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Human Aggression And Sports Media Violence, Justin Wright Aug 2006

Human Aggression And Sports Media Violence, Justin Wright

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study was designed to gain more perspective on human aggression and how sports media violence affects aggression levels. Anderson (1997) defined aggression as behavior that is intended to harm others or one's self. Anderson (2001) defined media violence as a portrayal of intentional harmful behavior directed at another person or the self. To define sports aggression, the definition of aggression must be manipulated slightly. The definition should be changed to a form of behavior intended to injure, whether or not an actual injury occurs, directed at an opposing team or opposing player to gain an advantage during the …


The Effects Of Avian Influenza Outbreak On U.S. Poultry Prices, Shang-Ho Yang Aug 2006

The Effects Of Avian Influenza Outbreak On U.S. Poultry Prices, Shang-Ho Yang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Even in the absence of proven human-to-human transmission of the disease, the uncertainty surrounding bird flu could devastate regional economic growth and financial markets. Confirmed cases of human infection from several subtypes of avian influenza infection have been reported since 1997. According to WHO (World Health Organization), experts indicate that there is a possible risk of infection to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds during an outbreak of avian influenza among poultry. On May 8, 2006, WHO reported on 207 cases that resulted in 115 people's …


Pseudostationary Phase For Solid Phase Extraction, Qing Zhao Aug 2006

Pseudostationary Phase For Solid Phase Extraction, Qing Zhao

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A unique pseudostationary phase for Solid Phase Extraction is presented. This pseudostationary phase consists of surfactant, which is initially immobilized onto hydrophilic cation exchange resin. The surfactant chain through hydrophobic interactions extracts hydrophobic analytes in the same manner as conventional bonded alkyl moieties on silica based non-polar sorbents. Although hydrophobic analytes can be efficiently trapped on commercially available non-polar sorbents (i.e. Ci8 silica), organic solvents that are necessary to break strong hydrophobic interactions between the analytes and the sorbent are harmful. They are also incompatible for direct introduction into a reversed phase liquid chromatographic set up. In the presented approach, …


An Algorithm To Generate 4-Regular Planar Hamiltonian Graphs, Mehmet Ascigil Aug 2006

An Algorithm To Generate 4-Regular Planar Hamiltonian Graphs, Mehmet Ascigil

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this paper, the problem of randomly generating 4-regular planar Hamiltonian graphs is discussed and a solution is described. An algorithm which efficiently generates the graphs in linear time and in a near-uniform manner is given. In addition, a formula is provided that determines the total number of such graphs. The generation of graphs starts with forming the Hamiltonian cycle of the final graph. Each vertex is randomly assigned to be connected with zero. one. Or two edges in the area bounded by the Hamiltonian cycle. A positive prefix vector is used to determine all the edges in the area …


The Effect Of Varying Cadence In Cycle Ergometry On Submaximal Predictions Of Peak Oxygen Uptake, Zachary Callahan Aug 2006

The Effect Of Varying Cadence In Cycle Ergometry On Submaximal Predictions Of Peak Oxygen Uptake, Zachary Callahan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that varying cadence had on the ability of a submaximal cycle ergometry test to accurately predict peak oxygen uptake (VO2) using the standard YMCA protocol workloads. There has been limited scholarship investigating the effect that varying cadence has on trained cyclists and almost none on untrained participants. For this study twelve moderately healthy participants (age: 20.75 ± 1.87, body fat: 15.8 ± 4.91 %) who did not use cycling as part of their workout regime performed a peak VO2 cycle test and three randomized submaximal tests. The three submaximal tests …


The Effect Of Divulging The Intent Of The Conditional Reasoning Test Of Aggression To Responses, Nathan Carter Aug 2006

The Effect Of Divulging The Intent Of The Conditional Reasoning Test Of Aggression To Responses, Nathan Carter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Under the conditional reasoning (CR; James, 1998) system of personality measurement, items are constructed to have the appearance of a logic or reasoning test. This characteristic of CR tests is designed to combat response distortion by test takers in personality testing. The CR system was used to develop the Conditional Reasoning Test of Aggression (CRT-A; James & Mclntyre, 2000), a tool used to screen employees whose scores indicate an aggressive disposition. An assumption of the CRT-A is that respondents are unaware of the construct being measured. This study examines the effect of informing respondents that the CRT-A measures aggression. A …


Hydrochemistry In An Alpine Karst System, Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Parks, California, Joel Despain Aug 2006

Hydrochemistry In An Alpine Karst System, Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Parks, California, Joel Despain

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study uses high-resolution, long-term conductivity, temperature, discharge, pH, and laboratory data from 2001 through 2003 from an alpine karst spring located at 2,500 m amsl in Sequoia National Park, California to reveal detailed chemical parameters of this karst system. The data show a system with a pronounced spring run-off, extended periods of base flow quiescence, storm responses tied to precipitation as rain or as snowfall, and clear diurnal and seasonal patterns of discharge. pH and spC values show an inverse relationship to discharge and temperature, which are generally in phase. Total inorganic carbon (TIC) and the fraction of mineral-derived …


The Impact Of Reading Programs As A Map Project Strategy, Tena Jones Aug 2006

The Impact Of Reading Programs As A Map Project Strategy, Tena Jones

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 was enacted to protect the United States' most vulnerable students and was signed into law in January 2002 (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). For many years, black, Hispanic, special education, and limited English proficient students were not achieving at the same level as their white, middle-class counterparts because schools were not held accountable for their individual progress. The achievement gap is well documented in previous research at all levels of education. Scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) from 1996 to 2000, obtained from a national sample of 8th- …


Shakespeare's Use Of The New Testament: Biblical Intertexuality In As You Like It And Romeo And Juliet, Joseph Hurtgen Aug 2006

Shakespeare's Use Of The New Testament: Biblical Intertexuality In As You Like It And Romeo And Juliet, Joseph Hurtgen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines structure in Shakespeare to show how his plays Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It intertextually relate to the Bible in such a way that allows them to elicit order. Shakespeare's plays contain dramatic structure, imagery, themes, and character relationships influenced by the New Testament. In order to understand how Christian elements find their way into texts, the first chapter demonstrates the function of intertextuality, how plots and words evoke others, and how Shakespeare frequently borrows from many sources. Biblical sources, as well as many others, are ubiquitous in Shakespeare. The first chapter then examines Northrop …


Body Image And Weight Related Behaviors: The Role Of Gender, Ethnicity, And Immigration, Tina Hoover Aug 2006

Body Image And Weight Related Behaviors: The Role Of Gender, Ethnicity, And Immigration, Tina Hoover

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Obesity rates have aggressively climbed in both children and adults, and notably for particular ethnic and lower socioeconomic status groups. National data from 1999-2002 have shown that approximately one-half of African-American women were obese, as compared to one-third of Caucasian women. It has been substantiated that a significant portion of overweight or obese children will become obese adults, with a number of factors identified that may influence obesity in children including gender, ethnicity, and environment. This study analyzed secondary data from The Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Survey administered to students at BGHS to identify variations in body image for particular …


"None Of The Above" As An Answer Option In Observatoin Based Multiple-Choice Questions, Stephen King Aug 2006

"None Of The Above" As An Answer Option In Observatoin Based Multiple-Choice Questions, Stephen King

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined the characteristics of items using none of the above (NOT A) as an answer option in observation based multiple-choice questions. Previous research has examined only the use of a NOTA option in academic knowledge based testing, not in visual recognition testing. Item difficulty and discrimination were examined for three different item formats: (a) items without a NOTA option, (b) items with NOTA as a distracter, and (c) items with NOTA as the correct answer. The questions were based on two photographs with similar content. A total of 98 participants from a large southeastern university completed a visual …


The Effects Of Item Grouping On Test Reliability, Holly Mackey Aug 2006

The Effects Of Item Grouping On Test Reliability, Holly Mackey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Optimal ordering of items on a multidimensional test has been the focus of several studies. In all but one study, previous research centered on measures of personality or opinion. The current study examines item grouping effects for a cognitive ability test. Two forms of a cognitive ability test containing four constructs (verbal ability, basic computation, number series, and spatial visualization) were prepared. Form A consisted of items grouped by construct, and Form B had items dispersed randomly throughout the test. The order of items within a construct remained the same for both forms. Tests were administered to 186 undergraduate psychology …


Aging And Associative And Inductive Reasoning Processes In Discrimination Learning, Courtney Ortz Jun 2006

Aging And Associative And Inductive Reasoning Processes In Discrimination Learning, Courtney Ortz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how associative and inductive reasoning processes develop over trials in feature positive (FP) and feature negative (FN) discrimination learning. Younger and older adults completed initial and transfer tasks with either consistent or inconsistent transfer. Participants articulated a rule on every trial. The measure of discrimination learning was the number of trials it took participants to articulate the exact rule. In the initial task, older adults articulated the rule more slowly than younger adults in FP discrimination and took marginally more trials to articulate the rule in FN discrimination than younger adults. Age …


Oedipus' Wake: The (Neo-)Masculinization Of The Self In Late Twentieth-Century American Women's Memoir, Thomas Johnson May 2006

Oedipus' Wake: The (Neo-)Masculinization Of The Self In Late Twentieth-Century American Women's Memoir, Thomas Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Without pretensions to exhaustiveness, this study briefly examines the mid- to late-twentieth-century flowering of western theory and criticism built around autobiographical writing and follows the feminist branch(es) of that theory and criticism through a reading of the following four memoirs: Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy, All the Lost Girls by Patricia Foster, Lying by Lauren Slater, and Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel. Using both Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory as they relate to literature, I argue that the selves these four women write in their memoirs are not selves built around the model historically set for women by …


Tempering Steel: Reapproaching The Mythos Of Superman, Corey Alderdice May 2006

Tempering Steel: Reapproaching The Mythos Of Superman, Corey Alderdice

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study seeks to answer a question posed in Superman #156 and frequently throughout the history of the DC Comics Universe: Must there be a Superman? In answering this question, this study seeks to seam together over sixty years of Superman to better understand the mythology associated with these narratives as well as their impact on American culture. In an analysis of Mark Waid's Superman: Birthright (2003), the basic forms of the origin narrative are addressed as well as how Waid reconstructs the mythos for the twenty-first century. The second chapter addresses deconstructive narratives and the issue of shifting the …


The Gospel Of Cosmopolitanism: Conflict Resolution In Barbara Kingsolver's Fiction, Catherine Altmaier May 2006

The Gospel Of Cosmopolitanism: Conflict Resolution In Barbara Kingsolver's Fiction, Catherine Altmaier

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite Barbara Kingsolver's ability to create unique characters and storylines, two factors remain constant throughout each of her novels: strong female protagonists and conflict resolution. Though conflict exists in almost all fiction, the way that Kingsolver's characters deal with their situations often speaks louder than any other aspect of her writing. Moreover, though her characters often vary wildly from story to story, their methods of conflict resolution seem to undoubtedly connect them. Through her continuing desire to emphasize "the question of individualism and communal identity," {Reading Group Guides) Kingsolver often promotes the ideas of cosmopolitanism, which have recently been articulated …


Developmental And Gender Patterns In Social Information Processing: Social Problem-Solving And Social Goals, April Bowersox May 2006

Developmental And Gender Patterns In Social Information Processing: Social Problem-Solving And Social Goals, April Bowersox

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of development and gender in first- through fifth-grade children's (N = 514) social information processing, as well as the role emotion plays in these patterns. Developmental patterns and goal selection have been relatively understudied in past social information processing literature. Videotaped ambiguous provocations were presented in which provocateur's emotion displays were manipulated (two each of happy, angry, and sad); children imagined being the provocateur's victim. Results revealed age and gender differences in children's goal selection and social problem-solving. Provocateur's emotion displays were also found to Influence goal selection and problem-solving in …


A Realistic Job Preview For Deputy Jailer Applicants, Joseph Dunn May 2006

A Realistic Job Preview For Deputy Jailer Applicants, Joseph Dunn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A common method for reducing turnover in organizations is the implementation of a realistic job preview (RJP). Unlike typical job descriptions that might be seen in newspapers, on the Internet, or on television, the differentiating characteristic of an RJP is that both positive and negative aspects of the job are presented to the prospective employee such that the applicant has a very realistic idea of the nature of the job. An RJP in both an audio-visual format and a written brochure was developed for deputy jailer applicants at the Warren County Regional Jail in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Consistent with hypotheses, …


Hydrolgeologic Groundwater Sensitivity And Vulnerability Mapping In South Central Kentucky, Andrea Croskrey May 2006

Hydrolgeologic Groundwater Sensitivity And Vulnerability Mapping In South Central Kentucky, Andrea Croskrey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Groundwater sensitivity (Ray and O'dell 1993 a) refers to the inherent ease with which groundwater can be contaminated based on hydrogeologic characteristics. We have developed digital methods for identifying areas of varying groundwater sensitivity for a ten county area of south-central Kentucky relevant to a scale of 1: 24,000. The study area includes extensive limestone karst sinkhole plains, with groundwater that is generally extremely sensitive to contamination. Digitally Vectorized Geologic Quadrangles (DVGQs) were combined with elevation data to both identify hydrogeologic groundwater sensitivity regions and to identify zones of "high risk runoff where contaminants could be transported in runoff from …


Using The Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills To Identify Students At-Risk For Reading Difficulties, Rachael Sloan May 2006

Using The Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills To Identify Students At-Risk For Reading Difficulties, Rachael Sloan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reading is an essential skill that facilitates the development of later academic skills. Research has shown that phonological awareness at a young age is a strong predictor of later reading skills. As such, it is important to identify students who struggle with reading and phonological awareness at a young age. It is equally important that the tools used to identify early reading difficulties are appropriate and accurate for a given school district. The purpose of the current project was to examine the published benchmarks for the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) in the identification of students as …


The Internet Has Changed Many Things, But Not Everything: The Effects Of Internet Use On Gendered And Political Views, Jessica Ritchie May 2006

The Internet Has Changed Many Things, But Not Everything: The Effects Of Internet Use On Gendered And Political Views, Jessica Ritchie

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Individuals who use the Internet can obtain uncensored information about nearly any subject with ease. The unlimited access and the perceived freedom make the Internet an extremely popular media form. The purpose of this research is to examine the differences in how the types of sites individuals visit affect their gendered views. I specifically examined (1) individuals who go to gender-issue sites are less likely to support traditional, female gender-roles and (2) individuals who go to political sites are more likely to support traditional female, gender-roles. This study, using special questions pertaining to gender-roles within the household and visiting gender …


Gender, Occupational Position, And Incivility: The Role Of Status On Rude Behaviors At Work, Sherri Settle May 2006

Gender, Occupational Position, And Incivility: The Role Of Status On Rude Behaviors At Work, Sherri Settle

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined the role of status (i.e., occupational position and gender) in the frequency and experience of workplace incivility. Participants were 89 university students over the age of 20 who currently were employed and completed measures assessing their experiences of incivility at work, the instigator of the incivility, and jobrelated outcomes (i.e., turnover intent, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment). Consistent with hypotheses, supervisors were more likely to be instigators of incivility than coworkers. Participants also reported lower job satisfaction when the instigator was a supervisor, and lower organizational commitment and higher turnover intent when the instigator was male. These …


On 4-Regular Planar Hamiltonian Graphs, David High May 2006

On 4-Regular Planar Hamiltonian Graphs, David High

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In order to research knots with large crossing numbers, one would like to be able to select a random knot from the set of all knots with n crossings with as close to uniform probability as possible. The underlying graph of a knot diagram can be viewed as a 4-regular planar graph. The existence of a Hamiltonian cycle in such a graph is necessary in order to use the graph to compute an upper bound on rope length for a given knot. The algorithm to generate such graphs is discussed and an exact count of the number of graphs is …


An Examination Of The General Mobility Of Older Adults Based On Late-Life Depression And Its Treatment, Heather Kossick May 2006

An Examination Of The General Mobility Of Older Adults Based On Late-Life Depression And Its Treatment, Heather Kossick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Older adults experience a variety of cognitive and physical declines as they age. Consequently, these changes can impact mobility and mental health (i.e., depression). Studies have suggested a relationship between driving habits changes (in particular, driving cessation) and depression (Fonda, Wallace & Herzog, 2001; Marottoli et al., 1997). Very little research has been conducted to examine the relationship between depression and other mobility changes in treated and untreated community dwelling older adults. Older drivers who ranged in age from 65 to 91 with a mean age of 73 completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) (Radloff, 1977), Life …


An Assessment Of School Adjustment In Head Start Children, Rachel Waford May 2006

An Assessment Of School Adjustment In Head Start Children, Rachel Waford

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the current study was to pilot test measures of cognitive-linguistic achievement and socioemotional competence to create an all encompassing model of school adjustment in a sample of Head Start children (N = 36). Past research examining school adjustment in low-income children has failed to address all of the components of school adjustment while often employing the same reporter (the teacher) for both predictor and outcome measures. Cognitive-linguistic measures included four subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement and two assessments of phonological awareness (rhyming and alliteration). Emotion regulation measures included teacherreported emotionality and emotion regulation, parent-reported emotionality …


A Comparison Of Two Measures Of Oral Reading Fluency, Kara Bletzinger May 2006

A Comparison Of Two Measures Of Oral Reading Fluency, Kara Bletzinger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reading fluency is an important part of the process of learning to read. It is commonly assessed by the use of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) techniques; however, a new assessment method emerged in the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement- Third Edition (WJ-III). Only one previous study had examined the validity of the Reading Fluency test from the WJ-III by comparing it to established CBM measures of reading fluency for a sample of third-grade students. The resulting correlation between the two measures supported the validity of the WJIII Reading Fluency test, but it was unclear as to the two tests' relationship across grade …


A Survey Of Teaming And Assessment Practices Of Practitioners Trained In Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Breanna Bartley May 2006

A Survey Of Teaming And Assessment Practices Of Practitioners Trained In Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Breanna Bartley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research project is an electronic survey of Western Kentucky University graduates of an OSEP funded personnel preparation project (Project TEAM) from the years 1993-2000. The program trained graduate students in transdisciplinary play based assessment from the disciplines of psychology, speech/language pathology, and Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) through a series of coursework, seminars and an internship. Transdisciplinary play based assessment (TPBA) is recommended by experts and learned societies in the early childhood field and is considered to be child friendly, provides a holistic view of the child and promotes communication and collaboration between the professionals and family (Linder, 1990; …


Religiosity, Volunteering, And Donating: An Examiniation Of The Association Between Religiosity, Volunteering, And Donating In America, Stacey Carnes-Darst May 2006

Religiosity, Volunteering, And Donating: An Examiniation Of The Association Between Religiosity, Volunteering, And Donating In America, Stacey Carnes-Darst

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As a society we often attribute our actions to our religious beliefs, or level of religiosity, and assume that those who are more religious often do more to help others in need. However, from a conflict theorist's perspective, these beliefs regarding religiosity could be viewed as a way to maintain control and promote solidarity among the masses, as exemplified by the comment of George H.W. Bush. This study, using the special topic module on volunteering and donating from the 1996 General Social Survey, examines this question to determine whether religion and volunteering and donating are related and whether the relationship …


When And Where I Enter: Social Determinants Of Mental Health Services Use Among African American Women, Shonreh Doss May 2006

When And Where I Enter: Social Determinants Of Mental Health Services Use Among African American Women, Shonreh Doss

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

African Americans utilize mental health services significantly less frequently than do White-Americans. This study examined the social factors that work to influence the decision to seek services outside of the social circle. Using the National Survey of Black Americans, 4th wave, factors were examined using logistic regression analysis to test the likelihood of accessing the sick role. In addition to the sick role, regression analysis was used to determine the sick role's effect on the decision to seek outside care. Controlling for education, perceived racism, religiosity and employment problems, the findings suggest that life control and socioeconomic status factors influence …


Operator Semigroups: Definitions, Properties And Applications, Ngoc Nguyen May 2006

Operator Semigroups: Definitions, Properties And Applications, Ngoc Nguyen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A large part of contemporary natural science is concerned with investigating the motion of systems in time with a determined state space. To conduct this investigation, we study the theory of one-parameter semigroups. The theory is developed from the simplest scalar case and finite dimensional case to semigroups of linear operators on Banach spaces which started in the first half of the last century. This thesis is designed to give a basic introduction to semigroup theory and its application. Some proofs and illustrative examples are provided.