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University of Central Florida

Theses/Dissertations

2004

Articles 31 - 41 of 41

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Population Churn: The Migration Flow Of Florida, Marguerite Cashen Jan 2004

Population Churn: The Migration Flow Of Florida, Marguerite Cashen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has focused attention on the concerns of migration in and out of Florida and within the counties themselves. In 1949, Cape Canaveral was established and the boom was on. The character of the state dramatically transformed after 1965, when plans were announced to convert twenty-seven thousand acres of swampland into Walt Disney World. Since then, Orlando's evolution is divided into two eras: before and after Walt Disney World. Orlando has changed from a quiet town whose function was to service the surrounding citrus growing regions in a sparsely populated Orange County to a booming metropolis. Has the growth …


Explaining Churn: Mass Society, Social Capital, & Community Churn, Delores Edelen Jan 2004

Explaining Churn: Mass Society, Social Capital, & Community Churn, Delores Edelen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Population churn--the population turnover experienced by a community--can have differential effects on a community. Mass society theory suggests that because the churn rate experienced by communities can contribute to their uprooting, fragmentation, and isolation, churn is a potent threat to the stability of our modern day communities. Social capital theory, to the contrary, suggests otherwise. Social capital theory suggests that churn can have positive effects on communities by bringing new migrants with valuable human capital skills and experiences to communities. These migrants bring to their new communities the potential for creating new jobs, spurring economic development, and for initiating housing …


A Holistic Model Of The Interplay Of Parent-Adolescent Interaction Varialbes: Outcomes As A Result Of Conflictual Processes, Cliff Blake Mckinney Jan 2004

A Holistic Model Of The Interplay Of Parent-Adolescent Interaction Varialbes: Outcomes As A Result Of Conflictual Processes, Cliff Blake Mckinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many variables have been analyzed in order to understand parent-adolescent interactions and outcomes for adolescents. These variables must be integrated into a model that demonstrates the holistic interplay of parent-adolescent interaction variables so that a more comprehensive understanding of parent-adolescent interactions is achieved. Variables included in the model proposed here were parenting, family environment, expectations, conflict, and outcomes. Parenting, family environment, and conflict were associated with outcomes for adolescents. When the variables were analyzed simultaneously with structural equation modeling, however, the relationship of parenting and adolescent outcomes was mediated wholly for male-father, male-mother, and female-father relationships but remained significant for …


The Effects Of Stimulus Motion On Contrast Sensitivity: Dynamic Sensi, Merrill Zavod Jan 2004

The Effects Of Stimulus Motion On Contrast Sensitivity: Dynamic Sensi, Merrill Zavod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Static Visual Acuity (SVA) has been called into question for some time as a measure of overall visual system function and as a predictor of performance on real-life tasks requiring vision (i.e., operating an automobile). Specifically, it has been pointed out that the targets employed in most SVA testing (high contrast, stationary letters) are an insufficient analog to actual targets encountered in everyday activities, which are often in motion and/or of less-than-perfect contrast. In addition, the size-threshold methodology typically used to measure SVA is incongruent with current theories of a multi-channel visual system. Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) and Contrast Sensitivity …


The Effects Of Psuedo-Altruistic Behavior On The Likelihood Of Reciprocity And Perceptions Of The Source, Reagan Rule Jan 2004

The Effects Of Psuedo-Altruistic Behavior On The Likelihood Of Reciprocity And Perceptions Of The Source, Reagan Rule

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines the roles of expectancy disconfirmation and pseudo-altruistic behaviors as communication strategies to increase receiver compliance, and their effects on perceptions of the source, including credibility and likeability ratings. While adding to the previous research, this investigation examines the effects on compliance when pseudo-altruistic practices are employed in a sales situation. Additionally, subjects’ compliance responses in the treatment groups are analyzed for relationships between compliance and several possible mediators, including participant’s evaluations of the source, and feelings of obligation and guilt. A focus group was held to discuss the face validity of the scenarios. Additionally, a pilot …


Cell Phone Distraction Analysis Of Motor Response In A Simulated Driving Environment, Anusha Ravishankar Jan 2004

Cell Phone Distraction Analysis Of Motor Response In A Simulated Driving Environment, Anusha Ravishankar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Does the use of a cell phone while driving influence the driver's ability to execute a proper turn? Is there difference between genders pertaining to motor skill while driving in a simulated driving environment? To accomplish this task, three groups of ten participants (5 women and 5 men) each were tested using a scripted test scenario focusing on left and right turns. The participants were made to drive through a test scenario to get used to the driving simulator. The scenario for the experimental group was an inner-city training scenario with the presence of vehicular traffic and the main focus …


The Combined Effects Of Frequency Of Satisfaction And Domain Equity On Relational Satisfaction, Amanda Dawn Coho Jan 2004

The Combined Effects Of Frequency Of Satisfaction And Domain Equity On Relational Satisfaction, Amanda Dawn Coho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Romantic relationship research has yet to identify the relationship between conflict, an interpersonal variable, and equity, an intrapersonal variable. The current study represents the first attempt to understand these variables’ contribution, separately and interactionally, on individual partner’s feelings of relationship satisfaction. A total of 106 undergraduate and graduate participants completed questionnaires gauging their frequency of conflict and perceptions of equity across each of five relational domains: Love, Status/Power, Money, Services, and Sex, in addition to reporting general levels of relationship satisfaction. Data were interpreted in three separate relationships: conflict and satisfaction, equity and satisfaction, and the interaction of conflict and …


George Liska's Realist Alliance Theory, And The Transformation Of Nato, Sergey Kireyev Jan 2004

George Liska's Realist Alliance Theory, And The Transformation Of Nato, Sergey Kireyev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In many aspects, political theory forms a subjective structure of this abstract science. Perhaps, it is due to the fact that unlike natural sciences or mathematics, social sciences often lack the privilege of testing the theories in absolute and unadulterated conditions. Nonetheless, such nature of the science allows for a certain degree of flexibility, when applying political theories to real-world phenomena. Alliances and coalitions in international relations form the backbone of the theory, concerning IR scholars with two main questions: Why do alliances and coalitions form? And, what keeps alliances and coalitions together? As the core of my research, I …


The New Man And The New Lad: Hegemonic Masculinities In Men's Lifestyle Magazines, Ashley Michelle Elmore Jan 2004

The New Man And The New Lad: Hegemonic Masculinities In Men's Lifestyle Magazines, Ashley Michelle Elmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Men are bombarded with contradictory masculine imagery in the media. The perfect man must be aggressive but not violent, sensitive but not emotional, healthy, active and smart without being an idealist, overachiever or too bookish. Heterocentric male focused lifestyle magazines rival women’s magazines in number and availability. Some men look to these images as a tool by which to gauge their masculinity and learn their social role performance. This inquiry includes a content analysis of four major men's lifestyle magazines over a 12-month period in which four new masculinities: certitude, irony, new sexism and double voicing were critiqued. Elements of …


An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Racial Identity Developme, Franklyn Williams Jan 2004

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Racial Identity Developme, Franklyn Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between racial identity development and career thoughts for Black seniors at an urban high school. The available population was 557 Black senior students at a high school in Orange County, Florida. With respect to this population, socioeconomic status, influences on career interest, parental level of education, parental occupations, post-secondary intentions, and plans to take the SAT or ACT were some of the specific demographic variables that were analyzed. Results from a variety of simple regression analyses revealed significant positive relationships between Black seniors' perceptions of their racial identity development and …


Determinants Of Financial Condition: A Study Of U.S. Cities, Lynda Dennis Jan 2004

Determinants Of Financial Condition: A Study Of U.S. Cities, Lynda Dennis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How well a local government is able to provide for the needs and preferences of its citizens generally depends on the financial resources available; and, how such resources are allocated, distributed, and managed. Demographics, size of local government, supply and age of infrastructure, financial position of the government, and the local economy represent a few of the factors affecting what public goods and services citizens prefer. Internal systems of accounting and control affect the allocation, distribution, and management of financial resources. As such, these internal systems significantly affect the provision of public goods and services. The research outlined in this …