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2008

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Implications Of Mixed Reality And Simulation Technologies On Special Education And Teacher Preparation, Lisa Dieker, Michael Hynes, Charles Hughes, Eileen Smith Jan 2008

Implications Of Mixed Reality And Simulation Technologies On Special Education And Teacher Preparation, Lisa Dieker, Michael Hynes, Charles Hughes, Eileen Smith

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

No abstract provided.

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Gender Jeopardy In Financial Risk Taking, Xin He, Jeffrey Inman, Vikas Mittal Jan 2008

Gender Jeopardy In Financial Risk Taking, Xin He, Jeffrey Inman, Vikas Mittal

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

This article examines the joint effect of issue capability and gender on risk taking. Across three studies, the authors show that the effect of issue capability is moderated by gender, depending on the compatibility between the goal orientation of the decision maker and the nature of the decision task. For decisions that are mainly driven by achievement of gains (e.g., investment decisions), men's risk-taking propensity is more influenced by their levels of issue capability than women's because the nature of the decision task is consistent with men's agentic orientation focused on the self. Conversely, for decisions that are mainly driven …

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Facility Service Environments, Staffing, And Psychosocial Care In Nursing Homes, Ning Jackie Zhang, Denise Gammonley, Seung Chun Paek, Kathryn Frahm Jan 2008

Facility Service Environments, Staffing, And Psychosocial Care In Nursing Homes, Ning Jackie Zhang, Denise Gammonley, Seung Chun Paek, Kathryn Frahm

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Using 2003 Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data for Medicare and Medicaid certified facilities (N=14, 184) and multinomial logistic regression this study investigated if (1) psychosocial care quality was better in facilities where State requirements for qualified social services staffing exceeded Federal minimum regulations and (2) facility service environments are associated with psychosocial care quality. For-profit status and higher percentage of Medicaid residents are associated with lower quality. Staffing, market demand, and market competition are associated with better quality. Psychosocial care quality is more associated with payer status and market forces and less with regulatory requirements.

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Eliciting Risk And Time Preferences, Steffen Andersen, Glenn W. Harrison, Morten I. Lau, E. Elisabet Rutström Jan 2008

Eliciting Risk And Time Preferences, Steffen Andersen, Glenn W. Harrison, Morten I. Lau, E. Elisabet Rutström

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

We design experiments to jointly elicit risk and time preferences for the adult Danish population. Since subjects are generally risk averse, we find that joint elicitation provides estimates of discount rates that are significantly lower than those found in previous studies and more in line with what would be considered as a priori reasonable rates. The statistical specification relies on a theoretical framework that involves a latent trade-off between long-run optimization and short-run temptation. Estimation of this specification is undertaken using structural, maximum likelihood methods. Our main results based on exponential discounting are robust to alternative specifications such as hyperbolic …

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Men Who Have Sex With Men And Recruit Bareback Sex Partners On The Internet: Implications For Sti And Hiv Prevention And Client Education, Christopher W. Blackwell Jan 2008

Men Who Have Sex With Men And Recruit Bareback Sex Partners On The Internet: Implications For Sti And Hiv Prevention And Client Education, Christopher W. Blackwell

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Men who have sex with men (MSM) frequently use Internet-based Web sites to recruit sex partners. Although many MSM users of such sites advocate for safe sex practices in their personal profiles, some users actively recruit sexual partners who wish to participate in anal sexual intercourse without the use of condoms, also known as "bareback" sex. Participating in this sexual practice places both sexual partners at higher risk of HIV transmission. In addition, data indicate this behavior is associated with other high-risk activities such as drug use and communication of other sexually transmitted infections. This article summarizes the literature assessing …

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The Cost Of Being Me: Assessing The Consequences Of Compliance With Perceived Pressure To Assimilate In Work Roles, Tangela Phillips Jan 2008

The Cost Of Being Me: Assessing The Consequences Of Compliance With Perceived Pressure To Assimilate In Work Roles, Tangela Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acculturation refers to the process of change and adaptation that occurs between members of cultural groups, especially when one or more minority groups merge with the majority (Berry, 1980). In order to effectively manage diversity, organizational leaders are beginning to realize the importance of understanding the dynamics associated with cross cultural interactions in the workplace. This dissertation focuses on the acculturation mode of assimilation relative to the experiences of 101 African Americans employed in faculty and staff positions in colleges and universities located in the Southeastern United States. Specifically, the moderating role of ethnic identity on the relation between perceived …

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Essays In Outsourced Is Program Management, Neeraj Parolia Jan 2008

Essays In Outsourced Is Program Management, Neeraj Parolia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

IS vendor organizations are increasingly using program management practices to manage complex projects (Gierra 2004). The move to program teams is due to the realization that the management of many client projects and their underlying dependencies requires teamwork among project managers from different projects (Cooke-Davies 2002; Ferratt et al. 2006; Sanghera 2007). With two separate studies, first we extend the team competence framework and utilize organizational learning theory to understand the antecedents and outcomes of teamwork behaviors. Empirical results from the first study indicated that teamwork behaviors within the program team were significantly related to an increase in team competencies …

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Surface Engineering Of Gold Nanoparticles And Their Applications, Qiu Dai Jan 2008

Surface Engineering Of Gold Nanoparticles And Their Applications, Qiu Dai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with their unique sizes, shapes, and properties have generated much enthusiasm over the last two decades, and have been explored for many potential applications. The successful application of AuNPs depends critically on the ability to modify and functionalize their surface to provide stability, compatibility, and special chemical functionality. This dissertation is aimed at exploring the chemical synthesis and surface modification of AuNPs with the effort to (1) control the number of functional groups on the particle surface, and to (2) increase the colloidal stability at the physiological conditions. To control the functionality on the particle surface, a …

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Attachment Style's Impact On The Perception Of Self-Verifying And Self-Enhancing Comforting Messages, Krista Shellabarger Jan 2008

Attachment Style's Impact On The Perception Of Self-Verifying And Self-Enhancing Comforting Messages, Krista Shellabarger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the connection between one's adult attachment style and one's evaluation of verifying or enhancing comforting messages. Drawing from research by Swann (2005) and Katz and Joiner (2002), the hypothesis predicted that an individual would prefer verifying messages over enhancing messages regardless of attachment style. A research question was also posed: Will an individual's adult attachment style moderate the degree to which a person perceives the communication of verifying or enhancing messages as helpful or effective? In an effort to find these answers, a questionnaire was completed by 251 individuals. Results indicate a preference for verifying messages among …

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Leadership Behavior And Technology Activities:The Relationship Between Principals And Technology Use In Schools, Alexandra Page-Jones Jan 2008

Leadership Behavior And Technology Activities:The Relationship Between Principals And Technology Use In Schools, Alexandra Page-Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of study was to investigate the use of technology in schools and the influence of the principal on technology use. The technology activities of principals along with the school technology outcomes perceived by their faculty were described and analyzed to discover if there was a relationship between and among them. This study investigated technology related leadership behavior exhibited by principals in terms of NETS-A technology standards for administrators, and how their leadership behavior affected or predicted the multiple ways that technology was used throughout a school.The population for this study was composed of principals and instructional faculty from …

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Impact Of Scale-Up On Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Of Students In General Education Science Courses, Mary Kay Cassani Jan 2008

Impact Of Scale-Up On Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Of Students In General Education Science Courses, Mary Kay Cassani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two pedagogical models used in general education science on non-majors' science teaching self-efficacy. Science teaching self-efficacy can be influenced by inquiry and cooperative learning, through cognitive mechanisms described by Bandura (1997). The Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) model of inquiry and cooperative learning incorporates cooperative learning and inquiry-guided learning in large enrollment combined lecture-laboratory classes (Oliver-Hoyo & Beichner, 2004). SCALE-UP was adopted by a small but rapidly growing public university in the southeastern United States in three undergraduate, general education science courses for non-science majors …

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Levels Of Line Graph Question Interpretation With Intermediate Elementary Students Of Varying Scientific And Mathematical Knowle, Stacy Keller Jan 2008

Levels Of Line Graph Question Interpretation With Intermediate Elementary Students Of Varying Scientific And Mathematical Knowle, Stacy Keller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how intermediate elementary students' mathematics and science background knowledge affected their interpretation of line graphs and how their interpretations were affected by graph question levels. A purposive sample of 14 6th-grade students engaged in think aloud interviews (Ericsson & Simon, 1993) while completing an excerpted Test of Graphing in Science (TOGS) (McKenzie & Padilla, 1986). Hand gestures were video recorded. Student performance on the TOGS was assessed using an assessment rubric created from previously cited factors affecting students' graphing ability. Factors were categorized using Bertin's (1983) three graph question levels. The assessment rubric was validated by Padilla …

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Teacher Perceptions Of The Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities On Statewide Assessments, Maryann Gromoll Jan 2008

Teacher Perceptions Of The Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities On Statewide Assessments, Maryann Gromoll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year as a growing number of students with learning disabilities are included in statewide assessments, teacher perceptions and beliefs toward student achievement are being identified and examined. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) and the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) raise the achievement expectations of students with disabilities and require that teachers are knowledgeable about state academic content and achievement standards (Thompson, Lazarus, Clapper, & Thurlow, 2006). State departments of education are responsible to ensure that teacher competencies and expectations are specific to the achievement of grade level content standards (Thompson, …

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The Spiritual Competency Scale: A Comparison To The Aservic Spiritual Competencies, Linda Robertson Jan 2008

The Spiritual Competency Scale: A Comparison To The Aservic Spiritual Competencies, Linda Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spiritual and religious beliefs are significant aspects of a person's worldview and have been well established within many disciplines as a resource for physical and mental health. Therefore, they are relevant topics for counselors. The governing bodies of the counseling profession support the discussion of these beliefs in counseling. To meet the ethical mandates for competency in this area, the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) produced the Spiritual Competencies. Despite these efforts, spiritual and religious material continues to be neglected in counselor training programs. In the absence of a formal measure of spiritual competency, curricular …

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Comparing Middle School General And Special Educators' Use Of Research-Based Instruction In Mathematics For Students With Learni, Shelby Robertson Jan 2008

Comparing Middle School General And Special Educators' Use Of Research-Based Instruction In Mathematics For Students With Learni, Shelby Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between general and special educators regarding the implementation of research-based strategies that target the needs of students with LD in mathematics, as well as general and special educators' perceptions of their preparedness to use instructional strategies in mathematics. A sample of general and special educators who taught mathematics to students with learning disabilities (LD) at the middle school level responded to an online survey. The survey examined teacher self-reported classroom use of instructional practices specifically aligned with NCTM standards, direct instruction, graduated instruction, grouping practices, and self-monitoring. Additionally, educators responded …

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The Impact Of Formal Classwide Peer Support Training On The Occurrence Of Initiated And Reciprocal Peer Interactions Of Students, Richard Reardon Jan 2008

The Impact Of Formal Classwide Peer Support Training On The Occurrence Of Initiated And Reciprocal Peer Interactions Of Students, Richard Reardon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined the effects of classwide peer support training on the occurrence of initiated and reciprocal peer interactions of students with significant disabilities in two inclusive physical education classes. An AB research design was used to document changes in the occurrence of initiated and reciprocal peer interactions of students with significant disabilities following the provision of peer support training to all of their classmates. Four students with significant disabilities were observed in the study and baseline and post-intervention data on the occurrence of peer interactions were collected. The peer support training was provided to classes where four students …

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Accepting Technology And Overcoming Resistance To Change Using The Motivation And Acceptance Model, Daniel Siegel Jan 2008

Accepting Technology And Overcoming Resistance To Change Using The Motivation And Acceptance Model, Daniel Siegel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzed why some university faculty resisted a new software program using a new model of motivation. The new model, called the motivation and acceptance model (MAM), was inspired by the technology acceptance model and the commitment and necessary effort model of motivation. This model was tested on faculty at a college in a large southeastern university who were resisting a new software program called LiveText. This research used regression analysis to determine the relationship between the variables of the MAM: perceived usefulness, perceived organizational support, perceived ease of use, and attitude toward LiveText. The research was conducted during …

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Closing The Achievement Gap For English Language Learners:A Comparison Of Language Arts/Esol And One-Way Developmental Bilingual, Kimberly Marlow Jan 2008

Closing The Achievement Gap For English Language Learners:A Comparison Of Language Arts/Esol And One-Way Developmental Bilingual, Kimberly Marlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study was conducted to investigate two English Language Learner programs in one Florida county and their implications for student achievement. The literature review showed that, as students progress through the educational system, the academic content becomes more and more abstract, forcing students to rely more heavily on their oral and written communication skills in English. Significant achievement gaps, sometimes extremely large, were also identified between English-only students and English Language Learner students. One study highlighted a 46% gap on the 2005 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). The present study was designed to investigate 23 middle schools in …

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Educational Handheld Video: Examining Shot Composition, Graphic Design, And Their Impact On Learning, Jason Hutchens Jan 2008

Educational Handheld Video: Examining Shot Composition, Graphic Design, And Their Impact On Learning, Jason Hutchens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Formal features of video such as shot composition and graphic design can weigh heavily on the success or failure of educational videos. Many studies have assessed the proper use of these techniques given the psychological expectations that viewers have for video programming (Hawkins et al., 2002; Kenny, 2002; Lang, Zhou, Schwardtz, Bolls, & Potter, 2000; McCain, Chilberg, & Wakshlag, 1977; McCain & Repensky, 1972; Miller, 2005; Morris, 1984; Roe, 1998; Schmitt, Anderson, & Collins, 1999; Sherman & Etling, 1991; Tannenbaum & Fosdick, 1960; Wagner, 1953). This study examined formal features within the context of the newly emerging distribution method of …

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The Relationship Between School Culture And Third-Grade Fcat Reading Proficiency In Seminole County Public Elementary Schools, Kelley Novak Jan 2008

The Relationship Between School Culture And Third-Grade Fcat Reading Proficiency In Seminole County Public Elementary Schools, Kelley Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to determine the relationship between school culture and student achievement. Elementary school teachers (N=574) from 27 schools in suburban Seminole County, Florida completed the School Culture Triage Survey to generate a school culture score. The participating schools were ranked and placed in categories representing the top 33% (N=9), middle 33% (N=9), and bottom 33% (N=9) of the population based on their culture score. School culture data were analyzed and correlated with third grade student achievement data, as measured by the 2007 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Reading to determine if there were any relationships between (a) school …

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A Genre Of Collective Intelligence: Blogs As Intertextual, Reciprocal, And Pedagogical, Rachel Gramer Jan 2008

A Genre Of Collective Intelligence: Blogs As Intertextual, Reciprocal, And Pedagogical, Rachel Gramer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the rhetorical features of blogs that lend them dialogic strength as an online genre through the lens of Mikhail Bakhtin's theories of speech genres, utterances, and dialogism. As a relatively new online genre, blogs stem from previous genres (in print and online as well as verbal), but their emergence as a popular form of expression in our current culture demands attention to how blogs also offer us different rhetorical opportunities to meet our changing social exigencies as online subjects in the 21st century. This thesis was inspired by questions about how blogs redefine the rhetorical situation to …

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A Framework To Align Strategy, Improvement Performance, And Customer Satisfaction Using An Integration Of Six Sigma And Balanced, Adriana Rodriguez Jan 2008

A Framework To Align Strategy, Improvement Performance, And Customer Satisfaction Using An Integration Of Six Sigma And Balanced, Adriana Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the development, implementation, and evaluation of a management methodology founded on the alignment among the strategy, performance, and customer to bring value to any organization. A case study/action research in a service organization, called Institution "Z," provided the opportunity to assess the effects of the proposed Six Sigma Scorecard (SSS) methodology in the productivity indicators (measured by cycle time, line capacity, and number of errors). The Case study/action research was conducted in three phases: Model and Concepts Design, Data Collection, and Findings. During the research, validity was pursued by using triangulation and theory to help maintain the …

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Information Retrieval Performance Enhancement Using The Average Standard Estimator And The Multi-Criteria Decision Weighted Set, Tareq Ahram Jan 2008

Information Retrieval Performance Enhancement Using The Average Standard Estimator And The Multi-Criteria Decision Weighted Set, Tareq Ahram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information retrieval is much more challenging than traditional small document collection retrieval. The main difference is the importance of correlations between related concepts in complex data structures. These structures have been studied by several information retrieval systems. This research began by performing a comprehensive review and comparison of several techniques of matrix dimensionality estimation and their respective effects on enhancing retrieval performance using singular value decomposition and latent semantic analysis. Two novel techniques have been introduced in this research to enhance intrinsic dimensionality estimation, the Multi-criteria Decision Weighted model to estimate matrix intrinsic dimensionality for large document collections and the …

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The Effects Of Informal Science Education On Students' Attitudes And Academic Performance, Samuel Ashley Jan 2008

The Effects Of Informal Science Education On Students' Attitudes And Academic Performance, Samuel Ashley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Will student attitudes towards science change when they are given a chance to explore an area of science in which they have indicated an interest? This action research thesis investigated this question over a period of nine weeks. The subjects of this study included twelve students enrolled in the same seventh grade physical science class. The school was located in a suburban setting in the Southeast United States. Data for this study was collected with anecdotal notes, participation grid, science attitude survey, student interviews, and student journals. This study found that when students are given the opportunity to pursue an …

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Development Of Seventh Grade Pre-Algebra Students' Mathematical Problem Solving Through Written Explanations And Justificati, Rebecca Jones Jan 2008

Development Of Seventh Grade Pre-Algebra Students' Mathematical Problem Solving Through Written Explanations And Justificati, Rebecca Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this action research, the interactions of seventh grade pre-algebra students in a mathematics classroom shared their explanation and justification processes through group work. Prior to the start of the study students were given a written pre-test to determine current conceptual thinking in mathematics. Over the next nine weeks, the teacher engaged the students in problem solving activities that included reasoning skills, communication and making connections through discussion with their peers. Following nine weeks of written and verbal discourse, students were provided a post-test to determine changes in their conceptual thinking. Overall students' grades, journal writings and test scores showed …

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Evaluation Of The Antecedents Of Cultural Competence, Mary Harper Jan 2008

Evaluation Of The Antecedents Of Cultural Competence, Mary Harper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The threefold purpose of this research is to identify the essential antecedents of cultural competence as identified by international nurse researchers, to compare the content of the extant cultural competence instruments to these antecedents and to potentially identify gaps in their conceptualization. A secondary aim of this research is to initiate validation of Harper's model of ethical multiculturalism. Conceptual Basis: The model of ethical multiculturalism depicts the attributes of ethical multiculturalism as the fulcrum of a balance between two ethical philosophies of fundamentalism and relativism. The attributes of moral reasoning, beneficence/nonmaleficence, respect for persons and communities, and cultural competence …

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Sex Education Policy In Florida: Strategies For Change, Jenna Cawley Jan 2008

Sex Education Policy In Florida: Strategies For Change, Jenna Cawley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sex education policies and programs in Florida are largely dominated by the abstinence-only approach. This paper makes the case that abstinence-only education is a failing policy in Florida, and evaluates strategies advocates may use in order to accomplish reform. Three different strategies are evaluated: countywide school district reform, statewide rejection of federal abstinence-only funding, and statewide standardization of sex education via legislation. Contrasts are drawn between all three strategies with regard to their potential impact on sex education policy in Florida, viability, and the challenges they present to advocates. This paper concludes that statewide standardization of sex education in Florida …

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Rapprochement: The Necessary Engagement With The Islamic Republic Of Iran, Roberto Tello Jan 2008

Rapprochement: The Necessary Engagement With The Islamic Republic Of Iran, Roberto Tello

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the decision making process in Washington which led to the current non-existence of political and economic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States. The study examines the U.S.-Iran relationship at three levels-of-analysis: the individual, state, and system levels. From a geopolitical perspective, Iran and the United States have often been natural allies that pursued similar policy goals. After 9/11, the U.S. entered Afghanistan and Iraq which further necessitated the reengagement of Tehran. Iranian regional clout would play a vital role in stabilization of Iraq and Afghanistan and without Iran's assistance; peace will not …

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Hyperactivity In Boys With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Ubiquitous Core Symptom Or Manifestation Of Working Memor, Jennifer Bolden Jan 2008

Hyperactivity In Boys With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Ubiquitous Core Symptom Or Manifestation Of Working Memor, Jennifer Bolden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hyperactivity is currently considered a core and ubiquitous feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, an alternative model challenges this premise and hypothesizes a functional relationship between working memory (WM) and activity level. The current study investigated whether children s activity level is functionally related to WM demands associated with the domain-general central executive and subsidiary storage/rehearsal components using tasks based on Baddeley s (2007) WM model. Activity level was objectively measured 16 times per second using wrist- and ankle-worn actigraphs while 23 boys between 8 and 12 years of age completed control tasks and visuospatial/phonological WM tasks of increasing memory …

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Cross-Modal Effects In Tactile And Visual Signaling, James Merlo Jan 2008

Cross-Modal Effects In Tactile And Visual Signaling, James Merlo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using a wearable tactile display three experiments were conducted in which tactile messages were created emulating five standard US Army and Marine arm and hand signals for the military commands, namely: "Attention", "Halt", "Rally", "Move Out", and "Nuclear Biological or Chemical event (NBC)". Response times and accuracy rates were collected for novices responding to visual and tactile representations of these messages, which were displayed either alone or together in congruent or incongruent combinations. Results indicated synergistic effects for concurrent, congruent message presentations showing superior response times when compared to individual presentations in either modality alone. This effect was mediated by …

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