Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Decision Aids On User Behavior: Implications For Knowledge Acquisition And Inappropriate Reliance, Steven M. Glover, Douglas F. Prawitt, Brian C. Spilker

Faculty Publications

Structured decision aids are widely used in many organizational settings, and their influence on judgment consistency and accuracy have received considerable attention in the literature. While two benefits commonly associated with decision aid use are improved judgment and enhanced expertise development, relatively little attention has been directed toward the potential influence of decision aids on decision maker behavior. In particular, we argue that the use of structured aids may influence relatively inexperienced decision makers to approach aided tasks mechanistically, without becoming actively involved in the task or judgment. Such passive decision behavior may, in some situations, threaten gains in performance …

An Evaluation Of The Clinical Utility Of The College Adjustment Scales, Timothy B. Smith, Mark A. Nafziger, Gwenna C. Couillard

Faculty Publications

Comparisons of College Adjustment Scales (CAS) profiles with interview data from 748 clients generally supported the clinical usefulness of the CAS, although further refinements appear warranted.

A Study Of The "Grassroots Integrated Development Agency" In Uganda, John B. D. Kakembo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

When poverty in Uganda deepened due to the miseries and destabilization caused by economic mismanagement, turbulent politics, and the incessant civil wars in Uganda up to 1985, all public, private, and religious organizations were adversely affected. At the end of 1985, conditions in the Seventh-day Adventist church were characterized by massive poverty among its rural membership, a slow church-growth annual rate of 4.9 percent--the lowest tithe per capita in the Eastern Africa Division (EAD)--and the lowest remuneration scales for pastors in the EAD. In 1986, an indigenous, grassroots organization sprouted in the SDA church under the leadership of a …

A Seminar On The Dynamics, Prevention, And Legal Implications Of Clergy Sexual Misconduct, Jorge E. Rico

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Clergy sexual misconduct has become a major problem among Christian denominations. It involves violation of expectations and the breaking of public trust. There is also a growing awareness in our society of the legal implications of clergy sexual misconduct. This present study was to prepare, present, and evaluate a seminar for pastors on the dynamics, prevention, and legal implications of clergy sexual misconduct.

Method

Research was done to help ministers understand the dynamics, prevention, and legal implications of clergy sexual misconduct. Then, a seminar was conducted in four areas of the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This seminar was …

Falling From The Faith : Causes Of Membership Dropout In The Grenada Mission Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Clinton P. Lewis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This study endeavored to find the causes of membership dropout in the Grenada Mission of Seventh-day Adventists and the ways that it may be reduced. The dissertation investigates the biblical and theological basis for seeking to reduce dropouts by undertaking a study of the Great Commission and God’s concern for dropouts. A select review of relevant literature on dropouts was done in an effort to get an overview of the problem in various denominations and regions, as well as to receive insights in reducing dropouts.

One hundred and sixty-nine questionnaires were completed by dropouts, and twenty-one by church leaders in …

Understanding And Dealing With Ancestral Practices In Botswana, Stanley P. Chikwekwe

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Ancestral and other traditional practices continue to trouble the Seventh-day Adventist Church in several parts of the world. It is not uncommon for believers to seek ancestors' mediation whenever they are faced with problems. Most church members deny that ancestral and other traditional practices exist within the church, whereas others do not want to discuss the issue o f traditional practices because of fear of being labeled superstitious. The denial is due to the way the church has handled ancestral practices in the past. Because most members do not know what to do when problems come, they revert to …

Setting Standards For Parenting - By What Right?, James G. Dwyer

Faculty Publications

Mental health professionals, like other professionals involved in family
matters, feel constrained when advocating for the interests of children by the belief
that parents are entitled to custody and control of their children's lives, regardless of
what others may think of their parenting behavior, absent severe harm to the children.
This belief is morally untenable, and the legal doctrine of parental rights that is its
concrete embodiment is inconsistent with other well-established legal principles and
should be abandoned. Children alone should have legal rights in connection with their
upbringing, and those rights should include an entitlement to much higher standards …

The Interactive Constitution: An Essay On Clothing Emperors And Searching For Constitutional Truth, Neal Devins

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Price Theory And Vertical Restraints: A Misunderstood Relation, Alan J. Meese

Faculty Publications

The Chicago School of antitrust analysis has exerted a strong influence over the law of vertical restraints in the past two decades, leading the Supreme Court to abandon much of its traditional hostility toward such agreements. Chicago's success has provoked a vigorous response from Populists, who support the traditional approach. Chicago, Populists claim, has improperly relied upon neoclassical price theory to inform the normative and descriptive assumptions that drive its analysis of trade restraints generally and of vertical restraints in particular. This reliance is misplaced, Populists assert, because the real world departs from that portrayed by price-theoretic models and, at …

Martin Ritt's Portrait Of An Artist: Cross Creek, Gabriel Miller

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

A Study To Determine The Differences In Undergraduate Technology Education Teacher Preparation Curricula In Virginia, Cecil Stanley Burgett

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

These goals were analyzed to detect the specific variances among the four technology education certification programs in Virginia: 1. How are the Virginia technology education teacher preparation programs accredited? 2. What is the pedagogical curriculum in undergraduate technology education teacher preparation at each university? 3. What is the technical content of the four Virginia undergraduate technology education teacher preparation programs? 4. What are the field experiences of the four Virginia undergraduate technology education teacher preparation programs? 5. What are the general education requirements of each program?

A Study To Determine And Compare Employee Health Insurance Policies At Old Dominion University, Heather M. Canada

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem of this study was to look at the following questions: 1. How do the various employee insurance plans differ from each other? 2. Which plan offers the best medical, prescription, dental, hospitalization and mental coverage? 3. Which plan is most popular among Old Dominion University employees? 4. How much does insurance cost per month?

Drug Prevention Programs Used By Hampton And Newport News School Districts, Charles E. Casey

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Although each school district's drug prevention program operates as a separate entity from the next one, managers might operate their programs more efficiently if information is discovered that could improve them During this study, the researcher would: 1. Identify major differences between the Newport News and the Hampton City Schools Drug Prevention Programs; 2. Determine by comparison if the two drug prevention programs are effective as used or can be improved; 3. Determine if there is a direct correlation between drug usage and a drop in grades; 4. Assess whether each drug prevention program is designed to prevent drug usage …

Patterns Of Safety Issues Found At Western Branch High School, Chesapeake, Virginia, Bruce Lytle

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The following questions need to be answered to solve the research problem: 1. What were the most prevalent crimes that have occurred at the school? 2. Which crimes pose the greatest threat to students and staff? 3. What procedures can be implemented to reduce threatening crimes?

A Study To Determine The Reasons Why Old Dominion University Military Career Transition Program Students Selected Certification To Teach Technology Education As A Second Career, Michael G. Owen

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

In order to guide this study, the following questions were posed: 1. What were the prime factors that influenced the current Military Career Transition Program students to choose technology education certification in lieu of a traditional core curriculum certification? 2. What are the psychological type preferences of the Military Career Transition Program students who chose licensure as a technology education teacher? 3. What were the significant strengths and weaknesses of the Old Dominion University technology education program? 4. What are the current student's recommendations to enhance curriculum requirements and improve student satisfaction?

A Follow-Up Study Of Technology Education Graduates Of Old Dominion University 1986-1996, Mark D. Siciliano

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Through the follow-up study, data was collected toward fulfilling the following objectives: 1) to determine if graduates of Old Dominion University's Technology Education Undergraduate Program were adequately prepared to assume teaching positions; 2) to determine whether the goals established in the college's conceptual framework were being attained; 3) to determine if these graduates are teaching traditional vocational programs or technology education; 4) to determine what improvements can be made to the undergraduate curriculum at Old Dominion University based upon graduate's feedback.

Teacher's Attitudes Of Block Scheduling And Lesson Preparation Quality/Time In Two Virginia Beach City Public High Schools, Christin G. Browning

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem of the study was to compare teacher's lesson preparation time and utilization of alternative teaching methods during block scheduling as compared to the traditional seven-bell schedule at Kempsville and Princess Anne High Schools in Virginia Beach, Virginia

A Study To Examine Patterns And Performance Trends Among Black And White School Students On A National Level From The 1970s To The 1990s, Otis L. Miller

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

This study will attempt to accomplish the following research goals: 1. Explore some of the characteristics of low self-esteem or image and motivation among black school children; 2. Examine the academic performance trends between black and white school children by making a comparison between dropout rates, science scores, mathematics scores, and reading scores; 3. Analyze the overall effectiveness of public school desegregation.

Specific Dopaminergic Manipulation Of The Internal Clock Mechanism, Lianne Elizabeth Stanford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Using non-specific dopaminergic agents, Meck (1983, 1986) and his colleagues have repeatedly demonstrated manipulations of the internal clock mechanism, while showing no other changes to the psychophysical function (DL & WF). The current study used analyses and procedures similar to those of Meck (1983) and investigated the internal clock mechanism with the specific D2 agonist, quinpirole. Two groups were trained with saline and tested with quinpirole (0.08 mg/kg). One group was naive to the drug prior to testing (DN), while the other had previous drug exposure (DE). A third group (DT) was trained with quinpirole, and tested with saline. The …

Barely A Whisper In The System: Parents' Perspectives On The Prevention Of Foster Care Placement, Tammie O. Belliveau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite an abundance of literature stressing the need to prevent child maltreatment and foster care placement, information related to the prevention of foster care placement and child maltreatment from a parent's perspective is virtually nonexistent. This research utilized qualitative research techniques to elicit parental perspectives on the prevention of foster care placement and child maltreatment. Results were analyzed utilizing Belsky's (1980) ecological framework for child maltreatment and a risk and protective framework. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical, research, practical and personal implications. Practical implications stress the importance of creating interventions which (a) strive to build self-esteem, (b) provide …

Animal Memory Processes For Number And Time: Pigeons, Methamphetamine, And The Internal Clock Model, James W. Coyle

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The mode-control model of counting and timing (Meek & Church, 1983) suggests that discriminations based on number and time may be controlled by the same internal clock mechanism. In Experiment 1, two groups of pigeons were initially trained to perform delayed symbolic matching-to-sample (DSMTS) at a 5s fixed baseline delay, with sample stimuli that consisted of sequences of flashing light. Testing was conducted with a range of delays (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10s). In the Number Group, control by number was established by varying the number of flashes while holding time constant. In the Time Group, control by time, …

Achieving Diversity (Sciences, Relativism, Compassion), Erich John Knerr

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis is about achieving diversity in our society and in our world. In it I examine attributes of relativism as well as understandings of our existence in order to develop a model for achieving diversity. I examine our present model of science and the approach of romanticism and conclude that our sciences today are really about control and domination. I propose that the goals of our sciences should not be about domination, and therefore neither should our methods of science. Further, I propose that attributes of relativism represent a necessary beginning in achieving diversity and in bringing compassion into …

The Comprehensive Organizational Social Support Tool: Cosst Assessment, Amanda Kroger

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis describes the development of an instrument (the Comprehensive Organizational Social Support Tool (COSST)) designed to assess the extent to which organizations foster socially supportive interactions amongst their employees. Research indicates that the support that individuals receive from their co-workers in the workplace can have a significant impact on their physical and emotional health, and their commitment to, and performance within, an organization. Organizations can do much to foster these kinds of supportive interactions. However, in order for an organization to determine the strategies it should employ in enhancing support, it is necessary to assess what it is currently …

A Case Study Of Partnerships In Practice, Heather Lorraine Macgillivary

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite calls for partnership from government, human service organizations, researchers, consumers and providers, there is very little literature about partnership. This research attempts to better understand the concept of partnership through a case study of Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health Inc., an organization which is implementing partnership oriented practices. Data collected included 11 key informant interviews, a review of documents, and process notes. Findings were organized around definition, facilitative and impeding factors, and outcomes of partnership. Defining values of partnership which emerged were collaborative interaction, power-sharing, shared decision-making, stakeholder involvement, resource sharing, shared responsibility, and equality. Facilitative and impeding …

Cross-Cultural Differences In Parenting And Moral Development In Late Adolescence: A Narrative Approach, Wanna E. Mar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigated differences in parenting and late adolescents’ moral development in two cultural groups: Chinese-Canadian and European-Canadian Measures of parental authoritativeness and degree of parental influence on moral values were administered to a sample of 62 European-Canadian and 40 Chinese-Canadian university students, aged 17-26 years. The participants were then compared with respect to two outcome measures, one assessing the degree to which they internalized and represented parents’ viewpoints (“voice”) in narratives about moral socialization, and the other assessing level of moral reasoning development. Results indicated that reported parental authoritativeness was positively related to the degree of parent “voice” displayed …

Social Support, Campus Involvement, And The Adjustment To University, Krista Martin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis sought to assess the relationships between students’ involvement in campus life and their adjustment to university. Additionally, the study examined some of the possible determinants of involvement in campus activities (i.e., living in residence, past involvement in school activities, and parental community involvement). Ninety-eight introductory psychology students completed a questionnaire containing measures of campus involvement, social support, residential status, students’ past involvement in school activities and their parents’ involvement in community organizations. Results indicated that students who were involved in campus organizations and activities were better adjusted to university social life. In addition, there was some evidence that …

Value Dilemmas In Striving For Social Justice: A Case Study Of The Working Centre (Ontario), Stephen Orr

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examines the Working Centre, a self-help resource centre for the unemployed in Kitchener, and how it has responded to the changing nature of work. It explores the growth of global capitalism and the impact of new technologies on the workplace. The study also examines how economic restructuring leads to high levels of unemployment and part-time work. The thesis reviews the Working Centre’s mission, goals and objectives, and how these have been translated into action in the Centre’s early years and today. Finally, this study discusses the Centre’s efforts to pursue a social justice agenda in a rapidly changing …

A Qualitative, Participatory Study Of The Process Of Becoming An Advocate For Nonhuman Animals, Angela Kathleen Raithby

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis begins with an overview of some published works concerning oppression, its alleviation and the interconnectedness of its various forms, as they relate to the diverse area which is loosely referred to as ‘animal rights’. In general terms, the ultimate goal of choosing to do this thesis in the area of animal rights is to further the defence of nonhuman animals. The purpose of this specific project is to document, compare, and contrast a range of examples of the process of changing relationships and becoming an advocate for other animals. These examples, the experiences and life stories of five …

Breaking The Silence: New Immigrant Children Affected By War Trauma. Community Needs And Resources Assessment, Danijela Seskar-Hencic

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The main purpose of this study was to provide a basis for and facilitate the development of strategies and programs based on actual life experiences of the refugee families and their children and on present needs and resources in the Kitchener-Waterloo community. The participants in the study included three refugee families and their children from Somalia, Kurdistan and Bosnia, English as a Second Language teachers, cultural assistants (settlement counsellors), and a local community group. Qualitative data obtained from the participants were complemented with demographic characteristics relevant to the phenomenon of war trauma among children in the K-W Region The qualitative …

Mk-801 Interferes With The Acquisition Of Amphetamine- And Lithium-Induced Place Conditioning, Jonathan Francis Toth

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The place conditioning paradigm was used to assess the ability of the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, M- 801 to interfere with drug-place associations. MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg, ip) attenuated a place preference produced by 10 mg/kg, but not by 3 or 5 mg/kg of amphetamine. MK-801 alone produced neither a place preference nor a place aversion. Interference with amphetamine place preference learning was not the result of state-dependent learning produced by MK-801. Furthermore, MK-801 did not interfere with the expression of a previously established amphetamine place preference. Pretreatment with MK-801 also interfered with lithium-induced conditioned place aversion learning. These results suggest …