Digital Commons Network^™

Ethnic Differences In Body Mass Index, Christine Anne Vaughan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The greater body mass of African American females relative to Caucasian females is a well-documented finding implicated in ethnic disparities in health outcomes. The principal aim of the current study was to evaluate a theoretical account that may explain ethnic differences in body mass index. The proposed theoretical account focused on appearance-related concerns regarding the desirability of a thin body type as motivation to engage in weight control behavior. It was hypothesized that Caucasians would evidence greater internalization of the thin ideal than African Americans, which would then be associated with greater dietary restriction and physical activity, thereby predicting lower …

Community Of Practice As Community Of Learners: How Foreign Language Teachers Understand Professional And Language Identities, Ruth Ban

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand the transmogrification of four Mexican foreign language teachers as they participate in a teaching exchange in American schools throughout the United States. Previous research into development of competent membership in given communities of practice points to the need for mutual engagement with other community members, an understanding of the community activity, and a shared repertoire among community members. Framed within an activity theory perspective, the present study examined how the teachers's socio-historical background, cultural tools and artifacts, along with other pedagogical activities, community rules, and division of labor mediated the teachers' understanding of their professional …

Rsvp: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Remote Shared Visual Presence On Team Process And Performance In Urban Search & Rescue Teams, Jennifer L. Burke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This field study presents mobile rescue robots as a way of augmenting communication in distributed teams through a remote shared visual presence (RSVP) consisting of the robot's view. It examines the effects of RSVP on team mental models, team processes, and team performance in collocated and distributed Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) technical search teams, and tests two models of team performance.

Participants (n=50) were US&R task force personnel drawn from high-fidelity training exercises held in California (2004) and New Jersey (2005). Data were collected from the 25 dyadic teams as they performed a 2 x 2 repeated measures search …

Framing Requests For Parental Participation In Family Research, David Clay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on fathers and their willingness to participate in family related research studies. Traditional expectations of parental roles have hindered the inclusion of fathers in research studies despite gradual changes in cultural norms and research studies that indicate fathers have a significant influence on the developmental outcomes of children. Recent work in this area indicates that fathers are just as likely as mothers to participate in family related research. This study sought to shed light on this issue. Employees at three large Southeastern Universities were asked to participate in one of three different types of research: Academics, Athletics, …

Implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: Exploring The Influence Of Socio-Cultural, Academic, Behavioral, And Implementation Process Variables, Rachel Mara Cohen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the influence of academic, behavioral, and sociocultural variables on the implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS), a system intended to improve discipline in school buildings. The number of schools that are implementing SWPBS has been increasing dramatically over the years as school violence continues to rise and solutions are needed to improve school climate. This study examined the relationship between three categories of variables and the level of implementation of SWPBS in three multiple regression analyses. The categories were school demographic variables (i.e., ethnicity, socio-economic status, teacher: student ratio, percentage of teachers who are out-of-field), severity …

The Commodification Of Yoga In Contemporary U.S. Culture, Michelle E. Demeter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Yoga is an increasingly visible and versatile commodity in the United States health market. Though its origins stretch to pre-Vedic India and its traditional religious purpose is linked to Hinduism, it is evident that yoga has undergone much change since its transmission to U.S. culture. In its popular, widespread incarnation in the United States, yoga is not usually learned at the feet of a guru, but at exercise centers and gyms. These secular locales of yoga's practice help define the "yoga phenomenon" in contemporary America. This phenomenon has resulted in yoga's wide acceptance and high visibility in American popular culture …

An Examination Of The Experiences Of Five African American Male Students With Regard To School Discipline Practices, Simon Yohann Earle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are numerous studies that address the issue of discipline practices in schools. Within the last decade there have been an increasing number of scholars and school district personnel who have written about discipline, and more specifically, the discipline of specific populations of students such as African Americans. Although many of these studies address the disparate disciplinary practices that occur in many school districts, little attention is devoted to how students understand these practices in the larger context of their general school experiences. This research intends to fill the void in the literature that utilizes the experiences of students to …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Presence Of Critical Components Of Classroom Positive Behavior Support And Student Behavior, Gregory S. Ern

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the presence of classroom components of positive behavior support and student behavior outcomes. Data were collected using the Tool for Assessing Classroom Level-Positive Behavior Support (TACL-PBS) developed by Ern (2004) to assess the presence or absence of critical components of positive behavior support at the classroom level. Descriptive data on the instrument including the internal consistency, interrater agreement, and concurrent validity were analyzed and are included in this report. Forty classrooms from ten diverse elementary schools in three school districts were selected to participate in this study. Office discipline …

Linking Pretreatment Therapist Characteristics To The Therapeutic Alliance In Youth Treatment: An Examination Of Professional Burnout, Counseling Self-Efficacy And Gender Role Orientation, Jessica B. Handelsman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated three pretreatment therapist characteristics (professional burnout, counseling self-efficacy, and gender role orientation) in relation to the therapeutic alliance within the context of youth treatment. It was hypothesized that the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions of burnout would be negatively associated with the alliance, while the personal accomplishment dimension of burnout and counseling self-efficacy would be positively associated with the alliance. In addition, it was hypothesized that androgynous therapists would have superior alliances, relative to stereotypically masculine or feminine therapists. Participants were 42 pairs of therapists and youth clients. Prior to intake, therapists completed the Maslach Burnout …

Mentor And Mentee Perceptions Of The Importance And Effectiveness Of Mentor Support, Cenira Holcomb

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods action research study explored the congruence between mentor and mentee perceptions of the importance and effectiveness of 12 district-specific focus areas of mentor support. While reviewing current data pertaining to teacher attrition, the researcher observed a limited availability of investigations relating to the perceived role of the mentor teacher based on the experiences and observations of both the novice and mentor teacher.The target population for this study was 70 novice and mentor special education teachers during the 2005--2006 school year employed at 13 middle schools in a school district located in Florida. Of the 70 beginning and mentor …

The Relationship Between Nurses' Anxiety And Attitude Related To Pediatric Hospice, Teresa Lyn Hoover

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To lose a child is a profoundly emotional experience. Even if it is not your own, the experience involves deeply held beliefs about death, the quality of death, ethics, and perhaps personal experience. Left unexplored, these beliefs and the anxiety they may produce, can become barriers to providing quality end-of-life care for children with life limiting conditions and their families. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between hospice nurses' attitudes toward providing pediatric hospice care and the level of anxiety they may experience related to pediatric hospice care. A self administered questionnaire was completed by 30 …

Effects Of Trait Anxiety And Cognitive Appraisals On Emotional Reactions To Psychological And Physical Stressors, Qutayba Abdullatif

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of individual differences in trait anxiety on cognitive appraisals and emotional reactions to stressful situations. Specifically, the effects of trait anxiety on the evaluation of psychological and physical threats to well-being were examined in relation to state-anxiety. To accomplish this goal, a proposed model consisting of elements from the Lazarus and Folkman Stress and Coping Model (1984) and Spielberger's State Trait distinctions is presented. To our knowledge, this is the first proposed model to attempt to combine trait anxiety, primary and secondary appraisals, and state anxiety and to utilize path analytic models in assessing empirical …

Analysis Of The Role Of Residential Segregation On Perinatal Outcomes In Florida, Georgia And Louisiana, Tabia Henry Akintobi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between residential segregation (the physical separation of Blacks and Whites in residential contexts) and adverse perinatal outcomes (low birth weight, preterm delivery and small for gestational age births) in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. The study determined the independent effect of the level of residential segregation on the likelihood of adverse perinatal outcomes after controlling for contextual and individual factors. The study also assessed whether the relationship between residential segregation and adverse perinatal outcomes were moderated by ethnicity and median income.The studied employed an observational, cross-sectional study design that utilized secondary …

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' …

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. …

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, …

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.