Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Judicial Decision Making Under Michigan Sentencing Guidelines, Abel E. Ekpunobi

Dissertations

Many states and the federal judiciary have adopted sentencing guidelines as a mechanism of sentencing reform. This study used the bounded rationality model to investigate judicial decision-making under Michigan Sentencing Guidelines, and the effectiveness o f the guidelines in reducing or eliminating sentencing disparities — situations in which legally similar defendants receive dissimilar sentences.

A statistical and comparative analysis of a database sample of felony cases (n = 20,834), sentenced in four different-sized Michigan counties from 1992 through 1997, was examined with logistic and linear regression models. Logistic regression results indicate a significant association (p < .05) between incarceration and some legal and extralegal variables. Legal variables, such as prior felony convictions, sentencing guideline scores, offense type/severity, the defendant’s relationship with the criminal justice system, and extralegal variables, such as the defendant’s race and gender, year and county of sentencing, are important predictors of sentencing outcomes. Linear regression results indicate a significant association (p < .05) between the minimum term of imprisonment and prior felony convictions, sentencing guidelines and offense type/ severity, but not with extralegal variables. These results suggest that judicial decision-making remains a human/“bounded rationality” process.

The findings of this study …

Diversity, Collaboration, Reflective Practice, And Technology In Professional Education Programs: Strategic Choices For Higher Education, Caren L. Sax Edd

Dissertations

Today's postsecondary students are entering American institutions of higher education (IHEs) with different experiences, expectations, and learning needs than students of previous generations. Calls for more diverse campuses, advanced technology, and lifelong learning are maintaining pressure on IHEs to adjust to new demands for a more encompassing vision as traditional approaches are no longer adequate. The challenges are tremendous; the responses must be extensive and reflective if higher education is to achieve its goals of preparing students for productive and meaningful lives. This study investigated student experiences in a yearlong professional education program that was focused by four strategic choices …

Lifting The Veil Off Widowhood: Portraits Of Transformation, Louise A. Stanger Edd

Dissertations

This qualitative research study has explored the lives of 13 women who were widowed before the age of 55, who are professionals, educators, businesswomen, and community activists, to learn how their lives have been transformed since the death of their spouse. For this study, the death of a spouse was seen as a transforming event in the life of a married woman. The nature of this transformation varied with each respondent. Portraiture was the primary biographical methodology used. Purposive sampling provided the opportunity to interview women from diverse backgrounds. Five global, open-ended interview questions were used and demographic data were …

The Relationship Between Parent Status And The Home Learning Environment, Self-Esteem, And Academic Achievement Of Fifth- To Eighth-Grade Students From Ohio Conference Seventh-Day Adventist Schools, Joseph R. Allison

Dissertations

Problem. The social issues at the end of the 20^th century have not left the Seventh-day Adventist church untouched. This present study sought to determine the differences that may exist between one- and two-parent students in the area of home learning environment, self-esteem, and academic achievement.

Method. Eighty-eight male and female students from 14 Ohio Seventh-day Adventist schools in grades 5-8 were studied. Data for the study were collected from three instruments: the Hare Self-Esteem Scale, the modified Henderson Environmental Learning Process Scale, and the Family Survey. Additional data were gathered from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills student …

The Relationship Between Afrocentric Worldview And Marital Satisfaction In African-American Couples, Ganz E. Ferrance

Dissertations

Problem. It has been argued that many of the theories attempting to explain African-American culture derive from a Eurocentric framework, and thus paint a negative and pathological picture of the African-American family and community. What is needed is research examining African-American family life which holds Afrocentric culture and beliefs as its foundation. Consequently, this study is an attempt to investigate the relationship between Afrocentric cultural consciousness (Afrocentric worldview) and marital satisfaction of spouses of African descent.

Method. This study used a correlational and ex post facto research design involving surveys to assess the relationship between the dependent variable …

An Understanding Of Selected Familial Dynamics As They Relate To The Prevention Of Substance Use Among Youth From St. Martin, Vincent A. David

Dissertations

Problem. Various studies examined the relationship between youth, drug use, and the role that families play in influencing such use. Thus, it is evident that youth use drugs, and thereasons for their drug use vary widely. However, there have not been widespread research done on the youth who do not use drugs, particularly from a family perspective. Also, no research study has been known to be conducted on St. Martin of such nature.

Purpose. This study sought to gain an understanding on how selected familial dynamics functioned within three families in deterring their youth from becoming involved in …

The Relationship Between Religious Beliefs, Moral Development, Self-Control, Peer Pressure, Self-Esteem, And Premarital Sex, Jacynth A. Fennell

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if there is any relationship between religious beliefs, moral development, self-control, peer pressure, self-esteem, and premarital sex, providing for a comprehensive framework for understanding this phenomenon.

Method. Subjects were 148 undergraduates attending three schools in different geographic regions within the United States. Subjects were primarily between 18 and 25 years old. A survey was completed by 148 students. Data-were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and Independent-Samples t test.

Results. Of the 148 students who participated in the study, 38% were Black, Hispanic, 38% were White, non-Hispanic, 10% were …

Characteristics Of Hispanic Seventh-Day Adventist Adolescents Who Attempted Suicide, Juanita E. Trivino

Dissertations

Problem. Hispanic adolescent suicide attempts appear to have been understudied, while suicidal behavior continues to be a concern as a youthful phenomenon. The present study sought to contribute to the understanding of Hispanic youth suicide and its association with acculturation, family, religion, and gender in a sample of Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist adolescents.

Method. The data used for this study came from the Avance survey, the largest denominational survey conducted among Hispanic Seventh-day Adventists in the U.S. (1993-1994). The sample consisted of 869 adolescents, comprised of 380 males and 489 females. Chi-square, t test for means of two independent samples, …

Self-Esteem, Personal Control, Optimism, Extraversion, And The Subjective Well-Being Of Midwestern University Faculty, Shawn Lee Zimmerman

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Although recent summaries of subjective well-being have illuminated four primary covariants, little research has been done that addresses the interaction and combined effects of these variables, limiting the development of theory and practice, especially in the population of university faculty. This research sought to address the interaction of self esteem, personal control, optimism, and extraversion when measured together, and how they combine in relation to subjective well-being in a sample of Midwestern university faculty.

Methodology

A total of 233 surveys was collected from two Midwestern university faculty populations. These surveys measured self-esteem, personal control, optimism, extraversion, subjective …

A Study Of K-12 Teachers In Small School Districts : Their Levels Of Stress, The Source Of Stress, And The Effect Of Initiating Coping Strategies, Roberta J. Farwell

Dissertations

Problem. This study explored the relationship between K-12 regular education teachers in school districts with fewer than 2,500 students and their levels of stress as it related to the sources of stress, demographic variables, and initiation of coping strategies.

Method. The subjects of this study were 329 K-12 teachers. They completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Education form, a demographic/coping mechanism form, and Stressor Source Check List.

Results. (1) Classroom, building, and community issues affected teachers' attitudes toward their profession:Stress levels, as measured by the MBI, were reflected in their identification of sources of stress in the work …

Object Relations And Identity Disturbances In Bulimic Women, Kathy Appledorn

Dissertations

Problem. Although diagnostic criteria of bulimia center on weight- and food-related issues, eating disorders may be viewed as a response to deficits in self-regulatory functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of bulimia, object relations, and identity. This study tested the hypotheses that women with a more severe eating pathology have high scores on object-relations disturbance as well as identity disturbance. It was postulated that women who have been assessed as having a more cohesive ego might respond to cognitive behavioral therapy while those who are assessed as having less intact ego …

Marital Satisfaction Factors For Korean-Americans, Soonja Choi Lee

Dissertations

Problem. Many marital satisfaction studies have focused on many sub-groups: Caucasians, Blacks, and many ethnic groups such as Japanese, German, Polish, Indian, Chinese-American, Swedish, Mexican-American, Nigerian, and Koreans in Korea. No study was found that has investigated marital satisfaction factors for Korean-American couples.

Method. This study evaluated marital satisfaction factors that were important to Korean Americans. The Korean-American population for this study was reached through the Korean-American church organizations in America by random selection of churches.

A total of 558 surveys was usable for analyses. Of the 558 subjects, approximately 49% were husbands and 51% were wives. Three hundred …

The Community College Coach: Leadership Practices And Athlete Satisfaction, Jodi P. Coffman Edd

Dissertations

Community college coaches and athletes completed the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), to assess the leadership practices of coaches of various sports. Soccer coaches and their athletes were also surveyed to assess the impact of the congruence of leadership practices ratings upon athlete satisfaction. Two samples were taken from Spring and Fall, 1998 sports: (a) 225 full-time head coaches of team sports in which there was a male and female equivalent in California's community colleges, and (b) 280 men's and women's soccer athletes. The descriptive statistics conducted indicated that there were more similarities than differences between the male and female coaches, …

Giving Up And Giving In: Young Adolescents' Dilemmas When Caring For A Grandparent With Alzheimer's Disease, Diane Lee Beach Edd

Dissertations

Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease have been studied extensively; the vast majority of caregiver research has focused on spouses and adult children, negating the impact caregiving has on younger family members. Importantly, 75% of caregivers are female; 31% of these women have children at home under the age of 12 and 23% live with a child aged 12–17. As such, adolescents will be increasingly involved in the care of Alzheimer's victims. This study sought to examine the experiences of these individuals. Specifically, what is it like for an adolescent to provide care for a grandparent afflicted with Alzheimer's disease? …

Games Leaders Play: Collaborative Leadership Development Through Simulations In Knowledge-Based Organizations, John Paul Dentico Edd

Dissertations

New concepts of leadership and new methods of imparting these concepts to individuals are needed in the knowledge society of today. This study presented a practitioners model of collaborative leadership and a new experiential simulation methodology called LeadSimrn as a way in which organization members could learn this new model of leadership and develop confidence in its ability to engage complex issues. Using the LeadSimm simulation method, two scenarios were developed and two simulations were played. The San Jose Police Department played one simulation and the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank played the other. The researcher conducted eighteen …

A Professional Competency Survey Of Organizational Consultants In San Diego County, Angie Mays Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the rapidly growing field of Organizational Consulting. Specifically, this research focuses on developing profiles of various types of organizational consultants in San Diego County. The types of profiles considered included: Executive Coaches, Feedback Specialists, Motivational Speakers, Trainers, Educators, and Consultants. The research topics examined included: background and professional preparation of consultants, professional resources utilized, interventions most commonly used, and level of job satisfaction. A descriptive survey was employed to aid in the investigation. The questionnaire consisted of questions revised from Waller's (1988) national survey of training consultants, and …

Temporary Employment: The Spanish Experience, Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes

Dissertations

In an effort to promote employment flexibility and reduce the unemployment rate, Spanish authorities deregulated temporary employment in the early 1980s. Nonetheless, the deregulation of temporary employment took place at the margin, favoring the development of a dual labor market in which temporary workers constituted a second class of workers involuntarily employed and enduring limited advancement opportunities.

Using data from the Spanish labor force survey, Spanish temporary employment and job transitions into and out of temporary employment are examined. The study first evaluates the incidence of Spanish temporary employment and its involuntary and demand-led character. Secondly, the analysis reveals temporary …

An Examination Of Self-Efficacy In Master’S Level Counselor Trainees, Matthew G. Rushlau

Dissertations

This research is an investigation into changes in individuals’ belief of self-efficacy as they advanced through master’s-level counselor training. Differences were examined between reported levels of beliefs of self-efficacy for a group of 30 master’s students involved in counselor practicum training and 31 master’s students involved in basic counseling coursework. Participants completed the Counselor Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE) (Larson et al., 1992) at the beginning and end of an academic semester. Data generated by the COSE included an overall score on beliefs of counselor self-efficacy along with five subscale scores of various aspects of counseling, consisting of Micro-Skills, Process, Difficult Client …

The Impact Of Social, Political, And Economic Forces On Enviromental Protection Efforts, Jung Sam Park

Dissertations

The researcher's purpose in this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between environmental protection efforts (the dependent variable) and social, political. and economical forces (the independent variables), and to suggest strategies for the improvement and promotion of environmental protection efforts.

Data on 10 environment-related indicators (variables) were collected from 191 countries by using published statistical information on their social. political. economical, and environmental conditions. These indicators were analyzed to determine which indicators had the most powerful relationship to environmental protection efforts.

Descriptive statistics, bivariate regression analysis, bivariate correlation coefficient analysis, multiple regression analysis, multivariate correlation coefficient analysis. …

Sexual Politics And Subversion: Feminist Utopia As Praxis, Jennifer Sue Boyers

Dissertations

Literary studies meets up with sociology as feminist utopian fiction Is examined for what sociologist Dorothy Smith (1990) labels normal narrative and counter-narrative articulations of gendered structures of power. The method of analytical Induction Is used both In the choosing of the four novels for study and the resulting textual analysis. Ursula Le Guln's The dispossessed (1974), Marge Plercy's Woman on the edge of time (1976), Suzy McKee Chamas's Motherllnes (1978), and Sally Miller Gearhart's The wandereround (1979) are examined for their constructions of dystopian normal narratives, as well as for their reconstructions of subversive utopian counter-narratives, both articulating gendered …

Resource Colonialism And Native Resistance: The Mining Wars In Wisconsin, Linda Marie Robyn

Dissertations

In recent years powerful multinational mining corporations have attempted to mine various minerals found on Indian lands in the northern region of Wisconsin. These lands are currently protected from corporate incursion by treaties between the Chippewa people and the United States government. The Chippewa are using the treaties as an obstacle to corporate access to their lands and to protect their lands from the environmental devastation that will occur from proposed mining ventures.

This case study utilizes a power-reflexive method to analyze the power of the state to control rich mineral resources known to be on reservation lands. Under examination …

Black Women Build Community: An Examination Of The Radcliffe Black Women Oral History Project, Dawn Michelle Hinton

Dissertations

This study investigated the unique position of Black women in the creation of community. Narratives from the Radcliffe Black Women Oral History Project were the source of information used for this work. These 20 oral narratives were collected between 1978 and 1982 by the Schlesinger Library. The women studied were involved in various community activities and represent Black women from various social classes and geographical locations. An in-depth reading of each of the narratives identified three themes: life-informing work, community-building, and religion. The theme of life-informing work was identified because the work and community involvement of the narrators had a …

The Effects Of Social Skills Training And Reciprocal Social Skills Training With Parent/Guardian(S) On Behavior And Recidivism Of First Time Adjuncted Youth, Kathleen A. Bailey

Dissertations

This research investigates the effect of social skills training on 46 first-time adjudicated males, ages 13 through 15 and placed on traditional probation. The independent variable was the type of group. Three types of groups were conducted: Group I (youth who received social skills training with their parents or guardians), Group II (youth who received social skills training without parents’ or guardians’ participation), and Group III (a control group of youth who did not receive social skills training). The dependent variable was the Jesness Inventory scales and subscales scores, and the type of offenses (status, misdemeanor, and felony). The research …

Max Horkheimer’S Critical Theory Of Religion:The Meaning Of Religion In The Struggle For Human Emancipation, Michael R. Ott

Dissertations

Over the past thirty years much has been written about the critical theory of society that was produced by a small group of left-wing Hegelians in the Institute of Social Research in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and in the United States. However, except for the pioneering work of Rudolf Siebert, little has been written about the critical theory of religion as a fundamental and dynamic element of the entire critical theory’s struggle for human emancipation. This study seeks to make a contribution in the development of the critical theory of religion as a corrective to the one-sided, positivistic development of …

The Impact Of Women' S Traditional Caregiving Roles On Their Paid Labor Force Participation Throughout Their Lifecourse, Paulina X. Ruf

Dissertations

Since women are the majority of caregivers to older and/or disabled relatives, the increasing number of women in the labor force has meant that more caregivers are also employed. In an effort to expand our understanding of the perils and benefits of women's caregiving roles, the present study examines the impact of women's traditional caregiving roles on their paid labor force participation throughout their lives. This qualitative study involved semistructured, in-depth interviews with sixteen women (i.e., six in their 50s, four in their 60s, and six women in their 70s), to answer the question, "how do family caregiving roles cumulatively …

California African-American Infant Mortality Prevention: A Prospective Study, Clara H. Eder Edd

Dissertations

Infant mortality continues to be a significant national public health problem. African-American infant mortality in the United States remains as high as or higher than those of some developing countries. In the state of California the continuing gap between African-American and Caucasian infant mortality rates is cause for alarm among public health providers. Studies repeatedly indicate that the underlying causes of infant mortality are social, economic, environmental, cultural, political, racial and historical, though not in equal measure. Children born at a socioeconomic disadvantage have less chance of survival than have children of any particular race. To address the disproportionate gap …

Loss Of The Lifelong Partner: Implications For Social Adaptation, Anora Ackerson Grinwis

Dissertations

The death of a partner has long been recognized for its ability to alter the lifestyle of the survivor. This life event can be even more significant for older adults who may be facing loss in several areas of their lives simultaneously. The focus of this qualitative study is on how older adults socially reconstruct their lives following a partner's death. The social construction of reality (Berger and Luckmann, 1966) guides design and analysis. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 29 individuals following the death of a lifelong partner, described as a relationship of 45 or more years. Participants had been …

Panther Stories: A Gendered Analysis Of The Autobiographies Of Former Black Panther Members, Monica Marie White

Dissertations

Literature on the influences and contributions of women within the Black Panther Party has been scant. Much of the documentation is written by and is about males. This dissertation uses the autobiographies of former Black Panther members, both male and female, to explore their experiences while in the organization. Each author's political ideology and his/her perceptions of sexism and racism and distinctions in the writing style of men and women are considered. Seven single-authored autobiographies written by former Panther members were analyzed both individually and comparatively. There were similarities among all members of the group, such as their support of …

The Effects Of Counselor Skills Training On Levels Of Counselor Cognitive Complexity, David K. Duys

Dissertations

This study measured the impact of an intensive counseling skills training course on levels of cognitive complexity in novice counselors. Graduate level counseling students were assessed at the beginning of a basic counseling skills training course and again at the end of the course by obtaining written responses to a stimulus questionnaire. A control group was recruited consisting of other graduate counseling students who were taking other courses during the same time interval and who were not exposed to the basic counseling skills course. Participants in the control group were tested using the same instrument and their scores were compared …

Influence Of Psychiatric Diagnostic Training On Counseling Students’ Development Of A Model-For-Helping And Professional Identity, Jerry E. Mclaughlin

Dissertations

Over the years, numerous proposals have been made in the counselor education (CE) literature about what counseling philosophy can best lead the profession to a distinctive professional identity (Bauman & Waldo, 1998; Fong & Lease, 1994; Guterman, 1994). An issue in this debate is whether psychiatric diagnostic training forms a part of a counseling philosophy (i.e., model-for-helping) and professional identity that is more focused on client psychopathology than on normal developmental issues. This study explored how training and experience in psychiatric diagnostic categories (PDCs) influenced counselors’ development of their counseling philosophy and professional identity.

Focus-group interviews were held at four …