Digital Commons Network^™

Socially Constructing God: Gender, Culture, And A Stratified Trinity, Landon P. Schnabel

Master's Theses

The Problem. Both hierarchicalist and equivalentist evangelicals use Trinitarian relations to argue for their opposing views on gender roles. How can this stalemate be broken if the Bible, the typical evangelical foundation for resolving doctrinal disputes, is used by both sides to argue their contrasting positions? -- Methods and Procedures. I explored the cultural determination of worldview, bringing the fields of sociology, psychology, history, and philosophy to bear on this theological debate and considered whether it may be differing presuppositions and subsequent opposing interpretations that cause the conflicting positions, rather than what the biblical text means. By looking through the …

Exposure To Community Violence And Social Maladjustment Among Urban African American Youth: The Role Of Emotion Dysregulation, Devin Colleen Carey

Master's Theses

The goal of the present study was to further previous research that has focused on the detrimental outcomes of violence exposure by identifying the mechanisms that influence children's psychosocial vulnerabilities. Specifically, it examined emotion regulation as a possible mediator of community violence exposure to social adjustment. Moreover, because of the evidence that children living in inner city communities are chronically exposed to violence, this study longitudinally explored the reciprocal and perpetuating relationship between exposure to violence and child social maladjustment. Participants were 268 African American students (M age = 11.65 years, 40% males and 60% females) from six inner city …

Justice Efficacy And Argument Strength In Mock Juror Decision-Making In A Civil Trial, Katharina Kluwe

Master's Theses

In 2005, 48,300 state and federal civil jury trials occurred in the United States (National Center for State Courts, 2009). Approximately 15% of the verdicts juries render are inaccurate (Spencer, 2007). Therefore, it is of utmost important to increase juror accuracy. The current thesis investigated jurors' justice efficacy as it relates to persuasion. Mock jurors' levels of justice efficacy were manipulated by giving them false feedback on a moral reasoning task. Participants read a civil trial summary, and received weak or strong statements by potential other jurors. The relation between argument strength and verdict did not depend on the feedback …

(Women's) Archival Spaces And Trans Voices? A (Re)Search And Proposal, Jeremy Curtis Main

Master's Theses

Transgender has been silenced, exiled, forgotten, erased, ignored, maltreated, killed, and ultimately, in a major theme of this research project, excluded from histories. Yet, like women, African-Americans, and gay men and lesbians before them, transgender and their allies are working toward inclusion and independence. History, it seems, can no longer ignore them. One of the surest ways to "prove" a history is to have the original items of that history in an archives. So, what representation do we find among various United States' archives concerning transgender people? Unfortunately, like with many other marginalized groups, much work has to be investigated …

An Analysis Of Barriers To And Strategies For Improving Parent Engagement, Candice Renee Shakur

Master's Theses

Research shows that parent engagement can be a useful tool for improving student achievement. But, in many low-income urban schools, encouraging schools and parents to invest in parent engagement is a struggle. This paper explores some of the barriers that exist in low-income urban communities that work to limit parent engagement; it also identifies some of the strategies available to increase the frequency and quality of parent engagement in low-income urban communities.

Gender Differences In Depressive Symptoms: The Interaction Of Cognitive Avoidance Coping And Specific Stressor Domains During Freshmen Adaptation To College, Daniel Dickson

Master's Theses

The first year of college can be a stressful experience that can lead to depressive symptoms in emerging adults. Due to the significant impairments that are associated with depressive symptoms across the lifespan, it is important to understand the elements of the first-year college experience that contribute to depressive affect. The goals of the current prospective study are to examine sex differences in the relationship between life stressors (i.e., social and achievement stressors) and cognitive avoidance coping in the development of depressive symptoms in first-year college students. The findings suggest that although cognitive avoidance is predictive of more depression, there …

Resveratrol + Ethanol Preconditioning And Neuroprotection, Nastaran Khodaie

Master's Theses

Our lab established that moderate ethanol preconditioning (MEP) for 6 days blocked the Aâ25-35 toxicity in cerebellar mixed cell cultures and It has been shown that MEP cause the up regulation of the pre-survival enzymes such as proxiredoxin2 (PRX2), which suggests MEP can activate the cell survival pathways against upcoming toxins.

This study was performed to verify the possible combinatory effect of ethanol and resveratrol against Aâ25-35 toxicity. Both ethanol and resveratrol sub-protective concentrations were detected against Aâ25-35 in cerebellar mixed cell cultures. The combination of sub-protective levels of ethanol and resveratrol showed the significantly reduction in number of Aâ25-35 …

Gender Inequality And Countries' Responsiveness To Enforcing Human Trafficking Laws: A Cross National Study, Christina Rose Fiorito

Master's Theses

In recent years, government agencies, advocacy groups, and academics have made attempts to address and understand the problem of human trafficking through raising awareness, conducting research and implementing prevention and intervention programs. This study tested whether gender inequality measures, which capture aspects of a country's social and political operations, are related to less governmental efforts to enforce laws against human trafficking, after controlling for other possible explanations for lax enforcement such as poverty, government corruption, political instability and increase of general violence, educational achievement, net migration, and the percent of the country's population living in urban areas.

The data were …

Self-Control As A Determining Factor In Aftercare Compliance And Recidivism Of Sheridan Correctional Center Releasees, Jana R. Krepel

Master's Theses

This study looked to Self–Control Theory to explore relationships between self–control and aftercare completion and recidivism in a cohort of Sheridan Correctional Center releases (N=604). The data set was obtained by Dr. David Olson (Olson & Rozhon, 2011) of Loyola University Chicago. Utilizing an existing inmate evaluation tool, the Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment, a new index of self–control was created, and the scales of this index became the predictor variables. After logistic regression, it was determined that none of the self–control scales were significant predictors of either aftercare compliance or recidivism. In fact, when all variables were considered, …

Cristo Rey And Christ The King Jesuit High School: Two Schools, Two Demographics, Two Realities: One Model, Alfredo Astorga-Velasquez

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze two Catholic high schools that follow the same innovative private urban model called the Cristo Rey Model. In this model the students work one day per week in entry-level jobs in Chicago area firms and through this work-study program students earn money in order to pay a portion of their tuition. Both high schools are in Chicago, are run by Jesuits, and serve youths from low-income families. The model and goals are the same even though the schools serve different demographic groups and communities: one Latino and the other African American. The …

Organized Activity Involvement Across The Transition To College: Multiple Dimensions Predicting Adjustment, Nicole Arola

Master's Theses

Utilizing a sample of first semester first year college students, this study examined the relation between multiple dimensions of college organized activity (OA) involvement (i.e., intensity, breadth, identity relevance, and continuity) and measures of adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms, optimism, positive affect, and negative affect). This study also explored whether the degree of association between the OA dimensions and the adjustment variables was moderated by gender and residential status. Additionally, this study examined whether adjustment at the start of college was associated with patterns of OA involvement in college. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, optimism, positive affect, negative affect, and …

The Influence Of Adult- Versus Child-Directed Television Programs On Distractibility In Preschoolers, Kathryn Joyce O'Toole

Master's Theses

Research in the field on children's attention to television has suggested that discerning between two different types of programming is crucial for understanding how children attend to TV. Child-directed television consists of programs designed with the purpose that children are the intended viewers. In contrast, adult-directed television is not designed for children; these programs are directed toward an older audience. The current study investigated how children divided their attention between cognitive tasks and a distractor. The distractor was either an adult-directed TV program, a child-directed TV program, or there was no distractor. The results revealed that the both distractors reduced …

Agreement And Disagreement In Parent And Child Perceptions Of Spina Bifida Medical Responsibilities During The Transition To Adolescence, Alexandra Psihogios

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of informant discrepancies by evaluating levels of parent-child agreement and disagreement over who takes responsibility for SB medical tasks in relation to family conflict and medical adherence. Participants were 140 preadolescents with SB. Data used in this study are taken from the first wave of data collection (when adolescents were between the ages of 8-15) in a larger longitudinal study. Although disagreement levels predicting family conflict and medical adherence were non-significant (p > .05), a significant main effect of agreement and two significant Agreement x Conflict interactions predicting medical adherence were …

Towards Observational Measurement Of Social Competence In Youth With Chronic Health Conditions: Development Of Peer Interaction Scales For Youth With Spina Bifida, Christina E. Holbein

Master's Theses

This study aimed to create observational scales that were then validated with comparisons to relevant self-report measures in a sample of 106 children with spina bifida and their peers. Dyads completed questionnaires, interviews, and videotaped interaction tasks, the latter of which were coded on a variety of social functioning items. Five scales (i.e., Conflict, Prosocial Skills, Positive Affect, Conflict, and Dyadic Cohesion) were rationally derived. Internal consistency and inter-rater reliability at the scale level were good-to-excellent. Interscale correlations were in the low-to-moderate range for four scales, although Dyadic Cohesion was highly correlated with two other scales and was dropped. Convergent …

Team Performance On A Computerized Intellective Task, Joseph Bihary

Master's Theses

This study examined the effects of a reflexivity manipulation on the performance of dyads and triads working on an intellective task known as letters-to-numbers. Past research has shown triads consistently outperforming dyads on this task. The current study sought to determine whether giving dyads an opportunity to reflect on strategy would close this gap in performance. Participants performed a computerized version of two letters-to-numbers problems in dyads or triads. Between problems, half of the groups performed a reflexivity task designed to facilitate strategy improvements. Experimental sessions were videotaped. It was predicted that triads would outperform dyads, reflexivity groups would outperform …

Midwife Or Med-Wife: Examining Emotion Work With Midwifery Students In Clinical Training, Jessica Anna Cebulak

Master's Theses

Midwives follow a holistic philosophy of care that goes beyond just medical intervention, providing support to both mother and family through the various stages of pregnancy and child birth. Yet, there is a lack of research in the US that examines how midwives invest emotion in their work, and the challenges they face when doing so. Drawing on the concept of Arlie Hochschild's (1979) emotion work as a lens for this study, I examine how midwifery students experience and manage emotion when delivering care to patients during clinical training in a large, urban hospital. Using eight qualitative, in-depth interviews with …

Ritual As Clinical Intervention In Groupwork With African American Women, Kathryn Kristin Berg

Master's Theses

This paper is an exploratory study on the subject of ritual as clinical intervention in groupwork with African American women. It is predicated on the idea that ritual has the potential to foster emotional growth in clients by creating structure and facilitating processes of transition. Ritual has largely been underexplored in the literature as a clinical intervention. However, there is a particular gap in research on ritual in groupwork with African American women. The first half of this paper provides an overview of social work scholarship covering individual branches of the subject, including spirituality in social work, spirituality in the …

Correlation Of Cough Frequency With Treatment Efficacy In Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients In Lima, Peru, Jesus Gutierrez

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Breast Cancer Screening On Sleep, Affect, And Immune Functioning, Caitlin Burbridge

Master's Theses

Despite great strides that have been made over the past several decades in terms of diagnosis and treatment, breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American women and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women in the United States. Although the benefits of early detection of breast cancer have been clearly established, the advantages of screening must also be weighed against a potential corresponding negative psychological impact of screening procedures. The purpose of the present study was to further investigate the impact of breast cancer screening on previously unstudied or understudied aspects of psychological and physiological …

Computational Modeling For Transportation Network Security, Sherif A. Tolba

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Racial/Ethnic Differences In Possible Selves Of Diverse Adolescents: Implications For Higher Education And Mental Health, Viana Y. Turcios-Cotto

Master's Theses

There are striking disparities in the academic achievement of American youth, with Latino and Black adolescents attaining higher education at vastly lower rates than White adolescents. Though numerous reasons exist for these educational disparities this study examines possible selves as they may relate to educational achievement among Latinos. Specifically, this study investigates: a) racial/ethnic differences in the content and themes of expected possible selves held by young adolescents; b) within group differences among Latino students and their expected possible selves; c) racial/ethnic differences in the relation between higher education possible selves and current mental health adjustment. Written responses reflecting types …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Timeline Followback For Exercise Among Young Adults, Gregory A. Panza

Master's Theses

Objectives: Two separate studies assessed psychometric properties of a retrospective behavioral measure adapted for exercise called the Timeline Followback for Exercise (TLFB-E). Study one examined criterion, convergent, and predictive validity. Study two examined test-retest reliability. Methods: Study one participants (N = 66) were college students 20.0 ± 1.4yr. Validity of frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise as assessed on the TLFB-E was examined using Pearson r correlations with accelerometers, weekly exercise contracts between participants and researchers, College Alumni Questionnaire, and a health-related physical fitness battery. Study two participants were a separate sample (N = 40) of college …

Septotemporal Variation In Theta Rhythm Dynamics: Effects Of Speed And Habituation, James Hinman

Master's Theses

Theta (6-12 Hz) field potentials and the synchronization (coherence) of these potentials present neural network indices of hippocampal physiology. Theta signals within the hippocampal formation may reflect alterations in sensorimotor integration, the flow of sensory input and/or distinct cognitive operations. While the power and coherence of theta signals vary across lamina within the septal hippocampus, limited information is available about variation in these indices across the septotemporal (long) or areal axis. The present study examined the relationship of locomotor speed to theta indices at CA1 and DG sites across the septotemporal axis as well as in the entorhinal cortex. Our …

Differences In Body Image: Comparing Asian American Ethnic Groups And White Americans, Alefiyah Z. Pishori

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Immigration Policies & Integration Programs On Multicultural Identity In Germany, Laila Bernice Schneidergossens

Master's Theses

Discussed against the background of current political developments and attitudes in Germany, the following research examines what roles immigration policies and locally implemented integration programs play in the development of immigrant identity in Germany. Further, this thesis illustrates how these policies and programs can effectively lead to a new conscious understanding of multiculturalism. Germany has created a society where the cultures of immigrants and autochthonous Germans do not intersect, thus creating separate entities that exist in a parallel reality. Immigrants face the dilemma of maintaining their ethnic sense of identity while simultaneously adapting to the cultural and political norms in …

Violence Against Women In Pakistan, Amina Bath

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Child Soldiers: Solutions From A Humanistic Lens, Ursula Wylan

Master's Theses

This paper examines the issue of Child Soldiers using case studies of three conflicts in which children were found fighting. The paper also looks at the CSPA and the Presidential waiver of four countries by President Obama.

Systems At Play: The Construction Of International Systems In Social Impact Games, Jorge Albor

Master's Theses

This thesis explores how game makers conceive of and navigate the intersection between digital systems and real world systems by asking, how can social impact game designers shape procedural rhetoric to effectively address complex real world systems with digital systems? By examining three game case studies, I reach four significant findings regarding player agency, subversive play, design approaches to scale, and game difficulty in regards to systems fluency.

Transforming The Current Thai Political Conflict To A Peaceful Society, Ranatchai Phumcharoen

Master's Theses

This study explores the current Thai political conflict which began in 2005 and continues in 2011. This conflict is different from the nation’s past political conflicts, which were conflicts between people and the government. On the contrary, the current conflict is a conflict between Thais who share different political ideologies. Many scholars have explained causes and effects of the conflict on Thai society. However, currently, only a few scholars have proposed solutions to the conflict. Therefore, this is a challenge in order to investigate the current conflict and figure out sustainable means to transform the conflict and build peace in …

Territoriality, Sovereignty And The Nation-State System In Israel-Palestine: The Creation Of The Palestinian Bantustan “State” And Shifting Palestinian Resistance Tactics, Sara Nichole Hughes

Master's Theses

The conflict in Israel-Palestine is over the sovereign control of territory and takes place within a global framework made up of clearly defined nation-states. It is within this framework that Israeli colonial expansion and construction of the separation barrier in the West Bank attempt to maximize Israeli annexation of the oPt while creating a Palestinian Bantustan “state” to contain and isolate the Palestinian people in non-sovereign territorial enclaves through the use of territoriality as a strategy for exercising sovereignty. In response to this obvious process of cantonization, Palestinians are resisting by supporting Israeli annexation – of the West Bank and …