Digital Commons Network^™

Fostering To Children's Needs Or Fostering To Legislators' Personal Agendas., Tracy Kasparek

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Legislators and judges must keep their own personal biases of homosexuals out of their analysis, particularly when considering if same-sex couples should be foster parents. Legislators and judges personal biases are rooted in unsubstantiated beliefs that homosexuals are mentally ill, lack the same maternal or parental instincts as hetersexuals, and may turn the children into homosexuals. None of these beliefs are supported by any type of evidence. On the contrary, studies indicate that homosexual couples are as fit for parenting as heterosexual couples. Furthermore, homosexual couples tend to take the hardest children to place such as: minority children, children with …

The Impending Health Care Crisis In Texas: The Status Of Health Care For Impoverished Texans., Raj Aujla

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Advising Experiences Of Students At Midwestern University, Susan K. Plaine

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Leadership Behavior And Perceived Team Communication Effectiveness: A Study Of Division 1 College Hockey Coaches' Perceptions, William Chris Brooks

Masters Theses

The purpose of the research was to begin testing assumptions about coaches' leadership and team communication by starting with an examination of the relationship between a head coach's perception of his leadership behavior and his perception of the effectiveness of his team's communication.

The sample in the study consisted of fifty NCAA Division I Men's Head Hockey Coaches during the 2006-2007 season. Demographic data reported included the following: the participants' age, education level, nationality, number of years as a head coach, number of years as an assistant coach, 2006-2007 record, and number of years as head coach at their current …

Breaking The Be Nice Rule: Direct Action Community Organizing, Adriana Rosas

Masters Theses

Focusing on the Kalamazoo Homeless Action Network (KHAN), this thesis explores the dynamics of transformation in community organizing, and the crucial and often complicated role of anger in that process. Current Anthropological literature on the topic of resistance and poverty leaves unexamined the micropolitics of individuals' transformation as they become civically engaged as well as the laborious organizing techniques culminating in such events that lead to social change and individual empowerment. I will contribute to the literature on poverty and resistance by examining the 'behind-the-scenes' dimensions of direct action community organizing that influence individual and social transformation. Through this examination …

An Evaluation Of The Impact Of Computerized Physician Order Entry On Medical Errors, Shannon Loewy

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system on medication error. The study took place in a 343-bed hospital in the pediatrics inpatient unit. During baseline, participants placed medication orders in the same manner that they always had, handwriting them on a specific form and handing the form to the unit clerk who then faxed the order to the pharmacy. In the CPOE phase, participants used the computerized system to place orders, which were electronically sent to the pharmacy. The primary dependent variable was errors made during physician medication …

A Role Delineation Study For The Sme, Hiral A. Shah

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to perform a role delineation study to validate and prioritize the competency areas included in the body of knowledge developed by SME/AME/Shingo for their three levels of certification examinations in lean manufacturing. A modified Delphi technique was used to gather data and describe what experts in the field consider important for candidates to know and become certified in the discipline of lean manufacturing. Seventy-six Delphi panel experts were selected to serve on the Delphi panel, based on their experience, expertise, and commitment. The study incorporated a Web-based pre-Delphi study followed by three rounds of …

The Effect Of A Training On Client's Relationship Satisfaction And Awareness Of Domestic Violence, Susan E. Rudolph

Theses and Dissertations

The pui-pose of the current study was to test the effectiveness of a curriculum focused on the prevention and intervention of domestic violence and healthy, nonabusive relationships. A relationship training created by the author was tested in order to assess whether relationship satisfaction was affected by the relationship training, with the expectation that those who have experienced or are experiencing abusive relationships would become more aware of their relationship dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the relationship training was assessed according to the anticipated increase in the experimental group’s knowledge of domestic violence. Pre-test and post-test measures were used to assess relationship satisfaction and …

Acts Of Being: Hamlet And The Philosophy Of Soren Kierkegaard, Michael Brandon Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

This study is specifically concerned with analyzing the existential elements in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, utilizing as methodology the works of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.

The aims of this study are chiefly to illuminate the usefulness of existentialism as an important, prescient, and timely methodology for criticism, as well as to reveal the applicability of Kierkegaard's works for literary analysis. There have, prior to this study, been other critical examinations of Shakespeare's work, utilizing the philosophy of Kierkegaard - however, unlike those other works of criticism, this project has undertaken comprehensive analysis of the play, making broad use of Kierkegaard's …

Integration Of Technology In Higher Education Pedagogy, David A. Georgina

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how faculty technology literacy and technology training impact their pedagogy. This required an examination of how faculty technology literacy skills related to pedagogical practice (integrating technology into their pedagogy), while controlling for training. The independent variables were as follows: faculty demographics and technology literacy; the co-variant was technology training; the dependent variables were pedagogical practice, design and delivery. Respondents surveyed in this study consisted of any faculty members in the College of Education from fifteen peer institutions of the University of North Dakota, including: SUNY at Buffalo, University of Alabama at Birmingham, …

Mentoring And Retention Of First And Second Year Teachers In North Dakota Public Schools, David C. Bartz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of three types of mentoring experiences on the retention of first and second year public school teachers in North Dakota. Another purpose of the study was to investigate whether differences existed among first and second year public school teachers with regard to demographic variables that included ethnicity, gender, years of experience, school district size, and three different types of mentoring experiences: formal, informal, or no mentorship. The study surveyed 159 first and second year teachers in North Dakota with regard to their perceptions about the mentoring process they experienced.

Results …

Comparative Study In Stereographic Reading, Alberto E. Santiago

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Viewing a Single Image Random Dot Stereogram (SIRDS) or autostereogram picture requires careful concentration from the viewer. The concentration necessary to perceive depth may affect the performance of the reading process. We are studying if information perceived by way of a stereogram is better retained in memory compared to normal reading without stereo vision. To measure subject's memory performance we administered a questionnaire after a stereographic experience containing a readable story. We discovered that exposing subjects to stereographic information has a slight advantage on the ability to remember precise details of the information read.

Application Of The Emotional Intelligence Construct To College Student Binge Drinking, Jeffrey P. Dulko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although extensive research has been conducted in the area of college binge drinking, relatively little has been done to study differences among alcohol-related consequences. Some initial studies have shown that binge drinking and its consequences are associated with several emotional and interpersonal factors, but there has been no comprehensive examination of these relationships. The theory of emotional intelligence (EI) has been developed recently to study emotional and interpersonal factors as an integrated construct. Research of the relationship between alcohol and EI could provide a valuable base for which to design alcohol prevention programs that target improving emotional and interpersonal deficits …

The Effects Of Time Of Day On Executive Function And Memory In Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Jennifer M. Garaas

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined time of day effects on the performance of executive function and memory tasks in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and non-ADHD children. Previous studies have found that ADHD children performed worse on executive function and memory tasks. Also, research has found that time of day influences performance on executive function and memory tasks. The data analysis in this present study consisted of comparing the performance of ADHD children tested in the morning, ADHD children tested in the afternoon, non-ADHD children tested in the morning, and non-ADHD children tested in the afternoon on a variety of tests of …

An Examination Of Executive Function And Reading Ability In Children With A Reading Disability And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Shyla Leigh Muse

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared 56 children between the ages of 7 and 13 with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), children with a diagnosis of ADHD and a reading disability (ADHD/RD), children with only a reading disability (RD), and a control group on measures of cognition, reading, executive function, and memory tasks. Specifically, the study was looking to examine the impact of comorbid disorders on the performance of children with ADHD on tests of cognitive function. Given that children diagnosed with ADHD frequently will display a learning disability, often a reading disability, this study also examined the impact of comorbidity on tests of cognitive …

Tribal College Culture-Based Education Impacts American Indian Students In North America, Loann Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Life Circle Tribal College (a pseudonym), as other tribal colleges, claims its purpose for existence is to help increase American Indians' access to affordable and culturally relevant vocational and academic postsecondary education. This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) How did students and staff at Life Circle Tribal College perceive Life Circle Tribal College as fulfilling the cultural portion of its mission? (2) What impact did students and staff feel the culture-based education approach used at Life Circle Tribal College had on students' lives in their educational pursuits at the tribal college, in their current and future relationships …

Community Breastfeeding Attitudes And Beliefs, Patty Ryan Vari

Theses and Dissertations

Breastmilk is designed by nature to meet the specific needs of the human species and provides all that is necessary for normal infant growth, development, and health for the first six months of life. Efforts to extend that message publicly have resulted in an increase of breastfeeding rates, yet still have not reached the goals of Healthy People 2010. This paper adds to the body of breastfeeding literature to understand why some women breastfeed and others do not by exploring some of the individual characteristics of a Midwestern university community, including their breastfeeding and bottle feeding (formula) beliefs, attitudes, and …

Beyond Foraging: Behavioral Science And The Future Of Institutional Economics, Alexander J. Field

Economics

Institutions affect economic outcomes, but variation in them cannot be directly linked to environmental factors such as geography, climate, or technological availabilities. Game theoretic approaches, based as they typically are on foraging only assumptions, do not provide an adequate foundation for understanding the intervening role of politics and ideology; nor does the view that culture and institutions are entirely socially constructed. Understanding what institutions are and how they influence behavior requires an approach that is in part biological, focusing on cognitive and behavioral adaptations for social interaction favored in the past by group selection. These adaptations, along with their effects …

Mixed-Motives For Firing Employees: Alaska’S Inconsistent Standards And Its Failure To Follow The Changing Federal Tide, Brianne Schwanitz

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Interagency And Counterinsurgency Warfare: Aligning And Integrating Military And Civilian Roles In Stability, Security, Transition, And Reconstruction Operations, Joseph R. Cerami Dr., Jay W. Boggs Mr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

For decades since the formation of the defense establishment under the 1947 National Security Act, all U.S. cabinet departments, national security agencies, and military services involved in providing for the common defense have struggled to overcome differences in policy and strategy formulation, organizational cultures, and even basic terminology. Post-September 11, 2001, international systems, security environments, U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the greater Global War on Terrorism have confronted civilian policymakers and senior military officers with a complex, fluid battlefield which demands kinetic and counterinsurgency capabilities. This monograph addresses the security, stability, transition, and reconstruction missions that place …

Polygamy: An Inappropriate Relationship, Leda Castrillo

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Polygamy is a general term that means multiple spouses (White & White, 2005). There are two types of polygamy: polygyny, which occurs when one man has many wives, and polyandry, which occurs when one woman has many husbands. Polygamy has been practiced in the United States as well as in other parts of the world for many centuries. When a family decides to add a new wife to the family, the decision is carefully considered and must be approved before the husband and new wife can get married (Altman & Ginat, 1996). The effect of polygamy on children has been …

The Effects Of Classical Versus Electronic Music On Learning And Recall, Samantha Domingo

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Research about the possible positive effects of classical music on learning and recall has been quite extensive in the past few years; this phenomenon is known as the Mozart effect. The present study attempted to evaluate the theory that listening to classical music enhances the learning and subsequent recall of new information. Twenty-four undergraduate students participated in this study. In a between-participants design, all participants were assigned to read a short passage while listening to one of four types of music: classical music at either high or low volume, or electronic music at either high or low volume. Subsequently, participants …

The Effect Of Vicarious Learned Helplessness On Critical Thinking, Bridget Hennessey

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

This study was to determine if critical thinking was affected by vicarious learned helplessness. Learned helplessness is a psychological condition in which one continues to be hurt or damaged physically or mentally. The hypothesis was that people who were primed with thoughts or made to believe and think of themselves or others in an abusive relationship would score lower on critical thinking than those primed with thoughts of a healthy relationship. Thirty participants were randomly assigned into two groups; one group listened to an audio recording based on a healthy relationship and the other listened to an abusive relationship. Following …

Thank God For Aids: Persistent Stereotypes Of Homosexuals In U.S. Network Television, Micah Moreno

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

This paper explores the use of stereotypes to characterize homosexuals on network television in the United States. With a goal of raising reader awareness of network television’s over-reliance on stereotypes, I argue that the stereotypical depictions of homosexuals on network television has negative and sometimes even dangerous ramifications in contemporary U.S. culture. Many contend that the increasing number of gay and lesbian characters featured on network television is an indication of society’s emerging acceptance of homosexuality. However, this is a false assumption given that many of the shows cited as promoting equality are not meant to do that, but instead …

Influences Of Locus Of Control On Thinking About A Spinal Cord Injury, Sharon Rubin

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

In this study, the effect of locus of control on a visualization of a spinal-cord injury was investigated. Research has shown that locus of control plays an important role in determining the control one perceives to have over oneself and events. Life satisfaction is usually lowered because of negative behavior changes one goes through when experiencing a traumatic event, such as a spinal cord injury (Livneh, 2001). The research examined the hypothesis that those with an internal locus of control will be less upset following an intense visualization of a spinal-cord injury (SCI) compared to those with an external locus …

The Relationship Between The Mmpi-2'S Rc3 Cynicism Scale And Social Support, Blake K. Webster

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The current study examined the MMPI-2's Restructured Clinical Scale 3 (RC3) measuring cynicism from the Tellegen et al. (2003) Restructured Clinical Scales project. While RC3 has shown adequate reliability coefficients, research investigating RC3 has questioned its validity and descriptive abilities. Research suggests that adequate criterion has not been established for the scale. RC3 in this study was correlated with three types of social support: Proactive Coping, Instrumental Support Seeking, and Emotional Support Seeking. Based on a review of the literature of cynicism and social support, it was hypothesized that a negative relationship would exist between the two constructs. The study …

The Characteristics Of Effective Mentoring Programs For At Risk Students As Perceived By Selected Georgia Principals, Tujuana Carlene Bush

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of successful mentoring programs principals perceived most effective with at risk students. The research conducted intends to be a resource of organized support systems for students considered at risk for academic failure. As an educator, the researcher understands the value of mentoring programs and the support that mentors offer. Mentors create opportunities for students to build self esteem, connectedness, and make healthy decisions through guidance given by one on one or small group interactions. Employing a research instrument composed of ten questions designed to elicit responses relating to two research …

Examining The Implementation Of School-Wide Positive Discipline Intervention And Its Impact On Teacher Beliefs, Values And Practices, Isreal J. Collins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The frequent occurrence of negative student behaviors such as bulling, verbal abuse, and disrespect remain a key concern for teacher. Teachers report instances of simple disrespect, noncompliance, poor peer interactions, cursing, making fun of one another, grabbing, pushing and being of-task as common occurrences in their classrooms. Teachers are expected and required to manage student behavior through the implementation of a well designed classroom management plan. Student disruptions through negative behavior require constant alteration of their management plan, reducing instructional time, and leaving teachers with high levels of personal frustration and stress. School districts around the country have begun to …

What Works: Principal Leadership Behaviors That Positively Impact Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Jason R. Moffitt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Effective leadership behaviors are imperative in contributing to student achievement and the overall culture of a school. School leaders must mold the culture of the school in order to create an environment which is conducive to learning. Studies on school leadership and student achievement have highlighted the evidence of school leadership behaviors which contribute to student achievement. The purpose of this investigation studied the extent of school leadership behaviors and or characteristics that contribute to student achievement. This study was designed to identify the relationship between the behaviors of the school leader and student achievement. The study determined if teachers …

Examination Of Teacher Workplace Satisfaction And Student Achievement, Angela Scott Patrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Research has been conducted to study teacher workplace satisfaction. The following factors were identified as integral to teacher workplace satisfaction: administrative support; student behaviors; workplace atmosphere; autonomy and efficacy. Findings within the extant literature indicated that student achievement is a factor in teachers' satisfaction with their work. Specifically, educators have repeatedly expressed a need to impact student achievement and have noted satisfaction or dissatisfaction in relation to their perception of their influence or lack therefore. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher workplace satisfaction and student achievement with the intent of making recommendations regarding maximization …