Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of On-The-Spot Observations In A Behavioral Safety Application, Sigurdur Oli Sigurdsson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a package intervention on critical safety behaviors and conditions in a food and drinking industry setting. The intervention involved training a sub sample of employees to conduct safety observations, providing all employees with safety information, and posting weekly graphic safety feedback on six safety-related variables based on employee observations. A multiple baseline design across departments was used to assess the effects of the interventions in two dining services kitchens on the campus of a midwestem university. Overall, the intervention implemented in this study had mixed effects on safety behavior, …

Determining The Data Needs For Decision Making In Public Libraries, Thena Slape Jones

Masters Theses

Library decision makers evaluate community needs and library capabilities in order to select the appropriate services offered by their particular institution. Evaluations of the programs and services may indicate that some are ineffective or inefficient, or that formerly popular services are no longer needed. The internal and external conditions used for decision making change. Monitoring these conditions and evaluations allows the library to make new decisions that maintain its relevance to the community.

Administrators must have ready access to appropriate data that will give them the information they need for library decision making. Today’s computer-based libraries accumulate electronic data in …

Treatment Outcomes Following Script Training For Two Women With Broca’S Aphasia, Heather M. Powers

Masters Theses

Empirical evidence from hundreds of research studies support the general effectiveness of aphasia therapy, however, it is not known what therapy works best for which client. Aphasia treatments may be generally classified as one of two approaches: traditional aphasia treatment, which attempts to restore linguistic abilities, or functional communication treatment, which focuses on restoring aspects of communicative functioning. This study furthers investigation of a treatment method that combines aspects of both traditional and functional methods with principles of instance theory of automatization; specifically, script training. This approach attempts to restore automatic, effortless, and natural context-specific expressive language production for individuals …

Organizational Correlates Of Negative Workplace Behavior: A Field Study, Graeme K. Mitchell

Masters Theses

This was a field study conducted in the entertainment industry in eastern Tennessee designed to investigate the relationship of perceived supervisor support and perceived pay equity with negative workplace behavior. Participants consisted of 171 employees of an entertainment company who completed a questionnaire with four scales, including one developed in this study. Results showed a significant, inverse correlation of perceived supervisor support and negative workplace behavior (r = -0.45, p< .01) and a significant correlation of pay inequity and negative workplace behavior (r = 0.33, p<.01) that demonstrated the negative consequences of perceived inequity or maltreatment. The correlations of perceived supervisor support and organization citizenship behavior (r = 0.48, p<.01), and pay equity and organization citizenship behavior (r = 0.23, p<.01) suggested that perceived pay equity or supervisor support led to behaviors that helped the organization. No relationship was found between the type of negative workplace behavior people engaged in and perceived pay equity, however, perceived supervisor support was inversely correlated with “withdrawal” (r = -0.31, p<.01). Perceived supervisor support had a very strong relationship with the LBDQ-XII factor “consideration”. Previous research has suggested people engage in negative workplace behaviors because they see inequities in their compensation or treatment at work, and this behavior was an attempt to restore equity. Future research should consider whether specific organizational factors predict discrete types of negative workplace behavior, what the impact of senior leader decision-making is on workplace behavior, whether one or many factors precipitate workplace behavior and whether organizational citizenship behavior and negative workplace behaviors are opposing or independent constructs.

Chinese Political Regime And The Rising Income Inequality In The Reform Era, Xiaoyang Hou

Masters Theses

This thesis probes the sharply rising income inequality in reform-era China under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) authoritarian regime. Accepting the premise that economic transition inevitably leads to the income inequality, my special focus in this thesis is to demonstrate how political factors contribute to the worsening income inequality in China.

This study shows that the skewed power structure generates the income inequality. I explore three factors pertaining to the political regime that lead to the widening income inequality in reform-era China, which are: first, the nature of Chinese political system, which includes: the CCP’s dominant position in party-state China; …

The Effects Of Habitat Alterations On Growth And Vitality Of Torreya Taxifolia Arn. In Northern Florida, U.S.A.: A Dendroecological Study, Elizabeth A. Atchley

Masters Theses

Torreya taxifolia has thrived in the bluffs and moist hammocks along the Apalachicola River in northern Florida and southern Georgia for thousands of years. This species underwent a drastic decline in the mid-1950s. A stem and needle blight, similar to that which destroyed the American chestnut, has resulted in widespread mortality and a virtual halt in sexual reproduction in Torreya throughout its natural range. Because no single invasive, lethal pathogen has been isolated, possible environmental factors that would cause decreased growth and resistance to disease are being examined. Among these factors are changes in local climate and land use regimes. …

Export Coefficient Modeling Of Water Pollutants With Geographic Information Science: An Examination Of Geographic Scale, Christopher A. Moniodes

Masters Theses

Land cover data are frequently used as a basis for estimating total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) delivered to surface waters. Nutrients, such as TP and TN, are a leading cause of water quality impairment in the United States. Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act requires each state to report all impaired surface waters every two years. Ideally, this is accomplished with in-stream measurements; however, the cost and time requirements of such a daunting task are too great for most states to incur. Alternatively, the export coefficient model (ECM) uses commonly available land cover and elevation data to …

The Documentation Of A Prehistoric Rock Art Site On Pine Mountain In Southeastern Kentucky: An Archaeological Contextual Approach, Anita Spears

Masters Theses

This thesis project was designed to document a previously unrecorded prehistoric rock art site in Eastern Kentucky and to examine the application of a contextual approach to determine the site's placement in a regional culture history. The site consisted of 59 recorded petroglyphs located on boulders and cliff walls above and below a natural waterfall. As the in-situ petroglyphs were not dated by conventional rock art dating methods, the collection of physiographic, geologic, and culture historic data was combined with archaeological survey data to present a contextual picture of the open-air rock art site. As no other sites had been …

The Role Of The Acquisitions Editor In University Press Publishing, Emily M. Garman

Masters Theses

This study examines the changing role of acquisitions editors within university presses. The various factors that contribute to the changing role of acquisitions editors were examined through personal interviews of twenty-nine acquisitions editors from university presses across the United States. Twenty questions were presented to the editors on editorial responsibilities, book marketing, electronic publishing, education and job training, and author/editor relationships. This study concentrated on those questions, as well as on the evolving role of acquisitions editors when affected by variables such as library acquisitions, financial trends, electronic publishing, and rules for professorial tenure that affect changes in scholarly publishing. …

From 'Quackery To Mainstream': An Exploratory Study Of News Media Framing During The Diffusion Of Acupuncture, 1968-2002, Using Bibliometric Counts And Computer-Assisted Content Analysis, Gayla Kirksey Owen

Masters Theses

This exploratory study examines how the news media coverage of acupuncture changed during the first three and one-half decades of diffusion in the United States. It specifically looks at amount of coverage and framing. In doing so, this study is one f the few to date to examine framing during the diffusion process. This study compares changes in news media coverage to major milestones in diffusion in an attempt to determine if media lead or follow in the diffusion of an innovation at the societal level.

Acupuncture was introduced to mainstream American culture in the 1970s. This study examines its …

Frame Analysis Of The Living Wage Campaign And Social Work Implications, Katherine Ann Mcclernon-Chaffin

Masters Theses

The general aim of this study was to examine the living age movement and how frame alignment fits into social work practice. This research was developed from a limited empirical and theoretical base surrounding the living wage as a social movement. Frame alignment is becoming a tool that more and more people should know how to use. Frame alignment has been a key component in propelling social movements into society in order to effect change. This research is an examination of frame alignment, specifically the living wage movement and how it fits into effective social work practice.

The data were …

Better Site Design: A Correlation Between Quality Of Water And Quality Of Life, Winford Lee Blackburn

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate that Tennessee residents would likely find Better Site Design techniques more aesthetically pleasing than conventional land development approaches. Better Site Design is an approach to land development that seeks to reduce impervious cover and maintain a degree of natural vegetation on a development site. This approach has been proven to vastly support healthier water quality of nearby streams and other bodies of water.

The thesis begins with an explication of the Clean Water Act that is the enabling legislation for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. This system mandates communities to incorporate …

Low Self-Esteem As It Relates To Anxiety And Depression, Joel B. Makowski

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the relationship between low self-esteem and anxiety and/or depression. Participants were selected based on their subjective experience of having high or low self-esteem. Low self-esteem participants were then selected on the basis of their subjective assessment of attributing anxiety/and or depression to their low self-esteem experience. Two high self-esteem and two low self-esteem participants were interviewed.

High self-esteem participants were found to base their self-worth and respect on an internal locus of evaluation. They did not identify any notable anxiety or depression. Low self-esteem participants were found to base their worth …

Understanding Ethno-Nationalism: Sikh Diasporic Imaginings In Southwest Michigan, Rory G. Mccarthy

Masters Theses

Diaspora as a category is both useful and troublesome for researchers in the discipline of anthropology. It is useful, for it allows anthropologists to approach cultural studies from a position that recognizes flaws in the conception of culture as geographically bounded. Studying diasporic populations, therefore, enables anthropologists to apply new theoretical approaches to culture, without reifying and essentializing social practices. Conversely, using diaspora as a category can homogenize groups by glossing over differences in ethnicity, religion, and migratory expenence.

This study aims at bettering the understanding of diversity within a diasporic population by examining the role that religion plays in …

An Intensive Surface Collection And Intrasite Spatial Analysis Of The Archaeological Materials From The Coy Mound Site (3ln20), Central Arkansas, William Glenn Hill

Masters Theses

Surface collected materials from the Coy Mound site (3LN20), Lonoke County, Arkansas, are utilized in order to address questions regarding site temporal occupations, resource utilization, internal site configuration, and the socio-political organization of the Baytown-Coles Creek period Plum Bayou culture. Artifact distribution plots revealed the presence of a mound and plaza site configuration in addition to potential domestic and off-mound midden deposits. While the site organizational plan has implications for a hierarchical socio-political organization, the absence of inter- and intrasite variability in ceramic types and lithic materials support the hypothesis that limited social differentiation was present in Plum Bayou culture …

The International Criminal Court: A Sociological History, Dawn Rothe

Masters Theses

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been touted as a new international response to the worst atrocities of mankind: crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. Indeed, the implementation of a permanent international court is a historical tum. However, the course to which an international criminal court transpired dates back to the late 1800's. One hundred years of political, economic, and social contradictions have aided and abated the process of what is now the International Criminal Court. However, the dialectics between actors and institutions has been neglected in historical and legal analysis. The purpose of this thesis is …

The Steamboat Industry In Brownsville, Pennsylvania: An Ethnohistorical Perspective On The Economic Change In The Monongahela Valley, Marc Nicholas Henshaw

Masters Theses

This thesis is a detailed ethnohistorical study examining landscape changes in Brownsville Pennsylvania from 1759 to 1925. The changes that occurred in the town were heavily influenced by the flatboat and steamboat industries and the later introduction of the railroad. The catalyst for the shifts in landscape use was derived from the economical transition from a frontier economy and core producer, to mining satellite of the Pittsburgh region.

This study employs the use of period town directories, diaries, maps, photographs, and oral histories to recreate the town and to flesh out gender roles, racial diversity, and class structures both on …

The Effect Of Employee Computer Self-Efficacy On Transfer Of Training Following Computer-Based Training, Amy Lynn Trombley

Masters Theses

This study used the Technology Acceptance Model, prior research of self-efficacy, and transfer of training theory, to examine the relationships between employee computer self-efficacy, perceptions of the ease of use of CBT, perceptions of the usefulness of CBT, behavioral intention, and transfer of training, following computer-based training. Eighty-three employees of a large mid-west retail chain participated in this study. A pre-test, measuring existing computer self-efficacy, employee perceptions of the ease of use of general computer-based training, and prior safety knowledge was given to employees prior to the start of a web-based safety training program. A post-test, measuring developed computer self-efficacy, …

The Relationship Between Food Habits, Attitudes Toward Food, And Obesity Among Female College Students Of Public Authority For Applied Education And Training In Kuwait, Ali Monahi Al-Shammari

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Factors Impacting Mothers' Decision To Breastfeed: Mothers Attitudes In Kuwait, Ala Hussdain Al-Hawwaj

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Relationship Among Membership In Recognized Student Organizations On Body Image Satisfaction And Eating Behaviors Of University Students, Beth G. Cavallero

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Eating Disorder Tendencies And Pathogenic Weight Control Usage In High School Female Athletes, Natasha L. Mcdonald

Masters Theses

For many years, eating disorders have become more prevalent in American society. Researchers have recently identified a "new" at risk group, female athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to answer two questions: First, are tendencies toward eating disorders and the use of pathogenic weight control techniques different between female high school athletes and female high school nonathletes? Secondly, among high school female athletes, are tendencies toward eating disorders and the use of pathogenic weight control techniques different between performance sports and traditional sports? Each participant completed a survey packet to gather information on (1) demography including athletic participation, …

Folic Acid: Consumption And Knowledge For The Prevention Of Neural Tube Defects Among College-Aged Women, Lynn M. Stahlhut

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Plate Waste Trends Of Kindergarten Students Participating In The National School Lunch Program, Sara Elizabeth Dust

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Study Of At-Home Fathers' Perceptions As Primary Care Providers, Mary Barbiarz

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Visual Merchandising: The Effects Of Store Image And Store Design On The Female Consumer Decision Process, Katherine Anne Shaw

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Sexual Assault: An Examination Of Disclosure, Reporting, And Support Among Female University Students, Tona E. Smith

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Provincial Growth Convergence In China, Zhifang Peng

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Is Economic Growth Enough To Reduce Poverty, Hongying Chen

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Tipping Fees In The Waste Industry, Kelli Jean Mayes

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.