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 4831 - 4860 of 5479

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Emotional Evaluation Of A Product/System, Hana Smith Jan 2008

Emotional Evaluation Of A Product/System, Hana Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technological advances in products and systems have brought emotional design or emotional engineering to the forefront of research. While several measures to assess emotional expression of products have been developed, the source of the emotion rating of a product or system was often unclear. The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct three studies to examine the causes of emotional ratings and to establish if product-specific emotion rating scales are useful for capturing accurate user evaluations. Three studies were conducted using citrus juicers. Juicers were chosen for several reasons: their wide variety of styles, one self-explanatory purpose (to make juice), …

Go to article

Adolescents' Stress And Health: Parental Influences And Cognitive Mediators, Reesa Donnelly Jan 2008

Adolescents' Stress And Health: Parental Influences And Cognitive Mediators, Reesa Donnelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research to date indicates that parental and cognitive variables play a role in stress responses and health outcomes. Although researchers are beginning to focus on developmental processes in stress/health outcomes, there is little research examining which parental behaviors are most predictive of stress/health and whether cognitive variables mediate this relationship. As a result, the current study examines the self-reports of 160 late adolescents regarding parental behaviors, cognitive variables, and stress/health outcomes. In addition, blood pressure reactivity to a stressful situation was collected as a physiological measure of stress. The results suggest that, among the parental behaviors that are examined, parental …

Go to article

The Perception Of Homeless People: Important Factors In Determining Perceptions Of The Homeless As Dangerous, Amy Donley Jan 2008

The Perception Of Homeless People: Important Factors In Determining Perceptions Of The Homeless As Dangerous, Amy Donley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study uses two quantitative and two qualitative data sources to determine if homeless people are viewed as dangerous and if they are what factors contribute to this perception. Areas examined are respondent's characteristics, media affects and the perceived rights of homeless people to urban space. Actual levels of perpetration among the homeless are examined to allow for comparisons between perception and reality to be made. Findings showed that race plays a major role in the perception of homeless peo-ple among whites, while gender is more influential among blacks. There was no rela-tionship between media and perceptions. A negative relationship …

Go to article

The Influence Of Medical Education On The Frequency And Type Of Medical Board Discipline Received By Licensed Florida Physicians, Richard Bonnell Iii Jan 2008

The Influence Of Medical Education On The Frequency And Type Of Medical Board Discipline Received By Licensed Florida Physicians, Richard Bonnell Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been estimated that in the United States, between 44,000 to 98,000 patients succumb to medical errors each year. Due to a shortage of graduates of domestic medical schools, many graduates of foreign medical schools are practicing in the United States. The medical education received in foreign medical schools may not be equivalent to the medical education received in domestic medical schools, which are schools located in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. Differences due to the educational backgrounds of the foreign-schooled physicians may contribute to an increase in medical board disciplining. Furthermore, graduates of medical schools where …

Go to article

Memories And Milestones: The Brighton Seminole Tribe Of Florida And The Digitization Of Culture, April Van Camps Jan 2008

Memories And Milestones: The Brighton Seminole Tribe Of Florida And The Digitization Of Culture, April Van Camps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project discusses individual photographs of the Brighton Seminole Tribe of Florida from the early 1900s to the current period, each organized by way of their institutional significance, not their place in chronological history. Following Jean Mohr and John Berger's model in Another Way of Telling, I create a narrative for the pictures with a discussion of historical information, current data from interviews, Tribal members' stories, and my own personal story as it is tethered to the tribe. The research addresses the following questions: Can photography offer a technological means to communicate culture in a vital, organic way? Can …

Go to article

Using A Contingency-Based Method For Combining Individual Assessment Center Dimension Ratings Into Overall Assessment Ratings, Keisha Wicks Jan 2008

Using A Contingency-Based Method For Combining Individual Assessment Center Dimension Ratings Into Overall Assessment Ratings, Keisha Wicks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study applies a newly proposed mechanical combination method along with four traditional mechanical combination methods to assessment center scoring. These comparisons were made for two job levels (Fire Lieutenant and Fire Captain). The study further assesses the level of adverse impact for the various methods at three cut-off scores. Results indicated that the new contingency-based scoring method was successfully implemented in the assessment center. Results were mixed regarding whether the contingencies developed for the two job levels were different. Further, results indicated that although the various combination methods were highly correlated as expected, there were clear distinctions in …

Go to article

How Stigma Affects Information Sharing By Gay Men And Glbt Communities, Kathryn Shephard Jan 2008

How Stigma Affects Information Sharing By Gay Men And Glbt Communities, Kathryn Shephard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how stigma and dialectical tensions affect information sharing by gay men. One specific area that was investigated is the use of interpersonal boundary spanning techniques in managing information related to being gay. The research used a qualitative, interpretive method to gather and analyze data from eleven in-depth interviews. An interview schedule was developed based on the critical incident technique in order to focus the interviews on specific events and direct observation. The questions in the interview covered individuals experiences with sharing their sexual orientation with someone else for the first time, times when they have specifically chosen …

Go to article

Evolution Of Political Cleavages And Entry Of The Far-Right In Government Coalitions In Italy And Poland, Maxim Chernyshev Jan 2008

Evolution Of Political Cleavages And Entry Of The Far-Right In Government Coalitions In Italy And Poland, Maxim Chernyshev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on a comparative analysis of governing coalitions between conservative and far-right parties in recent years in Italy (1994) and Poland (2005). The aim is to show how the inclusion of the radical right in government coalitions in these countries reflects recent changes in Western and Eastern European party systems through the reformulation of the old and formation of new party cleavages. The focus in the recent literature on personality clashes of party leaders over the distribution of ministry portfolios does not explain the nature of the disagreement between these leaders about key issues of national politics. I …

Go to article

Adhd And Stop-Signal Behavioral Inhibition: Is Mean Reaction Time Contaminated By Exposure To Intermittent Stop-Signals?, Robert Alderson Jan 2008

Adhd And Stop-Signal Behavioral Inhibition: Is Mean Reaction Time Contaminated By Exposure To Intermittent Stop-Signals?, Robert Alderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigates two recently identified threats to the construct validity of behavioral inhibition as a core deficit of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on the Stop-signal task: calculation of mean reaction time from go-trials presented adjacent to intermittent stop-trials, and non-reporting of the stop-signal delay metric. Children with ADHD (n=12) and typically developing children (TD) (n=11) were administered the standard stop-signal task and three variant stop-signal conditions. These included a No-Tone condition administered without the presentation of an auditory tone; an Ignore-Tone condition that presented a neutral (i.e., not associated with stopping) auditory tone; and a second Ignore-Tone condition …

Go to article

Diagnosing Anencephaly In Archaeology: A Comparative Analysis Of Nine Clinical Specimens From The Smithsonian Institution Nation, Stevie Mathews Jan 2008

Diagnosing Anencephaly In Archaeology: A Comparative Analysis Of Nine Clinical Specimens From The Smithsonian Institution Nation, Stevie Mathews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inclusion of human fetal skeletons in the archaeological record can reveal much about past cultures' perception of life and death. The preservation of fetal remains in the archaeological record is a rarity, and the discovery of pathological skeletons is even rarer. A fetal skeleton from a Roman period cemetery (c. 31BC - 303AD) in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, displays what are thought to be classic skeletal indicators of the neural tube defect, anencephaly. The published literature concerning the skeletal diagnosis of anencephaly is scant so in order to diagnose this individual it is pertinent to create a diagnostic standard. …

Go to article

Developmental Trajectory Of Aggressive Behavior In Clinically Referred Boys: A Rasch Analysis, Scott Lafond Jan 2008

Developmental Trajectory Of Aggressive Behavior In Clinically Referred Boys: A Rasch Analysis, Scott Lafond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A majority of research investigating aggression and its development in children has relied upon the use of rating scales such as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). These scales are typically developed using a conventional factor analytic approach for the selection and retention of scale items, but may not contain sufficient numbers of items to adequately assess the unidimensional construct or developmental trajectory of aggressive behavior in youths. The present study evaluates specific psychometric properties of CBCL Aggressive and Delinquency Problems clinical syndrome scale items to determine the degree to which they reflect the breadth and established developmental trajectory of aggressive …

Go to article

Tools Of A Local Economy: Standardization And Function Among Small Chert Tools From Caracol, Belize, Lucas Martindale Johnson Jan 2008

Tools Of A Local Economy: Standardization And Function Among Small Chert Tools From Caracol, Belize, Lucas Martindale Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis undertakes detailed analysis of a sample of 229 small chert tools from a single locus at the Maya site of Caracol, Belize. Emphasis is placed on determining the function of these tools and on the nature of their use in the broader Caracol economic system. Analysis sought to determine whether they were used for day-to-day household tasks or for specialized craft activity within the specified household locus and/or if they were prepared for broader distribution at Caracol. By focusing detailed analysis on artifacts from a single locus, greater insight is provided into the impact of household production on …

Go to article

Technological Disasters: An Investigation Of The Conservation Of Resources Theory On Depression, Brian Gentry Jan 2008

Technological Disasters: An Investigation Of The Conservation Of Resources Theory On Depression, Brian Gentry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers studying the affects of resource loss following a technological disaster have exclusively investigated the acute period directly after the event occurred. This study applied Hobfoll's (1988, 1989) Conservation of Resources model in order to examine the long term effects of resource loss on depression in Cordova, Alaska a decade after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill. Results suggest that resource loss was a more prominent predictor for depression than demographics, involvement in the on-going litigation, or commercial fishing jobs. The research concludes that certain aspects of resource loss are critical in the development of depression after a technological disaster, and …

Go to article

The Social Construction Of Claims-Making: Bahamian Anglers Vs. Non-Resident Sports-Fishermen, Sara Neuenschwander Jan 2008

The Social Construction Of Claims-Making: Bahamian Anglers Vs. Non-Resident Sports-Fishermen, Sara Neuenschwander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On January 1, 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in the Department of Marine Resources of the Bahamas promulgated significant revisions to their sports-fishing regulations. While the new laws were designed to benefit the Bahamian fisheries, they caused a vociferous uproar among non-resident anglers who frequent the islands of the Bahamas to sports-fish. Of particular concern are the new regulations that limit the maximum weight and number of fish which non-resident anglers may keep on their boat. My research examines the claims-making activities made by American anglers on four different sports-fishermen/cruising forums. The analysis focuses on the motifs, …

Go to article

We Are Not Responsible For Our Addictions, But We Are Responsible For Our Recovery": A Qualitative Exploratory Study Of The Li, Rachel Rayburn Jan 2008

We Are Not Responsible For Our Addictions, But We Are Responsible For Our Recovery": A Qualitative Exploratory Study Of The Li, Rachel Rayburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an exploratory, qualitative study of homeless, recovering alcoholics and the problems they encounter maintaining sobriety. Using semi-structured interviews, I analyze the experiences of ten men in their forties, who are in a recovery program designed for homeless men. I ask them how they stay sober without a place to live. Three kinds of problems are inferred from their narrative histories. First, the men have difficulty identifying as alcoholics. They have trouble fully integrating into the AA program. Second, the men struggle to form relationships with others, especially with a sponsor. Third, the process of "working the steps" is …

Go to article

The Impact Of Religiosity On Sexual Victimization Experiences And Reporting Behaviors Among College Students, Nicole Bauer Jan 2008

The Impact Of Religiosity On Sexual Victimization Experiences And Reporting Behaviors Among College Students, Nicole Bauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between religiosity of female college students and sexual victimization experiences. These experiences include the reporting behaviors that take place subsequent to an act of sexual victimization. The study utilized secondary data gathered from the forth wave of a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Justice between 1990 and 1995. The study used multidimensional levels of religiosity to analyze and to assess its impact on the sexual victimization experiences. Findings ascertained that certain behavioral measures of religiosity were consistently found to be a protective factor against sexual victimization. On the other hand, subjective measures …

Go to article

Brothers & Sisters: A New Impetus For Social Construction And Its Impact On Traditional Cultivation Analysis, Scott Elmore Jan 2008

Brothers & Sisters: A New Impetus For Social Construction And Its Impact On Traditional Cultivation Analysis, Scott Elmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scholars recognize television's ability to influence culture. According to Gerbner, television creates socially constructed realities through the cultivation of its viewers. Television is designed to satisfy the diverse needs of large audiences. The mainstream messages conveyed via television have power to alter perceptions and change culture. Gerbner's theory was constructed from the analysis of crime dramas with single plot lines. Using the ABC television program Brothers & Sisters, this thesis explores the theoretical implications dramas with multiple plot lines have on traditional notions of cultivation theory. Through a content analysis and focus groups, evidence was acquired to suggest that cultivation …

Go to article

Let's Give Them Something To Talk About: Exploring Racism And Racial Tensions As Potential Face Threats In Black And White Interracial Relationships, Gina Castle Jan 2008

Let's Give Them Something To Talk About: Exploring Racism And Racial Tensions As Potential Face Threats In Black And White Interracial Relationships, Gina Castle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how racism and racial tensions potentially threatened the face needs of Black and White interracial couples. Specifically, this study investigated the benefit of family approval of one's interracial relationship. Couples use of corrective face work in response to prejudice was also examined. This research used a qualitative, interpretive method to gather and analyze data from 14 personal interviews. The interview schedule enabled interviewees to use storytelling to share their experience of being in a Black and White interracial relationship. Interviewees were asked questions surrounding their experience as the partner in an interracial relationship. Couples shared how they …

Go to article

Time On Florida's Death Row: A Theory Of "Benign Neglect", Angela Willis Jan 2008

Time On Florida's Death Row: A Theory Of "Benign Neglect", Angela Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to identify and explain what influences the length of time an inmate spends on Florida's death row. A systematic random sample of 33 Florida death row inmates was drawn from the Florida Department of Corrections death row roster and the Florida Commission on Capital Cases inmate roster. Documented for each death row inmate was how long he spent on Florida's death row navigating the various stages and steps in Florida's post-conviction capital punishment process. The data show that petitions to the state trial courts and appeals to the Florida Supreme Court take the longest time in Florida's …

Go to article

Alternative Methods Of Eliciting Individual Willingness To Pay For Travel Time Savings: A Pilot Study, Ashley Lascelles Jan 2008

Alternative Methods Of Eliciting Individual Willingness To Pay For Travel Time Savings: A Pilot Study, Ashley Lascelles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How does one estimate the value of an individual's time? One possible way is to estimate how much a person is willing to pay for time savings. The majority of transportation studies have used stated preference surveys to estimate an individual's willingness to pay (WTP) for travel time savings. However, stated preferences approaches are subject to hypothetical bias since they elicit WTP for hypothetical outcomes instead of real outcomes. One study used a revealed preference approach in a natural experiment to elicit WTP for travel time savings but the data was for a non-recurring event, which was not replicable. The …

Go to article

Chromatographic And Mass Spectral Analyses Of Oligosaccharides And Indigo Dye Extracted From Cotton Textiles With Manova And Ano, Jessica Frisch Jan 2008

Chromatographic And Mass Spectral Analyses Of Oligosaccharides And Indigo Dye Extracted From Cotton Textiles With Manova And Ano, Jessica Frisch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research was conducted on thirteen 100% cotton denim samples using an acid wash, established by Murray, to extract oligosaccharides from the cellulosic material. The oligosaccharide ion groups (+, +, and +) for molecules with degrees of polymerization between two and seven (DP2-DP7) were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with an electrospray ionization interface (LC-ESI-MS). The results were compared using the least-squares means in a Multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA) test followed by Univariate ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests and demonstrated that the method could correctly determine that two samples were statistically different 85.9% of the time when analyzing the …

Go to article

Development And Forensic Application Of Dye Probe Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer For Improved Detection Of Changes In Dn, Micah Halpern Jan 2008

Development And Forensic Application Of Dye Probe Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer For Improved Detection Of Changes In Dn, Micah Halpern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Discovering, screening, and associating changes in DNA sequence are important to a broad range of disciplines and play a central role in Forensic Science. The typical types of changes include sequence variations [single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)] and length variations [short tandem repeats (STR)]. The steps for forensic DNA sample processing are similar for both types of changes but diverge at the point of detection. A number of approaches are being explored for SNP genotyping while STR analysis primarily consists of size-based analysis by capillary electrophoresis. Limitations exist for all current detection methods that pose significant impacts to forensic analysis. Bi-allelic …

Go to article

Field Of View Effects On Reflexive Motor Response In Flight Simulation, Javier Covelli Jan 2008

Field Of View Effects On Reflexive Motor Response In Flight Simulation, Javier Covelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Head Mounted Display (HMD) or Head Worn Display (HWD) technology represents low-cost, wide Field of Regard (FOR), deployable systems when compared to traditional simulation facilities. However, given current technological limitations, HWD flight simulator implementations provide a limited effective Field of View (eFOV) far narrower than the normal human 200[degrees] horizontal and 135[degrees] vertical FOV. Developing a HWD with such a wide FOV is expensive but can increase the aviator's visual stimulus, perception, sense of presence and overall training effectiveness. This research and experimentation test this proposition by manipulating the eFOV of experienced pilots …

Go to article

Perception And Displays For Teleoperated Robots, Linda Upham Ellis Jan 2008

Perception And Displays For Teleoperated Robots, Linda Upham Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In remote or teleoperational tasks involving humans and robots, various aspects of the remote display system may greatly influence the individual's interactions with the teleoperated entity. This dissertation examined various configurations of display systems on several measures of operator performance, physiological states, and perceptions of the task. Display configurations included altering the camera placement (attached to the robot or placed overhead), screen orientation (horizontal or vertical), and screen size (small or large). Performance was measured in terms of specific task goals, accuracies, strategies, and completion times. Physiological state was assessed through physiological markers of arousal, specifically heart rate and skin …

Go to article

Trait Arousability And Its Impact On Adaptive Multimedia Training, Sae Schatz Jan 2008

Trait Arousability And Its Impact On Adaptive Multimedia Training, Sae Schatz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today's best intelligent, adaptive, multimedia trainers have shown excellent performance; however, their results still fall far-short of what good human tutors can achieve. The overarching thesis of this paper is that future intelligent, adaptive systems will be improved by taking into account relevant, consistent, and meaningful individual differences. Specifically, responding to individual differences among trainees will (a) form more accurate individual baselines within a training system, and (b) better inform system responses (so that they interpret and respond to observable data more appropriately). One variable to consider is trait arousability, which describes individual differences in sensitivity to stimuli. Individuals' arousability …

Go to article

Turkey In The Caspian Sea Region, Seyma Akkoyunlu Jan 2008

Turkey In The Caspian Sea Region, Seyma Akkoyunlu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will determine the influence of Turkey's domestic resources on Turkey's foreign relations with the five Turkic states in the Caspian Sea Region. The spheres analyzed in this study are the common ties, which are history, culture, religion and language, with the regional countries, pan-Turkism, Turkey's initial interactions as well as ongoing constructive policies in the region. Findings showed that both Turkey and the five Turkic republics were enthusiastic to carry their relations in every field to future cooperation following the break up of the Soviet Union. However the Turkic Republics' interest in Turkish development model gradually declined starting …

Go to article

Oil, Politics Of The Business Environment And The Persian Gulf, Jacob Parks Jan 2008

Oil, Politics Of The Business Environment And The Persian Gulf, Jacob Parks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effect the price of oil has on enabling political establishments to maintain their presence within the business environment. The study consists of three different case studies with each of the states (Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) being chosen based upon their level of state involvement within the business community. Each case study investigated whether the price of oil had any effect on influencing the amount of political involvement within the business community, property rights or trade freedom. The findings for all three case studies suggest that the price of oil has little to …

Go to article

The Effects Of Foreign Aid On Perceptions Of Corruption In Sub-Saharan Africa, Margaret Wilkie Jan 2008

The Effects Of Foreign Aid On Perceptions Of Corruption In Sub-Saharan Africa, Margaret Wilkie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper is a study of the effects of foreign aid on perceptions of political corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa. In keeping with the consensus on foreign aid effectiveness, this study proposed that Sub-Saharan African countries receiving more foreign aid would be more likely to maintain high levels of perceived corruption. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate regression, controlling for a number of factors which have shown to be influential on perceptions of political corruption. Two models were tested, one to show the regression over a period of nine years, and the other to show the relationship between the foreign aid and …

Go to article

Am I Too Fat To Be A Princess? Examining The Effects Of Popular Children's Media On Preschoolers' Body Image, Sharon Hayes Jan 2008

Am I Too Fat To Be A Princess? Examining The Effects Of Popular Children's Media On Preschoolers' Body Image, Sharon Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the effects of brief exposure to appearance-related media on female preschoolers' body image. Results indicated that exposure did not affect body dissatisfaction or engagement in appearance-related play behaviors. Surprisingly, participants' self-reported frequency of weight concerns decreased at posttest. In contrast to older populations, it is possible that young children may adopt the persona of attractive characters with whom they identify rather than comparing themselves to the characters. This level of identification temporarily may alleviate weight concerns. This is the first empirical study to provide support for previous findings that suggest media exposure does not affect body …

Go to article

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate Use Among College Students: Application Of A Memory Model To Explore The Influence Of Outcome Expectancies, Pamela Brown Jan 2008

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate Use Among College Students: Application Of A Memory Model To Explore The Influence Of Outcome Expectancies, Pamela Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) was banned from the consumer market by the Food and Drug Administration in 1991. Despite the ban, use of GHB has continued to contribute to thousands of emergency department visits and numerous fatalities in recent years. Efforts to reduce the use of this drug have had limited impact, which may be the result of using traditional prevention strategies that focus exclusively on educating people about of negative consequences of substance use rather than addressing the factors that motivate use. In an effort to identify motivational factors that could be targeted in future prevention efforts, the present study …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last