Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Influence Of Supportive Communication Practices On Volunteer Satisfaction, Role Identity, Safety Perceptions, Loyalty, And Burnout, Virginia Ann Gregory

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to assess supportive communication practices as predictors of volunteer outcomes. As healthcare organizations continue to grow and expand services to patients, the need for volunteers will expand as well. If volunteers are supported within the organization they will become a part of the healthcare environment and ultimately can make a difference for the organization. lt was hypothesized that supportive communication by both staff and co-volunteers would predict higher levels of volunteer satisfaction, role identity, safety perceptions, and loyalty, and lower levels of volunteer bumout. Results indicate that emotional support from staff was the strongest …

Dance Club Culture, Amy M. Iseler

Masters Theses

My research examines the dance club culture in a mid-sized Northwestern city. I explore this subject through participant observation and interviews with dance club patrons. The issues I address in my research include dance club music, music videos, alcohol, clothing, sexual behavior, non-verbal communication and the dance club environment. The purpose of this Masters Thesis is to determine whether dance club culture perpetuates sexist attitudes and beliefs within its patrons.

This original piece of research is based in existing literature which informs the individual elements of the dance club culture. The experiences of dance club patrons demonstrate how these elements …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On Safe Postural Performance, Nicole Gravina

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of self-monitoring on safe positioning of individuals performing a typing task and an assembly task using a multiple baseline design across behaviors and tasks. The study took place in an analogue office setting with seven college student participants. The dependent variable was the percentage of observations scored as safe and each session was recorded via a hidden camera.. During baseline, participants received information regarding safe positions and then completed a typing task and an assembly task during nine-minute sessions. In the self-monitoring phase, participants recorded whether a targeted posture …

Reducing Wait Times In A Hospital Pharmacy To Promote Customer Service, Julie M. Slowiak

Masters Theses

The quality of service received by a customer affects their satisfaction with the organization. To increase the probability that customers will return to an organization, it is critical that customers are satisfied with the organization's services. The amount of time customers spend waiting in line can affect their satisfaction with an organization's services (Gail & Lucey, 1997). This study examined the effects of a single intervention versus a combined intervention package to reduce wait times in a hospital's outpatient pharmacy. Customer satisfaction ratings were collected to determine the effect of a reduction in wait time on customer service satisfaction with …

Spatial Analysis Of Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater In Dodge County, Wisconsin, Jacob Andrew Maas

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to identify the primary variables that lead to high nitrate levels in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Trend surface analysis was used to identify which land use/land cover and aquifer characteristics are responsible for increased nitrate levels. A kriging model with residuals from the trend surface analysis, were then applied to estimate the spatial distribution of nitrate levels in the entire study area. Cross-validation was conducted to assess the uncertainty of the kriging model in the analysis.

The result from the trend surface analysis showed that, soil depth to bedrock, agriculture, urban, barren and shrub land, …

A Market Analysis Of Consumer Behavior For Companies In A Self-Insurance Group, Bismarck J. Manes

Masters Theses

This study examined variables that influenced the purchase of costly safety equipment by small business owners. Participants were 21 members of a self-insurance group (SIG) comprised of auto recyclers. Eight sets of variables were examined: (a) marketing tools (video, graphic safety data, and price discount), (b) business demographics, (c) worker’s compensation history, (d) personal history, (e) available technology, (f) safety management practices, (g) safety products purchased in the past, and (h) interest in safety services provided by the SIG. Purchasers (N=7) and nonpurchasers (N=14) were divided into groups, and independent t-tests were calculated for each variable. Only one of 45 …

Analysis Of Factors Affecting Zebra Mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha) Abundance In Gull Lake, Michigan, Ryan P. Miller

Masters Theses

Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) proliferation has become a serious problem in the Great Lakes Basin. This study uses bathymetry, vegetation distribution, and substratum data to assess their relationship with zebra mussel measurements in Gull Lake, Michigan. Different statistical tests were performed in order to investigate the relationship between the variables and to infer any significance among the variables in relation to zebra mussel abundance. Dreissena polymorpha data include 16 sites on Gull Lake, collected in July of 1999. Vegetation, substratum, and bathymetric datasets were obtained and analyzed by using Geographic Information Science (GIS) techniques.

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) …

Sexist Humor And Willingness To Discrimination Against Women, Christie M. Fitzgerald

Masters Theses

Research has shown that exposure to sexist humor increases tolerance of sexist events, particularly for people high in hostile sexism-antagonism toward women (Glick & Fiske, 1996). The present experiment extends those findings by examining the effects of exposure to sexist humor on anticipated behavior. Two studies were designed to examine the behavioral consequences of exposure to sexist humor. In Study 1, participants were exposed to either sexist jokes, sexist statements, or neutral jokes, and then asked to donate money to either a women's organization or a men's organization. In Study 2, participants were exposed to either sexist jokes or …

The Globalization Of The Food Retail Sector In Southern Mexico, Alexandra Teachout

Masters Theses

The practices and policies of transnational corporations have now taken hold in the geo-economy, and the effects of globalization can be seen worldwide. Current research trends in economic geography focus on these policies and their transformations with regards to specific sectors. These theories predict and explain how transnational corporations should act, interact, and influence host countries. This foreign presence in host countries not only influences the corporate sector, but creates unique changes and challenges for producers and consumers. Consequently, the need to understand how the evolution of the global space affects the transformation of the local space, as well as …

Using Geographic Information Systems To Assess Risk For Elevated Blood Lead Levels In Children In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Amatun Noor

Masters Theses

Lead-based paint is the major source of childhood lead poisoning for children under six in the United States and was commonly used in pre-1950 homes. The main objective of this study for Kalamazoo County, Michigan is to identify risk homes to for public health workers, and determine common socioeconomic factors from the US Census that can be used to identify relative risk across census tracts. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is applied to locate the risk homes of 485 children provided at the aggregate level by the Michigan Department of Community Health. Independent variables were derived from the U.S. 2000 …

The Effects Of Contingency-Specifying Statements On Impulsive Behavior: Specifying The Dimension Of The Reinforcer, Susan Frances Makdisi

Masters Theses

This study replicated and extended research conducted by Douglas J. Navarick (2001) by investigating the effects on impulsive behavior of presenting participants with a contingency-specifying statement (CSS), or a question evoking a CSS. One-hundred two subjects categorized as impulsive, self-controlled, or neutral, based on their number of impulsive responses on a computer program, were divided into three groups: a control group and two experimental groups. Results demonstrated that impulsive behavior decreased when subjects generated accurate and complete CSSs, either with or without the assistance of corrective feedback on verbal or impulsive behavior. Implications for future research on impulsive behavior are …

Evaluating Increasing And Decreasing Prompt Hierarchies With Developmentally Disabled Adults, Sophie Rubin

Masters Theses

Individuals with developmental disabilities were taught conditional discriminations in the form of an auditory visual matching to sample task using two teaching strategies: the increasing prompt hierarchy and the decreasing prompt hierarchy. A multielement design was used to compare these prompt hierarchies in terms of accuracy, rate of acquisition, number of errors, number of edible reinforcers, and number of praise statements delivered. The results indicate that the increasing prompt hierarchy consistently resulted in an increased number of steps, errors, edibles, and praise statements compared to the decreasing prompt hierarchy. However, differing results were obtained on the accuracy measure across participants. …

Black Power In Green And White: Integration And Black Protest In Michigan State University Football, 1947-1972, John Matthew Smith

Masters Theses

While southern college football teams remained all white until the late 1960s and early 1970s, Michigan State University head football coach Duffy Daugherty formed championship teams in 1965 and 1966 by recruiting the best southern black players. While coaches in the North recruited black athletes and played them regularly by the mid-1950s, no other coach took the risks Daugherty did to integrate his teams. Duffy Daugherty's path-breaking teams broke all the rules of integrated competition and forced southern schools to reconsider their stance on segregated college football.

The ground breaking integration of black athletes in the mid-1950s and 1960s under …

The Relationship Between Landcover And Cloud-To-Ground Lightning Strikes In Kalamazoo, County, Michigan, Zachary J. Newton

Masters Theses

Lightning strike point data, collected by the National Lightning Detection Network™ in June, July, and August of 1993, was used in conjunction with geographic information systems (GIS) to examine the distribution of lightning strikes within and among landcover and geologic classes in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.

Quadrat analysis results showed that the lightning strike pattern did not follow a random distribution and exhibited a tendency for clustering when mapped with kernel density. A chi-square analysis showed there was a statistically significant relationship among landcovers, geology, and lightning strikes. Two t-tests were used to evaluate the data, one that corrected for location …

Which Islam-Ism? Diversity In Islamic Society And Its Implications For Democracy, Christopher M. Ebsch

Masters Theses

This study aims to refute claims of Islamic exceptionalism in the midst of recent waves of democratization, thereby disproving assumptions of any incompatibility between democracy and Islam. My research will show that such sweeping assumptions gloss over significant, developmental democratic movements within Muslim nations as well as several uniquely Islamic supports for democratic ideals and institutions.

I begin by examining recent political activities conducive to democracy in Muslim states, by distinguishing between divergent principles in the Qur' an, some of which have been used by moderate, democratically-oriented Islamists, and by realizing the historical, political antecedents leading to a rise in …

The Transtheoretical Model: A Theoretical Application To Homelessness, Richard D. Campbell

Masters Theses

Homelessness is a complex social phenomenon that requires creative and bold solutions. Regardless of how one views current methods for facilitating the movement of people out of homelessness, the literature indicates there is still room for improvement.

The Transtheoretical model, a construct for understanding the natural process of behavioral change, has never been applied to understanding or facilitating the movement of individuals out of homelessness. This study examines the phenomenon of homelessness, the Transtheoretical model, and how the model could be applied to improving our effectiveness in moving people from homelessness to “housing readiness” and stability. The study produced a …

Cinematic Scripture: The Structure And Usage Of The Lord Of The Rings As Equipment For Living, Brent Yergensen

Masters Theses

This project argues that film has the capacity to function as cinematic scripture for Christian audiences. Cinematic scripture means that films are authoritative for audiences the same way that written scripture is. In The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, this new form of scripture works as equipment for living by encouraging Christian audiences to go to war against evil through the structure of the film's biblical themes of bifurcation, redemption, and millennialism. This culmination of the rhetorical vision of war comes from three fantasy themes that emerge when Christian Internet writers describe how they use the films: repentance, strength, …

Economic Growth, Inequality And Poverty In Africa, Fassil N. Fanta

Masters Theses

The most important development endeavor is to reduce poverty. There has been an ongoing debate on the actual contribution of growth to poverty reduction. In addition, a related question frequently raised is whether the main focus of development strategies should be placed on growth, or poverty reduction with or without a change in inequality. Without doubt, faster economic growth is associated with faster poverty reduction, given other factors affecting poverty. But an interesting policy implication can be drawn by answering the question of how responsive is poverty for a given level of economic growth or a given change in inequality. …

Endogenous Money Theory: A Unique Alternative?, Goktug Aksan

Masters Theses

Modern monetary policy, applied in developed and developing countries, is based on economic theories that have been in existence for 300 years. These theories, considered for the purpose of this thesis as the New Consensus theory, have its roots in the classical quantity theory of money, Milton Friedman's monetarism, and the rational expectations variant of New Classical and New Keynesian economics. Fundamentally, this theory assumes changes in the money supply have only limited impact on real economic variables such as unemployment and output in the long run. The primary monetary policy derived from this theory is reduction of inflation, with …

The Effects Of Obesity On Health Care Expenditures And Health Insurance Premium Rates, Temenoujka Velkova

Masters Theses

This study investigates the influence of obesity on rising health care expenditures in the United States, which helps us understand the rising health insurance premium rates. Health care expenditures are measured as a share of state gross domestic product. This measure is chosen because it allows me to take a look at not only the out-of-pocket costs but at all other sources of payment, which includes private health insurance. The estimated results suggest that obesity contributes to rising health care expenditures as a share of state gross domestic product. Overweight, heavy drinking, and age also have been found to have …

An Issue Of Extraordinary Circumstances: The House Of Representatives And The Riddle Of Drug Policy, Richard D. Caldwell

Masters Theses

In 1988, Congress introduced H.R. 4462 which proclaimed it a goal to make the U.S. drug-free by 1995 (Nadelmann, 1998:111). This goal of Congress to make the U.S. drug- free has proven to fail miserably in application, as evidenced by the fact that many in America continue to use and abuse drugs on a regular basis. Furthermore, the issue of medical marijuana has grown in popularity throughout the country within the last ten years, which has led many states through referendum, or the legislative process to proactively change drug policy, sometimes with retaliation by the Federal Government. This paper seeks …

Interest Groups Power And Politics In Decatur, Illinois, Melissa Trueblood

Masters Theses

The thesis investigates perceptions of local interest groups concerning policy-making in Decatur, Illinois. Local interest group studies focus on economic groups such as the Chamber of Commerce. Literature indicates that these groups are influential in policymaking because of their important political resources. The literature lacks studies of noneconomic group involvement in policy-making. Furthermore, the literature lacks studies of local interest group processes in medium-sized cities. The thesis looks at noneconomic interest group perceptions of policy-making in a medium-sized city. To investigate perceptions, three hypotheses are explored using nineteen semi-structured interviews with group officials and document analysis. The thesis hypothesizes that …

Student Evaluations Of Teaching: The Role Of Empathy And Instructions To Students, Shana L. Cunningham

Masters Theses

The current study examined the effects of instructions given to college students before evaluating their professors. The results of a previous study by Addison and Tabb (2004) indicated that an effect could be produced when student participants were given explicit instructions for evaluating videotaped student lectures. The present study was designed to examine these effects in a situation more generalizeable to actual student evaluations of teaching. Specifically, this study investigated student evaluations of a guest lecturer in a classroom environment. Results indicated significant differences among the instructional groups on specific rating scale items. The current study also yielded a significant …

The Changing Landscape Of Teaching And Teachers' Stress: A Revisit And Update, Mike Devillez

Masters Theses

During the late 70s and into the 80s, there was a considerable amount of research devoted to the study of stress and teaching. During that time, it was well established that teaching can be a stressful profession. Since then, studies that examine stress and burnout in the profession of teaching have become more infrequent, although teaching has undergone rapid change. For example, new educational legislation, No Child Left Behind that has recently been passed directly impacts teachers and their approaches toward teaching. This study seeks to understand the current educational environment and the possible contribution to teacher stress. Results of …

The Individualized Education Plan: Involvement And Satisfaction Of The Regular Education Teacher, Alison Dirksmeyer

Masters Theses

A total of 376 general education teachers in grades kindergarten through high school completed a questionnaire about their involvement and satisfaction with the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. The results from the current study suggest that many regular education teachers are not actively involved or satisfied with the IEP process. For example, less than half of the teachers surveyed indicated that they were completely or actively involved in determining IEP goals and less than one-fifth reported that they felt a major responsibility for helping students in their classroom achieve IEP goals. Many areas of dissatisfaction were also noted in teachers' …

Oral Reading Fluency, Fluency Training, And Reading Comprehension In Sixth Graders, Lindsay B. Eck

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationships among a measure of oral reading fluency and two measures of reading comprehension in sixth grade students at two urban schools in the Midwest. In one of the schools, fluency training was added to the usual curriculum. Participants, all sixth grade students in the two schools, were administered the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) indicator and two district-assigned reading comprehension measures during the third and fourth quarters of the school year. Results indicated that ORF scores were significantly correlated with comprehension scores, although to a lesser degree than typical for earlier grades. Fluency training had …

A Comparison Of Two Phonological Awareness Interventions Between Samples Of Head Start Children, Kevin D. Farrell

Masters Theses

Phonological processing skills are an accurate predictor of pre-readers' reading performance years later. Historically, children have not been required to demonstrate phonological processing skills until kindergarten. Due to the importance of these early reading skills, it is critical that deficits within this area are remediated utilizing research based interventions. Recent research has demonstrated that preschool age children could be taught some early reading skills through direct instruction techniques known as Picture Sorts and Sound Boxes. However, little research exists on the efficacy of such methods with a Head Start population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects …

Explicit Timing As An Intervention For Children With Adhd, Monica Fischer Girten

Masters Theses

Explicit timing is a procedure that alerts students of their time limits when completing academic tasks. Research on this procedure first emerged in the mid 1970's, and has focused on the effectiveness of this technique for increasing academic response rate. Empirical studies have demonstrated that the explicit timing procedure can increase response rate for a variety of academic skills including mathematics performance, writing composition and reading. However, few studies have focused on the effectiveness of this procedure on special populations, such as students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of the current study was to determine whether explicit …

Using Social Stories To Correct Social Skills Deficits In A Student With A Learning Disability, April Larson-Evangelista

Masters Theses

Social stories have been deemed an effective intervention for people with autism (e.g., Richard, 2000). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the use of social stories with a participant not diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The participant was an 8 year-old second-grade girl of average intelligence who was diagnosed with a learning disability in mathematics. Upon consulting with her classroom teacher, two social skills were identified as the target behaviors to be addressed in the present study. The first prominent behavioral concern was violation of others' personal space or standing too close to others. The second …

The Correlation Between Date Violence And Disordered Eating In College Aged Women, Kenzia N. Hartman

Masters Theses

Objective: Research has shown a correlation between date violence and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent females. Those who have experienced verbal, physical, or sexual date violence report an increased incidence in the use of unhealthy weight control practices such as fasting,g diet pills, laxatives, vomiting, and binge eating. In addition to unhealthy eating practices, lowered body image has also been associated with date violence. This study was designed to determine if there is a correlation between date violence, disordered eating behaviors, and lowered body image in college age women. Method: Questionnaire data were gathered from 150 college-aged female students at …