Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Owner-Manager Separation And The Structure Of It Governance In Small Business, Jeffrey S. Saffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners and small business managers tend to favor different information technology (IT) governance structures. Such differences can lead to ineffective management and control of IT in small businesses. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the extent and nature of the association between owner-manager separation in small businesses and the structure of IT governance in the businesses. Agency theory formed the theoretical framework of this study. Data were collected using a web-based survey and randomly sampled 3,697 small business owners and managers located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Chi-square statistics indicated no significant association between owner-manager …

The Mechanisms Of Interpersonal Privacy In Social Networking Websites: A Study Of Subconscious Processes, Social Network Analysis, And Fear Of Social Exclusion, Bryan I. Hammer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With increasing usage of Social networking sites like Facebook there is a need to study privacy. Previous research has placed more emphasis on outcome-oriented contexts, such as e-commerce sites. In process-oriented contexts, like Facebook, privacy has become a source of conflict for users. The majority of architectural privacy (e.g. privacy policies, website mechanisms) enables the relationship between a user and business, focusing on the institutional privacy concern and trust; however, architectural privacy mechanisms that enables relationships between and among users is lacking. This leaves users the responsibility to manage privacy for their interpersonal relationships. This research focuses on the following …

Congruent And Incongruent Effects Of Ethnic Music On Ethnic Menu Item Selection, Ryan David Muniz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated what impact ethnic music had on ethnic menu item selection. College students were randomly divided into three groups and listened to one randomly assigned sound treatment in sensory booths. Three hundred and five participants completed the questionnaire with measures of expected price value and willingness to pay value. One of the groups listened to an Italian folk music, the second group listened to a Thai folk music, and the third group listened to a restaurant background noise in order to examine if the music will impact each participant menu items selection and perceived price values. The result …

Social Compass Curriculum: Three Descriptive Case Studies Of Social Skills Outcomes For Students With Autism, Louanne E. Boyd, Deborah M. Ward

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

The Social Compass Curriculum (SCC) was investigated for its effectiveness in improving core social skills in three descriptive case studies of students with autism. Treatment fidelity of the SCC was also measured in the school setting. The Social Responsiveness Scale and the Autism Social Skills Profile were completed by parents to measure pre- and postintervention social skills for three students aged 8 to 11 years who participated in the present multisite pilot study. Fidelity of implementation data were collected via a checklist during observations for three educators who implemented the intervention. Results indicate that the SCC improved core social deficits …

An Eriksonian Approach To Consumer Identity, Sandra Rathod

Open Access Dissertations

Rathod, Sandra R. Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2013. An Eriksonian Approach to Consumer Identity. Major Professor: Richard A. Feinberg.

Ego development is the fifth stage in Erikson's Lifecycle Development theory (1959) and is a major psychosocial stage beginning in adolescence and lasting into emerging adulthood. Past research based upon Marcia's Ego Identity Status Paradigm (1996) has investigated a number of ideological and interpersonal domains relevant to one's ego identity, however in today's consumer societies, where what you have is at least as important is who you are or what you do, an Eriksonian approach to consumer ego identity (CEI) has …

Maternal Sensitivity, Maternal Mind-Mindedness, And Infant Socioemotional Functioning: An Examination Of Concurrent Associations, Nancy Ignacia Longoria

Open Access Dissertations

Associations between maternal sensitivity, maternal mind-mindedness, and infant socioemotional (SE) functioning were examined in a sample of 40 mother-infant dyads. Semi-structured home observations were conducted to assess maternal sensitivity and collect maternal ratings of maternal depression and infant SE functioning. Mind-mindedness was assessed during free play and teaching interactions during the home visit. Sensitivity at home was positively associated with mind-mindedness during a free play interaction, but not during a teaching interaction. Neither sensitivity nor mind-mindedness was significantly associated with total infant SE scores, or scores on 3 SE subscales (adaptive functioning, self-regulation, and interaction with people). A trend between …

Testing An Attribution Model Of Caregiving In A Latino Sample: The Role Of Familismo And The Caregiver-Care Recipient Relationship, Bianca Teresa Villalobos

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Social and economic consequences of depression place a heavy burden on society. Many family members and friends often feel the need take on the role of informal caregivers when loved ones require assistance due to disabling conditions. However, caregiver burden can arise when providing support for a person with a chronic condition. Caregiver burnout is associated with numerous negative outcomes for both the caregiver and care recipient. As such, efforts to understand factors related to reducing caregiver burden are necessary. Research on help giving has been guided by an attribution model developed by Weiner (1988), which describes how attributions …

Examining The Association Between Personality And Alcohol Use Among Mexican Americans: Acculturation And Gender As Moderators, Miguel A. Reyes

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this study the moderating effects of gender and acculturation on the association between personality traits and alcohol use among Mexican American adults were examined. Participants for this study were undergraduate students from a university in the southwestern USA (N=572, 94.5% Hispanic, 72.6% female). The sample completed self-report measures of personality, alcohol use, and acculturation. When using, regression analyses, alcohol use was found to be weakly yet negatively associated with Conscientiousness, weakly yet positively with Neuroticism, and statistically unrelated to Extroversion. The moderation hypotheses were not supported when utilizing a multiple regression analyses. However, a post-hoc analysis of variance involving …

Analyzing The Effects Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder On Marital Satisfaction Among The Veteran Latino Population Of South Texas, Iris J. Segundo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The current study examined the relation between combat exposure and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), PTSD and marital satisfaction and the influence of religion/spirituality as a moderator. Study consisted of 31 participants; male veterans (n=19) and female spouses (n=12), of which 11 were couples (n=22). Participants were recruited from the University of Texas Pan-American (UTPA), local veteran organization and networking. The sample completed self-report measures for combat exposure, PTSD, marital satisfaction, and religiosity/spirituality. When using a correlation analyses to examine the relation between combat exposure and PTSD and PTSD and marital satisfaction, results showed a negative relation for both; thus, supporting …

Sex As A Moderator Of The Association Between Childhood Trauma, Impulsivity, And Primary Psychopathy In A Hispanic Undergraduate Sample, Judy D. Sifonte

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The current study investigates the effect that sex as a moderator has on the association between childhood trauma and impulsivity on primary psychopathy in a Hispanic college sample. The online survey obtained 443 responses from undergraduates; however after incomplete responses were removed and the data was cleaned, a sample size of 367 remained for use in primary analysis. The study utilized a hierarchical moderation regression analysis to determine the effect of sex on the association of predictor variables—childhood trauma and impulsivity, to the dependent variable, primary psychopathy. Researchers hypothesized that sex will enhance the association between childhood trauma and psychopathy, …

A Conceptual Model Of Exploration Wayfinding: An Integrated Theoretical Framework And Computational Methodology, Matthew Lee Tenney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an attempt to integrate contending cognitive approaches to modeling wayfinding behavior. The primary goal is to create a plausible model for exploration tasks within indoor environments. This conceptual model can be extended for practical applications in the design, planning, and Social sciences. Using empirical evidence a cognitive schema is designed that accounts for perceptual and behavioral preferences in pedestrian navigation. Using this created schema, as a guiding framework, the use of network analysis and space syntax act as a computational methods to simulate human exploration wayfinding in unfamiliar indoor environments. The conceptual model provided is then implemented …

Theoretical Underpinnings Of Jury Decision Making In Excuse Defense Cases, Christopher Sean Peters

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the typical criminal trial, a defendant is trying to prove he/she is not guilty because they were not the individual that committed the crime. However, another type of defense exists in which the defendant admits they were the culprit, but provides an excuse in an attempt to avoid criminal punishment. These so called "excuse defenses" include insanity, involuntary intoxication, age, and entrapment. In all cases, juries are required to determine whether the defendant had sufficient mental capacity to form the intent to commit the crime. Although jury decision making is a popular research area in psychology, relatively little has …

Times Are A Changin': Gender Role Orientation And Alcohol Use, Jessica Lauren Fugitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol misuse is an important public health concern as it is related to an elevated probability of experiencing a number of negative life events. Historically, alcohol consumption patterns seemed to differ according to sex, but more recent research suggests that the difference has narrowed as gender role orientations have converged. Further, it seems that gender role orientation more reliably predicts differences in patterns of use than biological sex. The goal of this two-part study was to investigate the relation of gender role orientation and alcohol use behaviors with the expectation that masculine gender role orientation would be associated with these …

Assessing Tourist Experience Satisfaction With A Heritage Destination, Yuan Yao

Open Access Theses

The research is concerned with understanding the relationships among heritage motivation, travel experience, and overall satisfaction. It attempts to uncover how tourist motivation, destination attribute performance, and tourist emotional involvement interact and, at the same time, contribute toward a satisfying heritage tourism experience. The empirical research was conducted at the city of Nanjing, China, as a case of a heritage destination. People who were visiting Nanjing were randomly and voluntarily selected to participate in the self-administrated survey. A total of 282 valid questionnaires were collected with a response rate of about 55%. Factor analysis and mediation analysis were conducted by …

Diversity Among Latino/A College Students And Its Impact On Student Organization Involvement, Enmanuel Mercedes

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Development And Implementation Of It-Enabled Business Processes: A Knowledge Structure View, Rick Brattin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As competitive pressures mount, organizations must continue to evolve their business processes in order to survive. Increasingly, firms are developing new IT-enabled business processes in response to rising competition, greater customer expectations, and challenging economic conditions. The success rate of these projects remains low despite much industry experience and extensive academic study. Managerial and organizational cognition represents a potentially fruitful lens for studying the design and implementation of IT-enabled business processes. This view assumes that individuals are information workers who spend their days absorbing, processing, and disseminating information as they pursue their goals and objectives. Individuals develop cognitive representations, called …

Perceived Anxiety Control And The Contribution Of Gender In Social Anxiety Symptoms Within Latinos, Delia Yazmin Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examined the severity of social anxiety symptoms and levels of perceived anxiety control in a Latino sample. It explored how perceived control, over anxiety-provoking events and reactions to those events, contributed to social anxiety symptoms of social interaction fears and performance fears. Potential gender effects were also examined. Gender differences for fear of performance and for levels of perceived anxiety control were found. However, no gender difference was found for social interaction fears. In general, men reported higher levels of perceived anxiety control than women. Low perceived anxiety control significantly correlated with higher social interaction fears and performance …

A Typology Of Preadolescent Sexual Abusers Based On The Emerging Personality Patterns In The Millon Preadolescent Clinical Inventory, Sam Wallace

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a personality-based typology of preadolescents with sexual behavior problems based the Emerging Personality Patterns in the Millon Preadolescent Clinical Inventory (M-PACI, Millon et al., 2005). Grounding a typology in a theory driven personality system may offer clarity and specificity in understanding preadolescents with sexual behavior problems in a manner that has not yet been explored. A personality and theory driven typology could provide a more comprehensive framework for assessing and treating children who sexually abuse than any of the current taxonomic models.

The study used an ex post facto design with test …

Determining Multidimensional Gender: Development And Psychometrics Of A Measurement Instrument, Karyl Lounsbery

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gender identity is often thought of only as a binary construct, masculine and feminine, despite the fact that there are many people who do not see themselves as fitting this dichotomy (Rochman, 2006). Within the counseling field, it is likely that every counselor will eventually see someone who will be struggling with issues of gender identity (Ehrensaft, 2011). The introduction of the Arkansas Multidimensional Gender Scale (AMGS) will show there is a much broader scope of gender identity, more in line with the idea that all gender identities are normal and that there are as many gender identities as there …

Foster Parents' Perceptions Of Their Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities In Relation To The Behavioral Challenges Of Foster Youth, Melissa Hall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complex, long-term, and prevalent behavioral problems and needs of foster children and youth continue to be documented (Farmer et al., 2010; United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2005). However, research indicates that foster parents are not adequately prepared or trained to address these challenging behaviors (e.g. Dorsey et al., 2008; Lee & Holland, 1991; Puddy & Jackson, 2003). Foster parent perspectives and the inclusion of their input concerning foster parenting and the behavioral problems of foster youth are needed to examine this crucial problem area (Park & Helton, 2010). The intent of this multi-case study was …

The Use Of Debit Cards In Promoting On-Time Payment Behavior In A Daycare Center In The Rio Grande Valley Region Of Texas, Ruben James Nieto

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The study investigates the inappropriate payment behavior of consumers at a local daycare in the Rio Grande Valley. An AB, baseline and intervention, single subject design was used to increase the on-time payment behavior of consumers paying on time at the daycare. Baseline data was taken for 14 weeks before the intervention was implemented. The intervention consisted of an alternative payment method, accepting credit and debit cards, [as an antecedent, to the consumer in order to receive payments on time]. This alternative payment method showed that on-time payment behavior increased compared to pre-intervention.

A Moderational Model Investigating Child Temperament, Executive Functioning, And Contextual Predictors Of Externalizing Behaviors In Preschoolers, Ferne Arlene Pinard

Dissertations

Child externalizing behavioral problems (e.g., ADHD symptoms and aggressive behaviors) often appear early in life, are relatively stable, and are associated with maladaptive outcomes in many domains of functioning. Research has shown that, for a subset of children who demonstrate these early behavioral patterns, the course is often more pervasive and persistent. Consequently, a better understanding of externalizing behavioral problems during the preschool period is essential. The current study examined whether biologically-based correlates (i.e., child temperament and executive functioning/neurocognitive attention; EF/Attention) would moderate the relation between the contextual correlates (i.e., socioeconomic status and parenting practices) and externalizing behaviors (i.e., ADHD …

Application Of Protection Motivation Theory To Study The Factors That Influence Disaster Recovery Planning: An Empirical Investigation, Shalini Wunnava

Doctoral Dissertations

In today's information intensive and networked world, Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) is a critical and significant activity. However, DRP does not always receive the attention it deserves. Therefore, it is critical to examine the factors that influence the undertaking of disaster recovery planning. A model on disaster recovery planning was developed using the theoretical lens of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). Drawing from PMT literature and using the information technology disaster recovery planning (ITDRP) construct developed by Shropshire and Kadlec (2009), a research model was developed in which perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, intrinsic rewards, extrinsic rewards, fear, response efficacy, self-efficacy, and …

Connective Leadership: The Chief Nursing Officers' Relationship With Staff Nurses, Mary Ellen Clyne

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Experiences Of The White Gay Male: An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Factors Of Being Gay, Heterosexism, And The Stress Response System, Peter J. Economou

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

The Occurrence Of Child Maltreatment And Revictimization Among Hispanic Women, Eleni Isis Escorza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The current study examines the prevalence rates of child multi-type maltreatment and adult revictimization among Hispanic women who have witnessed domestic violence and/or experienced sexual abuse or physical abuse as children. A sample of two hundred-forty-three undergraduate, Hispanic, female students completed measures of events occurring in childhood and adulthood, sexual experiences, substance use, acculturation status, and family characteristics. The results indicate that experiencing multiple forms of child abuse is fairly common, especially for women who report a history of child abuse. The results also suggest that experience of abuse as a child is significantly associated with experiencing physical or sexual …

Sociocultural Attitudes And Expectations As A Result Of Media Internalization: An Exploration Of Potential Cultural Resiliency Factors Among Mexican-American College Women, Natalie Marie Perez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study involved a final sample of 153 Mexican-American college women who viewed photos of models who exemplify the thin ideal and models who are considered average and overweight according to society’s standards of beauty. The order of the photos was manipulated to determine if subjection to the thin ideal would negatively affect body satisfaction and or affect how the participants judged the models who did not meet the thin ideal. Manipulation did not negatively affect how participants judged the average and overweight models. In addition, upon manipulation, both groups rated themselves as heavier despite group assignment. Finally, acculturation level …

Sibling Stress In Families Of Children With Autism, Valerie N. Moreno

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have an increased chance of experiencing more stress than siblings of typically developing children. Stress experienced by siblings of children with an ASD may be dependent on the adaptive and maladaptive behavior of the child with autism. A total of 30 mothers were recruited in this study. Results indicated that the difference in stress levels in siblings of children with an ASD and siblings of typically developing children were not statistically significant. It was also found that the stress levels in siblings of children with an ASD were not dependent …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Pilot Training Program In An Organizational Setting: An Intervention For Work Engagement, John Joseph Kmiec Jr.

Dissertations

This study measured the effects of a learning intervention designed to enhance the capabilities of immediate managers to increase the level of work engagement in line employees at a small manufacturing firm in south Mississippi. The study answered the call of researchers to investigate the impact of innovative management practices on work engagement (Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, & Taris, 2008). The firm’s Production business unit managers participated in a 90-day learning program based on five skills outlined by Flagello and Dugas (2009); the Maintenance business unit managers did not participate in the learning. At three intervals during the intervention, the researcher …

Predictors Of Pap Smear Utilization Among Female Mexican American College Students, Sylvia M. Morales

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Pap smear is a diagnostic screening test that detects abnormal cell growth, which may lead to cervical cancer. Pap smears are performed at a consistently lower frequency among Hispanic than non-Hispanic American White women, potentially contributing to a 70% higher rate of cervical cancer in Hispanic Americans. This study examined possible predictors of Pap smear utilization among 165 Mexican American female college students aged 18 to 30 attending the University of Texas-Pan American situated near Texas’s United States – Mexico border. Significant predictors were: recommendation by a health care professional; sexual activity; mother’s educational level; and external locus of …