Quality Enhancement Plans At Community Colleges: Caring Attitudes, Intentional Advising, And Open Communication, Anthony Strawn

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In 2004 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges, (SACSCOC) started requiring a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) as part of the decennial reaffirmation process. Since 2004, over one billion dollars have been spent by the 794 accredited SACSCOC institutions completing their QEPs. Fifth-Year Impact Reports must be completed by the institution at the end of the QEP as part of the Fifth-Year Compliance Report. Once that report is accepted by SACSCOC, no additional reporting on the QEP is required. This study looked at six Track A, Level I institutions in five states that started a QEP …

Predicting Academic Achievement With The Kaufman Assessment Battery For Children—Second Edition, Amy Cherry

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Intelligence progresses in measurable and predictable stages and IQ tests are used to test basic intellectual functioning, such as conceptual thinking, language, and problem solving. The IQ test is used to diagnose developmental disabilities as well as learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities in schools. School aged children may be given an IQ test to determine eligibility and placement for special education services and to pinpoint specific deficits and/or strengths. Part of the strength of using IQ tests is their ability to predict specific attributes, such as academic skills and adaptive skills. However, these correlations change with the child’s age. …

A Survey Of Kentucky School Psychologists’ Perceived Competencies To Inform State-Level Professional Development, George Cavanah

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated perceived knowledge and competencies of current Kentucky school psychologists regarding professional standards of practice. Thirty one participants responded to the survey that measured school psychologists’ perceptions across each of the 10 national standards for professional practice. A series of one-way ANOVAs were used to determine if there was significance different between the factors. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.

A Comparison Of The Rey Complex Figure And The Wechsler Scales, Amanda M. Brantley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the correlation among the Wechsler Intelligence Scales and the Rey Complex Figure Test, a measure of visual memory, in a clinical sample. The purpose was to determine the point at which a difference between cognitive ability scores (at the overall ability level or at the index level) and visual memory scores would be statistically meaningful. Participants in this study were selected from clinical client folders with completed variables of interest. The mean age of the 64 participants was 21 years (SD = 12.6). Statistically significant correlations were found among three of the four …

Social Networking Sites And Physical Activity: The Role Of Framed Health Messages, Cassie Gonzalez

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes are the current leading causes of death in the United States, where most of these diseases are caused by a few specific risk behaviors including tobacco use, poor nutrition, and lack of physical activity (Rutledge, Lane, Merlo, & Elmi, 2018). Healthcare professional are being encouraged to educate patients and the community about the risks associated with health behaviors and lifestyle choices. I explore aspect of these health messages in the context of gain- vs loss-framed messages presented through two social networking sites, Twitter and Instagram, on subsequent health behavior changes. Whereas existing literature have explored …

An Analysis Of Success In Rural Economic Development: The Case Of Daviess County, Kentucky, Timothy Roy

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Over the last half-century, numerous factors have resulted in a significant economic downturn in American manufacturing, with particularly negative impacts on rural regions throughout the country. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine one rural Kentucky community’s attempts to bolster its industrial relevance, as well as the region’s overall economy, by employing an economic development strategy known as Kentucky’s Work Ready Communities (WRC). This initiative, introduced by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board in 2012, aims to attract new or expanding industry to communities or regions by demonstrating a strong infrastructure and a sustainable workforce that is prepared …

American Bolsheviki: The First Red Scare In The United States, 1917 To 1920, Jonathan Dunning

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looks to reframe the timeline of the First Red Scare in United States History. Historians of this period have consistently viewed the First Red Scare as occurring from 1919 to 1920. However, by viewing the First Red Scare as beginning in 1919, historians missed the fear of communism that developed in the US government and the American press and society throughout 1917 and 1918, starting immediately after the Bolshevik Revolution. Moreover, in the past, historians have done little to detail the connections between the Allied Intervention in Russia from 1918 to 1920 and the First Red Scare, despite …

Selecting Success: Admitting Adn Students With The Highest Probability Of Success, Elizabeth Ann Beverly

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Declining numbers in healthcare workers are nearing critical levels. In the next few years, more than a million nursing positions are predicted to be needed, increasing the demand on institutions to produce quality and competent graduates in health-related fields. Hundreds of potential students apply for nursing programs each semester, and numerous qualified applicants are denied admission due to limited space, thus placing emphasis on the selective admissions process.

This study serves to validate current admissions criteria utilized by the nursing program at Hopkinsville Community College (HCC) to ensure students with the highest probability for success are admitted. Participants include …

Labeling Sexual Assault Perceptions Associated With Ptsd Symptom Severity, Shania Cole

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Many agree that sexual assault is a common problem among females, but there is less agreement regarding how to label individuals who experience sexual assault. Most research has examined the connotations associated with the labels, most of which has associated “victim” with negative connotations and “survivor” with positive adjectives. Few studies empirically examine how individuals of sexual assault respond to these labels and how the labels relate to outcomes in these individuals’ lives. Unfortunately, individuals who have experienced an unwanted sexual encounter are at higher risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding how these individuals label themselves, and how …

Barriers To Change For Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Lauren E. Brown

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of counseling training on speech language pathologists’ (SLPs) perceived competency to address Attitude Barriers within the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment process as presented by Beukelman and Mirenda (2005). Counseling techniques, such as the use of the Readiness to Change© tool, are within the scope of practice for SLPs. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on how to apply these tools and techniques with individuals who use AAC .

A training seminar was conducted to educate participants in the use of the Readiness to Change© tool. Data was …

The Effect Of The Cycles Phonological Remediation Approach: A Case Study, Elizabeth A. Packard

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The speech-language pathologist has many options regarding the course of action they deem the most efficient in remediating a phonological disorder. The purpose of this case study was to research the efficacy of using the Cycles Phonological Remediation Approach (Cycles Approach) as written by Hodson and Paden (Hodson & Paden, 1983; Hodson & Paden, 1991; Hodson, 2006; Hodson, 2007) on a six-year-old child with a moderate-to-severe phonological disorder with low intelligibility. This study included three phases: initial assessment, intervention, and the final assessment. One cycle of intervention over the course of approximately two semesters was administered to target three of …

Numerical Simulations For Optimal Control Of A Cancer Cell Model With Delay, Jessica S. Lugo

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Mathematical models are often created to analyze the complicated behavior of many physical systems. One such system is that of the interaction between cancer cells, the immune system, and various treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Using models that depict these relationships gives researchers insight on the dynamics of this complicated system and possibly ideas for improved treatment schedules.

The model presented here gives the relationship of cancer cells in development phases with immune cells and cycle-specific chemotherapy treatment. This model includes a constant delay term in the mitotic phase. Optimal control theory is used to minimize the cost …

A Survey On Horse Use And Management In Horse Clubs In China: A Pilot Study, Zhen Li, Zhen Li

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

During the past three decades, significant development of the Chinese equine industry has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of horses in the country. At the same time, many horse clubs face shortages of trained management personnel or specialists in equine science and technology. The objective of this survey was to document and evaluate horse management and use in Chinese horse clubs. A 29-question survey was developed using SurveyMonkey© and tested on a small pilot group before being revised and released to a general pool of participants. The questionnaire link was distributed through WeChat to specific personnel in …

Matriculation Through Dual Credit, Lorry Beth Wilson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Earning college credit in high school has become a rising trend, while correlation of matriculation to credit hour accumulation, underrepresented minority population, and high school data is limited. State policies are redefining outdated rules and processes in order to provide access, affordability, and awareness to students throughout the United States. West Kentucky Community and Technical College, in partnership with area high schools, enroll students in dual credit courses, which assists with increasing college credential completion and the reduction of total college costs. Students must have guidance and planning before, during, and after earning dual credit. This helps the student to …

If You Think It You Can Achieve It: The Relationship Between Goal Specificity And Magical Thinking, Brianna Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found a connection between the type of goals that individuals set and psychopathology, specifically depression (Dickson & Moberly, 2013). Magical thinking is the belief that a person’s thoughts are connected to their actions or to future outcomes (Markle, 2010). Magical thinking has been found to be a primary feature in many psychological disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (Shihata et al., 2014). The present study is the first of the literature to examine the relationships between goal setting and magical thinking as well as magical thinking and various psychological disorders such as depression. The current study examined the …

Masculine And Feminine Personality Profiles And Their Relationship With Athletic Identity, Scott York

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Athletes represent a unique population of people with unique personality traits. It has been well documented the trait differences between males and females and how these manifest. There has been substantial work done on the personality of athletes and the sex differences that exist therein. This study aims to examine the athletic identity of college students and their personality traits to determine if the sex differences classically defined as masculine and feminine by the five-factor model (FFM) manifest in people who simply identify as athletes.

A Prologue And Three Stories, Billie Pritchett

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This a collection of three stories preceded by a prologue, in partial fulfillment of the M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Murray State University.

Very Superstitious: The Relationship Between Desperation And Superstitious Behavior, Christopher Evan Hannan

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Superstitious behavior has been found to emerge during situations of uncertainty and often used by those who desire control. Desperation, a negative emotion that motivates behavior, tends to also occur in uncontrollable environments. This study attempts to analyze the possible relationship between desperation and the use of superstitious behavior in circumstances that leave individuals with little to no control. This was achieved by simulating an uncertain environment through a computerized card game involving chance (i.e. War). Results from this study demonstrated that those who felt desperate due to uncertainty engaged in superstitious behaviors, and desperation was a greater predictor for …

Flexibility In The Brain And Muscles: Examining Psychological Flexibility, Athletic Identity, And Stigma Within Sport Culture, Brighton Claire Hollingsworth

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Interventions designed to increase psychological flexibility have been shown to reduce mental health stigma, and such interventions have shown to be effective in athletic populations. The current study assessed the relationship between athletic identity and mental health stigma while also observing the moderating effects of psychological flexibility within that relationship. An exploratory analysis was also conducted to observe the moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the relationship between athletic identity and barriers to care. Participants (N = 176) from online sport-themed communities completed measures to assess mental health stigma, barriers to care, athletic identity, current symptoms of distress, …

Evaluation Of A Nutraceutical Flex Choice For Anti-Arthritic Efficacy And Safety In Moderately Osteoarthritic Dogs, Rachael E. Webber

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Arthritis is a very common chronic debilitating disease in people and dogs alike. It does not discriminate based on species, and one in five dogs suffer from osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and anti-arthritic efficacy of a nutraceutical, Flex Choice, in moderately arthritic canines. Five moderately arthritic canines that weighed between 40-65 pounds were selected for this study. Moderate arthritis was considered a ranking of 4-6 on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being no/minimal pain and 10 being severe and constant pain. All five canines were orally administered one Flex Choice soft chew …

The Impact Of Content Mastery On Sequential Standards, Michael Newman, Michael Newman

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Mastery of P-12 academic standards is based on a learning process that is sequential and that can be broken into key components for varying students. Key ideas need to be learned before others can be mastered and it is important to know which key ideas are needed before others can be presented. The common problem for students in mathematics is that the content scaffolds and for the teacher, it can be a difficult decision of when to proceed and when not to. Yet, high stakes testing mandates a fast pace of instruction which leaves many students chronically behind. The purpose …

The Impact Of Gender Normed Scoring Of The Brief Symptom Inventory On Trans* Individuals, Ashley Megan Bieze Wilson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the significance of the choice of gender normed scoring on the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) (Derogatis, 1993) when assessing cisgender and trans* or gender non-conforming individuals. This study compared two groups, cisgender and trans* individuals, on male and female gender normed scoring for the BSI. Each participant’s responses on the BSI were scored using both male and female norms and the number of clinically significant elevations (T-score ≥ 63) was counted. Results indicated that regardless of gender identity or sex-assigned-at-birth (SAAB), a higher mean number of elevations was found when using male …

The Effects Of Parental Engagement In Early Childhood On Academic Achievement In Adolescence, Alex Velez

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement and engagement have been used interchangeably in research regarding the academic outcomes of children. The current study assessed parental engagement and its relationship to academic achievement in adolescence. Specifically, the study looked at parental engagement with children aged 3 and its effects on academic achievement at age 15 in 1-parent and 2-parent homes. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to examine the effect of ethnicity on the relationship between parental engagement and academic achievement. Data were taken from participants (N = 3350) who were a part of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, a longitudinal dataset. Findings showed …

An Evaluation Of The Racer Academy Of Agriculture And Its Effectiveness, Caleb Brannon

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Through this thesis research study, an evaluation of the Racer Academy of Agriculture (RAA) is performed to get a better understanding of how well it is doing in several key areas. One of the focus areas for the RAA as well as most other dual credit programs includes allowing high school students to attain college credit through participation in a class that counts both towards high school and collegiate degree completion. Other key objectives for these programs include aiding in the recruitment of students to the participating university, preparing the students to succeed at a higher rate once becoming full-time …

Internships And Post-Graduation Employment, Camilla Kaye Mears

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Internships help prepare college students to be work-ready upon graduation while affecting primary stakeholders in the internship experience to include not only the college student but also the higher education institution (HEI) and employer. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between college internship participation and post-graduation employment. If a relationship existed, then does that conclude that internships should be mandatory at HEIs? This study utilized a historical dataset of the May 2018 graduating class from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. SPSS software was used to analyze two categorical variables of …

Kinetic Study And Mechanochemical Syntheses Of Α- And Β- Isomers Of Ditetradecyl 2,2'-Bipyridine-4,4'- Dicarboxylate Complexes Of Palladium And 1,3-Dimethyl Benzimidazolium Iodide, Alexandra Nicole Underwood Ms

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Mechanochemistry involves milling reagents to induce reactions and is considered a greener alternative to solution-based synthesis. This work will address the mechanochemical syntheses of the α- and β-isomers of ditetradecyl 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'- dicarboxylate complexes of palladium as well as the kinetics of these reactions. This work will also address the improved mechanochemical synthesis of 1,3-dimethyl benzimidazolium iodide as well as its kinetics.

The study of ditetradecyl 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylate complexes of palladium utilized ¹H NMR spectroscopy for kinetic analysis. The total reaction completion time for PdL^α14I₂ was 55 minutes while the total reaction completion time for PdL^{β14 …}

Properties And Applications Of Tetraalkylphosphonium Alkylsulfate Ionic Liquids And 3d Printed Polymerized Ionic Liquids, Mustafa Mohammed Alhussain

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Ionic liquids (ILs) are defined as pure salts with a melting temperature below 100 °C with a subset called room-temperature ILs (RTILs) with melting temperatures at or below room temperature. The sizes of the cation and anion play a critical role in determining the properties, with smaller ions forming stronger ionic forces and packing better, raising viscosity and lowering conductivity of the IL. At the same time, intermolecular forces such as van der Waals and hydrogen bonding can play a role in IL properties as well. Our research described herein is focused on three tetraalkylphosphonium-based cations coupled with three alkylsulfate …

Assessing A Mid-Sized University With He-Tpack, Randall Joyce

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation research project has the goal of looking at a mid-sized regional university and assessing the faculty in the college of education and human services to see how faculty members self-assess themselves with the higher education technological pedagogical and content knowledge (HE-TPACK) instrument while attempting to determine whether or not there is a difference between digital immigrant faculty and digital native faculty. The study also looks at the self-perception of what digital group faculty members think they belong in. The study examined (n=13) faculty members, including digital immigrants 9 and digital natives 4. According to the findings, there was …

The Concurrent Validity Of The Missouri Adaptive Ability Scale, Amber Pendergraft

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the concurrent validity of the Missouri Adaptive Ability Scale (MAAS), a new measure of independent functioning and learning, by correlating it with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales—Third Edition (VABS-III). Thirty participants (M = 11.0 years; SD = 4.1 years) were administered the MAAS and VABS-III. Kendall-Tau tests yielded moderate-to-strong correlations across all aspects of the MAAS, indicating good concurrent validity. The implications and limitations are discussed.

Letter From The Editor

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

No abstract provided.