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A Psychometric Evaluation Of The Revised Optimism-Pessimism Scale Of The Mmpi-2, Ginger Burge Debrule

Dissertations

The present study tested the psychometric properties of the Revised Optimism-Pessimism Scale (PSM-R) of the MMPI-2. This scale purportedly measures the respondent's explanatory style on a dimension of optimism and pessimism. Participants included 92 college undergraduates and 2,729 participants from archived outpatient data. The PSM-R is a reliable measure, based on test-retest reliability and internal consistency. However, the construct validity of the measure is questionable. Evaluation of the PSM-R items suggests that the items are not all related to the optimism-pessimism construct. In addition, convergent validity of the PSM-R was assessed using measures of attributional style, dispositional optimism, hope, depression, …

Attachment Anxiety And Avoidance: Relationship To Body Image And Exercise Behavior, Kathryn Louise Brown

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the role of attachment anxiety and avoidance in predicting persons' body image, body appreciation, and obligatory exercise behavior. Two hundred and twenty eight participants (100 men and 128 women) completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ; Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ; Cash, 2000), Body Appreciation Scale (BAS; Avalos et al., 2005), and Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire (OEQ; Pasman & Thompson, 1988). Results provided at least partial support for many of the hypotheses. The current study replicated results from previous research pertaining to the relationship between attachment and body image. However, the results …

Inferring Gene Regulatory Networks From Time Series Microarray Data, Peng Li

Dissertations

The innovations and improvements in high-throughput genomic technologies, such as DNA microarray, make it possible for biologists to simultaneously measure dependencies and regulations among genes on a genome-wide scale and provide us genetic information. An important objective of the functional genomics is to understand the controlling mechanism of the expression of these genes and encode the knowledge into gene regulatory network (GRN). To achieve this, computational and statistical algorithms are especially needed.

Inference of GRN is a very challenging task for computational biologists because the degree of freedom of the parameters is redundant. Various computational approaches have been proposed for …

The Relationship Between Calcium Intake, Obesity, And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: The Jackson Heart Study, Marjuyua Lartey-Rowser

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health risk in the United States. Major indicators of CVD risk include obesity, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Modifiable risk factors associated with CVD include body composition (body mass index and waist circumference), serum lipids, and blood pressure. Data suggest calcium intake may play a role in regulation of weight, serum lipids, and blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to assess relationships of dietary calcium intake with weight status, and cardiovascular disease risks in African American population participating in the Jackson Heart Study.

The subjects included 4,267 African American adults ages 21-95 …

Does Change In Timbre Alter Stereotypy Movements Exhibited By Three Persons With Diagnoses Of Mental Retardation And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Three Case Studies, Kathy Wade Webb

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe and collect data while monitoring the responses of three individuals to recorded presentations of four folk songs. The individuals, or participants, were all residents of a state-run facility in the southern region of the United States. The participants were females diagnosed with mental retardation and autism spectrum disorder, and they all exhibited one or more stereotypy behaviors in some form or another. The primary purpose of the study was to see if change in timbre of the songs would alter the stereotypy movements exhibited by these participants as the songs were presented …

Effects Of Spritual Well-Being, Religious Coping, And Hardiness On Parenting Behaviors In Low Socioeconomic Status Families, Jane Elizabeth Schenck Varner

Dissertations

Children from low socioeconomic status families are at risk for poor academic, emotional, and behavioral outcomes (Owens & Shaw, 2003). Multiple variables have been associated with resiliency in such families (Walsh, 2003). Spiritual and religious constructs have demonstrated positive effects on quality of life (Perrone, Webb, Wright, Jackson, & Ksiazak, 2006), emotional well-being (Davis, Kerr, & Kurpius, 2003; Calicchia & Graham, 2006), and positive health outcomes (Edmondson et al., 2005) in various populations. Previous research has not examined the relationship between spiritual and religious variables and resiliency, nor has previous research considered how the religious, spiritual, and resiliency variables affect …

Factors Influencing The Environmental Quality Of The Bay Of Saint Louis, Mississippi And Implications For Evolving Coastal Management Policies, Pradnya Ankush Sawant

Dissertations

The Bay of St. Louis, MS is a small northern Gulf of Mexico estuary that has been identified by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) as an impaired waterbody for its designated uses, mainly due to the presence of pollutant pathogens. A systematic study of this estuary was important to understand the behavior and responses of the bay to several natural and anthropogenic forcing factors. A 14- month long study (bimonthly sampling) to evaluate its environmental quality was undertaken from April 2003 to May 2004. Environmental quality was defined as "the health of an ecosystem characterized in terms of …

The Effect Of Holland's Person-Environment Fit On Trait Anger, Interpersonal Conflict At Work, And Workplace Aggression, Aimee Chantelle Pseekos

Dissertations

This study examined the effect of Person-Environment fit, as defined by Holland's (1997) theory, on trait anger, interpersonal conflict at work, and workplace aggression in a sample of employees in the United States. Job satisfaction was also examined with regard to concurrent and discriminant validity information for this sample. Results indicated that there was not a statistically significant effect of Person- Environment fit on trait anger, interpersonal conflict at work, or workplace aggression. The concurrent and discriminant validity of findings was supported through relationships between job satisfaction, Person-Environment fit, and workplace aggression. Limitations and implications for further research related to …

The Effects Of Reading Apprenticeship On Junior College Students' Metacognitive Awareness And Comprehension Of Academic Texts, Patti Rasberry Smith

Dissertations

This descriptive quantitative research study explored if a focus on Reading Apprenticeship strategies and routines in a college level composition class would affect students' metacognitive awareness and comprehension of academic text. Participants included 141 students from one junior college in a southeastern state. The 141 participants were enrolled by choice in six sections of composition taught by three instructors who had all received extensive training in implementing the Reading Apprenticeship framework in their classes. The participants were administered the Revised-Curriculum Embedded Reading Assessment (CERA) twice (pre and post intervention) during the fall semester of the 2008-2009 school year. Participants read …

Selecting Effective Mathematics Interventions In The Rti Process Via Brief Experimental Analyses, Carmen Daniela Reisener

Dissertations

The treatment utility of brief experimental analyses (BEAs) for identifying effective treatments for individual students experiencing mathematics difficulties is a novel area of research; especially in a Response-to-intervention (Rtl) framework. One fourth and three sixth grade students served as participants in the current study. The effects of a variety of evidence-based mathematics computation fluency interventions were examined in a BEA format. Effective treatments identified from the BEA for each participant were alternated during an extended analysis. The results of the current investigation indicated variability within and across participants in response to a variety of evidence-based interventions. Visual analysis of the …

Classroom Management: Teacher Training, Attitudes And Beliefs, And Intervention Practices, Margaret Catherine Davis Ladner

Dissertations

This study examined the factors that are associated with teacher classroom management with regard to training, attitudes and beliefs, and intervention practices of general and special education teachers in dealing with classroom control. These factors were examined in general and special education classrooms. The participants for this study were teachers of kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3r grade students in three public school districts in a southeastern state. Participants were recruited through a convenience or voluntary sample selection.

The school districts chosen for this sample provide a good cross-section of schools; they were representative of buildings with different percentages …

Developmental Studies Courses And The Success Of Non-Traditional Students At A Major Public University In The Southeast, Charlotte Tagert Matthews

Dissertations

The main purpose of the study was to determine the effect of academic preparation in basic skills classes on the academic performance in subsequent collegelevel classes for non-traditional students. A secondary purpose was to determine if academic preparation in basic skills classes had a long-term effect on academic performance as measured by graduation GPA. A third purpose was to obtain the perspectives of non-traditional students about the effect of academic preparation in basic skills classes on academic performance in subsequent college-level classes.

Methodology included statistical comparisons of grade distributions and GPA using archival data from the Banner student record system, …

A Correlational Study: Parental Involvement To Student Achievement In Public Education, Brian Ray Wilson

Dissertations

The significance of parental involvement in their children’s education, according to literature, is unquestionable. In this study the author examined the correlation between student achievement and parental involvement in public education in grade levels two through twelve. The following research will present varied aspects of obstacles that stakeholders must hurdle in an attempt to overcome these barriers in their quest for student success. Additional focus will present quality models of parental involvement as stakeholders attempt to increase and sustain student achievement in this new era of accountability in education.

Sexual Selection In A Species With Exploded Leks: The White-Crowned Manakin (Pipra Pipra), Wendy P. Tori

Dissertations

Understanding what determines male reproductive success is central to sexual selection theory. The main goal of this dissertation was to examine the processes that shape female mate choice and male reproductive success in an exploded lek species: the White-crowned Manakin (Pipra pipra). The first chapter examined if females select males with certain genetic characteristics to gain indirect fitness benefits. Specifically, it tested whether females preferentially mate with unrelated males or males with high overall heterozygosity to increase the genetic diversity of their offspring. The second chapter examined if food resources within territories affect male mating success of territory …

Puf1p-Mediated Mrna Decay And Combinatorial Control Of Mrna Stability By The Yeast Puf Proteins, Randi J. Ulbricht

Dissertations

The stability of a messenger RNA (mRNA) is a highly regulated and important aspect of gene expression. Proteins that regulate mRNA stability often bind to 3' untranslated region (UTR) sequence elements. The eukaryotic Puf proteins are one class of 3'UTR binding proteins that regulate the stability and expression of their target transcripts. Several global genome analyses have identified hundreds of potential mRNA targets of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Puf proteins, however only three mRNA targets for these proteins have been characterized thus far. After direct testing of nearly forty candidate mRNAs, I have established three of these as true mRNA targets …

Evolution And Maintenance Of Plumage Polymorphism: The Case Of The Red-Footed Booby (Sula Sula), Patricia Carvalho Baiao

Dissertations

The red-footed booby (Sula sula) is considered one of the most polymorphic seabirds, with three recognized major adult plumage types: (1) white; (2) white-tailed brown; and (3) brown, and several degrees of intermediates. The ratio of these color morphs varies among populations, with the white morph typically predominating. However, there are a few populations that present an inversed ratio of color morphs, such as Isla Europa in the Indian Ocean and the Galapagos archipelago, with the white-tailed brown or brown morphs predominating. I studied natural populations of red-footed boobies from three geographic locations, namely, the Galapagos archipelago, Johnston Atoll in …

Confidential Sources And Contempt Of Court: An Argument For Change, Angel Fahy

Dissertations

This thesis sought to examine the law on contempt of court as it pertained to journalists’ refusal to give evidence that would reveal the identity of their confidential sources of information. It argued that current law in this jurisdiction does not go far enough to protect journalists’ sources and, consequently, press freedom. It contended that despite the introduction of a statutory provision in the UK to provide qualified immunity from contempt charges for journalists who refused to reveal their sources, the law is not sufficiently clear to allow journalists to grant confidentiality without fear of prosecution. This thesis found that …

Instructional Leadership And The Missouri Annual Performance Report, Donald Duane Forrest

Dissertations

This study was to determine if there was a positive correlation between the years of experience of the high school principal and the annual performance of the district. Data was obtained from sixty randomly selected school districts in Missouri. The years of experience of the high school principal was compared to the Missouri Assessment Program scores in tenth grade Math, eleventh grade Communication Arts, 9-12 attendance rate, and the graduation rate. The reporting period data for this study was selected from the 2007-08 school year from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website. The findings of this study …

Comparison Of Grade Point Averages And Dropout Rates Of Students Who Participate In Extracurricular Activities And Students Who Do Not Participate, Timothy Carl Boatwright

Dissertations

In this study, the author examined the effects of participation in extracurricular activities on high school students’ grade point averages (GPA’S) and drop out rates. This study focused on high schools located in southwest Missouri. Students’ grade point averages and drop out rates were obtained from high school athletic directors and high school principals. The data were analyzed to determine if participation in these activities was beneficial to students or a hindrance in their quest for a quality education. Data were gathered and analyzed and it was determined using t-tests that students involved in extracurricular activities had higher grades and …

Teacher Compensation And The Academic Achievement Of Elementary Students, Doug Arnold

Dissertations

This study examined Missouri Assessment Program achievement scores and teacher salaries to determine if a correlation existed. Student achievement scores and teacher salaries were obtained from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the 2006-2007 school year. Analysis of the data indicated there was a significant correlation between student achievement as measured by the Missouri Assessment Program and teacher salaries. This study is part of a companion project. The researchers collaborated on the research portion of this study. The researchers shared common goals, defined their roles in the review of literature and coordinated efforts to produce this project. …

Knowledge Transfer Within A Software Development Team, Geraldine Conway

Dissertations

Knowledge in a software company is the blood of the company, not surviving without

the valuable knowledge running through its veins. Knowledge is no longer seen as an

object of competitive advantage but is the core of how an organisation operates.

The transfer of tacit knowledge into a format that is usable and can be transmitted to

other individuals is a challenge in any organisation due to the nature of this

knowledge. Tacit knowledge is a challenge to convert into an explicit form as it is hard

to contextualise this knowledge in order for it to be reusable for others. …

Investigating The Viability Of Virtual Communities Of Practice In The Public Sector, Sue Bolger

Dissertations

Communication and collaboration are very important topics in the domain of

Knowledge Management. Knowledge, which exists within the employees of an

organisation, can be extracted and harnessed effectively to become an extremely

valuable asset to the ongoing business goals and objectives of the organisation. This

embedded knowledge must be released in an appropriate manner in order for it to be

usable and, it has been shown that dialogue and discussion through the use of an online

tool, enables this release and re-use of vital concepts and knowledge.

This research investigates the area of communication and knowledge sharing amongst

disparate Irish …

Reading First Program Effects On Students With Disabilities, Brenda K. Lakin

Dissertations

The passage of the NCLB Act in 2002 and the Individuals with Disability Education and Improvement Act of 2004, mandated more accountability for student achievement. Students with disabilities were expected to progress through the curriculum and show gains in academic achievement at the same rate as other students. Therefore, schools were forced to look at their special education programs and make changes in instructional methods. One of the programs funded under NCLB was Reading First which was to ensure that all students would be able to read by the end of third grade. Reading First focused on helping those students …

The Genesis And Emergence Of Web 3.0: A Study In The Integration Of Artificial Intelligence And The Semantic Web In Knowledge Creation, David Mulpeter

Dissertations

The web as we know it has evolved rapidly over the last decade. We have gone from a phase of rapid growth as seen with the dot.com boom where business was king to the current web 2.0 phase where social networking, Wiki’s, Blogs and other related tools flood the bandwidth of the world wide web. The empowerment of the web user with web 2.0 technologies has led to the exponential growth of data, information and knowledge on the web. With this rapid change, there is a need to logically categorise this information and knowledge so it can be fully utilised …

Exercise Motivation For Breast Cancer Risk Reduction, Maureen Elaine Wood

Dissertations

According to The International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC), 25% of worldwide breast cancer cases are due to having a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight or obese (2002). Unfortunately, less than 50% of women participate in physical activity as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine and more than 25% do not participate in any physical activity at all (CDC, 2005). Perceptions of increased personal risk and self-efficacy have been shown to promote exercise participation, and as such, are key elements of protection motivation theory, used as the theoretical framework to guide …

Dimensions Of Intuition: First-Round Validation Studies, Rosanne Vrugtman

Dissertations

ABSTRACT This study utilized confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), canonical correlation analysis (CCA), regression analysis (RA), and correlation analysis (CA) for first-round validation of the researcher¿s Dimensions of Intuition (DOI) instrument. The DOI examined 25 personal characteristics and situations purportedly predictive of intuition. Data was collected from 302 respondents, ages 20-79, from differing occupations and educational backgrounds nationwide. Hypothesis 1: CFA disconfirmed the theorized 3- and 21-factor intuition models, finding 15 factors, accounting for 65.6% of the variance, to be the most efficient capture of intuition. Hypothesis 2: CCA tested the relationship between the 15 factors and the brain quadrants, as …

Effects Of Positive Behavior Support Programs On Student Behaviors, Kenneth George Weissflug

Dissertations

This study was conducted in order to examine the effects of a positive behavior intervention program in a middle-school setting. Over the course of many years, Rogers Middle School has had chronic discipline problems as evidenced by the number of behavioral referrals by teachers to the principals’ offices. As discipline problems increased, student classroom performance seemed to decrease. In the school year 2002-03, Rogers Middle School implemented a program called Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) to address the discipline problems. The program objective was to improve student achievement by improving behaviors. This study allowed the researcher to examine the effectiveness …

Career Decision Making For Male Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Model Of Critical Factors Aiding In Transitional Efforts, Gregory B. Gray

Dissertations

This study is intended to reveal helpful information that will guide high school practitioners in serving students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) more effectively. ADHD is neurological in origin, making it invisible. This disorder makes people susceptible to distractibility, impulsivity, disorganization, frustration, anxiety, and moodiness (Janus, 1999). Fifteen percent or more of the U.S. population has ADHD. These individuals, who often are viewed by career counselors, teachers, and employers as frustrating or difficult, are uniquely vulnerable in high school and beyond. Because individuals with ADHD have invisible handicaps, their academic performance and social behaviors can be interpreted incorrectly. Thus, …

The Development And Application Of A Checklist For Evaluating E-Learning In Organizations, Anne-Marie Guidy-Oulai

Dissertations

In the last two decades, organizations have increasingly used computer-based instruction as a method to deliver training to employees and instruction to students. The e-learning market reached $50 billion in 2005 and is expected to double by 2010. A number of different evaluation models can and have been used to measure effectiveness and worth of programs. However, the literature indicates the evaluation of e-learning may need to develop new models for evaluation.

The purpose of this study is to develop a framework to enhance the process of elearning evaluation in organizations. The E-Learning Evaluation Checklist (ELEC)— which was developed and …

Meta Analyses Of Multiple Baseline Time Series Design Intervention Models For Dependent And Independent Series, Oluwagbohunmi Adetunji Awosoga

Dissertations

Most wireless networks are deployed strictly in the radio frequency (RF) domain, since RF channels provide natural support for radial broadcast operations. However, the downside of RF channels is that they introduce many limiting externalities that make providing scalable quality of service (QoS) support difficult, if not intractable. These well-known technical challenges include bandwidth scarcity, lack of security, high interference, and high bit error rates.

Faced with such daunting obstacles to QoS, the use of Free Space Optics (FSO) for wireless communications has been proposed in which it has the potential to support higher link data rates compared to present …