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The Relation Between Patterns Of Beliefs About Fighting And Social Information-Processing: Differences In Cognitions, Goals, And The Response-Decision Process In Adolescents, Denicia Titchner Jul 2013

The Relation Between Patterns Of Beliefs About Fighting And Social Information-Processing: Differences In Cognitions, Goals, And The Response-Decision Process In Adolescents, Denicia Titchner

Theses and Dissertations

Beliefs about aggression play a key role in how youth interpret and respond to social situations and are related to aggressive behavior. Adolescents may report beliefs supporting aggression and engage in aggression due to reinforcement within their environment, rather than due to maladaptive social information-processing (SIP) biases. The purpose of this study was to examine adolescents’ patterns of beliefs about aggression and how these patterns relate to SIP. This study used latent class analysis (LCA), the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations paradigm, and a Problem Solving Interview to examine differences in SIP between adolescents with varying patterns of beliefs about …

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Interactive Empathy And Leader Effectiveness: An Evaluation Of How Sensing Emotion And Responding With Empathy Influence Corporate Leader Effectiveness, Gerald Burch Jul 2013

Interactive Empathy And Leader Effectiveness: An Evaluation Of How Sensing Emotion And Responding With Empathy Influence Corporate Leader Effectiveness, Gerald Burch

Theses and Dissertations

Empathy has been shown to be a very powerful social and work ability. This study surveyed 754 employees of a privately held eastern United States company, and incorporated annual performance evaluations to empirically link interactive empathy to leader performance of 102 leaders. Data was collected from the leader’s followers, peers, and supervisors and from self-report personality evaluations. The results of this study show that leaders that are willing to engage their followers with empathic displays are seen as better leaders from their supervisors and have more engaged employees. Other contributions of this study include validation of the interactive empathy scale …

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The Effect Of Concurrent Cognitive-Visuomotor Multitasking And Task Difficulty On Dynamic Functional Connectivity In The Brain, Plamen Nikolov Jul 2013

The Effect Of Concurrent Cognitive-Visuomotor Multitasking And Task Difficulty On Dynamic Functional Connectivity In The Brain, Plamen Nikolov

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated the effect of visuomotor and working memory 1) task difficulty and 2) multitasking on dynamic functional connectivity in the brain. Studies have only recently begun to investigate functional connectivity within the scope of concurrent dual task or varying task difficulty conditions (Cocchi, Zalesky, et al. 2011; Rietschel et al. 2012). A series of EEG recordings were conducted during execution of visuomotor or working memory tasks within a novel paradigm using BCI2VR custom MATLAB toolbox. Functional connectivity was correlated with task-related coherence (TRCoh) analysis between two task conditions involving either variation in task difficulty or concurrent execution during …

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Examining The Relationship Between High School Deviant Behavior And Substance Use In College Students., Amanda Ndemo Jul 2013

Examining The Relationship Between High School Deviant Behavior And Substance Use In College Students., Amanda Ndemo

UROP Posters

The main purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between deviant high school behavior and substance use, as limited to alcohol and cigarette use. Deviant behavior as analyzed was defined by symptoms of conduct disorder and alcohol and cigarette use was limited to the past 30 days of the individual’s college career. The Conduct Disorder (CD) symptoms queried in the survey included setting fires, fights and things of that nature. Deviant behavior sum scores were created based on a pattern of related behaviors and the frequency at which each occurred. Data from 2022 VCU freshman who completed the …

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Negative Perception Of Sexuality In Advertising And The Counterarguments Or Solutions To These Reactions, Rachael Mott Jul 2013

Negative Perception Of Sexuality In Advertising And The Counterarguments Or Solutions To These Reactions, Rachael Mott

UROP Posters

This paper focuses on the comparison of how people in the United States perceive sexuality in advertising and how negative reactions may be prevented or counteracted. Through the analyzing of multiple articles on the perception of sexuality, data was analyzed to find that in most situations, the use of sexuality in advertising negatively affects the sale of a product. This is because of a reduction of brand recall and the fact that many consumers, mainly women, find overt sexuality in a public advertisement offensive; however all of these negative effects can either be prevented or offset. If the product at …

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Code-Switching In The Classroom: Teaching The Neutral American Dialect To The 21st Century Student, Hollis Louise Casini Jul 2013

Code-Switching In The Classroom: Teaching The Neutral American Dialect To The 21st Century Student, Hollis Louise Casini

Theses and Dissertations

Language is a personal process, a product of not only our development, but of one’s culture. Yet in the United States, an actor must be able to speak without a detectable dialect to be competitive in the entertainment world. How can voice teachers in a multi-cultural society, train students with more attention to the individuality of the students we educate? In this thesis, I present the information I have found important in my development as a voice teacher that has influenced my approach to training actors to use the Neutral American dialect. I begin by outlining human language acquisition and …

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Examining The Csi Effect And The Influence Of Forensic Crime Television On Future Jurors, Christopher Kopacki Jul 2013

Examining The Csi Effect And The Influence Of Forensic Crime Television On Future Jurors, Christopher Kopacki

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the relationship exposure to forensic crime television has on a potential juror’s willingness to find a suspect guilty when presented with a case involving only circumstantial and eyewitness evidence. This study also looks at a potential juror’s expectation of forensic evidence being presented at trial based upon this exposure. To better understand these relationships, the study utilized social constructionism as the theoretical framework. To collect data, an original survey instrument that included either a violent or non-violent crime scenario was developed. Reponses from 1572 undergraduate students were analyzed to better understand what might influence their willingness to …

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Of Monsters And Men: A Comparison Of Greek And Norse Mythology In The Western Canon, Amber Morrow Jul 2013

Of Monsters And Men: A Comparison Of Greek And Norse Mythology In The Western Canon, Amber Morrow

UROP Posters

Greek literature has long been considered the most valuable to Western culture, and it has been held up through the ages as a literary exemplar. While the western literary canon has often been revised and added to, we have never truly questioned the place of Greek mythology in it, nor have we considered that other mythologies, particularly Norse, may deserve a place in our canon alongside their Greek peers. Although we must acknowledge the merit of Greek mythology and the vast influence it has had on literature and art, this does not necessarily mean that Norse mythology and its peers …

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“It’Ll Be Ok”: The Effects Of Supportive Talk On Patient Perceptions Of Physicians In Racially Discordant Medical Interactions, Grace Denio Jul 2013

“It’Ll Be Ok”: The Effects Of Supportive Talk On Patient Perceptions Of Physicians In Racially Discordant Medical Interactions, Grace Denio

UROP Posters

Background: In recent years there has been hopeful interest in using a patient-centered communication style to optimize medical visits. Patient-centered communication is associated with patients’ positive views of their physicians. As a result, having patient-centered communication can influence the degree of patient adherence, which in turn can affect health outcomes. One of several styles that characterize patient-centered communication is for physicians to engage in supportive talk that legitimizes the patient’s perspective and concerns. Objectives: The main goal of the study was to explore whether supportive talk is associated with patients’ positive views of their physician (i.e., warmth) and the interaction …

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Effects Of Touch Therapy As A Means Of Treatment For Autism Among Young Children, Pahul Hanjra Jul 2013

Effects Of Touch Therapy As A Means Of Treatment For Autism Among Young Children, Pahul Hanjra

UROP Posters

Autism causes impediments for children with the disorder that they carry as obstacles to overcome for their entire lives. Major characteristics of autism include social delays such as inhibited interaction with others, touch aversion, as well as abnormal intake of sensory information, with understated reactions or high sensitivity to external stimuli. As a result of the many inhibitions the disorder places on afflicted individuals, day-to-day life can be a struggle. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is increasing in the United States and the world, and the publication of the DSM-IV has broadened the definition of autism to include forms …

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Boxed In: The Lack Of Creative Thinking In Engineering Students, Rachel Wilbur Jul 2013

Boxed In: The Lack Of Creative Thinking In Engineering Students, Rachel Wilbur

UROP Posters

The lack of creativity coming from recently graduated engineering students seems to be apparent through my observations of students, standard social stigma, as well as research conducted at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. However, little is known about the reason behind this vastly growing problem. Without a better understanding of the issues, universities will continue to produce engineers lacking innovative abilities and creative motivation. Seven scholarly articles and studies as well as three primary sources were reviewed and analyzed in order to better understand what difficulties universities face within the engineering community. It has come to my realization that not …

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Just Say Know! Evaluation Of A Novel Drug Education Program, Rose Bono, Kirsten Schunn Jul 2013

Just Say Know! Evaluation Of A Novel Drug Education Program, Rose Bono, Kirsten Schunn

UROP Posters

Just Say Know is a novel drug education program that focuses on teaching facts, not fear. We aimed to create a seminar series that educates students on one drug or class of drugs at a time, focusing on the characteristics of the drug, its mental and physical effects, potential consequences (positive or negative), legal status, VCU and national student use rates, and ways to reduce the harms associated with drug use, such as how to respond to an overdose-related emergency. Just Say Know (JSK) strives to be dispassionate and agenda-free. This poster reviews highlights from our first few years' worth …

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The Impact Of Substance Abuse In High Risk, Rural Virginia Counties, Charlette T. Woolridge Jul 2013

The Impact Of Substance Abuse In High Risk, Rural Virginia Counties, Charlette T. Woolridge

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between drug-related crimes in high-risk, rural Virginia counties (Brunswick County and Grayson County) and efforts to reduce them with a particular focus on a cost-benefit analysis of expenditures. Four independent variables were assessed in relation to drug-related crime: expenditures associated with (1) drug abuse prevention and (2) drug abuse treatment, (3) economic development, and (4) education. Drug abuse prevention and drug abuse treatment are traditional approaches to address the drug use and crime relationship, while economic development and education represent social determinants of health (economic and social factors that impact …

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Love The One You’Re With: Rejection And Trait Forgiveness Predict Partner Attraction, Priya Lall Jul 2013

Love The One You’Re With: Rejection And Trait Forgiveness Predict Partner Attraction, Priya Lall

UROP Posters

Rejection presents a strong belonging threat, but how do individuals regain a sense of belonging? Would you be more attracted to a partner in an existing relationship if you were rejected by others? Participants completed a measure of trait forgiveness and were then asked to write either about a time they were rejected or accepted by someone other than their romantic partner. After the rejection manipulation, participants completed questionnaires regarding their feelings toward their current romantic partners. Participants reported greater attraction to their partners following the rejection manipulation, and the effect was moderated by trait forgiveness. When participants possessed low …

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Analysis Of Humira, Electro-Acupuncture, And Pulsatile Dry Cupping On Reducing Joint Inflammation In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Natalie Noll Jul 2013

Analysis Of Humira, Electro-Acupuncture, And Pulsatile Dry Cupping On Reducing Joint Inflammation In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Natalie Noll

UROP Posters

Humira, an anti-TNF drug aimed at decreasing inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, can cause skin diseases from a rash to skin cancer. Humira works by blocking the chemical receptor RANKL, which therefore halts the production of osteoclasts, which attack and eat bone and cartilage, causing inflammation in arthritis patient’s joints. By analyzing Humira’s effect on the human body, it can be compared against other treatments such as electro-acupuncture and pulsatile dry cupping to see if these alternative treatments can decrease inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients through blocking RANKL, and if they are safer methods for carrying out this treatment. Under …

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Stray Dogs Cause Health Risks In Thailand, Kadie Brigham Jul 2013

Stray Dogs Cause Health Risks In Thailand, Kadie Brigham

UROP Posters

Around 120,000 stray dogs are currently roaming the streets of Thailand compared to the 67,000,000 people that currently live there. Although the stray dog population doesn't outnumber the human population, it still should be a concern of the Thai government because stray dogs have shown aggression towards people and, carry diseases and rabies that could be transferred to people causing them serious ailments. Chantapong Wasi and colleagues from the Medicine Siriraj Hospital at Mahidol Universty in Thailand estimate that within the stray dog population only about 20% of the dogs are vaccinated or sterilized. My research explores what type of …

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Don’T Be A Drag, Just Be A Queen! Assessing The Popularity Of Drag Queens As Opposed To Levels Of Anti-Transgender Prejudice In Modern American Society, Neha Jadhav Jul 2013

Don’T Be A Drag, Just Be A Queen! Assessing The Popularity Of Drag Queens As Opposed To Levels Of Anti-Transgender Prejudice In Modern American Society, Neha Jadhav

UROP Posters

Over the past few decades, drag queen shows have become a popular sensation among men and women, homosexuals and heterosexuals alike. On the other hand, transgender individuals are confronted with more prejudice than gays, lesbians, or bisexuals are. What about drag queens sets them apart from the stigma directed toward transgenders? For this study, I attended a drag brunch in a gay bar and observed how each performance compelled audience members to question perceptions of gender and sexuality. In addition, I analyzed several scholarly journal articles for research on the practices of drag queens during their performances and their appeal, …

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Longitudinal Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Adolescent Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Report From The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, Claire C. Russell Jul 2013

Longitudinal Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Adolescent Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Report From The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, Claire C. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The impact of childhood cancer on future quality of life (QoL) in survivors is unclear. Current studies focus on comparing outcomes to healthy peers and identifying related treatment and demographic variables, but a shift in our approach is necessary. This study is guided by the Wilson and Cleary Model (WMC) and seeks to identify longitudinal predictors of QoL in adolescent survivors of cancer that explain variance in QoL beyond the impact of treatment and demographic variables. Methods: The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a multi-institutional longitudinal study following a cohort of childhood cancer survivors. This study focuses on …

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Visual Attention Bias And Body Dissatisfaction In Eating Disorders, Janet Lydecker Jul 2013

Visual Attention Bias And Body Dissatisfaction In Eating Disorders, Janet Lydecker

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, have profound negative effects on the quality of life of both affected individuals and their families. Behavioral approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are commonly used for the treatment of these disorders. CBT teaches skills to restructure maladaptive thought patterns as a method of altering feelings and behaviors. However, even after CBT, 50-70% of women with bulimia and 67-87% of women with anorexia report continued eating disordered thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Measuring underlying cognitive processes such as orienting, maintaining, and executive attention in individuals with eating disorder symptomatology might be an important …

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The Impact Of War On Military Hospital Performance: A Study Of Organizations’ Response To An Environmental Jolt, Cynthia Childress Jul 2013

The Impact Of War On Military Hospital Performance: A Study Of Organizations’ Response To An Environmental Jolt, Cynthia Childress

Theses and Dissertations

The prolonged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on the United States as a whole and the United States military in particular. The primary aim of this research is to determine what impact the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have had on the performance of military hospitals over the fiscal years 2001-2006. Specifically, what direct effect has the war in Iraq and Afghanistan had on the productivity and quality of military hospitals, and, do productivity and quality trends differ based on hospital characteristics? Since observations over multiple time periods are nested within hospitals, multilevel mixed effects regression …

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The Relationship Between Mother's Level Of Education And Parent Involvement, Meagan Rawls Jun 2013

The Relationship Between Mother's Level Of Education And Parent Involvement, Meagan Rawls

Theses and Dissertations

Despite an extensive body of literature on the relationship between parents’ education and a child’s academic outcomes, there is considerably less research into the factors that influence parent involvement. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates associated with parent involvement with their child inside and outside of school. I use Pierre Bourdieu's theory of the Forms of Capital and Habitus, specifically focusing on cultural capital, to frame my analysis. I use data from the 2007 National Household Education Survey of Parent and Family Involvement (n=10,628), a nationally representative sample, to examine if mother’s level of education is …

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The Influence Of Horizontal Equity, Self Efficacy, And Ethical Position On The Creation Of Budgetary Slack, Ira Abdullah Jun 2013

The Influence Of Horizontal Equity, Self Efficacy, And Ethical Position On The Creation Of Budgetary Slack, Ira Abdullah

Theses and Dissertations

The budgeting process plays an important role in organizations’ planning and controlling functions. Managers often have incentives to misreport their private information and inaccurately set budget targets so that they are easily achievable. Such inaccuracy in budget targets is referred to as budgetary slack. Prior research documents that managers’ decisions to create budgetary slack are influenced by both preferences for wealth and non-pecuniary motivations. The objective of this study is to provide a better understanding of how social preferences such as preferences for horizontal equity, self efficacy perceptions, and ethical position influence managers’ budgetary slack creation. The results reveal a …

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Negotiating The Double Mandate: Mapping Ethical Conflict Experienced By Practicing Educational Leaders, Jeffrey Mcgee Jun 2013

Negotiating The Double Mandate: Mapping Ethical Conflict Experienced By Practicing Educational Leaders, Jeffrey Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

The qualitative approach used in this study captured and described ethical conflict experienced by a sample of practicing educational leaders. Narrative inquiry data were collected from 42 former and current doctoral students and additional data were captured through follow-up interviews with selected participants. The major findings of the study suggest that ethical conflict is inherent in the practice of educational leadership. Such conflict is most often experienced in relation to colleagues when the ethics of justice and care collide. Leaders’ ability to mitigate conflict that is often the result of institutional and external factors is promoted by varied background and …

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Implications Of Child Abduction For Human Rights And Child Welfare Systems: A Constructivist Inquiry Of The Lived Experience Of Guatemalan Mothers Publically Reporting Child Abduction For Intercountry Adoption, Carmen Monico May 2013

Implications Of Child Abduction For Human Rights And Child Welfare Systems: A Constructivist Inquiry Of The Lived Experience Of Guatemalan Mothers Publically Reporting Child Abduction For Intercountry Adoption, Carmen Monico

Theses and Dissertations

The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption was agreed upon in 1993 at the Hague Conference on Private International Law to address growing allegations of abduction, sale, and trafficking of children around the world. The Hague Convention guides countries to attend to the “best interest of the child” in making decisions on intercountry adoptions, and to apply the “principle of subsidiarity,” which calls for the consideration of family and kinship placement and national adoption prior to the consideration of intercountry adoption. This dissertation research focused on the experience of Guatemalan mothers reporting …

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Full Export, Thomas Simon May 2013

Full Export, Thomas Simon

Theses and Dissertations

The presentation of a variety of research pertaining to the graduate work of Thomas Jefferson Simon and his thesis show "Full Export".

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Evaluating The Effects Of A Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Insomnia: A Pilot Study., Laurin Mack May 2013

Evaluating The Effects Of A Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Insomnia: A Pilot Study., Laurin Mack

Theses and Dissertations

Combat and war zone veterans are particularly vulnerable to developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to the increased risk of experiencing trauma inherent in military service. Insomnia and nightmares are core symptoms of PTSD and can be factors in the development, maintenance, and exacerbation of PTSD. However, sleep disturbance has received relatively little attention from a treatment point of view until recently. Recent research has demonstrated that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) for nightmares are effective stand alone and combination treatments for sleep disturbance in civilian and veteran populations. Although group interventions are lower …

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Unified Journey, Mary Stahl May 2013

Unified Journey, Mary Stahl

Theses and Dissertations

My paintings, sculptural work, photography, and mixed media pieces represent aspects of journeys. These journeys are presented as literal, physical, and psychological. I find myself impacted by recent journeys which have evolved into abstracted pieces representing a new life passage, motherhood. Creating this work helps me to express the surrounding beauty I continue to encounter. Collectively, these journeys unify my metaphorical journey through life. The process of making my art is also a journey. My images shift and transform through the process of development. I work with a variety of materials including watercolor, acrylic, paper, textured paste, plaster, and photographic …

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A Workbook To Promote Forgiveness For Ingroup Congregational Offenses, Chelsea Greer May 2013

A Workbook To Promote Forgiveness For Ingroup Congregational Offenses, Chelsea Greer

Theses and Dissertations

Since research on forgiveness has flourished over the past three decades, multiple interventions have been developed to aid individuals in this arduous process. Two interventions in particular have been most-widely studied with diverse groups: Enright’s process model (Enright & Fitzgibbons, 2000) and Worthington’s REACH Forgiveness model (2006). Thus far, these forgiveness interventions have been led by trained professionals in an in-person group. In-person interventions pose issues of cost and attendance. In the current study, I adapted Worthington’s Christian-adapted REACH Forgiveness intervention into a self-directed workbook for Christians who have experienced an offense within a religious community. Participants (N = 52) …

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The Role Of Family Organization In Family Health History Communication About Cancer, Vivian M. Rodríguez May 2013

The Role Of Family Organization In Family Health History Communication About Cancer, Vivian M. Rodríguez

Theses and Dissertations

Family health history (FHH) has been recognized as an important tool in cancer prevention and health promotion. To date, literature on FHH discussions about cancer have largely focused on patient-physician communication or the dissemination of cancer-specific genetic tests results within the family. Fewer studies have sought to identify family factors that may promote FHH discussions, yet this type of information could be used to identify families needing support in having these conversations. Thus, the present study examined relations between family organization (cohesion and flexibility), communication openness, and FHH communication about cancer within a diverse group of women recruited from an …

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Shift, Gittins George May 2013

Shift, Gittins George

Theses and Dissertations

Using Eduard Manet and Alex Katz as an entry point into my work, I will discuss seven of my paintings in detail. I will examine formal structures within the work such as color and space and how they relate to the content. I will discuss ideas of voyeurism and notions of the gaze while examining film as a presence. Artifice, art history, desire, personal memory, nostalgia and everyday life are starting points for formal explorations within the work.

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