Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Customer Base Of Service Providers: An Examination Of The Differences Between Switchers And Stayers, Jaishankar Ganesh, Mark J. Arnold, Kristy E. Reynolds

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Creating and maintaining customer loyalty has become a strategic mandate in today's service markets. Recent research suggests that customers differ in their value to a firm, and therefore customer retention and loyalty-building efforts should not necessarily be targeted to all customers of a firm. Given these sentiments, it is becoming increasingly necessary for firms to have a thorough understanding of their customer base. Yet current knowledge is limited in providing insights to firms regarding the differences within their customer base. This research comprises two studies in which the authors examine the differences among internal customer groups in a service industry. …

Duration And Exposure To Virtual Environments: Sickness Curves During And Across Sessions, Robert S. Kennedy, Kay M. Stanney, William P. Dunlap

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Although simulator sickness is known to increase with protracted exposure and to diminish with repeated sessions, limited systematic research has been performed in these areas. This study reviewed the few studies with sufficient information available to determine the effect-that exposure duration and repeated exposure have on motion sickness. This evaluation confirmed that longer exposures produce more symptoms and that total sickness subsides over repeated exposures. Additional evaluation was performed to investigate the precise form of this relationship and to determine whether the same form was generalizable across varied simulator environments. The results indicated that exposure duration and repeated exposures are …

Clutter Modeling In Infrared Images Using Genetic Programming, Liviu I. Voicu, Mosleh Uddin, Harley R. Myler, Anthony Gallagher, Julien Schuler

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Background clutter characterization in infrared imagery has become an actively researched field, and several clutter models have been reported. These models attempt to evaluate the target detection and recognition probabilities that are characteristic of a certain scene when specific target and human visual perception features are known. The prior knowledge assumed and required by these models is a severe limitation. Furthermore, the attempt to model subjective and intricate mechanisms such as human perception with general mathematical formulas is controversial, in this paper, we introduce the idea of adaptive models that are dynamically derived from a set of examples by a …

Internet Use And Its Relation To Mental And Physical Health Among Older Adults, Michael Anthony Mangan

Doctoral Dissertations

This exploratory study examined relations between frequency of Internet use among adults 65 and older and perceptions of social support and personal control. Additionally, standard multiple regression procedures were employed to assess the usefulness of frequency of Internet use, perceived social support, and perceived control as predictors of mental and physical health. Results were that frequency of Internet use was uncorrelated with perceptions of social support and personal control and was not predictive of mental or physical health. Perceived social support and perceived control emerged as predictors of mental and physical health. Recommendations for future research that refines measurement of …

The Moses Illusion In Reading Comprehension, Anne E. Cook

Doctoral Dissertations

The Moses Illusion refers to participants' failure to detect distortions in questions such as, "How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark?" although it was actually Noah's Ark. The Illusion is thought to depend on the semantic relation between the distorted term (e.g., Moses) and the correct term (e.g., Noah). The Illusion literature has been limited mostly to investigations of semantic memory and to a single-question format. The experiments reported in this dissertation examined whether the Illusion extends to longer passages of text and whether it is influenced by the presence of the correct term in …

Lifers: A Study Of At -Risk Adolescent Readers, Pamela Nottage Mueller

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study I put a face and voice to the at-risk adolescent reader. No strangers to failure, these are students who by and large have struggled with reading their entire educational lives but who for whatever reason have been unable to escape the cycle of frustration in which they find themselves caught. These are students who have a great deal to say but who until now have had no forum in which to say it. These are students who deserve to be heard.

For my primary source of data, I utilized Seidman's phenomenological approach to interviewing, conducting a series …

An Image Of Enduring Plurality In Economic Theory: The Root -Metaphor Theory Of Stephen C Pepper, Michael C. Daley

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation establishes an image of enduring plurality in economic theory based on four stable and adequate world hypotheses identified by philosopher of science Stephen C. Pepper. According to Pepper's metaphilosophy---a theory of philosophy---a world hypothesis is a conceptual system founded on a root metaphor. A root metaphor serves as a cognitive focal point or image that guides in the transformation of uncriticized, commonsense, evidence into criticized evidence and thought. A description of a world hypothesis is developed using the root-metaphor method, which derives a unique set of structural categories identified with each root metaphor. In Pepper's system, four sets …

The Perceived Effects Of State -Mandated Testing In New Hampshire, Stephen A. Kossakoski

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: (1) to examine the perceptions of third grade teachers in the state of New Hampshire concerning the state's mandated testing program, and (2) to determine if there was a relationship between teachers' perceptions and their schools' socioeconomic status. The survey instrument designed for this study contained 61 closed response Likert scale items that measured teachers' perceptions regarding changes in curriculum and instruction, sources of pressure to improve test scores, and attitude toward the third grade test. A stratified random sample of 310 third grade teachers was selected to participate in this study. The percentage …

Tuned In: Television And The Teaching Of Writing, Bronwyn Thomas Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

College writing teachers often consider the reading and writing experiences students have had in elementary and high school classes as their only relevant discursive influences. When they do so they risk ignoring what is perhaps the most powerful and ubiquitous form of public discourse and communication in our society: television. This dissertation explores how the pervasive discourse of popular culture on television influences the ways in which incoming college students perceive and engage in writing and reading when they enter a first-year composition course. Through interviews with students and observations of them watching television, I have studied the skills students …

Number, Please: New Hampshire Telephone Operators In The Predial Era, 1877--1973, Judith N. Moyer

Doctoral Dissertations

The predial telephone era in New Hampshire stretched from about 1877 to 1973. This dissertation examines predial telephone operating in the state as a category of women's work. While growing out of and responding to technical invention and development, telephone operating had deep roots in women's social roles; gender defined occupational options, the work environment, the rules of employment, wages, and expectations. As the telephone system developed, differences between telephone operating in large and small exchanges developed; the urban operator eventually worked under conditions of traffic volume, supervision, and control that the rural operator often did not. To uncover the …

Mba In Medical Management, Nova Southeastern University

Huizenga Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Pre-Surgical Evaluation For Epilepsy Surgery, David W. Loring, Kimford J. Meador

Neurosciences

Neuropsychological testing may reflect subtle structural changes that may not be readily apparent with neuroimaging studies, and physiologic disruption of normal neural function secondary to epileptic activity. Neuropsychological testing is used during the pre-operative evaluation for epilepsy surgery to assess functional brain status, which, in turn, provides important information on the risks for post-operative neruopsychological deficits and also provides confirmatory evidence of seizure onset laterality in patients whose seizures originate in temporal lobes. This review will focus primarily on the pre-operative neuropsychological of candidates for temporal lobectomy surgery since they represent the majority of individuals undergoing ablative epilepsy surgery, and …

Docile Bodies--Chemical Restraints And The Female Inmate, Kathleen Auerhahn, Elizabeth Dermody Leonard

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Book Review

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

An Actuarial Risk Assessment Of Violence Posed By Capital Murder Defendants, Jonathan R. Sorensen, Rocky L. Pilgrim

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

On Equality, Bias Crimes, And Just Deserts, Kenneth W. Simons

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Train Wrecks And Freeway Crashes: An Argument For Fairness And Against Self Representation In The Criminal Justice System, Martin Sabelli, Stacey Leyton

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Recent Books

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Is There A Relationship Between Perceived Spousal Support And Marital Satisfaction Of Female Graduate School Students?, Kelle M. Mccallum

Theses

Deciding to return to graduate school as an adult student creates another role for an individual to fulfill Studies have shown that women. especially. feel role strain or conflict more than men when returning to school Little research has been done on the role the woman's spouse plays in her attempts to complete her degree. This correlational study examined perceived spousal support and marital satisfaction among female graduate school students. Thirty-nine female students volunteered for this study. The volunteers completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Student Relationships Questionnaire The results suggest there is a significant relationship between perceived spousal …

Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Self-Esteem As Well As Locus Of Control And Life Satisfaction In Persons Who Are Physically Disabled, Patricia Kaye Mitchell

Theses

Although various aspects of adjustment to disability have been addressed in current research literature, little empirical and specific data has been gathered in the areas of locus of control, self-esteem and life satisfaction. This study furthered recent research by addressing the relationship between these variables. Disabled adults who are mobility impaired were selected from various organizations in the St. Louis, Denver and eastern regions of the United States. Sixty subjects in this study completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Tennessee Self-Concept Scale-Second Edition (TSCS:2) and the Levenson's Internal, Powerful Others and Chance Scale (1, P and C scale). The …

Effects Of Father-Absence On Male Sex Role, Terri L. Portrell

Theses

This study explored the effects that the presence or absence of a father living in the household has on the sex-role development of male children. With an increasing number of males being reared in fatherless, mother-headed families, it is important to understand this phenomenon. Seventy-two male college students, ages 18 to 25, were subjects. Thirty-six were raised in father-present households, while thirty-six were raised in father-absent, mother-headed households. The Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) was employed to assess each subject's sex-role. Past research suggests that males reared without fathers in the home develop a less masculine sex-role orientation and are far …

Leadership And Communication In The Transition To Virtual, Mark K. Reighard

Theses

This culminating project focuses on the transition of work teams from a traditional to a virtual work setting and the approaches and tools used by the manager to make that transition effective.

"Virtual Workplace", Telecommuting, Telework, "Alternative Workplace", and "Work From Home" are all terms and phrases used to describe a situation where at least a portion of a work team's members are not housed in a specific office day in and day out. This type of work setting has been utilized for many years (e.g. the traveling salesman) but is gaining popularity with the advent of enhanced communication tools …

Differences In Perceived Parental Nurturance Between At Risk High School Male Adolescents And Male Bright Flight College Freshman Students, Elizabeth A. Rudin

Theses

This study investigates differences in perceived parental nurturance between two distinct groups: at-risk high school male adolescents and academically successful male Bright Flight college freshmen. Using the Parental Nurturance Scale (PNS), the researcher measured each participant’s perception of parental care and support. The hypothesis proposed that at-risk adolescents would perceive significantly lower levels of nurturance compared to their college-bound counterparts. Participants included 15 at-risk students from a midwestern alternative high school and 15 Bright Flight freshmen attending a private university, each selected for their contrasting academic and behavioral profiles.

Findings confirmed the hypothesis: Bright Flight students reported notably higher levels …

A Comparison Of Behavior Of Children Of Two Parent Families And Children Of Single Parents And Divorced Parents In The Elementary Classroom Setting, Fran Marlene Sprous

Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the classroom behavior of students from single and divorced homes to behavior of students from intact two parent homes. The study was designed to examine students' delinquent/problem behaviors. In this study four third grade classes were randomly selected from a Midwestern public school district. The teachers were instructed to observe their students (n=90) for one month. Of the 90 students, 48 were males and 42 were females. After one month the teachers were asked to complete the Behavior Scale-2 on the 90 students. Results suggest that there is a significant …

Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, And Depression, Jeanne Marie Goacher

Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of depression that is going untreated in adolescents with an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. This study included high school age students (grades 9-12) who either had a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, had never been diagnosed with depression, and who have never been treated for depression and another group who did not have a diagnosis of either ADD/ ADHD or depression. After obtaining parental permission, through a questionnaire format, the students were given the Beck Depression Inventory. A Chi-Square was performed to …

The Effect Of Binaural Auditory Beats On The Anxiety And Psychological Hardiness Levels Of Graduate Students, Terry L. Moore

Theses

Three graduate students from a Midwestern urban university were selected from a pool of volunteers based on elevated levels of anxiety. The students were initially tested using the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire and Hardiness Scale. Students were provided with audio tapes using binaural beats. Each Self-Evaluation Questionnaire score was tracked for the purpose of determining the affect of the audio tapes on levels of anxiety and hardiness. All three students showed reduced levels of anxiety after using the tapes, with either a similar or higher level of Hardiness.

Correlates Of Offenders Among Individuals With Severe Emotional Disturbances, Jaimie Peoples

Theses

Mental illness, in the context of severe and enduring mental illness, is a growing problem particularly among incarcerated individuals and is likely to have implications for the way mental health services are utilized in local jails, state prisons, and federal prisons. The goal of the current study was to determine a relationship between persons suffering from mental illness among individuals with a criminal background.

As the prison populations increase, so do the number of mentally ill individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Many criminals suffer from homelessness and health-related concerns (e.g., substance abuse, HIV infection), these individuals may alternate …

Abusive Relationships: Hidden Crimes, Neidra V. Banton

Theses

Domestic violence is a crime, and the first step toward addressing the problem is through communication. Making society aware that there is a problem starts the process. Once communication of the problem is known then education is the next step. Educating society and all individuals affected by domestic violence whether as a victim or as a community helper is crucial toward stopping the crime.

Research of this social problem comprises the first three chapters of the graduate paper. Chapter one addresses the thoughts and reasons behind the belief that domestic violence is criminal through the research gathered from the social …

A Study Of The Correlation Between Coping Strategies And Locus Of Control, Joyce Everett

Theses

This study explores the relationships between gender, locus of control and coping strategies. The Ways of Coping Questionnaire and Levenson's IPC scale were distributed to employees at a social service agency and at a graduate school in the Midwestern United States. The study consisted of 26 males and 26 females who volunteered to participate by returning the completed instruments. At-test was conducted. and gender differences in locus of control and coping strategies were analyzed. No significant differences were found between locus of control and gender and gender and coping strategies. A Pearson r correlation was completed to determine a direct …

The Redesignment Of An Acute Inpatient Dual Diagnosis Unit, Irene Harris Griggs

Theses

This project will focus on the study of mental illness and chemical abuse/dependence as it has progressed into the entity of dual diagnosis or what experts consider co-existing or co-occurring disorders.

Research has revealed the increase in the number of individuals suffering from co-occurring illnesses since the early 1980's. Because this condition has become the norm rather than the exception, it becomes necessary to focus more clearly on individuals that are diagnosed with this illness and on the most effective treatment in order to assist the individual in recovery.

Individuals have had co-existing or co-occurring disorders prior to the early …