Digital Commons Network^™

Healthy Lifestyles Of Adults In A Work Setting, Kim Schafer Astroth

Dissertations

Nurses have a key role in promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce incidence of disease in adults. Since the 1980¿s, researchers have recognized readiness as a key component of adopting healthy lifestyle change. Prochaska¿s transtheoretical model, which contains readiness, or stage of change, served as the theoretical framework for the current study. The purpose of this study was to test an exercise behavior model, and in so doing: (a) compare the concurrence rates of exercise stage of change classifications obtained from the four selected exercise stage of change self-report measures; and (b) determine the relative strength of the predictive factors of …

Finding Voice: An Exploration Of A Community¿Based Adult Learning Process, Stephen C. Jeanetta

Dissertations

The Circles of Hope is a dialogue and support group process that uses personal support, education for action, and organizing for change as a method for their own personal development and change and to become agents of change in their own communities. Case studies summaries based on individual interviews and participation in a focus group were developed for seven women who have been regular participants in the Circles of Hope. Using cross-case analysis as the key analytic framework (Miles & Huberman, 1984), change was examined across three themes, the process experience, personal growth and change, and engagement in community. This …

An Exploration Of Supportive Relationships In The Lives Of Academically Successful Individuals With Autism, Jodi Ann Robledo Phd

Dissertations

This study explored 17 dyads of academically successful people with autism and individuals whom they identified as supportive. Four research questions guided this study: 1) How do individuals with autism and the people who support them describe their relationship? Specifically, how was the relationship established, how has it changed, what are the benefits and challenges, what works and what does not, and how is the relationship maintained? 2) From the perspective of both the individuals with autism and the supporting individuals, how do their relationships provide support for the individual with autism? 3) How does the mode of communication influence …

Unintended Consequences In Public Policy: Formulation And Implementation Of Michigan’S Safe Delivery Of Newborns Law, Anne Julie Hacker

Dissertations

It is generally believed that social policy is the result of careful research and planning on the part of officials. Yet there often exists a gap between theformulation and implementation of many social policies. This gap brings with it conflict, which in turn may result in unintended consequences. Theseconsequences may be so antithetical to the formulators' original intent as to make the policy implementation paradoxical.

This qualitative research study examines the ambiguities, challenges, or boundaries that policy formulators placed on practitioners responsible for implementing Michigan's Safe Delivery of Newborns Act and that ultimately created unintended consequences indicative of a public …

Seeking Justice For Victims And Offenders: A Needs-Based Approach To Justice, Patrick M. Gerkin

Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study investigation of a victim-offender mediation program in a mid-western state. Victim-offender mediation is one form of amuch greater movement currently emerging within the criminal justice system known as restorative justice. The focus of this dissertation is to examine the connections between theory and practice with regards to mediation as a form of restorative justice.

This research fills avoid in the restorative justice literature. It offers findings based on empirical research about the issues that are central to restorative justicetheory and practice. There is a wealth of theory claiming that restorative justice can deliver a …

The Effect Of Parenting Styles In Adolescent Delinquency: Exploring The Interactions Between Race, Class, And Gender, Yaschica Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine how parenting style interacts with other variables related to characteristics of the child (i.e., race/ethnicity, class and gender) in producing delinquency. This research integrates the traditions of criminology and psychology by incorporating the research of two researchers renowned in their respective fields of study, Travis Hirschi from criminology and Diana Baumrind from psychology.

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 (NLSY97) is used in this study to test hypotheses derived from Hirschi's (1969) social bond theory and Baumrind's (1966) parenting typology. These hypotheses examine the effects of family process variables and parenting …

Effects Of Anxiety Induction On Facial Recognition Skills Within A Sample Of Adult Victims Of Childhood Abuse, Kathryn M. Bell

Dissertations

Although it is well established that interpersonal victimization can lead to affect regulation problems, less is known about the extent to which childhood victimization impairs facial recognition skills. Most studies exploring this relationship have focused on emotion recognition (ER) in physically abused and neglected children. The degree to which these ER problems apply to sexual victimization and extend into adulthood is yet unknown. The current study examined the impact of physical and sexual childhood abuse on adult ER skills under a heightened arousal condition in 104 women with varying childhood victimization experiences. The relationship between childhood victimization and ER skills …

An Evaluation Of Intraverbal Training And Listener Training For Teaching Categorization Skills, Anna Ingeborg Petursdottir

Dissertations

Behavioral language interventions, such as those employed in early and intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs, target both expressive and receptive language skills. Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior provides a framework for analyzing expressive and receptive language in terms of stimulus control and reinforcement history. From this perspective, different expressive language programs target different verbal operants, such as tacts, intraverbals, and echoics , whereas most receptive language programs target a type of listener behavior that may be referred to as manded stimulus selection (Michael, 1995). Although EIBI curricula (e.g., Maurice, Green, & Luce, 1996; Leaf & McEachin, 1999) have frequently …

Factors Contributing To Career Success: Perceptions From African American Male School Administrators, Oliver Wilson

Dissertations

In this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with seven Black male school administrators in the Michigan school district who held the position of assistant principal or principal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Black male school administrators in Michigan school districts. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Using a phenomenological approach the participant responses were codified, grouped, and analyzed for emergent themes. Five themes emerged as a result of the data analysis: (1) Colleague support is a key mechanism in the success of Black male school administrators. (2) Parental involvement is important in the success …

The Effects Of Rumination On Problem-Solving Self-Efficacy And Self-Efficacy For Controlling Upsetting Thoughts In The Context Of Depressive Symptoms, Christina Marcia Gilliam

Dissertations

Two cognitive variables that are of interest in their role in depression are self-efficacy and rumination. Self-efficacy refers to individuals¿ own appraisal of their ability to successfully accomplish a domain of tasks (Bandura, 1977). Rumination, as defined by Response Styles Theory (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), refers to the process of repetitively and passively thinking about negative emotions, consequences, and symptoms of distress. Although the relationship between these two constructs and depression has been examined in both experimental and correlational studies, there has been minimal research on the relationship between self-efficacy and rumination among depressed individuals. The present study was intended to replicate …

Constructing Meaning Through Religious Coping: Rebuilding The Shattered Assumptive World Of Mothers Bereaved By Homicide, Accident, And Illness, Laura Thea Matthews

Dissertations

Researchers have begun to examine the theory that religion may help bereaved individuals to provide meaning to an otherwise inconceivable event. In addition, work by Janoff-Bulman (1989; 1992) and others (see Kauffman, 2002) has spawned a growing understanding that bereavement forces individuals to restructure and rebuild previously held assumptions about the self and the world. This study examined mediator-moderator effects of positive and negative religious coping on relationships between grief intensity and world assumptions in 117 mothers bereaved by the death of a child (homicide, illness, or accident). Mothers with higher grief intensity rated the world as less meaningful and …

The Impact Of Sexual Abuse And How Children Cope: Different Perspectives From Caretakers And Children, Megan M. Schacht

Dissertations

Child sexual abuse is a complicated stressor with a broad range of associated symptoms. It has been suggested that the coping techniques children utilize may act as a mediating variable in the relationship between child sexual abuse and subsequent difficulties. Until recently, child sexual abuse sequelae were assessed in a piecemeal fashion, with individual tests for each symptom domain and reporter. However, recent developments in the area of trauma assessment have provided researchers with complementary caretaker- and self-report measures to assess a broad range of trauma-related symptoms (i.e., the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children [TSCYC] and the Trauma Symptom …

Is Rumination General Or Specific To Negative Mood States? The Relationship Between Rumination And Distraction And Depressed, Anxious, And Angry Moods In Women, Jessica Lauren

Dissertations

Rumination has been found to play a role in negative affect by either maintaining or increasing depressive, anxious, and angry moods, whereas distraction has been found to decrease these negative moods. This experiment tested the hypothesis that the effect of rumination occurs across mood states and is not specific to one type of negative mood, using both Nolen-Hoeksema¿s Response Styles Theory (RST; 1991), and Bower¿s Associative Network Theory (1981; ANT). The impact of rumination and distraction on depressed, anxious, and angry mood states were examined in 90 women at the University of Missouri ¿ St. Louis. Participants were randomly placed …

Faculty Development In The University Setting: Perspectives And Practices, Verna Josephine Dickson

Dissertations

Using a two-stage, mixed-method strategy of inquiry that follows symbolic interactionism, this study explores professional development/faculty development (PD/FD) practices and perspectives in the university setting. Four Midwestern universities, two public and two private, provided the setting for the research. The primary purpose of this study was to answer the question: What is the experience university professors have with professional development/faculty development (PD/FD). The literature presents many studies for K-12 and community college faculties; however, there is a need to study the topic within the university subculture. On-campus PD/FD programs offer faculty opportunities to improve and expand their teaching methodologies yet …

Nurse Practitioner Adoption Of Clinical Innovations, Rhoberta Jones Haley Phd

Dissertations

Adoption of clinical innovations by Nurse Practitioners (NP) is a complex phenomenon, rooted in personal values and influenced by challenges within health care environments. When clinical innovations are adopted or rejected by NPs, this decision has meaning for patients, NPs, health care agencies, and society. The decision controls the opportunity for patients to access a clinical innovation that could reduce morbidity and mortality, save money, and provide satisfaction related to the health care encounter. The purpose of the study was to increase knowledge about NP adoption of clinical innovations, particularly emotionally-laden clinical innovations. The lines of inquiry focused on what …

A Retrospective Evaluation Of The Planetree Patient Centered Model Of Care Program's Impact On Inpatient Quality Outcomes, Susan Stone Phd

Dissertations

This retrospective quasi experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of Planetree's patient-centered model of care. Donabedian's model linking structure and process to outcome was used to frame this study. The structure variable is the inpatient acute care hospital unit and the process variable consists of the Planetree patient-centered model of care. Outcomes are (1) patient satisfaction, (2) length of stay, (3) readmission, (4) cost per case, and (5) productive nursing hours per patient day. All data for patient satisfaction, length of stay, readmission, cost per case and productive nurse hours per patient day were retrospective, no participant recruitment was needed. Data …

Audio Narration And Reading Ability In Programmed Instruction, Wendy Jaehnig

Dissertations

This study compared the effects of audio, textual, and audio-textual narration in a programmed instructional module on the performance of individuals with different reading abilities. One hundred eighty-four college students were randomly assigned to audio, textual, or audio-narration. Dependent variables were posttest score and instruction completion time. An ANCOVA was used to analyze the results, with ACT reading test scores as the covariate. No differences were found between the groups on posttest scores (p = .56) or completion time (p = .90), and there was no interaction between narration type and reading score for either dependent variable. Audio …

The Masquerade Of Abu Ghraib: State Crime, Torture, And International Law, Dawn Rothe

Dissertations

On April 28, 2004, pictures of abuse and torture of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison by U.S. military personnel shocked many Americans. In the wake of the images, it became clear that several military personnel were involved in the acts of torture and abuse. This dissertation explores the interconnections of larger structural factors, state policies, and individual actors in an attempt to understand how and why torture and abuse occurred at Abu Ghraib. It builds upon an integrated theoretical model of state and corporate crime. The dissertation revises this model so that it can better address the complexities o …

Non-Traditional Paths To Presidencies Of Higher Education Institutions In Michigan, Daryl Joseph Delabbio

Dissertations

The number of college and university presidents coming from a career path outside of higher education has seen a steady increase, from just under 10% in1986, to over 15% in 2001 (Corrigan, 2002), yet little is still known about this growing population. This qualitative study examined four current or former presidents of institutions of higher learning in Michigan who were elected to their positions without having experienced the traditional academic career pathcommonly associated with college and university leaders. Four presidents, along with their current or former chief academic officers and two current or former members of the governing boards that …

The Persistence Of At Risk College Students Into Their 8Th Semester At A Private Christian College, Rick Zomer

Dissertations

It is estimated that the number of students who will begin a course of study but fail to complete a post secondary degree is between 28.5% (Tinto, 1993) and 50% (Brawer, 1990). This qualitative study reviewed sixteen students enrolled at a private Christian college who were deemed to be at risk based on specific pre-enrollment data but had successfully persisted into their senior year of college. Tinto's Theory of Departure and the role of mentoring were used as lenses to determine: (1) the role of individual intentions and commitments in their persistence; (2) the impact of social and educational congruence …

Healthcare Encounters Of Formerly Incarcerated Women: A Grounded Theory Study, Karen Sue Hoyt Phd

Dissertations

The adult correctional population in the United States soared to nearly 7 million people (Bureau of Justice Statistics [BJS], 2005). Over 2 million individuals were housed in prisons or jails in the United States. Nearly 7 percent (6.9%) were women (BJS, 2005). Recent trends in the adult correctional population suggest that there has been a stark increase in the number of formerly incarcerated women in the United States. The purpose of this research was to explore how formerly incarcerated women perceived their healthcare encounters. The aims of this study were to answer the following questions. How did formerly incarcerated women …

Critical Praxis: Using My Own Whiteness And Experiences To Challenge Issues Of Racism And White Privilege, Linda Selway

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Autoethnography is a genre of research that alternately focuses its attention outwardly on the social and cultural, and inwardly on the personal life experiences of the researcher in an attempt to raise one’s consciousness and prompt action about the issue under study. This autoethnography explores the transformation I have undergone as I have grappled with the issues of race and academic achievement, and sought to find my place and voice in the struggle for social justice. Along the way, I have had to take a hard, sometimes painful look at myself, peeling away layers of defense to get at …

Older Single Women In Transition: Moving To A Supportive Retirement Community, Linda L. Hansen-Kyle Phd

Dissertations

This study explored role changes, resilience, social, and health challenges encountered by older women who transitioned to a retirement community that provided social, health, and safety support structures. The aim of this study was to analyze and describe the transition from the viewpoint of the participants. Although previous research has shown transitions lead to psychosocial, emotional, physical, and health changes, the importance of this study stems from the lack of research on older women moving to supportive communities and their unique challenges. A convenience sample of 39 women, aged 70-94, who had been living alone before moving to a church …

Female Hormonal Influences On Stress- And Drug-Induced Reinstatement Of Extinguished Amphetamine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference, Melissa Elaine Bleile

Dissertations

One Animal paradigm used to study addiction is conditioned place preference. CPP is achieved when an animal develops a preference for environmental stimuli previously paired with subjective effects of a rewarding drug. Women may experience greater drug sensitivity than men, most likely due to estrogen levels. The purpose of this experiment was to assess the effects of female sex hormones on drug sensitivity and their interaction with the primary factors causing relapse, stress or drug re-exposure. Female rats were ovariectomized and received replacement hormones to control circulating hormone levels. These groups of animals were tested for amphetamine (AMPH)-induced CPP and …

The Relationship Between Resource Allocation Patterns In Missouri K-12 Public School Districts And Student Performance, Aaron Ross Butler

Dissertations

The link between school funding and student achievement has been a topic of debate for many years. School leaders and policy makers have sought ways to increase student achievement while using educational funding in an efficient manner. Previous initiatives to examine the relationship between funding and achievement have included education production functions, standards-based reforms, reallocation of resources, and minimum funding levels. This study was designed to examine the relationship between resource allocation patterns and student achievement in 447 Missouri K-12 public schools. The relationship between school districts¿ resources and their achievement on the 10th grade mathematics and 11th grade communication …

Self-Deception And Other-Deception In Personality Assessment: Detection And Implications, Mary Lynn Starke

Dissertations

The present study utilized multiple methods of detecting self-deception and other-deception and explored potential implications for organizations hiring individuals exhibiting these tendencies. Participants were 242 undergraduate business students who completed self-ratings of extraversion and agreeableness under both ¿answer honestly¿ instructions and ¿answer as if you are applying for a job¿ instructions. Additionally, they completed the impression management and self-deceptive enhancement scales of the BIDR, the fake good scale and the good impression scale of the CPI, and took part in a role play with a trained observer. Individuals who knew the participants well provided ratings of participants¿ adjustment, integrity, interpersonal …

Afterschool Intervention Programs’ Impact Upon Select Variables Among 10th Grade Students In The Education Longitudinal Stu D Y (Els) 2002 Dataset, Diane Jackson-Chapman

Dissertations

This researcher analyzed data from the database of the National Center for Educational Statistics: Education Longitudinal Studies (ELS) 2002. The study included responses from 743 principals in 752 schools and from 15,362 10th grade students from public, Catholic, and other private schools. The dissertation investigated if the percentage of school participation in afterschool/summer outreach programs could predict students’ perceptions of teachers, drug availability on campus, student misbehaviors and punishments, and attitudes toward school and grades. The independent variable was the percentage of students in afterschool/summer outreach programs as reported by principals. The dependent variables related to students’ responses to attitudes …

School Web Sites And Teacher Employment Interest, David Theodore Freeman

Dissertations

The Internet has changed the way many organizations, including public and private schools, recruit and select employees. It has also changed the way many people research and pursue employment opportunities, including those seeking positions in education. The school Web site is often the medium of first contact between a school or school district and a potential employee. That first contact can influence the potential employee’s decision to actively pursue employment with a school or a school district.

This research measured the reactions o f preservice teachers who visited three grade-level appropriate school Web sites of “poor,” “average,” and “best” distinction. …

Hatchery Of Tongues, Michael Wallace Bassett

Dissertations

Hatchery of Tongues is a collection of poems accompanied by a critical introduction.

Acts 2:42 In 2006: Examining Small Group Discussion In An American Mega-Church, Sheri Guseman Edd

Dissertations

During the last century, Americans have become increasingly isolated from one another, resulting in feelings of loneliness and creating a void of community (Frazee, 2001). However, as attendance at mainline churches continues to decline (Stafford, 1998), attendance and participation in mega-churches, defined as those serving more than 2,500 individuals and offering a multiplicity of services, continues to increase (http://www.hirr.hartsem.edu/org ). One popular explanation for this phenomenon is that mega-churches are often characterized by an organized small group ministry---something absent in more traditional churches. Although this trend has clearly swept the nation (Gladwell, 2005), related research on the efficacy of the …