Digital Commons Network^™

“Media Representations Of Disabled Persons: A Content Analysis Of Disabled Characters On Network Television Shows In The United States From 2008 To The Present”, Rachel Miller

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go? A Mixed-Method Study Of The Mentoring Relationships That Guide Student-Athletes Toward Career Decisions, Andrew J. Schwehm

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Passive Participle Marking By African American English-Speaking Children Reared In Poverty, Sonja L. Pruitt, Janna B. Oetting, Michael Hegarty

Faculty Publications

Purpose: In this study, the authors examined the linguistic profile of African American English (AAE)-speaking children reared in poverty by focusing on their marking of passive participles and by comparing the results with the authors' previous study of homophonous forms of past tense (S. Pruitt & J. Oetting, 2009). Method: The data were from 45 five- to six-year-olds who spoke AAE and who participated in the authors' earlier study. Fifteen were classified as low-income (LSES); the others were classified as middle-income and served as either age- or language-matched controls. The data came from a probe that was designed by S. …

Reactions To Psychological Contract Breaches: An Experimental Manipulation Of Severity, Theresa Atkinson

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Neighborhood Stressors And Race/Ethnic Differences In Hypertension Prevalence (The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis), Mahasin S. Mujahid, Ana V. Diez Roux, Richard C. Cooper, Steven Shea, David R. Williams

Faculty Publications

BackgroundThe reasons for racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension (HTN) prevalence in the United States are poorly understood.MethodsUsing data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), we investigated whether individual- and neighborhood-level chronic stressors contribute to these disparities in cross-sectional analyses. The sample consisted of 2,679 MESA participants (45-84 years) residing in Baltimore, New York, and North Carolina. HTN was defined as systolic or diastolic blood pressure 140 or 90mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medications. Individual-level chronic stress was measured by self-reported chronic burden and perceived major and everyday discrimination. A measure of neighborhood (census tract) chronic stressors (i.e., physical disorder, violence) was …

John Bell Hood And The Fight For Civil War Memory, Gordon C. Rhea

Civil War Book Review

Looking at John Bell Hood in a New Light

John Bell Hood holds an eminent position among the American Civil War’s controversial generals. After winning accolades as one of Robert E. Lee’s most aggressive subordinates, he was selected in the summer of 1864 to replace Joseph E. Johnston a....

Faculty Senate Newsletter, January 2011, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU Faculty Senate Publications

Message from the President: Brutus, when consigning Caesar to eternity, seeks attention from friends, Romans, and countrymen, asking them to lend him their ears. Had he been living in Baton Rouge in 2011, he might well have added to that list “coalitions,” the Flagship Coalition being the newest among the many supporters and compatriots seeking citizenship in the Tiger Empire. Brutus, of course, was himself not the most dependable of friends; he called for numerous “ears” knowing well that listening would be a wise strategy in turbulent times. He offered a list of affiliated parties—friends, Romans, and countrymen— suspecting that …

Elliott Sober: Did Darwin Write The Origin Backwards? Philosophical Essays On Darwin’S Theory, Charles H. Pence, Hope Hollocher, Ryan Nichols, Grant Ramsey, Edwin Siu, Daniel John Sportiello

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Family Structure And Social Anxiety In Young Adults, Brandie Michelle Wagner

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Multiple Additive Regression Tree Analysis Of Three Exposure Measures During Hurricane Katrina, Andrew Curtis, Bin Li, Brian D. Marx, Jacqueline W. Mills, John Pine

Faculty Publications

This paper analyses structural and personal exposure to Hurricane Katrina. Structural exposure is measured by flood height and building damage; personal exposure is measured by the locations of 911 calls made during the response. Using these variables, this paper characterises the geography of exposure and also demonstrates the utility of a robust analytical approach in understanding health-related challenges to disadvantaged populations during recovery. Analysis is conducted using a contemporary statistical approach, a multiple additive regression tree (MART), which displays considerable improvement over traditional regression analysis. By using MART, the percentage of improvement in R-squares over standard multiple linear regression ranges …

On The Origin Of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, And Fiction, Hope Hollocher, Agustín Fuentes, Charles H. Pence, Grant Ramsey, Daniel John Sportiello, Michelle M. Wirth

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Gumbo Yearbook, Class Of 2011, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

Gumbo Yearbook

The Gumbo yearbook chronicles the entire academic year at LSU. In words and especially photos, the Gumbo shows the people, places, and events that make each year unique. In addition to formal portraits of schools and departments, the book contains hundreds of snapshots of students with their friends and dozens of pages showcasing organizations.

Book Reviews

1650-1850: Ideas, Aesthetics, and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era

No abstract provided.

Anxiety, Substance Use, And Their Co-Occurrence: Advances In Clinical Science, Michael J. Zvolensky, Julia D. Buckner, Peter J. Norton, Jasper A.J. Smits

Faculty Publications

Research and clinical literatures are replete with examples that psychological disorders are related to drug use, abuse, and dependence. The preponderance of scientific work addressing relations among psychopathological processes and drug use, abuse, and dependence has been focused primarily on psychotic disorders, major depression, antisocial personality disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This corpus of empirical work has indicated that there are clinically meaningful relations among particular types of psychopathology and the onset and maintenance of substance use behaviors and disorders and, in turn, that substance use and use-related problems can impact vulnerability for psychopathology. Within this public health context, …

Smoking Behavior And Alcohol Consumption In Individuals With Panic Attacks, Amanda R. Mathew, Peter J. Norton, Michael J. Zvolensky, Julia D. Buckner, Jasper A.J. Smits

Faculty Publications

Individuals with anxiety often report greater smoking and drinking behaviors relative to those without a history of anxiety. In particular, smoking and alcohol use have been directly implicated among individuals experiencing panic attacks, diagnosed with panic disorder, or high on panic-relevant risk factors such as anxiety sensitivity. Less is known, however, about specific features of panic that may differentiate among those who do or do not use cigarettes or alcohol. The purpose of the current study was to replicate previous research findings of an association between panic symptomatology, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, as well as extend findings by examining …

Contextual Influences On Faith Development In Adolescents And Emerging Adults, Katheryn A. Barker

LSU Master's Theses

Recent research has revealed that high religiosity is associated with positive life outcomes in adolescents and emerging adults. However, the mechanisms and processes that underscore faith development, which is crucial to experiencing these outcomes, are not well understood. Furthermore, most research on faith development in adolescents and emerging adults is based on quantitative data and fails to examine the influence of developmental contexts on faith development. To address this, a racially diverse New England sample of 30 highly religious Christian, Jewish, New World faiths, and Muslim families were interviewed regarding their faith and family life. Focusing specifically on the faith …

Family Supportive Organization Perceptions, Work Role Overload, And Burnout: Crossover Effects Of Burnout On Recovery, Suzanne Marie Booth

LSU Master's Theses

The present study is a dyadic examination of the effects individuals’ perceptions of their partners’ burnout have on the individuals’ burnout and their ability to recover from work demands. The effects of burnout were investigated in light of the presence of the buffer of family-supportive organization perceptions. The proposed model for the study was tested using statistical equation modeling (N = 300 cohabiting couples). Family-supportive organization perceptions were shown to mitigate the influence of work role overload on an individual’s burnout and positively relate to recovery from work. In the model, individuals’ perceptions of their partners’ burnout was driven by …

There's An App For That: The Ways Young Adults Access Digital Information, Cydney Lauren Palmer

LSU Master's Theses

Despite the popular use of smartphones and mobile applications (apps) and their potential impacts in the near future, only scant academic attention has been paid to mobile apps, especially in respect to the gratifications sought from accessing digital information via apps. This exploratory study investigated the relationship between young adults and their use of mobile apps in accessing digital information, particularly in comparison to the current go-to digital information access device, Internet browsers. In addition, this study examined how levels of perceived privacy concern influence digital information use and how the use of digital information access modalities and the level …

Fandom, Media Consumption, And College Sports Knowledge: A Survey Of College Undergraduates, Theodore Charles Greener

LSU Master's Theses

Sports fandom research often states sports fans know and understand facts surrounding various sports, teams, leagues, and players. College sports literature argues that media involvement increases popularity and revenues, and as a result, competition, controversy, and complexity. The Elaboration Likelihood Model posits that when involvement in a subject is high, so too is motivation and ability to comprehend, and as a result, cognition increases. Given this, results show that sports fandom acts similarly to issue involvement, leading to increased sports-media consumption. Together, both fandom and consumption lead to increased knowledge of facts surrounding college sports. Results imply that general interest …

Simulated Subnormal Performance On The Stanford Binet-V: An Exploratory Investigation Of The Stanford Binet Rarely Missed Items Index, Mandi Wilkes Musso

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to derive an embedded validity index of effort for the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales-Fifth Edition (SB5; Roid, 2003a) and to validate this index using an analog sample of individuals feigning mild mental retardation (MR). Of the data provided by Dr. Roid, 307 healthy individuals aged 18-35 with full scale intelligence quotients (FSIQ) greater than 70 were included in this study (n = 307) as well as 31 individuals with FSIQ scores in the MR range. Also, a sample of 108 undergraduate students at Louisiana State University was asked to participate in this study in exchange …

A Cafeteria-Based Tasting Program Improved Elementary School Children's Fruit Preferences And Self-Efficacy To Consume Fruits And Vegetables, Wei-Ping Wong

LSU Master's Theses

This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of a fruit and vegetable (FV) tasting program on third and fifth grade children’s preferences and psychosocial factors associated with FV intake. Four public schools in southeastern Louisiana participated. Two schools served as the intervention group where children were given a taste of four fruits or four vegetables on a rotating schedule for eight weeks followed by two weeks of tasting four months post- intervention (follow-up). Two control schools did not participate in tasting but received brightly colored FV posters which were posted in the cafeteria each week. A questionnaire administered at baseline, post-intervention, …

Sensing Synesthesia, Jeffrey Harlan Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

Sensing Synesthesia is an exhibition of experiments, carried out through the medium of graphic design as an attempt to generate a synesthesiac experience by visualizing sound. Since many elements within the realms of sound and sight are relative, creating a genuine synesthesiac experience for a viewing audience proved challenging. To address this problem, I created visual elements that corresponded with personal convictions, emotions and proclamations and presented them in a way congruent to the sounds being heard. Through these experiments, I discovered the personal growth of myself: the sharpened skills as a graphic designer, initiated interest in hand-rendered type as …

Communiplaytion: Getting Our Hands Dirty Together, Brooke Tyson Cassady

LSU Master's Theses

CommuniPLAYtion: getting our hands dirty together is a weeklong installation of a collective ceramics studio implanted in Foster Gallery. It is a participatory and interactive exhibition that demonstrates how material play creates moments for personal reflection and contemplation, while also facilitating communication and social relations within a specific place. CommuniPLAYtion is an opportunity for an altruistic exchange among individuals in contrast to the monetary transactions that momentarily connect strangers. These engagements, similar to the “Do-It-Yourself Geopolitics” of other contemporary artists, empower individuals to develop modes of interaction that suit their interpersonal needs. The exhibition, communiPLAYtion enables the basic precursors that …

Of Reality: A Society Of Selves, Kelly C. Tate

LSU Master's Theses

Of Reality: A Society of Selves is a series of photographs that challenge the viewer’s perception of reality. Through digital image manipulation, costumed, multiplicitous self-portraits merge with handcrafted miniature environments. With the goal of illustrating the complexity of existing within society, the resulting images examine the psychological process of perception as it relates to social interaction and identity.

A Survey Of Selected Representations Of The Stroke And Aphasia Quality Of Life Scale-39 Items, Dara Lynn Elizabeth Deroche

LSU Master's Theses

This research was designed to gain information that could be used in the future to improve quality of life measures for people with aphasia. Aphasia is a language disorder resulting from stroke or traumatic brain injury. People with aphasia exhibit difficulty producing and understanding verbal and written language. Existing quality of life measures, while valid and reliable for those with mild to moderate aphasia, are often unable to be used for those with severe aphasia. The written text is too complex for them to comprehend. Other studies have been done supporting the idea that pictures aid in the comprehension of …

The Effect Of Perceived Spatial Distance On The Decision To Relocate For Graduate Education, Claire Frances Taylor

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigated the influence of perceived spatial distance (PSD) on students’ intentions and decisions to relocate to pursue graduate education. The framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) provided the basis for measurement of the components of PSD, that is one’s attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control about spatial distance, as well as an understanding of how PSD may influence relocation intentions and decisions. The components of PSD were hypothesized to be positively related to relocation decisions, with relocation intentions acting as a moderator. Undergraduate students at Louisiana State University who had applied to at least one …

A Computer-Based Instructional Program To Teach Braille Reading To Sighted Individuals, Mindy Scheithauer

LSU Master's Theses

There is a need for efficient braille training methods for instructors of the visually impaired. This study evaluated the use of a computer-based program intended to train the relation of braille characters to English letters using a matching-to-sample procedure with 4 sighted college students. Each participant mastered matching visual depictions of the braille alphabet to their text counterparts. Further, each participant demonstrated the ability to read a braille passage following this exposure. These gains maintained at variable levels at a follow-up probe 2 to 4 weeks following training.

The Latent Landscape, May Ann Babcock

LSU Master's Theses

I set a task to take a new look at local Louisiana landscape and to understand this place where I live. The spaces most powerful were leftover, abandoned and forbidden industrial places, including an old lock, stretches of the levee along the Mississippi River, highway underpasses and chemical, energy and sugar cane processing plants. Working from observational sketches and using local materials such as river mud and plant fibers for papermaking, I make prints on handmade paper, books and video that bring this latent landscape into view. Images and surfaces become primitive, disorienting, psychological, dark and changing landscapes.

"We Live In A Used World": Cultural Geographies Of American Garage Sales, Gentry Powell Hanks

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the emotional geographies of American garage sales, which I argue are liminal. Through a methodology of narrative surveys (open-ended questionnaires), mental maps, participant-observation, and interviews, I make the case that garage sales, through absent and/or present items, narratives, and exchanged histories, can reveal much in terms of identity, values, and cultural practices. These archives on the margins hold stories, artifacts, and performances of a distant or near past, giving geographers an innovative lens through which to explore the intricacies of materiality, place, and representation. This thesis provides a range of theoretical and practical perspectives on …

From "Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue" To "If You're Reading This": Patriotic Themes In Country Music Between 2000-2010, Claire S. Carville

LSU Master's Theses

Music plays an important role in the lives of individuals and often reflects important societal values. Music can also serve as an important reflection of the public’s current opinion at a given point in time. Patriotism is a feeling of love for one’s homeland and has often been the subject matter of music lyrics throughout history. In particular, country music has been perceived as being an especially patriotic genre of music. This thesis utilized quantitative and qualitative content analyses as the methods to examine the patriotic content of country music lyrics over the past decade. The sample was adapted from …