Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Time Of Day Effects On The Performance On The Screening Test Of Auditory Processing, Christine Anne Mackenzie

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if any significant relationships existed between time of day and central auditory processing using a screening test of central auditory performance. The study specifically addressed the following research questions: 1. Is there a difference in the scores of morning and evening type individuals on the Filtered Word subtest, the. Auditory Figure-Ground subtest, or the Competing Words subtest of the SCAN? 2. Is there a difference between morning and evening test time for differing types of individuals on the Filtered Word subtest, the Auditory Figure-Ground subvest, or the Competing Words subtest of the …

What Can't Public Relations Graduates Write? A Study And Evaluation Of Professional Writing Skills Lacked By Public Relations Graduates, Ginger Buganski

Theses and Dissertations

Through a survey of roughly 50 public relations practitioners, this study identified specific writing skills public relations graduates lack and compiled recommendations for improving public relations education.

The author sent double post-cards to 100 public relations professionals nationwide. The post-cards asked for participation in a public relations writing questionnaire. At the same time, the author posted the questionnaire to two professional listservs (e-mail groups). A total of 46 professionals completed the questionnaire.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents ranked writing as one of the top three skills essential for public relations success. However, 70 percent of the professionals rated recent graduates' …

Recognized Nonverbal Behaviors Of Leaders: Appearance Graphocentrism, Kinesics, Object Language And Proxemics, Carrie D. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This study shows nonverbal behaviors adult students recognize as those leaders in classrooms use to convey their position of leadership.

The field of Public Relations is involved with clear, truthful two-way communication between senders and receivers of messages. It is desirable that all communication exchanges be complete with positive understanding of messages, especially those where one represents others with messages s/he delivers.

Existing research was reviewed to determine nonverbal behaviors leaders use in the five areas studied. A questionnaire was designed and administered to a non-probability quota sample. Semantic differential scales determined attitudes and beliefs students had about nonverbal communication …

Increasing Your Organization's Visibility: A Study Of Business And Financial Print Media, Sandra L. Mccollum

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides advice to investor or public relations professionals seeking increased national print media exposure for their organizations.

The author contacted 112 writers, editors and reporters from 16 business publications using postcards or e-mail. Twelve respondents participated in telephone or e-mail interviews.

The author found that reporters prefer to interview a chief executive officer for their stories. Participants also indicated they use outside sources, such as ex-employees, competitors and on-line databases, to learn more about an organization.

Participants were most interested in covering unexpected news, such as a fundamental change in the business, for hard news stories. The journalists …

Decreasing The Rate Of Turnover By Enhancing Employee Morale, Kyra De Blaker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the impact of morale on employee turnover. High employee satisfaction levels can reduce turnover. Eight in ten highly satisfied employees intend to stay with a company for more than two years, when compared to only two in ten dissatisfied employees.

To counter the disastrous effects of employee turnover, companies are establishing programs to boost employee morale. This thesis examines the morale programs of a New Jersey financial institution and the company's turnover rates. The author surveyed current employees to determine the level of employee morale and effective long-term motivators.

The financial institution recognizes the importance of employee …

Public Service Announcements For Broadcast Television: A Guide For Non-Profit Agencies, Karen Anne Jess

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of preparing this guide was to create a reference for non-profit agencies to assist in creating a public service announcement for broadcast television. The author assumed that non-profit agencies are often working with no budget and the quality of the prepared PSAs is unacceptable. Also, the techniques used to create and distribute the announcements are incorrect. Since public service announcements are key to reaching a large audience for little or no money, the author felt it essential to create a reference for non-profit agencies to guide them in the production of their public service announcements. The primary research …

Cybercrisis Management: Handling Crises At The Speed Of Light, Thomas Stanley Jason

Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to compile information on how to handle different types of cybercrises and compile them into an easy to use guide for experienced public relations professionals. The data search included library and Internet searches for information on handling cybercrises. Additionally, an e-mail survey was sent out to on-line public relations personnel to determine their experience with cybercrises. From that survey, professionals who stated that they have handled cybercrises were interviewed via e-mail.

The study determined that 20 percent of those surveyed had faced a cybercrisis. The study determined that the most important parts of cybercrisis management were …

Understanding Students With Diabetes: A Communication Handbook For High Schools, Karen M. Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

Effective communication between students with diabetes and school personnel is essential to the well-being of the student. The author conducted this study to identify the needs, feelings, and behaviors of students with diabetes.

The author performed literature searches and conducted informal, qualitative research techniques to obtain information for the handbook. The author conducted telephone interviews with seven nurses from selected counties in Southern New Jersey. The author asked the nurses questions about diabetes management in their schools. The author also questioned 15 students with diabetes regarding communication efforts with the school, signs and symptoms of high and low blood sugars, …

New Jersey Municipalities' Methods For Building Non-Emergency Community Relations, Lizabeth Miller Galantino

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of conducting this study was to record the various methods of community relations held in New Jersey municipalities between January 1 and December 31, 1999.

A literature search was conducted; an original mail survey distributed to 210 mayors statewide; data was analyzed and presented in a quantitative format.

The following major conclusions were drawn:

A. If given an unlimited amount of funding, direct mail is conceived as the most effective way to publicize events and projects.

B. Newspapers were reported as the most effective, measurable publicity tool to get exposure for events and projects.

C. Mayors play a …

Public Relations Efforts To Promote New Sports Teams, Nancy Urban

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to accumulate information relative to the various public relations practices, methods, and procedures utilized by the four NHL expansion teams during the two-year period June 25, 1997 to October 7, 1999. The thesis determined the extent of common public relations elements among the four NHL expansion teams. The study was approached from four perspectives: public relations, media relations, community relations and player perspective.

Eighteen questions were asked of each team: Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild to determine the extent of communication elements common among them.

Through in-depth interviews, it …

A Study To Determine How Casual Dress In The Workplace Affects Employee Morale And Productivity, Marisa Avallone Sharkey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide managers and key decision makers insight into how casual dress work environments compare to traditional corporate cultures by assessing the impact of casual dress on employee morale and productivity, two vital influencers of the bottom line.

Using a survey, based on a literature review, the author surveyed 148 human resources and performance management professionals serving in a human resources capacity in American companies. Responses were hand-coded and double-checked for accuracy.

This study has indicated that, overall, employee morale does improve as dress codes become more casual. However, the percentage of those surveyed …

Elementary School Use Of Interactive Distance Learning, Linda Spano

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to discover how distance learning (interactive videoconferencing) is being used in elementary schools, this study was designed to identify the enrichment and remedial applications of distance learning and assess its effectiveness as an instructional tool. Information was gathered using a questionnaire that consisted of 24 multiple choice and open-ended questions that was sent to 100 interactive distance learning coordinators in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Forty-seven coordinators responded to this survey, for a response rate of 47%. The majority (95.7%) of respondents rated interactive distance learning as a very effective or effective instructional tool. The most frequent …

A Guide To Effective Public Relations For The High School Athletic Director, Joseph T. Cranston

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research project was to develop a handbook for high school athletic directors so they can apply effective public relations practices to their athletic program on a daily basis. Fifteen high school athletic directors from different counties in New Jersey were interviewed to gain first-hand knowledge of the athletic public relations activities that are most effective. A review of several sources, including physical education and administration books, athletic journals and public relations books, supplemented the primary research by providing supporting research by some of the most well-respected public relations practitioners in the athletic arena.

The finished …

Employee Efficiency: A Case Study Of Former Welfare Mothers, Julie Kozempel

Theses and Dissertations

Welfare is a social phenomenon that comes with a variety of stigmas and stereotypes. Recipients are often categorized as lazy, uneducated and socially unacceptable.

Recently, corporations and whole regions are unable to find the qualified labor force they need. This researcher will discover whether ex-welfare recipients make worthy hires, thereby reversing stereotypes and furthering efficiency in the workplace.

A major component of employee relations involves retaining good employees who will extend the company's good image. Image and profits matter to CEO's who worry about the second bottom line. After reading this study, public relations practitioners can approach the CEO and …

Recruiting Minority Teachers: A Guide For Vocational School Administrators, Carole H. Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the severity of the minority teacher shortage in New Jersey's vocational schools and identify steps to be taken by administrators to attract and retain minority teachers.

A written survey was mailed to all 21 New Jersey county vocational school superintendents. Twelve surveys were returned.

The results of the study validate the need to hire more minority teachers to teach in our culturally diverse classrooms. Many vocational schools in the state reported difficulty in attracting minority candidates; however, weak or indifferent recruitment practices are partly to blame for the problem. Other causes of …

Program Accommodations Made By New Jersey Elementary School Librarians To Meet The Needs Of Exceptional Readers, Beverly S. Siti

Theses and Dissertations

As teacher and educational partner, the elementary school library media specialist must accommodate the diverse abilities and interests of students in all stages and degrees of literacy development. In order to examine if and how school librarians in New Jersey meet the needs of students who read either above or below grade level expectations, a survey was designed to measure key attributes of a library program that successfully accommodates all readers: the librarian's background knowledge of the reading process, his/her collaboration with others who have knowledge of students' strengths and needs, the accessibility of appropriate materials to students within the …

Information Literacy Skills: Successful Cross-Curricular Integration At The Secondary Level In New Jersey, Susan T. Rohrman

Theses and Dissertations

Focusing on information literacy skills instruction at the secondary level, the purposes of the field research were to examine the impact of national and state curriculum standards on library skills curriculum; to explore the instructional role of the school media specialist; and to create a model for successful information literacy skills projects. Field research was conducted at the media centers of two secondary schools, grades 9 - 12 in southern New Jersey. Two educational media specialists in secondary schools and their 10th grade Biology classes were observed during an instructional period. Application of information literacy skills was incorporated into the …

The Information-Seeking Experience Of Users In The Reference Section Of The Rowan University Library, Faye E. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to learn about the information-seeking experience of users of the Rowan University library. The data were collected by way of a self-administered questionnaire. One hundred and five library users participated in the study; the average respondents were male undergraduates 18-22 years old. The data were analyzed by examining the percentages of responses. One major finding of the study is that 92% of the respondents did not think they needed the help of the librarian to use electronic resources. Another relevant finding was that users found one-on-one assistance from a librarian was more effective than …

Gender Preferences In The Recreational Reading Of Sixth Grade Students, Dorothy H. Holmes

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared what sixth graders like to read for pleasure by gender with the collection of the Voorhees New Jersey Middle School media center. An interest survey was given to 105 sixth-grade students. A sample of the Voorhees Middle School library was done. A comparison of the two analyzed what is available in the library with what the students like to read. The influence of the Harry Potter books on recreational reading was also studied. This study showed that males and females have favorable attitudes towards recreational reading and enjoy both fiction and nonfiction as well as a variety …

Can Computer Technology Help Elementary Students Achieve Information Literacy?, David Calvanico

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to determine if computer technology helps elementary students achieve information literacy, a quasi-experiment was conducted using the Solomon four-group design with two fourth grade and two fifth grade classes. Information Literacy Standards from Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning and Eisenberg and Berkowitz' Big 6™ Information Literacy model were used to structure the experiment. The researcher was a participant observer, the school's librarian. Two classes were pretested and posttested, the other two were only posttested following Solomon four-group protocol. The researcher used a rubric to assess students at each step of the Big 6™ Information Literacy model …

Accommodating Learning Disabled Students In New Jersey Middle School Media Centers, Dawn Duelly

Theses and Dissertations

Learning disabled students are being placed in regular education classrooms because of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act '97 (IDEA'97). A questionnaire was sent to library media specialists in New Jersey middle schools asking how they accommodated learning disabled students. It questioned the library media specialists' training, programs, feelings and how they service this population. It also asked about the accommodations made for the learning disabled student in the library media center. The results of the survey indicated that more staff training is needed. School library media specialists are concerned about finding materials that are low level reading, but high …

Leisure Reading Among Fourth And Sixth Grade Boys, Linda Kissling

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to determine whether middle school boys read less for leisure than elementary school boys. Forty-eight boys and 45 girls in fourth grade and 48 boys and 52 girls in sixth grade maintained a log for one week to determine how their time outside school was spent and responded to a survey to describe their attitudes toward leisure reading. Time outside school was divided into three categories; personal, including sleeping, eating, and hygiene; structured or demand time, including homework, chores, and sports and music practice; and leisure, including television, reading, time with friends, etc. The survey asked respondents …

History Of The George J. Mitchell Elementary School Library Media Center, Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Susan D. Lescure

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to identify the factors that led to the formation of the George J. Mitchell Elementary School Library Media Center and give local historical reference to the community about the library services offered. Data was collected through literature, personal communications, documents, observations, and site visitations. Historical developments illustrated relevant patterns in the evolution of library service to elementary schools. The research was used to inform the community about the history of the library using the district's web page.

Development Of The Avalon And Stone Harbor School Library Media Programs: A Case Study, Roberta A. Dean

Theses and Dissertations

This case study was an attempt to discover the circumstances that prompted the Avalon and Stone Harbor schools to establish school library media centers and how each school district developed its program. The people who were personally involved in establishing the libraries and former students who attended the schools at the time each library was established were interviewed. Questionnaires were designed to collect oral history data. Archival documents, such as school board minutes, annual reports from the Cape May County Free Library, and New Jersey Department of Education records were consulted to verify the oral history information and provide additional …

Teaching Research Skills With Electronic Reference Tools: A Study Of Curriculum Development And Articulation, Johanne Milnes

Theses and Dissertations

Elementary teachers and elementary school library media specialists are expected to prepare students to be able to complete independent research using a variety of print and electronic reference tools. The purpose of this study was to examine what programs are available in elementary schools that prepare students to do independent research. The subjects were library media specialists who taught grades three, four, five, and six in schools in New Jersey. The schools were part of the FG group of the New Jersey District Factor Grouping System. Using a self-administered questionnaire the subjects described the essentials of their library programs, responded …

Face-To-Face Communication Vs. E-Mail: When To Use Which Form Of Communication In Today's Technology-Focused Society, Wendy Jayne Lathrope

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how employees in the publishing industry prefer to receive information from their managers and whether face-to-face communication is still valued in today's technology-focused society.

Using a mail survey, developed after a Lexis-Nexis literature review at Rowan University, the author polled 163 employees from three Philadelphia-area publishing companies regarding the channels through which they preferred to receive messages from their managers. The author hand-coded the survey results, analyzed the data and developed conclusions and recommendations.

The study found that employees (72.1%) preferred to receive messages through face-to-face communication. Men (8.3%) were more likely …

Strengthening A School-Community Relations Program Through Student Involvement, Karen Warner

Theses and Dissertations

This study's main purpose was to show the logic and benefits of involving students in school-community relations. The data collection consisted of online and library searches for information about schools that include students in their public relations efforts. Award-winning newsletters from 42 school districts were also examined to determine consistent qualities that lead to excellence in communications.

The study showed that while students are directly and indirectly involved in school-community relations on a continuing, daily basis, little has been documented about structured programs or formal involvement. Research supports the effectiveness of student involvement, yet few districts make a conscious effort …

How To Use E-Mail Marketing To Build Customer Relationships, Joseph J. Delmar Sr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify popular techniques used to create successful e-mail marketing campaigns and how companies can use e-mail marketing to build customer relationships.

Related research indicated e-mail's popularity continues to grow and it is changing how companies market themselves. A content analysis of e-mail newsletters from the top 50 online advertisers was conducted. The research indicated many companies are still learning how to use e-mail marketing. Twenty-one companies failed to respond while others abused the customer relationship by sending unsolicited third party advertising and/or sponsorships with their e-mail.

Research findings also revealed that e-mail marketing …

N-3 Essential Fatty Acids Intake And Depressive Symptoms, Nami Matsumura

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether N-3 fatty acids intake would correlate with a prevalence of mental distresses. The present study consisted of a comprehensive literature review and analysis of preexisting data that were relevant to this study. Two data were primarily used in the assessment. These were the 1994 study of Media and Markets by Simmons Market Research Bureau, Inc. for food intakes, and the report of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the prevalence of Frequent Mental Distress. Due to incompatibility of those two studies additional data- the U.S. population estimates for regions …

Activated Carbon Injection For Mercury Control In Coal-Fired Boilers, Randy Ray Brintnell

Theses and Dissertations

Mercury is a toxic compound causing numerous health problems in humans. One of the ways that mercury is released into the atmosphere is through the burning of coal. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the United States consumes i billion tons of coal per year and coal-fired utilities emit 73 tons of mercury per year. Though there arc currently no regulations on mercury emissions, it will remain an environmental concern.

Activated carbon (AC) injection is a proposed technology for mercury control in coal-fired boilers. We are interested in determining whether the diffusion rate or the absorptive capacity of the sorbent …