Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Attraction To Sexual Aggression: History Of Self-Reported Sexually Aggressive Behavior And Social Disinhibition On The Expression Of Sexually Aggressive Behavior In The Laboratory, Margo R. Norton

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual aggression, defined as an attempt, successful or unsuccessful, to coerce another into sexual acts (Malamuth, Sockloskic, Koss & Tanaka, 1991) may be thought of as a continuum of behaviors, which, at one extreme, is forcible rape. The importance of examining this entire set of related behaviors, and their “cultural normality”, according to feminist and sociocultural theorists has, in recent years, been highlighted in the literature (Burt, 1980; Malamuth, 1986; Malamuth & Dean, 1991). It has also been considered vital to examine the role that situational disinhibitors (i.c., alcohol/drug intoxication, aggressive pornography, momentary anger, the observed behavior of others) play …

A Study Of Empowered Employees At Two Sears, Roebuck And Company Department Stores, Wellington Watts

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed and compared the results of two surveys. The first survey of 40 empowered employees was conducted at the Sears department store in Deptford, New Jersey. The second survey of 40 empowered employees was conducted at the Sears department store in Alexandria, Virginia.

Both surveys tried to determine if being empowered helped employees feel valued by the company. The surveys also tried to determine if being empowered helped employees improve customer service and if managers upheld their obligations to let employees solve customer problems.

The survey results showed that empowered employees at both stores felt they were better …

Telecommuting (And Its Effect On Productivity And Morale), Shown M. Swangin-Horton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the type of effect telecommuting would have on employee morale and productivity. The sample population consisted of one hundred companies and corporations from seven eastern states.

The study indicates that telecommuting had a positive effect on respondents, as their morale and productivity increased. However, some expressed concern about resentment from on site employees and resistance from management regarding the program.

The researcher concluded that with economic, social and environmental concerns, telecommuting can be considered a feasible work solution.

Divorce, Family, And The Effects Upon Children In Educational Settings, Michael W. Stuber

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Seashore Tourism Brochures And Advertising: Characteristics Of Effectiveness, Andrew Cripps

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the visual design elements that contribute to the effectiveness of seashore tourism brochures and print advertising.

For the first part of the study, the researcher interviewed seven tourism communications professionals for resorts from Cape Cod, Mass., to Virginia Beach, Va. The researcher asked them to indicate the most effective elements in the following categories: brochure format, color tones, overall tone, use of text, style of text, use of photos and the elements within those photographs.

The researcher also conducted a survey of a non-random sample of 31 potential seashore resort visitors. The …

Environmental Radon Decay Products In Neurological Diseased And Non-Diseased Brains, And Brains Of Cigarette Smokers., Hassaan Ahmad Alkhatib

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study was to measure alpha and beta emissions of $\sp{210}$Po (alpha emissions), $\sp{210}$Pb and $\sp{210}$Bi (beta emissions) from brain samples which were obtained at autopsy from persons who were clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), or Controls (no known neurological diseases) and cigarette smokers (SMK). The samples were digested, processed and analyzed for alpha and beta emissions.Measurement of alpha and beta radiation activity in tissues can be used to demonstrate prior exposure of tissues to environmental radioisotopes and/or their decay products. In the present study alpha emissions from brain tissues were measured with …

Measurement And Prediction Issues Regarding Job Satisfaction Among Rural Physician Assistants., Kyle John Muus

Theses and Dissertations

As increasing numbers of physicians are being trained in specialized medicine and health professional shortage areas remain a common occurrence in the United States, the roles of physician assistants (PAs) in health services provision have become increasingly important, especially in rural/underserved areas of the country. By all accounts, there is a shortage of PAs in the U.S., particularly in rural areas. In response to demand, the number of PAs is projected to increase more than 70% by the year 2000, from its 1993 figure of 24,800 to 42,700.Recruitment is a critical issue in providing adequate health services in rural areas, …

Poetry And Science-Symbiosis: Integrated Lessons At The Elementary Level., Lucia Ann Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine what occurs when poetry reading and writing are integrated with constructivist methods for teaching science in fifth-grade classes. The perceptions and responses of the students and their teacher during and after the lessons were primary concerns.A synthesis of the major findings from the literature review indicated that scientists and poets share curiosity, wonder, and the abilities to observe carefully and create accurate descriptions. Process approaches and emphasis on constructivist learning were teaching methods common to both areas. Positive attitudes in the classroom and sharing of similar concepts and educational goals were factors …

Abroad Again: Explorations Within The Genre Of Travel Writing., Marielle Risse

Theses and Dissertations

Travel writing is a critical subject of study as it is a place where so many fields overlap, including autobiography, fiction, historical records, geography, political science, sociology, and anthropology. From early writers, including the European pilgrim Etheria c. 385 C.E. and the Muslim contemporary of Marco Polo, Abdallah ibn Battuta, to present day authors, travelers have written interesting and important books about areas new to them.As the starting points to my discussion of the genre of travel writing, I use two of the most important studies within the field: Paul Fussell's Abroad: British Literary Travel Writing between the Wars (1980) …

Coping Styles, Health Status, And Health Care Use Of Elderly Women Residing In The Community., Kimberly Sue Haga

Theses and Dissertations

Community-dwelling elderly women (N = 276) participated in a study which examined the relationships between coping styles and the variables identified in the Andersen Model of health care utilization: predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Within-groups average linkage cluster analysis, using cosines as the similarity measure, was used to form four coping cluster groups, based on five coping strategies. The patterns of coping differed among sociodemographic groups and these differences were significantly associated with physician use. The highest users exhibited a coping pattern characterized by high monitoring, blunting, and avoidance with moderate levels of problem-solving and seeking of social support. They …

Perceptions Of The Decision-Making Process Used By Rural High School Students In Regard To Higher Education., Sheila Ann Yarbrough

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to identify factors related to decisions made by students in rural high schools regarding postsecondary plans, particularly decisions related to college. Principals in such high schools in two predominantly rural states, Mississippi and North Dakota, were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the process by which their students made decisions to attend or not to attend a college or university. Admissions directors at the two largest universities in each state were asked to respond to similar questions from their perspectives as administrators in higher education.A total of 146 surveys, 50% of those distributed, was returned by …

An Assessment Of The Sister Cities International Program As An International Public Relations Entity, Laura A. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Going global is the business perspective for the 21st century. Unfortunately, global perspective from American business and organization is limited. With the world shrinking at an astonishing pace, organizations need to find their communication channels to their international publics.

The purpose of this study was to learn if the techniques used in the Sister Cities International Program are effective for international public relations. The findings of this study would prove helpful to international public relations professionals in planning their own programs based on the effectiveness of the Sister Cities Program.

Five cities were evaluated based on their activities, public relations …

A Case Study To Evaluate The Strategies And Techniques Used By The Cooper Foundation And Radio Station Wxtu, 92.5 Fm, To Coordinate And Conduct The First Annual Wxtu Cooper Kids Radiothon Broadcast, January 24 And 25, 1997, Randi Woerner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strategies and techniques used by The Cooper Foundation and radio station WXTU, 92.5 FM, to coordinate and conduct the first annual WXTU Cooper Kids Radiothon broadcast, January 24 and 25, 1997.

To start the evaluation process, a telephone survey was carried out by the author. To produce a +/- 8% margin of error, at the 95% confidence level, the author conducted 150 telephone surveys of donors who called-in pledges during the 1997 Radiothon. The systematic random sample method was used to draw names from the master list of 1100 Radiothon donors. …

Creating Effective Employee Newsletters, Linda M. Blair

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose was to produce a source of information and procedures for readers to create and maintain a high quality employee newsletter. Today it is difficult for companies, both small and large, to maintain good communication between management and employees. Lack of and poor communication are major problems in the workplace. It is necessary for companies to create and maintain a timely and well written newsletter to inform, communicate, recognize and motivate employees. The primary research performed for this study included a completed questionnaire from twenty professionals who had won an award in their professional society and five other noted …

A Study Of The Presence Of Bias In Reporting On The Socially Sensitive Issue Of Abortion, Benjamin E. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

In a content analysis of news articles and a survey of newspaper editors, this study determined if bias in print media can be detected through the content of news writing.

For the content analysis, news articles dealing with abortion were taken from the New York Times and the Washington Post. The articles, which appeared between Oct. 5 and Nov. 5, 1996, are straight news stories and do not include editorial or opinion articles. Coders were given a series of ten questions to answer for each article. For the survey, editors in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania were surveyed …

The Effects Of Print Advertising Campaigns On Consumers' Attitudes Towards Physician Primary Care Practices Affiliated With Jefferson Health System, Maryann Lobianco

Theses and Dissertations

Due to managed care, the recent, rapid changes in healthcare forced hospitals to form health systems by joining with other hospitals and individual physician practices. As these health systems form, the competition for patients increases as does the need to keep consumers abreast of the changes within the forming health systems.

As a result, both health systems and physician practices launched advertising campaigns to reach these consumers. These campaigns must be tested for their effectiveness.

Two major healthcare competitors, Jefferson Health System and Main Line Health System, recently affiliated and formed Great Valley Health, which is a physician primary care …

Kinetics And Spectroscopy Of Brno, Patrick E. Godfrey

Theses and Dissertations

The infrared spectra and photochemistry of nitrosyl bromide, BrNO, are important to characterizing the performance of a recently demonstrated Br(²P_1/2)-NO(v=2 → v=1) transfer laser pumped by photolysis of iodine molecules. This wavelength agile, mid-infrared laser may be a desirable source for remote sensing and infrared countermeasures missions. Nitrosyl bromide also plays a role in the destruction of stratospheric ozone. The kinetics of BrNO formation and destruction were examined using time-resolved photolysis techniques. The equilibrium constant for the dark reaction Br₂ + 2NO (reversible reaction) 2BrNO was determined as K_eq 168 ± 23 /atm and …

A Comparison Of Multiage Education And Graded Education In The Areas Of Academics, Social Skills And Attitudes Of Participants, Cheryl L. Buff

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the effects of multiage education and graded education on academic performance, social skills development and parent, student and teacher attitudes toward school.

The 34 multiage students and the 27 graded students were assessed through curriculum based tests and informal reading inventories. Statistical analyses were completed A significant difference was found.

Both groups of students completed a social skills development survey. Cafeteria/playground aides were surveyed and discipline referrals were examined to find the percentage of students in each group who received a detention for a discipline violation. Data was collected, and statistically analyzed. No significant difference was found. …

A Preliminary Study Of New Jersey's Charter Schools, Carol Sowney Datz

Theses and Dissertations

Charter schools have recently become an innovative method of educating a portion of today's students. A charter school is a deregulated public school that is performance-based. It operates under a charter (contract) between people who want to start a school and an official body authorized to grant a charter.

On January 11, 1996, New Jersey Governor Christine T. Whitman signed into law The Charter School Program Act of 1995. This act enabled the beginning of New Jersey charter schools. This study investigates the paths New Jersey's eighteen approved charter schools are taking. Becoming familiar with the Charter School Program Act …

An Investigation Of The Technology-Related Courses And Experiences In Five University Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs, Julie R. Mandes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most relevant issues facing schools today is the incorporation of technology into classroom instruction. The literature reveals that knowledge is the most critical factor which determines the degree to which teachers integrate technology into their instruction. Teachers with high levels of anxiety are less likely to integrate technology into their curricula. Elementary school teachers are not generally comfortable and skilled in the use of instructional technology and are therefore unable to exploit its potential. It was the purpose of this study to define whether or not there is a need for undergraduate teacher education programs to further …

Accelerated Reader: A Study Of The Effects On Reading Comprehension And Attitudes In The Fifth Grade, Christine Welk Clegg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if fifth graders, using the Accelerated Reader, a computer-based reading motivation and management program, will demonstrate an increase in reading comprehension scores as tested by their performance in a pre and posttest using the reading comprehension portion of the Metropolitan Achievement Tests. This study will also measure any increase in favorable reading attitudes as measured by a pre and posttest using the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey by McKenna and Kear.

Two classes were selected from the fifth grade at D'Ippolito Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey to participate in this study. Both …

Comparison Of Academic Success Between Students Who Live In Single Parent Households And Students Who Live In Two-Parent Households, Susan A. Ficco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of thus study was to compare the impact household composition has on the academic achievement of elementary school students. The sample contained 83 third and fourth grade students from a small Southern New Jersey school district, 22 from single parent households, and 61 from two parent households. The grade point averages for reading, language and mathematics were recorded for two consecutive marking periods and the measuring device used was a paired sample t-test. The results of the study show a high correlation between household composition and academic achievement. The grade point averages of the students in two parent …

Analysis Of Factors That Contribute To Residence Life Staff Burnout, Antoinette Mascio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to provide an integrative study of the various factors that may interact to produce burnout among Residence Life staff members. This study examines psychosocial, physiological, and environmental conditions that are thought to contribute to burnout among Residence Life staff members.

The participants of this study were 71 student staff members who are employed by the Office of Residents Life, at a co-educational, nonsectarian, state supported college in a rural area of southern New Jersey. The participants consisted of both male and female, graduate and undergraduate students, who range in age from 18 to 33 …

Differences In Reading Achievement Between Title I Students And Students Not Receiving Title I Services, Melissa Calcagni

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the differences in reading achievement, specifically decoding ability, between first graders receiving Title I services and those not receiving the services. A sample of sixteen first graders from a suburban, racially diverse school in New Castle, Delaware was utilized. Eight of the children were selected for the study simply because they were receiving Title I instruction in the form of a one hour pullout program. The remaining eight children were selected based on test results on the San Diego Quick Assessment. The pre-test/post-test control group design was employed in this study. The Mann-Whitney test was used …

The Effect Of Participation In An Instrumental Music Program On Students With Serious Emotional Disturbance, William R. Brody

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of an instrumental program on ten seriously emotionally disturbed students ranging in age from ten to eighteen. The study utilized a pretest/posttest with no control group. The pro-ed behavior rating profile second edition (BRP-2) was used as the testing instrument (parent, student and teacher BRP-2 were utilized). No statistically significant differences were found utilizing a T-test. The short duration of this study and the part-time nature of the music department utilized for this study have contributed to the yielding of inconclusive results. Promising recommendations for follow-up study are included.

The Use Of Behavioral Intervention Techniques In Aiding Autistic Children In The Classroom, James H. Dundee Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide information to support that, through the use of behavioral intervention techniques, especially the use of positive reinforcement, teachers can help to improve the academic success of the child with autism. The purpose of this current study is to view two unique groups of subjects. Subjects for this design consisted of twelve (12) preschool-aged students from the Gloucester County Special Services School District. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group would receive reinforcement for their behaviors and the second group would not. It was hypothesized for this study that …

A Comparison Of Burnout Levels Between Special Educators And Regular Educators, Andrea Liddle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers who work with mentally and physically handicapped children in special education schools have a higher incidence of burnout than teachers who work in regular education schools.

Twenty regular educators from a public school, k-12, and twenty special educators from two private special education schools, k-12, participated in the study. The special educators taught children with moderate levels of mental retardation and multiple handicaps, Each participant completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Educator's Survey.

Three two-tailed t-tests were computed to compare the means of the three subscales of the burnout survey: Emotional …

Pre-Referral Intervention And Follow-Up: An Analysis Of The Pupil Assistance Committee (Pac), Jocelyn Camba

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to descriptively analyze the interventions selected and the subsequent follow-up information of the students referred to the Pupil Assistance Committee (PAC).

The sample includes twenty-one students from one New Jersey suburban elementary school which consists of kindergarten through grade six. Data was collected from actual referrals to the Pupil Assistance Committee. Additional data was collected regarding current educational placements and the status of the sample. The design of this study is a descriptive analysis. A coding instrument was used to record data from student files. The major method of data analysis is frequencies and …

A Comparison Of First And Eighth Grade Students' Artistic Spontaneity And Creative Expression, Mary Deborah Abel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the students' creative expression as influenced by formal education. The problems of this study were to determine if there was a difference between the perception and use of color by students in primary grades with junior high students, and also if there was a difference displayed in drawing spontaneity related to age.

Two art classes totaling fifty-four students comprised Group A, the primary students, and one class of thirty eighth grade students made up the junior high group for Group B. Students in both groups received a common introductory lesson relating the …

Parenting Styles And The Influences Upon The Level Of Functioning Of Adolescents, Tamiko Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to view the relationship between parenting styles and the influences upon the level of functioning of adolescents. There were 15 subjects in the study. Several characteristics were examined: level of functioning, family status, educational levels, and parenting styles.

The data was collected by a self-designed survey in order to assess the specific parenting style that an adolescent may have been subjected to and an observational rating scale was utilized to assess the level of functioning of each subject.

It was discovered that 66.6% of the subjects were reared by a care provider who favored …