Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Cognitive Approach To Teaching Research Skills, Christine M. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop a method for teaching research skills to sixth graders that would be appropriate for their cognitive abilities and prepare them for the research skills required by the seventh grade curriculum. Three classroom teachers and fifty-seven sixth grade students participated in this project. A short research project served as a pretest and inventory for knowledge of research skills. A unit of research skills and project preparation was then taught to the students in a series of eight lessons. Each skill modeled during the lessons provided concrete student learning. Examples of content materials and …

A Multicultural Curriculum For The Third Grade In The Library Media Center At The Rieck Avenue School, Millville, N.J., Joyce A. Rankin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project developed a multicultural curriculum for the third grade classes at the Rieck Avenue School, Millville, New Jersey, which adhered to the Core Curriculum Standards. The question to be answered was "How can third graders achieve an historical understanding of the varying cultures of New Jersey, the United States, and the world through the library media center curriculum?" Because of the changing demographics of our country and the increase of minority students in our schools, it is imperative that students learn how to appreciate, understand, and interact with people who are ethnically, racially, and culturally different than themselves. …

A Survey Of The Familiarity Of Gloucester County Secondary School Librarians, Child Study Teams, And Special Education Teachers With Assistive Technology, Dianne Clement

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this survey was to assess the familiarity of Gloucester County high school librarians, child study team members, and special education teachers about different types of adaptive technologies. Two hundred twenty-one surveys were sent to the 13 school districts in Gloucester County. Eighty-four participants responded. The largest response was from librarians. Results indicated that all three groups were more unfamiliar than familiar with the technology on the survey. Librarians were the group with the most overall familiarity response, 31%. Child study teams and special education teachers were very close in familiarity responses with 26%. Taped text, large-print materials, …

Developing Criteria For Choosing Bibliographic Databases In High School Libraries, Darlene Michel

Theses and Dissertations

This study developed criteria for choosing bibliographic databases for high school libraries. A survey was conducted to find out students' opinions about the databases that they use in school to access books, periodicals, and newspaper articles. The survey covered frequency of database use, favorite and least favorite databases, reasons for using the databases, desirable and undesirable characteristics of databases, and types of searching that were used. The survey was administered to 85 students in four 11th grade college-preparatory English classes after a class period devoted to database searching for an assignment. All students completed and handed in the survey. Conclusions …

A Study Of The Effects Of The Use Of Computerized Sources On Elementary Student Research Projects, Betty Jane Oliva

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine elementary students' abilities in the information gathering process and the impact of the use of computerized resources on these abilities. Did the use of computerized research technology improve students' results? How well did students make use of this technology to find information? Would students effectively combine the use of computerized and print sources for information? What effect did the inclusion of computers have on the students' attitude towards the research assignment? Four classes of fourth grade students were combined into two groups. Students were assigned to research answers to 50 questions. Each …

A Study Of The Circulation Patterns And Lifestyle Demographics Of Year-Round Residents Who Use The Ocean City Free Public Library, Judith C. Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to determine if adult lifestyle behaviors, as identified in the 1990 U.S. Census, could be linked with circulation statistics for fiction and nonfiction books, and thereby, used to assist acquisition librarians in the purchase of library materials. The project, a partial replication of the Davis and Altman (1997) study, focused on the book selections made by adults at the Ocean City Free Public Library in Ocean City, NJ. The methodology included the examination of circulation records for these subjects during December, January, and February 1992-1997, and relating these choices to the spending potential index …

Student Evaluation Of Internet Resources, Kathleen Donoghue

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a means by which high school students were taught to critically analyze information found on the Internet. Many students view the Internet as an information resource and regard what they find there as authoritative. It is necessary for students to develop strategies that will assist them in identifying information that is relevant, reliable, and accurate. In this study, 18 students were provided with sample checklists to use as a guide in evaluating Internet resources. After guided practice in the classroom, each student examined four web sites that were pre-selected by the instructor and varied in characteristic properties. …

The Status Of Internet And World Wide Web Use In The Elementary Schools Of Gloucester County, New Jersey, Christine A. Rohrman

Theses and Dissertations

Are schools preparing students for the new age of communication, where the Internet and World Wide Web will be an efficient way to access information? The purpose of this study was to determine the status of Internet use in the elementary schools of Gloucester County, New Jersey. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire sent to the library media specialists of the 48 elementary schools. They were asked if there was Internet access in their school building and if not, were there plans to have Internet access by the year 2001. Other questions about the Internet involved computer equipment available, …

Elazar's Political Culture: Is It Applicable Today?, Mark M. Springer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the utility of Daniel J. Elazar’s political culture, developed in 1%6. Dr. Ira Sharkansky conceptualized Elazar’s political culture in 1969 by applying measures pertaining to participation; size and perquisites of bureaucracy; and scope, magnitude, costs, and innovative character of government programs. He used simple correlation, Pearson’s r, to determine whether political culture had any influence on the 23 dependent variables that he arranged under the three different measures. Then, he tested for partial correlation, using per capita personal income and the percentage of the population living in areas considered “urban” as controlling variables. Finally, he tested the …

The Effect Of Higher Education On Attitudes And Values: Gender And The Academic Environment, Gayle Robbins

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of exposure to a post-secondary educational environment on attitudes and values was assessed utilizing a cross-sectional research design. Four hundred sixty-two participants completed the Schwartz Value Survey and a social distance scale. Of these, 56 were first and second year undergraduates, 57 were third and fourth year undergraduates, 85 were masters level graduate students, 77 were doctoral level graduate students, 96 were non-tenured faculty and 91 were tenured faculty. It was hypothesized that students and entry level faculty would undergo a socialization processes which would include changes in attitudes and values consistent with established tenured faculty. Oneway ANOVAs …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Video New Releases And Written News Releases, Art Keegan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if Video News Releases (VNRs) are more effective than written news releases in offering reportable news to television newsroom decision-makers. To answer this question, 45 television newsroom decision-makers from 13 states and the District of Columbia were surveyed. The survey was conducted over the telephone and presented nine questions to decision-makers regarding their usage and storage of VNRs and written news releases. Decision-makers were identified as television news personnel knowledgeable in the usage rate and storage length of VNRs and written news releases.

The study analyzed the responses of all the newsroom …

The Public Relation Firm's Perception Of The Internet's Effect On Its Growth And Profits, Tina Blasberg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to learn if the public relations firm believed that using the Internet had a recognizable effect on its growth and profits. The study attempted to show that if the public relations firm saw that its net profits increased, client base grew, and, as a result, employees' paychecks increased, then it perceived that using the Internet had a positive effect on its growth and profits.

The sample originally selected consisted of 317 United States public relations firms, a sample which consisted of small and large firms ranging from 10 employees up to 100 employees. A …

Nationalism In Spain: Is It A Danger To National Integrity?, Fernando Pastor Villar

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been a worldwide resurgence of ethnic nationalism as ethnic minorities have seen in this ethnic differentiation a better way to increase their political power within the states where they reside. Spain is a complex country divided into a number of contrasting regions with widely varying economic and social structures as well as different historical, political, and cultural traditions that includes different languages. This extreme complexity is related to its national diversity and also to the political and social articulation of nationalist claims within the state. This study arrives at five conclusions. First, Basque and Catalan …

A Fund Raiser's Guide For Gaining Access To Corporate Givers, Patricia L. Pfleger

Theses and Dissertations

This project identified, through both primary and secondary research, techniques for local United Way organizations to effectively gain access to key executives at mid-size corporations. The secondary research found that the trend in corporate giving is to demand much more recognition for philanthropy. Many corporations are combining charitable donations with their marketing efforts to target present or future customers.

Primary research was conducted using mail questionnaires, which were sent to fund raisers and corporate givers, listing possible techniques for making contact with corporate givers. A list of recommended techniques for fund raisers to use was then compiled.

Recommendations for fund …

Oral Performances As Ritual: Animating The Invisible In Mormon Women's Miscarriage Stories, Kristin Leifson Ballif

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is comprised of ten Mormon women's miscarriage stories and it is their stories that are used as the text for my analysis. The purpose of the study is to provide a space for these women to share their experiences and to reveal their cultural values and beliefs. Because the women are all Mormon, there are some distinctive cultural and religious values that are shared within their stories and it is these aspects that are analyzed and discussed within the text.

Women need to be able to share their miscarriage stories so as to alleviate feelings of isolation and …

Learning To Learn: The Training Of Missionaries In Language Learning Strategies At The Missionary Training Center, D. Brian Kohler

Theses and Dissertations

Language learning strategies (LLS) are specific actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques that learners use to improve their rate and level of L2 development. This thesis details the development and validation of a LLS training program designed to measure if training in LLS increases LDS missionaries' awareness of LLS as potential language learning tools. Specifically, it explores the question as to whether missionaries trained in LLS use and intend to use LLS more frequently, more appropriately, and with a greater range than those not trained in LLS.

The development of the LLS training program involved selecting a set of 48 specific …

A Raster-Based Gis Analysis Of The Cumulative Impacts Of Humans And Beaver On Wetland Area And Types In The Chickahominy River Watershed (Virginia, Usa) From 1953 To 1994, Alexandra Dunya Syphard

Theses and Dissertations

Despite increased recognition of wetland functions and values, wetland loss and degradation continues in the United States. Digital wetlands and uplands coverages were analyzed to compare the cumulative impacts of humans and beaver (Castor canadensis) on wetland types in the Chickahominy River watershed (Virginia, USA) from 1953 to 1994. A vector-based approach was used for data manipulation, and a raster-based approach was chosen to analyze geographic change over time. Study findings indicated that anthropogenic activities were responsible for both wetland loss and gain in the watershed, and beavers substantially influenced shifting between wetland types. Wetland area increased 4% over 41 …

The Impact Of The Physical And Cultural Geography Of Southeastern Utah On Latter-Day Settlement, Sally Timmins Mandurino

Theses and Dissertations

The Latter-day Saint settlements in southeastern Utah, namely Bluff, Monticello and Blanding, were impacted by the physical and cultural geography of the area. These geographic elements hindered, and in some cases prevented, the Latter-day Saint colonizers from fulfilling the seven basic principles of Latter-day Saint expansion and colonization in the Great Basin. The impacts of physical geography were the geology, the climate, the soil and the rivers and streams. The impacts of cultural geography were the Navajo Indian Tribe, the Paiute Indian Tribe, and the criminal element. This thesis discusses the geographic elements of the area, how they impacted the …

The Relation Between The Nutritional Status And The Acute Respiratory Infections In Children Younger Than Five Years Of Age In The Indigenous, Black, And Mestizo Ethnic Groups Of The Rural Area In The Imbabura Province, 1998-1999, Sandra Chiles

Theses and Dissertations

The problems of social-economics, culture, politics, and health, among those, are factors that influence both directly and indirectly the style of life of hundreds of thousands of people, due to the lack of economic resources, unemployment, poverty, their own culture can lead to a more serious state of health, consequently causing problems of their nutritional state, such as obesity in its varying degrees of malnutrition, in addition to the presence of preventable illnesses such as acute respiratory disease (IRA), that seriously affect the infant population. Factors, consequences, everything becomes one vicious circle that can be broken thereby preventing more deaths …

The Relationship Between Employers' Perceived Organizational Context And Their Impressions Of The Employability Of Job Applicants With Either A Severe Psychiatric Or Physical Disability, John Constantine Bricout

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between favorable employability ratings of hypothetical job applicants with a severe disability and two aspects of employers' perceived organizational context: organizational climate and negotiation latitude, using a cross-sectional, correlational design. A survey including a hypothetical job applicant vignette in one of three conditions: non-disabled, severe physical disability (acquired brain injury), severe psychiatric disability (schizophrenia) was mailed out to a random sample of 1,000 employers selected from a national human resource membership list. Responses were received from 248 employers. The chief purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between employers' perceived organizational context and …

The Role Of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors In The Thalamocortical Circuit During Spontaneous Epileptic Activity, Joy Vashisht Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Spontaneous epileptic activity resembling spike wave discharges (SWD) characteristic of Generalized Absence (GA) epilepsy was induced in rat thalamocortical (TC) slices by incubating the slices in low-Mg^2- artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) Extracellular field potentials were recorded in the cortex and thalamus to determine the effects of the broad spectrum metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist, trans- (1S, 3R)-1-Amino-1, 3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (ACPD), ACPD elicited concentration dependent effects on the duration of SWD. At 1 μM ACPD (n=3) there were no significant changes in duration of activity. At 20 μM, 11 of 13 slices displayed a decrease in duration of activity (mean …

Factors Affecting Social Workers' Political Participation: Resources, Professional Associations And Perceived Efficacy, David Henry Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

Research has indicated that social workers are more politically active than the general public (Wolk, 1981; Parker and Sherraden, 1991), but their effectiveness has been questioned (Mathews, 1982). There are differences among social workers, but explanations of differences between "very active" and "inactive" have relied primarily on practice setting or method. However, research in political science has shown that income, education, involvement in associations, and perceived political efficacy, are significant predictors of who does not participate (Verba, Schlozman, and Brady, 1995).

Five hundred certified social workers were surveyed regarding how often they engaged in political activities (e.g., voting and campaigning) …

A Qualitative Study Of Dietetic Students Completing Internship In A Dietetic Technician Program, Sharon Spicer Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the view of dietetic students and their preceptors concerning the supervised practice experience. Guiding questions for this study were: (1) dynamics of learning in the work place setting, (2) dietetic students' technical ability to complete the activities expected of them in the work place, (3) dietetic students' socialization into the field site experience, including how well the students were accepted by other staff, (4) expectations of the preceptor prior to working with student dietetic technicians, (5) students' and preceptors' expectations of the DT program coordinator, (6) students' and preceptors' satisfaction with the …

President Mrs. Kimball: A Rhetoric Of Words And Works, Janelle M. Higbee

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars of rhetoric and speech communications have suggested that the study of a women's rhetoric should focus on the "distinctly female modes of leadership" that may be found among women in "out-groups" that challenge established political authority. Such leaders must be especially inventive to be effective, and are thus likely to be talented rhetoricians. In looking for such leaders, the religious and political rhetoric of early Latter-day Saint women provides a noteworthy, unique study. Nineteenth-century Mormon women not only battled discriminatory political norms—arguing fervently for both universal woman's suffrage and for the freedom to practice polygamy—they did so from their …

Mormon Mortuary Patterns At The Block 49 And Seccombe Lake Cemeteries, Howard S. Irvine

Theses and Dissertations

Death customs perform a socially restorative function among cultures and are a meaningful expression of the value system of any particular culture. Death studies allow the examination of the values considered most significant by the studied culture. This thesis will examine and interpret the material culture recovered at two small cemeteries: Block 49, Utah, and Seccombe Lake, California. One result will show the material manifestation of Mormon religious beliefs in their mortuary practices. The final goal is to suggest that a more thorough examination of a religious sect's beliefs can create a general model of mortuary practices for that religious …

The One With The Most Information Wins? The Quest For Information Superiority, Stacy M. Clements

Theses and Dissertations

The escalation of interest in information as a corporate resource is reflected in the military's quest for information superiority. A volume of directives, articles, and doctrine is appearing to meet the unique challenges presented by information as a resource. Discussions of how to achieve information superiority have given rise to investigations of such related concepts as information warfare and information operations, with associated taxonomies and ideas of how to use information capabilities for attack and defense. This thesis examines information superiority and the related concepts, and examines current information technology initiatives in order to discern the characteristics which can aid …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Perception Levels Of Prime Beef Training And Readiness Task Confidence, D. Wade Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the readiness training perception levels and task self-confidence of CE Prime BEEF personnel, and investigated the relationships between these two constructs. A heuristic model was developed which hypothesized that since previous research has shown that perception of training affects self-efficacy, and that self-efficacy affects performance, it may be inferred that training perception ultimately affects task performance. Surveys were sent to the target population to gather demographic data, perceptions of Prime BEEF readiness training and task confidence in both self and unit. Despite an improvement in perceptions over the past 12 years, results showed somewhat mediocre perception levels …

Assessment Of Customer Perceptions Of The Hazardous Materials Pharmacy, Sean M. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force began operations of a Hazardous Material Pharmacy (HMP) in the late 80s. This thesis identifies causes of positive and negative perceptions of the HMP among its customers. Focus groups were used to determine customer perceptions. Several Total Quality Management (TQM) tools were used in this analysis. Brainstorming was used to generate customer perceptions. Affinity diagrams were used to group data into meaningful categories. Interrelationship digraphs were used to determine influence among causes of perception and to rank the causes of perception. This study showed that lack of clear policy and support of the HMP were the leading …

Department Of Defense Hazardous Waste Site Remediation Issues In The Republic Of Korea, Edwin H. Oshiba

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to provide information to DoD decision makers regarding factors influencing hazardous waste site remediation policy for South Korea. This study addressed: International agreements and U.S. and South Korean laws and policies relevant to hazardous waste sites; objectives of DoD environmental policy makers; extent and effects of soil and groundwater contamination; cleanup precedents set in other foreign countries; availability of resources and technical capabilities to investigate and remediate hazardous waste sites in South Korea; and opportunities for cooperation between the U.S. and South Korean military with regard to hazardous waste site remediation. Data were collected …

An Analysis Of The Use Of Social Processes During Computer Use, Shawna R. Wimpy

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the claim that people use social processes relating to other humans when interacting with computers. A laboratory study (n = 38) manipulated two team factors, identity and interdependence and a stereotype activation effect to two labels, generalist and specialist. Subjects for this study were military members or civilians working for the military. The results show that none of the subjects reported being influenced by team or stereotype manipulations as given in self-reports. Incongruent to these findings, the behavioral data demonstrated that subjects were influenced by stereotype labels. There were no interaction effects between team factors and stereotype …