Digital Commons Network^™

Tractor-Trailer Simulation And The Assessment Of Training Scenarios For City-Driving: Skill Building In The Area Of Left And Right Turns, James Whitmire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A simulated inner-city training scenario was found to increase skills in the area of turning when compared with a simulated off-track training scenario. To answer this question, two groups of ten participants (5 women and 5 men) were tested using three scripted scenarios focusing on left and right turns. The first training scenario (control group) is an off-track training scenario, which consists of a large asphalt lot and the use of orange cones; the second training scenario (experimental group) is an inner-city training scenario without the presence of vehicular traffic; and the third scenario (test scenario) is an inner-city scenario …

Adaptive Intelligent User Interfaces With Emotion Recognition, Fatma Nasoz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is on creating Adaptive Intelligent User Interfaces to facilitate enhanced natural communication during the Human-Computer Interaction by recognizing users' affective states (i.e., emotions experienced by the users) and responding to those emotions by adapting to the current situation via an affective user model created for each user. Controlled experiments were designed and conducted in a laboratory environment and in a Virtual Reality environment to collect physiological data signals from participants experiencing specific emotions. Algorithms (k-Nearest Neighbor [KNN], Discriminant Function Analysis [DFA], Marquardt-Backpropagation [MBP], and Resilient Backpropagation [RBP]) were implemented to analyze the collected data signals …

Autonomous Environmental Mapping In Multi-Agent Uav Systems, Linus Jan Luotsinen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

UAV units are by many researchers and aviation specialists considered the future and cutting edge of modern flight technology. This thesis discusses methods for efficient autonomous environmental mapping in a multi-agent domain. An algorithm that emphasizes on team work by sharing the agents local map information and exploration intentions is presented as a solution to the mapping problem. General theories on how to model and implement rational autonomous behaviour for UAV agents are presented. Three different human and tactical behaviour modeling techniques are evaluated. The author found the CxBR paradigm to be the most interesting approach. Also, in order to …

Thinking Outside Pandora's Box: Now That The Idea Of God Has Been Declared Dead, Has All Hope Been Lost For Philosophy And Humankind?, Mary Ann Fenicato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I. Introduction

The time has come.

Now that the Idea of God has been declared dead, an egocentric action that opened Pandora's box, many evils plague humankind. Thus, human life has no meaning. Humanism has been devalued. Philosophy gets no respect. All Hope has been lost.

II. Statement of the Problem

Philosophy must investigate exactly who declared the death of that Idea and why, who must resurrect that Idea and why, or, perhaps not, and why.

III. Description of Procedure or Methods

A multifarious method will present a mystery.

First, it will differentiate between the Idea of God and God …

The Impact Of Traditional Shona Beliefs On Hiv/Aids Intervention Work In Zimbabwe, Brian Goercke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between secondary students in the rural and peri-urban areas of Mashonaland in Zimbabwe and their tendencies to agree or disagree with traditional Shona attitudes, beliefs and practices as they related to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. A convenience, cluster sample was used to identify the 482 students who participated in this study. A questionnaire composed of demographics, hypothetical and open-ended questions was administered to these students within the regular classrooms of their respective schools.

A notable finding in this study was that traditional Shona beliefs appear to be stronger in the rural areas. However, the students surveyed …

The Appropriation Of The Prospect Of Taking Medication For Psychological Complaints: An Empirical-Phenomenological Investigation, Daniel R. Mangine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the lived experience of being confronted with the prospect of taking medications for a psychological complaint, namely a depressive disorder. Descriptions of such experiences were obtained from adult participants and were analyzed qualitatively in order to explicate the themes and meanings that were most significant to forming the experience as such.

The findings of this study were dialogued with literature on medication taking, the doctor-patient relationship, dialogic psychology and the construction of the self, and theories of willing, motivation and identity. This analysis contributes to the current literature by illuminating the lived …

Recognizing A Different Other: A Neo-Kleinian Analysis Of Lesbian Relationship Violence, Jacqueline Ann Neilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian relationship violence is an important public and private concern, yet it has been insufficiently researched, theorized, and treated. This dissertation explores and analyzes discourse on lesbian relationship violence from the perspective of therapists, researchers, lesbians who are victimized, and lesbians who perpetrate violence. The discourse on lesbian relationship violence includes empirical research, theories, treatments, personal stories, and other communications through conversations and writings. These texts are dialogued with neo-Kleinian and postmodern feminist theory in order to unfold the parameters of the discourse on lesbian relationship violence, analyze its limits and exclusions on lesbian experiences of relationship violence, and reframe …

Examining The Perspectives Of An Interdisciplinary Treatment Team Regarding The Implementation Of A Sensory Motor Group Trauma Curriculum In A Child And Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, Barbara Peck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A trauma curriculum was introduced at a child and adolescent partial hospitalization program. This study examined (a) the impact of the trauma curriculum on the partial hospitalization program; (b) the perspectives of the multi-disciplinary treatment team--teachers, teacher aides, trauma clinicians for the children and adolescents in the partial program, parents/caregivers, the facility's psychiatric nurse, the facility's medical director, and county program specialists--and a panel of expert practitioners toward the curriculum, and (c) any changes in the perspectives of the multi-disciplinary treatment team concerning the concept of trauma and its effects. To answer the research questions of this qualitative study, an …

Case Study: Nicosia Master Plan; Cooperation In The Midst Of Conflict, Doga Akinci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Nicosia Master Plan reflects the courageous vision of Lellos Demetriades and Mustafa Akinci- the former Mayors, respectively, of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of Nicosia. While both leaders looked forward to a common solution to the political crisis they believed that no time should be lost in dealing with the immediate problems of a divided city. They worked on a common sewage system that was a pressing need at that time on both sides of Nicosia.

This thesis examined the process that was used to develop the Nicosia Master Plan. The success of this cooperation was due …

From Virtue To Sympathy: Perspectives In Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century British Literature On The Disintegration Of The Social Bond, Andrea Beranek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In general, developments in English literature of the mid-eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century tend to place increasing attention on individual experience and greater variety in characters' aims, motives, and desires. Along with this tendency, the literature reflects alterations in the conceptual understanding of benevolence and sympathy that coincide with other significant changes in perspective, particularly a shift in the general understanding of the construction of the world and society. That is, works of the earlier period reflect perspectives and values of a society motivated by similar goals and desires, while those later works tend to portray characters at …

The Impact Of Utilizing High-Fidelity Computer Simulation On Critical Thinking Abilities And Learning Outcomes In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Lori Schumacher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Critical thinking abilities and learning outcomes are major components of nursing education. Initial critical thinking skills are often gained while the nursing student is learning the theoretical nursing principles in the classroom and is further enhanced in the clinical setting where learned knowledge is applied. A variety of instructional strategies are utilized to facilitate learning and promote critical thinking. Through the utilization of three complex and dynamic conceptual models, this study compared critical thinking abilities and learning outcomes of beginning baccalaureate undergraduate nursing students when three instructional strategies were used (classroom, simulation, and a combination of classroom and simulation).

A …

Happily Ever After: A Study Of Social Correlates Of Marital Unhappiness And Policy Implications, Benjamin Sprajcar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the variable happiness with marriage within the context of 14 independent variables. The 14 independent variables are sex, number of years of education, income, church attendance, job satisfaction, importance of having a fulfilling job, work hours, age, television hours watched per day, number of children, class identification, divorce, race and religious denomination. The purpose of this study is to help expose factors that affect marital happiness and to then suggest policy ideas that are directed at alleviating these problems. Using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), more specifically the General Social Survey (GSS), I was …

From Philosophy To Practice: A Hermeneutic Analysis Of Existential-Phenomenological Psychotherapy, David Danto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A hermeneutic analysis utilizing interpersonal process recall was employed to clarify how two existential-phenomenological psychotherapists apply the philosophies upon which their work is based. Two sessions of therapists and clients engaged in existential-phenomenological psychotherapy in a private practice setting were the focus of the study. Therapist and patient retrospective accounts and the researcher's observations regarding both sessions were analyzed via a hermeneutic method that entailed (1) explicating contextual information regarding the researcher and the sessions; (2) interpreting the therapists' intentions and actions as well as the clients' understandings of the sessions, and (3) integrating these results into a situated account …

Comparing Perceptions Of Effective Characteristics Of Middle School Advisors From Administrators, Teachers, And Students, Kevin Deitrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study compared perceptions of effective characteristics of middle school advisors from administrators, teachers and students at Fort Couch Middle School, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The research questions for this study included the following:

1. What are the effective qualities that students value in an advisor?

2. What are the effective qualities that principals value in an advisor?

3. What are the effective qualities that teachers value in an advisor?

4. What is the comparison between student, principal and teacher perceptions of effective qualities in implementing an advisor program? This was a descriptive research study using quantitative (survey) and qualitative …

Mourning, Evil And Grace: A Hermeneutical-Phenomenological Approach, James Dubose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation compares the debates on evil and grace between Augustine, Pelagius, and Manichean Gnosticism with those between Freud, Jung, Fromm, and Jaspers. Through a phenomenological understanding of mourniing and the hermeneutical interpretation of both fourth century theologians and twentieth century psychologists, I argue that evil and grace are different, equiprimordal ways of mourning-in-the-world.

Discriminant, Convergent, And Discriminative Validity Of The Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale, Koren Marie Boggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

In Search Of Self, Jason Rae Baldwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Immigration And Social Change : A Case Study Of Reverse Social Remittances Among North Mississippi, Church-Based Esl Volunteers, Rachael C. Sibley Gutierrez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Multicultural Survey Of Teacher Attitudes About Language Proficiency Among Students / By Monty Elizabeth Singletary, Monty Elizabeth Singletary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Visitor Recreation Expenditures, Interest, Satisfaction And Performance-Based Budgeting : A Case Study Of Enid Lake, Mississippi, Karen Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How Am I Feeling? That Depends On How You Ask : An Effect Of Question Format In The Self-Report Of Mood, Grant C. Corser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of A School Of Origin Variable On The Traditional Predictors And Prediction Of Undergraduate Pharmacy Students' Academic Performance, William Boyd Lobb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Propaganda In Political Advertisements : An Assessment Of Propaganda Usage In Mississippi's 2003 Gubernatorial Political Announcements, Marie Clare Christiansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Leaving Laurel : Migration And The Failure Of Geographic Cure In Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, Travis Montgomery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Source Clarity On The Judgment Of Facially Expressed Emotions In Context, Michael Brandon Kitchens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

She Ain't Afraid Of No Ghost : Ghostbusting Warrior Mothers And Their Daughters In Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior, Louise Erdrich's Tracks, And Toni Morrison's Beloved, Melanie R. Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Coed Adolescent Soccer Players In A Competitive Learning Milieu: An Ethnographic Assessment Of Gender Attitudes, Perceptions And Sport Specific Component Testing, Francis O'Donnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of association soccer dates back to the 1800's, and all indications are that prospects for the female athlete was scarce in all sports. The researcher has arranged an environment where young females can train with males in a soccer setting that has all the necessary elements for the athletes to learn, improve and compete with their own gender as well as opposite gender. The female group has been noticeable underachievers in this sport and is not aware of their potential. The research methodology is ethnographic in nature and study could easily be related to a traditional way to …

Up In Smoke: Evaluating Tobacco Use Among Native American Adolescents In Montana, Daria Meyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between culture, demographics, education, family structure, peer influence, and social isolation and the frequency of tobacco use among Native American adolescents in Montana. Peer influence and family structure were found to be the most influential factors regarding the frequency of tobacco use. Those who do not have close friends that smoke, believe smoking is wrong, do not believe they will smoke as an adult, have parents who believe smoking is wrong, have no older siblings at least not within close age proximity, have higher grades in school, are in a lower grade, and tend to …

The Effects Of The Manager's Behavior On The Retention Of High Potential Employees For Different Generations, Kimberlee Rhule

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the behavior of the manager that affects the retention of high potential individuals within an organization. Research suggests that the reason why employees leave organizations is their manager. A high potential is defined as an individual who exhibits the capabilities of developing into a future leader of the organization. The study also investigated high potentials' perception as to how effectively their expectations of those managerial behaviors are being met. Managerial behavior is defined as the manner or conduct displayed toward employees by the manager. High potential individuals who participated in the study …

Searching For Mother: Chicana Writers Revise And Renew Malinche And Guadalupe, Diane L. Maldonado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chicana writers currently assume the role of border culturalists in order to present alternative views of female figures perpetuated by histories, chronicles, myths, and other narrations motivated by imperial ideology and patriarchy. Two such female figures in Mexican-American culture are La Virgen de Guadalupe and La Malinche, archetypes that emerged in Mexico during the Spanish conquest period and that traditionally became dichotomous constructions of virgin and whore, Virgin Mary and Eve, and protector and traitor, respectively. However, contemporary Chicana feminist writers, such as Gloria Anzaldúa, Ana Castillo, Sandra Cisneros and Pat Mora, not only revise traditional images of Malinche and …