Digital Commons Network^™

Workspace Comparisons Of Setup Configurations For Human-Robot Interaction, Franziska Zacharias, Ian S. Howard, Thomas Hulin, Gerd Hirzinger

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Psychological Predictors Of Athletic Injury, Sarah Marie Ulrich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

To date, research has yet to explore differences in injury based on Fear of Failure (FOF). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if: (a) athletes of varying fear of failure profiles have different perceptions of stress, (b) athletes of varying types of fear of failure differ in regards to injury onset, frequency and severity, and ( c) fear of failure predicts injury occurrence and severity. A total of 127 male collegiate athletes competing in football, wrestling, basketball, and track and field participated in this study. Participants completed the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PF AI) to assess fear …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Physical Activity Among School Aged Children, Elizabeth Nicklay

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine psychosocial correlates that best predict physical activity behaviors of Iowa public school children, grades 4-12. Subproblems of the study included determining psychosocial predictors of physical activity specific to gender and grade level differences. The Physical Activity Questionnaire-Children (PAQ-C) and Physical Activity Questionnaire-Adolescents (PAQ-A) were used to measure the physical activity behaviors and The Children's Physical Activity Scale (CPAC) was used to measure the psychological factors of physical activity of the 5,408 participants. Results show that males, at all ages, reported greater levels of physical activity than their female classmates. There was also …

Parental Influences On Children’S Physical Activity, Molly Eshelman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The general purpose of this study was to investigate the role of parental influence on children's physical activity (PA) behaviors. The specific purposes were to (1) determine the relationship between parental attitudes and their children's PA, (2) determine if parental exercise habits are related to their children's PA participation, (3) determine if parental knowledge of physical activity recommendations is related to their children's PA participation, ( 4) examine the nature of parenting practices on their children's PA participation, and (5) investigate the mediating effect of socio-economic status on the influence parents have on their children's PA participation. Questionnaires were obtained …

Body Type And Perceived Physical Competence In College Female Dancers, Brenna Marie Vogel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The relationship between body type and perceived physical competence was determined among college female company dancers. Participants were from one of four technique based dance companies at a midwestern university. They were questioned as to their perceived physical competence in seven different styles of dance, all of which had been offered at the selected university over the previous academic year. Body type was calculated using both the Body Mass Index Scale and the Body Composition Analyzer, which is a bioelectrical impedance analysis of one's body fat percentage, total body water, and body weight. A total of 44 participants took part …

Substance Use And Injury With College Athletes: Does Injury Affect Perceptions?, Kristine Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Collegiate athletes may perceive the characteristics of substances differently following an injury. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine whether perceptions of substance use among collegiate athletes change after an injury occurs. The study also examined differences between sex, scholarship status, and academic level on perceptions of substance use. A total of 141 Division I college athletes participated in this study, with 96 completing the post-test. They were asked to complete a Perceptions of Substance Use Survey in the fall and again in the spring; participants' injury data was collected over a 6 month period from athletic trainers. …

Cultural Tolerance Of Americans In Canada, Benjamin Campbell Barclay

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research was to develop a cultural tolerance scale, and determine how well it correlates with certain personality dimensions as well as expected stress. The cultural tolerance scale was administered to 104 students from the University of Northern Iowa along with shortened versions of the IPIP and RWA. As expected, the findings showed that cultural tolerance is correlated with openness and agreeableness, but no other personality dimensions. Cultural tolerance is also negatively correlated with R WA and expected stress. Cultural tolerance is a very good predictor of expected stress. This scale could be used as an effective …

A Master's Recital In Viola, Amy Beekhuizen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Amy Beekhuizen performed her graduate recital on March 12, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. in Davis Hall at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, University of Northern Iowa. This recital was given in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree in viola performance. The program consisted of Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009, by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sonate for Viola and Piano, Op. 25, No. 4, by Paul Hindemith, Elegy for Viola and Piano, Op. 44, by Alexander Glazunov, and Sonata for Viola and Piano, by Rebecca Clarke. Polina Khatsko, adjunct instructor of piano at the University of Northern …

The Effect Of Race On Eyewitness Identification Lineup Processing Strategies: An Analysis Of Eye Movements, Ryan Betts

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Race plays an extremely important role in people's ability to recognize or identify an individual in an eyewitness identification situation. In particular, other-race faces are more poorly recognized than same-race faces. This phenomenon, known as the cross-race effect, compounded by problematic lineup administration, contribute to the hundreds of falsely convicted people who continue to be exonerated through DNA evidence to this day. The current study focused on the role that race plays in an eyewitness's decision making strategy when viewing simultaneous police lineups. Eye tracking methodology was used to analyze eye movements and fixations while viewing lineups that were of …

The Role Of Stereotype Threat In The Underrepresentation Of Minority Students In Gifted Education, M. Erin Potter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stereotype threat is a social psychological phenomenon that has been demonstrated to negatively affect performance of individuals who are members of non-Asian ethnic minority groups in terms of academic achievement. Although these effects have been documented in adults, very few studies have examined stereotype threat in K-12 students. Further, it is not clear whether stereotype threat could negatively impact students' performance on standardized tests, such as those used for screening for gifted programs. The purpose of this study was to examine whether stereotype threat could be reduced in a sample of Caucasian and African-American middle-school students who were taking a …

Leisure: Definitions, Patterns, And Constraints: A Study Of University Students In China, Shisi Zhou

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

China has witnessed tremendous social transformation in the last three decades due to the introduction of the "open door" policy and economic reforms in the late 1970s, which has resulted in great changes in Chinese culture and identity considerations. University students, as one of the most energetic and creative groups of individuals in the society, are playing and will play an important role in leading leisure lifestyles in China in the future. The purpose of this study was to examine the understanding of leisure (xiuxian in Chinese), leisure patterns, and constraints among university students in China.

Undergraduate students (N = …

The Relationship Between Aggression And Measures Of Neuroticism And Agreeableness In College Students, Ashley Alexandra Buol

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Past studies on aggression have typically focused on physical aggression (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Recently, however, researchers have started to look at a subtle form of aggression known as relational aggression (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). There have also been few studies that have focused on perceptions of aggression, as well as the personality traits that may be associated with these perceptions. Thus, the current study was designed to explore the relationship between personality characteristics, specifically agreeableness and neuroticism, and perceptions of aggression. The relationship between the levels of aggression and perceptions of aggression was also examined. Four questionnaires were utilized …

Consequences Of Work-Family Balance And Comparisons With Work-Family And Family-Work Conflict, Sasha Marie Burnett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The American work environment is quite different than it was just a few decades ago. Researchers, popular media, and employers alike have wondered how the changing labor environment is affecting employees. Participants in this study (N = 171) were 18 years of age or older, employed full-time and had at least one dependent child living at home. Of interest in this study was how well three measures of the work-family interface were able to predict five work-related consequences that would be of interest to employers. Work-family balance predicted both job satisfaction and intentions to quit, work-family conflict predicted job tension/strain …

Regional Differences In Jurors’ Attitudes And Knowledge, Heather M. Caspers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Dynamic social impact theory (DSIT; Latane, 1996) suggests that social influence leads to four phenomena: clustering (regional differences in attitudes), correlation (emergent relationships between attitudes), consolidation (reduction in attitude variance), and continuing diversity (whereby minority opinions persist). These phenomena have been shown in a variety of settings (Harton & Bourgeois, 2004; Harton & Bullock, 2007), but geographic clustering in attitudes about crime have not been examined. These attitudes have the potential to affect a verdict in a trial if a defendant has a change of venue to a different area of the state or the country. Two datasets, the National …

Language Exclusionary Behavior And Attitudes Toward Immigrants, Christine L. Bennett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Immigrants often speak languages that natives do not understand, leading to intentional or inadvertent ostracism, which in turn may increase perceptions of threat. For example, English language participants excluded from a conversation in Spanish report more negative reactions than participants excluded in English (Hitlan, Kelly, & Zarate, 2010). Integrated threat theory (ITT) suggests that there are four threats that lead to prejudice toward outgroups such as immigrants: realistic threat, symbolic threat, intergroup anxiety, and negative stereotypes (Stephan, Ybarra, & Bachman, 1999). The current study expanded upon prior research by ostracizing participants in English, Spanish, or Arabic and then measuring participants' …

A Case Study Of The Perceptions Of Stakeholders From A School District In Iowa On The Impact Of No Child Left Behind On The Comprehensive High School, Brian Coppess

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The American comprehensive high school was designed for a diverse society (Wraga, 1998, p. 1 ). The concept originated in the 1920s as a result of a report entitled The Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education (Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education [CRSE], 1918). Since the adoption of The Cardinal Principles, the institution of the comprehensive high school has withstood years of continued review and reform efforts. Despite the many attempts to change it, the comprehensive high school has remained a constant of secondary education in America. The nation's most recent educational reform effort-the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, …

Performance-Based Assessment Of School Psychology Interns : Analysis Of Problem-Solving Skills As Demonstrated In Comprehensive Case Examinations, Kimberly Suzanne Hansen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

School psychologists are integral partners in the facilitation of the problem solving process, especially when the process is embedded within a tiered service delivery system incorporating response to intervention philosophies. Therefore, it is important that new school psychologists entering the field be competent in the skill areas needed to produce positive student outcomes. It is important for school psychology training programs to assess these competencies to improve individual student competencies as well as to improve the training provided by the program in the future. Comprehensive case studies are performance-based assessments that can be utilized to evaluate individuals, as well as …

Functional Behavioral Assessment : School Based Practice And Perception, Clint Henning

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a process that attempts to uncover specific causes and reinforcement of inappropriate behavior in order to design and implement interventions that more accurately address these behaviors. According to the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, functional assessments are now required in working with students struggling with inappropriate behavior. Despite these requirements there is still ambiguity about how these assessments are carried out in school settings (Gartin and Murdick, 2001). This study consisted of a survey of school psychologists in the state of Iowa to understand how the process looks currently, ten years …

Baby Boomer And Genx Elementary Principals : Differing Perspectives On Schooling, Lisa M. Fry

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Studies on generational analysis inform us that each generation is shaped by the influences they share during their formative years. The common experiences and historical circumstances experienced during this time influences their generational identity and results in a world view that is unique to that generation. This world view and generational identity impacts their belief system and practices as they emerge as leaders in mid-life.

While the current structures and policies that guide today's educational system were established by the Baby Boomer generation, we could see significant changes as the Baby Boomer behemoth begins to leave the workforce. Around the …

Do Pull-Out Programs Create A Mirage Of Long-Term Results For At-Risk Youth?, Varotta Mi'chele Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Educators and researchers cannot afford to ignore the achievement gap between at-risk students and their counterparts. The review examines educational practices for this targeted population. Historically, educational experts have supported the belief that teaching in isolated settings is one of the most effective practices for improving student achievement. Smaller class sizes are proposed as reform methods to substantially impact student performance (Odden, 1990). However, class size reduction must be coupled with research-based instructional strategies proven to further academic development. Traditionally, at-risk students receive instruction through pull-out interventions. A pull-out program in this study shall be defined as the removal of …

Psychometric Comparisons Of The Reasons For Living Inventory For Young Adults And The College Student Reasons For Living Inventory In A College Sample, Ashley A. Heck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present study was to examine and compare the psychometric properties of two self-report measures designed to assess suicide-related behaviors in college-age populations. Screening for suicidality is important to identify and support individuals who may be at risk for suicide-related behaviors (Joe & Bryant, 2007). Both the Reasons for Living Inventory for Young Adults (Osman, 1998) and the College Students Reasons for Living Inventory (Westefeld, Cardin, & Deaton, 1992) were developed to assess the reasons that young adults may have for refraining from self destructive acts. These measures were analyzed in terms of their factor structure and …

Locating Henry In The “Un-”: Proto-Postmodern Negation Of Character, Allusion, Narrative And Structure In John Berryman’S The Dream Songs, Joseph Russell Hendryx

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

John Berryman's The Dream Songs encompasses an extensive and complex negation of characterization and structure, offering a method of interpretation that focuses on the negations and the absences expressed in and presented by the song cycle. Through his nonlinear account of his life and through the historical and literary allusions he uses to express himself, Henry obscures any effort for readers to discover a stable, absolute identity. Like Henry himself, his unnamed companion unsuccessfully fulfills a variety of roles that critics have attempted to prescribe for him; he fails to perform any notable thematic or structural purpose for the poem, …

Applying Cognitively Guided Instruction Through Word Problem Probes, James Jackson Ploen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Professional development programs have the opportunity to engage educators with new knowledge and pedagogical implications. Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) is a teacher professional development program focused on elementary mathematics instruction (Carpenter, Fennema, Franke, Levi, & Empson, 1999). The program's foundation is based upon research of how students learn to solve basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems. Using children's common solutions strategies, CGI leads to teaching practices that support children in generating their own meaningful problem-solving skills while naturally learning mathematics. The paper reviews the literature on CGI and examines the initial findings of interrater reliability of CG I-based …

The New Childbirth : An Analysis Of Planned Cesarean Sections, Loren Wilbers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examines the experience of planned cesarean section delivery as told by six mothers who have given birth utilizing this method. The rate of planned cesarean deliveries being performed in the United States has been increasing over the past two decades. The existing literature attributes this phenomenon to mothers' fear of the pain associated with vaginal birth, desires to imitate celebrities and maintain vaginal tone, and the greed of obstetricians who push for cesarean deliveries for both convenience and financial gain. The voices of mothers themselves is lacking in the existing literature. Thus, this study draws upon a qualitative, …

The Influence Of Religion And Spirituality On Rehabilitation Outcomes Among Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors, Brigid Waldron-Perrine

Wayne State University Dissertations

The long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury affect millions of Americans, many of whom report using religion and spirituality to cope. Little research, however, has investigated how various elements of the religious and spiritual belief systems affect rehabilitation outcomes. The present study sought to assess the use of specifically defined elements of religion and spirituality as coping resources in a sample of traumatically brain injured adults. Furthermore, various mechanisms by which religion and spirituality may affect outcome were explored.

The sample included 88 adults with brain injury from 1 to 20 years post injury and their knowledgeable significant others (SOs). …

A Study Of Japanese Women Today: Changing Gender Roles And Attitudes Toward Marriage, Shiho Hosokawa

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Japanese women and men are getting married later in life than before and the number of Japanese choosing to live a single person's lifestyle has increased since the 1980's. In the 1970's, the number of women working outside the home was lower than now and most of those who did work, did so only to supplement their husband's income. Today, many Japanese women obtain college degrees and have a paid job, the same as men do. Yet, based on my personal experience and those of others I know, Japanese women often remain the primary caretakers in the home. They are …

Testing The Relationship Between Body Dysmorphic Disorder And Pathological Skin Picking Using A Bidimensional Model Of ‘Fear’ And ‘Anger', Nicole Christine Egan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Body image concerns are pervasive throughout Western culture, but there is a subset of the population who become so preoccupied with specific aspects of their appearance that it leads to clinically significant distress and impairment in their daily lives. This study examined symptoms of two disorders dealing with body concerns: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Pathological Skin Picking (PSP). The primary purpose of this study was to use the bidimensional model of 'fear' and 'anger' (Lara et al., 2006) to test the relationship between BOD & PSP. The model suggests that BDD and PSP are both characterized by high 'anger' …

From The Barrio To A Four-Year University: The Academic Success Stories Of Fifteen Socioeconomic Disadvantaged Latino Male College Students, Erineo Eddy Espinoza

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Review of the prior literature on the topic of academic achievement among U.S. Latino students reveals both problematic performance and systematic disadvantaged obstacles that impede their ability to achieve expected academic accomplishments. Despite such conditions, however, there are Latino students from disadvantaged backgrounds who graduated from high school and enrolled in a four year university. Interpretations of action theory were used as a theoretical framework to interview 15 collegiate Latino males, who grew up in disadvantaged socioeconomic communities (barrios) and enrolled in a four year university. Three findings emerged from their interviews that explained the academic achievements from both these …

Faculty Hiring Committees Perceptions Of Hiring Processes And Subjectivity, Laura Caraleen Foster

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Hiring the most capable applicants has a large impact on the bottom line of an organization. The most effective tools to identify talent are well known to IndustrialOrganizational Psychologists, but these analytical tools are used less frequently than less effective intuitive procedures, such as the traditional unstructured job interview. In a survey of university faculty, we found that the most important factor influencing the use of a selection tool was its perceived validity, but these perceptions were not wellcalibrated to actual criterion related validity. We found some evidence that perceived validity was influenced by implicit beliefs about hiring. A body …

Utilizing Multimedia Case Studies To Teach The Professional Side Of Project Management, Cassandra C. Elrod, Susan L. Murray, Barry B. Flachsbart, Karl E. Burgher, Drew M. Foth

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

This research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of using a LITEE multimedia case study to teaching concepts in engineering courses. The LITEE Superstar case study was implemented in an engineering Project Management course. Numerous surveys regarding student expectations, outcomes, and attitudes were collected and results are presented herein. Overall, the study provided evidence that the students felt that the LITEE case study added value to the course via the different methods of teaching material, aided in the understanding of the project selection process, and ultimately helped them be successful in their course project which was conducted for a real …