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The Impact Of Choice On Child Sustained Attention In The Preschool Classroom, Kelly Elizabeth Geary Jan 2011

The Impact Of Choice On Child Sustained Attention In The Preschool Classroom, Kelly Elizabeth Geary

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the mean duration of child attention to a self-selected toy and to determine the longest duration under which teaching condition children attend to toy play (child choice, adult choice, or adult presentation). Forty preschool-aged children were observed under each teaching condition and data were collected on the child’s duration of child attention. Results indicate that children’s sustained attention is significantly different across the three teaching conditions, and it was found that children attended for the longest duration of time during the child choice condition. It was also found that children attended for …


Educational Qualification And Racial Attitudes: Does Educational Qualification Really Matter?, Bonny Ghosh Jan 2011

Educational Qualification And Racial Attitudes: Does Educational Qualification Really Matter?, Bonny Ghosh

LSU Master's Theses

Most of the literature on social inequality reports that traditional old-fashioned, overt racism has been transformed into a modern symbolic form of covert racism in contemporary American society. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva asserts that “color-blind racism” is the dominant form of racism that persists in the post-Civil Rights period in the USA. A large body of research argues that education may not make too much of a difference in individuals’ racial attitudes. Studies also show that despite the fact that education is a crucial social institution, it cannot make the ills of intolerance and negative racial perceptions cease to exist. Given the …


The Contribution Of Implicit Stereotypes To The Overrepresentation Of African Americans In The Special Education Category Of Emotional Disturbance, Tai A. Collins Jan 2011

The Contribution Of Implicit Stereotypes To The Overrepresentation Of African Americans In The Special Education Category Of Emotional Disturbance, Tai A. Collins

LSU Master's Theses

The overrepresentation of African Americans in special education is a problem that has plagued the field since its inception, yet very little progress has been made in alleviating the issue. The problem is especially troubling because of the host of negative outcomes associated with special education in general, as well as placing African American students into special education specifically. The current study sought to examine the contribution of implicit racial stereotypes to the overrepresentation problem. Participants were randomly assigned to conditions where they viewed vignettes about either an African American or Caucasian problem student, after which they completed a questionnaire …


The Times-Picayune Coverage Of Three Incidents Resulting In Capital Trials, Sean Seosop Muggivan Jan 2011

The Times-Picayune Coverage Of Three Incidents Resulting In Capital Trials, Sean Seosop Muggivan

LSU Master's Theses

Death penalty cases are truly the most unique cases in the criminal justice system. Much research has been done showing that the death qualification process venripersons must undergo results in jurors un-empathetic to the kind of information used to mitigate the death penalty, as well as creating a jury that is more susceptible to pretrial publicity. This study reviews this research and analyzes the content of a New Orleans’ newspaper’s coverage of three incidents resulting in capital trials. It was found that, similar to a study done in California that was the model for this study’s content analysis, the newspaper …


Spiritual Development As A Component Of Holistic Development In Higher Education, Mary Claire Gilder Jan 2011

Spiritual Development As A Component Of Holistic Development In Higher Education, Mary Claire Gilder

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine spirituality in terms of development among college students. A review of literature and best practices was conducted, and students were interviewed regarding their spiritual identities, their collegiate experiences, and the relationship between the two. The findings of this study show that college students value spirituality in multiple ways, although they are typically uncomfortable discussing spirituality and spiritual issues on campus.


Trials & Tributaries: Myth And Disaster In Southern Louisiana, Hannah March Campbell Sanders Jan 2011

Trials & Tributaries: Myth And Disaster In Southern Louisiana, Hannah March Campbell Sanders

LSU Master's Theses

Trials and Tributaries examines recent disasters occurring in southern Louisiana, interpreted through the Greek myths The Twelve Labors of Herakles. Mankind’s false sense of control over Louisiana’s resources leaves us vulnerable to nature’s powerful acts of reclamation: hurricanes, floods and the ground sinking beneath our feet. While researching the details and origins of The Twelve Labors, I found a plethora of similarities with local culture, politics and natural disasters. The characters in these narrative prints include hybrid monsters drawn from Greek mythology, which I have then further augmented with various forms of local south Louisiana fauna and contemporary political figures. …


A Matter Of Time, Rebecca Kreisler Jan 2011

A Matter Of Time, Rebecca Kreisler

LSU Master's Theses

We frame our experiences as narratives, and associate the narrative with the book. My work takes the form of an immersive installation of printed, paper polyhedrons that act for me as non-traditional book structures. The planes of the polyhedrons function as pages without prescribing a certain order of events. The focus has been to blur the linear narrative into a body of visual work that represents my particular human experience, one full of memories and dreams, contradictions and juxtapositions, chaos and calm. What began as an objective examination of concepts of time in physics, philosophy, and psychology has developed into …


Celebrity Versus Non-Celebrity: Parasocial Relationships With Characters In Reality-Based Television Programs, Nicole Webb Henry Jan 2011

Celebrity Versus Non-Celebrity: Parasocial Relationships With Characters In Reality-Based Television Programs, Nicole Webb Henry

LSU Master's Theses

Research of parasocial relationships suggests that audiences engage in one-sided relationships with their favorite personae in the media. This study attempts to explore two types of reality stars: those who had fame before being on reality television and those who have fame because of the show. Using the PSR-Processing Scale, I compared levels of parasocial interactions for each, as well how moral disengagement might play a role for each type of reality star. I also explored whether these parasocial relationships are influenced by the frequency with which respondents watch various types of sub-genres of reality-based programs (i.e. game docs, dating …


Test-Driving Interventions To Increase Treatment Integrity And Student Outcomes, Evan Henry Dart Jan 2011

Test-Driving Interventions To Increase Treatment Integrity And Student Outcomes, Evan Henry Dart

LSU Master's Theses

Behavioral Consultation is typically an effective way for school psychologists to work with teachers to find an appropriate intervention for implementation in the classroom. While some teachers have no difficulty implementing suggested interventions with high integrity, this is not always the case. The present study attempted to develop a “test-drive” procedure by which resistant teachers were able to implement several interventions briefly in the hope that they found one to their liking and implement it with high levels of integrity. The results indicate that teachers resistant to traditional Behavioral Consultation were able to implement their preferred intervention with high rates …


Assessing Attentional Bias And Cerebral Laterality In Specific Phobia Using A Dichotic Listening Paradigm, Whitney Shay Jenkins Jan 2011

Assessing Attentional Bias And Cerebral Laterality In Specific Phobia Using A Dichotic Listening Paradigm, Whitney Shay Jenkins

LSU Master's Theses

Researchers have found fear to impact a variety of cognitive variables in individuals with specific phobia. Attentional bias is a cognitive variable that has received considerable attention in the specific phobia literature; however, the existing literature follows only one line of attentional bias—bias as encoded through images, words, or other content presented visually. This study aimed to expand on this area by assessing attention and cerebral laterality in individuals with specific phobia using a dichotic listening paradigm (i.e., via auditory means). Results indicated that participants with specific phobias do not significantly differ from controls in terms of the number of …


Predicting Posttraumatic Growth: Coping, Social Support, And Posttraumatic Stress In Children And Adolescents After Hurricane Katrina, Mark Allen Schexnaildre Jan 2011

Predicting Posttraumatic Growth: Coping, Social Support, And Posttraumatic Stress In Children And Adolescents After Hurricane Katrina, Mark Allen Schexnaildre

LSU Master's Theses

There is a growing area of research that explores the possibility that negative life events could ultimately result in positive outcomes. However, there exists some debate on whether or not children are capable of experiencing such outcomes. The proposed study examined posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive psychological change in the wake of a traumatic event, in a sample of child and adolescent victims of Hurricane Katrina. Specifically, the roles of coping and social support were studied as predictors of PTG. Additionally, the relationship between PTG and posttraumatic stress disorder, which has been shown to be a complex one, was explored. This …


Houses Move, Houses Speak, Allison Regan Jan 2011

Houses Move, Houses Speak, Allison Regan

LSU Master's Theses

This body of text speaks about an installation that deals with feelings of displacement, and isolation. This work invites and encourages the viewer to view another family with new eyes, perhaps finding similarities between this family and their own.


The Role Of Motivation And Physical Activity In A Weight Loss Program, Ellen Kane Stevens Jan 2011

The Role Of Motivation And Physical Activity In A Weight Loss Program, Ellen Kane Stevens

LSU Master's Theses

Every year thousands of overweight and obese people in the United States join weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers in an effort to become healthier and feel more attractive. Weight Watchers has increased its program focus on physical activity as a critical part of weight loss. Initiating a consistent physical activity routine, however, is generally one of the last behavior changes made by program members, despite its proven role in weight loss maintenance. Using self-determination theory as a framework, the purpose of this study was to examine how perceptions of fulfillment of three psychological needs (i.e. competence, autonomy, and …


Development Of Attitudes Of Children Toward Coastal Environment Themes Survey: Exploring Attitudes Of Louisiana Middle School Students, Rebecca Mary Jones Jan 2011

Development Of Attitudes Of Children Toward Coastal Environment Themes Survey: Exploring Attitudes Of Louisiana Middle School Students, Rebecca Mary Jones

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s coast is losing land due to erosion at the startling rate of approximately 24 square miles per year (Lockwood & Gray, 2005). Coastal erosion has serious implications for human safety and Louisiana’s economy. There are many environmental education programs throughout coastal regions of the United States that educate school children about coastal issues. LSU Coastal Roots (CR) is one such program. Students at approximately 40 participating schools raise native plants in nurseries at their school and then travel to a restoration site to transplant their plants. The goal CR is to build an attitude of stewardship and awareness toward …


Investigating The Use Of Graphic Organizers For Writing, Laura Nicole Delrose Jan 2011

Investigating The Use Of Graphic Organizers For Writing, Laura Nicole Delrose

LSU Master's Theses

Students are placed under increasing demands for more complex syntax and discourse structure in oral and written language as they age. Children with language and learning disabilities struggle to grasp the organization and relationships between the facts of the topic, making writing an increasingly daunting task. In addition, these students must also master conventions such as vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and syntax to produce a written essay (Schumaker & Deshler, 2003). This study explored the efficacy of graphic organizers as a strategy to facilitate higher complexity of syntactic and discourse structures in sentence and story formation. After seven weeks of intervention, …


Efficacy Of Genres In Training Videos For Emergency First Responders, Kerry Jenkins Jan 2011

Efficacy Of Genres In Training Videos For Emergency First Responders, Kerry Jenkins

LSU Master's Theses

The actions of emergency first responders directly affect the safety of our society, and their expertise relies upon the training they receive in preparation to react to emergency events. The use of training videos has become more prevalent in recent years as a method of teaching vital response skills to first responders. Most of these videos are made in the expository mode,with little or no attempt to introduce elements or conventions from other modes of non-fiction or fiction film genres. This project extends the range of the training video in order to explore the potential impact of using conventions from …


Making Transitions: A Multiple Case Study Of Mathematics Classroom Teaching Reform In China, Lianfang Lu Jan 2011

Making Transitions: A Multiple Case Study Of Mathematics Classroom Teaching Reform In China, Lianfang Lu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers implemented teaching reform in secondary mathematics classrooms in China, and to understand the context of teaching transformation in general. Two groups of mathematics teachers were included in this study. One group was involved in a leadership project led by university-based mathematics teacher educators, and the other was engaged in a school teaching experiment led by teacher educators from local education department. In this study, classrooms are viewed as social systems in which the teacher and students are interrelated through communication networks. This study examines the structures, patterns of social …


Sensory Discrimination Testing With Children, Karen Melissa Garcia Jan 2011

Sensory Discrimination Testing With Children, Karen Melissa Garcia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Literature concerning children’s performance in sensory discrimination methods is not as extensively published as performance with adults. Therefore, in this dissertation children’s performance in discrimination methods was investigated. First, performance in the triangle and 3-AFC methods was explored with children 6 to 12 years old. The paradox of discriminatory non-discriminators states that the proportion of correct responses in the 3-AFC method will be higher than that of the triangle. However, Thurstonian theory predicts that despite the difference in proportions of correct responses the degree of difference between the stimuli will be similar. The paradox and the Thurstonian predictions were challenged …


Using Curriculum-Based Measures To Predict Math Performance On A Statewide Assessment, Keri F. Menesses Jan 2011

Using Curriculum-Based Measures To Predict Math Performance On A Statewide Assessment, Keri F. Menesses

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One hundred forty-six students in third, fourth, and fifth grades completed two types of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) math probes, math computation and math concepts/ applications, in the winter and spring. The relationship between scores on the math probes and scores on the math portion of the Louisiana statewide assessments were analyzed by computing correlation coefficients and conducting multiple regression analyses. Both types of probes were significantly correlated with test outcomes, yet the concepts/applications probes were stronger predictors of test performance. The diagnostic accuracy of the probes was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, which established cut scores that …


The Emergence Of Challenging Behaviors In At-Risk Toddlers With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional And Risk Factor Study, Jill Cherie Fodstad Jan 2011

The Emergence Of Challenging Behaviors In At-Risk Toddlers With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional And Risk Factor Study, Jill Cherie Fodstad

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Challenging behaviors including aggression, property destruction, stereotypy, and self injury occur at a high prevalence in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). These behaviors are pervasive and chronic. Despite an increased probability and negative consequences, one area which has received little attention is the presence of challenging behaviors in infants and toddlers with ASD. Furthermore, there is a dearth of information identifying early age trends in the emergence of challenging behaviors and associated risk factors. The purpose of this investigation was to utilize a validated measure, the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits - Part 3, to …


Building Children's Liking And Preferences For Fruits And Vegetables Through School-Based Interventions, Anantha Padmaja Lakkakula Jan 2011

Building Children's Liking And Preferences For Fruits And Vegetables Through School-Based Interventions, Anantha Padmaja Lakkakula

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Children’s food preferences play a major role in their food choices and consumption. The objectives of these studies were to examine the relationship between children’s preferences for fruits and vegetables (FV) and their weight status and to increase children’s liking of FV by offering repeated opportunities to taste less liked items. A representative sample of elementary school children (1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades) were recruited in the three interventions. In the first study, 341 fourth- and fifth-grade children (43% boys; 68% 4th graders) were measured for height and weight and completed a survey which sought their preferences for 38 …


Learning And Teaching Conducting Through Musical And Non-Musical Skills: An Evaluation Of Orchestral Conducting Teaching Methods, Jose Mauricio Valle Brandao Jan 2011

Learning And Teaching Conducting Through Musical And Non-Musical Skills: An Evaluation Of Orchestral Conducting Teaching Methods, Jose Mauricio Valle Brandao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current state of conducting as an academic and professional pursuit shows a plethora of conventional traditions and techniques that are accepted without question, but a dearth of ideas and approaches that will develop the skills essential to producing an effective conductor. This profile is especially apparent in the field‘s literature. This monograph will compile a list of these titles and annotate each one, in order to determine the common threads that run between them. This information will be distilled into categories, identifying levels of approach and target audience. Evaluation of these data may lead to a discovery that many …


Performing Selfhoods In U.S. Rituals Of Private And Public Spheres, Linda A. Shkreli Jan 2011

Performing Selfhoods In U.S. Rituals Of Private And Public Spheres, Linda A. Shkreli

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I explore four events to learn the embedded instructions of selfhood performatives in each case and how these performatives code public and private space and experience. The selected events offer a different and explicit example of private and public modes of authority and access – e.g., in the public museum experience of an exhibit by photographer Taryn Simon, in the gift of a ticket to Burning Man, womyn only at MichFest, and insider exclusivity at Roden Crater. While each event offered a different understanding of selfhood as it applied to the participant, each confirmed a selfhood performative …


Effects Of Student Mobility On The Academic Achievement Of Mobile And Nonmobile Students, Rosa Maria Knox Jan 2011

Effects Of Student Mobility On The Academic Achievement Of Mobile And Nonmobile Students, Rosa Maria Knox

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Students who move between schools often have more social, psychological, and academic problems than their peers whose enrollment is stable. However, the negative effects may also be felt among classrooms and schools. To date, much of the student mobility research do not control for demographics or prior achievement, and utilized a sample size of one school or district. The current study examined a statewide database to determine which student variables predict mobile status. Analyses also investigated the relationship between mobility and academic achievement for mobile students, as well as classrooms and schools, while controlling for demographics and prior achievement. The …


Physical Activity And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Elementary Students: An Integrated Perspective, Xiangli Gu Jan 2011

Physical Activity And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Elementary Students: An Integrated Perspective, Xiangli Gu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

School physical education (PE) not only offers and promotes health-related physical activity, but also encompasses the promotion and development of perceptions of mental health (USDHHS, 2010). It has been suggested that health-related quality of life (HRQOL) can predict future health, monitor children’s psychosocial health, and identify those most at risk or in need of support at an early stage. Assessing physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life have become major issues in pediatric public health and also serve as a major goal of Health people 2020 (USDHHS, 2010). Research including assessment of theory-based mediators of health-related outcomes is needed …


An Historical Study Of Teaching Biology To Science-Illiterate Students In Eighteenth-Century France: Instructional Strategies Employed By Madame Du Coudray - Royal Midwifery Educator, Trudy Lynn Gammill Witt Jan 2011

An Historical Study Of Teaching Biology To Science-Illiterate Students In Eighteenth-Century France: Instructional Strategies Employed By Madame Du Coudray - Royal Midwifery Educator, Trudy Lynn Gammill Witt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In August 1767 King Louis XV of France appointed Madame du Coudray, a 52-year-old midwife, to teach midwifery “throughout the whole extent of the Realm.” In so doing he acknowledged the “science and experience” and “high degree of perfection” that she had obtained in midwifery. Over the next 20 years Madame du Coudray traveled throughout France teaching midwifery to illiterate peasant women. It is estimated that she taught over 4,000 students. How did she teach midwifery to these women who had no previous experience with science? Could modern biology educators learn from her methods? This case study addressed these questions …


Assessment Of Core Stability: Developing Practical Models, Andy Waldhelm Jan 2011

Assessment Of Core Stability: Developing Practical Models, Andy Waldhelm

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Core stability is a concept in the health and fitness professions which became popular in the early 1990s. Despite its popularity, core stability remains a generalized term, which is poorly understood and lacks a universal definition and gold standard assessment. This makes it difficult to identify the role of core stability in athletic injury prevention and performance. To better assess core stability, the objective for this dissertation was to construct a reliable core stability index using measurements which best define and evaluate core stability. The purpose of our first experiment was to introduce and determine the intra-tester reliability of clinical …


The Long-Term Effect Of A Brief Motivational Alcohol Intervention For Heavy Drinking Mandated College Students, Meredith Ashley Terlecki Jan 2011

The Long-Term Effect Of A Brief Motivational Alcohol Intervention For Heavy Drinking Mandated College Students, Meredith Ashley Terlecki

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study evaluated the long-term impact of a brief motivational intervention (BMI) among college undergraduates mandated to treatment relative to heavy drinking volunteer students. Participants (N = 225; 61% male) were randomized to a BMI (n = 115) or a control group (n = 110). Alcohol consumption (drinks per week, drinking frequency, typical drinks, peak drinks), alcohol-related problems, and readiness to change (RTC) were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. BMI participants significantly decreased drinks per week (treatment, M change = 7.33; control, M change = 3.60), typical drinks (treatment, M change = 1.46; control, …


Brief Interventions For Heavy College Drinkers: Randomized Clinical Trial To Investigate Comparable Efficacy Of Two Active Conditions, Magdalena Kulesza Jan 2011

Brief Interventions For Heavy College Drinkers: Randomized Clinical Trial To Investigate Comparable Efficacy Of Two Active Conditions, Magdalena Kulesza

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Brief interventions for college heavy drinkers have shown promise in reducing drinking and related negative consequences. However, since duration of the intervention, content, method of delivery, and duration of the follow up period vary across studies, we do not know whether length of the intervention has an impact on its effectiveness. In the present study, we conducted a randomized trial systematically evaluating efficacy of two brief interventions aimed at reducing alcohol use and consequences among college student drinkers. In addition, we evaluated treatment mediators and moderators. We randomly assigned 278 heavy drinking students to a 10-minute brief intervention, a 50-minute …


Regarding Westernization In Central Africa: Hybridity In The Works Of Three Chadian Playwrights, Enoch Reounodji Jan 2011

Regarding Westernization In Central Africa: Hybridity In The Works Of Three Chadian Playwrights, Enoch Reounodji

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The second half of the nineteenth century played a determining role in the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres of Africa. The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 witnessed European interests bargaining over the territories of Africa and arbitrarily dividing much of the continent into different countries under European control. This historical moment may be regarded as the height of Western influence over Africa, though it only continued the colonial tradition of viewing Africa as a land without culture, theatre, literature, or history (prior to the advent of the white man). The legacy of this outlook has placed African intellectuals and literary …