Digital Commons Network^™

Personality Traits And Deception Detection Ability Among College Students With Primary Psychopathic Traits, Megan Malmstrom

Master's Theses

Because psychopaths are exceptionally good at deceiving others, researchers have proposed that this population of individuals may be more likely than the average person to detect deception. However, previous research has provided mixed results on the ability of individuals with psychopathic traits to detect deception at a greater level than chance. The inconclusive results on this topic have warranted future research on examining sex differences and personality traits that are attributed to individuals with psychopathy that may aid their ability to detect deception at a higher level than others. The current study tested 133 San Jose State University undergraduates by …

The Effect Of Distractions On Task Performance And Enjoyment As Moderated By Regulatory Fit, Kimberly Leung

Master's Theses

Every day, distractions keep people from maintaining focus and productivity. Music, in particular, is a distraction that can easily disrupt individuals mentally and physically. However, what if common distractions like music had the power to motivate people towards a goal rather than deter them from it? Regulatory Focus Theory offers an explanation for how this is possible. It posits two motivational foci: promotion and prevention. If individuals are promotion-focused, they seek positive outcomes, and if individuals are prevention-focused, they try to avoid negative outcomes.

The current study tested the assumption that avoiding distractions during goal pursuit matched the behavior of …

Clarifying The Role Of Social Support In The Relationship Between Stressors And Strains At Work: The Effect Of Self-Construals, Maria Joao Subtil De Carvalho

Master's Theses

Practitioners and researchers often focus on social support to allay occupational stress, despite inconsistent results from empirical studies. This longitudinal study examined the impact of nurses’ self-construals on the effect of social support on the relationship between stressors and outcomes, based on research showing that people in individualistic and collectivistic cultures perceive supervisor and coworker support differently and research showing culture is internalized as self-construals. The aim of the study was to identify circumstances in which social support mitigates stress. Survey data were collected at two points in time (about four weeks apart), from 139 nurses in two northern California …

The Relationship Between Employee Engagement And Survey Response Rate With Union Membership As A Moderator, Alexandra Mariah De La Rocha

Master's Theses

Research has examined the benefits of having an engaged workforce. One way of measuring employee engagement is through organizational surveys. Survey response rate represents voluntary participation behavior and may be an outcome of employee engagement. However, research has not examined survey participation behavior as an outcome of employee engagement or factors that might influence this relationship. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between dimensions of employee engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption) and survey response rate at the aggregate level and to examine how this relationship varied as a function of percentage of union membership. …

The Effects Of Gender, Physical Attractiveness, And Socioeconomic Status On Initial Attraction, Sherrie Jagolino

Master's Theses

The tradeoff threshold model posits that in a heterosexual relationship, high socioeconomic status (SES) can compensate for physical unattractiveness in men, whereas physical attractiveness can compensate for low SES in women. In the present study, we attempted to provide evidence for the tradeoff threshold model. Ninety-six heterosexual participants viewed eight high and low attractive male or female stimuli photographs each attached with high or low SES descriptions. Average physical attractiveness ratings were analyzed in a 2 (physical attractiveness: high and low) x 2 (SES: high and low) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for each gender. Women rated low SES …

Bridge Weigh-In-Motion Long-Term Traffic Monitoring In The State Of Connecticut, Valeri I. Kolev

Master's Theses

Proper management and maintenance of the highway transportation network is extremely important for the economy of the United States. A key to preservation of highways is gathering reliable truck traffic data which is currently being collected using weigh-stations and Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) technologies. One developing method of data collection is Bridge Weigh-in-Motion (BWIM), the process by which weight data can be calculated for trucks travelling over bridges whose components have been instrumented with sensors.

The research performed in this thesis involves post-processing and analysis of one year’s worth of strain measurements gathered from an existing BWIM system installed on a steel-girder …

The Psychological Effects Of Racial Discrimination And Internalized Mental Illness Stigma On A Community Sample Of Blacks And Latinos, Andrea E. Depetris

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Interaction Between Au25 Monolayer Protected Clusters With Lipid Nanodiscs, Yue Bao

Master's Theses

In spite of considerable achievements in the field of cancer research over the past years, the early detection and treatment of cancer is still desirable. Advanced biodiagnostic nanotechnology has been developed rapidly recently, nevertheless there remains great room for improvement through a better design of nanoparticles (NPs). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been actively studied in biomedical applications for their advantages of low toxicity, high contrast in imaging, and capability of absorbing the infrared which has high penetration to tissues. However, several challenges need to be addressed including enhancement of the signal and maximization of the infrared absorption. Bicelles are model …

Characterization Of Electrophorectic Separations On A Cellulose Paper-Microfluidic Chip, Kyle Robert Fast

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate the ability to utilize electrophoresis in a cellulose paper microfluidic chip to manipulate charged particles. Materials were selected and a manufacturing protocol was created to successfully apply the electric field onto the paper chip. Experiments were performed to characterize the separation rates for charged, colorimetric dye, Orange G in the membrane as a function of an applied electric field, dye concentration, and distance traveled. The experiments confirmed that the electric field can be applied to the chip and particle separation rates were characterized. Next, the determined rates results were used to …

Effects Of Testosterone On The Spatial Ecology, Coloration, And Brain Regions In Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus Occidentalis, Rachel Catharine Wilson

Master's Theses

An organism’s spatial ecology allows for access to essential resources such as food, mates, and escape from predators. Home range size, or the total area an organism inhabits, varies in relation to numerous factors including seasonality. During the breeding season, home range size increases in males across taxa. In addition, males usually also have larger home range sizes than females. This implicates testosterone (T) as a possible mediator of this relationship. Indeed, T causes an increase in home range size of males in numerous species of lizards. In addition to T causing an increase in home range size, it also …

The Effects Of Massage On Perceived Physical Soreness, Pain And Markers Of Inflammation Following High Intensity Unaccustomed Exercise, Courtney Lynn Crow

Master's Theses

Massage is often recommended to athletes to facilitate recovery and attenuate DOMS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of massage on perceived muscle soreness and pain, inflammatory and immune markers, ROM, and mood state. Fourteen, recreationally active, women participated in a randomized crossover design study, consisting of 1) 60 min. full body massage following unaccustomed exercise and 2) 60 min. of rest. following unaccustomed exercise. Perceived muscle soreness and pain, active range of motion (ROM), mood state, along with blood concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK), and neutrophil count (NC), was assessed …

Multi-Stress Proteomics: The Global Protein Response To Multiple Environmental Stressors In The Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes Cinctipes, Michael A. Garland

Master's Theses

Global climate change is increasing the number of hot days along the California coast as well as increasing the incidence of off-shore upwelling events that lower the pH of intertidal seawater; thus, intertidal organisms are experiencing an increase in more than one stress simultaneously. This study seeks to characterize the global protein response of the eurythermal porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes to changes in thermal, pH, and tidal regime treatments, either combined or individually. The first experiment examined temperature stress alone and sought to determine the effect of chronic temperature acclimation on the acute heat shock response. We compared the proteomic …

The Ble Cloaker: Securing Implantable Medical Device Communication Over Bluetooth Low Energy Links, Taylor Anthony Nesheim

Master's Theses

Historically Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs) such as pacemakers have only been able to communicate to external devices through close proximity means of communication, primarily through inductive telemetry. Because of the unlikelihood of an adversary being able to gain access to an IMD through this type of communication, these devices were never designed with security in mind. However the recent advent of IMDs that are equipped with long-range wireless capabilities has made it necessary to consider how to secure these devices from malicious attacks.

This work presents an implementation of prior work that developed a theoretical security model whose specific intent …

Revision-Polyurethane-Graphene Nanocomposites For Corrosion-Resistant Coatings, Alexandra Rose Stevenson

Master's Theses

Corrosion is a prevalent concern throughout the world, causing significant monetary and safety concerns. Research has been dedicated to developing cost-effective solutions for corrosion that will also meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The recently discovered nanomaterial graphene has been proposed as a potential component in anticorrosion technology due to its strong air and water barrier properties. However, graphene is a relatively expensive, difficult to synthesize material. By incorporating it into nanocomposites, its properties can be exploited even at low concentrations. Previous work has been conducted involving the preparation of anticorrosive polystyrene-graphene nanocomposites; these materials were found to be effective long-term …

Measurement Of Forward Flexed Posture In Parkinson’S Disease, Prajakta Ganesh Nair

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Wavelet-Based Feature Extraction Methodology For Pattern Classification In Engineering Applications, Andre A. Silva

Master's Theses

Feature extraction is fundamental in the framework of pattern recognition. In classification applications where raw data is collected from scientific experiments or simulations, the resulting data may have been exposed to noise, excited by external dynamics, or affected by uncertainties not accounted for during the data acquisition process. Furthermore the data can be high dimensional, which can hinder the accuracy of decision algorithms if additional dimensions of the data make the patterns non-separable, not to mention the added computational complexity burden to train such algorithms. The objective of this research is to understand how specially designed features can improve the …

Client Perceptions Of Engagement In Child Welfare And Housing Services, Katherine Bryce

Master's Theses

For families to benefit from services, they must be engaged. A number of factors in child welfare contribute to client engagement, among them individual, parent and family characteristics, contextual influences, and worker variables. The existing literature offers little insight into families who are experiencing problems in both child welfare and housing needs and how this affects engagement in services. This pilot study examined 10 families and compared client engagement across three conditions: (1) Intensive Supportive Housing for Families (ISHF), (2) Supportive Housing for Families (SHF), and (3) child welfare (DCF) business as (BAU), which differ systematically on elements including case …

Evaluation Of Biodegradability And Cell Functionality Of Injectable Glycol Chitosan Hydrogel, Aiswaria Padmanabhan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Winter Deicing Effects On Groundwater Quality Beneath Permeable Asphalt, Derek R. Angel

Master's Theses

This study examined the effects of winter deicing on groundwater quality beneath an 860-m² permeable asphalt parking lot at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. While the beneficial impacts of permeable asphalt on water quality and hydrology have been documented in the literature and include increases in groundwater recharge, reduced peak flows and reductions in metals and hydrocarbon contaminant concentrations in groundwater, chloride has not been observed to be filtered from percolate beneath permeable asphalt. The potential issues related to chloride contamination of groundwater include aquatic toxicity and heavy metals mobilization. Monitoring wells were installed up-gradient and down-gradient …

The Integration Of Kinesthetic Learning Through The Math & Movement Program: Pilot Study 2015, Benjamin Ferder

Master's Theses

Purpose: The primary purpose of this pilot study was to verify that the use of kinesthetic learning (Math & Movement Program) in the classroom increases retention of multiplication facts at a greater rate than traditional drill and practice. The Math & Movement Program uses a kinesthetic learning-based approach for practicing, learning, and memorizing mathematics through the incorporation of bodily movement(s). Participants: The directors of the research project for the participating school district selected the sample of convenience. The population size of this study included 213 third and fourth grade students during the second half of the 2011-2012 school years. Data …

Differences In Muscle Activation While Gripping A Sandbag Versus An Olympic Weightlifting Bar 2015, Todd Luther

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the myoelectric activity of the extensor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi radialis, and opponens pollicis muscles while gripping a 50 lb Olympic weightlifting bar to the myoelectric activity of the same muscles while gripping a sandbag of the same weight. Myoelectric activity was measured as the average root mean square (RMS) of the surface electromyography (sEMG) values. The hypothesis was that gripping a sandbag would result in greater muscle activation of the extensor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi radialis, and opponens pollicis muscles than gripping an Olympic weightlifting …

Pursuit Of Prosperity Below The Ocate Mesa, Derek Joseph Lefebre

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra, Michael Jonathan Maples

Master's Theses

This thesis is composed of two chapters. Chapter one reviews what is known about adaptive plasticity in response to predators, describes the physiological systems involved in such plasticity, and outlines the evolutionary consequences of adaptive plasticity. Chapter two describes a scientific experiment that investigates how malathion may impact adaptive plasticity in the Sierran Treefrog, Pseudacris sierra. Anuran tadpoles suffer high mortality rates due to predation. In response to strong selective forces relating to these high predation rates, tadpoles evolved the ability to adaptively respond to predators through morphological and behavioral plasticity. The morphological and behavioral responses are varied and depend …

Child Health Professionals And Their Role In Detecting Speech And Language Impairments: Perceptions And Current Practices, Carissa A H Johnson

Master's Theses

Speech-language impairments are one of the most common conditions of childhood and affect roughly 5-8% of preschoolers and 11-20% of kindergarteners. If left untreated, speech-language impairments persist in 40-60% of children under five years of age and are strong predictors of school failure. Despite strong evidence that supports early intervention, as many as 90% of eligible children are not receiving appropriate services. This qualitative research study investigated child health professionals’ current knowledge, perceptions, and practices for screening and referring children with possible speech and language impairments. Data were gathered primarily through participant interviews and scenario questions. The data were then …

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Therapeutic Alliance From The Perspective Of Adolescents Who Stutter, Kelli D. Riggenbach

Master's Theses

There has been research outlining the importance of the client-clinician relationship in therapeutic outcomes; however, there is a relative lack of research as to the development of the therapeutic alliance in the area of fluency therapy, particularly with adolescents. The purpose of this investigation was to learn about the perceptions of adolescents who stutter regarding characteristics of effective and ineffective speech-language pathologists as well as how these adolescents perceive their own and their speech-language pathologist’s role in the therapeutic alliance. This study addressed the following questions: Q1 How do adolescents with fluency disorders describe their role within the therapeutic alliance? …

Habitat Selection Of Gulf-Strain Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis: Relationships To Dynamic Abiotic Environmental Characteristics Within The Biloxi River, Mississippi, Jennifer Lynne Green

Master's Theses

The purpose of this project was to provide insights about the short- and long-term patterns of habitat selection of Gulf-strain Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis, based on spatially and seasonally variable abiotic environmental characteristics (water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, specific conductivity, and pH) in the Biloxi River, MS system. Juvenile hatchery-reared and feral adult Gulf-strain Striped Bass were acoustically-tagged and continuously monitored via active and passive telemetry from November 2012 – June 2014. Each month the available abiotic environmental characteristics of 40 random locations within the Biloxi River, along with sub-habitat conditions occupied by acoustically-tagged Gulf-strain Striped Bass, were …

Analyses Of Indices Of Abundance For Important Groundfish Species In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico From 1987-2009, Relative To Shrimp Bycatch; With Age And Growth Of Three Sciaenid Species, Allison Renee Odom

Master's Theses

Bycatch in the shrimp fishery became of particular concern in the 1980s during the peak of shrimp harvest in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp bycatch is of major importance because the majority of catch in the fishery is not intended target species of commercial shrimp, and most of the additional bycatch is returned to the sea dead or dying, inducing higher rates of mortality. This study was developed to assess the potential ecosystem effects of shrimp harvest on thirty selected species/species groups commonly encountered within the shrimp fishery as bycatch. Delta-lognormal modeling (DLM) was used to determine the relative …

Lack Of Forgiveness Of Parents And Intimate Partner Violence, Hannah Doucette

Master's Theses

This study examined whether there was an association between lack of forgiveness for adverse events/circumstances perpetrated by parents and intimate partner violence (IPV) in emerging adulthood. Participants were 208 (85.6% female) 18- and 19-year-old undergraduate students. Participants were asked to describe events/circumstances in which they felt hurt by their parents when they were growing up. They then answered questions related to the most hurtful event including items pertaining to forgiveness. Participants also answered questions about the perpetration and victimization of IPV in the past year. The forgiveness-IPV relation was observed primarily for physical injury. Findings indicated that revenge seeking and …

Defining Success: The Perspective Of Emerging Adults With Foster Care Experience, Brianna Lynne Anderson

Master's Theses

Youth with experience in the foster system are often more susceptible to negative outcomes in adulthood due to their high levels of cumulative risk. The present study sought out to re-define the concept of “success” from the perspective of emerging adults with experience in the foster care system and to identify patterns among the characteristics and behaviors of foster families that promote success as these young adults transition out of the foster care system and into adulthood. Participants most frequently defined “success” as achieving personal goals. Additionally, Support and Positive Identity were found to be the most influential Developmental Assets® …

Investigating The Use Of A Positive Variation Of The Good Behavior Game In A High School Setting, Shauna Lynne

Master's Theses

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an example of an interdependent group contingency that can be used in classrooms to manage behavior. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a positive variation of the GBG in which teachers attend to rule-following behavior, as opposed to the original version of the game in which teachers attend to rule-breaking behavior. In previous studies, researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of the GBG in decreasing problematic behavior and/or increasing productive or desired behavior in classroom settings and in hospital settings and spanning preschool-aged, elementary toddlers to high school-aged adolescents. An …