Digital Commons Network^™

Middle And High School Principals' Knowledge Of Discipline Provisions Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act In The Upper East Tennessee Region., Ginger R. Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine school principals’ knowledge of discipline provisions of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 and to determine what additional training opportunities may be needed to ensure that school systems in the upper East Tennessee region are in compliance under IDEA. As instructional leaders, it is imperative that principals understand their responsibilities and the importance of adhering to the legal obligations under IDEA. Principals who do not comply with the act not only deny students the education to which they are entitled but also expose the school system to costly litigation. …

Internet-Based Courses: Observations Of Faculty Developers/Teachers And Students With Disabilities At 4-Year Public Institutions In Tennessee., Janet Mcdaniel Keener

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study will be to identify important factors that should be considered by faculty members at selected public institutions of higher education as they plan, design, develop, implement, and evaluate Internet-based courses, in order to make the courses responsive to the needs of students with disabilities. In addition, the study will explore perceptions of students with disabilities in terms of Internet-based courses offered at their institutions. A total of 17 faculty developers/teachers and 7 students with disabilities were interviewed. Qualitative methodology was used to analyze the data.

The significance of this study lies within the legal and …

Risk Perceptions Of Adults In The Town Of Unicoi, Tennessee, Regarding The Possible Building Of A Uranium Enrichment Plant., Shannon Kathleen Sellards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A prolonged siting controversy for a uranium enrichment facility has occurred in the Town of Unicoi, Tennessee. One hundred-seventy residents of Unicoi were interviewed using a questionnaire regarding the building of a proposed uranium enrichment facility for Unicoi. The questionnaire sought to determine relationships between residents’ risk perceptions and 18 variables. When the Fisher’s exact procedure was applied at α< 0.05, the results indicated several associations. Odds ratio measured the strength of association. Results are reported as crude measures of association. Risk perceptions were influenced by the choice of possible locations for the facility [p=0.0003; OR=32.6]. Residents' risk perceptions were associated with a history of working with nuclear materials [p=0.0476; OR=3.2]. Finally, risk perceptions were associated with residents' beliefs that the nuclear facility would affect their health [p=0.0001; OR=18.8]. These results are discussed in light of risk perception and communication theories.

Inducing Knowledge By Enduring Experience: The Function Of A Postmodern Pragmatic Aesthetic In Linda Montano's "Living Art"., Alisa Anne Brandenburg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Has Modernism Failed? (1984), Suzi Gablik calls for a postmodern art that has preserved the values that modernism lost over the 20th century, stating that only through "direct knowing" may we be shocked out of art-for-art's-sake. In Art As Experience (1934), John Dewey similarly proposes that "thinking is a kind of doing," recommending an instrumental art in one's drive to better him/herself.

Contemporary artist Linda Montano challenges the status quo by exploring the nature of art beyond its material value. In her Living Art performances (1970-1986), Montano creates a postmodern pragmatic aesthetic that is conducive to the unique …

Childhood Experiences Of Appalachian Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence During Adulthood., Amy L. Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent national surveys in the United States estimate one in five females will experience abuse by an intimate partner during her lifetime. Previous quantitative research linked childhood victimization to repeated victimization in adult relationships. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of childhood in eight female victims of intimate partner violence who were born and reared in southern Appalachia. Interviews were analyzed using a descriptive-interpretative phenomenological method, as described by Van Manen. The three essential themes from childhood were identified as: living 'as if' an orphan; surviving in chaos; and, manifesting a devalued self. These themes were congruent with findings …

Human Visual Processing Of Orientation In Broad Stimuli., Bruce C. Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently our lab has shown that with broadband stimuli (either visual noise or natural scenes), performance for detecting oriented content is worst at horizontal, best at the obliques, and intermediate at vertical orientations--an anisotropy (termed the "horizontal effect") quite different from the well-known "oblique effect" (worst performance obliques) obtained with simple line or grating stimuli. This horizontal effect can be explained by a proposed anisotropic normalization model that operates at the level of striate cortex by implementing the known numerical biases of striate neurons preferring different orientations as well as the strength of those responses from neurons tuned to similar …

Building A Model Of Campus Diversity: An Organization-As-The-Individual Based Approach, Ian Spencer Ray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diversity is a vital concept when engaging with modern social science research and among higher education practitioners. Despite the pervasive discourse surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, quantification of diversity remains a challenge across the social sciences. This study proposes a new conceptual framework, applies the framework to the quantification of diversity and measurement of its impacts. Further, this study demonstrates the robustness of the new conceptual framework alongside the positive impacts of diversity on institutional outcomes.

The Organization-As-The-Individual (OATI) framework arises from an integration of the social and biological sciences. The framework argues that humans, as biological organisms, …

Examining Multisystem Coordination In Response To Stressors In Early Childhood, Tiffany Phu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a set of two studies that investigate linkages between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) in response to a stressor paradigm among young children experiencing low-income. Contextual/child factors that shape multisystem physiologic coordination were also examined. A novel application of structural equation modeling was used to model sample-by-sample linkages between salivary analytes that indexed HPA axis and SNS functioning (respectively, salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase [sAA]). The preschoolers in Study 1 showed linkages between salivary cortisol and sAA across a novel research visit at their childcare center that included a stressor paradigm. Child …

Assessing How Identity Lens Accessibility And Distinctiveness Inform Application Of Gender- And Race-Relevant Stereotypes To Black Women, Gina A. Paganini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite clear evidence that stereotypes of women and Black individuals are opposing, little is known about how such identity-relevant stereotypes are applied to Black women. The lens-based account of intersectional stereotyping (Petsko & Bodenhausen, 2020) suggests that judgments of an individual Black woman should shift toward (i.e., assimilate to) stereotypes of whichever identity “lens” (gender, race, or their intersection) is salient. This dissertation builds on the lens-based account by considering whether identity lens salience can lead judgments of an individual Black woman to assimilate or contrast to identity-relevant stereotypes, and whether different ways of inducing identity lens salience are more …

Communication Cues To Action Prompting Central Appalachian Women To Have A Mammogram., Kathryn Bond Mcneill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today, mammography screening is the best method of detection for breast cancer, yet many women have never been screened and underprivileged, minority and rural women have lower screening rates then other populations. The purpose of this study, through individual interviews(N=88), was to understand the cues that women perceive to have received spurring them to participate in mammogram screening. The Health Belief Model guided this research. Media influence, Health Care Practitioner recommendation, social networks, and symptoms were the cues to action explored in this research prompting compliance to mammography screening. All four of these cues were found to influence women in …

Perceived Barriers To The Implementation Of Web Enhancement Of Courses By Full-Time Tennessee Board Of Regents Faculty., Thomas Barron Wallace Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty reluctance to providing students with access to course resources via the Internet. The study explored known barriers to the use of technology and the Internet within educational settings and provided opportunity for new barriers to be presented. Personal and professional demographic factors were collected to determine if certain characteristics were identifiable as predictors to web enhancement.

An online survey was designed to collect data to address research questions in the study. The survey consisted of 48 questions, including areas for comments and remarks from faculty members. One thousand two (1002) faculty, …

Family Literacy—Predictors Of Program Participation And Goal Attainment In Kentucky., Zelma Renae Stewart Harrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how various components of family literacy programs such as operational characteristics (enrollment procedure, hours of operation, time of class, curriculum selection, type of instruction, and age of child served) and staff characteristics (gender, full or part time status, and educational attainment level) influence the recruitment, and goal attainment of adults in family literacy programs. This research investigated factors that could help educational administrators improve family literacy programs through increased enrollment, and improvement of goal attainment of participants. This exploratory, quantitative study utilized 2002-03 data submitted by family literacy programs in Kentucky. Two …

Beguiling Beginnings And Dialectical Salvaging : The Presidential Inaugural Speech And African-American Leaders' Speeches., Jacqueline Elaine Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how presidential inaugural speeches reflect the overarching mindset of the government, and how, in the postmodern era, this mindset manifests the same sort of African American erasure that has existed since Middle Passage. In addition, I explore the rhetorical engagement black leaders use to respond to, prevent, or to circumvent this erasure. This dissertation examines presidential inaugural speeches, during the Civil Rights and Black Power eras, from the Kennedy administration to President Lyndon Baines Johnson, to prove that, most times, this type of speech is little more than epideictic formality in regards to black interests, and, perhaps, …

A Durkheimian Sociobiology?, Jason Oliver Dixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As conceived by Durkheim, social facts set parameters on what is of sociological interest, and subsequently how social phenomena are explained. This thesis reworks this theoretical concept to allow for biological explanations of some social phenomena. It by no means, asserts that all social phenomena can be explained by biology, but it recognizes that biological explanations of human behavior are available and are of sociological interest. The argument agrees with the main thrust of Durkheim's defense of social facts, but his critique of utility, while insightful, is considered unnecessary to negate individual causality.

Hugh Borton: His Role In American-Japanese Relations., Hitomi Kinuhata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study proposes to examine Hugh Borton's role in American-Japanese relations. Three aspects will be explored: his work as a Quaker missionary, as an American government official, and as a leader in the development of Japanese and Asian studies.

In addition to Borton's Memoirs, the study is based on his papers at American Friends Service Committee Archives National Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Columbia University Oral History Collection in Butler Library in New York, Haverford College Quaker and Special Collection in Magill Library in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and the United States Department of State Records at the National Archives in College …

Willingness To Accept Forgiveness In Various Religious Targets., Meridith Ann Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three scenarios regarding a target man's moral behavior were used to examine 'religious halo' 'religious boomerang', and a 'halo recovery' effect. Initially, participants rated a male target in response to his religious affiliation. Secondly, participants rated the male target following an act of infidelity. Finally, participants provided ratings of the male target with the knowledge that the target received forgiveness from significant others. Results indicated that participants did not discriminate based on knowledge of the target's religious affiliation but did reject the target following an act of infidelity. New to this research, however, was discovery of a 'halo recovery' where …

Coming Home, Staying Put, And Learning To Fiddle: Heroism And Place In Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain., Heather Rhea Gilreath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In his novel Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier weaves an intricate web of human stories, all converging to make a memorable statement about love, war, life, and death. This study examines these stories and the mythological, literary, and folk models Frazier employs, and in some cases revises, to tell them. The first chapter explores how Frazier recreates Odysseus in Inman, his main male character, to depict the psychological trauma inflicted by war. The second chapter focuses on Ada, Inman’s pre-war sweetheart, and Ruby, a girl with whom Ada bonds, as challenges to the male pastoral tradition. Ruby’s father Stobrod as trickster, …

Resiliency Factors Associated With Adaptive Conflict Tactics., Jacquelyn Leanne Driggers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined witnessing domestic violence as a child as a predictor of violent conflict tactics in adult dating relationships. A supportive sibling and a close relationship with the mother were examined as resiliency factors. Participants were 129 men and 256 women enrolled in classes at East Tennessee State University. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, a mother-father conflict resolution form of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS), The Parent-Child Relationship Survey (PCRS), The Index of Brother and Sister Relations, and a revised form of the CTS that assessed violence in the participants' dating relationship. Analysis of variance was conducted to assess …

Theological Dualism In The Poetry Of George Herbert., Carolyn Elizabeth Woodruff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theological dualism is a primary element in George Herbert's poetry. Poems such as "The Flower," "Affliction I," "Affliction V," "The Banquet" and "Love III" illustrate the necessary tension inherent in the polarity of theological dualism. Abstractions such as joy, grief, pleasure, pain, birth, and death form the framework for Herbert's illustration of the Christian pilgrim in search of divine communion. For the searching Christian to understand one abstract principle, its opposite must be equally explored. In this journey to comprehend the duality of the Christian life, one reaches spiritual enlightenment and communion with God. Although several critics have recognized the …

The Relationship Between Political Cynicism And Right-Wing Authoritarianism : A Study Of The Louisville-Jefferson County Merger., Jeremy Reed Porter 1978-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The government's ability to gain and hold a high proportion of citizens' trust is essential to the functioning of an efficient and successful administration at the federal, state, and local levels. This thesis is a quantitative study aimed at finding possible explanations for differences in levels of political cynicism. One possible explanation, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), is the subject of this study. Furthermore, the study aims to link the variables to the 2000 Louisville-Jefferson County merger. The data for this study were collected from 802 respondents residing in the Metro Louisville area using a random technique via the 2004 Louisville Metro …

The Roles Of Pancreatic Beta Cell Antioxidants In Islet Transplantation And Type 1 Diabetes., Xiaoyan Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic beta cells are extremely vulnerable to destruction by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). In type 1 diabetes and islet transplantation ROS are thought to be involved in the loss of beta cells. To test the role of antioxidant in islet transplantation. In our lab we have determined that transgenic overexpression of the antioxidant protein metallothionein (MT) in pancreatic beta cells provides broad resistance to oxidative stress by scavenging most kinds of ROS. A direct test of hypoxia/reperfusion sensitivity was shown that MT markedly reduced ROS production and improved islet cell survival. Furthermore, in both syngeneic transplantation and allotransplantation, MT islets …

Frequency Of Rad Diagnosis And Attachment Disorder In Community Mental Health Agency Clients., Paula S. Morgan 1958-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attachment Disorder (AD) in children has been characterized by particularly alarming behaviors, yet the identification of this disorder for clinicians in community mental health agencies is problematic. The only available diagnosis that addresses attachment problems is the DSM-IV diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), a diagnosis that does not include the more severely disturbed behaviors that have been associated with attachment-disordered children. This dissertation examined the frequency with which CMHA child clients were diagnosed with RAD, as well as the actual occurrence of attachment problems and Attachment Disorder as measured by the Randolph Attachment Disorder Questionnaire (RADA). The Personality Inventory …

Indicators Of Community Receptivity To International Service-Learning Programs., Henry R. Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory study of the indicators of receptivity that communities portray towards international service-learning programs. Historically, programs such as service learning programs choose communities and other working partners based on the needs of these communities. International service-learning on the other hand because of the high cost of travel to another country and accommodation needs to minimize the risk of having unsupportive partners. In this light, communities should be assessed to ensure that they are receptive to international service-learning programs. The study was conducted in a community that displayed a high level of receptivity to the University of …

Under The Influence: Adolescent Girls' Compliance In Competitive Softball., Cory Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how and why young female athletes participate in the competitive organized sport of softball. Based on participant observation and interviews with coaches and players of Team Z, this study examines how parents and coaches influence females to participate in athletics through incentives and punishments. This thesis also examines the cultural assumptions about work that organized sports introduce to female athletes. Furthermore, the study discusses how parents and competitive sports organizations perpetuate the existence of male domination in sports and in society more generally.

Psychological Stress During Exercise : Stress Hormone Responses And Immune Function, Michael Weldy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Certain professions involve duties that are physically and psychologically stressful. Physical stress alone and psychological stress alone are associated with increases in cardiorespiratory and stress hormone levels. Elevations in stress hormones, catecholamines and cortisol, are related to changes in blood lymphocyte populations. In particular, elevations in cortisol are related to reductions in helper T cells, helper T cell to cytotoxic T cell ratio, and natural killer cells. While numerous studies have investigated effects of physical and psychological stress alone, the effects of psychological stress during exercise has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to describe catecholamine and …

A Comparison Of Brief, Single Sessions Of Physical Activity And Relaxation/Meditation On Affective Responses Of Female Undergraduates., Paul Gregory Salmon 1948-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study compared brief, single sessions of physical activity (PA, self-paced treadmill walking) and relaxation/meditation (R/M, the "Body Scan") on positive and negative affect and anxiety measures in female undergraduates. Both were predicted to reduce negative and enhance positive affect. Differential effects of PA and R/M were predicted for participants with predominantly cognitive or somatic anxiety symptoms. Forty-six undergraduates were randomized to PA or R/M interventions. Changes in positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale, PANAS) and anxiety (Spielberger State/Trait Anxiety Inventory) were assessed using multivariate, repeated-measures statistics. Both PANAS Negative Affect & STAI anxiety scores declined following …

The Visual Perception Of Distance In Action Space., Bing Wu 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work examines our perception of distance within "action space" (about 2m ~ 30m), an ability that is important for various actions. Two general problems are addressed: what information can be used to judge distance accurately and how is it processed? The dissertation is in two parts. The first part considers the "what" question. Subjects' distance judgment was examined in real, altered and virtual environments by using perceptual tasks or actions to assess the role of a variety of intrinsic and environmental depth cues. The findings show that the perception of angular declination, or height in the visual field, is …

The City As A Point Of Transition In The Lives Of Esmeralda Santiago And Judith Ortiz Cofer., Monica Michelle Joiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

United States capitalist development efforts, known as Operation Bootstrap, created an economic need for Puerto Ricans. Two authors, Esmeralda Santiago and Judith Ortiz Cofer, are both women of Puerto Rican decent who lived through this historic period.This thesis examines the lives of both "puertorriquenas" and their experiences in the cities of Paterson, New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York respectively. Becoming a woman in an urban environment stands as a unifying experience of both Ortiz Cofer and Santiago. Chapter one examines trauma as a normal part of the urban experience. Chapter two focuses on bilingual and bicultural identity and its use …

Child Maltreatment Assessment And Recidivism : A Study Of Kentucky Child Protective Services., Helen Katherine Mudd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative dissertation examines risk assessment and recidivism of child maltreatment to determine the relationship between child protective services provided by the Kentucky Department of Protection and Permanency and risk of harm. A chart review of existing data on 3,235 closed Kentucky child protective services cases provides information about the quality of service provided to families, the reduction of risk of maltreatment assessed in the family, and the rate of recidivism following case closure. This dissertation examines the usefulness of the Continuous Quality Assessment tool (CQA) and its effectiveness in assessing risk. The CQA is an assessment tool that is …

The Relationship Of Stress Levels To Wellness Practices Among Community College Presidents., Eva Charlotte Ratliff Dawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variety and level of wellness practices of community college presidents and the relationship of these practices to the stress levels of this group. Additionally, relaxation activities and the feelings, characteristics, and symptoms associated with stress were considered. Items measuring each of these variables, isolated from the literature and tested in a pilot sample, were combined into an electronic instrument, Stress Levels and Wellness Practices Measurement for Community College Presidents.

The design of the study was ex post facto/correlational. The population of the study was American community college presidents. A stratified …