Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rod Notes: Help For The Stalled, V3n3, January 2011, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Rod Library newsletter: Notes for the Stalled

Contents:

-- 3 Hour Lockers Now Available
-- Is it Computer Mouses or Computer Mice?
-- Current Periodicals Relocated!

Pce Groundwater Quality Assessment Of The University Of Northern Iowa Campus Area, Brian Gedlinske

Graduate Research Papers

Perchloroethylene (PCE), is a colorless, nonflammable, and relatively insoluble chlorinated solvent once widely used for dry cleaning and metal degreasing operations. Because of its past widespread use, poor solvent management practices, and environmental persistence, PCE is a common contaminant found in groundwater supplies. Potential health concerns include liver problems and increased cancer risk.

This research paper presents the findings of an effort to better characterize the spatial, temporal, and transport attributes of a PCE groundwater plume that exists within the Devonian aquifer underlying the University of Northern Iowa campus and the surrounding area in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Findings reveal the …

Department Of Economics Newsletter, V17, January 2011, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Economics.

Department of Economics Newsletter

Inside This Issue:
--Scholarship News
--Alumni News
--Josh Mahoney
--Alumni-in-Residence: Experience of a Lifetime
--Economics Club
--A Note From Ryan
--Economics Club and Chicago Trip Support
--Russia 2010
--Student Writing: Undergraduate Research Program
--Lawrence M. Jepson International Economics Essay Contest
--Commentaries From Faculty
--When Will Employment Recover?
--Economic Lessons
--Competitive Balance in Sports: Break Up the Yankees?
--A Brief Analysis of the Financial Crisis
--Faculty Awards
--Ken Brown Goes to Washington
--Faculty Notes
--From Our Emeritus Faculty
--Clean Fun
--Happenings
--Studies in Economics
--New Faculty
--Applied Economic Analysis
--UNI Economics Department: Connections
--What Economists Do In Their Free Time

Geography Newsletter, 2010-2011, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Geography.

Geography Newsletter

Inside this issue:

-- Student Research - AAG Student Presenters
-- Department News - Department Pride Day
-- Student Experiences
-- GTU Inductees
-- Scholarships
-- 2011 Awards Banquet
-- UNI Geography Outstanding Alumnus Award

Life Of Chaos, Life Of Hope: Dystopian Literature For Young Adults, Lisa Newgard

Graduate Research Papers

As dystopian literature grows in popularity, teacher librarians many not fully understand the themes found within this new subgenre. The purpose of this research was to describe the themes in positively reviewed dystopian literature for young adults. Themes found during the research included: resilience of the protagonist, survival, government control, social conformity, and love between the protagonist and another young adult. Novels from 2001-2010 were analyzed for themes and lessons for young adults. Thirteen positively reviewed novels were chosen, read, and coded by the researcher. After the first reading of the novels, one novel was eliminated, leaving 12 novels to …

Are Students Ready For Post-Secondary Research?, Paula Winward

Graduate Research Papers

According to faculty interviews, entering college freshmen frequently did not exhibit consistent knowledge of information literacy skills needed to be successful. Schools have increasingly used models of team teaching between librarians and professors to ensure students have information literacy skills. The purpose of this study was to explore the expectations and deficiencies in information literacy skills of entering college freshmen. The researcher questioned professors about (1) what skills they expected college freshmen to have, (2) students dispositions and responsibilities, (3) research inadequacies of students, and (4) the effect they felt using embedded librarians would have in other college departments. The …

Connecting Children's Quilt Literature With The Iowa Core Curriculum Social Studies Standards, Suzanne D. Burris

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to identify themes found in children's quilt picture books that could connect to the Iowa Core Curriculum Social Studies Standards. Elementary teachers could utilize the quilt picture books to teach the elementary social studies curriculum. This researcher analyzed 15 quilt picture books with a copyright of 1994 and newer that were in the Wilson Children's Core Collection. The themes that emerged from the content analysis of children's quilt picture books were generosity, slavery, multicultural, generational, and westward expansion. This researcher found that the books could be used to teach essential skills in …

A Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade Information Literacy, Library, And Technology Curriculum Delivered On A Fixed Schedule For Library And Computer Facility Access, Brenda Husak

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the project was to develop a Kindergarten through fifth grade information literacy, library and technology curriculum for the South Tama School District. There was little research available to direct creation of this type of curriculum. However, the Iowa Core Information Literacy Standards and the American Association of School Librarians Standards for the 21st-Century Learner provided guidance for this project. The Mankato Public School District Curriculum, the Iowa City Public School Technology Plan, and the Iowa City Public School Library Curriculum were consulted for additional information. The South Tama K-5 Information Literacy, Library and Technology Curriculum was designed …

Differences In Depression Levels Among Tenors, Baritones, And Basses, Rhiannon Jane Talbot

Honors Program Theses

Music and speech are closely related to one another. Both have specific elements, such as average fundamental frequency, pitch variation, and speed, to accurately communicate emotion. Some emotions have characteristic speech patterns; in the case of sadness, a low mean fundamental frequency, slow speed of speech, and minimal pitch variation are common. Both music and speech also utilize physical metaphors (up/down, high/low, etc.) to express positivity and negativity. The study was intended to determine whether male vocal register correlated with levels of depressive symptoms. Specifically, tenors were expected to have lower levels of depression than baritones and basses. Participants (16 …

Music Videos As Social Commentary: A Sociological Analysis Of Lady Gaga, Jacob Allen Everett Rudy

Honors Program Theses

Since the television channel Music Television (MTV) aired its first music video on August 1, 1981, music videos have come to serve as vehicles for music artists from all genres. Using these productions as a way to simultaneously promote a song and a particular artist has proven to be successful means with which to build a career in the American music industry. However, as with all cultural artifacts, music videos contain much more information than simply visual interpretation of songs. They are rich in sources with which sociologists can further understand social norms and institutions. Through the analysis of music …

Sacred Stones For Sacred Structures: An Examination Of Patterns In The Temples And Twin Complexes At Tikal And Palenque, Meredith Mae Hild

Honors Program Theses

Extensive work in uncovering and reconstructing Classic Maya temples has been completed while the importance of Maya studies has increased during the past centuries. Little has been done, however, in the interpretation of certain Maya structures within the context of Maya thought. That context includes an understanding of the Maya interpretation of their place within the cosmos, an aspect of Maya culture that dictated every individual's daily actions. Researchers have tended to focus on architectural analyses that describe the dimensions and building materials of temples and other monumental structures. This leads to interpretations that are lacking in cultural significance. While …

Violent Crime And Drug Use: The Relationship Between Drugs And Types Of Crime, Richard William Fortney

Honors Program Theses

Previous research shows us that there is a relationship between drugs and crime (Chaiken and Chaiken 1990; Dawkins 1997; Goldstein 1985; Harrison and Gfroerer 1992; Inciardi and Pottieger 1994; French, McGeary, Chitwood, McCoy, Inciardi, and McBride 2000). This paper seeks to determine whether there is a relationship between the types of drugs an individual uses and the types of crimes that they commit. There have been studies that researched similar relationships, such as French et al 2000, but they did not look at the differences in types of drugs used by individuals. Instead, they focused on simply finding a relationship …

Raising Good Soviets: Media Depictions Of Soviet Life And Upbringing Under Khrushchev, Chelsea Miller

Honors Program Theses

Policies on education and upbringing affected almost every individual in the Soviet Union, from the youngest child to the oldest pensioner. These policies reflected the current ideological path of the party and the need to train the children to accomplish the country’s goals. On a more personal level, these policies helped the children evolve into successful adults able to easily enter the workforce. When the public saw that these policies were not being enforced or implemented, they expressed their dissatisfaction. These individuals were able to safely voice their criticisms by pointing out the educational system’s failures within the ideological framework …

Beliefs, Concerns, And Methods Of Parents Raising Children Bilingually: A Study Of Hispanic Iowa Mothers Attempting To Maintain Heritage Language In Their Children, Briana Vera

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of my thesis was to discover more about parents who are raising their children to be English-Spanish bilingual, particularly their beliefs, concerns, and methods regarding this issue. I focused specifically on mothers in Iowa whose native language was Spanish and who had at least one child in the household between the ages of four and sixteen. A point of interest I focused on were the beliefs, concerns, and methods these mothers have and use to maintain their children‟s heritage language (Spanish) as the community language (English) becomes more prominent in their children‟s lives. This information is important for …

Digit Ratios, Baron-Cohen's Reading The Minds In The Eyes And Dart-Throwing Task, Betul Zora

Honors Program Theses

There is evidence that high prenatal testosterone and the ratio of the index finger to the ring finger are correlated. There is also evidence that male-typical finger ratios correlate positively with male-typical tasks such as targeting and negatively correlated with female-typical tasks. This study examines the correlation between the digit ratio and the dart throwing task and also the digit ratio and Baron-Cohen’s Reading the Mind in the Eyes test. A different digit ratio, the ratio of the index finger and the ring finger to the pinky is also collected and correlated with both of the other tests. Sometime during …

Effects Of Sexual Assault Education On College Students' Rape-Supportive Attitudes, Jessica Ann Ueland

Honors Program Theses

Few studies have measured the effectiveness of sexual assault programming is in decreasing acceptance of rape myths. This study examined two research questions. First, would students in a class that included a sexual assault education component be more likely to demonstrate a change in degree of rape myth acceptance than students who were not in a class that included sexual assault education? Second, within the treatment group, would males demonstrate a larger change in rape myth acceptance than females? At the end of the course, the treatment group showed a significant decrease in rape myth acceptance; there was not a …

Rational Decision-Making In The Face Of Uncertainty: An Experiment In Jeopardy!, Trevor Boeckmann

Honors Program Theses

This paper examines the quiz show "Jeopardy!." In the game, players accumulate points then wager them in a final round on a single question. My study finds an empirically-best wagering system for these players, then calculates the benefit of using this system through additional games that would be won with the correct bet. My regression model then finds the determinants of empirically-best (EB) betters. The results show players tend to act too aggressively. Half of non-first place players wager incorrectly and nearly 90% of those non- EB wagers are too large. The regression shows players are most likely to make …

The Impact Of Attachment Disorder On The Family And Child, Stephanie Durocher

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

John Bowlby's attachment theory suggests that based on their needs for protection, comfort and nurturance, infants form attachments with their primary caregivers. The initial relationships a person has with others will serve as a blueprint for all future relationships. This connection has a significant influence on every area of a person's life, including cognition, physical and emotional health, future relationships, education and development of values. When an infant's needs are met with inconsistency, abuse or maltreatment, the influence on a child's life and those caring for the child is widespread. This study sought to explore the impact caring for a …

Analysis Of Selected Team Performance Measures And Their Correlation With Game Outcome In 1-Aa College Football, John Paul Hildebrand

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

While the popularity of American Football has grown over the last century, so has the complexity with which the game is played. The hours spent by coaches, players, fans, and experts dissecting every aspect of the game is astonishing. While some people analyze football as a hobby or to report the game, coaches and player's careers are drastically affected by what they can draw from the data research. Statistical analysis strategies in football have become more complex and more widespread over the last 25 years, particularly since the use of computers and computer software has become so common place. Any …

Risk Management Plans For University Athletic Facilities, Brittney Donlin

Honors Program Theses

Researching available literature on the specific topic of risk management planning for athletic facilities indicates that there is a dearth of work in this area1 . This finding is surprising given the number of people attending college and professional athletic events each weekend and recent history of violent incidents, such as the shootings in Tucson, Northern Illinois University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI). The limited articles available in this area provide an explanation of risk management processes and methodologies related to controlling campus risks, mostly focusing on the insuring of physical property against the perils of fire, wind, water and …

Administration Response Of Nonprofit Organizations Due To The 2007-2009 Recession, Kelsey Belle Marie Wegner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In December of 2007, a recession began in the United States that affected nearly every aspect of the economy. The Great Recession created a global meltdown of numerous sectors including the nonprofit sector. The nonprofit sector is a significant part of the United States economy, making up more than 10 percent of employment and has approximately 1.4 million nonprofit organizations registered with the Internal Revenue Service. The researcher examined what effect the recession had on nonprofit organizations. The purpose of the study is to determine how the recession that began in 2007 has impacted 501(c) nonprofit organizations in five United …

Human Values And The Importance Of Money, Sara Lucia Estrada Villalta

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research has shown that there is relationship between money and an orientation toward self-interest, both at the individual and country-level. However, the causal relationship between these constructs is not fully understood. Based on Schwartz's theory of human values, which distinguishes between self-oriented and socially-oriented values, this study explored whether values have a causal influence on the importance people place on money. Four different sets of values were primed using a scrambled-sentences task to test their effects on the importance participants ascribed to money. Importance of money was measured in three ways: desire for money, relative importance of financial goals, and …

The Social Origin Of Violent Behavior, Todd Arthur Mensink

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examines the social origins of extremely violent behavior. Numerous explanations of violent offenders have focused on biological, psychological, environmental or a combination of these factors to explain violence. Most explanations of violent behavior fail to take a holistic approach to understand the cause of violent behavior. This study is an analysis of the applicability of the violentization theory. Data was obtained through in-depth semi-structured interviews from six violent offenders in a residential treatment faciIity in the Midwest. Findings indicate that for most offenders, the violentization theory is consistent with their social experiences. However, two exceptions pertained to the …

The Role Of Work Environment On Employee Job Engagement, Micayla Michelle Evers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Employee job engagement is an increasingly popular and important construct in organizations in the United States. Job engagement is widely considered to have a strong influence on employee job performance, turnover rates, burnout, etc. Many variables contribute to this important construct, and work environment encompasses one of these variables. This study addresses the impact of physical work environment and social work environment in predicting employee job engagement. The current study found that both physical work environment and social work environment were significant predictors of employee job engagement and that physical work environment had a slightly larger impact. Exploratory analyses were …

Not Giving Back: The Social Exchange Concern Hypothesis Of Physical Disability Stigma, Thomas P. Dirth

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The phenomenon of physical disability stigma has been examined from many different perspectives, but a comprehensive theory of its functionality has yet to be tested. The evolutionary theory of stigma provides two compelling hypotheses, for stigma in general, and physical disability stigma in particular. The pathogen avoidance hypothesis maintains that stigma is an evolved response for protection against infectious diseases, whereas the social exchange concern hypothesis proposes that stigma serves to maximize fitness by cueing which interaction partners will contribute or detract most from one's well-being. The social exchange concern hypothesis frames physical disability stigma, especially, in a way that …

Defining The “Good” Mother: Examining The Myths Of Motherhood And The Hierarchical Construction Of Femininity In Weeds And Weekly Magazines, Johnanna Joy Ganz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Throughout this thesis  investigate how images of motherhood in popular culture rely on specific ideological "myths" to convey implicit messages about appropriate femininity. To examine the depictions of motherhood I performed a textual analysis of the contents of the first two seasons of the television program Weeds as well as randomly sampled issues of the following celebrity gossip magazines: People Weekly, US Weekly, In Touch Weekly, and Life & Style Weekly. In order to make sense of the data, I rely on the theoretical concept of hegemonic femininity, as developed by Mimi Schippers. Additionally, I offer a more nuanced argument …

Student Motivation And No Child Left Behind, Tiffany Kleckner

Graduate Research Papers

The No Child Left Behind Act was developed in 2002 by the administration of George W. Bush. The purpose of this piece of legislation was to increase student achievement in America. Regulations and requirements have been put in place by the administration such as standardized testing. This paper discusses the history of NCLB, the current issues with the legislation, and how student motivation and achievement has been effected due to the NCLB law.

Transforming Lives: Exploring The Impact Of Transitioning On Female-To-Male Transpersons And Partners Of Female-To-Male Transpersons, Megan Marie Tesene

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Recent trends in gender scholarship point to an increased research focus on transidentified persons. However, the majority of it revolves around the experiences of transpersons as individuals while ignoring the influence that transitioning has on intimacy in personal relationships. Furthermore, while previous research on FtM transpersons tends to emphasize the benefits that transmen receive from transitioning, the current study focuses on some of its negative implications. Through ten semi-structured, in-depth interviews, this research explores the experiences of four transmen and six partners of transmen who were involved in a romantic relationship during the transition process. My findings indicate that transitioning …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Mental Toughness And Success In College Basketball, Nathan T. Oakland

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Mental toughness has been viewed as a vital attribute and characteristic in the world of athletics since the beginning of sport. Mental Toughness began to gain notoriety in the public forum however, when Vince Lombardi won Super Bowl I in 1967 as the Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers. Coaches and athletes alike often speak of mental toughness and its importance, though in the world of athletics, the challenge has been the overall lack of a sound definition of mental toughness. Until recently, research has been sparse on the topic which has led to confusion and misunderstanding of mental …

A Descriptive Study Of The Leadership Behaviors Of Ncaa Division I And Ii Head Basketball Coaches As They Pertain To The Path-Goal Theory, Troy Curtis Muilenburg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine perceived leadership behaviors of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and II men's basketball head coaches. Specifically, this study examined the training and instruction, social support, and positive feedback behaviors as assessed using the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS) (Chelladurai & Saleh, 1980). A secondary purpose was to examine potential relationships between these behaviors, win/loss percentages, and head coaching experience. Based on path-goal theory, it was hypothesized that the scores for the training and instruction, social support, and positive feedback behaviors would be high, and there would be a positive relationship …