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Articles 4681 - 4710 of 5479

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Bush Administration's Decision To Invade Iraq: Did They Fall Victim To Groupthink?, Joel Nantais Jan 2009

The Bush Administration's Decision To Invade Iraq: Did They Fall Victim To Groupthink?, Joel Nantais

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the George W. Bush administration became victims of groupthink when they made the policy decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Groupthink is a policy-making model which was first put forward by Irving Janis which attempts to explain how experienced and elite policy-makers can make decisions which lead to disastrous outcomes due to conditions which cause defective decision-making. Research was conducted through a qualitative, within case study which was made possible through the inherent process tracing method of the groupthink model. Mainly secondary sources which detailed the historical case of the decision …

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Pubs, Punters, And Pints: Anthropological Reflections On Pub Life In Ireland, Jason Cucchiara Jan 2009

Pubs, Punters, And Pints: Anthropological Reflections On Pub Life In Ireland, Jason Cucchiara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ireland is a country with a rich and unique cultural heritage. It is difficult to imagine that certain facets of Irish culture (e.g. Saint Patrick's Day, the Blarney Stone, or the Ring of Kerry) can ever be taken for granted since they are so widely recognized internationally. One common feature of Irish life that possibly warrants more scholarly attention is the public house or pub. Much has been written about pubs as quaint institutions in popular literature and fiction. Curiously, they remain largely overlooked as vital aspects of Irish culture by anthropologists and others in the social sciences. In many …

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Detecting Buried Metallic Weapons In A Controlled Setting Using A Conductivity Meter And A Ground-Penetrating Radar, Charles Dionne Jan 2009

Detecting Buried Metallic Weapons In A Controlled Setting Using A Conductivity Meter And A Ground-Penetrating Radar, Charles Dionne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Searching for buried metallic evidence at crime scenes or at potential disposal sites can be a daunting task for forensic personnel. In particular, it is common to search for a small firearm that was discarded or buried by the perpetrator. When performing forensic searches, it is recommended to first use non-invasive methods such as geophysical instruments to minimize damage to evidence and to the crime scene. Geophysical tools are used to pinpoint small areas of interest across a scene that will be invasively tested later. Prior to this project, there was no published research that tested the utility of the …

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Determining Sex And Ancestry Of The Hyoid From The Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection, Sarah Kindschuh Jan 2009

Determining Sex And Ancestry Of The Hyoid From The Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection, Sarah Kindschuh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the basic goals of the physical anthropologist is to create a biological profile, consisting of sex, ancestry, age, and stature, from the skeletal material that they are presented with. This thesis seeks to explore size and shape differences related to sex and ancestry from the hyoid bones of the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection in order to gauge its usefulness in the process of developing a biological profile. A series of measurements were taken from 398 hyoids and analysis was conducted using a number of statistical methods. Independent samples t-tests were used to examine size differences between sexes …

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Controlled Research Utilizing Geophysical Technologies In The Search For Buried Firearms And Miscellaneous Weapons, Mary Rezos Jan 2009

Controlled Research Utilizing Geophysical Technologies In The Search For Buried Firearms And Miscellaneous Weapons, Mary Rezos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Incorporating geophysical technologies into forensic investigations has become a growing practice. Oftentimes, forensic professionals rely on basic metal detectors to assist their efforts during buried weapons searches, perhaps being used by someone with negligible or limited training, in turn slowing down investigation time and destroying the scene. This has created a need for research in the area of weapons searches, specifically to formulate guidelines for advanced geophysical methods that may be appropriate for locating weapons that have been discarded or buried by criminals attempting to conceal their involvement in a crime. This research project was the first to demonstrate the …

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Ballcourt Iconography At Caracol, Belize, Patsy Holden Jan 2009

Ballcourt Iconography At Caracol, Belize, Patsy Holden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the more commonly known aspects of the ancient Maya culture is the ballgame. This ancient ballgame was played by most Mesoamerican cultures on a constructed ballcourt and many major Mesoamerican sites have at least one, if not more than one. Contemporary Mesoamericans still play versions of this ballgame today, but without the use of the ballcourts, questioning the importance and purpose of the ballcourt that is no longer the case today. After over a century of research, scholars have yet to unravel all the cosmological and mythological mysteries of the ballcourt and its purpose to the ancient Maya. …

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Geophysical Survey Of Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando, Florida, Dennis Wardlaw Jan 2009

Geophysical Survey Of Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando, Florida, Dennis Wardlaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advances in geophysical and remote sensing technology, specifically with ground penetrating radar (GPR) and geographic information systems (GIS), have led to increased use for archaeological research within cemeteries. Because of its non-invasive manner and high resolution of subsurface anomalies, GPR is ideal for surveying areas with marked or unmarked graves within cemeteries. Using a GIS assists cemetery research by facilitating integration of datasets and projection of spatial data. What has not been attempted to this point is systematic attempting to correlate detection rates of marked graves using a GPR with the time frame of the grave while incorporating the data …

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The Forensic Analysis Of Triacetone Triperoxide (Tatp) Precursors And Synthetic By-Products, Kimberly Painter Jan 2009

The Forensic Analysis Of Triacetone Triperoxide (Tatp) Precursors And Synthetic By-Products, Kimberly Painter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) is a primary high explosive that can be synthesized using commercially available starting materials and has grown in use among terrorists over the past several years. Additives present in the precursors were investigated to see if they carry through the TATP synthesis and can be detected in the final product potentially aiding in the identification of the source. Additives identified in the acetones were also identified in pre-blast and in some post-blast samples. However, these additives are present in trace quantities relative to the TATP, which coupled with the volatility and short lifetimes of some of the …

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Web-Based, Gendered Recruitment Of Women By Organized White Supremacist Groups, Angela King Jan 2009

Web-Based, Gendered Recruitment Of Women By Organized White Supremacist Groups, Angela King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the hate group watchdog organization, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in the United States rose 54 percent since 2000 (SPLC 2009 a & b). Literature on organized white supremacist groups suggests that women have become increasingly more important to such groups for a variety of reasons, many of which are not always agreed upon by and within said groups. In addition, it is believed by many in the hate monitoring world that the World Wide Web has become progressively more dynamic as a medium of recruitment, as a tool of communication among members, …

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India And China Space Programs: From Genesis Of Space Technologies To Major Space Programs And What That Means For The Internati, Gaurav Bhola Jan 2009

India And China Space Programs: From Genesis Of Space Technologies To Major Space Programs And What That Means For The Internati, Gaurav Bhola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Indian and Chinese space programs have evolved into technologically advanced vehicles of national prestige and international competition for developed nations. The programs continue to evolve with impetus that India and China will have the same space capabilities as the United States with in the coming years. This will present new challenges to the international community in spheres civilian, to space and military applications and their residual benefits.

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Role Of Revolutionary Leadership In Iran To Its Foreign Policy, Aida Latorre Jan 2009

Role Of Revolutionary Leadership In Iran To Its Foreign Policy, Aida Latorre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the role of different leadership styles within Iran and how such leadership changes influenced Iranian foreign policy. The study utilized event-data analysis of Iranian history and current events and discussed the role of realist and idealist to the development of Iran into the regional power it is today as well as how Western relations played a role in developing Iranian foreign policy, particularly with regard to its nuclear development. The main body of the study drew from the dynamics within Iran, its relations with the West, relations with Israel, and relations with other foreign powers. The event-data …

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The News Media And Public Opinion: The Press Coverage Of U.S. International Conflicts And Its Effect On Presidental Approval, Kristen Mccullough Jan 2009

The News Media And Public Opinion: The Press Coverage Of U.S. International Conflicts And Its Effect On Presidental Approval, Kristen Mccullough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A standing phenomenon exists in the fields of both political science and communication studies regarding the impact that the news media have on public opinion. This study recognizes the average American citizens' reliance on the press to gain information about international conflicts. Hence, it is theorized that news reports on a political occurrence could very well influence the mass-level opinion of an event such that positive news stories generate positive public opinion, and vice versa. Since foreign crises define a presidency in the public's minds, presidential approval ratings determine the degree to which the news media manipulate public opinion. Specifically, …

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Taking The Initiative: Exploring The Influence Of Citizen Legislating On Good Goverance In The American States, Kerri Milita Jan 2009

Taking The Initiative: Exploring The Influence Of Citizen Legislating On Good Goverance In The American States, Kerri Milita

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The citizen legislator is both a controversial and recurring phenomenon of interest in political science research. A longstanding concern for the discipline has been whether or not involvement of the public in the lawmaking process is an asset or a liability to quality governance. This study explores the desirability of citizen legislating in the American states. A four dimensional index is created that includes empirical indicators of "substantive" and "procedural" governance. These indicators include voter turnout, fiscal health, the ideological distance between government and the citizenry, and the diversity of a state's interest group system. The total number of initiatives …

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Globalization And Identity: A Cross-National Study Among Chinese, Indian, Colombian, And American College Students, Min Cheng Jan 2009

Globalization And Identity: A Cross-National Study Among Chinese, Indian, Colombian, And American College Students, Min Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arnett (2002) has suggested the development of a typology similar to one that has become popular in the ethnic identity literature (Berry, 1993; Phinney, 1990) whereby people are surveyed in terms of strength of identification with both the dominant national culture and their particular sub-group minority culture. Based on this typology, we have developed a paper and pencil measure, the Global Identity Survey (GIS), which asks participants about the degree to which they identify with either the local or global culture. A new typology is proposed, with behaviors and attitudes falling into one of the four following categories: "locally encapsulated" …

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Adolescent And Caregiver Identity Distress, Identity Status, And Their Relationship To Psychological Adjustment, Rachel Wiley Jan 2009

Adolescent And Caregiver Identity Distress, Identity Status, And Their Relationship To Psychological Adjustment, Rachel Wiley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study addresses identity distress and identity status in adolescents with clinical diagnoses, and their caregivers. There were 88 adolescent participants (43.2% female) ranging in age from 11 to 20 (mean =14.96; SD =1.85) who were recruited from community mental health centers in Volusia and Orange Counties. The 63 caregiver participants included mothers (82.5%), fathers (7.9%), grandmothers (7.9%), and grandfathers (1.6%), ranging in age from 28-70 (mean = 40.24; SD = 9.16). A significant proportion of adolescents (22.7%) met criteria for Identity Problem in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, …

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Elucidating The Social Skills Deficits In Children With Asperger's Disorder: A Comparative Study, Lindsay Scharfstein Jan 2009

Elucidating The Social Skills Deficits In Children With Asperger's Disorder: A Comparative Study, Lindsay Scharfstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with Asperger's Disorder are considered to have impairments in social interaction, but to date few studies have empirically addressed this issue. This study examined the existence of social skills deficits in children with Asperger's Disorder, children with social phobia, and children with no psychological disorder. Using direct observation of social skills during role-play tasks, blinded observers rated an overall impression of social effectiveness and three specific categories of social skill: pragmatic behavior (e.g., effort to maintain conversation, latency to respond), speech and prosodic behavior (e.g., vocal inflection, voice volume), and paralinguistic conversational behaviors (e.g., facial orientation, motor movement). Children …

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Have You Heard? Predictors Of Hpv Awareness Among A Random Sample Of College Students, Meagan Arrastia Jan 2009

Have You Heard? Predictors Of Hpv Awareness Among A Random Sample Of College Students, Meagan Arrastia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students have been identified as at high risk for contracting Human Papillomavirus (HPV) due to engaging in risky behaviors, such as binge drinking and unprotected sex. Before preventative measures like vaccination and condom usage can be promoted, awareness must be evaluated. A random sample of 438 college students was surveyed on their awareness of HPV using both paper and online surveying methods. Using binary logistic regression, HPV awareness was predicted using demographic measures. The majority of the sample reported having heard of HPV before. Sexually active respondents and females were significantly more likely to report awareness. Non-whites and first-generation …

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Education And Spiritual Internalization, Donavan Bowers Jan 2009

Education And Spiritual Internalization, Donavan Bowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research has addressed the relationship between religiousness and spirituality. In addition, recent research focuses on the variations in definition and operationalization of the two concepts. Most of this literature examines spirituality as a construct under religion. Conceptualizing those who are spiritual but non-religious has received far less attention. This study uses recent data from the General Social Surveys to assess the relationship of those who are spiritual but not religious with education and a number of socio-demographic variables. The analysis shows that there is a positive relationship between one identifying as someone who is spiritual but …

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Hurricane Katrina And The Perception Of Risk: Incorporating The Local Context, Nnenia Campbell Jan 2009

Hurricane Katrina And The Perception Of Risk: Incorporating The Local Context, Nnenia Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper identifies social conditions that shape perceptions of risk to environmental toxins among residents in the Gulf Coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. Demographic information from a randomly selected sample of 2,548 residents was used to explore the concept of the "White male effect" as discussed in previous literature, which has found that white males are particularly risk accepting compared to all other race and gender groups. This analysis also evaluated the influence of trust in government and beliefs about environmental justice on perceived exposure and compared responses from residents within and outside the City of New …

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The Effect Of Relative Deprivation On Delinquency: An Assessment Of Juveniles, Adrienne Horne Jan 2009

The Effect Of Relative Deprivation On Delinquency: An Assessment Of Juveniles, Adrienne Horne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of relative deprivation on juvenile delinquency. Though this topic has been explored by several researchers, there has not been much consistency in the research due to the operationalization of key variables. Traditionally, relative deprivation has been referenced in relation to Merton's Classic Strain Theory, using economic indicators to measure relative deprivation. Webber and Runciman however, expanded upon Merton's original premise and integrated more diverse measures of relative deprivation into their research. The current study utilizes Agnew's General Strain Theory (GST) as a means to measure relative deprivation as a broader and more subjective topic. This …

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Religiosity And Subjective Interpretations Of Personal Wealth, Andrew Lash Jan 2009

Religiosity And Subjective Interpretations Of Personal Wealth, Andrew Lash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, research has connected religiosity to many economic concepts in the United States. Religiosity can be a primary factor in the development of attitudes and values regarding financial issues and personal wealth. This study further expands the sociology of religion and economics by examining how differences in religious affiliation, attendance, and sociodemographic factors affect attitudes regarding personal wealth and financial behaviors. Previous studies have concentrated on religious differences in income, education, and life course achievement; however, few studies, if any, have directly measured religiosity and subjective attitudes toward personal wealth. Using the PEW Research Center's Economy Survey from February 2008, …

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The Effects Of Religious Affiliation And Participation On Racial Discrimination, Jason Levine Jan 2009

The Effects Of Religious Affiliation And Participation On Racial Discrimination, Jason Levine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between religious affiliation and racially discriminatory attitudes. Several investigations have been conducted on the topic, yet they did not choose national representative samples. My research examines four decades of NORC General Social Surveys to analyze how religious affiliation and attendance affect the outcome of a survey question which tests the level of discriminatory attitudes among respondents.

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Defended Neighborhoods And Organized Crime: Does Organized Crime Lower Street Crime?, Hollianne Marshall Jan 2009

Defended Neighborhoods And Organized Crime: Does Organized Crime Lower Street Crime?, Hollianne Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature suggests that neighborhoods with organized criminal networks would have lower crime rates than other neighborhoods or communities, because of the social control their organization exerts on residents and visitors. The strictly organized Italian-American Mafia seems to have characteristics that would translate throughout the neighborhood: People will not participate in overt illegal behaviors because they do not know who is watching, and the fear of what the Mafia might do keeps residents and visitors to the neighborhood relatively well-behaved. Using crime statistics from the NYPD and census data for neighborhood characteristics, four linear regressions were calculated. The results indicate …

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A Study Of Regional Language And Identities In A Small Occitan Village, Patrick Sacleux Jan 2009

A Study Of Regional Language And Identities In A Small Occitan Village, Patrick Sacleux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study utilized qualitative methods to approach regional language abilities of local respondents and how it affects their regional identity. The theoretical framework of this study explored some of the tenets of symbolic interaction emphasizing on identity theory and how the flexible aspect of face-to-face interaction can define the self and someone's regional identity as it relates to their regional language use. Data for this study were collected in a small Occitan village in Southern France. In particular, the study explored the link between an individual residential setting, his/her age and his/her ability to speak the regional language. The …

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Predicting Compensation And Reciprocity Of Bids For Sexual And/Or Romantic Escalation In Cross-Sex Friendships, Valerie Akbulut Jan 2009

Predicting Compensation And Reciprocity Of Bids For Sexual And/Or Romantic Escalation In Cross-Sex Friendships, Valerie Akbulut

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With more opportunities available to men and women to interact, both professionally and personally (i.e., the workplace, educational setting, community), friendships with members of the opposite sex are becoming more common. Increasingly, researchers have noted that one facet that makes cross-sex friendships unique compared to other types of relationships (i.e. romantic love, same-sex friendships, familial relationships), is that there is the possibility and opportunity for a romantic or sexual relationship to manifest. Communication research has yet to investigate how one decides whether to begin a romantic or sexual relationship or choose to remain platonic with their cross-sex friend. Given that …

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Claims Of Mistaken Identity: An Examination Of U.S. Television Food Commercials And The Adult Obesity Issue, Cristina Delgado Jan 2009

Claims Of Mistaken Identity: An Examination Of U.S. Television Food Commercials And The Adult Obesity Issue, Cristina Delgado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is one of the major public health issues in the United States, often regarded as part of a global crisis. Companies invest billions of dollars each year towards television advertising campaigns aimed at convincing audiences how their ground-breaking discovery 'battles the bulge' or somehow offers an increased health benefit. This study examined how advertisers presented health-related claims, including health and nutrient-content claims, in U.S. adult-targeted television food commercials. The claims were compared to FTC, FDA, and USDA laws, regulations, and recommendations. A content analysis of food advertising was conducted of commercials from major and cable network programs broadcast during …

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Effects Of Instructor Immediacy And Student Need For Cognition On Student Motivation And Perceptions Of Learning, Sabrina Kalish Jan 2009

Effects Of Instructor Immediacy And Student Need For Cognition On Student Motivation And Perceptions Of Learning, Sabrina Kalish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study built on previous literature linking instructor immediacy, student motivation, and student learning. The purpose of this research was to examine main and interaction effects of instructor immediacy and student trait motivation on student state motivation and cognitive learning. A main effect of instructor nonverbal immediacy on student state motivation and cognitive learning was found to be statistically significant. Further exploratory research did not yield statistical significance for a main effect of trait motivation, as measured by need for cognition, on student state motivation and cognitive learning, nor an interaction effect of immediacy and trait motivation on both state …

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The Role Of The Internet As A Tool To Aid In U.S. Adult Consumers' Weight Loss, Jaclyn Kirby Jan 2009

The Role Of The Internet As A Tool To Aid In U.S. Adult Consumers' Weight Loss, Jaclyn Kirby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on ways the Internet can positively influence and educate U.S. Americans to become healthier and eventually lose weight. Throughout the past 30 years, the percentage of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased immensely, resulting in a nationwide epidemic (American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2006; Center for Disease Control, 2006; Goodman, 2005; The Obesity Society, 2008). The research question for this thesis is the following: What are the perceptions of U.S. adult consumers regarding the positive influence the Internet has on weight loss? In order to determine the influence of the Internet on U.S. …

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The Contributions Of Professional School Counselors' Values And Leadership Practices To Their Programmatic Service Delivery, Margaret Shillingford Jan 2009

The Contributions Of Professional School Counselors' Values And Leadership Practices To Their Programmatic Service Delivery, Margaret Shillingford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professional School Counselors (PSCs) have been called to be leaders for educational reform to support the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students through the coordination and facilitation of their comprehensive, developmental school counseling program (American School Counselor Association , 2005; National Model). The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of PSCs' values and leadership practices to their programmatic service delivery (counseling, coordinating, consulting, and curriculum). The three constructs and instruments investigated in this study were: (a) Schwartz Value Theory (the Schwartz Value Survey ; Schwartz, 1992), (b) the Leadership Challenge Theory (the Leadership Practices …

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Hedonic Property Value Modeling Of Water Quality, Lake Proximity, And Spatial Dependence In Central Florida, Patrick Walsh Jan 2009

Hedonic Property Value Modeling Of Water Quality, Lake Proximity, And Spatial Dependence In Central Florida, Patrick Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hedonic property value analysis is one of the leading methods of environmental valuation. This non-market technique uses variation in home sales to infer the values of amenities or disamenities. While there have been numerous studies about air quality and hazardous waste, the number of papers focusing on water quality is much smaller. Consequently, there are still many unanswered questions about the proper handling of water quality through hedonic methods. Furthermore, estimates from hedonic property price analyses are rarely used in government cost benefit analyses. This dissertation investigates several important hedonic issues in a large analysis of water quality in central …

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