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Tongues Untied Truth Revealed: Body Image, Social Media, Identity Development, And Meaning-Making In Overweight And Obese Black Gay Msm, Amari Ja-Lynn Enam

Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the meanings attributed to internalized messages about body image within the context of identity development from the perspectives of overweight/obese men of African descent (OMAD) among a group of 6 men who have sex with men (MSM). I was interested in those messages that have been incorporated, adopted, or integrated into OMAD-MSM’s sense of self. Informants shared body image-related experiences from interactions with family, friends, dating/sex partners, and the media/social media.

Academic literature has explained identity development processes among African Americans through various lenses but research has not adequately explored the convergence of multiply oppressed social …

Using Stories As The Landscape Of Writing: A Case Study Of Mentor Texts In The Elementary Classroom, Christine Mcdowell

Dissertations

In this dissertation, I investigate the way in which mentor texts are defined and implemented by four elementary classroom teachers within one school district, and how this mode of instruction allows for an increase in teacher autonomy while still addressing Common Core State Standards. This project focuses on each participant as they share a common goal in writing instruction while maintaining their teaching identity and curricular freedom.

One goal of this study is to provide the educational theory that supports mentor text instruction that is missing from the movement. Many teaching guides exist that explain the concept of mentor texts, …

Design And Analysis Of Speed Control Using Hybrid Pid-Fuzzy Controller For Induction Motors, Ahmed Fattah

Masters Theses

This thesis presents a hybrid PID-Fuzzy control system for the speed control of a three-phase squirrel cage induction motor. The proposed method incorporates fuzzy logic and conventional controllers with utilization of vector control technique. This method combines the advantages of fuzzy logic controller and conventional controllers to improve the speed response of the induction motor. The design of fuzzy system consists of 9 fuzzy variables and 49 IF-THEN rules that define the behavior of the system. The FLC observes the loop error signal and correspondingly control the PID input error signal so that the actual speed signal matches the reference …

Sleep Hygiene Practices: A Cross Cultural Survey Of Sleeping And Dreaming In College Students, Ivan Noe Martinez Salazar

Masters Theses

There is consensus that a sizeable percentage of people in most developed countries do not obtain adequate amounts or quality of sleep. These disruptions in sleep, when chronic and severe, can lead to psychological, behavioral and health consequences. The focus on behavioral and contextual factors that impact sleep has been termed “sleep hygiene”. An on-line anonymous survey collected sociodemographic information, as well as self-reports on sleep, sleep hygiene practices and dreaming across two cultural groups (English & Spanish speaking responders). A total of 204 participants (majority of them college and graduate students) answered the survey. Both cultural groups, English and …

Formant Frequency Transitions In The Fluent Speech Of Adults Who Do And Do Not Stutter: Testing The Over-Reliance On Feedback Hypothesis, Kaitlin Arnold

Masters Theses

A recent theory proposed by Civier and colleagues (Civer et al. 2010; Civer et al. 2013) developed a model of stuttering that implicates a faulty feedforward control system. The hypothesis suggests that stuttering results from relying too heavily on sensory feedback to guide speech movements. An overreliance on sensory feedback would result in subtle anomalies in fluent speech (such as slowed articulatory transitions) as well as overt stuttering behaviors (such as sound repetitions). The present study tested this general hypothesis by comparing articulatory transition rates of adults who do and do not stutter across casual and fast speech rates. Participants …

May 28, 2015: Nagle Reviews Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Sense & Sensibility, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

No abstract provided.

Ancient Magic And Modern Accessories: A Re-Examination Of The Omamori Phenomenon, Eric Mendes

The Hilltop Review

This paper consists of a comparison of omamori (religious amulets) disseminated by Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines from various regions of Japan, focusing on a cross-examination of those offered in the early 1980`s with contemporaryomamori. Through their nearly innumerable variety of forms and functions, these amulets are a clear representation of both the power of the public to dramatically alter an established religious object, as well as these religious institutions` ability to re-appropriate such alterations for their own benefit. Omamori are organic objects, constantly changing with the negotiation of the needs, concerns, conceptualizations and aesthetic tastes of the …

“I Love The Country But I Can’T Stand The Scene”: Teaching Literature To Examine And Complicate Adolescent National Identity, Suzanne Ehst

The Hilltop Review

In lieu of an abstract, a short excerpt is provided:

"I was teaching high-school English on September 11, 2001. As my seniors finished their essay exams on the novel Siddhartha, a colleague poked her head into my room to whisper to me, “There’s something going on at The World Trade Center. A plane flew into one of the buildings… and it might not have been an accident.” As students finished their tests, I passed on this breaking news, which prompted one of my self-proclaimed globally aware students to ask, “The World Trade Center…that’s in D.C., right?” In subsequent days, students’ …

Lucy, Robert Evory

The Hilltop Review

No abstract provided.

Narrow River, Justine A. Mcnulty

The Hilltop Review

No abstract provided.

Venice At Night, Robert Evory

The Hilltop Review

No abstract provided.

The Peace Of The Waste Land And Understanding Eliot’S Two Readings, Luke J. Chambers

The Hilltop Review

There are two recordings of T.S. Eliot reading The Waste Land in existence today, one made in 1946 for the Library of Congress, and another from 1935, recorded at Columbia University. The later 1946 recording, being the only one published, is by far the more well known. The 1935 recording is of much inferior sound quality and is difficult to find. The younger Eliot recites at times with greater energy, a quicker tempo, and with markedly different phrasing and intonation. However, quite often Eliot’s recitation is nearly indistinguishable between the two recordings. The specific moments of difference reveal a great …

Late Medieval Mediterranean Apocalypticism: Joachimist Ideas In Ramon Llull’S Crusade Treatises, Michael Sanders

The Hilltop Review

The thirteenth century witnessed dramatic changes that transformed the medieval world and remain important today. The violent changes caused by the War of the Sicilian Vespers and Spiritual Franciscan movement popularized the apocalyptic ideas of the twelfth-century Italian abbot, Joachim of Fiore. The abbot's historical paradigms of biblical history influenced many southern Europeans, including the medieval mystic, missionary, and philosopher Ramon Llull (c. 1232-1316). Llull dedicated his life to converting the world to Catholic Christianity using a variety of means, including evangelical missions, Neoplatonic philosophy, and crusades. Llull's crusade treatises, the Tractatus de modo convertendi infideles (1292), Liber de fine …

The Hilltop Review, Vol 7, No 2, Spring 2015

The Hilltop Review

The complete spring 2015 issue of The Hilltop Review, Western Michigan University's journal of graduate research.

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner 2015, Western Michigan University

Faculty Recognition

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner Program

May 21, 2015

Honored Guests:

• Mary J. Baukus
• Carol J. Crumbaugh
• E. Rozanne Elder
• Marianne Frauenknecht
• Laurel A. Grotzinger
• Christian R. Hirsch
• James W. Kamman
• Richard G. Long
• Richard M. Oxhandler
• Jodie G. Palmer
• Betty J. Parker
• Elaine L. Phillips
• Christopher J. Schmidt
• Roberta J. Schultz
• Frederick Z. Sitkins
• Dennis K. Strasser
• James A. Visser
• Brian L. Wilson

State Of Memory: National History And Exclusive Identity In Contemporary Denmark, John Terrell Foor

Masters Theses

Increased rates of immigration to Western European states over the past three decades have yielded a wealth of literature in the social sciences, much of which has focused on cases of individuals from so-called ―non-Western‖ countries of origin. Immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia often bring with them cultural and religious traditions that are unfamiliar to the citizens of states which receive them. Tensions between majority populations and growing minorities in Western Europe have resulted in skepticism—and, increasingly, hostility—toward immigrants, particularly those regarded as ―"Islamic."

But is this type of tension inevitable? Are difference and …

Western News, May 14, 2015, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Meetings, letter part of compensation rollout; Campus visit rekindles family legacy started in 1923; Salaried employees to move from 26 to 24 paychecks per year; On Campus with M’Myia Hughes.

Are There Shared Characteristics Among Children With Autism Who Develop Speech While Training With The Picture Exchange Communication System?, Katherine Neidhart

Honors Theses

It is clear in the literature that there are many factors that may contribute the development of speech as a possible outcome of training with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Research has indicated a need for more data on the characteristics and skills of children with autism that may contribute to their success while using PECS, and the possible development of speech while receiving PECS training.

This study sought to identify common characteristics and skills of children with autism that acquired speech while receiving PECS training through creating an inventory of demographics, pre-requisite skills, and other characteristics of children …

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 25: May 2015, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• WMU shares applied behavior analysis training videos for autism
• WMU room and board rates to increase by 3.3 percent this fall
• Bush named American Council on Education Fellow
• Torres Wins National Literature Award
• Enrique Gamez '14 wins NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
• Shane Preston '12 Speaks to WMU Students Student honored for leadership, service
• Two area seniors win $20,000 scholarships to study at WMU
• WMU among grant winners recognized at 'Americas' summit

Exploration Of Linguistic And Extra-Linguistic Factors In Stroke Knowledge And Emergency Response: Studies Of Input, Output, And Outcome, Laura L. O. Froeschke

Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three studies centered on addressing factors that influence stroke knowledge and decision-making during the acute stroke emergency in both general and Hispanic populations. The first study provided data on patterns of explicit stroke knowledge in a sample of 94 Hispanic subjects. This study assessed relationships between stroke knowledge (Stroke Action Test; STAT; Billings-Gagliardi & Mazor, 2005) and subjects’ typical language use (Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics; Marín, Sabogal, VanOss Marín, Otero-Sabogal, Pérez-Stable, 1987). No relationship was found between language use (Spanish/English) and stroke symptom knowledge. Contrastingly, STAT scores were found to …

Integrating Formative Assessment Into Physics Instruction: The Effect Of Formative Vs. Summative Assessment On Student Physics Learning And Attitudes, Chaiphat Plybour

Dissertations

Of many instructional strategies used to improve teaching and learning in science, formative assessment is potentially one of the most effective. A central feature is timely feedback during learning, giving students the opportunity to benefit and improve while also enabling teachers to adjust instruction to learner needs. By contrast, conventional assessment tends to be mostly summative, assigning point scores, grading and ranking students, and providing extrinsic motivation. For maximum effectiveness in enhancing learning, formative assessment should be designed into instruction from the start rather than being an add-on. This project comprised development, teaching, and research aspects. Two physics topic modules, …

Family Resilience And Sojourning Japanese Families In The U.S., Mitsuyo Izumi

Dissertations

This study examined processes of family resilience sojourning Japanese parents reported using while raising children (between the ages of 4 and 8) in the U.S., the relationship between family resilience and child behavior and impact of stressful life events, and predictors of the impact of stressful life events and child behavior. Seventy mothers and 37 fathers from six Japanese educational institutions completed self-report questionnaires. Measures included Japanese translations of the Family Resilience Assessment (Duncan Lane, 2011), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), the Impact of Stressful Life Events Scale (Hasui et al., 2009), the Kansas Marital Satisfaction (Schumm et al., …

Northsong, Neal Endicott

Masters Theses

Northsong is a 20 minute tone poem for Wind Ensemble based on the landscapes of northern Michigan and my own personal and musical background. The piece takes its name from a melody that I composed during my undergrad while recovering from back surgery in Traverse City. Unable to actually play any of my instruments, I started composing for the first Mme. In addition to a number of jazz and saxophone quartet arrangements, I wrote a short melody that reflected my mood while I was stuck inside during a snowstorm. I titled the melody Northsong, but didn’t know what to do …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Picture Exchange Communication System On Increasing Manding And Vocal Speech In Identical Twin Adults With Autism, Laura C. Hilton

Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on increasing manding (i.e., making requests) and spontaneous vocalizations. Participants were a set of identical twin adult women, both with a diagnosis of autism. The main dependent variable was the number of mands emitted by the participants while utilizing PECS. During each phase of training, participants had to meet a specific criterion before receiving a preferred item. Once the participants met the criterion for each phase of PECS training, a new phase began. Spontaneous vocalizations were tracked during each phase of training to determine if, as previous studies …

Preferences For Evidence-Based Depression Treatments: An Emphasis On Patient-Focused Care, Lauren A. Frye

Dissertations

Research indicates most depressed patients in the general U.S. adult population seek depression treatment in primary care settings where the prevailing method of treatment is antidepressant medication. Although primary care physicians regard this approach as a preferable first line method of depression treatment, studies indicate many patients do not. Several studies have found depressed patients in these settings prefer psychotherapy or counseling over anti-depressant medication. Many advocate patient preferences should be integral to the treatment decision making process. There is a demonstrated propensity towards psychotherapy or counseling over antidepressant medication among depression patients. However, it is unclear which psychological depression …

Novel Spectroscopic Tools To Differentiate Molecule-Dna Binding Interactions, Sense Dna And Track Dna Melting, Saad Hmoud Alotaibi

Dissertations

The discovery of DNA as a genetic material and its double helical structure led to numerous studies directed at understanding molecule-DNA interactions. These studies have played an integral role in medical diagnostics, forensics, imaging and therapeutics. Typically, molecule-DNA interactions have two prominent modes: intercalation and minor groove binding. Several optical techniques are available that can monitor molecule-DNA binding interactions, but they cannot differentiate between intercalation and minor-groove binding. The major goals of the research are to develop novel optical spectroscopic tools that can differentiate molecule-DNA binding interactions, selectively and sensitively detect one form of DNA over another, and track DNA …

Factors Influencing Academic Engagement And Achievement: Exploration Of Impact Of Parentification And Poverty In Adolescents’ Student-Teacher Relationships, Nontle Nako

Dissertations

Parentification is the highest form of Adultification; a phenomenon that occurs when some children precociously perform extensive labor in their families, often as a function of poverty, and when their roles, responsibilities, and behaviors are “out of synch” with contemporary social and institutional notions of what children are expected to do (Burton, 2007). Based on the hypothesis that a significant number of children growing up in economically disadvantaged family backgrounds have higher chances of taking on adult roles at a young age and become adultified to a level of being parentified; this study sought to investigate whether and how school-based …

Innovative Governance And Natural Resource Management In Kenya: Procedural And Substantive Outcomes Of Civil Society Participation, Jane Omudho Okwako

Dissertations

Kenya’s environmental sector is embracing co-management to address major threats to wildlife. In the past two decades, the Municipal-Community-Private Sector Partnership (MCPP) model evolved to address the threats. This dissertation seeks to explain variations in partnership outcomes. It evaluates whether the model as introduced empowers communities to be conservation stewards.

This study hypothesized the impact of five variables. These are decentralization of power, elite support, capacity of community organizations, partnership formalization, and resources expended. The findings confirm that three variables are indispensable and two minimally influence empowerment. More decentralized management structures are enabling and supportive of empowerment. However, empowerment is …

Comparison Of Item Response Theory Models For Data Fit Of Quality Control Measurements For Maillard Reaction Browning In Foods, Polly Barrett

Dissertations

In foods, browning is a complex set of reactions known as the Maillard Reaction (MR). As food is cooked, MR yields flavor, color and changes to the chemical properties of the initial food item. It is possible to undercook or overcook the food item, resulting in a less browned or burnt product. Item response theory (IRT) is often used to place subjects and instruments on the same continuum of the measured latent trait. IRT has been widely used in the fields of educational measurement and psychology, but few studies combine IRT and food science. This research tested IRT modeling for …

A National Study Of Alternatively And Traditionally Certified Teachers, John F. Hoye

Dissertations

The alternative teacher certification policy has been firmly in place for more than a decade, but there have been conflicting reports on its effects. I conducted the study to investigate whether the policy has materialized its promise. I compared the characteristics of alternatively certified (AC) and traditionally certified (TC) teachers by analyzing data from a nationally representative sample of public school teachers (N = 27,810). The sample was constructed from the Schools and Staffing Survey 2007-08, a national survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. I investigated what teacher characteristics (such as age, gender, ethnicity, total years of …