Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Alive Center (A Local Information & Volunteer Exchange): An Evaluation Of The Year 2003-2004, Joel Kaunisto

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Volunteerism plays an important role in modern American society with benefits accruing to the community and individuals who volunteer. This thesis evaluated the first year of operation of the ALIVE Center (A Local Information and Volunteer Exchange) by addressing four objectives of the program with data obtained from the ALIVE Center. To meet its first objective, the ALIVE Center maintains a current database of local human service organizations. The second objective, to establish a resource center and provide referrals and information to 1,000 people, was achieved. The third objective of maintaining a website was also met. Matching over 200 volunteers …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Risk-Taking Behaviors, Susan Matthews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Adolescents often make adult decisions regarding their lifestyle and behavior with little support from their family and community. In this study the researcher examined the difference in risk-taking behaviors between genders and the role that families and communities play in reducing risk-taking behaviors. In the study I further analyzed self-reports of numbers of development assets those students reporting participation in high-risk behaviors. Method: Data were obtained from a sample of convenience of (N=82) 12^th grade students. Behaviors and attitudes were examined using the Search Institute’s Profiles of Student Life survey. Results: Chi square was used to test for significant …

Assessing The Persistence To Graduation Of Students Joining Fraternities At Western Kentucky University, Charles Pride

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the study, I assessed the persistence of students who joined fraternities at Western Kentucky University. Also included is a comparison between them and the general student population. The study includes 1467 students who joined fraternities between the Fall 1986 to Spring 1991 semesters. A five-year time period was used as the benchmark for graduation from the institution. Factors that were explored included race, initiation status, year in school when pledging, and organizational affiliation. Pearson Product-Moment Correlations and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The results illustrated that students who join fraternities graduate at a higher …

An Evaluation Of The Economic Impact Of P.L., 101-336, Americans With Disabilities Act On A Community Hospital, Jean E. Craig

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Public Law 131-336, Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), is comprehensive legislation created with the intention of integrating the disable into the work place and every segment of society. Forty-three million Americans are disabled. Of these, twenty-three million seek employment, but because of discrimination are unable to find work. The law provides requirements for access to public accommodations. All disabled Americans deserve the opportunity to enjoy the same public services as the non-disabled.

Businesses are now required to provide reasonable accommodations to a disabled employee if these accommodations will allow the employee to perform the essential functions of the job. Businesses …

Are Major League Baseball Players Compensated For The Ability To Attract Fans?, Mark Tudor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A question asked by many baseball fans during the past two decades has been, “Do baseball players really earn multimillion dollars salaries by simply playing a game?” Previous studies have attempted to show that they go generate enough revenue for a given club to justify these exorbitant earnings. In fact, these studies show that, until recently, baseball players have been exploited by owners who have been reaping major profits at the expense of the players.

Most studies utilize fan attendance to generate revenue figures in their respective regression equations. The intent in this paper is to determine if baseball players …

Ground Water Flow And Water Resources Investigation Of The Auburn, Summers And Shakertown Springs Karst Ground Water Basins, Logan And Simpson Counties, Kentucky, William Howcroft

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The City of Auburn is faced with a number of problems relating to its dependency on two karst springs, Auburn and Summers Springs, to meet its water requirements. Besides being extremely vulnerable to contamination, the springs often discharge and insufficient volume of water needed for public consumption and dilution of the City’s treated wastewater. Thus the City wishes to find an additional source of water and views nearby Shakertown Spring as a possibility. The study has three main objectives: 1) delineation of the Auburn, Summers, and Shakertown Springs ground water basins, 2) determination of the volume of available water at …

A Study Of Kentucky’S Agricultural Performance Using Shift-Share Analysts, David Neal Cundiff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this paper the theory that Kentucky has a comparative advantage in agricultural employment, when compared to the United States, is examined. In order to test this hypothesis, a dynamic shift-share analysis was conducted using the thirteen major economic sector of Kentucky over the period 1970 to 1989. The resulting regional shift components, or competitive components, give support to the theory that a comparative advantage for Kentucky in agriculture does exist. Annual regional shift components, as well as their dynamic counterpart, possess predominately positive values, indicating outperformance by Kentucky’s agricultural sector when compared to the United States economy as a …

Does Sex Discrimination Exist In Faculty Salaries At Western Kentucky University? An Empirical Examination Of The Wage Gap, Reed Vesey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines wage differentials between male and female faculty salaries at Western Kentucky University. A human capital model of salary determination is examined by using regression analysis on relevant personal and job characteristics of faculty members. A large portion of the wage gap between men and women is explained through differences in the personal and job characteristics. A portion of the wage gap remains unexplained, however, the probability of discrimination playing a substantial role in salary is very small.

Six Volleyball Skill Tests As A Predictor Of Game Performance, Donetta J. Cothran

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of six selected volleyball skill tests to actual volleyball game performance. The six skill test items were administered to 64 subjects, who were all members of a college level introductory volleyball course. Based on the ratings of a panel of experts, subjects were rated during game play as good, average, or poor performers.

The stepwise discriminant analysis was used to analyze the relationship between skill tests and game performance. Four of the six skill tests were identified as significantly contributing to group membership. These tests, in order of the magnitude …

Measurement Of The Effects Of Food Preparation Activities On The Microclimate Of The Snowball Dining Room Area Of Mammoth Cave, Kelly Kaletsky

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The stability of Mammoth Cave’s microclimate has never undergone extensive investigation. The Snowball Dining Room area was chosen to measure the microclimate of the cave and to determine if food preparation, human presence and surface temperature variations alter this microclimate. Three portable weather stations containing a temperature / humidity probe, datalogger and microbarograph were placed in various locations along three passageways leading away from the dining room. Readings were taken 24 hours per day for four months. Plotting temperature readings in graph form show a correlation between temperature of the passageway and distance from the dining room.

Assertiveness As A Measure Of Satisfaction In The Physician-Patient Communication Process, Joan Delores Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent years medical societies have begun to recognize the effects and benefits of good communication between physician and patient. Like any other relationship, the exchange of information with fluent understanding creates a stronger bond of trust. Most applied research conducted in the area of physician-patient communication concentrates on physician behaviors which the patient views as problematic. This thesis focuses on patient assertiveness and its relationship to physician-patient satisfaction in the consultation process. Specifically, the study focuses on the relationship between patient assertiveness and physician-patient satisfaction.

For the study the researcher developed a patient questionnaire and pre- and post-physician questionnaires …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Self-Concept And Heterogeneous And Homogeneous Grouping Procedures With Seventh-Grade Students, Wanda Hughes Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Homogeneous grouping, a technique which assigns learners by ability levels into class sections for instruction, has undergone considerable controversy. This study investigated the relationship between global self-concept and two procedures used to group seventh-grade students for instruction. The two procedures were heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping The Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Inventory Scale was administered to 76 heterogeneously grouped students and 70 homogeneously grouped students. A T-Test was applied to study the data by total groups. It was concluded that there was insufficient evidence to reject the hypothesis that there was no difference between the two groups.

Stain Upon The Silence: Samuel Beckett’S Deconstructive Inventions, Leigh Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent years, deconstruction theory has emerged as a key method for exploring public address, organizational culture, and literary discourse. Deconstruction theory encourages tearing apart hierarchy and established order to gain insights about the artifact being studied. Furthermore, the theory questions surface or superficial messages and encourages the reader to explore signals hidden below the surface. Deconstruction discounts context and places faith in experience.

Using the early plays of Samuel Beckett, this research explores deconstruction as a method to create messages. This new perspective transports deconstruction from a set of theoretical concepts into basic assumptions that enhance communication. This study …

East Urban Area Corridor Analysis Daviess County, Kentucky, Laura Pace

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The need for improved highway facilities in the east urban area of Daviess County, Kentucky, is analyzed in this study. The study focuses upon the need for alternative highway routes, due to the increased travel demands generated by a new Ohio River Bridge in eastern Daviess County. Also, the east urban area is forecasted to experience population and employment growth in the next decade, further necessitating the need for improving existing highways or constructing new corridors in the area.

Various alternative alignments for an expressway are examined. The feasibility of upgrading existing highways in the east urban area is also …

The Effects Of Constant, Force-Drop And Variable Duration Training On Increasing The Useful Field Of View, Kathleen Marie O'Connor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Useful Field of View (UFOV) is the entire area in which information can be gathered without moving the head or eyes. It is generally found that the size of the UFOV shrinks with age. Additionally, research has shown that simple practice on the UFOV task can increase the size of the UFOV. However, simple practice may not be the most effective strategy for increasing the UFOV. The present study examined whether training directed toward a specific basis of UFOV loss (slower speed of processing) is more effective than simple practice at increasing field size.

Individuals received one or three …

Radon Contamination Of Residences In A City Built Upon A Karst Landscape Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky, James William Webster

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 8 to 12% of U.S. homes have radon concentrations that equal or exceed 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l). A statewide screening of Kentucky by EPA resulted in an average residential radon concentration of 2.8 pCi/l with 17% of the homes at or above 4 pCi/l. EPA requires routine monitoring and maintenance or worker health records in mines and caves having radon daughter concentrations at or above 0.30 working levels (WL).

Bowling Green is a city located in a karst region of south central Kentucky. Residents of Bowling Green have been subjected …

Effects Of Three Organizational Policies On Individuals’ Attitudes About Drug Testing, Alan Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The consensus of recent literature appears to be that drug testing is both legal and valid. However, a testing program can meet legal and technical criteria and still fail to meet organizational objectives because one vital component has been left out – employees’ attitudes. The present study uses data from 148 college juniors and seniors to assess the effects of three hypothetical drug testing policies: (a) consequences of detected drug use (termination vs. rehabilitation), (b) timing of the program (expected interval vs. random interval vs. reasonable cause), and (c) business purpose (weak vs. strong) on attitudes toward drug testing. It …

Processes And Perceptions Of Remaining Current, Diane Paul

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research examined the problem of professional obsolescence and mechanisms available to employees to avoid becoming obsolete. Current literature is reviewed on obsolescence and on remaining current in the nursing profession. Specific areas addressed are indicators of obsolescence and an examination of what happens to skills and abilities when an individual moves from a technical field into its administration. Participants in the research include registered nurses at three hospitals. The research is composed of two phases: an interview phase and a survey phase. Qualitative and quantitative analysis reveal categories of concerns about remaining current. The special concerns an obsolescence of …

Public Relations: Its Importance In The Public School System, Lawrence Crittenden Hunter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Literature was reviewed to determine the importance of a public relations program in the public school system. Information was retrieved from various published sources, including materials from the National School Public Relations Association, professional journals, books relating to public relations and a variety of other educational reports.

An analysis of the literature reveals the following components of a successful public relations program:

1. A plan of action benefits the public relations program.
2. Staff participants benefit the public relations program.
3. Parent involvement is an important aspect of the public relations program.
4. Community involvement is essential to a successful public relations program

Factors Affecting Wood Fuel Consumption And Environmental Impacts In Warren County, Kentucky, Barry Vann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research is to identify factors that contribute to wood fuel consumption as a space heating source and estimate a county-wide proportion for wood fuel consuming households. In addition, environmental problems associated with deforestation such as erosion and loss of wildlife habitat are delineated; moreover, air pollution resulting from wood fuel emissions are discussed.

An exhaustive literature review provided the basis for the study. Data on Warren County wood fuel consumption patterns were derived from a mail survey. Proportion estimates were tested by using a classical two-tail test of hypothesis. Subsequently, factors were identified and used in …

Stigma And The Negotiation Of Identity By Rural And Small-Town Lesbians, Margaret Cooper

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fifteen women who identify themselves as lesbians were located through snowball sampling. These women participated in confidential taped interviews and assigned pseudonyms. They were questioned on topics which included growing up gay, family, work relations and friendship associations.

It was assumed that life experiences may differ on the basis of social environments. This study focused on the unique experiences of rural lesbians.

Erving Goofman’s book, Stigma, provided the theoretical framework utilized in the analysis of lesbian identity management. It also allowed for a discussion of stigma and its effect on lesbians.

The women in the study experiencing homosexual feelings during …

Stress Indicators Of Kentucky Elementary Principals, Helen Kirby

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Stress has become a problem to which people of all walks of life may relate, affecting the actions of the individual on both professional and personal levels. In the field of education, administrators often report a high level of stress, sometimes referred to as burnout. Much has been written about teacher stress, but very little research has been done on stress encountered by elementary principals. Research was conducted on stress as perceived by elementary principals in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for this study.

The questionnaire used was compiled by the researcher using Koff, Laffey, Olson and Cichon’s table of Stress …

Need For Cognition Scale: A Study Of Its Psychometric Properties And Its Ability To Predict Academic Achievement, Arthur Cleavinger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The psychometric properties of the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS; Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) were investigated in two studies with independent samples of undergraduates at Western Kentucky University. In the first study (N = 379), the internal consistency and factor structure of the NCS were examined, and the NCS was compared to the Achievement subscale of the Personality Research Form (Jackson, 1974) and the State-Trait Curiosity subscale of the State-Trait Personality Inventory (Speilberger, 1979). Also, the possibility of differences in “need for cognition” attributable to socio-economic status (i.e. the educational attainment of the subjects’ parents) were examined. The second study …

A “Drastic” Evaluation Of The Ground-Water Pollution Potential Of Karst Terrain: Lost River Ground-Water Basin, Warren County, Kentucky, David Baize

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Karst terrains, such as the Lost River Karst Ground-Water Basin, are extremely vulnerable to ground-water contamination. Seven physical factors: depth to water, recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of the vadose zone, and hydraulic conductivity, are evaluated using the DRASTIC system to determine the ground-water pollution potential of the study area. A numerical value is calculated for each of the seven factors, and a map layer for each factor is produced. These layers are then “added” together to produce a DRASTIC ground-water pollution potential map. The effectiveness of each factor in evaluating the pollution potential of karst terrain is …

The Effects Of Decreased Uncertainty And Telescopic Versus Full Field Training On The Useful Field Of View, Lauren M. Jackson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The “Useful Field of View” (UFOV) is the entire area in which information can be gathered without moving the eyes or head (Ball, Beard, Roenker, Miller & Griggs, 1998). Previous research has demonstrated that the UFOV shrinks with age (Scialfa, Kline & Lyman, 1987; Plude & Doussard-Roosevelt, 1987: Ball et al., 1988). With decrement in the UFOV, everyday activities, such as driving and walking can be limited. If the area in which information is received is smaller, then objects seem to appear suddenly and here is little time to react to them. One example of an everyday activity that would …

The Altered Mobile Home: A Stationary Image Of Work And Value, Gregory Kendall Jenkins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As the medium cost of conventional housing rises, many people unable to incur such an expense look for alternative forms of adequate housing. In rural areas surrounding Bowling Green, Kentucky, several families have utilized the mobile home as a base to expand, embellish, and personalize, creating a larger more conventional-looking home. Many of these altered homes possess gabled roofs, rock exterior walls, and expansive interior space. Of primary concern is: why have these families undertaken a project of this nature?

As material culture scholars and folklorists examine our built environment, they find relationship between construction and the builders. What can …

A Comparison Of The Frequencies Of Selected Teaching Behaviors Of Trained And Untrained Teachers, Raymonde Antonia Frances Joseph

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to compare the frequencies of a selected set of teaching behaviors of trained and untrained teachers in elementary schools in St. Lucia. The dependent variables in the study were the frequencies of Structuring, Questioning, Feedback and Praise behaviors. The independent variables were training, grades awarded at teaching practice, and subject areas.

Records of the lessons were obtained through the use of audiotapes. The behaviors were coded using a low inference observation schedule. The data were analyzed using means and standard deviations. The significance and inferential statistic applied was the chi-square.

Significant differences were found …

The Effect Of Spatial Or Verbal Strategy Practice On Hand Involvement, Michela Anita Larocca

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of the research on spatial problem solving indicates that spatial problems can be solved using verbal or spatial strategies. Research on block designs further indicate that increased solving speed is correlated with increased left-handed use in right-handers. However, the effect of strategy teaching on hand involvement has not been explored. The present study selected 38 right-hand dominant college students low in spatial ability (Total Standard Score ≤ 95) using the matrices Analogies Test (Naglieri, 1985). Subjects were randomly assigned to a spatial, verbal, or no (control) strategy condition. After completing the pretest consisting of seven block designs based …

The Sex Stereotype Of A Job As A Moderator Of Sex Bias In Performance Evaluations, Sandra B. Crooks

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In accordance with the stereotype-fit model of discrimination (Dipboye, 1985), the results of past research indicate that the extent to which jobs are sex stereotyped dictates whether or not a main effect for rate sex is present in performance evaluations. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between the sex stereotype of the job and the presence of sex bias in evaluation. Two hundred and five undergraduate psychology students viewed one of eight videotapes of a confederate job applicant performing a work sample task and evaluated the observed performance. A 2 x 2 x 2 between …

The Effects Of Adding Verbalizations On The Draw-A-Person, Phyllis Helen Millspaugh

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sixty-two male and femal 9-, 10- and 11-year olds were administered the Naglieri Draw-A-Person (DAP) and the Vocabulary and Block Design subtests fro mthe Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). The study was conducted to determine the effects of verbalizations during the DAP on correlations with an estimated Full Scale IQ Score obtained from the two WISC-R subtests. Results of the study indicate that although there was an increase in the correlations between the Verbal DAP group and the estimated Full Scale IQ Score, compared to the standard DAP and the Full Scale IQ, it was not significant. The difference …