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The Effect Of Teachers' Epistemological Beliefs On Practice, Milton David Huling

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unfortunately, for the most part, teachers do not teach the Nature of Science (NOS). Even when teachers have adequate NOS knowledge, their knowledge still does not make its way into practice. While there are various reasons for this happening, this study has isolated other, more typical, constraints to teaching in order to look more closely at the influence of personal epistemological beliefs, understandings of NOS, and their effects on practice. In an effort to minimize typical constraints of time for the teaching of NOS, a sixth grade physical science course was chosen as a way to minimize this constraint. Within …

Public Knowledge And Sentiments About Elite Deviance, Cedric Michel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research has revealed that the financial cost and physical harmfulness of elite deviance overshadow the impact of street crime on society (Knowlton et al., 2011; Landrigan et al., 2002; Leigh, 2011; Lynch & Michalowski, 2006; Herbert & Landrigan, 2000; Rebovich & Jiandani, 2000; Reiman & Leighton, 2010). However, despite such discrepancies, crimes of the poor continue to outshine white-collar offenses in the news media (Barak, 1994; Barlow & Barlow, 2010; Ericson et al., 1991; Lynch & Michalowski, 2006; Lynch, Nalla & Miller, 1989; Lynch, Stretesky & Hammond, 2000), the criminal justice system (Calavita, Tillman, & Pontell, …

Relationships Between Parenting Self-Efficacy And Distress In Parents With And Without Cancer, Julie Marie Cessna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the relatively large number of parents with cancer, relatively little is known about the extent to which having cancer affects the parenting experience. Qualitative studies have identified issues and concerns that create distress among parents with cancer, but quantitative studies have yet to be conducted. Studies demonstrate that parents with cancer experience psychological distress, and that parenting self-efficacy is related to psychological distress among parents without cancer. However, no study to date has examined the relationships between parenting self-efficacy and psychological distress among parents with cancer. This study sought to address these gaps in the literature by comparing parents …

Clarifying The Nature Of Resilience: A Meta-Analytic Approach, Matthew Robert Grossman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Psychological resilience, conceptualized as the ability to bounce back from stress (Tugade, 2011), has garnered increased attention across various fields of psychology and related disciplines. Despite its popularity, researchers have yet to come to a consensus regarding the nomological network of this construct, as well as its distinctiveness from conceptually similar constructs (i.e., hardiness, grit). In this paper, I use meta-analytic techniques (Hunter & Schmidt, 2004) to quantitatively synthesize three decades of previous empirical work on resilience and related-constructs and their correlates, integrating findings from more than 400 studies. Results show that resilience overlaps substantially with big-five personality traits as …

Quantification Of Transhumeral Prosthetic Socket Residual Limb Interface Movement Using Motion Capture And A Slip Detection Sensor, Matthew Wernke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current literature focusing on the prosthetic socket is limited by measurement techniques and modeling assumptions, leading to a limited understanding of the forces and motions occurring between the residual limb and prosthesis and how they can be used to influence socket design and fitting. Prosthetic socket fitting and prescription would benefit from an elegant method for comparing socket designs. This dissertation focuses on the development and implementation of a 3D motion capture model and a Slip Detection Sensor to quantify rotations and translations at the prosthetic socket-residual limb interface. The 3D motion capture model defines the residual limb bone position …

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of Session Distribution On The Acquisition, Retention, And Endurance Of Material Learned Using Precision Teaching, Elizabeth G. Hasbrouck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Precision Teaching (PT) is a data-based educational tool that allows individual changes to be made to educational programs based specifically on the needs of the learner. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of session distribution on the material learned in the context of a PT intervention program. Typical children, ages 3- to 5-years-old, whom were enrolled in a church-based child development program, participated. The goal of this study was to assess if the administration of PT sessions one day-a-week or five days-a-week effected the acquisition, retention, and endurance of material learned. Results indicate that there was …

Theoretical And Experimental Investigations To Improve The Performance Of Surface Acoustic Wave (Saw) Biosensors, Mandek Richardson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to improve the performance of surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensors for use in point-of-care-testing (POCT) applications. SAW biosensors have the ability to perform fast, accurate detection of an analyte in real time without the use of labels. However, the technology suffers from the inability to differentiate between specific and non-specific binding. Due to this limitation, direct testing of bodily fluids using SAW sensors to accurately determine an analyte's concentration is difficult. In addition, these sensors are challenged by the need to detect small concentrations of a biomarker that are typically required to give a …

A National Investigation Of Pre-Activity Health Screening Procedures In Fitness Facilities: Perspectives From American College Of Sports Medicine Certified Health Fitness Specialists, Aaron C. Craig

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is well established in the literature that the morbidity and mortality rates due to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes in the U.S are alarmingly high. Likewise, there is ample data which demonstrates that participating in physical activity can help prevent and control many types of chronic diseases. Though the benefits outweigh the risks of participation in physical activity, the risks must be acknowledged.

Published standards and guidelines in the health fitness field have been established to address operational practices of fitness facilities, increase safety of participants and mitigate these risks. The present study was …

The Mediating Role Of Classroom Social Environment Between Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Adjustment, Keri Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether students' perceptions of the classroom social environment mediate the relations between teacher self-efficacy and student adjustment.

Research suggests that early adolescents often experience decreases in engagement and motivation during the middle school years, which can put individuals at risk for academic failure and school dropout (Eccles, Lord, & Midgley, 1991). This occurs due to a mismatch between the individuals' developmental needs and the environment (Eccles et al., 1993). Whether early adolescents remain engaged in school is largely dependent on how they perceive the classroom environment promoted by their teacher (Erikson, 1950; …

Using Habit Reversal To Decrease Filled Pauses And Nervous Habits In Public Speaking, Carolyn Joanne Mancuso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Public speaking is a challenge faced by people from all walks of life. Research in the area of public speaking has focused on examining techniques to reduce public speaking anxiety. Very little research, however, has focused on the acquisition of public speaking skills. While presenting speeches, many people engage in nervous habits that have the potential to decrease the effectiveness of the speech and their credibility as a speaker. This study evaluated the effectiveness of simplified habit reversal in reducing three of these nervous habits: filled pauses, tongue clicking, and inappropriate use of the word like. Following baseline, participants …

Evolution And Functional Morphology Of The Cephalic Lobes In Batoids, Samantha Lynn Mulvany

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cephalic lobes are unique structures derived from the anterior pectoral fins, found in select myliobatid stingrays. Many benthic batoids utilize undulatory locomotion and use their pectoral fins for both locomotion and prey capture. Pelagic myliobatids that possess cephalic lobes utilize oscillatory locomotion, using their pectoral fins to locomote and their cephalic lobes for prey capture. Despite differences in habitat usage and locomotor modes, these batoids feed on very similar benthic organisms. The purpose of this study was to 1.) compare the morphology of the cephalic lobes and anterior pectoral fins in lobed and lobeless species, looking at skeletal elements, musculature …

An Exploration Of Threatened Harm As A Type Of Maltreatment And Its Relation To Recurrence Of Maltreatment, Roxann Mcneish

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There were no studies found in the literature that primarily focused on threatened harm as type of maltreatment. This study utilized Florida's child welfare administrative data to explore threatened harm as a type of maltreatment, particularly as a predictor of recurrence of maltreatment within six and 12 months for children who had a verified report of maltreatment in FY2005-2006. Threatened harm was examined in three ways; when it was reported as the only maltreatment, the initial maltreatment, and in situations where there was a prior report. The most prevalent acts of threatened harm were examined separately. It was examined as …

Unanswered Occupational Calling: The Development And Validation Of A New Measure, Michele Wilk Gazica

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a limited body of research that illuminates the various positive life-, health-, and work-related outcomes that an individual may experience through the pursuit of his or her occupational calling. An occupational calling is defined as an occupation that a person feels drawn to, finds intrinsically enjoyable and meaningful, and identifies as a central part of his or her identity. The extant literature on occupational callings, however, rarely considers the possible detrimental effects of having an occupational calling other than to explain unexpected study results. These unexpected study results hint at adverse psychological and job-related outcomes when an individual …

Contrast Adaptation In The Lateral Eye Of Limulus Polyphemus, Tchoudomira Valtcheva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Luminance and contrast adaptation are neuronal mechanisms that the retina applies for continuous adjustment to light sensitivity though a collection of cellular and synaptic mechanisms distributed across the retinal network, thus accommodating the wide input range of the visual system within the constricted output range of retinal ganglion cells. Luminance mean adaptation has been demonstrated in the output neurons of the invertebrate eye (eccentric cells), and the aim of the study was to investigate whether the homology in visual processing extends to luminance variance (contrast) adaptation as well. The spike trains of individual eccentric cells were recorded from live horseshoe …

Factors Influencing Vaccination Decisions In African American Mothers Of Preschool Age Children, Chauntel Mckenzie Mcnair

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rates and coverage levels of immunizations of African-American children are reduced compared to other races. Few studies have identified factors that influence vaccination decisions of African-American mothers. This study assessed the mothers' vaccination decisions using a self-administered questionnaire and a screening instrument for determining health literacy. This instrument is called Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM). The sample was 92 African American mothers, recruited from a large metropolitan church in Jacksonville, Florida, who had at least one child under the age of seven. A cross-sectional research design was used to administer survey instruments to identify and interpret parental …

How Individual Differences In Self- And Other-Focused Co-Rumination Relate To Internalizing Symptoms And Friendship Quality, Heather Smith-Schrandt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Co-rumination involves friends spending a great deal of time encouraging each other to excessively discuss problems, with content being largely negative (Rose, 2002). Co-rumination appears to strengthen the bonds between best friends, while ironically exacerbating internalizing symptoms. Co-rumination is conceptualized as a mutual dyadic process, but little is known about the reciprocity of excessive problem discussion. The balance of college students' (N = 601) self- and other-focused co-rumination with their best friend was assessed via an online survey. Contrary to expectations, inconsistent and weak evidence was obtained for differentiating self- and other-focused co-rumination, and their balance. Specifically, self- and other-focused …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Hoarding Parent-Adult Child Relationships And Family Functioning, Jennifer M. Park

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Compulsive hoarding is characterized by difficulty discarding unneeded items and the accumulation of items within living spaces and is associated with significant functional impairment and distress. Along with the negative impact on the individual, previous reports have indicated that compulsive hoarding is not only impairing and substantially burdensome for family members, but also linked to disruptions in family functioning. The present study utilized a path model analysis to examine the associations between an array of hoarding variables hypothesized to impact family functioning and parent-adult child relationships in 199 adult children of hoarders. Results revealed that family functioning mediated the relationship …

Testing Individual Differences In Negative Affect Related To Smoking: The Role Of Emotional Clarity, Nicole Marquinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Negative affect plays a critical role in nicotine dependence. Smokers report feeling that negative affect is a primary motivation to keep smoking. This study examined the relationship between individual differences in emotional experience, in particular emotional clarity and differentiation (individuals' ability to understand, describe, and differentiate between emotions), and smoking motivation. We hypothesized that emotional clarity would be related to affect, craving, and smoking satisfaction. A second goal was to test the ability of an emotional-labeling intervention to reduce negative affect and smoking motivation resulting from a negative emotion induction. We also tested whether emotional clarity moderated the effect of …

Hydraulic Evaluation Of A Community Managed Wastewater Stabilization Pond System In Bolivia, Louis Lizima

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the hydraulic performance of a wastewater lagoon system located in San Antonio, Bolivia. The system consists of one facultative pond and two maturation ponds in series and is managed through a locally elected water committee. A tracer study was performed on the primary facultative pond and an analysis of the solids accumulation on the bottom of the facultative lagoon was also performed. The results were used to generate residence time distribution curves and provide an estimate of mean residence time in the system. The data was used to examine hydraulic efficiency as it relates to short-circuiting and …

The Relationship Between Rating Scales Used To Evaluate Tasks From Task Inventories For Licensure And Certification Examinations, Adrienne W. Cadle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The first step in developing or updating a licensure or certification examination is to conduct a job or task analysis. Following completion of the job analysis, a survey validation study is performed to validate the results of the job analysis and to obtain task ratings so that an examination blueprint may be created. Psychometricians and job analysts have spent years arguing over the choice of scales that should be used to evaluate job tasks, as well as how those scales should be combined to create an examination blueprint. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between individual …

Cuba's Chords Of Change: Music, Race, Class & Motherhood At The Turn Of The 21st Century, Saundra Marie Amrhein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an ethnography and biographical study that examines the impact of the immense socioeconomic changes underway in Cuba at the turn of the 21st century and the flexible identity categories through which individuals navigate a social crisis.

The biography and ethnography in this thesis are centered on the life of Violeta Aldama, an aging revolutionary and Afro-Cuban mother who struggles to make ends meet while fighting to steer her son, Brian, through a classical music education and into a music career. Amid growing racial inequalities when many Afro-Cubans are locked out of the most lucrative jobs in the …

Evaluating Check-In Check-Out With Peer Tutors For Children With Attention Maintained Problem Behaviors, Sindy Sanchez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An educational framework known as School Wide Positive Behavior Support being implemented in school systems across the country provides the schools with three tiers of support to address both academic and behavior challenges. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of peer tutors when applied to a Tier 2 intervention known as Check-In Check-Out (CICO). Peer tutors performed the morning check-in with the tutees by setting the expectations for the day and giving the tutees their Daily Progress Report (DPR) form. Throughout the day, the tutees took the DPR form to each class where they received a …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Internet-Based Behavioral Program For Increasing Physical Activity With And Without A Behavioral Coach, Diego Alejandro Valbuena

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a problem of vast social concern in the United States. One factor that has been linked to reduction in body fat and the health problems associated with obesity is increasing physical activity. Although in-person behavioral interventions have been shown effective at increasing physical activity, attention is now being placed on disseminating these interventions through the use of technology. Several internet-based interventions have been developed and are readily available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate "Fitbit," a web-based behavioral intervention for increasing physical activity and losing weight. Additionally, this study examined if the addition of contact from …

The Impact Of Hyperfemininity On Explicit And Implicit Blame Assignment And Police Reporting Of Alcohol Facilitated Rape In A Sample Of College Women, Sarah Ehlke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rape remains a significant problem in the U.S., with the majority of victims reporting a drug-or-alcohol facilitated rape (DAFR) or incapacitated rape (IR). Many DAFR/IR victims do not acknowledge the incident as a rape, and are therefore are the least likely to report or disclose the assault. Rape scripts theory is one theory that could be used to explain why DAFR/IR victims are more likely than other victims to not acknowledge the incident. In addition, individuals are more likely to blame the victim of a DAFR/IR rape. Furthermore, DAFR/IR victims experience more self-blame for the incident. Taken together, when alcohol …

Rurality And Intimate Partner Homicide: Exploring The Relationship Between Place, Social Structure, And Femicide In North Carolina, Amelia Kirkland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A developing body of research within the fields of criminology and rural sociology has emphasized the importance of considering geographic place in the study of interpersonal violence, and domestic violence in particular. Exploring how place is related to domestic violence lends itself to considerations of geographic variation in socio-structural conditions. A handful of studies since the 1980s have explored structural correlates of intimate abuse largely rooted in one of two theoretical contexts: social disorganization or gender inequality/patriarchy. However, knowledge regarding the relationship between place, social structure, and specific types of violence remains limited. The present study is intended as an …

Evaluation Of Using An Interrupted Behavior Chain Procedure To Teach Mands To Children With Autism, Blair Nichole Jacobsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Interrupted behavior chain procedures have been shown to be an effective way to teach individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism to mand for missing objects and information concerning missing objects. Research has shown that an interrupted behavior chain procedure is more effective than traditional mand teach trials, which occur at the onset of a behavior chain or in a massed trial format. However, there is a lack of research evaluating the use of interrupted behavior chain procedures to teach vocal mands for missing items and the possible generalization effects thereof. This study evaluated the acquisition of vocal mands for …

The Use Of Video Modeling Plus Video Feedback To Improve Boxing Skills, Charlsey Elizabeth Reynolds

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Video modeling and video feedback are behavioral procedures that have been shown to increase skill acquisition over time in a variety of environments. This study investigated the use of a video modeling and video feedback procedure, via a multiple baseline design to enhance skill acquisition in boxing. This study also incorporated multiple dimensions of analysis by including data based not only on a percentage of performance with a task analysis, but also the duration of each particular target behavior. The target behaviors for the study included three different boxing combinations, which were operationally defined based on component steps via …

The Impact Of Organizations' Collaboration Strategies And Alliance Network Positions On Invention Performance, Fethullah Caliskan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impact of organizations' collaboration strategies and network positional variables on invention performance. Organizations, particularly those pursuing a differentiation strategy, are motivated to introduce novel products and services in order to remain competitive. Thus, two questions of interest to such organizations regarding the network dynamics of the invention process are: 1) What kind of strategies allow them to attain superior invention results? 2) What is the most advantageous structural positioning in a collaborative network of innovators? Three independent studies attempt to find answers to these questions by using three complementary study approaches.

In the first study, in …

Predicting The Clinical Outcome In Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury Using Clinical Pathway Scores, Jennifer Lorena Mendoza Alonzo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Polytrauma/TBI Rehabilitation Center (PRC) of the Veterans Affairs Hospital (VAH) treats patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These patients have major motor and cognitive disabilities. Most of the patients stay in the hospital for many months without major improvements. This suggests that patients, family and the VAH could benefit if healthcare provider had a way to better assess or "predict" patients' progression. The individual progress of patients over time is assessed using a pre-defined multi-component performance measure Functional Independence Measures (FIM) at admission and discharge, and a semi-quantitative documentation parameter Clinical Pathway (CP) at weekly intervals. This work uses …

Myoglobin Detection On Sic: Immunosensor Development For Myocardial Infarction, Alexandra Oliveros Villalba

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon carbide (SiC) has been around for more than 100 years as an industrial material and has found wide and varied applications because of its unique electrical and thermal properties. In recent years there has been increased attention on SiC as a viable material for biomedical applications. Among these applications are those where SiC is used as a substrate material for biosensors and biotransducers, taking advantage of its surface chemical, tribological and electrical properties.

In this work we have used the proven bio- and hema-compatibility of SiC to develop a viable biorecognition interface using SiC as the substrate material for …