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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Institutions, The State, And Economic Development: An Analysis And Evaluation Of Ha-Joon Chang's Critique Of The Dominant Discourse And His Thoughts On State-Led Development Theory, Luke M. Jackson Mar 2013

Institutions, The State, And Economic Development: An Analysis And Evaluation Of Ha-Joon Chang's Critique Of The Dominant Discourse And His Thoughts On State-Led Development Theory, Luke M. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines two distinct schools of thought on how to best spur economic activity in developing economies. Mainstream economists, like Hernando De Soto and Douglass North, argue private property rights and free markets, and the institutions which nourish and protect them, are the primary driver of economic growth. Heterodox economists, led by prominent author and economist Ha-Joon Chang, acknowledge institutions play an important role in inducing economic activity but challenge the notion institutions are the primary driver of development. They argue targeted state-led investment and regulation are as important, if not more important, than protecting market freedom and private …


An Assessment Of Relationship Quality Between Forest Service Land Managers And Volunteers, Jessica H. Evett Mar 2013

An Assessment Of Relationship Quality Between Forest Service Land Managers And Volunteers, Jessica H. Evett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between Forest Service land managers and volunteers was studied quantitatively utilizing theoretical principles of relationship management theory and efficacy. 39 Forest Service employees completed quantitative surveys designed to compare within sample responses related to four volunteer partner types. Results showed measurable differences between mean scores for relationship quality and efficacy levels between partnership types selected as those land managers most liked and least liked working with. Partial support was found for the hypothesis stating that levels of relationship quality would predict willingness to recruit and work with volunteers, and partial support was also found for the hypothesis stating …


Development Of Micro Volume Dna And Rna Profiling Assays To Identify The Donor And Tissue Source Of Origin Of Trace Forensic Biological Evidence, Brittany Morgan Jan 2013

Development Of Micro Volume Dna And Rna Profiling Assays To Identify The Donor And Tissue Source Of Origin Of Trace Forensic Biological Evidence, Brittany Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In forensic casework analysis it is necessary to obtain genetic profiles from increasingly smaller amounts of biological material left behind by perpetrators of crime. The ability to obtain profiles from trace biological evidence is demonstrated with so-called ‘touch DNA evidence’ which is perceived to be the result of DNA obtained from shed skin cells transferred from donor to an object or person during physical contact. However, the current method of recovery of trace DNA involves cotton swabs or adhesive tape to sample an area of interest. This "blindswabbing" approach may result in the recovery of biological material from different individuals …


Examining Multi-Level And Inter-Organizational Collaborative Response To Disasters: The Case Of Pakistan Floods In 2010, Sana Khosa Jan 2013

Examining Multi-Level And Inter-Organizational Collaborative Response To Disasters: The Case Of Pakistan Floods In 2010, Sana Khosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catastrophic disasters are different than routine disasters and managing them requires the mobilization of inter-organizational, inter-governmental, cross-sectoral and international humanitarian support. The role of the international community through International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs), and multi-lateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) becomes imperative when the scale of the disaster is unprecedented and difficult for a country to manage on its own. The initial response and relief phase of managing disasters is one in which many agencies with different expertise, capacities, working mandates, resources, skills, working cultures and norms come together to coordinate and collaborate to provide timely response and relief …


Autobiographical Memory And Theory Of Mind In Schizotypy, Andrew Deptula Jan 2013

Autobiographical Memory And Theory Of Mind In Schizotypy, Andrew Deptula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit marked impairments on tasks assessing theory of mind (ToM) and autobiographical memory (AM) qualities, and preliminary research has indicated a positive link between these abilities. This study is the first to systematically explore this relationship in the related personality trait of schizotypy. In a study of 47 undergraduate students (23 males) reporting a wide continuous range of schizotypy, we found that females, but not males, exhibited a negative correlation between ToM and schizotypy, and an unexpected positive correlation between AM qualities and schizotypy. Factor score analysis within females indicated that disorganized schizotypy was the strongest correlate …


Examining The Influences Of The Bottoming Out Experience And The Turning Point On The Early Recovery Process From Substance Dependence Using Structural Equation Modeling, Kristina M. Depue Jan 2013

Examining The Influences Of The Bottoming Out Experience And The Turning Point On The Early Recovery Process From Substance Dependence Using Structural Equation Modeling, Kristina M. Depue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Considering the prevalence of addiction issues within the U.S., this study focused on the topic of recovery from drug and alcohol dependence in order to add to current literature. Prevention and recovery services are two of the most common ways of combating the addiction issue, and counselors are at the forefront of both movements. The bottoming out experience (BOE) and the turning point (TTP) are two common lay terms of factors within changing addictive behaviors, yet the connection of these constructs to recovery remains unstudied and unknown. The current study tested a model that levels of the BOE and the …


Provider Perceptions Of Ableism And Social Support Networks In The Healthcare Setting, Darcey Mccampbell Jan 2013

Provider Perceptions Of Ableism And Social Support Networks In The Healthcare Setting, Darcey Mccampbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to investigate ableism and social support networks in the healthcare setting. Social support networks play an important role in combating emotional distress in healthcare. They provide disabled patients a method for defending against the negative effects of ableism among other stressors. By definition, ableism refers to perceptions that disability is abnormal and undesirable. Ten healthcare providers in central Florida (i.e., in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and primary care offices) were interviewed, using in-depth face-to-face qualitative interviewing. Participants were asked questions relating to the effects of ableist language on patients with disabilities as well as …


Incumbent Violence And Insurgent Tactics: The Effects Of Incumbent Violence On Popular Support For Guerrilla Warfare And Terrorism, Jonathan Williams Jan 2013

Incumbent Violence And Insurgent Tactics: The Effects Of Incumbent Violence On Popular Support For Guerrilla Warfare And Terrorism, Jonathan Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Insurgency has two main strategies, guerrilla warfare and terrorism, which should be treated as linked, but distinct, strategies. This thesis examines the role of incumbent violence in leading insurgents to select one, or both, of these strategies. It argues that incumbent violence can create support for insurgency by causing fear and a desire for revenge and reshaping the social structures of a community. It also argues that incumbent violence increases popular support for terrorism in particular by creating outbidding incentives and desires to respond in kind to civilian deaths and as a way of punishing norm violations against attacking civilians …


Family Dependency Drug Courts: An Empirical Test Of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Elizabeth Lindsey-Mowery Jan 2013

Family Dependency Drug Courts: An Empirical Test Of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Elizabeth Lindsey-Mowery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rise in cases of child abuse and neglect over the past two decades has overwhelmed the nation’s dependency court and child welfare agencies. While multiple factors are associated with child abuse and neglect, it is indisputable that substance abuse plays a significant role. The families that come into the dependency system with substance abuse issues are substantially more difficult and challenging to serve. Consequently, the families experience low levels of reunification and high levels of child welfare recidivism. In response to the increase in dependency cases involving substance abuse and the inability of the traditional dependency courts (TDC) to …


Terrorism: The Effect Of Positive Social Sanctions, Curtis Hibbert Jan 2013

Terrorism: The Effect Of Positive Social Sanctions, Curtis Hibbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that relative deprivation, mental illness, culture, ideology, and various forms of social learning are often identified as factors that can lead an individual to terrorism. However, understanding the value of influences in the form of positive social sanctions through social contact has not been fully explored throughout terrorist studies. In regards to influencing behavior, positive social sanctions elicit a desired behavior which is reinforced through praise or rewards. By utilizing a case study approach, this thesis looks to determine the significance of positive social sanctions through social contact on select individuals who have committed an act of terror …


Is Experiential Avoidance A Factor In Maternal Overprotection?, Melissa Nieves Jan 2013

Is Experiential Avoidance A Factor In Maternal Overprotection?, Melissa Nieves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined experiential avoidance (EA) as an explanation for parental overprotectiveness, a behavior often found among parents of anxious children. EA parenting theory posits that parents engage in overprotective behaviors in order to reduce their own anxiety. In order to test the theory, mothers’ electrodermal activity (EDA) and blindly-coded overprotective behaviors were examined when a child with SAD was engaged in a reading performance task. In line with EA theory, it was hypothesized that EDA levels would increase before an overprotective behavior (OB) occurred and decrease afterwards as a result of decrease in anxiety. The sample consisted of …


Does Virtual Reality Elicit Physiological Arousal In Social Anxiety Disorder, Maryann Owens Jan 2013

Does Virtual Reality Elicit Physiological Arousal In Social Anxiety Disorder, Maryann Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the ability of a Virtual Reality (VR) public speaking task to elicit physiological arousal in adults with SAD (n=25) and Controls (n=25). A behavioral assessment paradigm was employed to address three study objectives: (a) to determine whether the VR task can elicit significant increases in physiological response over baseline resting conditions (b) to determine if individuals with SAD have a greater increase from baseline levels of physiological and self-reported arousal during the in vivo speech task as opposed to the VR speech task and (c) to determine whether individuals with SAD experience greater changes in physiological …


Hyperactivity In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Testing Functional Relationships With Phonological Working Memory Performance And Attention, Dustin Sarver Jan 2013

Hyperactivity In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Testing Functional Relationships With Phonological Working Memory Performance And Attention, Dustin Sarver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Excessive gross motor activity is currently considered a ubiquitous and disruptive feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, an alternative model challenges this premise and hypothesizes a functional relationship between activity level, attention, and working memory. The current study investigated whether, and the extent to which, particular forms of gross motor activity are functionally related to children’s attention and phonological working memory performance. Objective observations of children’s gross motor movements and attention by independent observers were conducted while children with ADHD (n = 29) and typically developing children (n = 23) completed multiple counterbalanced tasks entailing low and high phonological working …


Evaluating The Utility Of A Virtual Environment For Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder, Nina Sarver Jan 2013

Evaluating The Utility Of A Virtual Environment For Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder, Nina Sarver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Two significant challenges for the dissemination of social skills training programs are (a) the need to provide sufficient practice opportunities to assure skill consolidation and (b) the need to assure skill generalization (i.e., use of the skills outside the clinic setting). In the case of social anxiety disorder, virtual environments may provide one strategy to address these issues. This investigation describes the development of an interactive skills-oriented virtual school environment and evaluated its utility for the treatment of social anxiety disorder in preadolescent children (Study 1). This environment included both in-clinic and at-home solutions. In addition, a pilot replication/extension …


When There's No Home To Prepare: Understanding Natural Hazards Vulnerability Among The Homeless In Central Florida, Marc Settembrino Jan 2013

When There's No Home To Prepare: Understanding Natural Hazards Vulnerability Among The Homeless In Central Florida, Marc Settembrino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study explores the social construction of natural hazards vulnerability by examining the perceptions of emergency management personnel, homeless service providers and homeless men living in Central Florida. The matrix of vulnerability is proposed as a framework for studying disaster vulnerability, wherein vulnerability is viewed as a complex process consisting of social and physical risk, human agency and time. Using the matrix as a guiding framework, this study examines the risks that natural hazards present to the homeless living in Central Florida and the strategies used by the homeless to manage these risks. This study argues that because the …


Multicultural Personality And Psychological Functioning, Lauren Trottier Jan 2013

Multicultural Personality And Psychological Functioning, Lauren Trottier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the U.S. becomes increasingly diverse, individuals will need to interact effectively with a wide range of people. The theory of multicultural personality refined by Ponterotto (2010) proposes that some individuals may be better suited than others to adapt to the changing demographic landscape. Individuals with a multicultural personality are theorized to have the ability to interact effectively within a wide range of contexts and draw on diverse experiences and resources to solve everyday problems in multiple ways as well as seek out diversity in their lives. Because of their skills and disposition, Ponterotto (2010) suggests that those with a …


Neurophenomenological Methods: Experiences Of Earth And Space In Simulation, Patricia Morrow Jan 2013

Neurophenomenological Methods: Experiences Of Earth And Space In Simulation, Patricia Morrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the nature and structure of spiritual and aesthetic experiences through the interdisciplinary application of neurophenomenology (NP). This approach merges aspects of psychology, neurophysiology, and phenomenology into a unified methodology. The study is nested within a larger project, Space, Science, and Spirituality, and as such, it carries a common goal to use simulation to evoke spiritual and aesthetic responses similar to those expressed by astronauts and cosmonauts. Careful analysis of previous work in NP provided methodological “lessons learned”, which guided the experimental design, execution, and analysis of the present study. The data collected provides support for experience …


Hidden In Plain Sight: Development And Testing Of A Model To Evaluate Political Leadership Tactics, Albert Citron Jan 2013

Hidden In Plain Sight: Development And Testing Of A Model To Evaluate Political Leadership Tactics, Albert Citron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the kinds of verbal and nonverbal signals elites manifest to show leadership qualities. Launching from Max Weber’s conceptual framework of charisma as a power term and Harold Lasswell’s study of propaganda, this study takes a multidisciplinary approach to studying political leadership with elements of communication methodology and an ontological basis in evolutionary psychology. The study’s goal is to offer a framework for defining and evaluating the diverse signal patterns employed by political elites in three real-life situations. These are the Malta Summit, the 1992 Virginia Presidential Debate, and the 2012 South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary. The cases …


Conflict In Virtually Distributed Teams, Budd Darling Jan 2013

Conflict In Virtually Distributed Teams, Budd Darling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was two-fold. The first was to investigate the impact of conflict as a mediator in the relationship between distribution and team performance. The second was to examine how that relationship was affected by virtuality. Four-member teams of different distributions (partially distributed, fully distributed, and fully collocated) and different virtuality conditions (videoconferencing, teleconferencing, and chat) played a team-oriented game. Significant results were found only in the videoconferencing condition, in which both distribution and task conflict had a negative impact on team performance, but task conflict did not mediate the relationship between distribution and team performance. Further …


Investigative Interviewing: A Team-Level Approach, James Driskell Jan 2013

Investigative Interviewing: A Team-Level Approach, James Driskell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, the tandem interview approach has yet to be scientifically vetted as an investigative interviewing technique. Specifically, it is unclear what affect the application of two interviewers has on the investigative process. This is alarming considering that this approach is regularly applied under current law enforcement operations. Despite a dearth of research examining the tandem interview approach in investigative interviews, the extensive research on teams would lead us to believe that teams should benefit the overall investigative interview process and outperform individuals in detecting lies. Consequently, the goals of this research were to investigate these potential benefits. Findings from …


Gourmet Food Trucks: An Ethnographic Examination Of Orlando's Food Truck Scene, Zachary Hawk Jan 2013

Gourmet Food Trucks: An Ethnographic Examination Of Orlando's Food Truck Scene, Zachary Hawk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gourmet food trucks have emerged as increasingly popular dining alternatives for consumers in today’s urban landscape. Existing literature, as well as my own ethnographic research within Orlando, Florida’s mobile food vending scene, reveals that food truck owner/operators utilize various strategies to establish a viable niche for themselves in this diversified and burgeoning market. Among other things, these strategies include online social networking, creating and maintaining a recognizable brand identity, collaborating with local retailers and bar owners, and incorporating organic and locally produced ingredients in their dishes whenever possible. As in other parts of the country, there appears to be a …


Ancient Maya Stone Polishers And Issues With The Terminology For The Artifacts Polished With These Tools, Rachael Landry Jan 2013

Ancient Maya Stone Polishers And Issues With The Terminology For The Artifacts Polished With These Tools, Rachael Landry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ancient Maya adorned themselves with ornamental objects. This study investigates a type of polishing tool used by the ancient Maya to manufacture certain types of ornaments. Five stone polishing tools used by the ancient Maya are presented and analyzed. Relevant artifact forms are examined to establish which types of artifacts were being polished with these tools. An extensive discussion of the archaeological record and artistic representations of miniature earflares and buttons, which were polished with many of these stone polishing tools, is also included because the terminology used to refer to these objects has varied throughout the academic literature …


How Emoticons Affect Leader-Member Exchange, Jennifer Loglia Jan 2013

How Emoticons Affect Leader-Member Exchange, Jennifer Loglia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emoticons have been shown to be the nonverbal cues of computer-mediated communication and could therefore be a rich source of information, but they are not used in the workplace because they are considered unprofessional. This study aimed to look at the effects of emoticons on relationships, specifically between a leader and member. Participants were asked to read a fake email from a fake boss and answer several questions in regard to leader-member exchange, affective presence, perceived message positivity, perceived masculinity/femininity of the fake boss, and perceived professionalism. This study found that the use of a positive emoticon in an email …


Do Programs Designed To Train Working Memory, Other Executive Functions, And Attention Benefit Children With Adhd? A Meta-Analytic Review Of Cognitive, Academic, And Behavioral Outcomes, Sarah Orban Jan 2013

Do Programs Designed To Train Working Memory, Other Executive Functions, And Attention Benefit Children With Adhd? A Meta-Analytic Review Of Cognitive, Academic, And Behavioral Outcomes, Sarah Orban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with ADHD are characterized frequently as possessing underdeveloped executive functions and sustained attentional abilities, and recent commercial claims suggest that computer-based cognitive training can remediate these impairments and provide significant and lasting improvement in their attention, impulse control, social functioning, academic performance, and complex reasoning skills. The present review critically evaluates these claims through meta-analysis of 25 studies of facilitative intervention training (i.e., cognitive training) for children with ADHD. Random effects models corrected for publication bias and sampling error revealed that studies training short-term memory alone resulted in moderate magnitude improvements in short-term memory (d= 0.63), whereas training attention …


Road Networks, Social Disorganization And Lethality, An Exploration Of Theory And An Examination Of Covariates, Aaron Poole Jan 2013

Road Networks, Social Disorganization And Lethality, An Exploration Of Theory And An Examination Of Covariates, Aaron Poole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing a Criminal Event Perspective, the analyses of this dissertation test a variety of relationships to the dependent variable: the Criminal Lethality Index. Data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System, the Census and American Community Survey, the American Trauma Society, and data derived from the Census’s mapping TIGER files are combined to create a database of 190 cities. This database is used to test road network connectivity (Gama Index), medical resources, criminal covariates and Social Disorganization variables in relation to a city’s Criminal Lethality Index. OLS regression demonstrates a significant and negative relationship between a city’s Gama Index and its …


A Comparison Between Male Perpetrators Of Intimate Partner Violence And Child Sexual Abuse: A Feminist Perspective, Christelle Schafer Jan 2013

A Comparison Between Male Perpetrators Of Intimate Partner Violence And Child Sexual Abuse: A Feminist Perspective, Christelle Schafer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore whether attributes of sex role identity and gender role stress differed between perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) and perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The primary research question posed in the research sought to determine if participants’ attitudes on gender role stereotyping or gender role stress were significantly different between perpetrators of CSA and perpetrators of IPV. Participants in this study were a convenience sample of adult males with histories of CSA and IPV from two different outpatient counseling programs. Participants completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory-Short Form (BSRI-SF) and the …


Personality Factors, Age, And Aggressive Driving: A Validation Using A Driving Simulator, Jose Vazquez Jan 2013

Personality Factors, Age, And Aggressive Driving: A Validation Using A Driving Simulator, Jose Vazquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to investigate the relationship between age, personality factors and aggressive driving behavior. In Study 1, 1122 volunteers completed an online survey that included questionnaires on demographic data, personality factors, and driving behavior. Personality factors were measured using the Revised Competitiveness Index, the Sensation Seeking Scale, the Big Five Inventory, and the Cook Medley Hostility Scale, whereas aggressive driving behavior was measured using the Aggressive Driving Behavior Scale (ADBS). The majority of the volunteers were female (786 versus 336), while ages ranged from 18 to 87. In Study 2, 98 volunteers from Study 1 were recruited to …


Message Prioritization In Computer-Mediated Communication: A Study Of Mobile Device Use In The Classroom, Paul Wills Jan 2013

Message Prioritization In Computer-Mediated Communication: A Study Of Mobile Device Use In The Classroom, Paul Wills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students are using their mobile devices during class and this research investigates different aspects of why college students feel so inclined to use these devices during class as well as by what means are students using to participate in computer-mediated communication while simultaneously engaging in classes. This research surveyed 146 students on their perceived use of their own mobile device use during class. The study compared how often different types of devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, and different types of social media outlets, like Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites, were used during class. The …


The Perception Of Turkey In The Middle East In The Last Decade: The Cases Of Egypt And Tunisia, Mesud Hasgur Jan 2013

The Perception Of Turkey In The Middle East In The Last Decade: The Cases Of Egypt And Tunisia, Mesud Hasgur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the factors affecting the perception of Turkey in the Middle East from 2002 onwards by analyzing the combination of media, political elite discourse and people's political predispositions in the cases of Egypt and Tunisia. The research is separated into two parts. In the first part of 2002-2010, the factors of democratization, economic development, foreign policy activism, Islamic Oriented Government as well as Turkish TV series were found to be critical in the explanation of Turkey's popularity. In the second part of 2010-2013, democratization and foreign policy activism were the most effective factors while the other variables still …


Preliminary Validation Of Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (Hhxrf) Spectrometry: Distinguishing Osseous And Dental Tissue From Non-Bone Material Of Similar Chemical Composition, Heather Zimmerman Jan 2013

Preliminary Validation Of Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (Hhxrf) Spectrometry: Distinguishing Osseous And Dental Tissue From Non-Bone Material Of Similar Chemical Composition, Heather Zimmerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forensic anthropologists normally examine bone from a variety of medicolegal contexts. The skeletal remains may in some cases be highly fragmented or taphonomically modified, making it difficult to sort bone from non-bone material. In these cases, the forensic anthropologist may rely on microscopic or destructive chemical analyses to sort the material. However, these techniques are costly and time-intensive, prompting the use of nondestructive analytical methods in distinguishing bone and teeth from non-bone materials in a limited number of cases. The proposed analytical techniques are limited in that they rely on an examination of the major elements in the material, and …