Digital Commons Network^™

Hegemonic Peter?: A Critical Analysis Of Hegemonic Masculinity In Family Guy, Justin Danowski

Masters Theses

Hegemonic masculinity is a constantly evolving and highly nuanced theory. The original definition was designed to study the oppression males exert over females. Later definitions expanded on the original to include young, effeminate or gay men. In the realm of television, hegemonic masculine forces are perpetuated by not only male characters but marginalized groups as well. This creates gender stereotypes to be accepted and embraced as the norm in a culture. This project takes a critical look at the animated television comedy Family Guy and explains how hegemonic masculinity is portrayed throughout the episode "Family Gay". To accomplish this, the …

The Grass Isn't Always Greener: A Qualitative Study Of Indian International Students Attending A Comprehensive University, Alison R. Adams

Masters Theses

The purpose of this present study was to explore the problems that Indian subcontinent students who participated in international study programs encountered in their travel abroad. Using a qualitative research methodology, four graduate-level Indian students were interviewed via a semi-structured interview protocol. Participants were asked to share problems they were currently facing or had faced while studying at a midsized, comprehensive institution in the Midwest.

Using cross-comparative analysis, verbal interview data were analyzed for common codes and categories and were then grouped into themes. Five themes were apparent: Homesickness, Culture Shock, Discrimination, Language Barriers and Educational Differences, and Other Issues. …

Transitions From High School To College: A Study Of Pre-College And College Influences On Retention, Britteny Lynn Alspach

Masters Theses

The transition from high school to college was examined through the voices of twelve participants' perspectives. The male and female focus group participants were divided into two groups; freshmen and sophomores, respectively. A series of 13 questions were posed inquiring about what Eastern Illinois University (EIU) has done to facilitate their transition into the collegiate atmosphere. The findings consist of a comparison section along with a section dedicated to pointing out any areas of differences with regards to their responses. Participants expressed that frequent interactions with folks that either were enrolled at EIU or were a current member of the …

The Value Of Student Services And Activities At A Large, Rural, Two-Year College In The Midwest, Andrea E. Bright

Masters Theses

In order to assist in the development and growth of students to reach their maximum potential research into what services and activities students perceive as valuable was conducted. The purpose was to explore student's relations between the perceived value of student services/activities and the knowledge, use, and value of student services and activities. The literature expresses that many factors affect a student's experience at college. Student involvement occurs through many facets, academics, socialization, and environment. Student satisfaction with these factors impact student success or failure. The research demonstrates that students need interactions with the college community in order to facilitate …

Effects Of Test Preparatory Program For Illinois Basic Skills Test, Jennifer R. Rose

Masters Theses

The Basic Skills Test is required for admissions into all teacher certification programs in the state of Illinois. The aim of the study was to determine if the 6-week, test preparatory program had an impact on participants Basic Skills Test. The hypothesis of this study was that the test preparatory program would increase participants' post-test scores (i.e. actual Basic Skills test). Participants included 25 undergraduate students from a midwestern university (males = 6, females = 19) who committed to approximately 60 hours of workshops, tutoring and educational software alongside 90 minute group support sessions, once a week for a total …

A Study In Micro Discourse Community Learning: The Subject-Driven Micro Discourse Community Session Model, Philip Brandon Gallagher

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the development and testing of a new collaborative learning model that uses new media informed practices to teach modem students who are familiar with today's digital learning environments. Often, modem students have difficulty learning from traditional classroom practices. The Subject-Driven Micro Discourse Community Session model is an answer to this problem for collaborative learning. The Micro Community Model, for short, engages participants in small, collaborative groups as experts that have valuable knowledge to contribute. By using organized role switching and knowledge recording techniques, the model draws on current new media attributes to appeal to student competencies and …

Genre Awareness: Effectively Teaching Composition Through Genre Awareness At A Community College, Ashley D. Klinginsmith

Masters Theses

This thesis outlines the history of rhetorical genre theory and how the evolving definition of genre has influenced current genre awareness pedagogies. The survey of literature examines implicit and explicit pedagogical approaches to teaching genre theory and closely examines genre awareness as an alternative approach. Through exploring genre awareness, the thesis highlights the specific scene of the community college writing classroom in comparison to the scene of the university ,:vriting classroom in order to detennine how to best instruct students. After a thorough examination of the scene, the study progresses into a useful guide for comm1mity college instmctors to gain …

Coping Strategies In Parents Raising Children With Disabilities, Danielle Haaksma

Masters Theses

The current study examined how parents of children with disabilities use coping strategies to manage stress and mental health. A convenience sample of twenty-five parents completed a survey developed by the researcher. Findings showed that the coping strategies used the most included talking to family members, followed by purposeful planning, talking to friends outside the family and learning to accept the situation. In addition, the mothers in this sample used adaptive coping, talked to friends and utilized purposeful planning more often than the fathers did. Positive reinterpretation of the situation and escape avoidance were the only strategies that had a …

School Readiness: An Exploration Of Early Childhood Professionals' Perceptions And Practices, Lindsey Jenkins

Masters Theses

Early childhood experiences set a foundation for school and for life. Because so many children attend some type of early childhood program, it is important to understand the perceptions of those teach and care for young children before they enter kindergarten. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between perceptions and practices of early childhood professionals regarding school readiness based of five areas of child development. Sixty-one early childhood professionals completed the Kindergarten Readiness Survey, and descriptive statistics, constant comparison, and microanalysis were used to analyze the data.

Results of this study indicate that social-emotional development is …

Physical Activity And Household Food Insecurity As Important Predictors Of Health Status In Eiu Students, Tatjana Magoc

Masters Theses

Household food insecurity (HFI), defined as limited access to nutritionally adequate foods, is associated with poor diet, which can increase the risk of obesity and health related problems (Kaiser, 2005; Brewer et al., 2010). It is one of the conditions that may adversely affect the normal development of children and adults. The highest level of food insecurity is defined as "hunger". The purpose of this study was to (a) assess the general level ofHFI in Eastern Illinois University (EIU) students, (b) examine the association between Physical Activity (PA) and Body Mass Index (BMI) in EIU students, (c) examine the association …

Barack Obama: The Inevitable Nominee, Bradley M. Forsythe

Masters Theses

The 2008 Democratic primary is often regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime political event. Democratic frontrunner and former first lady Hillary Clinton faced off against Illinois junior Senator Barack Obama. Despite a commanding position in national polling that led many pundits to declare the race Clinton's to lose, her campaign faltered during the primary, allowing Obama to find himself in a commanding position to be the Democratic Party's nominee for president. An exploration of the two campaigns, however, reveals stark differences in strategy, messaging, fundraising, and the use of technology.

In terms of strategy, Hillary Clinton's campaign was unprepared to contest the …

Ir Theory And State Cooperation On Blood Diamonds, Holly Thomas

Masters Theses

Blood diamonds, or "conflict diamonds," have funded rebel movements and terrorist organizations worldwide. Bloodshed over these diamonds, the conflicts they prolonged, and the horrific human rights violations associated with the competition for this natural resource, resulted in an international effort to regulate rough diamonds, and has become an issue for states, institutions, non-government organizations (NGOs), media, and the public. Forums were held in 2001, known as the Kimberley Process, to discuss the threat of conflict diamonds. With the United Nations' support, state and nonstate actors devised the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), a non-binding agreement to stop the import and …

Predicting Rumination From The Five Facets Of Mindfulness, Allen Creamean

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is defined as a process of paying attention to the moment-by-moment experience of thoughts and feelings. It is a non-elaborative, non-judgmental, present-centered awareness in which each thought, feeling or sensation that arises in the attentional field is acknowledged and accepted (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; 1998). The concept of mindfulness adopted in Western therapeutic contexts was derived from Eastern spiritual and philosophical Buddhist teachings. Since its introduction nearly 20 years ago, mindfulness-based treatments have evolved towards altering the relationship between the self and internal/external sensations to reduce multiple forms of psychological and physical morbidity (Bishop et al., 2004). Currently, it is used …

The Effects Of Body Positioning On Compliance Among Children, Andrea Merideth Delaney

Masters Theses

Noncompliance has significant implications for children in both home and educational settings. It can thwart learning and lead to increased levels of stress for parents. This study examined the effect of body positioning on the compliance rates of three children in the clinic setting. Results found that higher rates of compliance were experienced when caregivers issued commands in either the kneeling or bending positions rather than a standing position. For two of the three participants, a kneeling position yielded higher rates of compliance. No differences were seen pre- and post-intervention in regards to parenting style using the PAQ-R. Decreases in …

Effects Of Varied Meaningfulness On The Load Theory Of Attention, Hannah Mason

Masters Theses

The point at which selection of which stimuli in our environment to attend to is made has plagued researchers for decades. The load theory was developed as a compromise between the early and late selection theories. However, little research has been done on the effects of varied meaningfulness on the load theory of attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects that varied meaningfulness has on both high and low attentional loads. Sixteen traditionally-aged college students were given a selection task in either high or low attentional load while being presented with distractors in the periphery. Mean …

The Effect Of An Oral Carbohydrate Rinse On Shorter-Endurance Exercise Program, Morgan Esh

Masters Theses

Research has suggested that orally rinsing with a carbohydrate solution can improve shorter-endurance exercise performance (Carter, Jeukendrup, & Jones, 2004; Chambers, Bridge, & Jones, 2009; Pottier, Bouckaert, Roels, & Derave, 2009; Rollo, Williams, & Nevill, 2011). The purpose of this study was to determine if a carbohydrate mouth rinse improves a 30 minute running distance compared to a non-carbohydrate mouth rinse in females ages 18 to 25 years. Eight female recreational runners performed two experimental rinse-trials the morning after an overnight fast. Participants performed each 30 minute treadmill run at a Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of 14 and …

Framing Jane: Film Adaptation And Jane Eyre, 1934-2006, Joy Wohlman Boyce

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

African American Students' Perceptions Of Diversity, Inclusion, And Hate Speech, Andrea E. Grant

Masters Theses

African American students' perceptions of diversity, inclusion, and hate speech were explored to reveal implications for the efficacy of the university's mission and obligation to diversity. Using qualitative research methodology, six African American female undergraduate students were interviewed via a semi-structured interview protocol. Using constant-comparative analysis common categories were drawn revealing nine salient themes: Artificial Diversity between Races, Implicit Racial Lines, Efforts of Housing Staff, Missed Educational Opportunities, Encounters with Hate Speech, Subtle Acts of Hate Speech, Overcoming Stereotypes, Users of Hate Speech, and Speech Codes are Not the Solution. These findings provided African American students an opportunity to have …

The Development Of Horizontality And Verticality In Children With Visual Impairments, Rita E. Schnarr

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the understanding of the horizontal and vertical in children with visual impairments compared to children who are sighted. A raised-line drawing kit was used both for subject responses and for production of stimuli. To test the understanding of the horizontal, subjects felt pictures of a jar at four tilts and were asked to draw the water line. To test the understanding of the vertical, subjects felt pictures of a mountain at four slopes and were asked to draw a telephone pole. Subjects also completed haptic multiple-choice versions of the tasks. It was …

Dynamic Crisis Modifiers: Bp's Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill, Catherine G. Bocke

Masters Theses

When an organizational crisis emerges, crisis communicators must craft specific messages for their stakeholders and the public. While an organization is attempting to shape how the public perceives it during a crisis, the media work to frame the public's perception of the crisis through news coverage. Situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) is a prescriptive theory that assesses a crisis situation to determine which crisis response will best protect the organization's reputation. Two factors, crisis history and severity, serve as modifiers that can affect the crisis situation, and ultimately influence the best response. BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill serves as …

African American Students' Perceptions Of The Campus Climate At Eastern Illinois University, Tynisa R. Collins

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate African American undergraduate students' perceptions of the campus racial climate at Eastern Illinois University. Quantitative research was utilized through the use of the TOCAR Collaborative Campus Climate Survey. The survey addressed perceptions of campus climate, perceptions of campus racial climate, perceptions of academic experiences, and specific experiences that the students have undergone that have contributed to their overall perception of the campus climate.

Findings showed that African American undergraduates perceived the campus climate at Eastern Illinois University to be somewhat welcoming. The data revealed that African American students would like the …

The Effect Of The Power Balance Bracelet On Strength, Agility, Flexibility And Vertical Jump In Collegiate Male Athletes, Rusa Lea Reimnitz

Masters Theses

The Power Balance Bracelet is marketed as a way to increase an athlete's performance in strength, flexibility and balance. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Power Balance Bracelet manufacturer's claims. Twenty male Division I athletes from Eastern Illinois University performed four tests on three different dates. The first session was a control trial and the subsequent sessions were performed with either the Power Balance bracelet or the placebo bracelet. Treatment order was assigned randomly with one half performing with the Power Balance and one half performing with the placebo bracelet in the second and …

The Relationship Between Dialectical Self And Hedonic, Eudaimonic, And Social Well-Being, Ayaka Hisanaga

Masters Theses

The present study examined the relationship between a dialectical self and three different conceptions of well-being: hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being. Dialectical self refers to the ability to recognize contradictions and changes in the self. The study was built upon previous research by Spencer-Rodgers and her colleagues (2004) that found a negative relationship between being dialectical and hedonic well-being (specifically selfesteem and life satisfaction). Although this previous study indicated that the more one perceives oneself as tolerant of contradiction and change, the more one would tend to experience life dissatisfaction and negative feelings (i.e., hedonic well-being), the current study predicted …

Educational Technology: Podcasts, Vodcasts, And Blogs In The Science Classroom, Danielle N. Thompson

Masters Theses

Junior-level Chemistry students at De Soto High School, Missouri, were introduced to educational technology in the form of podcasts, vodcasts, and blogs to facilitate learning outside of the traditional four walls of the classroom. Educational technology was utilized to see if content knowledge could be delivered from the teacher to the students as well as from the students to the teacher. Students were surveyed eight weeks after educational technology was introduced in the classroom to see if participation, attitudes, and interests in science were influenced by the use of educational technology in addition to traditional pedagogical methods.

Instructional Technology Resistance Levels Among University Faculty, Katie Glaze

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to contribute to a better understanding of resistance to instructional technology among university faculty. Siegel's (2008) Resistance to Instruction Technology questionnaire was employed to full-time faculty members working at a mid-west regional state university. Results from 226 respondents (37% of population) reported low levels of technology resistance. Further, respondents gave insight to their perceptions, attitudes, and actual use of instructional technology. Finally, recommendations for practitioners related resistance to instructional technology were discussed.

Inferencing Abilities Of Children With Specific Language Impairment, Kelsey J. Depew

Masters Theses

Inferencing is the ability to make judgments based upon limited information. It is necessary for basic problem solving, negation social interaction, and comprehension of oral and written language. Despite the importance of inferencing in daily life, there are currently no commercially available tests dedicated entirely to the assessment of inferencing. Previous research has demonstrated a developmental progression of inferencing abilities in neurotypical children. However, no clinical norms exist. Additionally, little research has been conducted regarding the inferencing abilities of children with language impairments. The purpose of this project was to compare inferencing abilities of children with language impairment to typically …

Social Identity Theory In Campus Recreation: Examining Organizational And Exercise Identification Among Recreation Center Users, Kiel Emberton

Masters Theses

Social identity theory is often used in commercial settings to provide a basis for psychographic market segmentation. This usage has led to the development of organization identification in traditional business settings. Campus recreation is unique in that the primary product of consumption is exercise. In describing exercise behavior, social identity theory has been applied to explain the unique psychological attachments exercisers have to their exercise behavior. This application of social identity theory created the exercise identity construct. The purpose of this study was to examine social identity theory in campus recreation. Specifically, this study investigated the correlation between frequency of …

The Prevalence Of Risk Factors Associated With The Female Athlete Triad Among Eastern Illinois University Female Cross Country Runners, Rachel Renee Snow

Masters Theses

Three main components structure the Female Athlete Triad which are, disordered eating, amenorrhea, and low bone mineral density. This could be a dilemma for athletes because the elements of the triad may contribute to major health issues in the future. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of risk factors associated with the Female Athlete Triad among Eastern Illinois University female cross country runners. Thirteen subjects ranging in age from 18 - 22 years participated in this study. A five part questionnaire was utilized to determine the subject's demographics, exercise history, dietary habits, menstrual history, and skeletal …

Incremental Predictive Validity Of The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children, Fourth Edition: Predicting Academic Achievement With Wisc-Iv Fsiq And Index Scores, Shannon Hollinger

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to replicate the incremental predictive validity study of observed Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children- Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) factor index scores in predicting reading and mathematics achievement in a sample of referred children from a Midwestern community. Taken from an archival data set, the sample was composed of 298 students who were evaluated as part of special education referrals ranging from kindergarten through 9th grade. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to assess proportions of reading and mathematics achievement obtained from the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test- Second Edition (WIAT-II) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-Third …

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Strategies That Provide Social Support To Students, Heather Moore

Masters Theses

The present study built on the results of Suldo, Friedrich, White, Farmer, Minch, & Michalowski (2009), which identified several teacher behaviors perceived by middle school students as showing high or low social support. The present study collected data from 123 regular and special education middle school teachers using the Teachers' Perceptions About Social Support for Students (TPASSS) survey to investigate middle school teachers' perceptions of the high and low social support behaviors suggested by Sul do et al. (2009). The purpose of the present study was to investigate which behaviors the teachers in the present study and the students in …