Digital Commons Network^™

Intimate Partner Violence: Domestic Violence Service Providers' Perceptions Of Male Victims, Bradon Allan Valgardson

Master's Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women has been recognized as a serious issue which requires attention. Over the past 40 years there has been an increase in sensitivity to female victims of intimate partner violence, but the same has not been true for male victims. This may be attributed to the substantial influence the feminist perspective has had upon the development of the IPV resource system. Furthermore, certain research indicates IPV resource centers may refuse to help or demean men who seek assistance as victims (Hines, Brown, & Dunning, 2007).

This research project surveyed domestic violence resource centers in an …

Eating, Feeding, And Weight In Early Childhood: Investigation Of Child Eating Behaviors And Maternal Feeding Style As Influences On Preschoolers' Body Mass Index, Maren Elizabeth Hankey

Master's Theses

Research investigating determinants of obesity risk during early childhood highlights the role of children’s eating behaviors as well as food-related parenting practices. Compared with the vast literature on parent feeding practices, little is known regarding parent feeding styles, and the mechanisms through which child eating behaviors and parent feeding styles influence child body mass index (BMI) remain poorly understood. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by a) describing the prevalence and correlates of parent feeding styles in a sample of mothers residing in the southern United States and b) exploring associations among child eating behaviors, parent feeding …

Dialect Use Within A Socially Fluid Group Of Southern Resident Killer Whales, Orcinus Orca, Courtney Elizabeth Smith

Master's Theses

Resident killer whales, Orcinus orca, of the Northeastern Pacific form stable kinship-based matrifocal associations and communicate with group-specific repertoires of discrete calls (dialects) that reflect these associations. The gradual fission of matrilines is usually consistent with dialect variations among groups that may manifest as differences in call usage at the repertoire level or subtle structural differences of the calls themselves. Therefore, matrilines that are more closely related tend to be more acoustically similar. Within the endangered community of Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs), recent evidence shows that one particular group (L pod) exhibits the lowest rate of intrapod association …

The Role Of Type A Behavior Pattern On The Stressor-Strain Relationship In Nurses, Jenny Anh Thu Le

Master's Theses

Three models (direct effects, moderated effects, and mediated effects) were used to test the role of Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) in the stressor-strain relationship. The longitudinal study measured stressors (role ambiguity, role overload, and role conflict), strains (anxiety, tedium, affective commitment, intent to leave, and general well-being), and TABP in hospital nurses across two survey administrations. Stressors at Time 1 and strains at Time 2 were utilized for the analyses. TABP was found to have direct effects on anxiety and general well-being. In addition, TABP partially moderated the relationship between role conflict and anxiety and tedium, as well as …

Lynn Hershman Leeson's Roberta Breitmore And The Art Of Becoming A Woman, Maayan Glaser-Koren

Master's Theses

Throughout the emergence of second-wave feminism in the 1970s, social and political activism inspired female artists to create powerful artworks that critiqued institutional discrimination and supported women's reproductive rights and workplace equality. Feminist artists raised the public's awareness of women's issues by making women the subject of their artwork. In California especially, these creators turned to performance art, often taking their creations to the streets.

This thesis focuses on Lynn Hershman Leeson's performance, Roberta Breitmore (1974-1978), and examines how, through the steps of the performance, the piece's fictitious title character became a living resident of San Francisco. It will explore …

Well Clear: General Aviation And Commercial Pilots' Perception Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In The National Airspace System, Joseph Taylor Ott

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine how different pilot types perceived the subjective concept of the Well Clear Boundary (WCB) and to observe if that boundary changed when dealing with manned versus unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as well as the effects of other variables. Pilots' perceptions of the WCB were collected objectively through simulator recordings and subjectively through questionnaires. Together, these metrics provided quantitative and qualitative data about pilot WCB perception. The objective results of this study showed significant differences in WCB perception between two different pilot types, as well as WCB significant differences when comparing two different …

The Role Of Lithology In Glacial Valley Cross-Sectional Shape In Sierra Nevada, California, Kaai Jensen

Master's Theses

It is commonly inferred that alpine glaciers transform fluvial valleys from V to U-shaped. It has been suggested that, under certain circumstances, glaciers are unable to modify V-shaped valleys and that lithology may play an important role in a glacier's ability to effectively erode bedrock. To test this hypothesis, six glaciated valleys with both U and V-shaped cross sections were chosen in the Sierra Nevada (CA) to examine how lithological properties might affect patterns of glacial erosion: Tenaya Canyon, Tuolumne River, Little Yosemite Valley, the San Joaquin River, the north fork of the King River, and Deadman Canyon. Valley profiles …

Stereotype Threat, Self-Affirmation, And Women's Statistics Performance, Blanca Tapia

Master's Theses

Stereotype threat (fear of confirming a negative group stereotype that in turn can inhibit academic performance) has been implicated in the gender gap observed in the field of mathematics. Even though stereotype threat depresses women's performance, there has been much research reporting various interventions that ameliorate its negative effects. The current study investigated stereotype threat specifically in statistics--an unexplored area in the research literature --and the alleviating effects of self-affirmation. Participants in three conditions (control, stereotype threat, stereotype threat + affirmation) completed a statistics test. In both stereotype threat conditions participants were given a verbal prime to induce stereotype threat, …

The Effects Of Student Involvement In Afterschool Activities On Childhood Obesity, Lauren E. Van Derzee

Master's Theses

Childhood obesity has been a significant health issue in the United States since the 1970s. In an effort to combat this issue, children are encouraged to be physically active and maintain a nutritional diet. Previous sociological literature has analyzed the effects of the family and neighborhood environment in an effort to understand the socioeconomic forces influencing obesity. This study extends this literature by analyzing the effects of how children spend their time in structured, semi-structured, and unstructured afterschool activities. Building upon Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice and concept of cultural capital, I argue that afterschool activities present a particular structured …

Early Characteristics Of Children Who Lose Their Autism Diagnosis Between Age Two And Four, Emily Moulton

Master's Theses

Emerging literature indicates that a subset of children with a documented ASD lose their diagnosis and demonstrate cognitive and adaptive abilities within the average range. Multiple factors including symptom severity, cognitive and language abilities, adaptive skills and early intervention may help to predict these highly positive outcomes. Participants in the present study include 207 children diagnosed with an ASD by clinical best estimate at approximately age two (T1) and subsequently re-evaluated at approximately age four (T2). 171 (82.6%) children retained an ASD diagnosis (ASD-ASD) at re-evaluation and 19 children (9.2%) were determined to meet the following criteria for an “Optimal …

Dsm-5 Autism Criteria Applied To Toddlers With Dsm-Iv-Tr Autism, Dasal T. Jashar

Master's Theses

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include substantial revisions, including the combination of the subcategories (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS) into one dimensional category of ASD, combining the social and communication domains into one, and requiring two rather than one repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRBs). Concerns have been raised about the DSM-5’s sensitivity for very young children, especially since RRBs may not manifest in this age group. In order to address concerns about the sensitivity of the DSM-5 ASD criteria in toddlers, the current study examined if toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis under the DSM-IV-TR …

Dsm-5 Autism Criteria Applied To Toddlers With Dsm-Iv-Tr Autism, Dasal T. Jashar

Master's Theses

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include substantial revisions, including the combination of the subcategories (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS) into one dimensional category of ASD, combining the social and communication domains into one, and requiring two rather than one repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRBs). Concerns have been raised about the DSM- 5’s sensitivity for very young children, especially since RRBs may not manifest in this age group. In order to address concerns about the sensitivity of the DSM-5 ASD criteria in toddlers, the current study examined if toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis under the …

Increased Body Mass Index Is Associated With Atherogenic Dyslipidemias, Insulin Resistence And Low Grade Inflammation In Individuals With Metabolic Syndrome., Kolin Avery Ebron

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Mother-Child Interactions And Emotion Regulation In Preschool Children, Courtney R. Lincoln

Master's Theses

Emotion regulation is a complex and dynamic process that begins in infancy and continues through toddlerhood and childhood with the support of parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Early caregiver-child interactions shape the way children learn to manage their emotions and the range of emotions that they express. The current study seeks to examine how maternal perceptions of preschool children’s emotion regulation and emotion lability are associated with mother-child interactions during free play. 30 mother-child dyads were recruited from two New England urban areas: one community sample and one sample recruited from Head Start locations. Dyads engaged in a free play …

An Insight To Psychological Health, Health Behaviors, And Bodyweight Among Correctional Employees, Christina Mignano

Master's Theses

Background: Correctional employees present a poor physical and mental health profile including high rates of overweight/obesity, poor health behaviors (diet, exercise, and sleep quality), high stress levels, and poor psychological health (e.g. high rates of depression, suicide, and divorce). Worse, correctional employees deny their stress and negative emotions as their occupational culture discourages expressing negative characteristics that would make one appear weak and deters seeking psychiatric help. Correctional employees are in need of effective health promotion efforts that address determinants of employee health with an all-inclusive view (mental/emotional/behavioral). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess if stress and/or …

Social Exclusion And Casual Sex Willingness: The Role Of Gender And Relationship Status, Stephanie D. Finneran

Master's Theses

Previous research has shown that social exclusion has very negative effects on individuals, even when the excluders are out-group members. In fact, certain forms of out-group exclusion, such as racial discrimination, can have more detrimental effects on one’s health and well-being than being excluded by members of one’s in-group. The current study used Cyberball—a computer ball-tossing game—to examine the effects of gender-based exclusion (i.e., same vs. opposite sex) on willingness to engage in casual sex. Results showed exclusion by same-gender (in-group) players led to higher casual-sex willingness than did opposite-gender (out-group) exclusion. However, the effect was moderated by participant gender …

The Influence Of Workaholism On Work-Life Issues Through Boundary Management: Moderating Effects Of Telecommuting, Anna K. Young

Master's Theses

There are many personality and contextual variables that can contribute to negative home-domain functioning. The current study examined the effect of two specific variables, workaholism and telecommuting, on work-life issues. A moderated mediation model was tested, in which boundary flexibility mediated the relationship between workaholism and telecommuting and work-to-family conflict and family disengagement. Additionally, telecommuting was tested as a moderator of the indirect effect of workaholism on work-life issues through boundary flexibility willingness. I recruited 494 full-time, salaried, working adults through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Though there were many significant direct effects, the data only suggested partial support for the indirect …

Making The Invisible Visible: Latin American Women With Undocumented Status And Their Experiences Of Intimate Partner Violence, Maria Teresa (Maytte) Restrepo-Ruiz

Master's Theses

This study aimed to contribute to the currently scarce literature on unauthorized Latina immigration and intimate partner violence expanding the analysis to include women’s reasons for migrating, their experiences during the migration journey, and the intimate partner violence once they arrived in the United States. Through these women’s voices, this study shows how the lack of migratory documentation affects the experiences of Latina immigrant women. Qualitative data were collected from 11 in-depth interviews with Latin American women that had an undocumented status and received services from five domestic violence programs in Connecticut. A thematic analysis approach was employed to examine …

A Multicultural Nutrition And Culinary Intervention For Middle School Students: Pink And Dude Chefs, Phase 2, Jaime Lynn Lockhart

Master's Theses

The prevalence of adolescent obesity in the United States has more than quadrupled in the past 30 years, growing from 5% to nearly 21% in 12-19 year olds. Although obesity has many interrelated causes, a lack of knowledge and practical skill to prepare healthy food from scratch is an important factor. Research indicates that nutrition and culinary interventions based on behavioral change theories may improve mediators of healthful eating in adolescents.

Pink and Dude Chefs, Phase 2, an eight-week after-school nutrition and culinary intervention targeted towards middle school students in a predominantly low-income, Hispanic community, was developed and evaluated. The …

Investigating Hemodynamic Responses To Electrical Neurostimulation, Sean Youra

Master's Theses

Since the 1900s, the number of deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease has steadily risen. With the advent of antihypertensive drugs and non-invasive surgical procedures, such as intravascular stenting, these numbers have begun to level off. Despite this trend, the number of patients diagnosed with some form of cardiovascular disease has only increased. By 2030, prevalence of coronary heart disease is expected to increase approximately by 18% in the United States. By 2050, prevalence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease is expected to increase approximately by 98% in the U.S. No single drug or surgical intervention offers a complete solution to these …

The Relationship Between Mothers' Physical Self-Perceptions, Exercise Self-Regulation, Body Image Discrepancy And Sport-Specific Socialization Support For Their Daughters, Janelle K. Beilman

Master's Theses

Opportunities in youth sport are impacted by many socialization factors. In order to keepfemales engaged in sport, the study of additional factors that predict girls sport socialization is important. This study investigated the relationships among mothers’ physical self-perceptions, self-regulation of exercise, body image discrepancies (BID) and sport/activity socialization for their daughters. One hundred and four mothers (M= 44.932, SD= 5.8078) completed self-report questionnaires that assessed their physical self-perceptions, exercise self-regulation, body image discrepancy and support for their daughters’ participation in 20 different sports and physical activities. Results indicated that no significant correlations between the physical self-perception competence and most importance …

Fear Of The Colonized Other In Richard Marsh's The Beetle, Kelsie Leigh Dove

Master's Theses

This thesis argues Richard Marsh’s Victorian novel The Beetle offers a critique of British colonial practices through the reverse colonization experiences had by British characters in the novel. Intrusive, exploitative actions perpetrated by the British subjects in the novel invite reciprocal mental and physical invasions from the female colonized subject. These encounters serve as metaphors for British imperialism, and the fear and loathing for the colonized subject felt by the British characters reveals anxiety felt by Victorian England regarding colonial subjects. The monstrous acts of the colonized subject mirror the exploitation of British imperialism, which ultimately critiques the practice.

The Queer Gothic Hero's Journey In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Kyle Leon Ethridge

Master's Theses

This study of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray argues that the novel participates in a Gothic subversion of the archetypal hero’s journey. The novel employs Gothic devices to supplant heroic narremes. As the novel progresses, both Dorian (as a type of hero-character) and the narrative repeatedly deny or subvert the normative idea of heroism later reified in Joseph Campbell’s archetypal theory. While Campbell’s hero attempts to secure and universalize a heterosocial story, Wilde’s hero is recuperated through a reconfiguring of normative failure as queer success. What is ostensibly a failure of the normative hero to achieve his quest …

[Blip] And Other Noises, Jennifer Jacob Brown

Master's Theses

[Blip] and Other Noises is a collection of short stories that explores the illusory nature of identity, time, space, and our experience of reality. Its principal characters include a sea captain, an Elvis fanatic, a space alien, and some very confused children. Its principal settings include small town Mississippi, the Gulf of Mexico, the Indiana wilderness, and uncharted (by humans) outer space. This collection is accompanied by a critical introduction.

Predictors Of Major Commitment, Anna Jill Womack

Master's Theses

Contextual (e.g. job fit, job involvement), individual (e.g. job satisfaction, need for achievement), and demographic (e.g. gender, educational level) factors have been related to forms of career commitment (i.e. affective, continuance, and normative commitment), highlighting that the commitment one feels toward his or her career is a complex variable. Furthermore, commitment has been associated with intent to remain within a profession or organization (Bowling, Beehr, & Lepisto, 2006; Den Hartog & Belschak, 2007; Duffy, Dik, & Steger, 2011; Goulet & Singh, 2002), suggesting that commitment is an important component of retention within a career. Correspondingly, commitment to one's academic major …

Haunted To Death: Subverting Genre And Reader Expectations In Lewis Carroll's Phantasmagoria, Elissa Anne Graeser

Master's Theses

This study of Lewis Carroll’s Phantasmagoria argues that the poem failed to achieve critical and popular success due to unmet reader expectations. The poem is a haunted house or ghost story and in many ways follows the familiar formula of the Victorian ghost story. However, Carroll’s political and generic satire alters various aspects of the anticipated structure, thereby creating a work that fails to satisfy readers on multiple levels. The failure of a work by a successful author writing within a popular genre is particularly significant for what it shows us about the relationship between genre, consumerism, and literary criticism.

The Treatment Utility Of Hypothesis-Driven Functional Analysis Methods For Students Whose Behavior Is Elevated During Escape, Attention, Or Escape-To-Attention Contingencies, Chandler Erin Mclemore

Master's Theses

Current research indicates that function-based treatments, based on functional analysis data can be effective for decreasing an array of problem behaviors. The vast majority of the functional analysis literature has focused on single variables that maintain problem behavior. More recently, it has been hypothesized that perhaps multiple variables may maintain a problem behavior at a given time, for example; conceivably, escape and attention could maintain a child’s problem behavior simultaneously. Research regarding multiple variables, specifically the use of an escape-to-attention (ETA) condition has been limited. Furthermore, prior studies have fallen short in reporting treatment data. The purpose of the present …

A Description Of Vocalizations And Their Association With Mouthing Behaviors And Social Context In Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, Christina Elyse Perazio

Master's Theses

Dolphin communication is multimodal and incorporates physical behaviors and vocalizations. Dolphins often exchange information with conspecifics using different types of vocalizations, and these vocalizations are sometimes associated with specific behaviors. However, the relationship of vocalization type and mouthing behavior type has not been investigated. This thesis examines simultaneous acoustic and visual recordings of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to determine the relationship between type of mouthing behavior and type of vocalization (whistle, whistle-squawk, chirp, moan, burst-pulse type A, burst-pulse type B, and click trains). The role of the social context of a mouthing behavior is also evaluated. Data were obtained opportunistically …

Psychopathology And Sexual Addiction As Correlates Of Disordered Attachment, Natasha Lisa Laurent

Master's Theses

The current study examined associations between insecure adult romantic attachment and symptoms of psychopathology, disordered personality, and problematic sexual behaviors in a clinical sample of 402 men in treatment for sexual addiction. Anxious and avoidant attachment were hypothesized to correlate with certain constructs of psychopathology, disordered personality, and dimensions of problematic sexual behaviors. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the hypothesized relationships using data from scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory- 2-Revised Form (MMPI-2-RF), the Sexual Dependence Inventory – 4.0 (SDI – 4.0), and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R). Results suggested greater similarities than expected across higher-order …

The Ontogeny Of Whistle Production In Infant Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) During The First Thirty Days Of Life, Brittany Leigh Jones

Master's Theses

The manner in which dolphin calves acquire their whistle repertoire is largely unknown. This paper focuses on whistle development in four bottlenose dolphin calves during the first thirty days of life in order to increase our understanding of the early emergence of whistles and whistle-like vocalizations. The acoustic parameters of whistle-type vocalizations (i.e., whistles and whistlesquawks) that coincided with a bubblestream emission from the focal calf and/or its mother were analyzed, as were the behavioral states of the mother-calf pair during the emission of such vocals. Mother and calf whistle rates are inversely related, with the mother whistling more often …