Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Interpreting Diet By Age, Status, And Gender And Establishing Weaning Patterns Using Trace Element Analysis On Human Remains From Umm El-Jimal, Jordan, Monica Shah

Masters Theses

The intent of this study is to learn about the dietary patterns of early fourth century occupants of a Late Antique site in northern Jordan. Bone samples of 107 individuals from two distinct cemetery· types, assumed to be status differentiated, were chemically examined for their trace element composition. Trace element analysis can potentially investigate groups of individuals to attempt to determine if gender, age, or status influenced access to food resources.

Statistical tests found that significant differences of trace element concentrations were evident in an inter-burial area study for all adults and subadults, and when examining intra-burial area males and …

The Development And Validation Of A Multicomponent Scale Measuring Aids Phobia, Jessica Purtan Harrell

Masters Theses

The development, reliability, and validity of a new instrument, the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale (MAPS), is described. The results indicate that the MAPS has strong internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability. In addition, an assessment of concurrent and discriminant validity indicates statistically significant correlations with other self-report measures of anxiety, hypochondriasis, obsessive compulsive disorder, and fear of AIDS. The results of a factor analysis indicate that the scale consists of 2 factors: fear of infection and fear of others/avoidance. The instrument appears to be a reliable and valid measure of AIDS Phobia and may prove useful for improving clinical assessment …

Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (Emdr) In The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Dismantling The Cognitive Component, Karen Cusack

Masters Theses

Twenty-three individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for post traumatic stress disorder were randomly assigned to either a standard EMDR treatment group or a modified treatment group that omitted the cognitive reprocessing component of EMDR. All subjects were assessed on a variety of pretest posttest measures including the SCL-90- R, the Impact of Events, the Structured Interview for PTSD, SUDS, and Validity of Cognitions (VoC). Results of repeated measures ANOVAs indicate a significant decrease across all pre to post measures, with these results being maintained at a 1 month followup. With the exception of SUDs and SCL-90-R anxiety scores, there were no …

Aspects Of Ecology And Adaptation With An Emphasis On Hominoid Evolution, Clare Katharine Stott

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore hominoid evolution from the joint perspectives of ecology and palaeoanthropology. Unique to this study is the idea of Ecosystematics. While ecologists tend to focus their attentions on the immediate context of organismal existence and survival (i.e., the ecosystem), palaeoanthropologists more often focus on the long term, evolutionary trends of organismal adaptation, with usually much less attention given to the context of such adaptations. The Ecosystematic cycle bridges together these ideas of proximate (immediate context) and ultimate (long term) adaptation towards the end of better understanding of evolutionary patterns and processes inherent to hominid development. In this …

The Implications Of Deweyan Pragmatism For Liberal Democracies, Robert B. Fenneuff

Masters Theses

My research explores John Dewey's political theory in order to determine what practical and theoretical significance it has for liberal democratic nation-states that face significant problems in a number of areas. The problems Dewey's political theory is most concerned with stem from the impact of highly complex modern technology upon the ability of a democratic society to strive closer towards its ideals of freedom , equality, and community. My research shows that Dewey's theory calls for an experimental re-creation of social and political institutions with the purpose of creating an effective means by which society can organize the complex technology …

The Education And Cultural Adaptation: Experiences Of Japanese Children In Foreign Cultures, Akiko Namiki

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the experiences of Japanese children and adolescents who reside in the United States as a consequence of their parents' jobs and examines how they adapted to a local society and how their cultural identities were affected by living in the United States before establishing stable identities. This study was completed by relating existing literature to interviews with a sample of Japanese children and adolescents, their mothers, and their teachers who reside in a Midwestern urban areas.

Experiences of the Japanese children and adolescents were examined in terms of their English language skills, Japanese language skills, family lives, …

Little Golden Bookstm: An Analysis Of Every Child’S Literature, Sandra Ballman-Burke

Masters Theses

Modeling theory proposes that consequences received by the model are considered critical in determining whether or not modeled behaviors will be imitated (Bandura, Ross & Ross, 1961).

Despite the apparent significance of consequences, analyses of children's literature have failed to explore this link. Utilizing feminist research perspectives, I sought to examine variables explored in previous analyses of picture books, with emphasis on consequences received by models. I was interested in (a) consequences received by female and male characters when engaged in instrumental/independent activities (Kortenhaus & Demarest, 1993); (b) the ways in which female and male characters are stereotyped; and (c) …

A Statistical Analysis Of The Ceramics From The Dieffenderfer Site (20sj179), St. Joseph County, Michigan, Mark A. Steeby

Masters Theses

The Dieffenderfer site, located in Constantine Township, St. Joseph County, Michigan, is a multi-component site situated in the middle St. Joseph River valley. Calibrated radiocarbon dates from several features at the site suggest multiple re-use during the Late Woodland period from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1400, with the most intensive occupations occurring during the 12th through 14th centuries. These dates are supported by a large Late Woodland ceramic assemblage in association with three spatially discrete activity areas; two of these activity loci are represented by housefloors, suggesting a degree of permanence by the residents.

A cluster analysis performed on the …

Analysis Of The Motor Fitness And Strength Of The 1992 Through 1995 Western Michigan University Football Teams, Erick W. Schork

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the motor fitness and strength characteristics of the 1992 through 1995 Western Michigan University football teams. Specifically, performance of the class of 1995 and various playing positions were compared to the performance of the entire team over a 4-year period. Approximately 100 members of the 1992 through 1995 Western Michigan University football teams were measured on tests that determined physical strength and motor fitness ability. These tests included the bench press, squat, hang clean, 20-yard shuttle run, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and 300-yard shuttle run. ANOVAs or chi-square tests were calculated to …

The Impact Of Political Instability On Economic Growth: Evidence From Developing Countries, Uisoon Kwon

Masters Theses

This thesis examined the impact of political instability on economic growth. This thesis included forty three developing countries and employed multiple regression analysis. Three hypotheses were tested. First, cross-nationally, political instability may serve to decrease the availability of factors of production. Second, cross-nationally, political instability will decrease the quantity of labor. Third, cross-nationally, political instability may negatively influence the timing and organization of the production process.

The statistical results of multiple regression were not significant at .05 level using t-test. Therefore the null hypotheses were not rejected. Based on statistical results, possible reasons for the statistical insignificance were considered in …

"They Taught Us Jesus Christ And Captain Cook And Everything": Exploring Koori Identity At La Perouse, Amanda Katherine Lambert

Masters Theses

Identity politics, the social construction of identity, is a phenomenon which affects many people worldwide. Indigenous Australians, however, are unique because of their indigenous, racial, and ethnic status. The construction of Koori identity, then, has its roots in a colonial and post-colonial history of cultural and racial devastation and discrimination. At this historical moment, Koori people are voicing and identifying themselves, consequently, contesting the externally imposed dominant paradigms of their identity. This text is a study of the construction of self-construction of Koori identity at La Perouse. The overall purpose of this thesis is to explore the day-to-day meaning of …

A Test Of The Accuracy Of Facial Tissue Thickness Measurements Taken From Computed Tomography, Amy L. Schilling

Masters Theses

Computed Tomography (CT) as a source from which to gather measurements of facial tissue depth is investigated. Measurements made from the surface of the bone to the outer skin surface were taken at the landmarks used by Rhine and Campbell (1980). These distances were measured on the axial slices of the Visible Human Male anatomical data and compared to measurements taken at the same landmarks on the Visible Human Male CT taken on the frozen specimen.

While two of the measurements varied by several millimeters, no statistically significant differences were found. Locating the correct landmark on an axial image …

Debris Slide Susceptibility Analysis In The Mount Leconte-Newfound Gap Area Of The Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee And North Carolina, Joseph P. Henderson

Masters Theses

In this study, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques are combined with statistical analyses to create two debris slide susceptibility maps of the Mount Leconte-Newfound Gap area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSMNP). This area has experienced numerous debris slide events in the past half century. Although the area has been the subject of several mass movement studies, this is the first known application of debris slide susceptibility mapping in the GRSMNP.

The factors that influence the potential for slope failure are extremely variable, and the interrelationships between these factors are complex. Six topographic variables (slope angle, slope aspect, …

Constraints To "Gay Lifestyle": Functioning Within The Social Environment, Valerie A. Paget

Masters Theses

“Gay lifestyle" is a phrase which carries with it many limitations and negative perceptions. In this paper, Adlerian psychology is used to facilitate a more broad understanding of lesbian, gay and bisexual lifestyles. To accomplish this, individual functioning is examined within the context of the social environment. Review of the literature examines the areas of cultural values; moral thought; theories on the etiology of homosexuality; attitudes as cognitive, affective, and behavioral reactions; development of gay and lesbian subcultures; and actual lifestyle functioning of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons. Sociological theories of feminism, constructionism, essentialism. and interactionism are all used to …

Determinants Of Worker Perceptions Of Team Effectiveness, Scott D. Mist

Masters Theses

This study measures perceptions of team effectiveness in a research and development organization from data obtained during an evaluation of a Federal Re-Invention Laboratory. The study is a secondary analysis which examines five scales, selected for their ability to measure team performance and satisfaction through the use of several values, behaviors and attitudes. These include empowerment, cohesion, team fitness, culture-power distribution, and culture.

A confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyze the strength of the question items of the scales. The factors were then utilized in four logistic regression analyses of dependent variables.

The analyses showed the relative strength of …

Childhood Health And Nutrition: An Exploration Of Enamel Hypoplasia Studies Using The Milwaukee County Institutional Grounds Cemetery, 1882-1925, Maura K. Polli

Masters Theses

The focus of this study is the dentition of a Midwestern United States historic almshouse population, the Milwaukee County Institutional Grounds cemetery (MCIG), 1882-1925. A survey of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) in the anterior dentition of a subsample of this population has been conducted to demonstrate incidences of childhood stress. LEH is symptomatic of extended periods of disease or nutritional stress experienced during the formative years of tooth development.

A subsample of 140 individuals was examined for LEH. The labial surface of the anterior dentition was examined for the frequency and chronological distribution of LEH. The frequency of LEH ranges …

Remote Sensing Of Freshwater Coastal Wetland Changes In Tuscola County, Michigan: An Evaluation Of Noaa’S C-Cap Program, Theodore S. Krumbach

Masters Theses

Coastal wetland protection and monitoring in the United States is becoming an increasingly important issue. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) has been developed to provide a protocol for satellite monitoring of the coastal regions of the United States. This research evaluated the effectiveness of the C-CAP program when being applied to a freshwater Great Lakes ecosystem in the Saginaw Bay region by investigating four components of the protocol: (1) suitable classification methodology, (2) suitable change detection logic, (3) accuracy assessment, and (4) source of digital data. Using two dates of satellite imagery, it was …

The White Extremist Movement: A Metatheoretical Analysis, Suzanne Vanweelde

Masters Theses

This study is a metatheoretical analysis of the white extremist movement in the United States. Five separate major and several smaller white extremist organizations were examined with respect to updated information as to the organizational levels, membership profiles and activities of: (1) the Ku Klux Klan, (2) the Militia, (3) Skinheads, (4) Aryan Nations, (5) the Neo-Nazi and (6) other organizations.

Several theories developed by foundational, developmental and contemporary sociologists were analyzed for their individual concepts. Pertinent and significant concepts were noted as being applicable to a theory of white extremism. Specific examples of the concepts' usage within the extremist …

Technological Analysis Of Ceramic Surface Treatments At The Wymer-West Knoll (20be132), A Mississippian Site In Southwestern Michigan, Suzannah Greve-Brown

Masters Theses

Red-slipped and blackened, burnished, shell-tempered ceramics from the Wymer-West knoll are described and analyzed. Such ceramics have not been previously recognized or detailed in south west Michigan. Similar ceramics do occur, however, at Mississippian sites in the upper Illinois and the Mississippi River valleys. The Wymer-West knoll ceramics are thus considered to be possible trade items. An X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy test is utilized in order to compare the red-slipped ceramics with ceramics having other surface treatments. A petrographic thin section analysis is also used to distinguish the potentially imported ceramics from shell-tempered, cordmarked ceramics presumably produced at the site. Results …

Aboriginal Autonomy: The Future Of Indigenous Development In Western Australia, Matthew B. Eugster

Masters Theses

The prospects for development within the Aboriginal society of Western Australia were the focus of this study. The Primary intent of the study was to examine the causes behind an apparent lack of development within Aboriginal society. Next, the study examined possible remedies for the situation.

The study determined that the lack of development in Aboriginal society can be attributed primarily to social dysfunction ( or social dislocation). Furthermore, social dislocation could be attributed to cultural deprivation or the inability to practice one's culture. It was proposed and established that cultural and political autonomy would provide an environment more suitable …

Acculturation Differences Among International Students At Western Michigan University, Kemal Aydin

Masters Theses

The acculturation of international students at Western Michigan University was studied in this thesis. Acculturation variables of perceived prejudice, observance of cultural practices and social ties, and language usage were measured. The results of this study shows that in terms of perceived prejudice, Western Michigan University's international students (except European and Hispanics students) tend to move away from a stimulus. Acculturation and language usage, however, indicate that there is no significant acculturation differences among the respondents. International students at Western Michigan University seem to prefer integration as reflected in a commitment to pluralism. In summary, international students at Western Michigan …

Assessment Of The Discriminative Properties Of A Selective D3 Antagonist, Mary-Jo E. Miller

Masters Theses

Two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats (n= 16) were used in a drug discrimination assay to assess the stimulus properties of PNU-99194A, currently the most selective D₃ dopamine antagonist. Eight rats were trained to discriminate cocaine-HCL (10 mg/kg) from saline and remaining eight rats were trained to discriminate PNU-99194A-HCL (10 mg/kg) from saline. PNU-99194A was tested for substitution (0-40 mg/kg, i.p and s.c.),. antagonism (5-20 mg/kg), and potentiation (5-20 mg/kg) in the animals trained with cocaine. PNU-99194A did not substitute for cocaine at any dose tested. PNU-99194A did not alter cocaine discrimination when administered in combination with the training …

Kanpo Consumption Among Japanese Students At Western Michigan University: Case Studies In Medical Pluralism, Joseph Paul Siuda

Masters Theses

Many societies have pluralistic medical systems in which biomedicine and alternative therapies coexist. Some anthropologists view medical pluralism adaptively, where the strengths of various therapies complement each other. Others highlight the hegemonic power of biomedicine and its tendency to suppress or co-opt alternative therapies. To understand medical pluralism, one must examine alternative therapies in particular cultural contexts.

Kanpo, or Japanese herbalism, has survived political and legal suppression resulting from Japan's 19th century attempts at westernization and now poses a challenge to the biomedical model of health and illness. Since the 1970's more Japanese are turning to kanpo rather than …

Responsibility, Submission, And Power: Social Factors Which Influence Rural Out-Migration Among Women In Southern Vietnam, Jeffery D. Wright

Masters Theses

This paper examines the circumstances that affect the decisions of young women living in rural southern Vietnam to move to Ho Chi Minh City in search of employment. Issues of power, submission, and responsibility that underlie interpersonal relationships in Vietnam will be discussed with special attention to the way they affect the lives of Vietnamese women. It has been widely suggested that rural out-migration in developing countries is largely economically driven. My own field research in Vietnam during the summer of 1996 suggests that the migration of women in southern Vietnam is not simply an attempt to make more money. …

A Social Work Assessment Of Interventions With The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Population With Regards To Intimacy, Beverly Rushlow

Masters Theses

Social work by nature has always been a hands on type of profession. With the explosion of new technology, social workers are being called upon to utilize technology to intervene with clients. Telecommunication is technology which can bring programs and images of people from one place to another with the use of television screens and phone lines.

This study explored the effectiveness of the utilization of interactive video within a classroom setting for the purpose of social work intervention. The study examined the impact social work intervention has upon a sample of individuals diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease participating …

The Relationship Between Social Skills, Social Phobia And Behavior Disorders In Adolescents, Kristin A. Lavery

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Determinants Of Agriculture Growth In China, 1978-89, Jiefei Qiu

Masters Theses

Agriculture growth in China during the first dozen years of the economic reform could be attributed to an increase in inputs, technological progress, and institutional innovation. This paper introduces a couple of measurements for technological change and institutional reform, which include the imported capital for advanced technology, the number of high school graduates for improved human capital and the size of the free market for price reform. The study examines the effects of education, foreign capital, and price reform in rural China using data for both agriculture and farming over the period of 1978-89. Descriptions are made regarding the changes …

The Effects Of Sex Guilt And Communication On Condom Use, Renée M. Souva

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether sex guilt and communication were related to condom use. Past research has examined variables that affect condom use and has found that individuals who communicate more about sexual matters, and individuals who have low sex guilt, have been found to use condoms/contraceptives more consistently. This study examined sex guilt and communication and how they predict condom use. The participants were 80 female undergraduates recruited from psychology classes at Eastern Illinois University. Mosher's revised Sex Guilt Inventory and Catania's Health Protective Communication Scale were administered along with a question that assessed condom …

The Interaction Between Religiosity And Depression Among Students At Two Universities, Nils Anders Haldorsen

Masters Theses

The association between religion and mental health has been a long standing topic of the debate. Some have felt that religion leads to emotional and mental disturbances and thus is detrimental to mental health (Freud, 1907/1924, 1927/1961; Ellis, 1980, 1988); while others believe religion is helpful to mental health (Jung, 1932, 1933; Bergin 1980, 1983) . This study used 180 male and female (79%) college students from a Midwestern state university (62%) and a Christian liberal arts college. It was found that for women, private religiosity was negatively related to depression, as measured by the BDI. Students from the state …

An Analysis Of Parental Involvement At Iep Conferences For Students With Hearing Impairments, Kristina S. Kroeker Parker

Masters Theses

Legislation of the 1970's and 80's mandated parental involvement in the development of special education plans for children with disabilities. The literature has indicated that parents are often passive recipients of information (Goldstein, Strickland, Turnbull, & Curry, 1980) even though parent involvement in a child's education has been associated with academic success (Epstein, 1990). An observational analysis of eighteen IEP conferences for children with hearing impairments receiving services through the Eastern Illinois Area Special Education Cooperative was completed. Observers recorded the frequency of verbal participation by the parents, and parents and teachers completed questionnaires addressing satisfaction and perceptions of involvement …