Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Success Of The National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses Among Transfer Bsn Students, Mary E. Fortier

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Psychosocial Correlates Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy (Art) In People Living With Hiv In Kenya, Thomas M. Kamau

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Impact Of Humanitarian Photography On The Generation Of Sympathy And On Donation Behavior, Marta Barberini

Dissertations and Theses

This paper presents findings of an exploratory study to evaluate the impact of humanitarian photography on the generation of sympathy and donation behavior. Considering the large amount of money spent each year by charity organizations on marketing strategies, it seems crucial to shed light on the persuasive impact of images in this context. The overarching purpose of this study was to discern what impact, if any, a number of features in a photograph have on sympathetic reactions. Specifically the author examined facial expressions (sad vs. happy), eye contact vs. no eye contact and total number of subjects portrayed. Findings supported …

Diatom-Based Stream Bioassessment: The Roles Of Rare Taxa And Live/Dead Ratio, Nadezhda Dimitrova Gillett

Dissertations and Theses

It is unclear whether accounting for the number of rare taxa or differentiating live (cells with visible chloroplasts) and dead (empty cells) diatoms would enhance the accuracy and precision of diatom-based stream bioassessment. My dissertation research examines whether the number of rare taxa and percentage (%) live diatoms can be used as indicators of human disturbance in streams/rivers. To address my objectives, I analyzed two datasets collected at different spatial scales. The large scale dataset was collected over the course of five years and included more than 1300 sites and over 200 environmental variables from 12 Western US states (US …

Efficient Encoding Of Vocalizations In The Auditory Midbrain, Lars Andreas Holmstrom

Dissertations and Theses

An important question in sensory neuroscience is what coding strategies and mechanisms are used by the brain to detect and discriminate among behaviorally relevant stimuli. To address the noisy response properties of individual neurons, sensory systems often utilize broadly tuned neurons with overlapping receptive fields at the system's periphery, resulting in homogeneous responses among neighboring populations of neurons. It has been hypothesized that progressive response heterogeneity in ascending sensory pathways is evidence of an efficient encoding strategy that minimizes the redundancy of the peripheral neural code and maximizes information throughput for higher level processing. This hypothesis has been partly supported …

Participatory Action Research With Dignity Village: An Action Tool For Empowerment Within A Homeless Community, Heather Irene Mosher

Dissertations and Theses

With homelessness continuing to rise over the past two decades, disenfranchised unhoused people have sparked a national movement to build for themselves democratically governed communities of affordable housing. Dignity Village, in Portland Oregon, is one of the longest running and most organized self-help housing communities in the nation. This paper presents a theoretical systems-based model of a developmental pathway out of homelessness in the U.S. that has as one of its key steps membership and participation in humane and dignified "self-help micro-housing"; communities such as Dignity Village.

This research involved working collaboratively with Dignity Village on a participatory action research …

Parental Differential Treatment (Pdt) Of Siblings: Examining The Impact And Malleability Of Differential Warmth And Hostility On Children's Adjustment, Brianne H. Kothari

Dissertations and Theses

Parental differential treatment (PDT), the within-family differences in parenting experienced by siblings (Rivers & Stoneman, 2008), has been linked to detrimental adjustment outcomes for children (e.g., Conger & Conger, 1994). The primary goal of this research was to more closely examine how differential treatment in two domains of parent-child relations-displays of warmth and hostility- were associated with child outcomes. A secondary data analysis was conducted on a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of a parent training intervention. Participants in this sample were high risk children and families, and they were randomly assigned to one of three groups: an intensive parent training …

Hombres En Accion (Men In Action): A Community Defined Domestic Violence Intervention With Mexican, Immigrant, Men, Rosemary Carmela Celaya-Alston

Dissertations and Theses

Studies suggest that knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about domestic violence influence the behaviors of Mexican men. However, few interventions have targeted men in efforts to provide domestic violence awareness and health education to a relevant at-risk community that is also challenged by low literacy. Mexican immigrant men, particularly those less acculturated to the dominant U.S. culture, are significantly less likely to access services and more likely to remain isolated and removed from their communities and, more importantly, from their families. The purpose of this study was to explore and examine how cultural beliefs and behaviors influence the potential of domestic …

Synthesis Of Novel Glycosylidene-Based Quinolines, Peter H. Dobbelaar

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Moderating Effect Of Role Quality On The Relationship Between Work-Family Conflict And Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study, Jenna Risa Lecomte-Hinely

Dissertations and Theses

Work-family conflict (WFC) is a stressor that can cause negative consequences, including deleterious effects on an individual's health and well-being. This study examined this relationship through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model. This study expanded on two recent applicable studies to examine role quality as a moderator of the WFC-well-being relationship. Well-being was operationalized by three constructs: overall health, depression, and life satisfaction. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses that a negative relationship existed between WFC and the three well-being outcomes over time, and that this negative relationship between WFC and well-being could be reduced …

Do Parents Matter? Parental Attachment And Its Effect On Becoming Independent In Emerging Adulthood, Cara Joy Copeland

Dissertations and Theses

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Waves I and III are used to estimate the effect of parental attachment on independence in emerging adults ages 18 to 27. The nature of independence focused on living in a place of their own and not receiving financial support from parents, which described about half of the sample. The study finds that emerging adults who, in their youth, expressed high attachments to their parents, were slightly less likely to become independent as emerging adults. Rather, age and gender are greater positive predictors of independence.

Local Food And Land-Use In Washington County, Oregon, Joshua James Cousins

Dissertations and Theses

Local food networks are often defined as presenting a variety of alternative food production, consumption, and distribution practices to the conventional food system such as community-supported-agriculture, farmers markets, and community gardens. Local food initiatives are commonly proposed as a model for the future of sustainable agriculture, and in the region of Portland, Oregon the abundance of such alternative venues results from the area's natural surroundings and smart planning. The region is host to 39 farmers markets and Portland is often hailed as one of the country's most sustainable cities. This study examines the role of local food networks in preserving …

Confirmation Bias And Related Errors, Geoffrey Ludlow Borthwick

Dissertations and Theses

This study attempted to replicate and extend the study of Doherty, Mynatt, Tweney, and Schiavo (1979), which introduced what is here called the Bayesian conditionals selection paradigm. The present study used this paradigm (and a script similar to that used by Doherty et al.) to explore confirmation bias and related errors that can appear in both search and integration in probability revision. Despite selection differences and weak manipulations, this study provided information relevant to four important questions. First, by asking participants to estimate the values of the conditional probabilities they did not learn, this study was able to examine the …

Re-Engagement As A Process Of Everyday Resilience, Jennifer Rose Pitzer

Dissertations and Theses

Grounded in previous research on academic engagement and resilience, this study presents a clear conceptualization of re-engagement, defined as students' ability to bounce back from everyday academic challenges and setbacks, as a process of everyday resilience in school, and examines how teacher support can promote it. Data from 1018 third through sixth grade students and their 53 teachers were used to examine the extent to which teacher autonomy support and involvement (individually and in combination) predicted changes from fall to spring of the same school year in students' re-engagement (behavioral and emotional).

Overall, correlational results provided consistent support for study …

Identity, Nostalgia And Leisure: Technology Use In Second Homes, Françoise Bourdonnec

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis, based on two years of ethnographic fieldwork in the US, Russia, France and Australia, focuses on technology use in second homes and its implications for technology design. I highlight the unexpectedly strong sense of nostalgia, for place as well as for richer relationships, felt in second homes around the world, and the ways in which second home residents use technology to shape space and behavior to reinforce this link to an imagined past. I show that the transition between main and second homes, with its rituals of preparation and transition between physical locations, allows residents to assume different …

The Effects Of Animals On Children's Development Of Perspective-Taking Abilities, Mika Maruyama

Dissertations and Theses

Although attention to the effects of child-animal interactions on children's development has increased in the last three decades, developmental psychology has not attended to the importance of the effects of animals on children's development. There is a need to consider the possible impacts of animals as significant social partners for children's socioemotional development. The current study, through survey questionnaires and interview methods, investigated whether interacting with animals, especially when children have responsibilities for the welfare of pets and perhaps have formed strong attachments with pets, will promote children's socio-emotional development, specifically their abilities to take the perspective of others. Sixty-five …

Family Relationship Quality And Acculturation: Examination Of Their Relationship Among Latino Adolescent Sexual Offenders, Lindsey B. Patterson

Dissertations and Theses

Research on child sexual abuse (CSA), from the perspective of the perpetrator, has been conducted to better inform intervention and prevention programs. Although information from perpetrators can be beneficial for these programs, much of the research is limited by the diversity of sample populations of sex offenders. Moreover, potentially distinct variables relevant to specific populations (e.g., Latinos) have not been thoroughly studied in relation to CSA. To better understand the perpetration of CSA on variables that may be of particular concern to Latinos (i.e., relationship quality in familial supervision and acculturation strategies), the purpose of the present study was to …

The Physiological Correlates Of Race-Related Stress And Health Among African Americans And Latinos, Daniel Cruz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Predictors Of Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors: Supervisor Job Stress And Work-Family Climate, Brittany E. Sale

Dissertations and Theses

Research indicates that supportive supervision, particularly work-family specific supervision, is key to reducing employees' work-family conflict (Allen, 2001; Eby et al., 2005; Thomas & Ganster, 1995). However, little research has examined the factors that contribute to supervisors' willingness or ability to provide this support. This study examined how supervisor job stress and perceptions of work-family climate influenced employee ratings of Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB) using previously-collected data from a mid-western grocery chain. It was hypothesized that supervisor job stressors would impact FSSB, supervisor perception of work-family climate would impact FSSB, and the interaction of stressors and climate would impact FSSB. …

Theory, Research And Application: An In-Depth Look Into The Practice Of Mass Communication, Blair Ann Foy

Communication

These major papers examined the aspects of theory, research and application in regard to mass communication through examples in each designated paper. As the portfolio title indicates, the methods analyzed throughout these major papers will first feature theory through an analysis of rhetorical criticism, then move to research with the literature review on environmental communication, and finally discuss application with a case study concerning the crisis communication efforts utilized by the state of Minnesota during the I- 35W bridge collapse. Each of these facets of communication were included and analyzed for their contributions to the field of mass communication itself. …

Military Marriages: A Look At Dialectical Tensions, Deployment, And Military Life Through Navy Wives' Eyes, Erienne Lee Fawcett

Communication

This qualitative study explored the lived military relationships of eighteen Navy wives whose husbands were stationed on the Naval Air Station Whidbey Base in Oak Harbor, Washington. The researcher performed interviews to better understand how internal dialectical tensions- autonomy-connection, novelty-predictability, and opennessclosedness - were manifested throughout deployment, and what strategies were used to cope with those tensions. Results suggested that a variety of tensions characterized these marital relationships throughout the course of a deployment. The tensions that coincide with military lifestyles were often addressed by using the reframing coping strategy. A military/non-military external tension emerged from the data that influenced …

The A3 Report As Knowledge-Accomplishing Activity: A Practice-Oriented Analysis Of Situated Organizational Problem Solving, Angela Yvonne Hatton

Communication

The A3 report is a lean practice innovated by Toyota motor company. The A3 report, a growing trend in organizations, is promoted as a communication tool, but it has not been studied from a communication perspective. In this study I interview twelve professionals who use A3 reports in their work and identify the ways in which A3 reports enable and constrain organizational communication. This study illustrates the communicative enactment of knowing and identifies how the A3 report structures organizational problem solving and creates knowledge-accomplishing activity. The A3 report constrains information through its concise 11 by 1 7 inch paper size …

Life Coaching And Vista Members: What Is The Nature Of Impact?, Deborah Mcgregor-Pfleger

Communication

Research related specifically to coaching has increased gradually over the past few years. Most of the research has revolved around executive coaching, and there are limited research studies about certified coaches. To date, there are no studies that specifically focus on the nature of impact of life coaching on VISTA members. In this study of a pilot project pairing life coaches with VISTA members, five VISTA members participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews and five VISTA members participated in a focus group. It is clear from the research data that the nature of impact included many areas including time management, conflict …

Longdistance Romantic Relationships: Connections Among Conflict, Uncertainty, Maintenance, And Mediated Communication Use, Whitney Allison Frahm

Communication

Conflict, uncertainty, and relational maintenance have been frequent topics of study in long-distance relationships (LDRs); however, these concepts have not been studied concurrently. Interviews with 22 college students were used to study the influence of mediated versus face-to-face communication on conflict, uncertainty, and maintenance in LDRs. Interview data indicate that distance, distrust, and frustration with mediated communication are significant sources of conflict in LDRs. Conflict is most often discussed via mediated communication, although couples overwhelmingly prefer face-to-face interaction. Uncertainty and subsequent conflict were highest when using text-based communication (i.e., text messaging and Facebook); the telephone was preferred to maintain LDRs.

The Role Of Cyber And Face-To-Face Verbal Bullying On Adolescent Victims, Laura Catherine Farrell

Communication

The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent verbal bullying across communication media (e.g., face-to-face [F2F], cyber, both). Media Richness Theory (MRT; Daft & Lengel, 1984; 1986) and hyperpersonal communication (Walther, 1996) are the guiding theories in this study. Results suggested three of the four emotional outcomes [happiness, self-esteem, and peer satisfaction] were not significantly different across verbal bullying media, while the fourth emotional outcome [relational victimization] was significantly different. Results also suggested differences in frequency of bullying communication types between bullying media. There was a significant difference in the frequency of bullying type and grade level; however, there …

Powerful And Powerless Language In Health Media: An Examination Of The Effects Of Biological Sex And Topic Focus On Language Styles, Ashley Marie Fandrich

Communication

Powerless language has been shown to influence audience perceptions, and the media has been shown to influence health behaviors. However, little research has looked at powerless language in health media. This study expands current research regarding powerless language through an examination of written health media. A content analysis on the use of powerless language in health-related articles was conducted for 12 popular magazines over a one-year time span. Analysis compared differences in use of powerless language relative to three variables: biological sex of the author, the biological sex of the audience, and the magazine's overall topic focus. Female authors and …

When Not Thinking Leads To Being And Doing: Stereotype Suppression And The Self, Na Wyer, G Mazzoni, Tj Perfect, G Calvini, Hl Neilens

School of Psychology

Suppressing stereotypes often results in more stereotype use, an effect attributed to heightened stereotype activation. The authors report two experiments examining the consequences of suppression on two self-relevant outcomes: the active self-concept and overt behavior. Participants who suppressed stereotypes incorporated stereotypic traits into their self-concepts and demonstrated stereotype-congruent behavior compared to those who were exposed to the same stereotypes but did not suppress them. These findings address issues emerging from current theories of suppression, priming, and the active self.

Mast Cells And Hypoxia Drive Tissue Metaplasia And Heterotopic Ossification In Idiopathic Arthrofibrosis After Total Knee Arthroplasty., Theresa A Freeman, Javad Parvizi, Craig J Dela Valle, Marla J Steinbeck

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Idiopathic arthrofibrosis occurs in 3-4% of patients who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, little is known about the cellular or molecular changes involved in the onset or progression of this condition. To classify the histomorphologic changes and evaluate potential contributing factors, periarticular tissues from the knees of patients with arthrofibrosis were analyzed for fibroblast and mast cell proliferation, heterotopic ossification, cellular apoptosis, hypoxia and oxidative stress. RESULTS: The arthrofibrotic tissue was composed of dense fibroblastic regions, with limited vascularity along the outer edges. Within the fibrotic regions, elevated numbers of chymase/fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-expressing mast cells were …

Voter Disenfranchisement, Timothy Walter Peterson

Criminal Justice and Political Science

This paper examines the policy of voter disenfranchisement and how it disproportionately affects minorities. Voter disenfranchisement is the denial of voting rights to the criminally convicted. The research indicates African Americans are significantly disproportionally affected by this policy when compared to white Americans. Currently, the United States Supreme Court has allowed states to incorporate their own policy for disenfranchising felons residing in their state. The recommendation of this paper is to create a uniform policy for voter disenfranchisement among the fifty states, which would allow for any eligible voter living in the community to vote. The policy would only deny …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Individual Risk Factors And Drug Court Success: An Application Of The Risk, Needs, Responsivity Model, Katie Ann Richardson

Criminal Justice and Political Science

Research has documented that drug courts can and do work; however, recent attention has focused on how individual characteristics may be related to program success and post program recidivism. It was the purpose of this study to further examine how participant characteristics may impact post program recidivism by applying the Risk, Needs and Responsivity framework. A sample of 104 drug court participants and a matched sample of similar offenders who received treatment as usual was used to test the hypotheses that those who possess certain risk factors may be less likely to recidivate post program because they have been appropriately …