Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Associations Of Behavioral Profiles With Social And Vocal Behavior In The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile Carolinensis), Ellen H. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

The research described here tested for relationships among behavioral consistency, personality traits, and communicative behavior in a socially and vocally complex avian species, the Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis). First, I tested for the existence of behavioral profiles, also known as non-human animal personality, across varying contexts (presence of predator, foraging within a novel object, and novel conspecific) in the laboratory. I found evidence for behavioral profiles encompassing behavioral patterns such as activity, affiliation, aggression, and boldness. Second, I incorporated a larger social component to these studies by testing birds housed in social groups in semi-naturalistic aviary settings. In …

The Impact Of International Media Training On Radio Professionals In Indonesia, Nurhaya Muchtar

Doctoral Dissertations

Professional journalism training in developing countries has been one of the most important elements in the U.S. democracy assistance program since the late 1980s. Numerous organizations were involved with these projects focusing on both journalism and management training. This study looked at the impact of the training from the perspective of training participants. Radio professionals were the subjects for this research because they experienced the training and could describe what they thought about training and how they made use of it in their work. Indonesia was selected because it was one of the countries that received a large amount of …

Configurations Of Leadership Traits And Their Relation To Performance Ratings: A Person-Oriented Approach, Taylor Poling

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of traits has re-emerged in the leadership literature despite its checkered past. There is now ample evidence that a variety of individual traits consistently relate to leadership effectiveness. Nonetheless, enormous ambiguity remains regarding the patterning of these traits within leaders and the implications of the various interactions among traits. A major contributor to these issues has been the failure to examine these traits within their founding theoretical context, as elements operating simultaneously as a configural system within the individual. Thus, this study examines the configurations of leadership traits in a sample of middle and upper-level managers. The main …

Parsing Out Everyday Suggestibility: A Test-Retest Study, Nicole Perez

Doctoral Dissertations

The construct of “suggestibility” has garnered great interest in the field of psychology over the years. It has been invoked as an explanatory construct in social, clinical, and forensic psychology. Yet, the nature of the construct and of its factor structure is unclear. In earlier studies we operationalized suggestibility by measuring conformity, interrogative suggestibility, placebo effects, persuasibility and hypnotizability. There was no discernible factor structure obtained. Similar results were found when we narrowed our focus to sensory suggestibility. There was no cohesion among responsiveness to these types of suggestive situations by examining this phenomenon across eight sensory measures (tactile, auditory, …

Essays On Capital Gains Taxes And Housing, Zachary William Richards

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of three essays regarding the effects of federal taxation of residential capital, with a focus on owner-occupied housing. Owner-occupied housing is granted a number of tax subsidies under the federal individual income tax code. Among them are the mortgage interest and property tax deductions and the tax exclusions on imputed rental income for the homeowner and capital gains from the sale of a primary residence.

In the frst essay, entitled \Does the Exclusion of Capital Gains Taxes on Housing Promote Labor Mobility?", I examine the impact of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (TRA97), which …

The Sword, The Purse And The Gavel: Institutional Influences On The Behavior Of Supreme Court Justices, Hemant Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

An inherent contradiction exists between two fundamental principles embedded in American political philosophy: the notion of "checks and balances" and the idea of an "independent judiciary." After all, a truly "independent" branch of government would be immune to the influences, or "checks," of external institutions. This dissertation addresses that juxtaposition through a two part analysis of Supreme Court decision-making.

The first part uses multivariate regression to illustrate that justices confirmed under conditions of divided government are more moderate in their voting behavior than justices confirmed under conditions of unified government. Ancillary findings also reveal that justices who receive more votes …

Essays On Property Tax Limitation Mechanisms, Bryan Shone

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the last half-century, the United States has experienced a tax revolution at the local level of government. Driven by preferences of many residents to limit the size and growth of local government, the tax revolts have spread rapidly since the installment of Proposition 13 in the state of California in the late 1970s. Today, tax and expenditure limitations (TELs), such as property tax limits, have been implemented in the vast majority of states for a variety of reasons. This expansion in the use of TELs has raised three main questions among economists. First, why are TELs implemented to begin …

The Effectiveness Of A Restraint Reduction Policy Implemented To Reduce The Use Of Physical Restraint With Children And Adolescents In A Residential Care Facility, Irma Molina Damen

Doctoral Dissertations

This simple interrupted time-series quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a restraint reduction policy implemented in order to reduce the use of physical restraint in a residential treatment facility for children in the southeastern United States. Aggregate data on monthly physical restraint episodes from the agency were analyzed over a period of 4 years. A 22-month period was used as the baseline and the succeeding 26 months- when the restraint reduction policy was implemented- was the intervention phase. A regular regression model, estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS), modeled the effect of the policy change, and autoregressive integrated moving average …

The Cognitive Effects Of Cosmetic Surgery Reality Shows – From A Priming Perspective, Shu-Yueh Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

This study applied priming theory to investigate the cognitive effects of cosmetic surgery reality shows. An experimental design was utilized to demonstrate the effects of cosmetic surgery reality shows on viewers‟ perceptions regarding cosmetic surgery, physically unattractive people, and the beliefs of beauty. One experimental group was exposed to cosmetic surgery reality shows and two control groups were exposed to non-cosmetic surgery reality shows. This study found strong and assimilative priming effects. After being primed with cosmetic surgery reality shows, viewers perceived greater benefits of cosmetic surgery in terms of competitiveness, confidence, appearance, happiness, and attractiveness. They also perceived lower …

Hidden Atrocities: The Forensic Investigation And Prosecution Of Genocide, Caroline Alyce Tyers

Doctoral Dissertations

The demand for forensic anthropologists and archaeologists to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law is increasing. The International Criminal Court, established in 1998, has jurisdiction over the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The development of a permanent tribunal with jurisdiction over these crimes as well as the numerous State Parties to the treaty is a reflection of the international community‟s commitment to the prosecution of these crimes. Forensic evidence can and will assume an essential role in future international criminal courts.

Forensic evidence made a significant contribution to the prosecution of genocide and …

The Role Of Physical Attractiveness In Adolescent Romantic Relationships, Rebecca Furr Webb

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role that physical attractiveness plays in many aspects of adolescent romantic relationships, such as relationship longevity, relationship satisfaction, and power dynamics within the relationship. Three specific questions are examined in this project. First, is partner physical attractiveness associated with relationship satisfaction? Second, do adolescent couples who are well ―matched‖ according to physical attractiveness remain together longer that those who are not? Third, does the couple member who is higher in physical attractiveness have more power in the relationship?

To examine these questions, we used data collected from 99 middle adolescent and 106 late adolescent dating couples. …

Experiential Avoidance, Emotional Expression, And Psychopathology In Early And Late Adulthood, Sarah Marie Robertson

Doctoral Dissertations

Experiential avoidance (EA) is an unwillingness to remain in contact with private and overt experiences, with higher EA associated with increased psychopathology. This study investigated relationships among EA, age, and the use of emotion words in positive and negative autobiographical narratives, as well as whether EA was associated with depression, anxiety, quality of life, and social support. Participants included younger (n=60) and older adults (n=60), who completed a positive and negative emotion narrative task along with measures of psychopathology. Results indicated that relative to younger adults, older adults spoke for longer time intervals in both narrative conditions. EA did not …

The Integration Of European Union Borderlands: Polish Views On Cross-Border Mobility And Cooperation Across The Polish-German Border, Michelle Janet Brym

Doctoral Dissertations

The transformation of the Polish-German border from a carefully monitored border to an open border with no restrictions on the cross-border mobility of individuals was complete with Poland's full membership in the Schengen Agreement in the fall of 2007. Meanwhile, funding from the European Union since the early 1990s has been supporting the development of projects that require collaboration between Polish and German borderlanders. A chief mechanism for this has been the zoning of border regions into so-called euro-regions, zones of cross-border cooperation, that by financially supporting projects that require collaboration across the border encourage Polish and German organizations …

Expanding The Theory Of Traumatic Bonding As It Relates To Forgiveness, Romantic Attachment, And Intention To Return, Jennifer Anne Christman

Masters Theses

Various empirically validated theories have explained the phenomenon of women in abusive relationships engaging in a repeated leave/return cycle when trying to terminate the relationship. The current study was designed to add to the already existing theories that focus on factors constraining women to stay in abusive relationships by evaluating the relationship between traumatic bond, forgiveness, and intention to return to the abusive relationship, and by evaluating the relationship between traumatic bond, attachment to abusive partner, and intention to return. The current sample consisted of 121 women residing in both urban and rural emergency domestic violence shelters. Forgiveness was found …

The Construction Of Social Networks Of Support In A New Latino Gateway, Meghan Elizabeth Conley

Masters Theses

Beginning in the early 1990s and continuing through today, emerging Latino destinations such as Knoxville, Tennessee experienced tremendous growth in their population of Latina/o immigrants. Given that our traditional theories of immigrant adjustment address the formation of social networks exclusively in established immigrant gateways, and primarily based on observations of men, there is no reason to assume that Latina/o immigrants in emerging destinations build networks in similar ways as those in established destinations. This thesis first explores why some immigrants choose to migrate to Knoxville, Tennessee. Second, this thesis explores the extent to which the dominant theoretical frameworks of immigrant …

Why Females Fight: Predicting Political Activism Among Palestinian Female Youth, Carolyn Reagh Spellings

Masters Theses

A distinct focus on female youth experiences in political contests has been lacking in the literature on youth and political violence despite many female youth’s involvement with armed groups. The first Palestinian Intifada (1987-1993) saw the participation of many female youth alongside both teenage boys and men. This is notable especially given the patriarchal culture of Palestinian society in that women and young girls are traditionally confined to the private sphere. Additionally, public interactions with men and young boys could be viewed as improper and threats to one’s honor and purity may ensue. In light of these facts, the purpose …

Modeling Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Location Using Gis, Bradly Scott Wilson

Masters Theses

Domestically produced renewable transportation fuels have become a priority for researchers, policy makers, and investors in recent times. Ethanol, particularly cellulosic ethanol made from woody or fibrous plant material, has emerged as one such fuel that could help to ease the current dependence on foreign oil. The questions of where to build the facilities that convert feedstocks to cellulosic ethanol as well where the feedstock will come from to supply these biorefineries are important ones. This paper examines methods for using GIS to model feedstock availability and ideal biorefinery location in an economically feasible manner.

The software developed as part …

Contested Legitimacy: Coercion And The State In Ethiopia, Dima Noggo Sarbo

Doctoral Dissertations

Most studies on Africa that analyzed the institution of the state emphasized the colonial origins of state formation, tracing the crisis of socioeconomic and political development to that specific historical trajectory. Colonialism has shaped the characteristics of modern African states, but it is also important to address institutional factors, methods of governance, and state-society relations in the post independence period. As Ethiopia was not directly constituted by European colonialism, a study of the Ethiopian state provides an opportunity to look at how the state has performed, and how it relates to its own society, without the colonial baggage. This case …

Seeking Resettlement And Navigating Transnational Politics: The Intersection Of Policies, Human Rights And Individuals In Shimelba Refugee Camp, Elizabeth Clearwater Harmon-Gross

Masters Theses

For nearly a decade, Eritreans have been fleeing their oppressive government and the human rights violations that occur within Eritrea‘s borders. This flight usually takes them across the nearest border, but there appear to be choices that refugees make along the way that lead to patterning of flight, selection of certain countries of safe haven and emerging hierarchies of third countries of resettlement. For geopolitical reasons, Eritrean refugees are both safe and at risk in Ethiopia. However, it is in Ethiopia that a highly trafficked refugee camp, Shimelba, was created in 2004. Beginning in 2009, the US has been accepting …

An Assessment Of Attitudes Toward Participation In A Virtual Community Of Practice For Nutrition Education Paraprofessionals, Mary Lee Morse

Masters Theses

Online networking and virtual communities of practice have proven to be successful in providing teachers with feelings of professionalism and with improving teacher performance. For a virtual community of practice to be successful, members must be able to use certain computer and Internet technologies and they must be willing to both share information and to use the resource as source of information. This study builds on the body of knowledge in this area by specifically assessing the attitudes of nutrition education paraprofessionals towards the adoption and use of an online networking and virtual community of practice resource. The participants for …

Relationships Between Birth Order And Adjustment In Adolescents From Post-Divorce Families, Christi Nichole Nash

Masters Theses

This study proposal seeks to examine the relationship between actual birth order, psychological birth order and adjustment in adolescence from post-divorced homes. Both actual birth and psychological orders are included in this particular study to investigate correlations, commonalities, and trends associated with each order and its affect on adjustment. The targeted group consists of freshmen attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Participants who identify their parents as currently divorced from each other within the past five years will be eligible to complete the research process. Participants will be administered both the Campbell-White Psychological Birth Inventory and Adult Behavior Checklist online …

Pattern And Distribution Of Fractures In The William M. Bass And Hamann-Todd Osteological Collections, Shauna Lynn Mcnulty

Masters Theses

The goal of this study is to determine whether aspects of modern life predispose individuals to different patterns of trauma than earlier populations. The specific patterns and susceptibilities to injury may be unique to individual populations and provide a reference in order to gauge quality of life and health status for the populations under study. The present investigation was conducted using the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection and the William M. Bass Donated Collection. The analysis of both collections was conducted macroscopically without the aid of radiographs. Only complete, adult specimens were used to allow for greater statistical power, according to the …

Usewear Analysis Of Flake Tools From The Townsend Project (Sites 40bt89, 40bt90, 40bt91, 40bt94), Blount County, Tennessee, Phyllis Sierra Rigney

Masters Theses

This purpose of this study was to examine flake tools from Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, and Cherokee components at the Townsend project (sites 40BT89, 40BT90, 40BT91, and 40BT94) in Blount County, Tennessee and to determine the functions of these flake tools and whether these tools are actually expedient. Also, any changes that may have occurred through time in the function of these tools was assessed, as well as how these changes might apply to surrounding archaeological sites. A stepwise microwear examination was conducted, which included three levels of analysis: macroscopic examination, stereoscopic examination, and incident light examination. All 1,723 flake tools …

Lithic Resource Survey Of The Upper Little River Drainage: Raw Material Availability And Use At The Townsend Sites, Jeremy L. Sweat

Masters Theses

From 1999 to 2002, the Transportation Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, conducted a number of archaeological investigations associated with the widening of State Route 73 (U.S. 321) through Townsend, Tennessee. The excavations at the Townsend sites resulted in the recovery of a large assemblage of chipped and ground stone tools. A lithic resource survey of the upper Little River drainage was undertaken to identify the likely source areas of raw materials used for the manufacture of the chipped and ground stone tools recovered during the Townsend excavations. These data were then used to identify local versus non-local materials …

Estimating Cropland Use In A Multi-County Region Of The Southeastern United States, Dustin J. Donahue

Masters Theses

In this thesis, a model to analyze land use in a multi-county region of the Southeastern United States is presented. Farmer planting decisions are assumed to follow a non-stationary first order Markov decision process. The non-stationary transition probabilities are estimated as a function of the prior year‟s land usage and a set of exogenous variables using annual county level data from 1981 to 2005 using the maximum entropy method suggested by Golan et al. (1996). The transition probabilities are applied to each county‟s prior period crop production to estimate crop production in the current period. The model is graphically validated. …

The Effect Of Various Coverings On The Rate Of Human Decomposition, Angela Madeleine Dautartas

Masters Theses

A multitude of factors can affect the decomposition process, increasing or decreasing its rate. Some of the most frequently observed variables are temperature, moisture, insect activity, and sun or shade exposure.

Coverings can impact the decomposition process, and are found frequently in forensic cases. In a survey of New Mexico cases, Komar (2003) reported that sixteen individuals were found wrapped in plastic, and twenty were noted as wrapped in a cloth or blanket. In a survey conducted of eighty-seven cases, fifty-four of the bodies were wrapped in some type of covering. Plastic was most common, but a variety was noted, …

Exploring The Mechanisms Of The Connection Between Offspring‟S Perceptions Of Interparental Conflict And Their Current Relationship Functioning, Jennifer Mary Willett

Masters Theses

The effects of interparental conflict upon offspring‟s own relationships and marriages have been well-documented and current research has narrowed its focus to the examination of the mediators and moderators of this transmission of relational patterns across generations. Two hundred and thirty-nine undergraduate participants completed measures assessing their perceptions of their parents‟ conflict, social cognitions about relationships, their communication patterns in their relationships, and their current relationship satisfaction. Results showed that offspring‟s attitudes toward marriage mediated the relationship between interparental conflict and offspring‟s current relationship satisfaction, even while accounting for communication patterns in relationships. Further, it was found that attitudes toward …

Analyzing Poverty In The Southern United States, Suhyun Jung

Masters Theses

This thesis deals with two related topics under the theme of ―Analyzing Poverty in the Southern United States‖. The first part explores the role of government healthcare and education expenditure for poverty reduction, focusing particularly on how these relationships change over space and time in the Southern United States. It is found that healthcare expenditure is a significant contributor to poverty alleviation in both 1990 and 2000. The healthcare expenditure has a relatively high poverty-reducing effect in the Texas cluster and in the west part of the Mississippi Delta cluster in both years, while the poverty-reducing effect of healthcare expenditures …

Some Relationships Among Father Involvement And The Literacy Interests Of Young Children With Disabilities, Courtney Michele Barnes

Masters Theses

Father involvement in child care and household routines has been associated with a number of positive maternal, child, and family outcomes, but largely for families of typically developing children. This contrasts sharply with the father involvement literature that pertains to families of young children with disabilities. Up until the mid 1990s, the extant research with families of typical children relied almost exclusively on maternal reports to assess the effects of father involvement on family members. It has only been in the last 15 years or so that fathers have been given opportunities to assess their involvement in child care and …

The Puzzle Of Syphilis: A Literature Review On Putting The Pieces Together, Tabatha Anne Boekhout

Masters Theses

As culture changes, so does disease. This change has been seen in a variety of diseases, but none are so hotly debated and researched as the treponematoses, the four diseases related to and including venereal syphilis. There have been decades of debate on every aspect of syphilis: where it came from, who gave it to whom, how it evolved, and what the distribution was at various points in time. Herein, the four types of treponematoses will be examined along with the clinical pathology of each. The skeletal evidence will be examined carefully, taking into account the distribution of lesions for …