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Multiple Effects Of A Brief Mindfulness Training, Stephanie Aholt Dec 2016

Multiple Effects Of A Brief Mindfulness Training, Stephanie Aholt

MSU Graduate Theses

Mindfulness-based interventions have been related to emotional regulation, reduced stress, and increased psychological flexibility. The current investigation extended previous findings by examining the short-term effects of a brief mindfulness training in undergraduate psychology students. The non-concurrent multiple baseline design evaluated heart rate and cortisol changes in response to a brief mindfulness-based intervention. The results found for some individuals, participation in the mindfulness intervention helped regulate their emotions and heart rate, as evidenced by the decrease in heart rate and cortisol and increase in psychological flexibility by changes in Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-2 and Perceived Stress Scale-14 scores. Findings suggest more …


Concurrent Biological, Electromagnetic Pulse, And Cyber Attacks - A Challenge To The Interagency Response, Patricia Rohrbeck Dec 2016

Concurrent Biological, Electromagnetic Pulse, And Cyber Attacks - A Challenge To The Interagency Response, Patricia Rohrbeck

MSU Graduate Theses

The U.S. including its military depends on an electrical grid and electricity-based critical infrastructure. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and cyber attack can disable not just a significant portion of the electrical grid and critical infrastructure, but also the networkcentric military response to such an attack. There is a large range of actors that might attempt EMP attacks against the U.S.. Health surveillance systems are network-centric, and if mass destruction is the goal of an adversary, launching a biological attack concurrently with EMP and cyber attacks may achieve this goal. Current agency response plans focus on one WMD attack at a …


Swamp Boat, Gravy Boat: Memory And Place In Fiction, Kaycie Surrell Dec 2016

Swamp Boat, Gravy Boat: Memory And Place In Fiction, Kaycie Surrell

MSU Graduate Theses

The importance of memory to place is of particular interest to me and forms the basis for the bulk of my work. In my critical introduction I explore the work of authors and essayists who inspire my fiction work through their focus on place and memory. Specific authors include Sandra Cisneros, David Sedaris, and Pam Houston. Through my short fiction pieces I weave together the stories of my childhood from Florida to Missouri into a quilt that covers the important pieces of my life thus far. I am interested in how people are motivated by fear to write around their …


Frozen Conflicts, De Facto States, And Enduring Interests In The Russian Near Abroad, Brittany A. Pohl Dec 2016

Frozen Conflicts, De Facto States, And Enduring Interests In The Russian Near Abroad, Brittany A. Pohl

MSU Graduate Theses

The dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in the establishment of fifteen sovereign nations and a number of separatist states concentrated in the greater Black Sea region. The latter, so-called de facto states, are the result of frozen conflicts that emerged as Moscow's grip over its territory weakened in the waning years of the USSR and dormant ethno-religious tensions erupted into internecine conflict. Separatists, ultimately with help from Moscow, were able to enshrine victories on the battlefield through ceasefires with metropolitan states that have held for over two decades. However, the issues surrounding these pseudo-states remain unsettled, and attempts at …


Eastern Flames In The Mind On Fire: A Study Of Eastern And Qur’Anic Influences On Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mohammed Qays Khaleel Alqaisi Dec 2016

Eastern Flames In The Mind On Fire: A Study Of Eastern And Qur’Anic Influences On Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mohammed Qays Khaleel Alqaisi

MSU Graduate Theses

Ralph Waldo Emerson's interest in the east is evident throughout his essays, poems and lectures. He shows his fascination with the eastern cultures, religions and poetry when he quotes from eastern texts to strengthen his ideas, such as the notion of the Over-Soul, illumination, knowledge and nature. He regards the east as an ignored territory of knowledge that contains invaluable wisdom waiting to be explored by western thinkers. As the world witnesses an increasing gap between the east and the west, Emerson represents the universal way of thinking, as he believes in seeking knowledge in every part of the world …


Using Behavior Skills Training To Teach Effective Conversation Skills To Individuals With Disabilities, Allison L. Schmidt Dec 2016

Using Behavior Skills Training To Teach Effective Conversation Skills To Individuals With Disabilities, Allison L. Schmidt

MSU Graduate Theses

A behavioral skills training (BST) package consisting of instructions, modeling an appropriate conversation, participant rehearsal, and constructive feedback, was used to teach appropriate conversation skills to three adults with developmental disabilities. A task analysis was used to define the steps of having a conversation. These steps included greetings, initiations, initiating a topic, responding, and maintaining a topic as the target skills. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used; an A-B-C format was embedded within the design for participants 1 and 2. Participant 3 was assessed using an A-B format. In situ was measured across three settings: each participant's …


A Biologically Active Tnf-Alpha Inhibitor Fails To Suppress Colitis In Balb/C Mice, Stephanie E. Biel Dec 2016

A Biologically Active Tnf-Alpha Inhibitor Fails To Suppress Colitis In Balb/C Mice, Stephanie E. Biel

MSU Graduate Theses

Tumor necrosis factor a (TNFα), a potent inflammatory cytokine, has long been established as a major driving force for pathologic inflammation. Currently, anti-TNFα therapies are the standard in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) management; however, one-third of IBD patients fail to respond to anti-TNFα therapies. Previous data from this lab indicate that TNFα Converting Enzyme (TACE) inhibition does not ameliorate colitis in BALB/C mice. Thus, we hypothesized that TNFα is not a critical component in the BALB/C model of colitis. To test this, acute colitis was induced in BALB/C mice by consumption of 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water …


The Development And Validation Of Personality-Based Implicit Measures For Predicting Character Failure, David Doedli Willis Dec 2016

The Development And Validation Of Personality-Based Implicit Measures For Predicting Character Failure, David Doedli Willis

MSU Graduate Theses

Previous research in personality-based Implicit Association Tests (IATs) found little predictive power and obtained limited psychometric properties. This study was designed to improve the psychometric properties of personality-based Implicit Association Tests designed to assess attributes related to integrity and character. The predictive validity of the IATs for behavior related to character failure (e.g. dishonesty and rule violations) was also investigated. The personality-based IATs target attitudes and behavior related to what is referred to as the dark side of personality (i.e. traits related to Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism). To obtain criterion behavior related to these traits a temptation manipulation provided subjects …


Selecting For Commitment: Intentional And Habitual Predictors, Carl Witten Dec 2016

Selecting For Commitment: Intentional And Habitual Predictors, Carl Witten

MSU Graduate Theses

This study examines long term strategic thinking (LTST) as a predictor of organizational commitment and turnover intentions, and attempts to distinguish it from the personality factor conscientiousness. Although LTST is related to conscientiousness, its use as a selection device relies on enhanced prediction above conscientiousness alone. Results of a survey study show that different facets of organizational commitment are to some extent differentially predicted by these two constructs.


Ethicality Of Advisor Motives In Academic Advising: Faculty, Staff, And Student Perspectives, Xiafei Xue Dec 2016

Ethicality Of Advisor Motives In Academic Advising: Faculty, Staff, And Student Perspectives, Xiafei Xue

MSU Graduate Theses

Advising is an important aspect in academic settings. While the literature has emphasized better academic advising, including the personal qualities of good advisors, there has been little emphasis on ethical issues and ethical concerns related to advisors' roles or positions. The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) provides a set of core values to guide ethical behavior. The current study examined (in an experimental design) faculty, staff, and student perspectives regarding advisors' more ethical, neutral, or less ethical behaviors. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between faculty and staff. All groups could differentiate between ethical and unethical extremes, but …


Does Person And Process Praise Influence Success Of Transferring Knowledge?, Leah Mae Wilson Dec 2016

Does Person And Process Praise Influence Success Of Transferring Knowledge?, Leah Mae Wilson

MSU Graduate Theses

The effects of person, process, and neutral praise were examined to assess differences in the types of praise used to frame participant motivation and subsequent transfer success. A sample of undergraduate psychology students (N = 66) were tested using the Tower of Hanoi puzzle to assess transfer success based on the number of trials and average time per trials necessary to solve the transfer task. Participants also reported levels of existing achievement goal orientations and task-specific intrinsic motivation. Exploratory analyses indicated that the number of trials, average time per trial across conditions, as well intrinsic motivation did not differ by …


The Use Of Behavior Skills Training To Teach Paraprofessionals Discrete Trial Teaching, Ali Jo-Celeste Headley Dec 2016

The Use Of Behavior Skills Training To Teach Paraprofessionals Discrete Trial Teaching, Ali Jo-Celeste Headley

MSU Graduate Theses

Behavioral skills training (BST) was used to teach discrete trial teaching (DTT) to three paraprofessionals. Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) has been used successfully with students with autism to individualize and simplify classroom instruction. DTT is an evidence-based training procedure used with elementary aged children to promote the development of communication/language, adaptive behavior, cognitive/academic skills, social and play skills, and for reducing interfering behaviors. Behavioral skills training is a training package that includes instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the treatment effects. The paraprofessionals in this study increased their implementation of DTT …


“Frames” And Bias: How A Lack Of Context In Middle East News Coverage Can Impact U.S. Foreign Policy, Jennifer Lois Moore Dec 2016

“Frames” And Bias: How A Lack Of Context In Middle East News Coverage Can Impact U.S. Foreign Policy, Jennifer Lois Moore

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis is a critical examination into how American mainstream news media outlets often neglect to incorporate religious, cultural and historical context into their coverage of the Middle East. I show through my research and analysis that the news coverage of the Middle East, even at the highest echelons of American journalism, is often lacking in sophistication in terms of cultural and religious context, sometimes to the point of affecting its fairness and accuracy. The danger of this is that it has the power to grossly simplify and reduce to an “us versus them” frame an entire contingent of the …


Effect Of A Short-Term Field Experience On Student Outdoor Environmental Knowledge, Comfort Levels, Attitude, And Action Scores, Brandi Niccole Silvey Dec 2016

Effect Of A Short-Term Field Experience On Student Outdoor Environmental Knowledge, Comfort Levels, Attitude, And Action Scores, Brandi Niccole Silvey

MSU Graduate Theses

Many children today may not be familiar with nature due to lack of experience and education in the outdoors. If they are not exposed to nature, then they will not be as comfortable in the outdoors. This study evaluates the effectiveness of educational activities at the Watershed Center in Springfield, Missouri on high school students' and college level pre-service teachers' knowledge, comfort levels, attitudes, and actions toward the outdoor environment. Post-field trip responses of students who came to the Watershed Center were compared to students who did not participate in a field trip. Teachers were also surveyed to assess why …


The Preferences Of Exercise And Physical Activity In Individuals With An Intellectual Disability, Zachary J. Burt Jul 2016

The Preferences Of Exercise And Physical Activity In Individuals With An Intellectual Disability, Zachary J. Burt

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the preferences of exercise and physical activity in individuals with an intellectual disability. It took place during Bear Play, a physical activity program geared towards working with individuals with a disability at Missouri State University. This project was facilitated through the partnership of Missouri State University's Kinesiology department and the Arc of The Ozarks. A convenience sample was drawn from individuals participating in the program during the 2015-2016 academic year. Each participant was asked to complete a survey. Data were collected by using a survey administered on an IPAD and covered many …


Message Framing And Source Factors: Peers' Impact On Exercise Intentions, Samantha Grace Lynn Hunter Jul 2016

Message Framing And Source Factors: Peers' Impact On Exercise Intentions, Samantha Grace Lynn Hunter

MSU Graduate Theses

The present study examined reported exercise intentions, confidence ratings, and exercise behaviors by manipulating the health status of the message source (lifetime healthy, reformed unhealthy) and message frame (gain, loss). Participants read background information pertaining to the health experience of the message source. Participants then read a physical activity health pamphlet that was attributed to the message source. The health pamphlet provided four arguments that were presented in either a gain or loss frame depending on experimental condition. The results revealed that there was a strong positive relationship between exercise intentions and actual exercise behavior reported during the follow up …


Investigating The Relationship Between Data Displays, Rhetoric, And Reader Response In Technical Writing, Hanna Louise Landgrebe Jul 2016

Investigating The Relationship Between Data Displays, Rhetoric, And Reader Response In Technical Writing, Hanna Louise Landgrebe

MSU Graduate Theses

This study is meant to deepen the discussion Dragga and Voss began in "Cruel Pies” by exploring the connection between data displays and their ability to evoke or suppress emotional reactions in readers. It begins with a literature review of relevant discussions in ethics and technical writing, and then describes how readers responded to a series of news excerpts—some of which were paired with data displays or photographs—both by answering Likert scale questions and by thinking aloud and responding to written, open-ended questions. Though the quantitative data collected from the Likert scales is not robust enough to make any generalizations, …


Student Identification Of Problem Topics In General Chemistry, Michelle Denyse Hilda Herridge Jul 2016

Student Identification Of Problem Topics In General Chemistry, Michelle Denyse Hilda Herridge

MSU Graduate Theses

Eliciting students' beliefs regarding the difficulty of subject matter is important since self-efficacy often determines study habits. The goal of this research was to investigate students' perceptions about the relative difficulty of topics taught in tertiary-level introductory chemistry courses. As a proof of concept, I created a survey composed of topics adapted from the South Carolina high school chemistry standards. This survey was piloted at Clemson University, where general chemistry students at the end of their first-semester were asked to rank the topics by perceived level of difficulty. Based on the pilot data analysis the survey was revised, adapted and, …


Determining The Impact Of Anthropometric Factors On Rock Climbing Performance, Ryan T. Mitchell Jul 2016

Determining The Impact Of Anthropometric Factors On Rock Climbing Performance, Ryan T. Mitchell

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether anthropometric factors have an effect on overall performance in rock climbing between three different difficulties of rock walls. Fourteen, recreational rock climbers participated in this study (Age- 21.93+/-2.62y, Height- 176.8+/-11.1cm, Weight- 73.4+/-18.7kgs, % Fat- 21.02 +/- 6.41, BMI- 23.36+/-4.59). The anthropometric tests included: push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, vertical jump, and sit and reach. Immediately following these tests, the participants climbed the three different rock walls for approximately 10 minutes. The data collected is represented through the average number of climbs, distance traveled, and an RPE scale, to determine overall performance. A stepwise …


The Selfish Law: A Memetic Study Of The Transition From Generational Morality To Individual Morality In Deuteronomy 24:16, Ezekiel 18, And Jeremiah 31:27-30, Jonathan Michael Gracza Jul 2016

The Selfish Law: A Memetic Study Of The Transition From Generational Morality To Individual Morality In Deuteronomy 24:16, Ezekiel 18, And Jeremiah 31:27-30, Jonathan Michael Gracza

MSU Graduate Theses

The transition from generational morality to individual moral responsibility in Judah during King Josiah's time is present in Deuteronomy, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. However, the fact that such an approach to morality would survive a period in which Assyrian, Babylonian, and Hittite cultures exerted cultural pressure on the Israelites to conform is rather astonishing. This thesis applies memetics – a theory that applies evolutionary models to cultural development – to the topic in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of the transition from generational morality to individual moral responsibility. I argue, based on the insights that an evolutionary understanding of …


Transitioning Students From The Area Model To The Number Line Model When Developing Fraction Comparison Strategies, Joann Elaine Barnett Jul 2016

Transitioning Students From The Area Model To The Number Line Model When Developing Fraction Comparison Strategies, Joann Elaine Barnett

MSU Graduate Theses

In this study, 21 participants (control and treatment) were examined based on differences between their abilities to use a variety of strategies to compare fractions after considering the fractions' approximate positions on a number line. A pre-post test and interviews were conducted in Fall 2015 and Spring 2016. Results showed greater gains for the treatment group than the control group in their ability to correctly estimate a fractions' position on the number line and to count fractional intervals on the number line. Even after students in the treatment group developed the ability to correctly place fractions on a number line, …


Exploration Of Factors In Established Scales Regarding Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders, Amy Elizabeth Bauman Jul 2016

Exploration Of Factors In Established Scales Regarding Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders, Amy Elizabeth Bauman

MSU Graduate Theses

Attitudes toward sex offenders are generally negative, and many of us come into contact with these individuals within our communities and perhaps our occupations. Some of these opinions, however, are fueled by stereotypes whether accurate or erroneous. These opinions likely affect interactions with these individuals and punitive policies, which may impact the rehabilitation process of sex offenders. Measuring attitudes may offer insight into specific beliefs regarding this population and perhaps support the conveyance of accurate information surrounding sex offenders and their rehabilitation process. There are few existing measures utilized for measuring attitudes toward sex offenders, and those in use vary …


Personality Factors, Ideology, And Sensitivity To Change, Jahnavi Rose Delmonico Jul 2016

Personality Factors, Ideology, And Sensitivity To Change, Jahnavi Rose Delmonico

MSU Graduate Theses

This study examined the potential for a predictive relationship between political conservatism and change detection. Research on the visual system has revealed a general tendency to overlook changes in a stationary scene when two versions are displayed alternately with a masking slide, known as the flicker paradigm. We examined whether political conservatism and various related measures predicted whether and how quickly changes were detected during a flicker paradigm task. Measures of interest were conservatism as measured by the Social and Economic Conservatism scale, openness as measured by the short form of the Big Five Inventory, authoritarianism as measured by the …


Methods Of Measuring Visual Scanning Of Upright And Inverted Ecological Images, Benjamin Lee Graves Jul 2016

Methods Of Measuring Visual Scanning Of Upright And Inverted Ecological Images, Benjamin Lee Graves

MSU Graduate Theses

Facial recognition has been long held as a special perceptual process at which humans excel, and is primarily a function of perceptual experience. However, there are experimental manipulations that impede this perceptual process and make it more difficult for humans to recognize the face (i.e. only presenting half a face or inverting the face). In the case of inversion, it is though that the inverted face interrupts a person's ability to process the face holistically and forces a change to featural processing. The purpose of this experiment was to examine if inversion of ecologically valid images would also impact recognition …


A Psychometric Exploration Of Visuo-Constructive Ability And Processing Speed, Kayla Marie Lejeune Jul 2016

A Psychometric Exploration Of Visuo-Constructive Ability And Processing Speed, Kayla Marie Lejeune

MSU Graduate Theses

This study was conducted in order to explore the relationship between visuo-motor integration and processing speed; specifically, whether the WISC-V Coding B subtest is a better measure of visuo-motor ability. Visuo-motor ability and processing speed were assessed in a small, clinical sample (N = 13) of children and adolescents (ages 8-16 years). Results of correlation analyses indicated no significant relationship between visuo-constructive ability and processing speed, as measured by the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery VMI) and the Coding subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Results of one correlational analysis revealed that the …


Discover And Analysis Of Grapevine Vein-Clearing Virus In Ampelopsis Cordata, Sylvia Marie Petersen Jul 2016

Discover And Analysis Of Grapevine Vein-Clearing Virus In Ampelopsis Cordata, Sylvia Marie Petersen

MSU Graduate Theses

A recent threat to the sustainability of grape production is Grapevine vein-clearing virus (GVCV), the first DNA virus discovered in grapevines. Infection with GVCV leads to vine decline, lower quality berries, and eventual death of the grapevine. Since GVCV was discovered in cultivated grapevines, research has been dedicated to investigating its range and origin. The entire genome of the first GVCV isolate from a grape cultivar ‘Chardonel' has been deposited in GenBank and is used as a reference genome. More recently, two GVCV isolates were found in native Vitis rupestris in Missouri. In this thesis project, I applied polymerase chain …


Functional Analysis Of Grapevine Sts7 And Sts22 Promoters, Lianhua Lianhua Xu Jul 2016

Functional Analysis Of Grapevine Sts7 And Sts22 Promoters, Lianhua Lianhua Xu

MSU Graduate Theses

Stilbenic compounds are a group of phytoalexins that are produced by a limited number of plant species including grapevine to defend against diseases. Stilbene synthase (STS) is the key enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of stilbenic compounds. Previous results indicated a significant increase in the abundance of transcripts of STS7 and STS22 genes in powdery mildew-infected Cabernet Sauvignon leaves. I isolated the promoter sequences of STS7 and STS22 from grapevine Vitis aestivalis "Norton"(Va) and Vitis vinifera "Cabernet Sauvignon"(Vv) and studied their activities in transgenic plants. The results showed high activity of VaSTS7 and VaSTS22 promoters in transgenic plant leaves at …


Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder: Connecting The Movements Of The Song Cycle Through Schenkerian Analysis, Gabriel Quinton Fleetwood Jul 2016

Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder: Connecting The Movements Of The Song Cycle Through Schenkerian Analysis, Gabriel Quinton Fleetwood

MSU Graduate Theses

Gustav Mahler composed the song cycle Kindertotenlieder at the beginning of the 1900s. Depicting a mournful subject based on the poems of Friedrich Rü;ckert, the Lieder explore the different emotions and perspectives of a grieving parent who has lost his children to death. This discussion connects the movements of Mahler's Kindertotenlieder through a discussion of discoveries unveiled through Schenkerian analysis; harmonic, melodic, and motivic connections are highlighted throughout the composition. The tonal centers of the movements are discussed in an effort to illustrate the work as a whole, and not just as individual Lieder.


Endozoochorous Spread Of Nonnative Plant Species By White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus Virginianus, Andrew Jordan Spychalla Jul 2016

Endozoochorous Spread Of Nonnative Plant Species By White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus Virginianus, Andrew Jordan Spychalla

MSU Graduate Theses

Movement of plant seeds can be facilitated by endozoochory in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and elk (Cervus elaphus), but at rates that are unknown in natural systems. Spread of planted forage crops into wildlands, or nonnative invasive weeds into food plots would affect ecosystem processes and management costs. To address endozoochory, collections of fecal pellets from both ungulate species were done at the Current River Conservation Area in Southeastern Missouri. Randomly chosen individual pellets collected from nine food plots were planted in a greenhouse setting. After cold stratification of pellets (2°C at 15 days), pellets were either left whole or …


Gray Bat Migration In Missouri, Cheyenne Leigh Gerdes Jul 2016

Gray Bat Migration In Missouri, Cheyenne Leigh Gerdes

MSU Graduate Theses

Migration is an important and understudied aspect of the life histories of many species, particularly bats. Migration impacts conservation efforts, including efforts to manage the impacts of wildlife disease. The federally endangered gray bat (Myotis grisescens) is a migratory species with documented infections by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS). To better understand migration as it might relate to WNS, I quantified the timing and location of gray bat movements in Missouri using acoustic detectors and bat banding. I recorded calls at 4 maternity sites from January to May 2015, and used the R package PVAClone to …