Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Photo Manipulation And Its Effect On Future Credibility Of Documentary Photojournalism, Douglas M. Lind

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With today's increased use of computers and computer technology in newspaper photo departments, digitally transmitted and managed images are quickly becoming standard practice. In one sense, this is a tremendous boon for the industry. On the other hand, the electronic age is potentially harmful to the documentary nature of photojournalism. Unlike advertising or fine art photography, documentary photojournalism is a record, a visual witness if you will, of actual events and happenings. People consider such photos as being a view of the facts.

With the new technology comes the ability to change those facts, to create a lie. Therein rests …

Can Duration -- Interest Rate Risk -- And Convexity Explain The Fractional Price Change And Market Risk Of Equities?, David L. Cheney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the last two decades, duration analysis has been largely applied to fixed-income securities. However, since rising and falling interest rates have been determined to be a major cause of stock price movements, equity duration has received a great deal of attention.

The duration of an equity is a measure of its interest rate risk. Duration is the sensitivity of the price of an equity with respect to the interest rate. Convexity is the sensitivity of duration with respect to the interest rate.

The analysis revealed that the fractional price change and market risk of equities can be explained by …

A Comparison Of Models To Forecast Annual Average Potato Prices In Utah, Glade R. Erikson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Potatoes are a capital-intensive crop. A farmer who is considering expanding his potato acreage must carefully consider revenue requirements to offset the high costs of raising the crop. A method to forecast annual farm potato prices would be useful not only to the farmer, who is considering potato acreage expansion (or contraction), but also to the potato buyers.

Seven forecasting models were considered: (1) a simultaneous equation model (with five equations); (2) a Box-Jenkins type ARIMA model; (3) an exponential smoothing model; (4) a moving-average model; (5) a trend model; (6) an "opposite" model; and (7) a current, or naive, …

Integration Of Short-Run Exchange Rate Dynamics With Long-Run Equilibrium: An Empirical Analysis, Sugata Biswas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigates the linkage between long-run and short-run dynamics of exchange rate determination for the German mark/U.S. dollar quarterly rate for the period 1973-1990. Earlier investigations failed to explicitly take into account the possible nonstationarity of the data set they were using. This study continues the work performed in this area by applying modern econometric techniques to empirical tests of the Dornbusch model. In essence, this study revives the monetary model and determines if the empirical analysis using the German/U.S. case derives elements which are compatible with the monetary theory of exchange rate determination.

Three Essays On Labor Force Participation Rates Among The Fifty States, With Empirical Tests Using Panel Data, John D. Groesbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation examined the theoretical foundations of an individual's labor force participation decision. Further, this dissertation provided empirical analysis of the impact of state tax rates, the duration of unemployment, and household size on male, female, and combined labor force participation rates of the fifty states from 1985 to 1990. Empirical tests showed that: 1) no significant relationship existed between tax variables and participation rates; 2) the duration of unemployment was positively related with participation rates while unemployment was negatively related; 3) service sector growth was positively correlated with longer durations of unemployment; and 4) household size was negatively related …

Perceived Parental Acceptance Related To Self-Esteem, Gpa, Sex-Role Identity, And Substance Use Of Adolescents From Intact And Reconstituted Families, Stephen B. Sniteman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This investigation assessed the relationship between adolescents of intact families and adolescents in reconstituted families with regard to the effects of perception of parental acceptance on the variables of self-esteem, academic performance, sex role identity, and use of substances. Observed differences between adolescents of intact and reconstituted families from a structural perspective, eliminating process variables, were also examined. Participants included two hundred fifty-six high school students in grades 9 through 12 in an overseas Department of Defense Dependent School (DoDDs). Questionnaires incorporated the measures of Perception of Parental Behavior Index; Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Survey; The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI); questions …

The Relationship Between Grandparent Involvement And Identity Level In Late Adolescent Females, Catherine Dinicolangelo Stogner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Identity development is recognized as the key developmental task of late adolescence. The family is thought to serve as a facilitating factor in this development. Traditionally, reference to the family's role in adolescent identity development has alluded to the nuclear family and to parents in particular. However, a growing consensus that nuclear families are not emotionally and psychologically isolated from extended families has permitted greater acceptance of the extended family, especially grandparents, as an integral part of the family. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between grandparent involvement and adolescent identity development. Identity development was measured …

Adolescents' Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Their Grandparents, Dennis P. Barrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of youth toward each of their individual grandparents. The subjects were students ranging in age from 12-19 years with the majority being between 14-17 years of age. These students were enrolled in a release time religious class that allowed them one hour a day off campus to take a seminary course.

The sample of data consisted of 148 girls and 108 boys, which was approximately 25% of the high school population. The youth were from a small northern Utah community. The average age of the youth respondents was 16.2 years. …

Conceptualizing The Youthful Male Sex Offender: A Meta-Analytic Examination Of Offender Characteristics By Offense Type, Roger B. Graves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A review of the literature demonstrates that, to date, no concerted effort has been made to conceptualize and develop typologies for youthful male sex offenders on the basis of offense type. Such typologies are deemed important to the understanding of possible developmental antecedents for sexual offending, as well as to the development of theory-driven, empirically based interventions and preventions. This study attempts to begin the conceptualization process through a meta-analytic examination of 140 research samples that provide data on over 16,000 individuals who have committed sexual offenses as youth. Three subtypes of offenders are identified on the basis of offense …

Adolescent Sexual Behavior And Identity Development, Pamela Kay King

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between adolescent sexual behavior, motivations, and identity status. A review of the literature indicated that deviant behaviors covary, and that drug use and abuse and the motivations for same are related to identity status.

A questionnaire, including the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS) and a series of questions to gather information about sexual behaviors and motivations, was employed. The sample consisted of 579 university students ranging in age from 17 to 25.

The dependent variable (sexual behavior and motivation) was viewed through the categorical …

A Replication And Validation Study Of Methods For Calculating Self-Conception Disparity, George F. Loesch Iii

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Self-esteem has been defined by James as a ratio of one's successes to one's pretensions. There are two formulas which have been utilized to calculate self-conception disparity. These formulas are the subtraction-absolute value formula and the ratio formula, which was derived from James. Stuart compared and contrasted these two formulas utilized to calculate self-conception disparity. The purpose of this study was to replicate the work of Stuart, utilizing the same construct scales and statistical methodology, adding to the Moos Family Environment Scale, and taking into account the age and gender of the respondent. The results of this study indicate, as …

The Relationship Between Marcia's Ego Identity Status Paradigm And Erikson's Psychosocial Theory, Lawrence Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While Erikson's psychosocial theory continues to dominate theoretical explanations of adolescent identity development. Marcia's ego identity status paradigm has become the primary basis to empirically measure such notions. Though Marcia's paradigm has its roots in psychosocial theory. questions have surfaced regarding the communality of Marcia's and Erikson's notions on identity. Issues of scope. connectedness. definition. terminology. and measurement have marked a potential divergence among the two approaches-views which until recently seemed almost unified. This study addressed the relationship between Erikson's psychosocial theory and Marcia's ego identity status paradigm. By administering identity and psychosocial stage-specific measures to a sample of college-age …

Parenting Style And Child Behavior Problems: A Longitudinal Analysis, Margaret H. Young

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Data from the National Survey of Children were used to study the relationships between children's perceptions of parental support and control and measures of self-esteem and behavior problems over time. Data were collected in 1976, when the children were aged 7-11; 1981, when the children were in their early to mid teens (age 12 to 16); and 1987, when the children were in their late teens and early 20s (age 17 to 22). Parenting measures, based on children's reports, were developed for each wave from items included in the data; constructed variables measuring self-esteem and internal and external expressions of …

Lack Of Control As A Predictive Factor For Stress-Related Symptoms In Rape Victims, Chad Sombke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers have agreed that most rape victims experience stress-related symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. There have also been numerous studies that have tried to predict the severity of those stress-related symptoms, but the literature is inconclusive. Lack of perceived control is consistently mentioned in the rape research literature as being present in rape victims, but no study has empirically examined the relationship between perceived control and a rape victim's stress-related symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to empirically examine the relationship between perceived control and stress-related symptoms in rape victims. This was accomplished by comparing a group of …

Prophets And Preference: Constructing And Maintaining A Homosexual Identity In The Mormon Church, Richard D. Phillips

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is a descriptive ethnography of homosexuals and homosexuality in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church, The study employs the labeling perspective in sociology and uses gay Mormons to examine how an individual constructs and maintains a homosexual identity in an environment where such an orientation is stigmatized and devalued. Qualitative interviews and documentary analysis are the chief methodological tools for this study.

The contradictions between a homosexual lifestyle and Mormon theology are outlined, and a history of Mormon church policy concerning homosexual members from 1959 to the present is presented. The study finds …

The Prevalence Of Dual Diagnosis Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder And Alcoholism In The Literature: A Critical Meta-Analytic Review, Joseph B. Stone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between alcoholism and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has been discussed in two research areas: research on the prevalence of GAD in alcoholics, and the prevalence of alcoholism in individuals diagnosed with GAD. Studies indicate that between 6 to 26% of alcoholics have a current diagnosis of GAD, with a lifetime prevalence rate of up 51%. In the general population, 4% would currently receive a diagnosis of GAD, with a lifetime prevalence of 8%.

This meta-analytic review of the empirical literature examines the relationship between GAD and alcoholism. The author used percentages to compare the results of various studies. …

Perceived Control: Precursors To Achievement In Oglala Lakota Children, Stephen Blaine Cook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The discrepancy between American Indian and Caucasian children in academic achievement is well documented. Theorists suggest a connection between perceived locus of control and the level of educational performance. This study first sought to determine if the factor structure of a measure of the perception of lo cu s of control (Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control) was similar for Caucasian and American Indian (Oglala Lakota) children. Second, the study sought to determine if there were differences between the groups on the MMCPC subtest scores. Finally, the study sought to determine the relationship between locus of control and academic …

The Relationship Between Perceived Parenting Styles And Adolescent Locus Of Control And Self-Concept, Lisa Ann Mcclun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Relationships between adolescents' perceptions of their parents' responsiveness and demandingness, adolescents' locus of control orientation, and adolescents' self-concept ratings were investigated. Subjects included 198 students from a middle school in northern Utah. Subjects were given the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale for Children, the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, and the Perceived Parenting Style Survey.

Results indicated that subjects who perceived their parents as being authoritative had significantly (p < .001) more internal locus of control scores than subjects who reported either the permissive or authoritarian styles. Also, self-concept scores were significantly higher (p < .001) for the authoritative group than the authoritarian group on the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents subscales of Scholastic Competence, Social Acceptance, Physical Appearance, Behavioral Conduct, Close Friendship, and Global Self Worth. The permissive group reported significantly lower scores (p < .05) on the subscales of Scholastic Competence and Behavioral Conduct. There was also a significant negative correlation (p < .001) between locus of control scores and the subscale scores on the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents.

Although there were some limitations in the study methodology, the significant differences found between the groups indicated that the authoritative parenting style positively correlates with higher self-concept and …

The Role Of Gender Differences In The Relationship Between Guilt- And Shame-Proneness And Depressive Symptomatology, Julie Bingham Shiffler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by gender in the relationship between the degree of depressive symptomatology and levels of adaptive guilt-, maladaptive guilt-, and shame-proneness in a college population. A measure of depressive symptomatology (the Beck Depression Inventory) and a measure of guilt- and shame-proneness (the Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory - Revised) were administered to 299 college students (113 males and 186 females). Females reported higher total levels of depressive symptomatology than males. Statistically significant gender differences were found for nine BDI items. Females also had higher levels of adaptive guilt-, maladaptive guilt-, …

The Significance Of Dispositional Optimism And Coping In Predicting Psychological Distress, Life Satisfaction, Health Perception, And Frequency Of Discharges In The Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (Aicd) Patient, Paul B. Damin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dispositional optimism, as a stable outcome expectancy, has been shown to predict health outcomes in several contexts. Research has demonstrated that health-impaired subjects with optimistic outlooks fared better than those with a pessimistic outlook. Choice of coping strategies has been theorized as the mediating factor through which optimism operates. However, the construct of dispositional optimism has been challenged as a polar opposite of neuroticism, thus contending that optimism is not an independent notion.

The present study was designed to evaluate further the theoretical underpinnings of dispositional optimism theory. Subjects were selected from a population of cardiac patients who received an …

The Impact Of Adolescent Pregnancy And Childbearing Experiences On Adolescent Psychosocial Development, Kwisun Huh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the number of teen pregnancy studies in the past, there is a dearth of empirical data relevant to the issue of psychosocial and/or developmental changes in adolescent mothers. Most previous studies have addressed the negative and devastating impact of teen pregnancy on adolescent development. The premise of these early studies was that adolescents have pathological reasons for becoming pregnant. Contrary to these studies, an underlying assumption of this study was that teen pregnancy as a life crisis could entail the same facilitating and inhibiting factors that emerge with other adolescent life crises. Based on Erikson's theoretical framework, this study …

Perfectionism In Social Anxiety: Cognitive And Behavioral Correlates, Douglas E. Craig

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety in general as well as social phobia, specifically. Subjects completed the Personal Standards Scale, the Fear of Negative Evaluation scale, and the Social Phobia and Agoraphobia Inventory. Results indicated that neurotic perfectionism is positively associated with both general social anxiety and social phobia. Moreover, the neurotic elements of perfectionism -- "concern over making mistakes" and "doubts about actions" -- appeared to be better predictors of social anxiety than high performance standards alone. Differences between social phobia and social anxiety secondary to agoraphobia as related to …

Intraventricular Hemorrhage Sequelae In Low Birthweight Infants: A Meta-Analysis, Shannon G. Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Technological advances in neonatal care have dramatically improved the survival and disability rates among low birthweight infants (LBW). One common factor associated with later problems among these babies is intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). A meta-analysis was conducted among LBW infants with and without IVH to determine developmental outcome. More than 450 studies were located. Only 125 studies met inclusion criteria.

Mean effect sizes were computed by comparing the LBW group to either a fullterm control group or to test norms. When compared to fullterm children, LBW children scored worse in all areas except gross motor skills.

Cognitive assessment was done commonly …

The Efficacy Of Level Of Adjunct Questions Over Time By Discourse Type, Ying Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The potential differential effects of discourse type on the study of adjunct question efficacy were examined. The interaction among discourse type, question level, and time of test was investigated as reflected by readers' intentional and incidental learning outcomes. Eighty-four undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course were randomly assigned to four experimental conditions: (a) texts with low-order questions, (b) texts with high-order questions, (c) texts with both low- and high-order questions, and (d) texts with no questions. Each subject read both the narrative text and the expository text. The dependent measure was composed of five subscales of the criterion …

Preschool Children's Perceptions Of Their Parents: A Comparison Of Children From Married And Divorced Homes, Sondra Moe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young children's perceptions of their parents have been shown to affect responses to parents, and to be relevant in personality development and self-esteem. Typically, research examining children's perceptions of their parents focused on children from intact families. Yet, with the frequent occurrence of divorce in our society, and the trauma and lifestyle changes often associated with marital dissolution, it is possible that children's perceptions of their parents may also change.

This study compared two groups of preschool children's perceptions of their parents. Forty - two children (23 males, 19 females) came from two parent, first marriage families. Thirty-two children (16 …

Bingeing Tendencies: Cross-Generational Similarities Between Mothers And Daughters, Kimberly K. Bushman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was an investigation of the relationship between 146 mothers' and daughters' (sixth and seventh grade) eating and dieting behaviors. Subjects completed the Bulimia Test-Revised (BUILT-R), Revised Dietary Scales (Restraint Scale), and Food Avoidance Conflict Inventory. The inventories completed by the daughters were slightly modified for better comprehension. The present researcher created an additional subscale (Critical Binge subscale) from the BUILT-R as a means of assessing actual bingeing behavior.

A significant correlation was found between mothers' and daughters' scores on the BUILT-R, including the Total and Binge Control subscale. There failed to be a significant relationship between mothers' and …

Modern Racism: A Cross-Cultural View Of Racial And Ethnic Attitudes, Timothy B. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study and measurement of attitudes toward racial and ethnic groups are important parts of the field of cross-cultural psychology. The present study examined a theory of racial attitudes, that of symbolic racism, and several demographic variables. The sample population consisted of 575 Caucasians and 122 Far-East Asian college students. Results indicated that Symbolic Racism is a unique theoretical construct, that Caucasian students were less racially biased than their Asian peers, and that group differences in racial attitudes existed across religious affiliation, number of reported interracial friendships, and gender.

A Meta-Analytical Review Of The Literature On The Efficacy Of The Systematic Training For Effective Parenting (Step) Program, David George Gibson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An analysis of previous reviews of the parent education literature revealed that few reviewers have incorporated sound methodological practice in their review process. Most reviewers included too few studies and ignored important information about the primary research studies that they reviewed. The Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) program has received less attention from reviewers than any of the other popular programs and information about its effectiveness is lacking.

Forty primary research studies, addressing the effectiveness of the STEP program, were located and analyzed using the meta-analytic method of review. Research questions for this study addressed the issues of effectiveness …

Community Responses To Siting A Hazardous Waste Facility: The Case Of The High-Level Nuclear Waste Facility At Yucca Mountain, Nevada, Lori A. Cramer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quality of life is an important issue for residents facing potential changes in their social and/or physical environments. Potential quality of life changes are especially relevant for rural residents of southern Nevada who are currently facing the possibility of living near the nation's first high-level nuclear waste repository. Whether the effects of the proposed repository are perceived as positive or negative, they nonetheless alter residents' perceptions of their quality of life.

A theoretical model was designed to guide the analyses in this study. It suggested that residents have both current perceptions and future expectations for themselves and their community. When …

The Relationship Between Eating Disorders And Ego Identity Development, Mary Denise Sparks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The age of onset for eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia nervosa) among females is typically late adolescence. In the present study, it was hypothesized that the onset of eating disorders is related to the late-adolescent developmental task of identity development. Thirty-three late adolescent and young adult females who met DSM-III-R criteria for an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorder not otherwise specified) and 33 control females completed the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity status -- 2 (EOMEIS-2). Results of chi square analyses revealed no significant differences between eating disorder and control females with regard to status …