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Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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Articles 5131 - 5160 of 5783

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Social Pathogenic Sources Of Poor Community Health, Hayden Smith Jan 2007

Social Pathogenic Sources Of Poor Community Health, Hayden Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States currently provides a health care system that is neither efficient nor equitable. Despite outspending the world on health care, over three-fourths of developed countries produce better health outcomes (Auerbach et al., 2000). Simultaneously, the "Ecological School of Thought" has documented the large impact that social, economic, and environmental circumstances play in health outcomes. Unfortunately, these 'ecological" studies are frequently conducted without theoretical justification, and rely solely on a cross-sectional research design and a myriad of unrelated variables. This study represents an important step towards the development of a true theory of "ecology". More specifically, we argue that …

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Airport Security: Examining The Current State Of Acceptance Of Biometrics And The Propensity Of Adopting Biometric Technology Fo, Kristine Sumner Jan 2007

Airport Security: Examining The Current State Of Acceptance Of Biometrics And The Propensity Of Adopting Biometric Technology Fo, Kristine Sumner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 propelled the issue of aviation security to the forefront of the U.S. domestic agenda. Although hundreds of individual airports exist in the U.S., the travel activities at each of these airports combine to holistically comprise an aviation system that represents a significant portion of the U.S. social and economic infrastructure. Disruption at one airport resulting from a criminal act, such as terrorism, could exert detrimental effects upon the aviation system and U.S national security (9/11 Commission, 2004). Each U.S. airport is individually responsible for various aspects of security including the control of physical …

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Advances In Fire Debris Analysis, Mary Williams Jan 2007

Advances In Fire Debris Analysis, Mary Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fire incidents are a major contributor to the number of deaths and property losses within the United States each year. Fire investigations determine the cause of the fire resulting in an assignment of responsibility. Current methods of fire debris analysis are reviewed including the preservation, extraction, detection and characterization of ignitable liquids from fire debris. Leak rates were calculated for the three most common types of fire debris evidence containers. The consequences of leaking containers on the recovery and characterization of ignitable liquids were demonstrated. The interactions of hydrocarbons with activated carbon during the extraction of ignitable liquids from the …

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Double Duty: Processing And Exhibiting The Children's Home Society Of Florida Collection As An Archivist And Public Historian, April Anderson-Zorn Jan 2007

Double Duty: Processing And Exhibiting The Children's Home Society Of Florida Collection As An Archivist And Public Historian, April Anderson-Zorn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Children's Home Society of Florida, often referred to as "Florida's Greatest Charity", is the state's oldest non profit welfare agency. Founded in 1902, the society was instrumental in creating and reforming child welfare laws as well as helping countless children in the state of Florida find loving homes. This paper focuses on the archival processing of the Children's Home Society of Florida Collection papers and the creation of a subsequent web exhibit. The role of archivist and public historian is examined to see how each profession works toward a common goal.

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Underprivileged Black Americans: The Aftermath Of King Cotton, Patience Bryant Jan 2007

Underprivileged Black Americans: The Aftermath Of King Cotton, Patience Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been criticized that the present economic state of Black Americans is a reflection of their history stemming from slavery. Diana Pearce's Feminization of Poverty Theory discusses the idea that the ever-rising number of underprivileged Black Americans is due to the fact that there exists a rise in female headed households. The researcher constructed and analyzed several concepts that fall under the Feminization of Poverty Theory: education, employment, family, and social class. For the analysis the study used the documentary Lalee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton. Results show that each of the categories are approximately equal in proportion under …

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Friend/Foe Identification Accuracy And Shooting Performance: Effects Of Prior Task Loading And Time Pressure, Kelly Ann Burke Jan 2007

Friend/Foe Identification Accuracy And Shooting Performance: Effects Of Prior Task Loading And Time Pressure, Kelly Ann Burke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current dismounted soldier and the soldier of the future will be "loaded" with more information processing tasks while they perform shooting tasks. It is conceivable that some increased level of cognitive tasking may be performed simultaneously with required shooting tasks. The effect of cognitive load on shooting performance has been previously examined (Scribner and Harper, 2001). This study concentrated on the effect of various cognitive workload demands on a friend-foe discrimination shooting task in a single- and dual-task scenario. In light of this, it is imperative that the soldier not be overburdened mentally, which may result in decreased survivability …

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The Impact Of Service Delivery Models On Non-Disabled Peers Intent To Include Their Peers With Disabilities, Michael Campbell Jan 2007

The Impact Of Service Delivery Models On Non-Disabled Peers Intent To Include Their Peers With Disabilities, Michael Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In much the same way as the racial integration movement, advocates for students with disabilities (SWD) have cultivated an active and vocal lobby seeking to establish and then implement legal mandates to integrate classrooms in the hope that social acceptance would follow. Through federal mandates such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), conceptually initiated in 1975 and revised in 2004 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) along with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, these students have a voice to cry out for access to the experiences of work, conversation and play with …

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Work Environment And The Effect On Occupational Commitment And Intent To Leave: A Study Of Bedside Registered Nurses, Kendall Hays Cortelyou-Ward Jan 2007

Work Environment And The Effect On Occupational Commitment And Intent To Leave: A Study Of Bedside Registered Nurses, Kendall Hays Cortelyou-Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect work environment has on occupational commitment and intent to leave the profession for bedside registered nurses. Subscales of autonomy, control over the practice setting, nurse-physician relationship, and organizational support were incorporated into the analysis to determine which aspect of work environment most directly effects occupational commitment and intent to leave the profession. The research was undertaken in order to help administrators determine the ways in which work environment can be improved upon in order to retain bedside registered nurses in the profession. An explanatory cross sectional survey was distributed to …

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Environmental Security In The Global Capitalist System: A World-Systems Approach And Study Of Panama, Mark Allen Freeman Jan 2007

Environmental Security In The Global Capitalist System: A World-Systems Approach And Study Of Panama, Mark Allen Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current global capitalist system is at odds with environmental protection and the protection of indigenous people that are directly linked to the land on which they live. In environmental security literature, many have argued that, theoretically and functionally, it is possible to link national security with environmental security. However possible this may be on paper, in practice, the global capitalist system prevents this from becoming a reality. Using a world-systems approach, this thesis will show that core countries seeking to expand capital by tapping into new markets, locating new sources of raw materials and even forming strategic military partnerships …

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The Mediating Role Of Motivation And Job Satisfaction In Work Environment-Outcome Relationships, Melissa Guzman Jan 2007

The Mediating Role Of Motivation And Job Satisfaction In Work Environment-Outcome Relationships, Melissa Guzman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research that links various aspects of the work environment to important work outcomes can be traced back almost seventy years. Despite the history and proliferation of these studies, firm conclusions have not been reached regarding the ways through which the work environment impacts these outcomes. For example, mediating variables such as motivation and job satisfaction have been proposed as affective and cognitive states that could impact the environment-outcome relationships but have received little attention. Additionally, organizational and contextual moderators such as group size and demographics that could impact the relationships have been called for but have yet to be studied. …

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Soft Power And Hard Power Approaches In U.S. Foreign Policy: A Case Study Comparison In Latin America, John Weinbrenner Jan 2007

Soft Power And Hard Power Approaches In U.S. Foreign Policy: A Case Study Comparison In Latin America, John Weinbrenner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of soft power versus hard power in U.S. policy towards Latin America. In recent years America's unipolar moment has been challenged from populist leaders in the region to its inability to get a handle on the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs that reach its shores. This thesis is a step to understanding the difference between power and influence as well as the effects of hard power and soft power in U.S. foreign policy. A historical comparative case study analysis has been conducted utilizing the cases of FDR's Good …

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An Examination Of The Relationships Among Perceived Gender Discrimination, Work Motivation, And Performance, Jessica M. Cornejo Jan 2007

An Examination Of The Relationships Among Perceived Gender Discrimination, Work Motivation, And Performance, Jessica M. Cornejo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender discrimination and work motivation are two important constructs for employers to consider. Changing workforce trends towards a more diverse workforce make understanding discrimination in the workplace more important than ever. And, established direct relationships between motivation and performance make understanding motivation key to organizational success. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived gender discrimination at work, work motivation, and performance. Although much theory and research exists regarding motivation and performance, this study uses a new measure of motivation based on the Pritchard and Ashwood (2007) theory of work motivation. It was hypothesized that perceived …

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Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Coding Region Snps By Pyrosequencing, Kyle Robert Carl Parker Jan 2007

Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Coding Region Snps By Pyrosequencing, Kyle Robert Carl Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, the use of mitochondrial DNA in forensic analysis has relied on the presence of variations in the control region to differentiate between samples. One problem that this analysis has shown is the occurrence of common Haplogroup H haplotypes or identical sequences. Thus, there is a need to enhance the distinguishing power of this type of analysis. One option has been to investigate the mitochondrial coding region for polymorphisms that could differentiate between samples with identical control region haplotypes. The goal of this study has been to identify polymorphic coding region sites for development in a Pyrosequencing assay that …

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Visual And Verbal Rhetoric In Howard Chandler Christy's War-Related Posters Of Women During The World War I Era: A Feminist, Mary Ellen Gomrad Jan 2007

Visual And Verbal Rhetoric In Howard Chandler Christy's War-Related Posters Of Women During The World War I Era: A Feminist, Mary Ellen Gomrad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the development of a series of posters created by Howard Chandler Christy during the World War I era. During this time, Christy was a Department of Pictorial Publicity (DPP) committee artist commissioned by the committee chair, Charles Dana Gibson. The DPP was part of the Committee on Public Information (CPI) developed by the Woodrow Wilson administration to generate the propaganda necessary to gain the support of the American people to enter World War I. The CPI was headed up by George Creel, a journalist and politician, who used advertising techniques to create the first full-scale propaganda effort …

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Another Look At Gender In Prime-Time Television, Jan Carolyn Kircher Jan 2007

Another Look At Gender In Prime-Time Television, Jan Carolyn Kircher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Television has become an important agent of socialization in society today. Social interaction on prime-time television was examined 24 years ago by members of the Sociology Department at South Dakota State University. That study was similar to this research project that investigates gender roles on prime-time television. The earlier study used a modified version of the Bales Interaction Scale to code male and female behavior to assess the extent to which prime-time television presented traditional or nontraditional gender roles. This study used research methods similar to those of the previous study to see if traditional gender roles depicted on prime-time …

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A Comparison Of Attentional Reserve Capacity Across Three Sensory Modalities, John Brill Jan 2007

A Comparison Of Attentional Reserve Capacity Across Three Sensory Modalities, John Brill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are two theoretical approaches to the nature of attentional resources. One proposes a single, flexible pool of cognitive resources; the other poses there are multiple resources. This study was designed to systematically examine whether there is evidence for multiple resource theory using a counting task consisting of visual, auditory, and tactile signals using two experiments. The goal of the first experiment was the validation of a multi-modal secondary loading task. Thirty-two participants performed nine variations of a multi-modal counting task incorporating three modalities and three demand levels. Performance and subjective ratings of workload were measured for each of the …

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A Microeconomic Model Of Healthcare Systems: From Theoretical To Practical, Jesse Helligso Jan 2007

A Microeconomic Model Of Healthcare Systems: From Theoretical To Practical, Jesse Helligso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a microeconomic market analysis of healthcare systems. Different countries use various forms for financing and providing healthcare, and the effects of market forces on the quality, access and economic efficiency of these divergent healthcare markets is the primary subject. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the forces working in the healthcare market. Free-market healthcare systems allow medical providers to become price-setters. Price-setting by medical providers creates an economically inefficient system which decreases public access to healthcare but creates a high quality system. Single-payer systems make government the price-setter which creates a system in which medical …

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Effect Of Repeated Function Allocation And Reliability On Automation Induced Monitoring Inefficiency, Lauriann Maria Jones Jan 2007

Effect Of Repeated Function Allocation And Reliability On Automation Induced Monitoring Inefficiency, Lauriann Maria Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to extend previous findings of Mouloua, Parasuraman, and Molloy (1993), Parasuraman, Mouloua, and Molloy (1996), Hilburn, Parasuraman, and Mouloua (1996), and Oakley, Mouloua, and Hancock (2003) by: 1) examining the effect of repeated adaptive function allocation to manual control of minimal length (5 minutes) to reduce of human error and minimize workload; 2) explore the placement or timing of adaptive function allocation intervals (approximately 20 minutes of automation control to reduce the human operators' monitoring decrement between intervals, maintain adaptive recovery performance levels, and improve response times); 3) examine different levels of automation reliability …

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Cyber Sexy:Electronic Game Play And Perceptions Of Attractiveness Among College-Aged Men, Elizabeth Wack Jan 2007

Cyber Sexy:Electronic Game Play And Perceptions Of Attractiveness Among College-Aged Men, Elizabeth Wack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study was conducted to determine whether or not electronic gaming is related to the formation of certain body ideals and appraisals of attractiveness. A sample of 219 college-aged males (age 18 to 32) completed a variety of measures designed to gather information about their game play habits, their perceptions of their own attractiveness (MBSRQ, SMAQ), and their perceptions of women's attractiveness (BCRS, FRS, photographs of women of different BMIs). Results indicate that men's ratings of women's attractiveness vary across the genres of games most frequently played but that frequency of play and age of commencement of game play …

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The Role Of Cultural Values In Organizational Attraction., Elizabeth Jimenez Muniz Jan 2007

The Role Of Cultural Values In Organizational Attraction., Elizabeth Jimenez Muniz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States' (U.S.) workforce is more diverse than in previous decades in terms of race, gender, and native language (Fay, 2001). Such demographic shifts have changed how organizations attract applicants and how they motivate, reward, and retain employees (McAdams, 2001). Furthermore, organizations benefit from diversity by: (a) attracting the best talent available in the workforce (Cox, 1993), (b) increasing their product marketability to customers (Deshpande, Hoyer, & Donthu, 1986; Redding, 1982), and (c) fostering creativity, innovation, problem solving, and decision making in employees (Thomas, 1999; Thomas, Ravlin, & Wallace, 1996; Watson, Kumar, & Michaelsen, 1993). Given such benefits, organizations …

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Locus Of Control And Self-Efficacy: Potential Mediators Of Stress, Illness, And Utilization Of Health Services In College Studen, Angela Roddenberry Jan 2007

Locus Of Control And Self-Efficacy: Potential Mediators Of Stress, Illness, And Utilization Of Health Services In College Studen, Angela Roddenberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress has been linked to increased illness in several biologically based studies. In contrast, only a limited number of studies have assessed psychological variables related to stress, with self-efficacy and locus of control serving as potentially important variables. Thus, the current study investigated the mediating effects of self-efficacy and locus of control in the relationship between stress, psychological and physical symptoms, and the utilization of health services in college students. Results suggested that stress was correlated positively with symptoms. External locus of control was correlated positively with stress and symptoms, and self-efficacy was correlated negatively with stress and symptoms. Further, …

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An Investigation Into The Predictors Of Adoption And Utilization Of Information-Sharing Networks By Local Law Enforcement In Three States, Joe Conrad Saviak Jan 2007

An Investigation Into The Predictors Of Adoption And Utilization Of Information-Sharing Networks By Local Law Enforcement In Three States, Joe Conrad Saviak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT A major change in longstanding police organizational behavior is increasingly evident in the recent emergence of computerized information-sharing networks in public safety. From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, a better understanding of the determinants that can explain and predict the rise and growth of this new and significant development in American policing is needed. A highly limited body of empirical studies has endeavored to validate effective predictors of adoption and utilization of electronic information-sharing networks by local law enforcement agencies. Utilizing an integrated theoretical framework largely built upon Rogers' diffusion of innovations theory, sixteen hypotheses were tested through logistic …

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Alternative Epigraphic Interpretations Of The Maya Snake Emblem Glyph, Christopher Tyra Savage Jan 2007

Alternative Epigraphic Interpretations Of The Maya Snake Emblem Glyph, Christopher Tyra Savage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to demonstrate that the Maya snake emblem glyph is associated with religious specialists, instead of geographic locations, as emblem glyphs are typically understood to be. The inscriptions and the media on which the snake emblem glyph occurs will be analyzed to determine the role or function of the "Lord of the Snake." Temporal and spatial data has also been collected to aid in understanding the enigmatic glyph. The snake emblem glyph has recently been identified as originating from a broad area containing the sites of El Peru and La Corona in Guatemala, and Dzibanche, Mexico, a departure …

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Perceived Influence Of The Portrayal Of Women In Beauty And Fashion Magazines On Body Image, Melissa Shrader Jan 2007

Perceived Influence Of The Portrayal Of Women In Beauty And Fashion Magazines On Body Image, Melissa Shrader

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation examines how women perceive that magazines influence the body image of self and others. Seventeen audio-taped in-depth interviews were conducted with college women who read beauty, fashion, and grooming magazines frequently. These interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed and the data developed into topics of importance. The findings indicated that informants perceived other women were influenced more by images of women in the media than they themselves were influenced. However, informants did not advocate behavior changes for others or hold pro-censorship attitudes. Other findings include favorable perceptions of magazines utilizing larger sized fashion models, negative attitudes towards advertising, …

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Testing Deterrence Theory With Offenders: Assessing The Effects Of Personal And Vicarious Experience With Punishment And Punishm, Alicia Sitren Jan 2007

Testing Deterrence Theory With Offenders: Assessing The Effects Of Personal And Vicarious Experience With Punishment And Punishm, Alicia Sitren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stafford and Warr (1993) reconceptualized general and specific deterrence into a single theory in which individuals' propensities to engage in criminal behavior are based on some combination of personal experiences with being punished and avoiding punishment and vicarious (or indirect) experiences with being punished and avoiding punishment. The researchers make a substantial contribution to the deterrence literature by accounting for the effect of punishment avoidance when assessing deterrence theory. Despite the theoretical appeal of this restatement, few studies have tested its empirical merit. The current study tests the applicability of Stafford and Warr's model but also addresses several key limitations …

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The Influence Of Goal Orientation On Trainee Learing Strategies And Outcomes Of A Work Readiness Program, Charyl Staci Singleton Jan 2007

The Influence Of Goal Orientation On Trainee Learing Strategies And Outcomes Of A Work Readiness Program, Charyl Staci Singleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Goal orientation is a construct that has been used to explain individuals' focus in achievement situations. Three subcomponents of this construct have been linked to a number of training-related processes and outcomes. Those higher on avoid performance goal orientation withdraw from situations in which they may appear incompetent to others. Those higher on prove performance goal orientation approach situations in which they can demonstrate their competence to others. Finally, those high on learning goal orientation approach situations in which they can continually grow and master new skills. Prior research has consistently found that effective learning strategies and outcomes are positively …

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The Driving Force Behind Gun Crimes: A Time Series Analysis Of The Impact Of Gun Type And Gun Density, Matthew Graham Ii Jan 2007

The Driving Force Behind Gun Crimes: A Time Series Analysis Of The Impact Of Gun Type And Gun Density, Matthew Graham Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Very few studies have explored the relationship between the availability of certain types of firearms and gun density on both gun aggravated assaults and gun homicides. Nonetheless, research by Koper (2001) discovered that the availability of more lethal types of firearms, not gun density, was directly related to an increase in gun homicide rates for Dallas. However, this study did not take into account certain social and economic variables that may strengthen or weaken the determined relationship. The current study uses data previously analyzed by Koper (2001) and includes social and economic variables that have been linked to lethal violence …

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The Effect Of National Board Certification On Burnout Levels In Educators, Tanya Judd Jan 2007

The Effect Of National Board Certification On Burnout Levels In Educators, Tanya Judd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition and retention has become a major issue facing education policymakers and practioners as our nation's school age population continues to grow, but the teaching workforce does not. This study seeks to examine the impact of certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) on burnout levels in educators. The potential benefits to teachers who pursue NBPTS certification include a sense of professional pride, new leadership roles and responsibilities for teachers, recognition of outstanding teaching practice, and higher salaries (Shapiro, 1995). Some of these potential rewards seem to address a number of the factors that are related …

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The Relative Sensitivity Of An Olfactory Identification Deficit In Individuals With Schizotypal Personality Features, Vidyulata Kamath Jan 2007

The Relative Sensitivity Of An Olfactory Identification Deficit In Individuals With Schizotypal Personality Features, Vidyulata Kamath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Olfactory identification deficits have received recent attention as a potentially useful endophenotype for schizophrenia. Examination of this deficit in individuals with schizotypal personality features (SPF) offers an alternative approach to multiple confounds present when examining individuals with schizophrenia. The aim of the current study was to compare the relative sensitivity of performance on measures of olfaction identification and sustained attention to the presence of SPF. Twenty-six undergraduates were defined as having SPF based on scoring in the top 10% of the Abbreviated Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B; mean age 19.6, SD = 1.1; 62% female). These individuals were compared to twenty-six …

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Death Penalty Knowledge, Opinion, And Revenge: A Test Of The Marshall Hypotheses In A Time Of Flux, Gavin Lee Jan 2007

Death Penalty Knowledge, Opinion, And Revenge: A Test Of The Marshall Hypotheses In A Time Of Flux, Gavin Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis tests the three hypotheses derived from the written opinion of Justice Thurgood Marshall in Furman v Georgia in 1972. Subjects completed questionnaires at the beginning and the end of the fall 2006 semester. Experimental group subjects were enrolled in a death penalty class, while control group subjects were enrolled in another criminal justice class. The death penalty class was the experimental stimulus. Findings provided strong support for the first and third hypotheses, i.e., subjects were generally lacking in death penalty knowledge before the experimental stimulus, and death penalty proponents who scored "high" on a retribution index did not …

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