Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Disclosure Among Women In Similar Crisis Situations: Case Studies, Stephanie J. Butler

Masters Theses

Using volunteers who were single mothers of young children who were products of unplanned pregnancies in a non-marital situation, six interviews were conducted and disclosure and narrative communication patterns were observed. Each interview was videotaped and observations and comparisons were made about the subjects interviewed. Common themes identified included an overall willingness to discuss the father of the child, a correlation between the relationship with the father and the feelings felt toward the father, worries about money, the importance of talking to other people, a feeling that mother and child were a "package deal" in that if a man they …

Use Of Alternative Approaches By Physical Therapists In Michigan, Karen E. Huber, Brian W. Scherff

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of use of alternative treatments by physical therapists in Michigan, what approaches are used most often and if use of alternative techniques is associated with practice characteristics. A questionnaire listing 20 treatment techniques which met the operational definition of alternative was mailed to a random sample of 300 licensed physical therapists in Michigan. Number of modalities used, frequency of use for each alternative treatment, average caseload treated, and relationships between modality use and characteristic of practitioners were determined. Results showed 83% of respondents use one or more alternative modalities; 39% …

Effects Of A Feldenkrais-Based Mobility Program On Function Of A Healthy, Elderly Sample, Barbara Brown, Susan Finney, Carolyn Sarantakis

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore whether a program of mobility exercises, based on the Feldenkrais Method, would result in an increase in range of motion and function, as measured by the Functional Reach (FR), modified Functional Reach (modified FR), and Timed "Up and Go" tests. Twenty-eight healthy elderly volunteers participated in the study. The experimental group participated in the program three times a week for six weeks. Measurements were taken before and after the six week program. The Timed "Up and Go" test improved significantly (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05) in the experimental group when age was accounted for. Right ankle dorsiflexion also increased significantly (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05). The FR and modified FR measurements did not demonstrate a significant change. As measured by the Timed "Up and Go" test, a Feldenkrais based program may improve function in healthy elderly individuals. Further research, with healthy and disabled subjects, is needed to understand the benefits of the Feldenkrais Method.

Nurses' Verbal Responses In Four Types Of Client Situations, Ann V. Dilbeck

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to determine to what degree nurses vary in their utilization of empathy when responding to patients experiencing different types of physical and emotional discomfort. Nurse participants ({dollar}N = 32{dollar}) worked primarily in a hospital setting. They were administered the Behavioral Test of Interpersonal Skills and responded to videotaped vignettes. Actors portrayed patients exhibiting pain, anxiety, depression, or anger. "Feeling", "Content", or "Don't Feel" were the three categories scored. "Don't Feel" responses negate or suppress patient's feelings.; A chi-square was done to compare "don't feel" responses to all other responses. "Don't Feel" responses were generally …

Perceived Barriers And Perceived Motivators To Receiving Prenatal Care, Christine M. Davis

Masters Theses

The Health Belief Model served as the conceptual framework for this retrospective descriptive study that identified women's perceived barriers and perceived motivators to obtaining prenatal care. A 50 item questionnaire, including both forced-choice and open-ended questions, was administered to 29 women who had delivered a healthy infant within the previous 6 to 8 weeks. The sample was predominantly white (82.2%), {dollar}>{dollar}19 years of age (62.1%), single (62.1%), unemployed (51.7%), and receiving Medicaid insurance (69%). Univariate statistics were calculated for each item. Each item was then compared to the timing of the start of prenatal care. The most important motivators …

Social Support And Adaptation To Disability, Deborah J. Russell

Masters Theses

Based on Roy's Model of Adaptation, this study examined the relationship between social support and functional independence following hip fracture. A descriptive correlational design was used with a convenience sample of 29 women age 65 and older. The Personal Resource Questionnaire was used to measure social support and the Functional Independence Measure was used to measure locomotion as an aspect of physical function.; Data indicated that women who had higher levels of functional independence one week following hip fracture had higher levels of social support. However, this difference was not statistically significant. The hypothesized relationship between social support and functional …

The Effectiveness Of Viewing The "Life After Brain Injury" Video Tape By Family Caregivers, Nan Meyers

Masters Theses

Family caregivers readily identify the physical signs of brain injury but the cognitive dysfunction and behavioral change symptoms are less easily recognized. Families need to be knowledgeable about brain injury and how to manage its symptoms. Nurses are in the unique position to provide brain injury education for family caregivers early in the acute hospitalization. This study replicated the works of Sanguinetti and Catanzaro (1987) and Pardee (1993).; Statistical comparison of pretest and posttest knowledge and the pretest and posttest application scores were used to evaluate the effectiveness of family caregivers' ability to apply learned information about brain injury and …

A Comparison Study Of Emergency And Medical/Surgical Registered Nurses' Understanding Of Pain And Its Management, Jo A. Oborski

Masters Theses

This replication study was designed to compare emergency and medical/surgical registered nurses' actual and perceived knowledge of the pharmacological and nonpharmacological aspects of pain and its management. A modification of the original tool that consisted of a combination of multiple choice, short answer and open-ended questions was utilized. A convenience sample representing beginner and expert medical/surgical and emergency nurses was obtained.; No difference was found between specialty or experience and current pain knowledge. All participants functioned at a similar level. Participants were unable to describe basic terms related to current pain theory and therapy. The only significant difference identified between …

Basic Needs Satisfaction And Social Support In The Adult Trauma Victim, Gail A. Mercer

Masters Theses

Traumatic injury prevention and treatment is an increasingly important focus for the nursing profession as trauma tops the list for causes of death among young people in the United States. The specific purpose of this study was to explore whether a pre-existing state of low basic need satisfaction and low social support contribute to traumatic injury in adults. A descriptive correlational design was used. The theoretical frameworks of Erickson, Tomlin, and Swain (1983) and Lazarus (1964) formed the foundation for this study. Two survey tools were employed, the Basic Need Satisfaction Inventory (Kline Leidy, 1994) and the Personal Resource Questionnaire …

The Effect Of Early Nursing Intervention On Chemotherapy-Induced Fatigue, Jennifer A. Shane

Masters Theses

Chemotherapy-induced fatigue is a common side effect for cancer patients. This experimental study attempted to identify the effects of an early nursing intervention designed to facilitate adaptation to chemotherapy-induced fetigue. Roy’s Adaptation Model was the conceptual framework. A convenience sample (n=49) was randomly assigned to experimental (n= 16) and control (n=19) groups. Each group completed the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS) during cycle one of chemotherapy. The control group received the standard teaching regarding 6tigue. The experimental group received additional instruction about fatigue. Both groups completed the PFS again during the third chemotherapy cycle (2-3 months later). No significant differences between …

The Effect Of A Change In Patient Care Delivery On Nurse Satisfaction And Cost Of Care, Kathleen M. Allen

Masters Theses

This quasi-experimental study was designed to compare the satisfaction of nurses assigned to a medical-surgical unit on which care delivery was changed to a Dyad model (combining elements of team nursing and case management) to nurses on similar units utilizing total patient care delivery. A convenience sample o f nurses from the Dyad model unit was compared to a control group comprised of nurses from three similar medicalsurgical units. Nurse satisfaction was measured using an instrument developed by Wade and Degerhammar (1991). Cost per case and length of stay on selected diagnoses, and labor cost per patient were compared across …

The Liberal Democratic Party Of Japan: Its Organization And Decision Making Process, Hiroyuki Ikeba

Masters Theses

This study analyzes the behavior of the politicians of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) and the decision making process of the LDP. This study draws heavily on Japanese language sources as well as interviews with leading Japanese Diet persons.

The characteristics of Japanese culture are explained by introducing the works of three scholars. They are: Ruth Benedict, Chie Nakane, and Takeo Doi. It was discovered that the relationships among LDP Diet persons and between supporters and Diet persons are based on traditional societal norms. Furthermore, it was found that the decision making process of the LDP was in …

Effects Of Rote Exercise, Imagery, And A Material-Based Occupation On Postural Control In Children Ages 3-9, Robin Lengel

Masters Theses

Occupational therapy is based on the concept of enhancing motor, cognitive, sensory, and psycho-social performance through the utilization of purposeful activities. Purposeful activities are doing processes directed toward a planned or hypothesized end result, and can be naturalistic, simulated, or imagery-based (Nelson & Peterson, · 1989). This study compared the effects of a material-based occupation, imagery-based occupation, and rote exercise on the quality and duration of maintaining prone extension in children aged three to nine.· The quality of maintaining the posture was analyzed using the prone extension postural test (Gregory-Flock & Yerxa, 1984). Duration of prone extension for each child …

Toward A Theory Of Gendered Reading, Larry Edward Schoenholtz

Masters Theses

Sociolinguistic studies have long acknowledged that men and women sometimes read, write, speak, and view differently. This is often recognized as a cultural phenomenon, but there are increasing reasons to suppose that biology may play a larger role in these differences than was suspected two or three decades ago. Over the last fifteen to twenty years, in particular, evidence has continued to mount in that direction from studies in neurophysiology, endocrinology, and infant behavior. In addition, sociobiological perspectives first proposed in the 1970s seem to have met with large success in being confirmed by cross-cultural studies done in the 1980s. …

Cardiovascular Responses To The Combination Of Caffeine And The Repeated Acquisition And Performance Procedure, Cristin L. Sullivan

Masters Theses

The present study examined cardiovascular responses to the combination of caffeine (250 mg) and the repeated acquisition and performance procedure (RAPP) in humans. Six male subjects were tested in a within-subject, double-blind design. Repeated measurements of frontalis electromyogram (EMO), hand-skin temperature, heart rate, respiration, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were obtained during pre-drug, post-drug, acquisition, performance, and recovery periods. Measures of rate, percent error, and true error were obtained during the acquisition and performance components of the RAPP. Drug conditions (caffeine and placebo) and test orders (acquisition before performance and performance before acquisition) were pseudo- random across subjects. …

An Examination Of The Assimilation Process Of Japanese Americans Living In Michigan, Junko Onuma

Masters Theses

Japanese Americans are regarded as one of model minority groups recently in American society. Through the war experience, the Japanese Americans are likely to become upper middle class people and to assimilate into the Caucasian groups.

The purpose of this research is to investigate Japanese method to assimilate into American society. The research focuses on the Michigan area as a particular area of Japanese American assimilation process. The interview research was conducted with 14 people who live in Michigan. These people are classified into the three groups to distinguish differences, historical, and social factors on assimilation. Consequently, Japanese Americans living …

Loneliness: Do Living Arrangements Make A Difference?, Judith N. Moore

Masters Theses

This study is an exploratory secondary analysis of loneliness experienced as a serious problem by the elderly. The secondary data were from the Davis (1986) national study conducted by Harris & Associates (1987) for the Commonwealth Fund Commission on Elderly People Living Alone. The independent demographic variables of living arrangements (living alone or living with others), age (65 to 85 and over), marital status (married, widowed, divorced, separated, and never married) and sex by the dependent variable of loneliness (a serious problem or not a serious problem) were measured by chi-squares and Cramer's V test for statistical significance. Results indicated …

Loss Associated With Chronic Illness: Application Of The Roy Adaptation Model, Linda M. Dehaan

Masters Theses

The Roy Adaptation Model guided this pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study to test an intervention addressing loss associated with chronic illness. Differences in adaptation and well-being were evaluated between control (n = 20) and experimental groups (n = 20) 30 days after intervention. Adaptation was measured by PAIS-SR scores and analyzed using ANCOVA to adjust for pretest differences. T-test and Mann-Whitney U was used to evaluate well-being as measured by the Global Well-being Scale. Changes in adaptation were not significantly different between groups, but well-being improved 12.8% in the experimental group as compared with 1.4% in the control group. Inconsistency of results …

Planning For Change: Feminist Standpoint Epistemology Informing The Program Planning Process, Laura Nichols

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the process by which social programs are developed and explores how feminist standpoint epistemology may inform the process. A peer education program developed for college women is used as an example to illustrate the planning process. Secondary data collection, focus groups and a self-administered survey were the research techniques utilized in this planning approach.

The specific steps involved in program planning are identified and explained based on the program planning process presented and literature about this topic. The thesis concludes by exploring how certain ideas in feminist standpoint epistemology can be applied to the planning process in …

The Effects Of Site Design On Neighboring Patterns And Safety Perceptions Among Residents Of University Apartments, Julie L. Steinbacher

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationships among site design, neighboring patterns and safety perceptions of residents of living in university housing communities at Western Michigan University.

Many previous studies have examined the impact of site on neighboring patterns and safety perceptions among residents of housing communities. However, most of these studies have been conducted to communities outside of university housing complexes. This study was developed because the college environment offers a unique perspective to occupants living in university sponsored apartments. Furthermore, residents in college housing communities tend to be diverse and transient and the impact of …

Sense Of Coherence, Stressors, Perception Of Stress And Drinking Patterns Among College Students, Jeanne C. Debruyn

Masters Theses

This research examined the protective qualities of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence (SOC), a social-psychological dispositional concept, in relation of the daily hassles associated with the transitory college years of students, perceived stress, quantity/frequency and patterns of alcohol use. This cross-sectional study (n=103) was site-based in the classroom. Data were collected by survey questionnaire administered by the primary researcher. Results indicated that SOC affords protection to students possessing a strong SOC by allowing them to perceive the hassles associated with college life as less stressful and in ameliorating the negative consequences of heavy drinking. Significant problems with alcohol were found in …

An Analysis Of The Korean Political Bureaucracy In Terms Of Riggs’ Theory Of Prismatic Society And Korean With U.S. Bureaucratic Interaction 1945-1953, Jae Jo Lee

Masters Theses

The administrative, political, and social development and modernization experience of Korea for the period 1945 through 1953 was examined in this study. Bureaucratic transformation was understood as significant to developmental outcomes for all facets of Korean society.

The political and social development theory model of Fred W. Riggs, the Prismatic Society, was selected for application in the Korean situation. Prismatic theory itself was first analyzed in detail. Korean bureaucratic formation was elucidated from multiple perspectives. The key factor of analysis was interpreted as being the U.S. with Korean bureaucratic interaction.

The bureaucratic complexity was subjected to analysis in terms of …

Patterns Of "I Don't Know" Responses In Telephone Surveys, Christine Lewerenz Hinkle

Masters Theses

The question of how best to handle "don't know" responses continues to be a troublesome problem to survey researchers. There are no guidelines for handling "don't know" responses because little systematic investigation for the problem has been made. This research addresses the characteristics of those who answer "don't know" in social surveys. I am focusing on four independent variables, sex, age, income, and education. Included in this research will also be an independent variable of interviewer gender. The fact that most survey research does not record the sex of the interviewer has caused this research to be somewhat limited. I …

Health Beliefs And Adherence To Cardiac Exercise Following A Cardiac Event, Marianne Foster

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of cardiac patients' health beliefs regarding exercise and their adherence to an exercise program following a documented cardiac event. A sample of 90 subjects, recovering from a recent cardiac event, was selected from two acute care medical centers in southwestern Michigan and northwestern Michigan. Each subject responded to a mailed questionnaire six to eight weeks post hospitalization which assessed perceived benefits, perceived barriers and self-efficacy as they related to a regular, aerobic exercise program.; Descriptive statistics, along with t-test and chi-square were used to analyze the data. Findings include (a) …

Parent Knowledge Of Fas And The Risks Of Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy, Kimberly Lynne Spring

Masters Theses

The purpose of this mini-study was to determine the level of parent knowledge of FAS and the risks of drinking during pregnancy.; The parents involved in this mini-study were members of a small, primarily rural community and had one or more children enrolled in grades kindergarten through four in the Hart Public School District.; A questionnaire was developed and mailed to a random sample of parents who were chosen from the school enrollment lists. Results of the survey indicated that the majority of parents had some basic knowledge of the term FAS; however they felt that they lacked enough knowledge …

Social Interaction Among Fifth Graders, Dawn Michelle Hinton

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the social isolation of black girls as compared to the social isolation experienced by black boys, white girls and white boys. One fifth grade classroom was chosen as the population of interest. There were twenty seven students in the classroom. Of those there are: six black females, nine white females, five black males and seven white males. Two methods were employed to collect and analyze the data for this investigation. The first method was sociometric surveys which were used to measure social isolation among those being studied. The second method utilized was …

Housing Satisfaction In The Suburbs: A Racial Comparison, Amonda Stokes

Masters Theses

The primary focus of this study was to compare African Americans' and European Americans' satisfaction with housing in the suburbs. Previous literature suggests that African Americans are living in older suburbs, close to the central city, and in lower quality housing than European Americans.

The population of this study consisted of black and white households living in the suburbs. This was a national sample taken from the American Housing Survey (1991). Cross-tabulations were conducted to determine differences by race of affordability, age of housing unit, ownership, neighborhood satisfaction, and housing satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine which variables …

Students Against Driving Drunk (Sadd): Testing The Organization's Effects On Students' Behavior And Attitudes Toward Alcohol Use, William Post Jr.

Masters Theses

This research examines the influence of Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) chapters on the reported behavior and attitudes towards alcohol use of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students in 208 public school districts in Michigan. This research is conducted at the intersection of social movement theory coupled with self-help group issues; theoretical approaches to explaining adolescent alcohol use; and SADD's etiological assumptions about adolescent alcohol use as derived from the organization's activities. These lead to comparing two types of SADD chapters (active and inactive) to school districts without SADD chapters, using students' (N=92,257) responses to the Michigan Alcohol and Other …

Religious Fundamentalism In Indian Politics, Linda Elder

Masters Theses

The Hindu nationalist movement, known as "Hindutva," which originated during the British colonial period in India, manifests itself in Indian politics today in the form of the Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.). Its affiliates, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, V.H.P. consisting of Hindu priests and sadhus, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, R. S.S., a paramilitary organization, form the core of this party. As the organized militant arm of Hindutva, the R.S.S. is compared to other religious fundamentalist organizations worldwide, based on characteristics provided by Martin Marty and R. Scott Appleby in the Fundamentalist Research Project at the University of Chicago.

Since 1977 …

The Effect Of Music Therapy On The Perceived Quality Of Life Of Patients With Terminal Illness In A Hospice Setting, Caroline Marie Abbott

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to determine if there were any significant differences in perceived mood states between patients in hospice care who received music therapy services and patients in hospice care who did not receive music therapy services.

Twenty-eight participants were surveyed using the Profile of Mood States (short form). Fourteen participants received music therapy services for a minimum of five hours, and fourteen participants did not receive music therapy services. The participants were matched in pairs by gender, location, diagnosis, and age, and were patients in one of three hospice locations in the United States which agreed …