Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Construct Stability Across Career Stage Cohorts, Deborah L. Kinney

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate construct stability of the same certification test taken at different points in a test taker's career, taking into account changes is experience over time. A single medical certification exam administration was used to analyze the construct stability of the certification exam across testing cohorts at varied stages in their medical careers. The Rasch model was used for item analysis to calibrate the difficulty hierarchy of the exam items for each cohort. Correlations between the item difficulty hierarchies for each cohort supported the overall construct stability of the certification exam. Individual item function …

Identity, Reality, And Truth In Memoirs From The Iraq And Afghanistan Wars, Travis L. Martin

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research uses trauma theory, memoir theory, narratology, and recent scientific research into the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) to explore developments in the memoir coming from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Specifically, the author examines the works of Shoshana Johnson, Colby Buzzell, and Anthony Shaffer to uncover the ways in which identity, reality and truth present themselves in the destabilized narratives of traumatized subjects.

Travis Martin is himself a veteran of the Iraq War, using his first-hand knowledge as a compass to guide him through intricate memoirs written by his contemporaries. Beginning …

Gender Differences In Seeking Help, Jeff Jackson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Gender differences in willingness to seek help were examined in this study. Males often appear to not seek help from others, especially from a professional, like a psychologist. The current study will look at several factors that may prevent males from seeking help. First, males may be unaware of their problems as whole, specifically emotional and relational problems. Next, males often are afraid or unable to open up because they do not think in "emotions." Lastly, males are afraid to appear weak in order to keep their masculine appearance. In this study, participants read several scenarios and determined whether they …

Nursing Home Administrators' Personality And Nursing Home Quality: Correlations Between The Predictive Index And Cms Ratings, Kelly Anne Osbaldiston

Online Theses and Dissertations

The approximately two million residents in nursing homes are nearly totally dependent on the care they receive from the nursing homes' staff. The quality of care ranges from excellent to substandard, and the goal of this project is to understand how the top administrators' personality is related to the quality of the facility. Very little research has been done from an organizational psychology perspective on how to improve the care that residents receive in nursing homes. To help address this problem, I examined the relationship between administrator personality factors (measured by Predictive Index) and nursing home quality (measured by the …

Zapped: A Typology Of Use And Misuse Of The Taser, Lindsey L. Upton

Online Theses and Dissertations

Police use of TASER force is currently a hot topic of controversy in the intersections of society and the criminal justice system. Proponents, including manufacturers and law enforcement, value the TASER as a less than lethal alternative to deadly force; providing increased safety for officers as an aid to maintain distance between potentially threatening suspect(s) and officer(s) while preserving the life and well being of suspects in such encounters. Civil and human rights advocacies argue the TASER to be associated with many deaths, serious injury and abuse of power by law enforcement. Those who lean more toward the opposition of …

Occupations And Quality Of Life Of Families With Children With Asd: A Survey, Rebecca Vaughn

Online Theses and Dissertations

In recent literature, it has been suggested that families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have diminished Quality of Life particularly in the areas of social interaction and family outings (Lee et al., 2008). The purpose of this study is to describe quality of life and occupations engaged in along with demographic features of families with children with an ASD. Data was collected utilizing a survey methods, a convenience sample received a questionnaire packet containing: Flanagan Quality of Life Scale, demographic survey and Occupational Checklist. Twenty-two families participated in the study. Descriptive statistics suggested that families with children …

A Parent Consultation Group For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mixed Methodological Study, Cassandra Catherine Clark

Online Theses and Dissertations

Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known have higher levels of negative stress than parents of children without a chronic illness. These parents' roles and routines are also impacted since the many demands made by their children put them at greater risk of occupational injustice as they are less likely to participate in occupations of their choice. Despite multiple studies examining stress in parents of children with ASD, there is little to no recent published research on the effects of a parent consultation group on parents of children with ASD and their sense of competency and attitudes …

Clarifying Stereotyping, Kerri Lynn Stone

Faculty Publications

This Article addresses the largely undefined, misunderstood-yet-often-resorted-to concept of “stereotyping” as a basis for, or sufficient evidence of, liability for employment discrimination. Since, the concept’s genesis in Supreme Court jurisprudence in 1989, Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, plaintiffs have proffered remarks alleged to be tinged with, or indicating the presence of, impermissible stereotypes as evidence of discrimination based on protected-class status – be that sex, race, color, religion, or national origin – in contravention of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Article examines the language in Hopkins and its precise mandates and guidance for lower courts. It …

Substantial Limitations: Reflections On The Adaaa, Kerri Lynn Stone

Faculty Publications

This Article advocates several ways to reform the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and its jurisprudence. It begins with the premise that the “otherwise qualified,” “reasonable accommodation,” and “undue hardship” analyses are questions that call for a focus on, respectively, the plaintiff at issue, the accommodation at issue, and the employer at issue. The article calls for the abolition of the need to demonstrate a major life activity limitation required for coverage under the statute in accommodation cases, noting that this has already effectively occurred in the context of the rest of the ADA’s antidiscrimination jurisprudence. …

The Diffusion Of Microgeneration Technologies.: Assessing The Influence Of Perceived Product Characteristics On Home Owners’ Willingness To Pay, Marius Claudy, Claus Michelsen, Aidan O'Driscoll

Articles

This study presents empirical insight into willingness to pay (WTP) for microgeneration technologies and the relative influence of subjective consumer perceptions. First, we apply a double-bounded-contingent valuation method to elicit Irish home owners’ willingness to pay for micro wind turbines, wood pellet boilers, solar panels and solar water heaters. Utilizing findings from the adoption of innovation literature, in a second step, we assess the influence of different antecedents on WTP for each of the four technologies, including (1) home owners’ perception of product characteristics, (2) normative influences, and (3) socio demographic characteristics. Our results show that WTP varies significantly between …

See The Mojave!, John Copeland Nagle

Journal Articles

This article examines how the law is being asked to adjudicate disputed sights in the context of the Mojave Desert. The Mojave is the best known and most explored desert in the United States. For many people, though, the Mojave is missing from any list of America’s scenic wonders. The evolution in thinking about the Mojave’s aesthetics takes places in two acts. In the first act, covering the period from the nineteenth century to 1994, what began as a curious voice praising the desert’s scenery developed into a powerful movement that prompted Congress to enact the CDPA. The second act …

Belonging And Trust: Divorce And Social Capital, Margaret F. Brinig

Journal Articles

To whom do spouses belong? Do they belong to their communities as well as each other and their immediate families? These questions are explored in an empirical paper demonstrating ways in which social capital in communities may affect even the marriages of people living in them.

Prerequisites In Behavioral Science And Business: Opportunities For Dental Education., David G. Dunning, Brian M. Lange, Robert D. Madden, Koko K. Tacha

Journal Articles: College of Dentistry

There is increasing pressure on recent dental school graduates to understand and successfully utilize patient management and business management strategies to run a productive dental office. Dental schools are faced with the dilemma to either add more credit hours in their already crowded curriculum or adjust predental school requirements. All fifty-nine U.S. dental schools were assessed online to determine admission requirements in the areas of behavioral science and business education. Results show that only 11.9 percent of the schools require prerequisite course work in behavioral science and no school requires prerequisite course work in business. However, 64.4 percent and 30.5 …

The Effect Of Social Presence On Students' Perceived Learning And Satisfaction In Online Courses, Joseph Nyandusi Nyachae

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the effects of social presence on students' perceived learning and satisfaction in online courses. The participants for this study were 81 graduate students enrolled in four special education online courses offered at a major higher education institution located in a Mid-Atlantic state. Two research questions were used to conduct the research: 1. Can we predict in a statistically significant fashion using linear regression students' perceived learning in a course based on their perceived level of social presence and number of interactive elements in the course? 2. Can we predict in a statistically significant fashion using linear regression …

Transgender Student-­Athletes And Sex-­Segregated Sport: Developing Policies Of Inclusion For Intercollegiate And Interscholastic Athletics, Erin E. Buzuvis

Faculty Scholarship

This Article discusses the discrimination of transgender students who may be excluded, discouraged, or simply made to feel uncomfortable participating in athletic programs for their natal sex, by the sex-segregated world of athletics. The Author believes that until sports' governing bodies develop and enforce policies of inclusion, transgender students will continue to be denied access to and the benefits of athletic participation. The Author examines the values that should go into the formation of such policies, including legal, medical and educational concerns. Part I of the Article puts transgender students' athletic participation in context by examining educational athletic's deep and …

Caster Semenya And The Myth Of A Level Playing Field, Erin E. Buzuvis

Faculty Scholarship

In August of 2009, policies and procedures to verify the sex of female athletes were called into question when South African runner Caster Semenya
won the 800 meter event of the World Championships in Berlin. Responding to rumors of gender fraud, and fueled by Semenya’s speed, musculature, and deep voice, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) requested that Semenya submit to sex verification to confirm her eligibility for the women’s division.

This Article discusses the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) policy on sex testing, the myth of sex-verification testing, and the myth of the level playing field. It concludes with …

Victimized Twice: The Reasonable Efforts Requirement In Child Protection Cases When Parents Have A Mental Illness, Jeanne M. Kaiser

Faculty Scholarship

State child protection agencies are required by federal law to exert reasonable efforts to keep families together before seeking termination of parental rights. Some states, however, have created an exception to this requirement when the parent involved suffers from a chronic mental illness. Moreover, even in those states that enforce the requirement, the reunification services provided to parents with a mental illness often do not meet the needs of those parents.

This Article argues that although parents with a mental illness face serious challenges in caring for their children, they should not be categorically excluded from reunification efforts by means …

Treating Depression Among End-Stage Renal Disease Patients: Lessons Learned From Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Classes, Jana L. Wardian Phd, Fei Sun

Journal Articles: Hospital Medicine

This study tested the feasibility and effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in alleviating symptoms of depres­sion and improving quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Four ESRD patients in the experimental group attended four weeks of classes using CDs and group discussion to gain CBT skills, and six patients in the control group listened to the same CDs. While there were no significant changes in participants’ depression or quality of life scores, patients expressed personal benefits from group interaction and from the information they received. Due to the many barriers to attend­ing group classes for this …

The Changing Cultures And Economics Of Large Law Firm Practice And Their Impact On Legal Education, Neil J. Dilloff

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Legislating After Janice M.: The Constitutionality Of Recognizing De Facto Parenthood In Maryland, Rachel Simmonsen

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pornography As Pollution, John Copeland Nagle

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Living With Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Investigation, Andri Yennari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the experience of living with schizophrenia through seven participants' accounts of the way they have been perceived and treated by others, as well as the way they viewed themselves after having been identified with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Participants were recruited through psychologists at the mental health facility where they received treatment and were interviewed by the researcher in that facility.

To analyze the data of this study, an empirical phenomenological method was used to explicate the meaning of schizophrenia as it was experienced and lived by participants. A hermeneutic component was included to interpret the data …

The Rising Bar For Persecution In Asylum Cases Involving Sexual And Reproductive Harm, Fatma E. Marouf

Faculty Scholarship

This Article argues that there is a rising bar for establishing persecution in U.S. asylum cases involving sexual and reproductive' harm. Analyzing recent cases, the Article shows that adjudicators tend to apply a higher standard for physical harm in these types of cases and largely overlook nonphysical harm, including psychological suffering and the intangible harm caused by deprivation of equality, autonomy, and privacy. The Article focuses specifically on two types of cases where these patterns appear: (1)female genital mutilation (FGM); and (2) involuntary insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD). Regarding FGM, the Article discusses an emerging dispute as to whether …

The Limits Of Tort Privacy, Neil M. Richards

Scholarship@WashULaw

The conception of tort privacy developed by Warren, Brandeis and Prosser sits at the heart of American understandings of privacy law. Rooted in protection of private information against unwanted collection, use, and disclosure, tort privacy protects against emotional injury, and was directed by design against disclosures of true, embarrassing facts by the media. In this essay, I argue that as conceived by Warren and Brandeis and interpreted by Prosser, tort privacy is a poor vehicle for grappling with problems of privacy and reputation in the digital age. Tort privacy, especially the disclosure tort, has from its inception been in conflict …

A New Uniform Code Of Consumer Credit, Danielle D'Onfro

Scholarship@WashULaw

This Essay provides an overview and criticism of predatory lending laws then proposes a new Uniform Code of Consumer Credit (UCCC) to work alongside the Truth in Lending Act. The proposed UCCC would provide a complete and behaviorally informed system of consumer financial protection that strives to keep credit affordable and to encourage innovative credit products. The Essay argues that a uniform law will create sufficient state-to-state consistency to reduce the need for federal preemption and thereby bring the benefits of federalism - protection from agency capture, legislative responsiveness and experimentation at the state level - into consumer financial protection. …

Judicial Activism And The Interpretation Of The Voting Rights Act, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Social Impact, Edward F. Lawler, Keith Negley, Ellen Rostand, Julie Kennedy, Toky Branding + Design, Jessica Martin

Social Impact Publication

From the Dean: It's a "Go-Go" Place;

Perspectives: Michael Sherraden: Policy Innovator: The Key to Our Children's Future;

Interview: Q&A with Robert Joiner;

Bookshelf: Latina Suicide;

Bookshelf: A Mini MPH;

The Rise of the Social Entrepreneur: A new social work specialization arms socially minded entrepreneurs and creates an evidence base for an exploding field.;

Scaling Up Abroad: As demand for international service opportunities grows, academic and policy leaders determine how to expand availability and measure impact.;

Tip of the Iceberg: The Affordable Care Act's sweeping changes are already reshaping America's health care, and there is so much more to go …

Chemical Modulation Of Memory Formation In Larval Zebrafish, Marc A. Wolman, Roshan A. Jain, Laura Liss, Michael Granato

Biology Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 88, No. 2, 2011)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

The Psychological Foundations Of Behavioral Law And Economics, Jeffrey J. Rachlinski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, psychological research has enjoyed a rapidly expanding influence on legal scholarship. This expansion has established a new field—“Behavioral Law and Economics” (BLE). BLE’s principal insight is that human behavior commonly deviates from the predictions of rational choice theory in the marketplace, the election booth, and the courtroom. Because these deviations are predictable, and often harmful, legal rules can be crafted to reduce their undesirable influence. Ironically, BLE seldom recognizes that its intellectual origins lie with psychology more so than economics. This failure leaves BLE open to criticisms that can be answered only by embracing the underlying …