Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Common Core Thesis And A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Mysticism In Chinese Buddhist Monks And Nuns, Zhuo Chen

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the phenomenological structure of mystical experience among 139 Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns. Semi-structured interviews, thematic coding, and statistical analyses identified Hood’s Mysticism Scale as a valid tool for studying mysticism across religions and cultures. Stace’s common facets of mysticism as measured by Hood’s scale successfully described Buddhist experience as modified by Buddhist doctrines. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that these facets could be formed into Stace’s three-factor structure. A mystical introvertive unity hypothesized to be separate from an extrovertive unity appeared instead to converge in the Chinese Buddhist context. These results lent strong …

Faking In Personality Assessments: An Investigation Of A Method Factor Measure Of Faking, Raven Lynnette Worthy

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of a newly developed "method factor" measure of faking to control for the effects of faking when personality tests are used to predict performance criteria. Traditional measures of faking, such as social desirability scales, have not been found to adequately control for faking. This study assessed the adequacy of the newly developed measure. When controlling for faking, as measured by the method factor, the validity of conscientiousness as a predictor of undergraduate GPA was larger. Additionally, the nature of the method factor across experimental conditions was investigated. The method factor …

Exploring Individual And Organizational Level Antecedents Of Experienced Workplace Incivility, Sara Ann Terlicki

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present research explored antecedents of experienced workplace incivility, specifically, the individual characteristics of agreeableness, negative affectivity, and emotional stability, and organizational (work) characteristics including social and contextual factors. Three competing models linking these antecedents to experienced workplace incivility were developed. One hundred seventy six participants were included in the final sample. Participants were recruited directly from companies and through an internet-based snowball sampling approach. Participants completed a questionnaire to assess experienced workplace incivility and dispositional individual and work characteristics. The results indicated that individual and work characteristics are important antecedents of experienced workplace incivility. However, work characteristics, specifically social …

The Influence Of Identity Salience On Cross-Generational Perspectives Of Work Life Balance, Cherise Nicole White

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this study is to test a new model of work life (nonwork) balance (WLB) that may explain individual and cross-generational differences in views of WLB. A prominent feature within this model, identity salience, is described as the values and importance a person attaches to the multiple roles they manage. This study addresses one of the major causes for inconsistency in the existing WLB research by examining how and why perceptions of WLB differ depending on the life stage of sample participants. The model was supported and findings suggest that individual perceptions of work life balance are contingent …

A Methodology To Develop A Communication Protocol For Visualizing Simulations In A Collaborative Virtual Reality Environment, Lacey Suzanne Duckworth

Dissertations

In the technology field, simulations and collaborative virtual reality environments (CVREs) are not generally combined because it is complicated to develop large scale simulations within CVREs. The complexity of combining these two technologies in order to form a better form of visualization stems from the lack of a methodology to help derive these scalable simulations. Simulations require very complex calculations that the CVRE cannot perform as it is overloaded in calculations for the maintenance and stability of the environment itself. Since the simulation cannot be held within the CVRE, the solution is to move the simulation external to the CVRE …

The Structure Of Equine Personality, Rachel Etta Kristiansen

Dissertations

The current study was designed to investigate the structure of equine personality. Two personality questionnaires were replicated from previous studies and implemented simultaneously to test the theory that different questionnaires may extract different personality structures. Breed and sex differences were also hypothesized to be significantly different for some personality dimensions. A total of 827 horses were rated on a 90-item personality questionnaire. Participants were recruited online via email and completed the survey at their own convenience. An additional 121 respondents rated a horse that had already been rated; these results were used to calculate inter-rater reliability.

After data collection was …

An Exploratory Investigation On The Effects Of An Electronic Recording System For Repeated Reading, Seajae Calvin Hartness

Dissertations

Repeated Reading is a common reading intervention that has been used to help students read fluently since 1979. There are many variations of Repeated Reading that have been investigated and found to be effective. However, there is a relative research deficit on the effectiveness of software programs for administering Repeated Reading. This exploratory research project examined the effectiveness of Repeated Reading with an electronic recording system. The performance of the electronic Repeated Reading group was compared to the performance of participants who received traditionally administered Early Intervention Program services. The results suggest that electronically scored Repeated Reading is as effective …

Designing More Inclusive Streets: The Bicycle, Gender, And Infrastructure, Ainsley Henry Judge

Geography Honors Projects

The number of bike commuters is increasing in cities across the U.S., but men are cycling at double the rate of women cyclists. This paper focuses on how different bike infrastructure and street design options relate to gender and how streets can welcome or inhibit different users. A survey conducted in October of 2010, analyzes the ways in which men and women cyclists in the Twin Cities prioritize and perceive characteristics of the street. The results and culminating research address how to most effectively and inclusively incorporate all cyclists into the urban geographic setting.

The Life, Death And Rebirth Of University Avenue: Exploring The Relationship Among Transportation, Urban Form And Neighborhood Characteristics, Jillian G. Goforth

Geography Honors Projects

The impending light rail transit development along University Avenue in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota has led to local curiosity about both the past activities and the future possibilities for this urban street. Part I of this paper explores the social, economic and physical evolution of University Avenue and its relationship to transportation eras. Part II argues that there is a connection between the urban form of each transportation epoch and the rate of crime along University Avenue. The study concludes with the prediction that safety will improve following construction of the Central Corridor Light Rail line.

Metropolitan Report - May 2011, Division Of Business And Economic Research, College Of Business Administration, University Of New Orleans

UNO Metropolitan Report (1986-2017)

No abstract provided.

It’S Okay To Be Gay…: A Librarian’S Journey To Acceptance And Activism, Jason D. Phillips

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This chapter presents the deeply personal and professional journey of Jason D. Phillips, an academic librarian, as he navigates the challenges of embracing his identity as a gay man within the conservative environments of Southern academia. Beginning with a facetious reflection that library school "made him gay," Phillips recounts how his education and early professional experiences became transformative, offering acceptance, community, and the impetus to come out. His story unfolds across pivotal moments—from confronting internalized homophobia and grappling with visibility in conservative workplaces, to finding mentorship, building GLBT library collections, and becoming an advocate for inclusion and intellectual freedom. Phillips …

Writing With Others: The Rhetoric Of Cloud Technologies In The Workplace, Sarah Garmon

All Theses

Communication scholars need to know more about how collaborative technology could change the workplace. Understanding the rhetorical situation of workplace communication helps explain the paradigm shift in the making between old technologies (e.g. Microsoft Office and PCs) and new technologies (e.g. Google docs and tablets). The study of two workplaces, Dr. Apparao Rao's physics lab at Clemson University and my freshman composition classroom, indicates that conventional forms of communication such as email, instant messaging, and voicemail may cause a gap workplace communication. Cloud-based solutions may fill that gap in communication as well as the gap between Carolyn Miller's dichotomy of …

How Do Planners Participate In Formulating Viable Green Infrastructure Plans?, Kaylen Francis

All Theses

The planning field is increasingly involved in balancing biodiversity with the expansion of urban areas to meet changing societal demands. Regions, states and cities have begun trying to mitigate the negative effects of sprawl by creating green infrastructure plans to conserve open space. However, little is known about planners' roles in facilitating and/or implementing these visions in cities with a population of over one million people in the core and hinterlands. The goal of this project was to study the Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision to determine if planners played a role in its formulation and/or implementation, and if so, …

Acclerated Vehicle Retirement: Toward A Conceptualized Framework For Design And Implementation, Nathan Woods

All Theses

ABSTRACT
In the past Accelerated Vehicle Retirement (AVR) programs have been implemented to combat the economic and environmental costs of automobile dependent societies. Seventy-five such programs have been implemented worldwide since 1990. This thesis examines correlations among factors affecting program performance, the relationship of articulated program objectives to program performance, and how factors affecting program performance influence environmental concerns. Employing a mixed methodology, this analysis answers how an accelerated vehicle retirement program can be designed to maximize desired outcomes and minimize undesirable outcomes. The results of this analysis demonstrate that the order and type of objective stipulated by a program …

Why Pay For Paper? An Analysis Of The Internet's Effect On Print Newspaper Subscriber Retention, Kevin Payne

All Theses

The goal of this paper is to quantify the effect that increases in home internet access had on the print newspaper subscriber retention for an anonymous newspaper during the years 1998 through 2003. Using weekly, subscriber-level transaction data from the newspaper and internet usage statistics from the Current Population Survey Internet and Computer Use Supplements, a discrete-time duration model is used to estimate the effect that home internet access had on the probability of a current subscriber canceling her subscription. I find that on average, increasing the probability of internet access from the 10th to the 90th percentile value increases …

Immigration And Illicit Drugs: Two Case Studies And Their Connection With Select European Countries, And Potential Implications For American Policy, Seth Huffman

All Theses

Two topics of much debate in the United States, immigration and drug prohibition, are issues that all countries must scrutinize. I have taken two Euro areas, Scandinavia and Portugal, and have attempted to use them as templates for the United States so to draw potential policy implications. Scandinavian countries can be characterized as having pull factors in the form of welfare policies, which draw immigrants to those countries. It is hard to deduce whether this has a negative effect on the country because immigrants, not only use services, but are also consumers. This creates a problem as we try to …

Ecologically Friendly Food Buying And Recycling: Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors In A Tennessee Survey., Jessica Jane King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors and the interactions between recycling behavior, food buying attitudes, food buying behaviors, and ecological beliefs. Following an introductory chapter, I present an article-length paper on recycling behavior to be submitted to Environment and Behavior. Data for this study came from a telephone survey of Tennessee residents (N=270). Using OLS regression analysis, I find that recycling behavior is significantly related to access to recycling facilities. I do not find a significant interaction effect between access to recycling facilities and willingness to recycle. I conclude by suggesting that pro-environmental policies need to make structural …

Salud Y Saludos: The E-News Of The College Of Health Sciences, College Of Health Sciences

College of Health Sciences

Monthly e-newletter of the College of Health Sciences.

The Anatomy Of Library Users In The 21st Century, Isaac Echezonam Anyira

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper argued that skills have become a major determining factor in the accessibility and use of 21st century library. Everybody needs information whether skilled or not and as such, users profile should be considered along that line. The paper revealed that without ICT skills, it is not possible to make effective use of the library except a third party is involved. It was recommended that librarians must acquire ICT skills in order to satisfy their user. The library users also must undergo self-sponsored basic ICT training to acquire skills; the collections of the library must reflect the needs of …

The Provision Of Information Services To Nigerians: Meeting The Challenges Of 21st Century, J. M. Gwang

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper discusses the provision of library and information services to Nigerians in the twenty first century and how to overcome the challenges associated with it. The particular issues addressed include: classification of the information user communities, planning considerations, challenges, and consequently the way forward. It concludes that the provision of library and information services to Nigerians is a critical requirement for Nigeria's development, and the numerous challenges identified are surmountable through the strategies enumerated in which proactive approaches by the library and information professionals themselves are the most crucial.

The Impact Of Information And Communication Technology (Ict) In Nigerian University Libraries, Dorcas Ejemeh Krubu, Kingsley Efe Osawaru

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Computing technology, communication technology, and mass storage technology are some of the areas of continuous development that reshape the way libraries access, retrieve, store, manipulate, and disseminate information to users. ICT has impacted on every sphere of academic library activity especially in the form of the library collection development strategies, library building and consortia. ICT presents an opportunity to provide value-added information services and access to a wide variety of digital based information resources to their clients. Furthermore, academic libraries are also using modern ICTs to automate their core functions, implement efficient and effective library cooperation and resource sharing networks, …

Use Of Electronic Resources By Faculty Members In Hkbk College Of Engineering: A Survey, K. R. Mulla

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper evaluates the use of library at the HKBK College of Engineering (HKBKCE) in Bangalore (Karnataka). A survey of 60 faculty members was conducted through a questionnaire. The analysis of the collected data covers the use of electronic resources and how the electronic resources are improving the academic carrier of the faculty and also what are the problems that are faced in using the electronic resources. Concludes that the main intention of the usage of electronic resources have been the academic interest of the users.

Academic Library Websites As Marketing Tools, Fatemeh Nooshinfard, Soraya Ziaei

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper discusses the fundamentals of library marketing. Definitions, importance, role, and factors that influence marketing are presented. The marketing function of academic library websites is highlighted.

Demographic And Socio- Economic Attributes As Determinants Of Information And Communication Technology Use For Scholarly Communication In Nigerian Universities, Alice M. Okore

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper seeks to determine the influence demographic / socio-economic attributes ( rank, years of experience and gender) have on information and communication technology use for scholarly communication. One research question and two hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted ex-post facto research design and utilized a questionnaire to generate data. Data was analyzed using mean, chi-square and analysis of variance. Findings revealed, among others, a positive relationship between years of experience and level of ICT use (P=.03 < 0.05). Rank and gender had no significant influence on ICT use for scholarly communication. The paper recommends training and retraining of senior academics in the use of ICT so as to make them compete favourably with the middle and junior academics. Further investigation should be carried out to find other factors that are responsible for rank not having any significant influence on ICT use for scholarly communication. Gender should not constitute any impediment to appointment of female academics to leadership positions that are technologically biased.

The Next Step In Librarianship: Is The Traditional Library Dead?, L. A. Ogunsola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This article provides a history of libraries from their founding in the ancient world through the later half of the 20th century, when both technological and political forces radically reshaped library development. According to Encyclopedia Britannica Online 2007, the paper identifies the series of technological developments with which both librarians and traditional libraries have had to contend. The impression that the global technological revolution now taking place has "murdered" traditional libraries as well as the librarians working in them was critically assessed. It was later concluded that both digital and traditional libraries will co-exist side by side and they will …

Open Access, African Scholarly Publishing, And Cultural Rights: An Exploratory Usage And Accessibility Study, Natalia Taylor Bowdoin

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The Open Access (OA) Movement has been praised by proponents as a way to reverse the unsustainability of traditional scholarly publishing economic models and to aid in the equalization of the flow of information between industrialized and less industrialized nations. The OA Movement is thus also seen as a means of helping achieve both Articles 19 and 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which jointly articulate the basic human rights to seek, receive and impart information, to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts, and to share in scientific advancement. Historically however, …

Applying Grounded Theory To Weight Management Among Women: Making A Commitment To Healthy Eating, Christie Zunker, Nataliya Ivankova

The Qualitative Report

In this study we developed a theory grounded in data from women who continued healthy eating behaviors after a weight management program. Participant recruitment was guided by theoretical sampling strategies for focus groups and individual interviews. Inclusion criteria were: African American or Caucasian women aged 30+ who lost > 5% of their body weight in a weight management program > year ago. Participants > 5% below their baseline weight were maintainers (n = 9); those above were non-maintainers (n = 14). We asked open-ended questions regarding healthy eating behaviors. The systematic design is described in detail, including categories from open coding, connection during …

Support Network Responses To Acquired Brain Injury, Steffany Chleboun, Karen Hux

The Qualitative Report

Acquired brain injury (ABI) affects social relationships; however, the ways social and support networks change and evolve as a result of brain injury is not well understood. This study explored ways in which survivors of ABI and members of their support networks perceive relationship changes as recovery extends into the long-term stage. Two survivors of ABI and members of their respective support networks participated in this case study integrating information from interviews, field notes, and artifacts. Inductive data analysis revealed themes of adjustment to impairments and compensations, connection changes with other people, feelings of protectiveness toward the survivor, emotional intensity, …

Stressful Life Events And Behavior Change: A Qualitative Examination Of African American Women's Participation In A Weight Loss Program, Tiffany L. Cox, Christie Zunker, Brooks C. Wingo, Wendy K. Jefferson, Jamy D. Ard

The Qualitative Report

We qualitatively assessed how life stressors affected African American women's participation in a weight reduction program. A sample of 9 women, who completed a behavioral lifestyle intervention, participated in individual, structured, in-depth interviews. Life stressors, ranging from personal illness to changes in employment status, had varied effects on participation. Some women coped with life stressors by using them as a motivational tool to improve their own health, while others reported limited ability to devote time to attend meetings or engage in the prescribed lifestyle changes due to life stressors. A critical key to improving weight loss outcomes for African American …

Economic Policies To Address The Environmental Consequences Of Global Reuse, Thomas C. Kinnaman

Faculty Journal Articles

This paper summarizes a two-country model that solves for optimal tax rates to achieve efficiency in an economy with international trade in used consumer electronics. If only the developed nation can tax the disposal of e-waste, then the global Pareto Optimum can be obtained by either imposing an import tariff on used consumer electronics or subsidizing the return of e-waste for disposal in the developed country. The global Pareto Optimum can also be obtained by reducing the disposal tax in the developed country to a level below the external marginal cost of disposal should no other policy option be available.