Digital Commons Network^™

Speaking The Unspeakable : Attempts At Communication In Tim O'Brien's Vietnam Postwar Fiction, Robin L. David

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Stabilization Of Gap Junctions During Plasma Membrane Remodeling Of Nrk Cells, Sally A. Aadland

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Feminist Self, Erin Elizabeth Ceynar

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence: What Remedies Are Available To Victims Of Gender Motivated Violence That Are Put At Risk By State Actors?, Jennifer Sampson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Eldercare Responsibilities On Employed Caregivers, Nancy Jean Mcenroe

Theses and Dissertations

The number of people in the older population will continue to grow as the decades progress. The most rapid increase expected would be between the years 2010 and 2030 when the “baby boom” generation reaches 65 years or older. By the year 2030, there will be about 70 million older persons, more than twice the number than for the year 1998.

More and more people will live long enough to experience multiple chronic illnesses, disability, and dependency; in addition there will be more relatives in their fifties and sixties who will be facing the concern and expense of caring for …

The Academic Achievement And Psychological Functioning Of College Students With A Family History Of Alcoholism, Rachel M. Dodd

Theses and Dissertations

Fifty adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) and 50 non-ACAs in an undergraduate college student sample were compared on standardized measures of emotional functioning, alcohol consumption, academic achievement, and cognitive ability. A 2 (parental alcoholism status) X 2 (gender) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed on each of the four categories of dependent variables. The MANOVAs were followed by univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to determine which variables contributed to the multivariate effect.

With respect to emotional functioning, differences between ACAs and non-ACAs were found for males but not females. Male ACAs reported significantly more current anxiety and long-standing anxiety …

Seismic Adjustments: The Influence Of Inconvenience And Efficacy Perceptions, State Of Residence, And Demographic Factors, Nicole Elise Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that peoples' perceptions of household seismic adjustments, in addition to their perceptions of earthquakes themselves, should predict the likelihood that seismic adjustments are performed. However, little research has been done to address this issue. While recent research has found peoples' perceptions of the effectiveness of household adjustments to influence adjustment levels, people's perceptions of inconvenience of household seismic adjustments - namely the cost, time effort, required cooperation and required knowledge involved in making these adjustments - have been found to not influence seismic adjustment. However, this study did find that the higher the perceived inconveniences …

Eating Disorders: Prevention, Identification And Treatment In Elementary And Secondary Schools, Marcella I. Stickney

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the responses of elementary and secondary school counselors to students with symptoms of eating disorders. A survey was sent to 1000 school counselors in the upper Midwest (Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin) during the spring of 2000. The survey contained 1 of 4 vignettes which describe either a male or female student presenting with/without symptoms suggestive of disordered eating patterns. The gender of the student in the vignette was randomly assigned. School counselors were asked to report the classification they would designate, assessment procedures they would utilize, and interventions that they …

Y2000 Alcohol And Drug Survey: An Examination Of University Of North Dakota Students, Michael A. Seredycz

Theses and Dissertations

National and regional substance use studies suggest that college students are frequent users of alcohol, tobacco and drugs. This study examines substance use at UND, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, examining the predictive power of Hirschi’s social control theory in response to collegiate substance use. This research will provide a profile of student activities and beliefs associated with use or non-use, as well as the prevalence of use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

Three focus groups were used to increase reliability and validity of the sample before a quantitative self-administered survey was administered to a convenient sample of students. …

Measuring The Effectiveness Of Selection Procedures And Training Programs Used In A Vocational Training Organization, Matthew J. Coumbe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a private vocational training organization's selection procedures and training programs. Specifically, the selection and training process was analyzed by employing qualitative and quantitative approaches that determined the relevant contribution the process had on employee selection and preparation. As part of this evaluative research, plant managers and supervisors from three machine manufacturing organizations, the program director and faculty of the training organization, and former trainees perceptions were used to compliment the quantitative analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted by assessing the predictive power of interview ratings, aptitude tests, and training tests. …

Cleaning Up The Junkyard: An Exploration In Developing An Online Course, Wendi Milam

Theses and Dissertations

As America enters the 21^st century, our systems of education must adapt to the changes in culture and technology. Our visions of the modern classroom are no longer limited to a room on a campus with a professor and a blackboard Many classes are going fully online, some are meeting only once a semester if at all. This type of learning and teaching opens the door for many complex questions: What is the most effective style of web site to use? How should the instructor form the requirements of the class? What should the instructor use for academic evaluation …

An Introduction To Formal Sexuality Education: A Qualitative Study., Kari Lynn Berg

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on perceptions of twelve fifth-grade boys and girls during a sexuality education unit in two elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate, through open-ended questions of students and individuals involved with the puberty program planning and implementation, how students and adults accomplished a sexuality education class at the fifth-grade level. The research questions were: (1) How did classroom teachers and students perceive each other over the course of a puberty education unit? (2) What kind of learning environment was created for the puberty education classes? (3) How did the students experience the learning environment? …

The Relationship Of Gay -Related Developmental Stress To Problems In Living In College -Age Men., Philip Levinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between the stress associated with growing up gay in our culture and the following variables: depression; history of psychiatric treatment; history of suicidality; alcohol and substance use/abuse; and attitudes toward homosexuality. It was predicted that higher levels of gay-related developmental stress would be a predictor of higher levels of depression, mental health treatment involvement, a history of suicidality, higher levels of substance use/abuse, and more negative attitudes toward homosexuality. Participants in this study were 469 gay, predominantly White, young men who were recruited primarily from Boston area college campuses. Instruments …

Validation And Verification Of Formal Specifications In Object-Oriented Software Engineering, Steven A. Thomson

Theses and Dissertations

The use of formal specifications allows for a software system to be defined with stringent mathematical semantics and syntax via such tools as propositional calculus and set theory. There are many perceived benefits garnered from formal specifications, such as a thorough and in-depth understanding of the domain and system being specified and a reduction in user requirement ambiguity. Probably the greatest benefit of formal specifications, and that which is least capitalized upon, is that mathematical proof procedures can be used to test and prove internal consistency and syntactic correctness in an effort to ensure comprehensive validation and verification (V&V). The …

A Factor Analysis Of Caucasian College Students' Perceptions Of Native American Women., Stephanie Larocque

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined Caucasian college students' perceptions of Native American women. The impetus of this study was the paucity of data pertaining to perceptions of Native American women. A trait scale derived from a modified Katz/Braly (1933) scale from LaRocque (1995) was presented to 478 Caucasian undergraduate college students at the University of North Dakota. The intent of this study was to scrutinize more closely this population's perceptions of Native American women via factor analytic techniques, and also to examine if participants perceptions of Native American women would differ significantly from their perceptions of women in general. The results indicated …

Hardware And Software Requirements For Graphic Designers, Denise M. Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Media Type On Sexually Impositional Behavior, Sheila A. Mulligan Rauch

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual aggression and rape are pervasive and serious problems in the United States. One factor which has been associated with sexual aggression and rape is the perpetrator's use of sexually explicit material, especially sexually violent pornography. The current study examined the effect of exposure to different types of media depictions, including sexually violent, violent, sexual, and general arousing conditions on men's expression of sexually impositional behavior toward women using a laboratory analogue. Participants viewed one of four, 45 minute clips from the above categories. Then, they chose one of four short clips (negatively arousing, sexual clip; a negatively arousing, nonsexual …

Reputation Management: The Effect Of Ceo Behavior During A Crisis, Ellen J. Shockley

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this thesis was to study how CEO behavior during a crisis impacts the organization's lasting reputation.

A thorough review of relevant publications, as well as intercept surveys, content analyses and email surveys, was conducted to test the hypotheses.

Fifty intercept surveys were conducted over two weekends to discover opinions about the issue. Respondents appearing to be age 25 or older were randomly selected. A content analysis was conducted using articles from Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal to determine the media's tone on the CEOs of Odwalla, Jack in the Box, Dow Coming and Exxon. A total …

An Advocate From Within: Making A Difference In The Middle: The World Of Tomorrow In The Hands Of Today, Sherry Lynn Demaine

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Determination Of Phenols In Water Using Solid Phase Microextraction And Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy And Measurement Of Distribution Constants For Solid Phase Microextraction Using A Successive Extraction Technique, Betsy J. Bannier

Theses and Dissertations

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is an effective method for concentrating organic compounds prior to analysis by a variety of detection methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography (GC). The first part of this work focused on the selection of an infrared-compatible solid phase that would partition phenols out of aqueous solutions. The criteria we employed dictated that potential solid phases be polar yet insoluble in water, have open regions in their IR spectra between 400-1200 cm·', 3010-3095 cm·', or 3200-3650 cm·' and be less than 200 μm thick.

Infrared spectra of a variety of proprietary epoxies and …

Airline Reputation: Customer Service In Crisis, Mary Catherine Demarco

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to show that listening to customer concerns can improve the reputation of the airline industry. The results show through quantitative and qualitative research that the airlines are experiencing a decline in customer service and may be on the verge of a reputation crisis.

A content analysis of articles from The New York Times and USA Today was done to show the type of message the media is sending to the public. Results show that the media is reporting on the airline industry in a negative light. The media is warning that the decline in …

The Power Of One: The Effect Of One Athlete's Behavior On A Sport, Jennifer L. Field

Theses and Dissertations

This is a study of whether or not the effects of one athlete's behavior are broad enough to be felt throughout a sport. The researcher focused on three athletes whose behavior was thought to have left a permanent scar on the three sports involved. The athletes were: (1) Pete Rose, who was part of the Philadelphia Phillies 1980 World Series team and later became the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, who was accused of betting on baseball games, (2) Mike Tyson, former undisputed heavy weight champion of the world, who was convicted of rape and bit the ear of opponent …

A Case Study Of Three Cities: Revitalization Through Public Relations, Rebecca Acevedo

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine if public relations played a vital role in revitalizing major cities. It also tested which tactics were implemented in public relations campaigns to create awareness and draw tourism to the revitalized area. The study used Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as its case studies.

The study involved a review of related secondary research of articles and interviews with public relations professionals who worked for various cities. Primary research involved a content analysis of random articles from 1989 through 2000 from the major papers in each city, in-depth interviews with public relations directors, and intercept surveys …

The Efficacy And Application Of Cause-Related Marketing Techniques, Ralph S. De Simone

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined what was the attitude of the general public and public relations practitioners toward three distinctive cause-related marketing techniques (event sponsorship, product sale donations, and licensing). The study required 203 telephone surveys of the general public and 23 interviews via phone, electronic mail, and in-person with public relations and marketing practitioners involved with cause-related marketing. This researcher proved that both the general public and the causal marketing practitioners prefer or favor event sponsorship over licensing and product sale donations, and females favor the three techniques and causal marketing more than males.

Time Of Day Effects On The Performance On The Screening Test Of Auditory Processing, Christine Anne Mackenzie

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if any significant relationships existed between time of day and central auditory processing using a screening test of central auditory performance. The study specifically addressed the following research questions: 1. Is there a difference in the scores of morning and evening type individuals on the Filtered Word subtest, the. Auditory Figure-Ground subtest, or the Competing Words subtest of the SCAN? 2. Is there a difference between morning and evening test time for differing types of individuals on the Filtered Word subtest, the Auditory Figure-Ground subvest, or the Competing Words subtest of the …

The Efficacy Of Public Affairs In The Federal Courts, Jacqueline Todd

Theses and Dissertations

The federal courts are undeniably one of the most important institutions in our society, yet we know little of this nebulous entity since the federal court system does not directly communicate to the public. The judiciary relies solely on the media to disseminate court decisions and information to the public.

The purpose of this study was to underscore the need for a public affairs office in the federal court system. This researcher held that a court public affairs office would serve to educate the public about the judiciary, as well as correct media accounts of court decisions that exhibit negative …

Early Literacy And Writing With Native Americans Students, Barbara B. Delorme

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

What Can't Public Relations Graduates Write? A Study And Evaluation Of Professional Writing Skills Lacked By Public Relations Graduates, Ginger Buganski

Theses and Dissertations

Through a survey of roughly 50 public relations practitioners, this study identified specific writing skills public relations graduates lack and compiled recommendations for improving public relations education.

The author sent double post-cards to 100 public relations professionals nationwide. The post-cards asked for participation in a public relations writing questionnaire. At the same time, the author posted the questionnaire to two professional listservs (e-mail groups). A total of 46 professionals completed the questionnaire.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents ranked writing as one of the top three skills essential for public relations success. However, 70 percent of the professionals rated recent graduates' …

Recognized Nonverbal Behaviors Of Leaders: Appearance Graphocentrism, Kinesics, Object Language And Proxemics, Carrie D. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This study shows nonverbal behaviors adult students recognize as those leaders in classrooms use to convey their position of leadership.

The field of Public Relations is involved with clear, truthful two-way communication between senders and receivers of messages. It is desirable that all communication exchanges be complete with positive understanding of messages, especially those where one represents others with messages s/he delivers.

Existing research was reviewed to determine nonverbal behaviors leaders use in the five areas studied. A questionnaire was designed and administered to a non-probability quota sample. Semantic differential scales determined attitudes and beliefs students had about nonverbal communication …

Increasing Your Organization's Visibility: A Study Of Business And Financial Print Media, Sandra L. Mccollum

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides advice to investor or public relations professionals seeking increased national print media exposure for their organizations.

The author contacted 112 writers, editors and reporters from 16 business publications using postcards or e-mail. Twelve respondents participated in telephone or e-mail interviews.

The author found that reporters prefer to interview a chief executive officer for their stories. Participants also indicated they use outside sources, such as ex-employees, competitors and on-line databases, to learn more about an organization.

Participants were most interested in covering unexpected news, such as a fundamental change in the business, for hard news stories. The journalists …