Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Conditional Reasoning In Depression, Niyati Sheth

Masters Theses

Most of the studies on reasoning have suggested that individuals with depression show poor performance on reasoning tasks (Channon & Baker, 1994). Previous researches and major theories attempt to explain the association between errors in reasoning process and working memory limitations (Braine, 1994; Gilhooly et. al., 1993; Johnson-Laird, 1983). Research also shows that working memory is impaired in individuals with depression (Channon, Baker & Robertson, 1993; Christopher & MacDonald, 2005). Hence, as per this view, depressed individuals perfonn poorly on reasoning tasks because of working memory limitation or preload rather than their ability to manipulate relevant infonnation (Channon & Baker, …

Exploration Of A Method For Constructing An Industrial Ethernet With Ethernet Enabled Devices In An Industrial Environment Using A Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance, Uros Marjanovic

Masters Theses

Industrial computing has been around for quite some time. It has just recently begun to show its true potential. Over recent years programmable logic controllers, or PLC, have become an integral part of an industrial operation; they have also become more and more powerful, faster and more accurate. One of the most current evolutions has been the integrated addition of Ethernet com1ectivity to these devices, previous to this a serial connection was used which is extremely slow and not always reliable. The addition of networking these devices has opened the door to many possibilities such as remote device control, increased …

Training Delivery Methods Utilized By Illinois American Society Of Training And Development (Astd) Members, Kimberly S. Ervin

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of training for the state of Illinois and identify training delivery methods currently being utilized by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) Illinois members. A survey was developed and made available to members of all five Illinois ASTD chapters. A total of 169 Illinois ASTD members responded. The survey created an inventory of all training delivery methods used and identified the most utilized training and delivery method and most perceived effective training and delivery method. The majority of respondents indicated the single most utilized training and …

Development Of Learning Objectives For An Undergraduate Electrical Discharge Machining Technology Course Using The Delphi Technique, Aaron Harmon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this Delphi study was to develop comprehensive learning objectives that support undergraduates' acquisition of knowledge and skills of the Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) processes and procedures. This study reflects learning objectives created for EDM. The learning objectives were derived by utilizing a panel of experts from academia and industry involved with EDM. The results of this study are intended for use when creating an instructional module for undergraduate machining studies.

A panel of experts was chosen through recommendations from members of an engineering and technology listserv. Two successive rounds of Delphi instruments were utilized to complete a …

Why We Failed: The Rise Of Islamic Extremism And America’S Failure To Stop It 1979-2003, Brad Michael Negulescu

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the rise of Islamic terrorism from 1979-2003. It begins with how the Soviet-Afghan war during the 1980’s gave birth to a movement of young Islamic radicals that became known as al Qaeda. The paper then discusses how the organization, led by wealthy Saudi financier Osama bin Ladin, became a principle antagonist of the Clinton Administration throughout the 1990’s. Moreover, it goes on to talk about the numerous successful terrorist acts al Qaeda was able to plan and implement around the world during the 1990’s and how the administration attempted to deal them. It also discusses how the …

Environmental Impacts Of Trade-Oriented Development Policies, Jonathan Daniel Dean

Masters Theses

This work integrates trade-development theory with trade-pollution theory in attempt to find if certain trade policies can be used for sustainable development. Three trade oriented development policies are analyzed: inward orientation, outward orientation, and trade liberalization. A theoretical model is developed to analyze the effects of scale, composition, and technique. The theoretical model is then tested empirically using a panel regression, cross-section by country and across time. The panel regression uses S0 2 against economic indicators and dummy variables reflecting the theoretical model. The theoretical model proves that trade policies can be manipulated to create an intelligent trade design, which …

Food Selection Behaviors Of Children In A Buffet Setting, Megan J. Merrill

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate food choices made by children of varying ages when a wide assortment of both healthy and unhealthy food items were available. The results were used to assess the importance of caregiver influence with regard to children's dietary intakes and to determine significant relationships between age. food preference. and relevant behavioral patterns.

Fifty children between the ages of 3 and 15 were observed in buffet-style restaurants with their caregivers. A food and beverage selection checklist was used to determine children's food selections when each food group was present and available to them, A …

The Acceptance Of Heart Healthy Food Items Among College Students, Waleed Mohammed Alrayyes

Masters Theses

This thesis project was undertaken to discover the acceptance of heart healthy food items among college students. Previous studies stated that many college students leaving home and entering college for the first time often make choices that are less healthful. The researchers suggest that this is because of adopting poor diets. As a result of consuming an unhealthy diet coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, students may increase their risk of developing a variety of diseases, such as CVD, later in life.

Data for this study were collected from a sample of 100 college students at a Midwestern University. The samples …

Impact Of Alcohol On Dietary Behaviors Of Male College Students, Cheryl Anne Rozela

Masters Theses

Research has suggested that many male students increase consumption of alcohol during their college years (Von Ah, Ebert, Ngamvitroj, Park & Kang, 2001). As alcohol consumption increases during this time many students also make less healthy dietary choices, suggesting a relationship between alcohol use and dietary patterns may be present (Adams & Rini, 2007). Although suggestive of a relationship, there is a lack of research documenting an association between alcohol use and dietary behaviors of male college students, therefore, the current study utilized a convenience sample of twenty male participants from a midwestem university and a series of five open-ended …

A Content Analysis Of Food Advertisements During Children's Tv Programming, Jillian Hurt

Masters Theses

The purpose was to determine nutritional quality of foods and marketing techniques and messages used in food ads during children's television programming. Programming was taped on 4 networks (PBS, Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for l day each, from July 8 to July 11, 2008.

One third of ads shown in 36 hours of programming were for food. Eighty-four percent of food ads promoted foods that were high in fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium or low in vitamins, minerals, fruits, vegetables and fiber. Animation was used in 44% and taste in 58% …

Silencing And Assaulting The Feminine: An Analysis Of Institutions That Perpetuate A Rape-Supportive Culture, Melissa Territo

Masters Theses

Since 1700, rape has been a publicly discussed topic. Past research has focused on the effects that socialization practices, patriarchy, and hegemony have on sexual violence and mediated representations of gendered violence in the United States. This thesis explores two institutions, social structures, and cultures that contribute to and perpetuate a rape supportive culture in the United States-the penal and fraternity systems. By approaching and analyzing sexual assault as socially constructed and communicated through the institutional structures of the penal and fraternity systems, we are equipped to better understand how society and media (re )create and perpetuate a patriarchal rape …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Elementary School Children In A Rural Illinois School District, Amy M. Miller

Masters Theses

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorders, adversely affects children's academic, social, and emotional functioning. There were three purposes for this study. First, this study attempted to determine the number of students diagnosed with ADHD in the three elementary schools of a rural Midwestern school district as reported by parents. Secondly, the study attempted to discover discrepant practices in the methods of diagnosis and treatment ofADHD for students from a lower socioeconomic status than for those from the middle or upper class as reported by the parents. Thirdly, this study assessed teachers' knowledge and …

Taking Out The Trash: Critiquing The Equipment For Living Of White Trash Films, Tasha Rose Dunn

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, class has become a lightning rod issue in the United States as the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. One of the main reasons for growing class segregation is the mere fact that U.S. culture carries enormous social anxieties about poverty and, in turn, blame the poor for being poor. As a result of hegemonic beliefs about class, crude discourses are formed and fostered through the mainstream media creating both inaccurate and damaging portrayals. Such damaging portrayals are immediately evident in a variety of mainstream Hollywood films produced in the past decade …

Natural Resources, Investment, And Growth In Low Income Countries, Dena L. Reavis

Masters Theses

Rents generated by natural resource endowments can be lucrative and highly productive sources of revenue for countries of all income levels. Countries able to develop sound investment strategies that efficiently allocate resource rents into highly productive activities can set themselves on paths of long-run stable growth. This study estimates the effects of several host-country characteristics on inflows of foreign direct investment and per capita incomes for low income countries finding that investments in human capital do attract inward foreign direct investment. Some evidence supports the hypothesis of a natural resource curse when the abundant resource is agriculture or food.

Factors Affecting Dietary Compliance In The Adolescent With Type 1 Diabetes, Maryjean K. Bargren

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to research adult persons with type 1 diabetes and determine what factors played a role in both compliance and non-compliance of their diabetes management as an adolescent. The purpose was also to determine what factors may have caused an adolescent to be non-compliant throughout their adolescent years but who in adulthood became compliant.

Managing diabetes throughout adolescence can be difficult with many changes occurring both hormonally and socially. A medium sized hospital in the Midwest was used to obtain participants for this study. Questionnaires were distributed to patients at their medical appointments. There were …

A Three Part Study Exploring Psi-Conduciveness And Psi-Defensiveness In Groups, Gretchen M. Conner

Masters Theses

The current study examined three separate experiments, conducted during the Spring semester of 2006, designed to explore variables related to telepathy performance. The common theme which runs through all studies in the parapsychology laboratory including the three experiments covered in this document is the exploration of variables related to psi-defensiveness and psi-conduciveness within groups of participants. In Part I, groups of participants were rated by research assistants on the dimensions of friendliness and enthusiasm. It was hypothesized that as friendliness and enthusiasm ratings increased or decreased for a session, hit rates would correspondingly increase or decrease. Results indicated that as …

Adult Children As Possible Barriers To Parental Sexuality In Nursing Homes: A Literature Review, Crystal D. Wanek

Masters Theses

Sexual interest and activity continue across the entire lifespan, but multiple barriers make ~xual behavior difficult for those in nursing homes. With increases in nursing home populations occurring during the last three decades, the anticipation of the baby boomers entering retirement and beginning to enter nursing homes over the next 10 to 30 years suggests that more knowledge is needed to assist nursing homes with making policies that are protective and reverential of sexuality. This literature review seeks to take a comprehensive look at the issue of sexuality for the elderly in nursing homes and identify whether adult children serve …

Gender And Performance In The Mathematics' Sections Of The Illinois Standards Achievement Test And The Prairie State Achievement Exam, Lindsey Leaf

Masters Theses

Despite criticisms about their inability to assess students' learning accurately, high stakes tests are currently used in the United States to measure student and teacher progress. Because of the need for schools to demonstrate students have achieved or maintained satisfactory progress, schools in Illinois regularly administer the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISA T) and Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE), despite limitations in the statistical and technical infonnation available for both of these tests. This study examined possible gender differences on the mathematics portion of the ISA T and PSAE by gathering data from one school district in Illinois. Findings indicated …

Coercion In U.S. Foreign Policy: Evaluating The Utility Of The Jentleson And Whytock Model, John D. Hamilton

Masters Theses

This thesis seeks to test the utility of the Jentleson and Whytock (2006) model, which stems from their study of U.S. foreign policy with Libya. Their study established a model of foreign policy coercion, which they maintain helps explain why Libyan foreign policy changed so radically during the presidency of George W. Bush. The model is applied to American policy, implemented from the Carter administration to that of George W. Bush, towards Iran, Burma (Myanmar) and North Korea. The coercive strategies used by each administration are compared against the prescription and projection purported by the model in order to determine …

Deconstructing Liberalism: Are The Criticisms Associated With Neoliberal Economic Policies Universal?, Jeremy Bowling

Masters Theses

Neoliberalism is a set of economic policies which emerged amongst states during the 1980s in order to create comparative advantages. This thesis explains what neoliberalism is, how it spread around the globe, and what the critiques of neoliberalism are. A background of the critique of Latin American neoliberalism is provided and followed immediately by a case study of three Latin American states. A quantitative analysis of neoliberalism and economic and social data is described and results are provided. The overall conclusion suggests that many of the criticisms of neoliberalism are not universally observed within all states, but some critiques are …

Incremental Validity Of Wisc-Iv Factor Scores In Predicting Academic Achievement On The Wiat-Ii, Shalena R. Meis

Masters Theses

This study examined the incremental validity of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003) factor scores in predicting reading and math achievement on the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-11; Wechsler, 2002). Participants included K-12 students in a medium sized Midwestern school district who underwent an evaluation using the WISC-IV and the WIAT-II. Block entry multiple regression analyses were used to examine whether the WISC-IV factor scores substantially improved the prediction ofreading or math achievement on the WIAT-11 above and beyond the contribution made by the FSIQ. Results indicated that the WISC-IV FSIQ accounted for the majority of …

Construct Validity And Diagnostic Utility Of The Cognitive Assessment System: Discriminating Individuals With Adhd From Random Normals, Allison R. Gaboury

Masters Theses

This study examined the construct validity and diagnostic utility of the Cognitive Assessment System (Naglieri & Das, 1997). Distinct group differences and discriminative validity of 40 kindergarten through second grade students (20 meeting ADHD criteria on the Structured Diagnostic Interview for Parents and the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents, 20 random matched control) on measures of Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive Processing were completed. The ADHD and random matched control groups differed significantly on Planning and Attention scores with large effect sizes but not on Simultaneous or Successive scores. Low Planning and Attention scores but normal Simultaneous and Successive …

Facets Of Mindfulness As Predictors Of Resistance To Alcohol-Related Disorders, Jacob Landers

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is defined as a state of mind, a tendency and willingness to 'bring one's complete attention to the experiences occurring in the present moment in a nonjudgmental and accepting way' (Brown & Ryan, 2003). The concept originated from the Eastern spiritual traditions and has recently made its way to the West. Although mindfulness-based practices have met with success in alleviating a wide range of problematic conditions such as depression, anxiety, and addiction, it is still unclear as to which specific dimensions of mindfulness are responsible for the positive effects. Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, and Toney (2006) extracted five facets …

Relationship Between Theory Of Mind Performance In A Nonverbal Task And Functioning Level Of Children With Autism, Michael J. Grenda

Masters Theses

Individuals with autism often show deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), their ability to understand the perceptions of others. The relationship between functioning level and ToM abilities in children with autism has not been adequately explored. This study utilized a nonverbal task of ToM adapted from previous research (Colle, Baron-Cohen, & Hill, 2007) which allowed examination of lower functioning or nonverbal individuals. Participants included nine individuals with autism spectrum disorders and nine normally developing individuals. Functioning level was estimated using a brief autism rating scale. When controlling for nonverbal abilities and age, no significant differences in ToM abilities were found …

A Descriptive Analysis Of One School District's Approach To Response To Intervention For Kindergarten Literacy, Christine H. Lowell

Masters Theses

This study provided a descriptive analysis of one school district's approach to Response to Intervention (RTI) for literacy skills in kindergarten which included two screening measures and their accompanying supplemental literacy instruction. Data, collected by the school, were analyzed for the children deemed "at-risk" of reading difficulty during the fall, winter, and spring assessment periods of the 2008-2009 academic school year. The data included performance on two screening measures, the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and the teacher-developed Kindergarten Inventory of Skills, and book-level assessments as a measure of early reading skill development. Results indicated that by …

A Geophysical Survey Of Fort St. Joseph (20be23), Niles, Michigan, Daniel P. Lynch

Masters Theses

Fort St. Joseph is a 17th-18th century French (and later English) mission-garrison-trading post complex located in southwest Michigan. A geophysical survey was performed and the results of the survey were tested through archaeological excavation. The geophysical methods included ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction, electrical resistivity, magnetic gradiometry, and magnetic susceptibility. The results of the archaeological excavations demonstrate that magnetic gradiometry was the preferred geophysical method at this particular site. The magnetic gradiometer survey included both terrestrial and possible submerged portions the site. Laboratory analysis of the magnetic susceptibility and magnetic viscosity of soils and rocks demonstrated that the archaeological features …

Perils On The High Seas: The Effects Of Submersion And Containment On Human Decomposition In Saltwater, Celene Aundrea Sotkowy

Masters Theses

Forensic analysis of decomposing human remains in a submerged and contained aquatic environment is an area of research that lacks systematic evaluation and hinders the ability to accurately determine time since death/submersion. Expanding our understanding of how submersion and containment affects the known taphonomic agents pursuant to aquatic environments will contribute to the knowledge base on human decomposition in a multitude of environments.

In response to this limited knowledge base, this thesis reviews ten marine and air incidents occurring along the coast of British Columbia, Canada in which the bodies of eighteen individuals were recovered from inside the submerged wreckage …

Breaking Protocol: The Failure Of The Bush Administration To Ratify The Kyoto Protocol As A State Crime, Jacquelynn A. Doyon

Masters Theses

Using the Kyoto Protocol as a centrifugal focus point, this research conceptualizes the failure of the United States to act on global warming as a state crime. The decision of the United States not to ratify the protocol was largely based on economic justifications. However, the actions taken following the Kyoto Protocol indicate that the US government was instead dedicated more to their own economical interests, rather than those of the state was a whole. Through the exploration of possible economic and political motivations, the research identifies ulterior motives of the Bush administration that have proved to be detrimental to …

Single Muslim Young Adults: Negotiating Identities, Religion And Desire, Zarinah El-Amin Naeem

Masters Theses

This ethnographic thesis is an empirically rich, critical analysis of the singlehood of Muslim young adults. Based on interviews with 21 single Muslims aged 18-36, and participant observation of Muslim spaces, I demonstrate that while Islam and Muslim communities present "ideal" behaviors, Islam is not alone. Instead, like identity, the singlehood of American Muslims is created and recreated through dialectical relationships with several cultural "wombs" including religion, popular culture, family, and ethnicity. As Muslim young adults encounter these often contradictory ideologies, they accept and reject parts, and negotiate their identities, religion and desires - all while struggling to maintain a …

Military Voting From A Combat Zone, Robert E. Reichner

Masters Theses

This study involves analyzing the Rational Choice Theory presented by Anthony Downs (1957) regarding the cost of information when casting a ballot. The context of the study will be under the auspices of casting a ballot according to the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Of particular concern, the study will focus on uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed overseas to Department of Defense combat zones. The policies put into place regarding political participation while serving as a military member will be addressed. Additionally, the study will employ a comparative case study of each individual service …