Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Reviving The Surrealist Revolt: A Retracing Of Surrealism’S History And A Reimagining Of Its Future In Translation, Kyle Young

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Although Surrealist writing has literary merit, Surrealist texts were written as revolutionary tracts meant to undermine the social order. Yet the politically radical aspects of the movement are no longer taken very seriously. At least one contributing factor to the current impotence of Surrealism is the approach taken in the translation of Surrealist texts. Many translators have presented Surrealist texts as they would traditionally present any literary document. However, Walter Benjamin’s writings on translation, in particular his essay “The Task of the Translator,” provide a novel conception of translation, one which can produce linguistically radical texts. I will argue that …

Academic Integrity: A Study Of Attitudes And Behaviors Focused On Technology & Narcissism, Joseph Hogan

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis focuses primarily on the misuses of technology in regards to academic integrity violations and examines some of the psychological traits that are more likely to lead these violations. It begins by defining Narcissism, and then analyzes its effect on cheating frequencies and attitudes. The next portion focuses on the relationship between the misuse of technology and narcissism. Finally, technological cheating methods are examined; survey results are compared with UA academic integrity case records to find areas in which violations most often occur.

Peace Through Justice?: Evaluating The International Criminal Court, Katherine Ann Snitzer

International Studies Honors Projects

This thesis looks at the recently created International Criminal Court (ICC) and its early cases in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan. The central questions are: how does the Court impact peace building in the war-torn countries whose cases it handles? And is there a tension between peace and justice in these cases? The case studies demonstrate that while rhetoric linking peace and justice dominates the Court, the ICC is ill equipped to address the complex interaction of the two in specific countries. The Court’s narrow mandate and powers mean that practical and political concerns dominate its decision-making …

Ministry With The Deaf, May 2012

Ministry with the Deaf

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Springfield, MA

Ministry With the Deaf Finding Aid

Outreach, May 2012

Outreach

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Great Britain and Ireland

Outreach Finding Aid

Signs Of Faith, May-June 2012

Signs of Faith

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Paterson, NJ

Signs of Faith Finding Aid

The Relationship Between Social Support And Self-Esteem, Ashley Karraker

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Social relationships are an important element of everyday life. They are related to well-being, and can bring happiness and fulfillment to our lives. Self-esteem is extremely important to our health, physical and psychological. It is so important that we go to great lengths to preserve it and build it up. There are many factors that go into the formation of self-esteem, and this paper looks at the relationship between self-esteem and social support. The research hypothesis was that there would be a positive relationship between social support and self-esteem. The hypothesis was supported, but the correlation was not strong. This …

The Influence Of Picture Border Color On Perceived Attractiveness, Melissa Luley

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

The influence of color on attraction is a useful area of research, with many sociological and psychological application possibilities. Previous research has examined the relationship between clothing color and attraction, which lead to results finding that the color red influences a higher rating of attraction in the opposite sex. These results came from looking at color as a physical trait on the individual (ie. shirt color). This study examined this concept of color influence from a non-physical trait aspect. Would red have the same influence on attraction if it simply is an association trait rather than a physical trait? Participants …

2011-2012, Full Issue

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

No abstract provided.

Mood And Advertising: A Follow-Up Study To “The Power Of Emotion”, Lisa Wiese

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Advertisements affect our lives even when we least expect it. We hear ads on the radio, read ads in magazines, and are even exposed to advertisements through billboards as we drive down the road. The effects on mood and advertisements began to be popularly researched in the early 1980s. This study conducting on mood and advertising was a follow up study to “The Power of Emotion” conducted by Wiese (2012). It was important to conduct more research into this topic to find statistical significance in support of the hypothesis. The present study used a positive group, a negative group, and …

Islamic Fundamentalism: A Quantitative Analysis, D. Dustin Berna

Peace and Conflict Studies

Islamic fundamentalist movements are inherently anti-system social movements. An anti-system social movement is designed to criticize governmental institutions and the political mainstream while mobilizing disaffected individuals against the existing sociopolitical and socioeconomic institutions. What is lacking in the mindset of many Western politicians, practitioners, the media, and the general public is a basic understanding of Islamic fundamentalism; specifically, the causes. This is the first quantitative analysis of potential causes of Islamic fundamentalism. I have created a unique data set that contains every Islamic fundamentalist group that is or has been in operation from 1970 through 2008. This fundamentalist data set …

The Effect Of General Versus Specific Coworker In Directions On Fiedler's Least Preferred Coworker Scale, Derrick Lottes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explored the effect of directions on the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale; specifically, this study tested whether thinking of a generalized least preferred coworker (General LPC) would yield lower scores compared to thinking of a specific least preferred coworker (Specific LPC). The data supported this hypothesis as responses to the General LPC yielded more critical LPC scores than did responses to the Specific LPC. The hypothesis that thinking of a generalized least preferred coworker would yield more stable result than would thinking of a specific least preferred coworker was not supported. Finally, the hypothesis that LPC scores would …

Overcoming Educational Stratification: Effect Of Athletic Status And Race On Odds Of Graduating At Western Kentucky University, Justin Schilke

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines the effect of stratification on graduation at Western Kentucky University, a master’s level regional Division I Football Bowl Subdivision university in the South. The study begins by examining the historical basis of stratification in sport and higher education, and hypothesizes that becoming an intercollegiate athlete can eliminate the effect of being African American on graduation, which is generally negative and can be seen in lower graduation rates for African Americans compared to other populations. Using a data set that included 18,966 students, logistic regression was used to assess: 1) the effect of race on sport profile and …

Aging And Weight-Ratio Estimation, Jessica Marie Holmin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many researchers have explored the way younger people perceive weight ratios using a variety of methodologies; however, very few researchers have used a more direct ratio estimation procedure, in which participants estimate an actual ratio between two or more weights. Of the few researchers who have used a direct method, the participants who were recruited were invariably younger adults. To date, there has been no research performed to examine how older adults perceive weight-ratios, using direct estimation or any other technique. Past research has provided evidence that older adults have more difficulty than younger adults in perceiving small differences in …

Organizational Citizenship Behavior- Individual Or Organizational Citizenship Behavior- Organization: Does The Underlying Motive Matter?, Sarah J. Newland

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is considered behavior that benefits others, but is not a part of the employee’s job description. Research has indicated that OCB can be divided into two categories, behavior that is directed towards other individuals (OCBI) and behavior that is directed towards the organization (OCBO). Research has also suggested that there are three different motives behind OCB, impression management, prosocial values, and organizational concern. This study examines the relationship between the motives and the type of OCB that is performed. The results failed to indicate that motives matter in determining which type of OCB is performed. Additionally, …

The Relationship Between Essentialism, Religious Beliefs, And Views Of Change, Keshia Porter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this study, the relationship between essentialism, religious beliefs, and views of change was investigated. Participants were given surveys containing three sets of items and a demographic questionnaire. Item sets included the Intrinsic/Extrinsic-Revised Scale of Religiosity, the Essentialist Belief Scales, and the Change Vignettes. Results indicated those with gradualist religious views were not more likely to endorse essentialist views when compared to those with conversionist views. Those who essentialized at high levels were not less likely to endorse the possibility of change in comparison to those who essentialized at lower levels. Participants with high levels of extrinsic religiosity were not …

A Normal Truncated Skewed-Laplace Model In Stochastic Frontier Analysis, Junyi Wang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Stochastic frontier analysis is an exciting method of economic production modeling that is relevant to hospitals, stock markets, manufacturing factories, and services. In this paper, we create a new model using the normal distribution and truncated skew-Laplace distribution, namely the normal-truncated skew-Laplace model. This is a generalized model of the normal-exponential case. Furthermore, we compute the true technical efficiency and estimated technical efficiency of the normal-truncated skewed-Laplace model. Also, we compare the technical efficiencies of normal-truncated skewed-Laplace model and normal-exponential model.

User-Focused Acquisitions Strategies: Developing Collections For The 21st Century, Kelly Smith

Library Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

With flat or declining budgets and rising prices, most libraries need to find new ways to provide access to the significant amount of content that our users need. Following a user-centered philosophy, Eastern Kentucky University Libraries have implemented several new approaches for acquiring print and electronic resources. Initiatives have included: Patron-driven eBook collections - both broad and subject-specific; article-level purchasing using Copyright Clearance Center’s Get it Now service; and ILL initiated collection development for print resources. The presenter described each initiative and discussed their effect on the budget, the usage of resources, and workflow processes. Future implications for organization and …

A Comparison Of Institutional Climates In Higher Education In The United States And South Africa, Juanyce Deanna Taylor

Dissertations

Increasing opportunities and access of historically underrepresented populations to higher education in both the United States and South Africa have proved challenging due to institutional climates that are perceived as unwelcoming and unsupportive. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors relating to institutional climates to uncover social constructs that positively and negatively impact the institutional environment. Transformational leadership serves as the theoretical framework for this study.

Data results from institutional climate studies administered higher education institutions in the United States and South Africa were analyzed and compared. Collegiality and collaboration; communication; diversity and equity; governance and strategy; harassment …

Consumer Packaged Goods Trade Advertising During The December 2007–June 2009 Recession, Bridgid Agosta

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

The purpose of this study was to use a content analysis to compare retail trade advertisements made by top U.S. consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers during the December 2007–June 2009 recession. This study extended Lord’s (1987) research that focused on consumer advertising to understand retail trade advertisements. This study analyzed 195 advertisements of U.S. CPG manufacturers in a nationally distributed U.S. retail trade print publication, Supermarket News. The results could indicate that retail trade print advertisements may help to enhance CPG manufacturers’ reputations among their trading partners. Specifically, findings from this research may indicate that because General Mills and Unilever …

Movie And Television Fathers: A Positive Reflection Of Positive Changes, George J. Mcgowan

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Certain films and television programs depicting fathers have both enduring popularity and have reflected the advances in the institution of fatherhood. This has happened because of a symbiosis that has delivered positive results: popular films and television shows that earn money for producers and advertisers have depicted fathers who have changed to reflect the popular example. These depictions have contributed in their way to mending the family dynamic, specifically related to the father’s essential role in the family. Such family-oriented films and television shows have effectively showed fathers (and men that would become fathers) that they could be much more …

Instruction @ The Uri Libraries - May 2012, Mary C. Macdonald, Amanda Izenstark

Instruction @ the URI Libraries

No abstract provided.

Building Non-Profit Communities Online: A Case Study Of A Hospital Facebook Page, Mary Parker

All Theses

Businesses and organizations are increasingly using online communities to extend brand loyalty from the real world to the virtual world of consumers and other key stakeholders. However, the return on investment for launching an online community can only be realized when appropriate audiences are attracted and interact. This two-phase research study explores a recently launched online community representing a rural hospital in South Carolina. This thesis includes a literature review, in-depth description of the methodology I used, results of a survey and textual analysis of a Facebook page, and a discussion of best practices and future suggestions. I hope that …

Personality Assessment In African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Kristina Marie Horback

Dissertations

The following study assessed personality in twelve African elephants using both observational behavior coding and standardized trait rating methods, thus demonstrating consistent individual differences across time and contexts. During the summer of 2010 and 2011, over 640 hours of behavioral data were collected onsite at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA. Four coding-based personality traits were determined after analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TOLERANT, and, AGGRESSIVE. This data was then compared to survey ratings completed by the animal keeper staff during both summers. Four rating-based personality traits resulted from this analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TIMID, and, AGGRESSIVE. All eight composite …

Lister Hill Letter - May 2012, Lister Hill Library

Lister Hill Letter (2011-2015)

No abstract provided.

Slope Stability Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Techniques, Omar Alberto Conte Robles

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the past six years the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) has spent over nine million dollars repairing slope failures that have occurred in the state of Arkansas. Specifically, higher than average precipitation in 2004 and 2008 led to large quantities of slides, all of which were repaired. Two highways, within the state of Arkansas, with known historical movements along or across the highways are being monitored using traditional surveying techniques and advanced remote sensing techniques. These slides, both of which are located in fill slopes. One a 500-foot long slide located north of Chester, Arkansas, within the …

Integrating Human Variables In Cross-Boundary Monitoring Of Aberdare Preserves In Kenya, Peter K. Njuguna

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research critically examines extant data systems and their linkage of scientific research to policy and public education in east African highland forest conservation preserves. The research indicates that the current state of data and monitoring systems in the region imposes substantial limitations on the ability to manage these preserves. Major outcomes of those constraints manifest in unprecedented cross-boundary pressure such as encroachment and conversion of forest to agriculture, increased human-wildlife conflicts, and constrained relations among primary stakeholders. Current monitoring is biodiversity focused within preserves and fails to capture human dimensions in adjoining areas across preserve boundaries. This study proposes …

Dental Microwear Texture Analysis Of Pliocene Bovids From Four Early Hominin Sites In Eastern Africa: Implications For Paleoenvironmental Dynamics And Human Evolution, Jessica Renee Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers have suggested that Plio-Pleistocene climate change was a motive force for human evolution. The basic idea was that a shift toward drier, more open settings, led to adaptations for bipedality and the consumption of savanna resources, including large grazing mammals. However, more recent paleoenvironmental reconstructions suggest that Pliocene hominins occupied variable or mosaic habitats including both open and closed settings. Many techniques have been used to refine our understanding of the paleoenvironments of eastern Africa; however these have not led to consensus reconstructions. At Kanapoi, ecological diversity analysis indicates that at least part of the site was composed …

Managerial Turnover In The English Premier League And The Subsequent Results, Jarrod Connally

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Efficient productivity often relies upon the matching of managerial skills and the resources available for production. Often, poor production outcomes can be attributed to those not directly involved in the production: the managers. Similarly, poor results in professional sports are often attributed to the men and women who never play a minute of a game: the managers/coaches. Managers are routinely blamed for performance and are often the first change an owner or a club will make to improve results. This paper will attempt to determine the performance effects of changing a club’s manager in soccer’s English Premier League (EPL). Further, …

Preserving The Digital Past For The Next Hundred Years, Cheryl D. Walters, Tawnya Mosier Keller, Chris L. Erickson

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Digital resources in libraries are fragile, and without proper preservation, these valuable resources will become unusable. This preservation reviews the importance of digital preservation, the problem with preserving digital materials, and then discusses what libraries can do to create a plan for providing long term access to their digital resources.