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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Emotional Labor And Nursing Students: An Investigation Of Nursing Students' Emotion Work, Ann Caldwell Smolen-Hetzel Jan 2006

Emotional Labor And Nursing Students: An Investigation Of Nursing Students' Emotion Work, Ann Caldwell Smolen-Hetzel

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined emotional labor as a potential source of stress for nursing students, as nursing students' performance of emotional labor may impact their working lives in important ways. Participants were 107 undergraduate and graduate nursing students enrolled in a large southeastern university who completed the Discrete EmotionsEmotional Labor Scale (DEELS; Glomb & Tews, 20041, the Student Nurse Stress Index (SNSI; Jones & Johnston, 1999), the Job Descriptive Index (JDI; Balzer et al., 20001, and the Job in General (JIG; Balzer et al., 2000) scales. Two sub-samples of nursing students were identified, one of which held a registered nurse license …


The Influence Of Perceptions And Experiences Of Racial Discrimination On Body Mass Index Among The Black Women's Health Study Cohort, Dana-Marie Thomas Jan 2006

The Influence Of Perceptions And Experiences Of Racial Discrimination On Body Mass Index Among The Black Women's Health Study Cohort, Dana-Marie Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS) and building on what is currently known about perceptions of racism and discrimination and its mechanisms, this study attempts to demonstrate the value of identifying additional variables that may serve as potential risk factors for obesity among African American women. Using secondary data analysis, the purpose of this study was to expand the scope of existing obesity research by examining a 1997 cross-sectional dataset of self-reported questionnaire responses among a random sample of African American women enrolled in the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS) to examine the association between perceptions of …


Supportive And Unsupportive Responses From Parents As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Stressful Events And Negative Outcomes In Adolescents, Karen A. Muehl Jan 2006

Supportive And Unsupportive Responses From Parents As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Stressful Events And Negative Outcomes In Adolescents, Karen A. Muehl

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between stressful events in adolescents and negative outcomes of substance use, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. Parental support and unsupportive parental responses were examined as moderators of this relationship. The research design was cross-sectional, and self-report data were collected from 100 adolescents in the 8th and 9th grades. As hypothesized, significant positive associations were found between perceived stressors and each of the three negative outcomes, as well as between unsupportive parental responses and the outcomes. Also consistent with hypotheses, and previous literature, was the finding of a significant inverse association …


A Longitudinal Investigation Of Cognitive Predictors Of Self-Care Behaviors In Youth With Type I Diabetes, Michelle Marie Greene Jan 2006

A Longitudinal Investigation Of Cognitive Predictors Of Self-Care Behaviors In Youth With Type I Diabetes, Michelle Marie Greene

Theses and Dissertations

Cross-sectional research of youth with type I diabetes has demonstrated that rote and working memory predict blood glucose monitoring (BGM) and carbohydrate consumption, respectively; however, to date, no longitudinal follow-up studies exist. Rote and working memory subtests from well-standardized memory measures, along with a problem-solving and executive functioning measures were administered to 118 youth with type I diabetes, aged 9-16 in two waves of data collection (mean interval = 2.07 years). Diabetes care behaviors were assessed through the 24-hour Diabetes Interview. This study was the first to document longitudinal prediction of BGM by rote memory and fat consumption by working …


How Promotions Effect Consumer Purchases, Justin D. White Jan 2006

How Promotions Effect Consumer Purchases, Justin D. White

Theses and Dissertations

Rational choice theory provides a blueprint for predicting individual behavior under the assumption that objectives and decisions are rationally identified and executed. Under certain conditions, actions reveal preferences and the ability to observe these preferences allows for the possibility to study the effects of subtle changes in individual constraints such as price and wealth affect preferences. For instance, recent work by Eckel and Grossman (2003), Davis, Millner and Reilly (2003), and Davis and Millner (2004) observe a preference for matching promotions over coupon rebates even when the two promotions types are strictly equivalent. An important question remaining is whether this …


The Predictive Relationship Of Inhibitory Control, Emotion Regulation, Moral Emotions, And Life Stressors On Behavior Problems In School-Aged Children Of Incarcerated Mothers, Geraldine M. Lotze Jan 2006

The Predictive Relationship Of Inhibitory Control, Emotion Regulation, Moral Emotions, And Life Stressors On Behavior Problems In School-Aged Children Of Incarcerated Mothers, Geraldine M. Lotze

Theses and Dissertations

Children whose mothers go to prison are at high risk for poor outcomes of many kinds,including externalizing behaviors, internalizing disorders, school dropout, and eventual criminal activity. Inhibitory control, moral emotions, emotion regulation, and stressful life events were examined as predictors of externalizing and internalizing behaviors in children of incarcerated mothers. Participants were 50 children age 6 to 12 years (M = 9.77 y, SD = 1.54) with mothers currently in prison who attended a faith-based recreational summer camp. Inhibitory control was not impaired in these children, showing that their brains were functioning appropriately in this area of executive functioning. Inhibitory …


The Relationship Between Eating Disordered Behavior And Smoking In Black And White College Females, Sarah Elizabeth Trace Jan 2006

The Relationship Between Eating Disordered Behavior And Smoking In Black And White College Females, Sarah Elizabeth Trace

Theses and Dissertations

Both eating disorders and smoking are significant problems for Black and White college women. Additionally, these two negative health behaviors frequently co-occur. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between these health behaviors using a multivariate model. Two models, one for full and one for partial mediation, were tested using Structural Equation Modeling. The Model for full mediation tested whether the relationship among general distress and smoking are fully mediated by body dissatisfaction, restraint, and binge eating. The model for partial mediation hypothesized that the relationships among general distress, and smoking are mediated by body dissatisfaction, restraint, and binge eating. …


The Influence Of Physical Activity And Television On The Intention And Self-Efficacy To Engage In Health-Enhancing Behaviors, Ian Joseph Wallace Jan 2006

The Influence Of Physical Activity And Television On The Intention And Self-Efficacy To Engage In Health-Enhancing Behaviors, Ian Joseph Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer and heart disease account for the largest proportion of morbidity and mortality among all adult diseases in the United States. Research has focused on identifying causal risk factors among adolescents. However, theories of health behavior change also stress the intermediary factors of intention and efficacy for effective behavior change. Existing research supports the potential of physical activity (PA), particularly learned through the domains of exercise and sport, as a means to developing these necessary skills (Danish, Petitpas, & Hale, 1993). The current investigation examined the influence of PA and television watching (TV) on intentions and efficacy to engage in …


Is Safe Haven Legislation An Efficacious Policy Response To Infant Abandonment: A Biopsychosocial Profile Of The Target Population, Stephanie Mayes Gruss Jan 2006

Is Safe Haven Legislation An Efficacious Policy Response To Infant Abandonment: A Biopsychosocial Profile Of The Target Population, Stephanie Mayes Gruss

Theses and Dissertations

This study represents an attempt to describe the extent and features of safe haven legislation in the United States, discuss implementation issues, and to examine if the legislation is reaching its intended target audience in order to answer the question, "Is safe haven legislation an efficacious response to infant abandonment?" Safe havens are designated locations where infants can be anonymously abandoned without fear of prosecution or incarceration. As of May of 2006, forty-seven states have passed such legislation, citing the need for an alternative to unsafe infant abandonment leading to an infant's death, and an alternative to infanticide (the killing …


Conceptualizing Hoarding Behavior Among Elderly Women: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Susan Jan Murdock Jan 2006

Conceptualizing Hoarding Behavior Among Elderly Women: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Susan Jan Murdock

Theses and Dissertations

Hoarding in the community involves substantial cluttering and impaired functioning, often exposing the hoarder to extensive health and safety risks. This research, based on Functionalism social theory, explores the three elements of hoarding—relentless acquisition, intense possessiveness of objects, and a reluctance to discard possessions—as a sociocultural phenomenon. The mixed methods methodology entailed a quantitative study involving a survey completed by 134 adult protective services workers throughout Virginia and a qualitative study of five randomly-selected adult protective services workers who volunteered for in-depth interviews.Findings revealed that adult protective services workers come in contact with very severe cases of hoarding, with over …


The Impact Of No Child Left Behind On Charter School Legislation And Practices - Policy Implications, Joice Eaddy Conyers Jan 2006

The Impact Of No Child Left Behind On Charter School Legislation And Practices - Policy Implications, Joice Eaddy Conyers

Theses and Dissertations

The charter school movement is considered one of the fastest growing education reform efforts in the United States today, serving over 1 million children nationwide. The demand to improve the quality of education in the United States has been paramount over the last twenty years.In December 2001, Congress approved a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and renamed it the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), P.L. 107-ll0, H.R. 1. Although ESEA was enacted in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson to supplement state and local efforts to provide all children with high-quality education, NCLB has …


Do Expectancies Mediate The Relationship Between Sensitivities And Fearfulness?: An Alternative To Reiss' Expectancy Theory, Scott David Mcdonald Jan 2006

Do Expectancies Mediate The Relationship Between Sensitivities And Fearfulness?: An Alternative To Reiss' Expectancy Theory, Scott David Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

This paper tests Reiss' (1991) expectancy theory of fearfulness. Reiss' moderation model of fears speculates that individual differences in fearfulness and phobic avoidance is a function of the interaction between trait vulnerabilities (i.e., sensitivities) and beliefs about potential outcomes during exposure to phobic stimuli (i.e., expectancies). Four hundred and forty-five undergraduates completed questionnaires related to Reiss' fundamental sensitivities (e.g., "anxiety sensitivity"), expectancies (e.g., "expectancy of physical injury or harm") and the intensity of common fears. Informed by findings concerning fear-related outcome expectancies, a system for measuring expectancies was developed for this study called the Focus of Apprehension Survey Schedule (FASS). …


Poverty, Inequality & Terrorism Relationship In Turkey, Mutlu Koseli Jan 2006

Poverty, Inequality & Terrorism Relationship In Turkey, Mutlu Koseli

Theses and Dissertations

Poverty, Inequality & Terrorism Relationship in TurkeyUsing empirical evidence criminological studies have identified a relationship between poverty and crime and many studies have concluded that a high crime rate is associated with a higher poverty rate. Other studies indicate that inequalities are a better determinant of crime than absolute poverty. Social disorganization theory, anomie strain theory and Marxist theory have been used to explain the phenomenon. Guided by the aforementioned theories and previous literature on crime, this study looks at the terrorism issue and explores whether a relationship exists between poverty, inequality and terrorist incidents. The main hypothesis of this …


The Evolution Of Urban Community Development Corporations In Response To Contemporary Challenges And Opportunities, Sharon L. Bancroft Jan 2006

The Evolution Of Urban Community Development Corporations In Response To Contemporary Challenges And Opportunities, Sharon L. Bancroft

Theses and Dissertations

Community development corporations (CDCs) have become important vehicles for revitalizing urban neighborhoods. These small, multi-disciplinary groups must adapt quickly to changing conditions in the industry. The author interviewed CDC directors and other industry experts from Richmond, Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia to identify and compare contemporary challenges, opportunities and adaptations among community developers. The cost and availability of land, inadequate funding and organizational capacity were significant barriers in both cities. In Richmond, increasing competition, NIMBY and staff retention were other barriers. In Atlanta, securing community buy-in, the permitting process, and the growing need for affordable housing were other barriers. Increasing public …


Student Learning Assessment In The Social Sciences: Establishing A National Baseline For Criminal Justice Programs, Jennifer N. Jenkins Jan 2006

Student Learning Assessment In The Social Sciences: Establishing A National Baseline For Criminal Justice Programs, Jennifer N. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on student learning outcomes assessment in criminal justice programs in American colleges and universities. Particularly, this research sought to establish a baseline understanding about how criminal justice programs are measuring student achievement toward learning outcomes. The baseline does not include what students should be learning or how that learning should be assessed; it includes only what is actually happening in criminal justice programs in terms of how student learning is being assessed. The baseline data were then compared to the results from two studies that focused on student learning assessment in political science departments and public relations …


Feng Shui And Neighborhood Development, Kevin Allen Walters Jan 2006

Feng Shui And Neighborhood Development, Kevin Allen Walters

Theses and Dissertations

Planning is a rational process where we rely on training and our five senses, but not so much on our instincts. How can we reclaim this missing element and balance the rational with the intuitive? Feng Shui provides a method for enhancing the current planning process by evaluating the physical form through observation and management of the movement of ch'i energy. The Feng Shui Neighborhood Evaluation checklist, created in Excel, allows the planner to examine the form of a neighborhood to assess the quality of the ch'i. Individual ratings are input for each evaluation point within a category. The Bagua …


Gender And Forgiveness In Early Married Couples, Andrea J. Lerner Jan 2006

Gender And Forgiveness In Early Married Couples, Andrea J. Lerner

Theses and Dissertations

Ninety-five studies that addressed the possibility of gender differences in forgiveness literature are reviewed. Gender differences were examined with respect to predictor variables and outcome variables. Participants were 314 couples from the community who had been married less than one year. Participants filled out questionnaires. Males were more forgiving and were more committed to the marriage. However, females were more successful at granting forgiveness. In addition, females were more religious and reported more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility. Four structural equation models were tested in order to test for gender differences. Structural models including the latent variables of martial …


The Ins And Outs Of School Provider Literature: A Multi-Year Content Analysis On Lgbt Youth, Caitlin Conor Ryan Jan 2006

The Ins And Outs Of School Provider Literature: A Multi-Year Content Analysis On Lgbt Youth, Caitlin Conor Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

This study is based on a content analysis of two primary sources: 1) literature published on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in professional journals for school providers (school counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers) over more than a 30-year period; and 2) materials developed for school providers on LGBT youth by states with laws, regulations and professional policies related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity in schools. Fifteen professional journals were identified that serve as primary and secondary journals for school providers. A total of 41 articles were published in these journals on LGBT youth between 1937 and …


Panic Disorder, Trait Anxiety, And Risk Drinking In Pregnant And Non-Pregnant Women, Sarah Meshberg-Cohen Jan 2006

Panic Disorder, Trait Anxiety, And Risk Drinking In Pregnant And Non-Pregnant Women, Sarah Meshberg-Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders, including Panic Disorder, and alcohol problems co-occur at greater rates than chance in the general population. It has also been suggested that alcohol is used to cope with anxiety symptoms, such as trait anxiety. While pregnancy may be a protective period against Panic Disorder and panic symptoms, trait anxiety remains relatively stable during pregnancy. The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in rates of current Panic Disorder, panic attacks, and trait anxiety in pregnant and non-pregnant women receiving care at an urban OB/GYN clinic. The study also examined correlates and differences in alcohol use and …


Sinking Poor Decision-Making With Best Practices: A Case Study Of Artificial Reef Decision-Making In The Florida Keys, Thomas Wayne Williams Jan 2006

Sinking Poor Decision-Making With Best Practices: A Case Study Of Artificial Reef Decision-Making In The Florida Keys, Thomas Wayne Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The natural reefs of the world are experiencing higher use and pressures, resulting in anthropogenic impacts that are deteriorating many coral stands and creating poor water quality. The Florida Keys rely primarily on the reef system that surrounds the archipelago for their socioeconomic health and successful future. The Florida Keys shares the symbiotic relationship of the terrestrial and marine realms with many other states and countries and the experience of higher demand on the resource. Artificial reefs could provide a substitute to the natural reefs for commercial and recreational users. An increased demand for derelict vessels of the U.S. Navy …


Urban Growth And Segregation In The Roanoke, Virginia, Metropolis: The Effects Of Low-Density Development On Low-Income Populations And Racial Minorities, Freed Etienne Jan 2006

Urban Growth And Segregation In The Roanoke, Virginia, Metropolis: The Effects Of Low-Density Development On Low-Income Populations And Racial Minorities, Freed Etienne

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines urban growth patterns in the Roanoke, Virginia, metropolis. It draws on the literature of contemporary human ecology and social area analysis to examine the effects of low-density development on low-income populations and racial minorities. The continuous spread of residential development beyond the boundaries of the central city and older suburbs into more distant, once rural areas is segregating the metropolitan area by race and income. Since the prominence of the so-called "Chicago School" of urban sociology (1913-1940), contemporary urban sociologists have outlined theories and methods to examine how American urban areas have changed and why. This dissertation …


Children's Coping With Peer Rejection Experiences: The Regulating Role Of Emotion, Kimberly L. Goodman Jan 2006

Children's Coping With Peer Rejection Experiences: The Regulating Role Of Emotion, Kimberly L. Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of emotions as predictors of children's coping responses to peer rejection experiences. This study also explored how children's emotional experience and coping behaviors were related to gender, peer socialization (i.e., receiving prosocial acts by peers and previous victimization experiences), and indices of psychopathology. Children ages 7-12 (N=53) completed questionnaires to assess emotional and coping responses to hypothetical peer rejection scenarios, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and peer experiences. Overall, findings suggested that emotion-related factors (emotion states and more stable "emotional tendencies" such as psychological symptoms) and social context (i.e., …


Models Of Forgiveness And Adult Romantic Attachment In Ended Relationships: Forgiveness Over Time, Kathryn Louise Cooke Jan 2006

Models Of Forgiveness And Adult Romantic Attachment In Ended Relationships: Forgiveness Over Time, Kathryn Louise Cooke

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined models of self and other as they relate to attachment, forgiveness, emotional and cognitive reactions to a breakup, relationship variables, and positive and negative feelings toward the self and former partner after a romantic relationship is ended. This study also tested how these variables change over time. Data were collected over a period of five weeks from 130 undergraduates who had experienced a breakup within the two weeks prior to beginning the study. Data were analyzed with a series of univariate and multivariate analyses of variance. Results found that there were differences in how participants reacted to …


Implicit Theories Of Weight Management: A Social Cognitive Approach To Motivation, Jeni L. Burnette Jan 2006

Implicit Theories Of Weight Management: A Social Cognitive Approach To Motivation, Jeni L. Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

Just as scientists develop general conceptual explanations of the phenomena they investigate, individuals also develop intuitive theories about such human characteristics as intelligence, personality, and athletic ability. These theories, unlike scientist's theories, are not explicitly articulated or documented, and so they are termed implicit theories. Implicit theories, in achievement motivation, distinguish between the belief that human attributes are fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) and have been shown to have far-reaching consequences for motivation, goal-orientations, and regulatory strategies in an array of domains. This dissertation extended implicit theories research to the domain of body-weight management. Drawing from an elaborate …


Understanding How African-American Middle School Students Cope With Peer Victimization: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Suzanne C. Linkroum Jan 2006

Understanding How African-American Middle School Students Cope With Peer Victimization: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Suzanne C. Linkroum

Theses and Dissertations

A mixed-methods approach was used to determine how African-American middle school students cope with peer victimization and to identify factors that inhibit and promote the use of prosocial coping strategies. In a previous study, participants had been categorized into four social clusters: well-adjusted, rejected, passively-victimized, or aggressively-victimized based on a cluster analysis of self-reported psychosocial variables. Interviews with a sub sample of 80 students focusing on identifying both how students thought they would respond and how they thought they should respond to hypothetical situations involving peer victimization were analyzed. Interviews also elicited factors that would support or impede the use …


Psychological Symptoms, Marital Quality, And Environmental Stress In Newly-Married Couples, Constance B. Sharp Jan 2006

Psychological Symptoms, Marital Quality, And Environmental Stress In Newly-Married Couples, Constance B. Sharp

Theses and Dissertations

Cross-sectional relationships between psychological symptoms, marital quality, and stress experienced over the past week were explored using data from 310 newly married couples. Couples were recruited through newspaper ads and paid to participate. Couples were eligible if they had been married for less than six months and were not receiving therapy when they contacted the researcher. The Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory measured psychological symptoms. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) measured marital quality, and scaled ratings of 11 types of stressors experienced over the previous week measured stress. Husband and wife measures were taken of each …


The Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of The Atypical Antipsychotic Clozapine In C57bl/6 Mice, Scott D. Philibin Jan 2006

The Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of The Atypical Antipsychotic Clozapine In C57bl/6 Mice, Scott D. Philibin

Theses and Dissertations

Serotonin and α1 adrenergic receptor antagonism may contribute to atypical antipsychotic drug effects. Clozapine (2.5 mg/kg) drug discrimination in C57BL/6 mice may selectively screen atypical antipsychotic drugs. Previous data show that the atypical antipsychotics olanzapine, risperidone, ziprasidone but not the typical antipsychotic haloperidol fully substitutes for clozapine. The present study demonstrated that the atypical antipsychotics quetiapine, sertindole, zotepine, iloperidone, melperone fully substituted for clozapine but aripiprazole did not. The typical antipsychotics fluphenazine and perphenazine failed to fully substitute for clozapine but chlorpromazine and thioridazine fully substituted for clozapine. This model does not differentiate between atypical and typical antipsychotic drugs but …


Child Care Decision Making Among Parents Of Young Children: A Constructivist Inquiry, Kathleen Albright Didden Jan 2006

Child Care Decision Making Among Parents Of Young Children: A Constructivist Inquiry, Kathleen Albright Didden

Theses and Dissertations

In order to understand parents' child care decision making for young children (under 6), this interpretive research interviewed 24 parents and 7 child care professionals from a mid-sized region in Virginia. Using a constructivist research design, the research question explored how parents make child care decisions. Working hypotheses focused the data collection on the role of experience in shaping parents' preferences, the relationship between family needs and child care decisions, and the interactions with family and child care services. The research product is a narrative case study. Child care decision making is conceptualized as an ongoing process bounded by the …


Reflecting The Past And Shaping The Future: A Study Of Adolescent Schemas And Exposure To Community Violence, Monique Vulin Reynolds Jan 2006

Reflecting The Past And Shaping The Future: A Study Of Adolescent Schemas And Exposure To Community Violence, Monique Vulin Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to community violence is a pervasive problem among urban youth and has been associated with both internalizing and externalizing disorders. The mechanisms through which exposure to community violence impacts adolescent adjustment are unclear. A change in adolescent schemas has been proposed as a mechanism through which the impact occurs. The goals of this study were to develop a measure of relevant adolescent schemas and examine their relation to exposure to community violence. A sample of 320 5th and 8th graders were assessed and confirmatory factor analyses of the measure supported a three factor model, including self-schemas, world schemas and …


Social Capital, Health And Mental Health In African American Women, Cheryl Lynn Bennett Jan 2006

Social Capital, Health And Mental Health In African American Women, Cheryl Lynn Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Cultural and social influences on mental and physical health are increasingly recognized by social science researchers. Researchers have found that specific, Afrocultural factors are related to the functioning of African Americans. The current research considered whether interdependence is especially salient for African American women since women and African Americans tend to define themselves within the context of social relationships. The study outlines processes affecting the mental and physical health of African American women including communalism, collective efficacy, and social capital. The also study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status and both mental and physical health among African American women in …