Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Life Of Chaos, Life Of Hope: Dystopian Literature For Young Adults, Lisa Newgard

Graduate Research Papers

As dystopian literature grows in popularity, teacher librarians many not fully understand the themes found within this new subgenre. The purpose of this research was to describe the themes in positively reviewed dystopian literature for young adults. Themes found during the research included: resilience of the protagonist, survival, government control, social conformity, and love between the protagonist and another young adult. Novels from 2001-2010 were analyzed for themes and lessons for young adults. Thirteen positively reviewed novels were chosen, read, and coded by the researcher. After the first reading of the novels, one novel was eliminated, leaving 12 novels to …

Social Support And The Reactivity Hypothesis: Conceptual Issues In Examining The Efficacy Of Received Support During Acute Psychological Stress, Wendy C. Birmingham, Bert N. Uchino, Mckenzie Carlisle, Allison A. Vaughn

Faculty Publications

Social support has been reliably related to better physical health outcomes. One influential model suggests that social support is related to lower cardiovascular disease mortality because it reduces the potentially deleterious consequences of cardiovascular reactivity during acute stress. However, received support and perceived support are separable constructs and epidemiological research suggests variability in links between received support and health. This is important because most social support and acute laboratory stress studies are essentially based on the receipt of support. In this paper, we focus on the conceptualization of received support and its implications for understanding links to support laboratory reactivity …

Quality Of Work Life: A Review Of Literature, Maynard R. Bagtasos

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The Quality of Work Life (QWL) is a multi-faceted concept, having multi-dimensional constructs brought about by the variation of interest of the researchers and/or its users. The issue of QWL has become critical due to the increasing demands of today’s business environment and of the family structure. This gave rise to an increased interest in QWL not only in business but also for many professions and fields. Determining QWL always involves the interplay between and among the worker, job content, and job context. Furthermore, the determination of the extent of QWL in an organization is a perceptual undertaking. As such, …

Empirical Comparison Of Extreme Value Theory Vis-À-Vis Other Methods Of Var Estimation Using Asean+3 Exchange Rates, Cesar C. Rufino, Emmanuel G. De Guia

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study applies Extreme Value Theory in calculating Value-at-Risk (VaR) of portfolios consisting of foreign exchange exposures of ASEAN+3 countries. This paper addresses the issue that traditional VaR models assume normality of the return distribution. Empirical evidence confirms the stylized facts that financial asset returns are typically negatively skewed and fat-tailed. Moreover, risk management concerns itself with the distribution of the tails, or events in the extremes of the distribution. Estimation of magnitude and the likelihood of extreme events should be given greater attention than central tendency characteristics. Thus, this paper proposes the application of Extreme Value Theory in computing …

Correlates Of Poverty: Evidence From The Community-Based Monitoring System (Cbms) Data, Rechel G. Arcilla, Frumencio F. Co, Shirlee R. Ocampo

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study identified correlates of poverty for Pasay City and Mogpog, Marinduque representing an urban and a rural area in the Philippines, respectively, by utilizing the 2005 census data from its Community-Based Monitoring System. Regression models with the arcsine of the square root of barangay level poverty incidence as dependent variable were investigated which allowed the identification of the correlates of poverty at the barangay level. Results showed that the significant correlates of barangay poverty incidence were average household size, proportion of households whose housing units/lot are not owned and proportion of households who own telephone/cellphone. Furthermore, lower poverty incidences …

The Geographic Profiling Of Poverty And Accessibility: The Case Of Two Provinces In The Philippines, Alexis M. Fillone, Nicanor Roxas Jr., Cristela G. Dakila

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study attempts to relate the poverty problem in the Philippines using spatial accessibility measures. Spatial accessibility is the ease with which one could avail of the social services and economic opportunities laid in geographic space to the individual. Using the provinces of Eastern Samar and Siquijor Island as case studies, a Social Composite Index (SCI) value for the household was derived from the 13+1 CBMS core indicators of poverty, which represents the unmet needs of the household and which was then aggregated at the barangay level. The spatial accessibility values were estimated by measuring how each barangay, specifically households, …

Audit Committee Observation/Recommendations Versus Practices As A Compliance Of Corporate Governance In India, Debabrata Chatterjee

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The series of accounting scandals have intensified pressure from stakeholders and regulators on the audit committees to do the jobs for which they are hired. Though most companies have audit committees, their role has been limited due to the lack of expertise and time. An active audit committee is important because it indicate the commitment to the issues of interest because of the reports it release about the activities undertaken during the financial year and the efforts made to ensure adequate internal control. Audit committees must be given the role to approve and review audit fees, thus neutralizing the bias …

Empirical Analysis Of Impact Of Capital Market Development On Nigeria’S Economic Growth (1981 – 2008) (Case Study: Nigerian Stock Exchange), Rowland T. Obiakor, Andy T. Okwu

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study empirically examined the impact of capital market development on economic growth in Nigeria for the period 1981-2008. The major tool we employed for empirical analysis is a multiple regression analysis model specified on the basis of hypothesized functional relationship between capital market development and economic growth. For capital market development indicators, we considered ratios of value of shares traded, market capitalization, gross capital formation and foreign private investment, to gross domestic product, as explanatory variables, while we used growth rate of gross domestic product as the dependent variable. We introduced an error correction term to capture the flexibility …

The Impact Of Attachment Disorder On The Family And Child, Stephanie Durocher

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

John Bowlby's attachment theory suggests that based on their needs for protection, comfort and nurturance, infants form attachments with their primary caregivers. The initial relationships a person has with others will serve as a blueprint for all future relationships. This connection has a significant influence on every area of a person's life, including cognition, physical and emotional health, future relationships, education and development of values. When an infant's needs are met with inconsistency, abuse or maltreatment, the influence on a child's life and those caring for the child is widespread. This study sought to explore the impact caring for a …

Risk Management Plans For University Athletic Facilities, Brittney Donlin

Honors Program Theses

Researching available literature on the specific topic of risk management planning for athletic facilities indicates that there is a dearth of work in this area1 . This finding is surprising given the number of people attending college and professional athletic events each weekend and recent history of violent incidents, such as the shootings in Tucson, Northern Illinois University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI). The limited articles available in this area provide an explanation of risk management processes and methodologies related to controlling campus risks, mostly focusing on the insuring of physical property against the perils of fire, wind, water and …

Differences In Depression Levels Among Tenors, Baritones, And Basses, Rhiannon Jane Talbot

Honors Program Theses

Music and speech are closely related to one another. Both have specific elements, such as average fundamental frequency, pitch variation, and speed, to accurately communicate emotion. Some emotions have characteristic speech patterns; in the case of sadness, a low mean fundamental frequency, slow speed of speech, and minimal pitch variation are common. Both music and speech also utilize physical metaphors (up/down, high/low, etc.) to express positivity and negativity. The study was intended to determine whether male vocal register correlated with levels of depressive symptoms. Specifically, tenors were expected to have lower levels of depression than baritones and basses. Participants (16 …

Music Videos As Social Commentary: A Sociological Analysis Of Lady Gaga, Jacob Allen Everett Rudy

Honors Program Theses

Since the television channel Music Television (MTV) aired its first music video on August 1, 1981, music videos have come to serve as vehicles for music artists from all genres. Using these productions as a way to simultaneously promote a song and a particular artist has proven to be successful means with which to build a career in the American music industry. However, as with all cultural artifacts, music videos contain much more information than simply visual interpretation of songs. They are rich in sources with which sociologists can further understand social norms and institutions. Through the analysis of music …

Sacred Stones For Sacred Structures: An Examination Of Patterns In The Temples And Twin Complexes At Tikal And Palenque, Meredith Mae Hild

Honors Program Theses

Extensive work in uncovering and reconstructing Classic Maya temples has been completed while the importance of Maya studies has increased during the past centuries. Little has been done, however, in the interpretation of certain Maya structures within the context of Maya thought. That context includes an understanding of the Maya interpretation of their place within the cosmos, an aspect of Maya culture that dictated every individual's daily actions. Researchers have tended to focus on architectural analyses that describe the dimensions and building materials of temples and other monumental structures. This leads to interpretations that are lacking in cultural significance. While …

Violent Crime And Drug Use: The Relationship Between Drugs And Types Of Crime, Richard William Fortney

Honors Program Theses

Previous research shows us that there is a relationship between drugs and crime (Chaiken and Chaiken 1990; Dawkins 1997; Goldstein 1985; Harrison and Gfroerer 1992; Inciardi and Pottieger 1994; French, McGeary, Chitwood, McCoy, Inciardi, and McBride 2000). This paper seeks to determine whether there is a relationship between the types of drugs an individual uses and the types of crimes that they commit. There have been studies that researched similar relationships, such as French et al 2000, but they did not look at the differences in types of drugs used by individuals. Instead, they focused on simply finding a relationship …

Variables Affecting Crime Rate, Jaime Zeigler

Honors Program Theses

The Federal Bureau of Investigation releases data about crime statistics. They publish the raw data and provide factors that influence the crime rate. They provide the general public with a few variables that they deemed most influential, but do not provide the statistical analysis to support. After performing a statistical analysis, I support or disprove their claims. Another way to question the validity of regression is comparing the current regression to a previous regression performed two years ago by myself with the same variables from the same source. An additional aspect that this paper explores the history of factors affecting …

Raising Good Soviets: Media Depictions Of Soviet Life And Upbringing Under Khrushchev, Chelsea Miller

Honors Program Theses

Policies on education and upbringing affected almost every individual in the Soviet Union, from the youngest child to the oldest pensioner. These policies reflected the current ideological path of the party and the need to train the children to accomplish the country’s goals. On a more personal level, these policies helped the children evolve into successful adults able to easily enter the workforce. When the public saw that these policies were not being enforced or implemented, they expressed their dissatisfaction. These individuals were able to safely voice their criticisms by pointing out the educational system’s failures within the ideological framework …

Beliefs, Concerns, And Methods Of Parents Raising Children Bilingually: A Study Of Hispanic Iowa Mothers Attempting To Maintain Heritage Language In Their Children, Briana Vera

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of my thesis was to discover more about parents who are raising their children to be English-Spanish bilingual, particularly their beliefs, concerns, and methods regarding this issue. I focused specifically on mothers in Iowa whose native language was Spanish and who had at least one child in the household between the ages of four and sixteen. A point of interest I focused on were the beliefs, concerns, and methods these mothers have and use to maintain their children‟s heritage language (Spanish) as the community language (English) becomes more prominent in their children‟s lives. This information is important for …

Digit Ratios, Baron-Cohen's Reading The Minds In The Eyes And Dart-Throwing Task, Betul Zora

Honors Program Theses

There is evidence that high prenatal testosterone and the ratio of the index finger to the ring finger are correlated. There is also evidence that male-typical finger ratios correlate positively with male-typical tasks such as targeting and negatively correlated with female-typical tasks. This study examines the correlation between the digit ratio and the dart throwing task and also the digit ratio and Baron-Cohen’s Reading the Mind in the Eyes test. A different digit ratio, the ratio of the index finger and the ring finger to the pinky is also collected and correlated with both of the other tests. Sometime during …

Effects Of Sexual Assault Education On College Students' Rape-Supportive Attitudes, Jessica Ann Ueland

Honors Program Theses

Few studies have measured the effectiveness of sexual assault programming is in decreasing acceptance of rape myths. This study examined two research questions. First, would students in a class that included a sexual assault education component be more likely to demonstrate a change in degree of rape myth acceptance than students who were not in a class that included sexual assault education? Second, within the treatment group, would males demonstrate a larger change in rape myth acceptance than females? At the end of the course, the treatment group showed a significant decrease in rape myth acceptance; there was not a …

Rational Decision-Making In The Face Of Uncertainty: An Experiment In Jeopardy!, Trevor Boeckmann

Honors Program Theses

This paper examines the quiz show "Jeopardy!." In the game, players accumulate points then wager them in a final round on a single question. My study finds an empirically-best wagering system for these players, then calculates the benefit of using this system through additional games that would be won with the correct bet. My regression model then finds the determinants of empirically-best (EB) betters. The results show players tend to act too aggressively. Half of non-first place players wager incorrectly and nearly 90% of those non- EB wagers are too large. The regression shows players are most likely to make …

Free E-Books And Print Sales, John Hilton Iii, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

Digital technologies now enable books and other digital resources to be openly available to those with access to the Internet. This study examined the financial viability of a religious publisher that put free digital versions of eight of its print books on the Internet. The cost to put these eight books online was $940. Over a 10-week period, these books were downloaded 102,256 times and sales of these books increased 26%. Online sales increased at a much higher rate. Comparisons with historical book sales and sales of comparable titles indicate that that this increase may have been connected to the …

A History Of The Pigtail Bridges In South Dakota, Krystol R. Frerking

Graduate Research Papers

The history of the Pigtail Bridges in the Black Hills of South Dakota is an interesting historical story that in children's non-fiction books has not told. Three questions that guided this research were what the best layout/design is for a children's book on the Pigtail Bridges, how does an author select the content for a children's book on a local history topic like the Pigtail Bridges, and what is the most appropriate text structure for this content? The purpose of this research project was to create a non-fiction children's book about the history of the Pigtail Bridges in the Black …

Accelerated Reader And Sustained Silent Reading's Impact On Students' Motivation To Read, Amy Benedict

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine if students' motivation to read is influenced by the use of Accelerated Reader or SSR in their school. Fourth grade students had been selecting books to read based on Accelerated Reader levels. After reading each book the students took a quiz. SSR was implemented for two weeks to determine if students' attitudes towards reading would improve.

A mixed-methods approach was used in this research design. Quantitative data were collected through the MRP survey, administered both before the introduction of SSR and after implementing SSR. Qualitative data were collected through an individual conversational …

Advanced Information Processing Technologies And Police Discretion, Kevin Wayne Howard

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research seeks to evaluate the influence of advanced information processing technologies on police discretion. I have developed three propositions. First, advanced information processing technologies used in municipal law enforcement enable policing managers to easily collect and analyze large amounts of information. Second, the information acquired from these same technologies is used to create and/or modify bureaucratic rules regarding police work. Third, this combination of technological and bureaucratic processes has led to a reduction of patrol officers' discretion. Advanced information processing technologies include crime mapping, video surveillance, mobile data terminals (in-car computers), global positioning systems, and computer statistics (Compstat), a …

The Social Origin Of Violent Behavior, Todd Arthur Mensink

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examines the social origins of extremely violent behavior. Numerous explanations of violent offenders have focused on biological, psychological, environmental or a combination of these factors to explain violence. Most explanations of violent behavior fail to take a holistic approach to understand the cause of violent behavior. This study is an analysis of the applicability of the violentization theory. Data was obtained through in-depth semi-structured interviews from six violent offenders in a residential treatment faciIity in the Midwest. Findings indicate that for most offenders, the violentization theory is consistent with their social experiences. However, two exceptions pertained to the …

Not Giving Back: The Social Exchange Concern Hypothesis Of Physical Disability Stigma, Thomas P. Dirth

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The phenomenon of physical disability stigma has been examined from many different perspectives, but a comprehensive theory of its functionality has yet to be tested. The evolutionary theory of stigma provides two compelling hypotheses, for stigma in general, and physical disability stigma in particular. The pathogen avoidance hypothesis maintains that stigma is an evolved response for protection against infectious diseases, whereas the social exchange concern hypothesis proposes that stigma serves to maximize fitness by cueing which interaction partners will contribute or detract most from one's well-being. The social exchange concern hypothesis frames physical disability stigma, especially, in a way that …

Post-Graduate Settlement Patterns: Tuition Reciprocity And Its Impact On Graduate Retention In Iowa, Minnesota, And Wisconsin, Andrew Miles Duggan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research project sought to discover the potential role participating in a tuition reciprocity program had on affecting a state's ability to stem the impact of brain drain. In order to do this, alumni records were analyzed from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Minnesota State University-Mankato (MSU), and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC). They were chosen because these schools serve as regional institutions, and realistically would be expected to compete for the same prospective students. Datasets were collected for general locations (ZIP codes), gender, and degree majors for those who graduated in 1999 and 2004 - five and …

Human Values And The Importance Of Money, Sara Lucia Estrada Villalta

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research has shown that there is relationship between money and an orientation toward self-interest, both at the individual and country-level. However, the causal relationship between these constructs is not fully understood. Based on Schwartz's theory of human values, which distinguishes between self-oriented and socially-oriented values, this study explored whether values have a causal influence on the importance people place on money. Four different sets of values were primed using a scrambled-sentences task to test their effects on the importance participants ascribed to money. Importance of money was measured in three ways: desire for money, relative importance of financial goals, and …

The Role Of Work Environment On Employee Job Engagement, Micayla Michelle Evers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Employee job engagement is an increasingly popular and important construct in organizations in the United States. Job engagement is widely considered to have a strong influence on employee job performance, turnover rates, burnout, etc. Many variables contribute to this important construct, and work environment encompasses one of these variables. This study addresses the impact of physical work environment and social work environment in predicting employee job engagement. The current study found that both physical work environment and social work environment were significant predictors of employee job engagement and that physical work environment had a slightly larger impact. Exploratory analyses were …

Defining The “Good” Mother: Examining The Myths Of Motherhood And The Hierarchical Construction Of Femininity In Weeds And Weekly Magazines, Johnanna Joy Ganz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Throughout this thesis  investigate how images of motherhood in popular culture rely on specific ideological "myths" to convey implicit messages about appropriate femininity. To examine the depictions of motherhood I performed a textual analysis of the contents of the first two seasons of the television program Weeds as well as randomly sampled issues of the following celebrity gossip magazines: People Weekly, US Weekly, In Touch Weekly, and Life & Style Weekly. In order to make sense of the data, I rely on the theoretical concept of hegemonic femininity, as developed by Mimi Schippers. Additionally, I offer a more nuanced argument …