Digital Commons Network^™

"Game Recognize Game": How Hip-Hop Rhetoric Affects Perceptions Of Composition In College Freshmen, Ages 18-24, Veronica Nanette Williams

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to help justify hip-hop as a valid example of rhetoric, this project is an informal investigation of how the hip-hop rhetoric affects perceptions of composition in college freshmen ages 18-24 using a small survey sample of first-year composition students. The resulting data indicates that hip-hop rhetoric does affect the perceptions of composition in hip-hop oriented students, specifically, hip-hop rhetoric's emphasis on ethos, or authenticity, seems to influence those students' assessments of their college compositions in terms of classical rhetorical aims.

Economic Mobility Behaviors Due To Earned Income Tax Credit Policy: A Case Study Of A Southern California Population, Eugene J. Anton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand earned income tax credit (EITC) policy influences on the development of economic mobility for individuals receiving EITC. Policymakers have declared that improving the economic mobility of low-wage workers a major objective of the EITC. This study addressed identifying factors that contribute to economic mobility, and testing the punctuated equilibrium theory to determine whether exogenous forces influence EITC policymakers' decisions. Utilizing the survey data of 2,252 EITC respondents from the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, California, the study found that saving, education, race, and being banked were factors contributing to economic mobility. …

Race, Ethnicity, And Differential Perceptions Of Sexual Victimization (Assault), Kaleea Regina Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pilot study is to ascertain how a sample of female college students perceives a hypothetical victim of a fabricated sexual assault. Participant perceptions of the sexual assault were explored through three distinct parameters: (1) victim responsibility attributes, (2) levels of trauma suffered due to the experience, and (3) levels of social support. This study addressed the two following research questions: (1) how does the hypothetical sexual assault victim's race and ethnicity affect how the study parameters are assessed and (2) how do participants perceive a hypothetical sexual assault victim, when presented in different races and ethnicities, …

The Influence Of The Roman Atrium-House's Architecture And Use Of Space In Engendering The Power And Independence Of The Materfamilias, Anne Elizabeth Stott

Theses and Dissertations

Architecture has a remarkable capacity to not only reflect social patterns and behaviors but to engender public image and identity. Therefore, it has proven to be a viable source for understanding the lives of ancient people. In fact, many scholars have established a connection between the atrium-house's design and the power and social identity of the paterfamilias, or male head of household. However, little has been said about what these same architectural features mean in relation to his female counterpart, the materfamilias. Therefore, this paper argues that the architecture of the atrium-house likewise engendered a sense of power …

Foraging Behavior Of Northern Bobwhites In Relation To Resource Availability, Ryan Spencer Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a popular game bird that inhabits pine grasslands throughout the Southeast. This study used experimental manipulation of food resources to investigate how resource availability influenced foraging behavior and space use of bobwhite in a southern pine-grassland forest system. Radio marked bobwhite were monitored to determine daily space use, movements, and daily and seasonal ranges. I observed no difference in daily (P = 0.06) or seasonal home range size (P = 0.55) between feeding treatments. However, dispersion in daily locations of radio-marked bobwhite differed among feed levels (P < 0.001). I assessed effects of food availability on diet and total body lipids of birds harvested from each treatment during February. Although bobwhite extensively utilized supplemental feed when available, energy value of pre-roosting crop contents did not differ among treatments (P = 0.41), but total body lipids differed between feed treatments and years (P < 0.001).

Reproductive Success And Soil Seed Bank Characteristics Of Astragalus Ampullarioides And A. Holmgreniorum (Fabaceae): Two Rare Endemics Of Southwestern Utah, Allyson B. Searle

Theses and Dissertations

Astragalus ampullarioides and A. holmgreniorum are two rare endemics of southwestern Utah. Over two consecutive field seasons (2009-2010) we examined pre-emergent reproductive success, based on F/F and S/O ratios, from populations of both Astragalus ampullarioides and A. holmgreniorum, estimated the density of the soil seed bank of A. holmgreniorum as a measure of potential post-emergent reproductive success, and estimated seed persistence within the soil seed bank. Fruit/flower (F/F) ratios and seed/ovule (S/O) ratios varied significantly between populations and among years in both species, and showed low reproductive output in both taxa. In Astragalus ampullarioides F/F and S/O were 0.06±0.01 …

Sweet Mercy: A Scientific Investigation, Aubrey Gartner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following studies is to understand the factors that are related to and influence a person’s merciful behavior toward an offender. I define mercy as an act by a person who has the authority to do so that administers or recommends less negative consequence or punishment than is deserved by someone justly deserved. In Study 1, undergraduate students (N = 400) completed the Mercy Meter, a self-report measure of mercy. The Mercy Meter’s scale structure and psychometric properties were examined using Item Response Theory Rasch Analysis. A 14-item, 2-factor scale was established with good psychometric properties. Evidence …

A Primary Care Workload Production Model For Estimating Relative Value Unit Output, Rachel G. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

Health care costs have grown to unsustainable levels nationally and within the Department of Defense. Military health care costs have historically been difficult to isolate, causing budget cuts to be the vehicle for cost control. Maximum efficiency, therefore, is the goal in order to show improvement. With the Air Force’s new preventive health plan, they aim to drive a long-term posture for cost reduction through prevention. This research effort aimed to develop a tool to assist in future efforts to understand and improve efficiency in workload output, and whether a relationship exists between patient workload demand and the per-encounter variables …

Species Trees And Species Delimitation With Multilocus Data And Coalescent-Based Methods: Resolving The Speciation History Of The Liolaemus Darwinii Group (Squamata, Tropiduridae), Arley Camargo Bentaberry

Theses and Dissertations

The inference of species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships are fundamental for evolutionary, ecological, and conservation studies. The resolution of species boundaries and the inference of phylogenetic relationships among species are required to define the units of analysis and to find the most closely related units for evaluating alternative models of speciation. I highlight lizards as model organisms for ecological and evolutionary studies, emphasizing their contributions to advances in understanding linkages between phylogeography and speciation. In this dissertation, I focus on the phylogenetic relationships of the lizards in the Liolaemus darwinii group, and the species boundaries of a nested clade within …

Job Satisfaction Of Managers And Individual Contributors Within Local And Virtual Software Teams, Michael D. Demas

Theses and Dissertations

This study compares the job satisfaction of individual contributors and managers on local (co-located) software teams versus those working on virtual teams. It also examines differences in job satisfaction among workers of differing experience levels. Participants were recruited from two software organizations; one from Company V and one from Company L, a spinoff company formed from Company V's former semiconductor division. The Company L team was a local (co-located) team housed in one building. The Company V team is a distributed virtual software development team and is spread across five cities in California, Oregon, Arizona and Texas. Some members of …

Garden Grove, Iowa: From Mormon Way Station To Permanent Settlement, 1846-1852, Jill N. Crandell

Theses and Dissertations

When the Mormon people began evacuating Nauvoo, Illinois, in February 1846, they intended to leave the United States and build a home for themselves in the West, where they could practice their religion without persecution. However, as Brigham Young led thousands through severe rain and mud that spring, he soon decided that too many of the Saints were unprepared for the long journey to the mountains. Mormons built way stations across Iowa, places where they planted crops, raised log cabins, and obtained the necessary food and supplies. After the Saints moved on to Utah in following years, many of these …

Training Leadership Teams To Impact Performance Outcomes: An Exploratory Case Study, Foster W. Mobley

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of teamwork training provided to intact teams of organization leaders in a single healthcare services company. The subjects of the training were teams of Regional Operations Directors participating in a company-sponsored, 4-day training session focused on examining current and desired levels of collaboration among members. Primary data were collected pre- and post-session using an online Team Effectiveness Tool (TET), measuring group skills, processes, and "emergent states" of climate, affinity, and member satisfaction. Analysis of primary data revealed statistically significant improvements in 22 of the 29 TET items at a 0.01 level of confidence. Secondary data …

An Analysis Of The Harvesting Costs And Productivity Of Logging Contractors Within The Eastern United States, Jeffrey Jaudon Smith

Theses and Dissertations

A data set was compiled from detailed information provided from 26 independent logging contractors from throughout the Eastern United States over a five year period from 2000 to 2004. The age distribution of the logging contractors in the study has increased over time with the percentage of contactors over the age of 55 rising from 15% to 32%. The median age of all equipment including feller-bunchers, skidders, loaders, bulldozers, service vehicles, and haul trucks increased over the period. While the median age of all equipment increased, the age of service and support equipment saw the greatest increase. The total average …

Incarcerated Male Adolescent Suicide In Utah: A Case Study, Kristy Straubhaar

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent suicide has been described as a major public health problem calling for the aid of researchers willing to better identify factors related to suicide risk. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds. Despite the fact incarcerated adolescents act in self-destructive ways, minimal research has focused on suicide behavior among incarcerated adolescents. Existing data indicates that suicide among adolescent males is especially prevalent in the juvenile justice system. Several variables have been identified as risk factors for suicidal behavior, including interpersonal relationship dysfunction, substance abuse, and psychological variables such as depression and dichotomous thinking. …

Patterns Of Differential Involvement In Terrorist Activities: Evidence From Dhkp/C And Turkish Hezbollah, Ismail Yilmaz

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the patterns of involvement in terrorist activities for the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and Turkish Hezbollah members. The study is based on the assumption that terrorists differ in terms of their involvement in terrorist activities. In this sense, there are full-time and part-time terrorists. Full-time terrorists act professionally and do the assignments given by their commanders. Part-time terrorists, on the other hand, act on a non-professional basis and have their own motivations to participate in terrorist activities. For part-timers, there are various factors that may have an effect on their degree of involvement in terrorist activities. …

We Latter-Day Saints Are Methodists: The Influence Of Methodism On Early Mormon Religiosity, Christopher C. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Historians have long noted Joseph Smith's early interest in Methodism. Demographic studies of early Mormon converts have demonstrated further that many of those attracted to the Mormon message on both sides of the Atlantic came from Methodist backgrounds. These two points, and the many similarities between Methodist and Mormon beliefs and practices, have led many scholars to suggest that Smith's church was influenced by the Methodists who joined the movement. This thesis explores the Methodist backgrounds of those Methodists who converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830, when Joseph Smith formally organized his church(originally called …

Marital Satisfaction Among Married Couples In Which One Or Both Members Play A Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (Mmorpg), A Michelle Elton Ahlstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the gaming behaviors of married individuals and couples who play Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game(s) (MMORPGs) including gaming addiction, time spent gaming, satisfaction in gaming participation, gaming interaction (between joint gaming spouses), and socio-demographic variables and the subsequent marital satisfaction levels of both individuals in the couple. Hypotheses were generally supported, excluding the hours spent gaming. 685 couples were separated and analyzed according to whether both individuals in the marriage gamed or just one individual gamed (couple-gaming type). Couples in which only one individual gamed (individual-gamer couples) had …

The Founder's Vision & Its Influence On The Outcomes Of High Tech Start-Up Companies, Reginald J. Murray

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of sustaining, changing or disregarding the founder's vision on the outcomes of Venture Funded High Tech Start-up Companies (VFSCs). The motivation for the study was to provide knowledge that would enable Venture Capital (VC) investors to enhance their investment portfolio success rates. A model (VFSC Success - Failure continuum) was developed and introduced to provide a framework for the study. This model broke the universe of VFSC companies into two groups; those that have had their fates decided, namely Super-successes, Successes and Failures and those whose fate remained to be decided, namely Projected Successes and …

Population Characteristics Of Interior Double-Crested Cormorants Breeding Across The Southern Border Of Ontario, Jennifer Erin Chastant

Theses and Dissertations

Interior Double-crested cormorant reproduction was examined on a large geographical scale to evaluate management actions. Three distinct breeding areas across Ontario were selected. Beginning in 2002, over 11,000 preledged cormorants have been marked. During 2006 and 2007, re-observation of banded birds, colony data such as nest, egg, and chick measurements, and island morphology, were collected. Data revealed no significant regional differences in adult size. However, eggs in eastern Lake Ontario (ELO) were larger than North Channel of Lake Huron (NChan) and Lake of the Woods (LOW). Chicks in ELO throughout development were smaller than NChan and LOW. Number of gulls …

Constructive Enabling: Applying A Wilderness Skills Intervention To Support The Therapeutic Change Process Of Adolescent Females In Residential Treatment, Brian K. Malcarne

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential benefits of a primitive wilderness skills intervention (POST) on the therapeutic change process of adolescent females enrolled in a residential treatment center. A qualitative data analysis approach was used. A convenience sample of eight female adolescents was selected by therapist referral. The data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Data analysis was used to assess participants' progress in the therapeutic change. Further analysis revealed a core theme connecting participants' POST experience with feelings of self-empowerment and reflective connections to their individual therapeutic change process. Constructive enabling was the …

Evidence Of Heterarchical Planning Within Higher Education Institutions: Learning Garden Planning And Development At Rowan University, Sheri K. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes during the early stages of planning for an educational garden at Rowan University. This study also attempted to fill the gap in the literature that exists between garden planning and development and planning at higher education institutions. The investigator surveyed 20 committee members involved in this large-scale project, in addition to interviewing six committee members who were considered key stakeholders and have displayed high levels of involvement during the initial stages of the project. Participants were administered a Likert-scale survey that looked for the emergence of heterarchical practices during the development …

An Examination Of Family Skiing And Its Relationship To Family Functioning, Peggy Lynne Philbrick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between family downhill skiing patterns and family functioning. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES II), was used to measure family functioning. Questions created by the researcher were used to measure the average number of family ski experiences per year (frequency) and how many years the family has skied together (duration). Satisfaction with family ski experiences was measured using the Satisfaction with Family Skiing Scale. The sample consisted of 110 family units from throughout the United States. The findings from this study found that frequency and duration of family …

The Effects Of Social Network Centrality On Group Satisfaction, Peter M. Choi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify how various social network centralities affect a person’s satisfaction level. Simple degree centrality has been utilized to specify an individual’s location in a network by measuring the number of direct links with other members in the organization (Brass & Burkhardt, 1992, 1993). This study examines how location in friendship, task, and avoidance networks affect an individual’s satisfaction with the group. To determine the relationship between social network centrality and work group satisfaction, a longitudinal field study was conducted on 440 active duty enlisted military members in a leadership development training course. While …

Religion As A Moderator In The Relationship Between Perfectionism, Locus Of Control, And Eating Disorders, Caitlin G. Schultz

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Demographic Variables Affecting Patient Referrals From General Practice Dentists To Periodontists, Mark Roy Zemanovich

Theses and Dissertations

BackgroundWithin dentistry, a limited body of literature exists regarding the referral relationships between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists. The purpose of this study was to investigate the referral relationship between GPs and periodontists within the state of Virginia. MethodsA survey focused on the demographic variables in the referral relationship between GPs and periodontists was developed. The survey was mailed to 800 dentists throughout the state of Virginia. Descriptive statistics was completed along with multivariate logistic regression analysis comparing the responses with the number of patients referred per month to a periodontist. ResultsFemale respondents were more likely to refer three or …

The "Unidentified Pioneers": An Analysis Of Staffordshire Mormons, 1837 To 1870, Stephen G. Arrowsmith

Theses and Dissertations

The evidence presented in this thesis advocates an increased level of scholarly interest in English working-class Mormon converts. To illustrate who these people were, and what their roles were as part of Mormon story, this regional study introduces and makes available over twelve hundred Staffordshire Mormons, and asks questions of the collected statistical information. The conservative Staffordshire Mormons clearly assisted the establishment, and continuation, off a Zion in the American West. Much of the data confirms previous scholarship; however, those with “differing visions” of Mormonism (for example, the RLDS Church) attracted Staffordshire converts in larger numbers than previously suggested. The …

The Effect Of Different Modes Of Communication For The Deaf Student On Verbal Achievement, Maureen A. Dugan

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation compared hearing-impaired populations that have been educated with and primarily communicated with either the use of Sign Language, Cued Speech, or the Oral Method. The purpose of the study is to give an overall picture of how each method impacts the hearing-impaired learner.

The sample of this study was hearing impaired males and females over the age of 18 who have taken either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). All had a significant hearing loss labeled as profound and none were considered mild losses.

A sixteen-question survey was given to the participants consisting …

Herbivore Asse[M]Blage Response To Stressed And Vigorous Prairie Roses, Mark A. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Initiating The New Jersey Middle School Peer Leadership Initiative Into Beck Middle School And Determining Its Effects On The Student Population, Alisa E. Whitcraft

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to enhance students' use of critical thinking skills and decision making abilities for the 6th grade at Beck Middle School. Using an action research plan, this intern measured the learning that derived from peer led presentations. By enhancing these skills through peer led groups, students at Beck Middle School have begun to realize that all actions have consequences and effect others.

Methodology

72 sixth grade students at Beck Middle School in Cherry Hill, NJ were surveyed with 13 questions that related to their exposure to the Student Leadership Corps. These sixth graders had …

Middle School Reading Clubs: A First Step Toward Increasing Pleasure-Reading Time, James Fazzone

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the plans for, implementation of, and results of a reading club program conducted at a middle school. This program was a modification of an unsuccessful one that was criticized by the staff and students for lack of structure and meaning. The literature supported the need for students taking time out of the school day for pleasure reading. Krashen (1993), Atwell (1998), and Irvin (1998) all have recommended that students should be permitted to read appropriate reading materials of their choice and that they should be provided with a wide range of materials from which to choose. Therefore, …