Digital Commons Network^™

Relational Maintenance Behaviors, Conflict Resolution Strategies, And Their Relation To Loneliness, Courtney O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between levels of ineffective arguing and loneliness above and beyond levels of relational maintenance behaviors in 182 male and female adults. Correlations did not support a large inverse relationship between loneliness and relational maintenance behaviors for both Romantic Partner Group (RPG) and Friendship Group (FG). This study has shown that there was a moderate relationship between levels of loneliness and relational maintenance behaviors for both groups. As hypothesized, but only for the RPG, regression analyses revealed that ineffective arguing did predict experiences of loneliness above and beyond relational maintenance behaviors only, whereas this was …

Effects Of Generic Versus Personally Delivered Education And Self-Disclosure On Elementary School Children's Social Attitudes Towards A Peer With Tourette Syndrome, Erin Lynn Olufs

Theses and Dissertations

Children with tic disorders are at a higher risk for peer rejection and social withdrawn. Children who face peer rejection are at greater risk for internalizing, externalizing, and social problems, and often experience extreme loneliness and a lack of friendships. The impact of educational videos and self-disclosure have been examined in separate studies and have been shown to increase positive attitudes towards those with TS, but the two methods of education have not yet been directly compared to one another with a student population. In the current study, the differential effects of receiving professional TS education, self-disclosure TS education, and …

A Study Of The Experience Of Female African-American Seventh Graders In A Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math (Stem) Afterschool Program, Beverley Fiona Hinds

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine what inspires or leads seventh-grade African-American girls toward an interest in STEM, to characterize and describe the context of an out-of-school STEM learning environment, explore the impact on the seventh- grade African-American girls who participated in the program as it relates to individual STEM identity, and identify personal and academic experiences of seventh-grade African- American girls that contribute to the discouragement or pursuit of science and math-related academic pathways and careers. Notable findings in this study included the following: 1. Participants were interested in STEM and able to identify both external …

Simon In Performance: The Analysis And Direction Of Rumors, Brett Olson

Theses and Dissertations

The direction of any theatrical production is fraught with challenges and opportunities for growth. In textual analysis and research of Neil Simon's Rumors and directing methods, skills were developed to better direct the University of North Dakota Theatre Department's 2014 production of Rumors. The project culminated in a well-received production of Rumors that challenged the student/actors of UND to learn a farcical style of acting and the director to stage, communicate style, and organize a fully mounted production.

An Examination Of Experiential Avoidance As A Vulnerability Factor For Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Excessive Behaviors In Parent And Young Adult Child Dyads, Meaghan M. Lewis

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Experiential avoidance is receiving increasing conceptual and empirical review as an emotion regulation strategy and crucial factor in the development and maintenance of symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD; Kumpula, Orcutt, Bardeen, & Varkovitzky, 2011; Thompson & Waltz, 2010). It is also implicated in a variety of topographically dissimilar problem behaviors (Kingston, Clarke, & Remington, 2010; Mansell et al., 2009) and poor mental health outcomes. The transmission of effective emotion regulatory strategies (Duncombe et al., 2012) is increasingly important to understanding the development of these problems. Experiential avoidance may be a learned response style from one’s parent. This conceptual model …

Self-Esteem, Emotions And Relationships, Kristyn Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Presently there is a lack of research examining how geographical differences may related to different manifestations of hook up culture. Females from rural communities' were focused on in order to try to account for the gap in literature focusing on whether females' affect and self-esteem predicted future hook-up behaviors. Among young females, those who are from a rural community engage in hook-ups more frequently than those from an urban area; as well as report negative experiences within the community after they engage in a hook-up. The relationship between female's self-esteem and their intent to participate in a hook-up in the …

Experiential Education: Understanding The Impact Of Remotely Operated Vehicles On At-Risk Student Learning, James E. Kelly

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

How do educators engage students in the curriculum? State and Common Core Standards determine what to teach; how those standards are taught varies. This research examined a group of at-risk elementary and secondary students using underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) as part of an experiential education program in a rural Michigan school district. With a foundation of grounded theory, qualitative methods are used in this case study of the experience of at-risk learners whose mission is to solve a problem. In particular, the story evolves from nine emergent themes identified in the experiences of students and adults: attendance, communication, confidence, …

Intention To Screen For Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Terror Management Health Model Perspective, Bernadette Jones

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present studies assessed intention and willingness to screen for sexually transmitted infections from a Terror Management Health Model perspective. TMHM proposes that when facing a health decision, people tend to cling to what increases their self-esteem rather than behave in a way that would actually minimize the health threat. The first study hypothesized that exposure to a brochure rife with reminders of “creatureliness” would increase death thought accessibility, while a control brochure would not. No significant difference was found. The second study hypothesized that those with low body-esteem would cling more to what todays culture deems an acceptable body …

Promoting Self-Determined Motivation For Exercise In Stroke Rehabilitation: The Role Of Autonomy Support, Emmanuel Afawuah Akowuah

Theses and Dissertations

Rehabilitation Interventionists (RIs) usually spend a great deal of time and effort trying to improve the functional abilities of stroke patients. Stroke rehabilitation through current studies has been recognized as an important and effective modality in the treatment of stroke. Despite the known benefits of SR to stroke patients, a number of them drop out resulting in a decline the benefits from the program.

Objective: To examine the predictive relationship between perceived autonomy support provided by Stroke Rehabilitation Interventionists, and the participants' subsequent stroke rehabilitation program attendance rate. The study also examines the predictive relationship between participants' perceived autonomy support …

Does Attractiveness Matter For Sex Offenders? An Examination Of Defendant Attractiveness, Defendant Gender, And Crime Severity, Adam Charles Austin

Theses and Dissertations

There has been an abundance of research showcasing an attraction-leniency bias that benefits attractive defendants of various crimes. However, this bias tends to diminish if the crime is deemed serious or if the defendant uses his or her attractiveness to commit the crime (i.e., swindle). The purpose of the current study is to investigate judgments made about a defendant being accused of a sexual offense. The study represents a 2 (gender of defendant) x 3 (attractiveness of defendant: attractive, unattractive, no picture) x 3 (crime severity: low, medium, high) factorial design. Participants (N = 686) were asked to report their …

Restoration, Presence And Computer Use: How Computer Displays Incorporating Restorative Environments Effect Users' Sense Of Restoration And Presence, Jacob Bell

Theses and Dissertations

Recent technological advances provide opportunities for computer users to replace

desktop pictures with dynamic, audio-visual recordings. Such advances provide researchers with opportunities to better understand how specific video content may effect users' sense of restoration and presence. As described within Attention Restoration Theory, those perceiving restorative environments, which are found primarily within nature-based environments, experience a sense of restoration. Yet, prior research has largely focused on singular, and to an extent, non-interactive displays of restorative environments. The current research further investigated the restorative potential of environments having incorporated interactive, computer-based displays, with animated audio-visual environments. Participants were assigned to either …

Minnesota Paraeducators' Perceptions Of The Barriers To Becoming Licensed Special Education Teachers, Joni Burris

Theses and Dissertations

Public schools across the country are facing a critical shortage of licensed special education teachers. For many reasons, paraeducators have been considered strong teacher candidates and have been recruited into the teaching profession intermittently for decades. Paraeducators who decide to obtain their teaching license often experience obstacles to this endeavor: money, time, family obligations, navigating the university system, and academics.

This research study examined and analyzed Minnesota paraeducators' perceptions of the barriers to obtaining their special education teaching license. It also assessed the perceptional differences between Minnesota paraeducators who have completed at least a bachelor's degree and those who have …

Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Factors That Affect The Acceptance Of Unmanned Aircraft Usage Within The United States National Airspace System, Eric Cameron

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aircraft have been around since before the Wright brothers took flight in 1903. Even though unmanned aircraft have had a history that well exceeds the century of manned aviation, they were primarily used by the military, and were mostly outside the public's purview. In recent years unmanned aircraft have made a giant leap from military use to commercial use within the United States and around the world. While pilots and operators flying these aircraft may have accepted the technology and its future potential; the public might have a different point of view on utilization over their home, town, state, …

The Influence Of Priming On College Students' Financial Valuation Of Art, Lenetta Choate

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of priming on college students' financial valuation of six artworks (i.e., three landscapes and three abstracts). This research study examined the independent variables of priming, gender, number of art courses completed, college class status, and college major on the dependent variable of college students' financial valuation of art. The sample for this study included 422 undergraduate students from a Midwestern university. Three research questions were examined. First, a t-test with an alpha of .05 was used to examine the difference in college students' financial valuation of art between college students …

Affect Dysregulation As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma And Comorbid Substance Use Disorder And Bulimia Nervosa, Brianna Joelle Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening psychiatric disorders associated with a variety of negative medical, social, and psychological consequences. Comorbid mental disorders, such as substance use disorders, present an increasingly complex clinical picture. A significant body of research has been devoted to investigating the etiology of eating disorders and their comorbid conditions. One factor that has received research attention is that of childhood trauma experiences. Childhood trauma has been related to the development of both bulimia nervosa and substance use disorders, and more broadly, an impulsive, behaviorally dysregulated trajectory. Affect dysregulation is one factor proposed to play a role in …

Common Core State Standards: Beware The Trojan Horse, Yee Han Chu

Theses and Dissertations

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represent a promise by general education that all students can be college and career ready through the acquisition of essential knowledge, skills, and abilities. These essential elements will be rigorous, supporting the higher-order and independent thinking skills typically associated with the achievement of excellence. CCSS, in short, promises excellence in all students. The needs of those students who demonstrate high ability do not receive any separate mention: (1) how has the concept of excellence been incorporated into the CCSS; and (2) what is the potential impact on high ability students?

These questions are examined …

The Visible #Family: Using The Hashtag To Study Family Construction, Joshua M. Parcha

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to see, through a raw collection of data, how the family is currently being portrayed on social networking sites. Twitter is used to examine the social construction of family based upon observing tweets that contain #family. This paper argues that the family is best understood as being constructed through interactions with others, using symbolic interaction theory for theoretical grounding. Through examining over 1,000 tweets using a grounded theory methodological approach, three main themes emerged: family types, statements of family, and the esoteric family. The emergent themes suggest several implications, including that the family is …

Mental Illness Stigma, Mental Health Literacy, And Psychological Help-Seeking In A Rural Population, Astrid Shanthi D'Cunha

Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed relationships between mental illness stigma (public stigma (Vogel, Wade & Ascheman, 2009) and private stigma (Vogel, Wade & Haake, 2006)), mental health literacy (Mental Health Literacy Survey (MHLS; Epps et al. 2007) and Symptom Recognition Scale, (SRS)), and psychological help-seeking (Attitudes towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale and Intentions via LSHS) in a rural population. Two-hundred three adults living in rural and urbanized counties within a rural Midwestern state completed paper and online surveys. Stepwise hierarchical regression analyses showed that private stigma, mental health literacy, and previous help-seeking behavior predicted attitudes towards seeking professional help while symptom …

Trauma Experiences And Symptoms Reported By American Indian And Caucasian Sex Offenders, Regina Sioux Ertz

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) people are known to have a history of man-made trauma that corresponds to the colonization of the Americans. Trauma experienced by AI/AN sex offenders has not been evaluated in the research as it relates to their treatment planning. The lack of data reflecting intervention needs for AI/AN sex offenders is problematic. The current study hypothesized that American Indian sex offenders would report a greater number of trauma experiences, endorse increased symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), display more traumatic cognitions, and endorse higher dissociative experiences than Caucasian sex offenders. Statistical results yielded did not support the …

Grade Level Retention: A Comparative Study Of Beliefs And Practices In North Dakota And Surrey, Kim Englund

Theses and Dissertations

Many regions of the United States retain students who are not performing at grade level, yet a large body of research shows the ineffectiveness of having students repeat an academic year. The United Kingdom practices social promotion rather than retention. This comparative study sought to better understand the practices in these two countries and the research surrounding retention. First, it compared the interventions before and alternatives to retention used by both a North Dakota school district in the United States and two schools in Surrey, England. Second, it outlined a plan for teachers, parents, school administrators, and school policy makers …

Effects Of Video Game Playing And Training On Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Performance, Kathryn Feltman

Theses and Dissertations

The popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has resulted in the need to determine who is suitable to learn to operate UAVs. The present study examined the likelihood that action video game players (VGPs) would make better potential candidates for learning to become UAV pilots. Additional training is also examined as a factor to determine how well training assists with maintaining situational awareness and vigilance during performance of the task, which are beneficial skills for UAV pilots to possess. Ninety-two undergraduate students participated in the study, and piloting skills were tested using the Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II, which consists of generalizations …

An Analysis Of Abortion Demand In Pennsylvania 2000 - 2010, Guido Giuntini

Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I expand on previous research of the determinants of abortion demand to examine the demand for abortion in the specific case of Pennsylvania, where precise statistics are available for each county. The data considered is for the years 2000 and 2010, and allows for cross sectional and panel data analysis, specifically, first-difference permitting to look at the effect of changes over time of specific explanatory variables. Careful attention is placed on variable selection techniques to avoid the use of low significance variables. The analysis allows controlling for price, as it is considered to be constant across the …

Understanding Somali Women Refugee Students' Lives And Program Decisions At Two-Year Colleges: A Narrative Approach, Mary Fontes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore Somali women refugee students' lives and to identify what factors influenced their program decisions at two-year colleges in the Midwest. Refugees have been admitted to the United States (U. S.) as early as 1948 under the Displaced Persons Act. Some states have experienced a greater influx of refugees than others. Employment and economic self-sufficiency are emphasized as quickly as possible after arrival in the United States. Some foreign-born individuals, who aren't prepared for employment, pursue education. Somali women refugees who pursue education may be doing so unprepared or counter to cultural norms …

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention For Autism: Is It Actually More "Intensive" Than A Typical Child's Day?, Caitlyn B. Sorensen

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and excessive ritualistic and repetitive behavior. Numerous treatments for autism devised over the last half-century have proven ineffective, or have never been scientifically evaluated. Despite the state of the research, the most demonstrably effective treatment, Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI), has been a target of much criticism, including accusations of being too intense. A large number of learning trials in relatively short periods of time supposedly induce children to have disordered stress responses. To explore the intensity of EIBI, behavior samples from children engaging …

Multiple Baseline Study Of The Effects Of Left Visual Field Stimulation During Emotion Recognition Training Among Four Male Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Rachelle Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by social deficits in emotional comprehension. Research has demonstrated that for the neurotypical population, recognizing, and reacting to facial emotions improve when using the left visual field by employing the right brain hemisphere's configural processes. Behavioral, physiological, and neuroimaging findings suggest an opposite pattern within the autistic population - left hemisphere activation contributing to a right visual field preference for analyzing and assessing facial affect. The present study attempted to activate and strengthen the right hemispheric neural pathway responsible for emotion recognition using modified eyewear to contrive left visual field stimulation during an empirically …

Differentiated Instruction For Responsive Teaching In Elementary Education Student Teachers' Classrooms, Laurie Dillon Guy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what differentiated instruction looked like in three student teachers' classrooms. I sought to understand the challenges and successes these student teachers experienced with differentiation, the conditions they were able to control or not control, and how the relationship with the cooperating teacher impacted their capacities to practice differentiation as a method for responsive teaching. Methods included observation, interviews, and collecting student teaching artifacts. Data analyses were completed through Atlas ti, a computer program that supports qualitative research synthesis.

The theoretical framework underpinning this study was Tharp and Gallimore's neo-Vygotskian learning …

Development Of A Prototype Movement Assistance System For Extravehicular Activity Gloves, Tyler Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Spacesuits utilized a rubberized layer of material to contain a pressurized atmosphere to facilitate respiration and maintain the physiologic functions of the astronaut residing within. However, the elasticity of the material makes it resistant to deformation increasing the amount of work required during movement. This becomes particularly fatiguing for the muscle groups controlling the motion of the hands and fingers. To mitigate this a robotic system was proposed and developed. The system built upon previous concepts and prototypes discovered through research efforts. It utilized electric motors to pull the index, ring, and middle fingers of the right hand closed, ideally …

Impact Of Reverse Ethnocentrism On Competence Regarding Food Related Behaviors As A Function Of Attachment Style, Ethnic Identity, And Locus Of Control, Sheryl Holter Vogel

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated associations between attachment styles, locus of control (LOC), ethnic identity, and competence regarding food-related behavior (competence) among 168 White and 61 American Indian participants. An experimental manipulation was also conducted in which the concept of reverse ethnocentrism was tested. Attachment style accounted for the most significant variance of competence at 9% followed by ethnicity at 2%. Ethnic identity and LOC accounted for nonsignificant variance at 4% and less than 1% respectively. Prior to the experimental manipulation, results found competence was significantly negatively associated with low anxiety and high avoidance (dismissing attachment style), and American Indian participants …

Impact Of Cultural Identity On Mmpi-2 Profiles In Northern Plains American Indians, Colleen Kagan

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian populations experience high rates of psychological distress with 44.5% percent of Northern Plains American Indians reporting experiencing some depressive, anxiety, or substance use disorder over their lifetime. The MMPI-2 is a commonly used psychodiagnostic tool that has become widely used in the mental health treatment of different racial and ethnic groups. Research on the MMPI-2 with minority populations, and American Indian populations in particular, fails to account for the impact of level of acculturation. This study examined the impact of cultural identity on MMPI-2 profiles in Northern Plains American Indians and comparison Caucasian samples. Participants were administered a …

An Investigation On Relationship Between Epistemological Beliefs And Instructional Practice Of Preservice And Inservice Teachers, Jacob Manu

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative research sought to investigate the relationship between epistemological beliefs and instructional practice of preservice and inservice teachers. Despite the vigorous emphasis and investment on the need for teachers to adopt teaching and learning practices that are more authentic, learner-centered, project-based, meaningful, and context-based, there is a growing trend where inservice teachers are trained in constructivist learning environment but end up adopting traditional learning pedagogies. Thus, teachers are constantly struggling to incorporate the tenets of constructivism into the teaching and learning process. With the use of the discipline-focused epistemological beliefs questionnaire and instructional practice scale, preservice and inservice teachers …