Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of The Stress Levels And Gpa Of African American College Students At Historically Black And Predominantly White Institutions., Yashica Dearcie Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress levels of African American college students attending Historically Black and Predominantly White Institutions were compared. The GPAs of the students were correlated with their stress levels. Racism and social support were explored as factors contributing to stress. Results indicated that African American students attending the Predominantly White institution had higher stress than African American students attending the Historically Black institution and White students attending the Predominantly White institution. The results also indicated that GPA and stress were negatively correlated; as stress levels decreased, GPA increased. A negative correlation was found to be significant with social support and stress; as …

Parenting Style And Its Relationship To Interpretation Of The Bible And Worship Style In College Students., Geoffrey R. Mabe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To extend research on Baumrind’s parenting styles, a scenario study was conducted to determine if the gender of a stimulus child and the parenting style employed by stimulus parents would relate significantly to biblical interpretation style and preferred worship style. A 2x3 independent groups factorial design was employed for analysis in two different procedures. Respondents (152 undergraduate students) were provided with one of six scenarios, each of which varied by gender of stimulus child and by one of three parenting styles employed by the stimulus parent. Respondents were then directed to complete the Scriptural Literalism Scale (Hogge & Friedman, 1967) …

The Impact Of Participation In The Johnson City, Tn Citizen's Police Academy., Angela Elkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Citizen's Police Academy allows citizens to attend the police academy to learn more about police departments and police work. While increasing in popularity, very little research has focused on participant impact. This study examines the impact of the Johnson City CPA on participants' attitudes and beliefs about police work. Surveys were analyzed to discover differences in age, education levels, gender and prior interest in police work concerning satisfaction, importance of training, and behavior change. Older respondents reported the most benefit from participation, while younger respondents were more likely to change their behaviors. Those with mid level educations gained the …

Eating Disorder Symptoms, Body Image Attitudes, And Risk Factors In Non-Traditional And Traditional Age Female College Students., Jennifer E. Caldwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates whether there are certain age groups in college that are more susceptible to eating problems and the contributing factors for eating disorders. The participants were 144 college women divided into traditional and non-traditional age groups. The EDI-2, BSI, RSE, and additional items were administered. The results show that non-traditional age college women were as likely to have eating disorder symptoms and more likely to possess body dissatisfaction than traditional age college students. The data support body dissatisfaction, aging concerns, perfectionism, depression, anxiety, and having children as potential risk factors for eating disturbances. This study suggests that there …

And Now A Punch, Kick, And Slap From Our Sponsors: A Content Analysis Of Aggression In Network Television Commercials., Robert C. Carpenter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the violent content of television news and entertainment programs has been widely documented, commercials have been rarely scrutinized for aggressive traits. This study sought to improve on this situation and gather additional data about television commercial violence. Because commercials make up 25 percent of each network hour of programming, the potential for exposure to violent content may be even greater than previously believed. To explore this issue, a content analysis was conducted of 2,162 prime-time television commercials on three major networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. The sample was coded with a scheme developed by Anu Mustonen and Lea Pulkkinen …

Gender Differences In Working Memory In Humans Tested On A Virtual Morris Water Maze., Ivy A. Click

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A computerized virtual version of the Morris water maze (vMWM) was used to assess human gender differences in spatial working memory. In Experiment 1, the release point and platform location was changed on every other trial for 20 trials. Men had significantly reduced acquisition latencies and more accurate heading errors on the first daily trial compared to women. In Experiment 2, the release point and platform location was changed every fourth trial for 20 trials. Men had significantly shorter acquisition latencies and path lengths than women. Experiment 3 was identical to Experiment 2, except that environmental cues were changed throughout …

Aggression: Relationships With Sex, Gender Role Identity, And Gender Role Stress., Robin L. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sex, gender-role identity, and gender-role stress were assessed in terms of their relationship to observed gender differences in self-reported aggression. Physical and verbal aggression were explored, as well as the affective component of anger and cognitive component of hostility. The role of emotional intelligence in these relationships was also evaluated, as a possible correlate to the gender-related variables. The results indicated that both gender-role stress and gender-role identification were significantly associated with all components of aggression; however, only physical aggression was related to sex. Emotional intelligence was linked to sex and gender-role identity but not with gender-role stress. The results …

The Effects Of Social Anxiety On The Development Of Romantic Relationships In Adolescence, Karen R. Zeff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study sought to investigate the ways in which social anxiety impedes the development of romantic relationships across adolescence. Previous research has demonstrated a natural progression for romantic associations during adolescence in which teens transition from same- to mixed-sex peer groups, and finally to dyadic relationships with romantic partners (Connolly, Furman, Konarski, 2000; Dunphy, 1963). This model of development was the basis for the present investigation. Social anxiety was examined in terms of how it impacted affiliations at the same- and mixed sex peer group levels, and ultimately the formation of romantic relationships. This project involved administering a series …

The Importance Of Nonviolence In United Nations Peacekeeping, Jeffrey Lowell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The previous two decades have brought to light many issues with the role of the United Nations in peacekeeping. The disasters in Rwanda, Kosovo, Somalia, and now the Sudan, give credence to the idea that something is a serious fundamental flaw in the United Nation's approach to making the world a more peaceful place. The use of violence, or the threat of violence, cannot be used to bring about lasting peace. Evidence of this fundamental flaw is seen throughout the UIV's history, but perhaps nowhere as glaring as the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. That peace enforcement operation ran just as …

1-800-(Re)Colonize: A Feminist Postcolonial And Performance Analysis Of Call Center Agents In India Performing U.S. Cultural Identity, Kimberlee Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The contemporary historical moment finds us in a web of globalization that spans the globe. While our interconnectedness brings us into unforeseen communications, we enter the conversation grounded in particular subject locations. Postcolonial subjectivities hold strategic memories of colonial violences as a means of survival and resistance while colonizing forces hold onto binary narratives of their own superiority. Globalization provides the context wherein decolonized and colonizing nations interact with unequal power resulting in multifaceted outcomes, one of which I argue is a re-colonial dynamic. The phenomenon of U.S. corporate outsourcing to India is one instance where a re-colonial dynamic occurs. …

Is All Open Space Created Equal? A Hedonic Application Within A Data-Rich Gis Environment, Bradley C, Neumann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Economic evidence reveals that preserved open space fosters services that are valued by members of society. However, when making the municipal decision to preserve land, communities must decide what type of open space to preserve, and must also deal with entities purchasing land and affecting tax revenues. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has made efforts in recent years to expand the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) system. This research seeks to determine if residential property owners value NWRs, and if they value NWRs differently than other types of open space, including conservation land, agricultural land, sports parks, golf …

Teachers Or "Real" Police Officers?: A Study Of Dare Officers In Northeast Tennessee., Jennifer Lynne Commons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most studies of the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) program evaluate the program’s effectiveness; this thesis instead examines the police officers who implement the program. Based on interviews with 12 DARE officers in the Northeast region of Tennessee, the thesis explores how members of this special category of police officers identify themselves. The DARE officer interviews were compared with published literature on conventional police officers. All DARE officers interviewed defined themselves as police officers but did little to no actual police work, nor were they viewed by patrol officers as “real” police officers. Instead, DARE officers functioned primarily as educators. …

Juvenile Commitment Rate: The Effects Of Gender, Race, Parents, And School., Mitchell Andrew Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze those factors that affect the commitment rate of juveniles and how outside variables such as gender, race, parents, and school attendance affect the commitment rate of crime and delinquency. The variables used for this study came from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) data collected by Esbensen and Osgood (1999). The analysis revealed that females are more likely to have a higher commit rate than males, that Whites have a higher commit rate than other races, that those juveniles living with their father have a lower commit rate than those living …

Intimate Violence: The Effects Of Family, Threatened Egotism, And Reciprocity., Jessica Lynne Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken in an attempt to investigate the impact of family, threatened egotism, and reciprocity on a person’s use of intimate violence. Threatened egotism proposes that aggression is the result of high but unstable self-esteem, which is conceptualized as high self-esteem coupled with high narcissism. Self-report questionnaires were administered to randomly selected cluster samples of 423 college students, 147 males and 276 females. The mean age is approximately 22 with 93% indicating they are White and 7% non-White. While no support was found for threatened egotism, violence witnessed in the family of origin and reciprocity were found to …

Stereotypes Of Arab And Arab-Americans Presented In Hollywood Movies Released During 1994 To 2000., Yasmeen Elayan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stereotypes routinely appear within Hollywood films. This study focuses on films released from 1994-2000 that feature Arab/Arab-American characters. A literature analysis reviewed the use of stereotypes in other portrayals of Arab/Arab-American characters. A qualitative analysis of six movies examined specific characteristics that were displayed by Arab/Arab-American characters. These characteristics included speaking with an accent, traditional/native attire, acts of hostility and aggression, affiliation with terrorism, and whether they were depicted as victimizers or victims. These films were selected in order to demonstrate the frequent existence of negative portrayals in popular films prior to 9/11. A primary coder, the author, analyzed 108 …

Chronic Olanzapine Treatment Eliminates Cognitive Deficits Produced By Neonatal Quinpirole Treatment., Stephanie K. Thacker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the effects of chronic olanzapine treatment on cognitive performance and neurochemical function in a rodent model of schizophrenia. Animals were neonatally treated with quinpirole, a dopamine D₂ receptor agonist, or saline. Quinpirole treatment produces an increase of dopamine D₂ receptor sensitivity that extends into adulthood, known as D₂ receptor priming, similar to a phenomenon that occurs in schizophrenia. These same rats were treated in adulthood for 28 days with olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, or saline. Dopamine D₂- primed rats demonstrated significant deficits on a cognitive task that were alleviated by olanzapine treatment. …

Does Joint Attention Mediate The Relationship Between Temperament And Language?, Brenda J. Salley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual differences in child temperament have been associated with individual differences in language development; similarly, relationships have been separately reported among temperament, language and early nonverbal social communication (joint attention). The present study examined the relationship between temperament and language, in the context of joint attention as an underlying developmental variable mediating this association. Temperament, language and joint attention were assessed in 51 Appalachian 21-month-old toddlers. Results indicate a relationship between aspects of temperamental difficulty, including low executive control and high negative affect, and low language. A relationship was also found between temperament and joint attention, such that aspects of …

Family Violence And Divorce: Effects On Marriage Expectations., Hollie Nicole Dillon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family violence and divorce can have influential effects on marital expectations. The present study analyzes the effects of gender, family violence, and divorce on marital expectations. Participants were 293 students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a southeastern university. The mean age of the participants was 19.67 with 62.5 % being female and 37.5% being male. Participants completed the Conflict Tactics Scale to assess the presence of violence in the participant’s family of origin. Participants were also assessed on their parent’s marital status and, if applicable, their age at the time of divorce. This information was gathered via a …

A Qualitative Study: Gendered Perceptions Of Bullying Among Adolescents At A Boys And Girls Club., Beverly Small Chandley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a form of peer violence needing extensive research to help understand the differences in gender for the prevention of such behavior. Most research has been performed in school settings and in a quantitative manner. This study was conducted by six researchers in an after-school facility with a qualitative approach. A minimum of 15 hours per researcher was spent observing behaviors and 20 interviews were performed. A grounded theory approach was used for the analysis of data which tend to show more similarities than differences in the way children bully as well as their perceptions of bullying.

A Survey Examining The Attitudes In A College Population Toward Suicide Attempters., Kandi Shearer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicidal behaviors are common and problematic among young populations, and attitudes held towards such behavior likely impact the frequency of its occurrence. The present study was conducted to gain insight into the attitudes held towards suicide attempt victims amongst a traditional college population. Undergraduate students (n = 360) were administered a survey to assess demographics, suicide ideation levels, and perceptions formed after reading a short suicide attempt report. Results indicated that ideation levels had the most impact on perceptions, with ideators being significantly more likely than non-ideators to view suicide attempters as more intelligent, more justified in their actions, more …

Look Younger, Lose 10 Pounds, And Influence Your Audience: A Content Analysis Of Popular Men's And Women's Magazine Cover Blurbs And The Messages They Project To Their Readers., Rhajon Noelle Colson-Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined cover blurbs on popular men’s and women’s magazines and the messages they communicate to their readers about women. The content analysis looked at the covers of Esquire, Gentlemen’s Quarterly, Vogue, and Good Housekeeping from 1999 through 2003 to see what these magazines were cultivating and framing through their cover text during the time surrounding the new millennium. The women’s magazines examined promoted gendered messages, messages encouraging an idealistic or unattainable ideal of women, to their readers more so than the men’s magazines researched. There also appeared to be an increase of gendered messages in the men’s and …

Hierarchies For Event-Based Modeling Of Geographic Phenomena, Rui Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modeling the dynamic aspect, or change, of geographic phenomena is essential to explain the evolution of geographic entities and predict their future. Event-based modelling, describing the occurrences rather than states of geographic phenomena, gives an explicit treatment of such change, but currently does not have the support of the mechanisms to enable the shifts among different granularities of events. To account for different tasks, a hierarchical representation of the event space at different granularities is needed.

This thesis presents an event-based model; a general framework for representing events based on precondition and postcondition using Allen's temporal interval logic. It captures …

Fragmentation, Sprawl And Economic Development., Grigoriy V. Ardashev 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fragmentation of governments and urban sprawl has been a subject of debate for a considerable time. The discussion often centers on whether space (sprawl) and politics (fragmentation) make a difference in the economic development of metropolitan areas. The hypothesis was set to follow the argument of polycentric school of thought on the organization of metropolitan governance. It was expected that competitive local public economies would be beneficial to the economic performance of the regions. Regarding the effect of sprawl, the study assumed that following the lines of free-market defense of sprawl it would be positively associated with economic performance of …

Is Gay Really Gay?: A Heterosexual/Homosexual Quality Of Life Comparison, Kristina Dzara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines differences in quality of life measures between heterosexual and homosexual respondents using General Social Survey data from 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. Analyses of quality of life are performed in an effort to compare the heterosexual and homosexual population of the United States. The three main areas which are explored in the analysis are physical health, general happiness, and life excitement. Few differences were found in subjective life satisfaction between heterosexuals and homosexuals; however, some control variables differed. Directions for future research regarding homosexuality and quality of life are discussed.

Minority Physician Job Satisfaction: An Analysis Of Extrinsically-Controlled Organizational Factors, Shaun Fletcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few organizational communication studies examine the organizational aspects influencing career satisfaction specifically among non-white cultures in the medical physician population. This study examines minority physicians' perceptions of extrinsically controlled work environment factors in comparison to their white counterparts. Three research questions were analyzed from a 17-question survey tool to measure: physician satisfaction levels with autonomy over medical decision-making; autonomy over non-medical workplace decisions; and hospital cost containment efforts. These organizational variables have served as major points of discourse within the healthcare arena and they relate to the enigmatic nature of career satisfaction. Determined by the volume of respondents representing each …

A Content Analysis Of 2004 Presidential Election Headlines Of The Los Angeles Times And The Washington Times, Maureen Mccluskey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggested Election 2004 involved many issue regimes and wedge issues (Kaplan, 2004; Drum, 2004; Fagan & Dinan, 2004). Preceding research proposed that the American perception of presidential candidates has been somewhat based on the mass media's increasing priming and agenda setting techniques (Scheufele, 2000; Kiousis & McCombs, 2004). Hence the research addressed two questions: Is there a bias for or against either candidate in the headlines of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Times? If there is bias, which issues tended to produce the most positive, negative and neutral results? All election headlines, from February to November …

The Influences Of System Affiliation, Size, And Location On Bioterrorism Preparedness Among Florida Hospitals, Kourtney Scharoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the event of a bioterrorist attack, emergency departments are considered the first line of response for all acute levels of care. This study focused on hospital emergency departments in Florida and the activities, policies, and procedures involved in preparing for a bioterrorist attack. Hospital size, location, and system affiliation were related to attaining these levels, and their impact was assessed. Through a cross-sectional survey design, the physical properties of the 77 hospitals (i.e. facilities, equipment, communication systems, etc.), and the social characteristics of the organizations (managerial functions including: planning, training, financial, and environmental characteristics) were examined. One-way analysis of …

A Measure Of Entrepreneurial Risk Preference And Optimism Using Field Experiments, Mark Schneider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have underscored the economic importance of the role of the entrepreneur, and empirical studies testing the nature of the entrepreneur are notably lacking. This study directly addresses this issue by examining newly gathered field data which captures the decision making and risk behaviors for a group of high-technology entrepreneurs. Two decision making tasks were used to elicit risk aversion measures and to test for any 'joy of winning' or judgmental errors, possibly in the form of over optimistic behavior. These elicitations were made with the use of multiple price formats and winner's curse experiments. 62 responses were collected …

The Influence Of Past Abuse On Heterosexual Cohabiting Couples' Relationship Types, Page Thanasiu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the influence of past witnessed or experienced abuse on heterosexual cohabiting couples' Premarital Personal and Relationship Evaluation for Cohabiting Couples (PREPARE-CC) couple relationship types. The researcher utilized preexisting data from 5,000 cohabiting couples who had previously participated in the PREPARE marriage preparation program and had completed the PREPARE-CC inventory including a demographic section that elicited information about past abuse. Discriminant analysis was conducted in SPSS to answer the question of whether the presence of past witnessed or experienced abuse could successfully predict relationship type among cohabiting couples. Results of the discriminant analysis yielded no significant ability to …

Couple Play As A Predictor Of Couple Bonding, Physical Health And Emotional Health, Linda Vanderbleek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional couple counseling research focused on why people end relationships, with research only recently addressing what factors contribute to relationship satisfaction and stability. Yet, throughout this research, minimal attention has been paid to the role of play in couple counseling. The research available on play in couple counseling had varied definitions of couple play and was not based on current couple counseling theory. The research and anecdotal data on couple play proposed a strong relationship between couple play and the factors that predict successful, long-term couple relationships, individual physical health and emotional health. This study applied current couple counseling theory …