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The Civic Development And Political Socialization Of High School Students: An In-Depth Look At One Southern Illinois School District, Jamie Bolander Weitl

Masters Theses

Is there a difference in the way students are socialized and the amount of political knowledge they have based on location and socio-economic status? This thesis looks at one rural Illinois high school (East Richland High School, Olney, Illinois) through a 2004 school wide survey and compares results with Richard Niemi's "The Civic Development of9th through 12h-grade students in the United States," a 1996 nationwide survey of students.

To examine the political knowledge level of ERHS, student's overall political knowledge score was related to their parent's political party affiliation, grade level, gender, GPA, involvement in student council, involvement with community …

Examination Of Sexual Offenders' Behaviors And Self-Perceptions, Denise Wright

Masters Theses

Child sexual abuse is a global concern. More specifically, the growing concern has prompted researchers to study the effects of abuse, with varied interest in both victims and perpetrators. For child sexual abuse to be addressed there needs to be an increased focus on sex offenders. Study of sex offenders' perceptions of their behavior and childhood experiences may yield further understanding of the reasons and motives behind the abuse. The purpose of the study is to examine sex offender's behaviors and self-perceptions related to sexual activity.

The present study consists of 46 registered male sex offenders located at three different …

Exploring The Subjective Meanings And Experiences Of Depression, Reena Sheth

Masters Theses

This study aimed to provide subjectivist accounts of how people understand and interpret their experience of depression. In the mainstream research on depression, the voices of people who experience depression are largely absent. Therefore, the meanings and experiences of depression from the perspective of people who are living with depression themselves were explored in this study by drawing on in-depth interviews. The stories of two participants diagnosed with depression were examined using the holistic-content and the holistic-form analysis approach proposed by Lieblich, Mashiach, and Ziber (1998). Illness narrative forms outlined by Frank (1998) were also utilized to explore how the …

Childhood And Adolescent Depression: Association With Gender, Social-Cognitive, Behavioral, And Gender-Role Factors, Jessica Finn Hougham

Masters Theses

The current study examined the association between gender and depression in childhood and adolescence with respect to social-cognitive, behavioral, and gender-role factors. The participants for this study were 231 children and adolescents ranging in age from 8 to 17 years old. Participants completed a demographic survey and measures assessing depression, self-esteem, self and peer ratings of social standing, cognitive errors in social standing, peer rejected and aggressive behaviors, femininity, and masculinity. Results indicated that there were gender differences in depression scores, with females reporting higher levels of depression than males. Significant negative correlations were found between depression and the factors …

Small Group Social Norms Intervention With Students Involved In Greek Life, Krista A. Mazza

Masters Theses

The misuse of alcohol is often a concern on college campuses nationwide. This concern has created a need for effective alcohol interventions to reduce alcohol misuse. This study investigated college student's perceptions about peer alcohol usage and one's own actual alcohol consumption. A social norms presentation was used to with seven Greek letter organizations to attempt to correct the misperceptions students have about their peers alcohol consumption, and therefore reduce the amount of alcohol consumed. A total of 68 individuals completed all elements ofthe project relevant to this study, of which 22 were male and 46 were female. Furthermore, 17 …

Illinois Standards Achievement Test (Isat) Reading Test Performance And Oral Reading Rate Of 3rd And 5th Grade Illinois Students, Angela R. Herrera

Masters Theses

The relationship between Illinois Standard Achievement Test reading scores for 3rd and 5th graders and their oral reading fluency rates was examined. Four hundred fifty nine students in those grades were given reading probes to determine their reading rate. Reading rate was defined as words read aloud per minute correctly on reading probes composed of text from the students' basal readers as measured by the classroom teacher. The Illinois Standard Achievement Test (ISAT) reading test results were obtained in the spring of each year in a group format. The results indicated a modest correlation between the two sets of data. …

Effects Of Self-Monitoring With Accuracy Feedback Versus Self-Monitoring With Corrective Feedback On Students' Performance In Mathematics, Kristina R. Baker

Masters Theses

The current literature suggests that when students are engaged in metacognitive activities, such as self-assessment, self-explanation, monitoring, or revising; their learning is enhanced (Xiaodong, 2001). Further, feedback, an integral element of self-monitoring, has been shown to increase the effectiveness of self-monitoring by guiding students through tasks, delivering corrective feedback that helps the learner identify errors, and providing hints about how to correct the problem (Pintrich, 1995). In this study, the effects of self-monitoring with accuracy feedback and corrective feedback on math performance of fourth grade students were investigated. During a regular mathematics instruction period, the classroom teacher implemented the intervention. …

Design And Implementation Of A Networked Control System, Mi Chen

Masters Theses

One of the major challenges faced by modem control systems is to integrate the computing, communication, and control into different levels of operations and information processes. The current practice to tackle these control problems focuses on distributed implementation of control systems. A Networked Control System (NCS) is one type of distributed control systems where the control loop is operated over a communication network.

This thesis discusses the structure and hierarchical model of a typical NCS, The prototype combines both network and control theory, addresses the detailed procedures on design, configuration, integration and implementation of a process control via communication network. …

Gender And Ethnic Biases In Personality Disorder Diagnostic Criteria, Christopher Lootens

Masters Theses

The present study examined bias within the diagnostic criteria for personality disorders, a category for diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. Specifically, gender biases, ethnic biases, and interaction effects between the two were examined for the three Cluster C PD diagnoses. One of the more heated controversies concerning the DSM-IV involves the diagnosis of PD's, especially with regard to the notion of diagnostic bias. For the present study, 60 female and 60 male participants were recruited from the introductory psychology subject pool and given course credit for their participation.

Participants …

Teens Talk With Parents About Sex, Alcohol, Drugs, And Suicide... Or Do They?, Vanessa Sneed

Masters Theses

This study is a comparison of students from two high schools in Illinois. It examines adolescents' perceptions of communication with their parents related to the topics of alcohol, drugs, sex, and suicide. Historically, School 1 is located in a county that has above average teen pregnancy rates. Traditionally, School 2 is located in a county with lower pregnancy rates than School 1. In addition to providing the groundwork for more detailed analysis of alcohol, drugs, sex, and suicide related to specific family communication styles and strategies, this study provides support for intervention programs that promote family communication. The decisions adolescents …

Diet Composition Of Juvenile Fish Reflects Adaptation To Altered Prey Communities In A Reservoir Receiving Thermal Effluent, Brian A. Metzke

Masters Theses

Survival, and ultimately recruitment. of planktivorous juvenile fish is related to prey availability. Temperature regime and introduction of exotic species can change zooplankton community dynamics and alter trophic relationships between juvenile fish and their prey. Newton Lake, located in Jasper County, Illinois is used as a cooling reservoir for a coal burning power plant. Thermal effluent produced by the power plant is released into only one of two reservoir arms creating a temperature gradient. Newton Lake also contains Daphnia lumholtzi, an exotic zooplankter thought to create feeding difficulties for gape-limited predators like juvenile fish. It is within the context of …

Foreign Direct Investment And Economic Growth: Further Evidence From Developing Countries, Rui Zhu

Masters Theses

The role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in developing countries has become increasingly important. This thesis provides a statistical analysis of the relationship between FDI and economic growth in developing countries. First of all, this thesis tests for Granger causality between two variables: FDI which is the net inflow of foreign direct investment as a percent of GDP, and GDP itself. The sample is a panel data set consisting of 40 countries with a time period of 22 years. We also classify countries in the data set by geographic region.

The objective of this study is to explore a two-way …

The Tunnel At The End Of The Light: Victimization In The Films Of Roman Polanski, Christopher Weedman

Masters Theses

Polish-expatriate film director Roman Polanski's career has been largely overshadowed by the bizarre and tragic events of his personal life. After a horrific childhood that saw him watch helplessly as his Jewish parents were taken away by the Nazis to the concentration camps, Polanski again experienced familial tragedy when his eight-month pregnant wife Sharon Tate and four houseguests were brutally murdered in 1969 by members of the Charles Manson cult. In the aftermath of the Manson murders, the director was further victimized by the American popular press, which, according to biographer Barbara Leaming, unfairly suggested that he unwittingly "brought the …

A Comparison Of Predicting Vo2max With Two Different Heart Rate Endpoints From A Sub-Maximal Bike Test, Chad C. Shirar

Masters Theses

Obtaining VO2max values can be valuable for both healthy and diseased populations to establish exercise prescriptions, monitor progress, and monitor overall health. Unfortunately, testing procedures to obtain VO2max involve highly skilled technicians, expensive sophisticated equipment, a slight risk to the patient, and more time and more space compared to other fitness tests. The most accurate way to measure maximal oxygen uptake is by analyzing oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production using closed-circuit gas analysis while the subjects runs or walks on a treadmill or rides a cycle ergometer. The YMCA Submaximal Bicycle Ergometer test was developed to allow the subject …

Incremental Validity Of The Learning Behaviors Scale, Jessica Willenborg

Masters Theses

Previous research on the incremental validity of the Learning Behaviors Scale (LBS; McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 1999) has shown that good learning behaviors were associated with good academic achievement (Schaefer & McDermott, 1999; Yen, Konold, & McDermott, 2004). Additionally, research has indicated that learning behaviors account for appreciable variation in student grades and academic achievement test scores above and beyond the contribution of intelligence (Schaefer, 1996). The present study investigated the influence of cognitive ability and learning behaviors in the prediction of scores from standardized academic achievement tests. Learning behaviors were assessed with the LBS (McDermott et al., 1999) …

Effects Of Interspersing On Peer Tutoring Of Sight Words, Jennifer Schultz

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effects of short-term peer tutoring, with interspersal or without interspersal, on sight word acquisition. Four first grade students and two second grade students participated in the study. Student dyads (i.e., 1 tutor and 1 tutee) were either in the without interspersal condition or in the interspersal condition. Using an AB single case design, student performance was measured and graphed in two ways, cumulative learning and student learning rate. Contrary to expectations, results indicated the overall cumulative learning measurement for students in the without interspersal condition acquired the greater number of words learned, required less instructional time, …

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Attitudes, Knowledge, And Usage By Perimenopausal And Postmenopausal Women, Misty Lynn Rhoads

Masters Theses

With an increased life expectancy, women are living an average of 30 yearars after the set of menopause. With the change in life, there is a significant change in t onse the production of female hormones which causes unpleasant side effects that includes hot flashes, osteoporosis, nausea, and palpitations. Hormone replacement therapy was promoted to provide relief for women. However, research has shown that HRT may increase the risk of endometrial cancer, strokes and breast cancer. Therefore, women are given contradictory information concerning HRT. The current study explored the attitudes, knowledge and intentions of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women concerning hormone …

Searching For What Was Lost: An Autoethnography On Disclosure, Identity, And Social Construction From A Rape Victim And Survivor's Perspective, Sarah R. Moll

Masters Theses

Research has indicated that rape victims perceive their environment differently, or with a "new reality" after their rape, and their recovery process can be lengthy and traumatic. This auto-ethnography focuses on the recovery process that the author journals, and her transformation from victim to survivor. How are the labels of "victim" and "survivor" important to the rape recovery process? How is the decision to disclose the rape a trust issue? What drives the phases of disclosure development at different communication levels (intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, and public communication)? Once a person has accepted that they were raped and a healing process …

Computer Security Perceptions Of Students Attending The School Of Technology At Eastern Illinois University, David C. Fulton

Masters Theses

Computer security is a major concern that demands attention. Computer viruses and other security risks proliferate on a daily basis. In the academic environment several disciplines of learning may share a common network or computer environment. This situation presents a number of challenges for a university. Allowing access to the Internet yet protecting the interests of the school can be a difficult undertaking. Data protection and the liabilities associated with protecting data is a major undertaking for a university.

This thesis examines the perceptions of students attending the School of Technology at Eastern Illinois University in the area of computer …

Childhood Predictive And Protective Factors Of Adult Substance Abuse, Melissa A. Grossman

Masters Theses

Psychological abuse in childhood is believed to have an affect on psychological wellbeing in adulthood, specifically in the area of substance abuse. Following the lead of studies in psychological abuse, substance abuse and protective factors, the present study examined the relationship between childhood psychological abuse and adult substance use, along with the role of protective factors in that relationship. Participants, consisting of college undergraduates, completed a series of measures of family cohesion, bonding, substance use, and psychological maltreatment. Although results did not show a relationship between childhood psychological abuse and adult substance abuse, family cohesion was shown to be related …

Chinese And English Discourse In Business Communication: A Case Study Of A U.S. Executive Of A Multinational Corporation In China, Jinghui Liu

Masters Theses

This case study is an examination of business communication forms both in Chinese and English discourse from the perspective of a U.S. executive of multinational corporation in one business working day in China. Forms of oral communication and written communication provide a basis for understanding the executive's business activities in real business practice, as opposed to only written communication. The theoretical framework for this study is provided by Louhiala-Salminen (2002), focusing on the investigation of discourse activities in business communication. The data were collected through use of a business daily activity protocol questionnaire and a longdistance interview. The participant is …

Effects Of Education On Gender Income Inequality In The United States, Jiang Li

Masters Theses

This paper examines the relationship between gender income inequality and educational attainment level with reference to the United States (US). The population under consideration is divided into several groups based on their educational levels. Then gender income inequalities are calculated under each educational level. The total educational effect is shown to be composed of three effects. By measuring these effects, it is found that like past studies, more education reduces gender income inequality, but not in every case. Moreover, this paper explores the relative size of each of the component effects within the educational effect.

The Tootling Intervention: Verbal Vs. Private Reports Of Prosocial Behavior, Jessica Torbeck

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the tooling intervention, developed by Skinner, Skinner, and Cashwell (1998), through the use of verbal versus private reports of peers' prosocial behavior. Previous tootling studies have focused on private reports of prosocial behavior, but verbal reports of prosocial behaviors utilizing the tootling intervention have not been investigated. Two classrooms of 3rd grade students were taught to tootle by either verbally reporting or by privately writing down observed prosocial behaviors of their peers. Both classrooms were reinforced for reaching a desired number of tootles. The results of the current study …

Cultural Competency In Healthcare: How Effective Are Cultural Diversity Training Modules Developed By The University Of Illinois, College Of Nursing,, Linda M. Moore

Masters Theses

Cultural diversity is a core part of our country and its impact has significant implications for quality health care delivery throughout the United States. The need for culturally competent health care services for diverse populations is gaining attention from health providers and educators. Cultural competency is about delivering quality patient care while demonstrating cultural awareness, respect, and concern for other cultures and social groups. Generally there has been a lack of research in the area of cultural competency in health care and the effectiveness of cultural competency training programs on health care providers. The purpose of this study was to …

Agreement Among School Psychologists On Behavioral Function Using Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Logs As A Functional Behavior Assessment Method, Beth Bourque

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to a) determine if school psychologist hypotheses of behavioral function would be consistent with direct behavioral observation data collected via computer program, b) determine if school psychologists agreed with the teacher's hypotheses on behavioral function, and c) determine if school psychologists agreed with each other on behavioral function based on information from the A-B-C logs. Minimal agreement was found between the computer-based hypotheses and the school psychologist's hypotheses, and between the school psychologists and the teacher hypotheses. Agreement on behavioral function was found in two of the cases among school psychologists.

Community Mental Health Care In The U.S.: The Impact Of Deinstitutionalization And Assertive Community Treatment, Mariana A. De Oliveira

Masters Theses

The current review was designed to provide a better understanding of the present situation of mental health care in the U.S. Therefore, a review of the history of deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill in the U.S. and an exploration of the role of a prominent current model in mental health care, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) were undertaken. Deinstitutionalization changed the paradigm of mental health care in the country. This process underwent different stages from religious based care, to large stated hospitals and to community care, where it stands now. Research articles on ACT in urban and in rural areas were …

Effect Of Engine Operating Conditions On The Size And Morphology Of Diesel Particulate Emissions, Adam Neer

Masters Theses

"The size, morphology and volume fraction of sub-micron particulate matter emitted from a compression ignition (diesel) engine was investigated using thermophoretic sampling experiments followed by direct visual characterizations under transmission electron microscopy. Specifically, measurements were conducted at the exhaust of a 6059T John Deere, 5.9 L, 6 cylinder, turbocharged, direct injection diesel engine. The particles observed were composed of nearly spherical primary particles (spherules) that formed aggregates of various sizes and shapes. The size distributions of spherules and aggregates were separately measured to obtain the available surface area, which is crucial for estimating the environmental and health impact of particles. …

Application Of Laser Aided Manufacturing Process For Functionally Graded Thermal Barrier Coatings, Yashodhan Joshi

Masters Theses

"Laser Aided Manufacturing Process (LAMP) is a rapid prototyping process used to build three dimensional functional metal and ceramic parts. The process developed in the LAMP laboratory at University of Missouri-Rolla uses a 5-axis fadal CNC machine and a 2.5 KW Nd:YAG (TEM₀₀) Rofin Sinar laser. The laser power and metal/ceramic powder are the input along with auxiliary systems such as shielding gas delivery, RT data acquisition, coolant system. The hybrid process makes use of metal deposition and machining to obtain parts meeting design tolerances.

LAMP is used to improve upon the process of Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) …

Characteristics Of Laser Forming Austenitic Stainless Steel Alloys, Jack Robert Pennuto

Masters Theses

"This thesis discusses the investigation of laser forming austenitic stainless-steel alloys for the development of free curve and complex shapes...Previous work in this area has focused on the development of single angle laser forming and process optimization for the development of multi-dimensional shapes. This thesis seeks to discuss the relationship of multiple parallel laser passes and any coupling effects that may exist for the class of austenitic stainless steels, including any metallurgical implications"--Abstract, page iii.

The Effect Of Cooperative Learning Groups On Students' Socialization Skills, Elizabeth Torbit

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.