Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Musical Stimuli In Spatial Audio Displays: An Empirical Investigation Of The Effects Of Volume And Spatial Processing Detail, Matthew Crisler

All Theses

Audio displays have potential to convey spatial information to users without taxing their visual resources, but have been shown to annoy some users. Musical stimuli have the potential to reduce user annoyance, but their potential to be localized spatially is untested. These experiments tested how well musical stimuli can be localized at different volumes and when using different spatial processing techniques to manipulate the spatial information.
The two experiments presented participants with brief musical stimuli simulating spatial locations between -40¡ and 40¡ from the saggital plane and asked participants to report the perceived direction of the sound. In Experiment 1, …

Servant Leadership And The Non-Profit Sector, Bruce Kranig

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nonprofit enterprises have played a significant role in society, providing many services to meet a wide spectrum of human needs. Like for-profit and public sector organizations, nonprofit organizations are faced with increased scrutiny of their current way of doing business. Stakeholders are demanding better efficiency and effectiveness from nonprofit organizations. The means to reduce waste in the current ways of doing business, if not led well and done right, will undoubtedly produce a greater waste. At risk is the sustainability of the organizations and the role their programs play in society.

The struggle facing the nonprofit sector and the challenges …

Radial Outflow In Teleoperation: A Possible Solution For Improving Depth Perception, Joshua Gomer

All Theses

Practical experience has shown that operators of remote robotic systems have difficulty perceiving aspects of remotely operated robots and their environments (e.g. Casper & Murphy, 2003). Operators often find it difficult, for example, to perceive accurately the distances and sizes of remote objects. Past research has demonstrated that employing a moveable camera that provides the operator optical motion allows for the perception of distance in the absence of other information about depth (Dash, 2004). In this experiment a camera was constrained to move only forward and backward, thus adding monocular radial outflow to the video stream. The ability of remote …

Recommendations For The Optimal Allocation Of Radio Spectrum Licenses In The European Union, Alex B. Twist

Economics Theses

Auctions are used by many organizations to assign property rights for a wide variety of goods. In our paper, we are concerned with the use of auctions by the European Union to assign radio spectrum licenses. Without state involvement, firms use the radio spectrum until its value is dissipated. Thus, it is preferable for the state to assign and enforce radio spectrum rights. Further, because of the non-competitive structure in the telecommunications market, it is also preferable for the state to assign radio spectrum rights in such a way as to encourage new entrants. Of the available allocation mechanisms, auctions …

Importance And Availability Of Content And Communication Skills Among Entry-Level Interpretive Naturalists, Jonathan Ivey

All Theses

Interpretation seeks to help visitors to make intellectual and emotional connections between themselves and park resources through a communication process. To accomplish this goal, interpreters must be intimately knowledgeable of park resources as well as excellent communicators. The details of what types of knowledge and communication skills are most important to interpretive naturalists have not been formally documented. Likewise, little is formally known about the availability of each skill in pools of entry-level applicants for interpretive positions. This study documented the varying importance and availability of content and communication skills for entry-level interpretive naturalists, based on the perceptions of experienced …

Structural Changes And Neighborhood Homicide Trends In St. Louis, Missouri, 1980 - 2000: A Multi-Level And Spatial Analysis, Robert Jason Fornango

Dissertations

Social scientists have long observed strong correlations between social structure and violent crime rates at the neighborhood level. Yet little is known about the relationship between changes in social structure and violent crime trends. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of crime trends has received little attention in the literature. The dissertation explores the trajectories and spatial dynamics of neighborhood homicide rates and social structure in St. Louis, Missouri between 1980 and 2000. Multilevel growth curve models are used to describe the nature of, and variation in, census tract homicide trajectories as functions of structural characteristics and changes in those features. Exploratory …

Leisure Constraints: Multiple Hileararchy Stratification Perspectives , Yunjin Tae

All Theses

The disadvantaged groups (elderly, gender, minorities, and individuals of lower SES) suffer from inequality of leisure participation. This study explores the theoretical frameworks of multiple hierarchy stratification in order to better understand the perceived constraints of leisure activities according to socio-demographic variables and how single and multiple statuses influence an individual's participation in leisure activities.
This study explores the relationship between leisure constraints and socio-demographic variables using cross tabulation, and investigate net effects of socio-demographic variables and combined effects of socio-demographic variables in two different types of leisure activities using binary regression.
The findings suggest that the disadvantaged groups have …

Fiscal Impact Of American Indian Gaming On Non-Indian Local Governments, Courtney A. Andrews

Dissertations

Intense growth in American Indian gaming over the past two and a half decades has resulted in suggestions of impact on non-Indian communities with a resulting growth in tribal-local government interaction. Although there is mounting evidence of both positive and negative socio-economic impacts on non-Indian communities as a result of Indian gaming operations, to date, there has been very little exploration of the actual fiscal impact on non-Indian governments as a result of these operations. This thesis serves to examine this impact. This study uses a combination of an extensive literature review, tribal-local government survey, GIS techniques and a quantitative …

The Firm Size, Farm Size, And Transaction Costs: The Case Of Hazelnut Farms In Turkey, Ibrahim Demir

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the determinants of the size of the hazelnut farms in Turkey within the framework of the theory of firm and transaction costs. This study argues that, for a farm production function, land is a complex input with many transaction cost-increasing interactions with nature. Natural effects, such as land slope and variation in the weather conditions, can increase transaction costs. Transaction costs are the costs of using the inputs necessary for production. This study utilizes two separate data sets in order to test if the predicted relationship between transaction costs and farm size holds. The first data …

Essays On Electricity Regulation And Restructuring, Earl Davis

All Dissertations

The study of the regulation of the electric power industry is important to understanding the role of the industry in the economic development of this country. These essays attempt to clarify the analysis and emphasize the salient features of regulation and the restructuring of the electric power industry and the organization of the firms that make up the industry.

Personality Predictors Of Motivation To Lead, Tracey Tafero

All Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in understanding the relationship between personality traits and leadership. Recent research suggests that some personality variables are related to leadership. However, research has rarely examined the process by which personality may impact leadership. This study explores the relationship between personality and motivation to lead, a proposed intervening variable between personality and leadership. In addition, this study looks at both broad and narrow measures of personality as predictors of motivation to lead. The current study both replicates and extends the findings of Chan & Drasgow (2001). Results reveal that facet-level personality scales …

Essays On Sports Economics, Octavian Vasilescu

All Dissertations

The common thread behind the three papers presented here is the use of sports data to test economics theories. The effect of wage inequality on team production is an important question in labor economics. Data from sports are well suited to study this problem, with more than ten published papers in the last decade.In the first paper we analyze the effect of wage inequality both on team performance and efficiency, using data from Major League Baseball and a stochastic frontier model with a translog production function. Most studies have examined the impact of inequality within a linear framework, and found …

Examining The Effects Of Fatigue On Decision-Making In Nursing: A Policy-Capturing Approach, Laura Mcclelland

All Dissertations

Some previous research has focused on better understanding factors that influence nurses' decision-making; however, previous research has not used policy-capturing as a methodology to examine the impact of fatigue on registered nurses' decision-making. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether the fatigue of working a 12-hour day shift influenced a sample of registered nurses' decision-making. Participants consisted of 69 registered nurses working a 12-hour day shift from 7 AM to 7 PM at a large southeastern hospital. The participants completed a general questionnaire and a policy-capturing questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of a 12-hour …

The Enabling Potential Of Losses In Later Life: Linking Constraints To Selective Optimization With Compensation, Begum Aybar-Damali

All Dissertations

A substantial literature describes factors that prevent people from participating in and enjoying leisure and recreation activities. These factors have often been regarded as negative and helping individuals use strategies to maintain participation has been advised. The primary purpose of this study was to explore whether losses catalyzed selective optimization of resources. This exploratory research investigated the relationship among (1) life satisfaction, (2) change in leisure behavior, (3) life management strategies of selection, optimization, and compensation, (4) enhancement outcomes, and (5) leisure satisfaction. The participants of the study were recruited from older adults who attended activities and classes provided by …

The Role Of Inspiration In Scientific Scholarship And Discovery: Views Of Theistic Scientists, Kari Ann O'Grady

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study examined the ways those who identify themselves as theistic scientists and scholars experience inspiration, as defined as divine guidance or influence, in their scientific scholarship and discovery. It also explored participants' beliefs about how scientists and scholars can seek and prepare to receive inspiration in their work. Open-ended surveys of 450 participants from the behavioral and natural sciences and from a variety of religious backgrounds were analyzed for content themes in the areas of experiences with inspiration, preparing to receive inspiration, and further thoughts on inspiration in science. The themes extracted indicated that these scientists and …

War In Iraq And Lebanon: Egyptian Public Opinion, Civil Society And Foreign Policy, Anne Silke Czichos

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Women's Perceptions Of Parents, Peers, Romantic Partner And God As Predictive Of Symptoms Severity Among Women In Treatment For Eating Disorders At An Inpatient Facility, Samuel B. Tobler

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined whether perceptions of parents, peers, romantic partners and God were predictive of eating disorder symptom severity among women in treatment for eating disorders. The sample included 417 women (ages 12 to 56 years) at an inpatient treatment facility for eating disorders. Participants completed a battery of assessment measures at intake and discharge. Change scores were also computed on all measures. Measures included indices of eating disorder symptomology, parental relationships, peer relationships, romantic partner relationships, and religious well-being. Multiple regression analysis showed perceptions of peers and romantic partner to be significant predictors in all analyses; however perceptions …

Description Of The Trio/Upward Bound Students' Construction Of Vocations Using George Kelly's Rep Test Method, Maraia Sokia Weingarten

Theses and Dissertations

The Information Age is revolutionizing the way we communicate, acquire knowledge, and perform work. Society is shifting from occupations rooted in industrial production to those associated with knowledge and information, requiring the development of new skills for changing occupations and updating old educational methods. Educators need to be aware of economic and social changes and have a vision for how to design career education to respond to those changes. Individuals must also be prepared to learn on their own as careers evolve and change. The training necessary to adapt to the changing career culture needs to be made available to …

Existing Practice And Proposed Changes In Cognitive Assessment Of Utah Students Identified As Deaf And Hard Hearing, Leah Voorhies

Theses and Dissertations

This study presented the past, current, and proposed practice of intelligence testing with a unique population, students identified as deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH). As a basis for describing the cognitive ability of Utah's D/HH students and to improve practice guidelines, 61 D/HH students served by Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) were administered the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) standard battery and the Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). Based on these data, composite score distributions were described and compared with national standardization samples. Participants' WISC-IV PRI …

Modeling And Analysis Of Resolve And Morale For The `Long War', Michael J. Artelli

Theses and Dissertations

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu begins by stating: "War is a matter of vital importance to the State; the province of life or death; the road to survival or ruin. It is mandatory that it be thoroughly studied." Sun Tzu follow's this opening by stating five fundamental factors a commander must master to be successful in combat. The first of these factors is moral influence which Sun Tzu defines as "that which causes the people to be in harmony with their leaders, so they will accompany them in life and death without fear of mortal peril." In the …

Mayanwiki: An Online, Consensus-Based Linguistic Corpus Of The Mayan Hieroglyphs, Robbie A. Haertel

Theses and Dissertations

The writing system used by the ancient Maya civilization has intrigued researchers and aficionados for centuries. Now that it has mostly been deciphered, the emphasis in the field of Mayan epigraphy has shifted to a study of the system of phonological, morphological, and grammatical rules that once governed the language that the hieroglyphs encode. One of the most important resources for linguistic study of this type is a comprehensive, electronic corpus of texts to investigate phraseology, frequency information, and collocations. Because Mayan linguistic epigraphy is in the early stages, a publicly available, editable corpus would be an invaluable resource in …

Pioneers In Twentieth Century Mormon Media: Oral Histories Of Latter-Day Saint Electronic And Public Relations Professionals, Jonice L. Hubbard

Theses and Dissertations

The project consists of three parts: a summary of the research, a collection of sixteen oral histories of Latter-day Saint Electronic Media and Public Relations professionals who contributed to the development and growth of media in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a one-hour documentary film, Pioneers in Mormon Media, which gives a brief history of the development of modern mass communications and its use by the Church. This qualitative study investigates who has been involved in Church media, what projects have been accomplished and provides some explanation as to why the Church uses media. The oral …

Determinants Of New Technology-Based Firms’ Performance In Catch-Up Regions: Evidence From The U.S. Biopharmaceutical And It Service Industries, Wenbin Xiao

Public Management and Policy Dissertations

This study investigates the impacts of regional characteristics on the early-stage performance of New Technology-Based Firms (NTBFs) in catch-up regions where a mature industrial cluster has yet to be formed. It hypothesized that the average NTBF performance in a region is a function of its scientist job market conditions, cultural diversity, venture capital, academic research, industrial structure, and local entrepreneurial climate. Using the events of Initial Public Offerings (IPO) and Merger & Acquisitions (M&A) as an indicator of early-stage success of NTBFs, this study constructs a set of Zero-Inflated-Negative-Binomial (ZINB) models to predict the spatial distribution of such events in …

A Corpus Of Second Language Attrition Data, Derrell R. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This report addresses the lack of progress in the field of Second Language Attrition (L2A). Review of L2A history and literature show this to be cause by lack of appropriate data. Five criteria for appropriate data are suggested and a corpus of L2A data (57,000 words, spoken Spanish) which meets the criteria is presented. The history of the corpus is explained in detail, including subject selection, instruments and methods of collection, and markup -- XML was used to annotate the corpus with nineteen categories of speech errors, adapted from Nation's (2001) "Learning Vocabulary in Another Language." An example analysis of …

A Model Of The Relationship Of Perceived Mental And Emotional Problems In The Family-Of-Origin On Marital Satisfaction Of Adult Offspring, Benjamin Oviatt Weinheimer

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of perceived mental/emotional problems (psychopathology) in the family-of-origin on adult offspring marital satisfaction was tested in a model considering the mediating variables of parental marital satisfaction, mother-child relationship quality, father-child relationship quality, and resolution of issues from the family-of-origin. The nationally representative sample (n = 802) drawn from the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) database included mostly college educated, lower-middle-class individuals in their first marriage. This sample was used to test a structural equation model that results showed fit the data well. Results showed that historical (distal) factors (such as psychopathology in the family-of-origin) explain only a small portion of …

Organizational Recruitment Web Sites: The Influence Of Web Site Aesthetics On Initial Affective Reactions To The Site And Subsequent Attraction To The Organization, Rebekkah Wills

All Theses

The present study examined the potential relationship between specific characteristics of organizational recruitment web sites and applicant attraction to the organization. Cober, Brown, Keeping, and Levy (2004) proposed a conceptual model that suggests web site aesthetics influence the applicant's attitude toward the web site which in turn influences applicant attraction. The current study provides a partial test of this model by examining web site aesthetics, prior attitudes toward the organization, initial affective reactions to the web site, perceptions of web site usability and post-viewing attitudes toward the site and the organization. Participants (N = 159) included undergraduate students using the …

Neuroimmunoendocrine Pathology And Cognitive Function In Type 2 Diabetes, Krista Wild

Psychology Dissertations

Cognitive impairment among older adults with type 2 diabetes may worsen health outcomes via negative impact on compliance with medical self-care recommendations. Results of several previous studies indicate that cognitive deficits are present in older European American adults with type 2 diabetes under some conditions, particularly related to glucose dysregulation (as evidenced by high glycated hemoglobin, i.e., HbA1c). Despite the fact African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes and suffer significantly greater numbers of complications and more severe complications relative to European Americans, no published studies have examined cognitive functioning among older African American adults with type 2 diabetes. Further, …

Elements Of Postfeminism: The Current Landscape Of American Politics?, Laura Delorenzo Denison

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish the meaning and definition of postfeminism along with an assessment of whether it accurately represents the current era of thinking. It is an historical, descriptive, qualitative analysis of the feminist movement from its inception with the central focus on the newest strand of feminist thought, postfeminism. The progression toward these conclusions entails an outlining of the waves of feminism and the strands of thought within these eras as well as a discussion of third wave feminism, modern feminism and generational differences between the waves. The focus on postfeminism begins with an exploration …

Climatic Adaptation And Postcranial Metric Variation In Precontact North America, Kathryn A. King

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate patterns of variation in the postcranial skeleton of prehistoric American populations as they are related to variation in climate. Two ecogeographical rules proposed by Karl Bergmann (1847) and Joel Allen (1877) describe expected patterns of variation with widespread, warm-blooded species. Modern humans in the Old World largely conform to this pattern (Holliday 1997a). This study seeks to explore if the same patterns are present in the New World.

Skeletal material from 25 North American bioarchaeological collections was used in this analysis. A series of 29 measurements of the postcranial skeleton were collected …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Among Work Values, Personality Traits, Job Satisfaction, And Career Satisfaction, Shannon Danielle Salyer

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, the relationships among work values, personality variables, job satisfaction and career satisfaction were investigated. The specific work values assessed in this research included: achievement, autonomy, challenge, creativity, ecology, family, informality, income, leadership, leisure, geographic locale, excitement, work space aesthetics, social responsibility, security, expertise, integrity, power and teamwork. Personality was assessed broadly by using the Big Five personality variables and narrowly, using more specific constructs of personality. An archival data source was used consisting of a sample of 457 employees from various industries. Several research questions were addressed answered including: How are work values related to broad and …