Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Religious Pluralism, Cultural Differences, And Social Stability In Nigeria, Rose C. Uzoma

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Institutional Change And Persistence: The Evolution Of Poland's Electoral System, 1989-2001, Kenneth Benoit, Jacqueline Hayden

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Electoral systems are uniquely distributive political institutions that shape political outcomes, yet are themselves endogenously shaped outcomes of political choices. In Poland, party system development has involved not only parties adapting to electoral institutions in each election, but also parties modifying these institutions prior to every election. We model electoral system change as driven by partisan self-interest in maximizing seat share and test it in five episodes of electoral system change in Poland from 1989 to 2001, comparing parties’ support for electoral law alternatives to their expectations of seat shares from those alternatives. Data consists of opinion polls, roll-call votes, …

Smu Receives Record S$200 Million -- Fund To Go Towards Scholars Programme, Fund For Excellence And Endowment For The University, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

No abstract provided.

Clark Canyon Recreation Survey: 2003-2004, Robert Dvorak, Norma P. Nickerson, Jim Wilton

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report summarizes a study of recreation use on Clark Canyon Reservoir and Barretts Campground from May 24, 2003 to February 29, 2004.

Canyon Ferry Recreation Survey: 2003-2004, Robert Dvorak, Norma P. Nickerson, Jim Wilton, Megan Mcbride

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report summarizes a study of recreation use on Canyon Ferry Reservoir from May 24, 2003 to February 28, 2004. The summer results from 2003-2004 are compared to the results of the 1995 and 1999 Canyon Ferry Recreation studies, as the same survey instrument was used.

A Longitudinal Analysis Of Socioeconomic Differences In Obesity And Weight Change During The Early Adult Years, Young-Taek Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in American society. However, not enough attention has been given to weight change by temporal and dynamic detailed social characteristics, controlled for unobserved heterogeneities nested in county and state. Using the National Longitudinal Survey Youth (NLSY79), this study examined weight change and its development into unhealthy conditions like being overweight or obese, in relation to change in social characteristics including life course events. This study also examined the social characteristics of remaining at a normal weight through all time intervals over a 19-year period. Using hierarchical linear multilevel analysis, this study found that changes in …

A Children’S Champion: A Comparative Study Of The Juvenile Justice Systems Of Northern Ireland And The State Of Louisiana And The Applicability Of A State Children’S Commissioner, Alexandra M. Chung

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of The United Nations Secretary-General On The International Security Agenda, Jennifer S. Couture

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Can the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) be an effective leader when the member states are not obliged to adhere to his priorities? Despite important limitations, the UNSG can influence the manner in which the organization's security agenda is prioritized and executed. Using both constitutional prerogatives as well as attributes of personal influence, the UNSG can make a meaningful impact on the way the United Nations (UN) executes its mission to maintain international peace and security. While the UNSG's constitutional authority establishes the foundation for his relationship with the member states, the extent to which the UNSG plays an important role …

Validation Of The Person Picking An Apple From A Tree Projective Drawing Through Comparative Analysis, Shandra M. Brown

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Through imagination, creativity, development, and research, art therapists are attempting to create more reliable and valid assessments in order to help clients most effectively. Although assessment development is a long and difficult process, advancements are being made through research, such as this study, in order for the field of art therapy to respond to past criticisms and continue to grow as a credible and respectable field.

The researchers of this study anticipated that the results would show a correlation between levels of anxiety with formal elements of the Person Picking an Apple from a Tree Projective Drawing (PPAT), as measured …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Children’S Development As Reflected In Their Artwork: An Investigation Of Children’S Drawings From The African Country Of Benin, Elizabeth Anna Smead

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This research adds to the body of knowledge related to the human figure drawing as a useful tool in assessment and to art therapists’ understanding of children who depict the human figure in cross-cultural settings. This researcher obtained a sample collection of 148 human figure drawings from African children in rural Benin, West Africa to study in comparison to a set of human figure drawings collected under similar conditions in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

In this quantitative study, five of the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scales (FEATS) were modified and used to tally the formal elements of each of the 148 …

Labor Force Employment And The Future_May 2004, Lee A. Reynis, Tony Sylvester

BBER Publications

This report analyzes Raton’s shifting labor market following the end of coal mining, identifying emerging opportunities in tourism and coalbed methane extraction while documenting significant skill gaps, aging workforce trends, and over 170 current job vacancies. It emphasizes the need for expanded education, training, and coordinated community action to align labor supply with future employer demand.

Personal Reemployment Accounts: Simulations For Planning Implementation, Christopher J. O'Leary, Randall W. Eberts, U.S. Dept. Of Labor, Employment And Training Administration

External Papers and Reports

The proposed Back to Work Incentive Act of 2003 recommended personal reemployment accounts (PRA) that would provide each eligible UI (unemployment insurance) claimant with a special account of up to $3,000 to finance reemployment activities. Account funds could be used to purchase intensive, supportive, and job training services. Any funds remaining in the PRA could be paid as a cash bonus for reemployment within 13 weeks, or drawn as extended income maintenance for exhaustees of regular UI benefits. Personal reemployment account offers would be targeted to UI beneficiaries most likely to exhaust their UI entitlements using state Worker Profiling and …

Relationship Satisfaction And Stability Among Latinos With Respect To Communication Styles And Conflict Resolution Types, Adam C. Munk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This secondary analysis employed data from portions of the Spanish and English versions of the RELATionship Evaluation inventory, a self-report questionnaire (RELATE) The present research analyzed conflict resolution types, communication styles, and relationship satisfaction and stability among Latino men and women compared to Caucasian men and women. Multiple linear regression analysis was used for analyzing the data.

Communication styles and conflict resolution types were more different than similar among Latino males and females in predicting relationship satisfaction and relationship stability; however, they were more similar than different among Caucasian males and females. The communication style of love was the only …

Parents' Knowledge And Attitudes About Immunization In India, Anne George

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood immunization is acknowledged as being a crucial health intervention for children. Immunization rates of children may vary depending on their parents' knowledge and attitudes about the issue. The focus of this study is on parents' knowledge and attitudes about immunization, and employs Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. A questionnaire was administered to 233 parents in India to explore the issues of parental immunization knowledge and attitudes. Correlates of parental knowledge and attitudes that were explored included gender, education, respondents' immunization status, and children's immunization status. Sources of parental knowledge about immunization were also examined. Overall, parents in this sample …

The Role Of Deception In Mediating Relationship Involvement Of Couples Interacting On The Internet: Stages Of Intimate Formation, Dustin W. Edgerton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A vast majority of individuals involve themselves in an intimate relationship at one time or another. This study looks at a new, but increasing, forum of relationship development, that of the Internet. More specifically, this study addresses various stages of Internet relationship development, and deception individual 's use during the process of forming and maintaining these relationships.

This research gathered quantitative and qualitative information from 134 individuals involved in online relationships. The quantitative analyses provided only a few significant findings and it is suggested that the current methods of measuring deception are inadequate and do not appear to represent the …

Intermediate Trainee Perspectives Of Family Therapy Skills, Margo Benson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Marriage and family therapy training involves the development of therapy skills that lead to effective treatment, and the family therapy literature recognizes the importance of skill development in training. The training literature dealing with specific skills most often refers to beginning-level skills and obtains data largely from supervisors and trainers. Intermediate-level skills appear to be overlooked and no apparent attention is given from the perspective of trainees.

This research examined the perspectives of trainees concerning family therapy skills at the intermediate level. Intermediate trainee perspectives were compared with the perspectives of their supervisors. Comparisons were also made with perspectives of …

Borrower- And Mortgage-Related Factors Associated With Foreclosure, Amber C. Gallagher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model that could be used to aid in identifying which household factors contribute to an increased likelihood of foreclosure. More specifically, what borrower-related and mortgage-related factors are correlated with home foreclosure? This was achieved by studying a sample from an inventory of active and foreclosed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) homes in the state of Utah. The sample consisted of 179 cases. Characteristics of interest were extracted from data and divided into two categories: borrower-related factors and mortgage-related factors.

Bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted with the borrower- and mortgage-related factors. …

Predictors Of 1997 Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Completion And Dismissal Rates In Utah, David A. Evans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first intention was to identify a group of debtor characteristics that predicted discharge among Chapter 13 bankruptcy filers in the district of Utah from 1997. The second objective was to use that same set of characteristics to predict the likelihood of dismissal at three critical stages of the bankruptcy process. Those stages were identified, first, as the period before the 341 hearing or meeting of creditors (n = 115 or 12.7%), second, before confirmation of the debtor's repayment plan (n = 267 or 29.4%), third, the period after confirmation of …

Personal Reemployment Accounts: Simulations For Planning Implementation, Christopher J. O'Leary, Randall W. Eberts

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

The proposed Back to Work Incentive Act of 2003 recommended personal reemployment accounts (PRAs) that would provide each eligible unemployment insurance (UI) claimant with a special account of up to 3,000 [dollars] to finance reemployment activities. Account funds could be used to purchase intensive, supportive, and job training services. Any funds remaining in the PRA could be paid as a cash bonus for reemployment within 13 weeks, or drawn as extended income maintenance for exhaustees of regular UI benefits. Personal reemployment account offers would be targeted to UI beneficiaries most likely to exhaust their UI entitlements using state Worker Profiling …

Organizational Structure And The Creative Process, Edward C. Bowen Edd

Dissertations

A creative edge can be a powerful source of competitive advantage in business, in war, in the arts, in science, and in life. In fact, creativity, innovation and the ability to adapt and change organizational structures in response to an increasingly fast-paced and competitive business environment are increasingly seen as essential for the success of many organizations. A current trend in organizational theory associates increases in formalization and both horizontal and vertical integration with decreases in an organization's ability to innovate and adapt. Consequently, organizational change efforts often involve moving from traditional, hierarchical structures toward flatter, more flexible types of …

Implementing Student Learning Outcomes: The Link To Accreditation In California Community Colleges, Lori Waite Edd

Dissertations

As the public demands accountability in higher education, regional accrediting bodies are under pressure from external governmental agencies, as well as from key stakeholders, to demonstrate their effectiveness and more specifically, provide evidence of student learning. All regional accrediting agencies now have incorporated some level of student learning outcomes into their criteria for reaffirmation of accreditation. This case study describes how three California public community colleges are implementing student learning outcomes on their campuses. Administrators, faculty and staff were interviewed about perceptions and insights related to learning outcomes. Artifact analysis was conducted to establish credibility and data triangulation. Findings suggest …

Explicit Writing Instruction: Effects On Sixth Grade Students’ Writing And Reading Achievement, Jennifer Hamby Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of explicit writing instruction on sixth grade students' writing growth and achievement as measured by holistic and analytic assessment. This research responds directly to the need for additional research on effective reading and writing instruction (Langer & Allington, 1992; The College Board, 2003). The preponderance of research in writing has been devoted to early writing. Less evidence is available to examine the effect of writing instruction at the sixth grade level. Writing samples from 124 sixth grade students at two elementary schools were used in this study. The two …

Examining The Lived Experiences Of Out Gay And Lesbian K-12 Educators, William Dejean Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experience of gay and lesbian K-12 educators who consider themselves out within the classrooms in which they teach. With gay and lesbian issues receiving increased visibility within the K-12 setting, researchers have begun to examine the experiences of gay and lesbian K-12 educators (Harbeck, 1992; Letts IV & Sears, 1999; Jennings, 1994; Kissen, 1996; Parker, 2001; Sanlo, 1999) within this context. Yet few research studies have specifically examined gay and lesbian educators who consider themselves out in the classroom in which they teach. Five gay male teachers and five lesbian …

Webquest Design Strategies: A Case Study Measuring The Effect Of The Jigsaw Method On Students’ Personal Agency Beliefs, Engagement, And Learning, James P. Frazee Edd

Dissertations

The WebQuest model continues to grow in popularity, with teachers from around the world and many teacher-educators and experts in the field of educational technology espousing its potential to extend content knowledge and promote higher level thinking. While the model is well received by teachers and students alike, most evidence of its effectiveness is anecdotal, and there is very little in the way of empirical research on the elements that make an effective WebQuest. Furthermore, rich descriptions of how students interact during a well-developed WebQuest are largely absent from the literature. In short, the WebQuest model suffers from a lack …

What Effect Does The Hampton Inn 100% Unconditional Satisfaction Guarantee Have On Customer Loyalty?, Jeffrey Alan Carlstead Edd

Dissertations

Trust has been identified as a key factor in sustaining customer loyalty in service sector industries. The Hampton Inn hotel chain attempts to promote trust and loyalty among its customers by offering a 100% unconditional satisfaction guarantee. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which a specific value-enhancing feature—the 100% unconditional guarantee—is likely to influence customer loyalty. In this study, loyalty was defined in two ways: (a) the likelihood of returning to another Hampton Inn property and (b) the likelihood of returning to the particular Hampton Inn at which this study was conducted. In the study, …

Total Resource Sharing Among Collegiate And Public Libraries In The Commonwealth Of The Northern Mariana Islands: A Narrative Case Study, Jimmie L. Ellis Edd

Dissertations

Especially in difficult economic times, educational and public sector organizations are under pressure to do more with less. At times, this means consolidating organizations to avoid costly duplication. This study focused on three attempts at consolidation that occurred on the island of Saipan and the two major outer islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). These efforts entailed total resource sharing across the collegiate and public libraries on these islands. Total resource sharing among the collegiate and public libraries in the CNMI was first envisioned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. By 1994, the concept of …

Wresting And Arresting Sense In Academe: The Complicated Discursive Structures Of Female Assistant Professors, Alana M. Nicastro Edd

Dissertations

Women in academe often become entangled in an intricate equation of sensemaking as they work to balance the professional demands of teaching, research, and service, while at the same time learning the political and moral meanings of being a scholar. Structuration theory offers avenues for closely examining communicative strategies women utilize to navigate their roles as assistant professors. Through intensive interviews with seven female assistant professors this research investigates their process of wresting and arresting sense of the complicated roles, rules, and structures in academe. Analysis of interview data reveals the multiple discourses that frame organizational practices that facilitate and …

The Relationship Between Leadership Styles And Labour Disputes In British Columbia's Public Schools, Yanping Wang Edd

Dissertations

For the last decade, adversarial relationships between teachers' associations and district administrators in the British Columbia public school system have been commonplace, frequently resulting in formal grievances and arbitration. Since dealing with these issues imposes enormous costs on both teachers' unions and school boards, this study used hierarchical regression analysis to explain why some schools have fewer grievances filed than other schools in the province. Specifically, this study used data gathered from 160 principals in the British Columbia public school system to examine the extent to which school demographics and principal leadership style helped explain variation in the rate of …

From Efficiency-Driven To Innovation-Driven Economic Growth: Perspectives From Singapore, Kim Song Tan, Sock-Yong Phang

Research Collection School Of Economics

The Singapore economy is going through a period of major restructuring. Economic stagnation since the 1997 Asia financial crisis (except for a brief recovery in 1999) has called into question the continued relevance of many fundamental policies that had worked well in the past. In 2002, a high-level Economic Review Committee (ERC) was convened by the government to chart new directions for the economy. A common thread that ran through the committee’s various reports was a call to enhance the economy’s innovative capacity, with the aim of making Singapore an innovation hub in the region. The call reflects an increased …

Nobody's Ever Asked Me That Before: Middle School Students Talk About Motivation To Achieve In School Contexts, Erika Daniels Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not a connection exists between students' school contexts and their academic and social choices by listening to the voices of first year middle school students. The intent of this study was to provide teachers with a way to reconceptualize adolescents as learners. Research suggests that there are two distinct approaches to the study of motivation. Some researchers believe that motivation can be externally enacted through exams, assessments, and other accountability measures. Other researchers believe that motivation is internally generated through the relationships students build, through their beliefs about learning, and …