Digital Commons Network^™

Freedom In Surrender, Vahri G. Mckenzie

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The work is an artists’ profile of Claudia Alessi published in dancewest, the WA edition of the Australian Dance Council magazine. Alessi is a leading independent dancer and choreographer. It draws on my case study of Alessi to show how embodied knowledge and physical sensation inform her current choreographic process, and the transmission of this knowledge. As a dancer and researcher I use archival, field research and self-reflection to ask: how do we make creative processes explicit when they’re experienced as sudden insight?

Contribution: I was invited to contribute a series of artists’ profiles to dancewest. The research draws …

Australian Youth Work Education: Curriculum Renewal And A Model For Sustainability For Niche Professions, Trudi Cooper, Judith Bessant, Robyn Broadbent, Jen Couch, Kathy Edwards, Jayne Jarvis, Cath Ferguson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The four main purposes of this project were to:

• Renew the curriculum for Australian youth work professional education, applying the approach to curriculum outlined by Barnett and Coate (2005)

• Investigate the potential for cross-institutional sharing of courseware and educational materials that will facilitate future benchmarking, inter-sectoral and inter-professional pathways, and international qualification recognition

• Promote long-term change through the establishment of a cross-sectoral youth work educators network

• Suggest starting points for a sustainability model for other niche professions.

“Keeping It Together, Keeping Their Heads Above Water”: Western Australian Child Health Nurses’ Understanding Of Resilience In Postpartum Mothers, Rachael O. Collins, Julie Ann Pooley, Myra F. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Assessing the well-being of postpartum mothers is an important aspect of postnatal nursing care. For this reason, Child Health Nurses (CHNs) are charged with the responsibility of identifying postpartum mothers who do/not manifest resilient behavioral qualities. However, little is known about CHNs’ conceptualization of resilience or how they assess resilience in postpartum mothers. This exemplar study addressed this knowledge shortfall by conducting semi-structured interviews with eight practicing CHNs. The study’s findings reveal that although CHNs’ conceptual understanding of resilience is congruent with current theoretical thinking, some variance does exist in the ways in which CHNs assess postpartum resilience, particularly, in …

Inclusive Services For Children And Families From Cald Backgrounds In An Australian Context, Margaret Sims, Anna U. Targowska, Judith C. Kulisa, Susan C. Teather

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The current Australian government is proposing an agenda focused around social inclusion in an attempt to address the complex issues associated with inequality evident in this country. Despite valiant attempts, many agencies struggle to offer inclusive services, particularly to families who have migrated to Australia from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. In this study, we surveyed a range of programs identified by key informants as offering inclusive service delivery with the aim of identifying those aspects of their practice they believed facilitated successful inclusion. We then attempt to position our findings within recently emerging critiques of the concept of …

Stability And Accuracy Of Long-Term Memory For Musical Pitch [Journal Article], Alyce K. Hay, Craig P. Speelman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Existing research gives an inconsistent picture of the nature of the cognitive processes underlying memory for musical information. A study was conducted to investigate the stability and accuracy of long-term memory for pitch amongst individuals who have not had musical training. Excerpts from well-known pop songs were used as stimuli. Participants heard one long sequence of excerpts, each of which had been raised or lowered in pitch by one semitone, or left unaltered. After hearing each excerpt, participants were asked to detect whether it was different from the original version of the song they remembered. Participants were significantly worse at …

Development Of A Patient-Administered Self-Assessment Tool (Satp) For Follow-Up Of Colorectal Cancer Patients In General Practice, Irene M. Ngune, Moyez Jiwa, Alexandra Mcmanus, Jeff Hughes, Richard Parsons, Rupert Hodder, Fiona Entriken

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) may result in physical, social, and psychological needs that affect patients’ quality of life post-treatment. A comprehensive assessment should be conducted to identify these needs in CRC patients post treatment, however, there is a lack of tools and processes available in general practice. Aims: This study aimed to develop a patient-completed needs screening tool that identifies potentially unmet physical, psychological, and social needs in CRC and facilitates consultation with a general practitioner (GP) to address these needs. Methods: The development of the self-assessment tool for patients (SATp) included a review of the literature; face …

Visual Recognition Difficulties: Identifying Primary School Students' Directional Confusion In Writing Letters And Numbers, Janet E. Richmond, Myra F. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Occupational therapists often assess primary school learners for letter and number reversal tendencies using scales which require recognition of reversed letters and numbers; however, these scales do not generally look at learners’ written production of letters and numbers to measure their reversal tendencies. This study aimed to determine whether learners reverse the same letters and numbers in reading and in writing. Method: This study utilised the Richmond Reversal Rating (RRR) Scale to identify which language symbols 118 primary school learners found difficult to recognise as being reversed when reading a series of letters and numbers and writing 20 letters …

The 'Oldest Tricks In The Book' Do Not Work! Reports Of Burglary By Duma Detainees In Western Australia, Natalie J. Gately, Jennifer Fleming, Nathalie Mcginty, Anthony M. Scott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Foreword : Research investigating the methods and motivations of burglars has typically focused on incarcerated offenders. The Australian Institute of Criminology’s Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program provided an opportunity for the authors to explore the methods and motivations of those actively involved in committing burglaries, whether or not they had actually been caught or detained for that offence. The findings support Routine Activity Theory, indicating that offenders consider a number of factors in determining whether a property will be targeted for a break and enter offence. As might be expected, opportunistic burglars choose easy to access properties, stay …

Developing Bilateral And Spatial Concepts In Primary School-Aged Children: An Empirical Evaluation Of The Anker Bilateral Spatial System, Janet Richmond Dr, M Taylor Dr, S Evans

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties contribute to school-aged learning problems. Hence, a need exists to address children’s visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties as early as possible in the child’s school career. Thus, this study reports on the evaluation of the Anker Bilateral Spatial System’s (ABSS) effectiveness in remediating primary school children’s perceptual difficulties.

Method: Thirty-one children (17 boys and 14 girls) aged 6 to 12 years who had been identified by their classroom teacher as having observable visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties participated in a 10-week pre/posttest intervention study. The study’s pre/posttest assessments included the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor …

The Internet: Friend, Foe Or Target?, Jonathan D. James

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this concluding chapter, I give an overview of how the Internet, a byproduct of our times, is shaping our culture and society in profound ways. I note some of the major concerns and perils of the Internet age and I conclude by pointing out how and why certain countries are targeting the Internet in terms of increased regulation and surveillance.

The Impact Of Genetic Disease On The Family: Examining The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being, Social Support, And Spirituality In Unaffected Carriers Of Leber’S Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Jonathan W. Dator

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current research was undertaken to explore the psychological well-being of mothers and siblings of an individual with vision loss symptoms due to Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and whether perceived social support and spiritual involvement and beliefs served as protective factors as these family members coped with their child or sibling acquiring a disability. One hundred seventeen participants, 65 mothers and 52 siblings completed a Demographic Questionnaire, the Outcome Questionnaire-45, the Impact of Event Scale, the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support via an online internet survey. The data revealed that both mothers …

Diet And Effects Of Environmental Stressors On The Altricial Nestlings Of Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax Auritus), Jacob G. Randa

Biological Sciences

Double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) are a common species of altricial waterbird found across much of North America. As a piscivorous colonial waterbird, cormorants are often persecuted due to perceived impacts on fisheries. In this study I examined the diet of cormorant nestlings at five cormorant colonies in central North America to answer two questions: 1) Is nestling diet reflective of opportunistic feeding behavior, thus diminishing the likelihood of negative impacts to the fishery? and 2) How do diet and environmental stressors effect the development of cormorant nestlings? By analyzing the caloric content of nestling diet and quantifying environmental stressors such …

Effects Of Vibrotactile Display Position And Shape On Extrapersonal Localization, Adam D. Sitz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Vibrotactile displays are capable of conveying extrapersonal spatial information to users navigating or operating within a three-dimensional environment (e.g., aircraft pilots). Although vibrotactile displays can be applied to many parts of the body, recent applications have focused on torso-based displays that egocentrically reference distal targets. However, these displays may be poorly suited to convey elevation because of the generally cylindrical shape of the human torso. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of handheld vibrotactile displays configured either in a cylindrical or spherical-shape as compared to a torso-based display. Due to its shape, the spherical …

Naval Aviation Squadron Risk Analysis Predictive Bayesian Network Modeling Using Maintenance Climate Assessment Survey Results, Harry Michael Robinson

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Associated risks in flying have resulted in injury or death to aircrew and passengers, and damage or destruction of the aircraft and its surroundings. Although the Naval Aviation's flight mishap rate declined over the past 60 years, the proportion of human error causal factors has stayed relatively constant at about 80%. Efforts to reduce human errors have focused attention on understanding the aircrew and maintenance actions occurring in complex systems.

One such tool has been the Naval Aviation squadrons' regular participation in survey questionnaires deigned to measure respondent ratings related to personal judgments or perceptions of organizational climate for meeting …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents - Preface

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Long-Distance Versus Geographically Close Romantic Relationships: Relational Maintenance, Satisfaction, And Affectionate Communication On Facebook, Christina J. Gentile, Autumn Edwards

Iowa Journal of Communication

In this study, individuals in long-distance and geographically close romantic relationships were surveyed to determine whether there were differences in regards to relationship maintenance, relationship satisfaction, and affectionate communication via Facebook. Further, this study explored whether individuals differed on the aforementioned dependent variables by attachment style. The results of this study suggest that there are few differences in relationship-oriented Facebook use for individuals with varying attachment styles and relationship types, and that Facebook likely is not a primary medium individuals use to communicate with a romantic partner. However, utilizing Facebook was found to be beneficial for relationship satisfaction.

Connecting Visual Communicators With An Auditory World: Exploring Communication Accomodation Processes In D/Deaf-Hearing Interactions, Genelle Timperlake Sanders, Stephanie Rollie Rodriguez

Iowa Journal of Communication

d/Deaf individuals' use of a visual-based language, American Sign Language (ASL), can lead to challenges in communicating and developing relationships with the larger hearing majority. This study uses Communication Accommodation Theory as a framework for exploring d/Deaf individuals' perspectives on communication with hearing individuals and the strategies they use to converge or diverge from hearing individuals during interactions. Through in-depth interviews conducted in ASL, participants were asked to recount experiences of communication interactions with members of the hearing majority and preferred strategies and motivations for convergence or divergence. Results identified convergence as a strategy to indicate interest in communicating with …

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 46, Number 1, Fall 2014 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Co-Rumination With A Friend About A Romantic Relationship: Perception Of Satisfaction And Inequity, Ashley A. Hanna Edwards, Krystyna S. Aune

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study investigates the relationship between co-ruminating about one's romantic relationship with a close friend and friendship satisfaction, romantic relationship satisfaction, and inequity in the romantic relationship. Reasons for co-ruminating with a friend about issues in romantic relationships were reported. Results indicate that co-ruminating about one's romantic relationship with a friend had no significant association with friendship satisfaction. Additionally, this study found that co-ruminating with a friend about a romantic relationship is correlated with higher perceptions of inequity within a romantic relationship and with romantic relationship dissatisfaction. A discussion of implications, limitations, and future directions is offered.

Sibling Secrets, Conspiracies, And Collaborations: Dialectical Tensions And The Relationship Effects Of Sibling Alliances In Families, John H. Nicholson

Iowa Journal of Communication

Accounts when siblings worked together (sibling alliances) were examined to determine the impact of sibling alliance attempts on family relationships. Two hundred alliance attempts comprised the data, including one hundred successful and one hundred unsuccessful alliance attempts. Respondents indicated that engaging in the reported alliances was approximately as likely to have a positive effect on the relationship among siblings as to have no effect at all. Negative effects of sibling alliances were found in under 5% of cases. Most of the reported alliances had no effect on the relationships between targets of the alliance and the sibling allies. In those …

Barriers Impeding Social Support: The Experiences Of Young Adults With Bipolar Disorder, Eileen F. Doherty, Erina J. Macgeorge

Iowa Journal of Communication

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness with a significant negative impact on quality of life. People with bipolar disorder benefit when family and friends provide social support, but quantity and quality of support are often lacking. The purpose of this study is to provide a focused analysis of barriers to support-seeking and provision as identified by young adults (ages 18-30) who have bipolar disorder. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults with bipolar disorder (N = 29) and analyzed using qualitative coding methods. Communication barriers experienced by participants included the characteristics of bipolar disorder, stigma associated with mental illness, desire …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Psychological Reactance And Verbal Defensiveness In The Workplace: The Effects Of Perceived Face Threat And Interactional Justice In Supervisor Requests, Qin Zhang, Donald E. Gibson

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study investigated the moderating effects of perceived face threat and interactional justice in supervisor requests on employee psychological reactance and examined the mediating effects of reactance in the relationships of perceived freedom threat, face threat, and interactional justice with verbal defensiveness. Results showed that perceived face threat had significant main effects and moderating effects on reactance, but interactional justice, in spite of its significant main effects, did not have moderating effects on reactance. Results also showed that reactance did not mediate the effects of perceived freedom threat, face threat, and interactional justice on verbal defensiveness in real organizational setting.

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 46, Number 2, Spring 2014 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Feminist Students' Perceived Barriers To Feminist Activism In The Heartland, Amy Aldridge Sanford

Iowa Journal of Communication

Scholars of communication studies, out of departmental necessity or personal consciousness, are often called to teach courses with social justice at the center. Courses like intercultural communication and gender communication are popular cross-listed courses for interdisciplinary programs, including the most popular interdisciplinary program in the country--women's and gender studies. The Feminist Identification Model recognizes activism as the 5th and final stage of feminist development. Seventeen students at a regional Midwestern university share their thoughts about feminist activism and the barriers to activism they perceive after completing courses in women's and gender studies. Barriers included: (a) financial and family responsibilities, (b) …

The Effect Of Mentoring On The Academic Success Of College Sophomores, John C. Lee

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

A review of the higher education literature indicates that the majority of retention research has focused on first-year students and that additional research is needed for other class levels – particularly sophomores (Graunke & Woosley, 2005). However, the reality is that sophomores benefit from a minimal number of special programs, minimal contact with faculty and others in leadership positions, and minimal attention from student affairs personnel (Anderson & Schreiner, 2000). An unintended consequence of this reduced attention is higher than expected rates of sophomore attrition.

This exploratory research study employs a quasi-experimental quantitative research design to evaluate the results of …

The Effect Of Self-Regulated Learning Strategy Training And Question Generation On Metacognitive Awareness And Achievement Among College Students Enrolled In Science Courses, Derrick L. Wilkins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Transitioning from high school students to college students can be a difficult task for students who do not know how to regulate their own study processes. Literature in the areas of metacognition, self-regulated learning (SRL), and question generation suggest a correlation between metacognitive awareness, SRL, and achievement. The present study was guided by efforts to improve college students' achievement by promoting generative learning strategies and metacognitive awareness. Fifty-one undergraduate students enrolled in a general education biology course at a southeastern university participated in this three-week experimental study. The researcher used the Metacognitive Self-Regulation Scale of the Motivated Strategies for Learning …

Rational Choice And Moral Decision-Making In Research, Anita M. Gordon

Faculty Work

University psychology and sociology researchers rated the likelihood they would engage in misconduct as described in 9 research scenarios, while also making moral judgments and rating the likelihood of discovery and sanctions. Multiple regression revealed significant effects across various scenarios for moral judgment as well as shame and embarrassment on reducing misconduct. The effects on misconduct of the perceived probability of sanctions were conditioned on moral judgments in some scenarios. The results have implications for how universities address the prevention, detection, and sanctioning of research misconduct.

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2013/2014, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Some Comparisons
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session 2013/14
--- Full-Time Equivalency Enrollment
--- Degrees Granted 2013/14
--- Degree Summary 2013/14
--- Program Certificates 2013/14
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Recruiting, Engaging, And Retaining Low Income Parents In Community Parenting Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Jane Elyce Fuqua Glasgow

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

This study examined factors that impact recruitment, engagement, and retention of low-income parents in community parenting programs. Using a traditional qualitative phenomenological approach, this research sought to develop an understanding of the difficulties that program providers often encounter in engaging low-income parents. Participants included program stakeholders (providers, policy-makers, and funders) and low-income parents with children under the age of five from urban areas. A series of focus groups were held in order to capture the voices and develop a textural description of the lived experiences of participants. Results revealed that a combination of factors impact engagement, including the important role …