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A Computer Administered Version Versus Paper-And-Pencil Administered Version Of The Mmpi-A, Shannon Kathleen Hays

Doctoral Dissertations

Within the context of a counterbalanced design, 102 students from a high school and a large university in the southeast were administered two versions of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A): a computer-administered version (CA) and a paper-and-pencil version (PAP). Time between testing sessions was approximately one week. Differences in individual scale means between the CA and PAP were calculated using paired t-tests, with the Bonferroni correction procedure; no mean differences were significant (p. > .05). To determine if the scale distributions were similar, tests of homogeneity of variance were conducted using Hartley's homogeneity of variance tests; there were no differences …

Concurrent And Predictive Validity Of The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test And The Leiter International Performance Scale - Revised, V. Scott Hooper

Doctoral Dissertations

The relationship between two tests of cognitive ability measured nonverbally and the relative capability of intellectual constructs measured by those tests to predict academic achievement (operationalized by end of the year group achievement tests) was examined. One hundred elementary and middle school students were administered the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) and the Leiter International Performance Scale - Revised in counter-balanced order; reading, math, and language scores from Terra Nova were matched with 37 cases in the sample. Correlation coefficients describing the relationship among global scores within the IT and between the UNIT and the Leiter-R were statistically significant (p < .001) and ranged from .33 for the. UNIT Memory Quotient/Leiter-R Fluid Reasoning scores t .90 for the UNIT Full Scale IQ/UNIT Reasoning Quotient and UNIT Nonsymbolic Quotient/UNIT Reasoning Quotient. The coefficient between the UNIT and Leiter-R Full Scale IQ scores was .72 (Q < .001). Mean differences between the UNIT and Leiter-R Full Scale were significant with the UNIT Full Scale IQ score being approximately five points higher than the Leiter-R, t. = 4.73, )2. < .001. Effect size for the t-test was modest, .35. Based on stepwise multiple regression analyses, the UNIT Full Scale IQ predicted all three areas of academic achievement significantly better than the Leiter-R Full Scale IQ score, with the variance accounted for by the UNIT Full Scale IQ score ranging from 39 percent to 55 percent (p. < .01). The Leiter-R contributed an additional 2 percent of variance. In addition, a number of the UNIT and Leiter-R global scores were statistically significant predictors of achievement (e.g., UNIT Reasoning Quotient, Memory Quotient, Leiter-R Reasoning). Results are consistent with prior research that has found the UNIT and Leiter-R to provide comparable measures of general intelligence. However, this is the first study to suggest that the UNIT may be superior to the Leiter-R in its relative capability to predict academic achievement. School psychologists and administrators will find these results useful in choosing assessment instruments to evaluate the increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse population of students.

Identifying Predictors From The Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program-Revised To Determine First Graders At-Risk Of Academic Failure, Rebecca C. Howard

Doctoral Dissertations

Georgia kindergarten teachers are required to assess students using the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program — Revised (GKAP-R). The 2000 GKAP-R identified only 6% of the state’s kindergarten students as needing assistance in first grade. However, more than 16% of the students in grades K-3 actually received assistance in the state’s program designed to give extra help to struggling students. In this study, kindergarten and first grade scores for 461 Catoosa County students were analyzed to determine the relationship between student scores on the GKAP-R and first grade achievement as measured by the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. The results indicate …

Inquiry And Inscription As Keys To Authentic Science Instruction And Assessment For Preservice Secondary Science Teachers, Boyd Edward Lunsford

Doctoral Dissertations

This research project consists of a qualitative study of a group of preservice science teachers who, at the time of the study, were enrolled in a graduate level course designed especially to acquaint them with the skills of doing and teaching science by way of scientific inquiry. Most students in the study held bachelor's degrees in some aspect of science, mostly biological sciences. The students were evaluated in the course by way of authentic assessment techniques, including the scientific inscriptions they constructed as they carried out their inquiry activities. The students constructed more than 1500 inscriptions in the course and …

Using Neutron Scattering To Study The Structure And Flexibility Of Hexadecyltrimethylammonium Dichlorobenzoate And Related Micelles, Zhibin Li

Doctoral Dissertations

Certain ionic surfactants can self-assemble in aqueous solutions into giant flexible wormlike micelles that behave similarly to semi-flexible polymers. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to study the sizes and flexibilities of these micelles. By allowing the probing of shorter length scales than light scattering, SANS is clearly preferable for determining micellar persistence lengths directly. SANS curves were fit to a series of micellar models to get information on persistence lengths, contour lengths and cross-sectional radii. The impact of different tail lengths, head groups, counterions, and varying ionic strengths were studied. Counterions have major effects on micellar size …

Tennessee Healthcare Provider Childhood Lead Poisoning Attitude, Belief, And Practice Survey, Karen Adele Rasnake Lowry

Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood lead poisoning is a serious but preventable condition. It has been estimated by the Tennessee Department of Health that as many as one in eleven children in the state may be affected in some manner by lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can result in lifelong learning and neurological problems for a child. For these reasons it is imperative the healthcare provider be able to recognize risk factors associated with lead poisoning in the child’s environment. Recognition of these risk factors is done through asking a series of screening questions designed to assess areas of risk. Follow up blood testing to …

Core Competencies Of Professional Service Providers In Federally Funded Education Programs, Dora H. Marmon

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this national study was to identify core competencies for administrators and other professional service providers in selected federally funded education programs. The population was administrators of Talent Search, Upward Bound, and Student Support Services projects. A proportional stratified random sample of 579 administrators received the survey; 354 responded. The usable response was 346 (59.8%). A researcher-developed instrument was revised according to advice of a national panel of experts. The instrument was piloted and again revised prior to the national survey. The overall Cronbach's alpha for the instrument was .97. The 100-item questionnaire was divided into 18 core …

"Prudence Even Beyond Other Women" : The Rhetorical Maneuvers Of Elizabeth I, Samantha A. Morgan-Curtis

Doctoral Dissertations

Elizabeth Tudor (1533-1603) did not set out to better the status of women; as queen, she wanted to neither overturn nor disrupt the very system that authorized her position. Though later generations have anachronistically read her as a type of protofeminist, she saw herself as trying, within necessary constraints, to fulfill simultaneously her roles as both woman and ruler, which meant fitting into the expectations of her society in order to rule and function. However, her society found the very nature of female rule problematic and contradictory to its vision of the "natural order." To accomplish this task, Elizabeth used …

La Représentation De La Gloire Féminine Dans La Tragédie Française De La Première Moitié Du Xviième Siècle : Crisante De Jean Rotrou Et La Mariane De François De Tristan L'Hermite, Hélène D'Oreye De Lantremange

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation studies the representation of feminine glory in two tragedies from the 1630s: Crisante by Jean Rotrou and La Mariane by Frangois de Tristan L'Hermite. The dramatic dimension of lo in these two works is also examined, that is the way in which the xt constructs, or allows the reader/spectator to construct, the representation of feminine glory, especially through the phenomenon of double theatrical communication. In two parts corresponding to the two tragedies, this dissertation approaches the dramatic text by way of two methods, different yet complementary. The first consists of an analysis of a fragment of the text, …

Exploring The Nature Of Hurt Feelings, Laura A. Negel

Doctoral Dissertations

Hurt feelings are an inevitable consequence of interpersonal relationships. Hurt can be defined as the responses to trauma, abuse, loss, stress, rejection, insults, and offenses that may occur throughout life. The purpose of the series of studies outlined in this dissertation was two-fold: (1) to develop a reliable and valid personality measure of the bimodal model of hurt reactivity comprising introjective hurt (i.e., internalizing hurt and engaging in self-blame) and retaliatory hurt (i.e., lashing out immediately and aggressively against perpetrators of hurt); and (2) to assess the meaning and implications of hurt from various methodological perspectives, including narrative accounts of …

Exclusion Decisions Of Middle School Principals, Karen H. Loy

Doctoral Dissertations

The decision by a principal to exclude a student from school is a serious one that costs the student gravely. The intent of this study was to understand the phenomenon of how principals make the decisions to exclude students from school. Twelve middle school principals from a single school district were the participants of this study. A focused interview was conducted and the responses analyzed for patterns and themes using the ethic of care and the ethic of justice as a theoretical template. Other data reviewed included: the school improvement plans; and the schools’ majority/minority rate, free and reduced lunch …

Reproducibility And Optimization In Capillary Electrophoresis, James P. Schaeper

Doctoral Dissertations

It is well known that poor quantitative reproducibility substantially limits the practical implementation of capillary electrophoresis (CE) separations in chemical analysis. The principal sources of variance in observed peak areas are irreproducible flow rate which influences on-column detector response, and inconsistent injection volume or amount. In addition, current efforts in our laboratory to assess sources of quantitative variance for separations of dansylated amino acids using an automated CE system are presented and related when appropriate to the body of existing knowledge on this important topic. A comparison of different injection methods, the effect of random changes in electroosmotic flow (EOF), …

A Look At Personality Change Among Conduct Disordered Adolescents In Residential Treatment, Robert J. Riethmiller

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study examines the personality structure of conduct disordered adolescents who are being treated via residential care. Personality is assessed using the Rorschach, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Adolescent Form, and the Child Behavior Checklist Parent form and Youth Self Report. Findings from these instruments are used to evaluate personality attributes discussed in the conduct disorder research such as impulsivity, egocentricity, low ego strength, oppositionality, emotional detachment, and failed identification. Changes on these instruments from admission to discharge are then examined to evaluate any personality changes that may be the result of the residential treatment interventions. The results …

Sacred Culture : Religion And Aesthetics In Barbauld, Blake, And The Shelleys, Daniel D. Schierenbeck

Doctoral Dissertations

This project examines the role of religion in the cultural politics of the Romantic era. Though previous studies have explored the influence of radical, plebeian religion on Barbauld, Blake, and the Shelleys, they have not situated these Romantic writers' discourse within the broader field of cultural production that includes conservative religious discourse. By doing so, I unfold the pervasive connections between culture, religion, and aesthetics in the Romantic era. I demonstrate how conservative religious discourse of this era aesthet~cizes social power through an emphasis on manners and taste. Such religious discourse thus works to internalize dominant social values more effectively …

Causes, Cures, And Compliance : Bible Believers' Causal Attributions And Preferred Treatments For Mental Disorders, Todd S. Stanfield

Doctoral Dissertations

The importance of providing culturally-competent treatment is increasingly being emphasized in the mental health literature. However, the effect of religion as a cultural determinant of treatment utilization is largely understudied. Previous studies suggest that religious fundamentalists are more likely to endorse spiritual and demonic explanations for mental illness and are less willing to seek help from secular mental health professionals. However, these studies are based on small, regional, non-probability samples and have failed to adequately control for the effects of other sociodemographic variables such as education. This study utilized data from two nationally representative surveys, the 1996 and 1998 General …

The Synthesis And Reactions Of Substituted Perfluoroadamantanes, Fluorofullerenes And Norbornane Carbocations, Kenneth Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

Fluoro and trifluoromethyl groups are becoming increasingly popular in pharmaceuticals, as their inductive effects can be used to tailor a drug's specific interactions. Fluorous syntheses are also now becoming commonplace due to the efficient partitioning possible between fluorous and organic phases. Several new F-adamantyl derivatives were synthesized from F-Adamantyl lithium as targets for future incorporation into pharmaceuticals or for use as fluorous tags. They are: Ethyl-F-Adamantane from ethyl iodide, methyl Fadamantyl ketone and enolate from acetyl chloride, and TIPS protected F-Adamantyl ethanol from TIPS protected 2-bromoethanol. The synthesis of F-adamantyl sulfonyl halides was attempted, however, the F-adamantyl anion attacks the …

Measurements Of Secondary Charged Particle Fragmentation Cross Sections Produced By High Energy Heavy Ions Using Silicon Strip Detectors, Daniel Leon Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations

Measurements of high multiplicity final states produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions with nuclei applicable to space radiation applications were made. The measurements are of particular interest for space radiation protection as validation for transport models and improvement of nucleus-nucleus interaction models. The silicon strip detector system developed for this work allows direct measurement of the high multiplicity events in contrast to previous experiments with transmission mounted monolithic silicon detectors . The silicon strip detector system was used to measure the nuclear fragments produced in collisions of 290 and 400A MeV 12C ions with elemental and composite targets at the …

Conformational Studies Of Carbohydrates And Carbohydrate-Containing Molecules, Karen Terry Welch

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, the conformations of carbohydrates and carbohydratecontaining molecules were explored for two types of compounds using NIVIR and molecular modeling techniques. The NMR studies provided data about molecular conformation, while the molecular models provided scaffolds for interpreting the physical data. Anthocyanins from Daucus carota bearing various acyl groups were studied in order to elucidate their conformations in aqueous solution. The anthocyanins studied have the general structure 3-0-{(6-O-acyl)-B-D-glucopyranosyl-(1—>6)-[B-Dxylopyranosyl-(l—>2)]-B-D-galactopyranosyl}cyanidin. The persistence of the red color of these compounds was shown to be influenced by the chemical structure of the attached acyl group. The comparison of the 1D and …

Numerical Simulation Of Freezing Shear Driven Rivulets Using An Enthalpy Method Formulation, Clark G. Wiberg

Doctoral Dissertations

A numerical simulation of freezing shear driven rivulets is presented herein. The physics of the freezing process is captured in the simulation through application of the “enthalpy method”; a formulation well suited for the Stefan class of problems. The associated system of fully implicit finite difference equations was solved using the Gauss-Seidel iterative technique. The enthalpy method formulation is first applied to the case of a “stationary” freezing rivulet, but with a convective boundary at the free surface. The “stationary” simulation is utilized as a subset of the more complex “traveling”, or shear driven, simulation. The freezing process of shear …

A Case Study Exploration Of The Symbolic Leadership Of Jean Byers Sampson : Civil Rights Activist And Educator, Vincent Michael Pellegrino

Doctoral Dissertations

A literature review of leadership revealed that symbols are strategies for understanding and acting. Humans possess knowledge symbolically. Symbols are the starting point for all intellectual and expression. Symbolic leadership, therefore, refers to the idea that symbols can be identified from within the language and actions of leaders. Tierney (1989) identified six symbolic categories from the language of a leader: metaphorical, physical, communicative, structural, personification and ideational. Tierney theorized that symbols were given their meaning from the context in which they resided. Utilizing Tierney's theory, this exploratory study examined archived, documents, artifacts and interview data for the role symbols and …

The Effectiveness Of Victim-Offender Mediation And Family Group Conferencing : A Meta-Analysis, Mona Marie Williams-Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations

The costs associated with crime are staggering. Victims, offenders, and communit ies are all affected by criminal offenses, and the current approach to justice seems both ineffective and inefficient. Restorative justice proponents have posited that their approach to justice through dialogue and negotiation may be more effective than traditional retributive justice. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to determine if such a conjecture was supported or rejected. Inclusion criteria were developed to find appropriate studies. A thorough review of the literature found a total of 40 studies that were suitable for analysis. After the findings were …

In Pursuit Of Purpose : An Exploration Of The Purpose Of Education, Laura J. Hopfer

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of school administrators and teachers regarding the purposes of education and to compare it with the perceptions of policy-makers as expressed in mandated accountability efforts. Through the use of a researcher-designed questionnaire, a random sample of K-6 elementary school principals and classroom teachers in public schools in one state were asked to share their perceptions of 12 identified educational purposes by rating and ranking those purposes. Questionnaires were returned by 612 (77.1%) educators; 323 school administrators, 288 classroom teachers and 1 respondent whose job position was not indicated. Data were …

Design Considerations For A Pressure-Driven Multi-Stage Rocket, Steven Craig Sauerwein

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using propellant tank pressurization to eliminate the use of high-pressure turbopumps in multi-stage liquid-fueled satellite launchers. Several new technologies were examined to reduce the mass of such a rocket. Composite materials have a greater strength-to-weight ratio than metals and can be used to reduce the weight of rocket propellant tanks and structure. Catalytically combined hydrogen and oxygen can be used to heat pressurization gas, greatly reducing the amount of gas required. Ablatively cooled rocket engines can reduce the complexity and cost of the rocket. Methods were derived to estimate …

A Taxonomy Of The Adoption Of Lean Production Tools And Techniques, Bradley Mullins Greene

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to discover if the pattern of lean tool adoption for mature lean enterprises varies by type of value stream. The study empirically tests the effect of types of production processes, production volume, and order fulfillment strategies on lean production tool adoption in mature lean enterprises. The results of the study show that each of these factors does affect the pattern of tool adoption among mature lean enterprises.

Eleven different value stream profiles are identified in the study (ex. Discrete, Low Volume, Build-to-Order, value stream such as a commercial satellite producer). A binary logistical regression …

How Mothers Make Decisions For Feeding Young Children: A Grounded Theory Approach, Dana Rae Cox

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study a theory of how mothers make decisions about feeding their young children aged 3 to 5 years was developed using the grounded theory technique. In-depth interviews were conducted with 50 married mothers of children aged 3 to 5 to determine their mealtime practices and feelings about mealtimes. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using the grounded theory technique to build a theory from the data (interviews).

Analyses of mothers’ interviews indicated that mothers in this study formed expectations for 5 distinct stages of feeding decisions based on their experiences. The five stages …

The Effect Of Personality On The Spiral Of Silence Process, Kyoungtae Nam

Doctoral Dissertations

The study examines the effect of personality on the spiral of silence process. Despite the social-psychological nature of the spiral of silence theory, there has been little investigation on the relationship between personality and the spiral of silence process. In the current study, two personality constructs, independent/interdependent self-construal and right wing authoritarian personality, are examined to see how they affect a person’s willingness to speak out. In March through April 2002, 714 college students were surveyed. Three topics that were identified as highly controversial in the preliminary study were used in the final survey: abortion (n=238), affirmative action (n=234), and …

Martian Xenon Components In Basaltic Shergottite Meteorites, Katherine Delene Ocker Stone

Doctoral Dissertations

Analyses of Chassigny, Nakhla, and ALH84001 reveal, in addition to a Xe component from the martian atmosphere, a second component loosely attributed to the martian "interior." This appears to be a mixture of solar- and fission- (²⁴⁴Pu) derived xenon components. The proportions are consistent in each meteorite but vary from meteorite to meteorite. The working hypothesis is that this variation reflects different contributions of solar (mantle-derived) and fission (crustal-derived) xenon to each parent melt.

This study focused on mineral separates from two basaltic shergottites, Shergotty and EETA79001 Lithology-B (EETA), chosen to reflect, as far as possible, the extremes …

Formulation Of A Cislunar Human Transportation Architecture Through The Use Of Analytic, Heuristic, And Parametric Algorithms, Robert Lee Howard

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a conceptual design study for a lunar transfer vehicle, thus considering the question of whether or not it is possible to conduct a human lunar return given a restriction to exclusively use currently existing technology. A variety of analytic, parametric, and heuristic techniques were used to develop a comprehensive vehicle design. A modular design resulted, consisting of six component spacecraft and an associated mission control environment. A cost analysis was performed to determine an approximate funding level required to support such a vehicle. Recommendations for integration of this lunar transfer vehicle design …

The Transformative Experiences Of A Scientist-Professor With Teacher Candidate, Terry L.Hester Lashley

Doctoral Dissertations

This case study documented the pedagogical and philosophical change experiences of a senior research scientist-professor at a large Research I University as he implemented an open inquiry immersion course with secondary science teacher candidates. The 4-semester hour graduate-level credit course (Botany 531) is titled “Knowing and Teaching Science: Just Do-It!” The students were 5th-year education students who possessed an undergraduate degree in the biological sciences. The premise for the course is that to teach science effectively, one must be able to DO science. Students were provided with extensive opportunities to design and carry out experiments and communicate the results both …

Collaborative Learning In A High Technology Start-Up Business, Kimberly Jo Naujock

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the role of collaborative learning in a new high-technology business. It included a description of the experience of the facilitator. who was also a co-founder and officer of the company. Peters' (1998, 2002) action research model was used to frame the research. Data were collected using phenomenological interviews, semi-structured interviews, and field notes. A thematic analysis revealed four themes: relationship dynamics, knowing, the facilitator's role, and business outcomes. Four sub-themes appeared within the theme of relationship dynamics: team composition, early loss and change in team member participation, commitment to members, and virtual and face-to-face communication. Two sub-themes …