Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"If It Ain't Broke, Break It": How Corporate Journalism Killed The "Arkansas Gazette", Donna Lampkin Stephens

Dissertations

Ownership is an increasingly critical issue for newspapers as they face the latest threats to the industry’s survival. Local, engaged, enlightened ownership is preferable to that of a distant corporation, but economic realities have decreed that corporate ownership has become the norm. The Arkansas Gazette was one of the most honored newspapers of twentieth-century American journalism under independent local family ownership, having provided brave leadership during the Little Rock Central Crisis, but its wounds from one of the country’s final fierce newspaper wars — against another local owner, Walter Hussman and his Arkansas Democrat — in the 1980s, combined with …

Increasing Positive Interactions Between Staff And Individuals With Disabilities: The Impact Of Training On Acquisition And Maintenance, Kimberly Anne Martell

Dissertations

The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate the use of direct training to increase the rate of positive interactions between direct care staff (DCS) and individuals with developmental disabilities who reside in intermediate care facilities. Specifically, this study evaluated whether real-time prompts delivered via a one-way radio would result in immediate and sustained increases in rates of DCS positive interactions. Additionally, this study evaluated the link between increased rates of DCS positive interactions and concomitant decreases in residents’ challenging behaviors. A multiple baseline design across participants was implemented to assess DCS rates of positive and negative interactions. …

Can Psychopathic Traits Contribute To Success In Adolescence? Relations Between Boldness, Meanness, Disinhibition, And Adaptive Functioning, Matthew David Guelker

Dissertations

Psychopathy, though frequently couched as a distinctive set of traits with violent and aggressive behavioral consequences (i.e., Hart, Kropp, & Hare, 1988; McCord & McCord, 1964; Millon & Davis, 1998), was presented in one of the original conceptualizations as a set of specific traits (i.e., emotional unresponsiveness and behavioral deviance) that could manifest as charm, confidence, and social dominance without resulting in criminality and aggression (Cleckley, 1941, 1988). More recently, Patrick, Fowles, and Krueger (2009) developed the Triarchic Conceptualization of psychopathy that differentiates underlying components of psychopathy into boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. The factor structure of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure …

Religious Leaders In Crisis: An Analysis Of Image Restoration Strategies And Content Variables, Melody Teracita Fisher

Dissertations

The following study employs content analysis to examine the crisis communication responses and audience reception of religious leaders involved in scandal. Benoit’s Image Repair Strategies and the Contingency Theory are used to determine the strategies, stances and contingent variables of mega-church leaders: Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, Eddie Long, Henry Lyons and Jimmy Swaggart; and the Boston Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. News framing theory determined media and audience reception of the religious leaders’ crisis communication responses.

The study concludes that there is little difference in mega-church leaders and the Boston Diocese’s crisis communication responses. Religious leaders’ dominant strategies were …

Unnecessary Evil: An Examination Of Abu Ghraib Torture Photographs As Postcolonial Resistance Rhetoric, Patrick Gerhardt Richey

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the rhetorical nature of visual artifacts in a postcolonial context. In order to examine the nature of visual artifacts as a form of resistance against static ideologies and prevailing power structures, the author uses both media and cultural artifacts created in response to photographs taken of abused prisoners at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib Correctional Facility. The dissertation adds to scholarly knowledge of communication by addressing the intersections of iconographic visual communication and postcolonial resistance rhetoric. The dissertation provides a scholarly review of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, as well as of literature explicating …

The Effects Of School-Home Notes On Teacher Reports Of Academic Productivity And Disruptive Classroom Behaviors Of Middle School Students, Nichol Frances Pritchard

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a schoolhome note (SHN) for increasing academic productivity and decreasing disruptive classroom behaviors of four middle high school students identified as at-risk for failure and/or dropout. Participants included four students from a middle school in a southern state referred for behavioral problems and low academic productivity. A changing criterion design with a withdrawal was employed to assess intervention effectiveness. Students’ levels of academic productivity and appropriate behavior were assessed using SHN point data. Percentage of disruptive behavior, weekly rates of office discipline referrals (ODRs), and frequencies of in-school …

Positive Peer Reporting And Positive Peer Reporting Combined With Tootling: A Comparison Of Interventions, Julie Christine Sherman

Dissertations

Positive Peer Reporting (PPR) and Tootling are interventions designed to improve children’s positive behavior and decrease peer rejection. Research is limited for both interventions, including dependent variables for appropriate behavior. The current study assessed PPR and a combination of PPR and Tootling for decreasing inappropriate behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. Behavior was also observed a second time to assess for generalization. Results showed that PPR and PPR with Tootling both reduced inappropriate behavior for four children referred for peer rejection and who exhibited inappropriate behavior in the classroom. There were no differences between the two interventions for inappropriate and appropriate …

Using The Good Behavior Game To Decrease Disruptive Behavior While Increasing Academic Engagement With A Headstart Population, Brandy Marie Hunt

Dissertations

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) has been widely supported as an effective intervention to alter a variety of target behaviors, in various settings, with varying age groups; however, there are areas warranting further investigation. Prior to the present study, no study has examined the GBG’s effectiveness in decreasing disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate academic behaviors within a preschool population. The present study adds to the literature base by investigating the GBG’s effectiveness in simultaneously decreasing classroom disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate behaviors. A multiple baseline design across three Headstart classrooms was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the GBG on …

Efficacy Of A Basic Public Speaking Course Delivered Via A Virtual Community College, Stephen Bradley Bailey

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to: (a) determine if taking the basic public speaking course in face-to-face, hybrid, and online format statistically significantly reduces public speaking anxiety; (b) determine which course format, if any, reduces public speaking anxiety to the greatest extent; (c) determine if students’ satisfaction with learning is statistically significantly different in the three course formats; (d) determine faculty’s perceptions of students learning in the basic public speaking in the three course formats.

Pre- and post-data were collected from 263 participants taking the basic public speaking course in a virtual community college in January 2012 and in …

Public Versus Private Praise: A Direct Behavioral Comparison In Secondary Classrooms, John Travis Blaze

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of teacher public and private praise on students’ appropriately engaged behavior (AEB) and disruptive behaviors (DB). Overall, four general education classrooms in southern Mississippi employed a multiple-baseline design across two pairs to assess the effects of public and private praise. Each classroom’s mean percentage of observed intervals of AEB and DB across public and private praise intervention phases was assessed and compared. Overall, visual analysis of the graphs, multilevel modeling, effect sizes, and odds ratios showed that both public and private praise were more effective than no treatment at …

Regional Differences In Relational Aggression: The Role Of Culture, Katherine Amanda Czar

Dissertations

It is becoming increasingly clear that relational aggression has just as much potential to cause harm as overt verbal and physical aggression. Though the literature base on relational aggression is growing, far fewer studies have been conducted with late adolescents and adults as compared with children and early adolescents. Moreover, the role of culture in relational aggression has received limited attention. The current study aimed to examine the potential impact of one aspect of culture on relational aggression by focusing on North-South regional differences in the United States. Differing norms and expectations for social behavior between Northern and Southern U.S. …

Does Psychopathy Predict Future Risky Sexual Behavior?, Jessica Jade Fulton

Dissertations

Risky sexual behavior (RSB), such as having sex with an unknown partner, is associated with a variety of negative consequences including sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy. Previous research (e.g., Fulton, Marcus, & Payne, 2010) suggests that psychopathic personality traits as assessed by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996) are associated with RSB. Self-Centered Impulsivity (SCI), which is characterized by impulsivity, irresponsibility, and reckless behavior, was positively associated with RSB among men and women. In contrast, Fearless Dominance (FD), which is characterized by fearlessness, manipulativeness, and social dominance, was positively associated with RSB among men but not women. …

Genetic Associations With Borderline Personality Disorder And Related Traits And Behaviors, Casey Roy Guillot

Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and related traits and behaviors have been linked to a number of neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, and dopamine. Because three human single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), COMT rs4680, GABRA2 rs279871, and SNCA rs356195, have been linked to the abovementioned neurotransmitter systems, they may be associated with BPD and related traits and behaviors. The purpose of the current study is to examine associations of COMT rs4680, GABRA2 rs279871, and SNCA rs356195 with both categorical and continuous measures of BPD and with continuous measures of impulse control and self-harm in a nonclinical sample. Healthy volunteers were categorized into …

Development Of A Scale To Measure Local Residents' Perceived Social Impacts Of Hosting Large-Scale Sport Events, Wonyoung Kim

Dissertations

Existing studies have indicated that local residents‟ perceptions on both positive and negative social impacts toward hosting large-scale sport events have played as a key role for developing successful sport events based on getting community-wide support and involvement. However, examining local residents‟ perceived social impacts have been limited due to its intangible nature and lack of valid and reliable instrument for the adequate measurement. The purpose of this study was to explore a conceptual framework of social impacts and develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure local residents‟ perceived social impacts of hosting large-scale sport events. A preliminary questionnaire …

The Relationship Between Suicide Ideation And Parasuicide: An Electrophysiological Investigation Using The Loudness Dependence Of Auditory Evoked Potential, Angelika Marsic

Dissertations

The loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) has been proposed as a promising valid and a non-invasive indicator of behaviorally relevant central 5-HT functioning. There is limited research on the utility of the LDAEP in discriminating individuals who engage in various degrees of suicidal behavior. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine if the LDAEP, as a measure of central serotonergic functioning, can be useful in distinguishing groups of individuals who: (a) solely experience suicidal ideation (SI group); (b) experience suicidal ideation and have engaged in deliberate self-harm acts (SH group); and (c) individuals with …

Narcissism And Interpersonal Relationships: Examining The Use Of Prosocial And Coercive Behavior Strategies Among Adolescents In A Residential Setting, Marion Tam'eca Wallace

Dissertations

The association between Machiavellianism and bistrategic control has been demonstrated in children and adolescents (Hawley, 2003). Machiavellianism shares several features with narcissism. The present study investigated whether adolescents with higher levels of narcissism were perceived by peers as engaging in prosocial or antisocial behaviors depending on the phase of the relationship and whether control strategies translated to peers’ ratings of likability. Forty-seven participants (43 males, 4 females) provided data for this study. Overall, individuals who reported higher levels of Machiavellianism also reported using more coercive behavior strategies. Self-reported narcissism was only associated with self-reported use of more coercive control strategies …

Jimmy Carter’S Post-Presidential Rhetoric: Faith-Based Rhetoric And Human Rights Foreign Policy, Daniel Eric Schabot

Dissertations

Former President James Earl Carter is well known for his rhetorical efforts to promote human rights. Carter’s human rights advocacy is motivated and sustained by his belief that God duty-bounds him to assist those less fortunate than himself. Scholars generally concede, however, that as president, Jimmy Carter’s human rights accomplishments were minimal and that he failed to develop or institute consistent policies. This dissertation compares and contrasts Carter’s presidency and postpresidency with respect to human rights accomplishments, arguing that he was better able to serve an advocacy role when out of office. Carter, free of separation of church and state …

Chasing Until The Wheels Fall Off: Developing A Typology Of High-Risk Police Pursuits In Georgia, Lee Miller Wade

Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to examine the potential variables associated with high-risk police pursuits in the state of Georgia. The objectives of the research project were to develop a typology of high-risk pursuits, ascertain the usage of pursuit termination techniques, and inform on the current status of pursuits amongst accredited agencies in the state of Georgia. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) initiated data collection of pursuits among accredited agencies as a result of the decision in Scott v. Harris 2007. A sample of 2,155 pursuit reports from 2007 to 2009 was analyzed using descriptive …

The Cultural Complex Of Innocence: An Examination Of Media And Social Construction Of Missing White Woman Syndrome, Sarah Land Stein

Dissertations

This study examined the etiology and promulgation of the sociological phenomenon known as missing white woman syndrome. It was hypothesized that missing white woman syndrome may not be entirely attributable to racial disparity as has been claimed in the past. Rather, citing the work of Dr. Carl Jung, the researcher believed that missing white woman syndrome may be partially explained by a concept known as a cultural complex. The cultural complex that was hypothesized for purposes of this study is one related to innocence: That is, as a western society, we have been culturally overexposed to the blonde, Caucasian female …

Evaluation Of Performance-Based And Pre-Set Conventional Criterion For Reinforcement In Check In-Check Out, Lauren Lestremau Harpole

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of criterion-setting, performance-based or pre-set conventional, as evidenced by improvements in children’s behavior. Participant behavior was evaluated through teacher reports of appropriate behavior and observed academically engaged behavior as well as decreases in problem behavior and disruptive behavior. Eight elementary school students in a Southeastern town referred for exhibiting behavior problems served as participants in addition to their teachers. The effects of the different methods of criterion setting on the dependent variables were evaluated. Teacher ratings of appropriate behavior were assessed through evaluation of Daily Behavior …

The Organization Of Self-Knowledge And Race: Does Self-Concept Structure Impact The Responses Of Black Individuals To Stereotype Threat?, Aisha Denise Baker

Dissertations

Stereotype threat is defined as “the concern or worry that a person can feel when he or she is at risk of confirming or being seen to confirm a negative stereotype about his or her group” (Steele & Davies, 2003, p. 311). Stereotype threat has been examined in a variety of stereotyped groups, but the primary focus of this research has been Black individuals because they often encounter negative stereotypes about their race in the course of their daily lives. Some researchers have suggested that stereotype threat may partially explain the achievement gap between Black and White individuals (Steele & …

The Use Of Humor For Emotion Management On The Job: An Exploration Of 911 Communication Centers, Jennifer Dell Mclaughlin

Dissertations

This study sought to understand how humor affects a person’s ability to cope and manage their emotions in a high stress organizational environment. 911 communication centers are work environments where stress is commonplace, and the work environment can instantly become erratic and chaotic.

This study explored the role humor has in assisting organizational members with emotion management in a high stress job and the types of humor used by members to handle their job and cope with the stress.

The results suggest that humor is pervasive in 911 communication centers, and dispatchers use humor for personal coping, co-worker bonding, and …

Empirical Identification Of Axis I And Axis Ii Symptom Subtypes Of Sex Addiction Using Lateny Profile Analysis, Maria Isabel Nino De Guzman

Dissertations

Sexual addiction is a disorder characterized by lack of control over sexual urges, pathological relationships and lack of intimacy, mood-altering experiences, and adverse consequences that tend to be disregarded by the person affected. Although not classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR, APA, 2000) this distressful sexual manifestation is increasingly recognized as a clinical and public health problem. Previous studies suggest commonalities with addictive disorders and maladaptive personality traits. The purpose of the current study was to analyze personality configurations of individuals diagnosed as sex addicts and uncover specific subtypes or profiles associated to sexually addictive …

Evaluating The Interpersonal Nature Of Humor: Mapping Humor Styles Onto The Interpersonal Circumplex, Jessica Erin Vaughan

Dissertations

The present study examined the interpersonal content of the four humor styles outlined in the Humor Styles Questionnaire in order to gather additional information about the interpersonal content of these humor styles. This was accomplished by projecting each of the humor styles onto the interpersonal circumplex. Each of the humor styles possessed significant interpersonal content and demonstrated interpersonal cohesion such that the maladaptive humor styles were located in the Cold-Hearted region and the adaptive humor styles were located in the adjacent octants of Gregarious- Extroverted and Warm-Agreeable. These findings suggest that the adaptive humor styles and maladaptive humor styles possess …

Personality Assessment In African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Kristina Marie Horback

Dissertations

The following study assessed personality in twelve African elephants using both observational behavior coding and standardized trait rating methods, thus demonstrating consistent individual differences across time and contexts. During the summer of 2010 and 2011, over 640 hours of behavioral data were collected onsite at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA. Four coding-based personality traits were determined after analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TOLERANT, and, AGGRESSIVE. This data was then compared to survey ratings completed by the animal keeper staff during both summers. Four rating-based personality traits resulted from this analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TIMID, and, AGGRESSIVE. All eight composite …

A Comparison Of Institutional Climates In Higher Education In The United States And South Africa, Juanyce Deanna Taylor

Dissertations

Increasing opportunities and access of historically underrepresented populations to higher education in both the United States and South Africa have proved challenging due to institutional climates that are perceived as unwelcoming and unsupportive. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors relating to institutional climates to uncover social constructs that positively and negatively impact the institutional environment. Transformational leadership serves as the theoretical framework for this study.

Data results from institutional climate studies administered higher education institutions in the United States and South Africa were analyzed and compared. Collegiality and collaboration; communication; diversity and equity; governance and strategy; harassment …

The Impact Of Celebrity Endorser Type And Source Credibility On The Advertising Attitudes And Purchase Intentions Of Indian Rural Consumers, Sidharth Muralidharan

Dissertations

India is among the fastest growing economies in the world and has the second largest population out of which 70% are considered rural. The rural consumer has witnessed a lifestyle shift wherein they have become brand conscious, consumption of media content has increased and a rising income has opened up possibilities never experienced before. Understanding the love for cinema, celebrity endorsement has become a popular marketing strategy being employed by advertisers in India. The purpose of this study was to find out which celebrity endorser type (national, regional or non-celebrity) was the most effective on rural consumer’s attitude toward the …

An Examination Of Perceived Stress Levels And Coping Styles Among Rural Law Enforcement Officers, Marcos Luis Misis

Dissertations

Policing is a very stressful job. Despite the extensive body of research on police stress, the majority of studies have focused solely on officers within urban police departments. Research on stress within rural law enforcement departments is virtually non-existent even though the majority of police agencies in America serve towns and areas under 50,000 residents.

This study had four main goals: (1) to examine how work-related stress affects the levels of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression for rural law enforcement officers; (2) to explore the specific stressors affecting rural law enforcement officers; (3) to investigate how rural law enforcement officers …

Tripping With Stephen Gaskin: An Exploration Of A Hippy Adult Educator, Gabriel Patrick Morley

Dissertations

For the last 40 years, Stephen Gaskin has been an adult educator on the fringe, working with tens of thousands of adults in the counterculture movement in pursuit of social change regarding marijuana legalization, women’s rights, environmental justice issues and beyond. Gaskin has written 11 books about his experiences teaching and learning with adults outside the mainstream, yet, he is virtually unknown in the field of adult education. He lists his religion as hippy; he is a member of the Counterculture Hall of Fame (inducted 2004), a convicted felon, a United States Marine, a Korean War combat veteran, and a …

Planned Parenthood Takes On Live Action: An Analysis Of Media Interplay And Image Restoration Strategies In Strategic Conflict Management, Leslie Lynn Rasmussen

Dissertations

On February 1, 2011 the pro-life organization Live Action released videos that appeared to show Planned Parenthood clinic staff disregarding statutory rape and abortion reporting laws and aiding sex traffickers. The videos posted online quickly garnered over a million views and placed Planned Parenthood at the forefront of national news. The Federal government intervened and threatened to remove funding to the Title X organization. Planned Parenthood launched a campaign to retain funding using social media and controlled online media, and attempted restore its image as a reputable healthcare provider while engaged in conflict with Live Action.

A content analysis was …