Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Evolution Of The Music Industry In The Post-Internet Era, Ashraf El Gamal

CMC Senior Theses

The rise in the prevalence of the Internet has had a wide range of implications in nearly every industry. Within the music business, the turn of the millennium came with a unique, and difficult, set of challenges. While the majority of academic literature in the area focuses specifically on the aspect of file sharing within the Internet as it negatively impacts sales within the recording sector, this study aims to assess the Internet’s wider impacts on the broader music industry. In the same time that record sales have plummeted, the live music sector has thrived, potentially presenting alternative business models …

The Dollar Hegemony And The U.S.-China Monetary Disputes, Xiongwei Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the current disputes between the United States and China over the exchange rate of the Chinese currency renminbi using an International Political Economy (IPE) analysis. Monetary relations are not mere economic affairs, but bear geopolitical implications. Money is power. Money is politics. The pursuit of monetary power is an important part of great power politics. Based on this assertion, the thesis studies past cases of monetary power struggles between the United States and the Great Britain, the Soviet Union, Japan, and the European Union (EU), respectively. The thesis then investigates the dollar’s status as the dominant international …

Factors Influencing Women’S Psychological Well-Being Within A Positive Functioning Framework, Krista Moe

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Women suffer a high prevalence rate of several mental disorders. National U.S. data (N = 9,282) shows that 23.4% of women meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder, 8.6% for depression, and 11.6% for a mood disorder (Kessler et al., 2005). Compared to men, women are two times more likely to be depressed (Lewinsohn, Rhode, Seeley, & Baldwin, 2001) and two to three times more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders such as panic disorders, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders, and Posttraumatic Stress (Kessler et al., 2005). Due to experiencing a high number of mental disorders, women’s psychological well-being (PWB) …

Making Changes And Coming Full Circle: A Look At How Women Farmers In Oregon And Washington Define Their Own Identities, Realities, And Contributions, Courtney Bauman

Capstone Collection

This paper investigates how women farmers in Oregon and Washington define their own identities, realities, and contributions as farmers, and it looks at how those definitions may be changing. Primary data was collected by interviewing 14 women farmers in the states of Oregon and Washington. Participants were selected to represent a variety of age groups, cultural backgrounds, years of experience farming, and farm size and type. Thus, in investigating the experiences of women farmers, the realities of young and beginning farmers; aging farmers; immigrant farmers and farmers of color; and small and family farmers are also explored.

Findings reveal that …

Training Parent Volunteers As Effective Allies In Youth Empowerment Programs, Ria Shroff

Capstone Collection

Empowering adolescent girls is an effective and sustainable way to break the cycle of poverty and initiate a process of worldwide change. It is also extremely challenging, given the traditional perceptions of adolescents as reckless, carefree, incapable of assuming responsibility and unaware of their own needs for success and positive development. While organizations can provide many of the resources that adolescent girls need, the lack of parental support can be detrimental to both the overall development of the adolescent girl, her access to services, her mobility in society and the choices she will have in her future.

In order to …

Korean-American Divided Families: Catalyst For Changing The Course Of The Usa Policy On North Korea, Jungyoung Park

Capstone Collection

The Korea War has left deep scars on the psyches of Koreans in Korea and throughout the world. Among many ordeals that Korean citizens had to suffer during and after the war, the separation of the family was one of the most tragic continuing results of the war. Countless individuals were forcibly severed from their family members in North Korea and most haven’t seen their separated relatives for over six decades. There have been 18 rounds of reunions between North and South Koreans since a historic summit talk in June 2000. However, Korean-American members of divided families cannot participate in …

Addressing The Learning Needs At Occupy Dc, Andrew J. Batcher

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this paper is to examine how learning can help the Occupy movement in Washington DC. It explores three questions. What are the learning needs of the movement? What educational content can help meet those needs? And how can education be practiced in a way that most effectively addresses the learning needs within the real world circumstances of the movement? Research methods include participant observation, surveys, interviews, focus groups, literature review, and primary document review. Data was coded into 11 outcome oriented learning needs and 3 educational orientations which are geared towards meeting those needs. This paper is …

Foreign Land Investments In Developing Countries, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

In 2009, the government of Liberia leased 220,000 hectares (543,4000 acres) of land to a Malaysian company, Sime Darby, which intends to develop the land for palm oil and rubber production. While the company has promised that its operations will create jobs and comply with all environmental standards, local farmers have expressed concerns about environmental degradation and slow payments to workers (Siakor and Knight).

In recent years land deals in low-income countries involving foreign firms and governments have increased substantially. The World Bank estimated that there were large scale land deals to purchase or lease 56 million hectares of land …

What Cost, Biomass For Fuel?, Richard K. Perrin, Kassu Wamisho, Dereje B. Megeressa

Cornhusker Economics

Biomass has a prominent role in discussions of future United States energy supplies. Why? Because it could reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum supplies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to using petroleum or other fossil fuels.

What is meant by biomass for fuel? Generally, the term is used to designate either crop residues such as corn stover or dedicated energy crops such as switchgrass and poplar trees. Technically of course, grains themselves are biomass and they can be used for fuel as well.

A Pilot Study Examining The Effect Of An Intensive Skills-Based Training In Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Impact On Graduate Students' Competence, Lauren Lane-Herman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Given the movement toward and increasing need for training in evidence-based practice, this study aims to examine the competence of graduate-level students in cognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) after an intensive, skills-based training in CBT. The participants, who were psychologygraduate students, were randomized into two groups. Both groups received the same intensive training in CBT. The groups differed in that the control group underwent a videotaped intake session prior to the training and the training group underwent a videotaped intake session after the training. It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences between these groups in terms of competence and skills in …

Predictors Of Attrition And Success In A Weight Management Program For Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Kevin O'Leary

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Aim: To examine the factors that lead to attrition and success in a weight management program for patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The current study specifically examines the effect of quality of life, expected weight loss, self-esteem, and early weight loss on attrition and success rates. Methods: Archival data from a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Weight and Eating Disorders were used. Seventy-nine overweight and obese subjects with type 2 diabetes participated in a lifestyle modification program over 40 weeks. Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between early weight loss, expected …

Program Evaluation Of An Executive Functions Intervention At A Middle School Setting, Minu S. Poulose

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Executive functions play an important role in children’s cognitive, academic and social functioning. The present study investigated the changes in executive functions in students who were enrolled in an academic support period everyday for forty-five minutes. Participants included twenty-six eighth-grade students eligible for Special Education and Related Services in a suburban middle school in New Jersey. The study used archival data consisting of items from the 44-item Executive Functions (EF) Rating Scale, a questionnaire that was completed by middle school special education teachers. To examine differences within groups, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to examine teacher ratings …

Programming Serving The Needs Of Homeless Adults And Families: A Survey To Determine Current Practices In Transitional Housing Programs Within The Interfaith Hospitality Network, Nathan A. Paro

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Over the last decade the rate of homelessness has continued to rise, putting an increased demand on services for the homeless such as transitional living programs. There appears to be little information about the standards of practice within the field of transitional living programs for the homeless. The current study surveyed directors of transitional living programs that serve women and children within the Interfaith Hospitality Network across the country, in order to compile information such as programing offered, services offered, and outcome measures which are used by the programs to determine success. The results of the survey suggested that there …

Predictors Of Vicarious Trauma And Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Correctional Officers, Bertee Thomas Jr

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The correctional setting is often dangerous and unpredictable. Correctional officers have the unique and often dangerous charge of overseeing a very volatile population. The job of a correctional officer can be very stressful and often contributes to emotional, physiological, and psychological distress. Correctional officers may be exposed to violence either directly or indirectly. One of the psychological reactions most commonly associated with violence is the development of trauma. This type of traumatic response may be triggered by direct or indirect exposure to traumatic stimuli. The focus of this study was to identify variables associated with secondary traumatic responses among correctional …

Evaluating The Mindfulness-Based And Cognitive-Behavior Therapy For Anger Management Program, Brett Pellegrino

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Problems related to adolescents who present with extreme anger, disruptive behavior, and aggression is an ever increasing concern for school officials (Christner, Friedberg & Sharp, 2006). There continues to be a need for effective interventions that can be utilized within the school setting to assist adolescents with anger management difficulties. This study examined changes in anger management difficulties and mindfulness for four high school students who participated in the Mindfulness-Based and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Anger Management Program (Kelly, 2006). The data were generated through pre and post assessments with the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory, Second Edition Child and Adolescent …

Help-Seeking Attitudes And Behaviors Of African International Students: Examining The Relationship Between Social Connectedness, Acculturative Stress, And Length Of Stay, Daisy Chebbet

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, acculturative stress, social connectedness, and length of stay of African international students in the US. A web-based survey was sent to approximately 300 school officials and individuals from various colleges and universities. Forty-eight African international students met criteria and completed the study. Measures utilized in the survey assessed for social connection, acculturative stress, and attitudes towards seeking help for psychological concerns. Help-seeking behaviors were assessed in the demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that higher levels of social connectedness were associated with positive mental health help-seeking attitudes. Among students who reported experiencing …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Distortions And Risk To Sexually Re-Offend In Adolescents: Comparing Three Levels Of Treatment, Christina D. Haldaman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between cognitive distortions, risk to sexually re-offend, and length of time in treatment, and psychopathy. This study investigated differential treatment effects across three different treatment modalities to gain a better understanding of cognitive distortions in the treatment of adolescent sexual offenders. Literature has theorized that a fundamental aspect of sex offender treatment is addressing these cognitive distortions. Archival data from an existing database were collected from 99 adolescent males between the ages of 12 and 18. Of these adolescents, 51.5% were Caucasian; 28.3% were Latino; 10% were African American; 8.1% were Bi-racial, and 2% were …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2012, 132nd Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Second Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Applied Science and Technology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Nebraska Wesleyan University Health and Sciences Graduate School Fair

Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session

Maiben Memorial Lecture: "The Status of Nebraska's Native Aspen," "Buffalo" Bruce McIntosh, Western Nebraska Resources Council

Aeronautics

Anthropology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Chemistry and Physics

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Earth Science

History/Philosophy of Science

Junior Academy, Senior High Competition

Teaching of Science and Math

Junior Academy, Junior High Competition

Yo Soy Colorado: Three Collaborative Hispanic Cultural Heritage Initiatives, Beverly B. Allen, Dana Echohawk, Rhonda Gonzales, Fawn-Amber Montoya, Mary M. Somerville

University Libraries Librarian and Staff Articles and Papers

Collaborative activities that reflect ‘ethnicity as provenance’ benefit from collaborative, interdependent relationships among archives, classroom, and community. Examples from Center for Colorado & the West at Auraria Library (University of Colorado Denver) and the Southern Colorado Ethnic Heritage and Diversity Archives and the Voices of Protest Oral History Project (Colorado State University-Pueblo) illustrate collection development practices that advance joint ownership of archival materials by the archives and the originating cultural population. Concluding reflections offer transferable principles for working collaboratively with cultural communities on creation, identification, interpretation, and preservation of photographs, videos, documents, oral histories and ephemeral material reflective of culture, …

Mark D. Anderson. Disaster Writing: The Cultural Politics Of Catastrophe In Latin America. Charlottesville And London: U Of Virginia P, 2011. Print. 241 Pages, Martín Camps

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Similarity Estimator Component Of The Twin Personality-Based Recommender System, Alexandra Roshchina, John Cardiff, Paolo Rosso

Conference Papers

With the constant increase in the amount of information available in online communities, the task of building an appropriate Recommender System to support the user in her decision making process is becoming more and more challenging. In addition to the classical collaborative filtering and content based approaches, taking into account ratings, preferences and demographic characteristics of the users, a new type of Recommender System, based on personality parameters, has been emerging recently. In this paper we describe the TWIN (Tell Me What I Need) Personality Based Recommender System, and report on our experiments and experiences of utilizing techniques which allow …

Uspages: The Best Of Us Business, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

USPages provides a directory of information about all Fortune 500 corporations, which users can browse by industry or search. The Fortune 500 is a list of the 500 largest public corporations in the US with the highest gross revenue; Fortune magazine has published the list annually since 1955. Company profiles include an overview of the corporation, a business and financial summary, Fortune 500 ranking score for the past five years, and contact information.

Alternative Interventions Used To Help Mexican-American Students Improve Academic Achievement In Grades 9 - 12, Alberta M. Reyes

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study employing a cross-case analysis on previous case studies is to better understand the engagement of Latino students in a small number of cultural sensitivity programs and the teaching practices that are factors in the development of their academic achievement. In the traditional infrastructure of public schools, assimilation is built on fundamental values aligned with the U.S. political establishment rather than on the value of adaptation to the demands and conflicts of other cultures. Thus, less-empowered groups are at a disadvantage resulting in subgroups abandoning their ideas and reducing their contributions to human capital. …

Comparing Types Of Adaptive Automation Within A Multi-Tasking Environment, Grant S. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the many years of research examining the various effects of automation on operator performance, stress, workload, etc., the focus has traditionally been on the level of automation, and the invocation methods used to alter it. The goal of the current study is to instead examine the utilization of various types of automation with the goal of better meeting the operator’s cognitive needs, thus improving their performance, workload, and stress. The task, control of a simulated unmanned robotic system, is designed to specifically stress the operator’s visual perception capabilities to a greater degree. Two types of automation are implemented to …

Has The Song Remained The Same?: Perceptions Of Effectiveness In Family Safety Work, Debra Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

National and international research on governmental privatization efforts reflects myriad successes and failures. However, little is known about the effectiveness of family safety privatization efforts in the state of Florida. In Brevard County, Florida, family safety privatization efforts have been underway for several years now, and while evaluations are taking place, they do not reflect one key piece of information—the perceptions of family safety workers. A snowball sample was obtained from former and current child safety workers and open- and closed-ended questions were administered with a total of 15 former and current family safety workers who work or worked for …

The Relationship Between Identity And Intimacy As Moderated By Culture, Garima Jhingon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several important developmental processes occur in the young adulthood period. Young adults form their identities, determine trajectories regarding careers, and typically they form intimate relationships. Erikson (1963) stated that healthy identity development during adolescence is a necessary precursor to intimacy in romantic relationships during emerging adulthood. Although findings from cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal studies somewhat confirm the proposed link between identity and intimacy development, none of them addresses the role of culture in moderating Erikson‘s tenets of developmental ordering. The primary goal of the present investigation was to determine the role of cultural orientation in identity and intimacy development among …

Facilitating Adaptive Team Performance: The Influence Of Membership Fluidity On Learning, Wendy L. Bedwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organizations across work domains that utilize teams to achieve organizational outcomes experience change. Resources change. Project deadlines change. Personnel change. Within the scientific community, research has recently surged on the topic of team adaptation to address the issue of change specifically within teams. There have generally been two lines of research regarding team adaptation (task and membership). This effort is focused on membership. Teams are not static— members come and go. The membership adaptation literature has traditionally focused on the performance effects of newcomers to teams. Yet in practice, more and more teams today experience membership loss without replacement. Military …

The Relationship Between Social Phobia, Peer Attachment, And Identity Within Different Cultural Contexts, Shengnan Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between social phobia, peer attachment, and identity development, within three different countries: China, India, and the USA. It was hypothesized that social phobia interferes with peer attachment, and that poor peer attachment interferes with identity development among late adolescents and emerging adults, thus peer attachment mediates the relationship between social phobia and identity. It was further hypothesized that this relationship between variables is moderated by culture such that in collectivistic cultures, where identity is more dependent upon group affiliation and identification, the interference of social phobia (through peer attachment) on identity would be much greater …

Exploring Theology And Practice In Islamic Parenting, Mergin Akin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore Muslims’ parenting styles and determine how factors such as religion, education, income, physical and verbal punishment experienced as a child, and the perception of Islamic childrearing influence their parenting styles. The research focuses on the main tenets of parenting in the Islamic tradition such as fatherhood, motherhood, children’s and parent’s rights and responsibilities, discipline methods, and physical punishment. The study also informs the role of marriage in Islam and the adopted concepts and theories of Western sociological literature. Findings show that authoritative parenting was the most predominant parenting style among study participants. …

Turning Away From Your Slavic Brother: The Effects Of Identity On Relations Between Russia And Belarus, Matt Matejka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On September 24, 2011, it was announced that Putin would run for president once again in 2012. The reaction in the West was that ―the more things change, the more they stay the same.‖ The Western conception of the post-Cold War Russia is often one of remarkable consistency since the turn of the century. This Western narrative focuses on an autocratic Putin reigning over his resurgent and confrontational Russia. Does this narrative tell the story of Russia today, or does it instead obscure it? To answer this I have elected to analyze Russian identity and how it relates to Russia‘s …