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University of Northern Iowa

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Articles 2131 - 2160 of 4353

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Attention And Memory In Young And Middle-Aged Adults, Emily Sorensen Jan 2009

Attention And Memory In Young And Middle-Aged Adults, Emily Sorensen

Honors Program Theses

Within the field of communication sciences and disorders, studies concerning performance on cognitive tests tend to focus on the differences between young and old-age groups. The geriatric population has significantly increased over the years and will continue to rise in the coming decades. This rise in the number of older adults has resulted in research that is directed towards investigating the decline in cognitive ability in the aging population.

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Powerful And Powerless Speech Styles In Employment Mock Interviews, Amanda M. Wilson Jan 2009

Powerful And Powerless Speech Styles In Employment Mock Interviews, Amanda M. Wilson

Honors Program Theses

This thesis examines powerful and powerless speech styles in employment mock interviews. A powerless speech style is defined as the use of linguistic features that have negative effects on how the speaker is perceived. Features analyzed in this study include intensifiers, hedges, and hesitations. A powerful speech style is defined as the absence of powerless linguistic features within speech. Twenty-eight examples of employment mock interviews conducted in the office of Career Services at the University of Northern Iowa were recorded for analysis in this thesis. Four common questions within the interviews were selected and the responses were transcribed and analyzed, …

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The Effects Of Sport And Physical Activity On Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Youth From Mass Trauma Populations, Sydney De Victoria-Michel Jan 2009

The Effects Of Sport And Physical Activity On Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Youth From Mass Trauma Populations, Sydney De Victoria-Michel

Honors Program Theses

This project will focus on the effects of exercise and sport on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD can be debilitating to those who suffer, and incredibly confusing when children are involved. Feelings of rage, anger, depression and anxiety can render individuals incapable of normal day-to-day activities. Traditional treatment options offer individual and group therapy in which the patients simply share their feelings and experiences. Although there have been a vast number of studies and texts published on PTSD sufferers using treatment based on psychotherapy, there has been little done to document effects of exercise and physical activity on PTSD. Despite …

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Long-Term Care Insurance For The Elderly And Long-Term Care Insurance As A Viable Option For Today's Elderly, Brenda Joan Turnis Jan 2009

Long-Term Care Insurance For The Elderly And Long-Term Care Insurance As A Viable Option For Today's Elderly, Brenda Joan Turnis

Honors Program Theses

Long-term care insurance policies have been sold for the last forty years, but many people are hesitant to invest in these plans. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a realistic view of how long-term care insurance is perceived in our society. It will also include factual evidence on the option of private long-term care insurance for the elderly. A review of research on long-term care will emphasize the coming crisis in long-term care and provide information on the viability of long-term care insurance in our communities.

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Postville: The Emotional Consequences Applying Diagnostic Criteria To A Unique Event, Mollie Katherine Burke Jan 2009

Postville: The Emotional Consequences Applying Diagnostic Criteria To A Unique Event, Mollie Katherine Burke

Honors Program Theses

Group interviews were conducted with small groups of Guatemalan women who were affected by the immigration raid in Postville, Iowa. During these interviews, participants responded to questions about emotional reactions in the months following the raid, as well as current emotional states and functioning. The women reported several negative effects, including emotional, social, and economic hardship during the months between the raid and the interviews. The way in which these responses correlate to the traditional model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder allows insight into the appropriateness of diagnostic criteria. As similar raids are conducted, it is vital to have an understanding …

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The Mental Health Of Low Socio-Economic Populations, Sarah E. Bumgarner Jan 2009

The Mental Health Of Low Socio-Economic Populations, Sarah E. Bumgarner

Honors Program Theses

Depression is an illness that has a negative impact on our society. Depression not only lowers the depressed person's quality of life, but it also negatively impacts people close to the person suffering from this illness. This research is in response to the seriousness of this epidemic, particularly in the low socio-economic status (low SES) population. Topics explored include factors of a low SES environment that influence the onset of depression as well as how those factors relate to the quality of mental health care among depressed people of low SES. A review of the literature identified many barriers to …

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Rape Myth Acceptance In A Dynamic Environment: Application Of Social Impact Theory To Rma, Zebbedia G. Gibb Jan 2009

Rape Myth Acceptance In A Dynamic Environment: Application Of Social Impact Theory To Rma, Zebbedia G. Gibb

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examines conditions under which attitudes related to sexual assault, commonly known as rape myths, may be transmitted through culture by applying the tenets of Social Impact Theory (Latane, 1981). Social impact theory suggests that three forces influence attitude change, namely the immediacy of the source to the target, the strength of the source, and the number of sources of a message. It was hypothesized that participants who chatted with a confederate who was similar to them and endorsed rape myths would report accepting those beliefs at a higher rate than participants who chatted with a confederate who was …

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The Relationship Between Employment And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, Justin Michael Sprung Jan 2009

The Relationship Between Employment And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, Justin Michael Sprung

Honors Program Theses

This study examines the relationship between employment and alcohol consumption among college students in order to determine whether one variable influences the other. A survey was utilized to investigate this relationship. A total of 687 students from the University of Northern Iowa, 226 males and 461 femal.es, participated in the study. The results indicated no significant relationship between student employment and alcohol consumption. However, it was found that alcohol consumption was significantly related to residency and gender. The findings of this study suggest that factors other than employment may play a more important role in determining the level of alcohol …

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Factors Related To The Unemployment Rate: A Statistical Analysis, Reanna Collins Jan 2009

Factors Related To The Unemployment Rate: A Statistical Analysis, Reanna Collins

Honors Program Theses

Current United States economic conditions have everyone searching for ways to solve the downward spiral that has instigated a crisis in the minds of many people. Rapidly increasing unemployment rates are key reasons leading to this feeling of emergency. A better understanding of unemployment trends over the past few decades and factors correlated to the rate could serve as future indicators of fluctuations in the unemployment rate. A statistical analysis was conducted to determine if any relationship between the unemployment rate and nine selected variables existed in order to identify trends in the unemployment rate and to produce a model …

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Family With Domestic Violence, La Tonya R. Stokes Jan 2009

Family With Domestic Violence, La Tonya R. Stokes

Graduate Research Papers

What is domestic violence? When someone speaks of domestic violence what goes through your mind? Domestic violence, which is also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse, is when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another. But domestic violence has many forms other than physical violence. There are sexual abuse, emotional abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation, stalking and threats of violence (Domestic Violence). There are four types of violence within domestic violence: Common couple violence (CCV), Intimate terrorism (IT), violent resistance (VR), and Mutual violent control (MVC) (Johnson & Ferraro, 2000). There are three basic …

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When Networks Matter : Mexican Migrants' Access To The Welfare State Through Social Ties, Margaret Louise Ralston Jan 2009

When Networks Matter : Mexican Migrants' Access To The Welfare State Through Social Ties, Margaret Louise Ralston

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this thesis, I examine the relationship between social networks among Mexican migrants and usage of welfare benefits. For this research, I use the Mexican Migration Project (MMP) dataset and logistic regression to assess whether social capital plays a significant role in connecting individuals to information and resources that affect their access to public systems of social protection, including welfare benefits. Recent welfare reform legislation has made it increasingly difficult for noncitizens to access the welfare state. Following the work of Massey and Aguilera (2003), I have conceptualized social capital as respondents' connection to their U.S. community and their ties …

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A Test Of Tmt: Mortality Salience And Avoidance Of Worldview Threats, Taylor Wayne Wadian Jan 2009

A Test Of Tmt: Mortality Salience And Avoidance Of Worldview Threats, Taylor Wayne Wadian

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Imagine playing a game of catch with three people, and all the things that would influence to whom you throw. Were thoughts of death included as one of those factors? The hypothesis that mortality salience motivates avoidant behavior toward a worldviewthreatening target was empirically tested on a sample of 200 undergraduate Caucasian college students from a Midwestern university. I induced participants to write about either their own death or dental pain, and presented them with summer descriptions of three fictitious male African American targets that they believed they were going to interact with later in the study. Targets' descriptions were …

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The Purpose Of Facebook: The Value Of Facebook Friends In Increasing Self-Perceived Popularity, Michael J. Cronin Jan 2009

The Purpose Of Facebook: The Value Of Facebook Friends In Increasing Self-Perceived Popularity, Michael J. Cronin

Honors Program Theses

A survey of 407 students was conducted at a medium-sized Midwestern university to examine what motivates college students to have friends on Facebook. The goal of the study was to see if people interact with more Facebook friends than they do offline friends on a regular basis and to see if the primary reason students become friends with others on Facebook is to increase their popularity. The results suggest that students do not become Facebook friends with others to increase their popularity, which is in contrast to previous research. Results were inconclusive in determining if people regularly interact with more …

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Women's Labor Markets In Costa Rica, Kelsey Rinehart Jan 2009

Women's Labor Markets In Costa Rica, Kelsey Rinehart

Honors Program Theses

In this paper I explore the factors affecting women's labor force participation and wages in Costa Rica. First, I will investigate the role of education in women's labor markets. Second, I address the impact of dual labor markets and government policies on the participation and earnings of women. Finally, I recommend possible policy changes for Costa Rican labor law to benefit women.

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Does Race Affect The Salaries Of Nfl Players?, Joshua Patrick Mahoney Jan 2009

Does Race Affect The Salaries Of Nfl Players?, Joshua Patrick Mahoney

Honors Program Theses

Previous studies of the National Football League (NFL) players' salaries have used different methods to evaluate the compensation of players in the League. Kahn [ 1991] finds a significant correlation between the race of an NFL player and the racial makeup of the metropolitan area in which he plays. In my study, I use a complete data set of players from the 2005 football season to determine whether race has a measurable impact on players' salaries. My results suggest that race is not a significant factor in determining an NFL player's compensation. Also, customer discrimination does not appear to affect …

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Baseball As Family: Successful High School Coaches’ Perceptions On Effective Communication, Aaron Barber Jan 2009

Baseball As Family: Successful High School Coaches’ Perceptions On Effective Communication, Aaron Barber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focuses on what successful high school baseball coaches think they do to communicate effectively. Interviews were used to find emerging themes and to gain anecdotal insight as to how coaches communicate in particular situations. Through the analysis of the interviews, the themes of family, leadership, credibility, identity and organization became apparent in all coaches interviewed. Each coach applied these themes using their own unique style of communication. Understanding and reflecting upon this qualitative study will provide useful insight for leaders of all types and are not limited to only coaches.

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The Writer-Of-Violence-As-School-Shooter Stereotype: How Columbine, Virginia Tech, And Public Fear Make Writing Violence Dangerous For Students, Matt Foy Jan 2009

The Writer-Of-Violence-As-School-Shooter Stereotype: How Columbine, Virginia Tech, And Public Fear Make Writing Violence Dangerous For Students, Matt Foy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In a period when students, parents, teachers and administrators are bombarded with images related to school shooting attacks, efforts to prevent such attacks in the future and to identify students who pose a threat to school safety have intensified. These efforts to fight the seemingly mounting wave of school violence have contributed to the rise of stereotypes of what a school shooter looks, talks, and acts like. This study examines one of these stereotypes: the writer-of-violence-as-school-shooter stereotype. This stereotype, which gained attention after 1990s rampages such as those at Heath High School (Kentucky) and Columbine High School and became highly …

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An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of The Mmpi-2 And The Pai In The Detection Of Random Responding, Lesley Ann Hiebing Jan 2009

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of The Mmpi-2 And The Pai In The Detection Of Random Responding, Lesley Ann Hiebing

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Intermittent Random Responding, Front Random Responding, and Back Random Responding were investigated on the MMPI-2 and PAL Random responses were inserted in increasing proportions into profiles from a large clinical sample. Validity scales sensitive to random responding on each scale (VRIN, F, FB, and FP on the MMPI-2 and ICN and INF on the PAI) were evaluated to determine which scale(s) would best detect random responding. Results indicate that validity scales from both measures were more sensitive to random responding in the intermittent random condition and performed worse in the back random condition. Overall, the MMPI-2 validity scales were better …

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An Analysis Of State-By-State Variations In African American Incarceration Rates, Kristen Laura Johnson Jan 2009

An Analysis Of State-By-State Variations In African American Incarceration Rates, Kristen Laura Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A great deal of social scientific research has examined the overrepresentation of African Americans in the American criminal justice system. Many of these analyses have focused on racial disparities in sentencing, and the disproportionate confinement of African Americans in jails and prisons. While the overrepresentation of African Americans in the criminal justice system is indisputable, explanations for this condition are often complex and controversial.

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Employee Personal Wellness Programs: Benefits And Barriers To Participation, Amanda Bakeris Jan 2009

Employee Personal Wellness Programs: Benefits And Barriers To Participation, Amanda Bakeris

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research study uses the health belief model as a theoretical framework for investigating employees' perceived costs and benefits to participation in a utility company's personal wellness program. A questionnaire was administered to the employees of the company gauging their current use of the program, as well as costs and benefits they perceive to affect participation. The barrier dimensions investigated were time-effort, social, physical effects, and specific obstacles. The benefit dimensions investigated were social, psychological, body image, and health. Based on the descriptive statistics and regression analysis, it was concluded that the benefits significantly related to participation, biometric participation, satisfaction, …

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Understanding Parental Involvement In Youth Sports Through The Concept Of Serious Leisure, Greta Marie Giese Jan 2009

Understanding Parental Involvement In Youth Sports Through The Concept Of Serious Leisure, Greta Marie Giese

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to use the construct of serious leisure to identify to what extent parents are involved in their children's youth sports activities. A sample of 660 parents of children enrolled in Heartland Soccer Club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa or the Panther Pride Soccer Club in Cedar Falls, Iowa was surveyed. Both male and female parents from a variety of ages were surveyed. The research instrument for this study was the "Parental Involvement in Youth Soccer Questionnaire." This survey was created based on the categories of serious leisure and a 1997 article comparing serious leisure and …

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The Effects Of Anonymity On Self Reports Of Depression And Alcohol Consumption, Yolanda Latrice Evans Jan 2009

The Effects Of Anonymity On Self Reports Of Depression And Alcohol Consumption, Yolanda Latrice Evans

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research examined the impact of anonymity on self reports of alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms. Participants (N=363) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) Non anonymous or (2) Anonymous. All participants were administered the BDI and the MAST. Compared to the non anonymous group, those in the anonymous groups had significantly different higher means on the depression inventories. Women yielded significantly higher depression score means than men, but no significant differences were found between mean and women for alcohol use or between anonymous and non anonymous conditions. The level of alcohol use by both college men and …

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Racial Prejudice And Political Orientation: A Test Of Dovidio And Gaertner’S Integrated Model Of Racism, Abbie Anne Chalupnik Jan 2009

Racial Prejudice And Political Orientation: A Test Of Dovidio And Gaertner’S Integrated Model Of Racism, Abbie Anne Chalupnik

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Although the direct expression of racial prejudice is no longer accepted in society, it has not altogether disappeared. Aversive racism is characterized by pro and anti-Black attitudes, which have been largely socialized, creating an intrapsychic conflict sometimes causing overcompensation in favor of minorities (Nail, Harton, & Decker, 2003). Modern racism stems from traditional values and the Protestant work ethic, and is expressed through attitudes about social policies yet remains fundamentally racist (Kinder & Sears, 1981; Sears & McConahay, 1973). This study extended Dovidio and Gaertner's (1998) Integrated Model of Racism, which links political liberals with the expression of aversive racism …

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Further Delineation Of The Role Of The Amygdala In Face Processing And Racial Categorization, Osman Afzal Chowdhry Jan 2009

Further Delineation Of The Role Of The Amygdala In Face Processing And Racial Categorization, Osman Afzal Chowdhry

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

DNA exonerations in the legal system have increased steadily since 1989 from one or two per year to an average of 21 per year since 2001. A disquieting number of these exonerations originated from wrongful convictions following cross-racial identifications. Explaining the prevalence of erroneous cross-racial identifications centers on the Cross Race Effect (CRE), a phenomena whereby recognition for one's own race greatly outweighs recognition ability for other-race faces. Forty years of research in this area has produced a number of competing explanations. Recent neurological evidence has demonstrated separate neural regions for the processing of same-race and other-race faces as well …

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The Effects Of Indian-Accented English And Need For Cognition On Message Evaluation: A Field Study, Duoc V. Nguyen Jan 2009

The Effects Of Indian-Accented English And Need For Cognition On Message Evaluation: A Field Study, Duoc V. Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research has shown that Americans rate non-accented English speakers more favorably than accented English speakers (e.g., Cargile & Giles, 1997; Frumkin, 2007); however this is not always the case ( e.g., Cargile, 2000; Singer & Eder, 1988). Other factors may be involved when people are processing other people's messages. One motivating factor may be the extent to which people like to think, or have a high need for cognition (NCS; Cacioppo & Petty, 1982). As call center jobs continue to be outsourced to other countries such as India, it is important to ascertain how people with varying degrees of motivation …

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Institutional Racism And Public Policy : A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The War On Drugs, Kyle L. Mahannah Jan 2009

Institutional Racism And Public Policy : A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The War On Drugs, Kyle L. Mahannah

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Through reviewing the concept of institutional racism, I examine how this concept has been employed in the discourse on the war on drug. Moreover, I explore how this term has been employed by opponents and proponents on the war on drugs. First, I explore how the term 'institutional racism' is defined by various authors and scholars. I then reviewed how the United State Supreme Court has set precedents regarding intentional and unintentional discrimination. I also investigate how the concept of institutional racism is used in the discourse on American institutions of education, economics, law, and politics. l then review how …

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Detecting Coached Underreporting On The Mmpi-2 And Mmpi-2-Rf, Elizabeth M. Bolinger Jan 2009

Detecting Coached Underreporting On The Mmpi-2 And Mmpi-2-Rf, Elizabeth M. Bolinger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Early analyses performed by the authors of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) and others (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008; Sellbom & Bagby, 2008) have shown promise in detecting faking good profiles. Two validity scales designed to detect underreporting and defensiveness on the MMPI-2-RF are the L-r (a measure of underreporting by claiming unlikely moral virtues) and the K-r (a measure of underreporting by claiming good psychological adjustment) scales (Wygant, Ben-Porath, & Tellegen, 2007). These early studies have found very similar results and patterns as observed in studies of underreporting with the MMPI-2. This study attempts to add to …

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Development Of A Spatial Decision Support Tool For Watershed Critical Area Identification Of Soil Loss And Best Management Practices (Bmps) Evaluation, Luhua Cai Jan 2009

Development Of A Spatial Decision Support Tool For Watershed Critical Area Identification Of Soil Loss And Best Management Practices (Bmps) Evaluation, Luhua Cai

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Soil erosion has been identified as a major contributor to water quality degradation. Agriculture is historically known for accelerating soil erosion. In Iowa, with 88% of land in agriculture use, agricultural practices have became the dominant source of nonpoint source pollution and soil erosion is the leading water problem in Iowa. Controls of soil erosion are needed. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are recognized as the most efficient way to control non-point source pollution, and numerous BMPs have been developed for soil erosion control. Therefore, it is important to have a decision support tool that can identify the soil erosion problem …

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Gender Violence Prevention: The Effects Of A Forum Theater Program On Bystander Efficacy And Behavior, Jennifer Nicole Crawford Jan 2009

Gender Violence Prevention: The Effects Of A Forum Theater Program On Bystander Efficacy And Behavior, Jennifer Nicole Crawford

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Sexual victimization on college campuses has been and remains a concern. In 1987 Koss, Gidycz, and Wisniewski reported that the prevalence of sexual victimization, including unwanted sexual contact, sexual coercion, attempted rape, and rape, among female college students was 54 percent, nearly three times that of women in the general population. The most recent National College Women Sexual Victimization study (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2000) reported that 2.8% of women experienced rape or attempted rape during the academic year, with closer to 5% experiencing violence across twelve months. These findings, and those like them, have led to a rapid increase …

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Applying The Job Strain Model: Control, Conflict, And Facilitation, Kama D. Dodge Jan 2009

Applying The Job Strain Model: Control, Conflict, And Facilitation, Kama D. Dodge

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Among college students enrolled full-time in the U.S., approximately 48% are employed during the academic year, with 30% working more than 20 hours per week (Fox, Connolly, & Snyder, 2005). Working during the academic year may create a burden for college students, resulting in poorer academic performance and an increased time to graduate (Canabal, 1988; Trockel, Barnes, & Egget, 2000). Conversely, employment may enrich a student's education by increasing self-efficacy and shaping their plans for the future (Finch, Shanahan, Mortimer, & Ryu, 1991). In this study, I used the job demands-control (JD-C) model (Karasek, 1979) to make predictions about how …

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