Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Discerning Empirical Relationships Between The Natural Environment And Prehistoric Site Location: An Example From The Watts Bar Reservoir, East Tennessee, Kenneth Paul Cannon

Masters Theses

The Watts Bar Reservoir study area is an artificially defined region of 13,815 hectares, demarcated by the resevoir boundary of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Following completion of the Watts Bar Dam in 1942, the reservoir impounded 95 river miles of the main Tennessee River, in addition to portions of the Clinch, Emory and Piney rivers, as well as several smaller tributaries. Since the mid-nineteenth century archaelolgical investigations have been conducted in the region. However, the sporadic nature of these research endeavors has created a somewhat fragmented picture of the regions prehistory.

Following Smith's (1978b) model of the linear bandinog of …

Hands-On Purposeful Activity And Short-Term Memory Retention In Elderly Patients With Cognitive Deficits, Desiree Arah Varner

Masters Theses

This study compared the effects of hands-on purposeful doing with demonstration (HO) versus a demonstration-only (DO) activity in terms of the level of memory retention in elderly females. Twenty-nine females with a mean age of 81.8 years (SD = 11.6) and with moderate cognitive deficits as determined by a score of 3-8 on the Mental Status Questionnaire (Kahn, Goldfarb, & Pollack, 1960) were selected from an extended care nursing facility. Fifteen randomly assigned subjects (in three sub-groups of five) had approximately one hour of demonstration and hands-on involvement with ice cream making. Fourteen randomly assigned subjects in sub-groups of four …

Original Intent And The Reagan Court: A New Approach To The Madisonian Dilemma?, Deborah Nelson Snow

Masters Theses

During the Reagan years, a demand was heard for a change in the way in which the Supreme Court decides cases. Answering the call for a "jurisprudence of original intention," scholars, politicians, judges, and justices debated the use of this constitutional theory. In a review of cases decided under the religion clauses of the First Amendment in the years between 1960 and 1988, the opinions of Reagan and non-Reagan appointees to the Supreme Court are analyzed to determine the use of references to original intent by the justices. In particular, the problem raised by Bork and labeled "the Madisonian dilemma" …

Comparison Of Traditional And Computer-Assisted Administrations Of The Ppvt-R With Trainably Mentally Impaired Students, Wanda Balla

Masters Theses

A group of 20 trainably mentally impaired students, ages 6-24, was randomly assigned to two groups, one of which received the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (Dunn & Dunn, 1981), manual administration, and the other a computer-assisted version, which required a switch closing response. Two weeks later, the order of administration was reversed. The results showed a difference of - 1.73 points in the manual to computer administration, and a -3 point difference from computer to manual administration. Overall difference between both administrations was -2.36 points, favoring the manual administration. Recommendations include systematic evaluation and/or training of TMI or lower- functioning …

The Role Of Socialization In The Process Of Political Life: An Analysis Of Gender Roles In Elementary School Textbooks On Taiwan, Chien-Hong Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis contains both theoretical and applied research. In the theoretical part, political socialization is the main theme to be studied; and an incorporated model is designed to examine how political socialization can be viewed in the process of political life. In the applied part, three sets of elementary school textbooks have been examined and we have found that those textbooks contain clear sex-typed images of adult behavior; and male characters are emphasized more than female characters, which might contribute to the understanding why women are rarely seen in any positions of power in any realm on Taiwan.

An Empirical Examination Of Hispanic-Americans In A University Setting And The Influences On Their Attitudes Towards Assimilation, Ramon Rodriguez

Masters Theses

Recent literature on Hispanic-Americans has determined that Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the United States. Both the high rates of immigration and a high birth rate mean it is only a matter of time before Hispanics will form an extensively large population. Hispanics, however, generally remain unassimilated. This study focuses on the influences on the attitudes towards assimilation of Hispanic-Americans in a university setting.

Survey methods were utilized to gather data from a sample of 100 individuals at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. A survey return rate of 57% was obtained from Hispanic students questioned. The data showed that …

"What Injures Royalty" Surnames, Inbreeding, And Genetic Structure In Sevier County, Tennessee: 1856-1905, Joseph C. Lewelling

Masters Theses

Inbreeding in Southern Appalachia has been a topic of discourse for both local color writers and academicians since the late 19th century, but only a few researchers have aspired to measure inbreeding or describe the genetic structure of Appalachian populations. This study attempts to assess the genetic structure in one small section of Appalachia--Sevier County, Tennessee.

Because surnames, like alleles, are inherited from a parent, their distribution on a population can give clues about the genetic structure of that population--including the degree of inbreeding. Census and marriage records from 1856-1905 were examined using several methods of surname analysis, and estimates …

A Reanalysis Of The Osteological And Cultural Remains From Ausmus Burial Cave, Claiborne County, Tennessee (3ce20), Carole Elizabeth Tucker

Masters Theses

Few excavations or analyses of remains from burial caves have been published. Those that are reported are frequently cited without considering context of the original excavations and analyses. This consideration is important, because previously collected data would be interpreted differently using modern approaches.

This study is a reanalysis of Ausmus Burial Cave (3CE20), Claiborne County, Tennessee. The site was excavated in the 1930's, and the authors' methodology, conclusion, and conjectures reflect this time. Their hypothesis was that the skeletons represented intruders in the area, they were killed in battle, and their bodies were dropped unceremoniously in the pit cave.

This …

Compliance With Universal Precautions By Health Care Workers In A Rural Community Emergency Room, Jane E. Devries

Masters Theses

Performance feedback has been used in various organizations to correct problems in the areas of safety, customer service, absenteeism, and tardiness. The present research examined the effects of performance feedback to increase compliance with universal precautions in an emergency room department. Four subjects (Registered Nurses) were observed for glove wearing in any of six different situations common to the emergency room. These included cleaning instruments, cleaning a laceration, giving an injection, phlebotomy, inserting an intravenous catheter, and obtaining and/or transporting specimens other than blood. A multiple baseline experimental design was employed in this study. Results indicated that performance feedback increased …

A Comparison Of Selected Old And New Right Wing Groups: Involvement With Law Enforcement, Elvin W. Keith

Masters Theses

This study has determined that current right wing extremist groups in the U.S. have no greater propensity for damage to the national security than older right wing groups.

Although right wing groups are dangerous due to the popularity of conservative causes and the proliferation of modern weaponry, an examination reveals that dedication and increased military capability are offset by more efficient law enforcement response and lack of support by the general populace.

A careful examination of the American right wing, both old and new shows the disparity between the two groups. Emphasis is placed on exploring the old right wing …

Porotic Hyperostosis And Artificial Cranial Deformation In Dallas Society, Stephen Patrick Langdon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate, test, and amplify Lewis and Kneberg's (1946) observation that the severity of porotic hyperostosis at Hiwassee Island is related to the degree of cranial deformation. Statistical tests indicate a moderate, although non-significant, correlation between the two conditions. It is believed that this correlation may be explained by the differential treatment of infants, rather than a direct causality.

A sample of 364 crania from four Dallas Phase sites are examined. Age, sex, and status distributions of porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, and cranial deformation are examined in a biocultural framework that emphasizes the interaction …

Applications Of Personal Computer Presentations For Corporate Video Users, Paul Raymond Alatorre

Masters Theses

This thesis is a study of desktop video as an application to the traditional postproduction process utilized by corporate video producers. Desktop video involves the personal computer in the editing process; this definition includes the personal computer as an editing and special effects tool.

The purpose of this study is to measure the feelings and attitudes of professionals in the field of video postproduction about desktop video and its application to traditional methods of editing. The introduction of new technology inevitably leads to a period which the new technology is opposed by those who understand and are comfortable with the …

A Geoarchaeological Investigation Of The Rush Creek Site, Cannon County, Tennessee, Michael W. Morris

Masters Theses

Geoarchaeological investigations were used to assess the depositional and post-depositional processes that effected the Rush Creek Site (40CN79) in Cannon County, Tennessee. Of particular interest was a buried landform, found in the floodplain of the East Fork Stones River, that was sealed by sterile alluvium. This formation contained both prehistoric and historic artifacts within the same context. The stratigraphy of the site was determined by deep testing to describe the site and the landforms associated with the site. Samples collected from the exposed profiles of the deep test pits were subjected to particle size, pH, carbon, and phosphorus analyses. Statistical …

The Effects Of Monthly Expenses On Worker Choice Of The Percent Age Of Incentive Pay To Expected Total Pay: A Simulation, Shezeen Oah

Masters Theses

Because studies that examine factors that affect worker preference for different pay systems are difficult to conduct in the workplace, the feasibility of using a laboratory simulation was assessed. The dependent variable was subject choice of the percentage of incentive pay to total pay. The independent variable was the percentage of monthly expenses to monthly income. The higher the incentive percentage the greater the potential earnings, but the greater the variability of pay and the probability that subjects would be unable to pay expenses. Work performance was simulated by the roll of a die. Thirty college students worked in groups …

Temporal Discrimination Training Of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury Using Computer-Based Operant Procedures, Robert Edward Obrecht

Masters Theses

Computer-based interresponse time (IRT) and matching-to-sample (MTS) procedures were employed in two experiments to assess and effect changes in temporal discriminations made by adults with a history of traumatic brain injury. The results of Experiment One support the interpretation that maintaining correct IRT > t performance was a function of stimulus conditions that included signalled IRTs, values of t less than 3-seconds, a contract agreement to maintain performance, and other contingencies not explicitly part of the design. The results of Experiment Two, that minimal response latencies on MTS tasks are mediated equally well by an experimenter's verbal prompting as well as …

The Analysis Of Saw Marks In Bone, Mark G. Guilbeau

Masters Theses

It has only been in the last two decades that the special circumstances of saw marks in bone have been addressed. The importance of these marks in forensic examinations has received little attention in the English literature, but this trend is changing.

The examination of saw marks in bone is an area of research which may prove useful in a variety of scientific investigations. This thesis examines the variation present in the saw marks made by a group of hand saws and provides a methodology for the examination and analysis of these tool marks.

The results of this investigation prove …

An Experimental Examination Of Trampling Effects On The Lateral Movement Of Surface Artifacts, Richard Wayne Stoops Jr.

Masters Theses

An often cited but little understood archaeological disturbance process is the effect of a site's occupants walking across the surface. Human foot traffic will move and alter archaeological materials, artifacts, in characteristic ways. How surface items will respond to trampling is dependent on a variety of factors. These factors will determine the extent and dimensions available for movement. By controlling for some of the relevant variables, the effects of other variables can be examined.

In this thesis, experiments are described that identify each of the variables that influence or may possibly influence how surface artifacts respond to foot traffic. The …

Religious Belief, Salience, And Social Action: Are They Related?, Timothy R. Tuinstra

Masters Theses

With the increasing size and social/political activity of theologically orthodox religious groups within the United States, research dealing with the relationship between orthodoxy and social action is necessary in better understanding the phenomena. Past research has been inadequate in that it has largely focused either on the clergy or, when using the laity, has only measured attitudes toward social action rather than participation in social action. This study measured social action participation among lay members drawn from three Grand Rapids area United Methodist Churches. A third variable, salience of religious belief, was also examined, which past research indicated could be …

Interpersonal Skills In The Employment Interview: Intended Meaning, Sharron Mccarthy Meisenhelder

Masters Theses

Recently employers have been including references to communication skills in their advertising for employment opportunities. This research examined what people in business and industry mean when they use the phrase "interpersonal skills." A questionnaire was developed and administered to 60 people associated with personnel practices in business and industry. Content analysis of questionnaire responses found the subjects to identify the interpersonally skilled employee to be "effective," to be "sensitive" and to have a "positive attitude."

A Trace Element Analysis Of The Gordon Town Site (40dv6): An Investigation Of Intra-Individual Variation And Dietary Inference, Susan Mary Thurston Myster

Masters Theses

The results of trace element analyses of archaeological human bone have been used to investigate questions pertaining to the dietary practices and subsistence behavior of various prehistoric populations. As a technique still in the experimental stage, however, a number of methodological difficulties have been identified. This thesis examined two aspects of trace element analyses of human bone. First examined was a methodological problem that has received increased attention since the initiation of this study: the documentation, measurement and control of intraindividual variability of trace element concentrations. Secondly, the validity of dietary inference from trace element concentrations were addressed using the …

Secular Trends In Stature In An Historic Sioux Population, Joseph M. Prince

Masters Theses

This study attempts to explore the possibility of the occurrence of secular trends in height in an historic population of Sioux American Indians, and presents the results from an analysis on anthropometric data from two primary sources. One data set was collected in the late 19th century under the direction of Franz Boas. A later early 20th century set was collected by Dr. James R. Walker. A cross sectional design is used to examine an unusually long span of Sioux history; ca. 1820-1880 for the adult (individuals over 20 yrs.) analysis, and ca. 1892-1907 for the children (aged 6 to …

Attitudes Of College Students Toward Affirmative Action Policies For Women And Minorities, John Porter Lee

Masters Theses

This study used two contrasting theoretical perspectives in an assessment of college students' attitudes toward affirmative action policies for women and minorities. One perspective was Wellman's (1977) Interest Theory of Discrimination and the other one was based on the Minority Identity Development Model constructed by Atkinson, Morten and Sue ( 198 9) . Survey methods were utilized to gather data from 479 undergraduate students enrolled in a midwestern university. Following the development model, it was argued that white female students and black students (both males and females) would have favorable attitudes toward affirmative action policies because of their minority status. …

Salt Ii: A Study, Daniel G. Rathbun

Masters Theses

The issue addressed in this thesis is whether the SALT II treaty, signed in 1979, should have been ratified by the United States Senate following its submission in the spring of that year. The author began by exploring the background of the arms control agreements of the late 1960s and early/mid 1970s, then explored that SALT II treaty itself in some detail. Research data were drawn from a number of sources during the compilation of this paper. The conclusion drawn in this thesis is that the SALT II treaty, in its submitted form, should not have been ratified. While the …

'Pleonexia': A Modern Pathology Of Self, George R. Ingham

Masters Theses

This study is an examination of the compulsion to shop or acquire commodities seen as a culturally and historically distinctive pathology of the modern self. The Greek term 'pleonexia' ('acquisitiveness') is borrowed as a covenient and more accurately descriptive term than the common 'shopaholic'. Pleonexia is seen as a complex, habitual, impulsive behavior which attempts to maintain order and continuity in the sense of self. Pleonexia represents a failure in self­cohesion, an attempt to counter feelings of emptiness created by the fragmentation and objectification of desire in our commodity culture. Such internal functions as regulation of feelings, self-esteem, as well …

Evolution/Creation Debate: A Rhetorical Analysis, James V. Miteff

Masters Theses

During the course of human history, many social issues have come and gone. One argument that caught the writer's eye is the argument about how man came to exist.

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze an evolution/creation debate that took place at Columbus College, Georgia, on May 6, 1981. Evolutionary theory was supported by Dr. Schwinner, a paleontologist from Columbus College. His partner was Dr. Frazier, a professor of geology at Columbus College. Creation theory was supported by Dr. Henry Morris, President of the Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, and Dr. Slusher, an astronomer …

Opening Lines In Classroom And Social Settings: A Study Of The Initiator's First Conversational Sequence, Julie E. Hutcheson

Masters Theses

This study examined various types of opening lines that college students use with strangers in classrooms and social settings. An opening line was defined as the initial turn of the conversational sequence. The responses received by the students, through an open-ended survey, were analyzed and categorized using content analysis. The results revealed many similarities among the two settings in eight pre-established categories and three new categories except for in one of the newest categories. The social setting in one of the newest categories received more sarcastic conversational sequences than the classroom. This study provides examples pertaining to many opening lines …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Entry Time In The Military And Academic Performance In Air Force Resident Training, Ronald Denius

Masters Theses

Purpose of the Study

Do young Air Force recruits who enter the military during the winter months truly perform at a lower level than their counterparts who enlist in the summer, fall, or spring?

Design of the Study

Time frames: This was divided into quarters (three month segments) which used service entry dates close to summer, fall, winter, and spring seasons. Quarter segments were:

1. June, July, and August

2. September, October, and November

3. December, January, and February

4. March, April, and May

It was expected that the summer segment would capture the graduate from high school who immediately …

Social Status And The Play Interactions Of Students Labelled Learning Disabled And Their Peers, Tammy S. Bryant

Masters Theses

The relationship between social status and play interactions of students labelled learning disabled and their peers is an area which has received much attention. However, most of the research has focused on students in resource settings. The current study focused on students labelled learning disabled in self-contained settings. The study involved administering the Play With Rating Scale to 41 second and third graders in regular classrooms and to 11 same-aged peers who were learning disabled in self-contained settings. The results were divided into popular/average and unpopular status groups. Thirty-three children were observed at play utilizing an observation tool developed by …

The United States And German Reunification: The Stalin Note Of 1952, Klaus P. Grillmaier

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the American and West German reaction to the Soviet note of March 10, 1952. In this so-called Stalin Note the Soviet dictator proposed the reunification of Germany on terms of neutrality and acceptance of the Oder and Neisse rivers as the German-Polish border. By launching his proposal Stalin sought to prevent the integration of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) into the Western alliance system.

The paper starts out sketching the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers after World War II. It also analyzes the impact the Cold War had on Europe. …

Female Representation Among State Legislative Elite: The Illinois General Assembly 1922-1986, Juliana J. Helmke

Masters Theses

This study of female representation in the Illinois General Assembly examines 33 general assemblies, beginning with the 53rd General Assembly – election year, 1922 – at which time the first woman was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. Trend lines are used to describe changes in female representation over the 64-year period. The effect of changes in the electoral system and the institutional structure are examined. Social and demographic characteristics of women legislators in Illinois are discussed. This data is then compared to data on legislators elected to the 83rd General Assembly.

Over the 64-year period covered in this …