Digital Commons Network^™

Best Practice Guideline For Managing Interstitial Cystitis In Adult Women, Amanda Thomas Langford

Theses and Dissertations

Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a chronic disease characterized by symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency, bladder pain, and chronic pelvic pain in the absence of known pathology. Selection of appropriate treatments depended on the severity of the patient's symptoms and patient's preference. This review found that it is important for providers and patients to set realistic goals for symptom improvement when starting a new treatment.

The purposes of this project was to 1) conduct a substantive literature review on treatment guidelines for IC/PBS, 2) analyze the literature for comparing oral pharmacological interventions and behavioral interventions for IC/PBS, and 3) …

Examining The Differences In Rapport Between Male And Female Cancer Genetic Counselors And Female Clients, John Abernethy

Theses and Dissertations

Genetic counseling is a field in which client-counselor rapport plays a critical role in client satisfaction with the genetic counseling process. One factor that may impact this rapport is gender of the genetic counselor. Previous studies in the field of psychological counseling suggest that gender is not a significant moderator of this rapport. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been published in the field of genetic counseling examining the impact that the gender of the genetic counselor has on client-counselor rapport. To study this effect, an amended version of Horvath & Greenberg's (1989) Working Alliance Inventory tool …

Readiness For Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports (Pbis) And School Mental Health (Smh) Interconnection: Development Of A Stakeholder Survey, Vittoria Anello

Theses and Dissertations

Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) and school mental health (SMH) are prominent initiatives in the United States to improve student behavior and promote mental health and wellness, led by education and mental health systems, respectively. Unfortunately, PBIS and SMH are often separate initiatives in districts and schools, which usually results in many missed opportunities from this failed interconnection. The current paper details a necessary first step in the process by describing the development of a measure of assessing readiness to interconnect PBIS and SMH within the schools. Relevant literature, pilot data, and methodology are discussed, in addition to psychometric …

Response To Intervention: An Interpretive Case Study Of Educators' Perspectives On The Roles Of School Culture, Personal Beliefs, And Program Knowledge On Implementation., Beverly Adhiambo Ochieng-Sande

Theses and Dissertations

In education today there is a heightened emphasis on teacher accountability for improving student outcomes. The law requires that in order for a student to qualify as a student with a disability, the child's IEP team must ensure that the child's problem is not due to poor instructional programming. Therefore, the general education teacher is encouraged to use research-based interventions and a systematic method of data collection and progress monitoring, so he or she can determine whether a child qualifies for the referral stage of the special education identification process. Response to intervention (RTI) is a systematic multi-tiered process of …

An Examination Of Significant Factors Distinguishing Successful, On-Time High School Graduation Rates Among Black Males At A Large South Carolina High School, Sherry Mitchell Eppelsheimer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine what students see as significant factors that impact their successful high school on-time graduation rates, particularly among Black males in a large South Carolina high school with respect to No Child Left Behind requirements. Through a comparative case study, qualitative research methods were used to identify significant factors, supports and/or barriers to Black male success and achievement of on-time graduation. Through individual interviews and observations of a subgroup of 7 Black males between the ages of 17 to 19, commonalities emerged that led to high school graduation. A comparison using a grounded …

The Impact Of Age And Executive Function On Susceptibility To Misinformation, Michelle Phillips-Meek

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the impact of age and executive function on susceptibility to misinformation. A total of 41 healthy young (19-31) and older (59-77) adults were presented with visual misinformation in a paradigm originally used by Okado and Stark (2005). Participants then completed a recognition memory task while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Participants also completed a series of cognitive measures used to assess executive function. Results showed that age and executive function were both significant predictors of recognition memory accuracy. Activity in brain regions associated with conflict processing was greater for accurate versus false memory …

School Psychologist Leadership In Rti Implementation: Administrators' View Of School Psychologists As A Resource In Rti, Allison Rice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the leadership role of school psychologists in Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation, as well as school psychologists' usefulness to principals in successful implementation of RTI. The researcher asserts, that through the fulfillment of certain roles, school leaders recognize the benefit of involving school psychologists in RTI implementation. The study asks the following questions: 1) To what extent are the specific leadership characteristics associated with school psychologists' roles related to the level of RTI implementation being exemplified? 2) To what extent are the specified school leadership characteristics present in school psychologists in Dorchester …

Voicing Across Cultures: The Role Of Communication Style And Relationships In Employee Voice And Subsequent Influence, Anna-Katherine Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Constructive input from a diverse workforce can enhance firm performance. However, cultural norms and differences in communication behavior expectations may prevent concerns and suggestions from being expressed, or from being implemented when they are expressed. The purpose of the current study is to bridge the Human Resources, Organizational Behavior, Communications, and International Management literatures in an attempt to understand how subordinates with different communicaton norms voice and how (or whether) managers use the content of the voiced messages. Two models are presented examining prohibitive and promotive voice as central variables in the relationship between subordinate communication style and subordinate influence …

Diffusion Of Csr In Global Business Networks: An Embeddedness Perspective, Valentina Marano

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of firm embeddedness in its global business network, relative to the adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices. Global business networks refer to the nexus of inter-firm and intra-firm relationships, in which focal actors are engaged. These networks are focal firm specific, span multiple countries and involve different types of economic relationships between the focal actor and its business partners. This study argues that global business networks affect a focal organization's CSR adoption decisions, since they provide access to resources and information and also channel CSR-related institutional influences from the various countries where the focal …

Food Environment And Birth Outcomes In South Carolina, Xiaoguang Ma

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of studies examined the association between neighborhood characteristics and birth outcomes. However, the results can be difficult to compare because of the variety of indicators used to characterize the neighborhood. As an important neighborhood characteristic, the food environment is associated with residents' nutrition status, diet quality, and related health outcomes. In addition, the food environment has been found to influence women's diet quality during pregnancy, which is a key factor in predicting birth outcomes. However to date, studies on food environment and birth outcomes are extremely limited.

This study examined the association between food environment (evaluated by …

The Association Of Physical Fitness With Psychological Health Outcomes In Soldiers During Army Basic Combat Training, Shannon K. Crowley

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the current need for investigation of factors involved with soldiers' resilience to stressors in the Basic Combat Training (BCT) environment, and evidence in civilian populations that physical training is associated with psychological benefits, little is known about the relationship between physical fitness and psychological adjustment during BCT. Study one of this dissertation involved an extensive literature review of factors related to the relationship between physical fitness and psychological adjustment of soldiers during BCT. Using qualitative focus group methods, study two assessed soldiers' perceptions about their sleep, and consequences of sleep disruption during BCT at Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC. …

Investigating Relationships Between Academic Achievement And After School Programs In A High School Environment, Aaron Duke Fulmer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if participation in an academically focused after school program could be linked with improved academic achievement as measured by a standardized test. A quantitative experimental design was utilized to explore the topic. The scale scores of participants in an academically focused after school program were compared to non participants to determine if there was a statistical difference between the groups. Additionally, the attendance level of participants in the academically focused after school program was correlated with their scale score on a standardized test in order to the relationship.

This study is significant …

Care As The Essential Element In Teacher And Student Interactions: Examining Dialogue As A Vehicle For Building A Caring Environment, Crystal Plumley Mcswain

Theses and Dissertations

This present study considers to what extent dialogue between teachers and students can support a caring environment. Research investigating behavior and qualities of effective teaching has been liked with caring relationships (Anfara & Schmid, 2007; Marzano, 2007; Noddings, 2005). "Relationships and instruction are not an either-or-proposition, but rather an incredible combination." (Brown, 2010, p. 10) The present study will examine to what extent dialogue, as one of the components of a proposed model of caring, can build a caring environment in seventh grade classrooms at a local middle school (Noddings, 2005, p.53). Specifically, dialogue skills such as intonation, empathy, respect, …

A Veterinary Science Initiative: An Analysis Of Impact And Future Directions For Humane Education And Collaborative Partnerships, Brittany Watson Tisa

Theses and Dissertations

Humane education research is limited in its scope and structure and this has led to its inability to find a place in standard curriculum. As resources become scarcer for school districts and shelters, proving efficacy of programs is essential for successful partnerships and program achievements. VSI: Veterinary Science Initiative is a program developed by the education team at the Charleston Animal Society as a model for cooperative education between shelters, veterinarians, and other private organizations to collaborate with local school districts, while also conducting research about how this curriculum benefits student knowledge, organizational awareness, and community engagement.

Childish Figuring: The Child As Symbol And Actor In Lillian Smith's Killers Of The Dream And James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Katherine Eveline Upton

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the presentation of the child in James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men and Lillian Smith's Killers of the Dream as part of a rhetoric of growth. Both Agee and Smith present southerners as psychologically immature due to their traumatic childhood experiences of sexism, racism and poverty. Childhood is a recurring theme in both texts. Agee and Smith present childhood as a biological, developmental stage and a metaphor for growth in their texts. The child is a real, contextually-specific figure, drawn from Agee's and Smith's observations of children in Depression-era society. Images of children's …

Motivational Interviewing And School-Based Mentoring To Improve Middle School Students' Academic Performance, John Terry

Theses and Dissertations

The development of effective and feasible interventions that are deliverable within schools are badly needed in order to address high levels of unmet academic and social/emotional need in children and adolescents. In order to address these needs, two interventions were developed, delivered, and tested in this study. One was an eight-session School-based Mentoring (SBM) program based on evidence-based academic enabling activities. The other was a one-session report card coaching program based on Motivational Interviewing (MI). Previous studies of these SBM and MI interventions found mostly small or statistically non-significant effects on academic performance. The current study tests the hypothesis that …

Longitudinal Effects Of Depression And Sexual Dysfunction On Glycemic Control In Veterans With Diabetes, Adrian Laseter

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes rates are on the rise, particularly among members of racial and ethnic minority groups. Individuals with diabetes are more vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms when compared to those without diabetes. While there appear to be no racial and ethnic differences in depression prevalence estimates among individuals with diabetes, members of racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to achieve glycemic control over time, and may be at greater risk for diabetes related health issues. One such health issue is sexual dysfunction, with individuals with diabetes being more vulnerable to sexual dysfunction than those without diabetes. Sexual dysfunction may …

An Essay On Musical Narrative Theory And Its Role In Interpretation, With Analyses Of Works For Saxophone By Alfred Desenclos And John Harbison, Ian Macdonald Jeffress

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years the field of semiotics has increasingly been applied to musicology, with particular attention paid to the area of narrative theory. This study will provide an introduction to the essential concepts of semiotics and narrative theory, the development of a methodology of narrative analysis with examples from the saxophone repertoire, and the application of that analytical approach to Alfred Desenclos' Prélude, Cadence, et Finale and John Harbison's San Antonio. The goal of this study will be the demonstration of narrative theory's applicability to a variety of styles pertinent to the concert saxophone repertoire. It is hoped that this …

The Development Of The Femme Fatale On Stage As Seen In The Works Of Jesse Lynch Williams And Edna St. Vincent Millay, Hillary Elizabeth Macarthur

Theses and Dissertations

The Femme Fatale in the United States developed from certain characteristics represented by the New Woman movement of the 1920's. Jesse Lynch Williams and Edna St. Vincent Millay capture the identifying factors of what a Femme Fatale is and should be. This paper will explore the differences and similarities in the images of the Femme Fatale and New Woman, and discuss how those differences are related to origins of the image of the New Woman.

Child Sexual Abuse In The Media: Is Institutional Failure To Blame?, Jane Long Weatherred

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a longitudinal content analysis study of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States national news media from 2002 through 2012. It finds that the U.S. national news media have shifted their focus from individual level causes to societal level causes for CSA. This shift has implications for changes in institutional policies and child protection laws throughout the country.

The Indian Removal Debate And The Rise Of Partisan Identity In The Age Of Jackson, Benjamin Greene

Theses and Dissertations

The election of Andrew Jackson to the presidency in 1828 coincided with the rise of the nation's "second party system." The divide which emerged between Jacksonian Democrats and their opposition party, the Whigs, is generally accepted as marking the origin of an American political culture defined by a partisan divide. Political historians of the period have often focused on the key divisive issues: South Carolina's nullification agitation, the Bank Crisis, and working class identity politics have been most often featured in this scholarship. The Indian Removal Debate has generally been examined as ancillary to these partisan developments, an after-effect for …

Surgency Characteristics Relating To Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Autism Spectrum Disorders In Boys With Fxs, Marjorie Lee Grefer

Theses and Dissertations

Children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) are at high risk for developing a range of behavioral disorders, including Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, very few studies have investigated the comorbid profile of FXS and ADHD and the possible dissociation from the FXS and ASD profile. The present study examined the relationship of childhood temperament characteristics of the Surgency facet (activity level, impulsivity, approach, shyness, and smiling and laughter) and the severity of ADHD and ASD features at two measurement time points in childhood, preschool (ages 3-4) and at school entry (ages 5-6). The study consisted …

Cortisol And Working Memory In Boys With Fragile X Syndrome, Jessica F. Scherr

Theses and Dissertations

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability. Although FXS is associated with global cognitive impairments, specific deficits in working memory have been reported in young males with FXS. Working memory is an important cognitive process that involves the ability to temporarily store and manipulate information over a short period of time. Deficits in working memory can negatively impact an individual's academic, behavioral, and social functioning. Chronic stress can adversely influence working memory performance and can be measured physiologically through salivary cortisol. It is important to study the complex relationship of …

The Artist's Gauntlet: A Singers' Physiological Responses To The Stimuli Of Rehearsing And Performing, John H. Pritchard

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship of a subject's heart rate variability, respiration rate and other vital statistics to rehearsing and performing as a singer. Among the events used for data collection were individual lessons of undergraduates and a lecture-recital presented by a graduate student. Findings indicate a general upward trend in HRV and an increase in range of HR%MAX among subjects while singing, along with a general decrease of respiration rate.

Teacher Silence In South Carolina Public Schools, Daniel Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study of South Carolina public school teachers investigated how comfortable educators are raising problems or concerns to their administration. Five variables, including years of experience, trust in administration, mobility aspirations, relationship with principal, and content of message were examined to see their influence on teachers' comfort levels when voicing such problems or concerns. In addition, teachers were asked to identify the reasons for being hesitant about raising organizational concerns. The study concluded by determining if comfort level varied in different public school settings (elementary, middle, and high).

The sample consisted of 595 South Carolina public school teachers and …

The Relevance Of Sarcasm In Resolving Ambiguous References In Spoken Discourse, Sara Ann Peters

Theses and Dissertations

DISS_para>Sarcasm, or sarcastic irony, involves expressing a message that is often opposite of the literal meaning of what is being said, in a way that may sound bitter, or caustic (Gibbs, 1986). In the past, sarcasm has been viewed as a method of introducing the possibility of alternative interpretations of a discourse, by creating ambiguity as to the intended discourse interpretation. The current series of experiments sought to demonstrate that sarcasm could be viewed as beneficial in resolving ambiguity in conversation, by highlighting particular interpretations and thus ease processing, dependent on other available contextual information. Two Visual World studies …

Promoting Early Childhood Development Through Community Health Worker Interventions: Implementation And Measurement Issues In Rural Pakistan, Zaeem Haq

Theses and Dissertations

Appropriate nutrition and psychosocial stimulation during the first three years of life can have long-lasting effects on a child's health and development. However, not all children in the world receive adequate nutrition and psychosocial stimulation during this period. There has been enormous interest in developing the evidence on the most effective ways of implementing and assessing early childhood development (ECD) promotion interventions in resource poor settings. Despite the interest, the integration of ECD interventions into pre-existing public health programs, and assessment of these interventions in extended family, rural household environment have not been addressed.

The dissertation research presented here was …

Protracted Social Conflict: A Reconceptualization And Case Analysis, Melissa M. C. Beaudoin

Theses and Dissertations

What are the necessary components of protracted social conflict (PSC)? The works of Edward Azar have laid the foundation as to how PSC is approached in modern scholarship by identifying four necessary components: effective participation, security, distinctive identity, and social recognition of identity. However, do these components account for all of the descriptive and sustaining aspects of PSC? How are these components measured? Furthermore, testing and verification of these components has been limited. Of specific interest to this dissertation, then, is how the theory of PSC is organized and what its theoretically necessary components truly are. This dissertation reconceputalizes and …

Interviews On Main, Amanda Rose Forstrom

Theses and Dissertations

Interviews On Main is the script of a one woman performance piece. It was conceived as an exploration and process of how to develop and write a working script, and later, see the piece come to fruition by producing, acting, and directing it. This solo show process has allowed me to delve into discovering my personal aesthetic in order to make a strong, individual artistic statement. Additionally, this process has helped me to learn how to be a solo creative artist, and to have cultivated individual material to perform when I am not cast professionally.

This thesis includes a table …

From Idea To Screen, The Making Of Residiuum, Christopher Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

This project is designed to give an inside look at taking an idea and turning it into a film. In this project I combine research with practical experience to give an in depth look, at the process I undertook while making my film Residiuum. Part one of this project lays out research, knowledge, and thought process behind my decision making. Part two of this project is a finished short film that shows the culmination, and combination of skills required to combine my artistic and scholarly side. These two parts allow an in depth view of my project from a kernel …