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University of Central Florida

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Articles 3691 - 3720 of 11266

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Central Florida Future, Vol. 42 No. 6, January 28, 2010 Jan 2010

Central Florida Future, Vol. 42 No. 6, January 28, 2010

Central Florida Future

Book rentals add new option; Uncover Thursdays; Man in the mirror; Plus: As A Hero's Fate would have it...; The Grammys: taking the mainstream by storm; Global student numbers increase; Regulars tired of waiting for weights; Knights sharpen blades for glory.

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Central Florida Future, Vol. 42 No. 5, January 25, 2010 Jan 2010

Central Florida Future, Vol. 42 No. 5, January 25, 2010

Central Florida Future

Putting on their walking shoes; Dream act of 2009; Green thumb; Three courses, all local; I.D.E.A.S. getting national attention; Myriad programs help students stay enrolled; GameStop might fill spot.

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Central Florida Future, Vol. 42 No. 4, January 21, 2010 Jan 2010

Central Florida Future, Vol. 42 No. 4, January 21, 2010

Central Florida Future

Union may be more accessible; Student fees; Of sports and money; Fees in Florida; Peterson campaign promises revisited; Crime declines during vacation; Group helped Haiti pre-quake.

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Central Florida Future, Volume 42 No. 3, January 14, 2010 Jan 2010

Central Florida Future, Volume 42 No. 3, January 14, 2010

Central Florida Future

Suicide threat shuts down Alafaya; Uncover Thursdays; More then music; Plus: Vortex: Bad grammar, great illusion; Italian-American groups request a Shore leave; Green building gets LEED gold status; The Dream's Alive; Dental Center wide open for students, faculty.

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Central Florida Future, Volume 42 No. 2, January 11, 2010 Jan 2010

Central Florida Future, Volume 42 No. 2, January 11, 2010

Central Florida Future

Report suggests mandatory insurance; Decade of UCF; 10 years of the Future; Fuel and cost key in fleet selection; LEAD Scholar chosen to be Olympic torchbearer.

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Athletes In Confessional Mode, Richard C. Crepeau Jan 2010

Athletes In Confessional Mode, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

What is it about the media, and by implication, the public, that we seem to require a public confessional from our fallen heroes and icons? As I watched some of the Mark McGwire interview with Bob Costas I wondered if it had started with McGwire looking at the floor and saying, "Forgive me Bobby, for I have sinned." I trust it did not, even though it might have added to the ambiance.

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Central Florida Future, Volume 42 No. 1, January 4, 2010 Jan 2010

Central Florida Future, Volume 42 No. 1, January 4, 2010

Central Florida Future

Senate seats open for the taking; Frozen assets; Athlete grad rates top other schools; Social club at UCF has a chocolate focal point.

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Integrating Theory, Practice And Policy The Technical Efficiency And Productivity Of Florida's Circuit Courts, Joseph A. Ferrandino Jan 2010

Integrating Theory, Practice And Policy The Technical Efficiency And Productivity Of Florida's Circuit Courts, Joseph A. Ferrandino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1998, Florida voters approved Article V, Revision 7, which changed the funding mechanism of the state circuit court system from a county/state mix to state responsibility. The change was implemented as planned in the 2004/05 fiscal year. Although increased efficiency was a key goal of Revision 7, to date no published studies exist on the impacts of Revision 7 on circuit or system efficiency and/or productivity. This work analyzes Revision 7, integrating the larger debate of increasing judgeships or improving efficiency. The study is a full performance analysis of the Florida circuit courts from 1993 through 2008 that can …

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The Contextual Impact Of Income Inequality On Social Capital And Adverse Social Outcomes, Jeannie Schiff Jan 2010

The Contextual Impact Of Income Inequality On Social Capital And Adverse Social Outcomes, Jeannie Schiff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An interdisciplinary approach to policy and governance recognizes that many social welfare problems are interrelated, and policy-makers have long recognized a need to address the root causes of these problems. There is much evidence that income inequality is one of these root causes but research suggesting the effect of income inequality is mediated by social capital has complicated the relationship, as have theories of causality that take different approaches. This study takes an ecological approach to these issues to test the relationship between income inequality, social capital and selected adverse outcomes proposed by the relative income hypothesis. The relative income …

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Effects Of Health Information Technology Adoption On Quality Of Care And Patient Safety In Us Acute Care Hospitals, Binyam Seblega Jan 2010

Effects Of Health Information Technology Adoption On Quality Of Care And Patient Safety In Us Acute Care Hospitals, Binyam Seblega

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of healthcare information technology (HIT) has been advocated by various groups as critical in addressing the growing crisis in the healthcare industry. Despite the plethora of evidence on the benefits of HIT, however, the healthcare industry lags behind many other economic sectors in the adoption of information technology. A significant number of healthcare providers still keep patient information on paper. With the recent trends of reimbursement reduction and rapid technological advances, therefore, it would be critical to understand differences in structural characteristics and healthcare performance between providers that do and that do not adopt HIT. This is accomplished …

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The Effects Of Transformational Leadership On Employees' Perceived Leadership Effectiveness In Public Organizations Federal Emergency Management Agency Case, Hasan Karaca Jan 2010

The Effects Of Transformational Leadership On Employees' Perceived Leadership Effectiveness In Public Organizations Federal Emergency Management Agency Case, Hasan Karaca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the capacity of public leaders to bring about change is increasingly questioned, public agencies have come under pressure to transform and innovate. More research is needed to identify how leaders who promote innovation, creativity, and adaptability affect the performance of public organizations. Constant improvement of organizations and individuals encourages leaders to innovate, evaluate risks as opportunities, and tackle the status quo. This raises the significance of how transformational leadership contributes to organizational performance and reacts to public agencies‘ environment, and how it might reorganize them. The present study examines the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors and perceived leadership effectiveness …

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Is "Good" Good Enough? A Small Area Variation Analysis Of Disparity In Expressed Rates Of Access To And Satisfaction With Child And Adolescent Healthcare Services In East Central Florida, Jay M. Schaefer Jan 2010

Is "Good" Good Enough? A Small Area Variation Analysis Of Disparity In Expressed Rates Of Access To And Satisfaction With Child And Adolescent Healthcare Services In East Central Florida, Jay M. Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore indications of disparities within the east Central Florida child and adolescent healthcare services market. Structured as a follow-up study to work completed in 2005 under the direction of the Health Council of East Central Florida assessing parental perceptions of community child and adolescent healthcare services, this research extended that evaluation by aggregating participant responses at the county and small area zip code group levels, contextually testing the uniformity of responses in understanding parent perceptions of access to, and satisfaction with, community healthcare service offerings available for children and adolescents. Under a …

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Student Attitudes Towards Campus Law Enforcement Exploring Issues Of Confidence And Utilization, Vivian J. Ortiz Jan 2010

Student Attitudes Towards Campus Law Enforcement Exploring Issues Of Confidence And Utilization, Vivian J. Ortiz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The assessment of citizen attitudes has, in recent decades, become standard practice within the criminal justice system. However, in assessing the criminal justice system, most research has gathered data on the attitudes and perceptions of specific populations within society (i.e. older citizens) and has not really focused on younger age groups, or more specifically, students enrolled in colleges and universities. The present study examined attitudes of college students in the areas of confidence and utilization of campus police. Utilizing a non-random convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate students (N=393) at a large four-year research institution, participants completed a 21-item survey …

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Creating Healthy Communities An Examination Of The Relationship Between Land Use Mix, Neighborhood Public Realm Engagement And Neighborhood Social Capital, William B. Burns Jan 2010

Creating Healthy Communities An Examination Of The Relationship Between Land Use Mix, Neighborhood Public Realm Engagement And Neighborhood Social Capital, William B. Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research provides a confirmatory based analysis which begins with the planning concept of land use mix and explores its explanatory affect upon resident perceptions of their built environment in terms of proximity of recreation and retail destinations within their neighborhood public realm. This research further explores the resident’s potential inclination to access these destinations by non motorized active travel modes of walking or bicycling. This research examines the relationship between the propensity for active travel within the neighborhood public realm and levels of resident active engagement (walking and bicycling) and passive engagement (sitting on the front porch) in the …

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Marriage For Some: Explaining The Variation In Gay Rights And Marriage Policy And Opinion Among States And Individuals, Jeffrey Billman Jan 2010

Marriage For Some: Explaining The Variation In Gay Rights And Marriage Policy And Opinion Among States And Individuals, Jeffrey Billman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to answer a simple question: Why are some individuals, and some states, more willing to extend protections to same-sex couples than are others? Drawing from the literature, I perform a battery of quantitative tests on variables most commonly associated with gay rights and gay marriage policy development: liberalism, education, age, religiosity, authoritarianism, tolerance, urbanization, and moral traditionalism. While I find that all of these variables have a relationship with gay rights and gay marriage opinion, I argue that those associated with religiosity have the strongest pull. However, religiosity does not act alone; moral traditionalism, age, and ideology …

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Social Capital Influences In Women At Risk For Poor Pregnancy Outcomes, Jennifer James-Mesloh Jan 2010

Social Capital Influences In Women At Risk For Poor Pregnancy Outcomes, Jennifer James-Mesloh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poor pregnancy outcomes such as prematurity, low birth weight and infant mortality are societal indicators of a nation’s health status. These indicators have remained at exceptionally high rates in the United States despite the levels of resources and technology. In the quest to understand that discrepancy, among the ranges of theories and models for explaining poor pregnancy outcomes an emerging concept is coming to attention: social capital. In order to test whether maternal social capital has an impact on pregnancy outcome, women in a Healthy Start program were surveyed over a 13-month period to assess their social capital levels and …

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Determining The Presence Of An Ignitable Liquid Residue In Fire Debris Samples Utilizing Target Factor Analysis, Kelly Mchugh Jan 2010

Determining The Presence Of An Ignitable Liquid Residue In Fire Debris Samples Utilizing Target Factor Analysis, Kelly Mchugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current fire debris analysis procedure involves using the chromatographic patterns of total ion chromatograms, extracted ion chromatograms, and target compound analysis to identify an ignitable liquid according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E 1618 standard method. Classifying the ignitable liquid is accomplished by a visual comparison of chromatographic data obtained from any extracted ignitable liquid residue in the debris to the chromatograms of ignitable liquids in a database, i.e. by visual pattern recognition. Pattern recognition proves time consuming and introduces potential for human error. One particularly difficult aspect of fire debris analysis is recognizing an ignitable …

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Non-Erotic Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity In Heterosexual And Gay College Students, Katharine Lacefield Jan 2010

Non-Erotic Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity In Heterosexual And Gay College Students, Katharine Lacefield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined 100 gay and lesbian (LG) college students and 100 heterosexual students to determine whether group differences existed in frequency of and anxiety related to non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity. Non-erotic cognitive distractions is a descriptive term to include both self-evaluative behaviors related to physical performance and body image concerns, as well as additional cognitive distractions (e.g., contracting an STI or emotional concerns) during sexual activity. Participants, matched on gender (96 males and 104 females), age, and ethnicity, completed questionnaires assessing frequency and associated anxiety related to non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity, as well as …

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Black Writing Ink Analysis By Direct Infusion Electrospray Mass Spectroscopy, Christopher M. Moody Jan 2010

Black Writing Ink Analysis By Direct Infusion Electrospray Mass Spectroscopy, Christopher M. Moody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An optimized method of extraction, an instrumental analysis method and data analysis was proposed for black writing inks based on direct infusion electrospray-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The sampling and analysis method is both minimally destructive and able to assess differences in inks from a reference collection of thirty ballpoint, gel, and rollerball inks. The methanol extracts of ink on paper samples were analyzed with three direct infusion (ESI-MS) methods. Each method varied scan voltage negative and positive, ESI fragmentor applied voltage (+120V, +0V, and -120V), and mobile phase additive. Direct infusion ESI-MS analysis, followed by pair-wise comparisons of the observed ion …

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U.S. Intelligence Reform A Bureaucratic Politics Approach, Bonnie M. Schickler Jan 2010

U.S. Intelligence Reform A Bureaucratic Politics Approach, Bonnie M. Schickler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the current bureaucratic struggles that exist within the U.S. intelligence community as a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) of 2004. The first part of this research examines the history of intelligence reform in the United States beginning with the National Security Act of 1947. The second part provides an indepth discussion of the 2004 legislation as well as an examination of the main bureaucratic conflicts that have arisen between the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the rest of the U.S. intelligence community. This study used the bureaucratic politics model to explain …

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When Love Turns Lethal: A Content Analysis Of Intimate Partner Violence In Print Media, Ashley Maddox Jan 2010

When Love Turns Lethal: A Content Analysis Of Intimate Partner Violence In Print Media, Ashley Maddox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study conducted a content analysis of newspaper articles in a Florida newspaper, the Orlando Sentinel. The study spanned across a five-year time period from 2004-2009, featuring 198 articles on domestic violence homicide. The current study is a replication of previous research conducted using the same newspaper during 1995-2000. Victim blame, tone, and descriptions of the perpetrator and victim were among several items of interest. Findings reveal a slight increase in victim blaming statements and a larger increase in positive portrayals of the victims of domestic violence homicide.

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Defining Workplace Information Fluency Skills For Technical Communication Students, Yuejiao Zhang Jan 2010

Defining Workplace Information Fluency Skills For Technical Communication Students, Yuejiao Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information fluency refers to the ability to recognize information needs and to gather, evaluate, and communicate information appropriately. In this study, I treat "information fluency" as both an overall competency and as a collection of knowledge and skills. The purpose of this study is to explore the specific workplace information fluency skills valued by employers of technical communicators, to find out how instructors perceive and teach these skills, and to suggest how these findings can inform our teaching practices. Within the framework of qualitative methodology, this study employs two data-collection instruments, including a content analysis of online job recruitment postings …

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Linear Enamel Hypoplasia At Santa Rita Corozal, Belize, Andrew Peter Tetlow Jan 2010

Linear Enamel Hypoplasia At Santa Rita Corozal, Belize, Andrew Peter Tetlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is an analysis of a sample of dentition collected from the Postclassic Maya site of Santa Rita Corozal in Northern Belize. The goal of this study is to determine what the presence (or absence) of Linear Enamel Hypoplasia (LEH) can demonstrate about the general health (i.e. stress, disease, nutrition, and weaning age) and social status of a single subset of the Late Postclassic (900-1500 CE) Maya living at Santa Rita Corozal. Specifically, this thesis focuses on dentition of thirteen individuals from a large Postclassic platform group. The sample consists of sub-adult and adult female dentition …

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Organizational Safety Culture And Idividual Safety Behavior: A Case Study Of The Turkish National Police Aviation Department, Yildirim Uryan Jan 2010

Organizational Safety Culture And Idividual Safety Behavior: A Case Study Of The Turkish National Police Aviation Department, Yildirim Uryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human related accidents in high-risk industries amount to a significant economic hazard and incur tremendous damages, causing excessive operational costs and loss of life. The aviation industry now observes human-related accidents more frequently than in the past, an upswing attributable to cutting-edge technology usage and the complex systems employed by aviation organizations. Historically, aviation accidents have been attributed to individual unsafe behavior. However, contemporary accident causation models suggest that organizational-level factors influence individual safety performance, as human-related accidents take place in an organizational context. The present study examines the formation of organizational safety culture and influence on individuals' safety behavior …

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Moving From A Textbook To Facebook College Students' Motivations For Using Social Networking Sites In Education, Heather J. Halter Jan 2010

Moving From A Textbook To Facebook College Students' Motivations For Using Social Networking Sites In Education, Heather J. Halter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined college student motivations for using social networking sites for educational purposes. Motives were examined through the uses and gratifications approach. If we can determine student motivations for using social networking sites, perhaps we can determine a way to successfully implement social networking sites into the classroom. By adding the concept of satisfaction, we can also determine if students will use the sites again. If students are satisfied with educational social networking site use, they will return to these sites for educational purposes again. Data was collected by giving a questionnaire to undergraduate students that assessed social networking …

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A Plurinational State: The Impact Of The Mas On The Status Of Indigenous People In Bolivia, Pamela Medina Jan 2010

A Plurinational State: The Impact Of The Mas On The Status Of Indigenous People In Bolivia, Pamela Medina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2005 the largely indigenous country of Bolivia elected its first indigenous president, Evo Morales of the Movement toward Socialism (MAS) Party. Morales ran on a promise of re-distributing wealth, to aid in the development of one of Latin America's poorest countries. Morales' first term in office marked a historical achievement for the indigenous movement in Bolivia, and sparked social change in the country. The government also experienced a momentous achievement through the re-writing of the Bolivian constitution, acknowledging the country's multi-ethnic and pluri-national character. Although his social, domestic and foreign policies have been controversial, particularly in the United States, …

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Three Essays On Differential Games And Resource Economics, Chen Ling Jan 2010

Three Essays On Differential Games And Resource Economics, Chen Ling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three chapters on the topic of differential games and resource economics. The first chapter extends the envelope theorem to the class of discounted infinite horizon differential games that posses locally differentiable Nash equilibria. The theorems cover both the open-loop and feedback information structures, and are applied to a simple analytically solvable linear-quadratic game. The results show that the conventional interpretation of the costate variable as the shadow value of the state variable along the equilibrium path is only valid for feedback Nash equilibria, but not for open-loop Nash equilibria. The specific linear-quadratic structure provides some extra …

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Behavioral Response To Endogenous Risk In The Laboratory, Shabori Sen Jan 2010

Behavioral Response To Endogenous Risk In The Laboratory, Shabori Sen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Risk is endogenous when an individual is able to undertake mitigation or self protection actions that reduce the risk that he faces. Most risky environments studied in economics involve endogenous risk. This dissertation studies the conceptual and behavioral implications of introducing endogeneity in the controlled environment of the laboratory. The dissertation consists of three different experiments designed to examine how endogeneity affects risk attitudes and risk perceptions in simple experimental set ups. All three experiments employ a virtual reality scenario where the subject is able to form his own beliefs, based on naturalistic cues provided by the virtual reality experience. …

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Intention To Use A Personal Health Record (Phr) A Cross Sectional View Of The Characteristics And Opinions Of Patients Of One Internal Medicine Practice, Alice M. Noblin Jan 2010

Intention To Use A Personal Health Record (Phr) A Cross Sectional View Of The Characteristics And Opinions Of Patients Of One Internal Medicine Practice, Alice M. Noblin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A personal health record (PHR) allows a patient to exert control over his/her healthcare by enhancing communication with healthcare providers. According to research, patients find value in having access to information contained in their medical records. Often a glossary is required to aid in interpreting the information and understanding the content. However, giving patients the ability to speak with providers about their medical conditions empowers them to participate as informed healthcare consumers. The majority of patients (75%) at Medical Specialists expressed their intention to adopt the PHR if it is made available to them. Although the perceived usefulness of a …

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Virtual Hood: Exploring The Hip-Hop Culture Experience In A British Online Community., Natalia Cherjovsky Jan 2010

Virtual Hood: Exploring The Hip-Hop Culture Experience In A British Online Community., Natalia Cherjovsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this fast-paced, globalized world, certain online sites represent a hybrid personal-public sphere'where like-minded people commune regardless of physical distance, time difference, or lack of synchronicity. Sites that feature chat rooms and forums can offer a deep-rooted sense of community and facilitate the forging of relationships and cultivation of ideologies. This dissertation investigates whether this trend is relevant to web sites concerning hip-hop. This genre is arguably one of the most pervasive and influential global cultural forms, yet it is markedly different from most other forms of globalized culture because it emerged within and is still embedded in a distinct …

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