Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Power Of One, Walt Alderman

The University Dialogue

This paper provides a blueprint for anyone who would join the effort to prevent future wars by choosing a less energy intensive lifestyle today.

Collaboration: Paradigm Of The Digital Cultural Content Environment, Anne Cuyler Salsich

Works by Oberlin College Libraries Staff

Government grant-funding agencies have spawned an explosion of images from historical collections on the Internet. They have encouraged collaborative projects in which institutions share resources for capital-intensive digitization projects. These Web ‘exhibits’ are neither publications nor exhibits in the traditional sense, most often without identified authors, curators, designers, or sources. Reviews in journal literature are one mechanism for accountability, but not all humanities journals offer exhibit reviews. In those that do, the space allocated in history and archival studies journals reveals the relative importance they place on peer review of these exhibits, compared with that for book reviews. The type …

To Honor And Glorify God': The Role Of Religion In One Intercollegiate Athletic Culture, Peter J. Schroeder, Jay Paredes Scribner

Eberhardt School of Business Faculty Articles

Numerous events have provided evidence that the cultural values and assumptions of intercollegiate athletic departments are often incongruent with those of their host institutions. This discrepancy has even been evident in Christian institutions which seek to integrate faith into the learning experience. Using the organizational culture perspective, this study sought to determine how religion influenced the culture of one intercollegiate athletics department. The study took place at a highly selective evangelical Christian college with a nationally competitive athletic department. Data were collected through interviews with 19 campus leaders, observation of cultural events and document analysis. Analysis occurred qualitatively through a …

English Adjective Comparison And Analogy, Dirk Elzinga

Faculty Publications

There are two strategies for forming the comparative degree of adjectives in English; a synthetic strategy which suffixes -er to the adjective stem, and an analytical strategy which uses more in composition with the adjective. Many analyses of the choice between analytical and synthetic comparison have been proposed, but all face difficulties. In this paper I show that analogy can not only account for the distribution of analytical and synthetic comparison as well as traditional rule-based approaches, but can also provide a psychologically plausible model for the choice which speakers make.

The Ins And Outs Of School Provider Literature: A Multi-Year Content Analysis On Lgbt Youth, Caitlin Conor Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

This study is based on a content analysis of two primary sources: 1) literature published on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in professional journals for school providers (school counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers) over more than a 30-year period; and 2) materials developed for school providers on LGBT youth by states with laws, regulations and professional policies related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity in schools. Fifteen professional journals were identified that serve as primary and secondary journals for school providers. A total of 41 articles were published in these journals on LGBT youth between 1937 and …

Sources: Encyclopedia Of The Documentary Film (Review), Robin Imhof

University Libraries Librarian and Staff Articles and Papers

No abstract provided.

The Moderating Effect Of Judge’S Instructions On Victim Impact Testimony In Capital Cases, Judith Platania, Garrett Berman

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study, we addressed whether victim impact instructions served as a legal safeguard in a capital case involving victim impact testimony. We hypothesized that specific victim impact instructions would moderate the relation between victim impact testimony and death penalty recommendations. One hundred sixty-six participants viewed a simulated videotaped trial in which a victim impact statement was delivered in different emotional conditions. Judge’s instructions were varied as either general instructions or with the addition of specific victim impact instructions. Participant-jurors who heard specific victim impact instructions were less likely to recommend death compared to participants who heard general jury instructions. …

Sinking Poor Decision-Making With Best Practices: A Case Study Of Artificial Reef Decision-Making In The Florida Keys, Thomas Wayne Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The natural reefs of the world are experiencing higher use and pressures, resulting in anthropogenic impacts that are deteriorating many coral stands and creating poor water quality. The Florida Keys rely primarily on the reef system that surrounds the archipelago for their socioeconomic health and successful future. The Florida Keys shares the symbiotic relationship of the terrestrial and marine realms with many other states and countries and the experience of higher demand on the resource. Artificial reefs could provide a substitute to the natural reefs for commercial and recreational users. An increased demand for derelict vessels of the U.S. Navy …

Successful Social Movements And Political Outcomes: A Case Study Of The Women's Movement In Italy: 1943-48, Francesca Luciana Rubino

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the definition of civil society, social movements and success and then analyzes these variables through a historical case study. It looks at the role of two women’s groups in Italy from 1943-48 as they worked to achieve three political goals (women’s suffrage, greater representation in politics, and the new constitution). The thesis will look at whether the variables necessary to social movement success were present in the movement in helping Italian women in the movement who mobilized and organized to achieve their said goals and objectives. It will conclude with remarks as to the lessons learned from …

Implicit Theories Go Applied: Conception Of Ability At Work, Charles N. Thompson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Implicit theories have been extensively studied in educational psychology (e.g. Dweck, 1999; Dweck & Leggett, 1988). Implicit theories have been related to goal orientation, response to failure, attributional style and perception of effort. With a few exceptions (e.g. Heslin, Latham, & VandeWalle, 2005; Martocchio, 1994) the potential applicability of this research to industrial/organizational psychology has been largely ignored. The current study proposed a measure specifically designed to measure implicit theories about work, assessed its relationship to other implicit theory measures, and explored potential relationships with work domain antecedents. Scales assessing conception of ability at work, goal focus, perception of effort, …

Anti-System Parties:Policy Choices For Democracies A Study Of India's Bharatiya Janata Party And Austria's Freedom Party, Kristina M. Teater

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In the decades following WWII, countries across the globe witnessed the rise of anti-system parties. Political scientists have attributed their success to economic conditions, electoral systems, party systems and the electorate’s disaffection with mainstream parties. The analysis also suggests the influence of global factors. While the causes for success have been examined, effective policy choices for democracies have not been equally explored. This study makes the argument that by including anti-system parties in government, states are able to lessen the threat they pose to democracy. The analysis of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party and Austria’s Freedom party suggest that anti-system parties …

Active Regulation Of Speed During A Simulated Low-Altitude Flight Task: Altitude Matters!, April M. Bennett

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examined active regulation of speed during a low-altitude flight task as a function of global optical flow rate, speed, and the presence or absence of a concurrent altitude disturbance. The results showed that altitude clearly had an impact on speed control; specifically, control of speed was much more difficult when altitude disturbances were present. Even in the no altitude disturbance conditions, performance tended to be best at lower altitudes. Consistent with previous research, the results suggest that speed and altitude changes have additive effects on speed judgments. This is inconsistent with the simple global optical flow rate hypothesis …

Interactive Effects Of Feedback Type And Feedback Propensities On Task Performance, Kristin M. Delgado

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of feedback types (i.e., outcome, process, and task feedback), feedback propensities, and their interactions on task performance in an attempt to determine, first, which types of feedback produced better task performance and, second, how feedback propensities influenced relationships between feedback type and performance. Process feedback and task feedback were expected to interact in their effects on task performance. In addition, I predicted that external feedback propensity would moderate the effects of process feedback on performance and initial task performance would moderate the effects of internal feedback propensity on task …

An Anniversary Opportunity: Digitization Of Student Yearbooks, James Lowrey, Matt Blessing

Library Faculty Research and Publications

Anniversary celebrations provide archivists and librarians with many unique opportunities to build public support for their programs. Archivists, in particular, are expected to be a resource for such events. Handled adroitly, anniversary programming can offset the “dusty shelf” stereotype that frustrates many professionals. Moreover, resource allocators planning an anniversary are likely to look to their archives for ideas and special projects, initiatives that may result in additional financial and staffing resources. Describing the positive public relations value of anniversaries, archivist Tim Ericson has gone so far as to suggest “The Archivist's First Law of Outreach”:

Human beings are unable to …

Digitization, Donor Relations, And Undergraduate Instruction, Matt Blessing

Library Faculty Research and Publications

Collection development archivists know that building a partnership with a potential donor may take years, occasionally decades. From the perspective of a donor, contributing unique materials to an archival repository – a local historical society, academic archives, or a research library – can be an emotionally complicated process. A donor must have acquired a degree of separation from the material, but also have a deep sense of trust in the repository soliciting the records. Often, the initial contribution to a repository consists of records void of sentimental or financial value. As the relationship between a donor and a repository strengthens, …

Profiles Of Florida [Book Review], Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

Statistical questions are some of the most frequent questions at any reference desk; they are also some of the most complicated questions to answer. There is an overflow of statistical information. Researchers usually consult a variety of private and government resources in order to find the right statistical information. Researchers also face the challenge of decentralization where several government agencies collect and disseminate similar statistical information.

Determining Discount Rates For Valuing Properties In Distressed Industries, Hal B. Heaton

Faculty Publications

This study addresses the procedure for determining discount rates for properties in industries under stress. A simple example with fixed and variable costs, which could represent a company in any of these industries, is used to demonstrate the difficulties of using standard approaches for estimating cost of capital.

A Computational Analysis Of Navajo Verb Stems, David Eddington, Jordan Lachler

Faculty Publications

One of the principal goals of linguistics is to find, classify, and describe relationships between words. Many formal mechanisms such as rules and constraints have been devised in order to show systematic relationships. Inflectional paradigms are a crucial component of a linguistic analysis that has applications for pedagogical grammars. For example, over the past 20 years there have been numerous Navajo textbooks produced that are aimed at beginning learners of the language. These include works such as Diné Bizaad Bóhoo'aah (Navajo Language Institute 1986), Diné Bizaad: Speak, Read, Write Navajo (Goossen 1995), and The Navajo Verb: A Grammar for Students …

Maze Learning And Recall In Weakly Electric Fish, Mormyrus Rume Proboscirostris Boulenger 1898 (Teleostei, Mormyridae): Sensory Bases, Alice G. Walton

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Animals use navigational strategies ranging from taxes, landmark and compass orientation, and path integration to cognitive maps. The debate concerning the use of mapping strategies, or less complex mechanisms such path integration, landmark orientation, or dead reckoning is far from settled. Nocturnal weakly electric fish (family Mormyridae) leave their daytime hiding places at night to forage for food and return at dawn. Thus, these fish provide an excellent model to explore their navigational strategies.

The present studies explore these strategies using a novel paradigm: after learning to swim through a maze (acquisition), the maze barriers are removed and the fish …

Demographic Issues In Infant Health In The 1990’S And Measurement Issues In Costing Medicaid Expansions, Danielle H. Ferry

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

National measures of infant health in the 1990s were flat, but rates of low birth weight and preterm birth among blacks, especially in center cities, improved. Health gains were especially marked in Washington, DC. Analysis at the metropolitan area level reveals that center city-suburban gaps in black infant health declined. The first two chapters of this dissertation use the 1990-2001 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Natality Files to examine improvements in infant health among African-Americans, first, in Washington, DC, and second, in 37 metropolitan areas with large black populations.

Although Washington, DC also experienced substantial, above-average reductions in its …

Empire's Footprint: Expulsion And The United States Military Base On Diego Garcia, David Stiefel Vine

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Between 1956 and 1973, the U.S. Government orchestrated the forced removal of the people of the Indian Ocean's Chagos Archipelago to create a military base on the island Diego Garcia. This dissertation provides a historical ethnography of Diego Garcia detailing the creation of the base, the removal, and the effects of the removal on the people known as Chagossians to ask what Diego Garcia reveals about the United States as an empire and empire more broadly.

Contrary to arguments that the United States became an empire of economics in the 20th century, Diego Garcia represents a reactionary reliance on traditional …

The Technical Fix Or The Systemic Solution For Urban Water Quality? A Case Study Of Grassroots Activism On Behalf Of New York City's Drinking Water, Mirele B. Goldsmith

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This case study examines the activities of the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition from 1996 until 2004. The Coalition opposed construction of a filtration plant for the Croton water supply. The study traces the Coalition’s campaign against filtration, which took place in the context of the widely heralded New York City Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (1997). Although the Agreement permitted New York City to avoid filtration for its Catskill and Delaware water supplies, plans were laid for filtration of the Croton supply.

My study is informed by political ecology which provides a framework for understanding politics, practices and contradictions involved …

The Paradoxes Of Diversity: Race, Class, And Gender Relations In A Federal Bureaucracy, Linda B. Benbow

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This qualitative study analyzes the perspective of urban postal workers regarding their experiences in a diverse workplace. It will describe the social relations of workers and shows how race, gender, and class are implicated in those relationships. The research design involves in-depth interviews, participant-observation, and analysis of postal and postal union literature. The theoretical framework undergirding this research is multidimensional; theories of diversity in the workplace will be incorporated with race, class, and gender theories. The premise of this research is that diversity problems are rooted in the organizational structure. Power differences are inherent in hierarchically arranged bureaucratic settings and …

The Relationship Between Sexual Behavior And Relational Aggression In College Students, Hiliary Baethke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Although the study of relational aggression has been the subject of more research since Crick and Grotpeter (1995) first defined the term, the impact of this form of aggression on college students is still an area that requires more study. Relational aggression is defined as "harming others through purposeful manipulation and damage of their peer relationships" (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Current research on relational aggression has established that women are more likely to engage in relational aggression then men (Crick, Bigbee, & Howes, 1996). While research has typically focused on the impact of relational aggression on friendship groups, the impact …

Coping Strategies And Personality In Schizophrenia: Can These Two Factors Influence Relapse Rates And Quality Of Life?, Amanda Collins

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many schizophrenia patients never fully recover from their illness, despite being relatively stable. Therefore, research is beginning to go beyond symptom treatment and focus on patients' quality of life. Coping strategies and personality are two factors that may influence quality of life. This study investigated the effects of specific coping strategies and personality on the outcome of schizophrenia as measured by psychiatric symptoms, quality of life, and relapse rates. Results showed that symptomatology was associated with coping strategies that entailed creating a plan of action, while relapse rates were negatively associated with coping strategies that entailed mental and behavioral distraction. …

Technical Change And Us Economic Growth: The Interwar Period And The 1990s, Alexander J. Field

Economics

Multifactor productivity growth in the U.S. economy between 1919 and 1929 was almost entirely attributable to advance within manufacturing. Distributing steam power mechanically over shafts and belts required multistory buildings for economical operation. The widespread diffusion of electric power permitted a shift to single story layouts in which goods flow could be optimized around work stations powered by small electric motors. Within this framework, as well as opportunities to produce a variety of new products, economies of scale and learning by doing permitted rapid and across the board gains in manufacturing productivity. The sector contributed 83 percent of the 2.02 …

Dim Delobsom: French Colonialism And Local Response In Upper Volta, Michael Kevane

Economics

Dim Delobsom was one of the first indigenous colonial bureaucrats in the French administration of Upper Volta. Born in 1897, he rapidly rose through the ranks of colonial administration, becoming a high-level functionary. He also served as the resident anthropologist of the dominant Mossi tribe of Upper Volta, and published numerous books and articles on Mossi customs. Delobsom fell afoul of an important faction of the colonial apparatus, however, when he decided to assume the chieftaincy of his natal village upon his father's death. Colonial officials and French Catholic priests thought he would be compromised as a bureaucrat-chief, and sought …

Families Challenged By Children's Mental Health: Employment And Community Integration, Eileen M. Brennan, Katherine J. Huffstutter, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Jennifer R. Bradley

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Slides of a presentation given to the conference 'Work, Stress, and Health 2006: Making a Difference in the Workplace' held in Miami, FL, in 2006.

Yale Leaf Morphology Digitization And Network Project, David Stern

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This article describes a digitization project inspired by the innovative leaf morphology classification work of a faculty member in the Geology and Geophysics Department and the Peabody Museum at Yale University. We began our initiative by scanning the Flora Fossilis Arctica, a 7-volume fossil leaf identification tool covering various geological areas, published between 1868 and 1883. This classic paleobotany resource was digitized, creating tiff, pdf, and searchable pdf files. We are now converting the searchable pdf files into ASCII text, enhancing the raw data with metadata elements, placing this material on the web for searching and display; and linking this …

Fuzzy-Neural Cost Estimation For Engine Tests, Edit J. Kaminsky, Holly Danker-Mcdermott, Freddie Douglas

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

This chapter discusses artificial computational intelligence methods as applied to cost prediction. We present the development of a suite of hybrid fuzzy-neural systems for predicting the cost of performing engine tests at NASA’s Stennis Space Center testing facilities. The system is composed of several adaptive network-based fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS), with or without neural subsystems. The output produced by each system in the suite is a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for performing the engine test. Basic systems predict cost based solely on raw test data, whereas others use preprocessing of these data, such as principal components and …