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Inside And Outside, Joshua Harry George Jan 2012

Inside And Outside, Joshua Harry George

LSU Master's Theses

The boxing paintings and drawings are not about fighting as much as they are about the fighter’s existence. Many of the images show the boxer training or in an isolated environment in order to show how methodical their lives become. I see boxers as sacrificial athletes, not only because their health is at risk, but also because they must separate themselves from loved ones during training, as well as abstain from certain foods in order to maintain a certain weight. Every boxer is an underdog, in a sense. They are all at risk of losing something, whether it is their …

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Hijos De La Decadencia: Transgressive Representations Of Gender In The Works Of Emilia Pardo Bazán, Sarah Berard Jan 2012

Hijos De La Decadencia: Transgressive Representations Of Gender In The Works Of Emilia Pardo Bazán, Sarah Berard

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis explores the transgressive representations of gender in the works of Emilia Pardo Bazán. In her short story “Cuento primitivo” (1893) and her novels Memorias de un solterón (1896), La quimera (1905), and Dulce dueño (1911), the myths and images that surround the figures of New Woman, femme fatales, and dandies expose the fear fin de siècle Spanish society felt toward these models that did not conform to the gender stereotypes expected of them. Their straying from the established norm was seen as the symptom of decadence and the herald of the destruction of the race. Each of the …

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The Effect Of Coping Strategies On Burden Among Male Alzheimer's Caregivers, Lauren Mckinsey Lovelace Jan 2012

The Effect Of Coping Strategies On Burden Among Male Alzheimer's Caregivers, Lauren Mckinsey Lovelace

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study is to examine the coping strategies of an often understudied, growing population of Alzheimer’s disease informal caregivers, male caregivers. Additionally, the current study measured the effects of three styles of coping (task-focused coping, emotional-focused coping, and avoidant-focused coping) on the reported burden of the male AD caregivers. The sample included 138 male AD caregivers. The male AD caregivers in the current study reported moderate to severe burden. Task-focused coping strategies were the most commonly used styles of coping. The use of task-focused coping had no effect on the burden reported by the caregivers in …

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An Examination Of The Relationship Between Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Functioning, And Social Skills In Children, Kimberly Tureck Jan 2012

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Functioning, And Social Skills In Children, Kimberly Tureck

LSU Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are the focus of a vast amount of research due to their recent rise in prevalence. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of research looking at how ASD and IQ scores impact social skills. The present study aimed to extend the literature in this area by evaluating how ASD and IQ scores are related to ratings on a measure of appropriate and inappropriate social skills. Two groups of individuals participated: children without ASD and children with ASD. Two dependent measures of social skills (adaptive/appropriate social skills and hostile/inappropriately assertive social skills) were obtained using the Matson Evaluation …

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The Effects Of Coping Strategies On Burden Among Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers, Rhonda Lee Jordan Jan 2012

The Effects Of Coping Strategies On Burden Among Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers, Rhonda Lee Jordan

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between three coping strategies—emotion-focused, task-focused, and avoidance-focused—and the perceived burden among Louisiana Alzheimer’s disease caregivers. This study was a secondary data analysis. The target population was Alzheimer’s disease caregivers in Louisiana. The design for this study was cross-sectional. The instrument was a survey consisting of a demographic section, the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist, the shortened Zarit Burden Interview, and the Coping in Task questionnaire. Most caregivers reported engaging in task-focused coping. Emotion-focused coping and avoidance-focused coping were positively related to burden. No significant relationship existed between task-focused coping …

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Predictors Of Positive Adjustment In Children Exposed To The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill And Hurricane Katrina, Jamarri Raimon Aikins Jan 2012

Predictors Of Positive Adjustment In Children Exposed To The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill And Hurricane Katrina, Jamarri Raimon Aikins

LSU Master's Theses

Although numerous studies have focused on the harmful effects of natural disasters, few have examined the positive adjustment that is demonstrated by some individuals post-disaster. Even fewer studies have investigated this resiliency in children. The current study aims to address this limitation by evaluating variables related to children’s resiliency post-disaster. Specifically, the study was designed to identify and compare predictors of positive adjustment in youth who were exposed to either Hurricane Katrina or the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. It was hypothesized that children who use more adaptive coping strategies and have higher levels of social support will show greater amounts …

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Psychometric Re-Evaluation Of The Spiritual Support Scale, Angela M. Bowman Jan 2012

Psychometric Re-Evaluation Of The Spiritual Support Scale, Angela M. Bowman

LSU Master's Theses

Informal caregivers provide a substantial amount of emotional, financial, physical, and social support to their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s caregivers often report immense levels of burden, which are associated with the demands of their caregiving duties. Caregivers mediate this burden through various means of coping, including spiritual support. Individuals who successfully manage the negative stressors related to Alzheimer’s caregiving are often highly resilient. The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Support Scale among a sample of Alzheimer’s caregivers. The Spiritual Support Scale was initially utilized to measure spiritual coping among a …

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Development And Validation Of The Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire (Tcq-A), Reanna (Sara) Elise Whiting Jan 2012

Development And Validation Of The Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire (Tcq-A), Reanna (Sara) Elise Whiting

LSU Master's Theses

Despite receiving widespread attention in the adult literature, virtually no information about the effects of thought suppression currently exists using a developmental psychopathology perspective in adolescents. The current study describes the development and preliminary validation of The Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire, a self-report measure of thought suppression strategy use among adolescents. A principal factor analysis revealed an identical factor structure to the adult Thought Control Questionnaire (Wells & Davies, 1994) and included subscales measuring Distraction, Reappraisal, Social, Worry, and Punishment strategies. Adequate evidence of internal and test-retest reliability was obtained. The TCQ-A evidenced strong validity when tested for relations to …

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Evaluating The Differential Effects Of Parental Involvement On Check In/Check Out In Children With Externalizing Behavior Problems, Aaron Jason Fischer Jan 2012

Evaluating The Differential Effects Of Parental Involvement On Check In/Check Out In Children With Externalizing Behavior Problems, Aaron Jason Fischer

LSU Master's Theses

School-based interventions are typically implemented based on a Response to Intervention model, i.e., a 3-tiered support system. Tier 1 provides universal support for all students; Tier 2 targets children who are at risk for developing problems; Tier 3 focuses on remediation for children with severe problems. The interventions in Tier 2 are important because they provide an opportunity to access children before their problems become critically dysfunctional. Check in/Check out (CICO) is a Tier 2 intervention that has been evaluated for children with externalizing behavior problems. In the current CICO literature, parent involvement during CICO integrates school and home life, …

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Photojournalism As Photonationalism, Jeremy Kreusch Jan 2012

Photojournalism As Photonationalism, Jeremy Kreusch

LSU Master's Theses

The public saw the wars in Iraq (2003 – 2012) and Afghanistan (2001 – present) through the lens of reverence and sentimentality toward the soldier. This was manifest not simply in the catchy “support our troops” rhetoric, but in the one-sided depiction of the experience of battle by the photojournalists who worked for the major news organizations in the Western world. From the emotionally bloated to the nationalistic, the photographs taken by “embedded” photojournalists, whether the result of heavy-handed censorship or merely political influence, presented a consistent image: the soldier as a selfless victim of his or her own heroism. …

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Where Are The Cosbys: An African American Literacy Study Examining African American Recognition And Representation In Contemporary Young Adult Literature, Tremaine Monee' Sanders Jan 2012

Where Are The Cosbys: An African American Literacy Study Examining African American Recognition And Representation In Contemporary Young Adult Literature, Tremaine Monee' Sanders

LSU Master's Theses

The African American literacy crisis has been well documented. Many researchers have sought to find a remedy for the disparity in literacy rates between African American readers and white American. This study explores the potential role of young adult literature (YAL) in this crisis. More specifically, this study examines the recognition that African American works receive in contemporary YAL. This study also investigates the African American experiences represented in those works receiving national recognition. A list of fifty-one books was compiled from the winners (2000-present) of national awards such as Michael L. Printz award and the Coretta Scott King Book …

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Interventions In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom: Raising Standardized Test Scores By Diminishing Stereotype Threat, Elizabeth Stockwell Kirkindoll Jan 2012

Interventions In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom: Raising Standardized Test Scores By Diminishing Stereotype Threat, Elizabeth Stockwell Kirkindoll

LSU Master's Theses

Stereotype threat is a situational concern in which persons have uneasiness or worries about confirming a negative presumption about their social group. This apprehension affects the performance of those suffering this threat in recursive cycles, causing continuing underperformance in the threatened domain. This document reviews the research on stereotype threat, its causes, characteristics and effects, and describes how stereotype threat affects learning and undermines academic performance. Attention is focused on the role that stereotype threat plays in the underachievement of females in mathematics. A report on an experiment that attempted to reduce math-related stereotype threat among middle school females is …

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Using Generalized Estimating Equations To Analyze Repeated Measures Binary Data From The Young Adolescent Crowd Study, Lauren Ashley Beacham Jan 2012

Using Generalized Estimating Equations To Analyze Repeated Measures Binary Data From The Young Adolescent Crowd Study, Lauren Ashley Beacham

LSU Master's Theses

The young adolescent crowd study (YACS) was conducted in order to look at the influence of various factors on use of controlled substances by middle school students. The contributing factors investigated were demographics (gender and race), self-esteem in different modalities such as school or athletic performance, and the peer group students belong to. Each student has a binary response for whether they have used alcohol, marijuana or cigarettes which was recorded in both seventh and eighth grade. Since the data has a binary repeated measures response, generalized estimating equations (GEE) in a logistic regression setting is a good way to …

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Improving Middle School Math Achievement Using A Web-Based Program And Extended Written Tasks, Sarah Claire Dyer Jan 2012

Improving Middle School Math Achievement Using A Web-Based Program And Extended Written Tasks, Sarah Claire Dyer

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis outlines a dual-intensity approach using a web-based program, MyMathLab, for procedural fluency and, in parallel, extended written tasks for helping students improve their reasoning skills, to learn to use multiple representations, and securing mathematical knowledge. The new Common Core State Standards have increased expectations and achievement goals at all grade levels, the required changes being most significant at earlier grade levels (in elementary and middle schools). It is my assertion that a combined approach, one that encompasses both procedure-oriented practice for fluency and extended written tasks designed to stretch thinking and reasoning is needed to meet these goals.

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Determining Impact: Using Formative Evaluation In A Professional Development Program For Teachers Of Mathematics And Science, Tiah B. Alphonso Jan 2012

Determining Impact: Using Formative Evaluation In A Professional Development Program For Teachers Of Mathematics And Science, Tiah B. Alphonso

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a professional development (PD) program for middle and high school teachers of mathematics and science which is funded by a $5 million National Science Foundation grant. The evaluation was internal and formative in nature and took place in two separate phases. The focus of the evaluation was not only on program improvement but also to extend the body of existing knowledge in the area of teacher professional development. Both the needs of project stakeholders and the findings of previous research in the areas of professional development and program evaluation were drawn on …

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Technology In The Classroom: Effect Of Student Blogging On Learning Gains In A High School Classroom, Mandy Lynn Lebourgeois Jan 2012

Technology In The Classroom: Effect Of Student Blogging On Learning Gains In A High School Classroom, Mandy Lynn Lebourgeois

LSU Master's Theses

This study explores the benefits of student use of web logs (blogs) in a high school Biology classroom. Students were assigned to blog by answering questions on topics from the Miller and Levine (2010) Biology textbook, which correlated to the Louisiana Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs), benchmarks that should be familiar to students at the end of a course. Raw gains (from pretest to posttest) were compared for the study group of 124 ninth and tenth grade students to determine if blogging increased student learning gains by increasing student accountability. The Louisiana Enhanced Assessment of Grade-Level Expectations (EAGLE) test bank was used …

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Social Policy, Social Action And The Black Church: A Praxis For Social Vision, Errol K. Domingue Jan 2012

Social Policy, Social Action And The Black Church: A Praxis For Social Vision, Errol K. Domingue

LSU Master's Theses

Given the nature of the current political, social, and economic climates in the United States with home foreclosures, jobless rates, and high-school dropout rates hovering around record numbers, those who are indigenous to the plight of the people must play a role in securing policies and actions that will support better opportunities for better living. The faith community, especially the Black Church, can play a role by engaging in the development and maintenance of social policy and a responsibility to engage in social action that will energize and empower people in order to improve the quality of living. While there …

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Correlates Of Interest In Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Social Work Graduate Students, Cassie Dinecola Jan 2012

Correlates Of Interest In Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Social Work Graduate Students, Cassie Dinecola

LSU Master's Theses

With autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses on the rise, there is a growing need for knowledgeable professionals in the field. However, graduate social work students report low interest and negative attitudes toward working with this population, and few social workers enter the field of developmental disabilities. This is the first known study to examine the interrelationships among graduate social work students’ knowledge about ASD, self-efficacy in working with individuals with ASD, attitudes toward working with individuals with ASD, formal training in ASD, and contact with persons with ASD. These interrelationships were explained in the context of Social Cognitive Career Theory. …

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Man Without A Country: How Character Complexity Primes Racial Stereotypes, Ben Miller Jan 2012

Man Without A Country: How Character Complexity Primes Racial Stereotypes, Ben Miller

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the role character complexity plays in racial attitudes of television viewers. Previous research suggests that stereotypes and counter-stereotypes play vastly different roles in how people process information. Stereotypes act as automatic cues that call up pre-made judgments upon exposure to them. Meanwhile, counter-stereotypes actually work on a conscious processing level, forcing viewers to think more deeply about individuals when presented with them, skipping the automatic recall mechanism all together. By layering counter-stereotypes and stereotypes together in the same stimulus, this study examined whether the existence of there would be an appreciable difference between viewers exposed to solely …

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Does Endurance Training Alter Energy Balance?, Brittany Inlow Jan 2012

Does Endurance Training Alter Energy Balance?, Brittany Inlow

LSU Master's Theses

An examination of the effects of a structured activity program on resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity, and dietary behavior is essential in gaining a better understanding of potential strategies that may be used in future exercise training programs. PURPOSE: To explore whether endurance training alters energy balance via changes in resting metabolic rate (RMR), daily energy expenditure (EE) and energy intake (EI). METHODS: Twenty-four subjects (17 females, 7 males; 21 + 0.3 years old) were assigned to one of two groups: 1) endurance (E; n = 12), or 2) active control (AC; n = 12). The E group completed …

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Where The Good Times Roll: New Orleans As A Destination For Sports Event Tourism, Kristen E. Chighizola Jan 2012

Where The Good Times Roll: New Orleans As A Destination For Sports Event Tourism, Kristen E. Chighizola

LSU Master's Theses

Over the past several decades, sports event tourism has been a growing area of research for scholars in the fields of sport administration, strategic communications, destination marketing and tourism. The city of New Orleans is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, with its various entertainment, sports, and cultural events. Over the past three decades, New Orleans has hosted over 30 major sports events and will host several more major events including the BCS National Championship, NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four, and the Super Bowl through February 2013. This case study shows several primary reasons …

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Between Bodies: (Re)Constructing The Corps Québécois In Roch Carrier's La Guerre, Yes Sir!, Tara Beth Smithson Jan 2012

Between Bodies: (Re)Constructing The Corps Québécois In Roch Carrier's La Guerre, Yes Sir!, Tara Beth Smithson

LSU Master's Theses

Published during Québec’s Révolution Tranquille, but set during the final phase of World War II, Roch Carrier’s novel La guerre, yes sir! (1968) chronicles how one community copes with the sober homecoming of its first “son of the village” to die in the war. The novel centers on the fallen Corriveau’s repatriation to what was then considered French Canada. The body’s passage from one realm, in Europe, associated with French Canada’s multi-layered, quasi-colonial control, to another, in soon-to-be Quebec, associated with the province’s self-definition and burgeoning sense of sovereignty, offers an allegorical commentary on the Québécois people’s passage from a …

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Black-Woman Identity Centrality And Interference: An Examination Of Political Efficacy And Policy Attitudes, Alexandra Ghara Jan 2012

Black-Woman Identity Centrality And Interference: An Examination Of Political Efficacy And Policy Attitudes, Alexandra Ghara

LSU Master's Theses

While much of the recent literature centers on a discussion of the “inner conflict” experienced by black women, political scientists have not measured this identity conflict or its political consequences. In this article I fill this gap in the literature by employing a black-woman identity interference scale (Settles 2006) to test whether black women experience particular difficulty aligning their racial and gender interests, and how identity conflict affects their political efficacy (internal political efficacy, external political efficacy, and group political efficacy) and policy attitudes. I find that while black women’s political efficacy is only affect by their race consciousness, their …

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Korean Parents' Attitudes, Motivations, And Home Literacy Practices Toward Bilingualism Between Korean And English In Korea, Byunghyun Jang Jan 2012

Korean Parents' Attitudes, Motivations, And Home Literacy Practices Toward Bilingualism Between Korean And English In Korea, Byunghyun Jang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to examine Korean parents’ attitudes, motivations, and home literacy practices toward their children’s participation in bilingualism in Korean and English in Korea. The success of foreign language learning is influenced by positive attitudes and the level of motivation regarding the target language. Language learners’ attitudes and motivations toward a target language are closely related to their development of language proficiency, and children are often strongly influenced by their parents. The present study was conducted by the survey that was comprised of four-part Likert-type statements. The participants consisted of parents who have children enrolled in …

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Equipped To Serve Our Youth: A Phenomenological Study Of 4-H Extension Youth Educators' Perceptions Of The Value Of Mentoring, Allison Ann Bruchhaus Jan 2012

Equipped To Serve Our Youth: A Phenomenological Study Of 4-H Extension Youth Educators' Perceptions Of The Value Of Mentoring, Allison Ann Bruchhaus

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Challenging economic times and increasingly complex social contexts intensify the demand for organizations to focus on areas of human resource development that positively contribute to developmental relationships of employees. One such method is the implementation of a formal mentoring program. Mentoring is especially important for 4-H youth educators. Youth educators are usually specialized in program development among other areas and plan, implement, and evaluate programs with the intent of bettering the quality of life for youth. The dynamics of working with today’s youth mandate effective professional development and developmental relationships for career enhancement. This study was developed for the researcher …

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Communicating While Stimulated: The Effects Of Sensory-Processing Sensitivity On Behavior And Relationships, Christopher Charles Gearhart Jan 2012

Communicating While Stimulated: The Effects Of Sensory-Processing Sensitivity On Behavior And Relationships, Christopher Charles Gearhart

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In light of claims made by Aron (1996, 2000; Aron & Aron, 1997), this dissertation tested the influence of sensory-processing sensitivity on communication via two sets of research questions. First, are highly sensitive persons more easily aroused by stimulation, and if so does this necessarily cause a decrease in affect recognition? Results of an experimental study (N = 342) indicate that highly sensitive persons (HSPs) were more distracted by audio stimulation, causing more errors in accuracy judgments on non-verbal decoding tests, most noticeably for facial expression detection. The implication is that, when aroused by stimulation in their environment, HSPs may …

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Evaluation Of The Thermal Performance And Cost Effectiveness Of Radiant Barrier Thermal Insulation Materials In Residential Construction, Somayeh Asadi Jan 2012

Evaluation Of The Thermal Performance And Cost Effectiveness Of Radiant Barrier Thermal Insulation Materials In Residential Construction, Somayeh Asadi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Reducing heating and cooling systems loads in buildings is a cost effective way to decrease energy consumption in residential houses. This reduction can be achieved in many ways including proper insulation of the building envelope. In recent years, considerable attention was given to the use of radiant reflective insulating barriers. Over the past years, reflective barrier insulation companies nationwide have experienced significant growth resulting in an industry average growth rate of 26.8%. This significant growth is expected to continue as a result of increased cooling demands and pressure from the energy sector and the economy. Growth is also predicted to …

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Economic Impact Of International Students Attending An Institution Of Higher Education In The United States, Steve S. Kelly Jan 2012

Economic Impact Of International Students Attending An Institution Of Higher Education In The United States, Steve S. Kelly

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

International students on American college and university campuses represent important under-recognized complex non-homogeneous minority presence commonplace at institutions of higher education in the early twenty-first century. The impact of international students on institutions of higher education is generally recognized from four primary perspectives including academic, cultural, political and economic characteristics (Funk, 2001). International students represent 3.5 percent (671,616 of 19,103,000) of all students attending institutions of higher education in the United States in the 2008-09 academic year(Institute of International Education, 2011). International students were estimated to generate $17.66 billion to the US economy and $118.9 million to the State of …

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Understanding Public Perceptions Of Global Warming, Wanyun Shao Jan 2012

Understanding Public Perceptions Of Global Warming, Wanyun Shao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I investigate the determinants on Americans’ perceptions of global warming and individuals’ environmentally significant behaviors to reduce global warming. Specially, I examine how contextual variables, primarily represented by local weather and climate, attitudinal variables, and socio-demographic characteristics affect public opinion towards global warming, personal voluntary actions and willingness to address global warming. The research of this dissertation reveals some important findings. First, local weather and climate—represented by long-term temperature trends—is found to have significant effects on public perceptions of global warming and private-sector environmentally significant behaviors. In particular, the summer temperature trend over the past 10 years …

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Using Behavior Screening Data To Predict Scores On Statewide Assessments, Jeffrey Steven Chenier Jan 2012

Using Behavior Screening Data To Predict Scores On Statewide Assessments, Jeffrey Steven Chenier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Federal and state initiatives (No Child Left Behind, 2001) require schools and districts to set high standards for student growth and achievement. Currently, student growth and progress are measured in Louisiana via statewide achievement tests. In 4th and 8th grades these assessments are considered to be ‘high-stakes’, as promotion and retention decisions are made based on how well students perform on these assessments. Making day-to-day decisions based on one assessment per year is not best practice (Jenkins, Deno, & Markin, 1979); therefore, screening instruments known as curriculum based measures (CBMs) were devised and tailored for school-based implementation. CBMs of academic …

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