Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Angel L. Molina Jr.

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Shaikh Appendices — Data Tables: Combined Summary, Anwar Shaikh Phd

Archives of Anwar Shaikh

Table Inventory

• Appendix 2.2 — Chart only, log scale, US, 1832–1992, BEA index (1958=100). Variable unlabeled.
• Appendix 4.2 — Simulated (not empirical): hypothetical productivity/labor-intensity/unit-cost tables. No real time/place.
• Appendix 5.3 — Chart only, log scale, US & UK, 1790–2010. Variable unlabeled.
• Appendix 6.8 (Corrected) — US corporate capital stock & depreciation, 1925–2013. $bn, index (2005=100), %.
• Appendix 6.8 (Uncorrected) — US corporate profit rates/shares, value added, equity data, 1946–2011(13). $bn, %, ratios.
• Appendix 7.2 — Cross-sectional plant productivity: US beet sugar (1933–35), cement (1935), cotton textiles (1946). Tons or barrels/man-hr.
• Appendix 8.1 — Cross-sectional concentration/profitability: Bain (1936–40), Stigler (1939–57), Demsetz …

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Google And Wikipedia: Two Classroom Exercises And Some Musings And Trends., Mitchell J. Fontenot

Faculty Publications

"How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Google and Wikipedia: Two Classroom Exercises and Some Musings and Trends" Chapter 17, pp. 297-308 of Teaching Generation M: A Handbook for Librarians and Educators. New York, Neal Schuman, July 2009.

An Analysis Of The Intra-Regional Trade In The Middle East And North Africa Region, E. M. Ekanayake, John R. Ledgerwood

Publications

This paper analyzes the intra-regional trade and investment flows in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region using an augmented gravity model applied to panel data. The study uses annual trade and investment data for the period 1980-2006. There is a growing awareness among countries in the MENA region regarding the importance of international trade and foreign direct investment for stimulating growth and integrating into the world economy. The research will attempt to achieve the following objectives: (a) analyze the intra-regional trade and investment flows in the MENA region; (b) identify the major determinants of trade and investment flows …

The Long Game: Hamas, The Ira, And The Politics Of Radicalization In Palestine And Northern Ireland, Dan O'Sullivan

Honors Theses

The value of a comparative study of the two conflicts stems from a remarkable similarity in the structural organization of political violence by its most influential practitioners: the IRA and Hamas. At the core, I have merely tried my best to approach a beguiling question in a fresh, dynamic way. The stultifying discourse of conflict that serves as lingua franca for the Israeli‐Palestinian issue has largely reduced strategic debate to how best the conflict can be managed – not ended. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s focus on “economic peace” and unwillingness to commit to a two‐state solution – the consensus that …

Avoiding The Fog Of Crisis: A Protocol For The Proper Domestic Use Of The Military, Brian Lynch

Honors Theses

Failure to contemplate and define an appropriate role for the armed forces of the national government in domestic crises of this sort is a serious problem. It is all the more serious now as these potential crises seem to multiply in character and scope. This thesis will explore the history of this problem and its recent implications. It will argue the need for a comprehensive, operational framework, codified in law, which defines the various alternative uses of all emergency services, both civilian and military, and is applicable to “all hazards.” I will attempt to provide a blue-print for what such …

Breaking The Cycle: The Rise Of Contentiousness In Judicial Nominations, Patrick Morrow Boland

Honors Theses

This examination begins with a presentation of data collected concerning judicial nominations from 1988 through 2008 in an attempt to document the fact that the federal judicial appointments process has become increasingly contentious. The tables and figures provide information on measures of contentiousness such as length of time from nomination to confirmation and vote totals for nominees. After documenting the increasingly contentious nature of the process, I explore the qualities that make a “good” judge, and federal judicial selection prior to 1989 to determine whether partisan and ideological considerations have any relevance in selecting and appointing federal judges. With this …

Re-Imagined Communities: Global Climbing On Local Mountains, Eitan Green

Honors Theses

In the work that follows, I begin by establishing transnational networks and global communities as an important site for ethnographic inquiry. I address the ways in which the climbing community both represents and challenges current understandings and analyses of transnational communities. I draw attention to the way that the global climbing community and my position in relation to it allows me to illuminate the climbing community on individual, institutional, national, and international levels. I argue that this multi-scalar perspective is essential in order to grasp how people experience and act within global networks.

Can Parallel Exchange Rates Forecast Commodity Prices?, John F. Roberts

Honors Theses

Commodity price uncertainty imposes large costs on society. On the macro level, it results in sudden and unexpected shifts in current account imbalances and real GDP volatility, while on the micro level, it leads to allocation inefficiencies. Accurate price forecasts have the potential to remove some of this uncertainty and allow for a more efficient distribution of resources, and thus, an increase in social welfare. Despite the obvious gains to be had from accurate commodity price forecasts, few models have been able to deliver these results. Chen, Rogoff and Rossi (2008) were the first to find a promising link between …

A Model Of Responses To Race-Based And Gender-Based Stereotype Threat In Computer Science, Lara Tedrow

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The perception of stereotype threat among computer science students was examined at two universities. A model of stereotype threat was developed and tested among students enrolled in three undergraduate computer science courses at two universities. The goal of this model was to provide an understanding of the underlying mechanisms through which stereotype threat works.

The study tested relationships among the following variables: race-based stereotype threat, gender-based stereotype threat, goal orientation, CS self-efficacy, active coping, behavioral disengagement, effort, and performance. Structural equation modeling was used to test the measurement model and a series of nested structural models. Findings supported the proposed …

The Role Of Optimism And Working Alliance And Its Utility In Predicting Therapeutic Outcomes In Counseling Relationships, Michael A. Hauser

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Achieving positive therapeutic outcomes is the goal of all involved in the mental health field. The last 10 years have seen ever increasing demands for recognition of the elements that constitute empirically supported treatments (EST) and research on those elements, not only by professionals in the mental health field but also by third party providers (health insurance companies) and clients. Yet over the course of this increasing demand, research has repeatedly, and authoritatively, demonstrated that the most significant and consistent contributor to therapeutic outcome is the working relationship between client and counselor, not specific theoretically-bound techniques.

In spite of the …

Wisc-Iv And Iva+Plus Pattern Analysis: Assessment Of Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder, Kevin K. Tsang

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a challenging practice with no definitive diagnostic test. This study sought to evaluate the use of a pattern of performance method of inference in ADHD assessment that examines an individual's general intellectual ability in comparison to his or her own attention skills. WISC-IV scores, IVA+Plus quotients, and basic demographic information were collected from patient files of children previously evaluated by the Eastern Virginia Medical School Neuropsychology Clinic. Children with and without ADHD were compared by analyzing the following difference or delta score discrepancies: (a) WISC-IV General Ability Index (GAI) minus WISC-IV Working Memory Index, …

Marketing Strategies Within The Baby Product Industry, Jane Daniels

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

When it comes to babies, things are expensive and companies are always looking to develop the most cutting edge products. Parents are constantly concerned with getting the best products in the market and doing everything right so that their child is safe and sound. But the question is how parents determine which products are the best and which ones are simply claiming to be the best. Are they simply guessing or are they looking carefully at all the facts? Parents look at product websites, consumer product review websites, consumer reports, blogs, and get word of mouth referrals to try to …

Uncharted Dimensions Of Media: A Map Of The Social Implications Of Geographic Information Systems (Gis), Caitlin Dufraine

Honors Theses

I explore how scholars are beginning to understand the social and historical implications of the introduction, development, and increasingly widespread use of GIS. This paper uses an STS framework to evaluate both literature from the early 1990s and more recent literature that examines the influence and social implications of GIS. I provide context for my discussion of the social implications of GIS by commenting on the merits and shortcomings of theoretical frameworks that scholars have used to evaluate the influence of GIS on society. To gain a holistic appreciation of issues surrounding the role of GIS in society I have …

Cyclicality Of State Budgeting: A Political-Economy Analysis., Ian W. Cummins

Honors Theses

This paper disentangles the effect of political ideology and budget rules on fiscal cyclicality across the U.S. states. Using panel data from 1963 to 2006, liberal states are found to be significantly less procyclical than conservative ones. The impact of balanced budget constraints is contingent on the ideological orientation of the state in which they are imposed. Tight balanced budget rules are not binding on conservative states, but are binding on liberal ones. Where they are binding, budget rules mediate the link between voter preferences and policy outcomes skewing them toward greater procyclicality.

"Contentment In My Heart": Evangelical Women And Spiritual Journeys, Elizabeth A. Doran

Honors Theses

This honors thesis is an in-depth, qualitative study of a central Maine evangelical church. My focus is on five women and their religious journeys and experiences as Christian women. I explore a number of issues: the appeal of this church community to contemporary women; the connections and the contrasts between what the church leaders espouse and what ordinary female members believe; the ways in which the women develop their own personal relationships with Christ, the evangelical tradition, and other members of the community; and my own journey as a student of sociology and a qualitative researcher.

The Perils Of The Learning Model For Modeling Endogenous Technological Change, William D. Nordhaus

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Learning or experience curves are widely used to estimate cost functions in manufacturing modeling. They have recently been introduced in policy models of energy and global warming economics to make the process of technological change endogenous. It is not widely appreciated that this is a dangerous modeling strategy. The present note has three points. First, it shows that there is a fundamental statistical identification problem in trying to separate learning from exogenous technological change and that the estimated learning coefficient will generally be biased upwards. Second, we present two empirical tests that illustrate the potential bias in practice and show …

Bootstrapping I(1) Data, Peter C.B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

A functional law for an I(1) sample data version of the continuous-path block bootstrap of Paparoditis and Politis (2001) is given. The results provide an alternative demonstration that continuous-path block bootstrap unit root tests are consistent under the null.

Mean And Autocovariance Function Estimation Near The Boundary Of Stationarity, Liudas Giraitis, Peter C.B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We analyze the applicability of standard normal asymptotic theory for linear process models near the boundary of stationarity. The concept of stationarity is refined, allowing for sample size dependence in the array and paying special attention to the rate at which the boundary unit root case is approached using a localizing coefficient around unity. The primary focus of the present paper is on estimation of the mean, autocovariance and autocorrelation functions within the broad region of stationarity that includes near boundary cases which vary with the sample size. The rate of consistency and the validity of the normal asymptotic approximation …

Influence Of Music Tempo On Calorie Consumption In A Restaurant Setting, Rachel Rogers

Masters Theses

This study examined the difference of calories consumed by restaurant patrons while listening to fast and slow tempo music. Twenty-three participants ate 2 meals spaced 5 days apart, 1 meal was eaten while listening to slow tempo music and 1 meal was eaten while listening to fast tempo music. Foods were weighed before being served to participants and after participants were finished eating to determine calories consumed. On average, participants consumed more calories while listening to slow tempo music versus fast tempo music. Although the mean difference between the conditions was not significant, the data trends were congruent with the …

Post Adoption Contact With Birth Parents In Foster Care Adoptions, Michelle Eileen Roberts

Masters Theses

In private adoptions in the United States, a general trend towards more openness and contact post-adoption has been documented in the research over the last 20 years. In contrast, there has been very little research on openness in foster care adoptions. This study sought to begin to fill this void in the research by examining the level of openness in foster care adoptions and exploring how agencies facilitate and support openness in adoptions. A 20-question survey was administered to adoptive parents over the internet, covering the level of openness in their adoption, their satisfaction with the level of contact and …

You've Come A Long Way, Baby?: A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis Of More Magazine, Therese Supple Kincade

Masters Theses

Past research has focused on the power of mediated artifacts to reinforce gender roles in girls and women. For decades, women's magazines have focused on an idealized representation of women in a male dominated socio-political system guided by patriarchal investments. Since 1998, More magazine has offered an updated version of this image to an over 40 female audience. This thesis explores normative gender expectations as conveyed in More magazine, paying specific attention to the tensions negotiated in the liminal space assigned to middle-aged women. This feminist rhetorical analysis of More argues that the magazine presents contradictory images of middle-aged women, …

Returns To Education In Rural America, Dilyara Jepbarova

Masters Theses

Rural areas are less developed than urban. It is well known that rural workers are more likely to suffer from the lower wages than their counterparts from metro areas. Policymakers wrestle with the issue of "brain drain" in rural areas and, therefore, a loss of tax income in rural counties. "Brain drain" happens when professionals leave rural counties for metropolitans to earn higher returns to education. This thesis will shed light on some sides of rural development connected with the returns to education.

The main goal of this research is to estimate and compare wages and returns to education in …

"Remodeling" The Hadwiger Communication Laboratory: The Lab Manager Manual And Lab Assistant Training Program, Ramey Strong

Masters Theses

The Hadwiger Communication Laboratory is an important space within the Department of Communication Studies at Eastern Illinois University. Over the years, the lab manager manual and lab assistant training program have been "lost in translation" which ultimately affects the lab manager's ability to work effectively and the Hadwiger Communication Laboratory itself. A needs analysis, combining reflections from my personal experience in the lab, led me to create a new lab assistant training program and lab manager manual. Consistent with social construction theory, organizational culture and organizational assimilation, this program introduces a new lab manager manual and training program that not …

The Effect Of Visual Manipulations On Body Size Judgments, Anne Walk

Masters Theses

Body image has been studied sh1ce the early 201li t)entury and is relevant in tenns of how we manipulate objects (Brain, 1963) as well as being an important cultural construct (Fisher, 1968; Jourard & Secord; 1955). Hov.bJb tly schema is formed is debated in the literature (Craske, Kenny, & Keith1, 984i Ra.thachandran& Rogers-Ramachandran, iii 1996; Shontz & McNash, 1972), though sevetal illusion studies have been designed to investigate this issue (Botnivik & Cohen, 1998; Holmes, Snijders, & Spence, 2006). The present study uses visual manipulation to investigate the effect of visual information on perceived hand size. Participants were asked to …

Disparity Between Boys' And Girls' Academic Achievement, Laura M. Harris

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to the disparity between the academic achievement level of boys and girls in the school setting. Current literature indicates that while boys have historically outperformed girls in the area of math, girls have all but closed this achievement gap.

One hundred and twenty-four fourth and fifth grade students (71 girls, 53 boys, predominantly Caucasian) from a school in the Midwest region of the United States participated in the study. Gender and living with a male role model were found to have no relationship with academic achievement. These results …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Athletic Identity And Academic Success Among Intercollegiate Athletes, Kimberly A. Garkie

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between athletic identity and academic success at a small, NCAA Division I institution. Two hundred and twenty-eight student-athletes (143 men, 85 women), representing 15 intercollegiate sports at Eastern Illinois University, completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS; Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993) and these responses were correlated with the student athlete's Grade Point Averages. Results indicated that no statistically significant relationship was found between athletic identity scores and self-reported Grade Point Average (GPA). Limitations of the current study, as well as a need for future research regarding …

Familial Factors And Attachment Styles Of Adult Children Of Alcoholics, Tiffany Marie Konz

Masters Theses

Substance abuse is a prevalent issue that has far-reaching implications for not only the abuser but also the family. Research on parental alcoholism and its effects on offspring have developed over the last several years. Following the lead of other researchers, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between parental alcoholism and attachment styles in adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and possible mediating or moderating effects of familial factors. A sample of 84 college students completed a series of measures on parental alcoholism, family satisfaction, family cohesion, parent-child attachment, and psychological and physical maltreatment. Participants were divided into two …

Reexamining Depressive Realism Using Estimates Of Real Life Events, Lindsay Babcock

Masters Theses

Early reports of the phenomenon known as depressive realism suggest the counter-intuitive notion that depressed people are more accurate in their perception of reality. These studies have been criticized for relying solely on judging control over laboratory tasks that do not relate to real life and for the use of deception. The present study investigates the relationship between depression, anxiety, locus of control, and accuracy of judgments with an emphasis on real world occurrences, as well as examining individuals' confidence in their judgments. While depression, anxiety, and locus of control were all found to be highly correlated, significant results were …

Conditional Reasoning In Depression, Niyati Sheth

Masters Theses

Most of the studies on reasoning have suggested that individuals with depression show poor performance on reasoning tasks (Channon & Baker, 1994). Previous researches and major theories attempt to explain the association between errors in reasoning process and working memory limitations (Braine, 1994; Gilhooly et. al., 1993; Johnson-Laird, 1983). Research also shows that working memory is impaired in individuals with depression (Channon, Baker & Robertson, 1993; Christopher & MacDonald, 2005). Hence, as per this view, depressed individuals perfonn poorly on reasoning tasks because of working memory limitation or preload rather than their ability to manipulate relevant infonnation (Channon & Baker, …