Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Theses and Dissertations

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 5071 - 5100 of 8860

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Collateral Impact Of Maternal Incarceration: Burdens Placed On Child Caregivers, Daniel Anderson Mar 2016

Collateral Impact Of Maternal Incarceration: Burdens Placed On Child Caregivers, Daniel Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Although parental incarceration is both a maternal and paternal issue, it is particularly detrimental to the family when the mother is incarcerated. The number of children with a mother in prison has more than doubled since 1991 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). Although there are more children of incarcerated fathers than mothers, it is particularly important to note that sixty-four percent of mothers were the primary caregivers to their children at their time of arrest (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008; Mumola, 2000). The incarceration of a mother is often more detrimental than that of the father as it typically results in displacement …

Go to article

The Role Of Official Misconduct In Wrongful Convictions, Mia Gilliam Mar 2016

The Role Of Official Misconduct In Wrongful Convictions, Mia Gilliam

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of wrongful convictions and exonerations of individuals imprisoned for crimes they did not commit has increased dramatically, the study of wrongful conviction has become increasingly important. The majority of past research has focused on the various causes of wrongful convictions. However, very little attention is given in detail to the specific nature of each of these causes. This thesis examined the most current, inclusive database of exonerations in the United States that exists, the National Registry of Exonerations. Qualitative and Quantitative data was examined and refined, and statistical analyses were run including descriptives, frequencies, and correlations in …

Go to article

Macro And Micro Levels Of University Identification: Using Social Network Sites To Reactivate Latent Social Identities Within College Alumni, Eric James Varney Mar 2016

Macro And Micro Levels Of University Identification: Using Social Network Sites To Reactivate Latent Social Identities Within College Alumni, Eric James Varney

Theses and Dissertations

This master's thesis sought to extend social identification research further into social network sites by examine how online interactions may affect offline behaviors. In particular, this thesis argues that alumni who interact with their university or major via a social network site, should have an increased intention to donate back to their university or major. Despite a large body of research on both social identification and social network use, less research has combined the two in order to predict external behaviors. As such, data was collected from 277 undergraduate and graduate students at Illinois State University regarding their university and …

Go to article

The Influence Of Test Anxiety On Memory, James J. Malloy Mar 2016

The Influence Of Test Anxiety On Memory, James J. Malloy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between test anxiety and memory among a college population (N = 42). Specifically, the goal was to ascertain whether text anxiety had a measurable effect on memory, which was represented by scores on the Nelson-Denny reading comprehension subtest. Participants were divided into a stressed group (N = 22) and a non-stressed group (N = 20) in order to compare scores from test-takers with anxiety to those who do not. It was hypothesized that (a) test anxiety would have a significant impact on test results, (b) the non-stressed group would score …

Go to article

Hillman College Is A Different World From Where You Come From: A Thematic Analysis Of Relationships In A Different World, Natilie Williams Mar 2016

Hillman College Is A Different World From Where You Come From: A Thematic Analysis Of Relationships In A Different World, Natilie Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the identity and relationships portrayed in the television series, A Different World. Although the popular series ended in 1993, this show continues to resonate with the African-American community. Specifically, Ron, D. Wayne, and Whitley are the primary characters of focus. Ron and D. Wayne maintain a brotherhood, while Whitley and D. Wayne maintain a romantic relationship. Both of these relationships include implicit expectations, illustrate varying levels of reciprocity, and provide identity-shaping communicative feedback.

Go to article

The Role Of The Institution On The Adoption Of Law Enforcement Technology, Cassandra Dodge Mar 2016

The Role Of The Institution On The Adoption Of Law Enforcement Technology, Cassandra Dodge

Theses and Dissertations

While law enforcement agencies perceive that technology increases their ability to complete their mission in the most efficient manner possible, this may not be the case in reality. Considering the potential expenses, potential danger, and lack of proven efficiency, it is surprising that these technologies are continuing to be adopted. Observing law enforcement agencies through the lens of institutional theory provides an explanation for the discrepancy between what would be expected and what has actually occurred. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the use of five technologies (records management systems, broadband networking with vehicle computers, long range …

Go to article

Terrorism Preparedness: A Law Enforcement Perspective, Cayla Comens Mar 2016

Terrorism Preparedness: A Law Enforcement Perspective, Cayla Comens

Theses and Dissertations

Since September 11, 2001, the environments in which law enforcement agencies operate have been changing. Contingency theory hypothesizes that an organization adapts to their environment through organizational structure and contingencies in order to accomplish a state of fit or higher performance. Utilizing the contingency theory framework, the study looked to answer two research questions: (1) Do municipal and county police agencies believe they have the necessary resources and training to prevent and or respond to the next terrorist attack? (2) How does agency size, structure, funding, and perceived risk influence terrorism preparedness? A sample of 902 county and municipal law …

Go to article

Modeling Children's Organization Of Utterances Using Statistical Information From Adult Language Input, Katie Lynn Walker Mar 2016

Modeling Children's Organization Of Utterances Using Statistical Information From Adult Language Input, Katie Lynn Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Previous computerized models of child language acquisition have sought to determine how children acquire grammatical word categories (GWCs). The current study seeks to determine if statistical structure can be corroborated as a factor in GWC acquisition. Previous studies examining statistical structure have dealt with word order rather than GWC order and only examined an overall success rate. The present study examines how well a computer model of child acquisition of GWCs was able to reorganize scrambled sentences back into the correct GWC order using transitional probabilities extracted from adult language input. Overall, a 50% success rate was obtained, but when …

Go to article

Unpacking Empowerment Discourse Within A Women's Reentry Organization, Amanda Nicole Miller Mar 2016

Unpacking Empowerment Discourse Within A Women's Reentry Organization, Amanda Nicole Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Through ethnographic research with a small organization, Jareth, that helps women transition from prison to the community, this work unpacks discourses of empowerment within reentry organizations. I argue that Jareth’s empowerment discourse works on a pragmatic level to help women become employed but it does not work well to completely meet the needs of women offenders because businesses do not want to employ former prisoners and because the general public thinks that prison can meet all of women's needs. I also argue that empowerment defines 'power' and dependence' in particular ways - through appropriate and inappropriate forms of power and …

Go to article

Token Female Police Officers Or Police Exemplars: An Evaluation Of The Theory Of Tokenism, Cameron Michael Harper Mar 2016

Token Female Police Officers Or Police Exemplars: An Evaluation Of The Theory Of Tokenism, Cameron Michael Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Despite gains in the percentage of female police officers over past decades, female police officers are vastly underrepresented in modern policing. Female police officers face barriers to integration into policing and the surrounding culture that male police officers do not face, including unbalanced physical testing, double standards for success, and others. One explanation for the different experiences of female police officers compared to male police officers is the token status of women in policing. Instead of taking the token status of female police officers for granted, this study explored the utility of the theory of tokenism (Kanter, 1977) in explaining …

Go to article

Understanding Flow Occurrence: Contributions From The 2x2 Achievement Goal Framework, Devan Antczak Mar 2016

Understanding Flow Occurrence: Contributions From The 2x2 Achievement Goal Framework, Devan Antczak

Theses and Dissertations

Flow is often described as an optimal state, a rewarding experience, and highly motivating. Yet, much of how flow occurs is not understood. Multiple factors have been found to be antecedents of flow, one of which is motivation. The purpose of this study was to determine if variations in motivation according to the 2x2 achievement goal theory resulted in differences in occurrence of flow. An experimental design was utilized. Currently training male and female runners (N=60, ages 18-44 years), were randomly assigned to one of the four different achievement goal groups and reported on the level of flow experienced during …

Go to article

In The Shadow Of The Great Firewall: Censorship And Surveillance During Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, Christine Andrelczyk Mar 2016

In The Shadow Of The Great Firewall: Censorship And Surveillance During Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, Christine Andrelczyk

Theses and Dissertations

Through a case-study analysis, this project investigates why the People's Republic of China eschewed overtly repressive tactics and instead relied on subtle methods of coercion, such as surveillance and censorship, to mitigate activism during Hong Kong's pro-democracy Umbrella Movement. Drawing on historical evidence, reports, and quantitative data, this research explores the significance of subtle repression and coercion as it relates to the process of authoritarian consolidation in China and Hong Kong.

Go to article

Disparities In Moldovan Place-Identity A Product Of Systemic Stratification, Robyn Savacool Mar 2016

Disparities In Moldovan Place-Identity A Product Of Systemic Stratification, Robyn Savacool

Theses and Dissertations

Place-identity is a concept that examines the corresponding relationship between the self and space. Much work has been accomplished on this topic in environmental psychology and geography, but sociological research on this concept is scarce. This project employs reflexive participant photography, qualitative methods and an analytical framework derived from place-identity theory to research the affect of socioeconomic status on place-identity in the Republic of Moldova. Socioeconomic status consists of four sub-variables - parents's professions, formative loci and experience from formative loci - which further represent class-status and community-society constructs, respectively. These constructs were compared to assess the predominate variables in …

Go to article

Catcalling As A"Double Edged Sword": Midwestern Women, Their Experiences, And The Implications Of Men's Catcalling Behaviors, Colleen O'Leary Mar 2016

Catcalling As A"Double Edged Sword": Midwestern Women, Their Experiences, And The Implications Of Men's Catcalling Behaviors, Colleen O'Leary

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the lack of research surrounding the topic of catcalling, it is essential to give voice to women who have experienced the harm, its effects, and those who perceive it as a societal issue. This study generates discourse regarding Midwestern women's standpoints on catcalling through in-depth respondent interviews about women's experiences and perceptions of catcalling. Thematic analysis of the interviews reveals that catcalling is complex. Women conceptualized catcalling as a primarily negative experience as they associated it with negative emotions and affective states. Women never described catcalling as complimentary, rather, they believed that men perceived their own comments to …

Go to article

The Effect Of Prompt Accent On Elicited Imitation Assessments In English As A Second Language, Jacob Garlin Barrows Mar 2016

The Effect Of Prompt Accent On Elicited Imitation Assessments In English As A Second Language, Jacob Garlin Barrows

Theses and Dissertations

Elicited imitation (EI) assessment has been shown to have value as an inexpensive method for low-stakes tests (Cox & Davies, 2012), but little has been reported on the effect L2 accent has on test-takers' ability to understand and process the test items they hear. Furthermore, no study has investigated the effect of accent on EI test face validity. This study examined how the accent of input audio files affected EI test difficulty as well as test-takers' perceptions of such an effect. To investigate, self-reports of students' exposure to different varieties of English were obtained from a pre-assessment survey. A 63-item …

Go to article

Pragmatic Quotation Use In Online Yelp Reviews And Its Connection To Author Sentiment, Mary Elisabeth Wright Mar 2016

Pragmatic Quotation Use In Online Yelp Reviews And Its Connection To Author Sentiment, Mary Elisabeth Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has established that punctuation can be used to communicate nuances of meaning in online writing (McAndrew & De Jonge, 2011). Punctuation, considered a computer mediated communication (CMC) cue, expresses tone and emotion and disambiguates an author's intention (Vandergriff, 2013). Quotation marks as CMC cues can serve pragmatic functions and have been understudied. Some of these functions have been generally described (Predelli, 2003). However, no corpus study has specifically focused on the pragmatic uses of quotations in online text. Consumer reviews, a genre of online text, can directly impact business profits and influence customers' purchasing decisions (Floyd, Freling, Alhoqail, …

Go to article

Parents Of College Graduates With Learning Disabilities: Practices And Factors Attributing To Their Children's Preparation For Postsecondary Education, Alexander Johnston Hale Mar 2016

Parents Of College Graduates With Learning Disabilities: Practices And Factors Attributing To Their Children's Preparation For Postsecondary Education, Alexander Johnston Hale

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate and describe parenting practices that parents believe were effective in helping prepare their children with LD for college enrollment. Participants were chosen from among the parents of students interviewed by Cook (2010). Six parents (three couples) volunteered to be interviewed by phone. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using hermeneutic phenomenological methodology. Under the category of Parent Practices, themes emerged in the areas of early identification, self-advocacy training, and home accommodations, and under the category of Family Factors, themes emerged in the areas reading, expectation, and normalization. Findings are discussed …

Go to article

Chinese International Students Attending American Universities: How Can We Help You? A Qualitative Study On Chinese International Students' Acculturation Experiences, Zhen Li Mar 2016

Chinese International Students Attending American Universities: How Can We Help You? A Qualitative Study On Chinese International Students' Acculturation Experiences, Zhen Li

Theses and Dissertations

Given the increasing number of Chinese international students attending American universities, an important study would be to consider problems arising during these students' initial transition period, as they acculturate into the American culture and educational system. Taking this information into account, university counseling centers, campus services, and those who interact with and support these students would be better able to assist in easing the initial and ongoing stress of living in a foreign country and adapting to a new way of life. Thirteen Chinese international students participated in qualitative interviews conducted in Mandarin Chinese, each participant's native language. Each participant …

Go to article

The Gratification Niches Of Traditional And Digital Radio, Don G. Shelline Mar 2016

The Gratification Niches Of Traditional And Digital Radio, Don G. Shelline

Theses and Dissertations

We live in an age where science fiction is quickly becoming science fact. Dick Tracy's 2-way wrist TVs are Apple Watches. Automated smart homes are plentiful. Cars are now able to drive themselves. And in those cars, riders no longer need to depend on a deejay to choose their music for them; these listeners build their own radio stations, on the spot, out of any music and conversation they want to hear, all at the touch of a button that is fully connected to Wi-Fi, the internet, and unlimited cell data plans.This research will examine digital radio's impact upon traditional …

Go to article

Parenting Self-Efficacy In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Larene K. Smart Mar 2016

Parenting Self-Efficacy In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Larene K. Smart

Theses and Dissertations

Parenting self-efficacy is one factor identified as relevant to parent distress and child therapy outcomes. Theories for parenting self-efficacy suggest parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be at risk for lower parenting self-efficacy than other parents. Parents who have low parenting self-efficacy may then have higher risk for poor treatment outcomes. Previous researchers found inconsistent results related to parenting self-efficacy rates for parents of children with ASD. They suggested the results were due to sample sizes, measurement insensitivitiy, comparison groups, and the limited range of children's ages (Fields, 2006; Meirsschaut, Roeyers, and Warreyn, 2010; Palafox, 2004; and …

Go to article

Looking At The Marital Horizons Of Emerging Adults Through The Lens Of Identity Formation, Dallin Alexander Belt Mar 2016

Looking At The Marital Horizons Of Emerging Adults Through The Lens Of Identity Formation, Dallin Alexander Belt

Theses and Dissertations

Seventy years ago Erikson proposed successful identity formation in adolescence was the foundation for successful intimacy formation in young adulthood. With the extended period of identity exploration in emerging adulthood, it is unclear if intimacy formation continues to be connected to identity. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between identity in three domains of love, work, and worldview with long term views of intimacy using Marital Horizons Theory. Results from a sample of 777 college students in the Project READY dataset indicated that identity formation in love is positively associated with views of marriage, identity formation …

Go to article

Resilience And Internalizing Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls In Residential Treatment: An Evaluation Of Strong Teens, Luke Andrew Marvin Mar 2016

Resilience And Internalizing Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls In Residential Treatment: An Evaluation Of Strong Teens, Luke Andrew Marvin

Theses and Dissertations

Strong Teens is an evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum designed to target internalizing disorders by promoting emotional resilience and social competence. In this study, Strong Teens was implemented among 36 adolescent girls during group therapy in a residential treatment center (RTC). A non-equivalent, quasi-experimental wait-list control group design was used. The curriculum was evaluated by tracking the girls' social and emotional knowledge, internalizing symptoms, and resilience from the perspectives of the girls, group therapists, and a supervisor who was blind to the study. Although the results indicated that exposure to Strong Teens was not effective in increasing the …

Go to article

More Than Constraints: How Low Socio-Economic Parents Make Judgments Concerning Their Children's Schooling, Michelle Heather Lucier Mar 2016

More Than Constraints: How Low Socio-Economic Parents Make Judgments Concerning Their Children's Schooling, Michelle Heather Lucier

Theses and Dissertations

As school choice opportunities have become more prevalent and information about schools more readily available, there is still a lack of understanding of how parents use information to evaluate schools. The discussion around school judgment-making predominately focuses on whether parents know about school choice and the constraints parents face which limit choice, but I investigate, using 91 interviews of parents living in a low socio-economic community, how parents make judgments and evaluate schools past the discussion of what schools are available to parents and the constraints those parents face. The results of this study are that parents use heuristics—specifically familiarity, …

Go to article

Benefits Of Peer Tutoring Students With Disabilities In A Secondary School Setting, Kristi Louise Johnson Mar 2016

Benefits Of Peer Tutoring Students With Disabilities In A Secondary School Setting, Kristi Louise Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits peer tutoring provides to the tutee. However, studies measuring the benefits peer tutoring provides to the tutor are limited in quantity, detail, participant numbers and breadth. This study measured the benefits 151 peer tutors reported after peer tutoring for a semester in a special education class for students with severe disabilities. Peer tutors reported benefits in an essay response to the prompt: "What do you feel you have gained as a result of being a peer tutor?" The study identified the most common benefits obtained by peer tutors as measured by peer tutor generated …

Go to article

Who Is Helpful?: Examining The Relationship Between Personality Factors And Supportive Responses And Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence Victims, Christina Elisabeth Riley Mar 2016

Who Is Helpful?: Examining The Relationship Between Personality Factors And Supportive Responses And Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence Victims, Christina Elisabeth Riley

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic violence perpetrated by men against women persists as a major human rights issue in the United States and around the world with some estimates showing that one in four women will be victimized in their lifetimes. Victims face many obstacles when they try to leave their abusive partners. A major barrier faced by victims is secondary victimization. Secondary victimization is the process in which informal (e.g., family, friends, etc.) and formal (e.g., police officer, judges, etc.) supporters re-victimize the victim by questioning the validity of the abuse, excusing the perpetrator, and blaming the victim. Because most victims seek help …

Go to article

Using Disability Awareness Instruction To Promote Peer Acceptance And Positive Attitudes Toward Students With Disabilities, Margot Caroline Gardiner Mar 2016

Using Disability Awareness Instruction To Promote Peer Acceptance And Positive Attitudes Toward Students With Disabilities, Margot Caroline Gardiner

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the experiences and attitudes of elementary school students regarding individuals with disabilities, following five weeks of disability awareness instruction. It also evaluates the social validity of disability awareness instruction as an intervention tool based on student perceptions, and compares the use of a didactic teaching approach with one that also incorporates the use of bibliotherapy techniques. The current study is part of a larger study using a pre-test, post-test experimental group design (Teerlink, 2012). Participants included 322 elementary school students. Each class of first through sixth grade students was randomly assigned to one of three conditions: …

Go to article

Evaluating The Effects Of Strong Teens On High School Student Levels Of Internalizing Symptoms And Resilience, Austin J. Millet Mar 2016

Evaluating The Effects Of Strong Teens On High School Student Levels Of Internalizing Symptoms And Resilience, Austin J. Millet

Theses and Dissertations

Many adults suffering from mental health problems often report that the onset of these concerns began in adolescence, highlighting the importance of identifying and treating mental health concerns from an early age. In high schools, some students are identified as having externalizing or internalizing disorders. The majority of these students, especially those with internalizing symptoms, go untreated. One potential reason may be that limited school resources are used to correct behavior problems, leaving those with internalizing disorders to silently suffer, which often exacerbates the issues. Recent research suggests many individuals have high levels of resilience which can be taught, and …

Go to article

An Assessment Of The Effects Of Spiritual And Relational Teaching On Student Learning, Matthew Alan Hiatt Mar 2016

An Assessment Of The Effects Of Spiritual And Relational Teaching On Student Learning, Matthew Alan Hiatt

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that students are more interested than faculty in addressing spirituality in the classroom. This study tested the extent to which professors could meet student demand for greater attention to spirituality in their classes without sacrificing rigor and student learning. Previous research done at Brigham Young University (BYU) identified three areas of focus that are important to implementing spirituality into the classroom: 1) Professor Self-Disclosure, 2) Intellectual Connections, and 3) Interpersonal Connections. Research on the integration of faith and learning also supports these focus areas. Two BYU professors from different colleges were recruited for participation in this study. After …

Go to article

A Qualitative Study Of Women’S Attitudes And Experiences Regarding Body Image And Disordered Eating Behaviors, Natalie Ann Kirtley Mar 2016

A Qualitative Study Of Women’S Attitudes And Experiences Regarding Body Image And Disordered Eating Behaviors, Natalie Ann Kirtley

Theses and Dissertations

The current research study is responding to recent findings wherein, Fischer et al. (2013) report a risk rate based on EAT-26 scores in the range of 9.2% to 10.8% at BYU in comparison to the 15% they found reported in the literature using samples from other college campuses. Risk rates based on BSQ scores were reported in the 27.2% to 31.1% range, which was on par with a risk rate of 28.7% reported at a comparable university (Fischer et al., 2013). Fischer et al. (2013) conclude that while body shape concerns were estimated to be equal to or lower than …

Go to article

Lexical Trends In Young Adult Literature: A Corpus-Based Approach, Kyra Mckinzie Nelson Mar 2016

Lexical Trends In Young Adult Literature: A Corpus-Based Approach, Kyra Mckinzie Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Young Adult (YA) literature is widely read and published, yet few linguistic studies have researched it. With an increasing push to include YA texts in the classroom, it becomes necessary to thoroughly research the linguistic nature of the register. A 1-million-word corpus of YA fiction and non-fiction texts was created. Children's and adult fiction corpora were taken from a subset of the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) database. The study noted differences in use of modals and pronouns among children's, YA, and adult registers. Previous research has suggested that children's literature focus more on spatial relations, while adult literature …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last