Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ending Conflict: Raising The Costs Of Defection In African Failed States, Brian Crisher

Masters Theses

This paper views the civil conflicts in African failed states through the lens of game theory. From the numerous peace agreements and cease-fires that have been broken in these conflicts, it is clear that defecting from such agreements,is often more profitable than abiding by them. Why is this so? Furthermore, what can be done to raise the costs of defection and therefore promote cooperation amongst the fighting parties? This paper proposes that the international community has the ability to do just this through one-sided intervention.

Spatial Analysis Of Great Lakes Ferry Transit Systems, Joe Lane

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore the feasibility of a cross-lake ferry on Lake Michigan between Metropolitan Chicago and Southwestern Michigan. Two potential origins have been chosen in Northeastern Illinois (Evanston and Downtown Chicago) and two potential destinations have been chosen in Southwestern Michigan (St. Joseph/ Benton Harbor and South Haven).

The introduction includes historical information on Great Lakes Ferry Systems, information about Great Lakes ports, routes and locations along with the operation requirements for a ferry system. The Methodology includes In-Depth interviews that were done with maritime experts of the Michigan Department of Transportation. This is in order to illustrate a …

An Analysis Of The Woodland Ceramics From Galum Crossing (Site 21c4-29): An Early Late Woodland Occupation In The Southern Illinois Interior, Gabrielle Aberle

Masters Theses

Situated on upper Galum Creek at the northwest margin of the Big Muddy River drainage basin, the primary occupation at Gal um Crossing consisted of an early Late Woodland habitation dating from approximately A.D. 450 to the early A.D. 700s. The cultural-historical affiliation of the Woodland occupation and the relationship of Galum Crossing to local and regional contemporaneous sites were assessed using radiocarbon dating and an attribute-based analysis of the Woodland ceramic assemblage. This provided data for examining the designation of the proposed Jamestown phase (Moffat 1991, 1992) as a transitional unit between the Middle Woodland Crab Orchard Tradition and …

The Effects Of Differential Reinforcement Of Unprompted Responding On Skill Acquisition Of Children With Autism, Amanda M. Karsten

Masters Theses

The common recommendation to reserve the most potent reinforcers for unprompted responses during acquisition programming, sometimes referred to as differential reinforcement of independent responding, has little published empirical support for its purported benefits (enhanced rate of acquisition, decreased likelihood of errors and prompt dependence). The purpose of the current investigation was to compare the delivery of high-quality reinforcers exclusively following unprompted responses (differential condition) with the delivery of high-quality reinforcers following both prompted and unprompted responses (non-differential condition) on the rate of skill acquisition for two children with autism. Participants were taught multiple· pairs of target skills (picture sequencing, tacting) …

Evaluation Of An Outpatient Training Service For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Their Families, Britt Winter

Masters Theses

Autism spectrum disorders have a substantial impact on the lives of families and can result in a variety of enrichments to the family environment as well as certain specific stressors (Hecimovic & Gregory, 2005; Tidmarsh & Volkmar, 2003). One service that has proven effective for treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders as well as improvement in family dynamics is parent training (Schreibman, 1988). The current study examined 46 individual client files from an outpatient parent training clinic serving children with autism spectrum disorders. Parents were taught to implement interventions for skill acquisition with their children using a behavioral skills …

Functional Assessment Of Problem Behavior In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review Of 32 Cases, Jessa R. Love

Masters Theses

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among children aged 4 to 17 years is approximately 5.5 to 5.7 out of 1000 children (Centers for Disease Control, 2006). It is not uncommon for children with these disorders to display a wide range of problem behavior (e.g., Farrar-Schneider, 1992; Oswald et al., 1992). While a number of studies have reported aggregated data on the reinforcement functions of such problem behavior, none have reported the distribution of functions with a sample comprised solely of individuals on the autism spectrum. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine individual client data from an …

"Bird In A Cage:" Exploring Transnational Immigrants' Identity Negotiations, Ewa Urban

Masters Theses

Recent research demonstrates that the experience of contemporary immigrants is largely defined by their continued efforts to maintain symbolic and/or physical connections with their homelands ( e.g., Levitt, 1998). This study explored how these transnational connections affect the negotiation of immigrants' multiple identities. To explore the fluidity and the multilayered nature of transnational identities, the communication theory of identity was utilized as a theoretical lens. This theory allowed for an understanding how immigrants enact salient aspects of their multiple identities across contexts and situations. Phenomenological methodology was used to explore immigrants' lived experiences and hear their voices both individually and …

The Use Of Verbal And Written Emotional Expression For Empowerment And Healing In Clinical Social Work Practice, Laurie Lynn Dix Schmit

Masters Theses

Social work practice often demonstrates ambivalence about emotions and emotional expression. Forced by managed care to keep clinical work short-term, and having removed the depth of psychoanalytic and other psychodynamic approaches, social workers have retreated from attending to the emotional life of clients, and now focus mainly in the realm of thoughts and behaviors. By integrating literature from other disciplines with social work, and incorporating contemporary thought on the topic, this paper addresses the importance, challenges and rewards of utilizing emotional expression in clinical social work practice. We find that, by addressing the emotions of our clients, we begin to …

The Rise Of Controversial Content In Film, Ashley Haygood

Masters Theses

This study looks at the change in controversial content in films during the 20th century. Original films made prior to 1968 and their remakes produced after were compared in the content areas of profanity, nudity, sexual content, alcohol and drug use, and violence. The advent of television, post-war effects and a proposed “Hollywood elite” are discussed as possible causes for the increase in controversial content. Commentary from industry professionals on the change in content is presented, along with an overview of American culture and the history of the film industry.

The Effects Of A Still-Photo Computer Module Without Feedback On Ergonomic Behaviors, Rhiannon M. Fante

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a still-photo computer training module without feedback on safe positioning of individuals performing an assembly task and a lifting task using a multiple baseline design across behaviors and tasks. The study took place in an analogue office setting and participants were 6 college students. The dependent variable was the percentage of observations scored as safe and each session was recorded via a hidden camera. During each session, participants completed a 5 minute assembly task followed by 2 lifts and this task sequence was repeated a minimum of four …

The Independent Press In The Emerging Democracies: The Case Studies Of Poland, Ukraine And Russia, Lyudmyla Pustelnyk

Masters Theses

My research will entail the election coverage in the mainstream papers of Poland, Ukraine and Russia, these are the Gazeta Wyborcha, the Den, and the Izvestiya respectively. The diverse levels of media-freedom in the observed countries explain the difference between all three outlets in featuring political issues. The purpose of this Master's Thesis is to contrast and compare the state of the free press in Poland, Ukraine and Russia as well as the factors that determine the media-independence. In particular, these are the media-legislation, civil society and the economic performance.

This study revises the empirical claims made by …

Banish Belly Bulge And Chisel Your Bis: A Semiotic Analysis Of Gender Representations In Fitness Magazine Advertising, Lauren A. Teal

Masters Theses

This study examined gender ideologies in the advertising of two popular fitness magazines, Shape and Men's Fitness, using Kress and van Leeuwen's visual semiotic theory (1996). The aim of this study was to determine how fitness magazine advertising participates in the construction of gender identities, and to identify what rhetorical and visual strategies are commonly employed.

Through an examination of the way gender identities are constructed by fitness magazines my research has concluded that advertising within both magazines promotes idealized body types and stereotypical gender identities for men and women. In Shape's advertisements, women are wives and homemakers; they …

Building A Predictive Model For Paleo Indian Archaeological Site Location Using Geographic Information Systems, Zachary Jaime

Masters Theses

This research is a multi step method to predict unknown Paleoindian archaeological site locations within Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, situated in the southeastern corner of the state, using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The GIS technology is being used to predict Paleoindian archaeological site locations and will help demonstrate the geographic similarities and differences between already known Paleoindian archaeological sites and random non-site locations in the Pine Bluffs region. Using GIS, one can note the similarities and differences between the Paleoindian sites and the surrounding landscape and, with help of logistic regression analysis, one can predict the location of unknown Paleoindian …

The Gyftakis Site: A Reevalutation Of A Middle Woodland Site After 30 Years, Michael R. Fournier

Masters Theses

This research is the catalogue and study of the Gyftakis Site (20MK51) excavated in 1973 by Dr. James Fitting. The first part of this study involves the cataloguing and description of the artifacts excavated by Dr. James Fitting at the Gyftakis site located on the Marquette Mission block in St. Ignace, MI.

The second part of the research involves using SPSS to analyze the decorative techniques used on the Gyftakis pottery. A chi-square test was performed first to see if the ceramic decorations were not just defined by a random distribution. After that the ceramic decorations were analyzed in both …

Educating Fourth Grade Students In Michigan About Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus) Using A Teaching Trunk, Jessica Marie Wesel

Masters Theses

The Michigan Gray Wolf Recovery and Management Plan was signed on December 1997, and made residents aware that the population of gray wolves in Michigan would be on the rise. Because the number of wolf-human interactions eventually will increase, it is essential that people are educated about wolves to avoid the stereotyping and misconceptions that often are associated with wolves. A good place to start with this type of education is with children in elementary school.

A teaching trunk was used in two schools, one in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, and one in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Three classrooms from each school …

Cheating Death: The Demedicalization Of Cpr, Michelle Nicole Erwin

Masters Theses

My research explores cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as a case study of demedicalization. I will use an instrumental case study method to examine the history and setting of CPR. In order to gain a stronger understanding of CPR in particular, I will look in depth at the actors and organizations involved in the development, medicalization, and demedicalization of CPR. The purpose of this study is to better grasp how demedicalization occurs in a more general context by looking through the lens of CPR. I will adapt a framework that is used for examining medicalization authored by Peter Conrad (1980), to allow …

Coming Out In The Workplace: Stigma And Boundary Management For Homosexual Men, Eric A. Evans

Masters Theses

Disclosing their sexuality is an experience that is unique to homosexuals. At times disclosure can be a difficult decision, including disclosing in the workplace. This study explores how gay men manage the privacy boundaries of their sexual orientation in the workplace. The core of this study is the dialectical tension of disclosing or concealing their sexuality. Stigma, coming out and Communication Privacy Management Theory provided the framework for this study. Interviews with gay men were conducted and then analyzed using the Grounded Theory. The social phenomenon of coming out in the workplace for gay men is explored in this study.

Fathers' And Young Sons' Everyday Talk: A Conversation Analytic Study Of Topic Initiation And Development, Stacia Jayne Ozier

Masters Theses

As Floyd and Morman (1999) argue, "there are few male-male relationships that may be more socially significant than that between father and son"(p. 310). This study is an introduction to the exploration of topic in father-young son interaction. Using the method of conversation analysis we have identified how three father-young son groups initiate topic in actual everyday conversation. Both fathers and sons used aspects of the physical environment and social activities as resources for topic initiation. In addition, one father used other-focused questions to initiate topics with his young sons. In the examination of the practices used by the fathers …

Presenting Problems And Treatment Outcome Of College Counseling Center Clients: The Role Of Gender And Academic Major, Erik Lennart Timothy Fister

Masters Theses

The current study examined whether gender and/or academic specialization had any relationship to students presenting issues, symptom severity, and treatment outcome at a university counseling center. The participants were 484 clients and the data were collected at an East Coast university counseling center. Clients were included for the analyses if they were a new intake, clearly fit into one of six categories for academic major, and attended more than one session. Each client filled out both the Personal Information Form (PIF) and Behavioral Health Questionnaire (BHQ) at intake, and was administered the BHQ prior to each subsequent session. Based on …

School-Related Predictors Of Test Anxiety In Middle-School Students, Jayme Holt

Masters Theses

Test anxiety has been associated with many school-related factors. In the present study, the presence of an academic label was expected to be a better predictor of test anxiety than memory, study habits, or grade point average in a sample of middle-school students. A total of 48 middle-school students, 19 with academic labels, were administered the Survey of Study Habits & Attitudes (Brown & Holtzman, 1967), Test Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1980), and the Children's Memory Scale (Cohen, 1997), while teachers supplied each student's current G.P.A. The hypothesis that an academic label would be a better predictor of test anxiety was …

Science And Application: A Comparison Of Graduate Training In Counseling And Clinical Psychology, Nupur Jain

Masters Theses

Often times, when considering training and careers in psychology, students have difficulty deciding whether to pursue clinical psychology or counseling psychology as a career. The decision made might be a result of limited or biased information. Additionally, students often fail to make important distinctions between counseling psychology and the professional field of counseling, which has implications for the career path they pursue. The purpose of the current literature review is to provide readers with the range of knowledge and ideas, including contrasting perspectives and viewpoints that have been established in this area.

Students also often fail to make important distinctions …

Evaluation Of Year Round Education: Does It Increase Isat Reading Scores In Third And Eighth Grade Students?, Kristy Marlett

Masters Theses

Little is known about how a modified school calendar influences student achievement in reading. The present study investigated how students performed on the ISAT reading test after the district switched to a year-round calendar when compared to scores when the district was using a traditional school calendar. In other words, this longitudinal study attempted to answer if performance on the ISAT is related to the type of calendar, gender, grade level, and receiving special education services. Participants were 900 students in the third and eighth grades of one Illinois school district that transitioned from traditional school calendar to Year Round …

The Relation Of Teacher Burnout To Teachers' Expectation Of An Elementary Student's Outcome, Megan Brianne Mcdowell

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine what aspect(s) of teacher burnout, if any, predicted a teacher's expectation for a student's academic outcome, a teacher's expectation for a student's behavior outcome, and the teacher's ability to work with that student. Thirty-four K through 6th grade teachers, from four rural Illinois schools, completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators Survey (MBI - ES; Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1986) and the Teacher Expectation Questionnaire (TEQ; Aloia & Aloia, 1983). Results suggested that only the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the MBI - ES predicted the three scales of the TEQ: Teacher's Expectation …

Calibration Of Reading Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Students With Reading Disabilities, Melissa Mickelson

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to measure self-efficacy calibration, or accuracy of performance beliefs, in reading by high school students with reading disabilities. This study examined participant's reading metacognitive skills, reading self-concept, reading comprehension, and reading self-efficacy. Fifty-two participants were placed into a group of students with reading disabilities and a comparison group of normal achieving students. These students completed all measures and group results were compared to determine the degree of calibration, metacognitive abilities, and self-concept of students with reading disabilities as compared to normal achieving students. Results of the study found that students with reading disabilities did not significantly …

Perceptions Of Sororities Among Sorority Women, Deborah Denise Appleby

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine sorority women's perception ons on certain aspects of sororities and how they believe sororities are perceived by non-sorority women and faculty. The benefits of the study include awareness of the perceptions that sorority women hold of sororities, improvements can be made in areas that haveе negative perceptions, and the positive aspects of sororities can be promoted more.

A survey was used to collect data and SPSS statistical software wavas used to analyze data. Eight of the nine Panhellenic sororities at Eastern Illinois Universi versity were surveyed, providing 395 respondents. Their ages ranged …

Media's Portrayal Of Women: Impact On Aggressive Attitudes And Beliefs, Danielle Trezek

Masters Theses

The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to examine images in magazine advertisements and the impact of these images on aggressive attitudes and beliefs towards women. The three research objectives were: 1) to explore the appeal of the portrayals of women in magazine advertisements to males and females, 2) to examind the attitudes and acceptances of violence, gender-roles, and gender stereotypes of the participants after viewing the different portrayals, and 3) to compare the results of males and females to explore the differences in aggression between genders. The participants consisted of 71 college males and females from a Midwestern …

September 11th, 2001: Immediate And Short Run Effects On U. S. Commodity Markets, Financial Statistics, And Macroeconomic Variables, Katie E. Lotz

Masters Theses

In an attempt to identify and quantify the economic impacts of 9/11 on U.S. markets, this study individually examines a wide range of U.S. economic variables. Macroeconomic indicators, commodity prices, and financial statistics are the three main focuses of the project. Econometric analysis-ranging from simple ordinary least squares regression to more advanced techniques such as autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic models-is used to identify the various impacts. The analysis finds that September 11th did have a wide array of impacts on the U.S. economy. Some variables appear to have been affected both immediately and in the short run, while others seem to …

Existential Anxiety And Religious Commitment, Daniel J. Pelak

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Paul Tillich's theory of existential anxiety and religious commitment. The study attempted to determine if there was type of existential anxiety that religion might perpetuate or alleviate. Two hundred and twenty-nine individuals who endorsed a Christian or Catholic belief system completed a series of surveys on an internet website; participants were recruited through various Christian message boards or a standardized email that was sent to various church leaders; the measures of the assessment were Tillich's theory of existential anxiety, death anxiety, moral anxiety, meaninglessness anxiety, religious commitment, and personality …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Prayer And Subjective Well-Being, Brandon L. Whittington

Masters Theses

The present study examined the relationship between types of prayer (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, reception, and obligation) and self-esteem, life satisfaction, and life meaning, while testing optimism, belief in prayer, and spiritual support as mediators. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships. Optimism was confirmed as a mediator between adoration and life satisfaction, thanksgiving and life satisfaction, and thanksgiving and self-esteem. Spiritual support was confirmed as a mediator between reception and life meaning. As hypothesized, optimism played a large role in predicting well-being, especially in adoration and thanksgiving, prayer focused on positive themes. Overall, prayer was shown to predict …

Factors Influencing Early Literacy Skill Acquisition Among At-Risk Kindergarten Children, Jill E. Feller

Masters Theses

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 placed federal mandates on education in which all children will be expected to read grade-level text by the 3rd grade in the academic year of 2013-2014. Risk factors that can be linked to interventions in order to reach the goals of NCLB were investigated. In this study, the risk factors of parental involvement (Reading Minute Index), parental literacy interaction style (Home Questionnaire), and Overactive and Underactive problem behaviors (ASCA composite scores) were analyzed in relation to the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills kindergarten spring benchmarks.

This study was conducted in …