Digital Commons Network^™

Interpreting Wit, Annmarie Giunta

Theses

Graphic design is everywhere and everyday just about everyone interacts with it on some level. Since some graphic design has evolved into quick "on-the-go" design, the elements used to create a message are being ineffectively used. When designing with the graphic design elements, for the most part, there is still a majority that does not understand the reasoning or meaning in the placement of the elements. The purpose of this thesis is to teach graphic design elements to those who do not understand graphic design. A teaching tool has developed with the evolution of this thesis; this tool is wit. …

Spiritual Sadomasochism, Michael Sims

Theses

This thesis is an account of the author's mental, physical, and artistic search for the spiritual. The author describes his search for spiritual fulfillment through sadomasochistic ritual and body piercing. This spiritual journey is portrayed through the medium of photography, displayed on 20 slides.

Vernacular Letterforms: An Expression Of Cultural And Social Values, Georgiana Leite

Theses

This thesis investigates similar problem-solving processes used in the fields of graphic design and engineering, revealing an underlying relationship between the two disciplines. It shows the principles these two disciplines share and how they employ a common creative process. By comparing these two vastly different disciplines, an understanding of the methodology of thought is constructed.

A Study Of Death Anxiety And The Near Death Experience, Wanza J. Borgmeyer

Theses

Not available.

Landing, Rachel Smith

Theses

None provided.

The Design Process, Thomas Pasquini

Theses

This thesis investigates similar problem-solving processes used in the fields of graphic design and engineering, revealing an underlying relationship between the two disciplines. It shows the principles these two disciplines share and how they employ a common creative process. By comparing these two vastly different disciplines, an understanding of the methodology of thought is constructed.

The Liminal Self, Kristen Hermanowski

Theses

None provided.

A Feminist Creation Myth, Evelyn Zehraoui

Theses

None provided.

Effect Of Adult Attachment On The Resiliency Of Youth In Behavior Disordered Classrooms, Rachel R. Henson

Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that adult attachment has on the resiliency of at-risk youth . The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment was revised to measure the degree of attachment to a significant adult and was administered along with the Children' s Resiliency Attitudes Scale to students in behavior disordered classrooms (n = 41). The assessments were given during one class period in six behavior disordered classrooms at one school. The results found that those students who feel strong attachments to at least one adult were also more resilient and able to deal with …

Discovering The Mill, Jacob Roesch

Theses

The artist describes his thesis work, which consists of 9 oil paintings. A windmill structure is a central theme running throughout the works. The artist explains his reasons for choosing this theme and how it unifies the thesis paintings. The idea sprang from the artist's consideration of an old windmill; a functional item without function. Thus, the windmill became a central symbolic figure in the paintings.

Evil I, Jason Donati

Theses

For the first time, my motivation in the creation of animation wasn't simply to fulfill a class assignment or get a job. Although these issues were still part of the equation, they were not the reason for spending countless hours hunched over and squinting at a computer monitor. I had reached a point with my previous film, "Head Quarters"(Donati, 1), where I no longer felt as if I had something to prove. I was secure with my skills as a computer animator, and could see beyond the technical aspects of my craft focusing more on a personal style and voice. …

Investigation Of The Relevance Of Heart Rate Variability Changes After Heart Transplantation, Sheeba Arnold

Theses

Heart transplantation has become an established treatment for end-stage heart disease. However, the shortage of donor organs is a major problem and long-term results are limited by allograft rejection. Heart rate variability (HRV) has emerged as a popular noninvasive research tool in cardiology. Analysis of HRV is regarded as a valid technique to assess the sympathovagal balance of the heart. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relevance of heart rate variability changes after heart transplantation. It was found that spectral analysis of HRV is useful in detecting rejection episodes. Heart transplantation leaves the donor heart denervated. …

A Thumb On The Scale : Biological Determinism And The Essays Of Stephen Jay Gould, Kevin F. Ryan

Theses

Biological determinism is a field of scientific theory that attributes human behavior, relationships, and social structures predominantly to hereditary and biological rather than cultural and environmental influences. In almost twenty-five years of published essays, the Harvard evolutionary biologist, Stephen Jay Gould, has sounded an alarm that biological determinism-through its scientific rationalization of slavery, eugenic sterilization, Nazi atrocity, and more subtle forms of injustice perennially poses a real and dangerous threat to humanity. This thesis explores the career-long anti-hereditarian thread permeating Gould's published works on evolutionary history and the history of science. Gould's assertions regarding the cultural embeddedness of science are …

A Study Of Factors Affecting Cardiovascular Reactivity, Andrew Gill Ventura

Theses

This pilot study was conducted to determine what affects the cardiovascular reactivity of different people. Variables such as the order of stress-inducing and relaxing activities, performing multiple tasks on different days, personality, familial history of diseases, and general health were investigated as to their effects, if any, on cardiovascular reactivity.

Ten healthy, normal male subjects, aged 18 - 33 years, volunteered to be subjected to studies on three experimental days, the first one being for gathering information. On the second and third days, the subjects performed the following activities: mental arithmetic, numeric repetition, 10 breaths-per-minute (bpm) paced-breathing, and normal breathing, …

Using Eye Tracking To Advance Learning Processes, Diane Kucharczyk

Theses

Eye movements and eye tracking are a part of imaging science that serves as a gateway to further understand cognitive processes. Human vision allows people to perceive a full visual field with the illusion of a high-resolution scene. However, the anisotropic retina only provides a small area called the fovea for high-resolution perception, while the majority of the visual field provides only low-resolution perception. Eye movements detected by the eye tracker are mostly executed to locate objects of one's attention on the fovea, in order to gain detailed information. These movements are meant to move the eye or stabilize the …

The Personality Trait Of Hardiness As It Relates To Bereavement, Janice Dianne Davis

Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between one personality factor concerning the beliefs about one's world to the resolution of grief. The question to be studied was whether unresolved grief was related to levels of hardiness. Thirty individuals served as subjects for this study. They completed the Resolution of Grief Instrument and the Hardiness Scale. Results of the Pearson product-moment correlation showed that a negative relationship exists between hardiness levels and the resolution of grief

The Death Of Privacy, Darren W. Bax

Theses

This thesis will focus on the issue of personal privacy and the growing threat to its existence in a technological society.

The areas most associated with privacy loss include increased government intrusions, legislation, workplace, healthcare industry, Internet, and identity theft. Chapter one provides a historical perspective beginning with primitive culture and their struggle to maintain privacy in the lives. Interesting enough, privacy protection was not mentioned by the judicial system until 1880 when privacy was defined as the "right to be left alone." To address concerns about privacy reform the Supreme Court cited this right of privacy as having " …

Is There A Relationship Between Perceived Spousal Support And Marital Satisfaction Of Female Graduate School Students?, Kelle M. Mccallum

Theses

Deciding to return to graduate school as an adult student creates another role for an individual to fulfill Studies have shown that women. especially. feel role strain or conflict more than men when returning to school Little research has been done on the role the woman's spouse plays in her attempts to complete her degree. This correlational study examined perceived spousal support and marital satisfaction among female graduate school students. Thirty-nine female students volunteered for this study. The volunteers completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Student Relationships Questionnaire The results suggest there is a significant relationship between perceived spousal …

Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Self-Esteem As Well As Locus Of Control And Life Satisfaction In Persons Who Are Physically Disabled, Patricia Kaye Mitchell

Theses

Although various aspects of adjustment to disability have been addressed in current research literature, little empirical and specific data has been gathered in the areas of locus of control, self-esteem and life satisfaction. This study furthered recent research by addressing the relationship between these variables. Disabled adults who are mobility impaired were selected from various organizations in the St. Louis, Denver and eastern regions of the United States. Sixty subjects in this study completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Tennessee Self-Concept Scale-Second Edition (TSCS:2) and the Levenson's Internal, Powerful Others and Chance Scale (1, P and C scale). The …

Effects Of Father-Absence On Male Sex Role, Terri L. Portrell

Theses

This study explored the effects that the presence or absence of a father living in the household has on the sex-role development of male children. With an increasing number of males being reared in fatherless, mother-headed families, it is important to understand this phenomenon. Seventy-two male college students, ages 18 to 25, were subjects. Thirty-six were raised in father-present households, while thirty-six were raised in father-absent, mother-headed households. The Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) was employed to assess each subject's sex-role. Past research suggests that males reared without fathers in the home develop a less masculine sex-role orientation and are far …

Leadership And Communication In The Transition To Virtual, Mark K. Reighard

Theses

This culminating project focuses on the transition of work teams from a traditional to a virtual work setting and the approaches and tools used by the manager to make that transition effective.

"Virtual Workplace", Telecommuting, Telework, "Alternative Workplace", and "Work From Home" are all terms and phrases used to describe a situation where at least a portion of a work team's members are not housed in a specific office day in and day out. This type of work setting has been utilized for many years (e.g. the traveling salesman) but is gaining popularity with the advent of enhanced communication tools …

Differences In Perceived Parental Nurturance Between At Risk High School Male Adolescents And Male Bright Flight College Freshman Students, Elizabeth A. Rudin

Theses

This study investigates differences in perceived parental nurturance between two distinct groups: at-risk high school male adolescents and academically successful male Bright Flight college freshmen. Using the Parental Nurturance Scale (PNS), the researcher measured each participant’s perception of parental care and support. The hypothesis proposed that at-risk adolescents would perceive significantly lower levels of nurturance compared to their college-bound counterparts. Participants included 15 at-risk students from a midwestern alternative high school and 15 Bright Flight freshmen attending a private university, each selected for their contrasting academic and behavioral profiles.

Findings confirmed the hypothesis: Bright Flight students reported notably higher levels …

A Comparison Of Behavior Of Children Of Two Parent Families And Children Of Single Parents And Divorced Parents In The Elementary Classroom Setting, Fran Marlene Sprous

Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the classroom behavior of students from single and divorced homes to behavior of students from intact two parent homes. The study was designed to examine students' delinquent/problem behaviors. In this study four third grade classes were randomly selected from a Midwestern public school district. The teachers were instructed to observe their students (n=90) for one month. Of the 90 students, 48 were males and 42 were females. After one month the teachers were asked to complete the Behavior Scale-2 on the 90 students. Results suggest that there is a significant …

Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, And Depression, Jeanne Marie Goacher

Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of depression that is going untreated in adolescents with an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. This study included high school age students (grades 9-12) who either had a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, had never been diagnosed with depression, and who have never been treated for depression and another group who did not have a diagnosis of either ADD/ ADHD or depression. After obtaining parental permission, through a questionnaire format, the students were given the Beck Depression Inventory. A Chi-Square was performed to …

The Effect Of Binaural Auditory Beats On The Anxiety And Psychological Hardiness Levels Of Graduate Students, Terry L. Moore

Theses

Three graduate students from a Midwestern urban university were selected from a pool of volunteers based on elevated levels of anxiety. The students were initially tested using the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire and Hardiness Scale. Students were provided with audio tapes using binaural beats. Each Self-Evaluation Questionnaire score was tracked for the purpose of determining the affect of the audio tapes on levels of anxiety and hardiness. All three students showed reduced levels of anxiety after using the tapes, with either a similar or higher level of Hardiness.

Correlates Of Offenders Among Individuals With Severe Emotional Disturbances, Jaimie Peoples

Theses

Mental illness, in the context of severe and enduring mental illness, is a growing problem particularly among incarcerated individuals and is likely to have implications for the way mental health services are utilized in local jails, state prisons, and federal prisons. The goal of the current study was to determine a relationship between persons suffering from mental illness among individuals with a criminal background.

As the prison populations increase, so do the number of mentally ill individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Many criminals suffer from homelessness and health-related concerns (e.g., substance abuse, HIV infection), these individuals may alternate …

Abusive Relationships: Hidden Crimes, Neidra V. Banton

Theses

Domestic violence is a crime, and the first step toward addressing the problem is through communication. Making society aware that there is a problem starts the process. Once communication of the problem is known then education is the next step. Educating society and all individuals affected by domestic violence whether as a victim or as a community helper is crucial toward stopping the crime.

Research of this social problem comprises the first three chapters of the graduate paper. Chapter one addresses the thoughts and reasons behind the belief that domestic violence is criminal through the research gathered from the social …

A Study Of The Correlation Between Coping Strategies And Locus Of Control, Joyce Everett

Theses

This study explores the relationships between gender, locus of control and coping strategies. The Ways of Coping Questionnaire and Levenson's IPC scale were distributed to employees at a social service agency and at a graduate school in the Midwestern United States. The study consisted of 26 males and 26 females who volunteered to participate by returning the completed instruments. At-test was conducted. and gender differences in locus of control and coping strategies were analyzed. No significant differences were found between locus of control and gender and gender and coping strategies. A Pearson r correlation was completed to determine a direct …

The Redesignment Of An Acute Inpatient Dual Diagnosis Unit, Irene Harris Griggs

Theses

This project will focus on the study of mental illness and chemical abuse/dependence as it has progressed into the entity of dual diagnosis or what experts consider co-existing or co-occurring disorders.

Research has revealed the increase in the number of individuals suffering from co-occurring illnesses since the early 1980's. Because this condition has become the norm rather than the exception, it becomes necessary to focus more clearly on individuals that are diagnosed with this illness and on the most effective treatment in order to assist the individual in recovery.

Individuals have had co-existing or co-occurring disorders prior to the early …

Intensity Of Grief And Belief In Personal Control, Diana M. Alferink

Theses

Much research has focused on stress and its consequences. Some studies have indicated personal control helps an individual handle stress better and remain healthier. Little research, however, has examined the role personal control plays in bereavement as a stressful life event. This correlational study examined the relationship between belief in personal control and grief intensity experienced from losing a loved one to death. Volunteer subjects primarily from Grief Support Groups completed the Belief in Personal Control Scale and the Texas Revised Grief Inventory Results demonstrated some instances when higher belief in personal control resulted in lower intensity of grief in …