Digital Commons Network^™

Evening Assurances, Paul Sznewajs

English Theses & Dissertations

The following is a collection of poems each of which in some fashion deals with knowledge or ideas that we, as creatures of habit, accept to be true. Each poem typically serves to challenge how and why we have become assured of these ideas. Others may simply note an exception, a kink in the proverbial armor if you will. The first section entitled "Myths" works to question several well known mythological or biblical stories that play somewhat prominent roles in contemporary belief systems. Others in the section serve to perhaps initiate myths of their own. The second section "Landscape" questions …

Understanding Juror Decisions: The Influence Of Other Jurors' Votes, Unanimous Versus Majority Decision Rule, And Juror Gender, La Donna Flanagan James

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Jury deliberations are secret and there is great curiosity, both among academics and the lay population, about what goes on inside the jury room. Prior research suggests that individuals are very susceptible to the social pressures of others and that this has important implications for decision-making among jury members. Research on jury decision-making also suggests the importance of the assigned decision rule and gender in jury deliberations and trial outcomes. This study used a fictional vignette clearly constructed to elicit a not guilty reaction. The impact of other jurors' votes, assigned decision rule (unanimous versus two-thirds majority), and juror gender …

The Influence Of Model Features On Goodness-Of-Fit Indices: Choosing Indices To Evaluate Your Model, Andrea E. Berndt

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to examine the performance of eight goodness-of-fit indices (i.e., the chi-square statistic, Comparative fit index, Critical N; Goodness-of-fit index, Normed fit index, Nonnormed fit index, Root mean square error of approximation, and Relative noncentrality index) used in structural equation applications. Study 1 consisted of (a) an empirical review in four journals (1986-1996) to determine the "typical" application, (b) a "recreation" of the goodness-of-fit indices from the published research, (c) a multiple regression analysis of the "recreated" indices to determine if values were predicted based on model and sample features, and (d) the development of a representative …

A Psychophysiological Assessment Of The Efficacy Of Event-Related Potentials And Electroencephalogram For Adaptive Task Allocation, Lawrence J. Prinzel Iii

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was designed to test the efficacy of using Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) for making task allocations decisions. Thirty-six participants were randomly assigned to an experimental, yoked, or control group condition. Under the experimental condition, a compensatory tracking task was switched between manual and automatic task modes based upon the participant's EEG. ERPs were also gathered to an auditory, oddball task. Participants in the yoked condition performed the same tasks under the exact sequence of task allocations that participants in the experimental group experienced. The control condition consisted of a random sequence of task allocations that …

A Study Of Child Abuse: Race Gender And Family Structure, Linda Wyatt Faircloth

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using 1989-1994 data collected from the Portsmouth Department of Social Services in Portsmouth, Virginia, this study looked at severity and recidivism of child abuse in Portsmouth from 1989-1994. Analyses of data from the Portsmouth Department of Social Services indicated that children living in single parent families are more likely to be severely abused than children living in two parent families but no differences were observed for race and age.

Why Do Not All Separatist Movements Aim For Secession? The Cases Of Chechnia And Tatarstan, Mesut Acar

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Which ethnic groups are more likely to secede is a debated question among scholars. One view, as proposed by Immanuel Wallerstein, holds that ethnic groups living in economically advanced regions are more likely to secede. In contrast, other scholars like Donald Horowitz claim that backward groups in backward regions are more likely to secede. One aim of this thesis is to explore which view has better explanatory power for two republics in the Russian Federation: the Republic of Chechnia and the Republic of Tatarstan. In 1992 they were the two most separatist regions in the Russia. Later they diverged, and …

Effects Of An Interview Guide On The Accuracy Of Ratings For Applicants With Disabilities, Catherine Quinn Greenwald Mergen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The problem of bias in the employment interview for applicants with disabilities was addressed with research to identify if a decision aid can increase the decision making accuracy of interviewers. A survey designed to allow participants to rate applicants with five disabilities for three jobs (with three essential functions listed for each job) was used to assess rating accuracy of two groups. Participants who received the decision aid in the form of a Guide to Interviewing People with Selected Disabilities were expected to have more rating accuracy than those participants without access to the Guide. Accuracy was assessed by comparing …

The Convenience Orientation Of Services Consumers: An Empirical Examination, Patricia Kramer Voli

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The growth of the convenience industry suggests that time-scarce consumers represent an important potential target market for firms that offer time and/or effort saving attributes in their product offerings. The research contained herein addresses a gap in the marketing literature by examining a proposed series of relationships involving household expenditures for "convenient services." These proposed relationships were captured in a "Conceptual Framework of Convenient Services Consumption" which synthesized the various existing theoretical conceptualizations relating to convenience consumption and the number of factors said to influence consumers' convenience orientation. Specifically, this study sought to profile the convenience oriented services consumer by …

Predicting Academic Success Of Entering Freshmen At An Urban University Through The Assessment Of Oral And Written Language Competency, Karen D. Cobbs

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

In Moores and Klas' (1989) definitive study on college student retention, postsecondary administrators ranked the maintenance of student enrollment second in importance on a list of twenty critical issues facing higher education. Of particular relevance to college administrators has been the retention and graduation of African-American college students (D. B. Hawkins, 1994; Western Reserve, 1991).

Researchers, in considering the overall problem of student attrition, particularly, among African-Americans, have explored such questions as these: Which students are dropping out (Sherman, Giles and Green, 1994; Robinson, 1992)? Why do they discontinue their studies (Austin, 1982; Bohr et al., 1995; Kraft, 1992; Tinto, …

Men Who Batter: Personality Variables, Relationship Variables, And Treatment Outcome, Lisa M. Petrica

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between the personality characteristics of male batterers and treatment outcome. It also examined a pattern of communication found in violent couples where the male pursues the female and the female withdraws in an argument. The study also compared alcohol use with treatment outcome.

Twenty-one men who attended a group psychoeducational treatment program for batterers completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). The men were divided into three groups based on their scores: non-pathological (normal profile), narcissistic/antisocial (elevated psychopathic deviate scale), and severely disordered (elevations on several scales). Pre and post-test measures were completed: Dyadic Adjustment …

Study Of Human Factors Variables In Battle Outcome Prediction Models, David Andrew Glovier

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Over time there have been many improvements in models that are used to predict the outcome of battles. Currently there is much supposition and speculation surrounding the use of human performance related factors as additional inputs to battle simulation models to improve their accuracy. However there is no conclusive scientific evidence which shows that these factors do make a significant difference. This study investigates the use of factors that may impact on the human performance directly or indirectly in battle prediction models. These factors consist of traditional human factors and external factors that may influence the human performance. The research …

Machiavellianism Achievement And Gender Roles, Kathleen M. Gibson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The focus of the current study was to find a relationship between Machiavellianism and achievement motivation. Gender, gender-role orientation, and college major were also introduced as variables. Two-hundred and forty university students majoring in either business or psychology completed various self-report measures. Results based on correlations and an analysis of variance produced the following results: Women of both majors had higher Machiavellian scores than males of both majors; business majors had a higher desire to work hard and were more competitive than psychology majors (especially males); scores on the Machiavellian scale positively correlated with competitiveness for females. For males, Machiavellianism …

Effects Of Chronic Cocaine Abuse On Verbal Learning And Memory, Elizabeth A. Kamin

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the existence and nature of verbal memory deficits in a group of chronic cocaine abusers. Functional impairment in a control group of recovering alcoholics was also examined. Participants were selected from groups of volunteers enrolled in various drug treatment programs at the Veterans' Hospital in Hampton, Virginia. All participants were at least 30 days abstinent at the time of testing. Twelve cocaine abusers with a mean use time of 10 years served as the experimental group. Ten alcoholics with a mean use time of 25 years served as the control group. Participants …

Collapsing The Philosophy/Rhetoric Disjunct: Nietzsche, Plato And The Perspectival Turn, Ned Vankevich

Institute for the Humanities Theses

Often overlooked within the standard views of academe lie hidden a number of tacit assumptions. Until the time of Nietzsche, the status of rhetoric as a discourse formation in Western intellectual history was often colored by the unflattering view generated by Plato in a number of his dialogues. In this thesis I present a case that revisits Plato and Nietzsche with an eye toward understanding the reasons why these two highly influential figures in contemporary philosophy adopt the views they advocate. In doing so, I attempt to illumine the reason Plato forms a fundamental split between philosophy and rhetoric and …

Factors Affecting Leadership Styles Of Prison Wardens: A Case Study Of Public Adult Prisons Within Virginia, Nancy Elizabeth Santiago

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study attempts to identify the leadership styles of Virginia prison wardens within public adult prisons, and to determine which factors contribute to the development of their leadership styles. The two instruments used in this study to assess leadership style were the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI, which measures "transformational" leadership), and the Leader Behavior Analysis II Self (LBAII Self, which measures "transactional" leadership). Both instruments have been used in prior research with correctional personnel, and comparisons of this research study is made with previous dissertations utilizing the LPI and LBAII.

Also developed for this study was a set of questions …

Racial Differences In Rape Myth Acceptance Among College Women, Lekeshia M. Washington

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the racial differences in rape myth acceptance among college women. There has been little research on the topic of rape which examines solely the opinions of women. Black and white college women {N=623) completed a survey which measured the degree of acceptance or rejection of false beliefs about rape, rape victims, or rapists. These false beliefs were termed rape myths. The myths demean the victim and support stereotypes about rape. Past research suggests that blacks accept rape myths more than whites, and that victims accept rape myths more than nonvictims. This study's analyses suggest that women as …

The United States And The Netherlands: A Study Of Early Cold War Cooperation, Michael R. Hirman

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the policy that the United States utilized between 1945 and 1950 to enlist Dutch support for post-war European organizations and the place of this relationship within United States overall Cold War policy. The Netherlands willingness to cooperate and further United States objectives significantly contributed to the development of economic reconstruction and military security in Western Europe. In addition the United States unprecedented vision for a multilateral defense treaty came to fruition in part through Dutch support and compliance. However, the Dutch also had to make some historic changes. The United States opposed the Dutch attempt to retake …

Electrocortical Output And Hemispheric Contributions To The Alert State During A Sustained Attention Task, Treven Curtis Pickett

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relative electrocortical contributions of specified cerebral locations and the potential motoric influence of handedness in a biocybernetic feedback environment. Thirty six right-handed subjects engaged in two sixteen minute trials of a compensatory tracking task by guiding (via a joystick) a circle over a stationary target presented on a computer screen, performing one trial with their preferred (right) and one using their non-preferred (left) hand.

For each subject, a Macintosh computer interpreted electrocortical activity through an engagement index (20*beta/(alpha+theta)) and changed the task mode, i.e. manual (subject guides the task) or automatic (computer guides the task) as …

A Needs Assessment For A Distance Education Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program For Associate Degree Level Dental Hygienist, Joan Gugino Ellison

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive research was to determine the need for a distance education program for geographically dispersed dental hygienists to complete a baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene. The sample consisted of randomly selected licensed dental hygienists in the Commonwealth of Virginia. A self-designed instrument, titled The Distance Education for a Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program Questionnaire, was mailed to the study participants after establishing validity and reliability. The questionnaire asked participants to provide information concerning personal demographics, educational background, and interest in completing a dental hygiene baccalaureate degree via distance education. Frequencies, percentages, crosstabulations, chi-square test …

The Influence Of An Early Childhood Program On The Academic Achievement, Attendance, And Attitudes Of Urban At-Risk Students, Daisy Mccray Murphy

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an early childhood preschool program on the achievement, attendance, and attitudes of at-risk students in an urban Southeastern school division in Virginia. The study compared two groups of Title I eligible four-year-olds, those who participated (n = 88) and those who did not non-participate (n = 54), in a preschool program. A review of the literature revealed that early intervention efforts have addressed the school success dilemma for at-risk students with varying degrees of effectiveness. Increased attention toward the implementation of developmentally appropriate learning environments have afforded at-risk students …

Creating A Canonical Scientific And Technical Information Classification System For Ncstrl+, Melissa E. Tiffany, Michael L. Nelson

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to describe the new subject classification system for the NCSTRL+ project. NCSTRL+ is a canonical digital library (DL) based on the Networked Computer Science Technical Report Library (NCSTRL). The current NCSTRL+ classification system uses the NASA Scientific and Technical (STI) subject classifications, which has a bias towards the aerospace, aeronautics, and engineering disciplines. Examination of other scientific and technical information classification systems showed similar discipline-centric weaknesses. Traditional, library-oriented classification systems represented all disciplines, but were too generalized to serve the needs of a scientific and technically oriented digital library. Lack of a suitable existing …

A Discovery-Oriented Process Study Of Enactment In Family Therapy: Development Of The Family Therapy Enactment Rating Scale, Elizabeth Ong-Mythuan Fong

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

With the effectiveness of psychotherapy now well-supported in both the individual and family literatures (Garfield & Bergin, 1994), we are entering an era where questions of how and why therapy works are of interest. More specifically, there has been support and encouragement by some researchers (Rice & Greenberg, 1984; Mahrer, 1988) for the use of discovery-oriented methodologies to explore clinical phenomena that have yet to be empirically validated. The following is a discovery-oriented study of enactment, a structural family therapy intervention. The theoretical goals of enactments, their relevance to clinical practice, as well as how they are actually implemented in …

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity, Self-Esteem, Emotional Well-Being And Depression Among Lakota/Dakota Sioux Adolescents, Susan M. Pittenger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Despite conceptual support linking ethnic identity and psychological adjustment among Native Americans, empirical research examining this relationship remains limited. In light of recent developments in the area of ethnic identity research, including alternative conceptual models, improved methodologies, and more sophisticated measures, this study examined the relationship between ethnic identity, self-esteem, emotional well-being, and depression among Native American reservation youth.

The relationship between the predictor variables of American Indian ethnic identity, White-American identity and bicultural identity, and the criterion measures of self-esteem, emotional well-being, and depression were examined for 137 Lakota/Dakota Sioux reservation youth. Participants completed surveys including the Multigroup Ethnic …

Thermodynamic Modeling And Analysis Of Human Stress Responses, Satish C. Boregowda

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A novel approach based on the second law of thermodynamics is developed to investigate the psychophysiology and quantify human stress level. Two types of stresses (thermal and mental) are examined. A Unified Stress Response Theory (USRT) is developed under the new proposed field of study called Engineering Psychophysiology. The USRT is used to investigate both thermal and mental stresses from a holistic (human body as a whole) and thermodynamic viewpoint. The original concepts and definitions are established as postulates which form the basis for thermodynamic approach to quantify human stress level. An Objective Thermal Stress Index (OTSI) is developed by …

Effectiveness Of Prevention Interventions With Youth At High Risk Of Drug Abuse, Richard F. Catalano, Kevin P. Haggerty, Randy R. Gainey, Marilyn J. Hoppe, Devon D. Brewer

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A recent report describes three types of prevention programs: universal, selected, and indicated (Institute of Medicine 1994). Universal prevention approaches are those that serve the entire population who share a general risk to the disorder without regard to specific risk status. Selected prevention approaches serve those whose precursors of problem behaviors are elevated but who have not yet manifested the problem behavior to be prevented. Indicated prevention approaches serve those who have initiated the problem behavior to be prevented but have not yet developed a serious or chronic behavior problem and do not warrant at that time a clinical diagnosis …

Municipal Involvement In International Relations, John Jack William Hilgers

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

The purpose of this study is to examine municipal involvement in international relations in the United States. This municipal phenomenon is occurring concurrently with both a shift away from the traditional nation-centric structure of international relations under the influence of globalism as well as a sharp decline in intergovernmental aid. The research questions were: (1) What are the indicators that define municipal involvement in international relations? and (2) What is the extent of that involvement?

Extensive qualitative and research was conducted in the form of an exploratory literature survey which was set forth in narrative analysis to overcome the paucity …

A Study To Determine The Effect Of The Rosemont Middle School Mentor/Mentee Program Of Norfolk Public Schools On The Scholastic Advancement, Attitudes, And Behavior Of The Fall 1997 Sixth, Seventh, And Eighth Grade Mentees, Janice Kaye Ahrens-Bella

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem of this study was to determine the effect of the Rosemont Middle School Mentor/Mentee program on scholastic advancement, attitudes and behavior of the Fall 1997 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade mentees.

A Study To Determine How Old Dominion University's Student Teachers Of Technology Education Appraised The Effectiveness Of Their Cooperating Teachers, Mark V. Crenshaw

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The objectives of this study were to explore the following questions: 1. What effect did the cooperating teacher have on the Technology Education teachers' success in their preparation for employment in the middle school and/or high school Technology Education program? 2. How did the Technology Education teachers perceive the student teacher/cooperating teacher relationship? 3. How did the cooperating teacher assist the student teacher to: apply technical content, select appropriate pedagogical practices, integrate technical content with instructional methods for delivery of satisfactory instruction.

A Study To Determine The Influence African-American Male Teachers Have On Improving Academic Success Among African-American Male 4th And 5th Grade Students At Jacox Elementary School, J. Frederick Braswell

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

In order to guide this study to determine the influence African-American male teachers have on improving academic success among African-American 4th and 5th grade students at Jacox Elementary School the following questions considered: 1. Do students at Jacox Elementary School perceive that there is a significant difference between African-American male students who have African-American male teachers? 2. Do African-American male students prefer teachers of the same ethnic group and gender? 3. Is there a significant difference between the number of African-American males suspended and placed in detention compared to the overall student body? 4. Does the number of African-American male …

A Study To Assess The United States Navy's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit Two Emergency Medical Technician Program, James P. Halstead

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Contributing goals are: 1. Determine if a difference in national curriculum standards has changed the scope of emergency medical training approved by certified EOD personnel; 2. Determine if a difference in national curriculum standards has changed the standard of emergency medical training approved by certified EOD personnel; 3. Identify the training strengths/weaknesses in the current EOD/EMT Program; 4. If any weaknesses are found, recommend for consideration a course of action for medical command personnel.