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Developing A Model To Facilitate The Improvement Of The Quality Of Crash Data Collection In West Virginia, David Scott Bucy May 2002

Developing A Model To Facilitate The Improvement Of The Quality Of Crash Data Collection In West Virginia, David Scott Bucy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Most federal, state, and local agencies use information derived from traffic crash reports for decision-making purposes. The accuracy and timeliness of this data is vital to safety program managers and traffic engineers. The purpose of this study was to assess improvements in the crash data process and examine the impact of the research assessment model developed by the West Virginia University Project Research Team on the West Virginia Uniform Traffic Crash Report.;A three-year research study funded by the West Virginia Division of Highways was conducted statewide with law enforcement agencies at all levels. Four hundred fifty-three officers participated in the …


Induction -Year Mentors' Self -Perceptions And Reflections On Their Training And Administrative Support, Joy Rise Cowdery May 2002

Induction -Year Mentors' Self -Perceptions And Reflections On Their Training And Administrative Support, Joy Rise Cowdery

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how induction-year mentors in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia perceived their jobs as mentors, reflected upon their training, and assessed their administrative support. By asking mentors to reflect upon their experiences as trained mentors, administrators may use this information to determine the extent to which what is happening in the field is perceived as effective and valuable by the participants charged with success of the mentoring programs. Mentoring, in this study, was examined through the lens of critical theory to determine if what was experienced by mentors in their training programs …


Perceptions Of Moral Agency Among Some Preschool Special Needs Teachers, Stephen Keith Pavlovic May 2002

Perceptions Of Moral Agency Among Some Preschool Special Needs Teachers, Stephen Keith Pavlovic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For more than 30 years, research on moral development has been dominated by the work of Lawrence Kohlberg and James Rest who have sought to construct and validate a universal model of moral development. The administration of either the Moral Judgment Inventory (MJI) or the Defining Issues Test (DIT) has been the primary, and frequently the only, methodology used to examine the moral reasoning abilities of various professions. Based on these tests, teachers have shown a disturbingly low level of moral reasoning. Using Rest's Four Component Model of moral deliberation, the study was designed to test the hypothesis that teachers' …


Imagery Use In Fencing, Jason Michael Boron May 2002

Imagery Use In Fencing, Jason Michael Boron

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purposes of this study were to: (1) evaluate the motivational and cognitive components of imagery use among fencers, and (2) to determine if these motivational and cognitive components and the use of imagery among fencers is a function of skill level, experience, primary weapon, gender, or handedness. A survey containing the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ), Imagery Use Questionnaire (IUQ), and a brief demographic questionnaire were distributed to 132 male and 116 female fencers competing in the United States Fencing Association's 2000 Summer Nationals in Austin, TX. Psychometric characteristics of the SIQ were calculated and indicated that most items measured …


Perceived Efficacy And Utilization Of The Oralcdx Brush Biopsy, Courtney Niccole Huffman May 2002

Perceived Efficacy And Utilization Of The Oralcdx Brush Biopsy, Courtney Niccole Huffman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The OralCDx is a preliminary screening tool developed to identify suspicious lesions. Despite large numbers of persons diagnosed with oral cancers annually, minimal research has been conducted on the efficacy and utilization rates of OralCDx. The purpose of this study is to determine perceived efficacy and utilization rates of OralCDx nationwide. A 16-item survey was used to survey a random sample of 100 dentists and a 6-item survey was used to survey a random sample of 400 patients. Data analyses were conducted using frequencies, cumulative frequencies, percents, analysis of variance, and tests of chi-square using the JMP program. Preliminary results …


Instructional Alternative For Underprepared Students, Deborah A. Thomas May 2002

Instructional Alternative For Underprepared Students, Deborah A. Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This quasi-experimental study examined the use of daily drills as a supplemental instructional alternative for underprepared students enrolled in General Psychology courses at a midwestern open-admission community college. Underprepared students were defined as those students whose Nelson-Denny Reading Test score fell below community college entrance level criteria. Daily one-minute drills of course content were provided to all participants in the experimental group. Lectures, discussion, and class activities were provided to both groups. The experimental and control group were compared using retention data, reading scores, and exam scores. Although more students in the experimental group withdrew from the course, most withdrew …


Effects Of D -Amphetamine And Morphine On Behavior Maintained By Fixed -Interval Schedules, Jennifer L. Johnson May 2002

Effects Of D -Amphetamine And Morphine On Behavior Maintained By Fixed -Interval Schedules, Jennifer L. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present experiments tested the effects of d-amphetamine and morphine on pigeons' responding during conventional and clocked FI schedules of food reinforcement. The first experiment compared performance between FI 5-min and continuously clocked FI 5-min components of a multiple schedule in which the rate of the houselight flashing increased in a continuous manner. The second experiment examined the differences between keypecking maintained by FI 5-min, response-dependent clocked FI 5-min, and response-independent clocked FI 5-min components of a multiple schedule. In the response-dependent clocked FI component, each peck produced a stimulus change that was correlated with the passage of time, while …


Effects Of Familiar Versus Unfamiliar Therapists On Responding In The Analog Functional Analysis, Carie Lynn English May 2002

Effects Of Familiar Versus Unfamiliar Therapists On Responding In The Analog Functional Analysis, Carie Lynn English

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The analog functional analysis involves the manipulation of pre-determined antecedent and consequent events and typically is conducted by trained experimenters. Research has evaluated the effects of including a broader range of antecedent variables in the analog. Inclusion of caregivers is one potential antecedent that may alter problem behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of including caregivers in the analog. Four individuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers served as participants. The differential effects of caregivers and experimenters as therapists were evaluated. For 3 of 4 participants, different patterns of responding were observed when caregivers versus …


Appalachian Diabetes Patients' Preferences For Mental Health Treatment, Sameep Dilip Maniar May 2002

Appalachian Diabetes Patients' Preferences For Mental Health Treatment, Sameep Dilip Maniar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although psychologists are beginning to be employed in medical settings, little is known about medical patients' preferences when encountering mental health problems. One population that could be better served by this type of research is diabetes mellitus because of the poor adherence rates and high depression associated with the disease. The current study aimed to identify diabetes patients' preferences for treatments and helpers when encountering emotional difficulties. Data were collected on 80 patients from an Appalachian region of the United States who had previously been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Results indicated that diabetes patients were …


In Vitro Genotoxicity Investigations Of Jet Fuel, Shawna M. Jackman May 2002

In Vitro Genotoxicity Investigations Of Jet Fuel, Shawna M. Jackman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The 60 billion gallons of jet propulsion fuels consumed worldwide create an exposure situation to over two million military and civilian personnel per year. The potential mutagenic, genotoxic and cytotoxic potency of military jet fuel was investigated in this study through in vitro systems such as human peripheral lymphocytes and metabolically competent hepatic cell lines. A battery of genotoxicological evaluations is employed, focusing on the comet assay to examine the induction of DNA damage. Cellular exposures to fuel were carried out directly and indirectly with an ethanol (EtOH) carrier. The fuel was found to be nonmutagenic with and without metabolic …


Effects Of Intertrial Interval And D-Amphetamine On Temporally Organized Behavior Of Pigeons, Lori Marie Lieving May 2002

Effects Of Intertrial Interval And D-Amphetamine On Temporally Organized Behavior Of Pigeons, Lori Marie Lieving

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present experiment examined the effects of intertrial interval and d-amphetamine on pecking of pigeons maintained by an interval bisection task. The side-tracking group responded based on the location of the key and the color-tracking group responded based on the color of the key. Intermediate stimulus durations were tested, separated by either a 10- or 100-s intertrial interval and a range of d-amphetamine doses and saline were administered. Acquisition of performance in the side-tracking group occurred in fewer sessions relative to the color-tracking group. In both groups, the proportion of long responses increased as a function of stimulus duration. These …


Interpersonal Conflict Within The Context Of The Organization, Jodi Lynn Sauders May 2002

Interpersonal Conflict Within The Context Of The Organization, Jodi Lynn Sauders

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This investigation was concerned with individual conflict management styles and situations. Participants were asked to complete the Organizational Communication Conflict Instrument (OCCI) (Putnam & Wilson, 1982) based on a particular conflict with a friend who is not a co-worker and a friend who is a co-worker. Results found that individuals do not change their conflict management styles based on situations. Also considered were the Big Three (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1985) personality types and their relationship to variability in one's conflict management styles. There were no relationships between variability and the Big Three.


Effects Of Morphine, D-Amphetamine, And Food Deprivation On Temporally Organized Behavior, Todd William Knealing May 2002

Effects Of Morphine, D-Amphetamine, And Food Deprivation On Temporally Organized Behavior, Todd William Knealing

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Two experiments examined the effects of morphine and d-amphetamine on behavior that was temporally organized under several schedule arrangements. Two body weights were assessed for each experiment. Experiment 1 made use of fixed-interval (FI) schedules, the peak procedure, and a two-key (free-operant psychophysical) procedure. Indexes of timing performance under each of these schedules were assessed and compared. Timing indexes were decreased by both drugs in the two-key procedure, but were not reliably altered in the peak procedure. Both drugs produced clear rate-dependent effects on behavior in both procedures. In Experiment 2, FI performance was assessed both alone and with a …


Factors Related To The Information Needs And Desired Level Of Participation Of Older Women Engaged In Medical Decision Making, Ronald Ralph Martin May 2002

Factors Related To The Information Needs And Desired Level Of Participation Of Older Women Engaged In Medical Decision Making, Ronald Ralph Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research suggests that older adults prefer less information and involvement in medical decision-making scenarios than younger adults. No previous research has empirically explored the factors that might influence the information and involvement preferences of older adults in medical decision-making scenarios. The present study involved an investigation of the influence of four factors on information and involvement needs: the complexity of the medical information, cognitive abilities, attitudes toward medical authority and health locus of control beliefs. Complexity was defined by contrasting reading levels (i.e., medical scenarios written at the 4th- vs. 11th-grade reading level). Cognitive abilities were measured using the …


Perceptions Of Banned Drugs In Athletics In Relation To Sport Participation, Gender, And Socioeconomic Status, Torri P. Hill May 2002

Perceptions Of Banned Drugs In Athletics In Relation To Sport Participation, Gender, And Socioeconomic Status, Torri P. Hill

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine college athletes' perceptions regarding illegal drugs in sport related to sport (team/individual), gender, and socioeconomic status. It was hypothesized that male, team sport, and higher socioeconomic athletes would view drug use in sport as more appropriate. A demographic data sheet and King Drug Doping in Sport Questionnaire (KDSQ) (King, 1991) was administered to 93 athletes in CHAMPS/Life Skills classes at an Eastern Division I institution. To scale reliability and construct validity, Cronbach's alpha coefficients were obtained and a principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation was run. Findings revealed weak Cronbach alpha …


Effects Of Electronic Communication On Culture Shock Of Spouses Of International Students, Diana Bennett May 2002

Effects Of Electronic Communication On Culture Shock Of Spouses Of International Students, Diana Bennett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Culture shock is a serious problem for spouses of international students. This recollection study looked at use of telephone, web phone, email, chat, and online newspapers as predictors for culture shock. Fifteen spouses of international students at a mid-Atlantic university were interviewed with the same rated questions asking them to recall how they felt: When they first arrived in the United States, during their first six months here, during their second six months here, during their third six months here, and at the time of the interview. For the same time periods, they were also asked how many times a …


Co -Curricular Involvement Of West Virginia Four-Year State College Students And The Statistical Relationship With Post -Graduate Community And Professional Involvement, Leadership, Salary, And Job Satisfaction, James D. Carpenter May 2002

Co -Curricular Involvement Of West Virginia Four-Year State College Students And The Statistical Relationship With Post -Graduate Community And Professional Involvement, Leadership, Salary, And Job Satisfaction, James D. Carpenter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the statistical relationship between co-curricular involvement of West Virginia college students and post-graduate involvement in community and professional organizations, leadership positions held within those organizations, professional salary, and self-perceived job satisfaction. A sample population of 400 college students (n = 400) from State-assisted colleges in West Virginia who completed baccalaureate requirements in 1990 was sent a copy of the West Virginia College and Community Involvement Survey and the Mohrman-Cooke-Mohrman Job Satisfaction Survey. Of 272 usable surveys, 142, or 52.2%, were returned.;Data analysis identified a significant statistical correlation between involvement in collegiate co-curricular …


Heart Rate Reactivity, Aggression, Anger, And Antisocial Behavior In Dating Males, Jennifer L. Guriel May 2002

Heart Rate Reactivity, Aggression, Anger, And Antisocial Behavior In Dating Males, Jennifer L. Guriel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study assessed heart rate reactivity and antisocial characteristics, subjective report of anger, and family history variables in 18 aggressive and 18 non-aggressive undergraduate males in an attempt to test the generalizability of Gottman et al.'s (1995) investigation of cardiovascular reactivity as a typological variable for male batterers. Participants were categorized according to their scores on the Conflict Tactics Scale, Revised. Heart rate reactivity, personality variables (using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition), and anger (using the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory) were subsequently measured during standardized interpersonal discussion tasks with a female confederate during the laboratory phase. Aggressive …


A Case Study Exploring Streaming Video In A University Setting., Brent Matthew Eastwood Jan 2002

A Case Study Exploring Streaming Video In A University Setting., Brent Matthew Eastwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this study was to examine the representations of adaptation and innovation among communications employees at West Virginia University. This case study was based on a marketing and communication project called “Stream of the Week,” which featured streaming video news reports on the university’s main web page. A data set of the videos was analyzed based on criteria set forth by the university’s marketing and communication goals. Qualitative interviews were conducted with key personnel to explore ways to better meet the university’s communication goals. Responses were classified as either adaptive or innovative communication. Recommendations were made to improve …


Why National Missile Defense: A Test Of Three Competing Models., Christopher Lee Campbell Jan 2002

Why National Missile Defense: A Test Of Three Competing Models., Christopher Lee Campbell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation seeks to answer the question of why the United States is pursuing the deployment of a national missile defense (NMD) system at the present time. The explanation most often given by national security policy makers is that it is being constructed in response to the weapons programs of “rogue states.” States such as North Korea, Iran, and Iraq are seen as actively developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the capability to deliver these weapons to the U.S. mainland. However, the proposal of this system poses problems. First, it has made many U.S. allies fear that its foreign …


Women's General And Oral Health Topics In Associate /Certificate, Baccalaureate, And Master's Degree Dental Hygiene Curricula., Joan Carol Gibson-Howell Jan 2002

Women's General And Oral Health Topics In Associate /Certificate, Baccalaureate, And Master's Degree Dental Hygiene Curricula., Joan Carol Gibson-Howell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The first purpose of this survey was to identify what women's general and oral health topics were included in dental hygiene curricula. Such variables as the dental hygiene degree granted, whether it was an associate/certificate (A/C), baccalaureate (BS), or master's degree (MS) and the course status were included. The second purpose was to investigate and compare demographic data and related educational issues, such as sources of instruction used by faculty when teaching women's health, continuing education completed by faculty in the past two years on women's health, where and how students apply their women's health knowledge, perception of satisfaction, perceived …


Family Conflict Communication Model: Constituents Of Constructive And Destructive Conflict Communication., Lois L. Hinkle Jan 2002

Family Conflict Communication Model: Constituents Of Constructive And Destructive Conflict Communication., Lois L. Hinkle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Communication plays a key role in family conflict, and family conflict has been the focus of much social concern in recent years. The Family Conflict Communication Model (FCCM; Hinkle, 2000b) presents a concise overview of some of the prominent components and processes that occur during and after family conflict communication that result specifically from disagreement over an issue or issues. The FCCM is relatively new and had not been tested prior to the current study. The Model posits that affect is a critical component relative to whether family conflict communication assumes a course that is constructive or destructive. The sample …


An Investigation Of Help-Seeking Behavior In Battered Women., Sarah Fentress Lewis Jan 2002

An Investigation Of Help-Seeking Behavior In Battered Women., Sarah Fentress Lewis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although domestic violence is a topic that has been the focus of a great deal of research, little attention has been paid to the help-seeking behavior of battered women. No evaluation to date has examined variables that facilitate and inhibit help-seeking behavior in battered women, using relevant comparison groups. The purpose of the present study was to investigate factors that discriminate battered women who seek help from those who do not. Variables that were hypothesized to impact the help-seeking behaviors of battered women were examined, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, social support, social isolation, coping styles, and general distress. A …


Communication Of Position In Current National Primetime Brand Advertising: A Content Analysis., Chad Matthew Mezera Jan 2002

Communication Of Position In Current National Primetime Brand Advertising: A Content Analysis., Chad Matthew Mezera

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Study examines communication of brand position in current national brand advertising on the four network stations during primetime programming. Content analysis of a random sample of advertising executions was performed on the premise that evaluation of said executions should be performed on the basis of cues provided by the execution to the viewer. Coded results are provided and analyzed. Brand position, as applied to communication in television commercials, is defined and explored.


An Analysis Of An Interview Between A Carthusian Monk And A Benedictine Monk Utilizing Fillmore's Frame Model In Discourse Analysis., Joseph John Pielech Jan 2002

An Analysis Of An Interview Between A Carthusian Monk And A Benedictine Monk Utilizing Fillmore's Frame Model In Discourse Analysis., Joseph John Pielech

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis analyzed a three-hour audiotape interview (Appendices I and II) between Fr. Benedict Neenan, a professed Benedictine monk and Pr. Raphael Diamond, a Carthusian monk from the Charterhouse of the Transfiguration in Arlington, VT. The theoretical framework employed as the vehicle of analysis is Fillmoreís Frame Model (1976, 1977). By implementing Fillmoreís model, we are able to explain how and why certain frames arose as well as account for any breakdown in the discourse which resulted from inaccurate or incomplete mental representations the participants had. Fillmoreís model incorporates the linguistic, metalinguistic, and psycho-social elements of language, however he does …


Wheat, Wealth, And Western Maryland: The Growth And Evolution Of Flour Milling In Frederick County, Maryland, 1748-1789., John F. Kvach Jan 2002

Wheat, Wealth, And Western Maryland: The Growth And Evolution Of Flour Milling In Frederick County, Maryland, 1748-1789., John F. Kvach

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores the evolution of flourmills in Frederick County, Maryland within the context of the economic and social development of western Maryland from 1748-1789. Western Maryland’s development differed greatly from that of most other areas in Maryland. A large German immigrant population, along with English and Scottish settlers, settled the valleys, of present day Frederick County, during the eighteenth century. These settlers grew wheat and created a need for mills and millers. Economically, mills created prosperity by attracting new businesses and settlers to the frontier. Politically and socially, millers influenced a region often in conflict with the tobacco interests …


The Relationships Among Self-Percieved Body Image, Interaction Involvement, And Interpersonal Communication Motives., Suzanna D'Ette Miller Jan 2002

The Relationships Among Self-Percieved Body Image, Interaction Involvement, And Interpersonal Communication Motives., Suzanna D'Ette Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among self-perceived body image, interaction involvement, and interpersonal communication motives. Participants (N = 137) completed the Self-Perceived Body Image Scale (Richmond, 1998), the Interaction Involvement Scale (Cegala, 1981), and the Interpersonal Communication Motives Scale (Rubin, Perse, & Barbato, 1988). Results indicated that self-perceived body image was negatively related with the inclusion and relaxation motives, but was not significantly correlated with the pleasure, affection, escape, and control motives. It was also found that women have a significantly lower self-perceived body image than men. Limitations and directions for future research were also …


The Contributions Of Optimism And Pessimism To Physical And Psychological Well-Being Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes., Jenessa C. Johnson Jan 2002

The Contributions Of Optimism And Pessimism To Physical And Psychological Well-Being Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes., Jenessa C. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study investigated how expectancies for good (optimism) vs. bad (pessimism) outcomes contribute to physical and psychological well-being among adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants were 71 community-dwelling adults, ages 45 to 88. Telephone interviews queried about optimism and pessimism via the Life Orientation Test (LOT) and a diabetes-specific LOT (DLOT), depression, positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), diabetes perceptions, and selfcare behaviors (diet, exercise, blood glucose monitoring). Higher LOT optimism was associated with lower levels of depression and higher PA. Higher LOT and DLOT pessimism were related to lower PA. Neither the LOT nor DLOT were associated with …


The Impact Of The Transition From Analog To Digital Process Display Gauges On Human Error And Safety In The Chemical Industry, Allen J. Thacker Jan 2002

The Impact Of The Transition From Analog To Digital Process Display Gauges On Human Error And Safety In The Chemical Industry, Allen J. Thacker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of new technological instruments in the work place has enabled operators to control processes and product development to tolerances that were unachievable in past decades. The chemical industry has exhibited rapid growth in the implementation of control monitoring instruments such as analog and digital display gauges as well as the software applications that provide the flexibility to successfully integrate the technology into the chemical manufacturing processes. This research was designed to examine the effects of the transition from analog displays to digital displays in the chemical industry. The results of the research provide benefits to chemical manufacturers and …


The Efficacy Of A Media Literacy Program For The Prevention And Treatment Of Eating Disturbances: Implications For The Continuum Model Of Eating Disorders., Janelle Wilder Coughlin Jan 2002

The Efficacy Of A Media Literacy Program For The Prevention And Treatment Of Eating Disturbances: Implications For The Continuum Model Of Eating Disorders., Janelle Wilder Coughlin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether a two-session media literacy program, A.R.M.E.D. (Acknowledging and Rejecting the Media's Influence on Eating and Body Image Disturbances), was an effective intervention for individuals who fell at various points on the eating disorder continuum. Ninety-three female college students participated in the study, with 46 experimental participants attending A.R.M.E.D and 47 participants serving as a control group. Between-subjects analyses did not reveal differences between the experimental and control group on each of the seven dependent variables. Within-subjects repeated measures analyses did, however, reveal that women who attended A.R.M.E.D. significantly reduced their …