Digital Commons Network^™

Moving Beyond Entry-Level Competencies: The Role Of The Recreation Management Internship In The Moral Development Of College Students, Patricia J. Craig

Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored aspects of the internship experience that are responsible for moral growth changes among undergraduates in a recreation management discipline. This study addressed four aims: (1) to investigate changes in interns' moral reasoning as determined by the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT-2) over the course of a 14-week internship experience, (2) to examine the relationship between interns' level of moral reasoning and performance during the internship experience, (3) to explore convergence and divergence between the theoretical patterns of NeoKohlbergian theory of moral development and the observed patterns of intern moral judgment and actions, and (4) to …

Social Science And Social Capital In The Lamprey River Watershed: A Resident Survey For Community And Environmental Planning And Predicting Support For Innovative Land Use, Mary Adamo Robertson

Doctoral Dissertations

The Lamprey River Watershed is an important part of the Great Bay Estuary in southeastern New Hampshire. The region has experienced population growth, sprawl development, increased vehicle miles traveled, increased levels of air and water pollution, loss of critical habitat, and loss of sense of community. The Lamprey River Watershed Resident Survey was designed to bring attention to environmental and community issues in order to engage residents in long range, innovative, and regional planning. The survey was distributed to approximately 3,000 households in one mailing during National Community Planning Month, October, 2007. The data from the 768 respondents provide baseline …

Comprehension Of Protagonists' Goals And Intentions: The Dynamic Relation Between Reading Skill, Text Characteristics, And Reading Strategies, Jennifer J. Stiegler

Doctoral Dissertations

Studies by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2009) indicate that the inability to comprehend text is one of the primary reasons students perform poorly in school Reading difficulties often persist into adulthood with 23% of U.S. adults only meeting basic reading proficiency levels (NCES, 2004). To address this problem, it is critical to identify the underlying cognitive processes that pose the greatest challenges to struggling readers. Recent research has explored basic skills (e.g., working memory capacity, suppression mechanisms, domain knowledge, and reading strategies) that have been shown to be essential for reading. To date it is unclear which …

"This Wilderness World": The Evolution Of A New England Farm Town, 1820--1840, Mary Babson Fuhrer

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation uses the extraordinary conflict that roiled one rural town in central Massachusetts during the second quarter of the nineteenth century as a lens through which to observe communal relationships in transition. Using the Amish as a model, the dissertation identifies traditional communal social organization as agrarian, patriarchal, communal, homogeneous, localistic, and consensual -- as well as closed, conformist, and suspicious of difference and innovation. The dissertation argues that conflict arose in Boylston during the 1820s and '30s as these traditional relationships gradually gave way to more modern ways of belonging, associating, and envisioning one's place in the wider …

Teaching, Activism, And The Purposes Of Education: Toward An Integrated Vision Of Teachers' Work, Carina E. Self

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider the political dimensions of teachers' work through a conceptual comparison to the work of social activists. The author developed a four-part analysis of the work of activists through a reading of the social movement literature and compared that analysis to the work of teachers according to four contemporary approaches to teachers' work (neo-conservative, caring, contemporary liberal, and critical theory). The result was an integrated vision of teachers' work that brings together teachers' daily practices and their educational commitments around four dimensions of teachers work: social critique, identity formation/negotiation, affiliation, and institutional change. …

Parent And Teacher Perceptions Of School Partnerships In New Hampshire Schools, Brenda J. Zarnowski

Doctoral Dissertations

This quantitative, descriptive study assessed parent and teacher perceptions of the extent to which exemplary school-family-community partnership practices were being implemented at elementary and secondary schools within the state of New Hampshire. The teacher and parent participants were organized into four paired groups and were asked to indicate the frequency with which activities, that exemplify Epstein's six types of school-family-community partnership practices, were utilized at their respective schools to determine whether significant differences exist among teachers' and parent's perceptions of partnership program implementation.

The sample for this study was drawn from forty two elementary and secondary public schools across the …

Human-Human Multi-Threaded Spoken Dialogs In The Presence Of Driving, Oleksandr Shyrokov

Doctoral Dissertations

The problem addressed in this research is that engineers looking for interface designs do not have enough data about the interaction between multi-threaded dialogs and manual-visual tasks. Our goal was to investigate this interaction. We proposed to analyze how humans handle multi-threaded dialogs while engaged in a manual-visual task. More specifically, we looked at the interaction between performance on two spoken tasks and driving. The novelty of this dissertation is in its focus on the intersection between a manual-visual task and a multi-threaded speech communication between two humans.

We proposed an experiment setup that is suitable for investigating multi-threaded spoken …

University Of New Hampshire R+30 Headcounts Of Majors By College And Gender Unh - Durham Degree Candidates Only Fall 2009, University Of New Hampshire. Institutional Research And Assessment

UNH Factbooks

University of New Hampshire factbook data from the 2009-2010 academic year

University Of New Hampshire Graduate School Catalog, 2010-2011, University Of New Hampshire

Graduate Catalog

No abstract provided.

University Of New Hampshire R+30 Headcounts Of Majors By College And Gender Unh - Durham Degree Candidates Only Spring 2010, University Of New Hampshire. Institutional Research And Assessment

UNH Factbooks

University of New Hampshire factbook data from the 2009-2010 academic year

Annual Report Of The Town Of Enfield, New Hampshire Year Ending December 31, 2009., Enfield Town Representatives

Enfield, NH Annual Reports

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

University Of New Hampshire R+30 Headcounts Of Majors By College And Gender Unh - Manchester Degree Candidates Only Fall 2009, University Of New Hampshire. Institutional Research And Assessment

UNH Factbooks

University of New Hampshire factbook data from the 2009-2010 academic year

Bachelor Degree Completions By College, 2000-2009, University Of New Hampshire. Institutional Research And Assessment

UNH Factbooks

University of New Hampshire factbook data from the 2009-2010 academic year

Residential Solar Hot Water: Determinants Of Demand In New Hampshire, Mary A. Downes

Master's Theses and Capstones

As New Hampshire pursues public policy goals embedded in the Renewable Portfolio Standard, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Climate Action Plan, and other legislation and documentation, many advocates and policy makers are looking for reductions in fossil fuel use in the residential sector. This paper analyzes the results of a survey of New Hampshire residents undertaken in the autumn of 2009 regarding attitudes toward energy policy, and willingness to invest in renewable energy. Regarding residential solar hot water, the survey finds that the price at which half of New Hampshire homeowners would consider purchasing such a system is $5536. …

An Evaluation Of Habitat Models For The Common Loon (Gavia Immer), Alexis M. Rudko

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) has been collecting field data for the common loon (Gavia immer) in New Hampshire for thirty-six years. A habitat model for lakes throughout New Hampshire was created by Dr. Mark Brennan for the time period 1980--2002. This project re-evaluates Brennan's habitat model using new data from 2003--2008. Two additional models, one with all lakes and another with the three largest lakes excluded, were created and compared to Brennan's model to see if the overall accuracy improved. These models show which lakes have high and low potential for loon habitat. The results of the re-evaluation of …

Meaningful Measurement: Is Fluency A Valid And Reliable Measure Of Reading Progress For Struggling Adolescent Readers? Examining The Efficacy Of Pearson's Aimsweb For Struggling Adolescent Readers, Elizabeth A. York

Master's Theses and Capstones

A growing body of research draws into question the validity and reliability of measurements of fluency as indicators of literacy growth for older, struggling readers (Paris, Carpenter, Paris and Hamilton, 2005; Scammacca, Roberts, Vaughn, Edwards & Torgesen, 2007; Yovanoff, Duesbery, Alonzo & Tindal, 2005). Nevertheless, many high schools utilize such measures. This study examines the validity and reliability of Pearson's AIMSweb as a tool for assessing the literacy development of 17 9th grade students with special education identifications. Evidence from this study draws into question the reliability and validity of AIMSweb measures for this population. Additional research with a larger …

What Is The Glue That Holds Work And Family Life Together? Perceptions Of Work And Family Balance Among Working New Hampshire Parents, Sabrina C. Harris

Master's Theses and Capstones

Using a mixed methods research approach, the current study used data gathered from the Survey of New Hampshire Working Families to assess participants' perceptions of work and family balance. As part of the survey, parents were asked to report the one thing, the glue, that holds work and family life together. Participant responses were analyzed qualitatively using content analysis. As a result, seven glue themes emerged: 1) partner support, 2) work flexibility, 3) support of family, 4) personal strengths, 5) children, 6) income, and 7) religion. Additional research questions were created with the hope of revealing demographic trends among specific …

Is A Communication Event Stressful For Individuals With Expressive Aphasia?, Emily E. Warner

Master's Theses and Capstones

Objective. This study presents an effort to understand both stress perception and physiologic responses related to expressive communication in individuals with expressive aphasia, acquired as the result of a stroke.

Method. Eight individuals with aphasia and five age-matched, healthy controls participated in a public communication task. Salivary cortisol and perception of stress and mood was measured on one day at home as well as during the ordering task.

Results. A significant difference between groups was found in diurnal cortisol levels in the evening, as well as a non-significant trend in the afternoon measure. Individuals in the aphasia group perceived higher …

The Influence Of The Coach-Athlete Relationship On Coaching Efficacy, Anna Magle

Master's Theses and Capstones

Bandura's (1997) theory of self-efficacy which was extended by Feltz et al. (1999) models of coaching efficacy provided framework for examining the relationship between coaching-efficacy and the coach athlete relationship. This study examined the relationship between NCAA head coaches' coaching efficacy and their coach-athlete relationship. NCAA coaches (N=632) completed the Coaching Efficacy Scale (CES), and the Coach Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q). A canonical correlation between the subscales of the CES and the subscales of the CART-Q revealed that the subscales of coach-athlete relationship contributed significantly to the explanation of coaching efficacy. MANOVAs revealed significant differences in both CES as well …

The Experience Of Co-Instructing On Extended Wilderness Trips, Franklin Vernon

Master's Theses and Capstones

Adventure education organizations use co-instruction as the dominant mode of staffing programs, largely for issues related to risk mitigation. Despite, or perhaps because of, the everyday nature of this common staffing arrangement, little attention has been paid to it. Moreover, a review of relevant literature on co-leadership from the human services, traditional education, and adventure education fields revealed little clear consensus regarding the nature of the co-instruction experience. This phenomenological study inquired into the experience of co-instructors through in-depth qualitative interviews, which were transcribed and inductively analyzed for emergent themes. Co-instructing, at its essence, emerged as a negotiated relationship between …

The Impact Of Sensory Stimuli On The Stress Response Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Noelle Schreiber

Master's Theses and Capstones

This is a multiple subject research study looking at children with ASD (N=8) and a control group (N=6). We looked at cortisol samples along with behavioral observations on a sensory probe and short sensory profile scores to determine differences among the groups. All children showed a change in cortisol over the course of the day however, there was no difference seen in patterns by group. There was a high likelihood based on statistical analysis that children with ASD respond negatively to at least five out of the eight sensory probe items. Short sensory profile scores also showed that there was …

Sophisticated Credulity: Are Old Beliefs Disguised By New Terminology And Selective Learning?, Matthew A. Ramsey

Doctoral Dissertations

The present research attempted to distinguish between traditional anomalistic belief (TAP) and pseudoscientific anomalistic belief (PSAP). In Study 1, I constructed the PSAP scale and then, to establish construct validity, examined its correlation to other measures related to TAP. In Studies 2 and 3, I examined how high and low TAP and PSAP believers differed in recalling information that either did, or did not support the existence of anomalistic phenomena. Participants read 12 abstracts on paranormal phenomena and were given T/F recall questions either immediately (Study 2) or following a four day delay period (Study 3). As expected, high and …

Socially Prescribed Perfectionism And Limerence In Interpersonal Relationships, Robin M. Banker

Master's Theses and Capstones

Socially prescribed perfectionism, in which one perceives that others have unrealistic expectations for them, appears to have a strong correlation to maladaptive characteristics and interpersonal problems. Another concept with maladaptive features and relational difficulties is an unhealthy form of obsessional love, known as limerence. Limerence is defined as an involuntary cognitive and emotional state of intense romantic desire for another individual. The aim of this thesis is to examine the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and limerence. It is hypothesized that an association exists between socially prescribed perfectionism and limerence, specifically in intimate relationships. A theoretical comparison supported the hypothesis, …

Gender Bias In The Legal Field: Experiences Of Female Attorneys And Law Students, Jessie L. French

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study examines the experiences of female attorneys and law students with respect to gender bias. Contemporary evaluations indicate that while women comprise approximately 50% of the job force, they are significantly underrepresented in management positions and continue to be paid less than men; this is especially true in the legal field. Thirty-five in-depth interviews were conducted, 25 with women who had obtained a juris doctorate and 10 with female law students. Women discussed their experiences in the legal field relative to law school, expectations for their careers, media influences, gender discrimination and harassment. Qualitative analysis revealed that pregnancy was …

Psychiatric Status, Self Control And Violence: Application Of The General Theory Of Crime, Feodor A. Gostjev

Master's Theses and Capstones

Previous studies have suggested that psychiatric patients are more likely to be violent then the individuals in the general population. This thesis uses data collected in MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study to compare violent behaviors perpetrated by psychiatric patients in 10 weeks after their release from a psychiatric hospital and by subjects living in a similar community setting. Furthermore, Gottfredson and Hirschis's (1990) self control theory is applied to examine etiological causes of violence. The outcomes suggest that psychiatric patients were more likely to be violent during the study period than the community control subjects. The difference in violence rates …

Unconventional Mental Health Treatment: Reexamining The Racial Disparity In Treatment Seeking Behavior, Meghan L. Mills

Master's Theses and Capstones

Using 2005-2007 pooled data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), this thesis examines how race affects the type of mental health treatment ught by adults. This research examines whether a more inclusive definition of mental health treatment that incorporates unconventional mental health treatment may partially account for this disparity in treatment seeking behavior. Specifically, by including and differentiating between "formal" and "informal" complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as types of unconventional mental health treatment, it was hypothesized that the greater use of "informal" CAM (i.e. seeking help from a religious or spiritual advisor or friend or …

Strafford County 2009 Annual Report Of The Commissioners, Treasurer, Other County Officers And The Strafford County Delegation Strafford County, New Hampshire For The Year Ending December 31, 2009., 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.

Investigating Pheromone Variability In A Terrestrial Woodland Salamander, Adam James Chowinard

Master's Theses and Capstones

The communication system of Plethodontid salamanders relies heavily upon chemical signaling. Pheromone molecules convey a tremendous amount of information to conspecifics, and facilitate a wide variety of the essential social functions of these animals. Much of the information contained within the pheromone mixture is variable from one individual to the next, such as the ability to recognize specific individuals, the size of the sender, and the relative "quality' of the signal. In order for variable information to be conveyed through chemical signals, the corresponding variability must be contained within the pheromone mixture itself. This variability may exist as a gradient …

Evaluating The Impact Of Outdoor Orientation On Incoming Students' Perceptions Of Social Norms About Alcohol Use On Campus, Benjamin George Oliver

Master's Theses and Capstones

Alcohol issues are a concern of colleges and universities (National Institutes of Health, 2008). This study assessed the effects of an outdoor orientation program on the alcohol use and perceptions of program participants. Specifically, 30 outdoor orientation leaders participated in a three-hour training based on the social norms approach (Berkowitz, 2005). A repeated-measures, quasi-experimental design was used to collect data on incoming students' own use and approval of alcohol, and their perceptions of other students' use and approval. Results indicated that untrained leaders were "carriers of the misperception" of permissive alcohol use (Perkins, 1997) negatively effecting incoming students perceptions. Trained …

Oral Language Milestone Acquisition In Children Adopted From China, Hannah Harwood

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study contains language milestone acquisition information for 14 children adopted from China between 8 and 12 months of age. A retrospective questionnaire was utilized to gain information regarding the specific ages at which these adoptees demonstrated an understanding of English along with the ages where they demonstrated proficient usage of English. Parent responses indicated that these adoptees developed English language milestones comparable to their monolingual peers, for both age of acquisition and order of acquisition. This research adds to the literature on what may be expected regarding language development in children adopted from China prior to one year of …