Digital Commons Network^™

Does Eastern Illinois University Meet The Foundational Needs Of Nontraditional Undergraduate Students, Peggy A. Brown

Masters Theses

Nontraditional undergraduate students are one of the fastest growing segments of .the student population on college campuses today. The purpose of this study was to discover if a sample of nontraditional undergraduate students perceived that Eastern Illinois University, a traditional, residential university, was meeting their foundational support needs.

A selected set of nontraditional undergraduate students completed an online survey about their perceptions of financial needs, medical and mental health needs, and use of general student support services on campus. Three open-ended response items asked respondents what Eastern Illinois University could do to improve program delivery, enhance services to adult students, …

Idealized Female Leadership Style: An Exploration Of Female Residence Hall Directors' Perceptions When Leading Male Staff Members, Laura P. Vietmeyer

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to explore female residence hall directors' perceptions of leadership style when leading a group of male resident assistants. This study was done specifically with female residence hall directors in the residence hall setting. Their thoughts on the ideal female leader and their own leadership styles were also explored through semi-structured interviews to ensure that the data were comparable across participants and to allow for flexibility to further explore topics that came up during the interviews.

The researcher discovered how the female residence hall directors viewed themselves as leaders and how they perceived their …

Political Perspectives And Freedom Of Speech In The College Classroom, Robin Zazove

Masters Theses

The concept for this study came about after a book read by the researcher claimed college faculty across the United States were "closed minded professors who tum their students into socialists, atheists, race-baiters, and sex-crazed narcissists" (Shapiro, 2004, p.1 ). Statistics and experiences in the book appeared extreme, leading the researcher to gain interest in further understanding the political nature of Eastern Illinois University faculty members.

The purpose of the present study was to examine differences between professors who identified politically as conservative and those who identified as liberal or progressive, andthose who identified as middle of the road, and …

An Exploration Of Factors Related To Alcohol Consumption Among Female Student-Athletes In Higher Education, Holly Ruth Hooe

Masters Theses

This study examined the perceptions of female student-athletes at a mid-sized Midwest university. The current study aims to better understand the reasons for alcohol consumption by female student-athletes. This study will examine these reasons and help put in place predictors of extreme alcohol consumption by female student-athletes.

Results of this study were limited based on outside roles of the primary investigator. Five female student-athletes were interviewed about their experiences. The findings of this study will guide future research in the area. Future research for this topic should be done in greater numbers and use mixed methods.

Going Home, Glen Davis

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Teller Of Tales: Narratology And The Works Of Sherwood Anderson, Jamie Patton

Masters Theses

The publication of Winesburg, Ohio in 1919 introduced Sherwood Anderson as an American author with great potential, but when critics attempted to evaluate Anderson's legacy following his death in 1941, most concluded that his career beyond that book and a few short stories failed to deliver on that promise to permanently establish Anderson as a writer with a lasting impact. However, Anderson's direct influence on key players of the modernist period, most notably Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, suggests the need for scholars to take a closer look at his work in order to better understand his impact and the …

Marketing Campaign For Soup Stop, Nfp, Inc., Chelsea M. Mcbride

Masters Theses

For the applied thesis in professional communication, I created marketing documents for Soup Stop, NFP, INC., a non-profit organization located in Charleston that provides free lunch Monday through Friday to anyone who asks for a meal. Soup Stop does not require its clients to provide any information in order to receive service. It is one of Charleston's longest running mission projects and has operated out of the First Presbyterian Church for ten years, serving over 30,000 meals. Because Soup Stop is funded entirely through donations and volunteer efforts, board members have found it challenging to keep documents up-to-date and to …

Effect Of Prolonged Pacifier Use On Speech Articulation, Danielle Laprairie

Masters Theses

The hypothesis of the current research study was that children who frequently use pacifiers past the age of 2 years would display more articulation errors and patterns than children with limited or no pacifier use. The specific research question was whether there was a difference in articulation errors between children who used a pacifier and children who did not use a pacifier for a prolonged duration and frequency. Experimental subjects included seven children who had used a pacifier for at least 2 years and who were either currently using a pacifier or who had discontinued using a pacifier within 6 …

Influence Of Measurement Frequency On Rating Of Perceived Exertion During Sub-Maximal Treadmill Testing, Sue Stout

Masters Theses

Previous studies have suggested that ratings of perceived exertion· (RPE) may be influenced by the frequency of measurement interval during both sub-maximal and maximal exercise testing. The purpose of this study was to further examine the effect of inquiry frequency on perceived exertion during sub-maximal treadmill testing. Twelve recreationally trained female college students completed one of two graded treadmill tests with a crossover design for the other protocol on a nonconsecutive day. During one trial, RPE and heart rate (HR) were recorded at the end of each three-minute stage. During the other trial, RPE and HR were monitored three times …

Cross-Age And Peer Tutoring In The Music Classroom, Christopher B. Gelb

Masters Theses

This is a study on the effects of a Cross-age Tutoring program implemented into a beginning band classroom. High school students worked with small groups of beginning band students. The tutoring sessions were 45-minute sessions on an every-other-day rotation. Supervising teachers provided articles and demonstrations to assist the high school-aged tutors in working with different techniques unique to each instrument. Resources for the tutoring sessions included the Essential Elements 2000 band method book and the Music Ace computer program. The high school and middle school band directors supervised the tutoring sessions and were available to answer questions and develop lesson …

The Role Of Cognitive Complexity In The Endorsement Of Domestic Violence Myths, Kelly J. Gluba

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between cognitive complexity and its role in the endorsement of stereotypical domestic violence myths. The 103 participants were recruited from the Introduction to Psychology subject pool and completed the surveys online. Measures included the Sex Role Egalitarian Scale, The Religious Orientation Scale, The Multidimensional Quest Orientation Scale, Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance Scale, and the Need for Cognition Scale. Participants were divided into four categories: those that endorsed intrinsic religious beliefs, those that endorsed extrinsic religious beliefs, those that endorsed both, and those that endorsed neither. The participants who endorsed both …

Evaluating The Vice Presidency Using The Effective Model: A Look At Gore And Cheney, Trisha Miller

Masters Theses

Historically, the office of the Vice President has been one of little importance. The Mondale vice presidency transformed the office into one of more prestige. Significant' changes have occurred with recent vice presidents, Al Gore and Dick Cheney. For this reason, a way to evaluate the vice presidents becomes imperative. Using the Hargrove model for presidential effectiveness, an applicatio:q can be made to the vice presidencies of Gore and Cheney. The research questions addressed are: vVere Albert Gore and Richard Cheney eventful or event-making vice presidents? Were they effective? The analysis found Gore to be effective while Cheney was not …

The Eligibility Practices For The Category Of Specific Learning Disability In A Rural Special Education Cooperative In Illinois, Jennifer L. Hauptly

Masters Theses

This study investigated the trends in assessment for specific learning disability in a rural special education cooperative in Illinois. The sample included assessment records for 135 students who graduated from high school with special education services under the category of specific learning disability. The assessment procedures were recorded and compared to trends in practice at the time. Results revealed that the use of traditional assessment practices, such as the IQ-achievement discrepancy, was less likely to be used once the alternative Flexible Service Delivery Model was initiated. To further investigate the impact of the Flexible Service Delivery Model, data were gathered …

Mindfulness And Well-Being: Testing For Mediation And Predictiveness, Tate R. Hartman

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is defined as a state of mind where one is able to attend to and be aware of what is taking place in the immediate present in a non-judgmental manner (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Kabbat-Zinn, 1994). Although originating in Eastern spirituality and philosophy, mindfulness has migrated to Western culture within the last 30 years (Anderson, Lau, Segal, & Bishop, 2007). A number of therapies, either based in mindfulness or incorporating aspects of it, have yielded positive results on a variety of conditions, such as depression and borderline personality disorder. However, the specific avenues that mindfulness takes to elicit these …

Does Familiarity With A Rape Victim Influence Rape Myth Acceptance?, Christopher Bottger

Masters Theses

The topic of rape myth acceptance has been extensively studied; however, research investigating how rape myth acceptance may be related to a person's familiarity with a rape victim is minimal. To assess this relationship, 160 male and female undergraduate students indicated their degree of acceptance of rape myths on one of two versions of the Illinois Rape ~yth Acceptance Scale (IRMAS). One version presented the traditional IRMAS' items that referred to a hypothetical woman. The other version developed for the present study included personalized items that referred to a friend of the participant. The present study was the first to …

Predictors Of Depression In Nursing Home Residents, Lauren M. Yoggerst

Masters Theses

Research dealing with mental health issues in the aged has recently become an area of increased interest. As population trends continue to show that the elderly are increasing in life expectancy, the need for additional and more comprehensive knowledge of the elderly is needed. The present study aimed to further previous research dealing with predictors of depression in the elderly. More specifically, this study sought to target nursing home residents, which is a group that is often overlooked in the literature. The present study aimed to look at the possible relationship between satisfaction with life events and the amount of …

Olweus Bullying Prevention: A Program Evaluation At A Local Middle School, Jessica L. Hettiger

Masters Theses

Bullying is a rising problem in America leading to low self-esteem, poor school performance, and even teenage suicides. As Americans we feel it is our duty to "fix" the problems associated with bullying in order to help each student receive the best education possible. With this attitude, programs like the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program are making a rise as researched-based interventions based on the whole-school concept.

Originally, Olweus, found positive results in Norway and, consequently, started marketing his program to schools in America. Unfortunately, various studies by Cornell (2006) and Fink (2010), along with this study have shown significantly different …

A Qualitative Study Of Heterosexual Ally Development Among The Traditional Student Population At A Mid-Sized Midwestern University, Miranda Therese Ambuske

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study conducted, at a mid-sized Midwestern university, was to examine the ally development of heterosexual college students, specifically with gay, lesbian and bisexual populations. Five participants who were current college students, who self-identified as heterosexual allies, took part in open-ended life-history interviews in which they were asked to share their perspective on what may have affected their ally development. The interviews specifically probed what, if any, institutional resources, faculty or staff members may have assisted in their development, as well as if any precollege factors made them more susceptible to developing into an ally in college. …

The Effects Of Gender On Rumination, Co-Rumination, Depression, And Relationship Satisfaction, Mera El Ramahi

Masters Theses

The present qualitative study examined gender differences in rumination, co-rumination, depression, and relationship satisfaction. Response style theory, gender role socialization, and social norms are proposed to explain the gender differences in depression. The researchers conducted a study with undergraduate and graduate students at a mid-sized Midwest university campus. The sample in the present study consisted of 232 students. There were 106 males and 126 females. Participants took an online survey that consisted of the Response Style Questionnaire (RSQ), Co-Rumination Questionnaire (CRQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Multidimensional Questionnaire (MRQ). The findings suggest that rumination is a significant predictor of …

The Impact Of A First Year Seminar On The College Success Of African American Males At Eastern Illinois University, Brandon L. Thompson

Masters Theses

This mixed method study was designed to understand the impact of a first-year seminar on the college success of African American males at Eastern Illinois University. The primary . researcher conducted one on one interviews with nine African American males. Three participants enrolled in EIU 1111 (first year seminar) by choice, three enrolled in EIU 1111 by conscription, and three did not enroll in EIU 1111. The interviews were transcribed and themes were identified. The results from the interviews indicated that peer support and faculty and staff interaction outside of the classroom influenced college success.

The quantitative data ( e.g. …

Student Perceptions On The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union At Eastern Illinois University, Anthony Kwiatkowski

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect programs and services of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Union have on the educational experiences of students at Eastern Illinois University. Data were gathered :from 619 students using a Web Enabled Survey System developed by Educational Benchmarking, Inc. that focused specifically on students' perceptions of the experiences provided by the Union. The results of the study showed that even though student users are satisfied with their overall Union experience, there is a need for administrators to address developmental issues of Life and Leadership, as well as entertainment opportunities for the …

Intelligent Computational Argumentation For Evaluating Performance Scores In Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Rubal Wanchoo

Masters Theses

"Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is a discipline aimed at assisting multiple stakeholders in contemplating a decision paradigm in an uncertain environment. The decision analysis to be performed involves numerous alternative positions assessed under varied criterion. A performance score is assigned for each alternative in terms of every criterion and it represents satisfaction of the criteria by that alternative. In a collaborative decision making environment, performance scores are either obtained when a consensus can be reached among stakeholders on a particular score or in some cases or controversial when stakeholders do not agree with each other about them. In the …

Development Of Novel Backscatter Communication Systems Using A Multi-Hop Framework And Distributed Beamforming, Vikram Reddy Surendra

Masters Theses

"The goal of this thesis it to develop a wireless networking framework for battery-free devices based on passive, backscatter communication. In contrast to traditional, active communication systems, where the radio signal has to be generated using large amount of energy from batteries, the passive systems reflect the RF signal. The information is encoded by modulating the reflected signal, which consumes significantly less energy than active transmission. The existing passive, backscatter systems have limited communication capabilities. For example, the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems support short-distance, direct communication between active reader and passive tags. The communication range is limited due to …

Neural Mrac Based On Modified State Observer, Yang Yang

Masters Theses

"A new model reference adaptive control design method with guaranteed transient performance using neural networks is proposed in this thesis. With this method, stable tracking of a desired trajectory is realized for nonlinear system with uncertainty, and modified state observer structure is designed to enable desired transient performance with large adaptive gain and at the same time avoid high frequency oscillation. The neural network adaption rule is derived using Lyapunov theory, which guarantees stability of error dynamics and boundedness of neural network weights, and a soft switching sliding mode modification is added in order to adjust tracking error. The proposed …

The Marketing Value Of Graduate Certificate Programs In Higher Education: A Strategic Assessment, Susmitha Akula

Masters Theses

"The last five years have seen a significant increase in the popularity of non degree graduate certificates. This increase has raised questions about the value of graduate certificate programs from the perspective of students, alumni and industry employers. Do certificate programs provide real world skills and knowledge valuable to industry? Do they serve as effective recruiting tools for the university? Do they provide opportunities for students to meet their professional goals in terms of salary increase, promotions, and the like? The present research is specifically aimed at answering these questions. Surveys that assess perceptions of value of graduate certificates to …

Strength Evaluation And Transportation Behavior Of Preformed Particle Gel Using Screens And Tubes, Rajesh Sarma Challa

Masters Theses

"This research included a series of experiments, using screen models to evaluate the strength of swollen gel particles. It also includes the study of PPG propagation and extrusion behavior through tubes of various internal diameters. The effect of the particle gel swelling ratio (depending on brine concentration), flow rate; and mesh size on the gel injection pressure and injectivity were studied. The results show that gel injection pressure depends primarily on the swelling ratio and the mesh size. However, the injection pressure does not increase significantly with injection rates, behavior consistent with the real-time injection pressure and injection rate change …

Excitation Of Whispering Gallery Modes In Glass Microspheres Using Optical Fiber Couplers, Sudha Sneha Devarakonda

Masters Theses

"This research is a study conducted on the excitation of whispering gallery modes (WGM) in small micron-scale glass spheres. Optical WGM may be represented by a light wave that propagates along the surface of the sphere and reaches back itself in phase at specific wavelengths. Due to this, very high intensities of light with narrow line widths circulate in the microspheres contributing to high Q factor. The evanescent field of an optical waveguide is used to resonantly stimulate the WGM.

The WGM excitation in fused silica spheres was demonstrated in the laboratory with 60% coupling efficiency. Tapered optical fibers were …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Study For Direct Metal Deposition Of 316l Stainless Steel, Tian Fu

Masters Theses

"Direct metal deposition or laser cladding is a process capable of producing fully dense and net shape metal products and this process could be used on coating metal components in various engineering applications. This process has fast heating and cooling rates which can improve the surface hardness and provide excellent adhesion through metallurgical bond between coating material and substrate. This paper evaluated the laser deposited 316L stainless steel coating on 4340 steel, which is widely used for aircraft landing gear applications. The microstructure, micro-hardness and quantitative EDS were explored to verify the coating properties. The desired homogeneous microstructure and high …

Calibration Of Resistance Factors For Axial Capacity Of Driven Pile Into Missouri Soil, Mulugeta Abay Kebede

Masters Theses

"Over the past two decades the load resistance factor design (LRFD) has been accepted by the American Association for Transportation and Highway Officials (AASHTO) for the design of bridges. This approach is now gaining widespread popularity in the United States for substructure bridge design, including the design of driven pile foundations, as the states calibrate the geotechnical resistance factors for local geological conditions and practices. This study presents the geotechnical resistance factors calibrated for axially driven pile using the first-order reliability method (FORM) for the target reliability index of 2.33 and 3.0 based on 64 end-of-drives (EOD) and 22 beginning-of …

Establishing Workload Limitations For Application In Human Systems Integration, Muhammet Servet Gulum

Masters Theses

"As the amount of technology involved in the typical workplace increases and standard operational procedures become increasingly sophisticated the danger of overloading an operator's mental resources is increasing. As much as these technological developments help operators with daily tasks, for example by providing information via monitors and wireless headsets; it also increased the mental workload due to the bombardment of information. Mental workload is commonly associated with information processing tasks, limits. With all the extra information inputs it is difficult to set limits where excessive information becomes dangerous. The workload optimization is critical as it directly affects system performance and …