Digital Commons Network^™

Case Jp: Twenty Experiments On A Person With Congenital Prosopagnosia And Inability To Experience Visual Imagery From Birth, Leanne Walker

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Congenital Prosopagnosia and inability to experience visual imagery was investigated through administration of neuropsychological, face processing and visual imagery tests on a single patient, JP. JP had no general intellectual impairment, no problems affecting visual and spatial abilities and had little problems affecting overall memory. She was impaired on unfamiliar face matching, perception of eye gaze and famous face recognition, and was in the normal range for facial expression recognition; thus suggesting that JP is of the “prosopagnosic” type. Subjective vividness and spontaneous use of imagery was rated as extremely poor and performance of standard tests of visual imagery yielded …

Moderating The Influence Of A Prime: Can Self-Focused Attention Inhibit Response Preparation Behaviour In An Interpersonal Context?, Alexandra C. Wyatt-Barton

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Research into the effects of focused attention on prime-to-behaviour effects indicates that heightened self-focus can eliminate stereotype and trait activation. The present research investigated the influence of focused attention on prime-to-behaviour effects after the exposure to a threatening social group (‘hoodies’). In particular it was predicted that focusing on an irrelevant target after ‘hoodie’ priming would result in response preparation behaviour whereas self-focusing would inhibit it. Results revealed that self-focusing does indeed inhibit response preparation behaviour during an interpersonal context but failed to show the opposite effect for non self-focusing. This suggests that purely focusing attention away from prime related …

The Therapeutic Effects Of Working With Dartmoor Ponies: A Pathfinding Project, Dawn Chaplin

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The area of Animal Assisted Therapy, and in particular therapy with Equines, was investigated to assess whether this sort of therapy could contribute to Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL). It was proposed that quantitative and qualitative measures would suggest an increase in social and emotional functioning following an Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) intervention. Three ‘at-risk’ adolescent males were nominated by teaching staff to participate in a quasi-experimental research design, whereby measures were taken but no variables manipulated. Quantitative data provided weak support for the hypothesis although qualitative data suggested an improvement in functioning followed by a decline in …

The Effect Of Physiological Arousal On Item And Associative Memory Consolidation, Lucinda Sturton

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This article does not feature an abstract.

Presenting Jamaican Folk Songs On The Art Music Stage: Social History And Artistic Decisions, Byron Gordon Johnson

Dissertations

Jamaican folk songs have become a definitive characteristic of Jamaican culture. They are exemplars of a culture whose music reflects the lifestyle of most of its citizens. In modern times, their beauty has been show cased in local and foreign performances which exposes an element of the country to the world. Additionally, the arrangements of these songs by Jamaican composers like Noel Dexter and Peter Ashbourne have aided in their renaissance in modern times. This also attests to their high entertaining quality which most audiences have come to appreciate. To this end, this research analyzed the arrangements by Noel Dexter …

Legal Reading And Success In Law School: The Reading Strategies Of Law Students With Attention Deficit Disorder (Add)., Leah M. Christensen

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

The new reality in legal education is that a certain percentage of our students will come to us with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or with another learning disability, either disclosed or undisclosed. Yet there has been little empirical research on how law students with learning disabilities read and understand the law. This study examines how three law students with ADD read a judicial opinion. The results suggest a relationship between successful law school performance and the use of problematizing and rhetorical reading strategies, and between less successful law school performance and the use of default reading strategies. Further, the results …

Defining Violence On The Blackboard: An Overview Of The Texas Education Code's Approach To Teen Dating Violence., Jessica Ramos

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

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Cycle Of Violence: Domestic Violence And Its Effects On Children., Rosie Gonzalez, Janice Corbin

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

Abstract Forthcoming.

How Texas Can Better Protect Seniors From Financial Abuse And Mismanagement Associated With Alzheimer's Disease., Hayden Colby

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

Alzheimer’s Disease is a prominent terminal ailment affecting a vast number of the world’s senior citizens. The Disease causes a cognitive deterioration in brain cells which results in limited or no ability to do basic activities. Texas has seen a disproportionate amount of Alzheimer’s cases due to senior citizens relocating upon retirement. Alzheimer’s Disease costs American citizens thousands of dollars in healthcare services every year. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, one loses his or her ability to manage their finances. This leads to a lack of independence and a greater susceptibility to financial abuse by those wanting to take …

Determining Characteristics That Increase Success On The National Asthma Educator Certification Exam, Karen Kain

Dissertations

The National Asthma Educator Certification Board, Inc. (NAECB) is a voluntary health certifying board created in 2001 to evaluate the professional competence of asthma educators. The primary purpose of the NAECB is to prepare and conduct examinations to test the qualifications of candidates for certification as asthma educators. Certification is voluntary and is not required by law for employment in the field, although some agencies may use AE-C® certification as a basis for employment, job promotions, salary increases, or other considerations. The mission of the NAECB is to promote optimal asthma management and quality of life among individuals with asthma …

An Investigation Into Omani Physical Education Teachers' Beliefs About Physical Education Teachers' Characteristics And Their Roles In Omani Schools, Nasser Al-Rawahi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate Omani physical education teachers‟ (pre -service and in-service) beliefs about the characteristics and roles of physical education teachers in Omani schools. Interviews were used to achieve this purpose by interviewing 29 participants: 12 student teachers and 17 teachers. Data were analysed qualitatively by using analytic induction and interpretive analytic framework. Qualitative results show that student teachers and teachers have similar beliefs about the general and professional characteristics of a physical education teacher. Between 70% and 95% of participants believed that the essential general characteristics of physical education teachers are: having a strong …

First Generation Hispanic High School Students Going To College: Experiences That Support Decisions And College Going Pathways, Norma Ibarra-Cantú

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this study I examined the question: How do first generation Hispanic high school students decide to attend college? To understand how the students made college decisions and what supported their pursuit of college aspirations, I interviewed six Hispanic high school students from five different high schools in a south Texas-Mexico border town. Student participants were the first generation in their immediate family to graduate from high school and to consider going to college. I conducted qualitative open-ended interviews with each of the participants and used inductive multilayered analyses to identify how students made decisions to attend college and how …

Attitudinal Measures Of College Students' Punitiveness Toward Sex Offenders, Antonio Zamorano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The following experiment investigates punitiveness toward sex offenders using a sample of one hundred sixty students from the University of Texas-Pan American student population recruited from undergraduate introductory psychology courses and compensated with extra course credit. Punitiveness toward sex offenders was measured with six-point bipolar Likert scales using two attitudinal research methodologies: a randomly assigned between group experiment using a manipulated hypothetical crime scenario, and a survey using a shortened version of the Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale (CATSOS). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison tests of attitudinal responses to the hypothetical crime scenario determined that …

Air Traffic Controllers: Flying In The Face Of Danger? A Look Into The Effects Of The Time Of Day, Jason Boergerhoff

Theses and Dissertations

Since the events of September 11, this country has continued to grow and its commercial air travel along with it. As the number of passengers and planes increase, so must the skill and etermination of the air traffic controllers. They must be at their peak performance levels to ensure the flying public is handled safely and expeditiously. This study looks at the possible effects of the time of day. After defining time of day effects and giving some of the consequences of these effects, a look into the task of a controller was necessary. This study broke the task down …

Perspectives Of Employed People Experiencing Homelessness Of Self And Being Homeless: Challenging Socially Constructed Perceptions And Stereotypes, Micheal L. Shier, Marion E. Jones, John R. Graham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In a study that sought to identify the multiple factors resulting in homelessness from the perspective of 65 individuals in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who were both employed and homeless, we found that participants' perceptions of being homeless emerged as a major theme which impacts their entry to and exit from homelessness. Four sub-themes related to these perceptions were identified: (1) perceptions of self and situation; (2) impact of being homeless on self-reflection; (3) aspects of hope to consider; and (4) perspectives on having a permanent residence. Analytically, these findings help challenge present stereotypes about homelessness and usefully inform social service …

The Economics Of Being Young And Poor: How Homeless Youth Survive In Neo-Liberal Times, Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Jann Ticknor, Sean Kidd, Dorothy Patterson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Based upon in-depth interviews with 34 youth in Halifax and seven service providers in St. John's, Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Calgary, the findings of this study suggest that labor occurs within a particular street context and street culture. Formal and informal work can be inter-related, and despite the hardships they experience, young people who are homeless or who are at-risk of homelessness can respond to their circumstances with ingenuity, resilience and hope. Often street-involved and homeless young people are straddling formal and informal work economies while mediating layers of external and internal motivations and tensions. The reality is that …

Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire: Trauma In The Lives Of Homeless Youth Prior To And During Homelessness, John Coates, Sue Mckenzie-Mohr

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Anecdotal evidence from those who work with homeless youth indicates that trauma permeates these young people's lives. This paper presents the findings from a study of 100 homeless youth regarding the presence of trauma in their lives, both before and during homelessness. Participants living in the Maritime Provinces volunteered to take part in a semi-structured interview lasting one to two hours. The interview questionnaire was conducted by a trained interviewer, and was composed of standardized and adapted survey instruments, as well as questions regarding demographics, experiences prior to becoming homeless, assistance received while dealing with stressors, and current needs. The …

The Limits Of Social Capital: An Examination Of Immigrants' Housing Challenges In Calgary, Alina Tanasescu, Alan Smart

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A common explanation of immigrants' under-representation among the homeless population in Canada is that kinship and community networks act as a buffer to absolute homelessness. There are indications that immigrant homelessness is, however, increasing, suggesting that the buffering capacity of social networks reaches a limit. Further, evidence of precarious housing situations indicates that we should approach this form of housing provision with some caution. This paper draws on a larger study of housing difficulties among immigrants in Calgary to address the ways in which social capital serves a buffering role, and under what conditions it loses its ability to prevent …

Representations Of Homelessness In Four Canadian Newspapers: Regulation, Control, And Social Order, Barbara Schneider, Kerry Chamberlain, Darrin Hodgetts

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on a content analysis of homelessness representations in four Canadian newspapers: two city broadsheets, one city tabloid, and one national newspaper. Clear differences between the papers emerged showing that in general coverage of homelessness in Calgary was much more positive than coverage in Vancouver. It conveyed a stronger sense of crisis or urgency and a stronger sense of optimism that the problem should and can be solved. Experts dominate public discourse about homelessness, with people who experience homelessness themselves marginalized as speakers. Despite these differences, the four papers present a unified narrative of homelessness in which readers …

Dissociating The Reinforcing And Discriminative Roles Of A Warning Signal In A Free-Operant Avoidance Situation, Bobby E. Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The two-factor theory of avoidance behavior predicts that a warning signal that precedes shock will have an aversive function, and if this is true then presenting a warning signal contingent upon a response should punish that response. In the present study, rats responded in a two-component multiple schedule of free-operant shock avoidance. Both components used a response-shock (RS) interval of 30 s, and a shock-shock (SS) interval of 5 s. A distinct warning signal was presented in each component, and signals differed primarily in terms of their respective durations. In one component, the signal appeared 29 s before RS shocks, …

Emotional Intelligence And Facial Affect Recognition Among College Psychopaths Versus Controls, Rebecca L. Schwartz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study had two purposes: to replicate research on facial affect recognition and to test for differences in emotional intelligence abilities between a college psychopathic and controls population. Two groups were formed based on Psychopathy Personality Inventory-Revised scores with the college psychopathic group scoring above the 75% cut off, and the controls below the 50% cut off. Forty-two college students completed questionnaires including a demographic questionnaire, the Psychopathy Personality Inventory-Revised, the Bar-On EQ-i, and the Illegal Behavior Checklist. They also completed a facial affect recognition task. There were no significant differences between the psychopathic group and the control group on …

Mythscapes: Violent Spaces In Postmodern Literature And Culture, Jonathan R. Harvey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project focuses on British and American speculative novels written between the 1960s and the 2000s that position the reader to critique the contemporary world. Depictions of violent, fictional spaces, or what I call mythscapes, are playing an influential role in literary, political, religious, and even scientific discourses. The mythscape can initiate introspection on real issues by suggesting possible alternatives, conjecturing about potential consequences, and posing compelling comparisons. I define "mythscape" as an imagined space that features: a setting that is nonrealistic and radically different from, yet implicitly contrastive with, material reality; a rhetorical stance, which is inevitably grounded in …

An Exploration Of Elementary School Counselors' Perceptions Of Students' Exposure To Violent Video Games, Tammy Lynn Woody

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explored elementary school counselors' perceptions of working with students exposed to violent video games. Certified elementary school counselors participated in both an online survey and individual interviews, revealing their observations regarding elementary school children and the phenomenon of gaming. An emphasis was placed on information about violent video games and how playing these games appear to impact the students in their schools.;The study addressed the overarching question of whether or not elementary school counselors have concerns about student exposure to violent video games and how they respond to student generated discussions of playing violent video games. The study …

An Evaluation Of The Efficacy And Safety Of A Protocol To Premedicate Neonates For Elective Or Semi-Urgent Intubations In A Newborn Intensive Care Unit, Judith Dunmire Polak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Intubation is a painful and stressful procedure frequently performed in the NICU, yet less than 1% of US preterm infants receive premedication. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of an intubation protocol in the NICU to add one 2mcg/kg dose of fentanyl prior to the procedure.;Objectives. The primary outcome was to decrease the time to successful intubation. Secondary outcomes were to increase staff knowledge regarding procedural pain, to reduce the number of attempts and to decrease adverse physiologic events.;Design. Staff attended one educational session. Pre- and post-tests assessed knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. Data pre- and …

A Novel Global Pattern Recognition Algorithm, Joseph M. Stoffa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The background, development, performance assessment, and analysis of a novel pattern recognition algorithm that is applicable to any set of binary images are discussed. The efficacy of the algorithm when applied to the problem of fingerprint recognition is quantified. The conclusion was that the algorithm is relatively poor as a fingerprint identification algorithm, averaging an equal error rate of approximately 19% as calculated by the rules specified in the Year 2000 Fingerprint Verification Competition. The positive attributes of the algorithm were its ultra-fast matching times, orientation independence, lack of rejection events, relative insensitivity to resolution difference, and one-way transformations. The …

African American/Black Undergraduate Students: Perceptions Of Their Experiences Attending An Upper Midwest University, Deola Y. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the perceptions held by African American/"black" undergraduate students of their experiences attending a predominately white institution (PWI) of higher education in the Upper Midwest. Participants consisted of a sample of six African American/black juniors during the 2009–2010 academic school year. Social Identity Development Theory and Critical Race Theory were used as a guide in designing interview questions. Participants were interviewed and the audio recorded interviews were transcribed and then analyzed for codes, categories, and themes.

Four themes emerged from analysis of the data. Theme One: When students were …

Full Issue 5.3

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Dance Theater Workshop, Jenny Howell

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

The following report documents the internship performed by Jenny Howell at Dance Theater Workshop (DTW) in New York, New York from January 11, 2010 to April 16, 2010. Since 1965, DTW has existed as a non-profit organization devoted to presenting and supporting contemporary dance and the artists who create it. DTW currently operates from its building located at 219 West 19th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea district. During this time with DTW, I worked closely with the Marketing and Development Departments as the Audience Engagement intern responsible for the organization and execution of the audience engagement …

Measuring University Students' Perceptions Of Characteristics Of Ideal University Instructor In Saudi Arabia And The United States: An Application Of Nonparametric Item Response Theory Study, Hesham Yahya Aljubaily

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Perceived Parenting Style And Its Relationship To Hopefulness, Happiness, And Optimism In A College Student Sample, Sarah Griess

Dissertations

No abstract provided.