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Using Stages Of Change To Examine Fear, Threat, Efficacy, And Safety Climate Perceptions In Health Care Workers Who Routinely Handle Needles And Sharps, Brian Thomas Day May 1999

Using Stages Of Change To Examine Fear, Threat, Efficacy, And Safety Climate Perceptions In Health Care Workers Who Routinely Handle Needles And Sharps, Brian Thomas Day

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Standard precautions are mandated for the purpose of decreasing the risk of bloodborne pathogen transmission of diseases, namely human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B infections. One of the stipulations of standard precautions is that used needles should not be recapped and should be disposed of in an appropriate sharps container. The rate of needle stick injuries among health care workers remains at a high level despite the 1992 passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations regarding standard precautions. The role fear plays in decisions regarding individual health related behaviors such as intravenous drug use has been …


Econometric Analysis Of Household Expenditures, Samuel Berhanu May 1999

Econometric Analysis Of Household Expenditures, Samuel Berhanu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While the traditional methods of measuring income inequality reveals interesting and important features of labor markets, estimates of income inequality do not provide complete summary statistics of the distribution of well-being. Interpreting the Gini coefficient of family earnings as a measure of disparity in welfare implicitly assumes that households with the same level of before tax income are equally well-off. Utility is derived from the consumption of goods and services and there is ample empirical evidence which indicate that the distribution of total expenditure is likely to be different from the distribution of income. As Friedman indicated households with low …


Generalizability Of Cardiovascular Reactivity To Stress Among Doctoral Students Between Laboratory And Natural Settings, James P. Davig May 1999

Generalizability Of Cardiovascular Reactivity To Stress Among Doctoral Students Between Laboratory And Natural Settings, James P. Davig

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study extends previous work investigating the generalizability of cardiovascular reactivity to stress obtained in response to laboratory-based tasks to cardiovascular reactivity measured in response to a natural occurring event. Cardiovascular reactivity (HR, SBP, DBP) to stress was measured with ambulatory monitoring equipment in 6 male and 16 female healthy Caucasian graduate students in two settings: during five standardized laboratory stressors, and during the proposal or defense of a thesis or dissertation. Results indicate that for all cardiovascular parameters, the magnitude of change was greatest in response to the natural event, and that among the laboratory tasks, the greatest degree …


Role Expectations And Predictions Of Trends For Human Resource Development At Large Public Universities Within The Southern Regional Education Board (Sreb) Area, Drayton Ray Justus Jr. May 1999

Role Expectations And Predictions Of Trends For Human Resource Development At Large Public Universities Within The Southern Regional Education Board (Sreb) Area, Drayton Ray Justus Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was designed to identify the role expectations, reporting hierarchy, years in role and trends in human resource development as reported by the person responsible for human resource development in large public universities within the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) geographic area. The population for this study was all the four-year public universities in Southern Regional Education Board states which were classified by 1997 SREB-State Data Exchange definitions as SREB I (n = 26).;Each institution in the sample was mailed a copy of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Roles Survey, an instrument developed for the purpose of this research. …


Prediction Of Trauma Responses Following Myocardial Infarction, Risa Nakase Thompson May 1999

Prediction Of Trauma Responses Following Myocardial Infarction, Risa Nakase Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For survivors of MI, the most common subsequent psychological complications include anxiety and depression. Recent interest has increased in examining the incidence of anxiety disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), among post-MI patients. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate trauma responses among a consecutive sample of post-MI patients. Forty-six post MI patients completed questionnaires and forty completed structured interviews during their initial hospitalization for MI. Six of these individuals reported acute stress disorder symptoms in response to their MI. These six patients scored significantly higher on most measures of PTSD. Thirty-two individuals completed a follow-up assessment of …


Preference Between Predictable And Unpredictable Administrations Of Carbon Dioxide-Enriched Air, Carl Wilbourne Lejuez May 1999

Preference Between Predictable And Unpredictable Administrations Of Carbon Dioxide-Enriched Air, Carl Wilbourne Lejuez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Predictability of panic attacks has been identified as an important factor in the development, maintenance, and treatment of panic disorder. Although animal studies typically have found a preference for signaled (predictable) over unsignaled (unpredictable) aversive events, results with human participants have been less clear. Because preference for predictability has a wide range of clinical implications, we examined human preference for predictability in a biological challenge paradigm. Further, we examined the differential effects of predictability as a function of anxiety sensitivity and gender. In general, females showed a significantly greater preference for predictability compared to males, as did high anxious participants …


Administrators' Influence On Job Satisfaction For West Virginia Special Education Teachers, Jennifer Pitzer Sirk May 1999

Administrators' Influence On Job Satisfaction For West Virginia Special Education Teachers, Jennifer Pitzer Sirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationship between the perceived administrative support levels of special education directors and principals and the perceived intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction levels of West Virginia special education teachers. The Supervisory Behavior Description Questionnaire (Form One) was used to measure the perceived administrative support levels. The Mohrman Cooke Mohrman Job Satisfaction Scale was used to measure the perceived intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction levels. Ancillary information was also obtained from the respondents concerning gender, Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) area of employment, grade level of employment, special education teaching assignment areas, years of experience teaching …


Assessing The *Discriminative Properties Of Response -Reinforcer Relations Using Concurrent Schedules Of Reinforcement, Josue P. Keely May 1999

Assessing The *Discriminative Properties Of Response -Reinforcer Relations Using Concurrent Schedules Of Reinforcement, Josue P. Keely

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The discriminative properties of schedules of reinforcement have been assessed by making a choice response conditional upon some aspect of the schedule that produced the choice component. The discriminative properties of concurrent schedules of reinforcement and the effect of disruptions in the response-reinforcer relation were investigated using conditional-discrimination procedures. In the first experiment, choice components were produced by responding to one of two variable-interval (VI) schedules. Disruptions in the temporal contiguity between a VI response and a choice component were introduced by arranging a percentage of choice components according to a variable-time schedule. Choice responding was a function of the …


Offerings For Jahilia, Stephen Vincent Martonis May 1999

Offerings For Jahilia, Stephen Vincent Martonis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

These words represent the ideas invested in my paintings. They are progressive and fluctuating thoughts occurring at an interval in time. They are given honestly and freely, as ignorance and change are understood.


Domains Of Organizational Effectiveness Of Gerontology Centers In Higher Education, Allison Hale Nichols May 1999

Domains Of Organizational Effectiveness Of Gerontology Centers In Higher Education, Allison Hale Nichols

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is an exploratory study that focuses on organizational effectiveness of gerontology centers and institutes at American universities. The study was modeled after studies of organizational effectiveness in higher education by Kim Cameron of Brigham Young University. The study identifies six domains of effectiveness that are important to gerontology centers and the structural and functional models and characteristics of gerontology centers that may predict the domain in which it is effective. The target population of the study was dominant coalition members of 87 gerontology centers, namely, administrators and faculty members who have the most influence on policy, direction, and performance. …


The Role Of Therapist Communication Style In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy., Laura Christine Capage Jan 1999

The Role Of Therapist Communication Style In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy., Laura Christine Capage

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research has found a relationship between treatment success and parental compliance with treatment programs. The current study explored how therapist characteristics impact on parental compliance with a behavioral parent-training program (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy). Also, differences in maternal satisfaction with the treatment program and therapist were explored. The participants were 45 mothers with children between the ages of 24 months and 83 months. Each mother was taught effective parenting strategies using one of three therapist communication styles: (a) positive therapist, (b) neutral therapist, and (c) negative therapist. Although all groups demonstrated an increase in their skill level from pretreatment to posttreatment, …


The Effects Of Teacher Clarity And Immediacy On Student Learning, Apprehension, And Effect., Joseph Lee Chesebro Jan 1999

The Effects Of Teacher Clarity And Immediacy On Student Learning, Apprehension, And Effect., Joseph Lee Chesebro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the effects clear and immediate teaching have on student learning, state receiver apprehension, and affect. Although teacher clarity and constructs conceptually similar to immediacy have been identified as effective teaching behaviors, few experimental studies have investigated the combined use of these behaviors. This is important because research related to clear teaching suggests that immediacy may be a necessary precursor to clear teaching and that the absence of immediacy may significantly threaten the effectiveness of clear messages. A review of this research is followed by the identification of attributes which characterize clear teachers. The results indicate that clarity, …


A Qualitative Study Of Five West Virginia K-12 Ruralnet Project Teachers Merging The Internet Into Their Instruction And How The Internet Affects Professional Practice., David A. Falvo Jan 1999

A Qualitative Study Of Five West Virginia K-12 Ruralnet Project Teachers Merging The Internet Into Their Instruction And How The Internet Affects Professional Practice., David A. Falvo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative study explores the day-to-day classroom work of five West Virginia K–12 RuralNet Project teachers, highlighting the drama of integrating technology into learning and showing how these teachers build and refine relationships to foster their sense of professionalism, through the use of technology. This study shows how teachers use the Internet as an instructional resource and as a tool for connecting to other people within and outside of the learning community. The participants of this study began to learn new technology skills during the summer of 1995. Today, they are integrating Internet technology into their daily teaching and planning …


Adolescents In Residential Treatment: Characteristics And Treatment Outcome., Tad Timothy Gorske Jan 1999

Adolescents In Residential Treatment: Characteristics And Treatment Outcome., Tad Timothy Gorske

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the characteristics of adolescent clients in a residential program and identified which characteristics best predict treatment outcome. Adolescent characteristics were identified by reviewing 150 randomly sampled charts. Characteristics were specified on a data sheet which included the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) to determine level of behavioral severity. Treatment outcome was based on discharge summaries contained in the charts. Results indicated that adolescents who are less likely to succeed in treatment (a) exhibit more severe antisocial behavior, (b) live with someone, or some placement, other than family, and (c) do not receive a combination of …


The Use Of Propositional Structures And Subgoals In Solving Multi-Step College Statistical Word And Formula Problems., Deborah Joan Hendricks Jan 1999

The Use Of Propositional Structures And Subgoals In Solving Multi-Step College Statistical Word And Formula Problems., Deborah Joan Hendricks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This experiment studied the effect of size and format of instructions given to college students enrolled in an introductory statistics course on the number of errors committed and the amount of time required in order to complete a problem. A 3 (size) by 2 (format) factorial design was used. The three sizes of instruction given were propositional structures, subgoals, and complete algorithm. The two formats used were word and formula. The dependent variables used to study errors were Completed Errors, Total Errors, and Accuracy. The dependent variables used to study time were Solution Time, Steps Attempted, Errors per Minute, and …


Reactions Of Mental Health Professionals To The Death Of Clients From Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)., Joseph Robert Kachik Jan 1999

Reactions Of Mental Health Professionals To The Death Of Clients From Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)., Joseph Robert Kachik

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the reactions of mental health professionals to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related bereavement. Ninety-six mental health professionals from across the United States (e.g., counselors, social workers, and psychologists) completed questionnaires concerning the loss of a client to AIDS. Measures included the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Brief Symptom Inventory, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. There were no significant relations between client deaths (number and recency) and indices of grief, trauma, psychological distress, or satisfaction with life. Symptoms of distress did not increase with number of deaths or in relation to recency of a …


Modification And Psychometric Examination Of A Self-Report Measure Of Fear In Older Adults., Jane Null Kogan Jan 1999

Modification And Psychometric Examination Of A Self-Report Measure Of Fear In Older Adults., Jane Null Kogan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Very few studies have examined the concept of fear in older adults. Moreover, there is no self-report measure of fear that has been shown to be psychometrically sound for use with older individuals. The primary purposes of the present study were: (a) to develop a measure of self-reported fear that includes fears relevant to older adulthood, (b) to develop a measure for assessing daily interference associated with fears, and (c) to examine the psychometric properties of this new instrument. Secondarily, preliminary findings from Kogan and Edelstein (1997) raise the question of why some older adults report interference resulting from fear …


The Responsible Students Program Of The West Virginia Board Of Education: Background, Components, And Data Systems., Jill Anne Lewis Jan 1999

The Responsible Students Program Of The West Virginia Board Of Education: Background, Components, And Data Systems., Jill Anne Lewis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

School skills training and schoolwide management programs are often applied in schools by introducing a package that has been developed in another school and worked well there. When transplanted, however, these programs often fail to achieve satisfactory results. This study focuses on the application of a transplanted, state-mandated, schoolwide program as carried out in a small rural elementary school (population 250). It compares the program with features of programs recommended in the empirical literature, in order to identify components which should be included to ensure the effectiveness of such programs. The Responsible Students Program (RSP) at Dennis Elementary was evaluated …


Computer-Based Fluency Training: A Comparison Of Prompting And Non-Prompting., Keri Bailey-Whitacre Jan 1999

Computer-Based Fluency Training: A Comparison Of Prompting And Non-Prompting., Keri Bailey-Whitacre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of prompting and non-prompting in a testing format as an instructional technique using computer-based flashcards. The instructional content was four sets of flashcards, ten questions in each set, pertaining to the software program Authorware. Eight graduate students, four females and four males, served as participants. Groups 1 and 2 consisted of four participants each with Group 1 receiving Sets 1 and 4 with the prompting option and Sets 2 and 3 without the prompting option. Group 2 received Sets 1 and 4 without the prompting option and Sets 2 and 3 with the prompting option. …


An Exploration Of The Relationship Of Nonverbal Aggression With Verbal Aggression, Nonverbal Immediacy Assertiveness, And Responsiveness., Jamie Leigh Geiser Jan 1999

An Exploration Of The Relationship Of Nonverbal Aggression With Verbal Aggression, Nonverbal Immediacy Assertiveness, And Responsiveness., Jamie Leigh Geiser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A need to study the nonverbal aspect of aggression is argued because the inclusion of nonverbal aspects within the original conception of verbal aggression suggests that the role of nonverbal cues in the expression of aggression might be stronger than originally thought. To test the potential relationship of nonverbal aggression with other personality variables, a 30-item scale of nonverbal aggression was developed. A study of 179 college students is reported which sought to investigate the possibility that nonverbal aggression is related to verbal aggression, nonverbal immediacy, assertiveness, and responsiveness. Gender differences in nonverbal aggression was also investigated. The results revealed …


"They Don't Throw, They Turn; They Don't Fire, They Burn": Place And Identity In Seagrove, North Carolina., Li-Ting Hung Jan 1999

"They Don't Throw, They Turn; They Don't Fire, They Burn": Place And Identity In Seagrove, North Carolina., Li-Ting Hung

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent Scholarship in geography explores the cultural identity of place by analyzing literature, music and art, but few scholars have studied pottery art, one of the oldest forms of art making. This study of Seagrove, a small central North Carolina town with a long tradition of locally produced pottery, examines the way place identity develops, is presented, takes multiple forms, and is contested through pottery art. Further, it explores the concept of institutionalized place identity by analyzing the impact of a new Pottery Center and Museum in this town. The research has carried out by means of open-ended interviews with …


The Need For Cancer Data Specific To American Indian And Alaskan Native Populations., Theda J. Mcpheron Keel Jan 1999

The Need For Cancer Data Specific To American Indian And Alaskan Native Populations., Theda J. Mcpheron Keel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cancer among American Indian and Alaskan Native populations has become a major health concern. Data needs is an issue that Nationwide directly impact cancer among these populations. This thesis focuses on the critical need for cancer data specific to tribal populations and identifies the barriers which impede its progress A literature review provides an overview of the major National data systems in place in relationship to cancer and tribal populations. To assess tribal persons and document their perspective concerning cancer data, a cross sectional inventory survey have been completed and is included. Comparisons have been made and conclusions focused in …


The Behavioral And Neurochemical Effects Of Prenatal Stress On Stress Responsive Systems In Rats., David Albert White Jan 1999

The Behavioral And Neurochemical Effects Of Prenatal Stress On Stress Responsive Systems In Rats., David Albert White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research points to a combination of genetic, physiological, and environmental factors in the origin of anxiety and depressive disorders. These factors are adversely impacted by stress and can be influenced by both the prenatal and postnatal environments. Our research shows that offspring of mothers stressed during the last week of gestation appear to be normal in basal behavioral states. However, upon the presentation of stressful stimuli in the forms of anxiogenic drugs (e.g. yohimbine and idazoxan), prenatally stressed offspring respond differentially in comparison with control (normal) offspring. Doses of yohimbine and idazoxan that increased acoustic startle in control animals were …


The Familial Contexts Of Ego-Resiliency In Pre-Schoolers., Sherry J. Burchett Jan 1999

The Familial Contexts Of Ego-Resiliency In Pre-Schoolers., Sherry J. Burchett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explored the familial contexts of ego-resiliency. Ego-resiliency is the extent that an individual can modify his impulse expression to meet the demands of changing situations. Sixty mothers of children aged 3 to 6 years along with the children’s teachers were used. Mothers completed the Family Environment Scale and the Hollingshead Index of Social Status. Teachers completed the “Common Language” Child Q-Set to measure ego-resiliency in the child. No sex differences existed in the mean r-value for ego-resiliency. Younger children had higher ego-resiliency levels on the Cohesion, Independence, Active-Recreational Orientation, Moral Religious Emphasis, and Control subscales. Families high in …


Does Culture Translate: Can We Make The Words Our Own?, Kathleen C. Gallivan Jan 1999

Does Culture Translate: Can We Make The Words Our Own?, Kathleen C. Gallivan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A collaborative effort between the Departments of Theatre and Foreign Languages, the study, using ethnographic techniques, documents the process of developing cultural awareness of a young group of actors as they rehearsed a post Spanish Civil War play. Analysis of data collected over five weeks through interviews, a demographic questionnaire, and observations by both the thesis director and the researcher reveal that with motivation and a little guidance students will connect, and further, understand another culture. These findings are significant since the use of theatre in this fashion offers a means to motivate students and peak interest in target culture, …


A Comparison Of Performance Of Students Referred For Gifted Evaluation On The Wisc-Iii And Binet Iv., James Edward Mullins Jan 1999

A Comparison Of Performance Of Students Referred For Gifted Evaluation On The Wisc-Iii And Binet Iv., James Edward Mullins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined the performances of students referred for placement in gifted programs on the WISC-III and Binet IV. The first research question asked which subtests and index scores of the WISC-III relate most strongly to placement. All subtests except Arithmetic and Coding were significantly correlated with placement. Both the Verbal Conceptualization Index (WVCI) and the Perceptual Organization Index (WPOI) Scores were found to be significantly correlated with placement. In addition, discriminant function analyses were computed. Both WVCI and WPOI were found to be significant predictors of placement. Of the WISC-III subtests, all were significant predictors except Information (WINFO) …


The Effect Of Teacher Immediacy, Affinity -Seeking, And Misbehaviors On Instructional Outcomes., Katherine S. Thweatt Jan 1999

The Effect Of Teacher Immediacy, Affinity -Seeking, And Misbehaviors On Instructional Outcomes., Katherine S. Thweatt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of teacher immediacy and affinity-seeking on misbehaviors and credibility and affective learning. Participants were undergraduate students enrolled in large-lecture courses at a large mid-Atlantic university. Teacher immediacy, affinity-seeking, and misbehaviors were manipulated in scenarios. Participants were exposed to one scenario and asked to complete credibility and affective learning measures in relation to the teacher in the scenario. The results of the study revealed that significant main effects were present for teacher immediacy, affinity-seeking, and misbehaviors. The significance level was set at .05. While significant interaction effects were present, the …


The Use Of Analog Functional Analysis In Assessing The Function Of Mealtime Behavior Problems., Peter Anthony Girolami Jan 1999

The Use Of Analog Functional Analysis In Assessing The Function Of Mealtime Behavior Problems., Peter Anthony Girolami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Some children exhibit disruptive and self-injurious behavior during mealtime, limiting the positive interaction between care giver and child, and decreasing the probability of a nutritionally adequate intake. Research has demonstrated the utility of functional analysis (i.e., identifying controlling variables of problem behavior) for the development of effective non-aversive interventions for a variety of behavior problems. This study applied the methodology of an analog experimental (functional) analysis of behavior to the specific interaction between care givers and children exhibiting mealtime behavior problems. Five conditions that resemble feeding situations were constructed to identify contingent relations between the mealtime behavior problems exhibited by …


The Physiological Effects Of A 12-Week Program Of Progressive Low-Impact Aerobic Dance On Adults With Mental Retardation., David John Cluphf Jan 1999

The Physiological Effects Of A 12-Week Program Of Progressive Low-Impact Aerobic Dance On Adults With Mental Retardation., David John Cluphf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the physiological effects of a 12 week program of low-impact aerobic dance on adults with mental retardation. Twenty-seven participants were involved in the study and were non-randomly divided into an experimental group (N = 15; 8 male, 7 female) that participated in the exercise program, and a control group (N = 12; 7 male, 5 female) which went about their normal daily activities. The exercise program consisted of a 12-week, progressive, low-impact program of aerobic dance. Each participant underwent a series of field tests to evaluate physical fitness. The tests included the …


Students' Perceptions Of Teachers' Communication And Its Effects On Students' Learning., Patricia Ann Burant Jan 1999

Students' Perceptions Of Teachers' Communication And Its Effects On Students' Learning., Patricia Ann Burant

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This investigation examines the perceptions that students have of teachers' argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness to determine if these trait behaviors in conjunction with a student's perceptions of their teacher's socio-communicative style (being their level of assertiveness and responsiveness) have an effect on the student-teacher relationship. In addition, this investigation attempts to create a model of teachers communicative behaviors which lead to students' feelings of learner empowerment and student learning. The findings of the study indicate that teacher responsiveness has significant positive impact on students, feelings of learner empowerment, students' reports of affective learning, and students' reports of less cognitive learning …