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University of Central Florida

Theses/Dissertations

2006

Articles 1 - 30 of 74

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Relationship Between Resiliency In Rural African American Male Youth And Their Awareness Of Citizenship Practices, Karen Judd Jan 2006

The Relationship Between Resiliency In Rural African American Male Youth And Their Awareness Of Citizenship Practices, Karen Judd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective citizenship practice in the United States has several important characteristics, which can provide the foundation for young people to access opportunity in employment and education. A continuum of policies, programs, and strategies meant to alleviate poverty have central themes of providing education and vocational opportunities, and yet large numbers of young minority people remain disenfranchised with no chance to succeed. There is even greater loss in the population of African American males who otherwise could achieve stable and strong economic life styles. Large unemployment and under-employment of African American males is documented through U.S. data sources where declining rates …

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Classroom Observation Of Children With Adhd And Their Peers: A Meta-Analytic Review, Michael Kofler Jan 2006

Classroom Observation Of Children With Adhd And Their Peers: A Meta-Analytic Review, Michael Kofler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Meta-analysis of 23 between-group direct observation studies of children with ADHD and typically developing peers indicates significant deficiencies in children with ADHD's ability to pay attention in classroom settings. Comparison with 59 single case design studies of children with ADHD suggests generalizability of between-group comparisons. Weighted regression analysis determined that several methodological differences – sample characteristics, diagnostic procedures, and observational coding schema – have significant effects on observed levels of attentive behavior in the classroom. Best case estimation indicates that after accounting for these factors, children with ADHD are on-task approximately 65% of the time compared to 85% for their …

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Rapitalism, Martin Smith Jan 2006

Rapitalism, Martin Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My paper questions the degree to which the hip hop subculture is oppositional to mainstream American society and its ideals. Toward that end, I examine the structure of the hip hop industry and its subculture. While the hip hop subculture in America consistently has projected images of rebellion and resistance to many of the mores, constraints and values of dominant society, the actual structure and organization of the hip hop subculture have mirrored, supported and promoted the values of the dominant culture in the United States. I begin by examining the structure of the main elements of the hip hop …

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College Students' Recall Of And Attitudes Toward Brand Placement In Reality Television Programming, Temitayo Fayemi Jan 2006

College Students' Recall Of And Attitudes Toward Brand Placement In Reality Television Programming, Temitayo Fayemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis measures college students' attitudes toward, and the effectiveness of, brand placement in the genre of reality television. Surveys were used to discover the level of brand recall for the products and brands displayed in reality television programming and to discover viewers' reported reasons for paying attention to these brands. The study found that viewers tended to have positive attitudes toward brand placement in reality television and that focus on a brand was a major reason for recall. Furthermore, the study found no significant difference in the recall scores of reality television viewers versus non-viewers and no significant difference …

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The Effect Of Job Strain In The Hospital Environment: Applying Orem's Theory Of Self Care, Diane Andrews Jan 2006

The Effect Of Job Strain In The Hospital Environment: Applying Orem's Theory Of Self Care, Diane Andrews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the causal relationships between job strain, the practice environment and the use of coping skills in order to assist in the prediction of nurses who are at risk for voluntary turnover. It was conducted at the level of the individual nurse employee in order to better understand the health consequences associated with job strain, the factors in the professional practice environment which may contribute to the propensity to leave and the influence of coping behaviors in response to workplace stressors. It was undertaken with the intention of identifying intervention strategies which will …

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Nonprofit Board Effectiveness, Funding Source,And Financial Vulnerability, Matthew Hodge Jan 2006

Nonprofit Board Effectiveness, Funding Source,And Financial Vulnerability, Matthew Hodge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on their governing board of directors to provide leadership, strategic guidance, and financial oversight. The nonprofit community continues to grow, and the services provided by these organizations have become a critical part of our society, providing a wide variety of services targeting a diverse population. In this context, how the role of the board of directors impacts the financial position of the nonprofit organization is of great interest to both the academic community and the practitioner. This study examined three areas of interest: board effectiveness, funding source, and financial vulnerability. First, the association between board effectiveness …

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Working Memory, Search, And Signal Detection: Implications For Interactive Voice Response System Menu Design, Patrick Commarford Jan 2006

Working Memory, Search, And Signal Detection: Implications For Interactive Voice Response System Menu Design, Patrick Commarford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers and speech user interface practitioners assert that interactive voice response (IVR) menus must be relatively short due to constraints of the human memory system. These individuals commonly cite Miller's (1956) paper to support their claims. The current paper argues that these authors commonly misuse the information provided in Miller's paper and that hypotheses drawn from modern theories of working memory (e.g., Baddeley and Hitch, 1974) would lead to the opposite conclusion – that reducing menu length by creating a greater number of menus and a deeper structure will actually be more demanding on users' working memories and will …

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Saudi Arabia And Expansionist Wahhabism, Samiah Baroni Jan 2006

Saudi Arabia And Expansionist Wahhabism, Samiah Baroni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the development of Wahhabism as an ideology into a rapidly expanding, transportable, contemporary Islamic political system. Serving as the territorial foundation, individuals maintain allegiance to Makkah, the center of the Islamic world, through symbolic Islamic prayer. Along with a central, globally financed economic distributive mechanism, and Wahhabi social and educational institutions emerging from the traditional mosque, Wahhabism serves the demand for an Islamic political system in a late capitalist world. Wahhabism is fluid within contemporary dynamic political systems and rapidly changing international relations. Wahhabism continues to expand at a global level, at times, providing a foundation for …

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Caregiver Burden And Coping Responses For Females Who Are The Primary Caregiver For A Family Member Living With Hiv/Aids In Kenya, Veronica Kimemia Jan 2006

Caregiver Burden And Coping Responses For Females Who Are The Primary Caregiver For A Family Member Living With Hiv/Aids In Kenya, Veronica Kimemia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caring for a family member who is ill can be a draining experience (Cooper et al., 2006; Daire, 2002; Zarit et al, 1980). Providing care for a family member that is living with HIV/AIDS is potentially even more stressful because of social meanings associated with HIV/AIDS infection (Stajduhar, 1998) and the contagious nature of the HIV virus (Powell-Cope & Brown, 1992). Research indicates that most caregivers are female (Bunting, 2001; Songwathana, 2000). In Africa women bear the brunt of the burden of providing care for family members who are living with HIV/AIDS (Mushonga, 2001; Olenja, 1999). This study examined coping …

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An Exploratory Study Of Socially Responsibleprocurement Activitiesin The Expenditure Of Public Fundsat The State And Local Level, Donna Mccarthy Jan 2006

An Exploratory Study Of Socially Responsibleprocurement Activitiesin The Expenditure Of Public Fundsat The State And Local Level, Donna Mccarthy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aggregate annual expenditures of federal, state and local governments, in concert with universities and school districts represents incredible purchasing power and requires great prowess in its expenditure. Over the course of centuries, procurement has been used as a policy tool to improve society. This research delved into defining and determining the involvement of state and local governments in socially responsible activities related to the expenditure of public funds. Data collected in 2005 by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc., was reviewed to determine if the expectations set for the private sector known as corporate social responsibility could be …

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Looking Through Rose Colored Glasses:The Media's Influence On Perceptions Of Romance And Marriage, Brianne Straub Jan 2006

Looking Through Rose Colored Glasses:The Media's Influence On Perceptions Of Romance And Marriage, Brianne Straub

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between different media and expectations about romantic relationships and marriage. Participants were asked to complete a survey that measured different romantic constructs and the types of media exposures on a daily and weekly basis. The variables were measured to determine the effect the media play in a person's perceptions on romantic relationships and marriage. The results of the study concluded that although general television viewing does not predict perceptions about romance and marriage, the romantic genre of television programs as well as magazines do have a role in predicting romantic perceptions.

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Ancient Maya Afterlife Iconography: Traveling Between Worlds, Mosley Dianna Wilson Jan 2006

Ancient Maya Afterlife Iconography: Traveling Between Worlds, Mosley Dianna Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ancient Maya afterlife is a rich and voluminous topic. Unfortunately, much of the material currently utilized for interpretations about the ancient Maya comes from publications written after contact by the Spanish or from artifacts with no context, likely looted items. Both sources of information can be problematic and can skew interpretations. Cosmological tales documented after the Spanish invasion show evidence of the religious conversion that was underway. Noncontextual artifacts are often altered in order to make them more marketable. An example of an iconographic theme that is incorporated into the surviving media of the ancient Maya, but that is …

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A Compartive Analysis Of The Evolution Of Forest Management In The United States In General, With A Focus On Oregon, North Carolina, Patrick Kelly Jan 2006

A Compartive Analysis Of The Evolution Of Forest Management In The United States In General, With A Focus On Oregon, North Carolina, Patrick Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the evolution of forest management practices in the United States. The paper discusses the trends in forest management that have occurred within the United States in general, and specifically within the western (Oregon) and southern (North Carolina and Florida) United States. The trends discussed include the three (3) to four (4) epochs of management and use that are generally accepted within the forest management literature, with the exception of North Carolina that is in the process of a fifth (5). The comparative analysis within the paper discusses the western model …

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The 1980'S And Today; An Analysis Of Women's Subjective Well-Being, Michelle Coleman Jan 2006

The 1980'S And Today; An Analysis Of Women's Subjective Well-Being, Michelle Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to augment the existing literature concerning the relationship between marital status, gender, social networks, and cohort effect on dimensions of subjective well-being for women. Multiple dimensions of subjective well-being are examined. Multiple regression and logistic regression are employed to examine the effects of marital status, social networks, and cohort effects on the dependent variables that tap the dimensions of subjective well-being. The analysis controls for age, race, education, income, religious attendance and region of residence. The findings report some inconsistency in regards to the current literature. Social networks and support are found to be …

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Decreasing Alcohol Use Among High School Students By Challenging Alcohol Expectancies, Iris Cruz Jan 2006

Decreasing Alcohol Use Among High School Students By Challenging Alcohol Expectancies, Iris Cruz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Altering alcohol expectancies has reduced alcohol use among college students and may lead to successful prevention of alcohol use among high school students. We randomly assigned 379 12th-grade students to an expectancy challenge, traditional alcohol information, or control condition, and used Individual Differences Scaling to map expectancies into memory network format with Preference Mapping to model likely paths of association. After expectancy and traditional alcohol interventions, higher drinking male participants exhibited a greater likelihood to associate alcohol use with negative and sedating consequences and a decreased likelihood to associate alcohol with positive and arousing consequences. Drinking decreases paralleled the magnitude …

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10x The Talent = 1/3 Of The Credit: How Female Musicians Are Treated Differently In Music, Meggan Jordan Jan 2006

10x The Talent = 1/3 Of The Credit: How Female Musicians Are Treated Differently In Music, Meggan Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an exploratory, qualitative study of female musicians and their experiences with discrimination in the music industry. Using semi-structured interviews, I analyze the experiences of nine women, ages 21 to 56, who are working as professional musicians, or who have worked professionally in the past. I ask them how they are treated differently based on their gender. Three forms of subtle discrimination are inferred from their narrative histories. First, female musicians are mistaken for non-musicians. They are encapsulated into inferior roles, like "the gimmick," "good for a girl," and "invisible accessory." Second, band mates and band managers control women's …

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Myspace Or Ourspace: A Media System Dependency View Of Myspace, Andrew Schrock Jan 2006

Myspace Or Ourspace: A Media System Dependency View Of Myspace, Andrew Schrock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

MySpace is a type of "social networking" website where people meet, socialize, and create friendships. The way MySpace members, particularly younger individuals, interact online underscores the changing nature of mass media. Media system dependency states that individuals become reliant on media in their daily life because of fundamental human goals. This reliance, termed a dependency, leads to repeated use. Media system dependency was applied in the current study to explain how and why individuals became habitual MySpace users. To attain results a survey was administered to a convenience sampling of 401 adult undergraduates at the University of Central Florida. Members …

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Engagement, Trust, And Reciprocity: Exploring The Relationship Between Social Captial And Participation In Nonprofit Organizations, Rebecca Feiler Jan 2006

Engagement, Trust, And Reciprocity: Exploring The Relationship Between Social Captial And Participation In Nonprofit Organizations, Rebecca Feiler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the extent to which various forms of social capital impact participation in nonprofit organizations. Previous research has focused on the importance of trust and engagement among social and political networks to form strong community ties that can cultivate the growth of social capital and promote participation in nonprofit organizations. The data analyzed in this study were derived from the Central Florida Social Capital Benchmark survey, collected at the University of Central Florida's Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences. To represent social capital, related variables from the survey are combined to create indices that represent civic engagement and …

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Predictors Of Perceiving Racism In Ambiguous Situations, Teresa Marino Jan 2006

Predictors Of Perceiving Racism In Ambiguous Situations, Teresa Marino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study used a mixed-experimental analog design to examine 858 undergraduate students' reactions to a scenario depicting a store clerk being mildly rude to a customer. The ethnicity of the clerk and customer were manipulated. Results indicated that participants' beliefs regarding the general prevalence of racism and the degree to which they identify with their respective ethnic group significantly predicted the extent to which they perceived the clerk's behavior as being racially motivated. It also was found that participants' beliefs regarding the general prevalence of racism, levels of cynicism, and attributional style significantly predicted the extent to which they …

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White Opinions Of United States Immigration: Testing Rival Hypotheses, 2004, Celeste Bulkley Jan 2006

White Opinions Of United States Immigration: Testing Rival Hypotheses, 2004, Celeste Bulkley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few issues in the contemporary American political and social environments are as salient and emotionally charged as the debate over immigration. The thesis tests several competing hypotheses concerning the determinants of public opinion – among white respondents – on immigration issues. These include: the contextual considerations of southern residence and proximity to large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, as well as the individual-level factors of economic insecurity, political knowledge, national identity, group pride, and racism. Using data from the 2004 American National Election Study, the thesis provides a critical test of the competing hypotheses using multivariate analysis. Furthermore, conditional relationships are …

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Falling Down: The Influence Of Traffic Patterns And Availability Of Emergency Medical Service Personnel On The Lethality Of Violent Encounters, Nicholas Libby Jan 2006

Falling Down: The Influence Of Traffic Patterns And Availability Of Emergency Medical Service Personnel On The Lethality Of Violent Encounters, Nicholas Libby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of traffic patterns and the availability of emergency medical services on the lethality of violent interpersonal encounters. Key situational and contextual factors are controlled using the criminal events perspective. Data were taken from the 2002 National Incident-Based Reporting System of the FBI, as well as from fire/rescue and EMS services of Memphis, TN, Cincinnati, OH, and Richmond, VA. Additive models of logistic regression analysis revealed that fire/rescue availability, firearm use, incidents arising out of arguments, outdoor locations, and victim gender are the most consistent predictors of whether or not a violent incident will result in …

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The Effects Of Perceptions Of Crowding On Juror Attitudes And Decision-Making, Charles Short Jan 2006

The Effects Of Perceptions Of Crowding On Juror Attitudes And Decision-Making, Charles Short

HIM 1990-2015

Previous studies have explored the effects of crowding on non-human animals, human communities, human behavior, and differential effects on men and women. This area of research demands greater attention. Much of the existing work was performed in the 1970s and 80s. Further, it seeks to operationalize crowding only in terms of density. This study is premised on the idea set forth by Freedman that crowding is not merely the number of individuals per unit of space, but rather a subjective feeling. This thesis looks beyond density to find the effects of crowding on juror attitudes and decision-making. Participants were placed …

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An Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Leisure Education Curriculum On Deliquents' Motivation, Knowledge, And Behavior Changes Related To Boredom, Paul Finn Jr. Jan 2006

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Leisure Education Curriculum On Deliquents' Motivation, Knowledge, And Behavior Changes Related To Boredom, Paul Finn Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents today have more unsupervised and unstructured free time than ever before. Poor decisions by youth during periods of free time may lead to substance abuse, teen pregnancy and juvenile delinquency. The highest frequency of juvenile crime, a major social problem, occurs during the 2-4 hours following the end of the school day. Research has demonstrated the benefits of engaging adolecents in prosocial leisure activity. However, no research has studied the issues of free time and leisure education with a delinquent population. This paper documents the impact of a leisure education curriculum on a population of delinquent youth in a …

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Public Religious Participation: A Comparison Of Three Distinct Birth Cohorts, Diane Prather Jan 2006

Public Religious Participation: A Comparison Of Three Distinct Birth Cohorts, Diane Prather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that many factors affect levels of religiosity in American religion. This study extends the research on the relationship between cohort membership and public religious participation and individual personal involvement. Most of the research pertaining to the effects of cohort on religiosity has been devoted to comparisons between the Depression Era and Baby Boom Cohorts. This study extends research in this area by including Generation X to the extent possible. Using the General Social Surveys, this analysis employs an age/period/cohort analytical framework to examine religious involvement. Sociodemographic variables that are associated with religiosity are included in the analysis. …

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The Development Of A Dismounted Infantry Embedded Trainer With An Intelligent Tutor System, Jason Sims Jan 2006

The Development Of A Dismounted Infantry Embedded Trainer With An Intelligent Tutor System, Jason Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dismounted infantry system is a man wearable system with intelligent tutoring tool used to assess training. The tasks used to assess training for the intelligent tutoring were: (1) move as a member of a fireteam, (2) enter and clear a room, and (3) report battlefield information. The soldier wearing the simulation system acts as a member of a fireteam to conduct a virtual mission. The soldier's teammates are computer generated entities to conduct the mission. Soldiers were surveyed on the tasks assessed as well as the features of the system. Soldiers were also surveyed on tasks they felt needed …

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Exploring The Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence And Hiv Risk Propensity In African American Women, Lauren Lois Josephs Jan 2006

Exploring The Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence And Hiv Risk Propensity In African American Women, Lauren Lois Josephs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Risk-Propensity in African-American women. Current literature on HIV reveals that one of the groups most seriously impacted by the continued scourge of HIV is African-American heterosexual women. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by a community based sample of 200 African American women with a varied history of intimate partner violence to (1) explore whether a relationship exists between Intimate Partner Violence and sexual coercion in African-American women (2) determine whether a relationship exists between sexual coercion and HIV Risk in African-American women (3) determine if the frequency of intimate …

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Gender Stereotypes And The Governor's Mansion, Adrienne Mathews Jan 2006

Gender Stereotypes And The Governor's Mansion, Adrienne Mathews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the effects of gender stereotypes on women gubernatorial candidates in the post "Year of the Woman" era to determine whether or not the electoral gains made by women running for legislative office in 1992 also extended to women contesting executive elections in subsequent years. This study proceeds in two parts. The first part of this study provides an empirical analysis of contextual and candidate specific factors thought to affect the way in which gender stereotypes surface during gubernatorial campaigns and how they affect women candidates accordingly. The contextual factors include state culture, party dominance, and tradition of …

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The Relationship Between Self-Reported Chronic Stress And Divided Attention Performance, Diane Petrac Jan 2006

The Relationship Between Self-Reported Chronic Stress And Divided Attention Performance, Diane Petrac

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While previous research has extensively examined the effect of acute stress on cognitive performance, relatively little research has explored the relationship between chronic stress and cognitive performance. The current study aimed to control for current state anxiety to better isolate more chronic stress, when examining the relationship with performance on divided attention tasks. Fifty-four university undergraduates, who self-reported a wide range of perceived chronic stress (10-item Perceived Stress Scale), completed the Trail-Making Test and a dual (auditory and visual) Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Hierarchical regressions were performed to explore cognitive predictors of chronic perceived stress. After covarying for state anxiety …

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Examining Employee Use Of Family-Friendly Benefits With The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Heather Seiser Jan 2006

Examining Employee Use Of Family-Friendly Benefits With The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Heather Seiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factors that may be related to employees' decisions to use the family-friendly benefits (e.g., maternity/paternity leave, flexible work schedule) that are offered to them by their employers. Research has shown that both employees and organizations benefit when employees use family-friendly benefits. However, research has also shown that many employees do not take advantage of such benefits. Studies examining this issue are limited, and much of the research that has been conducted is anecdotal and atheoretical. The present study overcame this problem by empirically examining the use of family-friendly benefits within …

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Factors Influencing User-Level Success In Police Informationsharing: An Examination Of Florida's Finder System, Jr Ernest Scott Jan 2006

Factors Influencing User-Level Success In Police Informationsharing: An Examination Of Florida's Finder System, Jr Ernest Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An important post-9/11 objective has been to connect law enforcement agencies so they can share information that is routinely collected by police. This low-level information, gathered from sources such as traffic tickets, calls for service, incident reports and field contacts, is not widely shared but might account for as much as 97% of the data held in police records systems. U.S. policy and law assume that access to this information advances crime control and counterterrorism efforts. The scarcity of functioning systems has limited research opportunities to test this assumption or offer guidance to police leaders considering investments in information sharing. …

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