Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Interaction Of Patience And Resistance To Miserly Information Processing On Life Outcomes, Tristan Kirkman

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study examined the relationships between three factors: patience, resistance to miserly information processing (RMIP), and life outcomes. Patience, or the ability to delay gratification in exchange for a larger reward, has been associated with having fewer negative life outcomes— those who are able to wait tend to have better lives. RMIP involves the tendency to think analytically instead of using heuristics (mental shortcuts). RMIP has had only limited study in terms of its relationship to actual life outcomes, but what has been examined so far has also suggested a positive relationship. In the present study, it was found that …

Why Haven't Technologies Fixed Open Source Intelligence?, Timothy Sparks

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract

The Intelligence Community (IC) reached consensus after 9/11/2001 on the importance of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) due to the changing nature of the global threat environment, the information explosion, and the changing intelligence requirements of the IC. Voluminous amounts of information, much of it with potential application for use in intelligence operations, continue to challenge IC intelligence analysts’ capabilities to harness, and effectively use in finished all-source intelligence production. Government reform commissions, senior IC officials, along with OSINT and technology advocates, have all espoused the growing importance of OSINT, and have outlined many ways in which the IC should …

An Analysis Of U.S./Canadian Fisheries Policy In Regards To Pacific Salmon And The Preservation Of Indigeneity In The Pacific Northwest, Michael James Lockwood

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

For more than 160 years, the Pacific salmon has been an important resource for the United States and Canada. However, it has been overexploited. Proper management of the species is essential not only for maintaining healthy populations but also maintaining the interests of diverse stakeholders. One set of stakeholders consists of the indigenous peoples of North America because the Pacific salmon are crucial to their food, social, and ceremonial traditions.

This thesis explores the impacts of Canadian and U.S. public policies on the cultural integrity of native peoples in the Pacific Northwest, specifically as those peoples rely on wild Pacific …

The Effects Of Having Teachers Implement Teacher Child Interaction Training On Language And Communication Development, Chelsea Ann Rainear

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Prevention and intervention programs for language and communication skills are important, and should be implemented early to gain the maximum benefits. There is evidence that verbal modeling and adult verbal imitation of children may enhance these skills. Teacher training programs have been shown to be effective in modifying students’ behaviors. Speech and language are also forms of behavior, thus the same principles should apply to coaching teachers how to modify verbal behavior to improve their communication skills. McIntosh, Rizza, and Bliss (2000) discussed a need for empirically supported treatments in schools and a need for treatment manuals in order to …

Merge Of Behavior Analysis Procedures Into A Speech-Language Pathology Autism Clinic, Elizabeth Simons

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study developed applied behavior analysis skills in a different discipline through training and coaching speech-language pathology graduate students providing therapy services in a program for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Two graduate students in applied behavior analysis trained 9 graduate students in speechlanguage pathology in 3 concepts: function of behavior, positive reinforcement and differential reinforcement. These trainings occurred within the framework of a systematic multiple baseline design. After training, each participant received bug-in-theear coaching on the use of positive reinforcement daily for 5 days during therapy delivery. At the end of each day therapists developed a list of …

Auditory Masking In Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat: An Examination Of The Continuum Of Impulsivity, John Joseph O'Malley

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Signal detection theory can measure impulsive behavior. To further examine this paradigm, the researcher attempted to replicate previous findings with more experimental control and examine impulsive behaviors in a putative model of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat. Four strains of rats attempted to discriminate between the presence and absences of a 3 kHz tone within a 5-6 kHz masker; however, only one rat reached stabilization. To aid in training and reduce difficulty of the task, the researcher presented the rat wit forced-choice trials. Although the additional training increased their variability of correct responses, rats were unable to reach …

Assessing Ethical Reasoning Skills: Initial Validity Evidence For The Ethical Reasoning Identification Test, Kristen Lynn Smith

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Employers, policymakers, parents and other stakeholders value ethical reasoning (ER) skills. Thus, to help students actively engage in the ER process, stakeholders at James Madison University (JMU) redefined ER, implemented campus-wide ER interventions, and created the Ethical Reasoning Identification Test (ERIT-1) to measure students’ ability to engage in a lower-level step of the ER process. The current study examined the factor structure and reliability of the ERIT-1. Confirmatory Factor Analysis results provided support for a unidimensional factor structure, meaning stakeholders can report and analyze total scores for the ERIT-1. ERIT-1 scores also demonstrated good reliability. Correlation analyses provided initial external …

Investigating The Discrepancies Between Student Perceptions And Faculty Expectations Of Graduate-Level Statistics Preparation, Devon Hopkins Whetstone

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study investigated the discrepancies between students’ perceived preparation for graduate-level study in statistics and faculty expected levels of preparation for incoming graduate students. Two 25-item surveys on a 6 point Likert scale were developed and administered to a faculty sample and a student sample for comparison. Overall results showed that students’ perceived level of preparation were equal to faculty expected levels of preparation with respect to statistical knowledge. That is, both groups endorsed the middle of the scale indicating that students generally felt somewhat prepared for graduate-level statistics and faculty generally expected students to feel somewhat prepared for their …

The Effects Of Chronic, Partial Sleep Deprivation On Risk-Taking Behavior In Rats, Ashley Marie Shemery

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The effects of sleep deprivation on risk-taking behavior have been minimally investigated, observing only the effects of total sleep deprivation in human models. Additionally, the research has shown mixed results. In a chronically sleep deprived society where many people (e.g. military, medical doctors) require rapid decision making to ensure the safety and welfare of others, it is of interest to investigate the effects of chronic partial sleep deprivation on risk-taking behavior in a rodent model. The current study examined the effects of 5 days of partial sleep deprivation on risk-taking behavior in Wistar Han rats as measured by the Rodent …

Training Graduate Clinicians To Implement Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy And Applied Behavior Analysis Goals In Their Treatment Sessions, Heather B. White

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Past literature indicates an interest in collaborative treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and names several therapeutic interventions. Effective treatments include Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis. All three fields value best practice and, with differing perceptions and emphasizes, translate evidence into clinical practice. The current investigation used scientific literature and interdisciplinary collaboration to train graduate students from each field to integrate techniques from the other two fields into their own, supervised treatment sessions. Training was introduced serially across participants in a concurrent multiple baseline design. Instruction, rehearsal, modeling and feedback were used in training. …

How Do We Conceptualize Depression?: A Mixed Methods Study, Mariafé Taeví Panizo

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Despite being extensively discussed, the concepts of mental disorder in general and depression in particular remain unclear and no consensual definitions are yet established. Empirical research on how professionals and laypeople think about depression also points to tensions and lack of consensus. However, there still remains much work to be done in order to more effectively and clearly elucidate how depression is conceptualized. Specifically, there has not been an in-depth analysis of the beliefs, values, and justification that guide practitioners in their everyday work regarding mental disorders in general and depression in particular. The purpose of the current mixed methods …

Using Microsoft Powerpoint© To Conduct A Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment, Andrew M. Tiry

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

There are two categories of preference assessments, indirect (e.g., student and teacher surveys) and direct (e.g., multiple stimulus, multiple stimulus without replacement, paired stimulus and single stimulus) preference assessments. Although indirect assessments are less time consuming, direct assessment methods are better predictors of both preference and reinforcing value. While there is a growing body of research demonstrating the advantages of direct preference assessments, little has been done to incorporate technology efficiently into the preference assessment process. The present study proposed the use of PowerPoint© as a way of use efficiently use technology in the preference assessment process. To validate the …

Towards Construct Validity: Investigating The Structure Of The Mental Toughness In Sport Questionnaire (Mtsq-32), Kelly Jane Foelber

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In effort to gather construct validity evidence for a new measure of mental toughness, the Mental Toughness in Sport Questionnaire (MTSQ-32), confirmatory factor analyses were performed to examine the plausibility of competing theoretical models. This was done in accordance with Benson's (1998) strong program of construct validity. Four primary models were tested: a unidimensional model, a five-factor model based upon social-cognitive personality theory, a five-factor model based upon the commonly identified attributes of mental toughness, and a 10-factor multidimensional model combining the two five-factor models. Further models were tested that expanded upon the four former by including a reverse coding …

Effect Of Temporal Parameters On The Perception Of Foreign Accent In Synthesized Speech, Ashley Assgari

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Previous research investigating the parameters that affect accent have concentrated mainly on talker characteristics (e.g Flege, 1988). Those studies that do attempt to investigate acoustic parameters rely on post-hoc analysis of signals already judged to be accented. Any acoustic differences between these signals are said to be the basis of accent judgments. The current investigation attempts to rectify this methodological flaw by manipulating acoustic parameter previously implicated in perceived foreign accent within synthesized speech. In a two experiment study we investigate the effect of consonant duration and consonant initial frequency (Experiment 1) along with voice onset time, vowel duration and …

Lessons Learned From The Bosnian Conflict, Ahmed Saeed

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Utilizing the propositional inventory method, this thesis compares the propositions of various U.S. Government agencies, under the Clinton Administration, and the propositions of Richard Holbrooke, chief negotiator and architect of the Dayton Accords, regarding the Bosnian conflict. Recently, the CIA and the Clinton Presidential Library declassified numerous documents from various government agencies concerning the Balkan Crisis and this thesis focuses its scope on the Bosnian conflict that took place in the time period from 1992 through the Dayton Accords in 1995. By analyzing the differing propositions in contrast to the historical events, it was possible to assess the accuracy of …