Digital Commons Network^™

The Steps To Growing Up Healthy Study: Barriers To Initial Behavior Change In A Primary Care Based Obesity Prevention/Reversal Program For Young Children, Dominica B. Hernandez

Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Children of color are disproportionately affected by obesity creating a need for effective prevention/reversal programs. This study investigated a first dose response to a pediatric primary care-based obesity prevention program (Steps to Growing Up Healthy) targeting Hispanic and Black children. We examined whether mothers experienced barriers to behavior change and if maternal, child, environmental, or intervention variables predicted barrier status.

METHODS: Hispanic and Black mothers and their children (N=234; 51%F; 88.9% Hispanic; 35.4±8.7months) were recruited from an urban pediatric primary care clinic. The intervention utilized brief motivational counseling delivered by clinicians and nurses with the goal of …

Effects Of Racism And Discrimination On Personality Development Among African American Male Repeat Offenders, Tiffany Nicole Lockett

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Effects of Racism and Discrimination on Personality Development among

African American Male Repeat Offenders

Tiffany Nicole Lockett

Throughout history in the United States, the African American community has consistently been the victim of social policies put in place to disenfranchise this population (Mauer & Chesney-Lind, 2002; Painter, 2007; Parham, White & Ajamu, 1999). With a longstanding presence of systemic racism and discrimination, the criminal justice system and the dominant culture continues to pathologize this minority group and advocate for increased penalties which further stigmatize African Americans, particularly males in this group (Reiman, 1996; Russell, 1998). Though most criminology research …

Workplace Incivility At The Daily Level: The Effects Of Rumination On Performance And Revenge Motives, Jenna Shapiro

Master's Theses

Ruminating about stressful experiences at work may have negative effects for employees and the organization, but has been widely overlooked in organizational research. In order to address this gap, I examined the process by which incivility affects performance and revenge motives in the workplace. A meditational model was tested, in which stress reactive rumination mediates the relationship between incivility and performance, as well as between incivility and revenge motives. These mediated relationships were examined at the intra-individual level, such that data-points were nested within employees over time. I surveyed 108 healthcare professionals daily over a two-week study period. The data …

The Forgotten Space: Between Discourse, Document, And The Deck Of A Ship, Talia B. Shabtay

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Age- And Experience-Related Distribution Of Parvalbumin-Expressing Gabaergic Interneurons Within The Hippocampus & Surrounding Cortices, Jennifer A. Corriveau

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Distinct Roles Of First Impressions And Physiological Compliance In Establishing Effective Teamwork, Andrea M. Bizarro

Master's Theses

Objective measures of team dynamics would be valuable complementary tools for researchers and practitioners to use along with subjective measures when deciding which individuals work together most effectively as a team, or when designing training or task environments to promote more effective teams and teamwork. Consistent with control theory, the present study investigates how first impressions and physiological compliance early during team formation impact team effectiveness outcomes including: team satisfaction, work-related flow experiences, team processes, and performance outcomes. In a theory-driven attempt to objectively measure the extent of mutual control during teamwork, physiological compliance was calculated as root-mean squared (RMS) …

The Effects Of Three Different Types Of Opportunities To Respond On Disruptive Behavior In A Second Grade Music Classroom, Abigail S. Welles

Master's Theses

The following research study was conducted to examine the effects of three types of opportunities to respond (OTRs) on student disruptive behavior in a music class setting. Participants in this study were male and female students ranging from 6 to 9 years old in the same second grade class. Students were each called upon to read rhythms from flashcards in duple meter containing both quarter notes and paired eighth notes. Using an alternating treatments design, students read a card individually and the class responded in one of the following ways: (a) no response, (b) using a verbal choral response, or …

Effects Of Perceived Individualism-Collectivism And Self-Consciousness On The Self-Disclosure In Social Networking Sites, Hongliang Chen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Limitations Of Democratic Peace, Anthony Glenn Jordan

Master's Theses

The theory of Democratic Peace suggests that democracies are unlikely to wage war on one another, yet it spends little time actually defining what democracies are. Research on the theory of Democratic Peace suggests that the theory only applies to mature democracies, but how is maturity determined? The criteria used by multiple scholars is needed to defend the theory from particular challenges such as the Cenepa Valley War, but even with such defenses, the criteria omits how a state treats women and racial minorities. These omissions become clear when one examines how scholars treat the United States of America. This …

Do Gender, Delinquent Peer Affiliations, And Parenting Practices Moderate The Relation Between Callou-Unemotional Traits And Delinquency, Nicole Rivera-Hudson

Master's Theses

The present study examined how contextual factors differentially influence the relation between the components of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and delinquency for male and female adolescents. More specifically, it considered delinquent peer affiliations and ineffective parenting practices as moderators in this relation with the belief that those moderators would exert a different influence for males and females. The study was conducted with a sample of 238 adolescents (166 males, 72 females) ages 16 to 19 attending a voluntary military style residential program. Analyses demonstrated a general lack of support for the central hypotheses of the present study. There was a significant …

Solving The World's Problems: Walker Percy's Cultural Critique In Love In The Ruins, Jeremy Ryan Gibbs

Master's Theses

This thesis examines Walker Percy's manipulation of time in Love in the Ruins as a component of indirectly communicating his solution to problems in twentieth-century Western society: existential authenticity. By examining this often overlooked novel, I clarify the process by which Percy conveys his solution and the difficulties inherent in his attempts to do so. Research shows how Percy perceived such problems stemmed from the tendency of postmodern thought to place human subjective experience within an overarching, objective framework. These problems that Percy exaggerates in the novel are essentially distractions of immediacy that lead the characters away from choosing authentic …

Adolescent Narcissism And Prosocial Behavior As A Function Of Peer, Parent, And Self-Perception, Rebecca Lynn Kauten

Master's Theses

The association between narcissism and aggression has been empirically supported in adults and adolescents, but it is unclear whether narcissism might also be related to prosocial behavior. The current study aimed to investigate different facets of narcissism in adolescents and their association with self-, parent-, and peer-reported prosocial behavior. In a sample of 175 at-risk adolescents ages 16-18 (151 males, 24 females), it was expected that reports of the individual's engagement in prosocial behavior would vary as a function of the informant and the specific facet of narcissism (i.e., adaptive or pathological). However, no main effects or interactions emerged with …

The Development And Use Of A Color Discrimination T-Maze Learning Task In The Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Elizabeth Ann Lamb

Master's Theses

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are becoming increasingly utilized in behavioral studies as a model of human learning and memory. The results of a previous study by Colwill, Raymond, Ferreira, and Escudero (2005) indicated that this species is capable of discriminating between colors and learning to respond to an assigned hue at either arm of a T-maze, indicating a learned association between the neutral stimulus and reward. While this original study showed that this task was appropriate for use in this species, we proposed that it had the potential to provide more data on specifics of the learning process with amended methods. …

Are Fingerprints Really Individualized Evidence? A Meta-Analytic Study, Jonathan Dillon Barber

Master's Theses

In recent years, there have been many academics that have challenged the legitimacy of fingerprints as a source of individualized evidence. They have also questioned the experts that analyze fingerprints and the methods they use. There have been recent cases where judges have questioned the foundation of fingerprinting and dismissed fingerprints as evidence. This meta-analytic study brings together opinions, cases, and studies that focus on the foundation, evolution, and technological advancements of fingerprinting.

Religious Fundamentalism And Death Penalty Attitudes: Towards A New Operationalization Of The Constructs, William H. Whited

Master's Theses

The death penalty has remained a highly debated topic in the United States. Due to the link between public support for the death penalty and its utilization as a sanction, it is important to continue investigating the factors related to differences in death penalty support. Religion has a complicated relationship with death penalty attitudes in that certain religiosity factors are associated with support for the sanction while others are linked with opposition. Religious fundamentalism, for instance, is one variable that has been inconsistently associated with death penalty support in the literature. This discrepancy could be due to the poor measurement …

The Effect Of Social Networking On Grief, Heather Margaret Gianatassio

Master's Theses

Death and loss are complicated issues. They are further complicated by the Internet and the increased usage of social media; however, there is little research on the effects of social media on grief. This project's goal was to gather information about grieving via online social networking sites. Data was collected from 20 in memoriam profile webpages on Facebook and MySpace. The deceased were between the ages of six months and 32 years. Results indicate that society is using social media as a form of support and comfort in times of loss.

Genetic Determinants Of Habitual Physical Activity And Overweight And Obesity, Harold Lee

Master's Theses

We tested 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with obesity from genome wide association studies for their association with physical activity (PA). Healthy European-American women (n=265) and men (n=230) (23.5±0.3yr, 24.6±0.2kg•m^-2) were genotyped for MC4R (rs17782313), FTO (rs9939609), TMEM18 (rs6548238), NEGR1 (rs2815752), SH2B1 (rs7498665), and KCTD15 (rs11084753), and completed the Paffenbarger PA Questionnaire. We examined gene interactions by summing the number of obesity effect alleles. RESULTS: Normal weight subjects with MC4R T expended 1981.2±741.7kcal∙wk^-1 less than non-carriers in total PA (p=0.008), 1825.9±650.2 kcal∙wk^-1 less in sports/recreation (p=0.027), and 1231.3±552.7 kcal∙wk^-1 less …

The Effects Of Robot-Child Interactions On The Bilateral Coordination Skills Of Typically Developing Children Between 4 And 11 Years Of Age, Maninderjit Kaur

Master's Theses

Background: Coordination develops gradually over development with younger children showing more unstable coordination patterns compared to older children and adults. In the present study, we examined whether robot-child interactions could improve bilateral coordination skills of typically developing (TD) children through imitation of whole body actions. Methods: Twenty four TD children between 4 and 11 years of age were non-randomly assigned to training and control group. Training group children received twelve training sessions across six weeks in a robot imitation context involving whole body and drumming actions. Children were assessed pre- and post-training on standardized tests of motor performance, and …

Detecting Subgroups In Children Diagnosed With Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified, Laura A. Brennan

Master's Theses

Diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is assigned to children who exhibit some of the social and communicative impairments common to children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) but fail to meet the detailed criteria of other PDDs. The lack of specific criteria for the diagnosis of PDD-NOS suggests a likely degree of heterogeneity within this population, yet there is little research exploring the similarities and differences between children with PDD-NOS. The current study utilized a hierarchical cluster analysis to detect subgroups within a sample of children with PDD-NOS that provided predictive information about diagnostic outcome at age …

Efficiency Of Piezotome-Corticision Assisted Orthodontics In Alleviating Mandibular Anterior Crowding - A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, Rana Mehr

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the duration of mandibular-crowding alleviation with piezotome-corticision orthodontics compared with conventional orthodontics and the accompanying effects on patient’s pain and satisfaction.

Materials and Methods: 14 subjects were selected based on the following inclusion criteria: adult patients 18 or older, single arch or double arch treatment, non-extraction treatment in the mandibular arch, presence of a full complement of dentition from mandibular first molar to first molar, no spaces in the mandibular arch, mandibular anterior irregularity index greater than 5, patient with healthy periodontium and attachment loss of up to 2mm, the …

Talker-Specific Influences On Phonetic Boundaries And Internal Category Structure, Janice Ann Lomibao

Master's Theses

Recent findings indicate that listeners are sensitive to talker differences in phonetic properties of speech, including voice-onset-time (VOT) in word-initial stop consonants. The current work extends our earlier research by examining the degree to which listeners adjust the initial mapping from acoustic signal to segmental representation on a talker-specific basis. Two groups of listeners are exposed to a talker producing “cane.” Word-initial VOTs are manipulated such that one group hears “cane” produced with short VOTs and the other group hears “cane” produced with relatively longer VOTs. Following training, listeners’ voicing boundary for a /g/-/k/ continuum was tested. In addition, listeners …

Auto-Motives: Unraveling The Riddle Of Alternative Transportation To School, Mikki Amano Mcdaniel

Master's Theses

Over the last 40 years, there has been a dramatic increase nationwide in the rate of children being driven to school in a private vehicle in the U.S., exacerbating problems from traffic congestion to childhood obesity. While many studies have focused on walking and cycling for the trip to school, few explore parental decision making and the interaction between all travel modes. This study conducts a survey of parents of children attending six elementary schools in San Luis Obispo regarding their children’s travel to school. It explores factors in mode choice, establishes local travel patterns for children, and describes parents’ …

Social Isolation And Cell Phone Use By College Students, Nichol Elise Myers

Master's Theses

In our technologically ever-advancing world, cell phones can either help us remain socially connected or can contribute to social isolation by substituting for face-to-face contact. This study examines the levels of social isolation in terms of the state of loneliness and trait of shyness and their correlations with academic achievement in 206 community college and university students to examine the connection between social isolation, GPA and cell phone use in college students. Two instruments used in the collection of data were the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS) and the DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Correlational analysis was used …

Applying Sustainability From A Systems Perspective:, Timothy Brophy

Master's Theses

Becoming sustainable is no longer an option. Current industry methods will not be able to support the necessary changes our growing society demands. In order to keep up with ever increasing demands industry will be aimed toward making major system changes toward a fully sustainable model. As of right now only basic sustainability actions have been put in place. Industry needs to make a strategic change toward resilient systems with an end goal of evolving into fully biomimic systems. This thesis covers a brief history of production leading to the Industrial Revolution which created a need for increased sustainability efforts. …

High School Athletic Directors Perceptions Of Athletic Trainer's Professional Knowledge And Competence Based On Attire, Raechel N. Cunningham

Master's Theses

Very little research is available to identify how attire in the athletic training field impacts perceptions of professional knowledge and competence. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of attire on high school athletic directors’ perceptions of an athletic trainer’s professional knowledge and competence. The researcher emailed a questionnaire to ninety-four high school athletic directors from the state of California. The questionnaire measured the effect of attire on the perceptions of skills, knowledge, approachability, experience, education level, overall competence, and representation of an athletic trainer and focused on the difference between khaki attire, professional attire, and workout …

Computational Modeling To Evaluate Helical Electrode Designs For Use In Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Anthony W. Cowley

Master's Theses

An estimated 0.5% of world’s population has been diagnosed with epilepsy. Of these patients 20-30% will be unable to achieve seizure control with anti-epileptic drugs. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be an appropriate treatment option for some patients with pharmaceutically refractory, partial-onset seizures.

VNS therapy uses a helical electrode to interface between the implantable pulse generator and the vagus nerve. While there have been several studies related to the mechanical and electrical safety of such electrodes, little work has been done toward understanding the effectiveness of the helical electrode in nerve stimulation. A better understanding of the voltage field and …

The Effects Of Child Sponsorship On Younger Sibling Confidence, Teddi Auker

Master's Theses

Do spillover effects occur between siblings in sponsored families? With both the approach of human figure drawings and a survey, this paper aims at identifying the possible spillover effects to non-sponsored, younger siblings of sponsored children with regards to the child’s confidence. Using the summary index method to create indices from the elements quantified in the child’s drawings and an instrumental variable OLS with clustered standard errors, children from both families with sponsored children and families with waitlisted children are interviewed. The spillover effects are then tested by taking the difference between the younger and older siblings of the sponsored …

The Fii Model As An Investment In Patience: Exploring Time Preferences In Medellin, Colombia, Jennifer Graham

Master's Theses

The motivation for this research is to explore the success behind the Oakland based Family Independence Initiative (FII) as a model for poverty alleviation. During the period of June-December 2012, nearly 200 small business owners in Medellin, Colombia participated in a field experiment intended to replicate the FII model by randomizing the treatments of setting goals, receiving conditional payments, and participating in self-help groups, as well as the combinations thereof. The data shows that the subjects in the full FII treatment group achieve more goals and have significantly higher monthly sales than those subjects in any other treatment or control …

Get A Grip: How Consumers Interpret Images Of Women Golfers And The Impact On The Back9network's Marketing Strategy, Alexandra M. Badalucco

Master's Theses

For centuries, sport has been a space dominated by men and served as a microcosm of society in which women’s subordinate position has been highlighted. Despite the great strides women have made within the sport industry, sport continues to serve as a realm that is more welcoming to men than it is to women and that reinforces hegemonic masculinity (Cunningham & Singer, 2012; Connell, 1987). Although many sports reinforce male hegemony and patriarchy through use of violence and physicality, golf has also reproduced notions of male hegemony through the on-course rituals men take part in, the gendered language used on …

A Perspective On Work Life Balance In The Ncaa Division I Setting: From The Female Athletic Trainer, Elizabeth M. Ferraro

Master's Theses

Factors and Strategies that Contribute to Work Life Balance of Female Athletic Trainers Employed in the NCAA Division I setting

Ferraro EM, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Context: Work life balance (WLB) can be challenging particularly for female athletic trainers (ATs). Evidence suggests female-ATs persist in the profession because of job enjoyment, increased autonomy, and social support networks. Departure factors such as long hours, travel, and inflexibility of schedules often comprise issues with WLB. Time management, support networks, and setting boundaries are strategies used to find WLB, however, little is known about the strategies female-ATs use to maintain WLB in …