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Pasión Y Deseo: Del Amor Y La Sexualidad En Poemas Selectos De Octavio Paz Y Rosario Castellanos, María Cristina Campos Fuentes

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation studies selected poems written between 1950 and 1975 by Octavio Paz and Rosario Castellanos, two major Mexican writers of the twentieth century. Paz is considered one of the leading figures of Mexican literature, while Castellanos gained prominence in her homeland as a feminist figure. Using close reading as the predominant approach, this study investigates the complex issues of love and sexuality from the perspective of the poetical voice. It also emphasizes the manner in which the boundaries produced by love and sexuality underscore certain ambiguities. Indeed, these two poets search for identity and happiness in various ways, while …

Work, Family, And Community In A Triciprocal Relationship: An Exploratory Study Of Enrichment, Cindy L. Crowder

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to expand the field of work-life literature through the introduction of triciprocal enrichment model that examines work-, family-, and community-related support antecedents and satisfaction variables. The main objectives were to incorporate the concept of enrichment and the domain of community into the work-life research providing a more accurate portrayal of the myriad of ways that all three domains interact and affect one another.

Data from 202 respondents were collected, including information on their level of community involvement, their level of enrichment within work, family, and community, their satisfaction on the job, with their family, …

Elements Of Postfeminism: The Current Landscape Of American Politics?, Laura Delorenzo Denison

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish the meaning and definition of postfeminism along with an assessment of whether it accurately represents the current era of thinking. It is an historical, descriptive, qualitative analysis of the feminist movement from its inception with the central focus on the newest strand of feminist thought, postfeminism. The progression toward these conclusions entails an outlining of the waves of feminism and the strands of thought within these eras as well as a discussion of third wave feminism, modern feminism and generational differences between the waves. The focus on postfeminism begins with an exploration …

Slipping Backwards: The Supreme Court, Segregation Legislation, And The African American Press, 1877-1920, Kathryn St.Clair Ellis

Doctoral Dissertations

This study discusses the role of Supreme Court decisions in shaping the evolution of Jim Crow and African American newspapers’ reactions to these decisions. The study focuses on the period between the end of Reconstruction and the United States’ entrance into World War I. It looks at several Supreme Court decisions to demonstrate how the Court failed to act as a check on state legislatures’ reactionary undertakings and how these legislatures interpreted the Court’s judgments. Several of the Supreme Court’s decisions served to alert white legislators to the federal government’s limited actions to protect the rights of African American citizens. …

Temperament And Personality In Preschoolers: Are The Concepts The Same Or Different?, Cathy Grist Litty

Doctoral Dissertations

Individual differences among adults have generally been conceptualized in terms of personality theory and traits and attributed more to life experiences and conditioning than innate dispositions. In contrast, to the more limited extent that individual differences among young children (birth to kindergarten) have been recognized and studied, they have generally been conceptualized in terms of temperament theory and traits, attributed to innate biological programming than to experience.

Recent developments in the field of personality theory begin to blur this distinction, suggesting that individual differences even in young children can be productively studied from the standpoint of personality traits. Specifically, the …

Type I Diabetes Mellitus In Children And Pre-Adolescents: Affective, Behavioral, And Social Correlates, Meredith P. Schwartzman

Doctoral Dissertations

Type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is the most common metabolic disorder among children and adolescents (Wysocki, Greco, & Buckloh, 2003) and research has indicated that children with T1DM are more likely to develop clinical depression and anxiety relative to children without T1DM. Building on this literature, the present study utilized a multi-method assessment strategy of self- and parent-reported depression, anxiety, behavioral regulation (i.e. internalizing and externalizing behaviors), social competence, personality, and family dynamics to identify whether preadolescents with T1DM were distinguishable from children without T1DM, and also whether psychosocial differences were evident in the T1DM group as a function of …

The Influence Of Level Of Training And Gender On Counseling Outcome In A University Counseling Center, Scott Andrew Sokoloski

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effects of counselor level of training and gender on counseling outcome in a university counseling center environment. Data was collected from an archival database of approximately 4500 clients seen over a six-and-a-half year time period at a mid-sized Southeastern university counseling center. The Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 was used to measure client outcome, which consists of 45-items scored on a five-point Likert scale. The OQ produces three subscale scores (Symptom Distress, Interpersonal Relations, and Social Role) and a Total Score. The Social Role subscale was found to have low reliability in this study, and was omitted from …

Theoretical Modeling And Experimental Validation Of In Vivo Mechanics For Subjects Having Variable Cervical Spine Conditions, Fei Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this study was to use the state-of-art 3D-to-2D registration technologies including fluoroscopic, CT and MRI methods to analyze 2D and 3D in vivo kinematics of the whole cervical spine under variable conditions; and use inverse dynamic model based on Kane’s dynamics to predict their 2D and 3D in vivo interactive contact and muscular forces. Totally, forty patients (ten having normal cervical spines, ten having degenerative cervical spines, ten having anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF), and ten having cervical artificial disc replacement (CADR)) were enrolled into 2D study and three patients (one having normal cervical spines, one …

Felony Disenfranchisement Legislation: A Test Of The Group Threat Hypothesis, Angel Dawn Geoghagan

Doctoral Dissertations

The group threat hypothesis is part of the conflict theoretical perspective, which has been one of the most dominant and useful theories in the fields of criminology and criminal justice for decades. The usefulness of this perspective relates to the understanding it provides of how the law can be used by those in power as a measure of control. The use of law as a method of control has a long history in the US society, and there are many examples from which to pull. This project examines the use of one set of laws, felony disenfranchisement legislation, to determine …

The Social Ecology Of Parenting: Systematically Modeling The Antecedents Of Supportive And Intrusive Parenting, Julie A. Schluterman

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the significant contributions of this study is its inclusion of the role of social contextual factors in determining parenting. I built on the ecological model proposed by Belsky (1984). As such, the parenting model tested in this dissertation included individual level determinants of parenting: 1) parent characteristics (e.g., developmental history), and 2) child characteristics (e.g., behavior problems). Yet, rather than include a social context domain as described by Belsky, I distinguished between within family context (e.g., interparental hostility) and external to family context (e.g., work-family conflict, neighborhood disorganization) as social contextual sources of stress and support to the …

Evaluation Of A Psychoeducational Program Designed To Affect Attitudes Associated With Intimate Partner Violence In An Inmate Population, Melani Magee Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a group intervention designed to impact male attitudes associated with the perpetration of intimate partner violence in a correctional setting. Specifically, the group intervention addressed gender role stereotypes and conflict, healthy and unhealthy entitlement attitudes, attitudes toward women, and effective communication and anger management. The group intervention also sought to increase positive attitudes toward seeking psychological assistance among participants. Results of the MANCOVA did not support the efficacy of the psychoeducational program in impacting attitudes among inmates. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

A Case Study Of Three Rural Schools: Factors, Characteristics, And Conditions That Influence School Performance Scores, Jacqueline L. Mason

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to explore three rural Louisiana PK-12 schools with high percentages of minority and high poverty populations and to examine how activities, conditions, events, policies, and procedures in these schools might be associated with their consistent growth in School Performance Scores across the period 2001-2005. Qualitative data were collected from individual interviews, researcher observations, focus groups, and analyses of school documents. Constant comparison theory was used to triangulate data across the three schools and to identify emerging themes and patterns common to all schools. The study was one of mixed methods; most of the data …

It’S Not What They Do, It’S How They Do It: Athlete Experiences Of Great Coaching, Andrea J. Becker

Doctoral Dissertations

Throughout the history of sport, a select number of individuals have emerged from their peers as superior coaches. We have come to know these individuals as the coaching greats: Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers, Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, and John Wooden of the UCLA Bruins to name a few. The context of sport lends itself to the study of coaching greatness; however, no studies have directly explored this phenomenon. More often than not, society identifies coaches as “great” based on two criteria: win/loss records and public attention that is garnered through the media. This narrow …

Comparison Of Developmental Assets Of Early Adolescents In Two Urban Youth Programs, Keesha Yvette Chapman

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of developmental assets of youth participating in two programs that have similar goals but are organized differently. One program was structured around a theoretical and empirical model of youth development (i.e., developmental asset framework) and one program was not organized around this framework. Gender was examined to determine if differences in reports of developmental assets existed across programs in relation to gender.

Data were obtained from 40 youth between the ages of 10 and 14 participating in both programs. A 47-item questionnaire was administered to participants in small groups at …

Becoming Tied: A Theory Of Adolescent Maternal-Infant Interaction, Melinda K. Sprinkle Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the interaction that occurs between adolescent mothers and their newborns while situated together in the immediate postpartum period. The researcher sought to determine: 1) What are the interactive process (es) that occur between adolescent mothers and their newborns while situated together in the immediate postpartum period, 2) What categories emerge from the adolescents’ descriptions of the mother infant situation?, and 3) How do the emergent categories relate?

Ten primiparous adolescent mothers age 17 years or less were purposively sampled to participate in this qualitative Grounded Theory study. Face to face interviews about …

Co-Occurring Disorders: An Outpatient Latent Class Analysis, Kathleen H. Darby

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past 20 years researchers and health care practitioners have come to realize in addition to high prevalence rates, individuals with co-occurring disorders did not represent a homogeneous group (Drake, et al., 1998: 2001; Lehman, et al., 1994: 2000; Mueser, et al., 2000). It is essential to consider the heterogeneity of co-occurring disorders when considering new treatment modalities. Thus, it becomes pivotal to identify these differences for treatment approaches and program goals. Research shows that heterogeneity of treatment populations can be reduced through empirically-derived homogeneous groups based on multivariate analysis (Ries, et al., 1993; Lehman et al., 2000; Mueser, …

How Adult Students Experience Having Their Beliefs Challenged In An Undergraduate Religion Class: A Phenomenological Analysis, Steven Blake Frye

Doctoral Dissertations

The challenging of one’s existing ideas has long been acknowledged as an integral component of the learning experience. In a university classroom, challenges are often inherent to the process. When challenges address personal beliefs, there is potential for the experience to be unsettling. The current study is designed to gain a deeper look into this phenomenon.

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of adult students in a college religion class who have encountered questions about and challenges to their previously held beliefs. The study was conducted with adult non-traditional students who have participated in an academically-focused …

The Influence Of Atmospherics On Consumer Perceptions Of Service Quality, Merchandise Price, And Merchandise Quality Influencing Behavioral Intentions: A Retailing Study Of Outlet Malls, Alycia Fogle Holmes

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the influence of atmospherics on consumer perceptions of service quality, merchandise price, and merchandise quality influencing behavioral intentions in an outlet mall environment. The research design was a survey method and data were collected through a mall intercept questionnaire. A pilot test of the instrument was conducted with 43 subjects. The final questionnaire contained 30 items and a demographic section. A total of 586 questionnaires were collected from three different outlet malls. The results indicated that the atmospheric variables and the human variable of crowding are related to consumer’s perceptions of the service quality, merchandise price, and …

Predicting High School Truancy And Academic Performance Among Students In The Appalachian South, Melissa Kathryn Hunt

Doctoral Dissertations

Truancy and academic underachievement are significant problems among adolescents. Considering the historical emphasis on studying delinquency in populated urban areas, a more concerted effort is needed to examine this issue in rural areas to determine the extent to which findings are culturally generalizable. As a move in this direction, truant behavior was examined in an East Tennessee county in the southern region of the Appalachian Mountains. The primary objective of this exploratory investigation was to assess personality, behavioral, religious, and environmental factors most associated with high school absenteeism and academic achievement in the Appalachian south. Participants were 374 adolescents in …

Myths, Metaphors, And Mass-Mediated Reality: U.S. Press Coverage Of Bird Flu And Avian Influenza Pandemic, 1996-2006, Kunka Dineva Ignatova

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined U.S. press coverage of the H5N1 bird-flu virus and the possible influenza pandemic in the period 1996 - 2006. One elite and three regional newspapers were used. Framing analysis facilitated by the QDA Miner revealed that militaristic, race, natural disaster and Christian/biblical metaphors, as well as the myths of the “other world,” the “hero,” the “victim,” and the “plague,” created fear that helped to perpetuate the story and keep it on the media agenda. This was a story that the press constructed both scientifically and metaphorically, relying on scientific facts as well as on cultural myths and …

Saying Yes When You Mean No: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Consensual Unwanted Sexual Activity, Samantha C. Litzinger

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to conduct a phenomenological analysis of the experience of consensual unwanted sexual activity (CUSA). College men and women (N=10) in relationships ranging from casual to committed who were enrolled at a university in the southeastern United States were interviewed about experiences of CUSA. Interviews were conducted in person with participants who were asked to answer the following research question: “Describe a time in which you did not want to participate in some sexual activity, but you decided to anyway.” Interview transcripts were analyzed using phenomenological research methods in the context of an interpretive research …

Racial Identification Among Rural African American Adolescents, John Walter Miller Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the influence that environmental racial composition has on the racial identification development of African Americans adolescents. Theoretical models that describe the formation of racial identity are examined chronologically, and research compiled within social work literature on the topic of racial identification is examined. Although previous studies have examined how African American adolescents over the age of 15 deal with the complexities of racial identity development, to date there is no literature that examines how middle school age African American adolescents navigate the same waters. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between environmental …

Comparing Recent High School Graduates Placed In Developmental And College-Level Mathematics Courses, Crystal Renee Rice

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine any significant differences among recent high school graduates placed in developmental and college-level mathematics courses. The focus of the investigation was on students’ high school course-taking patterns in mathematics and their attitudes and beliefs towards mathematics. High school location was also considered.

The study was conducted at two community colleges in east Tennessee. Students placed in both developmental and college-level mathematics courses completed surveys at the beginning of the fall semester 2006. Four scales of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales (1976), along with the Indiana Mathematics Belief Scales (Kloosterman & Stage, 1992), …

Conflict, Connection, And Aggression In Adolescent Romantic Relationships, Sharon C. Risch

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes two projects aimed at understanding the role of conflict, connection, and aggression in adolescent romantic relationships. The first project is an empirical investigation that seeks to understand how the developmental task of separation-individuation is negotiated in adolescents’ romantic relationships via their communication processes. We hypothesize that participants who exhibit higher levels of connection and lower levels of conflict will be less physically aggressive and feel more satisfied in their relationships. We also hypothesize a moderation model whereby participants who exhibit conflict in the context of higher levels of connection will have better relational outcomes than participants who …

Validation Of The Air Force Family Needs Screener, Wendy J. Wyse

Doctoral Dissertations

The Air Force Family Needs Screener (FNS) has been utilized as a screening measure for risk of both child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) within the context of a military primary prevention program called the New Parent Support Program (NPSP) since 1988. However, this measure has only been validated with the initial pilot samples used in its development. The current study sought to assess the reliability, dependability, factor structure and predictive capacity of the FNS using a new sample of mothers. In addition, this study sought to develop shortened versions of the FNS in order to determine if they …

Acceptable Noise Levels And Electrophysiological Measures In Listeners With Hearing Impairment, Joanna Webster Tampas

Doctoral Dissertations

Acceptable noise level (ANL) is a measure of a listener’s acceptance of background noise when listening to speech. A consistent finding in research on ANL is large intersubject variability in the acceptance of background noise. This variability is not related to age, gender, hearing sensitivity, type of background noise, speech perception in noise performance, cochlear responses, or efferent activity of the medial olivocochlear bundle pathways. Moreover, across ANL studies, young and elderly individuals with both hearing impairment and normal-hearing sensitivity display equivalent means and ranges for ANLs, indicating that acceptance of background noise may be an inherent characteristic of the …

The Origins Of A War Of Secession: A Comparison Of Namibia And Botswana, Eric D. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

This work is an attempt to define a comprehensive contemporary model of the causes of wars of secession, state and illustrate its gaps, and develop new theories to accentuate and improve that model, and through comparative case studies perform some elementary tests of their validity. My theoretical paradigm is dependent on an assumption that the ultimate causes, as captured under the rubric of institutions and structures, of an event involving rational but free-willed human beings are inadequate to explaining the onset of radical, extraordinary politics in general and wars of secession in particular. On the contrary, proximate causes, in the …

Reliability And Validity Of The Unit - Gifted Screening Scale (Unit - Gss), Rebecca Grace Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

The psychometric integrity of the UNIT - Gifted Screening Scale (UNIT -GSS; McCallum & Bracken, in press) was explored by examining Cronbach's Alphas for each of its scales (reliabilities ranged from .95 to .98). In addition, the concurrent validity was evaluated by comparing scores from non-academically oriented UNIT-GSS scales to other instruments that measure the same constructs for 106 2^nd through 8^th grade students, rated either by their teachers or themselves, on the UNIT-GSS, the Gifted Rated Scales (GRS; Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003), and a self-report instrument designed to measure emotional intelligence, the Bar-On Emotional Quotient: Youth Version …

Hope, Coping Style, And Dietary Behaviors Of Early And Late Postgastrectomy Stomach Cancer Patients, Cynthia Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

Stomach cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths worldwide and will increase yearly as the population increases (Lambert, 2000). Psychosocial interventions to promote optimal adaptation to stomach cancer and the special circumstances of gastrectomy should be guided by research on personality characteristics, other psychological factors and the health behaviors which characterize phases of recovery. Although coping styles of gastrectomy patients had been examined in an earlier study, no study had been conducted from a biopsychosocial perspective. In the present study, a group of stomach cancer patients (15) surviving less than five years postsurgery were compared to a …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Academic And Athletic Satisfaction Among Division Ia Student-Athletes, James Joseph Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic and athletic satisfaction for Division IA intercollegiate athletes. Student-athletes (n = 367; 16 teams) at a Division IA university in the Midwest completed the Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ) and the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), in addition to a demographic survey. The data was analyzed using a variety of analytical procedures including descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and hierarchical regression in order to answer the research questions guiding this study:
1. What is the relationship between Division IA intercollegiate athletes’ satisfaction with their academic and athletic experiences?
2. What …