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Direct And Indirect Effects Of Injunctive Norms On Marijuana Use: The Role Of Reference Groups, Joseph W. Labrie, Justin F. Hummer, Andrew Lac, Christine M. Lee

Psychological Science Faculty Works

Objective: Little work has evaluated the relationship between injunctive norms and marijuana use. This study sought to establish whether misperceptions exist between perceived injunctive norms of typical college students and the actual approval level of the students. We also examined respondents’ perceptions of which groups (typical student, close friends, and parents) were the most and least approving of marijuana. These variables were then applied to an explanatory model to assess their relationships with marijuana use.

Method: Participants were 3,753 students (61% female) randomly recruited from two West Coast campuses. Participants were asked about their own marijuana use and their own …

How Effectively Do People Learn From A Variety Of Different Opinions?, Andrew Healy

Economics Faculty Works

This paper presents experimental evidence about how effectively individuals learn from information coming from heterogeneous sources. In the experiment, Thai subjects observed information that came from Americans and from other Thais that they could use to help them answer a series of questions. Despite listening too little to either group, subjects demonstrated a significant amount of statistical sophistication in how they weighed observed American information relative to observed Thai information. The data indicate that subjects understood that outside information has extra value because people from the same group tend to make the same kinds of mistakes. The results illustrate the …

The Effect Of Imipramine Hcl On Haemolysis Of Horse Erythrocytes, Tamara Esther Farrant

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The mechanism of action of tricyclic antidepressant (TCAs) is not fully understood. The effect of the TCA imipramine on the haemolysis of erythrocytes was investigated, focussing on dosage and incubation time. The method used a drug free red blood cell (RBC) haemolysis assay (Watts & Handy, 2007) comparing experimental drug concentrations ranging from 0.0904 mg/ml – 90.4 mg/ml. Incubation time effects were also investigated, and haemolysis increased with decreasing osmolarity. Compared with the control the percentage haemolysis increased significantly with higher concentrations of imipramine, but was reduced by 0.0904 mg/ml imipramine. Haemolysis also increased with longer incubation time in both …

Developing An Attachment To Place Through Diy, Megan Heast

The Plymouth Student Scientist

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted of semi-structured interviews, with the aim of investigating factors which affect attachment to, and identity within the home and whether completion of DIY projects has any effect on these. The participants were eight students from the University of Plymouth who signed up to the study as part of a course requirement, and two others who were known to the experimenter to have undertaken DIY within their respective homes. The findings show that the level of personalisation and sense of ownership a home owner feels within their property, are key factors to attachment and …

The Experience And Perception Of Concurrent Versus Retrospective Chocolate Cravings, Harriet Taylor

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Seventy undergraduate students participated in a self-report study to investigate the perception of concurrent versus retrospective chocolate-related cravings. This study was interested in exploring whether retrospective cravings were reported as more intense than concurrent cravings due to cognitive distortions over time. Results showed that retrospective chocolate cravings were reported as significantly stronger and more urgent (p< .001), and were characterised by more vivid gustatory imagery (p< .025), than concurrent cravings. All other aspects of chocolate craving were reported similarly across groups. This indicates that retrospective measures of chocolate cravings may provide inaccurate representations of the craving experience. This difference may potentially be found with other types of cravings, and for that reason, where possible, concurrent measures of craving should be given priority.

Involving Students In Researching Learning And Teaching Approaches: An Additional Focus For Undergraduate Student Publications?, Sue Berkill

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Sue Burkill, Head of Education Enhancement, University of Exeter

Can Children Use Similarity Between Actions To Learn Grammar?, Fiona Anning

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The present study was a replication and extension of Casenhiser and Goldberg (2005). Children aged 5;0 to 7;6 were assigned to one of two training conditions, either they were only taught novel verbs in a novel construction paired with appearance scenes or they were additionally trained on novel verbs in the transitive construction. All participants were assessed on both word orders with new novel verbs using a forced-choice comprehension test. The children in both conditions performed significantly worse on the appearance items than the causative trials, which fails to replicate the original study. The translation post-test responses suggest that poor …

Gender Segregation In The Public Schools; Opportunity, Inequality, Or Both., Bill Piatt

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

Should the public schools be allowed to segregate girls from boys in the classroom? There is a history of single-sex education in this country, but there are concerns about single gender classrooms. In recent decades, researchers have begun to assert that requiring boys and girls to be taught together has a negative impact on the educational progress because of inherent differences in boy/girl learning behavior, or even in the development of their brains. Proponents of gender exclusive classrooms point out the voluntary nature of the programs, and the explicit findings of the Department of Education justifying such programs. Opponents argue …

The Relationship Between Quality Of Maternal Care And The Development Of Infant Sociability In A Captive Group Of Western Lowland Gorillas, Liza Veliz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Maternal factors, e.g., quality and behavior were examined in order to determine if a relationship with enhanced infant social development exists. Gorilla mothers were each nursery reared and are full siblings, providing an unusual opportunity to examine the individual differences that may play a role in infant socialization. Observational data collected during three-time blocks by means of focal animal sampling were used to analyze social behaviors and identify initiators and receivers of contact behaviors, thereby determining a relationship between maternal care and infant sociability. Results indicated that mothers who provided successful maternal care produced more sociable offspring. Findings from this …

Curanderismo And Healing Rituals: An Ethnographic And Historical Study Of The Casma Valley In Northern Peru, Maria Esmeralda Perez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

While curanderismo and shamanism form an important cultural aspect throughout Peru, the healing rituals in the Casma Valley are mostly unknown. This paper attempts to define the historical background of curanderismo in the Casma Valley by describing the traditional healing rituals throughout the Atlantic World. Recounting, not only the history of curanderismo, religion, witchcraft, and sorcery in Latin America, but also the history of these beliefs in Europe and Africa as well. One of the main goals of this paper is to provide sufficient proof of the ties and connections that curanderismo in the Casma Valley in Northern Peru share, …

A Quest For Understanding Finding My Way Back, Juan Saenz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

My work reflects my place in nature and how through its documentation I have been given the opportunity to mend family ties. In my paintings I capture the essence of those things that bring me peace of mind and good health. The aim of my work is not solely for the purpose of self reflection but also an attempt to bring my viewers back to a different time in their lives. The following works are an example of my direction and experimentation.

Set And Light Design For “Con Mis Manos/With My Hands”: A Play In Two Acts By Misael Martinez, Lawrence Andrew Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

An examination and analysis of the process of creating and executing a set and light design for a new show in a new space. This thesis will delve into the problems and solutions that helped to create the set for Con Mis Manos/With My Hands, a play by Misael Martinez, for production in the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre at the University of Texas-Pan American.

Sex At The Park: Stories From My Days With Ninfa, Dalel Serda

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This creative nonfiction manuscript chronicles the burgeoning relationship between the narrator and her subject, Ninfa—the folkloric, enduring and elusive Harlingen, Texas prostitute. This project aims to document the process of demystification the narrator undergoes as the women get to know each other. Furthermore, in the process of gathering the materials that will tell her subject’s story, the narrator attempts to tell the story about getting the story, about what led to this story and of what resulted. In sum, this work explores the often-blurry boundaries and complexities of what is inevitably a friendship.

Effects Of Anxiety Reducing Interventions On Performance Anxiety In Graduate Nurses, Georgita Tolbert Washington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every new nursing graduate is challenged to successfully transition from student to professional nurse. The stress involved in that transition can manifest itself as performance anxiety, a type of anxiety occurring when someone is the focus of attention and is fearful of interactions or of being humiliated or embarrassed. It occurs only in specific situations. The new graduate's performance is the focus of attention and evaluation. Further, the need to interact with other professionals, patients, and families can create anxiety about performance. No studies have examined performance anxiety in graduate nurses.

Use of cognitive behavioral therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, and …

Dreams Deferred: Disability Definitions, Data, Models, And Perspectives, Barbara Barton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

When Ed Roberts, who had polio, forged new ground for people with disabilities by developing the first Center for Independent Living in 1972, the stage was set for people with disabilities and advocates to join together in a new civil rights movement. 'Invisible' no more, the disability community started what was expected to be a stratospheric leap into community inclusion. There was substantial hope held in the anticipated impact of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 (P.L. 101-336, 104 statute 327). For millions of Americans, it appeared that the ADA would provide avenues for increased …

Dimensions Of Loss From Mental Illness, Amy E. Z. Baker, Nicholas Procter, Tony Gibbons

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This review explores the nature, scope and consequences of loss resulting from mental illness. Losses are described within four key themes: self and identity, work and employment opportunities, relationships, and future-oriented losses. In reflecting upon review findings, several assumptions about loss are illuminated. Findings are situated within the cornerstones of recent mental health reform, specifically a recovery-oriented approach and social inclusion. Particular attention is directed towards notions of risk and responsibility and tensions in realizing the impact of loss within an individualized recovery framework. Implications and recommendations for policy and practice are highlighted.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 36, No. 4 (December 2009)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

SPECIAL ISSUE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SOCIAL WELFARE

• INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE - Barbara Barton, Guest Editor
• DREAMS DEFERRED: DISABILITY DEFINITIONS, DATA, MODELS, AND PERSPECTIVES - Barbara Barton, Guest Editor
• DIMENSIONS OF LOSS FROM MENTAL ILLNESS - Amy E. Z. Baker, Nicholas Procter, and Tony Gibbons
• INFLUENCES ON JOB RETENTION AMONG HOMELESS PERSONS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES - Russell K. Schutt and Norman C. Hursh
• E-THERAPY AS A MEANS FOR ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT FOR PERSONS WHO ARE DEAF - Dennis Moore, Debra Guthmann, Nikki Rogers, Susan Fraker, and Jared Embree
• CONNECTING YOUTH …

Influences On Job Retention Among Homeless Persons With Substance Abuse Or Psychiatric Disabilities, Russell K. Schutt, Norman C. Hursh

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Job retention is an important psychosocial rehabilitation goal, but one that is not often achieved. We investigate facilitators of and barriers to employment retention among homeless individuals with psychiatric and substance abuse diagnoses who were re-interviewed eight or more years after participating in a traditional vocational rehabilitation program. Most program graduates who maintained employment had secured social support from a variety of sources; personal motivation was also a critical element in job retention and compensated in some cases for an absence of social support. Both the availability of social support contacts and personal motivation influenced likelihood of maintaining sobriety. Physical …

Connecting Youth And Communities: Customized Career Planning For Youth With Psychiatric Disabilities, Kim Brown

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Young people with psychiatric disabilities are significantly overrepresented in the juvenile justice system, tend to be employed sporadically if at all, and frequently have negative connections within and to their communities. Recent research conducted in Montana with youth who have developmental and/or physical disabilities demonstrates the effectiveness of using a customized career planning model to increase linkages to resources and access to community- based employment. Side benefits include improved self-esteem and positive community connections. The customization model holds promise as a way to reduce the risk factors young people with psychiatric disabilitiesf ace and increase the resiliency factors that can …

Does The Gi Bill Support Educational Attainment For Veterans With Disabilities? Implications For Current Veterans In Resuming Civilian Life, Alexa Smith-Osborne

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A secondary data analysis of the 2001 National Survey of Veterans (NSV) for 2075 Gulf War-era veterans was conducted to investigate whether the GI Bill (the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, most recent provisions of which have been entitled the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill), considered as a social welfare policy, demonstrated protective effects for veterans with disabilities in terms of successful re-entry and sustained enrollment in higher education. Regression analyses to test the mediation effects of use of the GI Bill, use of non-Veterans' Administration (VA)financial aid, and use of VA health services suggested mediation …

E-Therapy As A Means For Addressing Barriers To Substance Use Disorder Treatment For Persons Who Are Deaf, Dennis Moore, Debra Guthmann, Nikki Rogers, Susan Frake, Jared Embree

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Persons who are deaf face a number of challenges with regard to vulnerability for substance use disorders. Moreover, accessible treatment for this condition can be difficult to establish and maintain. The Deaf community may be one of the most disenfranchised groups in America in regard to appropriate access to substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment services. This article reviews findings related to substance use disorder and treatment for this condition among persons who are deaf. It also reviews a promising approach for addressing treatment needs via e-therapy, and it highlights the challenges and concerns regarding e-therapy for this population. …

Parental Cognitive Disabilities And Child Protection Services: The Need For Human Capacity Building, Sandra T. Azar, Kristin N. Read

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Theories regarding the social cognitive origins of parenting risk have recently emerged. This work not only has implications for the nature of interventions with parents, but also for the approaches taken by the social service systems that work with them. This paper reviews the evidence that there is a significant number of parents with cognitive disabilities within child protection caseloads and outlines the types of human capacity building and organizational development that are needed to support the parents' needs. Such capacity building will not only increase the effectiveness of child protection interventions with parents with cognitive disabilities (PCD), but will …

Reaching Beyond The "Moron": Eugenic Control Of Secondary Disability Groups, Gerald V. O'Brien, Meghan E. Bundy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

While much has been published about the American eugenics movement, few authors have considered the relative status of various disability populations as targets of eugenic control. While many writers focus on persons diagnosed as feeble-minded as the central focus of control, little has been written regarding the status of additional disability groups. This is important since, as described here, a central component of coming to understand past social injustices against marginalized groups and the contemporary relevance of such injustices is gaining an awareness of why specific populations were accepted by control authorities as appropriate or viable targets for control measures.

Increasing Rewards And The Impact On Student Behavior And School -Wide Discipline: A Mixed Methods Study, Lorri Rumburg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This mixed method, embedded, correlational study's aim was to make explicit the relationships between changed procedures in one elementary school's PBIS universal program and student behavior as measured by office discipline referrals. A secondary aim was to use student and faculty responses on surveys to interpret participants' reactions to the increases in rewards, recognitions, and self-charting of daily behavior.;The type of data collected consisted of office discipline referrals generated over the course of the study year. Numerical data analysis also incorporated student totals for earned coupons, earned rewards and earned behavior points. Students surveys completed in October and May gauged …

Factors Associated With Treatment Acceptance And Compliance Among Incarcerated Male Sex Offenders, Carl B. Clegg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined factors associated with acceptance and completion of treatment among incarcerated male sex offenders. The files of 156 sex offenders who had been offered treatment at a medium-security state prison were reviewed. Participants were divided into three groups: those who refused treatment from the outset (n = 59); those who began treatment, but later dropped-out or were expelled due to non-compliance ( n = 61); and those who completed treatment or were in an advanced stage of treatment and had never been non-compliant (n = 36). Data were collected for the following variables: age, education, race, marital …

Historical Response Rates, Reinforcement Context, And Behavioral Persistence, Chata A. Dickson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In several studies, historically lower-rate responding has been found to be more persistent than historically higher-rate responding (e.g., Lattal, 1989; Nevin, 1974). In these studies, historical response-rate differences were generated by reinforcement schedules (e.g., fixed-ratio [FR] and differential-reinforcement-of-low-rates-of-responding [DRL]) that directly affect response rate. The current study was conducted with pigeons pecking keys to determine whether this finding would hold when response-rate differences were generated by the context of reinforcement, such as a concurrently available source of reinforcement or schedule of response-independent food. In each of 3 experiments, a history-building condition was followed by a history-testing condition. In Experiment 1, …

The Role Of Urban Forests In Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study Of Savannah, Ga, Stacy L. Casinelli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to identify a range of stakeholder (tourism providers, resource managers, elected officials, tour operators and tourists) perceptions, issues and concerns of Savannah, Georgia's, urban forests to help develop opportunities for the growing sustainable tourism industry. Stakeholder interviews were conducted using an open ended, semi-structured questionnaire. Based on the three dimensions and the scope of sustainable development, the themes, trends and patterns that emerged were utilized to assess the current issues facing Savannah's urban forest. Through content data analysis, four overarching themes surfaced: development, preservation, balance, and diversity. The results of this study indicate a …

A Process Examination Of The Framing Effect In Younger And Older Adult Medical Decision Making, Erin L. Woodhead

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Older and younger adults are susceptible to a decisional bias when faced with medical decisions, which results in different treatment decisions when presented with survival or mortality data. Although this bias, termed the framing effect, has been demonstrated in multiple studies, no published studies have attempted to determine the decisional process older and younger adults engage in when presented with different information frames. The current study used a think-aloud procedure to examine decisional process differences in younger and older adults who did and did not demonstrate a framing effect. All participants were presented with two data formats (interval and cumulative …

Capturing The Essence And The Coalescence Of Presence Within The Community Of Inquiry Of An Online Graduate Course In Multicultural Diversity, Katherina C. Muller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, students who are preservice and inservice teachers participated in an asynchronous online graduate course in multicultural diversity during the fall of 2008. Their emails, threaded discussions, cross-cultural community interactions, and final reflections were examined and analyzed revealing their perceptions of their experiences in this course. The main relevance of the study was to provide insight and new understandings of learning online.;The Community of Inquiry provided the framework within which these insights and understandings were drawn. Four archived course components were analyzed: emails, threaded discussions, cross-cultural community interactions, and final reflections. A coalescence of presence was found throughout. …

Preadmission Academic Achievement Criteria As Predictors Of Nursing Program Completion And Nclex -Rn Success, Tanya L. Rogers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Admission policies and practices in higher education, including those in nursing programs, are diverse; yet administrators have traditionally relied upon preadmission academic achievement for selection of qualified students. Higher education administrators have the responsibility to serve the institution and all of its constituents, ensuring that admission policies and regular systematic evaluation of those policies are important aspects of that service.;The nursing shortage and limited resources have pressed nursing schools to implement innovative strategies to increase the number of qualified graduates. State University's School of Nursing has used a score sheet to rank associate degree nursing applicants since 1984. The preadmission …