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Relationship Of Early Intervention Service Coordination Model To Quality Of Transition And Family Empowerment, Candace Adams

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship that variability in early intervention service coordination model has with the quality of transition from early intervention to preschool special education services and with the degree to which families feel empowered to advocate for their child and families' needs. Eighty-five service coordinator and family pairs in the state of New York were recruited for the study based on their adherence to one of two service coordination models: (1) dedicated service coordination or (2) service coordination plus provision of other developmental services (dual role model). Both service coordinators and families rated …

Creativity In The Time Of Accountability: Lessons From Three Middle Schools, Kevin Michael Hurley

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents findings relative to educational creativity in the time of accountability by examining changes in the delivery of English Language Arts instruction in the 7th and 8th grade classes of three high achieving Massachusetts public middle schools. "High achievement" was measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System from its initiation in 1998 to the present. Data were collected through archival research and interviews with teachers and administrators. Discussion occurs regarding curricular adjustment and environmental change in creating a balance between curricula and climate within the middle school milieu. In this time of educational success merging with demands for …

The Personalization Of The School Environment: The Relationship Of Students' Access To Support From An Adult With Student Adjustment Outcomes And Experiences Of School Climate, Arthur William Lisi Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

Although personalizing the school environment is increasingly at the center of many calls for school reform, there has been little empirical data actually provided to substantiate claims that having an adult in the school who knows a child well--often the operational definition for such personalized communities--are actually associated with or have a positive impact on students' views of their schooling, their own feelings of self-worth and adjustment, and academic performance. The current study sought to examine the critical role an adult in the school can have in providing such instrumental and affective support. Data were collected from 27,604 middle school …

Globalization Of Innovations: A Multilevel-Multimethod Framework To Explain Diffusion And Adoption Of The Internet, Nir B. Kshetri

Open Access Dissertations

Little research has been conducted to understand the factors influencing the global diffusion of information and communications technologies (ICTs) such as the Internet. Moreover, the existing literature has a severe lack of studies dealing with the diffusion of ICTs in developing countries. The developing countries' increasingly important roles in international relations and global e-commerce make research focusing on Internet diffusion in these countries still more important. A focus on the developing world--home to 80% of humanity--is also an antidote to the tendency in the field of consumer research of becoming "increasingly isolated and of marginal relevance". To fill these research …

Latent Transition Analysis As A Sensitive Outcome Analysis For Longitudinal Data, Rosemarie Ann Martin

Open Access Dissertations

Three secondary data analysis studies were conducted to provide methodological and theoretical examples of the application of Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) to three studies of smoking cessation among adults. Each study was designed to evaluate an interactive expert system intervention for smoking cessation in three different populations of smokers: (1) Chapter 2 evaluated the expert system intervention versus assessment only in smokers from the state of Rhode Island (N = 4,144); (2) Chapter 3 evaluated the expert system intervention versus a non-interactive manual-based intervention in a managed care setting (N = 2,882); (3) and Chapter 4 examined the expert system …

Mystical Discourse As Ideological Resistance In Wordsworth And Whitman: A Transatlantic Bridge, Donald J. Moores

Open Access Dissertations

Despite both the recent trend in transatlantic scholarship and the central position Wordsworth and Whitman occupy in the Romantic tradition, there have been relatively few comparative discussions of the two poets. Although some critics have discerned solid connections between them, there is essentially a scholarly void in the critical record, and my dissertation fills this gap. A bridge between Wordsworth and Whitman is found in their privileging of a marginalized epistemology, which they expressed through a type of mystical rhetoric I call the "cosmic" mode. This epistemology entails the merging of self and other, a living cosmos endowed with consciousness, …

Assessing The Relationship Between Neuropsychological Constructs And Alcohol Use Among College Students, Louis Francis Ruffolo Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between alcohol use and the neuropsychological constructs of executive cognitive functions and visual-spatial abilities in a sample of predominately first-year college students. Previous research investigating the relationship between these functions and alcohol use in social-drinker populations is equivocal. For this study, N = 94 participants were divided into two groups (frequent heavy drinking and non-heavy drinking) based upon their self-reported drinking. They were assessed through a brief battery of neuropsychological assessment instruments, behavior rating scales, and alcohol-use measures. Results showed greater and more frequent alcohol use and related negative consequences for those students classified as …

Home Care Nurses' Decisions About Pain Management With Older Clients, Jeanne Marie Schwager

Open Access Dissertations

Unrelieved pain is a pervasive problem affecting a large percentage of older adults. To increase understanding of this problem, a qualitative study was done to describe the decision-making processes used by homecare nurses in selecting pain management interventions for older clients. The following research questions guided the investigation: How do experienced homecare nurses define situations and make decisions about pain management interventions for older clients? What factors do homecare nurses consider in defining the situation and making decisions about pain management interventions for older clients? What is the stream of nurses' actions following decisions about pain management interventions for older …

Development Of Culturally Tailored Measures For Hispanics At-Risk For Hiv, Shirley Amanda Gazabon

Open Access Dissertations

The HIV/AIDS epidemic represents an ever-increasing threat to the Hispanic populations in the United States. Much research has been done developing and validating HIV prevention measures on English speaking non-Hispanic individuals, but no attempts have been done to develop culturally appropriate measures for at-risk Hispanics. This study had four main goals: (1) to develop and culturally tailor an English and Spanish version of the Transtheoretical Model's condom stage of change, condom use decisional balance, and condom use self-efficacy scales; (2) to develop a Spanish version of the Multifaceted Model's sexual assertiveness scale; (3) to validate the English version of the …

The Influence Of Cognitive Reserve On Neuropsychological Functioning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Susan Anne Legendre

Open Access Dissertations

Neuropsychological functioning is negatively affected in many individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the degree and consistency of this impairment is variable. Research in the fields of Alzheimer's disease and HIV suggests that the impact of various assaults to the central nervous system may be mediated through some form of cognitive reserve. The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) is based on the hypothesis that an individual's genetic make-up or experiences acquired throughout life, such as educational and occupational attainment, provide a reserve which allows an individual to sustain greater cerebral injury before clinical presentation of dysfunction. The …

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Electronic Business In The Purchasing Activities Within A Business Organization Using An Extended Technology Acceptance Model, Kenneth J. Sousa

Open Access Dissertations

The implementation of electronic business systems has gained significant attention within business organizations. These systems have transformed the approach in which industries market, promote and sell their products and services. The adoption of these systems can increase competitive advantage, achieve cost savings and create differentiation within a market. Therefore, in order to fully leverage investments in information technology, it will be important for business organizations to gain a clear understanding of the characteristics and behavior of customers who adopt electronic business technology. Several research studies have used developed technology acceptance models to determine the influences on the adoption of various …

Automated Methods Of Detecting Driver Distractions, Bryan L. Reimer

Open Access Dissertations

With recent advances in wireless and computing technology, distracted driving has become commonplace on the roadway, extending far beyond the cell phone to other distractions affecting driver attention. This research builds upon a previous study that collected eye positions from a driver completing some routine tasks in an automobile. Traditional methods of eye movement analysis relied on manual identification of patterns from recorded scene video. However, these methods are not efficient when processing the large data sets acquired to discriminate significantly between a drivers' behavior under different road and distraction conditions. In this work, new procedures and tools for the …

Relationship Of Early Intervention Service Coordination Model To Qualify Of Transition And Family Empowerment, Candace Adams

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship that variability in early intervention service coordinate model has with the quality of transition fro early intervention to preschool special education services and with the degree to which families feel empowered to advocate for their child and families' needs. Eighty-five service coordinator and family pairs in the state of New York were recruited for the study based on their adherence to one of two service coordination models: 1) dedication service coordination or 2) service coordination plus provision of other developmental services (dual role model). Both service coordinators and families rated …

Development And Validation Of Transtheorectical Measure For College Student Spiritual Expression, John A. Ward

Open Access Dissertations

The study of the use of religious techniques in counseling and religious/spiritual expression has gained increased attention in research literature over the last 15-20 years. Psychologists are becoming increasingly accepting of the role of religious techniques in counseling and the role of religious/spiritual expression in human development. However, most agree that the research base needs to be more inclusive and expanded. When religion is the focus of investigation in college student populations, most attention is focused on religious beliefs and practices, and changes in beliefs over the course of the college experience.

The transtheoretical model (TTM) is an integrative model …

Latent Transition Ananlysis As A Sensitive Outcome: Analysis For Longitudinal Data, Rosemarie A. Martin

Open Access Dissertations

Three secondary data analysis studies were conducted to provide methodological and theoretical examples of the application of Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) to three studies of smoking cessation among adults. Each study was designed to evaluate an interactive expert system intervention for smoking cessation in three different populations of smokers: (1) Chapter 2 evaluated the expert system intervention versus assessment only in smokers from the state of Rhode Island (N=4,144); (2) Chapter 3 evaluated the expert system intervention versus a non-interactive manual-based intervention in a managed care setting (N=2,882); (3) and Chapter 4 examined the expert system intervention versus assessment only …

Client Perceptions To Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Symptoms And Responses Over Time, Mary Findeisen

Open Access Dissertations

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem that affects millions of Americans. Adherence to treatment regimens is of critical importance to reduce disease progression and disability. This is particularly true in the early stages of COPD when symptoms are insidious not only in the late stages when symptoms are severe. Health care providers generally assume that once a treatment regimen is prescribed it will be followed. Yet it is not uncommon, particularly in chronic illnesses, for individuals to ignore or abandon treatment regimens. The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe and explore the process …

Longitudinal Study Of The Acquisition Of Locomotion, Motor Activity, And Infant Development, Janette Baird

Open Access Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between the age of development of 5 locomotor behaviors, the level of infant activity for the locomotor behaviors, and the performance of the sample of infants on standardized indices of infant development (Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, FTII; Bayley Scales of Infant Development, BSID-II). A total of 157 infants were assessed at 6, 9, and 12 months for their activity levels on the 5 locomotor behaviors of interest, and the age at which each locomotor behavior occurred was obtained through records maintained by each infants' caregiver. The results of the regression path analysis indicates that …

Stress Management During Pregnancy: An Investigation Of The Psychosocial, Behavioral, And Cognitive Correlates, Leanne Marie Mauriello

Open Access Dissertations

Health professionals recognize and study the multitude of health risks initated by the occurrence of stress during childbearing months. However, very few researchers have examined how women cope with or manage stress during pregnancy. In this study preliminary measurement and prediction analyses were conducted to initiate research on stress management during pregnancy using the framework of the Transtheoretical Model. A sample of 156 pregnant women was recruited from waiting rooms at midwife and obstetrician offices. Measures of decisional balance, confidence, stress, and coping specific to a pregnant population were developed. Exploratory measurement analyses produced relatively brief and internally consistent instruments …

Factors Influencing Transition From Early Intervention, Nina June Pinnock

Open Access Dissertations

This exploratory study examined factors that predict parental satisfaction in the transition of a child with a disability from Early Intervention to preschool at the age of three. In addition to a thorough literature review, theoretical preparation included focus groups with service coordinators, receiving agencies and parents. The sample participants were 62 parent respondents to an Early Intervention transition to preschool questionnaire distributed by Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on proposed factors of parental empowerment, communication and culture, which did not emerge as discrete indicators of parental satisfaction. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) …

Development And Validation Of Transtheoretical Measures For College Student Spiritual Expression, John A. Ward

Open Access Dissertations

The study of the use of religious techniques in counseling and religious/spiritual expression has gained increased attention in research literature over the last 15-20 years. Psychologists are becoming increasingly accepting of the role of religious techniques in counseling and the role of religious/spiritual expression in human development. However, most agree that the research base needs to be more inclusive and expanded. When religion is the focus of investigation in college student populations, most attention is focused on religious beliefs and practices, and changes in beliefs over the course of the college experience. The transtheoretical model (TTM) is an integrative model …

Validity Of The Boston Qualitative Scoring System As A Measure Of Executive Functioning In Pediatric Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Performance, Marlana Joyce Borgos

Open Access Dissertations

This study aimed to assess the Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS; Stern et al., 1999) as a measure of executive functioning with a pediatric clinical sample (N = 157), replicating an earlier study with adult patients (Somerville, Tremont, & Stern, 2000). Male and female participants, representing diverse diagnostic categories, were examined across three age groups. Correlational analyses (to examine the convergent/divergent validity of the BQSS) revealed that median correlational coefficients were low across age groups. Relatively high correlations were not found between BQSS selected scores and convergent tasks, and low correlation coefficients were found between BQSS selected scores and divergent …

Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Substance Use And Abuse By Rhode Island Health Care Professionals, George Anthony Kenna

Open Access Dissertations

The major goals of this study were to address: (1) some of the key gaps in knowledge that can best be investigated by simultaneously examining the epidemiologic prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other substance use by dentists, nurses, pharmacists and physicians; (2) methodological shortcomings of previous healthcare professional surveys. The method consisted of a seven page mail-survey sent to a random sample of 697 Rhode Island healthcare professionals (HCPs) during 2002. After three waves of surveys, 479 usable surveys were returned (68.7% response). The results of this study suggest HCPs are at slightly higher risk to use prescription drugs than …

Self-Organization, Hierarchy, And Task Structure In Workgroups: An Empirical Study Of Complexity Theory, Matthew G. Paldy

Open Access Dissertations

Complexity theorists argue that an optimal organizational form results from the interactions of individual agents in the absence of an imposed management hierarchy (Anderson, 1999; Begun, 1994; Berreby, 1998; Coveney & Highfield, 1995; Guastello, 2002). There have been few empirical studies to support this claim. This research investigated the effects of self-organization and task interdependence types on group effectiveness and member satisfaction. Results show that groups allowed to self-organize had greater member satisfaction in sequential and reciprocal task structures, shorter task completion times in sequential task structures, and lower satisfaction in pooled task structures versus comparable groups with hierarchy imposed. …

Parenting The Child With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Sandra Ruth Mott

Open Access Dissertations

What is it like to parent a child born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)? Until recently these children did not live beyond infancy so the question was mute. With the advent of new technologies and care these infants are surviving and thriving. However, they require intense care during their first few years of life. A literature search revealed many publications related to the infant's physical care before, during and between surgeries but little that addressed parenting expectations or concerns. To discover what it was like to be the parent of a child, who was living with a reconstructed heart, …

Personalizing The School Environment: Teacher-Based Advisory Programs That Support Student Adjustment And Academic Outcomes, Caroline Johnson Caswell

Open Access Dissertations

This study attempts to look at middle school teacher-based advisory programs in sixteen states across the nation. Over 200 schools were surveyed with analyses from administrator, teacher, and student responses. Regression analyses were conducted on a hierarchical basis with respect to school location, advisory structure (length and duration of advisory programs), advisory practices (academic and career issues, parental contact, individual meetings with students, study hall projects, linkages to guidance and health, leadership, and adjustment and health issues), teacher attitudes (job role strain, job satisfaction, parental contact, burnout total, and school climate), and student experiences (anxiety, depression, recognition, school transition, teacher …

Attribute-Level Interactivity, Satisfaction, And Loyalty In The Online Environment, Miao Zhao

Open Access Dissertations

Websites are a composite of multiple attributes, each of which has certain characteristics. One such characteristic is interactivity. This dissertation research focused on the impacts of a website's attribute-level interactivity on users' satisfaction with and loyalty to the website. Although some researchers have addressed interactivity of overall websites, there is little research focusing on interactivity of attributes within a website and the consequences on users' satisfaction with and loyalty to the site. This dissertation research examined the impacts of website attribute-level interactivity on user satisfaction with and loyalty to the site from different perspectives. First, this research tested the effects …

The Relationships Between Metacomprehension Strategy Awareness, Student Reading Performance And Comprehension Strategy Instruction, Diane Elliott Kern

Open Access Dissertations

This study examined relationships between comprehension strategy instruction, reading comprehension, and metacomprehension awareness. The study occurred in four phases. In Phase 1, third grade teachers participating in the Rhode Island Reading Excellence program (REA) administered pre- and posttests of the Metacomprehension Strategy Index (MSI) (Schmitt, 1990). Teacher groups were determined as "high gains" or "less gains" based on MSI results. In Phase 2, teachers were observed. In Phase 3, "high gains" teachers completed structured interviews. In Phase 4, third grade students (N = 414) completed pre- and post testing of the MSI. Findings suggest the MSI may help to identify …

Computerized Behavioral Observation: Implications For Improving Accuracy And Reducing Bias, Charles Sicotte

Open Access Dissertations

Direct observation of behavior is a form of behavioral assessment that maintains a low level of inference when applied to psychoeducational decision-making. The recent proliferation of computer behavior-observation systems has provided observers with an efficient means for collecting direct behavior observational data (Kahng & Iwata, 2000; Shapiro & Kratochwill, 2000a, 2000b). Although computerized methods are less cumbersome than other recording methods (e.g., partial-interval form, narrative recording), it is not clear if computerized methods offer improvement by enhancing observational accuracy or reducing judgment bias that is generally initiated in applied settings (e.g. referral information; Arkes & Harkness, 1980; O'Reilly, Northcraft, & …

Law, Media And Political Dissent: The Case Of The Faln, Yanira Reyes

Open Access Dissertations

Inspired on the works of scholars and activists that had denounced state repression of political activists in the United States, this research explores the theoretical proposal about the criminalization of political dissidence. The proposal of the criminalization of political dissidence is analyzed through the study of the case of Puerto Rican pro-independence organization Fuerzas Armadas de Liberaci6n Nacional, F.A.L.N. The subjects of this research were charged with seditious conspiracy and other charges. They claimed the status of prisoners of war and deny the jurisdiction of US courts over them. Affirming their right to fight for the independence of Puerto Rico, …

An Examination Of Collaborative Practice In Anesthesia Care Team Settings And Occupational Sress In Nurse Anesthetists, Steve Louis Alves

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nature of certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) scope of practice (SOP), collaboration with anesthesiologists in anesthesia care team (ACT) settings, and occupational stress. A critical philosophy viewpoint serves as a broad perspective in understanding the depiction of domination and conflict between CRNAs and anesthesiologists in ACT environments. The theoretical basis for this study was derived from the quality of nursing practice framework, with an elaboration of the process component to examine CRNA' s scope of practice, collaboration between CRNAs and anesthesiologists, and rolerelated occupational stress. A mailed …