Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Maternal Predictors Of School Readiness Among At-Risk Head Start Preschool Children, Rachel Chase

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Preschool has been identified as a critical period during which children who are at-risk for school difficulties are most responsive to intervention (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002; National Research Council & Institute of Medicine, 2001). Because of this, school readiness has recently become a prioritized area of interest for the educational system, the health care industry, and the federal government. However, many efforts to comprehensively prepare a child to begin school have not been successful because factors beyond the educational system (e.g., parenting/parent attributes, environmental stressors, and other demographic characteristics) have not been closely considered nor adequately researched. Therefore, …

Reflections On The Way We Were Raised: Socialization Within A Same-Sex Family, Allison Jendry

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research on same-sex couples with children acknowledges that their parenting issues are similar to and yet different from their heterosexual counterparts. The literature does not examine, in an in-depth fashion, the challenges that same-sex parents face and how such challenges affect the lives of their families and relationships. This research examines the extent that same-sex parents reflect "traditional" family norms and behaviors, and how they socialize their children within the debate surrounding same-sex relationships. The author conducted and analyzed in-depth qualitative interviews from seven same-sex couples with children under the age of eighteen in the Southeastern Michigan area. It …

Understanding How Organizations Operate Their It Capacity-Management Processes, Joseph Frederick Bauer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is a lack of understanding of how organizations operate their IT capacity-management processes. Within the body of literature on IT capacity-management there is an abundance of advice for organizations on how to set up or run the processes for IT capacity-management, but very little in the way of describing the processes as performed and operated in organizations out in the field. Using qualitative methods this research sought to gain an understanding of how organizations are operating their IT capacity-management processes in the field. A dozen subjects from 10 organizations were interviewed and the data were analyzed with a grounded …

Users' Perspective On The Relationship Between Internal Controls And Key Constructs, Santosh Mutnuru

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study sought to understand a user's perspective on the level of influence that internal controls had on the levels of trust, employee engagement, employee performance, and organization performance. The relationship between the level of implementation of internal controls with the level of trust that employees have for their employer, employee engagement, employee performance, and organization performance has not been adequately explored. The study was conducted on users who worked in organizations that implemented Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) internal controls, and these organizations strictly maintain all of their information in digital format. About nine hundred …

Fitting In: A Study Of Lesbian Mothers In Rural Southeastern Michigan, Allison Amadea Ranusch

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Lesbian parents residing in rural and small communities have received little scholarly attention. The primary focus of the existing research has highlighted the isolation experienced by lesbian parents within such locations, but little examination has been made of other issues or their coping mechanisms. This study was designed to address these deficits in knowledge and understanding through a series of eleven in-depth, qualitative interviews. Several stigma management strategies were discovered. For example, it was reported that engaging in farming and trade helped lesbian mothers "fit in" enough to gain some level of acceptance from their immediate neighbors. Stigma was also …

Progressive Place Assimilation In Optimality Theory, Andrew Lamont

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis presents an investigation into progressive place agreement in clusters through the lens of Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky, 1993/2004; McCarthy & Prince, 1995, 1999). A large typology of such languages is presented and examined to detail a broad swath of phenomena. The main line of inquiry over this typology is how direction of assimilation is formally represented. This work argues that simple phonological mechanisms explain the cross-linguistic effects including an agreement constraint and conflicting faithfulness constraints.

Understanding The Relationship Between Technical And Managerial Factors And Product Innovation At A Tier 1 Engine Component Supplier, Carmo Ribeiro

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided an assessment of the technical and managerial factors on the development of successful innovative internal combustion engine (ICE) components at a XYZ Tier 1 supplier firm. Further, factors related to regulations, component application, and customer integration were identified and complement the study.

A deficiency has been identified in the literature in that most studies concentrate on inter-firm innovation from the customer’s perspective within the supply-chain relationship. While suppliers have increasingly become a source of innovation, very little is known about specific ways in which innovation occurs at Tier 1 suppliers. The mechanisms by which innovative ideas are …

Reel Women: Gender Stereotypes In Film, Kayla Marie Krahn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Horror films portray female characters as sexual, helpless victims. When horror films attempt to portray female characters as the hero, this sends a message to audiences that women can be strong and independent. An experiment was conducted to test an audience's perceptions gender stereotypes of women in the horror film, Scream. Results indicate that stereotypes present in the horror film effected the participants' perception of women as competent heroes. Female participants were also more likely to perceive women as more competent than male participants. Then, from a qualitative standpoint, five individuals were interviewed about their perceptions of characters in their …

Development And Study Of Waterproof Breathable Fabric Using Silicone Oil And Polyurethane Binder, Aditi S. Bakshi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this study is on determining the optimum combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in coating material to obtain high breathability and waterproof properties. Polyurethane binder and silicone oil were used in eight different combinations to coat the fabric along with one sample with 100% polyurethane binder for control. A knife-over-roll coating machine was used to coat the fabric. The coated samples were tested by using the Sweating Guarded Hot Plate method for breathability and the spray test and contact angle method for waterproof properties. Results obtained from the tests showed that fabric coated with an 80%-20% and …

Variability In Bimanual Coordination Across The Continuum Of Handedness., Kaitlin Oswald

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Bimanual coordination is an essential human function requiring efficient interhemispheric communication to produce coordinated movements. Motor deficits affect a variety of clinical populations, yet a complete understanding of bimanual coordination has yet to be achieved. Previous research suggests performance variability depends on the phase demands of the coordinated task and completing bimanual tasks may result in less variability than unimanual tasks, or a bimanual advantage. Also, handedness and musical/athletic experience have also been shown to influence coordinated performance. The present study examined the existence of a bimanual advantage and potential factors influencing coordination in a tapping paradigm. Results indicated that …

An Optimality-Theoretic Analysis Of Syllable Structure In Qassimi Arabic, Sarah Soror Al Motairi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis examines syllable structure in Qassimi Arabic (QA), a Najdi dialect spoken in Al-Qassim region in Saudi Arabia. Syllable-related phenomena in QA have not been fully addressed and understood because QA has not received attention in the available literature on syllable structure within Arabic dialects. Thus, the present study aims to provide an analysis of syllable structure in QA and to contribute to the current research on Arabic syllable structure. Adopting the framework of Optimality Theory, this study explores the effect of high vowel deletion on syllable structure and the treatment of superheavy syllables in QA. Results confirm three …

The Nature Of A-Movement In Arabic Raising And Passive Structures, Saja Alburarabi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The main aim of the thesis is to analyze the syntactic features of “raising and passive structures.” This thesis presents an overview of some of the essential analyses of raising and passive in Standard Arabic. The dissertation not only discusses the two central analyses of argument movement in Standard Arabic but also provides key modifications of Soltan’s (2007) analysis of raising and passive structures, with data that Soltan did not consider and with certain new theoretical proposals involving the inventory of functional projections available in Arabic.

The Criminal Disparity Between African American And Caucasian Males: Police Use Of Excessive And Deadly Force In The United States, 1991 - 2014, Denise Reese

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This research focuses on the use of excessive and deadly force executed by law enforcement agencies in the context of a racial bias operating throughout the United States and its criminal justice systems. America's criminal system past and present, openly displays an enormous amount of inequality and injustice against African American males, females and other minorities. Are law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system allowing police officers the right to desecrate minorities through the use of excessive and deadly force? This research focuses on the consequences of a U.S. legal system that seldom if ever provides any retributive justice …

The Impact Of Project Lead The Way Gateway To Technology Foundation Unit Completion On Students' Critical-Thinking Skills, Rula Odai Hashem

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Georgetown's Public Policy Institute (2013) reported that the fastest growing occupations and the highest demand for college education and training fields will be in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), healthcare, and community services. One of the K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs' purposes is to promote critical-thinking skills (Johnson, 1992). This study examined the impact of Project Lead The Way Gateway to Technology (PLTW-GTT) units, a middle school STEM program, on the critical-thinking skills of middle school students. Quasi experimental research methods were utilized to test the impact of the completion of two PLTW-GTT foundation units on students' …

Determining The Degree Of Collaboration Readiness For Regional Transportation Systems: The Formulation Of A Model, Carol Farver

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify factors, both governmental and universal, that indicate the degree of readiness and/or potential for success of a government collaborative project in the field of regional rapid mass transportation. The study is important because collaboration has been recognized as a tool that can help address such challenges as demonstrating the responsible use of limited resources, anticipating converging technologies, and reacting to rapidly changing technologies. There was very limited availability of tools to assist in ensuring successful collaborations. Although tools have been developed that gauge the degree of collaborative readiness of a project, such …

Leaders Who Care: Exploring Empathy As An Essential Trait In 21st Century Corporate Leadership, Elizabeth Mary Terrasi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In a field dominated by eclectic leadership styles, leaders have the capacity to influence worker experiences and organizational outcomes. This study examines particular leadership traits that may influence the overall organizational environment. Specifically, the study proposes that empathy is significant for effective leadership. Eighteen leaders in various industries participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their practices and perspectives. The results delineate a compilation of emergent themes as well as data findings regarding specific areas of inquiry. Five major categories were found regarding empathy as an aspect of 21st century leadership: industry-based perspectives, generational demographics, technology, employees as people first and workers …

Investigating The Relationships Of Project Performance Measures With The Use Of Building Information Modeling (Bim) And Integrated Project Delivery (Ipd), David Kelly

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The relationships of project performance with the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in the construction industry have not been decisively investigated. The potential effect of the technology and strategy on industry operations underscores the need for reliable information about project outcomes associated with their use. The review of the literature has identified discrepancies between the qualitative and quantitative body of work concerning the relationships of key project performance measures and engagement of BIM and IPD. Grounded in structuration theory, which holds that altered outcomes may result from organizational change spurred by radical events (e.g., …

Mental Health Courts: The Criminal Justice Response To The Rise In Mentally Ill Prisoners, Amberle Heath

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In 2005, more than half of all prison and jail inmates had a mental health problem, and correctional institutions had replaced all other mental health facilities to become America's primary venue for the treatment of mental disorder. Further, the proportion of the correctional population that is mentally ill is increasing significantly faster than the correctional population itself. From 1998 to 2005, while the overall correctional population increased 20.8 percent, the mentally ill correctional population increased 27.3 percent. This thesis discusses the most recent literature that documents this increase, and presents reasons for it, including deinstitutionalization, the criminalization of the mentally …

The Impact Of Proposal A On Two Michigan School Districts, James D. Cooper

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In 1994 the state of Michigan changed its school finance system. Over a nine-month period between July, 1993, and March, 1994, state legislators and the voters of Michigan acted to change the tax structure and address funding equity for public schools. In the fall of 1994, Michigan’s public schools began operating under an entirely new set of school finance reforms. The primary focus of this research is the articulation of the effects of the 1994 Michigan school funding reform (Proposal A). The purpose of this research was to conduct a policy analysis and impact analysis of Proposal A on two …

The Attitudes Of Bullies, Victims, And Averters: Understanding The Relationship Of Bullying Status And Character Strengths, Vikki Elizabeth Hennard

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Bullying in schools has been a major concern of our society with prevention and intervention focusing on the external environment. Little has been done to understand the attitudes of individuals beyond evaluating pathologies such as depression and deviance. Programs have emphasized a system of social control whereby expectations are established, rules are made, and consequences are enforced. Research shows that bullying continues to affect children in schools, and has increased with the use of electronic methods such as social media, texting, and the like. Delving deeper into internal characteristics of bullies and victims, positive psychology offers a framework to increase …

Predictors Of Harmful Sexual Behaviors In A Normative Population, Matthew A. Poinsett

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In order to identify important predictors of high-risk and aggressive sexual behavior, this study examined the relationships between problematic sexual behavior, aberrant sexual experiences, family environment, parental monitoring, delinquency, and peer relatedness. Participants were 344 college students who completed the Comprehensive Sexual Experience Survey (CSES), an online questionnaire. High-risk behaviors, including possible victimization, were predicted by aberrant sexual experiences, family environment, delinquency, and parental monitoring. Regression analyses indicated that aggressive sexual behavior was associated with aberrant sexual experiences and delinquency. Examination of data across genders indicated significant differences between them, including men’s earlier initiation of masturbation and pornography use, higher …

Working Memory And Symptoms Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Children, Alison Margaret Colbert

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder mainly characterized by high levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. Although ADHD is a topic of great interest in multiple domains, much remains to be explored before a thorough understanding will be possible. Recently, working memory (WM) has gained attention as a potential core deficit of ADHD. Therefore, theories of ADHD and WM may provide guidance for increased understanding of ADHD, and continued research on ADHD, guided by WM theory, will maximize the effectiveness of assessment and treatment for this disorder. The current study utilized a model integrating WM measurement and symptoms …

Utilizing Geographic Information Systems To Examine The Demographic And Socioeconomic Characteristics In Food Oasis And Food Desert In Wayne County, Mi, Arwa Hassan Almadan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In the last few decades, the concept of a food desert has captured the attention of the public and academia. Research has referred to food desert as an area with lack of access to adequate healthy food, especially for those without a vehicle or who live more than ¼ mile walking distance from grocery stores. Although the food desert metaphor has been used in research in different disciplines such as regional planning and public health, this term has been used loosely without a precise definition and without identifying the factors that might impact it.

This research explores and examines the …

The Impact Of The Quota-Based System On Social Stratification Among The Students At The Indian Institute Of Technology, Madras, India, Thyagarajan Vaidyanathan Ammachathram

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study attempted to identify the impact of the recent expansion in the quota system among Quota-Based Students (QBS) and General Category Students (GCS) at the Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) (IIT(M)). The study emphasized various institutional behaviors that affected the students and their educational endeavors and examined the impact of institutional practices on the students. This study examined some of the socialization practices of QBS and GCS based on Van Maanen and Schein’s (1979) work and revealed that hostels (residence halls) played a significant role especially among QBS educational endeavors at IIT(M). Van Maanen and Schein’s (1979) investiture socialization …

Arabic Pro-Drop, Mansour Ibrahim Altamimi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to analyze pro-drop in Arabic in terms of its syntactic properties and the nature of its optionality in discourse. The paper begins with a comprehensive review of five syntactic properties assumed to be universal to pro-drop languages, and discusses the status of each in both Standard Arabic and the Saudi Najdi dialect--the latter having seen little previous research in this area. The conclusion is that Najdi is very nearly syntactically identical to Standard Arabic with regard to the null subject parameter. The topic then shifts to discourse, and what factors may trigger pro-drop usage. …

The Experience Of Individuals Who Transitioned From Teacher To Assistant-Principal, Mara Hoffert

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The transition from teacher to assistant-principal is complex. The purpose of this study was to better understand the phenomenon of transition to leadership roles in high schools by investigating the experiences of four teachers who moved from teacher to assistant-principal positions in suburban school-districts in the State of Michigan. This multiple case-study comprises an in-depth examination of four teachers within their first four years as an assistant-principal. Interviews also included one central-office cabinet member from three of the four districts and one teacher in each of the assistant-principals’ schools. Interviews were guided by research questions regarding motivation for successful teacher …