Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Entry Age And Reading Level By The End Of Third Grade., Tony Lynn Dalton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to see if a difference exists in the mean Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills: Oral Reading Fluency scores of students who entered kindergarten as 4 year olds, 5 year olds, and 6 year olds inclusively. Specifically, this dissertation considered the possibility that holding children out of kindergarten an extra year increased their reading level, while sending children to school too young delayed their ability to read and comprehend.

A quantitative study was used to find differences between the mean reading levels at the end of 3rd grade for students who entered kindergarten on or …

Expectations And Experiences Of Black Students At Two Predominantlywhite High Schools In Southern Appalachia., Lori J. Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the academic, cultural, and social expectations and experiences of 20 Black students at 2 predominantly White high schools in the Southern Appalachian region of the United States. The participants' experiences revealed how institutional practices promoted or obstructed their successful experiences at high school.

Qualitative ethnographic methodology guided the study. The data collected included the stories of the Black students based on individual interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. The data showed the positive and negative experiences of the Black students in predominantly White high schools and the negative impacts of racism and racist behaviors on Black students' …

A Content Analysis Of Reliability In Advertising Content Analysis Studies., Weize Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Content analysis is a systematic research method for examining symbolical content in communication by recording or transcribing these messages into categories. Reliability is one of the most distinctive attributes of content analysis methodology comparing to other techniques in communication. A content analysis was conducted by analyzing the method sections of published journal articles in Communication Abstracts from January 2006 through January 2011 by searching "advertising" and "content analysis". Results suggested that television is still the most focused medium in advertising content analysis research. Most of the content analysis studies employed 2 coders for coding reliability assessment data and final data. …

Does Ses Moderate The Relationship Between Temperament And Emotional And Behavioral Disorders?., Jessica L. Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored whether the relationship between temperament and emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) is moderated by socioeconomic status (SES) in a sample of 73 children ages 5 through 15 years. Caregivers completed the Rothbart temperament surveys and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Indicators of SES included total household income and occupational status, while indicators of EBDs included the Internalizing Problems, Externalizing Problems, and Total Problems scales of the CBCL. Temperament variables included Fear, Frustration, Sadness, and Shyness. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed 4 regressions significant for moderation. A conclusion gleaned from these results is that the relationship between particular temperament …

Military Women A Content Analysis Of United States And United Kingdom Newspapers Portrayal During The Iraq War., Audra Jaclyn Fritz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how the tone and roles of women serving in the Iraq War were portrayed in newspaper articles. Issues of how women in the military were portrayed in terms of page and story prominence were also of importance.

A content analysis was conducted in order to determine the tone, roles, story, and page placement of newspaper articles published in the United States and the United Kingdom over a 7-year time period. Newspaper articles related to the topic were retrieved from the LexisNexis database and analyzed.

The results showed that mentions of military women …

The Digital Folklore Project: Tracking The Oral Tradition On The World Wide Web., Jasen Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I collected forty-two e-mail forwards over the course of four months, and from those I formulated a framework that adapts existing theory in collection and study of real-world folklore to the emerging folk communities that exist on the internet. Through this analysis I prove that the same genres of folklore that is routinely collected by folklorists have been adapted to fit the digital environment of the internet. I then use the framework that I lay out to perform a study of the e-mails themselves.

Free Clinics And The Uninsured: The Need For Remote Area Medical In Central Appalachia After Health Reform., James W. Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2008, the election of President Barack Obama brought health care to the forefront of national discussions and led to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The legislation changed the rules of health care delivery in the United States, but the ACA did not do one fundamental thing: It did not end the need for many of the nation's most needy patients to seek free medical care from groups such as Remote Area Medical (RAM).

A mobile clinic, RAM brings together volunteer dentists, physicians, nurses, and other professionals as well as support staff for multi-day …

Talking Heads: How Broadcast Media Frame The Public Relations Industry., Samara Rose Litvack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers conducted a content analysis to measure framing of the public relations industry in 354 English language broadcast transcripts from the United States, Canada, and Australia from Sept. 1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2010.

The overall tone toward public relations was strongly negative. Mentions reflected one-way forms of communication and mentions of the pejorative term "PR" appeared more frequently than mentions of "public relations". The profession was almost always mentioned within the body of the broadcast, as opposed to the headline or the lead paragraph.

Exploratory research showed 15 shows that included negative mentions 100% of the time. Additionally, 27 …

Forgiveness Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms And Locus Of Control In A College Sample., Elizabeth Conway-Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although forgiveness has been associated with reduced anxiety in several studies, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder, the potential association between forgiveness and obsessive-compulsiveness has been generally unexplored. The current study examined the association between three dimensions of forgiveness and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms as mediated by locus of control (LOC) in a college student sample (N = 241). Forgiveness of self (FS) and of others, but not feeling forgiven by God, were associated with overall OC symptoms and with a majority of symptom subscales. LOC was limited in its role as a mediator that was restricted to associations with …

Manipulating Paradigm And Attention Via A Mindfulness Meditation Training Program Improves P300-Based Bci., Daniel Ryan Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, only one study has situationally bolstered attentional resources in an effort to improve P300-BCI performance. The current study implements a 4-week Mindfulness Meditation Training Program (MMTP) as a nonmedicinal means to increase concentrative attention and to reduce lapses of attention; MMTP is expected to improve P300-BCI performance by enhancing attentional resources and reducing distractibility. A second aim is to test the efficacy of the checkerboard paradigm (CBP) against the standard row-column paradigm (RCP). Online results show that MMTP had greater accuracies than CTRL and that CBP outperformed the RCP. MMTP participants provided greater amplitude positive target responses, but …

Identifying Interventions That Work In Juvenile Justice: An Analysis Of The Moral Kombat Program., Thelma Deneen Mcgowan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective intervention programs play a fundamental role in reducing rates of juvenile delinquency. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that is strongly supported by research (ACT, 2010). Moral Kombat (MK) is an intervention that combines character-building and CBT concepts in programs for at-risk and delinquent juveniles with the goal to change their belief systems, thus improving their behaviors (Marchant, 2009). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the extent to which MK incorporates the principles identified in the literature as necessary for a CBT program to be successful. The occurrences of the 11 CBT principles identified in …

Does Decertification Work? Outcome Analysis Of The National Football Leagues Negotiated Order (1986-2008)., Matthew Bowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, union membership and activity has been declining in North America; employers have demanded greater flexibility and have successfully weakened workplace and worker protections. Modern workers increasingly use alternative strategies to negotiate conditions of employment with managers who have limited their discretionary power. Negotiated order theory provides a useful tool for analyzing the mesostructural arrangements of bargaining parties during labor disputes. This thesis applies negotiated order theory to explore how and why the National Football League (NFL) players have twice decertified their union and sought court intervention to challenge the legitimacy of the League's highly restrictive reserve system. An …

Substance Abuse And Mental Disorders Among State And Federal Prison Inmates., John Richard Haggerty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research consistently demonstrates that prison inmates are more likely than the general population to suffer from both mental disorders and substance abuse. The current study explored the relationship between diagnoses of mental disorders and maladaptive substance use among state and federal prison inmates. Linear regression analysis was used to ascertain the prevalence of comorbidity of substance abuse and mental disorder, and multiple models were constructed to determine the direction of relationship between the two disorders. Overall, mental disorders and substance use were positively related within the sample, though mixed conclusions were drawn regarding the exact nature of their relationship. Recommendations …

Professional Development For Teachers: Perceptions Of Northeast Tennessee Principals., Scott A. Starnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed for the purpose of quantitatively examining the perceptions of northeast Tennessee principals as they compared their system's professional development plans to Learning Forward's, formerly the National Staff Development Council, recently revised definition of professional development. The theoretical frameworks for this study lay in the recent works of Schlechty (2009) on transforming schools into learning organizations, and Senge (2006), who provided the essential principles of learning organizations.

Data were collected from 124 principals in 19 school systems in northeast Tennessee, using a 4-point Internet based survey created by Learning Forward to evaluate perceptions of how well professional …

Psychopathy And Gender Of Serial Killers: A Comparison Using The Pcl-R., Chasity Shalon Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathy and serial murder are 2 of society's most devastating and least understood tribulations. Even less is comprehended with regards to the differences in the way these ills are expressed between the genders. In this study, psychopathic personality traits are considered in a sample comparison of male and female serial murderers. Traits are measured using questions derived from Hare's Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R, 1991). A content analysis was performed to score the components for each subject, using known and accepted biographical and personal interview materials. Findings showed a distinct difference between the sexes, with females scoring lower than their male …

Rural Parents Mental Health Service Delivery Preferences: Overcoming Barriers To Care., Jeffrey H. Ellison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unique barriers prevent parents in rural areas from seeking mental health services for their children. The implementation of innovative models of service delivery may reduce these barriers' impact on rural parents' treatment seeking.

The purpose of this study was to determine: 1) parents' willingness to use innovative service delivery models; 2) barriers that parents perceive to seeking treatment in each of the 4 service delivery models, and; 3) the relationship between perceived barriers and willingness to seek help in the context of 4 service delivery models.

Surveys were distributed to parents of children attending school in several counties in rural …

Texting Versus Talking: Age Sex And Extroversion As Predictors Of Frequency And Preference Among An Undergraduate Cohort., Chris J. Labowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines text messaging behavior of ETSU undergraduates. Data come from a survey of 485 students enrolled during the 2010 fall semester. The current study explores the effects of sex, age, and extroversion on (1) the volume of texts a person sends and (2) preferences for texting or calling. The study also explores the use of cell phones as a means of avoiding others during co-present interaction. Findings reveal that age is the strongest predictor of text messaging, with younger respondents being more likely to text. The study also finds that women prefer texting, while men prefer voice calls. …

Generations In The Workplace: Similarities And Differences., Jeffery G. Harber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Occurrences of four generations working side by side are not unusual. The four generations include Traditionalist, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. Members of each generation have views and opinions about their work ethic and their definition of loyalty to the organization.

Hiring managers will need to know characteristics of each generation. This knowledge will enable the hiring managers to place the applicant in certain positions within their organizations. By matching applicants with the correct work positions, employees are able to use their skills and abilities to be productive and to establish measurable goals for themselves and their departments. …

Religious Commitment As A Predictor Of Lower Blood Pressure In High-Risk Pregnancies Of Southern Appalachia., Anna Vadimovna Ermakova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extensive literature review inspired a mediational model of the relationship between Religiosity/Spirituality (R/S) and Blood Pressure (BP) tested through secondary analyses of data from the TIPS program. Participants included 205 (92.1% Caucasian; age M=23.72, SD=5.33) pregnant Southern Appalachian women drawn from the region's at-risk pregnancy population. The only variables correlated with BP were women's weight (r=.430, r=.467, p<.01, for diastolic and systolic BP, respectively) and prenatal care use (r=.138, p<.05, with diastolic BP), but not R/S. Multiple regression analyses confirmed participant weight as the only significant independent predictor of BP. Previous findings of health benefits of R/S cannot be assumed to generalize to pregnant women without further study. Limitations of this study and possible explanations for the findings are discussed.

The Effects Of Ego Threat And Self-Esteem Boost On Overall Self-Control Ability., Jessica Rose Williamson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Self-control enables people to make decisions that can promote overall well-being. Such decisions include refraining from overeating or the decision to motivate individuals to persevere when faced with difficulties. The purpose of this study was to determine if not requiring the expenditure of self-control and boosting self-esteem would enable participants to persist longer at a task designed to measure self-control than participants who were required to expend self-control and received an ego threat. No significant main effects were found for self-control manipulations, F (1, 223) = .54, p = .46, or for self-esteem manipulations, F (1, 223) = .01, p …

Social Media In Higher Education: Building Mutually Beneficial Student And Institutional Relationships Through Social Media., Megan L. Fuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social applications such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have driven the public growth of Web 2.0. Universities and colleges are using social media to reach student prospects, keep contact with current students and alumni, and provide a mechanism for group collaboration and interaction in the classroom. Higher education institutions are influenced by current social media trends, and figuring out how to effectively interact with various constituencies within the social media environment can be challenging.

In this study, a group of higher education students were surveyed about their social media practices and preferences with a focus on education-related activities. The goal …

Temperament-Language Relationships During The First Formal Year Of School., Natasha Benfield Gouge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate temperament-language relationships among school-age children and across a wider variety of SES. Head Start, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classes of 10 elementary schools located in rural Appalachia were sent information about the study and 35 children were consented to participate. Parents completed a short demographic survey and the Child Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form (CBQ-VSF). Children were administered the Preschool Language Scale-4 (PLS-4). Participants were split into low and high SES groups so associations between the CBQ and PLS-4 scores could be compared at each SES strata. Both reactivity and self-regulation were …

Communicative Language Teaching In Current Chinese Colleges And Universities., Xiaorong Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been prioritized as the key instructional approach in colleges since the Chinese Ministry of Education issued a revised syllabus in 1999 that underlines college EFL students' communicative competence. The issuance of the syllabus was followed by a series of reforms on curricular designs and teaching methods. However, CLT has encountered great resistance. College teachers and learners are constrained by socio-cultural influences such as the perceptions of teachers' roles and ways of learning and teaching (Hu, 2002; Rao, 1996). Although some teachers have shown positive attitudes towards CLT, in general they have failed to practice it …

Western Media Use Of The Third World Construct: A Framing Analysis Of Its Validity., James Tutu Fiske

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study will provide a clearer understanding of the construct, Third World, which may not seem to have a consensus meaning. This is because its perceived definition, which is linked, first to feudalism and then to the socio-politico conditions that existed during the period leading up to and immediately after the cold war means that its conceptual metamorphosis should have ceased once these periods were relegated to the annals of history.

Whether and how contemporary definitions of Third World have changed since then should be of interest to scholars and is the focus of this study. This is because …

Do Adult Romantic Attachment Empathy And Social Skills Influence Mate Poaching Infidelity?., James Stephen Gorniewicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the possibility that adult romantic attachment orientation, empathy, and social skills could either individually or jointly influence the expression of mate poaching behaviors. Participants (N = 404) were recruited from a Southern Appalachian university and ranged in age from 18-60 years, with a mean of 21. Data were collected using a web-based survey system. Results of this study lend support to the growing literature demonstrating a link between adult romantic attachment and mate poaching. Additionally, the present study also added to the literature by showing for the first time 1) a relationship between empathy and mate …

The Acculturation Of Sudanese Refugees In Maryville Tennessee: Has Self-Sufficiency Been Achieved?., Caitlin Ts Teaster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2000, a small group of refugees from Sudan were sponsored by three local churches in Maryville, Tennessee. The churches worked with the Bridge Organization in order to orchestrate the refugees' departure from Africa to Maryville. At the time of their sponsorship, it was believed that the Sudanese population in Maryville would be self-sufficient within two years of arrival. This study uses one-on-one, open-ended interviews and a paper-pencil questionnaire with the Sudanese population and a focus group with the American sponsors to assess the extent that the Sudanese refugee population in Maryville has become self-sufficient. While individual success depends on …

An Analysis Of The Handwriting Of Elderly Chinese Subjects., Dongfang Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays, one of the issues of concern that brought on by the aging population is legal disputes that have been increasing in number every year. One core problem in these legal disputes involves handwriting identification. There are however not many previous studies in China that have been concentrated on this field. Hence, the study on elderly Chinese subjects' handwriting has an extremely broad potential value for its application for academic usage and practical meaning. This study uses an empirical technique, gathering first hand data and analysing them by employing proper methods. There are 7 handwriting features and characteristics that have …

An Examination Of Third And Fourth Grade Tcap Scores And The Universal Breakfast Program In Unicoi County Tennessee., Harold Lamar Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of standardized test scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) of students enrolled in Unicoi County Schools, that offers a universal breakfast program, compared with mean scores of students in both public and private schools in the state of Tennessee during the 2007-2008 school year. Test results of 404 Unicoi County third and fourth graders were examined with only the mathematics and reading and language arts sections of the TCAP used in this research. The State means were calculated using data collected from TCAP mathematics and reading and language …

The Effects Of Domestic Violence: The Male Victims Perspective., Ramon B. Younger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Domestic violence from a male victim's perspective is something that is not discussed in society very much because information is very limited and incidents are often unreported. Research was done on this aspect of domestic violence to see how the types of abuse have had an impact on the victim from a physical and emotional perspective. The secondary data used for this study were from the Violence and Threats of Violence Against Women and Men in the United States, 1994-1996. Eight thousand men were selected to participate in the survey. The question of whether domestic violence is a problem was …

Community Perceptions Of Prescription Drug Abuse In Eastern Kentucky., Ashley Marie Browning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personal interviews exploring attitudes toward prescription drug abuse were completed by 17 residents over 18 years of age from Kentucky's Pike and Letcher counties. In respect to prescription drug abuse research nationwide, much research has been conducted in eastern Kentucky; however, there are seemingly few studies measuring the thoughts and feelings of community members toward the issue. Data gathered during these interviews were coded and themed for emergent content that revealed the prevalence of drug abuse in communities, the role of medical professionals in prescription drug abuse, and a lack of preventative measures to control the cyclic pattern of prescription …