Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
File Type

Articles 4231 - 4260 of 5480

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Religious Women And Homosexuality A Denominational Breakdown, Mandi Nicole Barringer Jan 2011

Religious Women And Homosexuality A Denominational Breakdown, Mandi Nicole Barringer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine women‟s attitudes toward homosexuality by religiosity, and how these attitudes may vary across denominations. To examine this, I will use the General Social Survey to analyze the extent to which women‟s attitudes toward same-sex relations vary by denominational affiliation, religious participation, and spirituality. Based on the current literature, women are generally considered to be more tolerant than men regarding homosexuality. However, research has not examined the extent to which their attitudes vary across denominational affiliation. This research will contribute to the current literature by examining variations by denomination, religiosity, and spirituality in …

Go to article

Eliminating The Glass Ceiling How Micro-Financing Empowers Women And Alleviates The Effects Of Poverty In Developing Countries, Garcia, Meldin Graziani Jan 2011

Eliminating The Glass Ceiling How Micro-Financing Empowers Women And Alleviates The Effects Of Poverty In Developing Countries, Garcia, Meldin Graziani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is widely accepted as fact that the creation of a stable financial system is the catalyst which facilitates economic development and prosperity. However, developing countries which embark on a path of change often forget the cardinal rule: addressing the needs of those who suffer from poverty, inequality, and political strife. In other words, change starts from the ground up; not the other way around. First among the challenges facing these countries, is the need to change the lending rules followed by traditional financial institutions- banks and other private lenders- who are unwilling to provide their services to individuals with …

Go to article

Monitoring Long-Term Controlled Grave Scenarios Using Ground Penetrating Radar, William T. Hawkins Jan 2011

Monitoring Long-Term Controlled Grave Scenarios Using Ground Penetrating Radar, William T. Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geophysical techniques, such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR), have been successfully used by law enforcement agencies to locate graves and forensic evidence. However, more controlled research is needed to better understand the potential and limitations of this technology in the forensic context. The goal of this study was to determine the potential of GPR using both a 250 MHz and 500 MHz antennae to monitor eight controlled graves with six different burial scenarios using pig carcasses as human proxy cadavers. In addition, a conductivity meter was employed to determine the applicability of using this technology to locate unmarked graves. For the …

Go to article

Do Immigrant Students Consume Less Energy Than Native-Born American Students?, Lei Lei Jan 2011

Do Immigrant Students Consume Less Energy Than Native-Born American Students?, Lei Lei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper uses a sociological model to compare the residential energy consumption between immigrant students and native-born American students and to explain the difference by demographic characteristics, values, and specific attitudes. Further, it tries to explore whether the relationship between immigration status and residential energy consumption is mediated by value orientation towards frugality and specific attitudes towards energy conservation. The data of an online survey among native-born and foreign-born students at the University of Central Florida are used. The results suggest that immigrants consume less energy at home than native-born Americans, but the time stayed in the US doesn’t have …

Go to article

A Proposed Methodology For Predicting The Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotope Measures Of K'Inich Yax K'Uk Mo', Copan Dynastic Founder, Keith Edwards Jan 2011

A Proposed Methodology For Predicting The Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotope Measures Of K'Inich Yax K'Uk Mo', Copan Dynastic Founder, Keith Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to show that stable isotope analysis can be used to predict K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’s stable isotope measures based on Stuart’s (2007) hypothesis that K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’, the dynastic founder of the Copan royal lineage, was a Caracol lord. There is significant and convincing evidence that K’inich Yak K’uk Mo’ had a non-Copanec origin. Stable isotope analysis is a tested and reliable method for detailing diets and migratory paths of ancient humans and this theory is applied as a predictor of the stable isotope measures of K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’, if he did …

Go to article

Rawls's Theory Of Justice A Necessary Extension To Environmentalism, Andrew Greene Jan 2011

Rawls's Theory Of Justice A Necessary Extension To Environmentalism, Andrew Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

John Rawls‟s stated intergenerational justice scheme, known as the just-savings principle, does not include an institutional concern for the environment and is therefore incomplete and incapable of maintaining meaningfully just relations between generations. The theory‟s emphasis on economic theory and capital accumulation demonstrates a misinterpretation of environmental issues and concerns as well as their underlying causes and repercussions. This lapse in Rawls‟s intergenerational scheme exposes flaws in his larger theory of justice by leaving the stability of society in question and placing arbitrary burdens on generations and peoples without institutional recourse. However, by supplementing justice as fairness (JAF) with Rawls‟s …

Go to article

The Tyler Perry Effect Examining The Influence Of Black Media Images On The Black Identity, Nicole E. Jackson Jan 2011

The Tyler Perry Effect Examining The Influence Of Black Media Images On The Black Identity, Nicole E. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the influence of Tyler Perry‟s House of Payne and Meet the Browns on black viewers‟ racial identity, based on a survey of 145 members of four predominantly African American churches in the Central Florida area. Mirroring Allen, Dawson, and Brown‟s (1989) model of an African American racial belief system, this study proposed that both shows would positively influence three dimensions of the black identity including closeness to blacks, black separatism, and the belief in positive stereotypes about blacks, while negatively influencing the dimension that emphasizes negative stereotypes about blacks. Socioeconomic status and religiosity were also hypothesized to …

Go to article

Yogic Diffusion The Effects Of Yogic Practice And Philosophy On Beliefs About Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Jacqueline Marie Siven Jan 2011

Yogic Diffusion The Effects Of Yogic Practice And Philosophy On Beliefs About Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Jacqueline Marie Siven

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is a qualitative study that aimed to anthropologically explore the effects of consistent long-term yogic practice on the acceptance and practice of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among yoga practitioners at a South Florida yoga center. I wished to determine, through in-depth interviews, whether or not yogic practice affects acceptance of CAM. The main objective was to interview individuals from a single yoga center that have practiced yoga at least once per week for at least one year concerning their beliefs about CAM, yoga, and health. This project will begin to fill the gap in social science, in …

Go to article

Using Geographic Information Systems (Gis) In Spatial Analysis Of Mortuary Practices In The Kellis 2 Cemetery, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Elsalam, Heba Abd Jan 2011

Using Geographic Information Systems (Gis) In Spatial Analysis Of Mortuary Practices In The Kellis 2 Cemetery, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Elsalam, Heba Abd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to examine mortuary practices in the Romano-Byzantine period Kellis 2 cemetery located in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. The first research objective examines the relationship between age, sex and grave substructures of 701 burials in Kellis 2 cemetery. The aim of this research objective was to determine if the presence and style of grave substructures were influenced by sex or age. Although not statistically significant, GIS analysis revealed that most of the graves in the Kellis 2 cemetery have no associated substructures, but of those that did have associated substructures, …

Go to article

A Configural Approach To Patient Safety Climate: The Relationship Between Climate Profile Characteristics And Patient Outcomes, Sallie J. Weaver Jan 2011

A Configural Approach To Patient Safety Climate: The Relationship Between Climate Profile Characteristics And Patient Outcomes, Sallie J. Weaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patient safety climate is defined as a holistic snapshot of enacted work environment practices and procedures related to patient safety, derived from shared perceptions of social and environmental work characteristics. While patient safety climate has been touted as a critical factor underlying safe patient care, our understanding of input factors influencing shared climate perceptions and, in turn, the effects of climate as a collective, group-level construct on important outcomes remains underdeveloped, both theoretically and empirically. Therefore, the current study examines (1) the antecedents that impact individual patient safety climate perceptions and (2) the relationships between hospital unit patient safety climate …

Go to article

Examining The Impact Of Leader Social Distance On A Multicultural Team, Granados Deborah Diaz Jan 2011

Examining The Impact Of Leader Social Distance On A Multicultural Team, Granados Deborah Diaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leading multicultural teams is one of the main challenges faced by today’s leaders. The advantages often associated with multicultural teams (e.g., collaboration and integration of different knowledge, ideas, and approaches to a task) are often the major challenges in leading these teams. The literature on effective multicultural teams has identified leadership as an important factor for team effectiveness. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of leader social distance in multicultural teams. A lab study was designed to test the impact of experimentally-manipulated leader social distance (socially close or socially distant) on the relationship between team …

Go to article

Variation In The Dynamic Response Of Housing Markets, Andrew Pate Hill Jan 2011

Variation In The Dynamic Response Of Housing Markets, Andrew Pate Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the existence of asset bubbles in Florida metropolitan statistical areas during 2000–2010. Estimation occurs in two stages with the first being the estimated fundamental price of housing using a fixed effects estimator. Once the fundamental price of housing is determined an error correction model of housing prices is estimated to evaluate the degrees of serial correlation and mean reversion existing in the sampled geographic areas. Serial correlation and mean reversion are then interacted with the hypothesized effects of information costs, supply costs, and expectations of future price behavior to uncover variation in the dynamic response of housing. …

Go to article

Positive Youth Development Among Latino/A Youth In A Service Learning Program, Christopher Fox Drescher Jan 2011

Positive Youth Development Among Latino/A Youth In A Service Learning Program, Christopher Fox Drescher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the potential of a service-learning program to cultivate positive developmental strengths among Latino/a youth participating in a school-based program in Los Angles County. Youth (N=112) in grades 5–12, who were primarily from low SES backgrounds, participated in an environmental and humanitarian education program, the Jane Goodall Institute's, Roots & Shoots (R&S) program. Three positive youth development (PYD) variables, including civic responsibility, ethnic identity, and connection to nature were assessed before and after participation. Challenges in program implementation and data collection resulted in a small subset of participants that completed measures at the pre and posttest (n = …

Go to article

Cognitive Defusion And Psychological Flexibility With Self-Relevant Academic Distress Stimuli, Laura Ely Jan 2011

Cognitive Defusion And Psychological Flexibility With Self-Relevant Academic Distress Stimuli, Laura Ely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A distinctive feature of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is cognitive defusion. Rapid word repetition is one of the exercises used in ACT to promote defusion. Previous research has examined the effect of this exercise with the general population, using words representing negative self-referential thoughts. Studies have found that discomfort and believability of these thoughts decrease more following this defusion exercise as compared to a thought distraction task. The present study evaluated the effects of the word repetition defusion exercise using content reflecting academic distress, in an undergraduate sample primed to feel academic anxiety. The defusion exercise was compared to …

Go to article

A Nonparametric Bounds Approach For Hedonic Housing Price Indexes With An Application To The Southern California Market 1996 To 2008, Zhizhong Shan Jan 2011

A Nonparametric Bounds Approach For Hedonic Housing Price Indexes With An Application To The Southern California Market 1996 To 2008, Zhizhong Shan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I propose a nonparametric bounds approach for hedonic housing price models partially identified due to sample selection of an unknown form. To construct bounds for the identification region, I use a nonparametric hedonic housing price model that allows spatial correlation and propose estimators of extreme conditional quantiles. The estimated bounds are then used to generate price indexes in the form of a time-series of intervals. In contrast to conventional housing price indexes, these interval-valued indexes do not suffer from sample selection bias. The approach is used to construct both metro and zip code level price indexes from a sample of …

Go to article

Discriminating Emotions And Engaging Difficult Emotional Material: Implications For Process And Outcome In Written Disclosure, Stephanie L. Nassar Jan 2011

Discriminating Emotions And Engaging Difficult Emotional Material: Implications For Process And Outcome In Written Disclosure, Stephanie L. Nassar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Written disclosure participants have experienced numerous psychological and physiological benefits, as compared to those who wrote about neutral topics (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005; Corter & Petrie, 2011; Frattaroli, 2006; Pennebaker & Chung, in press). Given the beneficial results of expressive writing commonly found among healthy participants, exploration of this method was expanded to broader populations with mixed results. Researchers have attempted to provide a rationale for why, when, and with whom written disclosure works. As emotional clarity and experiential avoidance have been linked to psychological well-being, this study examined their relative contributions to written disclosure benefits. Participants self-reported on measures …

Go to article

Meaning In Life, Depression, And Alcohol Use In A College Sample, Lindsay Wilson Schnetzer Jan 2011

Meaning In Life, Depression, And Alcohol Use In A College Sample, Lindsay Wilson Schnetzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The meaning construct has been researched over the last several decades, yielding important empirical advancements in our understanding of its impact on psychological well-being. Comdenominators among various definitions of meaning and life purpose are (1) an emphasis on the significance of life (2) an awareness of coherence, and (3) the fulfillment of unique purpose. Research suggests that meaning and depression are related yet distinct variables, that depression and alcohol abuse are comorbid, and that meaning and alcohol use are significantly associated. Because there is minimal research examining relations among all three variables, and because there have been inconsistent findings with …

Go to article

How Group Leaders Rate The Frequency Of Practice And Level Of Importance Of The Asgw Principles For Diversity-Competent Group Workers, Daphne Ha Ingene Jan 2011

How Group Leaders Rate The Frequency Of Practice And Level Of Importance Of The Asgw Principles For Diversity-Competent Group Workers, Daphne Ha Ingene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The establishment of multicultural counseling competencies evolved over a decade. In 1992, Sue, Arredondo, and McDavis published the influential Multicultural Counseling Competencies and Standards. The Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) is one of the counseling professional organizations that incorporated these standards into their own professional guidelines, as well as Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development, AMCD; Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs, CACREP. However, the Principles for Diversity-Competent Group Workers have never been empirically studied to determine whether these multicultural group standards in fact offer helpful information for group workers. Such studies can provide evidence of the …

Go to article

Bp's Use Of Twitter As A Crisis Communication Tool During The Gulf Oil Spill Crisis Response Phase, Lindsay Ann Jordan Jan 2011

Bp's Use Of Twitter As A Crisis Communication Tool During The Gulf Oil Spill Crisis Response Phase, Lindsay Ann Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On April 20, 2010, British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig located in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, creating the largest oil spill in U.S. history. BP launched a major public relations response that targeted its online audience through strategic use of its corporate website, Twitter feed, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and Flickr photostream. This content analysis examines BP's use of Twitter during the crisis response phase of the oil spill. BP tweeted on 1,161 occasions from the time of the explosion to the capping of the well. All tweets during this 13-week period were coded by two separate coders to …

Go to article

Friends On The Playground: Associations With Physical Activity Levels In A Preschool Sample, Kevin Francis Karl Jan 2011

Friends On The Playground: Associations With Physical Activity Levels In A Preschool Sample, Kevin Francis Karl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child obesity rates have reached an all-time high in the United States; with rates doubling over the past 30 years for children ages 2-5 (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2004). This increase in obesity rates has led to increased research directed at understanding the causes in order to begin to reverse the trend and prevent our children from becoming obese. The literature shows that several key variables, including child physical activity level, parent physical activity level, and peer influences on the playground are related to childhood obesity (Epstein, 2005; Salvy, 2008; Trost, et al., 2003). Much of this …

Go to article

From Student To Sorority Girl: Gender, Class, And Presentation Of Self In Formal Sorority Recruitment, Cheryl Rose Nelson Jan 2011

From Student To Sorority Girl: Gender, Class, And Presentation Of Self In Formal Sorority Recruitment, Cheryl Rose Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I discuss how women prepare for the formal sorority recruitment process associated with National Panhellenic Conference chapters at Southern State University, a large public university in the Southeastern United States. I first examine their experiences before arriving on campus, focusing primarily on how potential new members (PNMs) use social capital to obtain necessary recommendations from sorority alumnae prior to recruitment and learn about the expectations about the sorority recruitment process at Southern State University. I then describe the bodily practices and behavioral choices of PNMs as they enter the week of formal recruitment, analyzing their interpretations of …

Go to article

Discriminating Emotions And Engaging Difficult Emotional Material: Implications For Process And Outcome In Written Disclosure, Stephanie L. Nassar Jan 2011

Discriminating Emotions And Engaging Difficult Emotional Material: Implications For Process And Outcome In Written Disclosure, Stephanie L. Nassar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Written disclosure participants have experienced numerous psychological and physiological benefits, as compared to those who wrote about neutral topics (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005; Corter & Petrie, 2011; Frattaroli, 2006; Pennebaker & Chung, in press). Given the beneficial results of expressive writing commonly found among healthy participants, exploration of this method was expanded to broader populations with mixed results. Researchers have attempted to provide a rationale for why, when, and with whom written disclosure works. As emotional clarity and experiential avoidance have been linked to psychological well-being, this study examined their relative contributions to written disclosure benefits. Participants self-reported on measures …

Go to article

Impact Of Relationship Context On Evaluations Of The Sexual Behavior Of Men And Women, Olga Vadymovna Berkout Jan 2011

Impact Of Relationship Context On Evaluations Of The Sexual Behavior Of Men And Women, Olga Vadymovna Berkout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A number of gender differences have been found in early studies of human sexuality with males following more permissive norms for engagement in sexual behavior. More recently, male and female sexual behavior has become more similar, although literature examining attitudes towards sexual behavior has found mixed support for the idea that similar standards were used to evaluate men and women. This study examined the potential moderating roles of relationship context and traditional gender role adherence on evaluations of sexual behavior among 307 undergraduates at a public Southeastern university. Both men and women having sex within committed relationships were vieas more …

Go to article

Quantifying The Impacts Of The 2007 Economic Crisis On A Local Tourism Industry And Regional Economy, Yun Ying Zhong Jan 2011

Quantifying The Impacts Of The 2007 Economic Crisis On A Local Tourism Industry And Regional Economy, Yun Ying Zhong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to explore the accuracy of the Input-Output model and its derivative, the Occupation-Based model in investigating the impacts of the 2007 economic crisis on the tourism-related industries and the local economy in the Metro Orlando Area, Florida. The 2007-2008 total visitor expenditure change is taken as an initial shock from the economic crisis on the region's tourism-related industries, and the total impacts are measured in terms of industry output (sales), employment and annual occupational wage. The estimation results are compared with the actual data to verify the accuracy of the modeling results. Paired-sample T …

Go to article

New Perspectives On The Quatrefoil In Classic Maya Iconography The Center And The Portal, Rachel K. Egan Jan 2011

New Perspectives On The Quatrefoil In Classic Maya Iconography The Center And The Portal, Rachel K. Egan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The quatrefoil is a pan-Mesoamerican symbol with considerable time-depth. For the Maya, use of the symbol peaked during the Classic Period, reaching its highest frequency and largest geographical spread. Consequently, understanding its meaning has the potential to illuminate information about Precolumbian Maya worldview. While there have been several studies that focus on Preclassic Period quatrefoils, a similar study is lacking for Classic Period. Furthermore, the evaluations of the quatrefoil that do exist for the Classic Period are limited, often focusing on a select few examples. This thesis attempts to rectify the gap in extant research through an examination of the …

Go to article

The Impact Of Continuing Education Modules On The Moral Obligations And Responsibilities Of Financial Advisors, Sandy Modell Jan 2011

The Impact Of Continuing Education Modules On The Moral Obligations And Responsibilities Of Financial Advisors, Sandy Modell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased life expectancies and a significant reduction in the number of corporate pension plans nationwide have made the prospects of retirement a challenge for many of us. The burden of funding retirement will move from the corporation or government to the individual. Those individuals with limited financial experience will most likely need the guidance of a financial advisor. Can we trust and rely upon them? Following the 2004 late trading scandal and the 2008 financial meltdown, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") implemented Continuing Education requirements at the advisor level. The intent was to improve the quality and integrity of …

Go to article

Transitions How Individuals In The Transgender Community Use Impression Management, Candice S. Campanaro Jan 2011

Transitions How Individuals In The Transgender Community Use Impression Management, Candice S. Campanaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There exists an extensive body of literature focusing on impression management, with numerous studies addressing the effects of gender performance on members of the GLBT community. Despite a growing body of literature that centers on the differences between the genders, there exists a lack of research regarding the transgender community‟s ability to use impression management. This exploratory study addresses subjective experiences regarding transgender identity, and concentrates on self-definition and impression management in everyday life. It was found through interviews that “transition” is a temporary state that relies heavily on “passing” through impression management to create a new gender status. Once …

Go to article

Framing Racial Inequality Reassessing The Effect Of Religion On Racial Attitudes, Jerrold C. Kaufman Ii Jan 2011

Framing Racial Inequality Reassessing The Effect Of Religion On Racial Attitudes, Jerrold C. Kaufman Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Building on previous work on racial attitudes among the religious, this study reassesses the effects of religion on individuals’ beliefs about racial inequality. This study relies on recent developments in the sociology of culture, which conceives of culture as a frame through which individuals interpret the world in which they inhabit (Benford and Snow 2000; Harding 2007; Small 2002, 2004). Religion is held to be an important social institution that provides substance to the frames that individuals employ for interpreting racial inequality. Two particular developments from this literature inform this study: first, that individuals can employ different, even contradictory, frames …

Go to article

Three Essays On The Impact Of Information And Transparency In Firms, Lloyd R. Wade Jan 2011

Three Essays On The Impact Of Information And Transparency In Firms, Lloyd R. Wade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays on the information and transparency in firms. In the first essay, we provide some of the first evidence regarding the impact of safety expenditures on moral hazard induced by increases in workers' compensation benefits. Prior studies have inferred the effect of safety incentives by testing the relation between claims frequency and benefit increases. However, these studies have not explicitly modeled the impact of actual safety expenditures. Using a proprietary dataset containing policy-level data for several thousand policies over a 13-year period we show that safety expenditures play a positive role in reducing the moral …

Go to article

Postglacial Sandy Hill: A Regional Manifestation Of The Gulf Of Maine Archaic Tradition, Benjamin Russell Jan 2011

Postglacial Sandy Hill: A Regional Manifestation Of The Gulf Of Maine Archaic Tradition, Benjamin Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over twenty years of archaeological excavations at Sandy Hill, in Mashantucket, CT, have provided an incredibly rich assemblage of artifacts. Yet some of the most basic questions about Sandy Hill's Early Archaic inhabitants remain unanswered. This thesis will synthesize the results of major excavations at Sandy Hill by analyzing site morphology, lithics, and hard tissue macrobotanical remains from several radiocarbon dated contexts. Macrobotanical artifacts recovered from Sandy Hill indicate a preference for hazelnut as well as wetland roots and tubers. The lithic assemblage is related to the Gulf of Maine Archaic Tradition and the predominance of quartz flakes technology and …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last