Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Aristotle’S Contribution To Scholarly Communication, Stephen Edward Bales

Doctoral Dissertations

This historical study examines the Aristotelian foundations of the Library and Museum of Alexandria for the purpose of (1) understanding how the Library and Museum differed from preceding ancient Near Eastern information institutions (i.e., “protolibraries”) and (2) how Aristotle’s methodologies for producing scientific knowledge were carried out in Alexandria. While protolibraries served as safeguards for maintaining a static cultural/political “stream of tradition” and created, organized, and maintained “library” documents to this end, the Library of Alexandria was a tool for theoretical knowledge creation. The Library materialized Aristotelian pre-scientific theory, specifically dialectic, and served the scholarly community of the Museum …

Value Similarity And Its Relationship To Interpersonal Relationship Quality And Identity: Perceptions Of Self, Partner, And Ideal Partner, Jennifer G. Clement

Doctoral Dissertations

The exploration of interpersonal relationships has led to the recognition that similarity has played a large role in the relationship quality, e.g. satisfaction, of dyads, specifically romantic dyads. Three categories of similarity have been shown to best predict satisfaction: communication, attitudes, and values. This study examined the actual, perceived, and ideal value similarity of heterosexual romantic dyads at the University of Tennessee and assessed relationship quality which included satisfaction, intimacy, trust, and social provisions. Using stepwise regressions and Pearson Product correlations this study determined that actual, perceived, and ideal value similarity significantly predicted the relationship quality of the individual and …

Influences On Growth: Development Beyond Conventional Wastewater Infrastructure, Kendrick J. Curtis

Doctoral Dissertations

Wastewater treatment has long had a powerful restraining influence on land use patterns in the United States. The limited availability of central sewers confined intense property development to the sewered areas of cities and towns. The drawbacks associated with septic systems restrained even moderate-density development in areas with inappropriate soils. The advent of decentralized wastewater systems abolished these restraints, however. This technology made it possible to develop land at even high densities with no regard for the proximity of sewers and little for soil quality. This presented an opportunity for developers to pursue projects wherever attractive conditions prevailed. It also …

Backpack Journalism In Television Newsgathering: Audience Perceptions Of Quality, Charles Wesley Gee

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore preferences by younger news audiences of backpack journalism in local television news. Local television news has to compete with Internet and other media to attract viewers. The theoretical foundation for this study, uses and gratifications, proposes audience members will actively seek news information using television as a primary source.

The focus of the study centered around technology’s influence on television newsgathering techniques and if the techniques delineated the quality of journalistic presentation. Four hundred and ninety three college students were surveyed about their media use, news gratification, and preferences of production quality …

The Impact Of Role Conceptualization On The Process And Outcomes Of Decision Making In An Educational Context, Scott Richard Turner

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that the traditional conceptualization of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) is not tenable because some employees perceive OCBs to be part of their job or in-role behaviors (Morrison, 1994). Conceptualizing behaviors as in-role has been shown to increase the frequency of the behaviors but no study has investigated whether conceptualization of these behaviors influences the manner in which they are conducted. This study combined findings from OCB research with the Judgment and Decision Making literature in order to identify the impact that role conceptualization had on an ambiguous decision making exercise where the act of making the decision …

How Mexican-American Women Define Health: Cultural Beliefs And Practices In A Non-Native Environment, Emma Kathleen Wright

Doctoral Dissertations

Culture impacts the ways people evaluate and respond to health and illness. As a result, Mexican-American culture plays a part in how women take care of their heath and react toward the threat of breast cancer. Using previously identified dominant cultural factors that may influence the health of Mexican-American women as a foundation, this qualitative study describes how Mexican-American women define and maintain health, particularly breast health.

Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States. As a result, it is important to better understand how Mexican-American women define health and take care of themselves. Doing so will …

Mindfulness: Mediating The Relationship Between Attachment Security And Parenting Style, Ian P. Haag

Doctoral Dissertations

The current project examines the relationships between attachment security, parenting style, and mindfulness. The level of mindfulness an individual demonstrates is argued to mediate the relationship between an individual’s attachment security and her respective parenting style. The population is composed of 35 mothers who were drawn from a university clinic setting. Measures utilized included: the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), which measures adult attachment security, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), which measures the level of mindfulness an individual demonstrates, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire – Revised (PAQ-R), which measures parenting style attitudes. Results demonstrated no significant relationships between attachment security and …

Relationship Of Broad Versus Narrow Personality Traits To Psychological Sense Of Community In College Students, Katherine Higgins

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present study is to further examine the relationship between personality traits and Psychological Sense of Community (PSC). It attempts to confirm previous research findings that indicate a significant relationship between the Big Five traits and PSC. In addition, it seeks to determine whether selected narrow personality traits are significantly related to PSC and whether those traits add incremental validity to the Big Five personality traits in predicting PSC. This study is a secondary analysis of data collected by Resource Associates, Inc between 2003-2005. Participants (N=1468) were students at a large, southeastern university. Results confirmed a positive …

Testing The Spousal Model Of Stress In Healthy Controls, Persons With Multiple Sclerosis And Their Spousal Caregivers, Donna L. Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study examined the Spousal Model of Stress in a sample of healthy, married controls (n=52) and a sample of persons with multiple sclerosis and their spousal caregivers (n=51). The Spousal Model of Stress was created by joining together Ruben Hill’s (1958) ABCX Model of Stress and Karney & Bradbury’s (1995) Vulnerability- Stress-Adaptation Model of Marriage. Factors in the Spousal Model include stress, resources/vulnerabilities, perceptions/adaptive processes, and outcomes (marital satisfaction, marital quality, life satisfaction, and depression). The new model revealed that spousal attributions were an important factor in predicting marital quality and marital satisfaction in a group of healthy …

No Sickness, No Need: A Qualitative Exploration Of Female Undergraduates‘ Health Message Perspectives, Cheryl A. Lambert

Doctoral Dissertations

College student health scholarship indicates a stark contrast between health impediments college students identify and the health information their respective campuses provide; campus health promotions often lacking personal relevance for college students, and health programs that utilize control-based strategies to compel behavior change. College student health scholarship also indicates a heavily positivistic research slant with little consideration given to humanistic, student-centric approaches. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore college student perspectives about health messages to enhance college student health communications, thus bridging the disciplines of public relations and college student health. Findings revealed that female undergraduates are proactive …

The Manifestation Of Depressed Mood In Student-Athletes And Their Attitudes Toward, Barriers To, And Preferences For Seeking Professional Psychological Help, Renée L. López

Doctoral Dissertations

Student-athletes are thought to be at greater risk for some psychopathologies while underutilizing mental health services. Few studies have explored depression in student-athletes or the reasons behind the resistance to seeking psychological help. The goals of this study were to examine in a nationwide sample of NCAA D-IA and D-IAA student-athletes the (a) manifestation of depressed mood as it relates to gender, injury, injury characteristics (i.e., perceived impact, time in treatment, chronicity), and student-athlete role behaviors (e.g., frequency of skipping events, role strain, self-destructive behaviors) and (b) examine their treatment resistance, perceived barriers to seeking help, and counselor preference should …

“Successful Communication In A Social Movement: A Case Study Of The Montgomery Bus Boycott, Felicia Mcghee-Hilt

Doctoral Dissertations

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a social movement. It is often referred to as the first defining movement within the broader context of the Civil Rights Movement. Planned communication can be critical to the success of a social movement. This historical case study analyzed the communication that occurred during the 1955-1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 381-day protest of the segregated bus system in Montgomery. The overall research questions addressed were: How was communication used during the boycott to inform and mobilize the participants? How did news organizations mediate and frame communication? How was the information about the boycott communicated among …

A Quantitative Review And Analysis Of The Constructs Underlying Assessment Center Ratings: What Are We Measuring?, John P. Meriac

Doctoral Dissertations

The overarching goal of this study was to clarify what constructs are being measured by assessment centers (ACs). ACs have been used and studied for years, yet have measurement problems that generally center on the use of information at the dimension-level. However, a necessary step in examining this issue has been neglected: a proper delineation of what constructs ACs actually measure. In an attempt to address this issue, this study‟s primary purpose was to explore the factor structure of AC dimensions. Several a priori models from both the AC and job performance literature were examined as frameworks for explicating the …

A Study Of Object Relations Among Self-Injuring And Non-Injuring College Students, Lorrie A. Ness

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate object relational and interpersonal functioning among self-injuring and non-injuring college students. It was hypothesized that self-injury would be associated with more pathological object relational functioning as measured by the Mutuality of Autonomy (MOA) and Social Cognition and Object Relation Scale (SCORS). Additionally, it was hypothesized that self-injurers would evidence significantly more global interpersonal distress on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-32 (IIP-32), as well as show elevations in four of the subscales of the IIP-32; self-sacrifice, non-assertiveness, over-accommodation, and interpersonal neediness. Lastly, a number of publications suggest that childhood abuse is a significant …

Non-Market Valuation Of Natural Resource Amenities: Assessing Their Effects On Human Values, Public Health, And The Economic Growth, Neelam C. Poudyal

Doctoral Dissertations

Rural landscapes in the United States have changed substantially in recent years due to increased urbanization, and an ever-increasing demand for consumptive and nonconsumptive uses of natural resources. At the same time, we are facing new challenges regarding the socio-economic well-being of people and the ecological significance of resources in the landscape. Previous research in natural resources economics and management has failed to recognize the role of natural resources amenities in fostering economic growth, human values, and public welfare. Applying various non-market valuation techniques to real world observations, the findings from the essays in this dissertation add to the valuation …

The Effects Of Exercise Enjoyment And Personality On Mood And Salivary Cortisol With Exercise Activity, Pamela Mary Schweighart

Doctoral Dissertations

The benefits of exercise are extensive; however, the majority of people do not participate in regular exercise. The problems with adherence may be due to personality factors and/or the of enjoyment of exercise. A pilot study was performed with the purpose of examining the relationship between exercise enjoyment and activity and to provide data for the validation of an enjoyment scale.

The purpose of the main study was to examine the relationships between exercise enjoyment, exercise activity, personality, mood, and salivary cortisol as well as the differences between the variables mentioned. Fifty-three students participated (22 male, 31 female; 11 sedentary, …

Migrating Money: Remittances In A Global Setting, Robert Randall Adams

Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, the term globalization and the global economy have caught the attention of scholars and popular media. Many of the aspects of globalization serve to create push and pull factors that encourage labor migration about the globe as individuals seek to establish some form of economic stability. The sending of money back to country of origin or remittances is often a result of this movement. This study uses data from the New Immigrant Survey to examine the characteristics of United States immigrants who have received “green cards” (granted legal permanent resident status) and who engage in remittance behavior. …

University Alcohol Prevention, Public Relations And Organizational Legitimacy From The Parental Perspective, John E. Brummette Iii

Doctoral Dissertations

Developed from the public relations process model, the purpose of this study was to identify parental perceptions of university drinking norms and their relationship with parental perceptions of the organizational legitimacy of the university. This study used a web-based survey to assess an N = 173 parents of current university students at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. The results of this study identified that parents have exaggerated misperceptions of college drinking that are related to their overall perceptions of the university in terms of organizational legitimacy. The study also found that parental awareness of university prevention efforts were strongly …

An Investigation Of The Big Five, Narrow Traits, And Positive Psychology In Relation To Life Satisfaction, Sarah Elizabeth Connor

Doctoral Dissertations

The present research explored the relationship between personality and Life Satisfaction. The Big Five and Narrow Traits have been used to predict Life Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being. There is a newer movement in psychology explore qualities about the individual that facilitate thriving and happiness, a movement known as Positive Psychology. The associated traits could lead to better prediction of Life Satisfaction. To test the degree to which the Positive Psychology traits better predict Life Satisfaction, upper-class college students took a computer-based Personality Measure. The measure consisted of many sub-scales, including the NEO Five-Factor Personality Measure, Narrow Trait measures, and the …

Measuring The Effects Of Intergroup Dialogue On Teachers’ Attitudes, Feelings And Behaviors Regarding Lesbian, Gay And Bisexual Students And Parents, Adrienne Brodsky Dessel

Doctoral Dissertations

Prejudice, discrimination and hate crimes against lesbians and gay men are prevalent throughout the United States. Prejudice in public school settings, as manifested in teacher attitudes and behavior, is particularly problematic for lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning or queer (LGBQ) students and LGBQ parents. Efforts to reduce prejudice for sexual minority groups have met with limited success. Creating safer and more inclusive school environments is essential for the wellbeing and learning of all students. Furthermore, the field of social work is guided by principles that necessitate intervention research that addresses harassment and violence based on sexual orientation prejudice.

This dissertation …

Psychophathology And Interpersonal Relationships: Clinical Vs. Normative (Non-Patient) Samples, Guy Edlis

Doctoral Dissertations

The centrality of interpersonal relationships in both adaptive functioning and psychopathology is unmistaken. Across the lifespan, individuals are born into, develop within, and manifest their behaviors within a relational context. Within the clinical context, relationships in general and relational problems in particular are often key in defining and describing psychopathology and its etiology. Theory and research regarding the relationship between psychopathology and interpersonal functioning have yielded diverse conceptualizations and multitude of empirical findings, all indicative that psychopathology and interpersonal difficulties are inseparable.

The current study represents an added step in the empirical and conceptual process of clarifying the multi-layered relationship …

The Use Of Force Against Hegemonic Malcontents, John R. Dreyer

Doctoral Dissertations

Malcontents within international relations are small states that signal the decline of the hegemonic state. While not the direct cause of a hegemonic state‘s downfall, the malcontent is a sign that the hegemon is becoming weaker and the more malcontents is a symbol of the dwindling power of a hegemon. This work takes combines hegemonic theory and international relations theory to form a typology of malcontents. In addition this work introduces a futures analysis methodology that helps to quantify the impact that malcontents have on the hegemonic future of the United States. This typology divides malcontents into three specific categories, …

Estimating Potential Economic Net Carbon Flux From U.S. Agriculture Using A High Resolution, Integrated, Socioeconomic-Biogeophysical Model, Chad M. Hellwinckel

Doctoral Dissertations

Estimation of the carbon abatement potential of a national carbon market upon U.S. agricultural lands is needed by climate analysts, policymakers, and carbon market brokers. A high resolution, integrated, socioeconomic-biogeophysical model is developed in this research by linking the economics of land management with spatial data on soils and land use. The economic component of the model functions at the county level with biophysical data at the sub-county level of resolution.

The model is used to estimate changes in net carbon flux induced by incentives for conservation tillage on nine major crops. The economic potential reduction in net carbon flux …

The Development And Validation Of The Houston Experience Measure (Hem): A Culturally Sensitive Instrument Measuring Variables Related To Developing Work Drive, Meagan Nicole Houston

Doctoral Dissertations

Developing instruments that are more culturally sensitive and taking a multicultural approach to scale development is encouraged in order to appropriately assess and conduct research with ethnic minorities. African Americans are prone to many negative stereotypes in the world of work which usually involve a lack of work drive and motivation achievement. The present research investigated the differences between African American and European American participants on a culturally sensitive instrument developed for this study and a measure of Work Drive: the Houston Experience Measure (HEM) and the Work Drive Scale.

This study was conducted in three phases. Phase one, the …

Online Social Networks: An Exploratory Study Of Community And Civic Engagement, Brandon Cordell Waite

Doctoral Dissertations

The optimistic vision of the Internet as an “electronic agora” has been a common theme of discourse among scholars studying the impacts of computer technology on everyday life. In opposition to this view stand pessimistic scholars who insist that meaningful democratic discourse must be direct and claim that the Internet, like television, is reshaping our lives in decidedly antidemocratic and asocial ways. The present study contributes to this debate by examining online social networks to better understand their potential impact on society. Data were collected via a web-based survey using a convenience sample of 170 students from the University of …

Business Role Schema Effects: Exploration Of Information Processing In The Perception Of Values Advocacy Advertising, Yoon-Joo Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

The study found consumers hold different types of business role schema. When participants viewed values advocacy advertisements, those who held socially oriented schema were more sensitive to the company’s prior perception (called individual company schema in this paper) on evaluating the sponsor’s motives than those who held business oriented schema. Sponsors’ perceived motives had influence on evaluating attitude toward and trustworthiness of the sponsor. Issue involvement significantly interacted with perceived motives. High-issue involvement subjects were more sensitive to perceived motives on the perceptions of the sponsor (trustworthiness and attitude) than low-issue involvement subjects. Issue involvement was also significantly interacted with …

Essays On Environmental Policies Under Incomplete Enforcement, Lirong Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

Essay 1
In this paper I model the optimal monitoring and enforcement strategy when inspection capacity is fixed by budget or manpower constraints. I adopt a leverage enforcement structure that classifies firms into two groups with different enforcement intensities. Optimal monitoring and enforcement requires effective allocation of the fixed number of inspections to the two groups. In each period, a fixed number of firms are selected from each group for inspection, and those with the highest emissions are placed in the targeted group in which the inspection probability is higher. This transition structure induces rankorder tournaments among inspected firms. Once …

Essays On Urban Sprawl, Julie L. Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations

Essay 1

Sprawl is an ill-defined and complex concept and this contributes to the difficulties in addressing it. Many studies and local policies are implemented without defining the very situation that is trying to be prevented. In this dissertation, I address this issue by computing and empirically testing a number of different measures that capture some of the elements of sprawl. While controlling for a number of other explanatory factors, I examine different fiscal factors that may contribute to the level of sprawl an area experiences. Because the property tax is the predominant source of local tax revenue, my main …

Using The Personality Assessment Inventory To Discriminate Among Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shannon Dleen Mullen-Magbalon

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the use of the PAI as a tool to help differentiate borderline personality disorder from two other similar and frequently comorbid disorders of bipolar disorder (I & II) and posttraumatic stress disorder. Using discriminant analysis, the PAI profile scale scores of college counseling center clients that had been given one of these three diagnoses were analyzed. The analysis was able to predict group assignment accurately using four particular scores. A discussion of the predictor variables and clinical presentation of these disorders is offered. Support for the use of the PAI as a routine screening tool in college …

Capturing Pre-Evacuation Trips And Associative Delays: A Case Study Of The Evacuation Of Key West, Florida For Hurricane Wilma, Melany Strike Noltenius

Doctoral Dissertations

The time it takes for the residents to evacuate an area is calculated as an evacuation time estimate (ETE). In theory, these time estimates are calculated based on a number of inputs, including clearance time, the impact of traffic management techniques, and the time for the public to prepare to evacuate (Dow, 2000). Evacuation models can calculate clearance times, as well as incorporate the temporal impact of traffic management techniques, like contra-flow traffic. However, these models do not include delays associated with pre-evacuation trips. Because these trips are not well represented in hurricane evacuation models, the evacuation time estimate may …