Digital Commons Network^™

Participation In Personal Training Services Among University Clientele, Ethan R. Crawford

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the reasons previous clientele chose to utilize personal training services at a University in the Midwest. The purpose of this study was to distinguish why individuals acquire a personal trainer, and if those reasons varied by sub-groups. This information can be used to better understand and market to people who may be potential clients for certified personal trainers. The primary research questions of this study are: (a) What are the most reported reasons for the hiring of a personal trainer? (b) Are there gender differences 9 among the variables examined? ( c) Is there any relationship between …

Comparison Of Life Experiences Of Men And Women In The Sciences, Tori Nicole Quist

Honors Program Theses

A lack of sense of belonging and stereotype threat have been shown to contribute to women leaving the sciences (Seymour, 1997; Beasley & Fischer, 2012; Deemer et al., 2013). Contributing to this is the fact that most women find affirmation externally (through friends, family and professors) for their life decisions (Seymour, 1997; Zeldin, 2000). A set of comparative studies in 2000 and 2008 were done examining factors affecting women’s and men’s choices of majors and careers (Zeldin, 2000 and Zeldin, 2008). These studies concluded that men relied on achievements in science as the source of their career decisions to enter …

Speech Inhibition With Utterance Length And Complexity, Meghan Opolka

Honors Program Theses

For many individuals, speech is a nearly automatic behavior which requires little in the way of thinking about each step in the process. In addition, speech is variable and flexible both across and within situations (Netsell, 1982). Despite the fact that this is true for many individuals, speech is an extremely complex motor behavior that requires many different systems and structures to be functioning with one another. These three major systems that must work efficiently and effortlessly include the articulatory/resonatory, phonatory, and respiratory systems. This interaction relies on the theory of motor equivalence; where the capacity of the motor control …

Next To Normal: A Costume Design Based In Psychological Research, Grace R. Kinser

Honors Program Theses

Throughout my life my two main interests have been theatre and people. When I came to UNI I found a way to pursue these interests through my education, with a psychology major and a theatre minor. I had the first idea for my thesis when I had the opportunity to take some upper level costume design classes alongside some of my upper level psychology courses, and I noticed how naturally the two areas of study fit together. As I began to choose my play, started to think about the psychological concepts in the shows I was reading, and progressed with …

The Feeling That You Are Where You Belong: A Qualitative Analysis Of College Music Groups And Student Success, Susan Elizabeth Johnson

Honors Program Theses

“We believe in the power of music to uplift, to inspire, and to help make the world a better place.” These words, from the mission statement of an all-men’s choir at a mid-sized Midwestern university, accurately reflect the attitude that many people have toward music. Music ensembles, both vocal and instrumental, often have a very profound impact on their members, emotionally, socially, and even academically. For college students in particular, these organizations can provide a social structure and support group that helps with the transition from high school to college and helps students deal with homesickness and the unfamiliarity of …

Examining Professional History As Context For Instructional Meaning, Kristie L. Beyer Campbell

Graduate Research Papers

In this self-study, I examine my practice through the use of a professional history, very much like the self-study research involving personal histories. In this context I used the narrative of my own professional history to examine my language and the meanings within my professional history to understand how I talk about my practice. It is through this examination that I attempt to answer the research question: How are my thinking and understanding about literacy teaching and learning represented in the language within my professional history? The text were analyzed using a constant comparative method (Dye, Schatz, Rosenberg, & Coleman, …

Why Don't They Read?, Cynde Duncan

Graduate Research Papers

Engaging all students in books and helping them develop the habit of reading is an important goal of every school librarian. In 2007 the National Endowments for the Arts compiled data in the report To Read or Not To Read that showed there was a decline in the frequency of leisure reading in students between the ages of nine and thirteen (NEA, 2007). The investigations in this study are in response to the findings of the National Endowments of the Arts (2007) report. In this study three research questions were investigated: (a) the differences in participating reluctant readers' total scores …

Using The Apprenticeship Model In A Library Setting, Jennifer Sloan

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Apprenticeship Model for the teaching of information literacy skills. The research questions for this study were: (a) Will at least 70% of the participating students increase their scores on specific TRAILS Assessment items related to using information responsibly and ethically? (b) What improvements will students make towards the understanding of the responsible and ethical use of information? and (c) What best practices can be gained from the application of the Apprenticeship model to information literacy instruction?

Eighty-eight percent of the 25 students studied made gains by at least …

Mastery Climate In Physical Education And The Connection To Technology, Brett Delaney

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this review is to investigate the efficacy of heart rate monitors and pedometers in a mastery climate setting in physical education class. Studies show that a mastery climate focuses on individual improvement which can lead to intrinsically regulated motivation in a physical education classroom. By creating a mastery climate you focus on individual learning, self-improvement, set optimally challenging task and effort, emphasize effort and progress using individual feedback, praise those who show improvement, and emphasize that making mistakes is part of the learning process. By incorporating personal technology devices such as pedometers and heart rate monitors, students …

Communiqué: College Of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine,Volume 3, Winter 2014, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts, And Sciences.

Communiqué: College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine

Contents:

-- Dean's Message
-- The Oldest Literary Magazine in the Country
-- Even the King Plays Jazz
-- Briefs: Humanities and Fine Arts
-- Inari and a Land Between Two Rivers
-- By the Light
-- The American Way of Eating
-- Kristallnacht: Threads of Memories
-- Finding a Voice
-- CHAS Applause
-- Transitions
-- News in Short
-- 3D Printer: Dimensional Opportunities
-- Americorps: Iowa Energy Efficiency
-- Yager Award
-- Salamanders, Snakes and Turtles, Oh My!
-- Titan: One Man's Search for Answers from a Moon
-- Plant, Grow, Harvest: UNI's Panther Plot
-- Briefs: Sciences …

The Update, January/February 2014, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue...

-- Name That! App
-- Department News
-- Name That! App
-- School of Music Events
-- UNI Students Write "The World of Kurt Vonnegut"
-- Just Ann: A Musical about the Life and Times of Former Texas Governor, Ann Richards
-- Interpreters Theatre Productions Schedule
-- Student Spotlight: School of Music: Claudia Restrepo:
-- UNI Women's & Gender Studies Presents: CROW Forum
-- Student Spotlight: Mathematics: Benjamin Castle
-- Featured Organization: Construction Management Club
-- Alicia Jessip Receives Diversity Matters Award
-- Coming Up at Theatre UNI: Mauritius & August: Osage County
-- Student Spotlight: Art: …

Activism And Offense : A Philosophical Analysis, Stef Mcgraw

Honors Program Theses

In the realm of interpersonal interactions, there are many pieces of conventional wisdom that dictate how most Americans ought to behave. One such example of this is that Americans ought to “do good” in the world. This could mean simply acting kindly to others, but more often it is meant as taking explicit action to promote positive change in the world. Another social norm is that Americans, particularly Iowans and other Midwesterners1 , ought to “avoid causing offense.” It is not difficult to see how these two norms sometimes collide, since positive change often entails the transformation of social norms …

Positional Plagiocephaly Among Tribal Societies And Contemporary Western Societies: A Comparison Of Treatments, Results, And Effects, Jacinda Rose Ruggles

Honors Program Theses

This study explores the two causes of positional plagiocephaly, or abnormal head shape in infants as well as effects and treatments. To do so, two groups were chosen for comparison: contemporary western societies and tribal Native American societies. In the first group, the medical condition known as positional plagiocephaly is considered before, during and after the Safe to Sleep campaign of the 1990’s. In the second group infant head flattening is discussed as a result of cradling practices and carrying techniques. The importance of this study is to contribute new insight into positional plagiocephaly and its treatments. The study combines …

Trauma-Informed Services And Trauma Awareness Among Staff On The College Campus, Tricia Wisniewski

Honors Program Theses

For college students to work through the effects of trauma and be able to live a more normalized life, the availability of effective trauma-informed services on campus environments is crucial. Therefore, I chose to investigate the availability of trauma-informed services to all students on the college campus. The purpose of this study is to examine the relatively unexplored area of trauma informed services in the context of college campus through survey methods at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). In particular, this study focuses on trauma-informed services and employees’ trauma awareness in four service units on the UNI campus: the …

Gender Differences In Pay Expectations At Three Career Stages, Elijah Rogeay Seay

Honors Program Theses

Major and Konar (1984) found a difference between genders in pay expectations, but no difference in the perceived fairness of expected pay. In my study, I evaluated pay expectation differences in gender at three career stages. In previous studies, researchers have only looked at what individuals earn at the beginning and peak of their careers. I specifically examined both men and women and asked them to indicate their expected pay at the beginning, middle and end of their careers. In this study the main effect for gender was significant such that males had higher pay expectations than females. In addition, …

Association Between Parenting Processes And Child Behavior Outcomes: The Moderating And Mediating Role Of Child Characteristics, Taylor Elizabeth Ann Goetzinger

Honors Program Theses

Past research demonstrates the importance parents have in determining the outcomes in their children’s lives. Of these outcomes, child academic achievement is extremely important. In investigating past research on parenting practices and styles, factors such as parental monitoring and involvement as well as styles of authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting were examined to determine an association with academic achievement in middle school children. Learning disabilities, mental disorders, child personality characteristics and child academic characteristics were other measures explored as buffers in the parenting to academic achievement relationship. Mediating effects were also examined. The current study sampled 179 middle school students …

Patient Preference For Physician Prayer In Medical Situations, Blaine Mahlon Schlawin

Honors Program Theses

As medical issues present themselves in an individual’s life, some may resort to religion and spirituality. Because health care providers care for the individual, these practitioners need to be aware of the connections that occur within the realm of spirituality and medicine. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of physician use of prayer during medical visits in a sample of adults. Specifically, four research questions were examined: Overall, do patients want their physicians praying for them? Overall, do patients prefer a certain type of physician prayer (i.e., active, silent or physician distant intercessory prayer)? Does …

How Multiracial People Manage Messages Of Stigma: A Qualitative Research Study, Audrey Scanton

Iowa Journal of Communication

Over nine million people identify as multiracial in the U.S. according to the 2010 Census, however, research dedicated to studying multiracial populations' experiences and communication is lacking. Multiracial individuals encounter unique situations because they are members of two or more social and cultural groups but are often perceived as belonging to one. It is imperative to study how mixed-race individuals respond to hurtful messages related to racial identity because profound implications for their physical, social, and emotional well-being result. A qualitative study was conducted to analyze how multiracial people communicatively respond to messages of stigma related to one's racial background …

Public Accounting Recruiting: Implications Of The Antecedents And Consequences Of Organizational Identity On Hiring, Ariana Marie Aquilani

Honors Program Theses

Unfortunately, the industry of public accounting has been plagued with a high turnover rate. Recent studies show that around fifteen percent of staff leave the industry each year with a large portion of these professionals only having spent between three and five years in the profession (Platt Consulting Group, 2013). This problem leads to a constant demand for new hires in public accounting firms, especially recent college graduates entering the job market. As a result, the recruiting process has become the primary way of attracting these new hires in order to continue to replace staff moving to new positions outside …

Video Modeling : Play Skills For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Via Peers, Ashley Ulin

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this small-scale inquiry project was to investigate the effects of peer modeling and video modeling as an instructional support for the development of social skills amongst the population of kindergarten students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in an inclusive setting. The participants in this project were seven Kindergarten students with ASD, and four regular education students in an inclusive setting. The teachers were three general education teachers as well as myself, the teacher of the modified autism program. The data collection included teacher observations, email communication, and video created by teachers and teaching assistants. This study proposes …

How To Reach Disengaged Adolescents In Physical Education: A Review Of Causes And Solutions To The Crisis In Physical Education, Sam Backstrom

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the current crisis of adolescent disengagement in physical education. Evidence suggests that current practices are not effectively engaging adolescent students in physical education classes, which may have negative consequences. This paper investigates 1 what factors are causing students to become disengaged with physical education. Environmental factors as well as classroom practices are examined to determine what is causing disengagement in students. When disengagement factors are discovered, solutions are offered on how best to engage students in the physical education environment. Solutions involving both practical applications for teachers as well as possible implications for broader school-based solutions are …

Affordances Of Flipped Learning And Its Effects On Student Engagement And Achievement, Jarod Bormann

Graduate Research Papers

When an increasing interest focuses on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom, it is important to understand how the concept of flipped learning shifts pedagogy. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review was to explore the effectiveness of a flipped classroom model on student engagement and achievement as well as the affordances of a flipped model vs. that of a traditional model. More than thirty peer-reviewed journal articles with a sound research methodology published within the last five years were critically analyzed and evaluated. The major findings reveal that flipped learning can afford students a more engaging environment that can …

Influencing Incoming Fourth Graders' Reading Habits Through A Summer Literature Circle: A Case Study, Brandy E. Bingman

Graduate Research Papers

Digital communications are profoundly influencing young adult communications; yet little is known about how novels that use digital communications such as text messages, e-mails, or blogs as the voice and point of view. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to analyze how select young adult novels portray digital communications themes using the following research questions: What digital communication themes are portrayed in young adult literature that use digital communication as the voice and point of view? In what ways are the digital communication themes developed in these young adult novels? In what ways might these themes inspire young …

The Effectiveness Of The Boys Town Educational Model As A School Wide Intervention, Natalie Hahn-Mauck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There are many school‐based programs available that claim to provide effective techniques to decrease disruptive behaviors and increase academic engagement. One widely used program is the Boys Town Education Model (BTEM). The problem with widespread use of BTEM is the lack of empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of the program as a systems wide intervention in general education settings. The purpose of this research proposal is to examine the effectiveness of BTEM in comparison to research‐based classroom management techniques, such as reinforcement and correction of behaviors, teaching classroom expectations, social skills instruction, and token economies. Six schools will be …

Swpbis, Behavior Patterns, And The Discipline Gap, Sean Christopher Austin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The goal of this study was to examine to what extent the discipline gap is present in a school implementing school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and to examine whether students of different ethnicities are reported disproportionately for different types of behavior. Eight years of reported problem behavior (RPB) data from one elementary school were collected and analyzed both descriptively and statistically. In order to reflect the population proportionately, the presence of the discipline gap was examined using the average number of RPBs per student per year by ethnicity. Results indicate that there was no statistically significant difference between …

Reducing Child Neglect In Linn County Iowa Utilizing The Public Health Model, Jennifer April Barnett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The issues that arise from child neglect cause a myriad of negative health outcomes. The objective of this thesis is to examine the use of the public health model as a preventive method in decreasing the incidence of child neglect. This study was conducted utilizing a survey that obtained information from 333 parents in Linn County, Iowa. The survey was created to gather social norms related to parenting. The survey gathered data on personal parenting practices and opinions of parenting practices of others within the community. Univariate and bivariate analysis were conducted to report demographics, frequencies in responses and the …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of A Professional Development Program For Secondary Physics Teachers, Meghan Reynolds

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

National studies have exposed a shortage of highly-qualified high school physics teachers, with over 25% of physics teaching vacancies in Iowa being very difficult to fill or unable to be filled. In an effort to improve the nation’s education system, there have been broad changes in the framework of what constitutes high-quality teaching which supports a trend away from traditional, lecture-based teaching methods and towards interactive, student-centered methods. This study analyzed the impact of a professional development program that aimed to prepare more high-quality high school physics teachers by building physics content knowledge through the use of reformed teaching techniques …

Instructors' Perceptions Of Their Own Effectiveness, Abdullah S. Al-Asmari

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of college instructors regarding the role of credibility and nonverbal immediacy in teacher’s effective behavior in the classroom. It seeks to understand instructors’ perceptions of the importance of nonverbal immediacy and its impact on their credibility. A qualitative method was used to examine the perceptions of instructors. A sample table and two graphs provide numeric indicators to illustrate the study’s results. Participants were selected based on a convenience sampling of twelve instructors from a communication department at a mid-sized Midwestern university. Although the sample is one of convenience, efforts were …

Effects Of A Short Term Mental Skills Training Program On Mental Toughness, Mitchell Edward Mleziva

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Context: Mental toughness is considered to be one of the most important psychosocial skills an athlete can attain to be successful in sports competition. Mental toughness has also been acknowledged as one of the most popular terms used in sport psychology and is the least understood. The majority of mental toughness research focuses on how mental toughness should be defined, is developed, and the key aspects of mental toughness. Minimal research has examined whether an athlete’s mental toughness can change or improve due to the use of a mental skills training program. Objective: To determine if mental toughness can change …

Do Offenders' Life Goals Reflect Locus Of Control And Personality Traits?, Luci L. Dumas

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

According to the Good Lives Model (Ward, 2002) it is imperative that offenders in rehabilitation recognize which life goals are important to them and how they can achieve a ‘good life.’ Including the evaluation of life goals in treatment can be beneficial not only for the individuals being treated but for the community into which they are transitioning. Seventy-six male, residential offenders were assessed on type and perception of life goals during semi-structured interviews. They also completed a personality inventory, locus of control scale, and self-esteem scale. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses for types of goals and perception of goals were …