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The Celebration Of Same-Sex Marriage, Bruce Macdougall

All Faculty Publications

This article explores the nature of discourse about equality, in particular homosexual equality, and situates the current debate about same-sex marriage in that discourse. The author explores the idea that legal discourse about equality moves among sites that may be labeled condemnation, compassion, condonation and celebration. Achievement of real (as opposed to formal) legal equality requires advancement at each of these sites. In Canada, legal discourse about equality for gays and lesbians at the first three sites has been largely successful and contention now is at the site of celebration. Marriage is a profoundly symbolic institution, representing state celebration of …

Movin' On Up To The 21st Century: Multiculturalism… Making The Abstract Applied, Vonda Dionne Jones-Hudson

Open Access Dissertations

The following evaluative study looks at a psychology department's organizational development and change process. Using the Multicultural Environment Inventory (MEI) (Pope-Davis & Liu, 1995), the Departmental Cross Reference to the MEI (DCR-MEI) (Jones-Hudson, 1997), and a short version of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (Reynolds, 1982), this research assessed the psychometric properties of the surveys and the effects of the 3-year intervention designed to assist the University of Rhode Island's Psychology Department in its journey towards multicultural proficiency. Using information from an initial consult in 1995, data was collected in 1998 to measure change specific to the environment and curricula …

An Analysis Of Rhode Island Child Opportunity Zones Through The Lens Of Whole-School Change, Susan Patricia Casey Torrey

Open Access Dissertations

This study investigated Rhode Island Child Opportunity Zones (COZ), a school-linked service integration initiative that provides students and their families' links to health, mental health, and social services. Twenty-one elementary and three middle COZ schools were compared to twenty-one and three middle matched schools on a whole school level utilizing the High Performance Learning Communities Assessment, which is a comprehensive measure of school change. Comparison schools were matched on student demographics of gender, ethnicity, and free lunch status. Schools were compared on hundreds of variables across various stakeholders, including parents, school staff, school administrators, and students. The study found limited …

Cultural Conditioning And Mother/Daughter Conflicts In The Development Of Identity And Voice: The Autobiographical Fiction Of Dorothy Allison, Wan-So Pak, And Maxine Hong Kingston, Eunjoo Woo

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examines the fictionalized autobiographies of three women writers from different cultures and ethnicities and analyzes the development of female identity, subjectivity, and voice through the mother/daughter relationships in Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out Of Carolina, Wan-So Pak's The Naked Tree and Mother's Stake 1, and Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior. These three women writers introduce the mother/daughter conflicts and suggest ways to reconcile with each other or to solve their problems in their particular and cultural contexts. Also, in spite of their cultural differences, all three women writers share their belief that the process of the daughter's search …

Departure: A Novella And Other Stories., William Matthew Carter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Departure: A Novella and Other Stories is my master’s thesis written during the fall semester of 2000. The novella and two of the stories are original works created during this time. The remaining stories were written during various fiction workshops. The stories and novella all deal with individuals coming to the precipice of a major experience in their lives. My work deals with the psychological or worldly concerns these characters must ponder in deciding whether to withdraw, act, or leap from their precipice. Some themes I explore in this work as a whole include addictions, homelessness, death, and physical, mental, …

An Examination Of The Role Of Cognitive Readiness And Self-Efficacy In Parenting Stress And Coping., Ellen Winifred Leen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cognitive readiness and self-efficacy are similar in that they can be thought of as components of the secondary appraisal process of stress and coping, and each construct includes parental knowledge. We examined self-efficacy and cognitive readiness as they relate to processes of stress and coping, expecting that overlap between the constructs would be accounted for by the role of knowledge. Sixty mothers of toddlers completed questionnaire packets. Our data revealed that, while distinct, cognitive readiness and maternal self-efficacy relate in similar manners to problem-focused coping, and that relation was mediated by stress. This finding suggests that cognitive readiness and self-efficacy …

Social Exchange Theory, Interpersonal Communication Motives, And Volunteerism: Identifying Motivation To Volunteer And The Rewards And Costs Associated., Michael Wesley Corrigan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The research objective of this study was to identify the motives behind an individual’s reasons for volunteering and discuss the equilibrium of rewards versus costs needed in order to sustain and better manage volunteer staffs. The participants for this study were drawn from a sample population of 177 individuals from three states (Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia) who actively participated as volunteers. The sample participants were active volunteers in six different organizations that assisted hospital patients, underprivileged or at-risk youth, church related concerns, schools, and other miscellaneous services. Answers to the research questions proposed in this study offered a start …

Vocabulary Cards As A Strategy For Vocabulary Acquisition Of English As A Second Language: The Learners' Perspectives., Maria Teresa Barbosa Das Neves

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of vocabulary cards has been advocated by various authors (Gairns and Redman, 1986; McCarthy, 1990; Schmitt and Schmitt, 1995; Hopkins and Bean, 1997) as a strategy to enhance vocabulary acquisition in both first language and second language acquisition. However, there has not been much focus on the students’ perspectives of this strategy. The present study examines the learners’ perspectives of the use of vocabulary cards as a vocabulary learning strategy with special emphasis given to the use of drawing as a strategy. Data were collected via a questionnaire, in class observation and interviews with both learners and instructors. …

The Effects Of Personality Traits On General Disclosiveness., Aaron Douglas Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between an individual’s temperament and her/his general disclosiveness. This study utilized Eysenck’s model of temperament and the Five Factor model of personality to predict an individual’s level of general disclosiveness and the sub-components of disclosiveness. The results indicated that both models were relatively equal predictors of general disclosiveness. Both models were moderately strong predictors of the valence and honesty dimensions of an individual’s disclosiveness. A moderately strong negative correlation between neuroticism and the valence dimension of disclosiveness was established. Finally, psychoticism and three factors (openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) of …

Exploring Out-Of-Class Communication: The Development And Testing Of A Measure., Jennifer Lee-Ann Knapp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine out-of-class communication (OCC) between students and instructors. More specifically, the study was concerned with student immediacy, instructor immediacy, student affect for the course and affect for the instructor, and student motives for communicating with their instructors outside of the classroom. Participants were students enrolled in undergraduate communication classes at two institutions, Canisius College and West Virginia University. 218 participants completed surveys regarding the instructor they talked to the most outside of the classroom (e.g. during office hours, on campus, or around town). Results of the study show that OCC is positively and …

Generational Factors And Resource Availability: A Study Of The Key Components Of Social Capital Formation., Jeffrey Jay Himes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, we join the discourse concerning social capital and its formation. Social capital has been identified as a key ingredient to the creation of interconnected community. We theorize that access to resources plays a more prominent role than does membership in a particular age set in the production of engaged and involved community members. In our study, we categorize individuals by age set and resource level and make comparisons between groups and upon individuals among the various (5) indicators of social capital. Our analysis of the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation data implies that individuals who are resource low …

A Non-Invasive Technique For Monitoring Miotic Eye Responses., Ahmed M. El-Sherbeeny

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The eye is a very sensitive organ of the human body, and is subject to many hazards that may cause disorders such as miosis. Thus non-costly, non-invasive, safe methods for pupil assessment and monitoring are of the essence. Proposed is a simple eye scanning mechanism that periodically reports whether the pupil has experienced miosis or dilatation due to an external illumination source. The process uses a Clanguage program to control the image-grabbing process, as well as determining the pupil constriction/dilation conditions. The program focuses on dynamically isolating the pupil by producing a threshold for it that varies with the measured …

Controllability And Anxious Responding: Experimental Evaluation Using 20% Carbon Dioxide-Enriched Air., Michael J. Zvolensky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although emotional control maintains a central role in contemporary models of anxiety pathology, particularly panic disorder, there is little understanding about the ways in which specific control processes alter anxiety-related responding. In the present study, offset control over eight 20% carbon dioxide-enriched air administrations was experimentally manipulated in a large nonclinical population (n = 96) varying in anxiety sensitivity (high or low) and gender. Dependent measures included self-reported anxiety, affective reports of valence, arousal, emotional control, and physiological indices of heart rate and skin conductance. High anxiety sensitive participants who lacked offset control reported significantly greater elevations in self-reported anxiety, …

The Relationship Of Motivation And Psychological Skills Of Senior Game Participants To Performance., Keiba Lynn Shaw

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Involvement in physical activity and sports in the senior population has been shown within the literature to provide these athletes with improved health status and psychological benefits (McPherson, 1984). To date, few studies have examined psychological factors, such as motivation and psychological skills, in relation to senior athletes' participation in competitive sports. The sport psychology literature does include the measurement of the constructs of motivation and psychological skills via the use of the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory - 28 (ACSI-28) (Smith, Schultz, Smoll, & Ptacek, 1995) and the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) (Pelletier, Fortier, Vallerand, Tuson, Briere, & Blais, 1995) …

Matewan Before The Massacre: Politics, Coal, And The Roots Of Conflict In Mingo County, 1793-1920, Rebecca J. Bailey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

On May 19, 1920, gunshots rang through the streets of Matewan, West Virginia, in an event soon known as the “Matewan Massacre.” Most historians of West Virginia and Appalachia see this event as the beginning of a long series of events known as the second mine wars. This dissertation argues that this event was, rather, the culmination of an even longer series of events that unfolded in Mingo County, dating back at least to the Civil War, and setting the stage for the second mine war. Equally important, while it is outside the scope of this dissertation, the conflicts in …

Mapp Goes Abroad, Craig M. Bradley

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

The Electoral College, The Right To Vote, And Our Federalism: A Comment On A Lasting Institution, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Guy-Uriel E. Charles

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The Electoral College has been subject to a constant barrage of criticism. This raises an obvious question: how has the College managed to survive despite its lack of popularity, its opacity and its generally controversial nature?

Commentators look to the wisdom and staying power of the founding generation as well as to the force of history and tradition. In this Article, we look carefully at a third possibility. That is, we look to the foundation of our political structure and the nature of our democratic commitments.

In this vein, we are particularly intrigued by the question of electoral legitimacy. To …

Flow In Golf: Motivation, Goal Orientation, And Challenge Determinant., Sei-Yi Oh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between variables which were intrinsic motivation; goal orientation; skill level; challenge level; side-bets and flow experiences. The data were collected from golfers playing three different golf courses who volunteered to participate in this study. Ninety-one out of 117 participants answered all seven parts of questionnaires. The results of the multiple regression analysis were based on the ninety-one participants' questionnaires. Five hypotheses were addressed. The first hypothesis was that golfers who are more intrinsically motivated will experience higher levels of flow. The result of multiple regression analysis support hypothesis 1. The …

The Perceptions Of Traditional And Nontraditional Students Toward The Level I Spanish Textbook., Tyrone Frederick Parker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study posed ten hypotheses based on 13 pedagogical elements contained in the literature concerning the unique needs of nontraditional students. The study tested the hypotheses that traditional and nontraditional students' evaluation of the foreign language textbook would not differ based on gender, full-time or part-time status, age, having a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED), and grade point average. The textbook evaluation instrument chosen for this study was the Proficiency-Oriented Textbook Evaluation Form. It was chosen for this research study because of its proven usefulness in evaluating the value of foreign language textbooks and because all …

Lifestyle Management: The Effects Of An Intensive Lifestyle Management Course On Behavioral, Psychological, Physiological, And Psycho-Behavioral Factors., Jeffrey Scott Pauline

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an intensive one-week Lifestyle Management course on behavioral, psychological, physiological, and psycho-behavioral factors. The current study contained forty-five participants (N = 45) which included twenty-four individuals enrolled in the Lifestyle Management course (experimental group) and twenty-one matched individuals (control group). The experimental group experienced high-level wellness in the intensive one-week course of Lifestyle Management. The control group did not participate in the Lifestyle Management course or any other wellness course prior to the study. The experimental and control groups were evaluated at three time points: prior to entering the …

The Impacts Of Technology On Interactivity In A Distance Learning Course., Christine Ann Peterson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the impacts of technology on interactions in a distance learning course. This study was directed by three categories of research questions: (1) How does technology impact interactions overtime? (2) How does technology impact interactions at host versus remote sites? (3) How does technology impact interactions according to students' perceptions? The population consisted of 14 master's level students in a distance learning course delivered via video conferencing technology (two-way audio and video) at West Virginia University. The students were registered in a Family/Community/Rural Health Systems nursing course conducted during the summer, 2001. The course was delivered to two …

Relationships Among Grammatical Accuracy, Discourse Features, And The Quality Of Second Language Writing: The Case Of Thai Efl Learners., Charuporn Pongsiriwet

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study attempted to combine the study of grammatical accuracy with the study of discourse features of second language writing. It was designed to investigate (1) the frequent types of grammatical errors in EFL writing; (2) whether there is a relationship between scores on grammatical accuracy and discourse features of writing; and (3) the effects of grammatical accuracy and discourse features on the evaluation of writing quality. The participants of the study consisted of 155 university freshmen majoring in agriculture, education, engineering, English, and general science who enrolled in Foundation English at Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus in Thailand. Data …

Trauma, Criterion A, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Scientific Utility And Definitional Validity., Kenneth Joseph Ruggiero

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research examining the relation between trauma and psychopathology has contributed to the identification of individuals who, following exposure to various potentially traumatic events (e.g., domestic violence, rape), may be at high risk for post-trauma difficulties (e.g., sleep disturbance, heightened displays of hypervigilant behavior). However, the validity of the definitional characteristics of trauma has not adequately been explored. For instance, few studies have targeted the extent to which reports of perceived life threat, injury, or peritraumatic responses of “horror,” “fear,” and “helplessness” are associated with various forms of trauma-relevant responding. Yet, reports of such subjective emotional responses and event characteristics are …

An Assessment Of Assertion Skills Among Adults With Mild Mental Retardation., Vicki Ann Lumley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although assertion is a topic that has been the focus of a great deal of research, little attention has been paid to assertive behavior and individuals with mental retardation. The purpose of the current study was to assess the assertion skills of adults with mild mental retardation using comparison samples of high assertive and low assertive college students. Indirect assessment measures (i.e., self-report), direct behavioral measures (i.e., role-play assessment), and social validity ratings (i.e., ratings of interpersonal attractiveness provided by blind raters) were used, and the results compared. Self-report assessment was found to be an acceptable method of evaluating assertion …

The Job Satisfaction Level Of Chinese And Indian-Born Engineering Faculty At A Research I University., Susan Mary Madhavan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to assess the job satisfaction level of Engineering faculty from India, Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China at a Research I University. Analysis was based on how academic rank, country of origin, or gender affected their level of job satisfaction and their degree of adjustment to the department, the college or the university as a whole. The following factors were assessed: teaching, research, recognition, workload, physical surroundings, reward systems, administration, collegiality and service. Structured interviews were conducted and taped of twenty faculty members at the study institution, detailing the above factors. An overall …

The Effects Of Framing On Older And Younger Adults' Medical Decision-Making., Deborah Rettig Mckee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This 2 phase study was designed to explore age-related differences in medical treatment choices due to a framing effect (survival and mortality wording affecting the choice made) and due to the influence of physician recommendations. One hundred and thirty-seven older adults and 166 younger adults completed two medical treatment questionnaires, a demographic questionnaire, and a brief math quiz. In phase 1, the medical treatment questionnaire presented options for treatment of cancer (surgery and radiation) in mortality and survival wording. In phase 2, the treatment options were presented with and without a physician recommendation. Both older and younger adults made different …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Saudi Teachers' Curriculum Perspectives And Their Preference Of Curriculum Development Models., Mansour A. Bin Salamah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Saudi teachers' curriculum perspectives and their preference of curriculum development models. The sample of the study consisted of science, math, and social studies teachers who taught in elementary, middle, and secondary schools in the Riyadh District of Saudi Arabia. The data were randomly collected from 423 teachers by utilizing a questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of three parts. The participants were asked to determine their preference of the three curriculum perspectives and the three curriculum development models that were based on: Essentialism-Behaviorism, Pragmatism-Cognitivism, and Existentialism-Humanism. Frequencies, percentages, and means …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Characteristics Of Faculty Members In West Virginia Colleges And Their Level Of Implementation Of Information Technology., Andrew Neale Blackwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationships between characteristics of faculty members in West Virginia colleges and their level of information technology (IT) implementation. A one-shot case study research design was used to investigate the connection between the faculty members' gender, age, years of experience, academic discipline, rank, amount of computer education, computer access, Internet access, job satisfaction, and their level of IT implementation. The specially designed Computer Usage Survey was mailed to a randomly selected sample of 95 faculty members; responses were received from 64 (67%) faculty members. Data analysis identified statistically significant relationships between the faculty members' gender, years of …

Recommendations Of The Joint Conference

Georgia Law Review

Health-care and financial planning for the client with diminished capacity requires a holistic approach that includes consideration of the realities of dementia progression, cultural and linguistic diversity, capacity that may vary over time, issues of surrogate decision making, and recognition of the client's vulnerability to abuse, neglect, exploitation and undue influence. A goal of legal planning should be to limit the use of guardianship to the greatest extent possible.

Creating And Supporting The Proxy-Decider: The Lawyer-Proxy Relationship, Nancy N. Dubler

Georgia Law Review

Advance directives have been identified as the "quick fix" of bioethics. The logic goes something like this: If we could only get patients to tell us, in advance of disability, the specifics of the health care they would want to receive in the future, we could put our ethical and legal qualms aside and march ahead with care that we know is patient appropriate and legally protected. If we could only get the patient to commit, we could proceed with moral certainty and risk assurance. If we could only be given explicit instructions, we could act accordingly and be comfortable …