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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Are You My Profession?: Mentoring, Organizational Citizenship, And Professional Identity, Julia M. Fullick Jan 2012

Are You My Profession?: Mentoring, Organizational Citizenship, And Professional Identity, Julia M. Fullick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence that academic major advisors and informal mentors can have on an individual's identification with a professional organization and their ensuing level of involvement in that professional organization. The present study is unique in that it is among the few to examine mentoring and OCBs in the context of a voluntary professional organization. Participants were 309 individuals with a doctoral degree who are members of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), a large professional organization with 7,847 total members (in 2011). The specific type of OCB investigated in …

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Cooperative Vs Competitive Goals In Educational Video Games, Peter Smith Jan 2012

Cooperative Vs Competitive Goals In Educational Video Games, Peter Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of serious games, or using games and gaming technologies for purposes other than purely entertainment, became popularized with the creation of the Serious Games Initiative in 2002 and has continued to grow. While this trend may appear new, the use of games for learning has a rich history and the idea of using a game as a learning platform is an established concept that had has withstood the test of time. Research in this area must move from if games can teach, to how do we improve games that do. Proponents of serious games suggest that they should …

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Keeping Church Goers Motivated: Church Worship Communication Study, Anne Trelstad Jan 2012

Keeping Church Goers Motivated: Church Worship Communication Study, Anne Trelstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At a time when mainline Protestant churches in America are concerned with stagnant or declining worship attendance (Duin, 2008) a better understanding of worshippers' motivations could help church leaders plan and create positive worship experiences (Katt & Trelstad, 2009). This study extends the scope of the previous research of Katt and Trelstad by employing a larger sample of purposively selected churches. It attempts to more clearly answer the following question more clearly: What types of incidents serve as motivator and de-motivator factors in the church worship service setting? A sample of 105 church members from thirty-eight churches participated in a …

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Integrating Differential Global Positioning Systems And Geographic Information Systems For Analysis And Mapping Of Skeletal Dispersals, Brittany Walter Jan 2012

Integrating Differential Global Positioning Systems And Geographic Information Systems For Analysis And Mapping Of Skeletal Dispersals, Brittany Walter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scene mapping is an integral part of processing a forensic scene with scattered human remains. By utilizing the appropriate mapping technique, investigators can accurately document the location of human remains and maintain a precise geospatial record of this evidence at a scene. Global positioning system (GPS) units have been used for years to survey the spatial distribution of large-scale archaeological sites. However, differential global positioning (DGPS) unit now provide decreased positional error suitable for small-scale surveys, such as forensic scenes. Because of the lack of knowledge concerning this utility in mapping a scene, controlled research is necessary to determine the …

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Rock-A-Buy Baby: Consumerism By New, First-Time Mothers, Sara Afflerback Jan 2012

Rock-A-Buy Baby: Consumerism By New, First-Time Mothers, Sara Afflerback

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rock-a-Buy Baby: Consumerism by New, First-Time Mothers, is the first known sociological exploration of need-based consumption for babies, despite the baby gear industry being a $6-billion-dollar business (whattoexpect.com). Data stemmed from qualitative, semistructured interviews with new, first-time mothers (3 months – 1 year postpartum) conducted within participants‘ households. The insights gained from the present study tell us a great deal about the ―needs‖ that predominantly white, middle-class mothers socially constructed in anticipation of their first child, and the consumptive behaviors used to accomplish these "needs." Respondents had turned to similar resources (other mothers, online forums, consumer reports, books, magazines, etc.) …

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Accuracy Of The Peer Informant: What Characteristics Are Related To The Ability To Detect Behavior Problems In Peers?, Brea Anne Lauer Jan 2012

Accuracy Of The Peer Informant: What Characteristics Are Related To The Ability To Detect Behavior Problems In Peers?, Brea Anne Lauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Victimization and rejection by peers leads to and exacerbates behavior problems in children and adolescents. Given the implications of problematic peer relations for adolescents who experience behavior problems, the present study examined factors that may be related to how adolescents perceive peers who exhibit such problems. Specifically, the present study examined the relationship of adolescent peer informants’ socioeconomic status, their prior exposure to psychopathology, their own social competence, and their own behavior problems to their perceptions of peer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, their liking of individuals who exhibit such problems, and their attributions for the etiology of such problems …

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The Relationship Between Married Partners' Individual And Relationship Distress: An Actor-Partner Analysis Of Low-Income, Racially And Ethnically Diverse Couples In Relationship Education, Matthew D. Munyon Jan 2012

The Relationship Between Married Partners' Individual And Relationship Distress: An Actor-Partner Analysis Of Low-Income, Racially And Ethnically Diverse Couples In Relationship Education, Matthew D. Munyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Couples experiencing relationship distress often require professional help, such as counseling and couple and relationship education (CRE). Research recently discovered that among couples in counseling, a circular relationship exists between individual and relationship distress-stress begets stress. Until this study, a similar examination had not been conducted among couples selecting CRE. This study examined the relationship between individual and relationship distress among married couples that had children, were from predominantly low-income and racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and selected CRE. A correlational research design was employed and framed in the social interdependence theory. The actor-partner interdependence model was conducted within a …

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Not-So Splendid Isolation: An Ipe Study Of Iranian Sanction Busting, Ryan Christopher Rilea Jan 2012

Not-So Splendid Isolation: An Ipe Study Of Iranian Sanction Busting, Ryan Christopher Rilea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the US sanction regime imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran. This single case study assesses its weaknesses and shortcomings in order to present a preliminary conclusion of the character of Iranian policies to bust the US sanctions regime. In charting the evolution of the US sanction regime through three distinct "waves" of sanctions the study highlighted the general shortcomings of the regime. First, the US sanction regime has failed to impose significant costs on Iran. Second, the slow pace of unveiling each new wave of sanctions failed to bring the necessary immediate pressure on Iran. Third, …

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Maya Use And Prevalence Of The Atlatl: Projectile Point Classification Function Analysis From Chichen Itza, Tikal, And Caracol, Andrew J. Ciofalo Jan 2012

Maya Use And Prevalence Of The Atlatl: Projectile Point Classification Function Analysis From Chichen Itza, Tikal, And Caracol, Andrew J. Ciofalo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiple scholars have briefly discussed the Maya use of the atlatl. Yet, there has never been a decisive encompassing discussion of prevalence and use of the atlatl in the Maya region with multiple lines of support from iconographic and artifactual analyses. This thesis explores the atlatl at Chichén Itzá, Tikal, and Caracol Maya sites to prove that atlatl prevalence can be interpreted primarily based on projectile point “classification function” analysis with support from iconographic and artifactual remains. The classification functions are derived from creating mutually exclusive groups of dart points and arrow points by using discrete functional analysis. Discerning between …

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That's A Wrap! The Organizational Culture And Characteristics Of Successful Film Crews, Lisa C. Cook Jan 2012

That's A Wrap! The Organizational Culture And Characteristics Of Successful Film Crews, Lisa C. Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to determine through survey research what characteristics film production crews possess that makes them so successful as an organization. The factors of age, gender, years of professional experience and education level were tested for their significance on how the respondents view their culture. Hofstede's six dimensions of organizational culture survey questions were rewritten to be applicable to the freelance film crew sample. The presentation of findings focuses on the resultant organizational profile of a film production crew, the workplace values of this group and the influence that the education level of the participants had on responses. The …

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The Foods And Crops Of The Muisca: A Dietary Reconstruction Of The Intermediate Chiefdoms Of Bogota (Bacata) And Tunja (Hunza), Colombia, Jorge Luis Garcia Jan 2012

The Foods And Crops Of The Muisca: A Dietary Reconstruction Of The Intermediate Chiefdoms Of Bogota (Bacata) And Tunja (Hunza), Colombia, Jorge Luis Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Muisca people of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia had an exceptionally complex diet, which is the result of specific subsistence strategies, environmental advantages, and social restrictions. The distinct varieties of microclimates, caused by the sharp elevations in this part of the Andes, allows for a great biodiversity of plants and animals that was accessible to the native population. The crops of domesticated and adopted plants of the Muisca include a wide variety of tubers, cereals, fruits, and leaves that are described in detail in this thesis. The Muisca used an agricultural method known as microverticality where the different thermic …

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Stable Isotopes And Multiple Tissue Analysis: Reconstructing Life Histories For Individuals From Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Noel Johns Jan 2012

Stable Isotopes And Multiple Tissue Analysis: Reconstructing Life Histories For Individuals From Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Noel Johns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotope analysis is often used to evaluate elements of the lives of past peoples, such as diet and health status, at a societal level. Analysis at an individual level is exceptionally rare, and has not been conducted using a variety of tissues representing both early life and life approximate to death. In this study, δ 13C and δ15N isotope signatures are used to create life histories for single individuals from Romano-Christian period Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. Samples are obtained from several different tissues, including tooth dentin, bone collagen, hair, nail, skin, and gut content, all …

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Counselor Education Students' Ethnic Identity And Social-Cognitive Development: Effects Of A Multicultural Self-Awareness Group Experience, Jennifer Marie Johnson Jan 2012

Counselor Education Students' Ethnic Identity And Social-Cognitive Development: Effects Of A Multicultural Self-Awareness Group Experience, Jennifer Marie Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the impact of a multicultural self-awareness personal growth group on counselor education students (n = 94) and group leaders (n = 10) and their ethnic identity development scores, social-cognitive maturity levels, and presence of group therapeutic factors. Findings from the study identified no statistically significant differences in ethnic identity development and social-cognitive maturity scores between treatment group and comparison group participants, or as a result of multiple measurements throughout the semester. However, a statistically significant effect was identified for time (pre-test, M = 91.94, SD = 5.33; mid-semester, M = 90.32, SD = 6.43; post-test, M …

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Measuring Trust In Virtual Worlds: Avatar-Mediated Self-Disclosure, Amanda M. Surprenant Jan 2012

Measuring Trust In Virtual Worlds: Avatar-Mediated Self-Disclosure, Amanda M. Surprenant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the development of trust between strangers interacting via avatars in virtual worlds. The first part of the study analyzed perceived trustworthiness based on the visual appearance of avatars; the second part makes observations of two strangers self-disclosing information via avatars in a virtual world; the third part analyzed an experimental situation of two individuals interacting via avatars, where avatar appearance was changed and participants were recruited based on their experience with interacting with others via avatars. Findings showed that perceived trustworthiness does vary based on the visual appearance of the avatar. A positive relationship was found for …

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Deconstructing Disability, Assistive Technology: Secondary Orality, The Path To Universal Access, Tara Prakash Tripathi Jan 2012

Deconstructing Disability, Assistive Technology: Secondary Orality, The Path To Universal Access, Tara Prakash Tripathi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his phonograph, he listed the talking books for the blind as one of the benefits of his invention. Edison was correct in his claim about talking books or audio books. Audio books have immensely helped the blind to achieve their academic and professional goals. Blind and visually impaired people have also been using audio books for pleasure reading. But several studies have demonstrated the benefits of audio books for people who are not defined as disabled. Many nondisabled people listen to audio books and take advantage of speech based technology, such as …

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Affirmative Action In Higher Education And The Talented Twenty Program In Florida, Miguel Ubiles Jan 2012

Affirmative Action In Higher Education And The Talented Twenty Program In Florida, Miguel Ubiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Affirmative action in higher education is a necessary component for ethnic minorities to be afforded postsecondary educational access and opportunities to improve their socioeconomic status. The ban of affirmative action in undergraduate admissions, wherever instituted, has decreased the undergraduate enrollment of ethnic minorities. The broad objective of this research is to demonstrate how the elimination of affirmative action has lessened postsecondary educational access for minorities, who presently account for the majority or near-majority population in several states and will soon account for a much larger segment of the national population. This study will use two series of multiple regression models …

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Establishing Difference: The Gendering And Racialization Of Power In Genocide, Erin E. Welsh Jan 2012

Establishing Difference: The Gendering And Racialization Of Power In Genocide, Erin E. Welsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is designed to delve deeper into perceptions of identity, specifically gender and racial identity, the power relationship that emerges as each of these switches is reached in the progression towards genocide, and the effects of these perceptions during and after the genocide takes place. The primary question addressed is whether the power relationship that emerges as a result of these pre-genocidal stages becomes gendered and racialized due to perceptions rooted in a male-dominated hierarchy and a belief in the superiority of one ethnicity over another. The primary goal of this thesis is to analyze the power relationship in …

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Classroom Based Substance Use Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis, Alyssa R. Boucher Jan 2012

Classroom Based Substance Use Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis, Alyssa R. Boucher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper reports on a meta-analysis performed on forty one studies evaluating classroom-based substance abuse primary prevention programs. Studies included were delivered in a classroom to the general student body, had a primary focus of substance abuse prevention, measured behavior change, and were published in peer-reviewed outlets between 2000 and 2011. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis was used to calculate a random effects Cohen’s d and moderator analyses. Results indicated a significant effect for alcohol (d=0.10) and tobacco (d=0.09) in multi-target interventions. Specific program components and characteristics associated with more effective prevention programs are discussed. Despite the best efforts of those who develop …

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Johnson & Johnson's Recall Debacle, Lashonda Louallen Eaddy Jan 2012

Johnson & Johnson's Recall Debacle, Lashonda Louallen Eaddy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been viewed as a role model by many organizations for its successful handling of a 1982 crisis involving cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules that resulted in seven deaths. The public relations community applauded J&J for a swift response and for promptly implementing actions to prevent a similar crisis from occurring in the future. However more recently, J&J has become a poster child for poor crisis communications amidst a flood of recalls that started in November 2009. The present study used concepts from Coombs’ (2004) Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and media framing research to develop a coding …

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Foreclosures And Crime: Testing Social Disorganization Theory In The Suburbs, Sara Hoskin Jan 2012

Foreclosures And Crime: Testing Social Disorganization Theory In The Suburbs, Sara Hoskin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foreclosures have increased in the US since the 1970’s. The increase in foreclosures has caused concern among some researchers on their affect on crime. Social disorganization theory measures the effect various structural characteristics, such as poverty, residential instability/mobility, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and family disruption have on crime. This study, though, is concerned with residential instability/mobility, or the presence of foreclosed houses in neighborhoods. Although most studies using this theory look at low-income neighborhoods, the following research looks at middle- and upper-income neighborhoods, which have been greatly affected by foreclosures. The theory also argues that the level of collective efficacy can reduce …

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Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: The Issue And Its Dimensions, Brenna Cathleen Kelly Jan 2012

Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: The Issue And Its Dimensions, Brenna Cathleen Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a variety of factors on environmental attitudes and behaviors. Studies have addressed a number of issues that are related to environmental matters. This examination extends the research in this area by incorporating educational attainment, political ideology, gender, marriage and family formation, religiosity and subjective spirituality, race and ethnicity, as well as several sociodemographic influences. The 2010 General Social Survey is selected for the analysis because it is the most recent data available and contains items pertaining to environmental concern and behavior, and the independent and control variables. Directions for …

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An Investigation Of Master's Level Counselor Education Admissions Criteria: The Predictive Validity Of Undergraduate Achievement And Aptitude On The Attainment Of Counseling Competence., Emma L. Kendrick Jan 2012

An Investigation Of Master's Level Counselor Education Admissions Criteria: The Predictive Validity Of Undergraduate Achievement And Aptitude On The Attainment Of Counseling Competence., Emma L. Kendrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to examine the relationship between the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) admissions criteria and the prediction of future counseling competencies in four domain areas; knowledge, counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) provided the measure for knowledge, paired with the Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS), measuring counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. Three types of correlational analyses (Multiple-linear Regression, Pearson Product Moment, and Canonical) were used to test the relationships between the variables and subscales. Overall, significant models were produced in areas consistent …

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Human Spaceflight Decision-Making As A Potential Well Problem, Ari Litwin Jan 2012

Human Spaceflight Decision-Making As A Potential Well Problem, Ari Litwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates funding within the US human spaceflight program in the timeperiod from 2004 to 2012. The approach taken employed the “potential well” model from physical science. The potential well model constrains any physical body trapped within it, and similarly a political “funding well” will constrain all programmatic decision-making. Two potential well models are employed, one represents classical physics while the other represents quantum physics. Since each model results in motion with certain properties, it can be seen if funding decisions also exhibit similar properties. In physics, the bifurcation between the classical world of aggregate bodies and the quantum …

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Ritual Use Of The Human Form: A Contextual Analysis Of The "Charlie Chaplin" Figure In The Maya Lowlands, Lisa M. Lomitola Jan 2012

Ritual Use Of The Human Form: A Contextual Analysis Of The "Charlie Chaplin" Figure In The Maya Lowlands, Lisa M. Lomitola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small anthropomorphic figures, most often referred to as “Charlie Chaplins,” appear in ritual deposits throughout the ancient Maya sites of Belize during the late Preclassic and Early Classic Periods and later, throughout the Petén region of Guatemala. Often these figures appear within similar cache assemblages and are carved from “exotic” materials such as shell or jade. This thesis examines the contexts in which these figures appear and considers the wider implications for commonly held ritual practices throughout the Maya lowlands during the Classic Period and the similarities between “Charlie Chaplin” figures and anthropomorphic figures found in ritual contexts outside of …

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Italian-American Ethnic Concentration, Informal Social Control, And Urban Violent Crime: A Defended Neighborhoods Approach, Hollianne Elizabeth Marshall Jan 2012

Italian-American Ethnic Concentration, Informal Social Control, And Urban Violent Crime: A Defended Neighborhoods Approach, Hollianne Elizabeth Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of white ethnic concentration on robbery and homicide in Chicago and New York City. As one of the first to disaggregate white ethnic populations, this study has the expectation that Italian-American concentration will have a stronger influence on robbery and homicide than any other white ethnic concentrations. This study is founded on prior qualitative research suggesting that the reputation of Italian-Americans influences the behavior of outsiders in their communities. The data show there is a significant and negative relationship between Italian-American concentration and the violent crimes robbery and homicide. This relationship only exists for white …

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From The Top: Impression Management Strategies And Organizational Identity In Executive-Authored Weblogs, Teryl A. Mclane Jan 2012

From The Top: Impression Management Strategies And Organizational Identity In Executive-Authored Weblogs, Teryl A. Mclane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines impression management strategies high-ranking organizational executives employ to create an identity for themselves and their companies via executive authored Weblogs (blogs). This study attempts to identify specific patterns of impression management strategies through a deductive content analysis applying Jones’ (1990) taxonomy of self-presentation strategies to this particular type of computer mediated communication. Sampling for this study (n=227) was limited to blogs solely and regularly authored by the highest-ranking leaders of Fortune 500 companies. The study revealed that executive bloggers frequently employed impression management strategies aimed at currying competency attributes (self-promotion), likeability (ingratiation), and moral worthiness (exemplification) to …

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Application Of Modeling And Simulation To Reduce Costs Of Acquisition Within Triple Constraints, Syed N. Mohammad Jan 2012

Application Of Modeling And Simulation To Reduce Costs Of Acquisition Within Triple Constraints, Syed N. Mohammad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A key component of defense acquisition programs operating using the Integrated Defense Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Life Cycle Management System is the reliance on the triple constraints of cost, schedule, and performance. While the use of Modeling and Simulation tools and capabilities is prevalent and well established in the Research and Development, Analysis, and Training domains, acquisition programs have been reluctant to use Modeling and Simulation in any great depth due to inaccessibility of tools, Subject Matter Experts, and implications to cost and schedule. This presents a unique Simulation Management challenge which requires an in-depth understanding of the technical capabilities …

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Comorbidity Of Psychopathy In Schizotypy: Skin Conductance To Affective Pictures, Kathleen A. Ragsdale Jan 2012

Comorbidity Of Psychopathy In Schizotypy: Skin Conductance To Affective Pictures, Kathleen A. Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research substantiates a relationship between psychopathy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, which has begun to elucidate why some individuals with schizophrenia are violent. Unfortunately, this relationship has been limited to self-report. To objectively corroborate this finding, undergraduate students were recruited from an online screening administration of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. This resulted in 56 participants (52% male) with a mean age of 20.37 (SD = 4.74) and a wide range of schizotypy scores who participated in the experiment. Following completion of self-report measures, participants viewed 15 pictures (five neutral, five threatening, and five of others in distress) from the International Affective …

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Analyzing Action Game Players' Performance During Distracted Driving, Michael Rupp Jan 2012

Analyzing Action Game Players' Performance During Distracted Driving, Michael Rupp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Driving is a complex task that is highly reliant on attention. Research states that distractions cause performance errors thus it is important to find ways to reduce driver distraction or assist drivers with ways to improve their cognitive resources if distraction is unavoidable. Moreover, research indicates that action video game players outperform non-players on labbased tests of visual and cognitive abilities. However, research also exists that is contrary to these findings. Some researchers suggest that methodological deficiencies could be the cause of the significant findings in the literature. With such fervor of debate on the subject, the question remains of …

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The Use Of A Phototherapy Intervention To Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, And Self-Disclosure In Counselors-In-Training Using The Personal Growth Group, Dallas Wilkes Jan 2012

The Use Of A Phototherapy Intervention To Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, And Self-Disclosure In Counselors-In-Training Using The Personal Growth Group, Dallas Wilkes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher set out to investigate the effectiveness of a specific phototherapy intervention on counselor-in-training’s empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure development through participation in a personal growth group using Davis’ (1980) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Govern and Marsch’s (2001) Situational Self-Awareness Scale, and behavioral observations. The study also explored the relationship between the three factors. The study looked to see if there was a difference in the change over time between the group receiving the phototherapy intervention and those participants who did not receive the intervention. The data was collected and measured through a (a) repeated measures MANOVA, (b) independent samples …

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