Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Xpath-Based Template Language For Describing The Placement Of Metadata Within A Document, Vijay Kumar Musham

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

In the recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in Internet and online resources that had previously been restricted to paper archives. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools can be used for digitalizing an existing corpus and making it available online. A number of federal agencies, universities, laboratories, and companies are placing their collections online and making them searchable via metadata fields such as author, title, and publishing organization. Manually creating metadata for a large collection is an extremely time-consuming task, and is difficult to automate, particularly for collections consisting of documents with diverse layout and structure. The Extract project …

Remembering To Remember And The Consequences Of Forgetting: The Role Of Prospective Memory In Consumer Intentions, Eyad M. Youssef

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Picking up your dry cleaning after work, returning library books before the due date, picking up a friend at the airport; all of these tasks have one underlying feature that links them together. The tasks cannot be completed when the initial intention is formed. Prospective memory can be defined as remembering to remember (Winograd, 1988). It can also be defined as either remembering to do something at a particular moment in the future or as the timely execution of a previously formed intention (Kvavilashvili and Ellis, 1996). Remembering to do things (prospective memory) is just as much a use of …

User-Generated Video Sites Effects On Aggression And Interpersonal Relations Of Old Dominion Undergraduate Students, Christopher R. Hodge

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The use of the internet and the activities available over the internet has continuously grown since their creation. A huge proportion of our society utilizes the internet and its available activities. Specifically, as a 2009 Pew Data memo shows over half of users age 18 and over utilize the internet for personal use. The use of user generated video sites (UGVS) is no different, as the largest user-generated video community YouTube boasted in 2009 that every minute YouTube receives ten hours of uploaded video. Given the popularity of user-generated video sites, some have raised concerns about potential negative effects that …

Akers' Social Learning Theory: Childhood Victimization, Witnessing Violence, Peer Violence And Later Violent Offending, Pamela Annette Styles

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The literature linking abuse and later violent offending is extensive. More importantly, the effects of witnessing violence and peer violence on later violent offending have been well established. Drawing upon Akers' social learning theory, the current study explored the effects of victimization, witnessing violence, deviant peer association on later violent offending comparing Blacks and Whites. Using data from the National Survey of Adolescents (NSA), the sample was comprised of 2746 Whites and 572 Blacks. Bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed similar effects for Blacks and Whites. Examining social learning theory variables, the effects of witnessing violence, associating with violent peers and …

A Phenomenological Study Of Children's Experiences While Families Receive Services From A Homeless Agency, Sonya Lorelle

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Children who experience homelessness have an increased risk for negative outcomes in several developmental areas (Bucker, 2008). While there are numerous programs that hope to mediate these and other risks by offering services to families experiencing homelessness, there is a paucity of research that addresses how children's psychosocial needs are being addressed in existing programs (Gewirtz, Hart-Shegos, & Medhanie, 2008). In addition, there is also a lack of research which represents the children's and parents' perspectives and experiences in supportive housing programs, such as transitional and permanent supportive housing, or in-home case management programs. With this phenomenological qualitative study, I …

Managing Complexity And Change In International Relations: The Case Of Yemen, Michael J. Culton

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Matters of war and peace may be as old as civilization itself but the definitions and practices of each are constantly evolving. Innumerable theories and models have been developed over the past few centuries, which are designed to explain modern international politics. As academics and policymakers debate their assumptions regarding conflict and cooperation, current events challenge their intellectual foundations and may even serve to overturn them. The scholars and practitioners of foreign policy may have reached the point where the traditional explanations of political behavior can no longer account for the pressing issues of the day. In such an age …

Cooperative Strategies On Parallel Tracks: The Nepad And Agoa Initiatives, Guelmbaye Ngarsandje

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In July 2001, at the 37th of the former Organization of African Unity, African heads of states launched the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), a combination of the Omega Plan from Abdoulaye Wade and The Millennium African Renaissance Partnership initiated by Thabo Mbeki, respectively presidents of Senegal and South Africa. This was an achievement of tasks given by their peers in Algiers in 1999. Previously to that, the Clinton administration initiated the African Growth and Opportunity Act passed in law in 1998. Though the two programs aim at African development, they did not take in account each other.

This …

Return To Unfinished Business: Re-Energizing U.S. Nuclear Arms Policy, William T. Eliason

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Today's international environment characterized in nuclear threat terms as having increasing concerns about the potential for terrorist or non-state use of nuclear devices and a decline in the likelihood of the original nuclear weapon states engaging each other in a nuclear war remains in search of a path away from the fear of nuclear attack some twenty years after the end of the Cold War. This research dissertation will seek to answer the question of how best to reestablish a nuclear arms control regime. This dissertation argues that the international environment has fundamentally changed since the end of the Cold …

Religion On Divorce, Erik B. Doherty

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Prospective factors that lead to elevated divorce rates have been studied in an attempt to gauge their relative significance and overall impact. However, to date no Such factor or factors have been pin-pointed that can conclusively explain why divorce rates are so high. This article utilizes a three-model analysis that examines the effects of religion variables, as well as relevant control variables that have be found to be significantly associated with divorce rates by prior research. Thus, religion is the variable of focus for the study in relation to divorce rates. The results indicate that: 1) Catholics are less likely …

Fat Talk Between Friends: Co-Rumination About Physical Appearance, Jonathan A. Rudiger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the study of social and interpersonal factors that influence emotional adjustment and body image. Co-rumination is a new construct in the friendship literature which refers to discussing problems excessively and sharing negative feelings within the context of a close relationship. However, there is a lack of research with regard to the specific content of co-ruminative dialogues. In the body image literature, the term "fat talk" was coined to describe a negative, appearance focused dialogue that takes place in the context of female social circles. There have been no studies examining …

Experience And Regulation Of Positive Emotions As Predictors Of Anxiety And Depression In Adolescents And Children, Ann Schlegelmilch

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The high rate of comorbidity between anxiety and depression in children and adults raises questions concerning whether these disorders are two distinct disorders or a broad, but unitary construct. Clark and Watson's (1991) tripartite model purports that these disorders can be differentiated by two factors, positive affect (PA) and physiological hyperarousal (PH), in which low PA is unique to depression and PH is specific to anxiety. However, little is known about how specific positive emotions or their various facets may be related to depression and anxiety in children. Using 162 elementary and 148 middle school children (49% male, 66% Caucasian), …

Intergenerational Conflict Between Emerging Adults And Their Parents In Asian American Families, Kathy Nguyen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Due to a paucity of research, little is understood about the experiences of Asian American emerging adults as they navigate their relationship with their parents. The purpose of the current study was to investigate intergenerational conflict in Asian American families, specifically when emerging adults are living at home with their parents. Acculturation gap, generational status, birth order, gender, and language proficiency were examined as predictors or mediators of conflict. Participants consisted of 350 Asian American emerging adults who were currently living with their parents, who lived with their parents during certain times of the year (e.g., vacations), or who had …

Women's Compliance In Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment: The Role Of Children And Mental Health, Cathy Gertrude Cooke

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of children and mental illness in women's compliance in a treatment program for substance abuse. Information was retrieved from medical records of female clients ( N=221) who took part in a community-based day treatment program for substance abuse in a large city in southeastern Virginia during a 32-month period. It was anticipated that, as compared to women who resided with minor children, women who did not reside with minor children would have greater treatment success defined as: (1) more days in the treatment program; (2) higher percentage of negative …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Safe Space Training On Professional School Counselors And School Counseling Trainees, Rebekah Byrd

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

While professional and social advocacy is an important component of school counselor training, there is little information about the awareness, skills, or knowledge needed to effectively meet the academic, career, and social needs of LGBTQ students (Smith & Chen-Hayes, 2004). The purpose of this study was to evaluate and examine the impact of Safe Space training on Professional School Counselors (PSCs) and School Counseling Trainees (SCTs). In this experimental design, a sample of 74 PSCs and SCTs from three universities and one school district participated in 1 of 7 Safe Space trainings. The Safe Space training, developed by The Gay, …

The Initial Development And Validation Of The Teen Screen For Dating Violence, Kelly M. Emelianchik-Key

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This study was related to the initial development and validation of the instrument, the Teen Screen for Dating Violence (TSDV). The TSDV is an assessment tool that screens for adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization. It examines perceptions, experiences, perpetration, and exposure to dating violence as well as available support systems for adolescents. Literature shows that dating violence among the adolescent population is on the rise and adolescent dating violence mimics many of the patterns of adult intimate partner violence. Children who grow up in homes with violence are more likely to continue the cycle of violence in their future …

Counselor Attitudes Toward The Harm Reduction Approach In Substance Abuse Treatment, Nicole Marie Kyser

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, the preferred method for treating alcohol and drug addictions is the abstinence based approach. While most American mental health professionals use this approach, studies over time have demonstrated that relapse rates remain high. In Europe, the harm reduction approach, in which the primary goal is to decrease the harms associated with substance use, is beginning to be implemented as an additional approach to abstinence. Although the outcomes of the harm reduction approach are not yet clear, countries that utilize harm reduction have seen a decrease in crime, wages lost, and hospitalizations due to alcohol and drug …

The Relationship Among Counselor Demographic, Training, And Employment Variables And Self-Reported Multicultural And Gerontological Counseling Competence, Rebecca G. Mcbride

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

As the "Baby Boom" population ages, the geriatric population will grow to be the largest cohort in history. Elders are considered to be members of a diverse population and, therefore, topics related to older adulthood should be addressed within multicultural training. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship among counselor demographic variables, training variables, employment variables, attitudes toward the geriatric population, and self-reported multicultural counseling competence. Participants consisted of graduate students in both CACREP and non-CACREP accredited counseling programs, master's and doctoral level practitioners, and counselor educators. No statistically significant relationship was found between demographic, training, or …

Effect Of High School Completion Of The Agricultural Education Program On The Rate Of Return On Investment For The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Phillip Scott Bevins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This research study sought to determine the effect high school completion of the agricultural career and technical education program has on the rate of return on investment by public schools in Virginia. The research questions guiding this study included: (1) Were students able to find employment related to the agricultural career and technical education program they completed, (2) What federal and state funding was allocated for students participating in the agricultural career and technical education programs in the state of Virginia, (3) Was there a significant level of tax revenues generated by incomes from those who participated in the agricultural …

The Influence Of Network Factors On Network Centric Operations, Mehmet Fidanci

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

As Information Age changes the lifestyle of all humankinds, it also changes the way how to defense and secure the borders are secured and defended. The Information Age is about information superiority. It evolves the command and control concept, proactively, to optimize the size of the units and their connections within a combat force for effective mission accomplishment. The biggest issue is how big a unit will be and how they will arrange and connect it to the command and control structure in order for the unit to be effective on the battlefield. While some arrangements connect to each other …

A Predictive Game Theoretic Model To Assess Us - Russian Response To An Islamic Safe-Haven In The Caucasus Region, Christopher Wayne Hartline

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The thesis examines possible US and Russian policy decisions following the establishment of an Islamist safe-haven in Chechnya. Conflicting national policies affect the possibility of a negotiated settlement. Domestic and international political considerations constrain the decision-making of the two nations. The author applies game theory to examine the sequential decision-making of the two nations. The extensive form model draws outcome payoff values from a bounded uniform distribution. This approach naturally models uncertainty; and, it allows repeated probabilistic instantiations of the model. These instantiations produce a range of solutions. The most likely outcome was a negotiated settlement, generally following a tit-for-tat …

Diasporas From States In Crisis: A Case Study Of The Zimbabwean Diaspora And Its Role In The Homeland, Leigh Ann Detwiler

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Diasporas are important transnational actors with significant potential to influence their homeland. However, when crisis drives migration, certain limitations and opportunities are created, affecting their role in their homeland. The Zimbabwean diaspora provides an interesting case study for a diaspora from a state in crisis since nearly one-quarter of its population lives outside its borders. In a crisis characterized by political oppression, near economic collapse, and a breakdown of social institutions, one of the population's few options for survival has been migration. The diaspora that has resulted has played a political, economic and social role in Zimbabwe, but the crisis …

Doubling Nato: Functional And Geographical Enlargement Of The Alliance, Ergodan Kurt

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation studies NATO expansion as institutional adaptation. More specifically, it examines the interaction between NATO's functional and geographical enlargement. This study asserts that there is a close relationship between NATO's new functions and its enlargement. Over time, NATO evolved from a collective defense alliance to a comprehensive security organization. As NATO undertook new functions, its capabilities no longer matched the requirements of the new functions. The geographical enlargement, in fact, constitutes a vehicle for the fulfillment of the capability shortfall.

Furthermore, this dissertation asserts that the new security environment will force NATO to focus on the regions at a …

Austerity, Abundance, And The Investor States: The Political Economy Of Sovereign Wealth Funds, Manda Shemirani

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are not new, but their foreign investment created concerns among many states in 2005 and 2006. Many policy makers argued that the ownership of foreign governments in specific areas may expose their countries to various risks. The concerns in the United States were from a national security perspective, while Europe was more worried about the lack of reciprocity and established standards. The political economy literature lacks a suitable framework for the study of investor states. The mainstream economic view contends that SWFs are a result of balance of payments surpluses and are used for economic smoothing …

Integrated Water Resources Management: A Theoretical Exploration Of The Implementation Gap Between The Developed And Developing Worlds, Jennifer S. Schiff

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

As part of its Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations acknowledges that solving the world's water woes requires giving one billion additional people access to safe and affordable drinking water, while also noting that this is a difficult goal to achieve considering present environmental challenges. Amidst this atmosphere of vanishing freshwater, the legislative policy community has begun to encourage diverse discourse on the topic of efficient resource management, but the form and function of such a solution present unique political and theoretical challenges for policymakers and scholars alike. The current consensus among water managers is that a multifaceted policy framework …

Maturing International Cooperation To Address The Cyberspace Attack Attribution Problem, Jeff J. Mcneil

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

One of the most significant challenges to deterring attacks in cyberspace is the difficulty of identifying and attributing attacks to specific state or non-state actors. The lack of technical detection capability moves the problem into the legal realm; however, the lack of domestic and international cyberspace legislation makes the problem one of international cooperation. Past assessments have led to collective paralysis pending improved technical and legal advancements. This paper demonstrates, however, that any plausible path to meaningful defense in cyberspace must include a significant element of international cooperation and regime formation.

The analytical approach diverges from past utilitarian-based assessments to …

What Is Influencing Financially-Driven Shareholder Activism In The Us And Uk—Principal-Agent Or Principal-Principal Problems?, Maureen I. Muller-Kahle

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Shareholder activism is a response to corporate underperformance by one or more shareholders of the corporation. Classic agency theory suggests that shareholder activism is a mechanism to curb principal-agent problems in the firm. However, the principal-principal perspective suggests that shareholder activism is a mechanism for dominant shareholders to extract resources from the firm. This dissertation extends the current research by developing and testing competing hypotheses to examine the antecedents of financially driven shareholder activism in the United States and the United Kingdom. The extant literature on financially driven shareholder activism (FDSA) is reviewed, research gaps in the literature identified and …

A Gis Analysis Of The Environmental Variables Related To Rift Valley Fever Outbreaks, Jacqueline Florette Jackson

Health Services Research Dissertations

Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne disease that causes widespread febrile illness and mortality in domestic animals as well as humans (Gaff, 2007). Rift Valley fever virus was first isolated in 1931 (Daubney, 1931), and since then, outbreaks have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Madagascar, proving it to be a virus able to invade ecologically diverse regions (Gaff, 2007). The potential introduction of Rift Valley fever into the United States suggests the potential for human infection and major economic disruption. It is important to understand the role environmental variables have played in historical outbreaks …

Energy Crises And Cooperation: Do International Institutions Matter?, Vessela P. Chakarova

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The risk of an oil supply disruption still exists. Oil reserves are increasingly concentrated in a handful of unreliable regimes, plagued by piracy and terrorism. Natural disasters and chokepoint incidents have increased in frequency. In addition, oil is expected to remain a significant part of the energy mix up until 2030. By that time Europe will be importing 90% of its oil. Thus, oil supply security will become an increasingly important feature of European politics.

One way to counter the noxious consequences of an oil disruption is to cooperate. International cooperation is a critical factor in any type of crisis, …

Domestic Violence And Recidivism: Does Stake In Conformity Matter?, Sara R. Olson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Domestic violence is a pervasive problem throughout society and has been in existence since the beginning of interpersonal relationships. There have been changes in how the academic community, law enforcement, and the general public respond to this problem in the last thirty years. Punishments have become more punitive and mandatory arrest policies have been instituted. Mandatory arrest for domestic violence batterers has increased the number of batterers that are involved with the criminal justice system. In response to this increase, diversion to batterer treatment and other community based programs has taken the place of jail time for many offenders. This …

An Experimental Analysis Of Couple Aggression Using A Response Choice Paradigm, Claudia R. Viggiano

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Research suggests that a majority of the violence reported by couples involves mutual, low-level acts of aggression; however, there is a dearth of research examining this "common couple violence" using a true experimental paradigm. The current study was designed to more closely approximate a naturalistic situation involving common couple violence by allowing participants to choose whether to retaliate in the face of provocation by their partner. Couples were randomly assigned to four conditions representing different patterns of provocation. Based on the assigned condition, participants received varying amounts of bad tasting juice allegedly poured for them by their partners across 5 …