Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Development And Validation Of The Palliative Care Knowledge Scale (Packs), Elissa Kozlov

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Palliative care is a team-based, specialty service that improves the quality of life for individuals with serious illness and their families. However, current research suggests that this life-improving service is drastically underutilized. Patient knowledge of a healthcare service is theorized to drive utilization. If people do not know what palliative care is, they cannot be expected to seek out or accept a referral for the service. Currently, there are no psychometrically evaluated scales to assess knowledge of palliative care. The purpose of this study is to develop a reliable and valid scale that broadly measures knowledge about palliative care. An …

Dynamic Adjustments Of Cognitive Control In Healthy Aging: A Diffusion Model Analysis, Andrew Jacob Aschenbrenner

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The control of attention over salient yet irrelevant information is a critical component of goal-directed behavior. Compared to younger adults, older adults often produce larger interference effects in tasks which tap selective attention, a deficit that has typically been viewed as reflecting an age-related decline in attentional control processes. Interference in distinct, attentionally demanding tasks has produced different influences on the characteristics of underlying response time distributions leading to the assumption of different control mechanisms operating across various paradigms. More recently, accumulating research has shown that the magnitude of observed interference can be critically modulated by the congruency of the …

Surviving Collapse: Collective Memory And Political Reorganization At Actuncan, Belize, David Williams Mixter

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on a study of political reorganization at the ancient Maya site of Actuncan, Belize following the 9th century collapse of Classic Maya society. During the Terminal Classic period (A.D. 780–1000), Maya divine kingship was gradually abandoned, leading to increased warfare, regional food scarcity, and mass migration. In contrast to broader trends, the residents of Actuncan did not leave. In this dissertation, I draw on the theoretical frameworks of resilience theory and collective memory to explain why Actuncan was not abandoned and how the local community reorganized its political and ritual institutions after the failure of divine kingship. …

Perceiving Oldness In Parietal Cortex: Fmri Characterization Of A Parietal Memory Network, Adrian Gilmore

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The manner in which the human brain recognizes certain stimuli as novel or familiar is a matter of ongoing investigation. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to improve our understanding of how this may be accomplished. More specifically, work contained herein focuses on a recently described "parietal memory network" (PMN; Gilmore et al., 2015) that shows opposite patterns of activity when perceiving novel or familiar stimuli: deactivating in response to novelty, and activating in response to familiarity. Critically, our understanding of this network is based on explicit memory tasks, in which subjects are deliberately instructed to learn or remember …

Cultivating Knowledge: The Production And Adaptation Of Knowledge On Organic And Gm Cotton Farms In Telangana, India, Andrew Flachs

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the ways in which genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds, rice seeds, and organic cotton seeds in Telangana, India set farmers on diverging economic, environmental, and social trajectories. GM cotton, a cash crop sold under hundreds of different brand names by private corporations, leads farmers to rapidly change to new seeds and copy their neighbors’ choices as they chase high yields that counter their high investments in an input-intensive agriculture. Rice, a subsistence and market crop distributed largely by public breeders, allows farmers to change their seeds more slowly as they carefully evaluate durability and taste alongside overall …

The Dynamics Of Competitive Authoritarian Elections, Adrian Lucardi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Although most authoritarian regimes nowadays hold competitive elections, the actual level of competitiveness of these elections varies greatly: while some autocrats win (or cheat) by comfortable margins, others must work hard in order to win, and a few step down following an electoral defeat. The three papers that compose this dissertation investigate how economic conditions, subnational elections, player's expectations about the future and their capacity to formulate credible commitments affect the competitiveness of authoritarian elections.The first paper of the dissertation examines the origins of ruling party defections and opposition coalitions in authoritarian elections. Using a formal model, I show that …

Computer Monitoring In The Workplace: Performance Effects And Perceptions, Kimberly S. Rubenstein

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Computer performance monitoring (CPM) has become prevalent in modern day as several work functions are now completed on the computer. Under the framework of social facilitation effect (Zajonc, 1965), it is possible that CPM may affect performance because of the feeling of being evaluated. In addition to its effects on performance, employees’ perceptions of CPM are important to consider when employers are deciding whether or not to implement its use in the workplace. Employees may feel apprehensive about being electronically observed, however CPM can be used to employees’ benefit through its ability to provide accurate and detailed information about their …

Towards Epistolary Dialogue, Sandra L. Pensoneau-Conway, Molly Wiant Cummins

Communication Faculty Publications - Archive

In this essay, we investigate the potential of letters as a communicative genre that embodies dialogue, and thus, disrupts power relations. To do so, we first outline a theoretical framework that draws upon feminist and critical communication pedagogies. We specifically focus on two scholars—Nel Noddings and Paulo Freire—for the ways they utilize dialogue in developing their pedagogical positions. We then explain our epistolary method of letter writing, which stood as the central component of a semester-long project between us as student and teacher. We use excerpts from our letters to analyze the epistolary form as conducive to dialogic engagement—what we …

Finding An Onramp To The Dpla: Loyola Marymount University's Collaboration With Calisphere, Shilpa Rele

Librarian Publications & Presentations

The Loyola Marymount University library recently partnered with the Online Archive of California’s Calisphere to harvest metadata records from LMU’s Digital Collections. Partnering with Calisphere was a strategic move as Calisphere serves as an on-ramp for our digital collections in to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). Currently smaller institutions are unable to directly share their collections with the DPLA, hence this partnership between LMU and Calisphere. Once the content is in the DPLA, it will also result in greater discoverability and access to LMU’s Digital Collections. The process to harvest LMU’s metadata into Calisphere required signing an MOU …

Every Day You Are Improving: How College Students View The Educational Impact Of World Of Warcraft, Nariman Alawami, Heng-Yu Ku

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of the study was to explore college students’ experiences with playing World of Warcraft (WoW) and their views on the application of WoW in educational settings. A qualitative case study design was used to interview three participants who were selected purposively from a Midwestern university. Findings revealed that players thought that playing WoW was fun, relaxing, motivating, but sometimes almost to the point of addiction. The findings also support student perceptions of generalization of teamwork, cooperating, socializing, academic skills, and time management skills learned and practiced in playing WoW to academic settings. Playing WoW games can provide an …

The Impact Of Family Autism Camp On Families And Individuals With Asd, Luchara R. Wallace

The Qualitative Report

Families of children with disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), often search for opportunities to acquire information about and receive emotional support from others who may have or had similar experiences. An evaluation of the Dakota Black Goose Family Autism Camp sought to determine the impact of the family camp experience. Pre- and Post-Camp surveys were administered upon families’ arrival at Camp and prior to their departure (n=17) to evaluate the overall quality of the program as well as the level of informational and emotional support anticipated and received. Follow-up interviews were completed six months post Camp to determine …

Participatory Qualitative Research Methodologies In Health: A Review, Rikki Mangrum

The Qualitative Report

Participatory Qualitative Research Methodologies in Health is an edited collection of essays on the methodologies, challenges, and opportunities of participatory research. It provides guidance in designing and executing participatory studies, and thoughtful examinations of the ethical and practical issues of research partnerships, with particular attention to marginalized or vulnerable people.

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between Gay Identity, Perceived Social Support, Gender-Role Conflict, And Parenting Intention In Childless Gay Men, Brian Amorello

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Parenting intention plays a fundamental role in one’s decision to become a parent. Higher levels of parenting intention indicate a higher likelihood of becoming a parent. For gay men, this process can be increasingly complex. There are a substantial number of factors that could play a role in a gay man’s decision to parent. Gay identity might play a role in the parenting intentions of gay men, as it has been found that loosely related constructs such as internalized heterosexism or outness do impact this decision. Perceived social support has been found to have both positive and deleterious effects on …

Partisan Politics And Corporate Tax Policy Transparency, Mi Jeong Shin

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effect of partisan politics on corporate tax policy in the developed world. In particular, I examine why and how left-wing governments give firms an effective tax rate that is lower than the national tax rate. My central argument is that left-wing governments keep corporate taxes high in order to please their voters and avoid high constituency costs, but compensate firms by providing non-transparent policy instruments such as tax incentives or lax regulation having low constituency costs to promote economic growth. These opaque policy instruments allow firms to effectively evade the higher corporate tax rates. My findings …

Decision Making In Older Adults: A Comparison Of Delay And Probability Discounting Across, Ariana Vanderveldt

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The value of an outcome is affected both by the delay until its receipt (delay discounting) and by the likelihood of its receipt (probability discounting). The discounting framework has greatly aided in modeling and understanding decision-making, particularly in the areas of impulsivity, but these findings have overwhelmingly been based on research with young adults. In three experiments, the current study extended the discounting framework by examining choice by older adults. Experiments 1 and 2 found that both young and older adults discounted delayed outcomes and probabilistic outcomes and that their choices were well-described by the same hyperboloid model. Both young …

The Interaction Of Crystallized And Fluid Abilities In Aging And Speech Perception, Avanti Dey

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In a series of studies, I examined the degree to which fluid and crystallized abilities contribute to and interact during speech perception. During the aging process, crystallized abilities (e.g., linguistic and word knowledge) are largely preserved, while fluid abilities involved in the online manipulation of information (e.g., working memory and inhibitory control) decline with age. Importantly, these two components are critical for successful speech perception and comprehension. While prior research has proposed that older adults rely on crystallized knowledge to compensate for cognitive deficits in difficult listening conditions, this hypothesis has not been directly tested. Younger and older adults completed …

Institutions And The Performance Of Liberal Democracy: Judicial Procedures And The Efficacy Of Constitutional Review, Jay Krehbiel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Modern liberal democracies typically depend on courts with the power of constitutional review to ensure that elected officials do not breach their constitutional obligations. With neither the power of the purse nor the sword, the potency of this review is not guaranteed. Courts must rely on government officials for the implementation of judicial rulings. The ability of a court to ensure that elected officials faithfully implement decisions can depend critically on the public's ability to observe elected officials' responses to judicial decisions. In this dissertation, I argue that courts strategically use key judicial procedures to increase the likelihood of public …

Age Differences In The Effects Of Semantic Context On Speech Perception: The Role Of Uncertainty., John Ryan Morton

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Recent experiments have shown that semantic context effects on spoken word recognition differ between young and older adults (Rogers, Jacoby & Sommers, 2012; Sommers et. al, in prep). These experiments have shown that older adults provide significantly more incorrect responses than young adults when context predicts a phonological competitor that is semantically more likely than the actual target item. Incorrectly responding with the semantically predicted item rather than the true target item, with high confidence, is referred to as false hearing. The general design used in the studies reported for this dissertation is to compare identification of sentence-final items (presented …

The Effect Of Social Networking On Students’ Academic Performance: The Perspective Of Faculty Members Of Periyar University, Salem, Sudha S, Kavitha Es Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The Internet has undergone rapid development, with significant impact on social life and on modes of communication. Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. This study aimed to study the faculty perception of SNS on academic performance of students. The study also focuses to assess the positive and negative impacts of SNS on students’ academic performance. A structured questionnaire designed and was randomly distributed to 110 faculty members of Periyar University, Salem. After collecting the data, SPSS 16 Software was use for …

Mater: Innovative Programs For Maternal Addiction Education Treatment And Research, Meghan Gannon Phd Msph

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center Church Bulletin, August 14, 2016

Saint Francis Borgia Deaf Center Church Bulletin

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Chicago, IL

Saint Francis Brogia Deaf Center Church Bulletin Finding Aid

Nebraska Libraries - Volume 4, Number 3 (August 2016)

Nebraska Libraries

Editor's letter -- Willa Bitney-Garay

Student spotlights -- Rachel Kenny, Dana Still, and Kristine Woods

La Vista Public Library & Sarpy Center: Serving students and the community -- Rose Barcal

Arbor Day 2016 — Morton-James on Main: Transforming Nebraska City's library for a day -- Tom Boeche and Denise Davis

Technical Services Round Table: Technical services competencies and library science education -- Emily Dust Nimsakont

The Knee Bone's connected to the ...: Educational games from the National Library of Medicine -- Christian Minter

The Evolution Of Distributive Benefits: The Rise Of Letter-Marking In The United States Congress, Russell W. Mills, Nicole Kalaf-Hughes

The Journal of Economics and Politics

THE RECENT MORATORIUM ON EARMARKS HAS GIVEN RISE TO A NEW AND LARGELY HIDDEN PRACTICE FOR SECURING DISTRIBUTIVE BENEFITS: LETTER-MARKING. LETTER-MARKING OCCURS WHEN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ASK (IN WRITING) THE HEAD OF AN AGENCY TO RETAIN OR ALLOCATE DISTRIBUTIVE BENEFITS IN THEIR DISTRICTS. WHILE LETTER-MARKING IS COMMON IN WASHINGTON, THE SCHOLARLY LITERATURE HAS IGNORED THIS PRACTICE. WE USE A UNIQUE DATASET OF 101 CONGRESSIONAL LETTERS RELATING TO FAA FUNDING AND EMPIRICALLY ASSESS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE LETTER-WRITER’S CHARACTERISTICS AND THE LETTER’S CONTENT IMPACT THE LIKELIHOOD OF ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES. IN DOING SO, WE OFFER A NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF LETTER-MARKING.

National Treasure: A Survey Of The Current International Law Regime For Underwater Cultural Heritage, Christian Hoefly

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Addressing The Problem Of Implementing The Hague Abduction Convention On The Civil Aspects Of International Child Abduction Between The U.S. And Mexico, Breanna Atwood

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Industrial Ecology Analysis Of The Potential For An Eastern Nebraska Industrial Symbiosis Network (Enisn): A Comparative Study, Bradley A. Behne

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The area of Eastern Nebraska north of Omaha, including the municipality of Blair is host to a collection of unique companies and industries. These industries, driven by the agricultural and urban economy of the area, as well as the geographic proximity to each other, make it an advantageous area to study the potential for a network where individual entities utilize the concept of industrial symbiosis. This potential network is referred to as the Eastern Nebraska Industrial Symbiosis Network (ENISN). Industrial symbiosis, a sub-set of industrial ecology, engages separate industries in a collaborative and collective approach, concerning itself with the flow …

Development Of An Associate Degree Level Course On Lean, Jeremy Espinoza

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

Lean training and education has become a focal point in both industry and the realm of academics; however, the need within the industry remains, and oftentimes companies must take on the additional and high expense of training new graduates once they enter the workforce. Often, the classes that students study in the lean methodology, if any are studied at all, are taught within other disciplines, and the instruction is in a general sense as opposed to in depth and hands on. Within the past eight years it has been referenced in different academic articles that students are not coming into …

Interacting With Muslim Students: Strategies That Work, Oscar Osindo

Faculty and Staff Institute

This presentation will help faculty to become familiar with Muslim values and customs that might affect classroom relationships and learning. The Muslim and Christian worldviews are in conflict, which is reflected in day to day Muslim practices such as outward manifestation of their faith and practice, in lifestyle and their general view of community structures. This presentation will provide practical suggestions and how to build bridges towards healthy intercultural classroom atmosphere.

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The Significance Of Economic Significance, Dakota M. Sneed Mr.

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to research performed by Deirdre McCloskey two important econometric terms, economic significance and statistical significance, have begun to become confused through equivocation. McCloskey calls for the distinction of the two types of significance but never gives a definition for what economic significance is. I show that statistical significance is necessary but not sufficient for economic significance by virtue of the fact that statistical significance does not say anything about the world or the natures of relationships. Furthermore, I found that the currently existing definitions of economic significance was too inconsistent for meaningful discussion. To remedy this problem, I create …

Thou And It: Personhood Actualized Through Water Rights, Kierra M. Powell

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

While issues of racial and gendered discrimination are more visible and widely discussed, poverty and water based discrimination is often a silent fact of life for the many. As one of the most critical elemental resources required for the sustainability of human life, safe water has been designated a human right, but the current global distribution of water does not mirror this sentiment. The divide in quality water distribution provokes the question: whose life is intrinsically valued? This study seeks to determine the status of personhood as displayed by the movement of water in relation to the underprivileged. I first …