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Marshall University

2013

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

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Articles 1 - 22 of 22

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Assessing Stages Of Team Development In A Summer Enrichment Program, Marcella Charlotte Wright Jan 2013

Assessing Stages Of Team Development In A Summer Enrichment Program, Marcella Charlotte Wright

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Collaborative problem solving teams are an important component of successful schools. Groups move through a predictable pattern of development and it has been proposed that teams move through a similar development. The main objective of this study was to determine whether the teams that were formed during the Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program in 2012 displayed a pattern of development similar to group development. The study found that high performing teams develop similarly to groups.


Effects Of Partner Attachment Quality On Ptsd Severity With Combat-Exposed Veterans, Robert Desmond Shura Jan 2013

Effects Of Partner Attachment Quality On Ptsd Severity With Combat-Exposed Veterans, Robert Desmond Shura

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a response to a traumatic stressor encompasses re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Although many individuals will experience a traumatic stressor in the course of a lifetime, only a fraction fully develop PTSD. The purpose of this dissertation was to inform the question as to why some develop PTSD as a response to combat exposure and others do not. This study used the PTSD Checklist – Military Version (PCL-M), Trauma Symptom Inventory - 2 (TSI-2) and the Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ) to test if secure partner attachments predict PTSD severity, anger, and somatization. These models …


West Virginia School Psychologists' Role In Providing Mental Health Services In Schools, Cassandra K. Richardson Jan 2013

West Virginia School Psychologists' Role In Providing Mental Health Services In Schools, Cassandra K. Richardson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the current roles of practicing school psychologists in West Virginia in providing mental health services in schools. A needs-assessment survey developed by the West Virginia School Psychologist Association (WVSPA) was distributed to all the school psychologists in West Virginia in order to determine the main services being provided in the state. The results indicated that school psychologists in West Virginia are spending a very small amount of their time providing school-based mental health services such as counseling and crisis intervention. Results also indicated that no relationship exists between years of experience, highest …


Interpretation Of The Wisc-Iv Working Memory Index As A Measure Of Attention, Talya J. Colliflower Jan 2013

Interpretation Of The Wisc-Iv Working Memory Index As A Measure Of Attention, Talya J. Colliflower

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The WISC-IV Working Memory Index is often interpreted as a valid measure of attention and concentration. Students who score low on the WMI are frequently viewed as having attention difficulties. If the WMI is accurately interpreted as a measure of attention, then students who score low on this composite should present with attention deficits in the classroom. Data of students who were referred for an evaluation to determine special education eligibility were compared to determine the accuracy of the interpretation of the WMI and its relationship with the Inattention and other scales on the Conners 3rd Edition – Teacher Form. …


The Politicization Of Popular Culture: A Case Study In Reagan And Star Wars, Nathan A. Wingert Jan 2013

The Politicization Of Popular Culture: A Case Study In Reagan And Star Wars, Nathan A. Wingert

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This project examined the use of Ronald Reagan’s rhetoric, specifically the “Star Wars,” “Zero Option” and “Evil Empire” speeches. It answers the question: Why do we know SDI as Star Wars? It also The rationale for the study came from myriad sources, including the historical and political undertones of the Star Wars films and rhetorical criticism of other Reagan speeches. G. Thomas Goodnight’s analysis linked all three speeches together as a reformulation of wartime rhetoric, so that was the rationale for analyzing three speeches. After performing a rhetorical criticism using Burkean identification as the lens, there are several results: Reagan …


Imagery Rehearsal Therapy For Posttraumatic Nightmares: Symptom Severity And Control Appraisal Outcomes, Ashley Kay Rose Jan 2013

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy For Posttraumatic Nightmares: Symptom Severity And Control Appraisal Outcomes, Ashley Kay Rose

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research included a small-scale randomized, controlled trial of IRT (Imagery Rehearsal Therapy) with a sample of military veterans receiving treatment for PTSD from the VAMC in Huntington, WV. Domains assessed included nightmare severity, posttraumatic cognition, general sleep quality, and PTSD symptom severity. The intended purposes were to evaluate the relative contribution of the imagery rehearsal and rescripting component of IRT intervention in isolation from the sleep hygiene component, to assess fluctuations in symptoms across time, and to assess any relative contribution of control appraisals in outcomes. Due to an unexpectedly small sample size, no definitive conclusions can be drawn …


For $1,000 I'Ll Love You Too: An Understanding Of Japanese Hosts And Host Clubs, Kristy D. Henson Jan 2013

For $1,000 I'Ll Love You Too: An Understanding Of Japanese Hosts And Host Clubs, Kristy D. Henson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Japanese host clubs are a phenomenon not many people understand in America. If one looks deeper into Japanese culture while explaining the differences in similar sub-cultures hosts are identified with one will learn that a host is not a sex worker. Hosts resemble a pseudopsychologist, healer or as they refer to themselves 'chivalrous men.' To understand how Japanese hosts began, one must understand Japanese culture. Japanese people must hide who they really are while trying to become accepted among their peers. This is done by using the concepts of ninjo and giri. The rest is accomplished by honne and tatamae. …


Student Characteristics And Targeted Based Cognitive Tier Ii Interventions, Patrick M. Billups Jan 2013

Student Characteristics And Targeted Based Cognitive Tier Ii Interventions, Patrick M. Billups

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Tier II student characteristics and outcomes on a standardized reading assessment. Ninety students who scored in the lowest third on a Virginia standardized reading test were placed into one of three instructional groups: 1) a control group consistent with instruction from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group in which teachers determined students’ cognitive processing deficits and administered a chosen intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group in which students were administered the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III) and assigned interventions based on the results. …


Persistent Culinary Traditions In Rural Southern West Virginia, James Seth Davidson Jan 2013

Persistent Culinary Traditions In Rural Southern West Virginia, James Seth Davidson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Appalachian region is home to a number of culinary traditions that are, in many ways, unique to the area. These traditions have persisted in a nation whose food ways are becoming largely homogenized. Using primary sources from Southern West Virginia such as historic cookbooks, archived newspaper articles, and personal interviews this research depicts a unique regional rural food tradition that has survived in many forms to this day. Comparisons are made to other regional rural diets, as well as well documented historic trends in traditional erosion as seen at the national urban and suburban levels, to support not only …


Predicting Proficiency On The Ohio Achievement Assessments Using I-Ready Diagnostic, Terra Ann Jones Jan 2013

Predicting Proficiency On The Ohio Achievement Assessments Using I-Ready Diagnostic, Terra Ann Jones

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Ohio’s schools are held accountable for ensuring that students become proficient in reading by the end of third grade. Curriculum-based measures are often utilized to help monitor student progress toward proficiency goals and pinpoint those students who are at risk for falling below state standards on standardized tests. Using data from third grade students in a rural county in southern Ohio, this research determines what score on the I-Ready Diagnostic must be obtained in order to achieve proficiency on the Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) reading component. Data were compared and a Pearson Product Moment Correlation of 0.71 was determined. A …


Effects On Student Achievement Of Changing Cognitive Strategies During Targeted Tier Ii Interventions, Angela M. Mellace Jan 2013

Effects On Student Achievement Of Changing Cognitive Strategies During Targeted Tier Ii Interventions, Angela M. Mellace

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine whether changing cognitive based strategies is more effective than not changing strategies when a student fails to respond to an intervention. Ninety students who performed in the bottom third on a state reading test from a rural school district in Virginia were randomly placed into three groups: 1) students who received traditional evidence-based reading interventions 2) students whose teachers were trained in Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory and whose teacher chose an intervention that she considered being the most suited to the student’s cognitive profile 3) students who were assessed using the Woodcock Johnson III …


The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Financial Literacy: A Predictive Model For Credit Card Debt?, Brian P. Kennedy Jan 2013

The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Financial Literacy: A Predictive Model For Credit Card Debt?, Brian P. Kennedy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The primary purpose of this study was to predict credit card debt among college students by augmenting Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior to include the construct of financial literacy. One hundred and forty-three undergraduates completed an online survey measuring attitudes toward credit cards, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and financial literacy. Statistical analyses revealed that attitudes toward credit, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control successfully predicted students’ intention to use credit cards (R2=.32). Financial literacy failed to predict intention to use credit cards. However, a positive correlation was found between attitudes toward credit cards and amount of …


Traumatic Brain Injury: The Relationship Of Psychosocial Variables And Location Of Injury To Post-Injury Depression, Alicia L. Smith Jan 2013

Traumatic Brain Injury: The Relationship Of Psychosocial Variables And Location Of Injury To Post-Injury Depression, Alicia L. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) affects nearly 1.4 million people in the United States annually, and of these, 10% to 77% will experience post-injury depression. Psychosocial variables such as previous substance and alcohol abuse, prior mental illness, low educational attainment, and poverty have been identified as possible risk factors. Additionally, the location of injury appears to play a key role particularly if the injury occurs in the left hemisphere. This study examined archival data from brain-injured patients in an effort to better understand the factors related to post-TBI depression. Past medical records of brain-injured adults (N = 52) were reviewed …


An Evaluation Of A Middle School's Bully Prevention Program, Jennifer Lynn Frazier Jan 2013

An Evaluation Of A Middle School's Bully Prevention Program, Jennifer Lynn Frazier

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examines the effectiveness of a positive behavior support intervention program on the behavior of students in a middle school in a rural county in southern West Virginia. The study used a Pretest-Intervention-Posttest design using a single group of subjects across the span of four academic school years. The researcher measured the frequency of Office Discipline Referrals (ODR’s) pre and post intervention to determine if the intervention program was effective in improving bullying behavior. Data were analyzed using the Chi Square statistic. Results indicated an increase in total ODR’s post-intervention.


West Virginia School Psychologists' Roles In Contrast To The Nasp Practice Model, Kimberly S. Sheltraw Jan 2013

West Virginia School Psychologists' Roles In Contrast To The Nasp Practice Model, Kimberly S. Sheltraw

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current roles of school psychologists practicing in West Virginia in contrast and comparison to the National Association of School Psychology (NASP) Model of Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services. A needs-assessment survey developed by the West Virginia School Psychologist Association (WVSPA) was distributed to all the school psychologists in West Virginia in order to determine the main services being provided in the state. The results indicated that school psychologists in West Virginia spend the majority of their time in data-based decision-making as opposed to evenly distributing their time conducting a broad …


Political Party Affiliation, Regional Variation And The Demographic Correlates Of Euroscepticism On The Isle Of Great Britain, Jared Figgins Jan 2013

Political Party Affiliation, Regional Variation And The Demographic Correlates Of Euroscepticism On The Isle Of Great Britain, Jared Figgins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Euroscepticism or opposition to the European Union has become a growing political philosophy among broad segments of Europe’s populace. This philosophy has manifested itself in some form throughout most of the European Union, but opinion polls and voter data indicate Euroscepticism is most acute within the United Kingdom and both among its general citizenry and elected officials. In the 2009 EU Parliament elections for the United Kingdom, the right wing United Kingdom Independence Party gained its most ever seats in the Parliament while the far-right British National Party gained its first ever seats in a national election. With overtly Eurosceptic …


A Remote Sensing And Gis-Based Wetland Analysis In Canaan Valley, West Virginia, Yisha Shi Jan 2013

A Remote Sensing And Gis-Based Wetland Analysis In Canaan Valley, West Virginia, Yisha Shi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With the increasing influence in climate change and human activity, more and more people have begun to recognize the benefits of wetlands. However, there was a continuous annual net loss in the wetlands area since 1980s. Many programs have been implemented to monitor the status and trend of wetlands recently. In West Virginia, the wetlands area is a small portion of the State’s land, but it plays a key role in the whole ecosystem. This research aimed to detect the land cover and vegetation changes focusing on Canaan Valley area, which represents the greatest wetlands area of West Virginia. Remote …


An Analysis Of Targeted Tier Ii Cognitive Interventions On Reading Achievement, Shannon K. Kovack Jan 2013

An Analysis Of Targeted Tier Ii Cognitive Interventions On Reading Achievement, Shannon K. Kovack

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine which cognitive intervention based on Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory was most effective at increasing student reading achievement. Ninety students who performed in the bottom one-third on the Virginia Standards of Learning (VA SOL) test from a rural school district in VA were placed into three instructional groups: 1) a control group, in which the teacher utilized the same instructional strategies from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group, in which the teachers determined the students’ cognitive processing deficits and chose an intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group, in which students were …


Antecedents To Mobbing, Anita Lois Lane Jan 2013

Antecedents To Mobbing, Anita Lois Lane

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The research examines possible antecedents to mobbing behavior. Mobbing typically occurs following a bullying incident. Dyadic Power Theory (Dunbar, 2004) is applied to the behaviors associated with this phenomenon. Indirect Interpersonal Aggression can be perceived as a communicative strategy to demonstrate control attempts. Those who lack in self-assurance may be more apt to join in with the mob and cultivate mobbing episodes in the adult world. Emerging adults are entering vocational spheres in large numbers. Becoming aware of unethical communicative behaviors that lead to severe workplace and individual consequences is the focus of this study.


Measuring Team Cohesiveness In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Sara Fragale Jan 2013

Measuring Team Cohesiveness In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Sara Fragale

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study investigates team cohesion among graduate students participating in the Marshall University Graduate College (MUGC) summer enrichment program. The purpose of the study was to use a team cohesiveness evaluation and expert ratings to determine if this evaluation is an accurate measure of team cohesiveness. A Spearman’s rho correlation showed low correlation and non-significance between the team cohesiveness evaluation survey ratings by students in a consultation class and practicum class for each week that was examined. Results also showed low correlation and no significance between the ratings of students in a consultation class and practicum class and the …


Humor And Social Support: An Investigation Of The Influence Of Humor On Evaluations Of Supportive Messages, Miranda Rachel Morgan Jan 2013

Humor And Social Support: An Investigation Of The Influence Of Humor On Evaluations Of Supportive Messages, Miranda Rachel Morgan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis study was to discover whether person-centered supportive messages utilizing affiliative humor were more likely to create positive outcomes than supportive messages that did not utilize these strategies. Receiving high quality social support when distressed has been associated with numerous positive outcomes. Research explaining different factors which influence supportive message outcomes can aid both laypersons and practitioners attempting to provide support to distressed individuals. To this end, this examination sought to explore whether the addition of affiliative humor can enhance the effectiveness of supportive messages. Three hypotheses were tested using a 2(scenario: academic, housing) x 2(person-centeredness: …


Concurrent And Predictive Validity Of The Behavior And Emotional Screening System, Amber Rae Wallbrown Jan 2013

Concurrent And Predictive Validity Of The Behavior And Emotional Screening System, Amber Rae Wallbrown

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Behavior Screeners are important tools for early identification of children’s social, emotional, and behavioral problems in schools. This study evaluated the concurrent and predictive validity of the BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-2 BESS). It was compared to the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) to determine the congruent validity between the instruments. Predictive validity was examined by comparing the instruments to office referrals. The rating scales were administered to parents (96% mother, 4% father) of 8 identified and 15 non-identified students (mean age of 10.3 years; 52% male, 48% female). Pearson correlation coefficients examining the consistency …