Digital Commons Network^™

Writing Assessment's "Debilitating Inheritance": Behaviorism's Dismissal Of Experience, Maja Joiwind Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations

In this project, I examine the legacy of behaviorism's dismissal of experience on contemporary writing assessment theory and practice within the field of composition studies. I use an archival study of John B. Watson's letters to Robert Mearns Yerkes to establish behaviorism's systematic denial of experience and its related constructs: mind, consciousness, thought, emotions, purpose, and meaning. I trace this denial through the efficiency movement's effects on education and educational measurement in the early 20th century and the establishment of the behaviorist infrastructure of assessment---an infrastructure that contributed; paradoxically, to the early focus in composition studies on experience. I analyze …

A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Effect Of Disability Type And Emotional/Behavior Problems On Different Forms Of Maltreatment Across Childhood, Jennifer A. Vanderminden

Doctoral Dissertations

Children are among the most vulnerable people in our population, especially those with disabilities, emotional and behavioral problems (EBP), and those who experience maltreatment. This dissertation increases our understanding of the complex relationships between disability, internalizing symptoms (IS), externalizing symptoms (ES), and maltreatment across developmental stages. Previous literature suggests that children with disabilities (CWD) are at a heightened risk for maltreatment (Spencer, Devereux, Wallace, Sundrum, Shenoy, Bacchus, and Logan 2005 ; Sullivan and Knutson 2000). Yet, recently the Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4) has challenged the notion that CWD are at increased risk, showing that …

Peer Mediation In Massachusetts Public Middle & High Schools: Perceptions Of Educators, Eve I. Noss

Doctoral Dissertations

While many studies related to school violence and its prevention have focused on the perceptions of elementary students and counselors, there is a dearth of research studies that focus on the perceptions of administrators and teachers. This study examines Massachusetts public middle and high school principals, assistant principals, and teachers (n=135), from 30 schools, perceptions of their peer mediation program's impact on student conflicts. Comparisons between administrators and between levels of schools were conducted to provide a finer grain for the analysis.

Methodology: The method of data collection is a mixed, hybrid methodology of 41 quantitative (closed-end) and quasi-quantitative (open-ended) …

Investigating Priming, Inhibition, And Individual Differences In Visual Attention, Jennifer Lechak

Doctoral Dissertations

While much has been explored within the attentional control literature, questions still exist as to how attentional processing is modulated, and how different types of visual search paradigms can elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in successful visual search. Throughout this dissertation, I will focus on the multifaceted aspects that come with the study of visual attention. After discussing visual attention I explore priming of pop out along two different dimensions. Specifically, using a rapid serial visual presentation design, I demonstrate that temporal and spatial priming interact along a similar mechanism. This result adds to the priming literature by demonstrating simultaneous …

Enhancing Memory Access For Less-Skilled Readers, Emily R. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

Ericcson and Kintch (1995) suggested that less-skilled readers often have an impoverished representation of text. The results of five experiments demonstrated that the addition of causality enhanced the text representation of less-skilled readers. Experiments 1-3 showed that the addition of causal information enhanced less-skilled readers' ability to detect global inconsistencies. Experiments 4 and 5 showed that the addition of causal information to updating information resulted in less-skilled readers updating to the same extent as skilled readers.

What Do Students Do In Self-Formed Mathematics Study Groups?, Gillian E. Galle

Doctoral Dissertations

An implicit assumption of many university classes is that students will spend a large amount of time outside the classroom refining their understanding of the material to develop mastery of the concepts. This is especially true in first year mathematics courses at the undergraduate level. However, little is known about what students do to fulfill this didactical contract with their instructors. The currently available research relies primarily on self-reported data from the students collected through questionnaires or interviews. This study sought to start describing what students do while studying mathematics in a self-created group outside of the classroom setting through …

Essays On Valuing Non-Market Goods In Imperfectly Competitive Markets, Laura Beaudin

Doctoral Dissertations

Debates on climate change have conceded to most parties acknowledging the existence of negative impacts of changing weather patterns. However, these impacts have not fully been assessed. One way which changing climates can negatively impact an economy is by changing the market structures of its most influential industries; making these markets more imperfectly competitive and taking value away from consumers. This dissertation draws on this fact and suggests accurate ways to both identify and quantify the costs of climate change.

In the first chapter of this dissertation, the ski industry is used as a case study. A unique data set …

Impressions Of College Intructors: Stability And Change In Student Ratings, Kari L. Dudley

Doctoral Dissertations

Although the topic of stability and change in classroom impressions research is not new, there remain unanswered questions about what impressions are stable, when they are likely to change, and for whom they are likely to change over the course of a semester. My research will begin to answer those questions.

My research took place in four college classroom studies and assessed students' impressions of their instructor's teaching effectiveness and personal qualities 1) after the first day of class, 2) before and following at least one exam, and 3) at the end of the semester. My results supported previous findings …

Aspects Of Holography In Lorentz-Violating Gravity, Jishnu Bhattacharyya

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of black hole thermodynamics has provided deep insights into the nature of quantum gravity. In particular, it is almost universally accepted nowadays that 'quantum gravity is holographic', so that the maximum amount of information allowed in a given region of spacetime is proportional to the area of the boundary rather than the volume of the region. This is against the conventional notion of extensivity of information (entropy), but in accord with Bekenstein's proposal on the proportionality of black hole entropy to its event horizon area. Due to the very definition of black holes, however, conventional black hole thermodynamics …

Movements, Dive Behavior And Trophic Ecology Of Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys Coriacea) In The Northwest Atlantic, Kara Dodge

Doctoral Dissertations

The endangered leatherback turtle is a highly migratory predator that feeds exclusively on gelatinous zooplankton. Leatherbacks spend most of their lives submerged or offshore, and their at-sea biology (particularly that of males and sub-adults) is poorly understood throughout much of their range. I used satellite telemetry to monitor movements and dive behavior of nine adult and eleven sub-adult leatherbacks captured off Massachusetts, USA, and tracked throughout the NW Atlantic. Leatherback movements and environmental associations varied by oceanographic region, with slow, sinuous, area-restricted search behavior and shorter, shallower dives occurring in cool, productive, shallow shelf habitat at temperate latitudes. Leatherbacks were …

The Multifaceted Nature Of Mathematics Knowledge For Teaching: Understanding The Use Of Teachers' Specialized Content Knowledge And The Role Of Teachers' Beliefs From A Practice-Based Perspective, Lauren E. Provost

Doctoral Dissertations

This work investigates middle school teachers' mathematics knowledge for teaching (MKT) as defined by Hill (2007). Within this two-part dissertation, the level of MKT was considered as well as the role of teacher beliefs in actual specialized content knowledge (SCK) use, a specific type of mathematics knowledge for teaching vital in quality mathematics instruction. Additionally, the model of MKT knowledge was explored through confirmatory factor analysis on a large, national dataset of middle school mathematics teacher survey responses involving mathematics knowledge for teaching. SCK was found to be vital in quality mathematics instruction yet not sufficient. Teacher beliefs about the …

Examining Social Climate And Youth Social Goals On Extended Wilderness Courses: A Path Toward Improving Participant Experiences, Benjamin J. Mirkin

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examined participants' expectations of the social climate on extended wilderness courses, how students' actually experienced the social climate during their course, and how these expectations, perceptions and the influence of environmental characteristics, impacted their goals for peer interactions. Pre and posttest surveys were used to assess students' expectations and perceptions of their experience and multi level modeling was used to better understand the relationship of social climate to peer interaction. The research was undertaken to improve the practical and theoretical understanding of organizations' and leaders' ability to facilitate a social climate that promotes adaptive forms of social motivation. …

Town Of Grantham, New Hampshire 2012 Annual Report., Grantham Town Representatives

Grantham, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Preaching Unbelief: Freethought In Boston, 1825--1850, James Rogers

Master's Theses and Capstones

Freethinkers in the early nineteenth century embarked upon unprecedented organizational efforts in a period characterized by evangelical religious awakenings. In the face of almost pervasive discrimination, unbelievers conspicuously appropriated the recruitment and publicity methods of Christian organizations. Radical developments in print technology resulted in the publication of atheistic books and periodicals, none of which survived longer than the Boston Investigator. Its editor, Abner Kneeland, further disseminated antitheistic thought through oratorical performances and by engaging with contemporary social issues. More than this, unbelievers unashamedly copied specific religious practices: they sang rational hymns celebrating "truth" and science, and individual freethinking intellectuals gave …

Family Attachment, Family Conflict, And Delinquency In A Sample Of Rural Youth, Susannah Perron

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis applies tenets of strain theory and social control theory to explore the influences that family attachment and family conflict may have on juvenile delinquency and substance use. This thesis examines the effect of one type of strain, family conflict, and family attachment, one of the key bonds described in control theory, on juvenile's propensity to commit delinquent acts or use substances. In addition, this thesis explores possible gender differences in the way that these family variables impact risk for delinquency and substance use. This thesis includes a rural sample of two groups of adolescents (8th and 12th grade), …

Masculinity And Sexual Violence: Comparison Between Japan And The United States, Kei Saito

Master's Theses and Capstones

Japan has received considerable attention in the field of criminology in its unique features, such as its low crime rate. Available research seems to suggest that the Japanese rate of sexual violence, like other crimes, is equally lower compared to the United States. The present study examines the potential influence of gender construction on sexual violence, building upon previous research on the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression by Malamuth and his colleagues. Data from the General Social Survey in the United States and Japan were used to compare elements that relate to gender roles, gender identity, and sexual behavior to …

Prosecution Dilemmas And Challenges For Child Pornography Crimes: Thethird National Juvenile Onlinevictimization Study (Njov‐3), Wendy A. Walsh, Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor

Crimes Against Children Research Center

Abstract

Results from the National Juvenile Online Victimization (N‐ JOV) Prosecutor Study indicate that prosecutors use a mix of strategies to handle defendants who possess large amounts of child pornography (CP). Prosecutors reported difficulties with computer forensics and the police investigation, but not so much with defense strategies. One‐quarter of prosecutors who dealt with CP cases had one that went in front of a jury in the past 2 years. Nearly half of prosecutors would like clearer guidelines about the types of CP cases accepted for federal prosecution.

Understanding Spawning Behavior And Habitat Use By Anadromous Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus Mordax) Using Passive Integrated Transponder Systems And Telemetry, Claire L. Enterline

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) are anadromous fish that spawn in coastal streams and rivers and provide an important prey base to many marine predators. Populations range-wide have experienced severe decline possibly due to habitat degradation and loss of spawning habitat. This study quantified within-season repeat spawning behavior by rainbow smelt at two spawning sites in the Gulf of Maine, and described movements and habitat use during and following the spawning season in the Great Bay and Piscataqua River estuary complex in New Hampshire. Repeat spawning behavior was found to be a predominantly male behavior, consistent with past studies. …

Strafford County 2012 Annual Report Of The Commissioners, Treasurer, Other County Officers And The Strafford County Delegation Strafford County, New Hampshire For The Year Ending December 31, 2012., Stafford County Representatives

Strafford County, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a county in the state of New Hampshire.

The Role Of Parental Self-Efficacy: The Voices Of Mothers With Low-Income Navigating Supports, Services, And Obstacles, Sarah M. Bond

Master's Theses and Capstones

Through semi-structured interviews, the current study examined the role of parental self-efficacy as mothers with low-income navigated challenging contexts and experiences while receiving formal and informal supports. Mothers shared their unique experiences, which provided insight into their lives and how contextual variables influenced parental self-efficacy. As a result of this study, four themes emerged: 1) the function of mental health, 2) sense of community, 3) stability, and 4) the perceptions of child development and growth. Findings indicated that a sense of stability mediated contextual challenges and increased parental self-efficacy, identified that informal and formal supports contribute to both high and …

Trans Women And Aging: A Qualitative Study, Martha B. Leighton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Data from interviews with 11 transgender women ages 55 to 77 were used to examine the experiences of gender-diverse individuals throughout the lifespan. Specifically, qualitative methods were used to examine how participants had experienced discrimination, developed strengths and resiliencies as a response to discrimination, and employed strategies predicted by Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources Theory. Focused coding of the data revealed significant and pervasive discrimination in multiple settings and throughout the participants' lives. The data also, however, revealed a wide range of strengths and resiliencies and indicated that participants employed a variety of strategies that allowed them to amass, maintain, and …

Protecting The Sanctity Of Human Life: The Catholic Church & Her Relationship With Hiv/Aids Prevention, Emma Joanne Burke

Master's Theses and Capstones

Though prevention is the most stressed component of the global fight against HIV/AIDS, global agreement regarding the most successful prevention method does not exist. For example, the majority of the medical and scientific community agrees that condoms and other safe-sex practices are the key to reducing the number of HIV transmissions, while the Catholic Church and her ranking officials claim that abstinence and monogamy are the only moral solutions.

This Thesis examines the policies of the Church, including her dedication to the protection of the sanctity of human life, in an attempt to determine if the Church's words are shaping …

The Association Between Sexual Orientation And Labor Market Outcomes, Justine A. Bulgar-Medina

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this research is to begin to describe various aspects of interactions with the labor market (e.g. employment status, individual income, household income) based on sexual orientation, using nationally representative data from the General Social Survey. Much of the previous research suggests that any observed differences can be attributed to employee choice of occupation or other voluntary aspects of employment. Furthermore, previous research has found wage premiums for gay women and penalties for gay men, with sexual orientation, not gender, as the lead cause. Based on this current data, I assert that any observed difference is an artifact …

Socioeconomic Status, Mastery, And Goal-Striving Stress Among Rural Youth, Michael S. Staunton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Although a growing body of research documents the links between goal-striving stress and emotional disorder, less research examines the psychosocial antecedents of goal-striving stress. Drawing on longitudinal survey data from a panel study of rural youth, this thesis examines the effects of socioeconomic status and mastery on educational goal-striving stress, occupational goal-striving stress, and combined goal-striving stress. Results indicate that each measure of goal-striving stress is not equally well predicted by socioeconomic status and mastery. Notably, the effects of socioeconomic status on occupational goal-striving stress and combined goal-striving stress are conditioned by mastery, while neither socioeconomic status nor mastery is …

Run For Your Life: Spectacle Primaries And The Success Of 'Failed' Primary Candidates, Sean Patrick Mckinley

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis qualitatively examines the personal career outcomes of major presidential primary candidates from 1976-2008. It argues that the primary process fundamentally changed with the introduction of reform in the 1970s. It has continued to evolve into the "spectacle primary," a system whereby mere participation, not necessarily electoral success, can convey manifold benefits to subsequent careers in the public or private sectors. It also finds far less risk in primary participation than conventional wisdom might assume. Therefore, this thesis holds that prospective candidates when weighing a presidential primary bid, should consider these ulterior benefits beyond electoral success and all else …

The Personal, Political, And The Virtual? Redefining Female Success And Empowerment In A Post-Feminist Landscape, Linda Elizabeth Chardon

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Assessing Treatment Integrity: A Case Example, Anat Zeira, Betty Blythe, Anita Reithoffer Tucker

Faculty Publications

This paper presents an example of assessing treatment integrity as part of an experimental study of home-based, intensive family preservation services (IFPS). Participants were 103 IFPS workers and 24 state public child welfare agency workers (FC). The structured, self-report questionnaire included questions about specific components of the services, as well as the characteristics of the family and the workers themselves. Findings suggest that IFPS workers delivered services according to the treatment model guidelines. The procedure yielded a good estimate of whether the structural components of treatment were delivered according to the model as delineated in the treatment manual. The paper …

The Stories Behind The Photos, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

The New Hampshire, Vol. 102 [103], No. 18 (Nov. 9, 2012), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 102, but it is the 103rd volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

Have Sexual Abuse And Physicalabuse Declined Since The 1990s?, David Finkelhor, Lisa M. Jones

Crimes Against Children Research Center

This bulletin summarizes statistics on trends for sexual and physical abuse. A decline in sexual abuse since the early 1990s is a conclusion supported by 3 independent sources of agency data and 4 separate large victim surveys. The trend for physical abuse is less clear, since several of the data sources show conflicting patterns.