Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Consumer Adoption Of Bandwidth Intensive Applications And Its Impacts On Broadband Adoption, Peter Helekiah Oburu

Economics Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the capacity required by an internet application in tandem with the network connection type (dial-up or broadband). An internet user’s experience in accessing various types of applications with either high bandwidth or low bandwidth is examined in a consumer choice model of broadband adoption. A consumer implicitly values the time-saving benefits derived from a higher speed internet connection used to access a particular internet application, and compares those utility benefits to the higher price of high speed connection services in making the decision to shift to broadband or remain with a dial-up connection. We find that using …

Estimating The Firm’S Demand For Human Resource Management Practices, Benjamin Israel Miller

Economics Dissertations

This dissertation investigates two related aspects of firms’ choice of HRM practices. The first is why some firms expend a great deal of resources on HRM practices for each employee while others spend very little; the second is the extent to which firms’ bundles of HRM practices sort into general discrete employment systems. In order to empirically address these issues, this dissertation uses an economics-based theoretical approach. The key theoretical link to economics is to treat HRM as a separate factor input in the production process, which allows me to derive an HRM input demand function. This function expresses the …

Parentage Statements And Paired Stelae: Signs Of Dynastic Succession For The Classic Maya, Daniel Moroni Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and document parentage statements and paired stela found on Maya monuments or portable objects. While the existence of parentage statements, within the Maya text, has been known since the late 1970s, no thesis or major research project has ever been published pertaining to this class of glyphs within the Maya script. In 1977 Christopher Jones is credited with the discovery of parentage statements in Maya hieroglyphic texts (Jones 1977). His discovery was followed by a detailed analysis of parentage statements by Floyd Lounsbury, Peter Mathews, and Linda Schele (1977). They introduced most …

Utilitizing And Moving Beyond A Constructionist Approach To Trace The Emergence Of Racial And Ethnic Identities Among Pre-Mexican, Mexican And Americans Of Mexican Descent, Owen Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

Cornell and Hartmann (2007) developed a constructionist framework that can describe the development of racial and ethnic identities. Yet this framework has greater utility than its authors have intended as it also provides the best rubric to date for comprehending the transitions between collective identity group types. This study engages in a thorough investigation of the development of racial and ethnic identities within the context of those that precede it via an ethnohistorical analysis. It also demonstrates that this framework is capable of describing pre-modern religious and national identity types in addition to racial and ethnic identity types. This permits …

Developing Writing Fluency Through Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication, Rossana Camacho

Theses and Dissertations

Drawing from sociocultural theory, this research investigated the effects of synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in the development of writing fluency. Likewise, the study aimed at confirming previously cited affective benefits linked to SCMC. Measuring fluency in words per 30 minutes, the study compared pre and post-test essay scores of two groups of ESL learners (a control group and a SCMC group) in two intermediate levels. Two evaluation questionnaires were also administered to the SCMC group in order to obtain students' opinions of this technology-based medium, and to analyze change in their perceptions. The SCMC group outperformed the control group in …

Benchmarking Regional Competitiveness: The Role Of A Region's Economic Legacy In Determining Competitiveness, Rebekka Dudensing

All Dissertations

Studies benchmarking or indexing regional competitiveness are increasingly common in the popular and professional press. Indices are popular because they condense a large amount of data into a single number or grade that facilitates the easy comparison of regional economies. However, researchers question both the benchmarking methodology and the appropriateness of applying one region's successful economic development practices to a dissimilar region. The goal of this study is to improve the benchmarking methodology by identifying possible variable weights for three competitiveness outcomes (growth in population, employment, and per capita income) and exploring whether policy inputs (innovation inputs, knowledge workers, labor …

Client Change In Multi-Model Treatment: A Comparison Of Change Trajectories In Group, Individual, And Conjoint Formats In A Counseling Center, Bryan K. Mickelson

Theses and Dissertations

Providing clinicians with a clearer understanding of how clients' recover over the entire course of therapy has important implications for referral and treatment strategies. The present study compares rates of change in 160 clients in group therapy with 6632 clients in individual therapy and 864 clients receiving both individual therapy and group therapy. Therapeutic outcomes were measured using the Outcome Questionnaire-45. Data was analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), also called Multi-Level Modeling (MLM), to produce recovery curves for clients in each group. Recovery curves showed that most change occurred in the early part of group therapy and slowed near …

Teacher Beliefs And The Instructional Practices Of National Board Certified High School English Teachers., Rebecca Lee Drinnon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study explored the instructional methods that accomplished high school English teachers use in their classrooms to improve understanding of how those methods are influenced by the teachers' beliefs. A survey regarding classroom practices and beliefs was sent to 313 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in English Language Arts--Adolescence and Young Adulthood across the United States with a response rate of 50.8%. From these data, I analyzed the variety and frequency of practices experienced teachers use and the beliefs that influence teachers' instructional decisions. I then conducted follow-up interviews and classroom observations with selected survey participants from North Carolina, …

Police Stress: An Examination Of The Effects Of Stress And Coping Strategies., Derrick Kenwright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How police officers deal with stress greatly affects how they carry out their daily lives and how they treat family and friends. In this study 2 police departments were issued surveys to see how the police officers experienced stress. Questions on the survey asked the officers about the sources of stress, sources of support, and which methods they used to alleviate the stress. The surveys were given to the respective departments over a period of 2 months, and 132 surveys were returned. The statistical analysis performed showed danger was a factor when examining stress. Administration support was found to be …

The Characteristics Of School Culture That Influence College-Going Rate For High School Graduates In Northeast Tennessee., Annie Mbaire Kariuki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of school culture that influenced college-going rates for high school graduates in northeast Tennessee. The study involved one-toone interviews with selected high school teachers and principals. Six high schools in northeast Tennessee were used in the study.

The significance of this study was to generate a grounded theory that could be used to explain the characteristics of school cultures that were effective in supporting students' college-going rates. This knowledge could be used to inform high school principals, school boards, state legislatures and other government bodies, and colleges and universities.

Findings …

Exploring Changes In Nascar-Related Titles In The New York Times And The Johnson City Press., Wesley Michael Ramey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

NASCAR has become one of America's fastest growing spectator sports, and corporate sponsors have played an important part in this upsurge in popularity. Race teams, drivers, and sanctioning bodies use the income that sponsors provide to operate at NASCAR events. This study provides an analysis of how corporate sponsorships have changed the way that NASCAR is presented in print journalism. Using Burke's method of indexing, NASCAR-related titles in the New York Times and the Johnson City Press from 1950 to present day are analyzed. The analysis reveals not only a steady increase in the number of NASCAR-related titles, but 4 …

Examination Of How Attraction Dimensions Predict Collaborative Mentoring Relationships In College Students., Ashlee Lorraine Poppo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has identified that one limitation of traditional mentoring occurs when there is a mismatch between the mentor and the protégé in work styles and personalities. Further, most of the literature on mentoring has not examined the informal mentoring that occurs between college students. Recent research has identified this type of peer mentoring as collaborative mentoring. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of interpersonal attraction in the development and success of collaborative mentoring relationships and to further examine which attraction dimension was the best predictor of the success of the relationship. Multiple regression analysis showed task …

Relationship Between Nurse Educators' Cultural Competence And Ethnic Minority Nursing Students' Recruitment And Graduation., Pearl Ngozika Ume-Nwagbo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to measure the cultural competence of nurse educators in accredited baccalaureate (BSN) nursing programs in Tennessee (TN) and investigate the relationship, if any, between nurse educators' cultural competence and the percentage of minority nursing students recruited into and graduated from these schools in the previous 5 years.

With the rapid rise of the minority population in the United States, more minority healthcare providers, including nurses, are needed to provide culturally congruent care in underserved communities. Literature has implied that nurse educators' lack of cultural competence and sensitivity regarding minority nursing students' educational needs …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Perceived Parental Attachment And Coping Styles., Leslie C. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of all relational bonds, perhaps the strongest and most complex is the one between parent and child. The dynamics of this relationship potentially hold the key to understanding the future psychological adjustment of the child. The current study was conducted to assess the relationship between perceived parental attachment and coping styles. Undergraduate psychology students (n=300) were administered a survey to examine perceived parental attachment, coping style, and gender. In conflict with previous studies, results indicated that neither respondents' gender nor level of perceived parental attachment was significantly related to participants' reported coping style. Increased knowledge and understanding of parental attachment …

A Sociological Study Of Atheism And Naturalism As Minority Identities In Appalachia., Kelly E. Church-Hearl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study aims to provide a sociological understanding of people who hold minority beliefs about spirituality and religion and to improve our sociological and social-psychological understanding of a-religious and alternatively religious people. Data were collected through indepth interviews with 10 atheist and 11 naturalist respondents. The study examines the religious histories of the respondents, how they left mainstream religion, how they adopted a minority identity with regard to religion/spirituality, and their personal experiences living in a predominately Christian area. I hypothesized that atheists and naturalists would hold minority identities and feel subordinated or oppressed by the dominant group: Christians. …

The Relationship Between The Freshman Academy And Student Academic Success At Morristown-Hamblen High School East., Patricia Ann Sigler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a significant relationship exists between the implementation of the Morristown-Hamblen High School East (MHHSE) Freshman Academy, student academic achievement, and the high school graduation rate at MHHSE.

The testing variables included GPA, attendance, number of core course failures, number of discipline referrals, English I End-of-Course test scores, and graduation rate. Grouping variables included 8^th grade (pretreatment) and 9^th grade (posttreatment) groups, preacademy and postacademy groups, socioeconomic status, and gender. Ten faculty members of the MHHSE Freshman Academy were interviewed to ascertain their perceptions about the smaller learning …

Adult Texting In Context : Exploring Norms For Mature Users Of Text-Messaging Technologies., Angela M. Barlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An online survey exploring the patterns of adult text-message use was completed by 150 traditional college age young adults ages 18-24 and 171 adults ages 25-68. Because youth traditionally are among the first group to adopt new communication technologies, much research has been conducted among the adolescent and young adult population regarding the prevalence and importance of text-messaging; however, a research deficit exists regarding adult textmessage use. Data gathered from this survey were categorized and analyzed for emergent content regarding the use of text-messaging, what roll texting plays in adult's communication patterns, the sociological impact of text-messaging on survey respondents, …

An Examination Of Volunteerism: Teacher Expectations And Parent Involvement., Kenneth Carleton Lyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this qualitative research was to learn from teachers and parents: to hear from teachers what they truly needed in the school with regard to parent involvement and to hear from parents the ways in which schools could extend a more effective welcome and the types of activities in which they were most willing to participate.

This qualitative study was conducted using interviews of parents and teachers from Title I elementary schools. The parents were interviewed to gain their perceptions of parent involvement and how effectively the school communicates parent involvement needs. Teachers were interviewed to determine their …

Faculty Perceptions About Instructional Technology In Eight Community Colleges In The Tennessee Board Of Regents Higher Education System., Nicole Cardwell-Hampton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty members' perception of the status of technology support and services, their attitudes towards the incorporation of technology in general and with specific applications, and the barriers they perceive to technology use. Additionally, the study focused on the association among the predictor variables of faculty members' gender, age, professional status, years of higher education teaching experience, and tenure versus nontenure status with their degree of technology use.

An online survey was designed to collect data to address the research questions in the study. The survey consisted of 44 questions, including areas for …

A Study Of Nontraditional Undergraduate Students At The University Of Memphis., Linda G. Wood-Wyatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined nontraditional student engagement into the collegiate environment on the University of Memphis (U of M) campus, specifically services and programs in the University College. The sample surveyed included 4 nontraditional undergraduate students, 1 from each grade level, aged 25 years or older. The 4 nontraditional undergraduate study participants were admitted and enrolled at the U of M. Additionally, there was 1 alumnae member included in the study.

The study employed the use of multiple forms of data collection including interviews, personal and focus group, journaling, life stories, and an online campus climate survey. In order to analyze …

A Study Of Community College Students Who Participated In A Dual-Enrollment Program Prior To High School Graduation., April Boling Sell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dual-enrollment participation on students' postsecondary achievement as measured by various factors. The researcher explored an approach to learning that allows students to navigate the invisible barriers between high school and college. The population consisted of 901 students in a community college in northeast Tennessee during the fall of 2007 following high school graduation the previous academic year. Data gathered from dual-enrollment participants were compared to data of peers of comparable ability level who chose not to participate in the program.

The major findings of the study included the following: …

Women, Art, And Community: A Proposal For A Non-Profit Pottery Program In Appalachia., Lahla K. Deakins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many Appalachian women are creative individuals who enjoy making and sharing quilts, songs, paintings, poetry, and other art. However, many women in rural areas of Central Appalachia lack access to basic resources because of poverty.

While many agencies help poor women find shelter, clothing, and food, there are few that help them find their creative voices. I assert that women who are given the tools to practice creative expression can overcome the mental oppression of poverty to become self-assured individuals who benefit their communities.

This thesis examines the socioeconomic condition of women in Central Appalachia and the positive impacts of …

Tea And Sympathy: The United States And The Sudan Civil War, 1985-2005., Peter William Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The specters of violence and economic insecurity have haunted the Sudan since its independence in 1956. The United States Congress has held numerous hearings on the Sudan's civil war and U.S. television news outlets have reported on the conflict since 1983. While attempting to engage the Sudan in a viable peace process, the U.S. Congress has been beset by ineffectual Cold War paradigms and an inability to understand the complexities of the Sudan civil war. U.S. television news programs, on the other hand, engaged in a process of oversimplification, using false dichotomies to reduce the conflict into easily digestible pieces. …

Inquire Within: The Connection Between Teacher Training In Inquiry Learning Methodology And Classroom Practice., Ariel Sky Ashe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study describes the effects of an 11 week training for 2 preschool teachers focusing on systematizing an inquiry learning approach inspired by the literature on Reggio Emilia inspired practices. This study uses a qualitative, multi-methodology approach including interviews, examination of classroom documentation, and examination of the Broderick and Hong Cycle of Inquiry (© revised 2007) planning forms. Qualitative coding and narratives describe each teacher's data taken at 3 intervals in the study and describe changes, challenges, and successes in teacher practices. Results indicate that these teachers learned successful inquiry learning strategies and grew in both their understanding of the …

Physiological Correlates Of Aggression In Adolescent Females, Ashley Dibble

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, with the development of new technology, researchers have focused on physiological predictors of aggressive behavior, specifically cortisol and alpha amylase. Gordis, Granger, Susman, and Trickett (2006) found the interaction between cortisol and alpha-amylase significantly predicted parent reports of aggression indicating that low levels of physiological reactivity was associated with higher levels of problem behavior. While this research has provided valuable information about aggressive behavior, a major limitation is the majority of research focuses on males, or has not examined gender differences explicitly. This study expanded on work by Gordis et al. (2006) and other researchers on the HPA axis …

Menstrual Cycle And Visual Information Processing, Michelle Nash

Theses and Dissertations

This project examined the effects menstruation may have on visual attention in women. A recent study examined electroencephalographic (EEG) gender differences using a visual object recognition task. Results indicated certain EEG amplitudes (specifically, P300 and N400) are greater in women than men. This study extended the previous findings to determine if these increased EEG amplitudes vary across menstrual phases. Eighteen female participants participated in a series of 3 EEG recording sessions using the same visual object recognition task from the previous study; 18 male participants completed this task once. Analyses from 15 of the 18 female and 16 of the …

Disaster Management In India: Analysis Of Factors Impacting Capacity Building, Bala Prasad Erramilli

Political Science Dissertations

Governments are responsible for administrative arrangements dealing with disasters. Effective policies play a vital role in mitigating the impact of disasters and reducing likely losses of life and property. Yet, it had been noted that such losses were increasing, raising questions about efficacy of government policies and the factors that made them effective. This study adopted a comparative method, responding to a long-standing demand of disaster research, for examining the record in India. There were noticeable differences among its states, with some having undertaken comprehensive reform in an all-hazards approach, while others continued with old policies. This research studied four …

Timing And Characterization Of The Change In The Redox State Of Uranium In Precambrian Surface Environments: A Proxy For The Oxidation State Of The Atmosphere, Gerald D. Pollack

Geosciences Dissertations

The redox-sensitive geochemical behavior of uranium permits the use of Th/U ratios as a geochemical proxy for the oxidation state of the atmosphere and oceans during sedimentary processes. Due to the effects of post-depositional uranium mobility on Th/U ratios during events involving oxygenated fluids, direct measurements of Th/U ratios are often misleading, but the whole rock Pb isotope composition may be used to determine a sample¡¦s apparent time-integrated Th/U ratio (ƒÛa) and the timing associated with the onset of the U-Th-Pb geochemistry. Rare earth element (REE) concentrations were determined by isotope dilution mass spectrometry to evaluate the influence of multiple …

Faith And News: A Quantitative Study Of The Relationship Between Religiosity And Tv News Exposure, Raquel Marvez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between religiosity and broadcast news usage. This study examines the level of religiosity of individuals and its correlation to broadcast news exposure. The correlation between religiosity and perceptions of violence on broadcast news was also measured. Two theories were applied in this study. Uses and Gratifications asserts the active character of the audience to choose what they watch, how often, etc., and Selective Exposure defends the ability of the individual to select media that coincides with personal value systems. These two theories complement each other and provide support in the …

An Exploration Of The Effects Of Long-Term Intimate Partner Violence: Listening To Older Women, Suzanne Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract AN EXPLORATION OF THE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: LISTENING TO OLDER WOMEN By Suzanne Faries Lowe, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008 Chairman of Committee Laura J. Moriarty, Ph.D. Professor of Criminal Justice Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs There has been a great deal of research during the past four decades on the topic of domestic violence. Very little research has been conducted, however, on the effects of long-term intimate partner violence on older women. The …