Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Red River Flood Of 1997: The Role Of Government Agencies In The Flood Plain, Deborah Marshall Pawley

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to identify the roles of three federal agencies in the Grand Forks Flood of 1997. The three agencies were selected for the scope of their impact on the disaster as well as their impact on the community. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, and Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed either to the the attempts to prevent flooding or flood recovery or both.

It is appropriate to determine both the physical factors that cause flooding and the agency policies that govern the ways in which people cope with disaster because these two are intricately …

Take My Thesis…Please! The Art Of Stand-Up Comedy, Kyle J. Dukart

Theses and Dissertations

In my thesis, I explore the artistry of stand-up comedy primarily by concentrating on five aspects of the genre that one generally uses to discuss literature: theme, persona, language, narrative structure, and audience. My purpose is to critically analyze a mode of artistic expression that is rarely given serious academic consideration

To accomplish this purpose I researched various theories of comedy and then proceeded to listen to and read about dozens of stand-up comedians. Using my own and other's knowledge of comedy and literature, I then closely analyze parts of routines from ten of the comedians I studied, including Lenny …

The Twelve-Penny Chronicle: The Origins Of The Pequot War, Rod Guttormson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

E-Mail Privacy In The Workplace: Is It A Public Relations Concern?, Charles H. Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined that many, perhaps most, public relations executives do not consider real or potential clashes between employers and employees over the use of organization E-mail systems for personal communication to be their concern.

The drafting of organization E-mail policy and its communication to employees seem to be the primary concerns of management information systems (MIS), human resources executives and legal counsel. When such policies result in misunderstanding and discontent among employees, human resources executives are more likely than public relations executives to seek solutions. Both public relations and human resources executives addressed the thesis question through a focus …

Professional Sports Teams And Fan Relations: A Public Relations Case Study Of The 1998-99 Philadelphia Eagles Football Team, Laura Elizabeth Litrenta

Theses and Dissertations

In professional sports, the field of public relations helps organizations foster positive relationships with their fans. But, when teams suffer losing seasons, recording more losses than wins, these relationships become strained.

The purpose of this study was to reveal how losing seasons affect the bond between professional sports teams and their fans. The results encourage sports relations practitioners to recognize fan needs and develop techniques that can help organizations maintain a more positive relationship with their fans during a losing season.

To examine the relationship between a professional sports team and its fans, this researcher traced the performance of the …

Intranets Vs. Printed Publications As Effective Employee Communication Tools, Paula S. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Intranets, driven by time and cost-efficiencies, recently emerged as a major corporate communication tool. However, do employees want their company news delivered via an Intranet or do they prefer reading traditional printed publications?

This study's purpose is to determine employees' preferences and constraints concerning Intranet internal news delivery and content. These findings will guide communication managers in delivering effective Intranet content, design and programming.

This study surveyed 100 employees in a self-select method from the Philadelphia area who read company news on an Intranet for at least six months. The survey probed attitude and behavior toward reading an Intranet vs. …

A Student's Guide To The History Of Public Relations And An Inquiry Into The Use Of Public Relations History In The Classroom, Christine Dunnington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile a PR student-friendly history of public relations, as well as learn how several university PR programs include public relations history in their curriculum. Literary research and interviews provided the information required for this study. Most universities teach public relations history within an introductory course, providing a historical background for the methods used by practitioners today. Discussions with professors found that most would like to have the resources to go into greater detail about the roots of this relatively young profession.

Communicating Through Photographs: A Guide For Public Relations Professionals, Carol Ann Desimine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of preparing this guide was to create a resource for public relations professionals to refer to when faced with the task of placing photographs in publications. The assumption is that most public relations professionals are not trained to think visually, partly because their education is focused on writing and virtually ignores aesthetics. Since readership surveys find that people prefer photographs over the written word, and that pictures capture attention quicker than headlines, it is essential that public relations people know how to use visuals to enhance a message. The primary research methods of this study were examination of …

Producing Award-Winning Publications, Jacob Christian Farbman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides research findings on what design elements public relations professionals use to produce award-winning publications. Professionals in the workforce who use desktop publishing software to produce publications can use these findings as a reference guide. A survey was conducted of 15 public relations professionals who have won national awards for either their newsletters or brochures. These professionals belonged to one of the following public relations associations: the International Association of Business Communicators, the National School Public Relations Association or the Public Relations Society of America. Respondents were found to use serif typefaces for body copy, sans serif typefaces …

A Comparative Study Of Recruitment And Enrollment Practices In Colleges And Universities Using Integrated Marketing Communications, Alisa L. Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted to determine if using an integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach to college and university recruitment and enrollment helps institutions better achieve their enrollment goals.

This study involved a review of related research, in-depth interviews with education-specific marketing consulting firms, and admissions and marketing professionals at various institutions of higher learning. Primary research involved a 14-item self-administered questionnaire mailed to selected four-year colleges and universities across the country. The questionnaire asked institution executives familiarity and general institutional marketing questions, marketing activity questions, use of IMC, opinion inquiries and demographics.

Mean scores through coded responses, frequencies and percentages …

The Effective Use Of Billboards As A Communications Tool, Donna M. Lithgow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify guidelines for communicators to use as a reference when designing an outdoor campaign.

Secondary research provided information on properly designing and using billboards as a communications tool. This information included studies on billboards, research on color and design, and statistics relating to the outdoor industry.

The author compiled a list of agencies who won OBIE awards between 1994 and 1998. These awards are given to agencies annually by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America to recognize outstanding billboard campaigns. These agencies are among the best in outdoor communication throughout the United States …

The Importance Of Morale In The Workplace, Allison Rohner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the impact of morale on productivity and the bottom line. Research shows companies with high morale generate higher profits, greater productivity and happier employees.

Thousands of organizations and companies have problems with morale, but few have found ways to solve them. This thesis identifies conditions that lead to higher morale. The thesis examines morale programs at top companies and looks at a variety of different studies.

The research indicates that employees need to feel their efforts create positive social changes. Companies can contribute to charities or they can create programs to show the company's impact on the …

The Efficacy Of Community Policing: A Community Relations Case Study Of Gloucester County, New Jersey Patrol Officers And Residents, Ian J. Finnimore

Theses and Dissertations

Community Policing has become a driving management strategy in many police departments throughout the United States. Police officers are being asked to form long-lasting relationships with community members so both publics can more easily work together to solve community and crime issues This study's purpose was to determine the efficacy of community policing as it relates to both patrol officers and residents to determine what public relations skills may assist future community policing initiatives. A patrol officer survey was designed and distributed to 24 municipal police departments. 394 surveys were delivered with 199 usable respondents. Officers were asked to give …

Public Relations Practitioners Versus The Media: The Analysis Of Standards, Stephen A. Kandik

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined how both the media and public relations practitioners perceived professional standards in the public relations field and how these perceptions could be changed. This study required the use of abstracting systems, the Internet, databases, journals and periodicals, in-depth interviews and e-mail surveys. Five in-depth interviews with journalists along with five in-depth interviews with public relations practitioners provided the information needed to create the survey instrument. Both journalists and public relations practitioners provided 99 responses to the survey. Data analysis included t-tests and a factor analysis. The study proved that the media view the professional standards within the …

Reviving The Image: Communicating The Benefits Of Labor Unions, Kathleen Mulholland

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to show that unions need to communicate the purpose they serve in society to revive their tarnished image. The results show through quantitative and qualitative analysis that although some studies show the public approval rating of unions has increased, a negative image still exists.

To determine the type of message the mass media is sending to the public about unions, a content analysis was performed on articles written by the Washington Post about four national strikes. Twelve individual in-depth interviews were conducted using six union and six nonunion participants to gather detailed information concerning …

Review Of Current Newsletter Literature With Today's Novice Publisher In Mind, Tobias Bruhn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive overview of current newsletter literature with the needs of novice publishers in mind. Just like any large organization or publishing house, first-time publishers use newsletters to communicate with their employees, club or church members, or customers.

However, in this booming industry, first-time publishers not only compete against each other, but also professional publishers with far greater resources and capabilities. No wonder that publishers go in and out of business on a daily basis. Therefore, this thesis limited the information to selected components of the newsletter production process appropriate for novice …

Internet Filtering Vs. Unrestricted Access In Public Libraries And School Media Centers In Southern New Jersey, Elizabeth A. Sevast

Theses and Dissertations

Where do we stand as educators on the debate involving Internet filtering vs. unrestricted access? The focus of this study was to examine Internet access privileges in local public libraries and kindergarten through twelfth grade school media centers. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire sent to 100 randomly selected public library directors and school media center specialists throughout the eight counties in southern New Jersey. They were asked if their libraries offered Internet access and if filtering software had been installed on their Internet terminals. Other questions involved the successes and/or failures of implementing (or in not implementing) filters, …

The Dna Sequence From A Cloned 15 Kilobase Fragment Of The Chlamydomonas Acidophila Mitochondrial Genome And Rna Transcript Production In Response To Cadmium, Scott A. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydomonas acidophila is a unicellular green alga of the order Chlamydomonadales. Our research efforts were allied along two lines: (1) Characterization of the C. acidophila mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and (2) Elucidation of any molecular events responsible for C. acidophila's heavy metal tolerance. The mitochondrial genomes of the protists have been underrepresented in the sequence databases. Among the protists, the alga genera Chlamydomonas shows a reduced mtDNA content with a highly rearranged gene structure. It was decided to sequence C. acidophila's mtDNA to further elucidate the evolutionary paths among the Chlamydomonads and add to the protist sequence database. A 15 kb …

The Development Of The Metacognitive Elements Of Study Scale, Tiffney Jo Yeager

Theses and Dissertations

Current theories suggest that metacognitive skills are an important aspect of effective studying. However, few learning and study questionnaires assess the metacognitive components of studying and those that do often assume that certain strategies are more appropriate than others, regardless of the person or the task. The questionnaire developed in this research was designed to measure the metacognitive elements of study strategies, regardless of the type of strategies used. This questionnaire should provide additional information regarding a person's metacognitive skills, beyond what is assessed by other measures of studying ability.

The new questionnaire (Metacognitive Elements of Study Scale; MESS) was …

Perceptions Of American Indian Students Of Their Experiences And Factors Related To Retention In Selected Institutions Of Higher Education, Donald R. Day

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of American Indian students regarding higher education and to examine factors that contribute to or create obstacles to their retention and graduation. The sample of American Indian students was selected from five Upper Midwest institutions of higher education and was stratified by age and by gender. A total of 100 students participated in the study, with 20 from each institution representing equal numbers of traditional age females (18–24 years of age), traditional age males, females older than average (25 years of age or older), and males older than average.

All …

Pregnancy-Related Hypertension In North Dakota: Incidence, Outcomes, And Nursing Care Practices, Karen S. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

Preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension complicate 6 to 7% of all pregnancies in the United States with the incidence varying among different regions, counties, and states. For improved perinatal outcomes in high-risk pregnancies there must be adequate care given in a timely and appropriate manner. Very little has been written on the incidence and trends in rural America and even less is known about incidence and trends in the rural Native American population. It is unknown how effective small rural hospitals are in the nursing care of the hypertensive pregnant women they encounter.

This project was an epidemiological retrospective cohort study …

Attitudes Toward Higher Education And Acculturation Amongst Native American College Students, Darlene Marie Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate attitudes and acculturation levels at a tribal community college to see if they differ from those at a four year state institution. In this study, the NACSAS (Native American College Student Attitudes Scale), and the NPBI (Northern Plains Bicultural Inventory) were administered to Native American college students at both types of colleges.

Results show that there were significant differences between the schools on the subscale of the NPBI, in the “European American Cultural Identification” (EACI) category, and on the NACSAS, on the “Perceived Racism” category. There were more students classified in EACI subscale at …

Depression, Self-Care, And Coping In Persons With Diabetes, Paula Schuler-Tillmann

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disorder of the endocrine system that affects virtually every system of the human body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are over 16 million persons with diabetes in the United States alone. Hyperglycemia, which is sustained over a long period of time, can lead to heart disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, and blindness. To avoid hyperglycemia and its associated ramifications, several self-care activities and life-style changes are necessary.

Depression is present in 8-32% of people who have diabetes. Poor glycemic control is often the result when depression and diabetes are concurrently present in …

Changing The Image Of Vocational Education, Laura Timberman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to (1) determine existing opinions of vocational education and (2) identify steps to be taken by vocational schools to improve image problems and to attract students.

A written survey was sent to the 21 New Jersey public vocational school superintendents. Twenty responses were received.

The results of the study indicate that the term "vocational" indeed carries a stigma. The leading association for vocational education recently underwent a name change. Many vocational schools are following suit, changing their names to eliminate the word "vocational."

The study also addressed the new courses being taught at vocational …

The Effects Of Thought Suppression On Later Recall Of Valenced, Self-Referenced Adjectives, Danial S. Sturgill

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of thought suppression on later recall of valenced material. According to Wegner's (1994) theory of ironic mental processes, effortful attempts at thought suppression result in an increased accessibility of the to-be-suppressed thought under conditions of high cognitive load. Participants (N = 180) received an induced-sadness manipulation before being asked to concentrate on associations between visual images (either a white bear or an brown rabbit) and 28 adjectives (14 positively-valenced, 14 negatively-valenced). After a five minute period of suppressing thoughts of one of the visual images, participants were asked to remember as many of the 28 …

"Billy Yank" On The Northern Plains: The Lives Of Union Soldiers On The Minnesota-Dakota Frontier From The Great Sioux Uprising To 1866, Darrin F. Boehm

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will tell the generally forgotten story of the Civil War era soldiers on the Minnesota-Dakota frontier who fought in the Great Sioux Uprising from 1862 to 1865. It will also compare the frontier soldiers’ campaign experience with the experiences of Bell Irvin Wiley’s Civil War ‘'Billy Yanks.”

This thesis covers enlistment procedures, food, clothing, shelter, discipline, disease, boredom, combat, the “galvanized” Yankees, the Dakota landscape, and the role of the cavalry. This story of the frontier soldiers’ expeditions against the Sioux on the northern plains is told using direct quotations from frontier soldiers’ diaries and manuscripts, along with …

The Integration Of Military Adolescents In A Civilian High School, Terri L. Eide

Theses and Dissertations

This study identifies those factors that affect the integration of military and civilian adolescents in a public high school. The convenience sample includes 85 students from military families and 129 students from civilian families. They range in age 13 to 18 years of age. Subjects completed a questionnaire about their sense of belonging to the school environment, individual attachment to the school and others, and peer group association. The analysis revealed that adolescents from military families experience a slightly lower level of integration within the public high school studied than students from civilian families. Additionally, race, as well as military …

The Lived Experience Of Graduate Nursing Students In Distance Education, Nancy L. Mosbaek

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lived experience of graduate nursing students enrolled in an interactive television course offered through distance education. Areas of focus were the technology of distance education, instructional strategies, the learning community, and communication. The qualitative research methods of interviewing, observation, and artifact/documentation review were employed. Students reported returning to school for both personal and professional reasons; self-satisfaction was most frequently mentioned. The need to work in a changing health care system was the major professional reason given. Due to multiple role responsibilities which made the participants time- and place-bound, distance education was reported to be the only …

Experiments On Active Control Of Vibration Of An Elevator Vable With Varying Length, Lars J. Teppo

Theses and Dissertations

The scaling laws used to build and analyze a model of a high speed, high-rise elevator were formulated, and the effect of each parameter on the model scaling was investigated. The model was used to investigate the active control of the cable vibration during upward elevator movement and decreasing cable length. A Hat band was used to model the cable and to constrain transverse vibrations to a single plane. The motion profile of the elevator was successfully scaled, but it was found that bending stiffness of the cable, tension changes due to gravity and tension changes due to acceleration can …

A Community Wide Study Of The Hospice Referral Process, Jarilyn K. Gess

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to understand the decision making process when seeking hospice care. The objectives were to identify the decision maker for the patient when seeking hospice care, why they were seeking hospice care, who initiated the referral, if the decision maker was aware they can self refer to hospice care, and the benefits of hospice care for the patient and family.

The study is a qualitative and quantitative descriptive study utilizing a telephone survey design as described by Dillman (1978). One hundred patients who had been referred to Hospice of the Red River Valley (HRRV) …