring and/or role modeling programs for inner-city youth in the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the course of the research agencies, organizations, and groups in the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area who offered mentoring programs were identified. The programs they offered were examined to determine the criteria of mentor and protoge eligibility as well as the overall scope of the program. A questionnaire was developed using the Total Design Method (TDM) and validated with a jury of experts. The questionnaire was delivered via mail to 116 agencies, organizations, and groups …

Evaluation Of Disability Simulations As A Teaching Tool For Undergraduate Students Majoring In Recreation And Related Fields, Melanie Collins

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to design a set of disability simulation activities and to determine the logical validity of the activities for use as a teaching tool for students preparing for careers in recreation and related fields. The general circumstances of three disabilities, spinal cord injury, visual impairment and hearing impairment, were defined and were then evaluated by a jury of experts. This is referred to in the study as the Definition of Circumstances. The definitions described the physical, environmental and psycho-social circumstances of each of the disabilities. Four disability simulation activities were designed, including parameters, rules and …

Determining If Self-Concept Differences Exist In A Group Of University Women Identified As Eating-Disordered And Noneating-Disordered, Gregory Lee Duthey

Masters Theses

The purposes of this study were: 1) to determine if there was a significant difference in self-concept between a non randomly selected sample of eating-disordered and non eating-disordered undergraduate females at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and 2) to determine the relationship between the variables that compromise the two instruments used in this study. Data were collected during Spring, Summer, and Fall, 1995 terms. Three-hundred-thirty eight volunteers from General Psychology 110 classes completed a demographic questionnaire and the following two self-report instruments: The Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS).

Scores of 14 and above on the …

Goal Orientation And Flow In Sport, Eric Deemer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the relationship between goal orientation and flow for elite college athletes in addition to the interaction of the following variables: (a) gender and goal orientation, (b) gender and flow, (c) task variability and flow, and (d) task dependence and flow. The primary hypothesis to be investigated was that task-oriented athletes experience flow to a greater degree than ego-oriented athletes. It was also hypothesized that a gender difference would exist for goal orientation in that female athletes would be significantly higher than male athletes in task orientation, however no such difference would exist …

The Image Of 4-H As Perceived By Selected Tennessee Seventh Graders, Deanna Lee Essington

Masters Theses

The 4-H organization for youth ages 9-19, is the youth education program of the Cooperative Extension Service. Tennessee's 4-H program had 185,000-plus members in 1993-94, up from 171,685 in 1992-93. Even though there has been an overall increase in enrollment, there has been an average 38 percent decrease in membership from the sixth to seventh grades during the past five years. One reason which could have an effect on the decreasing membership is the perception of the image of 4-H to these students. The purpose of this study was to look at relationships between 4-H membership and selected personal and …

Consumers' Use Of Nutrition Labels On Dairy Foods, Laura Emily Adams

Masters Theses

This research was conducted in order to better understand and identify the demographic, socioeconomic, shopping habits, sources of nutrition information, and nutrition attitude characteristics which influence consumers' use of nutrition labels on dairy food products. The data used in this study was gathered from a mail survey of households throughout the state of Tennessee. The effects of demographic, socioeconomic, shopping habits, sources of nutrition information, and nutrition attitude characteristics on the probability of the head of a household being a nutrition label reader. The probit model was used to examine these effects statistically.

The results showed that certain characteristics do …

Morphometric Discriminant Function Sexing Of The Adult Human Greater Sciatic Notch, Tom Edward Bodkin

Masters Theses

Morphometry is a subfield of biometry that combines biology, geometry, and statistics for the purpose of describing biological shape and shape change to facilitate explanations of ontological and phylogenetic development. Recently morphometry has become a tool in human osteological studies to describe skeletal shapes, both in physical anthropology and in the broader areas of biomedicine. This thesis is an application of two-dimensional morphometric methods and discriminant function analysis to determine the sex of skeletal remains using the greater sciatic notch, a structure on the posterior border of the os coxa (hip bone). The sample in this study consists of 254 …

The Relationship Between Perceived And Actual Academic Stressors By Freshmen And Senior University Students, Heather Lea Harvey

Masters Theses

The complaint of many undergraduates at universities has often been one of academic demands and the resulting stresses that they encompass, in their pursuit of a degree. Academic stress has been associated with deteriorating mental and physical health in undergraduates, as well as influencing their graduation rates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference between perceived academic stress intensity levels for freshmen and actual stress intensity levels for seniors in the university environment. Twenty-four academic stressors were identified. Freshmen and seniors were asked to rate the stress level they felt was best associated …

Computer Applications And Student Achievement In A Model Technology School, Teresa Ann Garland

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships between time spent in minutes on different computer applications and student achievement in reading and language arts. Further, this study considered that relationships differed for male and female students. In addition, differences in computer usage between students of different grade levels and of different genders were reported. Data were collected from two hundred forty-eight students in grades one, two, and three at an elementary school in East Tennessee. Scores from the 1993 spring administration of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program …

A Bedtime Storybook Reading Intervention With Deaf Children, Catherine Wilson Gillespie

Doctoral Dissertations

Although it has been found that young deaf children's patterns of emergent literacy can parallel those of hearing children, deaf children's emergent literacy development and conventional reading abilities are often delayed when compared to hearing children. Storybook reading by adults is an empirically supported method for fostering hearing children's literacy development. In this study, storybook reading was investigated as an intervention technique with deaf children. Subjects were 9 experimental and 9 control children aged 4 to 11 who lived in randomly selected residential cottages at a state-sponsored school for the deaf. Experimental subjects and their peers participated in 30-minute bedtime …

Leadership Characteristics And Work Ethic Of Tennessee Argicultural Extension Service Home Economists, Connie Hollingsworth

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the differences and relationships between leadership orientation and work ethic characteristics of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service (TAES) home economists. Secondarily, it investigated the impact of job classification and geographical dispersion (district) on leadership and work ethic, separately and in combination. Social action theory and adaptation theory provided the theoretical framework for this research. A survey design was utilized to gather data from the entire population (N=183) of TAES home economists; 166 responses yielded an overall response rate of 91% on a three-part questionnaire transmitted through electronic mail (e-mail). Part …

Relational Equity And Household Division Of Labor As Predictors Of Marital, Parental, And Work Satisfaction For Dual-Earner Men And Women, Linda Gaile Blanding

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive value of a model comprised of relational equity, weekly hours of paid employment, and household division of labor on the dependent variables of marital, parental, and work satisfaction of 104 men and 98 women in dual-earner marriages. Household labor was measured in hours per week as reported by respondents and in their perception of their spouses' participation in nine categories subdivided into masculine and feminine tasks. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that the first variable of relational equity was the most influential predictor of marital satisfaction for both men and …

Personal Stories And Narrative Abilities Of Mainstream Six-Year-Old Children, Frieda Kalb Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was undertaken in an effort to learn what the favorite personal stories and narrative abilities are among a small group of mainstream, six-year-old children. Previous research has not singled out this group in order to explore the range of story patterns and narrative abilities they possess. The study also addresses a lack of naturally gathered data on the topics, themes, and affective stances of the stories children like to tell about themselves. Twelve participants met with me in their homes for to data gathering, open-ended interviews. Transcripts of the stories were qualitatively analyzed and compared to an oral …

"Blessings Left Behind" : Self And Social Obligation In The Novels Of Elizabeth Gaskell, Eileen D. Abel

Doctoral Dissertations

Far from supporting the domestic ideology of the Nineteenth Century as many writers contend, Elizabeth Gaskell's five major novels–Mary Barton, Ruth, North and South, Sylvia's Lovers and Wives and Daughters--reflect her overriding idea that the individual could effect social change only through the achievement of moral integrity. Gaskell believes that the primary responsibility of an adult participant of community life is moral awareness, and in these five novels Gaskell creates a sort of moral mythology, or stories by which women could guide their lives. Gaskell's heroines influence their specific communities by learning the supposed "feminine" virtues of love, mercy and …

"What A Bloody Family" : Power, Gender, And Sexuality In Contemporary British Drama, William C. Boles

Doctoral Dissertations

Since the conclusion of World War II, the traditional Victorian idealization of the British family as an extended, heterosexual, patriarchal institution has been challenged through governmental policies, post-war economic affluence, and social changes. Through the plays of Harold Pinter, Peter Nichols, Caryl Churchill, Stephen Poliakoff and Sarah Daniels, among others, the contemporary British theatre has reflected these challenges to the image of the British family. Building upon socio-historical studies of the post-war British family as well as traditional dramatizations of the family (by playwrights such as Noel Coward), this dissertation discusses the changing presentation of the British family between 1956 …

The Matrilineal Staircase: The Role Of The Mother In The Chinese American Woman's Search For Voice, Esther Liu Godfrey

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Differences In Attitudes Toward Computers Between And Among Teachers And Parents Of Elementary School Students, Robert Stephen Kite

Doctoral Dissertations

This descriptive study of 229 parents and teachers of elementary school students at Oneida Elementary School was designed to assess their attitudes toward computers as revealed on the Adult Attitudes Toward Computers Scale (ATC) developed by Lewis and Delcourt (1987) at the University of Connecticut. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationship of these attitudes to age, gender and experience with computers and to further determine whether there is a relationship between these attitudes and the implementation of computers in the elementary school. It was hypothesized that attitudes may vary by age, gender, and the amount of …

The Relationship Between Emotional Creativity And Interpersonal Style, Kokkwang Lim

Doctoral Dissertations

This study reviewed the research literature on four aspects of creativity: processes, products, environmental influence, and personality traits. Creativity research has indicated that creativity is domain specific and that creative persons generally have a paradoxical interpersonal style. This study assumed that the reports of creative persons' paradoxical interpersonal style may have in part resulted from the fact that most studies on creativity have not appropriately specified their domains. This study selected the specific domain of emotional creativity, which is defined as the ability to experience novel emotions and to express them in ways that enhance one's personal growth and one's …

An Evaluation Of Project B.A.S.I.C., Jama M. Mcdonald

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Project B.A.S.I.C., a school-based prevention/mental health promotion program which serves K-3rd grade students. The Child Development Specialist (CDS) conducts the program in the assigned school and is responsible for mental health education, early intervention, teacher consultation, and school climate enhancement. The program has been in the state of Tennessee since 1985, serves 16 schools, and has not been subjected to a formal evaluation.

The program evaluation used both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The qualitative data collection were conducted through semi-structured interviews. The data sources for the qualitative data collection were …

Factors Predictive Of Injury Severity In Cases Of Physical Child Abuse Among Air Force Families : A Cross-Validation Study, Jeffrey B. Paddock

Doctoral Dissertations

While most studies of risk assessment in the child maltreatment literature focus on characteristics of children and families who have been reported to authorities, or on the risk of recurrence of maltreatment, the present study focused on injury severity as the outcome. The purpose of the study was to develop and test, via a cross-validation sample, a model for predicting severity of injury in cases of physical child abuse.

Conducted on a subset of observations from child abuse reports in the U.S. Air Force Family Advocacy Program's central registry, data included selected variables from 6246 substantiated cases of physical child …

A Test Of Anxiety In Right Cerebrovascular Patients For Re-Integration Into The Community, Amy Booher

Masters Theses

This was a descriptive study for the purpose of examining the effects of hospital outings on anxiety levels of inpatients who had experienced a right cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Eight subjects diagnosed with a right CVA participated in the study. The subjects included 6 males and 2 females. All eight subjects received a doctor's order for a community re-entry outing. The instruments for data collection were the IPAT Anxiety Scale Questionnaire (referred to as the Self Analysis Form) and a demographic questionnaire. Administration of the questionnaires took place before and after participating in the outing. The results of the IPAT anxiety …

A Study Of Tennessee Extension Faculty Attitudes Of Poverty And Public Assistance, Shirlene N. Booker

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine and evaluate the Tennessee Agricultural Extension faculty and staff's attitude about poverty and public assistance. Seven specific objectives of the study were identified. The population included all professional staff members and paraprofessionals employed by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service and Tennessee State University. The sample size was set at 250 in order to achieve at least 95 percent confidence in findings. A random sample procedure was used to select the 250 participants. The study was Expost Facto in nature. The instrument used in the study contained 37 statements on a …

Gender And Gender Role Orientation In Same-Sex Friendship, Ameera Celeste Gaia

Masters Theses

The present study was conducted to examine the same-sex friendships of women and men. Research has shown that such friendships differ along the dimensions of activity and intimacy orientation. As a partial replication and extension of Wright & Scanlon (1991), participants (n=287) completed several personality and relationship measures, including The Acquaintance Description Form, The Friendship Scale, The Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Intimacy and Activity Scale. Women indicated more intimacy and support than men, yet no differences were found regarding activity related behaviors. Gender role orientation was found to be associated with these differences, since androgynous individuals usually indicated …

Instructional Strategies For Teaching About Culture In Grades Six Through Eight, Lesia C. Lennex

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional strategies and cultural content within middle school social studies. classrooms. A survey of twenty-two multipart questions was mailed to ninety-four teachers and five intern teachers in grades six, seven, and eight of one urban system in East Tennessee. Respondents were asked to describe their educational preparation, personal backgrounds, and present school environment as well as specific instructional strategies used for teaching about other cultures.

The survey consisted of seven multipart questions with Likert-type responses, eleven multipart questions in which participants were asked to provide information regarding content instruction and educational …

The Meaning Of Editorial Freedom For An Advertising-Free Women's Magazine : A Case Study Of Ms., Anne-Lauren Cunningham

Masters Theses

Content analyses and survey research have shown that advertising is often a powerful force that can dictate the editorial content of magazines, especially women's and trade publications. This study examines how Ms. magazine, which used to publish with advertising but in 1990 dropped it in order to maintain editorial integrity, now functions without advertising. Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight members of Ms.’s current staff who answered the question, "What does editorial freedom mean to you." Based on these interviews, observations made during four days spent at the Ms. offices, and Ms. editorials, a model of advertising-free publishing was …

A Quantitative Uncertainty Analysis For The Assessment Of Risk Associated With Radionuclide Releases From The K-1435 Incinerator At Oak Ridge, Tn : Human Inhalation Pathway Analysis, Teresa C. Perry

Masters Theses

The objective of this study is to perform a quantitative uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the dose and risk to the maximally exposed individual from the inhalation of radionuclides emitted from the K-1435 TSCA incinerator located at the DOE K-25 facility in Oak Ridge, TN. Dose and risk estimates are computed from monthly stack emissions data beginning in 1990 when the incinerator went into operation and continuing through August, 1994. A gaussian plume dispersion model is used to obtain radionuclide concentrations from the emissions data, and an inhalation pathway analysis is performed. Probability density functions are assigned for each of …