Digital Commons Network^™

Profile Of Adolescent Depression, Mary E. Delcorio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine specific factors related to adolescents diagnosed with major depression, admitted to an inpatient adolescent mental health unit. The specific factors are birth order, family stability, history of drug and/or alcohol abuse and gender. There were 31 subjects in this study, ages 11 to 17 years. Of these subjects, 18 were female and 13 were male. The data collected was ex post facto. From the subjects' charts, gender, age, birth order, family stability and history of drug and/or alcohol abuse were obtained. This data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, mostly percentages. The results …

A Study Of The Effects Of A Social Problem Solving Intervention With Emotionally Disturbed Youth At A Special Services School, Wendy E. Sack

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pretest-posttest descriptive study was to examine the efficacy of a SPS training intervention for emotionally disturbed children in the special education system, with respect to social skills acquisition, family environment, reduction in non-compliant behaviors and sociometric status. Participants included eighteen students in four self-contained classrooms of a Special Services Regional Day School. The sample included one white female, eleven white males, three black and three Hispanic males with a mean age of eleven years and ten months.

All classes were exposed to a six month program with lessons from the Readiness Phase of Elias and Clabby's …

Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Youth At Risk For Low Self-Esteem And Depression, Lynne M. Rossi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are at a higher risk for low self-esteem and depression than straight male and female youth. This study further investigated whether gay and bisexual male youth are at a higher risk for low self-esteem and depression than lesbian and bisexual female youth.

The 59 participants, ages 15 to 21, were obtained through a general undergraduate college sample and a selected sample of subjects involved in gay/lesbian community youth groups and college organizations. Of the 59 subjects, 29 were straight males and females and 30 were gay, …

Review Of A Partial Care Program For Severely Emotionally Disturbed Youth, Christina Schoener

Theses and Dissertations

The need for research on programs for Emotionally Disturbed (ED) children and adolescents is great. The present study examined a partial care program for ED youth in New Jersey. There were 120 subjects in this study. Several characteristics of these subjects were examined – gender, race, age, diagnosis, and family status. The study also examined the subjects' average length of stay in the program.and reasons for being discharged. In addition, the ratio of clients to staff was studied. The data was collected by examining the files of past and present clients to gather the necessary information. Descriptive statistics were used …

The Effects Of Nursing Home Placement On The Stress Levels Of Caregivers, Ellen E. Thomson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discuss the relationship between nursing home placement and anxiety levels of the people placing their loved ones. The study used 20 subjects from a nursing home in southern New Jersey. Subjects were people who had cared for a parent at home for at least one year prior to placement. Subjects were administered the IPAT anxiety scale on the day of placement and again one month later.

Relationships were shown through T-Tests and correlation coefficients. This study indicated that there were significant changes in anxiety levels of subjects after a one month period.

Gender Differences In Bipolar Disorder: A Descriptive Study, Cynthia Comparato

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to create a profile of bipolar disorder in an adult psychiatric setting. Comparisons were made between gender and disposition upon hospitalization. Relationships between gender and substance abuse; and gender and incarceration were also studied.

A sample of seventy-seven bipolar patients was studied, using descriptive statistics. Of the seventy-seven subjects, fifty-two were female and twenty-five were male.

It was found that females are not more likely to be hospitalized in a manic state of their bipolar illness as opposed to a depressed state. In the sample of male bipolar subjects that were studied, hospitalization occurs …

Computer Science Curriculum In The Community College: An Evaluative Study, Rosemary R. Boiano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the sufficiency of the Computer Studies curriculum at Camden County College in meeting the needs of its local job market.

A questionnaire was distributed to 106 computer-based businesses in southern New Jersey, northern Delaware, and the greater Philadelphia area. The purpose of the survey was twofold. it was first necessary to ascertain whether or not these businesses would hire individuals possessing an associate's degree in Computer Science and if so, how many such positions might they have available in any given year. The survey then questioned respondents about the individual needs of …

A Study To Determine The Effectiveness Of Various Factors In The Reduction Of Mathematics Anxiety, Mindy S. Hutter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if increasing the amount of problem solving, journal writing, group work, and praise would decrease the level of mathematics anxiety experienced by eighth grade students. The forty-seven students involved included twenty-one average to below average students and twenty-six average to above average students. Both groups were pretested and posttested using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale - A. During a six week period, class time contained a high concentration of problem solving, journal writing, group work, and praise. A dependent t test was used to analyze the results.

The conclusions showed a significant …

Parent Involvement In Head Start: Parent And Professional Perspectives On Parents Roles, Soo-Yin Lim

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Compulsory Heterosexuality In The Abdication And Queen Christina, Becky Beth Benedict

Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary playwrights, Ruth Wolff and Pam Gems, create portrayals of Queen Christina of Sweden in Wolff’s The Abdication and Gem’s Queen Christina, both of which can be perceived to contain the issues of culturally- encoded gender and sexual roles.

To compare and contrast the influence of these culturally-encoded gender and sexual roles within these plays, I have applied Adrienne Rich’s theory of “compulsory heterosexuality," which serves as a critical tool to clarify the similarities and differences of these issues within the selected dramatic texts. According to Rich, “compulsory heterosexuality” refers to the ideas that male-female coupling is the preferred choice …

Self-Recording Of Attention And Its Effects On Achievement, Harvey N. Gross

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if self-recording of attention to task after cueing improves the performance of learning disabled students. Subjects were fifty-two students in two eighth grade American History classes. The experimental group (n=25) of students had within it a subgroup of thirteen students classified perceptually impaired with moderate to severe attention disorder. Another subgroup of twelve non-learning disabled students within the same class received intervention. The control group (n=27) were all regular education students. Both groups were taught the same lessons using similar formats. A serious limitation of this study is that a small convenience …

The Educational Systems Of Sparta And Athens, Robin N. Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Examination Into The Construct Validity Of The Language Instrument For Preschool Sceening, Rebecca I. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Family Involvement In Early Intervention Programs For Young Children With Disabilities, Stephanie F. Turcotte

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Experiences And Perspective Of Ninth Grade Students Participating In An Aids Education Program, Brenda M. Werner

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Campus Climate As Perceived By American Indian Students Attending The University Of North Dakota, Nancy D. Harles

Theses and Dissertations

The climate of a college or university had been identified as a critical factor in the success and/or failure of minority students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the campus racial climate as perceived by American Indian students attending the University of North Dakota (UND) at Grand Forks, North Dakota. American Indian students have been present on the UND campus since 1934. Over the years, their numbers have steadily increased, but their attrition rate has remained high.

In the spring semester of 1994, data were gathered using two survey instruments which were personally administered by the researcher …

Mothers' And Fathers' Responses On The Child Behavior Checklist: Are There Systematic Differences?, Ralph E. Casazza

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined parental responses on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and considered variables that may affect rating reliability. Subjects for the study were 82 matched parent-pairs who completed CBCL protocols on their clinic-referred children. Research variables included parent gender, child gender, and level of item objectivity. The data was analyzed at the CBCL scale (narrowband) and broadband (Externalizing and Internalizing) levels, utilizing analysis of mean differences, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and clinical classification agreement.

Results showed little or no mean difference between mothers' and fathers' scores, but a large degree of discrepancy for parent-pairs was evident. None of the …

The Relationship Among Educational Philosophy And Discipline Policies, Procedures, And Practices, Alan G. Ekblad

Theses and Dissertations

One enduring mission of the educational system has been to promote classroom environments where children learn about responsible citizenship, disruption is minimized, and learning is maximized. This mission has supported the development of discipline policy, procedures, and practices as one component of an overall educational philosophy for school districts.

This study compared written educational philosophies, discipline policies, and procedures with actual practices reported by school personnel. The intent was to determine whether the statements corresponded with one another to promote practices for discipline that reflected a sound educational philosophy. It was questioned whether evidence of discrepancies between the statements correlated …

A Survey Of The Attitudes Of Elementary School Teachers In Southern New Jersey Towards Art And The Creative Process In Their Classrooms, Elizabeth Diane Tasker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of elementary classroom teachers toward art and the creative process in their classrooms. The hypotheses of the study focused on teachers' attitudes and uses of art as a means of creativity and enhancement of academic subjects.

Elementary classroom teachers from seven constituent districts to a regional high school in southern New Jersey constituted the sample of the study. Teachers were given a four part questionnaire to complete. The instrument was designed to gather information on demographics, general information about art in the classroom, and attitudes towards art. A total of …

Comorbidity Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Educational Classification Among In-Patient Populations Of Children And Adolescents, Holly Berezow-Ricker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an ex post facto study of an in-patient population of 39 adolescents between the ages of twelve and eighteen at a New Jersey State Psychiatric Hospital for Adolescents and 74 pre-adolescents and adolescents between the ages of seven and fifteen at a Private Residential School in New Jersey. Of this population of N=113, n=48 were determined to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with an incidence rate of 42.5%. Significant co-morbidity of ADHD and Depression, Conduct Disorder/Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Psychotic Disorders, and Learning Disabilities were found. The incidence of co-morbidity of ADHD and Educational Classification was found …

A Public Relations Plan For A Merger Between South Jersey Hospital System And Elmer Community Hospital, Kristine M. Simoes

Theses and Dissertations

South Jersey Hospital System and Elmer Community Hospital are merging to consolidate services and staff and help the hospitals to operate more cost effectively.

The two institutions want an informational public relations plan to help present this merger to the residents of Cumberland and Salem counties to increase community awareness and understanding.

A public relations plan was established by the hospitals' administrations. Steering committee members received assistance from the New Jersey Hospital Association and the American Hospital Association for information on previous hospital merger efforts and spent three months in its preparation.

This effort will attempt to keep community, staff …

Early Intervention Personnel Preparedness In Family-Centered Service Delivery: A Study Of Parent Perceptions., Kathy Riske Perrin

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of the study were to determine (a) perceptions of parents about the importance of the national Division for Early Childhood (DEC) family-centered competencies, (b) parent-perceived training needs of early intervention personnel in the area of family-centered services, and (c) the degree of relationship between family- centered competency items perceived by parents as important and items perceived by parents as needed areas of training for early intervention personnel. A three-part survey instrument which incorporated family-centered competence statements from the DEC Compilation of Professional Competencies for Early Intervention Personnel (1992) was used to gather information for this study. Resulting data …

Demographic Study Of Science Topics And Instructional Media In Early Childhood Special Education Settings., Bonni Schmiess Gourneau

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was acquiring direction for developing science instructional material for early childhood special education teachers. The collateral problems were determining what science topics are preferred, what the impediments are for science teaching, and in what format the instructional material should be prepared.This study also assessed the needs and availability of science instructional material for early childhood special education teachers. Other concerns included the influence of years of teaching experience and geographic region on the choices of science topics, impediments for science teaching, and format desired for the needed instructional material.Surveys were sent to 525 early childhood …

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis For Radioactive Waste Remediation Alternatives, Thomas P. White, Ronald J. Toland, Dorian Y. Buitrago

Theses and Dissertations

This research has two primary objectives. The first is to develop a generic, interactive, spreadsheet-based life-cycle cost model that uses net present value and risk analysis techniques for cost comparison. The second is to apply the model specifically to the vitrification and cementation methods of waste remediation. By using spreadsheet analysis and graphics capabilities, the model will provide direct and objective comparisons of remediation alternatives. Since vitrification is a new technology, the plant design and operations are conceptual. Therefore, computer simulation and engineering judgement are integral to the vitrification LCC estimate.

Acquiring Consistent Knowledge For Bayesian Forests, Darwyn O. Banks

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops a methodology and a tool for knowledge acquisition with the new probabilistic knowledge representation-the Bayesian Forest. It establishes the structure of the Knowledge Acquisition and Maintenance module of the Probabilities. Expert Systems, Knowledge and Inference (PESKI) architecture. The tool, MACK, is designed to be used directly by the domain expert(s) rather than by knowledge engineer(s), and thus supports automated knowledge acquisition. This research determines and implements the constraints necessary to ensure the consistency of Bayesian Forest knowledge bases as data is both acquired and subsequently maintained. The impact to the PESKI architecture of time-dependent information and default …

A Decision Model For Environmental Assessment Of Process Waste Products, Kyle F. Byard

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental managers must compare the potential impacts of waste products when deciding upon courses of action. The estimation and comparison of these impacts is a subjective process, and few methods of comprehensive, quantitative comparison of waste products currently exist. The intent of this study is to develop a decision methodology to evaluate the environmental impacts of waste products and to score them for comparison. The method will follow established system design principles and incorporate significant characteristics of the waste material. Scores derived to represent the environmental impacts of materials will then he analyzed employing statistical and probabilistic methods to assess …

Organizational Slack, Efficiency, And Quality Of Care In Acute Care Hospitals, Kyung Ii Youn

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between technical efficiency and quality of care in hospitals is studied in the context of resource availability in hospital organizations. The resource availability of hospitals is conceptualized by organizational slack.

An integrated model is developed encompassing the source of organizational slack, its impact on technical efficiency and on quality of care, and its impact on the relationship between efficiency and quality. Organizational threat as an environmental factor affecting the level of slack is measured by the level of competition and regulation. Organizational slack is measured using financial and operational indicators of the hospitals. Technical efficiency is estimated by …

Attorney And Judicial Perceptions Of The Credibility Of Expert Witnesses In Child Custody Cases, Michael T. Foot

Theses and Dissertations

Attorney and judicial attitudes towards expert witnesses in child custody cases were investigated by a cross-sectional research design. Subjects consisted of a sample of 381 of all attorneys and judges in the Commonwealth of Virginia who wished to be certified as guardians ad litem. Subjects were asked to fill out a six page questionnaire immediately prior to a daylong certification training session. The sample was primarily white (85.2%) and male (57.7%). Information was gathered on the subjects' demographic characteristics, experience with and attitudes toward expert witnesses in custody cases, opinions on traditional court and family structures, and knowledge of developmental …

The Emergence Of Nonverbal And Verbal Communication In A Child Adopted From Romania : A Case Study, Claudia F. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Cadence, Intensity, And Mode Of Contraction On Fatigue In Performing The Bench Press, Mark L. Nemish

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.