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What To Expect When You're Expecting: Gaps In Utility Perceptions Of The Online Adult Learner, Byron Shane Lowery Jan 2014

What To Expect When You're Expecting: Gaps In Utility Perceptions Of The Online Adult Learner, Byron Shane Lowery

LSU Master's Theses

The adult learner can be defined as someone who, while enrolled in an academic institution, is involved in other major life responsibilities such as work or family obligations. Recently, there has been an increase in the number working adults pursuing a college education. However, empirical research regarding the job-related utility of obtaining this education is limited. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to examine not only the expectations regarding how a degree may be useful for career advancement, but the work and life outcomes associated with obtaining the degree as well. This study examined job-related utility perceptions for obtaining an …


A Captive Audience, Holley Shinn Jan 2014

A Captive Audience, Holley Shinn

LSU Master's Theses

A Captive Audience is a permanent onsite installation of cage furniture and a wildlife garden at Louisiana State University’s Raptor Rehabilitation Center. Both the furniture and the garden are intended to enrich the lives of permanently disabled raptors who live in captivity at the center.


Paul Tillich's Communication Theology And The Rhetoric Of Existentialism, Elizabeth R. Earle Jan 2014

Paul Tillich's Communication Theology And The Rhetoric Of Existentialism, Elizabeth R. Earle

LSU Master's Theses

20th century theologian and philosopher Paul Tillich believed that religion could only be understood in the context of the surrounding culture. He attempted to assert Christianity’s importance in the modern era, and did this through his use of language. In this study I examine how Tillich’s rhetorical situation uniquely informed the communication style of his sermons. Drawing on the work of Lloyd Bitzer, this rhetorical situation includes Tillich’s exigencies, rooted both in the personal and historical, his resources and constraints in the form of influences and limitations, and his audience which provided him with an arena. By examining selections from …


The Effects Of A Test-Taking Skills Intervention On Test Anxiety And Test Performance In 4th Graders, Meredith T. Harris Jan 2014

The Effects Of A Test-Taking Skills Intervention On Test Anxiety And Test Performance In 4th Graders, Meredith T. Harris

LSU Master's Theses

Increases in standardized testing have been accompanied by increased reports of test anxiety in younger students. School-based test anxiety interventions can be implemented to decrease test anxiety and improve test performance. Skill-based interventions have effectively addressed both of these variables; however, the research has primarily targeted secondary and university students. The purpose of the current study was to determine if a test-taking skills intervention would decrease test anxiety and improve test performance in 4th grade students. Results indicated that the test-taking skills intervention resulted only in a minor decrease in test anxiety that maintained at 1-month follow-up. Effects on test …


Time Frame, A K M Jabed Rashel Jan 2014

Time Frame, A K M Jabed Rashel

LSU Master's Theses

I am interested in painting figures from direct observation as well as from photographs and memory in an invented theatrical interior space. My models act in an artificial stage to create the drama of a narrative. My figurative paintings present a rolling panoramic space that is manipulated over time. In addition, as a foreign student I had access to many sights in the new world once I came to the United States for the very first time. The expansiveness of the capital culture helped to develop the depth of my narratives in my art work.


Premature Birth As A Factor In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel Lichtenstein Goldin Jan 2014

Premature Birth As A Factor In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel Lichtenstein Goldin

LSU Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by pervasive delays in socialization, communication, and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. While there is a growing body of evidence on the etiology of ASD, there are a limited number of studies examining factors which may impact the differentiation of ASD compared to other developmental disabilities. Additionally, few studies have examined factors which may predict level of ASD symptom severity. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether premature birth occurs more commonly in infants and toddlers (17-37 months) with ASD than those with atypical development. A secondary aim of this study …


The Contribution Of Comorbid Symptomology To The Social Skill Deficits In Infants And Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paige Elizabeth Cervantes Jan 2014

The Contribution Of Comorbid Symptomology To The Social Skill Deficits In Infants And Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paige Elizabeth Cervantes

LSU Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. The onset of ASD symptomology occurs prior to 30 months of age; however, typical diagnosis is made at 3 to 4 years old. Early identification of ASD is imperative for more effective treatment and a bettered prognosis. The evaluation and treatment of ASD is complicated by high rates of comorbid psychopathology. When an individual presents with ASD and a co-occurring disorder, symptoms may manifest differently. Utilizing the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with …


Using Brand Concept Maps To Examine The Extension Of Ford And Jeep Brands, Yao Wei Jan 2014

Using Brand Concept Maps To Examine The Extension Of Ford And Jeep Brands, Yao Wei

LSU Master's Theses

The intense competition in marketing today has led to excessive financial risks when a new brand enters the market. To avoid the extremely high costs and difficulties associated with this process, many firms choose to take advantage of established brands to launch new product lines or categories. The purpose of this study was to explore the evaluation of brand extension in fashion using brand concept mapping (BCM). Specifically, the first objective was to identify consumers’ associations with Ford and Jeep apparel using BCM, while the second objective was to categorize those associations using Korchia’s (1999) brand association categories to compare …


The Qualities That Black Men And Women Most Appreciate About One Another: A Qualitative Examination, Lakeshia Marie Carhee Jan 2014

The Qualities That Black Men And Women Most Appreciate About One Another: A Qualitative Examination, Lakeshia Marie Carhee

LSU Master's Theses

Given increased media interest in the relationships that exist between African American men and women, few studies to date have examined the characteristics that Black men and women most appreciate in one another. Since emerging adulthood is the time in life when many individuals are contemplating marriage and date with the goal of finding a suitable marriage partner, this study will examine the qualities that Black men and women highly value in one another, which may lead them to eventually marry. Through the use of Value Theory, this study will examine the qualitative responses of 24 (17 females; 7 males) …


Inattentional Blindness And Auditory Attention: Effects Of Cognitive Load On Visual Awareness, Dillon James Cornett Jan 2014

Inattentional Blindness And Auditory Attention: Effects Of Cognitive Load On Visual Awareness, Dillon James Cornett

LSU Master's Theses

The current study investigated the effects of cognitive load, in the presence or absence of distractors, during a dynamic inattentional blindness (IB) task on IB rate. IB is a phenomenon where one fails to notice an unexpected object (UEO) or event (UEE) that is in full view while attention is occupied. In the present study, the presence of distractors was manipulated (present/absent) to investigate the effects of selective attention in inattentional blindness when inhibition of distractors is required or not required. Undergraduates at Louisiana State University completed a visual task while listening to music embedded with sine wave tones (low …


Effort-Based Decision-Making In Schizotypy, Jessica Elaina Mcgovern Jan 2014

Effort-Based Decision-Making In Schizotypy, Jessica Elaina Mcgovern

LSU Master's Theses

Avolition/apathy, defined as reduced initiation of or persistence in goal-directed behavior, is a pernicious, core negative symptom of schizophrenia. While deficits in effort-based decision-making have been proposed to underlie negative symptom deficits, it remains unknown whether subjective or objective motivation deficits are evident in individuals with elevated schizotypy, a trait associated with putative latent liability of developing psychosis. Thus, the present study examined whether and how objective and subjective motivation deficits manifest in individuals high (n = 57) versus low (n = 58) in schizotypy traits (based on a median-split of total experience scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire –Brief …


Volunteer Retention At The Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, Robyn Eileen Keegan Jan 2014

Volunteer Retention At The Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, Robyn Eileen Keegan

LSU Master's Theses

This study explores the relationship between increased supervision and volunteer retention at the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center. Due to the agency’s anecdotal evidence of a downward trend in volunteer retention between 2011 and 2012, the researcher began examining the groups and performing an intervention to increase retention. Specifically, this study looked at the differential effect of increased supervision on two nonequivalent comparison groups. The researcher hypothesized that increased supervision of the volunteers would result in a greater percentage of volunteers fulfilling their 72-hour commitment to the agency, increase the speed with which they completed the commitment, and increase the …


The Impact Of Menstrual Cycle Phase On Smoking Cessation-Related Variables, Mackenzie Rae Peltier Jan 2014

The Impact Of Menstrual Cycle Phase On Smoking Cessation-Related Variables, Mackenzie Rae Peltier

LSU Master's Theses

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. Despite increased research and improved treatment modalities, rates of lapse and relapse remain high. Women in particular experience poorer smoking cessation outcomes (including more relapse), presumably due to unique considerations such as the hormonal milieu. Despite some conflicting results, researchers have speculated that timing cessation attempts to coincide with the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, where levels of neuroprotective progesterone are at their peak, may decrease nicotine withdrawal and increase cessation success. Timing treatment onset with the luteal phase may positively impact smoking variables …


Impression Formation In The Online Amateur Setting: An Examination Of Transgender People, Minjie Li Jan 2014

Impression Formation In The Online Amateur Setting: An Examination Of Transgender People, Minjie Li

LSU Master's Theses

Technology is enhancing our amateur culture, which may provide counter-stereotype depictions. The present study reexamined the continuum model of impression formation by investigating how the mechanism of an amateur technology platform interacts with the depiction of amateur content created by social minority members to redirect people’s cognitive process of impression formation of minority members in the online amateur setting. More specifically, conducting a 2 (Stereotype Depiction) x 2 (Platform) experiment, this study looked at whether amateur platform YouTube encouraged people to go beyond stereotyping to form an counter-stereotypic impression of the mediated transgender person featured in the amateur content. Moreover, …


Graviora Manent: Heavier Things Remain, Andrea Laborde Barbier Jan 2014

Graviora Manent: Heavier Things Remain, Andrea Laborde Barbier

LSU Master's Theses

The photographic collection Graviora Manent addresses the complexities and deciphering of human relationships, intensified through the decisive acts of obscuring or revealing formal information. The pictures are made using an alternative French photographic method called mordançage, which physically alters the surface of the gelatin silver print using a combination of chemistry and water. The images frequently include recurring elements of my own dreams, as well as figures set in recognizably interior or exterior environments. Recurring themes in the series include what is public vs. what is private, voyeurism, familiarity, and the unknown.


Perceptions Of Collegiate And Professional Black Male Athletes Based On The Media, Dionell Mcneal Jan 2014

Perceptions Of Collegiate And Professional Black Male Athletes Based On The Media, Dionell Mcneal

LSU Master's Theses

This study focuses on how media usage can affect one’s perceptions of Black collegiate and professional male athletes. While early research focused solely on traditional media, this study focuses on social media as well. This study investigates the relationships between the amounts of time spent using traditional and social media, and the perceptions of athletes in regards to their physical capability, the likelihood of being criminals, and prevalence of committing violent crimes. To explore relationships, this study utilized a total of 145 White participants. Findings showed a positive relationship existed between social media usage and perceptions of criminal-like characteristics. It …


The Impact Of Student Centered Learning Strategies In Middle School Earth Science, Zane Jay Whittington Jan 2014

The Impact Of Student Centered Learning Strategies In Middle School Earth Science, Zane Jay Whittington

LSU Master's Theses

Research continues to reinforce that student centered classrooms and interactive engagement (IE) strategies, when used effectively, can produce considerable gains compared to traditional instruction methods. In this study, IE strategies, primarily modeling instruction, were compared to traditional instruction in a middle school classroom to determine if IE strategies would have an impact in two specific areas: graphing ability and science reasoning skills. Class mean scores on tests were compared over time to show that IE strategies produced greater gains in graphing and science reasoning than traditional instruction for one group. The other group did not see significant differences in graphing …


Education Ain't Black: The Disidentification Of African American Students, Erica Lynette James Jan 2014

Education Ain't Black: The Disidentification Of African American Students, Erica Lynette James

LSU Master's Theses

In this thesis, I will discuss the influence of education on the identity formation of African American students. Based on the scholarly literature in education theory, I will argue in Bourdieuan theory education, formal education, fails to accommodate the specific needs of African American students because education influences African American students to develop constructions of “whiteness" that education reinforces. As education attempts to uphold the “status quo” of American society, education simultaneously forces African American students to question the relevance of education. In questioning the relevance of education through high-achieving African American students’ use of language and pursuit of academic …


Everything Is Alright: Parental Positive Impression Management In Assessment Of Anxious Youth, Megan Elizabeth Kirkpatrick Jan 2014

Everything Is Alright: Parental Positive Impression Management In Assessment Of Anxious Youth, Megan Elizabeth Kirkpatrick

LSU Master's Theses

Lifetime prevalence rates of anxiety disorders in youth are substantial and range from 6-15%. Valid evidence-based assessments are therefore of critical importance in screening pediatric clients. Assessment of childhood disorders requires multi-informant data (e.g., parents, teachers, child); however, this presents a host of obstacles not found in adult assessment. No single source represents the gold standard and it is therefore up to the judgment of the clinician to integrate often conflicting information. Parents’ reports of their children's symptomology may be marred by their own anxious or depressive symptoms as well as conflict due to differing motivations, values, and goals. This …


A Study In Didactics, Jordan Cormier Jan 2014

A Study In Didactics, Jordan Cormier

LSU Master's Theses

When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ended The Final Problem with Sherlock Holmes’ apparent death there was a mass outcry of protest from his fans to the point that myths still circulate about how young Victorian men wore black armbands in mourning. There was a reason why the Holmes stories had such a mass appeal: Sherlock Holmes, brilliant, asexual, emotionally reserved and eminently rational detective that he was, was in many ways the archetype of the ideal Victorian man. As such he struck a very deep chord with British society at the time, the extent of which his creator never quite …


Social Regulation Of Male Reproductive Plasticity In An African Cichlid Fish, Karen P. Maruska, Russell D. Fernald Dec 2013

Social Regulation Of Male Reproductive Plasticity In An African Cichlid Fish, Karen P. Maruska, Russell D. Fernald

Faculty Publications

Social interactions with the outcome of a position in a dominance hierarchy can have profound effects on reproductive behavior and physiology, requiring animals to integrate environmental information with their internal physiological state; but how is salient information from the animal's dynamic social environment transformed into adaptive behavioral, physiological, and molecular-level changes? The African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, is ideally suited to understand socially controlled reproductive plasticity because activity of the male reproductive (brainpituitary gonad) axis is tightly linked to social status. Males form hierarchies in which a small percentage of brightly colored dominant individuals have an active reproductive axis, defend …


Effect Of Aging And Peripheral Neuropathy On Standing Reaching Precision With And Without Visual Cues, Christa T. Mahlobo Dec 2013

Effect Of Aging And Peripheral Neuropathy On Standing Reaching Precision With And Without Visual Cues, Christa T. Mahlobo

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


Impact Of Obesity-Related Genes In Spanish Population, Fernando Martínez-García, María L. Mansego, Gemma Rojo-Martínez, Griselda De Marco-Solar, Sonsoles Morcillo, Federico Soriguer, Josep Redón, Monica Pineda Alonso, Juan C. Martín-Escudero, Richard S. Cooper, Felipe J. Chaves Nov 2013

Impact Of Obesity-Related Genes In Spanish Population, Fernando Martínez-García, María L. Mansego, Gemma Rojo-Martínez, Griselda De Marco-Solar, Sonsoles Morcillo, Federico Soriguer, Josep Redón, Monica Pineda Alonso, Juan C. Martín-Escudero, Richard S. Cooper, Felipe J. Chaves

Faculty Publications

Background: The objective was to investigate the association between BMI and single nucleotide polymorphisms previously identified of obesity-related genes in two Spanish populations. Forty SNPs in 23 obesity-related genes were evaluated in a rural population characterized by a high prevalence of obesity (869 subjects, mean age 46 yr, 62% women, 36% obese) and in an urban population (1425 subjects, mean age 54 yr, 50% women, 19% obese). Genotyping was assessed by using SNPlex and PLINK for the association analysis.Results: Polymorphisms of the FTO were significantly associated with BMI, in the rural population (beta 0.87, p-value <0.001). None of the other SNPs showed significant association after Bonferroni correction in the two populations or in the pooled analysis. A weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) was constructed using the risk alleles of the Tag-SNPs with a positive Beta parameter in both populations. From the first to the fifth quintile of the score, the BMI increased 0.45 kg/m2 in Hortega and 2.0 kg/m2 in Pizarra. Overall, the obesity predictive value was low (less than 1%).Conclusion: The risk associated with polymorphisms is low and the overall effect on BMI or obesity prediction is minimal. A weighted genetic risk score based on genes mainly acting through central nervous system mechanisms was associated with BMI but it yields minimal clinical prediction for the obesity risk in the general population. © 2013 Martínez-García et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.


Faculty Senate Newsletter, November 2013, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College Nov 2013

Faculty Senate Newsletter, November 2013, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU Faculty Senate Publications

Message from President: Nearly fifty years ago, experts predicted that a chain of discount stores called “White Front” would eventually dominate American retailing in the way that other, currently struggling or now-defunct giants such as Sears, Montgomery Ward, May Company, and Macy’s once achieved substantial, even monopolistic market shares. Maybe a blanched “White Front” could not really fade, but the meteoric coming and going of such dynasties reminds us that peak moments often immediately precede declines. With the advent of the wistful autumn season, campus conversation inevitably turns to the sporty tail that seems to wag those universities that find …


Common Variants Associated With Plasma Triglycerides And Risk For Coronary Artery Disease, Ron Do, Cristen J. Willer, Ellen M. Schmidt, Sebanti Sengupta, Chi Gao, Gina M. Peloso, Stefan Gustafsson, Stavroula Kanoni, Andrea Ganna, Jin Chen, Martin L. Buchkovich, Samia Mora, Jacques S. Beckmann, Jennifer L. Bragg-Gresham, Hsing Yi Chang, Ayse Demirkan, Heleen M. Den Hertog, Louise A. Donnelly, Georg B. Ehret, Tõnu Esko, Mary F. Feitosa, Teresa Ferreira, Krista Fischer, Pierre Fontanillas, Ross M. Fraser, Daniel F. Freitag, Deepti Gurdasani, Kauko Heikkilä, Elina Hyppönen, Aaron Isaacs, Anne U. Jackson, Åsa Johansson, Toby Johnson Nov 2013

Common Variants Associated With Plasma Triglycerides And Risk For Coronary Artery Disease, Ron Do, Cristen J. Willer, Ellen M. Schmidt, Sebanti Sengupta, Chi Gao, Gina M. Peloso, Stefan Gustafsson, Stavroula Kanoni, Andrea Ganna, Jin Chen, Martin L. Buchkovich, Samia Mora, Jacques S. Beckmann, Jennifer L. Bragg-Gresham, Hsing Yi Chang, Ayse Demirkan, Heleen M. Den Hertog, Louise A. Donnelly, Georg B. Ehret, Tõnu Esko, Mary F. Feitosa, Teresa Ferreira, Krista Fischer, Pierre Fontanillas, Ross M. Fraser, Daniel F. Freitag, Deepti Gurdasani, Kauko Heikkilä, Elina Hyppönen, Aaron Isaacs, Anne U. Jackson, Åsa Johansson, Toby Johnson

Faculty Publications

Triglycerides are transported in plasma by specific triglyceride-rich lipoproteins; in epidemiological studies, increased triglyceride levels correlate with higher risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, it is unclear whether this association reflects causal processes. We used 185 common variants recently mapped for plasma lipids (P < 5 × 10 -8 for each) to examine the role of triglycerides in risk for CAD. First, we highlight loci associated with both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride levels, and we show that the direction and magnitude of the associations with both traits are factors in determining CAD risk. Second, we consider loci with only a strong association with triglycerides and show that these loci are also associated with CAD. Finally, in a model accounting for effects on LDL-C and/or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, the strength of a polymorphism's effect on triglyceride levels is correlated with the magnitude of its effect on CAD risk. These results suggest that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins causally influence risk for CAD. © 2013 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.


Children's Marking Of Verbal -S By Nonmainstream English Dialect And Clinical Status, Lesli H. Cleveland, Janna B. Oetting Nov 2013

Children's Marking Of Verbal -S By Nonmainstream English Dialect And Clinical Status, Lesli H. Cleveland, Janna B. Oetting

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Children's marking of verbal -s was examined by their dialect (African American English [AAE] vs. Southern White English [SWE]) and clinical status (specific language impairment [SLI] vs. typically developing [TD]) and as a function of 4 linguistic variables (verb regularity, negation, expression of a habitual activity, and expression of historical present tense). Method: The data were language samples from 57 six-year-olds who varied by their dialect and clinical status (AAE: SLI = 14, TD = 12; SWE: SLI = 12, TD = 19). Results: The AAE groups produced lower rates of marking than did the SWE groups, and the …


Dietary Resistant Starch Improves Selected Brain And Behavioral Functions In Adult And Aged Rodents, June Zhou, Michael J. Keenan, Sun Ok Fernandez-Kim, Paul J. Pistell, Donald K. Ingram, Bing Li, Anne M. Raggio, Li Shen, Hanjie Zhang, Kathleen L. Mccutcheon, Richard T. Tulley, Marc R. Blackman, Jeffrey N. Keller, Roy J. Martin Nov 2013

Dietary Resistant Starch Improves Selected Brain And Behavioral Functions In Adult And Aged Rodents, June Zhou, Michael J. Keenan, Sun Ok Fernandez-Kim, Paul J. Pistell, Donald K. Ingram, Bing Li, Anne M. Raggio, Li Shen, Hanjie Zhang, Kathleen L. Mccutcheon, Richard T. Tulley, Marc R. Blackman, Jeffrey N. Keller, Roy J. Martin

Faculty Publications

Resistant starch (RS) is a dietary fiber that exerts multiple beneficial effects. The current study explored the effects of dietary RS on selected brain and behavioral functions in adult and aged rodents. Because glucokinase (GK) expression in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and area postrema of the brainstem is important for brain glucose sensing, GK mRNA was measured by brain nuclei microdissection and PCR. Adult RS-fed rats had a higher GK mRNA than controls in both brain nuclei, an indicator of improved brain glucose sensing. Next, we tested whether dietary RS improve selected behaviors in aged mice. RS-fed aged mice exhibited (i) …


Social Descent With Territory Loss Causes Rapid Behavioral, Endocrine And Transcriptional Changes In The Brain, Karen P. Maruska, Lisa Becker, Anoop Neboori, Russell D. Fernald Oct 2013

Social Descent With Territory Loss Causes Rapid Behavioral, Endocrine And Transcriptional Changes In The Brain, Karen P. Maruska, Lisa Becker, Anoop Neboori, Russell D. Fernald

Faculty Publications

In social species that form hierarchies where only dominant males reproduce, lower-ranking individuals may challenge higherranking ones, often resulting in changes in relative social status. How does a losing animal respond to loss of status? Here, using the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, we manipulated the social environment, causing males to descend in rank, and then examined changes in behavior, circulating steroids and immediate early gene (IEG) expression (cfos, egr-1) in micro-dissected brain regions as a proxy for neuronal activation. In particular, we examined changes in the conserved 'social behavior network' (SBN), a collection of brain nuclei known to regulate …


Association Of Healthy Aging With Parental Longevity, Sangkyu Kim, David A. Welsh, Katie E. Cherry, Leann Myers, S. Michal Jazwinski Oct 2013

Association Of Healthy Aging With Parental Longevity, Sangkyu Kim, David A. Welsh, Katie E. Cherry, Leann Myers, S. Michal Jazwinski

Faculty Publications

Various measures incorporated in geriatric assessment have found their way into frailty indices (FIs), which have been used as indicators of survival/mortality and longevity. Our goal is to understand the genetic basis of healthy aging to enhance its evidence base and utility. We constructed a FI as a quantitative measure of healthy aging and examined its characteristics and potential for genetic analyses. Two groups were selected from two separate studies. One group (OLLP for offspring of long-lived parents) consisted of unrelated participants at least one of whose parents was age 90 or older, and the other group of unrelated participants …


Character Strengths And Deep Connections Following Hurricanes Katrina And Rita: Spiritual And Secular Pathways To Resistance Among Volunteers, Amy L. Ai, Roslyn Richardson, Carol Plummer, Christopher G. Ellison, Catherine Lemieux, Terrence N. Tice, Bu Huang Sep 2013

Character Strengths And Deep Connections Following Hurricanes Katrina And Rita: Spiritual And Secular Pathways To Resistance Among Volunteers, Amy L. Ai, Roslyn Richardson, Carol Plummer, Christopher G. Ellison, Catherine Lemieux, Terrence N. Tice, Bu Huang

Faculty Publications

This study investigated a conceptual model with two pathways, altruism and perceived spiritual support, leading to resilience among student volunteers following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (H-KR). Both strengths share the sense of deep connections. Parallel pathways with the two major constructs were estimated using structural equation modeling, adjusting for demographics and peritraumatic emotional reactions. The two indicators may have served as a protective mechanism for all volunteers despite differing racial/cultural backgrounds. The potential protection of these strength factors was mediated through optimism and hope. Resilience among minority volunteers was associated more with faith-related strengths, as indicated in the relevant pathway …