Digital Commons Network^™

Socially Defined "Pms", Lora J. Bertelsen

Theses and Dissertations

No agreed upon definition for “PMS” exists. This study was designed to explore the conceptualizations of the expression “PMS” held by college students. It was hoped that results would inform not only assessment and treatment of premenstrual disorders, but also the debate regarding inclusion in future diagnostic and statistical manuals of the American Psychiatric Association.

Participants included 47 college students recruited from Freshman English classes at a small university in the Midwestern United States. Thirty female and 17 male participants were primarily Caucasian (43), single (36), and heterosexual (45). Each participant completed an in-class essay, an adjective checklist, and a …

An Examination Of Hangover Effects On Pilot Performance, Joanne W. Bates

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the influence of ethanol on aviation performance 10 hours after subjects finished drinking. The results of past studies concerning alcohol hangover effects are conflicting. Some studies have shown that alcohol hangovers affect complex cognitive performance, while other studies have not found effects.

One aim of the present study was to observe hangover effects after strong and medium doses of alcohol with an intervening night of sleep. Furthermore, previous research has found that use of ethanol increased variability in flying performance. This implies that hangover effects influence some pilots more than others. Therefore, this study also examined …

Examining Differences In Issues Of Spirituality Between Couples With Children And Voluntarily Childless Couples, Cheryl L. Broneck

Theses and Dissertations

The demographics of the United States are rapidly changing and the traditional nuclear family is no longer considered the norm. Alternative families such as single parents, multi generational families, bi-racial families, nonmarital cohabitation, step families, and gay families are only some of the newly acknowledged family structures emerging. In the 1970s and 1980s the decision to remain voluntarily childless by choice was also seen as an alternative family structure and was researched. Unfortunately, this population is rarely examined today though projections indicate that due to a variety of factors they will probably continue to increase in number. One consistent finding …

Media Rape: Press Coverage Of Sexual Assault Cases, Megan M. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

In 1989, a female jogger was raped, beaten and left for dead in New York City’s Central Park. Two years later, a woman was attacked on a beach in Palm Beach, Florida. She reported to police that she had been raped. Both cases were covered extensively by the media, but the press treated the victims very differently. Throughout their analysis, reporters painted the Central Park jogger as an innocent victim, while the woman who accused Smith of rape was depicted as a deserving tramp.

Assuming a primarily qualitative approach, this research used frame analysis to examine The New York Times …

Reconciliation Of Religious Beliefs And Minority Sexual Orientation, Shawn V. Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the issue of how gay men and lesbians reconcile conflicts between their religious beliefs and their sexual orientation. Christian faith traditions have commonly rejected minority sexual orientations as sinful, while modem social science has identified these sexual orientations as a normal part of the variety of human experience. This study consists of structured interviews with seven participants who have sought to resolve this conflict in different ways, namely through accepting their sexual orientation and adapting their religious beliefs or through accepting their religious beliefs and seeking to change their sexual orientation. The population includes three lesbians and …

The Design And Analysis Of A Wireless Lan Relayed Frame Protocol Extension, Jody A. Grassel

Theses and Dissertations

Computing stations networked on wireless LANs (wLANs) typically have a limited range of mobility: the station must always be within an access point’s coverage area. If a station moves outside of that area, and if it is unable to locate another base station within its range to perform a handover of communication connectivity responsibility, then it will ex perience a disruption in network services until it migrates into the coverage area of another wLAN. Typical causes for such losses of service include station migration to outside of the wLAN’s coverage area, changing environmental conditions, and “holes” within the cumu lative …

The Negative Halo Effect Of Oppositional Defiant Behaviors On Teacher Ratings Of Adhd: Impact Of Child Gender, David A. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored one potential reason for differences in diagnostic rates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between genders: teacher-based rating bias. Abikoff, Courtney and Pelham (1993) showed elementary teachers two tapes of a male child in a fourth grade classroom, then had the teachers complete ADHD and ODD rating scales. One tape depicted a normal child; another depicted a child exhibiting either ADHD or ODD behaviors. Rating comparisons from the ADHD v. ODD tapes showed biases: the ADHD tape was rated higher than the ODD tape on ADHD rating scales and lower on ODD rating scales; while the ODD tape …

"Our Barbed Wire Ivory Tower": Republican And Irish Republican Army Prison Writing, 1973-1999, Lachlan E. Whalen

Theses and Dissertations

A critique of the notion that both prisons and prison literature are monolithic entities, this dissertation demonstrates the shaping power of individual historical moment and physical conditions of confinement upon the literary production of political incarceration in the North of Ireland. Though the writings of political prisoners like Gerry Adams, Roseleen Walsh, and Bobby Sands are separated only by a matter of a few years, the marked difference in their works is testament to the impact of place and individual prison regime upon each author. The material is approached in an eclectic fashion, with attention paid to the Hegelian dialectic …

Predicting The Effects Of Dimensional And Material Property Variations In Micro Compliant Mechanisms, Jonathan W. Wittwer

Theses and Dissertations

Surface micromachining of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), like all other fabrication processes, has inherent variation that leads to uncertain material and dimensional parameters. To obtain accurate and reliable predictions of mechanism behavior, the effects of these variations need to be analyzed. This thesis expands already existing tolerance and uncertainty analysis methods to apply to micro compliant mechanisms. For simple compliant members, explicit equations can be used in uncertainty analysis. However, for a nonlinear implicit system of equations, the direct linearization method may be used to obtain sensitivities of output parameters to small changes in known variables. This is done by including …

Effects Of Institutionalization On Romanian Adoptees, Diane Castano

Theses and Dissertations

The overall health and well-being of Romanian adoptees has deteriorated significantly as a result of the deficient living conditions of Romanian orphanages. Several of the effects of institutionalized children include; developmental delays in speech, gross and fine motor areas, and emotional and behavioral impediments. Moreover, these children may develop mental and/or physical disabilities and an overabundance of health problems. This study reports findings from a survey completed by 38 American families with adopted children from Romania. The results of this study reflect; parents perceptions of their child's health at the time of adoption and current health status, the child's behavioral …

Contributions From Mafic Alkaline Magmas To The Bingham Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Deposit, Utah, U.S.A., Daniel T. Maughan

Theses and Dissertations

The Bingham porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposit, Utah, may only be world-class because of substantial contributions of sulfur and metals from mafic alkaline magma to an otherwise unremarkable calc-alkaline system. Volcanic mafic alkaline rocks in the district are enriched in Cr, Ni, and Ba as well as ore-related constituents of Cu, Au, platinum group elements (PGE) and S. The bulk of the volcanic section that is comagmatic with ore-related porphyries is dacitic to trachytic in composition, but has inherited the geochemical signature of high Cr, Ni, and Ba from magma mixing with the mafic alkaline rocks. The volcanic section that most closely …

Elected Political Leadership Versus Hired Professional Management: An Analysis Of Local Government Structure In 20th Century America, Bradley M. Gengler

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Rowan University Fund Raising And Communication Practices, Karen D. Dunnington

Theses and Dissertations

Public colleges and universities need more income than government can provide. States now typically provide less than half the funding for public universities, like Rowan University. Alumni fund raising and other gifts bridge this gap. This study describes variables that affect donor motivation in other schools, and measures those variables among Rowan University subjects. The author applied a 16-question protocol to a purposive sample of 31. The sample was comprised of key fund raising personnel and target study subjects from students to college presidents in seven groups. Extensive individual commentary supplements the sample's small size. The major findings clearly support …

Study Of Small Businesses’ Need For, And Interest In, A Course On How To Produce Effective Publications, Lori Wagoner

Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of PageMaker and other user-friendly publications programs almost anyone can create publications, with or without an understanding of typography or layout and design. These publications represent the organization and affect its image, as well as its bottom line.

These software programs allow an organization to produce its own publications and handle its own publicity. This is a great advantage for small entrepreneurial businesses that may not be able to hire a professional to produce brochures, flyers or newsletters. The problem, however, is that unless the person has an understanding of typography and layout and design, the publication …

The Effects Of Instructional Games On Student Achievement In The Social Studies, Christine A. Pilotti

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of instructional games on student achievement. It has been suggested by educators that instructional games may increase the performance and motivation of students. According to a pretest-posttest control group design, a sample of 34 students was administered a pretest and then instructed on the history of New Jersey for the same amount of hours. The control group used two worksheets as a supplement to the lessons, whereas the treatment group used two instructional games as a supplement to the lessons.

After analysis of all scores, a t-test for nonindependent samples …

Effects Of A Student Book Club On Third Graders' Literacy Attitudes And Performance, Kirsten M. Bellamy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify a method of improving the reading attitudes of elementary students. A book club program was chosen as the treatment because it incorporates sociocultural perspectives in learning and opportunities to put previously learned skills to use. An experimental and control group of third grade students, with 28 children in each group, were administered the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS), an instrument that tests attitudes toward recreational and academic reading. After determining beginning attitudes, the experimental group participated in a book club, which utilized small group reading sessions followed by whole class discussions of …

The Effect Of Grading The Work Of Fourth Grade Students In Red Ink And Their Academic Self-Esteem, Jennifer L. Walton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on fourth grade students' academic self-esteem when marking their work in red ink versus blue or black ink. It was hypothesized that there would not be a significant difference in the academic self-esteem of fourth grade students whose work was marked in red ink, compared to their work that was marked in blue or black ink.

The study was a quasi-experimental design, examining students in a fourth grade classroom. Nineteen students participated in the study. Prior to the pretest, student work had been marked in blue or black ink for …

A Study Of The Relationship Between The Amount Of Parental Reading To The Student At Home And The Student's Second Grade Standardized Reading Achievement Score, Kathleen M. Jewell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the amount of time parents spent reading to their child at home and the child' s second grade standardized reading achievement score. This study used a parental survey to question the parents of third grade students in an urban elementary school on their reading habits and those of the student.

Forty-eight parents (n=48) responded to the survey. The results were then analyzed to find the significance of a relationship. A Chi-square analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between the amount of time a parent spends reading to …

The Effectiveness Of Multicultural Storytelling On Attitudes Toward Different Cultures In The Elementary Classroom, Michele Patruno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider the effects of multicultural storytelling and students' attitudes toward different cultures within the classroom. It was hypothesized that exposure to multicultural storytelling in the classroom with a discussion period to follow will produce positive attitudes toward different cultures as opposed to students who are not exposed to the storytelling. The subjects of the study were fifty-five third grade students from a southern New Jersey suburban school district. The study consisted of an experimental and a control group. Each group was administered a pretest and a posttest to determine if changes took place. …

The Effect Of Literature Circles On The Perceived Writing Self-Efficacy Of Fourth Grade Students, Shannon Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This quasi-experimental research study purported to determine if fourth grade students who were exposed to the integration of literature circles in their classroom would have significantly different scores on a writing self-efficacy scale than students not exposed to this method of instruction. The sample was comprised of two heterogeneous classes of fourth grade students enrolled at an inner city elementary school in southern New Jersey for a total of 40 students. The nonequivalent control group design was the selected research method. The classes were randomly chosen for either the experimental or control conditions and pretested using the Writer Self-Perception Scale. …

Recruiting And Retaining Healthcare Association Members, Ronette Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify popular techniques used to recruit and retain members for healthcare and medical associations. The author compared and contrasted three medical associations and their membership benefits to show which benefits members value most.

Related research indicated recruiting and retaining members has become increasingly competitive among healthcare and medical associations. A new-member survey was conducted for three healthcare associations. Research indicated people primarily join organizations for specialized information, but they also hope to fulfill status-seeking needs.

A successful recruiting and retaining plan involves more than attractive benefits. Members' motivational needs must be included. Based …

The Effect Of Participatory Instruction On The Motivation Of Third Grade Students, Jessica L. Deck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect differing instructional techniques has on students' motivation in terms of their attitude towards school. Students were pretested using the Inventory to Measure Attitude Towards School and reading (IMATSR). After the pretest, the reading class was conducted in a lecture format with the entire class reading the same novel. Students read a portion of the book and then answered comprehensive questions on a worksheet, prior to discussion. When the book was completed, a comprehensive exam and IMATSR posttest were given. Next, the teacher introduced five books to the class. Each student …

The Impact Extended Day Instruction Has On The Academic Achievement Of At-Risk Low Socioeconomic Students, Diane L. Worthy

Theses and Dissertations

This study determines whether students from low socio-economic backgrounds, who function poorly on tests and report cards, improved academically after increasing time for instruction, and time for working on school related tasks. Research indicates that there is a relationship between time and learning. When distinctions have been made with time allocated for instruction, time engaged in instructional activities and time spent successfully completing instructional activities, the latter of these has been found to have a direct correlation with achievement. Participants worked after school on homework with certified teachers. Factors affecting student achievement in language arts have been identified. The academic …

Amusement Park Crisis Management, Joe Costal

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to establish a benchmark for amusement park crisis management through the careful examination of two contrasting crisis response case studies.

The first study, a deadly fire at Six Flags Great Adventure, in Jackson Township, New Jersey, exemplifies the causes, components and effects of improper crisis planning. Analysis of the study closely examines all events leading to and resulting from the fire, with most content coming from the memories of professionals directly involved in the tragedy. Designations of the Six Flags case provided the basis of every amusement crisis plan written since.

The second study, a deadly boat …

In Search Of Benedictine Values At A Catholic University: A Historiography Of The University Of Mary., Janet Duppong Auer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the Benedictine values of respect, hospitality, community, service, prayer, and moderation as stated in the Mission Statement of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, have been implemented over the past 40 years in student life, curriculum, and instruction. Historiographic research methods were used to identify trends that have existed over a period of time. Data were collected and analyzed for themes and commonalties. Results were discussed in relation to the review of literature. Recommendations were provided based on the results of the study. Five themes were identified …

Personality And The Use Of Coping Resources In Addicted Populations., Linda Ann Winter

Theses and Dissertations

Persons who are in recovery from addiction to alcohol or other drugs are expected to give up what is often their main coping resource: the maladaptive use of an addictive substance. Yet, typically, recovery programs do not contain a formalized stress-management component. This study examines recovering addicts' spontaneous use of adaptive coping resources, as well as exploring the connection between personality and preferred resources. Personality was assessed using the Revised NEO-Personality Inventory. The use of coping resources was assessed using the Coping Resource Inventory. In addition, participants also completed a short demographic questionnaire for exploratory analysis of possible links between …

Domination Interrupted: The Logic Of Otherness In Late 20th Century American Film, Culture, And Politics., Brian James White

Theses and Dissertations

There is a long history of critically interrogating the social and political inequalities informed by the frameworks of race, class, gender, and sexuality. This large oeuvre of writing provides a significant foundation for contemporary analyses of domination. With the frameworks of class oppression, patriarchy, and racism laid out before us, we are now able to begin inquiring into their similarities in an attempt to uncover a systemic, structural logic of oppression. What each of these frameworks share is a Self/Other relationship that furthers subjugation, such as the ramifications of inequality brought about by the cultural distinction between white/black, man/woman, bourgeois/proletariat. …

Solid Phase Microextraction/Thickness-Shear Mode Resonator Determinations Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Water., Michelle Applebee

Theses and Dissertations

Investigations leading to the determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in water have been driven by the need to monitor components with known or suspected health risks. Compounds such as benzene and toluene, abundant in fuels, are known to be carcinogenic and genotoxic. While the effects fuels have on endocrine systems are still unknown, there is a great concern on the effects of long-term exposure to both humans and animals. Mature laboratory methods exist for the low-level determination of petroleum hydrocarbons. However, these methods require expensive instrumentation. In this project, an inexpensive, readily field portable sensor using a thickness shear mode resonator …

Relationship Between Women's Perceptions Of Sexual Threat And Sexual Abuse History., Jennifer Mcdermott

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual abuse towards children and women is a common problem in our society. A focus of contemporary research has been on factors that influence individual perceptions about rape incidents. The premise is that warning signs might be present before some rapes, and a woman's sensitivity to risk might be a useful predictor of outcome and adjustment to sexual assault. Unfortunately, little research has been done on women's perceptions of scenarios that portend sexually threatening situations in the absence of overt sexual assault. An objective of the present study was to examine sensitivity to the potential risks or threats occurring during …

The Effects Of Child Diagnosis On Teachers' Judgements Of Treatment Acceptability Of Classroom Interventions., Leslie Ann Rowan

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of child diagnosis and gender on treatment acceptability. One-hundred-ninety teachers from rural schools read one of four descriptions of a child with behavior problems. The descriptions varied only in terms of the label attached to the child (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, depression, or no diagnosis). Half of the descriptions were of a male child and half were of a female child. Teachers then rated the acceptability of the treatments of positive reinforcement, timeout, and medication using the Abbreviated Acceptability Rating Profile (AARP). It was found that teachers most preferred positive reinforcement, followed …