Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Living In Prison: Evaluating The Deprivation And Importation Models Of Inmate Adaptation, Lisa Danielle Velarde

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present study is to broaden knowledge in the area of adjustment to incarceration. Clemmer (1950) proposed that a process known as prisonization develops as inmates adjust to the arduous circumstance of incarceration. Previous research has compared two competing models of adaptation, known as importation and deprivation, as predictors of prisonization. Given that Clemmer (1950) originally hypothesized that prisonization serves as a method of adjusting to the prison environment, the present study explored the relationships among the importation model, the deprivation model, prisonization, and adjustment. In an attempt to take into consideration both person and environmental factors, …

An Ethnographic Study Of Participants' Perceptions Of Character Education Including Students, Parents, Teachers, Club Sponsors, Administrators, And Community Support People, Lily Odessa Hogan Stoppleworth

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study examined character education within one educational setting. The researcher created a holistic, narrative description of the extent, quality, and impact of character education at one North Louisiana high school. An emergent design was utilized to examine inductively participants' perceptions of character education initiatives within this single, educational site.

The research questions in this study were: (a) How do participants (students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members) define character education, and what do they perceive its value to be? (b) How do participants perceive character education in relation to values? (c) How is character education viewed by the …

An Investigation Of The Association Between Auditor Switching And Negative Information, Michael Morris Grayson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates the premise that certain types of negative information are associated with auditor switches. A data set of 305 auditor switches from 1976 to 1994, extracted from the Compustat data base (limited subscription), was analyzed using tests of proportions and nonparametric sign tests. The data set consists of negative information extracted from the switching companies' income statements (i.e., net losses or extraordinary items) or calculated from the items extracted (i.e., net income adjusted to reverse the effect of extraordinary items).

The initial results, based on tests which assumed random movement of net income, did not support the notion …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between The Family Of Origin And Selected Career Development Outcomes, Timothy Dean Dodge

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine, from the perspective of Bowen family systems theory (Papero, 1990) and Williamson's theory of personal authority in the family system (Williamson, 1981, 1982a, 1982b), the impact of family dynamics on the career development of college students and to overcome methodological weaknesses of prior research in this area. Methodologically, the present study overcomes weaknesses of prior research by providing a unifying theory from which measures of family dynamics are derived and by measuring career outcomes which are logically tied to family dynamics. Career outcome measures selected for the study include vocational identity, career decision-making …

The Impact Of Psychological Reactance And Desire For Control On Perceptions Of Common Elements Of Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral *Change, Morgan Edward Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study was designed to assess the impact of two dispositional variables, psychological reactance and desire for control, on individual perceptions of common elements of psychological change. These common elements represent cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of psychological change. The study tested whether individuals with different levels of psychological reactance and desire for control systematically differed in their perception of the importance of elements relevant to psychological change. Participants (N = 420) completed three self-report assessment instruments: (a) the Common Elements of Change Questionnaire, (b) Hong's Psychological Reactance Scale, and (c) the Desirability of Control Scale. As hypothesized, …

Two Essays On Exchange -Traded Funds, Natalya Vladimir Delcoure

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is twofold. The first objective is to conduct an empirical inquiry into the diversification benefits of exchange-traded funds. The second objective is to examine whether exchange-traded funds exhibit superior performance compared to their rival closed-end country fund and traditional index mutual fund. I document that American investors manifest their preference for WEBS as a substitute for closed-end country funds. While I find that WEBS satisfy their objective of following their home indexes better than their rival closed-end country fund, the two-factor model I employ indicates that, despite some diversification benefits, WEBS also maintain certain risk …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Coping Style Inventory In A College Sample, Christopher Garth Bellah

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study conducted a confirmatory factor analysis of the Coping Style Inventory (CSI). A comprehensive review of the history of stress and coping research was provided, along with a presentation of suggestions for future research that have indicated a need for a melding of both theory-driven and empirically-driven methodology in coping assessment. Pursuant to this need, a pilot study was conducted to explore the factor structure and psychometric properties of the CSI (N = 560). Results of pilot work using a principle components extraction and a parallel analysis criterion for factor retention indicated that six primary factors were …

Postural Balance And Acceleration Threshold Detection For Anterior Horizontal Translation In Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Elderly, Venkatesh Balasubramanian

Doctoral Dissertations

Slips and falls, and even the fear of failing, can represent a major medical and functional deterrent to living independently, especially among the elderly population. Various groups of elders are at known risk for falling including, but not limited to, those with vestibular dysfunction, those with low visual acuity including visual neuropathies, and those with peripheral neuropathies. The first two groups are fairly well studied, but the relationship between the level of peripheral neuropathy and extent of falling has received relatively less attention.

In this study, using sliding linear investigative platform for analyzing lower limb stability (SLIP-FALLS), the psychophysical thresholds …