Digital Commons Network^™

Ethical Issues In A Networked Environment, Kristen G. Sallberg

Theses and Dissertations

The research objective was to provide a preliminary understanding of how USAF computer users perceive the ethical considerations of computer networks and how the USAF is addressing ethical issues of networked environments. A survey was undertaken to explore questions of ethics in the use of information networks. The literature review explored issues of ethics in the private sector and USAF guidance regarding use of official government resources. The sample population consisted of military members stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Ohio. The responses regarding certain attitudes about behaviors and actions in a networked environment were consistent overall. A significant difference …

Frontal Lobe Deficits In Domestic Violence Offenders, Margaret Donovan Westby

Theses and Dissertations

Functional frontal-lobe deficits were examined in 38 male batterers and 38 male non-batterers matched on age and education level. Dependent measures that examine frontal-lobe deficits including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Test, and Trails B were used. The Crossing-off Test (a reaction time measure), the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST), and the WAIS-R vocabulary subtest were used as moderator variables. Batterers scored lower on the vocabulary subtest and higher on the SMAST than did control participants. Controlling for vocabulary ability and SMAST scores, compared to controls, batterers took significantly longer to complete Trails B. However, the groups did …

An Investigation Of Prioritizing Research Topics In Professional Communication, Richard G. Buschagen

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored which areas and methods of research need to be identified and developed to most effectively communicate business and technical information. The research was sparked by the current literature which indicates that a gap exists between academicians, who do most of the research, and practitioners, who utilize the research results. This effort was intended to address possible causes of this problem by establishing the importance of nine research topic areas, six data collection methods/sources, and three data analysis methods for both academicians and researchers and other demographic characteristics. The research concludes that the participants generally agreed on which …

A Comparison Of Movements And Burrow Usage Between Indigenous And Relocated Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus) In A Fall Line Sandhills Community, Dorinda Morpeth

Theses and Dissertations

The movements and burrow use of twenty (ten relocated and ten indigenous to the relocation site) adult gopher tortoises {Gopherus polyphemus) were followed during the late spring, summer and early autumn in Talbot County, Georgia. The objectives of this study were to determine whether relocated gopher tortoises developed fidelity to a relocation site, and whether indigenous tortoises reacted adversely to relocated tortoises released in their proximity. Ten tortoises in the right-of-way of a highway construction project were captured, fitted with transmitters, and relocated to a 336 hectare tract of land, 3.2 km east of Geneva, Talbot, County, Georgia. Concurrently, ten …

The Effects Of Extraneous Presentation Graphics On Decision Making, Thomas S. Tingley

Theses and Dissertations

Almost every professional presentation includes some form of graphics. Many previous researchers have analyzed the relative effectiveness of graphical decision aids, such as pie charts or bar graphs. Very little research, however, has been conducted to determine the effects of extraneous graphics, such as pictures and logos, on decision making. This study employed an experiment to determine whether extraneous graphics hinder or enhance a decision maker's ability to obtain the pertinent information from a professional presentation. Other factors such as gender and graphics training were also analyzed for any influence on the results obtained. The results of the study indicated …

Literacy Development: Teacher/Student Interaction In A Whole Language Classroom, Nadine C. Tepper

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study on literacy development within a whole language classroom focuses on the reading and writing experiences of five second grade students. The classroom teacher was also a participant in the study and practiced various whole language teaching methods in the teaching of reading and writing. The data gathered for this study were descriptive fieldnotes developed from the observations, in-depth interviews of the participants, documents from the site, and writing samples.

The portraits of the students described specific learning behaviors and styles that came forth as they read books and wrote stories in journals. The portraits also defined the …

Effects Of Expert Statement Validity Assessment Testimony On Lay Evaluations Of Children's Statements, Marcus Choi Tye

Theses and Dissertations

Research on memory and suggestibility in children continues to demonstrate circumstances under which children may not give accurate accounts of important events. In investigating and treating child sexual abuse, it is important to determine what has happened. Statement Validity Assessment is a witness credibility assessment technique developed by Udo Undeutsch which focuses on the reality of individual statements. It involves a special open-ended investigative interview, Criteria-Based Content Analysis, which searches for the presence of characteristics which indicate that a statement is based on an experienced event, and a Validity Checklist which examines alternate hypotheses. This technique has been widely used …

Four Girls Respond To Young Adult Horror Fiction, Betty Silliman

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study provides insight into the separate reading experience of four adolescent girls as each engaged in the reading and discussion of a popular, self-selected young adult horror novel. The analysis and interpretation of data focused on the appeal of texts and the sociological implications of the reading experience. While questions regarding the appeal of young adult horror fiction grew from work with adolescent female horror readers, the social dimension of the inquiry stemmed from concerns of critical literacy theorists with regard to the ideological content of texts and its potential to shape readers into accepting dominant views.

Data …

An Interview Study Of Native American Philosophical Foundations In Education, Vivian Delgado

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to focus on oral Native American world views or philosophies. Native world views and philosophies and epistemology deal with the foundation of knowledge of and about aboriginal peoples. In most cases oral traditions are thousands of years old and have maintained their philosophical value. Prior to the establishment of Western education, narratives among indigenous people were used to teach and educate in the most formal sense. Today it serves as a credible and authentic source in Native American education and is weighted with the same importance that it has always had. The re-discovery of …

The Effects Of Attraction To Sexual Aggression: History Of Self-Reported Sexually Aggressive Behavior And Social Disinhibition On The Expression Of Sexually Aggressive Behavior In The Laboratory, Margo R. Norton

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual aggression, defined as an attempt, successful or unsuccessful, to coerce another into sexual acts (Malamuth, Sockloskic, Koss & Tanaka, 1991) may be thought of as a continuum of behaviors, which, at one extreme, is forcible rape. The importance of examining this entire set of related behaviors, and their “cultural normality”, according to feminist and sociocultural theorists has, in recent years, been highlighted in the literature (Burt, 1980; Malamuth, 1986; Malamuth & Dean, 1991). It has also been considered vital to examine the role that situational disinhibitors (i.c., alcohol/drug intoxication, aggressive pornography, momentary anger, the observed behavior of others) play …

Political Culture On The Northern Plains : North Dakota And The Nonpartisan Experience, Thomas P. Shilts

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the history of North Dakota during the era of the Nonpartisan League (roughly 1915 through 1921). A significant body of research on the League exists, but no study has yet specifically addressed itself to exploring the political culture of the League and of its opponents in such a way that the full nature of the Nonpartisan "revolt" is made clear. The League was indeed the result of farmers’ perception of economic exploitation at the hands of big business, yet it was more basically a proactive struggle for inclusion. While employing elements of agrarian ideology, the League was …

Reading Attitude And Academic Achievement In Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Children, Denise L. Moretz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between reading attitudes and academic achievement of elementary school children in grades three, four, and five. Also, the researcher wanted to determine if variables such as gender or time in school affected the relationship between reading attitude and academic achievement.

The subjects consisted of seventy students from three intact classrooms. This study took place in a middle class suburban elementary school in southern New Jersey. Twenty-seven students were from third grade, twenty-one students were from fourth grade, and twenty-two students were from fifth grade, Thirty-eight females and thirty-two …

The Effect Of Coeducational And Same-Sex Cooperative Learning Groups On Achievement, Michelle L. Rodier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of coeducational and same sex cooperative learning groups on the achievement of first grade students. It is hypothesized that the academic performance of students in all subject areas while participating in a "same-sex cooperative learning group" will exceed their performance in the "coeducational learning group." The subjects of this study were twenty-two first grade students from a southern New Jersey community. This study was divided into two experimental cycles – cycle A and cycle B. Cycle A included three weeks of coeducational cooperative learning groups and cycle B included three …

The Effects Of Social And Tangible Reinforcement On Vocabulary Acquisition In Whole Language, Carolyn M. Brida

Theses and Dissertations

In this study the effects of social and tangible reinforcement in whole language was measured. The purpose was to determine if there were any significant effects of the various treatment conditions on vocabulary acquisition.

Social reinforcement and tangible reinforcement are used to motivate students to perform (Neihoff & Mesch, 1991) and achieve (Hitz & Driscoll, 1989). The academic performance and achievement of students in the area of vocabulary acquisition is an important part of the academic process. Vocabulary remains a key focus in education (Nagy, 1988). Whole language programs include vocabulary acquisition (Blachowicz & Fisher, 1996).

The sample for this …

Self-Concept In Gifted Children: A Developmental And Comparative Study, Sherri L. Evangelista

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the various dimensions of self-concept in gifted children, to compare self-concept in gifted and nongifted children, and to attempt to discover a relationship between self-concept and achievement in gifted children. The 25 subjects who participated in this study were a sample of gifted students taken from a population of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students enrolled in a public elementary school in a suburban area in southern New Jersey. The Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) was used to assess self-concept. Mean self-concept scores and standard deviations were calculated for each subscale. …

The Effect Of Gender And Birth Order On Reading And Mathematics Achievement Among Third Grade Students, Laurie D. Rosenberg-Asch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine that there was no significant correlation between the effect of gender and birth order on reading and mathematics achievement among third grade students.

The sample in this study consisted of students in a third grade class, in a public elementary school in a suburban school district in southern New Jersey. The sample was comprised of forty randomly selected students from two third grade classes in the school. Twenty students were female, and twenty students were male.

Interim report cards were used as the instrument to determine achievement in reading and mathematics. The …

Vocabulary Acquisition Of Target Words By Second Grade Students Through Storybook Read-Aloud Sessions, Joann Ulbrich

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of three conditions of vocabulary presentation were examined to determine which method is optimal for vocabulary acquisition of the meanings of unfamiliar words in elementary school students. The design of this study was similar to that used by A. Brett, L. Rothlein, and M. Hurley (1996). Three intact classes of second grade students, N = 59, in a suburban area in Southern New Jersey were randomly assigned to a control group, a group where students received no explanations of target words when they were read a storybook aloud, or a group where students received brief explanations of target …

A Survey Of The 1997 Whitesbog Preservation Trust Membership To Determine Motivational Factors That Successfully Encouraged Members To Join Or Renew Membership In Whitesbog Preservation Trust, Patricia L. Frasier

Theses and Dissertations

A survey was conducted to determine what factors successfully motivated members to join or renew membership in the Whitesbog Preservation Trust (a.k.a. the Trust). The survey was sent to 127 members who responded to the 1997 annual membership letter sent in December 1996. Of the 127 members who received the survey, 70 responded.

The survey asked respondents to identify the Seasonal Series event or other factor(s) that motivated them to become or renew membership in the Trust. The survey also included a section on demographics for the purpose of analyzing the data. The statistical analysis of the survey was done …

A Case Study Of The Restoration Of College Athletic Programs And Academic Image, Edward P. Callinan

Theses and Dissertations

The study was designed to show that public relations is an integral part of a college's athletic program.

The researcher conducted questionnaires and solicited interviews of 15 individuals from three different institutions The three chosen schools were Fordham University, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Those interviewed from each school included the coach of the selected team, the public relations director, an athlete of the selected team, student government president, and professor.

This study proved that public relations is necessary to restore a college athletic team's image. It also found that division affiliation, the language the …

Accelerated Reader: A Study Of The Effects On Reading Comprehension And Attitudes In The Fifth Grade, Christine Welk Clegg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if fifth graders, using the Accelerated Reader, a computer-based reading motivation and management program, will demonstrate an increase in reading comprehension scores as tested by their performance in a pre and posttest using the reading comprehension portion of the Metropolitan Achievement Tests. This study will also measure any increase in favorable reading attitudes as measured by a pre and posttest using the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey by McKenna and Kear.

Two classes were selected from the fifth grade at D'Ippolito Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey to participate in this study. Both …

How Does Phonemic Awareness Affect Reading Ability With At-Risk Students On The Primary Level, Denise D. Layne

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how phonemic awareness affects reading ability with at-risk students on the primary level. Subjects were from two second grade classes at an elementary school. Phonological activities were provided during 30 minute class periods 5 times each week for 10 weeks. Instruction centered on finding words that rhyme, words with same blends and words with vowel sounds. Subjects completed a pre- and post-test using the Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation. Findings suggest that both groups' scores increased on the post-testing. But the experimental group improved 76.4% greater than the control group.

Promoting Student Interest In The Whole Language Reading Program For Grades 4-6 In Somers Point, Nj, Including An Annotated Bibliography, Diane M. Drayer

Theses and Dissertations

A reading interest survey was conducted in an attempt to evaluate the whole language reading program in the intermediate grades 4-6. The survey was distributed to seventeen 4-6 grade classes, and students were asked to record their favorite books of the past year. Novels that are a part of our whole language reading program overwhelmingly ranked as student favorites. The survey resulted in the conclusion that literature in our reading program interested students the most.

Based on this information, an annotated bibliography was created for each novel read as part of our whole language program in Somers Point, Thematically-related complementary …

Comparison Of Academic Success Between Students Who Live In Single Parent Households And Students Who Live In Two-Parent Households, Susan A. Ficco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of thus study was to compare the impact household composition has on the academic achievement of elementary school students. The sample contained 83 third and fourth grade students from a small Southern New Jersey school district, 22 from single parent households, and 61 from two parent households. The grade point averages for reading, language and mathematics were recorded for two consecutive marking periods and the measuring device used was a paired sample t-test. The results of the study show a high correlation between household composition and academic achievement. The grade point averages of the students in two parent …

Analysis Of Factors That Contribute To Residence Life Staff Burnout, Antoinette Mascio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to provide an integrative study of the various factors that may interact to produce burnout among Residence Life staff members. This study examines psychosocial, physiological, and environmental conditions that are thought to contribute to burnout among Residence Life staff members.

The participants of this study were 71 student staff members who are employed by the Office of Residents Life, at a co-educational, nonsectarian, state supported college in a rural area of southern New Jersey. The participants consisted of both male and female, graduate and undergraduate students, who range in age from 18 to 33 …

A Study Of The Perceptions Among Counselors And High School Students Regarding The Need For A Community College In Cape May County, New Jersey, Michelle D. Myles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare high school guidance counselors' perceptions in general regarding college attendance with those of their graduating students. It was posited, as well, that guidance counselor rankings and the student rankings of five college-choice aspects would be related; namely, that the guidance counselors' choices would be ranked in the same order that the high school students' choices were ranked, and that the students' choices would be significantly related to those aspects relevant to community college attendance. A pilot study was conducted first over phone interviews of the guidance counselors from the four public high …

The Relationship Between Career Maturity And Locus Of Control In College Students, Maryann Kimchick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between locus of control in college students and career maturity. The sample consisted of 39 undergraduates attending a state college in New Jersey. Of the total sample, 5 were male, 34 were female. The mean age of the population was 18, with ages ranging from 18 to 24. The majority of the sample were in their first year in college. Locus of control was assessed with the Rotter Internal-External (I-E) scale and the Career Maturity Inventory Scale (CMI-As) was selected to measure Career Maturity. The data collected was analyzed using …

Effectiveness Of Conflict Resolution Programs In The Schools: A Study Of Students’ Coping Skills Before And After Participation In A Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation Program, Tammy Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate students' coping styles before and after a conflict resolution program intervention. The 6th grade middle school class was administered the Coping Response Inventory (CRI) prior to receiving the conflict resolution training. The conflict resolution/peer mediation program was designed to empower students by giving them the tools to challenge and solve problems. The program focuses on the following areas: affirmation, communication, conflict resolution, cooperation, and bias awareness/appreciation of differences.

The demographics include the following: The sample group consisted of 6th grade suburban middle school students. There were 21 subjects. 57% were male and …

School Bullying And Alcohol And Other Drug Attitudes Survey In Southern New Jersey, Gail J. Tilley

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is the extent of school bulling in southern New Jersey as measured by an adapted version of the Olweus Bully Questionnaire. The students (n=232) surveyed were fourth and fifth graders in a suburban community in southern New Jersey. It was found that 11% of fourth graders and 15% of fifth graders surveyed self-report bullying other students. It was also found that 20% of fourth and fifth graders surveyed indicated that they had been bullied. These percentages matched the trends found by Olweus in Norway. Students in southern New Jersey were also surveyed on their attitudes …

Parenting Styles And The Influences Upon The Level Of Functioning Of Adolescents, Tamiko Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to view the relationship between parenting styles and the influences upon the level of functioning of adolescents. There were 15 subjects in the study. Several characteristics were examined: level of functioning, family status, educational levels, and parenting styles.

The data was collected by a self-designed survey in order to assess the specific parenting style that an adolescent may have been subjected to and an observational rating scale was utilized to assess the level of functioning of each subject.

It was discovered that 66.6% of the subjects were reared by a care provider who favored …

Date Rape: Attitudes And Perceptions, Elizabeth Young

Theses and Dissertations

The reasons date rape victims are often blamed for their own assault may be associated with sex-role identification and a lack of education. This study aims to examine the relationship between an individual's measure of sex-role traditionality and their attitudes towards rape by using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory combined with the Rape Attitudes and Perceptions Questionnaire which were administered to two mixed gender classes consisting of 30 juniors and seniors in a rural high school. Approximately one week after the surveys were taken, both classes watched When Romance Turns to Rape, which contains several vignettes on date rape. Then …