Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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, …

Exploration Of A Method For Constructing An Industrial Ethernet With Ethernet Enabled Devices In An Industrial Environment Using A Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance, Uros Marjanovic

Masters Theses

Industrial computing has been around for quite some time. It has just recently begun to show its true potential. Over recent years programmable logic controllers, or PLC, have become an integral part of an industrial operation; they have also become more and more powerful, faster and more accurate. One of the most current evolutions has been the integrated addition of Ethernet com1ectivity to these devices, previous to this a serial connection was used which is extremely slow and not always reliable. The addition of networking these devices has opened the door to many possibilities such as remote device control, increased …

Training Delivery Methods Utilized By Illinois American Society Of Training And Development (Astd) Members, Kimberly S. Ervin

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of training for the state of Illinois and identify training delivery methods currently being utilized by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) Illinois members. A survey was developed and made available to members of all five Illinois ASTD chapters. A total of 169 Illinois ASTD members responded. The survey created an inventory of all training delivery methods used and identified the most utilized training and delivery method and most perceived effective training and delivery method. The majority of respondents indicated the single most utilized training and …

Development Of Learning Objectives For An Undergraduate Electrical Discharge Machining Technology Course Using The Delphi Technique, Aaron Harmon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this Delphi study was to develop comprehensive learning objectives that support undergraduates' acquisition of knowledge and skills of the Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) processes and procedures. This study reflects learning objectives created for EDM. The learning objectives were derived by utilizing a panel of experts from academia and industry involved with EDM. The results of this study are intended for use when creating an instructional module for undergraduate machining studies.

A panel of experts was chosen through recommendations from members of an engineering and technology listserv. Two successive rounds of Delphi instruments were utilized to complete a …

Empowering Rural Citizen Journalism Via Web 2.0 Technologies, Marco A. Figueiredo, Paola Prado, Mauro A. Câmara, Ana M. Albuquerque

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Once acquainted with the modern information and communication tools made available with the advent of the Internet, five Brazilian rural communities participating in a pilot project to develop a self-sustaining telecenter model, engaged in citizen journalism using inexpensive digital video cameras. Community members used Web 2.0 collaborative tools to post short videos on the telecenter portal. The 95 video blogs published between September 2006 and May 2008 recorded various aspects of community life,including religious celebrations,oral history arts and crafts traditions,folklore,and envirnmental concerns. This study evaluates the impact of video blogging in these communities.

The Worth Of A Comfortable Shoe, Kristina Mellinger

Honors Theses

The topic that I have chosen allows me to research not only the health concerns for wearing high heels (which was my original intent), but also the psychological, cultural, and historical aspects of wearing high heels and even shoes in general. This has allowed me to have endless possibilities during my research. I have learned many interesting facts about the history of shoes, and I find myself reading into the wee hours of the night just to learn more. My interest in this topic is derived from my own experience of wearing uncomfortably high heels. When I wear these ridiculous …

A Sex Difference In Facial Contrast And Its Exaggeration By Cosmetics, Richard Russell

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study demonstrates the existence of a sex difference in facial contrast. By measuring carefully controlled photographic images, female faces were shown to have greater luminance contrast between the eyes, lips, and the surrounding skin than did male faces. This sex difference in facial contrast was found to influence the perception of facial gender. An androgynous face can be made to appear female by increasing the facial contrast, or to appear male by decreasing the facial contrast. Application of cosmetics was found to consistently increase facial contrast. Female faces wearing cosmetics had greater facial contrast than the same faces not …

Downright Sexy: Verticality, Implicit Power, And Perceived Physical Attractiveness, Brian P. Meier, Sarah G. Dionne

Psychology Faculty Publications

Grounded theory proposes that abstract concepts (e.g., power) are represented by perceptions of vertical space (e.g., up is powerful; down is powerless). We used this theory to examine predictions made by evolutionary psychologists who suggest that desirable males are those who have status and resources (i.e., powerful) while desirable females are those who are youthful and faithful (i.e., powerless). Using vertical position as an implicit cue for power, we found that male participants rated pictures of females as more attractive when their images were presented near the bottom of a computer screen, whereas female participants rated pictures of males as …

Wright State University Libraries Access Newsletter Winter 2009, Wright State University Libraries

Access Newsletter

A six page newsletter created by Wright State University Libraries that addresses the current affairs of the Libraries.

Methodological Note: On Using Personal Digital Assistants (Pdas) For Survey Administration In The Study Of Youth Development, Mona M. Abo-Zena, Amy Eva Alberts Warren, Sonia S. Isaac, Dan Du, Erin Phelps, Richard M. Lerner, Robert W. Roeser

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Applied developmental scientists face the challenge of identifying research methods that enable the efficient collection of data from youth of diverse social backgrounds (e.g., ethnic. racial, religious, economic) and varying levels cognitive-linguistic and attentional skills. In addition, because access to youth during school time is often limited by educators’ desire to preserve instructional time, finding methodologies to collect data from youth that are highly efficient, and also those that are feasible in less structured settings, are needed. This article outlines some of the benefits and limitations of using a voice enhanced survey delivered on a personal digital assistants (PDA) as …

Clinton Street Max Visioning, Greg Barlow, Allen David, Hannah Dondy-Kaplan, Tammi Hawkins, Emily Rice, Kellen Smith, Ethan Berleman, Alicia Castro, Kathleen Critchlow, Brett Luttrell, Michael Noonchester

Urban Design Workshop

This report documents the initial analysis and visioning process performed in the area surrounding the Clinton Street Station, which is nestled between Hosford-Abernethy and Brooklyn neighborhoods and the Central Eastside Industrial District.

This project focuses on the future of the Clinton Street Station and how its development will impact the surrounding area over the next 50 years. This task involved acknowledging and balancing the current needs of the various stakeholders. The purpose of this report is to act as a tool for the Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Association (HAND) to more adequately understand the opportunities and constraints that the future station area …

Spatial Patterns Of Air Toxins In The Region, Linda Acha George, Vivek Shandas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This Atlas draws on the Portland Air Toxics Assessment (PATA) study to explore the regional variation of air quality. The PATA study presents an extraordinary opportunity to think about how the creation of new information can help us better plan our cities, but it also challenges us to think about the impacts of the choices we make.

Building The Evidence Base For Family Drug Treatment Courts: Results From Recent Outcome Studies, Beth L. Green, Carrie Jeanne Furrer, Sonia D. Worsel, Scott W. M. Burrus, Michael W. Finigan

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Results from at least four studies of FDTCs found evidence for their effectiveness in assisting and supporting parents in entering, remaining in, and completing substance abuse treatment so they could be reunited with their children; however, different program models achieved different outcome patterns. The Pima County (Arizona) study found positive effects for treatment completion, family reunification, and reduced times to permanent placement. Two other programs showed consistent positive treatment and child welfare outcomes. Neither of these two sites produced reduced time to permanent placements. The two most successful sites were longstanding FDTCs whose models aligned closely with the core program …

Diverse Contexts Of Reception And Feelings Of Belonging, Alex Stepick, Carol Dutton Stepick

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The theoretical focus of this paper is the context of reception experienced by migrants in their new homeland. In particular we examine relations between established residents and newcomers or immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, and other Caribbean and Latin American nations in South Florida. Based upon long term fieldwork among late adolescents and young adults, we develop a framework and give ethnographic examples of established resident-newcomer relations that influence the contexts of reception for immigrants in South Florida. These contexts range from positive to negative, vary between national and local settings, and change over time.

Immigrant-Established Resident Interactions In Miami, Florida, Alex Stepick, Carol Dutton Stepick

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article examines factors that affect interethnic relations in Miami, Florida. The theoretical framework, based on the ‘contact hypothesis’ argues that better interethnic relations stem from not only contact, but also contact in which individuals from opposing groups share equal status and a stake in outcomes, and when contact activities require cooperation. The contact hypothesis, however, does not address the factors that produce inequality in social relations. To address these factors ideas from international migration research are used to argue that those with power must create structures in which other groups feel welcome rather than rejected and that leaders must …

The Effects Of Marriage On Psychological Well-Being Focusing On Motherhood Status Prior To Marriage, Hyeyoung Woo, R. Kelly Raley

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A substantial number of studies suggest that marriage provides psychological benefits for individuals. However, it is less known if the beneficial effects of marriage on psychological wellbeing vary by motherhood status prior to marriage. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79 Cohort, we estimate the effects of marriage moderated by motherhood status on subsequent levels of psychological well-being among a sample of the initially never married women. Our results indicate that entering a first marriage is associated with greater improvements in psychological well-being for single mothers compared to childless women. The results are somewhat inconsistent with previous …

Better To Have It All?: Employment, Motherhood And Women’S Psychological Well-Being, Hyeyoung Woo

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

While there have been dramatic increases in the labor force participation among women with minor children, our understanding about their psychological consequences is limited. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, this study addresses a question of how employment and motherhood are associated with women’s psychological well-being. It also assesses variations in the associations by occupational characteristics and age of children. Results show that the positive effects of employment on women’s psychological well-being are contingent upon family status by providing partial support for the work and family conflict perspective. While the overall association between motherhood and psychological …

The Landscape: Wine Country, Elizabeth Mylott

Metroscape

Provides a brief overview of the history of wineries and winemaking in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, including its history, economic impact and projected growth.

Indicators Of The Metroscape: Stocks, Elizabeth Mylott

Metroscape

A brief overview of stock prices in the Portland Metropolitan Area in the 2007-2008 time period.

A Journey To Tolerance: Overcoming The Politics Of Hate, Leanne Claire Serbulo

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

The article examines the history of race relations in Oregon and Portland, as well as the growth of hate groups. It also discusses anti-gay and anti-abortion violence and rhetoric, and what opponents of hate groups did to stem the growth of extremism in Portland. The author argues that the institutional conditions that gave rise to extremism in the 1980s need to be addressed because we are still susceptible to homegrown hate.

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 07

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 7.

Sustainability Efforts At South Dakota State University, Joshua A. Schuttloffel

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

South Dakota State University wants to develop a sustainable environment. However, the University has, thus far, refused to make a formal commitment to sustainability. This paper examines how the ecology, communication networks, politic decisions, and issue networks of the University have influenced the University administration to have a goal towards sustainability yet refuse formal commitments to improving the sustainability of the University. Interviews with individuals intimately involved with issues of sustainability at the University are used to present a case study of events from the time sustainability became a goal of University to current. Public administration theory is used to …

Differences In Visual Field Bias In Emotional Attribution Tasks Between Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Typical Development, Rachelle Hansen Brindley, Erica L. Schmidt

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social deficits in emotional comprehension. Since typical emotional attribution improves when using the left visual field, effects of lateralization on facial affect assessment were compared between children with ASD, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and typical development (TD). The ASD group showed significantly lower percent accuracy, longer response time and slower pulse rate than the TD group. Within the ASD group, there was a significant right visual field bias in emotional attribution tasks, which contrasted with the left visual field bias seen within the TD group. The PDD-NOS group demonstrated no …

Fighting Conflict: Violent Splits Or Healthy Divides?, Katerina Bezrukova, Chester Spell

Psychology

In this study, we develop a theory to understand how groups with strong divisions may, paradoxically, help members to cope with conflict and injustice. We test our theoretical predictions using a survey methodology and the data from 72 work groups across different industries. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that group faultlines weakened the positive relationships between injustice and psychological health.

An Analysis Of The Dismal Theorem, William D. Nordhaus

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

In a series of papers, Martin Weitzman has proposed a Dismal Theorem. The general idea is that, under limited conditions concerning the structure of uncertainty and preferences, society has an indefinitely large expected loss from high-consequence, low-probability events. Under such conditions, standard economic analysis cannot be applied. The present study is intended to put the Dismal Theorem in context and examine the range of its applicability, with an application to catastrophic climate change. I conclude that Weitzman makes an important point about selection of distributions in the analysis of decision-making under uncertainty. However, the conditions necessary for the Dismal Theorem …

Asymptotic Theory For Zero Energy Density Estimation With Nonparametric Regression Applications, Qiying Wang, Peter C.B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

A local limit theorem is given for the sample mean of a zero energy function of a nonstationary time series involving twin numerical sequences that pass to infinity. The result is applicable in certain nonparametric kernel density estimation and regression problems where the relevant quantities are functions of both sample size and bandwidth. An interesting outcome of the theory in nonparametric regression is that the linear term is eliminated from the asymptotic bias. In consequence and in contrast to the stationary case, the Nadaraya-Watson estimator has the same limit distribution (to the second order including bias) as the local linear …

Cointegrating Rank Selection In Models With Time-Varying Variance, Xu Cheng, Peter C.B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Reduced rank regression (RRR) models with time varying heterogeneity are considered. Standard information criteria for selecting cointegrating rank are shown to be weakly consistent in semiparametric RRR models in which the errors have general nonparametric short memory components and shifting volatility provided the penalty coefficient C n → infinity and C n /n → 0 as n → ∞. The AIC criterion is inconsistent and its limit distribution is given. The results extend those in Cheng and Phillips (2008) and are useful in empirical work where structural breaks or time evolution in the error variances is present. An empirical application …

Efficient Estimation Of Copula-Based Semiparametric Markov Models, Xiaohong Chen, Wei Biao Wu, Yanping Yi

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper considers efficient estimation of copula-based semiparametric strictly stationary Markov models. These models are characterized by nonparametric invariant (one-dimensional marginal) distributions and parametric bivariate copula functions; where the copulas capture temporal dependence and tail dependence of the processes. The Markov processes generated via tail dependent copulas may look highly persistent and are useful for financial and economic applications. We first show that Markov processes generated via Clayton, Gumbel and Student’s t $ copulas and their survival copulas are all geometrically ergodic. We then propose a sieve maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) for the copula parameter, the invariant distribution and the …