Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Mutual Goal Setting On Fourth-Graders' Adherence To The Food Guide Pyramid Recommendations, Jacquelyn S. Kiefer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if, at the conclusion of a two week nutrition program, students involved in mutual goal setting would exhibit more positive nutrition behaviors than students not involved in mutual goal setting.

Pre-test 24-hour dietary recalls were collected on the experimental group (n = 18) and the control group (n = 19). The experimental group and the investigator then mutually set goals related to dietary practices. Both groups received nutrition education (4 classes). At the conclusion of the education and the mutual goal setting intervention, post-test 24-hour dietary recalls were collected. The data were …

Role Stress And Career Satisfaction Among Registered Nurses By Work Shift Patterns, Amy Jude Hoffman

Masters Theses

In today’s health care climate, the need to understand the effects of work shift patterns on role stress and career satisfaction of registered nurses (RNs) has never been greater. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive study was to examine differences in the level of role stress and career satisfaction among hospital-based RNs by shift length. Data were collected through the use of standardized questionnaires from a probability sample of 208 RNs.

The results indicated that RNs practicing in 12-hour work shift patterns experienced significantly higher stress levels that RNs working 8-hour shifts. Additionally, workload issues and dealing with death and …

The Needs Of Family Members In Crisis, Melanie A. Burghgraef

Masters Theses

The needs of family members of patients with severe brain injury were investigated using a descriptive-correlational design. A convenience sample of family members (N = 23) were surveyed with the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI). Need statements from the CCFNI were rank ordered, and a total score for the CCFNI was calculated. The majority of the top ranked needs consisted of assurance and information needs, which is consistent with other research using the CCFNI. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the results from this study with Lorenz’s study (1995).

Furthermore, this investigation attempted to reveal a relationship between family …

Cellular Automata Study Of The Feasibility Of A Parallel Optical Computer, Jason Robert Lane

Masters Theses

"The speed of modern electronic computers has inherent design limitations which will soon be reached. A possible substitute is the optical computer. In this project, the feasibility of the optical computer is explored by designing and building a parallel optical system. This system is used to test the basic principles that would govern a parallel optical computer. The system is based on the principle of cellular automata, which is a simulation technique used to study interactions of objects in a system. The following goals were set. The system would be based on cellular automata. A one-dimensional array with nine cells, …

African American Poets Of The Vietnam War, Megan Guernsey

Masters Theses

Almost 6000 African American men gave their lives in the Vietnam War. While peaceful protests, voter registration drives, and racial confrontations occurred throughout the United States, the government continued to send young Black men to Southeast Asia to preserve the "freedom" of the Vietnamese people. The irony of this situation lies in the fact that these soldiers were asked to fight a War in the name of democracy, to kill in order to secure rights that they themselves were being denied. Although many Black Americans saw military service as a means of escaping poor ghetto life, they often were confronted …

Lessing And Emerson: Conscious Evolution And Ideal Reality, Rachel Hills Newell

Masters Theses

Although Doris Lessing writes during the twentieth century in England and Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote during the nineteenth century in America, they both explore the complexity of human existence through their work. Both authors visualize the possibility of an "ideal reality," or human evolution, and believe human beings are capable of transforming ordinary, or actual, reality into ideal reality. The human potential for the creation of the ideal, however, depends on the development of that potential to its fullest extent. Lessing and Emerson believe only the individual is capable of completely developing human potential. Through a series of steps, or …

Audre Lorde's Expansive Influence On Black Lesbians: Jewelle Gomez, Cheryl Clarke, And Kate Rushin, Denise L. Fitzer

Masters Theses

Audre Lorde, who named herself black, feminist, lesbian, mother, poet, and activist, was a pioneer for black lesbians everywhere. In her poetry and prose, Lorde challenged the myths and taboos associated with black women, lesbians, and feminists. Although her work focused on a broad range of topics that illuminated her many identities, she concentrated most heavily on issues of multiple oppression and its resulting fear and silence. In naming herself, Lorde urged others to do the same — to fight the self-imposed and socially-imposed silence surrounding triple oppression.

Countless women from the black community of writers have paid tribute to …

Victorian Philosophies Of Useless Work Versus Work For The Mind: Carlyle, Ruskin, Morris, And Marx, Marlaina Easton

Masters Theses

In my Thesis, I will investigate the dominant perceptions of work that spanned the Victorian Period. One of the most important authors of criticism dealing with work in the early part of the Victorian Period was Thomas Carlyle (1845). John Ruskin then became a counterpoint to Carlyle throughout the middle of the century (1862). And although he agreed with much of what Carlyle said, he brings new notions of work to the Victorian Period. William Morris then offered a completely different point of view on the issue of work at the latter part of the Victorian Period (1885). I will …

Delight, Subversion And Truth In The Canterbury Tales: Chaucer's Talking Birds, Terri Benson Blair

Masters Theses

Geoffrey Chaucer mentions birds over 240 times throughout The Canterbury Tales (Tatlock and Kennedy). This frequent allusion to birds is significant, especially since three of his twenty-four tales are actually about birds. What makes these three tales particularly fascinating is that their bird protagonists have the gift of speech. This study examines Chaucer's use of bird imagery in The Canterbury Tales, in particular, his use of talking birds in "The Squire's Tale," "The Nun's Priest's Tale" and "The Manciple's Tale." My theory is that Chaucer uses bird imagery and talking birds to question the sovereign power of the fourteenth-century …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Clinical Teachers, Patricia Frontczak

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify ADN faculty and ADN student perceptions of the most effective clinical teaching characteristics (ECTC). An exploratory, descriptive design was implemented. ADN faculty and ADN students were surveyed using the Clinical Teacher Characteristics Instrument (CTCI). The CTCI consists of 20 characteristics of clinical teachers that are ranked on a five point Likert-type scale according to importance. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Significant differences in perceptions of the most ECTC between the two groups were identified by a Mann Whitney U procedure. A t-test was performed to identify differences of perceptions …

Quantifying A Key Injection Molding Attribute Defect, Kristopher Bryan Horton

Masters Theses

A mounting demand for high quality, low cost plastic injection molded products brings with it goals such as low or even zero defects. In order to achieve these types of "world class" expectations, resources are used to monitor and control variable data such as cycle time, part weight or dimensions. Despite this emphasis on variable data, parts are often rejected based on attribute molding defects such as sink marks or splay that are measured by subjective criteria and therefore difficult to control. Appearance of a part once considered acceptable may no longer be, due to changing expectations or subjective interpretation …

Independent Readers Increase Library Use, Joanne Patricia Harrell

Masters Theses

This study focuses on the use of the Accelerated Reader^R program at Ellis Elementary School in Belding, Michigan. The students were introduced to the program in January, 1999. The students were encouraged to use the program through the end of the school year, June, 1999.

The Accelerated Reader (AR) program is a reading program which uses the computer to test students on literature-based books from the library they have read independently. Students earn points for the tests that they pass based on the number right and the difficulty of the book. The computer keeps track, for the students and …

Calibration, Installation Techniques, And Initial Measurements For Vertical Resistivity Probes Used In Hydrogeologic Investigations, Jeffrey Mark Groncki

Masters Theses

Vertical Resistivity Probes (VRPs) are being increasingly used in a variety of applications where detailed vertical resistivity information in both the vadose and saturated zones is needed. All the different possible array types and spacings must be calibrated for the effect of the 2" (outer diameter) insulating PVC cylinder on which the electrodes are mounted. Apparent resistivities must be corrected by calibration factors. Varying the installation parameters greatly influences the measured apparent resistivity because of the disturbed annulus and the composition of the backfill materials. Bentonite slurry is necessary for the installations to keep the electrodes in good contact with …

Ethics In Forensic Anthropology: The Evaluation Of The Forensic Anthropologist As An Expert Witness, Brent D. Benzing

Masters Theses

Within the last two decades technological advancement has enabled the forensic sciences to become much more highly complex and has provided the legal system with a specialized means of interpreting scientific evidence. In this regard, the forensic anthropologist has seen an increasing amount of time spent as an expert witness in judicial proceedings. However, expert courtroom testimony requires that a scientific witness be knowledgeable, accredited, and ethical in his representation of the discipline. This thesis studies the state of ethics among Diplomates in the American Board of Forensic Anthropology.

A survey was designed and sent to Diplomates of the A.B.F.A. …

Stress At A Juvenile Detention Center: Identifying Stressors And Examining The Coping Process, Matthew J. Schmid

Masters Theses

In the examination of the literature dealing with stress as it relates to corrections, normally "juvenile corrections workers are not considered, due to the dearth of stress-related research" (Huckabbe, 1992, p. 479). This thesis is a qualitative project designed to analyze detention workers' views on stress. I was interested in finding out the following two things: (1) the workers' identification of the major stressors in their job, and (2) the ways the workers coped with the stressors identified.

Structured interviews were conducted with one third (12) of the detention staff that worked at a forty bed juvenile detention center in …

Components Related To Occupational Stress Or Burnout Among Music Therapists Working In Hospice/Palliative Care Arenas, Dorothy Virginia Pienta

Masters Theses

Music therapists who work in hospice/palliative care settings are susceptible to burnout as well as others who work in health care settings. In this descriptive correlation study, the components of occupational stress or burnout among music therapists working in hospice/palliative care settings were studied. A mail survey was sent to 300 music therapists who worked in hospice/palliative care settings and were members of the American Music Therapy Association. Of the 181 surveys that were returned, 106 were acceptable for use in this study. Their responses to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Work Environment Scale, as well as information from the demographic …

The Estimation Of Rape Prevalence: A Reflexive Account Of The Construction And Pretesting Of A New Questionnaire, Edith Marie Fisher

Masters Theses

A review of the rape literature and current assessment suggests that research done in this highly sensitive area is especially vulnerable to response effects. Comparisons between studies is problematic due to vast differences in the conceptualizations of rape, the wording and context of the questions used to solicit data as well as the method of data collection. I created a new rape prevalence questionnaire with the intent of decreasing response effects. I conducted 15 semi-structured pretest interviews with female Western Michigan University students and three pilot tests, in which 30 telephone interviews were completed, 30 personal interviews were completed, and …

The Lived Experience Of Bosnian Refugees Who Have Suffered As A Result Of Genocide, Gazelle Raven Animalia

Masters Theses

In 1992, Bosnian Serbian and Serbian forces launched a campaign of genocide against Muslim and Croatian civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina. This nightmarish odyssey ended for many non-Serbians when they escaped to other countries. Many of these families chose to come to the United States.

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experience of Bosnian refugees who suffered as a result of genocide. The research method used for this study was a phenomenological method based on Husserlian philosophy. Four Bosnian refugees, who escaped to a midwestem state during and after the war, were asked to answer the following research …

Behavior-Based Safety And Working Alone: The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On The Safe Performance Of Bus Operators, Ryan Olson

Masters Theses

Experimental evaluations of Behavior-based Safety (BBS) processes applied with lone workers are scarce. Further research is needed to determine the power of self-monitoring based interventions for improving safe behavior, and to explore the best practices for improving safety when employees work alone. In the current study,· four male bus operators (ages 40-50) self-monitored their safe performance and initialed feedback graphs based on their self-monitoring data at the end of each day. Experimental data collectors observed each participant by riding buses as passengers. A multiple baseline design across performances was used to assess the effects of the intervention on four target …

A Policy Analysis Of Teen Courts: A Look At Teen Courts As A Viable Alternative To The Juvenile Court System, Jon P. Mathieu

Masters Theses

Teen Courts are rapidly emerging as one possible solution to the escalating juvenile crime problem in the United States. From the initial court, started over 20 years ago in Texas, Teen Courts are now in 30 states, with over 250 programs. As the crime problem grows within this population, a need for alternative methods to the Juvenile Court has emerged. Moreover, to date, no formal evaluation has been conducted between United States Teen Courts for a comparative study. Therefore, I sought to explore the following issues: (a) the need for Teen Court implementation, (b) a rationale for Teen Court existence, …

Intellectuals And Nationalism In Cyprus: A Study Of The Role Of Intellectuals In The 1931 Uprising, Georgios P. Loizides

Masters Theses

My thesis addresses the role of Cypriot intellectuals in the nationalist movement aiming at the political union of Cyprus with Greece. In particular, it will examine the contribution of three intellectual categories to the 1931 uprising, namely clerics, teachers, and journalists. The 1931 nationalist uprising was the first Greek nationalist mass movement in Cyprus, and can be seen as laying the ground for the 1955-1960 armed struggle against the British, who were the colonial rulers of the island at the time. Furthermore, I argue that over and above the petty interests of modernized urban elites, it was the accommodation of …

Saugatuck's Shining Shore: The Transition Of A Michigan Community Into A Resort Town, 1870-1930, Kyran V. Kelley

Masters Theses

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries many communities adapted themselves to the leisure industry with the growth of a middle class that had time for leisure activities within the United States. One impetus for this change suggested for the period is a lack of manufacturing and extractive activities (Brown 1995).

This thesis tests this scenario on one community of the period, Saugatuck, Michigan, by examining the employment and business structures of the town while also examining land use. This was accomplished through the use of both primary and secondary documents.

Data gathered and placed within its historical context …

Creativity Or Collusion?: Representations Of Women In Music Videos, Jan E. Urbina

Masters Theses

There is a need in the field of sociology to expand our knowledge about how media-generated representations of women impact our lives. This research was designed to explore participants' perceptions of music video representations of women. Using a pre- test (survey), treatment (educational video) and post-test (survey), I analyzed participants' perceptions of how women were represented in music videos. The educational video exposed the techniques, which are used by the male-dominated music video industry, that present women in demeaning ways. The post-test proved useful in my attempt to determine whether the educational video impacted participants' understandings of the ways in …

The Significance Of Shape-Shifting And Transformation In Medieval Welsh And Icelandic Literature: The Ingenuity Of Medieval Writers, Samantha J. Cairo

Masters Theses

The folk-motifs of shape-shifting and transformation are an important mechanism in both Medieval Welsh and Icelandic literature. To better understand these motifs it is important to consider the ideas behind and the belief in these concepts. The role of the shaman and the separable soul, the Double, and the psychological projection all form a basis for shape-shifting in Medieval literature.

The Welsh literature will include: Pwyll, Prince qf Dyfed, Manawydan Son of Llyr, Math Son of Mathonwy, Lludd and Llefelys, Culhwch and Olwen, Peredur Son of Efrawg, The Hanes Taliesin,/em>, and the transformational poetry of Taliesin. The Icelandic literature …

Sociological Analysis Of Gambling Behavior: A Subculture Perspective, Robert W. Wright Iii

Masters Theses

This study examines the effects of gender, socioeconomic status and age first gambled on rates of problem gambling among adult residents of Michigan and interprets those effects through the application of subculture theory. The data used in this study are from the 1997 Michigan prevalence survey on gambling. The data were collected to estimate the prevalence level of gambling among adult Michigan residents. Data obtained from 2,111 female and 1,776 males indicated that (1) males have a higher rate of pathology than females; (2) respondents who start gambling earlier will be more likely to be classified as pathological gamblers; (3) …

The Relationship Between Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension In Junior High Aged Students With Learning Disabilities, Harvey Burkhour

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the reading ability, particularly in the area of reading comprehension and the level of reading vocabulary possessed by junior high aged students with learning disabilities. Reading is a complex process involving the simultaneous integrated application of the four cuing systems: (a) graphophonic, (b) syntactic, (c) semantic, and (d) schematic. While most people learn to utilize these systems rather easily, this is not true for everyone. Failure to effectively employ any one or more of these cuing systems can spell disaster for the reader both in school and in many …

School-Based Functional Assessment For Adolescents With Adhd: Procedural Issues In General Education Settings, Pamela M. Radford

Masters Theses

Functional assessment is a structured problem-solving process that has been found to be an effective method for guiding the selection of classroom intervention for students who present a variety of problem behaviors (O'Neill, et al., 1997), including Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). This study evaluated the utility of school-based functional assessments with 2 adolescent boys diagnosed with ADHD in general education settings utilizing resources typically available to school personnel to document information relevant to behavior function. Descriptive information (i.e., interviews, observations, record reviews) led to the development of potential intervention strategies that were implemented and evaluated by …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Factors Related To The Effectiveness Of Educational Technology Implementations In Poorer, Rural School Districts, Daniel John Vomastek

Masters Theses

As the use of educational technology in our classrooms continues to increase, schools must take every reasonable step they can to ensure the time and money invested in educational technology is not wasted. This is especially true in poorer, rural school districts that do not always have the money and personnel that larger, more affluent school districts have access to. These poorer, rural schools must take extra precautions to ensure their investment of limited resources has the greatest gain possible.

The goal of this thesis was to identify those specific factors related to the effectiveness of educational technology implementations to …

Of Agrarian Landscapes And Capitalist Transitions: Historical Archaeology And The Political Economy Of A Nineteenth-Century Farmstead, Daniel O. Sayers

Masters Theses

This exposition utilizes Marxian theory in conjunction with archaeological and historiographic data to understand and interpret the significance of the landscape in the political economy of a mid-nineteenth century farmstead in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Shepard site (20CA104) was a family owned, progressive farm that went through many significant changes between the frontier era (ca. 1834) and the eve of the Civil War. By exploring the political, economic, and ideological aspects of the site architecture, the familial gender divisions of labor, and class relations between the family and non-familial workers, many aspects of the political-economic contradictions between the landscape and …

A Three-Choice Drug Discrimination Procedure Differentiates The Stimulus Effects Of D-Amphetamine And Mdma, Amy K. Goodwin

Masters Theses

(±)-3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces effects in humans that are reportedly similar to those of CNS stimulants. However, drug discrimination studies in nonhumans have yielded inconsistent results regarding the similarities between MDMA and d-amphetamine. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate d-amphetamine, MDMA, and saline in a three-lever drug discrimination procedure. In addition, differential outcomes were employed during drug discrimination training with eight of the rats but this did not appear to facilitate the acquisition of the discrimination. Cocaine (0.25-10.0 mg/kg) produced dose dependent increases in d-amphetamine-appropriate responding with complete substitution at the highest dose administered. LSD (0.02-0.16 mg/kg), produced dose …