Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Adolescents: Preferences Of Adolescents For Parental Presence And The Effect On Information Disclosure, Bethany Barrus

Masters Theses

Adolescents born with a cleft lip or palate are in a unique position because they have received a lifetime of interdisciplinary team care where decisions are frequently made by parents, yet they are transitioning into a stage of life in which they will make their own health related decisions. Because of the complexity of their health needs, the preferred method of care is interdisciplinary team care (Nackashi, Dedlow, Dixon-Wood, 1997; Kummer, 2001). Little research has been conducted regarding the perceptions of adolescents with oral cleft about their care and issues of confidentiality in the context of team care. This study …

The Effects Of Differential Reinforcement Of Unprompted Responding On Skill Acquisition Of Children With Autism, Amanda M. Karsten

Masters Theses

The common recommendation to reserve the most potent reinforcers for unprompted responses during acquisition programming, sometimes referred to as differential reinforcement of independent responding, has little published empirical support for its purported benefits (enhanced rate of acquisition, decreased likelihood of errors and prompt dependence). The purpose of the current investigation was to compare the delivery of high-quality reinforcers exclusively following unprompted responses (differential condition) with the delivery of high-quality reinforcers following both prompted and unprompted responses (non-differential condition) on the rate of skill acquisition for two children with autism. Participants were taught multiple· pairs of target skills (picture sequencing, tacting) …

Functional Assessment Of Problem Behavior In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review Of 32 Cases, Jessa R. Love

Masters Theses

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among children aged 4 to 17 years is approximately 5.5 to 5.7 out of 1000 children (Centers for Disease Control, 2006). It is not uncommon for children with these disorders to display a wide range of problem behavior (e.g., Farrar-Schneider, 1992; Oswald et al., 1992). While a number of studies have reported aggregated data on the reinforcement functions of such problem behavior, none have reported the distribution of functions with a sample comprised solely of individuals on the autism spectrum. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine individual client data from an …

Evaluation Of An Outpatient Training Service For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Their Families, Britt Winter

Masters Theses

Autism spectrum disorders have a substantial impact on the lives of families and can result in a variety of enrichments to the family environment as well as certain specific stressors (Hecimovic & Gregory, 2005; Tidmarsh & Volkmar, 2003). One service that has proven effective for treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders as well as improvement in family dynamics is parent training (Schreibman, 1988). The current study examined 46 individual client files from an outpatient parent training clinic serving children with autism spectrum disorders. Parents were taught to implement interventions for skill acquisition with their children using a behavioral skills …

Teaching Children With Autism To Mand For Information Using Video Modeling, Courtney Dillon

Masters Theses

Skinner's taxonomy of verbal operants defines language in functional terms specifying the relevant controlling variables in terms of antecedent and consequent influences. A mand for information is a request for a specific verbal response that has momentarily high reinforcing value due to the presence of an establishing operation. Contrived establishing operations have been used for teaching mands for information, however, researchers have not yet investigated the effects of using video modeling to teach mands for information to children with autism. This study investigated the effects of video modeling with a contrived establishing operation for teaching two children with autism to …

The Use Of Verbal And Written Emotional Expression For Empowerment And Healing In Clinical Social Work Practice, Laurie Lynn Dix Schmit

Masters Theses

Social work practice often demonstrates ambivalence about emotions and emotional expression. Forced by managed care to keep clinical work short-term, and having removed the depth of psychoanalytic and other psychodynamic approaches, social workers have retreated from attending to the emotional life of clients, and now focus mainly in the realm of thoughts and behaviors. By integrating literature from other disciplines with social work, and incorporating contemporary thought on the topic, this paper addresses the importance, challenges and rewards of utilizing emotional expression in clinical social work practice. We find that, by addressing the emotions of our clients, we begin to …

The Effects Of African American Children’S Skin Complexions In Television Commercials On The Self-Perception Of African American Children, Daveta Jacquistia Saunders

Masters Theses

This study examines the effects of the complexion of African American children in television commercials on the self-perception of African American children. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. A total of 347 commercials were examined from Saturday morning television programming on broadcast stations in the Lynchburg, Virginia area during March 2007. The results of the quantitative analysis found a lack of darker complexion African American females in the pre-recorded commercials. A qualitative analysis was conducted with focus groups of African American children ages 6-10 who were asked questions after viewing 8 to 10 of the pre-recorded commercials from the …

The Rise Of Controversial Content In Film, Ashley Haygood

Masters Theses

This study looks at the change in controversial content in films during the 20th century. Original films made prior to 1968 and their remakes produced after were compared in the content areas of profanity, nudity, sexual content, alcohol and drug use, and violence. The advent of television, post-war effects and a proposed “Hollywood elite” are discussed as possible causes for the increase in controversial content. Commentary from industry professionals on the change in content is presented, along with an overview of American culture and the history of the film industry.

Homeless At Home: The Communication Effects Of The 'One Homeless Night' Program On Participants’ Attitudes And Perceptions Of Homelessness In Canada, Sarah Grace Neff

Masters Theses

Experiential learning provides an opportunity for participants to engage with their respective subject matter in an interactive, effective way. One Homeless Night, an experiential learning event, communicates the nature, causes, and complexity of homelessness through a street walk, facilitated orientation, interactions with the homeless, a service learning component, and finally, an overnight experience at an organization that works with the homeless. This study endeavored to ascertain the extent to which One Homeless Night is effective in the communication of the true nature of homelessness to participants. Key findings of One Homeless Night included increased understanding of the complexity of homelessness, …

Elite Athletes’ Motivations To Volunteer And Interpersonal Communication Motives: Identifying Volunteers' Interaction Position, Jeff K. Boettger

Masters Theses

Volunteerism is a critical component of today’s society, and Sport’s philanthropy is an emerging and influential sector within the nonprofit industry. The current study dives into interpersonal interactions in a volunteer context, as framed by Interaction Adaptation Theory. The components – individuals’ requirements, expectations, and desires – serve as underlying influences, or motivations, that direct all interaction. The objective of the study was to identify elite athletes’ most prevalent motivations to volunteer (MTVs) and interpersonal communication motives (ICMs) as well as to determine any significant correlations between these motivations. The research focused on generating greater insight and understanding into the …

Millennial Media: A Fantasy Theme Analysis Of The Short Film "Narrow Roads", Auri - Christopher Colin Jones

Masters Theses

As we move into the future of , society has become more involved with the media they consume. Younger generations in the past generations have been effected and have affected media development in various ways. The Millennial generation of today is no exception. This thesis discusses the effects of media on the millennial generation through fantasy theme chains of an original video narrative. Millennial students will watch the narrative and discuss with other Millennials the themes presented and perceived from the video. The results from this study will give a look into how millennial interaction about visual media makes a …

The Effects Of A Still-Photo Computer Module Without Feedback On Ergonomic Behaviors, Rhiannon M. Fante

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a still-photo computer training module without feedback on safe positioning of individuals performing an assembly task and a lifting task using a multiple baseline design across behaviors and tasks. The study took place in an analogue office setting and participants were 6 college students. The dependent variable was the percentage of observations scored as safe and each session was recorded via a hidden camera. During each session, participants completed a 5 minute assembly task followed by 2 lifts and this task sequence was repeated a minimum of four …

Banish Belly Bulge And Chisel Your Bis: A Semiotic Analysis Of Gender Representations In Fitness Magazine Advertising, Lauren A. Teal

Masters Theses

This study examined gender ideologies in the advertising of two popular fitness magazines, Shape and Men's Fitness, using Kress and van Leeuwen's visual semiotic theory (1996). The aim of this study was to determine how fitness magazine advertising participates in the construction of gender identities, and to identify what rhetorical and visual strategies are commonly employed.

Through an examination of the way gender identities are constructed by fitness magazines my research has concluded that advertising within both magazines promotes idealized body types and stereotypical gender identities for men and women. In Shape's advertisements, women are wives and homemakers; they …

Occupations, Habits And Routines: A Case Study Of An African-American Woman, Michelle Leigh Velting

Masters Theses

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States. African-American women make up a large portion of the obese population in the United States, however, the treatment techniques available have had limited success with this group. Although many health professionals are involved with the treatment of obesity, literature involving the value of occupational therapy with this population is limited. This mixed-methods case study identified the daily occupations, habits, and routines of a middle-class obese African-American woman. The participant was selected via a health care professional in the area of Grand Rapids, MI. The Occupational Questionnaire (OQ), Model of Human Occupation …

Building A Predictive Model For Paleo Indian Archaeological Site Location Using Geographic Information Systems, Zachary Jaime

Masters Theses

This research is a multi step method to predict unknown Paleoindian archaeological site locations within Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, situated in the southeastern corner of the state, using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The GIS technology is being used to predict Paleoindian archaeological site locations and will help demonstrate the geographic similarities and differences between already known Paleoindian archaeological sites and random non-site locations in the Pine Bluffs region. Using GIS, one can note the similarities and differences between the Paleoindian sites and the surrounding landscape and, with help of logistic regression analysis, one can predict the location of unknown Paleoindian …

The Role Of Latinidad In The Worship And Formation Of Identity Of A U.S. Hispanic, Pentecostal Church, Kristina Arellano

Masters Theses

This case study examines how culture influenced the worship of one U.S. Hispanic church made up of thirteen different nationalities. I examined how Latinidad, a unified Latino identity, assisted in the construction of Iglesia Ebenezer’s collective identity enabling them to worship together despite their diversity. I observed several worship services and interviewed eleven participants during my fieldwork: three pastors, two youth leaders, and six worship-team musicians. I compared and contrasted case studies of the musicians to construct a collective identity of this small group. A final analysis compared my fieldwork observations and the perspectives of all eleven individuals to establish …

Development Of A Needs Assessment For Youth Violence Prevention Programs In A Large Midwestern City, Laura Lynn Savel

Masters Theses

This research project was designed to examine the relationship between the needs for violence prevention programs and the qualities of occupational therapists. A needs assessment relevant to violence prevention program could not be located. One was therefore created based on the literature available as well as professional input. A pilot study was conducted, revisions were made and the needs assessment was distributed when approval was granted. The assessment was distributed to elementary, middle and high school principals, assistant principals, occupational therapists, guidance counselors/psychologists, and support staff from two western Michigan school systems. A model program was created based on the …

Modular Architecting For Effects Based Operations, Emel Meteoglu

Masters Theses

"Effects Based Operations (EBO) is a way of thinking for planning, executing and assessing any operations for the effects they produce, rather than dealing with actions, targets or even objectives. The literature on EBO has been growing day by day; however, there is still a need for modeling techniques and tools that provide more efficient and effective effects based assessment, planning and analysis in order to further develop the capabilities of the operations. In this context, this thesis presents an introduction to EBO by focusing on its methodology, its challenges and also its applicability in different systems. Moreover, this thesis …

Coming Out In The Workplace: Stigma And Boundary Management For Homosexual Men, Eric A. Evans

Masters Theses

Disclosing their sexuality is an experience that is unique to homosexuals. At times disclosure can be a difficult decision, including disclosing in the workplace. This study explores how gay men manage the privacy boundaries of their sexual orientation in the workplace. The core of this study is the dialectical tension of disclosing or concealing their sexuality. Stigma, coming out and Communication Privacy Management Theory provided the framework for this study. Interviews with gay men were conducted and then analyzed using the Grounded Theory. The social phenomenon of coming out in the workplace for gay men is explored in this study.

Fathers' And Young Sons' Everyday Talk: A Conversation Analytic Study Of Topic Initiation And Development, Stacia Jayne Ozier

Masters Theses

As Floyd and Morman (1999) argue, "there are few male-male relationships that may be more socially significant than that between father and son"(p. 310). This study is an introduction to the exploration of topic in father-young son interaction. Using the method of conversation analysis we have identified how three father-young son groups initiate topic in actual everyday conversation. Both fathers and sons used aspects of the physical environment and social activities as resources for topic initiation. In addition, one father used other-focused questions to initiate topics with his young sons. In the examination of the practices used by the fathers …

Gender, Race, And Membership Status: Perceptions Of Hazing On A University Campus, Robyn Bethany Paige

Masters Theses

This thesis addressed the issue of hazing and specifically the potential relationship of three demographic factors, race, gender, and membership status, on student attitudes about hazing. This research to improve the understanding about what motivates individuals to engage in such behavior is designed to provide help to practitioners in creating better prevention and education about hazing.

An on-line survey was used to collect data from students at a large, public, Research I institution in the Mid-west. The survey was based on Sedlacek and Brook's (1970) Situational Attitudes Scale. The original instrument was modified to fit the topic of hazing. It …

Assessing Levels Of Hope And Motivation In Two Groups Of At-Risk Undergraduate College Students, Victoria M. Zeter

Masters Theses

Among the many prominent motivational theories addressed in this study, one was central to the research - hope theory. Hope is a goal directed cognitive process that involves three components: goals, pathway thinking, and agency thinking (Snyder, Feldman, Shorey, & Rand, 2002). The focus of this study was to assess the levels of hope and motivation of two at-risk undergraduate student populations attending Eastern Illinois University (EIU). All of the subjects were participants in one of two student support programs: a) Gateway, an alternative admissions program designed to provide access to higher education to underrepresented and disadvantaged students; and b) …

The Effectiveness Of Support Groups In A Community Diabetes Prevention Program, Traci Worby

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a support group in a community Diabetes Prevention Program. The research questions to be answered were: (1) did participation in the intervention group result in better outcomes compared to the participants in the control group, (2) did the participants in the intervention group and the control group feel that the Diabetes Prevention Program's exercise program helped them make positive changes in their life and taught them the importance of continued exercise to help reduce the risk of diabetes according to statements answered on the survey, (3) did the participants …

Presenting Problems And Treatment Outcome Of College Counseling Center Clients: The Role Of Gender And Academic Major, Erik Lennart Timothy Fister

Masters Theses

The current study examined whether gender and/or academic specialization had any relationship to students presenting issues, symptom severity, and treatment outcome at a university counseling center. The participants were 484 clients and the data were collected at an East Coast university counseling center. Clients were included for the analyses if they were a new intake, clearly fit into one of six categories for academic major, and attended more than one session. Each client filled out both the Personal Information Form (PIF) and Behavioral Health Questionnaire (BHQ) at intake, and was administered the BHQ prior to each subsequent session. Based on …

School-Related Predictors Of Test Anxiety In Middle-School Students, Jayme Holt

Masters Theses

Test anxiety has been associated with many school-related factors. In the present study, the presence of an academic label was expected to be a better predictor of test anxiety than memory, study habits, or grade point average in a sample of middle-school students. A total of 48 middle-school students, 19 with academic labels, were administered the Survey of Study Habits & Attitudes (Brown & Holtzman, 1967), Test Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1980), and the Children's Memory Scale (Cohen, 1997), while teachers supplied each student's current G.P.A. The hypothesis that an academic label would be a better predictor of test anxiety was …

Science And Application: A Comparison Of Graduate Training In Counseling And Clinical Psychology, Nupur Jain

Masters Theses

Often times, when considering training and careers in psychology, students have difficulty deciding whether to pursue clinical psychology or counseling psychology as a career. The decision made might be a result of limited or biased information. Additionally, students often fail to make important distinctions between counseling psychology and the professional field of counseling, which has implications for the career path they pursue. The purpose of the current literature review is to provide readers with the range of knowledge and ideas, including contrasting perspectives and viewpoints that have been established in this area.

Students also often fail to make important distinctions …

Evaluation Of Year Round Education: Does It Increase Isat Reading Scores In Third And Eighth Grade Students?, Kristy Marlett

Masters Theses

Little is known about how a modified school calendar influences student achievement in reading. The present study investigated how students performed on the ISAT reading test after the district switched to a year-round calendar when compared to scores when the district was using a traditional school calendar. In other words, this longitudinal study attempted to answer if performance on the ISAT is related to the type of calendar, gender, grade level, and receiving special education services. Participants were 900 students in the third and eighth grades of one Illinois school district that transitioned from traditional school calendar to Year Round …

The Relation Of Teacher Burnout To Teachers' Expectation Of An Elementary Student's Outcome, Megan Brianne Mcdowell

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine what aspect(s) of teacher burnout, if any, predicted a teacher's expectation for a student's academic outcome, a teacher's expectation for a student's behavior outcome, and the teacher's ability to work with that student. Thirty-four K through 6th grade teachers, from four rural Illinois schools, completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators Survey (MBI - ES; Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1986) and the Teacher Expectation Questionnaire (TEQ; Aloia & Aloia, 1983). Results suggested that only the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the MBI - ES predicted the three scales of the TEQ: Teacher's Expectation …

Calibration Of Reading Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Students With Reading Disabilities, Melissa Mickelson

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to measure self-efficacy calibration, or accuracy of performance beliefs, in reading by high school students with reading disabilities. This study examined participant's reading metacognitive skills, reading self-concept, reading comprehension, and reading self-efficacy. Fifty-two participants were placed into a group of students with reading disabilities and a comparison group of normal achieving students. These students completed all measures and group results were compared to determine the degree of calibration, metacognitive abilities, and self-concept of students with reading disabilities as compared to normal achieving students. Results of the study found that students with reading disabilities did not significantly …

Perceptions Of Sororities Among Sorority Women, Deborah Denise Appleby

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine sorority women's perception ons on certain aspects of sororities and how they believe sororities are perceived by non-sorority women and faculty. The benefits of the study include awareness of the perceptions that sorority women hold of sororities, improvements can be made in areas that haveе negative perceptions, and the positive aspects of sororities can be promoted more.

A survey was used to collect data and SPSS statistical software wavas used to analyze data. Eight of the nine Panhellenic sororities at Eastern Illinois Universi versity were surveyed, providing 395 respondents. Their ages ranged …