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Crossing Locations, Light Conditions, And Pedestrian Injury Severity, Naved Alam Siddiqui

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assesses the role of crossing locations and light conditions in pedestrian injury severity through a multivariate regression analysis to control for many other factors that also may influence pedestrian injury severity. Crossing locations include midblock and intersections, and light conditions include daylight, dark with street lighting, and dark without street lighting. The study formulates a theoretical framework on the determinants of pedestrian injury severity, and specifies an empirical model accordingly. An ordered probit model is then applied to the KABCO severity scale of pedestrian injuries which occurred while attempting street crossing in the years 1986 to 2003 in …

Multiple Voices And The Single Individual: Kierkegaard’S Concept Of Irony As A Tool For Reading The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Mrs. Dalloway, And Ulysses, Thomas P. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The central issue in the works of Danish philosopher and religious thinker Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) takes the form of a question: "What does it mean to become a Christian?" However, Kierkegaard's ideas exerted influence well beyond Christian circles and have been important to many notable philosophical and literary figures, some of whom chose not to concern themselves primarily with this question (Sartre, Camus, Heidegger, Buber), and some of whom did choose to concern themselves primarily with this question (Tillich, Bonhoeffer, Berdyaev, Marcel). Even though Kierkegaard died in relative obscurity, thanks to posthumous translation of his works into German and to …

Preservice Teachers’ Responses To An Interactive Constructivist Model For Web-Based Learning, Cherry O. Steffen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College and university teacher education programs are not, and should not be, exempt from the growing demand for distance education opportunities. Science teacher education is no exception to this growing demand. While there are some distance-learning courses and even complete programs for teacher education, the majority of these are offered as continuing education or post-graduate education opportunities. The number of programs offered specifically in science teacher education (either undergraduate or post-graduate) is extremely limited. Those distance-learning classes that are available for teacher education rarely reflect the instruction expected from teachers by the National Science Education Standards when they enter the …

The Effects Of In-Group Bias And Decision Aids On Auditors’ Evidence Evaluation, Eileen Zalkin Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effect of in-group bias and decision aid use on auditor judgments, confidence, and decisions in an analytical procedures task. In-group bias, a product of Social Identity Theory, may impair auditor independence by influencing auditor judgments. Auditors rely on client representations to support their opinion of the financial statements; however, clients are sometimes former auditors of the external audit firm. This prior relationship could lead the auditor to exhibit unwarranted trust of client representations. In an online mixed design experiment using staff and senior auditors, I test whether auditor judgments, confidence in those judgments, and decisions to …

The Relationship Between Anxiety And Spirituality In Persons Undergoing Chemotherapy For Cancer, Cindy Tofthagen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is a common problem for cancer patients, especially those who must receive chemotherapy. Anxiety may have a negative effect on quality of life, interrupting sleep, causing uncomfortable physical symptoms, and inhibiting sound decision-making. This study examined the relationship between spiritual well-being and anxiety in patients on chemotherapy for cancer. The convenience sample consisted of 30 patients, 15 male and 15 female, receiving chemotherapy in a two physician private medical oncology practice in Southwest Florida. Patients completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well- Being Scale.

Participants ranged in age from 31 to 88, …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Religiosity And Subjective Well-Being In Older Adults: The Mediating Role Of Optimism, Teri A. Trede

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of adults aged 65 and older in the United States has been increasing steadily for years. Although most would agree that this increased longevity is a remarkable achievement, there is growing concern regarding the resources that will be necessary to provide care and services for this rapidly expanding segment of the population. From a public health perspective, simply increasing longevity is no longer the ultimate outcome sought. A more pertinent goal is increasing the quality of life years, or promoting resilience and successful aging. Strategies that assist adults in delaying the onset of disability or reducing the severity …

A Case Study Of The Perceived Decision-Making Practices And Patterns Of Secondary Administrators Using Four Scenarios, Elizabeth M. Tuten

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored practitioners' perceived understanding and situational use of seven decision-making models of educational administration. In examining the extant literature of the field, the following research problem emerged to guide this study: scholars and practitioners struggle to understand how school administrators make workplace decisions, and how school leaders perceive their decision-making strategies and actions. Based upon Pettigrew's (1985) Conceptual Framework of Organizational Change and relevant literature (see chapter 2), the researcher developed a series of questions in order to explore the aforementioned purpose and problem. Specifically, three principals, three assistant principals of curriculum, and three assistant principals for …

A Closer Look At The Work Hours And Work/Family Relationship: The Moderating And Enhancing Effects Of Fit, Matthew D. Tuttle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Managing the conflict between work and family role demands is a critical issue that has generated substantial interest for both individuals and organizations in recent decades. One factor thought to contribute to the occurrence of work-family conflict (WFC) is the amount of time committed to activities in either the family or to the work domain. Because time is a finite resource, it has been posited that when one dedicates a certain amount of time to one domain, this will invariably take away from the amount of time available for activities in the other domain. The result of this is conflict …

A Structural Approach To The Study Of Intra-Organizational Coalitions, Dean T. Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coalitions are widely associated with collective or collaborative attempts to influence organizational members, decisions, policies and events. Yet, surprisingly, relatively little is known about how coalitions develop within organizations. Employing an exploratory case study design and using social network analysis, the Rokeach Value Survey, and semi-structured interviews, this research demonstrated that it is possible to identify and study coalitions in a real organizational setting. I suggest that the inclusion and investigation of member relationships may advance the state of the art in organizational coalition research. A benefit of this study, and contrary to most coalition research, is that it used …

Associations Between Individual, Social, And Service Factors, Recovery Expectations And Recovery Strategies For Individuals With Mental Illness, Gary W. Walby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Clinical and consumer recovery efforts continue to advance more successful recovery agendas. Limited research into the effect of the expectation to recover and what strategies are most effective in enhancing recovery impedes coherent recovery programming. What factors are significantly associated with recovery expectancy and recovery strategies is still largely unknown. Thus, this study addresses three key gaps in the field.

First, which factors associate with the expectation of recovery and is expectation related to strategy choice? Second, what are common strategies for recovery from mental illness and what factors are associated with each strategy? Third, does recovery expectancy or severity …

What Is The Effect Of Retrieval Practice On Competing Associates In Cued-Recall?, Umit Akirmak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been many theories on why we forget. One of the recent approaches to this phenomenon is retrieval induced forgetting (RIF). The present study investigated RIF and different kinds of disruptions and their effects by using extra-list cued recall task. Some participants studied two additional word lists after the target list and some participants studied and were tested from these interpolated lists before their final recall of target list. Relatedness of the interfering lists was also manipulated. There were two control groups that either got an immediate test or got a math task before memory test. The particular interest …

The Relationship Between B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels And Hospital Length Of Stay And Quality Of Life In Congestive Heart Failure Patientsthe Relationship Between B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels And Hospital Length Of Stay And Quality Of Life In Congestive Heart Failure Patients, Irma B. Ancheta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research on quality of life (QOL) and its relation to BNP levels in heart failure (HF) has been widely studied. However, the impact of physicians' knowledge of BNP levels at time of clinic visit on QOL and hospital length of stay (LOS) has yet to be fully investigated. The purpose of this study were to determine if physicians' knowledge of BNP levels affected a change in QOL scores at 90 days and reduce hospital length of stay among heart failure patients. QOL data from HF clinic patients (N = 108, 67.5 ± 12.3, 56% male, ejection fraction 26.5 ± …

A Comparison Of Systolic Blood Pressure In Women With And Without Lymphedema Following Surgery For Breast Cancer, Deborah M. Arvidson-Hawkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is no evidenced-based research on prevention of upper extremity lymphedema following breast cancer treatment. General guidelines have been identified from a basic understanding of the lymphatic system and are considered to be prudent advice for prevention. Cause of lymphedema is hypothesized to be multifactorial and time of onset is widely varied. Exogenous risk factors leading to lymphedema are the removal and destruction of lymph nodes; however, not all women develop lymphedema following axillary lymph node dissection. Co-morbid conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are cited as possible endogenous risk factors. Several studies identify hypertension as a significance endogenous …

Mothers’ Versus Fathers’ Ratings Of Child Behavior Problems, Jessica K. Curley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine how mothers and fathers view children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. More specifically, the relationship between certain factors, such as parental psychological symptoms, levels of interparental conflict, characteristics of the behaviors, and discrepancies in mothers' and fathers' ratings of behavior problems were studied in more depth. Using a between subjects, experimental design, mothers and fathers were randomly assigned to view a videotape and rate the behavior of a male or female child acting in either an internalizing, externalizing, or non-clinical manner. Results showed that there were no differences between mothers' and fathers' …

Metacognitive Strategies In A Web-Enhanced Environment: The Effects On Achievement In Problem-Solving For Engineering Undergraduates, Sally A. Zabel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the effects of using metacognitive strategy cuing integrated into problem-solving activities in a web-based learning environment. Purposes of the study were to investigate: (a) differences in posttest achievement between students who received metacognitive strategies embedded as cues in engineering problem sets and students who did not receive the treatment; (b) differences in perceptions of problem-solving skills between students who received metacognitive strategies embedded as cues in engineering problem set and students who did not receive the treatment; (c) differences in thermodynamics knowledge; (d) problem-solving steps students reported using across problem sets; (e) characteristics of sampled students, …

An Examination Of User Resistance In Mandatory Adoption Of Enterprise Systems, Timothy Paul Klaus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

User resistance is an important issue in the implementation of an Enterprise System (ES). However, despite the prevalence of user adoption literature, user resistance literature is scarce. Although some studies have conceptualized user resistance as the opposite of user adoption, a mandatory, role-transforming system such as an ES clearly shows that users may use a system while resisting it. Although this area is highly relevant, it is theoretically underdeveloped. This study examines user resistance at the individual level of analysis to determine the underlying reasons for user resistance, the types of resistant behaviors, and the management strategies to minimize resistance. …

Attitudinal Antecedents Of The First- And Third-Person Effect Of Alcohol Advertising On College Students, Georgia Begin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Data collected from a survey questionnaire via personal interviews among 488 college students was used to examine relationships among attitude toward alcohol advertising, attitude toward alcohol beverages, perceived influence of alcohol advertising on oneself, perceived influence of alcohol advertising on others, and attitude toward restrictions of alcohol advertising. Results supported the hypothesized direct effect of advertising attitudes and product attitudes on attitude toward restrictions. Also supported was the indirect effect of advertising and product attitudes on attitudes toward restricting alcohol advertising via such mediators as perceived influence of the ads on self and others using the theories of first- and …

Reframing The National Football League: An Organizational Analysis Of The Construction Of A Modern Spectacle, Scott Charles Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Popular and consumer cultures share a similar trajectory in the United States with spectacle and money being key ingredients in the construction of both. This is most apparent in the sports industry in America with billions of dollars in revenue generated every year. During the first half of the twentieth century sports like baseball and boxing commanded a significant amount of cultural and economic capital. It was not unheard of for sports teams, talented athletes and even a few select coaches to ascend to a legendary or even mythical status. The spectacle and revenue generating capacity of amateur and professional …

Differences In Frequency And Severity Of Violence For Intimate Terrorism Across Genders: A Test Of Johnson's Theory, Shelly Wagers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to further build on previous empirical findings regarding Johnsons theory that the gender symmetry debate can at least be partially resolved by acknowledging that two distinct subgroups of physical violence exist within intimate partner violence: Intimate Terrorism (IT) and Situational Couple Violence (SCV). According to Johnsons predictions these separate groups can be distinguished by the use of non-violent control tactics. This study focused on testing the ability of non-violent control tactics to predict the frequency and severity of violence within the sub-group intimate terrorism. It further explored Johnsons assertion that intimate terrorism is gender asymmetric with females …

Social Structure And Social Learning In Delinquency: A Test Of Akers’ Social Structure-Social Learning Model, Stephen W. Verrill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social learning theory (Akers, 1973, 1977, 1985, 1998; Burgess & Akers, 1966) is an established general theory of criminal, deviant, and conforming behavior that finds substantial empirical support (e.g., Akers, Krohn, Lanza-Kaduce & Radosevich, 1979; Akers, La Greca, Cochran & Sellers, 1989; Alarid, Burton & Cullen, 2000; Krohn, Skinner, Massey & Akers, 1985). Although the theory provides insight into the processes that influence criminal behavior, the theory does not speak to the environments that produce such behavior--the domain of structural theories.

Akers (1998) has suggested that social learning theory accounts for differences in crime rates through its mediation of structural …

Cognitive Dissonance In Early Colonial Pictorial Manuscripts From Central Mexico, Lorena Diane Mihok

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between the imagery and glosses displayed on folios from the Codex Telleriano-Remensis, the Codex Magliabechiano, and the Codex Ixtlilxochitl through the application of Leon Festingers concept of cognitive dissonance in order to introduce an alternative approach to the study of codices as points of culture contact. The work analyzes the ways in which this psychological condition manifested itself in post-contact codex production as a result of sixteenth century political and social circumstances.

Festinger (1957:14) identifies the existence of cultural mores as a source of potential dissonance between culturally specific consonant elements. According to …

Perceived Barriers To Breast Cancer Screening: A Comparison Of African American And Caucasian Women, Natalie E. Bastien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although the incidence of breast cancer is high among Caucasian women, African American women continue to experience higher breast cancer mortality and lower survival rates in comparison to Caucasian women of the same age and cancer stage (Thomas, 2004). Research regarding breast cancer screening among ethnic minority women from lower socioeconomic groups is extensive, but there is a lack of research that investigates barriers to breast cancer screening among African American women of higher socioeconomic status. The purpose of this study was to compare health beliefs of African American and Caucasian women regarding perceived barriers to breast cancer screening.

The …

A Methodology For Developing A Nursing Education Minimum Dataset, Aziza A. Rajab

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally, health care professionals, administrators, educators, researchers, and informatics experts have found that minimum dataset and taxonomies can solve the problem of data standardization required in building an information system to advance disciplines body of knowledge. Disciplines continuously gather complex data, but data collected without an organizational context does not increase the knowledge-base. Therefore, a demand exists for developing minimum dataset, controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, and classification systems. To fulfill nursings needs for standardized comparable data, two minimum dataset are used in nursing for organizing, classifying, processing, and managing information for decision-making and advancing clinical nursing knowledge.

No minimum dataset in …

The Effects Of A Leadership And Diversity Awareness Program On Adolescents' Attitudes And Behaviors, Eileen M. Lyons

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A nonequivalent control-group longitudinal design was used to examine the effects of a leadership and diversity awareness program on adolescents knowledge of discriminatory terms, acceptance of diversity, social competence, feelings of social responsibility, and community involvement. Adolescents who did and did not attend a leadership and diversity awareness program (Anytown) completed three analogous surveys in a 12-month period. Similarly, parents of adolescents who did and did not attend the program reported on their childs social competence and community involvement.

Adolescents who attended the program reported greater increases in their social competence, acceptance of diversity, feelings of social responsibility, and community …

The Relationship Between Hot Flashes And Sleep Quality In Women Being Treated For Breast Cancer, Carly Pabon Rn, Bsn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hot flashes are one of the most bothersome symptoms experienced by women who have undergone breast cancer treatment-induced menopause. This vasomotor symptom has been hypothesized to be responsible for decreased sleep quality. This study further investigated the relationship between hot flashes and sleep quality in this population.

The convenience sample consisted of 30 women being seen at an outpatient clinic in a comprehensive cancer center in southwest Florida. All participants were between the ages of 36-65, had a diagnosis of breast cancer and were currently taking a selective estrogen receptor modulator for at least six weeks. The participants completed the …

Predicting Obesity From Four Eating Behaviors, Tovah Yanover

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States. Research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of obesity is vital. One past study examined four eating behaviors in relation to obesity: eating beyond satiety, snacking, night eating, and feeling hungry within three hours of eating. Only eating beyond satiety was associated with obesity. The present study examined these same eating behaviors while correcting some of the flaws of the previous study. Using a cross-sectional design, university undergraduates reported on the frequency of the above-named eating behaviors. Current weight and height were collected. Multiple regression analyses determined that eating beyond satiety …

Age-Related Differences In Cocaine Place Conditioning And Cocaine-Induced Dopamine, Kimberly A. Badanich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In humans, adolescent exposure to illicit drugs predicts the onset of adult drug abuse and suggests that early drug use potentiates adolescent vulnerability to drug addiction. In experiment 1, it was hypothesized that adolescent rats would show a CPP for a low cocaine dose if in fact adolescents are more vulnerable to cocaine's rewarding effects. Place preferences were measured in early adolescent [postnatal day (PND) 35], late adolescent (PND 45) and young adult (PND 60) rats by injecting either 0, 5 or 20 mg/kg cocaine and conditioning them to environmental cues in a 2-chamber place conditioning apparatus. Significant cocaine preferences …

Chromosome Missegregation In Alzheimer’S Disease Caused By Presenilin 1, Debrah I. Boeras

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mutations in the presenilin 1 gene account for most early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). The presenilins and AD may also be related through a common involvement in the cell cycle. Here we report that one important aspect of the cell cycle---proper chromosome segregation---is dependent on presenilin function and therefore may be involved in AD pathogenesis. Specifically we find that FAD mutations in presenilin 1 (M146L and M146V) lead to chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy in vivo and in vitro: 1) Both metaphase chromosome analysis and in situ hybridization reveal significant aneuploidy in the lymphocytes and neurons of PS-1 transgenic mice. 2) …

Seeking Story: Finding The Modern Day Folktale In The Daily News, Brandice Palmer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the local news story for evidence of the folktale tradition. It examines a range of local news stories for their folktale functions. The study compares the cultural and psychological function of the news story to that of the folktale and compares the functional definition of folklore to that of journalism. The study also explores the idea of a classifiable sphere of formal character, motif and plot functions that may be explored within the news story and folktale texts. This study builds on the premise that the study of folklore should be at the center of a consideration …

Exploring The Role Of Social Support In Heterosexual Women’S Use And Receipt Of Non-Lethal Intimate Partner Violence, Kathryn A. Branch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of social support has been found to be a protective factor in women's intimate partner violence victimization. However, little is known about the relationship between women's social support and their intimate partner violence perpetration. Research evidence demonstrates that women's perpetration of violence is surprisingly frequent, particularly in women younger than age 30. This study investigated the role of social support in heterosexual women's use and receipt of non-lethal aggression against an intimate partner among 673 female college students. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.