Digital Commons Network^™

"They Want All Of Your Kids To Be Gay And Oppose God": Incivility And Othering In Yahoo! News Comments, Emily Vajjala

Masters Theses

In 2004, many newspapers in the U.S. allowed public commenting on news articles posted to their websites, however since then, many U.S. news websites have removed public comment boards, ceased archiving public comments, or turned to moderators to edit or delete hateful or overly aggressive comments (Hughey and Daniels, 2013). Yahoo!, however, continues to utilize comment boards on Yahoo! News reports, in which incivility continues to run rampant. Utilizing critical discourse analysis, this study addresses incivility and "othering" in Yahoo! News article comment sections from news reporting on LGBTQ-related stories. From a sample of 1000 Yahoo! News comments using open …

Role Of Feedstock And Process Conditions On Biomass Gasification For Synthesis Gas Production, Mayoorey Murugathasan

Masters Theses

In this study gasification of three different biomasses were performed to study the impact of process conditions and different feed stocks on final syngas composition. Final composition of the syngas determines the energy value of the resulting syngas and the suitability of syngas in chemical synthesis applications. Three kinds of feedstocks studied include switch grass pellets:wood chips 50:50 mixture, wood pellets:wood chips 50:50 mixture and wood pellets.

The effect of process conditions including temperature and feed stock composition on syngas composition were studied. Gas chromatography was used to analyze the final gas composition of syngas samples collected at five different …

The Effects Of A Pro-Eating Disorder Website Across Different Races, Lucrecia Ann Lawer

Masters Theses

This study sought to examine the effects of viewing a Pro-Eating disorder website and how the effects of this website vary across women of different races, what impact the website's racial content has, and what impact the ethnic identity of the participant has on the negative effects of viewing the website. In order to examine the effect of website content, two different Pro-Eating disorder websites were used - one containing images of Black women and one with images of Caucasian women. 93 Black and Caucasian female undergraduate students were recruited to participate in the research study, and the women viewed …

Satisfaction And Importance Analysis Of Features And Services To Nontraditional Students: A Mixed Methods Approach, Denise E. Corray

Masters Theses

The study examined the importance and satisfaction to nontraditional students (NTS) with features and services offered at Eastern Illinois University (EIU). Participants included students over age 25 who were currently or recently enrolled at the university at the time of data collection. A triangulation mixed-methods approach was utilized; a 40-item instrument was created to measure NTSs' EIU experience. Findings indicated that Instructors' knowledge of course content, Overall quality of instruction, Relevancy of subject matter taught in classes I attend, Cost of tuition to attend EIU, and Clarity of degree requirements were the most important to NTS at EIU. Participants were …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Static Stretching With And Without Whole Body Vibration On Hip Flexion Range Of Motion In College Age Males, Jessica Lynn Wilson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a single bout of static stretching with and without whole body vibration on hip flexion range of motion in college age males. A second purpose was to determine whether any acute effects would persist after one hour of rest. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant increase from baseline to posttest hip range of motion with both static stretching only and static stretching with whole body vibration. Further, the improvement would be significantly greater with the addition of whole body vibration. It was also hypothesized that any …

The Prevalence, Reasons, And Effects Of Hazing On Female Student Athletes, Danielle Steffa

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to understand the prevalence, reasons, and effects of hazing on female student athletes at a midsized, Midwest institution. Hazing is defined as any activity expected of someone joining a group that humiliates, degrades, or risks emotions and/or physical harm, regardless of that person's willingness to participate (Gersehel, Katz-Sidlow, Small, & Zandieh (2003). By using a modified survey done by Hoover (1999) and Allan and Madden (2008), the frequency, reasons why female athletes believe hazing happens, and any effects felt by these athletes was measured. Results showed there are many types of hazing behaviors that are …

The Risks And Rewards Of Personal Writing In The High School Classroom, Dannette L. Williamson

Masters Theses

In light of the Common Core State Standards, more research is needed on the importance and transfer value of personal writing high school classrooms. These standards have brought a more rigorous focus to student learning. With a stronger emphasis on argument and source-based writing, high school educators need to reexamine if or how personal writing should fit into curricula. For this study, approximately thirty students from each grade at Effingham High School were surveyed. The entire English department, as well as staff members from other disciplines at Effingham High School, were also surveyed. Prominent findings of the data show that …

A Retrospective Study Of The Link Between Maternal Social Anxiety And College-Student Social Anxiety: Mediating The Role Of Maternal Cognitions & Behaviors, Kyung Won Kim

Masters Theses

Parental social anxiety is a well-established risk factor for child social anxiety. In addition to being passed along genetically, parental anxiety seems to be transmitted partially via environmental factors, such as parental cognitions and behaviors that convey negative expectations toward the child. This paper reviews the current literature linking maternal social anxiety, maternal cognitions, and offspring social anxiety. Using a retrospective design, a mediated model, examining the association between maternal social anxiety and later offspring social anxiety, with maternal cognitions and behaviors during childhood as a mediator was tested. Consistent with the hypothesis, maternal fear of negative evaluation served as …

Naturalistic Decision Making In After-Action Review Meetings: The Implementation Of And Learning From Post- Fall Huddles, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Victoria Kennel, Joseph A. Allen, Katherine J. Jones, Anne M. Skinner

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to add to our understanding of naturalistic decision making (NDM) in health care and how after-action reviews (AARs) can be utilized as a learning tool to reduce errors. The study focused on the implementation of a specific form of AAR, a post-fall huddle, to learn from errors and reduce patient falls. Utilizing 17 hospitals that participated in this effort, information was collected on 226 falls over a period of 16 months. The findings suggested that the use of self-guided post-fall huddles increased over the time of the project, indicating adoption of the process. Additionally, …

Revolution Imagined: Cause Advocacy, Consumer Rights, And The Evolving Role Of Ngos In Thailand, Frank W. Munger

Articles & Chapters

This article describes the founding and evolution of a “Thai-style” NGO dedicated to consumer protection. Through a description of the NGO and the career of its founder, the article brings to light features of the evolution of NGO based advocacy in Thailand from the student uprising in 1973 to the present. The legacy of the 1973 October Generation of activists continues to influence development of NGOs but new emphasis on rights has emerged since the era of constitutional reform in the 1990s. Many NGOs now make use of litigation to attempt to achieve social change, but litigation, like other long-standing …

Impact Of An Appreciative Inquiry Intervention On Compassion Fatigue Among Social Services Workers, Marta María Maegli

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the impact of participation in an appreciative inquiry (AI) intervention on social service workers' level of compassion fatigue. Five workers plus two of their managers took part in the study. A 6-hour AI intervention was held and participants completed pre- and post-tests of the Professional Quality of Life Scale to measure their compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. A focus group also was held to gather qualitative data about the impact of the intervention. Results indicated that the intervention was highly valuable for strengthening working relationships, underscoring the positives in otherwise emotionally difficult work, and …

Finding The Right Fit: Multiculturalism And Low-Income Urban Schools, Grace Shin Won Kim Canada

Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the difficulty of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers by examining the qualities and characteristics of teacher fit in a group of Southern California charter schools that serve low-income Black and Hispanic students. Given the significance and importance of culturally relevant and responsive education in schools that serve primarily Black and Hispanic students (Castagno, 2009; Gay, 2000; Howard, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 1994; 1995; 2006; Lindsey, Karns, & Myatt 2010; Nieto, 2005a; Poveda & Martin, 2004), three survey instruments; a demographic questionnaire, the Teachers Multicultural Attitudes Survey (TMAS), and the Multicultural Teaching Competency Scale (MTCS); were used to assess teacher …

How Online Communication And Social Media Networking Are Used In Alcohol Use Treatment, Susan Finley

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding cultural shifts towards the increasing trend of seeking treatment offered through online communication and utilization of social networking sites has changed the way mental health professionals approach alcohol use treatment. This study illuminates the ways in which mental health professionals are currently exploring methods of counseling through online communication and social networking sites to improve their practice and reach more clients, thus helping increasing numbers of people while earning a greater profit. Through the research, numerous benefits and drawbacks of social networking and online communication used in mental health treatment are identified, particularly when working in alcohol use treatment. …

Developing A Model For Understanding Mindfulness As A Potential Intervention For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Steven I. Rudoy

Theses and Dissertations

The paucity of effective alternative or augmentative treatments available for OCD coupled with the emerging potential of mindfulness-based treatments indicate that exploring the potential utility of such interventions for the OCD population is a useful area of inquiry. In addition, although more general examinations of the mechanisms by which mindfulness contributes to positive change have been conducted, those mechanisms of action have never been theoretically linked with the mechanisms of action believed to underlie the mental processes in OCD. The current study will include a critical analysis of the existing literature covering the cognitive and biological bases for understanding the …

Armenian American Leadership In Glendale, California, Usa, Armond Aghakhanian

Theses and Dissertations

This study posits a new research model for Armenian American leadership. The study aims to fill the void in Armenian American leadership literature, while adding to the leadership studies of other ethnic and racial groups in the United States of America. Furthermore, this study aims at discovering the unique characteristics of Armenian American Leadership in relation to cultural acculturation and more specifically how Anglo-cultural influences in leadership may or may not enable a better understanding of diversity within the Armenian American community, along with the role of trend development. This study examines similarities and differences of leadership styles by analyzing …

A Guide For Mental Health Practitioners Working With Collective Trauma Victims From Latin America: An Experiential Approach, Melissa Cordero

Theses and Dissertations

A resource guide for mental health practitioners working with Latino victims of collective trauma was developed based on a review of the literature. The development of the resource was also informed by two structured interviews with experts in the field of collective trauma within the Latino population. Review of the literature and structured interviews were used to develop culturally sensitive treatment approaches for victims of collective trauma from Latin America. The resource guide offers clinicians culturally adapted interventions, including PTSD measures, a table to identify culture bound syndromes, PTSD psychoeducation handouts (provided in Spanish and English), relaxation skills (e.g. breathing …

Drum Circles As A Team-Building Intervention, Jason J. Stubbers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of conducting this research was to compare the effectiveness of drum circles and appreciative inquiry as team-building interventions. The researcher conducted two team-building inventions in the same organization--one intervention used a drum circle design; the other used an appreciative inquiry design. Both interventions measured the following aspects of team effectiveness: collaboration, trust, authenticity, communication, creativity, commitment, interrelatedness, and recognition. Data was collected from the two teams through pre-, immediate post-, and four-week post-workshop surveys. There were no significant differences in immediate post-workshop perceptions of their teams. The two teams did not differ significantly in their four-week post-workshop perceptions …

Student Therapists' Use Of Self-Disclosure With Clients Who Have Experienced Trauma, Krista Kircanski

Theses and Dissertations

Therapist self-disclosure is a controversial topic in that it has been historically and widely debated in past research and literature across theoretical orientations. Much of the existing self-disclosure research focuses on the effects that therapist self-disclosure has on the therapeutic relationship, using varied methodology in its definition and measurement of how, when, and in what context therapist self-disclosure is utilized. There are also very few studies that investigate frequency rates of therapist self-disclosure; of those that do exist, results are mixed. Additionally, there is little to no research on how self-disclosure is used by student therapists, in actual psychotherapy sessions, …

A Phenomenological Study: Personal Criteria For Emancipated Foster Youth Entering College, Christina Acoff

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined 4 emancipated foster youth who are attending college in California. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the personal criteria of 2 male and 2 female emancipated foster youths entering college and determine what factors they perceived helped them to attend college. The researcher recruited a total of 4 participants, 1 male from El Camino College Compton Center, 1 female from El Camino College, and 1 male 1 one female from CSU Dominguez Hills. The research question for this study was, What motivates emancipated foster youths to attend college? The phenomenon of being a …

Trainee Therapist Responses To The Discussion Of Trauma In Therapy, Courtney Bancroft

Theses and Dissertations

Responses to disclosures/discussions of trauma can have lasting impacts on survivors who choose to share their experiences and historically have been categorized as positive, negative, and/or neutral responses with corresponding effects on the survivor. Literature recommends the use of tenets and techniques reminiscent of therapeutic common factors (e.g., listening skills, empathy, support, validation, creating a safe environment and strong therapeutic alliance) when responding to trauma. However, existing research focuses on reactions to survivors' disclosures outside of therapy and there is little research focusing on therapists' responses. Specifically, there are no studies that investigate how therapists or trainees are actually responding …

Views Of Student Engagement Among Students And Faculty In Online Courses, Amy Elizabeth Berger

Theses and Dissertations

As part of an effort to learn more about the technologies currently available to students, three executives in the online division of a private, not-for-profit four-year university requested a survey of students and faculty to learn more about the technologies to which they currently have access. Additionally, each of three executives wanted to better understand student and faculty views of student engagement in the division's online courses. To that end, research-based questions about student engagement levels were added to a survey about access to technology. This mixed-method non-experimental study collected data from students and faculty about which definition of student …

Recognition And Response: Early Literacy In An Inclusion-Based Preschool Program, Irene Gonzalez-Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to investigate and describe Recognition & Response (R & R) practices, a model of early literacy Response to Intervention, utilized by multidisciplinary staff teams in a purposively selected, inclusion-based preschool program in Southern California. Investigated R & R practices included: (a) recognition of student needs through assessment, (b) collaborative problem-solving as a process to plan and evaluate next steps for students, and (c) response through a multi-tiered instructional approach. The researcher utilized a qualitative case study design. The single district preschool program selected is comprised of ten inclusion-based classrooms located on two elementary …

The Journey Of Female Cancer Patients Or Survivors While Striving For Personal Work-Life Balance, Stacy Rothberg

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored how cancer impacted female patients or survivors while striving for personal work-life balance. Since female cancer patients and survivors encounter unique stressors, challenges, and experiences related to their cancer journey, this study examined the narratives of 10 women identified as having cancer and a comparison group matched on age via random sample for the birth year. The 20 narratives were a subset of the larger Weber (2011) sample collected by Digital Women's Project research team. The foundational theoretical framework is provided by Giele's (2008) life story method, which analyzed narratives through the lenses of identity, relationship …

Best Practices And Attributes Of Bicultural Leaders, Shefali Khandhar Mody

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to uncover the attributes of successful bicultural leaders. Findings suggested that any one of four acculturation strategies chosen by bicultural leaders depended on the intensity of the dominant spouse's alliance to their Country of Origin, their identity self-construal and opportunities to create supportive in-groups that made the bicultural individual the center of in-group connectivity. Integrated biculturals exhibit a tendency to create networks, where over time they become "central connectors" affording them unique positions of influence, knowledge transfer and power. This study posits that Network Centrality is a Bicultural Competence, recognized by its users as a pivotal antecedent …

Leading Under Pressure, Coping Practices Of Executives: A Mixed Methods Study, Darlene Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Work-related stress continues is the largest contributor to the rise in insurance cost for most organizations (Dewe, O'Driscoll, & Cooper, 2010). The biopharmaceutical industry is no exception. Today's leaders must focus on efficiencies, cost reduction, and organization performance while restructuring the organization to do more with less, which can create tremendous stress. This research explored coping strategies practiced by executive leaders in the biopharmaceutical industry. The overarching research question was: How do senior leaders confronted by work pressure attempt to cope, and are the coping strategies practiced effective at reducing and deflecting stress in a way that doesn't adversely affect …

Friends In Asia-West Pacific, Gerard Guiton

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

Friends In Eastern Africa, Ann K. Riggs

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

Can I Be Sued For That? Liability Risk And The Disclosure Of Clinically Significant Genetic Research Findings, Ellen Wright Clayton, Amy L. Mcguire, Et Al.

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Genomic researchers increasingly are faced with difficult decisions about whether, under what circumstances, and how to return research results and significant incidental findings to study participants. Many have argued that there is an ethical—maybe even a legal—obligation to disclose significant findings under some circumstances. At the international level, over the last decade there has begun to emerge a clear legal obligation to return significant findings discovered during the course of research. However, there is no explicit legal duty to disclose in the United States. This creates legal uncertainty that may lead to unmanaged variation in practice and poor quality care. …

Anatomy Of An Uprising: Women, Democracy, And The Moroccan Feminist Spring, Karla M. Mckanders

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

During the Arab Spring, Moroccan men and women first took to the streets on February 20, 2011 to demand governmental reforms. Their movement became known as the Mouvement du 20-Février. In a series of protests, Moroccans called for democratic change, lower food prices, freedom for Islamist prisoners, and rights for the Berber people. Initially, King Mohammad VI attempted to suppress the movement. When this approach did not succeed, in a televised speech, the King agreed to reform the government. In June 2011, the constitutional committee proposed changes that would reduce the King’s absolute powers, implement democratic reforms, and create a …

Neuroscientists In Court, Owen D. Jones, Anthony D. Wagner, David L. Faigman, Marcus E. Raichle

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Neuroscientific evidence is increasingly being offered in court cases. Consequently, the legal system needs neuroscientists to act as expert witnesses who can explain the limitations and interpretations of neuroscientific findings so that judges and jurors can make informed and appropriate inferences. The growing role of neuroscientists in court means that neuroscientists should be aware of important differences between the scientific and legal fields, and, especially, how scientific facts can be easily misunderstood by non-scientists,including judges and jurors.

This article describes similarities, as well as key differences, of legal and scientific cultures. And it explains six key principles about neuroscience that …