Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Anomie, Deviant Behavior, And The Olympics, Brian K. Payne, Bruce L. Berg

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Criminal and deviant behavior is known to occur in all places, settings, and times. The Olympics, both Summer and Winter, are not immune to deviant behavior. This paper focuses on the specific types of deviant and criminal acts arising out of the Olympic settings and the anomic factors that possibly lead to deviance in this particular arena. The way that athletes are conformists, innovators, ritualists, and retreatists is considered along with the way that norm confusion influences the Olympic event. Also considered is the role of norm saturation in confusing the way actors interpret appropriate behavior in this setting. Implications …

The Effect Of Usage On Degrees Of Constituency: The Reduction Of Don't In English, Joan Bybee, Joanne Scheibman

English Faculty Publications

In this paper we take the position that there are many degrees of constituency and that these derive in a direct manner from the frequency with which elements are used together: elements that are frequently found next to each other show a tighter constituent structure than those that collocate less frequently. We use both phonological and functional evidence from conversation to argue that repetition conditions chunking (Haiman 1994), sometimes overriding the syntactic and semantic logic of the organization of utterances. Our study examines the reduction of don't in American English conversation. We find that don't is reduced the most in …

Gendered Jokes: Humor As A Subversive Activity, Janet M. Bing

English Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Brain Sex: How The Media Report And Distort Brain Research, Janet M. Bing

English Faculty Publications

Testosterone gives men a particular advantage in that it is focusing and galvanizing a brain that is already, by its very structure, more focused than the female. Remember that the male brain is a tidier affair, each function in its special place . . . Biology, then, every bit as much as social conditioning, militates against a strongly feminine role in areas traditionally regarded as male preserves.

Paving The Way For Collaboration Between Librarians And Faculty, Cynthia Wright Swaine

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper summarizes some of the traditional, as well as newer, ways that academic librarians can interact with faculty and thereby demonstrate what they have to offer in future collaborative efforts. Examples are drawn from the author's experience at Old Dominion University (Virginia). Highlights include: university service, including librarians serving on the faculty senate, committees, task forces, and interest groups; communications, including library newsletters; workshops, seminars, and forums for faculty and graduate students; events for new faculty, including participation in university-wide orientation; library instruction, including course-related library instruction and learning communities; collection development, including librarian attendance at faculty meetings of …

Ocean Surface Maps From Blending Disparate Data Through Normal Mode Analysis, William John Schulz Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

Rapid environmental assessment is conducted using disparate data sources in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. An overview of significant physical features in the Gulf highlights the complexities of the large and meso-scale circulations. Spectral analysis of high resolution current meter and drifter data reveals the significant forcing features detectable by readily available observing techniques. These observations are combined with boundary data extracted from the U.S. Navy's Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) through Normal Mode Analysis (NMA). The NMA blending process is described, and surface maps of velocity and convergence are produced. Using statistical and qualitative techniques, the NMA generated …

Does Personality Indicate A Proclivity Toward Negative Job Behaviors?, Victoria Leigh Cole

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study endeavored to show that negative job behaviors can be predicted from measures of personality. It was hypothesized that the measures of extroversion and neuroticism would be positively correlated with negative job behaviors. It was further hypothesized that the measures of agreeableness and conscientiousness would be negatively correlated with negative job behaviors. Participants responded to anonymous surveys. These surveys consisted of measures of personality, job behaviors and attitudes, a social desirability scale, and demographic questions. It was found that agreeableness and conscientiousness were both negatively related to negative job behaviors and that neuroticism was positively related to some negative …

The Influence Of Personality Cultural Values Social Support And Pre-Departure Training On Adjustment And Performance On International Students, Amy A. Fitzgibbons

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study addressed the impact of individual differences, situation characteristics, and pre-departure training on adjustment and performance among international students. Newly arrived foreign students were assessed during their first semester in an American university. Culture novelty, social support, neuroticism, and pre-departure training were significant predictors of adjustment. Additional findings included improved adjustment by those foreigners who spent more time speaking the host language and interacting with host nationals. Cultural distance was found to be a significant predictor of performance. Implications for future research are discussed.

Driving Simulation Performance And Eeg Evaluation Associated With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Matthew Richard Risser

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sleepiness and driving are a dangerous combination that causes thousands of crashes each year resulting in injury and death. This problem not only jeopardizes the safety of the driver but passengers and other drivers as well. This study investigated driving performance and neurophysiological correlates of sleepiness during driving simulation in obstructive sleep apnea patients. The study included 15 obstructive sleep apnea patients and 15 normal subjects as a control group. After a practice drive through city conditions, participants completed a 60 minute driving simulation task designed to replicate a highway driving scenario. Driving performance and EEG data were continuously sampled …

Assessing Levels Of Cooperation Between Pace And Patrol Officers In The City Of Norfolk Virginia Police Department, Michael G. Goldsmith

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate two facets of the Norfolk Police Department's Police Assisted Community Enforcement, or PACE, program. While there has been much research on how community policing affects officer and citizen attitudes, there has been very little that focuses on organizational aspects of implementing this philosophy. This research uses a survey instrument to examine how Norfolk's structuring of their community policing program may have an impact on the way the officers involved cooperate with one another. Levels of cooperation and training are measured, as well as the effects that years on the department and education …

The Causes And Consequences Of Migration: The Case Of Chinese Women, Janet L. Warren

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to determine the causes and consequences of migration. Specifically, it focuses on Chinese women. Using 1988 survey data collected from Chinese respondents in Hubei, a province located in central China, questions about migration status, reasons for migration and contraceptive use were utilized. Analyses reveal that Chinese females migrate for non-economic reasons. This study also revealed that migrants want fewer children than non-migrants, migrants use contraceptives more than non-migrants, and migrants use different methods of contraception than non-migrants. This research also suggests that age, education, and parity makes a difference in the respondents' want for …

The Revolution In Higher Education, James V. Koch

Economics Faculty Publications

Joseph Schumpeter, the Austrian born economist and social historian who spent a major part of his academic career at Harvard, was a cogent observer of how societies develop. His Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy is still considered a classic. Schumpeter spoke of "perennial gales of creative destruction" (often technological) that shock societies and force change. The advent of electricity and the coming of the automobile illustrate technologies that created new power arrangements and destroyed or modified existing institutions. Higher education is now in the midst of a Schumpeterian "gale of creative destruction"--a revolution, many say. After almost 150 years of reliance …

Searching For The Presence And Absence Of Features In Sustained Attention: The Effect Of Discriminability And Display Size On Performance And Workload, Victoria Suzanne Schoenfeld

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined the effects of signal discriminability and display size when searching for the presence and absence of features on vigilance performance and mental workload. Specifically, two conflicting theories were investigated. Treisman and Souther (1985) contend that the presence of a feature is detected quickly and effortlessly while the absence of a feature requires slower, serial processing. Nagy and Sanchez (1990, 1992), on the other hand, argue that discriminability determines the type of processing employed such that easily discriminable signals pop out of the display while less discriminable signals require focused attention to detect. To test these ideas, …

Validation Of The Risk And Needs Assessment Used In The Classification For Parole And Probation Of Virginia's Adult Criminal Offenders, George Michael Yacus

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study analyzes the effectiveness of risk-needs assessment used in the classification of probation and parole for adult criminal offenders in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The use of risk-needs classification instruments dramatically increased in the 1980's and 1990's, but some research has indicated that these instruments do not have universal applicability and must be validated to the population to which they are applied. The research selected a useable cohort (n = 13,011) of probationers/parolees in the Commonwealth of Virginia from the 20, 647 cases opened in 1994 and tracked them for three years, using Virginia Department of Corrections records, to …

Investigating The Effects Of Subtle Ratee Characteristics In Team Performance Appraisal: The Influence Of Personality And Cohesiveness, Jonathan Quinn Schroeder

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study extends the research into systematic bias in performance appraisal to include subtle (i.e., not overtly demographic) ratee characteristics. Specifically examined were the biasing effects of personality and group cohesiveness on performance ratings. It was hypothesized that raters' personality inferences regarding ratees' levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness would correlate with bias in performance ratings. Interpersonal group cohesiveness was also hypothesized to affect rating accuracy. Research participants (n = 90) rated the performance of two videotaped leaderless group discussions. Personality inferences correlated strongly with leniency in performance ratings. In addition, significant differences in accuracy were found between the more and …

Market Reaction To Seasoned Equity Offerings: The Relevance Of Leverage, Growth Opportunities, And Corporate Structure, Mojib U. Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Empirical work on the market's reaction to seasoned equity offerings has rarely considered the impact of the issuing firm's leverage level or its corporate structure. This work is an attempt to include these parameters in order to better understand the market's reaction to such issue announcements.

The current finance literature recognizes the fact that leverage plays an important role in assessing the value of the firm. Leverage has both negative and positive impacts on the value of a firm (McConnell and Servaes, 1995), and thus, has both negative and positive impacts on the market's reaction to seasoned equity offerings. This …

Architectural Optimization Of Digital Libraries, Aileen O. Biser

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

This work investigates performance and scaling issues relevant to large scale distributed digital libraries. Presently, performance and scaling studies focus on specific implementations of production or prototype digital libraries. Although useful information is gained to aid these designers and other researchers with insights to performance and scaling issues, the broader issues relevant to very large scale distributed libraries are not addressed. Specifically, no current studies look at the extreme or worst case possibilities in digital library implementations. A survey of digital library research issues is presented. Scaling and performance issues are mentioned frequently in the digital library literature but are …

The Influence Of Model Features On Goodness-Of-Fit Indices: Choosing Indices To Evaluate Your Model, Andrea E. Berndt

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to examine the performance of eight goodness-of-fit indices (i.e., the chi-square statistic, Comparative fit index, Critical N; Goodness-of-fit index, Normed fit index, Nonnormed fit index, Root mean square error of approximation, and Relative noncentrality index) used in structural equation applications. Study 1 consisted of (a) an empirical review in four journals (1986-1996) to determine the "typical" application, (b) a "recreation" of the goodness-of-fit indices from the published research, (c) a multiple regression analysis of the "recreated" indices to determine if values were predicted based on model and sample features, and (d) the development of a representative …

A Psychophysiological Assessment Of The Efficacy Of Event-Related Potentials And Electroencephalogram For Adaptive Task Allocation, Lawrence J. Prinzel Iii

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was designed to test the efficacy of using Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) for making task allocations decisions. Thirty-six participants were randomly assigned to an experimental, yoked, or control group condition. Under the experimental condition, a compensatory tracking task was switched between manual and automatic task modes based upon the participant's EEG. ERPs were also gathered to an auditory, oddball task. Participants in the yoked condition performed the same tasks under the exact sequence of task allocations that participants in the experimental group experienced. The control condition consisted of a random sequence of task allocations that …

Factor Analysis Of The Mmpi-A Content Scales: Item-Level And Scale-Level Analyses, Lisa Kay Mccarthy

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This investigation identified and interpreted the overall factor structure of the MMPI-A content scales through the use of scale-level analyses, and examined the factor structure of each individual content scale through item-level analyses. The MMPI-A normative sample (805 males, 815 females) and a clinical sample (266 males, 92 females) were used in the analyses. Scale-level analyses yielded a two factor solution for the normative male and clinical groups and a one factor solution for the normative sample and normative female group. The factors were labeled General Maladjustment and Externalizing Tendencies. Item-level analyses provided one factor solutions for the majority of …

Meta-Ethnographic Development Of A Dialogue Methodology Applied To Organization Discourse, Shelley P. Gallup

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A gap exists between theoretical stances that acknowledge the importance of dialogue as a dynamic within socially constructed structures, and "steersmanship" of those constructs--e.g., directing, intervening or transforming organizations. A "mechanism" which links theory with practice is missing, leaving practitioners with an acknowledgment of dialogue's central position, but without tools to enact this centrality in practice or research. This research constructs a conceptual model of dialogue, derived from the literature. Using this model as a base, the research seeks to generate a dialogue methodology bridging theory and practice with respect to organizational dialogue. The model, methodology, and research results are …

Does Wisdom Really Come With Age?: Cognitive Differences Between Traditional And Nontraditional Aged College Women, Kelli Jean England

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Nontraditional aged (age 25 and over) college women outperform traditional aged (age 18-24) college women academically. This research reviewed areas of differences in the two groups and proposed that differences in two main areas contribute to performance: motivation and cognitive maturation. One hundred and twelve female traditional and nontraditional aged students completed Mehrabian's Achieving Tendency Scale (MATS), the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA), and the Learning Environment Preferences measure (LEP). Students were identified as traditional aged (18-24 years), younger nontraditional aged (25-31 years), and older nontraditional aged (& 32 years). Grade point average (GPA) was used as a measure of …

The Effect Of Ethanol And Hypoglycemia On Rat Performance In The Radial Arm Maze, Monica Ann Gaffney

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Both hypoglycemia (HG) and ethanol (ETH) intoxication can cause serious impairment in physiological and psychological functioning. Their combination could cause more severe cognitive impairment than either condition alone. This experiment investigated the effects of hypoglycemia, ethanol intoxication, and their combination on rat radial arm maze performance. Eleven male rats were trained to a stable, low error rate performance in achieving food rewards in an eight arm radial arm-maze. Rats were then given either insulin (2 units/kg) or saline in combination with ETH doses of 250, 500, 1000, or 1500 mg/kg 20 minutes prior to the maze run. Treatment order was …

A Study Of Child Abuse: Race Gender And Family Structure, Linda Wyatt Faircloth

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using 1989-1994 data collected from the Portsmouth Department of Social Services in Portsmouth, Virginia, this study looked at severity and recidivism of child abuse in Portsmouth from 1989-1994. Analyses of data from the Portsmouth Department of Social Services indicated that children living in single parent families are more likely to be severely abused than children living in two parent families but no differences were observed for race and age.

Communication To Reduce Embarrassment Between Individualistic And Collectivistic Cultures, Puvana Ganesan

Institute for the Humanities Theses

lntercultural communication is an inherent aspect of life, and "as we move or are driven toward a global village and increasingly frequent cultural contact, we need more than simply greater factual knowledge of each other. We need, more specifically, to identify what might be called the 'rulebooks of meaning' that distinguish one culture from another" (Barnlund, 1975, p. 7).

This thesis sought to discover and contribute valuable content to this "rulebook of meaning" through intercultural communication between high context, collectivistic cultures and low-context, individualistic cultures in the situation of experiencing embarrassment. One goal of this study was to determine if …

Understanding Juror Decisions: The Influence Of Other Jurors' Votes, Unanimous Versus Majority Decision Rule, And Juror Gender, La Donna Flanagan James

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Jury deliberations are secret and there is great curiosity, both among academics and the lay population, about what goes on inside the jury room. Prior research suggests that individuals are very susceptible to the social pressures of others and that this has important implications for decision-making among jury members. Research on jury decision-making also suggests the importance of the assigned decision rule and gender in jury deliberations and trial outcomes. This study used a fictional vignette clearly constructed to elicit a not guilty reaction. The impact of other jurors' votes, assigned decision rule (unanimous versus two-thirds majority), and juror gender …

Cross-Racial Facial Identification: Black And White Oriented Elaborative Processing, Tonika E. Duren

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted to affect the own-race bias effect in facial recognition by using an elaboration process. According to method, 45 Black and 45 White college male and female participants completed the experiment. Participants were presented Black and White faces on a screen. Each face was rated using 1)Black-Oriented instructions which focused on features such as eye size, nose width, and lips, 2)White- Oriented instructions which focused on eye color, hair color, and hair texture, 3) Attitude- Oriented instructions which focused on intelligence, friendliness, and honesty. The primary dependent variable was a measure of discriminability using proportion of …

Measurement Of Hospital Performance: Environmental And Organizational Factors Associated With Cost, Debra Kay Dierksmeier Anderson

Health Services Research Dissertations

As U.S. health care expenditures top the $1 trillion mark, there is increased interest in measuring the performance of health care providers. For bottom line oriented payors such as government and business, the focus is on measuring cost. As hospitals account for over one-third of health care expenses, hospital cost per admission is a common measure of performance.

Many environmental and organizational factors come into play in determining hospital cost per admission. This research examines several of these factors, using Raymond Zammuto's model of organizational effectiveness assessment. Using Zammuto's framework, this research looks at the relationship of social, physical, and …

Analyzing The Effects Of Display Characteristics And Cognitive Variables On Performance Using Keystroke And Eye Movement Data, Orhan E. Beckman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Information about how operators use their eyes while interacting with visual displays is often an overlooked aspect of human-computer interaction. Such information is fundamental to assessing the quality of software interfaces and understanding the cognitive processes that underlie operator behavior. Other research evaluating information displays evolved from using reaction time and subjective data as dependent variables to using oculometric measures. In the current research conventional performance measures are coupled with oculometric measures to evaluate the influence display characteristics and cognitive variables have on performance.

Twelve subjects used a software program to complete a series of specified tasks. Subjects were asked …

The Relationship Of Antifat Attitudes To Other Prejudicial Attitudes: Construct Validation Of The Antifat Attitudes Test, Mark S. Perez-Lopez

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

There are many negative effects of obesity in our society. As a result, a new measure of antifat attitudes was developed. This study examined the construct, discriminant, and convergent validity of the Antifat Attitudes Test by relating antifat attitudes to racism, sexism, and homophobia.

Participants included 179 college undergraduate students. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant contributions of sex-role egalitarianism, racism, masculine ideology, body mass, and social desirability in the prediction of antifat attitudes. Several one-way analyses of variance revealed that men expressed stronger antifat attitudes than women and African-Americans were more accepting of fat individuals than were Whites. Additionally, androgynous …