Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Croatian Public Television – Lost In Transformation, Iveta Imre

Masters Theses

This study examined the influence of government, politicians and advertisers on the content of Croatian Public Television (HTV) news. This research examined whether HTV has remained state TV and under as strong government influence as it was in the former Yugoslavia? Or has it transformed into public TV, which has been the goal since Croatia gained independence in 1991? Or has it become commercial TV?

The data were gathered through 10 semi-structured in-depth interviews with journalists and producers in the HTV news department and through a content analysis of HTV’s main newscast, Dnevnik.

The major findings suggest there is still …

Electronic Diary Assessment Of The Temporal Association Between Angry Affect And Intimate Partner Violence, Sara Rachel Elkins

Masters Theses

The proposed project examined the temporal association between three forms of angry affect and dating violence among a sample of college students using electronic daily diary assessment methodology. It was hypothesized that the odds of dating violence would be greater on days of angry affect relative to days of no angry affect. It was also hypothesized that relevant distal variables would moderate this association, although examination of the direction of such effects was exploratory in nature.

Participants were 184 men and women attending a large university in Tennessee. Participants completed a baseline survey packet assessing distal variables. They were also …

Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder On Autonomy And Relatedness In The Mother-Adolescent Relationship, Miriam Rose Frankel

Masters Theses

This study examined autonomy and relatedness in a low socioeconomic status sample of adolescent children of mothers with borderline personality disorder (BPD), compared to a normative comparison group, during a video-taped problem solving task. The interpersonal difficulties with individuation and separation within relationships that characterize BPD, may create a diathesis for psychopathology among adolescent children of women with this disorder. The parent-teen interactions were transcribed and coded using Allen, Hauser et al., (2003)’s Autonomy and Relatedness Coding System. Mothers with BPD scored significantly higher on the inhibition of autonomy and inhibition of relatedness than did comparison mothers, although no group …

Ethnocentrism, Intercultural Interaction And U.S. College Students’ Intercultural Communicative Behaviors: An Exploration Of Relationships, Julie Renée Justen

Masters Theses

Ethnocentrism is the experience of seeing one’s own culture as superior to other cultures. It is an element of intercultural communication that has the potential to greatly affect how one communicates. As the cultures of the world are in increasingly close contact, understanding the significance of ethnocentrism as related to intercultural communication competence, intercultural willingness to communicate and elements of international interaction (i.e., amount of intercultural interaction, desire for intercultural interaction, and satisfaction with intercultural interaction) becomes an important process in both interpersonal and organization communication.

To test the relationships among these variables, 304 undergraduate students were surveyed using a …

A 1700-Year History Of Fire And Vegetation In Pine Rocklands Of National Key Deer Refuge, Big Pine Key, Florida: Charcoal And Pollen Evidence From Key Deer Pond, Joshua Wright Albritton

Masters Theses

Key Deer Pond (24° 42' 29.50" N, 81° 22' 36.12" W; ca. 2 m elevation) is a small freshwater pond in a solution hole located within the pine rocklands of the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, Florida. Overlapping sediment core sections and a surface grab sample from Key Deer Pond were subjected to pollen, microscopic charcoal, and loss-on-ignition analyses to investigate late-Holocene climate, fire occurrence, and vegetation-fire relationships in pine rockland ecosystems. Macroscopic charcoal from the uppermost meter of the profile was studied to provide a more detailed history of local fire occurrence.

The results from the …

Effects Of Differences In Video And Traditional Markets On Feeder Cattle Prices, Damon Eric Drinnon

Masters Theses

Few decisions are more important to feeder cattle producers than how to market their product. This study uses the hedonic pricing model to show which method of marketing results in higher prices (traditional auctions or video board sales) and which characteristics of cattle, conditions of sale, and market conditions result in price premiums and discounts.

The two equations used were estimated by ordinary least squares in the SAS Reg procedure with 3131 observations over the 1996-2007 period. Model I (47 independent variables) was developed to estimate implicit values of various animal attributes, conditions of sale, and market conditions on the …

Effects On Digital Image Quality When Photographing Through A Transparent Material Used To Hold Or Flatten An Original Object, Paul E. Howell

Masters Theses

An increasing number of libraries and archives are initiating projects where new and updated technologies make it practical to digitize materials containing color and fine detail. Many of the imaging systems and methods used for this process require that some type of glass or plastic be placed over the original to hold it flat and in the correct position during image capture. The physical properties of a material placed between an original object and the capture system or camera, during digitization, could possibly affect the accuracy of image color and quality being reproduced by the system. This investigation provides an …

Prehistoric Bone Grease Production In Wisconsin's Driftless Area: A Review Of The Evidence And Its Implications, Jonathan Douglas Baker

Masters Theses

The evidence for bone grease processing in Wisconsin's Driftless Area is addressed. A four-fold methodology for the identification of grease production is developed. This methodology includes an examination of: (1) bone fragment size, (2) fracture patterns, (3) overall taphonomy, and (4) archaeological context. The methodology is applied to the analysis of eight Driftless Area faunal assemblages and is also used to reevaluate previous accounts of grease production. Based upon the analysis, evidence for grease manufacture is present and ubiquitous at seven Archaic/Woodland sites. Evidence for grease production is also present in five Oneota assemblages from the La Crosse area.

Grease …

Hunter/Gatherer Foraging Adaptations During The Middle Archaic Period At Dust Cave, Alabama, Stephen Byrnes Carmody

Masters Theses

Dust Cave, located in northern Alabama, was occupied seasonally for approximately 7,000 years, spanning five cultural occupations beginning with the Late Paleoindian period (12,650-11,200 cal B.P.) and extending into the Benton period (6,500-5,600 cal B.P.) (Sherwood et al. 2004). Due to the exceptional preservational environments found within the cave, the well preserved organic materials recovered from the site have provided a better understanding of both cultural and economic aspects of prehistoric life including subsistence strategies and mobility.

My research focuses on these aspects of life during the Eva/Morrow Mountain (8,400-6,000 cal B.P.) and Benton (6,500-5,600 cal B.P.) components at Dust …

Career Satisfaction Of Sales Professionals: The Role Of Personality, Nancy A. Foster

Masters Theses

According to P-E fit theory from a vocational psychology perspective (see Holland, 1985), individuals differ in their attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors, which in turn affect their career choices and their satisfaction with those choices. These differences, collectively termed "personality," influence both work and life outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and career satisfaction in a sample of sales professionals. An archival dataset was examined that included the "Big Five" and other work-related, narrow personality traits, as well as career satisfaction variables. All traits were significantly and positively related to career satisfaction …

Precision Farming Information Sources Used By Cotton Farmers, Amanda Renee Jenkins

Masters Theses

Precision farming entails production decisions that are made by obtaining data about soil and field traits. Information about yield and soil characteristics at different locations is collected and management strategies consistent with this information are designed. Information providers play a major role in helping farmers incorporate precision farming information into their decision-making processes. The main goal of this research is to add to the understanding of preferences of information sources in the context of precision farming. Data from cotton farmers in 11 Southeastern states were used to achieve this goal. Results from this study can be utilized by precision farming …

Rezoning Decisions Associated With Housing Price, Land Use Plan, And Urban Sprawl: Empirical Estimations, Ji Young Kim

Masters Theses

Under the theme of ¨DRezoning Decisions Associated with Housing Price, Land Use Plan, and Urban Sprawl: Empirical Estimations¡¬, this thesis consists of two research with two related topics. The first part analyzes the dynamics of zoning structure and accommodates the neighborhood spillover effects associated with the real estate market, focusing particularly neighborhood spillover effects between rezoning of vacant parcels and housing price. It is found that the price of a house is positively influenced by the prices of other houses in its neighborhood but the rezoning status of a vacant parcel in a neighboring location plays an insignificant role in …

Influence Of Parenting Behavior On Behavioral And Psychological Associations Of Proactive And Reactive Aggression, Jamie Lee Rathert

Masters Theses

Child aggression is often categorized by the motivation behind the behavior, namely proactive and reactive aggression. Proactive aggression is goal oriented in nature whereas reactive aggression is in response to a perceived threat. There is some evidence to suggest that these subtypes are associated with distinct behavioral and psychological problems, with proactive aggression being associated with delinquency and reactive aggression being associated with depression. However, the behavioral and psychological correlates of these subtypes of aggression are not one to one relations and little research has examined the variables that impact these relations. This is a notable omission in the literature, …

Cooperation In The Commonwealth: Perceptions Of Partnership Initiatives Between Virginia's Academic Health Sciences Libraries And Select (Contiguous) Public Library Systems For The Provision Of Consumer Health Information Services, Jessica Lynn Waugh

Masters Theses

Increasing numbers of Americans are seeking information about health and medicine. The advent of the Internet has ushered in an explosion of resources, but no mediating device to help lay people discern between authoritative current data, opinion pieces or unsubstantiated anecdotes. The field of consumer health is ripe with programs and initiatives designed to address the issue of access and education, but those are often scattered, spottily coordinated, poorly advertised and, in some cases, needlessly duplicated. The formation of robust partnerships between two major entities attempting to provide consumer health information (public libraries and academic health sciences libraries) seems logical …

Lithic Resource Survey Of The Upper Little River Drainage: Raw Material Availability And Use At The Townsend Sites, Jeremy L. Sweat

Masters Theses

From 1999 to 2002, the Transportation Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, conducted a number of archaeological investigations associated with the widening of State Route 73 (U.S. 321) through Townsend, Tennessee. The excavations at the Townsend sites resulted in the recovery of a large assemblage of chipped and ground stone tools. A lithic resource survey of the upper Little River drainage was undertaken to identify the likely source areas of raw materials used for the manufacture of the chipped and ground stone tools recovered during the Townsend excavations. These data were then used to identify local versus non-local materials …

Modeling Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Location Using Gis, Bradly Scott Wilson

Masters Theses

Domestically produced renewable transportation fuels have become a priority for researchers, policy makers, and investors in recent times. Ethanol, particularly cellulosic ethanol made from woody or fibrous plant material, has emerged as one such fuel that could help to ease the current dependence on foreign oil. The questions of where to build the facilities that convert feedstocks to cellulosic ethanol as well where the feedstock will come from to supply these biorefineries are important ones. This paper examines methods for using GIS to model feedstock availability and ideal biorefinery location in an economically feasible manner.

The software developed as part …

Pattern And Distribution Of Fractures In The William M. Bass And Hamann-Todd Osteological Collections, Shauna Lynn Mcnulty

Masters Theses

The goal of this study is to determine whether aspects of modern life predispose individuals to different patterns of trauma than earlier populations. The specific patterns and susceptibilities to injury may be unique to individual populations and provide a reference in order to gauge quality of life and health status for the populations under study. The present investigation was conducted using the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection and the William M. Bass Donated Collection. The analysis of both collections was conducted macroscopically without the aid of radiographs. Only complete, adult specimens were used to allow for greater statistical power, according to the …

The Construction Of Social Networks Of Support In A New Latino Gateway, Meghan Elizabeth Conley

Masters Theses

Beginning in the early 1990s and continuing through today, emerging Latino destinations such as Knoxville, Tennessee experienced tremendous growth in their population of Latina/o immigrants. Given that our traditional theories of immigrant adjustment address the formation of social networks exclusively in established immigrant gateways, and primarily based on observations of men, there is no reason to assume that Latina/o immigrants in emerging destinations build networks in similar ways as those in established destinations. This thesis first explores why some immigrants choose to migrate to Knoxville, Tennessee. Second, this thesis explores the extent to which the dominant theoretical frameworks of immigrant …

Relationships Between Birth Order And Adjustment In Adolescents From Post-Divorce Families, Christi Nichole Nash

Masters Theses

This study proposal seeks to examine the relationship between actual birth order, psychological birth order and adjustment in adolescence from post-divorced homes. Both actual birth and psychological orders are included in this particular study to investigate correlations, commonalities, and trends associated with each order and its affect on adjustment. The targeted group consists of freshmen attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Participants who identify their parents as currently divorced from each other within the past five years will be eligible to complete the research process. Participants will be administered both the Campbell-White Psychological Birth Inventory and Adult Behavior Checklist online …

Why Females Fight: Predicting Political Activism Among Palestinian Female Youth, Carolyn Reagh Spellings

Masters Theses

A distinct focus on female youth experiences in political contests has been lacking in the literature on youth and political violence despite many female youth’s involvement with armed groups. The first Palestinian Intifada (1987-1993) saw the participation of many female youth alongside both teenage boys and men. This is notable especially given the patriarchal culture of Palestinian society in that women and young girls are traditionally confined to the private sphere. Additionally, public interactions with men and young boys could be viewed as improper and threats to one’s honor and purity may ensue. In light of these facts, the purpose …

The Impact Of Organization-Public Relationships On Choosing Crisis Response Strategies, Kenon A. Brown

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the public’s perception of an organization-public relationship and crisis response strategies affect the attribution of crisis responsibility. Using Coombs’ (2007) SCCT theory, this study will contribute insight into which crisis response strategies work for certain types of organization-public relationships. This thesis is the initial investigation of an attempt to determine how several factors, including crisis type, crisis history, relationship type, relationship history, and crisis response strategy, can affect the perception of a crisis.

A large, southeastern university was chosen as the organization under study, and its student population was the stakeholder …

The Puzzle Of Syphilis: A Literature Review On Putting The Pieces Together, Tabatha Anne Boekhout

Masters Theses

As culture changes, so does disease. This change has been seen in a variety of diseases, but none are so hotly debated and researched as the treponematoses, the four diseases related to and including venereal syphilis. There have been decades of debate on every aspect of syphilis: where it came from, who gave it to whom, how it evolved, and what the distribution was at various points in time. Herein, the four types of treponematoses will be examined along with the clinical pathology of each. The skeletal evidence will be examined carefully, taking into account the distribution of lesions for …

An Assessment Of Attitudes Toward Participation In A Virtual Community Of Practice For Nutrition Education Paraprofessionals, Mary Lee Morse

Masters Theses

Online networking and virtual communities of practice have proven to be successful in providing teachers with feelings of professionalism and with improving teacher performance. For a virtual community of practice to be successful, members must be able to use certain computer and Internet technologies and they must be willing to both share information and to use the resource as source of information. This study builds on the body of knowledge in this area by specifically assessing the attitudes of nutrition education paraprofessionals towards the adoption and use of an online networking and virtual community of practice resource. The participants for …

Seeking Resettlement And Navigating Transnational Politics: The Intersection Of Policies, Human Rights And Individuals In Shimelba Refugee Camp, Elizabeth Clearwater Harmon-Gross

Masters Theses

For nearly a decade, Eritreans have been fleeing their oppressive government and the human rights violations that occur within Eritrea‘s borders. This flight usually takes them across the nearest border, but there appear to be choices that refugees make along the way that lead to patterning of flight, selection of certain countries of safe haven and emerging hierarchies of third countries of resettlement. For geopolitical reasons, Eritrean refugees are both safe and at risk in Ethiopia. However, it is in Ethiopia that a highly trafficked refugee camp, Shimelba, was created in 2004. Beginning in 2009, the US has been accepting …

Analyzing Poverty In The Southern United States, Suhyun Jung

Masters Theses

This thesis deals with two related topics under the theme of ―Analyzing Poverty in the Southern United States‖. The first part explores the role of government healthcare and education expenditure for poverty reduction, focusing particularly on how these relationships change over space and time in the Southern United States. It is found that healthcare expenditure is a significant contributor to poverty alleviation in both 1990 and 2000. The healthcare expenditure has a relatively high poverty-reducing effect in the Texas cluster and in the west part of the Mississippi Delta cluster in both years, while the poverty-reducing effect of healthcare expenditures …

Usewear Analysis Of Flake Tools From The Townsend Project (Sites 40bt89, 40bt90, 40bt91, 40bt94), Blount County, Tennessee, Phyllis Sierra Rigney

Masters Theses

This purpose of this study was to examine flake tools from Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, and Cherokee components at the Townsend project (sites 40BT89, 40BT90, 40BT91, and 40BT94) in Blount County, Tennessee and to determine the functions of these flake tools and whether these tools are actually expedient. Also, any changes that may have occurred through time in the function of these tools was assessed, as well as how these changes might apply to surrounding archaeological sites. A stepwise microwear examination was conducted, which included three levels of analysis: macroscopic examination, stereoscopic examination, and incident light examination. All 1,723 flake tools …

Expanding The Theory Of Traumatic Bonding As It Relates To Forgiveness, Romantic Attachment, And Intention To Return, Jennifer Anne Christman

Masters Theses

Various empirically validated theories have explained the phenomenon of women in abusive relationships engaging in a repeated leave/return cycle when trying to terminate the relationship. The current study was designed to add to the already existing theories that focus on factors constraining women to stay in abusive relationships by evaluating the relationship between traumatic bond, forgiveness, and intention to return to the abusive relationship, and by evaluating the relationship between traumatic bond, attachment to abusive partner, and intention to return. The current sample consisted of 121 women residing in both urban and rural emergency domestic violence shelters. Forgiveness was found …

The Effect Of Various Coverings On The Rate Of Human Decomposition, Angela Madeleine Dautartas

Masters Theses

A multitude of factors can affect the decomposition process, increasing or decreasing its rate. Some of the most frequently observed variables are temperature, moisture, insect activity, and sun or shade exposure.

Coverings can impact the decomposition process, and are found frequently in forensic cases. In a survey of New Mexico cases, Komar (2003) reported that sixteen individuals were found wrapped in plastic, and twenty were noted as wrapped in a cloth or blanket. In a survey conducted of eighty-seven cases, fifty-four of the bodies were wrapped in some type of covering. Plastic was most common, but a variety was noted, …

Estimating Cropland Use In A Multi-County Region Of The Southeastern United States, Dustin J. Donahue

Masters Theses

In this thesis, a model to analyze land use in a multi-county region of the Southeastern United States is presented. Farmer planting decisions are assumed to follow a non-stationary first order Markov decision process. The non-stationary transition probabilities are estimated as a function of the prior year‟s land usage and a set of exogenous variables using annual county level data from 1981 to 2005 using the maximum entropy method suggested by Golan et al. (1996). The transition probabilities are applied to each county‟s prior period crop production to estimate crop production in the current period. The model is graphically validated. …

Exploring The Mechanisms Of The Connection Between Offspring‟S Perceptions Of Interparental Conflict And Their Current Relationship Functioning, Jennifer Mary Willett

Masters Theses

The effects of interparental conflict upon offspring‟s own relationships and marriages have been well-documented and current research has narrowed its focus to the examination of the mediators and moderators of this transmission of relational patterns across generations. Two hundred and thirty-nine undergraduate participants completed measures assessing their perceptions of their parents‟ conflict, social cognitions about relationships, their communication patterns in their relationships, and their current relationship satisfaction. Results showed that offspring‟s attitudes toward marriage mediated the relationship between interparental conflict and offspring‟s current relationship satisfaction, even while accounting for communication patterns in relationships. Further, it was found that attitudes toward …